July 4th thoughts

Everybody celebrates the Declaration of Independence, shoots off fireworks and cooks hotdogs on Independence Day but I cannot help but think of other things. Yes I am biased but the twin victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg are rarely thought of as we bite into our ketchup covered hotdogs. Those victories were key to Union victory and set the stage for the end of the most destructive war on North American soil. It saddens me that this day is so focused on July 4, 1776 and we rarely recall the importance of July 4, 1863 when two towns, one in the north and one in the south had the war brought to their doorsteps and the country was saved on their farms. Yes I agree that we need to remember John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin but we also have to remember the heroes that saved the country that they founded and the men of blue and gray who fought over the ideals that they were unable to resolve. Colonel William C. Oates, Colonel Josh Chamberlian, Sam Watkins, Joseph E. Johnston, "Sam" Hood, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, U.S. Grant, William T. Sherman, George H. Thomas, Robert E. Lee, and the countless thousands met in mortal combat for four long years. To think that this day is only about 1776. July 4, 1863 is equally important and deserves its place in our collective memory.

I also added a new link. Check out http://www.echoesofgettysburg.com/index.html for some really cool insight, artifacts and photos of Gettysburg.

ALSO CHECK OUT http://www.cspan.org/lincoln200years/

A Confederate Hero meets his end 144 years ago today

Today in Civil War history:

While inspecting his lines, Leonidas Polk is killed at Pine Mountain by an artillery blast ordered by William Tecumseh Sherman. Polk was scouting enemy positions with his staff when he was killed in action by a Federal 3" Hotchkiss shell at Pine Mountain. Although his record as a field commander was poor, Polk was immensely popular with his troops, and his death was deeply mourned in the Army of Tennessee

More information about Polk can be found at http://www.leonidaspolk.org/

One this date in 1863....145 years ago, Nathaniel Banks orders a ground assault against Port Hudson but fails to breach the walls.

Happy Presidents Day

Here is a funny story I heard about William T. Sherman and Braxton Bragg. It also fits as a joke for Presidents Day. Before the war Sherman and Bragg were friends. Braxton helped get Sherman a job at the Lousina Military Institute prior to the firing on Fort Sumpter. Upon resigning his post at the Institute on Feb. 17 Sherman bide farewell to the men that his future army would battle against. The tearful farewell was followed by a tea party with Mrs. Braxton Bragg, Sherman and Bragg himself.

During the get together Bragg complianed that Confederate President Jefferson Davis did not put him in command of the new Confederate army. Davis went with Beauregard instead.

Mrs. Bragg remarked to Sherman "You know, my husband is not in favor with the new President."

To this Sherman replied "I didn't know that Bragg knew Mr. Lincoln."

Mrs. Bragg responded "I didn't mean your President, but our President."

Family Relations

Family relationships between generals has always fascinated me. Here is a listing of a few connections between men who served in the Civil War.

Union General George G. Meade, who defeated Lee at Gettysburg was the brother-in-law of Confederate General Henry A. Wise

Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson was the brother-in-law of Confederate General Daniel Harvey Hill

Confederate General Ambrose Powell Hill was the brother-in-law of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan. Before the war, Hill fought for the hand of Ellen Marcy but lost to Union General George B. McCellan

Union General Phillip St. Cooke was the father-in-law of Confederate General JEB Stuart. During General McCellan's 1862 Virginia Campaign, Stuart made a imfamous ride round McCellan's forces. In vain pursuit was Cooke, an old-line solider who swore alliegence to the Union. "He will regret it but once," Stuart said, "and that will be continuously." Cooke's nephew served with Stuart from 1861-1864 and wrote one of the greatest memoirs of cavalry officer in the Confederate army.


Sources

Davis, Burke. Jeb Stuart; The Last Cavalier. New York: Rinehart & Company, Inc. 1957

Foote, Shelby. The Civil War, a Narrative. Volume 1., New York: Random House, 1958.

George H. Thomas, William Sherman and my current read

However, I have a few items to discuss and some house cleaning to do for this blog. So here goes.

It has been nearly eighteen years since I sat and watched the premiere of The Civil War by Ken Burns. It was during this film that I was introduced (as were so many other viewers) to author Shelby Foote. I have talked about Foote in a previous blog. After reading so many books on Lee’s Generalship and the Lost Cause I decided to take a break from that and commit myself to reading Foote’s massive three-volume narrative entitled The Civil War: A Narrative.

