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

Today in Civil War History

Just a quick blog about an unusual event in the Civil War. This event offically began on September 13, 1862 after the Army of Northern Virginia began its invasion of Maryland. Lee's army had pushed the Army of the Potomac away from Richmond during the Seven Day's Campaign of June-July 1862. The following month the Confederates easily defeated General John Pope's army at Second Manassas. Flush with victory, Lee believed that one more win against the Union army would give the Confederacy the foreign help that they needed to win. However, to protect his supply line and flanks Lee had to capture Harpers Ferry.

The town of Harpers Ferry had been a supply depot and a place of importance because of John Browns Raid in 1859. Lee dispatched Stonewall Jackson and his men to sieze the town and the heights that surrounded it. General Jackson's men occupied the stregigic heights after the Union forces under Colonel Dixon Miles abondoned them without a fight. By September 15th, Jackson had his cannon trained on the Union garrision and he ordered the bombardment to begin.

Federal forces surrendered on the same day after Colonel Miles realized that Jacksons forces would overrun the garrision easily. The siege of Harpers Ferry gave the Confederacy 12,520 prisoners, 73 artillery pieces and a great deal of supplies. It was a great success but before the Confederates could enjoy the fruits of their victory a message reached General Jackson. The Army of the Potomac had arrived just outside Lee's defensive position near a small creek called Antietam. Jackson left men under General A.P. Hill to mop up any work that existed after the sucessful siege and quickly marched to join Lee. On September 17, 1862 the Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg began. It would be the bloodiest day in the history of the war that almost crushed the Army of Northern Virginia forever. This is due to Lee's stregigic boldness in the fact of a superior enemy but Harpers Ferry had to be take in order to protect his army. Lee's invasion of Maryland could be deemed a failure except for the siege of the small town where the war truely began.

Rickard, J (16 May 2007), Siege of Harper’s Ferry, 13-15 September 1862 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_harpers_ferry1862.html

Confederates buried at Arlington

Few who visit Arlington National Cemetery know of a spectalur monument to the enemies of the Union. Yes, the Confederacy has a monument in their honor at the place where so many American heroes are buried. The memorial is located in Section 16 of the cemetary and is a great part of the tour. When I visited Arlington in 1986 I was unaware of such a memorial and it has only recently come to me attention.Arlington National Cemetery rests on the grounds that Mary Custis Lee inherited from her father and was the home of both her and Robert E. Lee. The North started to bury their dead at Arlington in 1864 after the Federal government aquired the land because the Lee's failed to pay back taxes.

As of 2006, more than 320,000 people are buried at Lee's former estate. Ironically, the first soldier buried at Arlington was a Confederate prisoner of war! The overwhelming number of military deaths in 1864 caused many Confederates to be buried at Arlington not far from their former enemies. After the war the family members of these troops were not permitted to visit the graves of their loved ones or to decorate them. By 1900 the ill feeling that followed the war had died away as the reunited country fought Spain and the government opened to doors of Arlington to the former Confederates. By the end of June Congress authorized that a section of Arlington National Cemetery be set aside for the burial of Confederate dead. Southern dead was transferred from cemeteries around Washington and buried in a special section of Arlington National Cemetery. It was hoped that a Confederate memorial would finalize the peace between both North and South.Around 482 soldiers from the south are buried at this famed resting place. Among the persons buried there are 46 officers, 351 enlisted men, 58 wives, 15 southern civilians, and 12 unknowns. This pretty much represents the fighting force of the Confederacy on the battlefield and the homefront. They are buried in concentric circles and their graves are marked with headstones that are distinct for their pointed tops. Some resentment never dies and legend has it that the pointed tops were created so "the yankees can't sit on them".

Southern leadership led by the United Daughters of the Confederacy petitioned to erect a major monument to the Confederate dead. On March 4, 1906 Secretary of War William Howard Taft signed the necessary documents to allow the construction of a Confederate monmument at Arlington. The memorial was placed in the center of the concentric circle with the rebel gravestones stretching in every direction. The Confederate Monument was unveiled before a large crowd of northerners and southerners on June 4, 1914, which was the 104th birthday of Jefferson Davis. President Woodrow Wilson addressed the huge gathering and veterans of both the Union and Confederacy placed wreaths on the graves of their former foes. This symbolizes the feelings of reconciliation between the North and South, the memorial's central theme. Also, Bennett H. Young (1843-1919) who was a Confederate officer who led forces in the St Albans raid was present at the dedication.