This reading has re-exposed me and introduced me to some interesting tidbits and ideas for future blogs. Of course my Forgotten Battles Series and Forgotten Generals series will see new additions but I wanted to add another. Great Military Blunders of the Civil War. In the next few weeks I will create a blog that will be the first addition to this new series. I cannot wait.

Back to Foote’s book. So far I am on page 191 of Volume One. The book is really good but Foote ignored the use of citation in his book although the things that I recognize are accurate and precise. Shelby was a masterful storyteller who weaves his storyline with engaging phrases and individual words. This along with the use of the Official Records, Memoirs and other primary sources make these books great. However, I don’t want to get ahead of myself because this isn’t a book review. Here is an interesting connection between two Union heroes that I didn’t know about. (I may have read this during my 23 years of Civil War studies but it might have been lost in my memory)

William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas were good friends. When Thomas, a Virginian by birth sought a position in the Union army Abraham Lincoln was hesitant. Former Federal officers RE Lee and Joseph E. Johnston had defected to the Confederacy and Lincoln questioned if this Virginian would do the same. Lincoln didn’t trust Thomas and Sherman spoke up for his old friend.

Lincoln question Sherman about the Virginian’s loyalties and the Ohioan assured Lincoln that Thomas was loyal. Lincoln signed a commission making George Thomas a brigadier general. After Sherman left Lincolns presence he encountered Thomas on the streets of Washington.

“Tom, you’re a brigadier general” he enthusisctally announced but Thomas betrayed no emotion to Sherman’s comment. Seeing his friends’ response Sherman feared that his old army buddy was going to the War Department to tender his resignation. “Where are you going?” Sherman asked.

“I’m going south,” Thomas replied firmly.

“My God, Tom,” Sherman groaned. “You’ve put me in a awful position! I’ve just made myself responsible for your loyalty!”

“Give yourself no trouble, Billy,” Thomas assured his friend. “I’m going south at the head of my troops.”

Lincoln had found one of his best and most underrated Union general who would serve faithfully at Mill Springs, Nashville, Franklin, Chickamauga and a dozen more engagements. So began the famed career of George H. Thomas, the “Rock of Chickamauga”.

Forgotten Battles of the Civil War: The Battle of Arkansas Post, Jan. 9-11 1863

In 1682, Henri de Tonti established a small trading post in the Quapaw village of Osotuoy. He called his establishment “Postede Arkansea” and it would become the first semi-permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The area, later renamed Arkansas Post became a thriving port bustling with activity. In 1819 it became the capital of the Arkansas Territory.

After the Civil War broke out in 1861 the Confederate troops under General Thomas J. Churchill completed an earthen fortification known as Fort Hindman. This region was important to the rebels for several distinct reasons. First, the area dominated the Arkansas River and protected the capital of Little Rock from attack. Secondly, from Fort Hindman, at Arkansas Post, Confederates could disrupt Union shipping on the Mississippi River.

By the middle of 1862, Union forces commanded most of the Mississippi River. However, the Confederate strong holds on Vicksburg and Fort Hindman still held. Maj. Gen. John McClernand undertook a combined force movement on Arkansas Post to capture it. During the evening of January 9, 1863 Federal forces landed near Arkansas Post and began moving towards Fort Hindman. McClernand commanded a 32,000 man force known as the Army of the Mississippi. Union troops quickly overran the Rebel trenches and the men in butternut fled to the protection of the fort.

Rear Adm. David Porter moved his fleet to support McClernands men by bombarding Fort Hindman. The Confederates put up a good fight but were overwhelmed from the Union ironclads shelling the forts weak defenses. Some of Porter’s fleet sailed past the fort and cut off any retreat as General William T. Sherman’s ground troops attacked the fort head on. This combined effort sealed the fate of the forts defenders and the Confederates were forced to surrender on January 11, 1863.