The monument was sculpted by Moses Ezekiel, a Confederate veteran who is now buried at the base of his marvelous piece of craftsmenship. Moses resembles me a lot and I find that really fascinating. Exekiel's creation is 32 feet high with the statue of a woman at the top that symbolizes the south. Her head is crowned with olive leaves, her left hand extends a laurel wreath toward the South, acknowledging the sacrifice of her fallen sons. Her right hand holds a pruning hook resting on a plow stock. These symbols bring to life the biblical passage inscribed at her feet: "And they shall beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning hooks." The plinth on which she stands is embossed with four cinerary urns symbolizing the four years of the Civil War. A frieze of 14 inclined shields represents all 13 states of the Confederacy including Maryland which supported the Southern cause. Other pictures on the monument show the woman (the south) being held up by Minerva, Goddess of War and Wisdom. Also, the good that came out of the war is also depicted. A soldier kissing his baby as she is held by a mammy, a young officer standing alone, a former slave following his former master and a young lady binding the sword and sash of her soldier.The inscription on the memorial reads:Not for fame or reward,Not for place or for rank,Not lured by ambition,Or goaded by necessity,But in SimpleObedience to DutyAs they understood it,These men suffered all,Sacrificed all,Dared all--and died. Later three final Confederates were brought to the cemetary and are buried at the base of the monument with Ezekiel. They are Lt. Harry C. Marmaduke who served in the Confederate Navy, Capt. John M. Hickey of the Second Missouri Infantry and Brig. Gen. Marcus J. Wright who commanded brigades at Shiloh and Chickamauga. The Confederate Memorial at Arlington is open for the public to visit today. I urge you to take a peek at it if you are in the area or planning a trip to Washington D.C. because it was a token of peace and respect between two sections of the country that still don't see eye to eye on many things. Perhaps it can help everyone heal and foster good feelings for years to come.

Sources and further infomation:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/visitor_information/Confederate_Memorial.html

Visit Ezekiel's grave here: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2999

Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 1986.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html

"That Old Man...."

It is a well known fact that Robert E. Lee and George Pickett had a checkered history. The most obvious connection between the two men was the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. On the third and final day of the battle Lee sent Pickett's Division across a mile of open field to engage the enemy. General Pickett watched in horror as nearly half of his division was utterly destroyed. Pickett was a man with a lot of personal pride and Gettysburg became the beginning of the end for his career and his health. He never forgave Lee but the relationship between the two would continue its downfall.In 1865 as the thinning ranks of Lee's army was barely holding its own around Petersburg, Lee knew that he had to get his army out of there.

A critical crossroads called Five Forks was the key to Lee's escape if Grant was able to push him out of the besieged city. In command of the Confederate defenses at Five Forks was General George Pickett. Lee ordered that Five Forks be held "at all hazzards." Pickett left his headquarters on April 1, 1865 to attend a shad (fish) bake at a neighboring generals tent. This was the sameday that Grant ordered an attack at Five Forks. The Federals easily defeated their enemy and Pickett's troops were routed. Lee was so angered by Picketts behaviour that he ordered his removal from command. Due to the chaos along the retreat Lee's order wasn't carried out. As the Confederates fled Petersburg Lee spotted Pickett riding his horse alongside his men. "Is that man still with the army" he asked his aide. This was a severe rebuke from Lee who was reported to have "always" referred to his fellow officers by name or rank. If Pickett ever heard of Lee's words is unknown but if he did they would have severed their relationship for good.Lets fast forward to 1870 as Robert E. Lee health was slowly fading. He decided to take a trip south during the spring months to restore his failing health with one of his daughters.

After leaving Lexington his first stop was the former Confederate capital at Richmond. Colonel John S. Mosby heard of Lee's arrival and showed up to pay his respects to his former chief. "Both of us were thinking about the war" Mosby later wrote "neither of us referred to it."After a great visit with General Lee, Mosby left and as he walked away from the hotel he encountered General Pickett. The former leader of the most famous charge in American history had fallen on hard times and ended up in the insurance business. How ironic is that? Mosby convinced Pickett to pay his respects to his former commander because according to Mosby, Lee looked "pale and haggard." Basically, Mosby was telling Pickett to see Lee because he didn't look healthy and he could die.Pickett hestitated but eventually both he and Mosby went to visit Robert E. Lee. Their meeting was cold and uncomfortable for all three of them. Both were civil towards one another but Mosby stated that Lee's glacial manner was matched by Pickett's icy demenor.

After a few minutes Mosby broke up the reunion by rising to his feet and leaving with George Pickett. The parting between the two men was brief. Their exact words to one another went unrecorded but what was said afterwards by Pickett was written for prosterity by John Mosby."The old man had my division slaughtered" said Pickett. Obviously these words by Pickett show that he remained bitter over the destruction of his division at Gettysburg. Mosby needed a good reply and he told George Pickett "Well, it made you immortal." Perhaps Mosby was trying to help the old division commander by letting him know that history will forever remember that grand old charge. Author William Fulkner later wrote that every southern boy dreams of it be two o'clock and being a participant of Pickett's Charge. I doubt if George Pickett could see how famous both he and his men are today that he would be happy. It must have been a painful heartache for the old general to bear and there are some things that time never heals.Pickett died in 1875, Lee died in October of 1870 and Mosby survived them both by dying in May 1916. Besides the fact that Pickett's Charge is such a force in popular media concerning the war and tourism at Gettysburg the old general has other forms of imortality. Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia is named in his honor. In Richmond, where Pickett is buried, his former soldiers errected a monument alongside his gravesite that was originally meant to be place on the Gettysburg battlefield. Moreover, history and popular culture have painted Pickett as a tragic hero which is no doubt enhanced by actor Stephen Lang's protrayal of him in the film Gettysburg (1993).

Sources:

Clark, Champ, and the Editors of Time-Life Books, Gettysburg: The Confederate High Tide, Time-Life Books, 1985.

Flood, Charles Bracelen. Lee--the Last Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981.

John Sedgwick: A Forgotten Union Hero

Union General John Sedgwick was born in Cornwall Hollow, Connecticut on Sept 13, 1813. He was well educated and graduated from West Point in 1837 and ranked 24th in his class. He served faithfully in the Seminole Indian War in Florida and served with distinction in the war with Mexico. He along with future Confederate Generals James Longsreet and George Pickett helped defeat the Mexicans at the Battle of Chapultepec.Before the Civil War started he was promoted twice to replace Robert E. Lee. The second promotion came when Lee resigned from the U.S. Army.

Sedgwick rose from the rank of Lt. Colonel to lead a corps during the Civil War and he was among the small number of men from either side to do so. On July 4, 1862 he was awarded the rank of major general becoming one of the few men in American military history to rise so fast and so far. His command was the Union Sixth Corps and it was a position that he would maintain until his untimely death. In September of 1862 he was wounded three times during the Battle of Antietam and missed three weeks of the war to recover from these wounds. Until his death this would be the only war time that John Sedgewick would miss.After serving in the heavy fighting at Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville. During the Second Battle of Fredricksburg, Sedgwick led the forces that pushed the Confederates off of Mayre's Heights. After Hooker was whipped by Lee at Chancellorsville, President Lincoln offered the command of the Army of the Potomac to General Sedgwick. Both he and fellow corps commander John F. Reynolds refused to take command and opted to remain in command of their corps. Another corps commander named George Meade took the offer and the rest is history. Sedgwick furthered his legend by his timely arrival at Gettysburg during the wars bloodiest battle. His corps was held in reserve but his troops were in position to prevent any penetration by the Army of Northern Virginia.After the Gettysburg campaign, Sedgwick's Corps marched with a new commander named U.S. Grant.

After leading his men during the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864 his corps marched south to engage the Confederates at Spotsylvania Court House. While he placed his men into position a Confederate sharpshooter shot him dead. Just moments before Sedgwick was warned by his troops to take cover but he stated that "they couldn't hit a elephant at his distance". Well John must have grown a trunk because the rebel bullet wounded him just under his left eye. He died within minutes. The general was buried in his home town.The love that Sedgwicks men had for him was evident at Spotsylvania when many of them wept when they learned of his death. After the war several momuments and memorials were created in his honor including one at West Point. Also, Sedgwick is honored with statues at Spotsylvania near where he fell and on the battleground at Gettysburg. Today, General John Sedgwick remains virtually unknown to the average American.