The Union causalities (1,047 total) were very high but the overall results of the Battle of Arkansas Post were immediate. The success of Northern troops on January 9-11 eliminated one more impediment to Union shipping on the Mississippi and it gave them control of the Arkansas River. McClernand wanted to push up river and take Little Rock but General Ulysses S. Grant overruled him and the victors were ordered to join the Union advance on Vicksburg, Mississippi. For the Confederacy it was one of many Confederate setbacks in 1863 that would eventually lead to its downfall. Moreover, the South lost another 5,500 men killed; wounded or captured which was a sign of things to come in July at Vicksburg.

This battle is part of my Forgotten Battles of the Civil War series. Too often as history and Civil War buffs we forget about some of the small battles that had big consequences. This series is dedicated to those battles and shedding some light on incidents that had enormous results. I hope that you are enjoying these contests and if there is anything that I can do to improve them then please email me or leave a comment.

Want to visit Arkansas Post? More information can be found at the following websites & publications:

http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ar006.htm
http://www.civilwarbuff.org/

http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=525#

http://www.civilwarbuff.org/gillett.html

Bearss, Edwin C. “The Battle of the Post of Arkansas.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 18 (Autumn 1959): 237–279.
Kiper, Richard L. “John Alexander McClernard and the Arkansas Post Campaign.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 56 (Spring 1997): 56–79.
Surovic, Arthur F. “Union Assault on Arkansas Post.” Military History 12 (March 1996): 34–40.
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series 1, Vol. 17. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1890–1901, pp. 698–796.

History has always interested me because of the connection that historical people have before, during and after the events that made them important. Such is the case of General William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston. Both served on opposite sides during the conflict, fought against one another for the prized city of Atlanta and Johnston surrendered his rebel army to Sherman in April 1865. I am not going to waste time with this blog speaking about the biographies of both men but I would rather engage you the reader on an interesting story between these former enemies.

Our Civil War was unlike any other in history. The high cost of life, the destruction and devastation ranks it among the toughest wars in history. But the unique thing about our Civil War is not about battles, weapons or supplies. Our war was about healing and despite this horrendous conflict many men who were former enemies went home and our nation didn't plunge itself into something worse. Over the long term scheme of things, peace was maintained and people began to rebuild their lives without further bloodshed. Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman were such men.General Sherman died in New York City on February 19, 1891. His body was transferred to St. Louis where the official funeral was held on February 21. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston who had opposed Sherman in Georgia and the Carolinias was there serving as a pallbearer. The day was very cold and Johnston, out of respect for Sherman, carried the casket outside without wearing a hat to shield his head. Old Joe had just turned 82 years old on February 3 and many friends asked him to wear a hat to keep warm. Johnston refused to disrespect Sherman stating "If I were in Shermans place and he were standing here in mine, he would not put on his hat."

This quote shows the respect that the two men had for one another and his final reunion is representative of the reunion that was occurring between the north and south. After Sherman was laid to rest Johnston caught a cold that turned into pneumonia and he died the following month. Johnston, a native Virginian was buried in Baltimore, Maryland. Sherman received several monuments in his honor including one in Washington D.C. Joe Johnston didn't received such acclaim and was vilified by Confederate leaders for not attacking Sherman. In 1912, Johnston received his first and only monument in Dalton, Georgia.

A Union regiment called the 1st Alabama Cav.

Growing up in history class it seemed like the entire south was united under the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy. As with all wars there are people who are for it and there are people who are against it. Few realize that every southern state had sent regiments to serve in the Federal army excluding South Carolina. Northern Alabama was pro-Union and when the Confederate Congress issued the first draft call in American history many southerners were outraged. For many Confederates the war was about a people fighting against an oppressive government that passed too many laws to control localities.

Many northern Alabamians refused to serve and Governor Frank Shorter of Alabama sent conscription parties to find and enlist the men who refused to serve.To avoid the draft meant jail and even death so Shorter thought that many unwilling southerners would just drop their objections without raising a fuss. The make matters worse the Confederate government and army had been unable to protect southern farms in the area from bushwackers and robbers. These thieves served on both sides during the conflict and usually stole livestock and burned homes to the ground after robbing them blind. To defend their families and property the Northern Alabamians began to filter into the Union lines and form regiments. It was from this stream that the 1st Alabama Cavalry was born.The 1st had almost one-thousand soldiers occupy its ranks during the Civil War including men from other states within the Confederacy besides Alabama. The unit filled traditional cavalry roles of the time; scouting, raiding, reconnaissance, flank guard and screening the army on the march. The troops had no regimental flag of its own but earned a good reputation while serving in many forgotten skirmishes and engagements. During the battles at Dalton, Resaca and Kennesaw Mountain in the Atlanta campaign the 1st saw its first major action and proved its value to the Federal army.Praises from Union generals blanked the reputation of the 1st Alabama Cavalry. "The best scouts I ever saw" said one Union officer. Another stated that their service was "invaluable" to Federal successes in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