He served in three wars and postive things always seemed to surround him. He was loved and respected by the troops under his command and his superior officers. So why don't more people know about John Sedgwich? Perhaps it is because he was a guy who just got the job done, didn't flaunt himself and since he didn't outlive the war he didn't make himself larger than life within his writings. Without a doubt, General Sedgwick deserves to be remembered as a great general and a great man. Its a shame that he isn't as revered as Sherman, Lee, Grant and Jackson.

Some great articles are here:http://www.sedgwick.org/na/families/robert1613/B/2/9/2/B292-sedgwick-john1813.html

Sources used:http://www.sedgwick.org/na/families/robert1613/B/2/9/2/B292-sedgwick-gen-john-article.htmlhttp://www.civilwarhome.com/sedgwickbio.htm

Further Reading:

Winslow, Richard Elliott. General John Sedgwick, the Story of a Union Corps Commander. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1982.

Sedgwick, John, George William Curtis, and Gary W. Gallagher. Correspondence of John Sedgwick, Major-General. Army of the Potomac series, v. 24. Baltimore, MD: Butternut and Blue, 1999.

Connecticut, and Dwight C. Kilbourn. Dedication of the Equestrian Statue of Major-General John Sedgwick. Hartford: Pub. by the state, 1913.

The Forgotten Battles of the Civil War: the Battle of Pilots Knob September 27-28 1864

Missouri ranks third in in-state Civil War clashes. Only Virginia and Tennessee had more battle within its borders and in September 1864 one of the forgotten battles of the war occurred at Pilot Knob, Missouri. The area is located in the peaceful Arcadia Valley of southeast Missouri but its beauty was disrupted by one of the wars bloodiest battles. In just 20 minutes nearly 1,000 men lay dead or wounded at the foot of Pilot Knob Mountain.The summer of 1864 had not gone well for the Confederacy. By the end of the season the nations most powerful army was entrenched and enduring a siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Union General William T. Sherman had begun to beat back Confederate forces as he made his way towards Atlanta. The armies west of the Mississippi river were commanded by General Edmund Kirby Smith who kept a tight reign on his regiments and some say he acted like a dictator over the region. Smith's lack of resolve allowed Union forces to concentrate in Georgia and Virginia.

As Confederate manpower dwindled, President Jefferson Davis ordered some of Smith's regiments east to help defend Petersburg and Atlanta. Fearful of losing men, General Smith wrote Davis that he was planning a major offensive and would need to retain his regiments. Major General Sterling Price, a former governor of Missouri, to lead Smith's western campaign. No Confederate general began a mission with such a ragged force because most of the rebel troops were clothed in tattered rags and many went without shoes. Soldiers carried an endless variety and caliber of muskets which made ammunition supply in the field nearly impossible. Some soldiers even assumed this offensive without field arms of any kind.

As September 19, 1864 dawned, Prices was ready. A 12,000 man mounted army of misfits and regulars crossed the Arkansas border into Missouri. Meanwhile, on the Union side nothing could get any worse.In St. Louis the commander of the Department of Missouri was General William Rosecrans who had led Union forces during its defeat at Chickamuaga in 1863. This setback caused President Lincoln to remove Rosecrans from command and like John Pope before him, Rosecrans was sent west. General Rosecrans after receiving reports that Price was moving towards him called for reinforcements. His efforts weren't enough and by late September he commanded just 6,000 men. A Confederate advantage of 2-1 was the only thing that stood between Price and the occupation of the greatest American city west of the Mississippi at that time. Rosecrans and his men entrenched themselves at Pilot Knob and waited for the Confederates to attack.Many of Price's officers urged him to ignore the Union garrison and move on to St. Louis. The capture of such a prized city would renew hope within the Confederacy and bring much needed supplies to the army. Price ignored the suggestion but did send part of his force to rip up a railroad connection. The rest of the men would attack the Federal force at Pilot Knob.

The Union defenses was headed by 1,000 men under General Thomas Ewing. The earthworks that his forces defended was known as Fort Davidson. The fort was surrounded on three sides by commanding hills which dominated the valley floor. Enemy forces would have no choice but to cross hundreds of yards in the open to reach the fort. This would expose them to artillery and infantry file which would easily break up their formations. The forts one vulnerability was to any artillery which could be placed on the encircling hills. Ewing sent out untested troops which skirmished with Confederate forces in a fierce rainstorm on September 26. By the morning of the 27th, Ewings troops retreated to the safety of the fort but did some damage by inflicting nearly 200 causalities on the Confederates.General Price looked over the situation with a keen eye and determined that artillery placed on the hilltops would easily pound the Union garrison into submission. Price ordered Colonel Lauchlan Maclean to the forth to ask for a Union surrender. Ewing and Maclean were personal enemies and the Union general easily rejected the opportunity to surrender. Perhaps, Maclean let his personal hatred of Ewing get the best of time because he quickly urged Price to order a frontal assault. Placing cannon on the mountain tops was no easy task and General Price abandoned the easier course and prepared his assault.An hour of quiet over the battlefield was disturbed by the Confederates trampling brush with their feet as their battle lines formed. Ewing ordered his cannon to load canister and made sure every available rifemen was placed in position to receive Price's attack. The best marksmen were chosen to fire while others loaded muskets so that a continuous fire could hit the gray wave that would soon arrive.Confederate artillery pounded the fort around two o'clock and after a short barrage the rebels began to move towards Fort Davidson. Ewing ordered his cannon to fire and soon thick clouds of smoke blanketed the attacking columns hundreds of feet high. When Price's men came withing 500 yards the Union infantry was ordered to fire. As spent rifles were passed down and loaded ones handed up, the 300 rifles along the top of the walls fired as if they were machine guns during World War I. The heavy fire caused many Confederates to fall to the ground clutching bloody wounds.Still the gray line pressed on and when they got within 200 yards, the southern brigades fired their first volley and broke into a running charge. Many Union gunners and rifemen could only see the charging legs under the thick haze of smoke. As the the men defending Fort Davidson continued their unrelenting fire the Confederates fell back. It is estimated that the rebels got within 30 yards of the forts walls before having to abandon their position. The hot lead was too much for Sterling Price's brigades and many of his retreating forces tripped over their fallen comrades.They Confederates were rallied by several officers who spurred them forward again as devastating fire from Fort Harrison continued to rain upon them. Some rebels even made it to the base of the forts walls but some were destroyed or disabled by Union gunners who lit artillery fuses and dropped them into the Confederate hordes below. This was too much for the soldiers to bear and the rebels quickly retreated across the open fields now littered with their dead. As the smoke slowly lifted, the incredible carnage became known to both sides. Nearly 500 yards of open ground was covered with wounded and dead men. The Battle of Pilot Knob had only lasted a few minutes but the results were bloody. After the attack, Price was unable to gain control of his men and his entire command was scattered and confused. Meanwhile, General Ewing realized that he shouldn't press his luck and during the night he withdrew from Fort Harrison. The last squad of Union infantry blew up the ammunition depot which caused an enormous explosion. Many Confederates felt that the Yankees had blown themselves up but they were dismayed to find the fort empty when the sun finally rose. Price knew that his command had suffered too much and taking St. Louis was impossible. The National Parks Service website reports 1,684 total casualties (US 184; CS 1,500). Perhaps the biggest result of the Battle of Pilot Knob was another Confederate drawback. By the end of the year Lee's army was dwindling, Atlanta was in Union hands and Sherman's March to the Sea was about to begin. This battle goes virtually unnoticed by many Civil War historians and buffs. This fact saddens me because it is a battle that I just recently discovered myself and I think it is really intriguing.

Sources:http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/pilotknob_map1.htm

Report of General Ewing, http://www.civilwarhome.com/Ewing.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/mo021.htmFurtherhttp://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/mo021.htmFurther

Reading:

Mackey, T. J. 1974. Escape from Fort Davidson. Civil War Times Illustrated. 13, no. 1: 30-31.

Suderow, Bryce A. Thunder in Arcadia Valley: Price's Defeat, September 27, 1864. Cape Girardeau, Mo. (530 N. Pacific, Cape Girardeau 63701): Center for Regional History and Cultural Heritage, Southeast Missouri State University, 1986

Lincoln and Lee: Forever Linked in Histroy

President Abraham Lincoln and General Robert E. Lee are forever linked in our minds because they were the major players on each side during the Civil War. Their last names begin with the same letter but the similarities don't stop there. After dying their contemporaries painted them as the idealistic vision of perfection. These colleagues claimed that Lee and Lincoln had few vices and were the greatest leaders in their respective fields. The truth behind these claims is not the purpose of this blog because they share something that few people discuss and many are unaware of.