These men were so famous and effective that General Sherman chose them as his personal escort during his famous "March to the Sea". However the regiment would gain its greatest victory in 1865 as the war drew to a close. On March 10, 1865 the 1st Alabama Cavalry fought rebel forces near Monroe Crossroads in North Carolina. A surprise attack by famed Confederate cavalry commanders Wade Hampton and Joseph Wheeler shocked the 1st as the sun rose in the east. After a three hour and bloody conflict the 1st Alabama Cavalry was able to drive the Confederates off the field until help arrived. The Confederates lost 103 dead and many more wounded at a cost to the Federals of 18 dead, 70 wounded and 105 missing.After overseeing the surrender of the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Joseph E. Johnston the 1st was mustered out of service in October 1865. The official website of the regiment reports that "In three years service the regiment lost 345 men killed in action, died in prison, of disease or other non-battle causes; 88 became POWs and 279 deserted. There is no accurate count of wounded." After the war many former soldiers of the 1st faced rejection and criticism by their loyal Confederate neighbors. This bitterness like the 1st itself is largely forgotten today. I highly recommend that you visit the website below and become more acquainted the 1st and its adventures. The site had photos of its members, pictures of its members gravestones and tons of other information. Its colonel is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Today, many of its decedents run a reenactment group that educates people about the 1st and its storied history.

Here is the webpage:http://www.1stalabamacavalryusv.com/

Further Reading on the 1st Alabama: Todd, Glenda McWhirter. First Alabama Cavalry, U.S.A.: Homage to Patriotism. Bowie, Md: Heritage Books, 1999.

The Forgotten Battles of the Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, December 29, 1862

The Vicksburg Campaign is one of the most important moments in military history.

The daring, luck and ability of U.S. Grant to take the city is unparelled in American military history. The sega took place during the months of May-July 1863 but its roots began several months eariler in December. On December 26, 1862, three Union divisions, under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, disembarked at Johnson's Plantation on the Yazoo River to approach the Vicksburg defenses from the northeast.Shermans's men could not have found a harsher place to begin this campaign. The area with which they would march was formidable both artifically and naturally. Thick forests and swampland covered the region and the seeminly impregnable Confederate defenses lay several miles beyond. After skirmishing with rebel forced on December 26-28 Sherman's men prepared for their assualt against the Confederate lines. A narrow front made an assult difficult but Sherman was un impressed by that issue and ordered a massive cannonade to weaken the rebels on December 29.

Sherman had reason to feel confident because his forces numbered 32,000 men versus just 15,000 Confederates under Stephen D. Lee.By 12 p.m. the Union guns ceased firing and Sherman ordered his men forward. At first the men in blue made headway and pushed Lee's troops out of their earthworks. However, Sherman's men were unable to force the rebels out of their main trenches and his brigades retreated. Lee ordered a counterassualt and captures over 300 Union prisoners. Sherman ordered another attack that was stymied and December 29th ended with both sides in their original positions. For four days the two sides sat without combat and on New Years Day the Federals withdrew. The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou was the start of the Vicksburg Campaign and within six months the city would fall to General Grant.

Moreover, this battle was one of the few rays of light for the Confederate forces who met nothing but defeat in the Western Theatre. After years of reflection many Confederate vetreans would feel that the battle deserved a high place in Confederate Military History alongside 1st Mannassas and 2nd Bull Run. The "other" General Lee was made a hero and would eventually lead an army corps in the Army of Tennessee. In later years Sherman would again attack formidable Confederate forces at Kenneesaw Mountain in 1864. The results at Chickasaw Bayou were very similar. Lee's men sustained just 207 total casualities. Meanwhile, William T. Sherman's forces lost 1,176 total casualities.

Final Result: Confederate victory

Sources:http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ms003.htm