Despite the wealth of R.E. Lee and Abe Lincoln books out there today neither man wrote personal memoirs. All historians have to go by are the letters, reports and documents written by these men. Yes, it is better than nothing but lets not forget that their contemporaries wrote their first biographies. Lee and Lincoln have been unable to speak on many of their actions and they may remain silent forever.

If Lee's heart had held up and/or Booth's bullet had misses Lincoln's head than we might have the memoirs of these great men. Why did Lee order Pickett's Charge? How impressions did Lincoln get from his cabinet when he announced the Emancipation Proclamation? These and a million other questions go unanswered unless a lost document shows up in some dusty archive somewhere.

What does the lack of personal memoirs cause? For one thing, it causes many historical questions to go unanswered because we cannot view the events through their own eyes. Moreover, historians of Grant and Sherman can read the words of those men and make historical judgement based on the facts written. In many ways we cannot do this with Lincoln and Lee. Many of the facts behind their actions come from their documents and letters. As historians we have to make due with what we have and many libraries hold thousands of these valuable items. It is a shame that Lee's postwar descriptions of his campaigns and Lincolns post-administration view of his presidency go unanswered. Unfortunately these moments are lost forever to history. However, if anyone asked me the two historical books that I would like to read the most it would be the Memoirs of Abraham Lincoln and the Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. Great stuff.

Meade versus Lee...again

In a previous blog I mentioned R.E. Lee's comment to General Meade at Appomattox. After the Confederate surrender Lee went back to Richmond to take care of his sick wife. The Lee's lived in a modest house but were constantly interrupted by well-wishers, former soldiers, friends and curious on-lookers.

The reasoning behind many of the visitations were former Confederates seeking Lee's advice on taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. This oath would grant former Confederates amnesty from Federal prosecution as traitors. Also, it restored U.S. citizenship to the rebel politicians/soldiers who participated in the Confederacy. Many southerners felt that the oath was stupid and didn't want to take it because it trampled upon their reasoning for revolting. The Federals needed a man who was admired by almost everyone in the south and many looked to Lee to be this person. If the great commander swore allegiance to the Union than the former confederates would do the same.

Therefore, both sides saw Lee as the mythical leader of the Confederacy long before the Lost Cause institution made Lee perfect. One such man was General George G. Meade, the commander of the Army of the Potomac and the victor of Gettysburg. The Union general called on his former opponent and friend in Richmond as his army made its way back to Washington. Meade, dressed in his officers uniform knocked on Lee's door and was admitted inside. Both men were friends prior to the war and Meade may have been acting under Grant's orders to urge Lee to take the oath.

Meade asked Lee to sign the necessary documents and swear allegiance to the Union. Such a scenario would be an advantage to Lee because it would reestablish his civil status and set and example for all confederates to follow. "Bobby" Lee told Meade that he was waiting to see if the Federal Government would treat the South harshly. Based on this comment one would assume that Lee was willing to lead another revolution if the Union victors mistreated Southerners.

General Meade's response was that the oath and signature were not asking for much and such an action would guarantee civil rights and amnesty from Federal prosecution. Lees belief was that the surrender of Appomattox freed him and his former soldiers from trial and taking an oath was ambiguous. After seeing that any further argument against the former commander of the Army of Northern Virginia would be a waste of time Meade departed. The two friends never saw each other again.

It can be assumed that Meade, if under orders or not, reported this to U.S. Grant. Eventually, Lee would take the oath, do his duty and face heat from many former Confederates. Lee's example worked as many former Confederates followed their hero and their former commander one last time by completing their own oath processes. Many former Confederates enjoyed their renewed civil status and many were elected governors and as prominent civil leaders. As for Lee the future of his civil status wasn't so bright.

General Lee's oath documents like all the others had to have a Presidential signature in order to be official. The gray-haired commanders materials never reached President Johnson's desk and were misplaced by someone in the war department. He never received his U.S. citizenship during his lifetime and died as the the head of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia in 1870. In 1970 the documents were reported to have been discovered within the National Archives. President Gerald Ford signed the papers in 1975 and Lee's citizenship was restored 105 years after his death. "I believe it to be the duty" he wrote "of everyone to reunited in the restoration of the country."

Sources:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/spring/piece-lee.html


Flood, Charles Bracelen. Lee--the Last Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981.