Meade and Lee reunited at Appomattox Court House

After Lee's surrender at Appomattox there were many Union soldiers who requested to visit their former friends from the old army. Meade and Lee served together in the old army and were good friends. Both men led soldiers who fought and shot against each other from the Seven Days to Appomattox. After the surrender, Meade visited Lee at the final headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia. The confersation was very coordial.

The former opposing commanders at Gettysburg ran into each other as Lee rode back to his tent. Bobby Lee asked "But what are you doing with all that grey in your beard?"

George Meade cheerfully stated "You have to answer for most of it."

This meeting represents how the war was a battle between gentlemen. So many of them knew each other, went to school with each other and served together in the United States Army. I always respected these two soldiers and it amazed me that they respected each other so much. Just looking at their brief conversation one can easily see that they respected one another. These were the men that fought each other during the wars climatic battle at Gettysburg and yet were able to joke with one another. It also shows that both men had a sense of humor despite the horrible loss that they faced from 1861-1865. Its great stuff which any Civil War buff should be aware of.

Civil War Medal of Honor Winners on Film Part 2

The other Medal of Honor soldier from the Civil War who has been depicted on film is Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine. Actor Jeff Daniels played Chamberlain twice in the movies Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. Joshua L. Chamberlain is perhaps most widely known for his role in holding the Federal position on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. However, he had a marvelous career as an army officer.

Chamberlain was wounded six times during the war and his 1864 wound was the most severe. He would suffer from the wound for the rest of his life but General Grant promoted him to Brigadier General. Moreover, Chamberlain oversaw the final Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865.

In both films, Jeff Daniels does a great job portraying Chamberlain. He is passionate, courageous and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. After the war Chamberlain made himself into a national hero and won the Medal of Honor in the 1880's for his performance at Little Round Top. These scenes do not appear in the films but one can imagine Jeff Daniels accepting these honors as a much older man. Many people consider Chamberlain a hero and his career as a historical figure was resurrected the 1990 film The Civil War by Ken Burns. Today, I am not going to debate Chamberlains importance in history other than to say that I think its overrated. I'll leave that for a future blog.

"Right or Wrong, God Judge Me!" Book Review #3

Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth have a lot more in common than some historians are willing to admit. Both were unable to testify at a trial or state on public, police records why they chose to murder a president. Reading their own words is crucial to understanding their motives and ideas. Such is the case of John Wilkes Booth whose writings appear in this one-volume by John Rhodehamel and Louise Taper.

Rhodehamel works as a Norris Foundation Curator of American Historical Manuscripts at the Huntington Library. Louise Taper, a noted Lincoln collector, owns the largest extant collection of John Wilkes Booth letters in the known world. Both authors put this book together, included all known Booth writings in their entirety and provide commentary on each manuscript. Moreover, a short biography on Booth is provided a long with a marvelous introduction that explains how Booth's signature is worth more money than Abraham Lincolns.

The book is indispensable to anyone wanting to study Lincoln's murder and Booth motives. One of the best items is a letter that Booth wrote to his mother that discusses his reasoning for the murder. You can really see that Booth was a total "Momma's boy" and he really kisses his mothers butt. Being a theatre man, Booth calls out Shakespeare in a lot of his writings by using the English author as a basis for his motives. He really thought that he was Brutus and Lincoln was Caesar. Also, discusses is the pre-murder conspiracy that tried to kidnap Lincoln and hold him until the Union armies agreed to exchange Confederate prisoners.

Another letter that is included is Booths "To Whom it may concern" letter. In this document Booth calls himself a confederate doing his duty. Another document is Booth's letter to the newspapers that he gave to a friend to publish. Booth explains his motives further from the time that he changed his kidnapping motives to murder. The friend destroyed the document after Lincoln's murder because he was afraid of being implicated in the death. He later "rewrote" the document for the Lincoln investigators but it is surprising that he could remember the entire thing in its entirety. However, Booth later refers to the document in one of his last writings while fleeing from Union troops.

The diary of Booth, written while he was on the run from Union forces is included and this document Booth is a beaten man who feels that he is being hunted like a wild animal. "I can never repent it, though we hated to kill: Our country owed all her troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment." That quote says it all about Booth and how much hatred he felt towards our 16th President of the United States. In his second and final diary entry Booth states that he will fight it out because that is all he has left in the world. You can read Booths diary in its entirity just click here.

I highly recommend this book to all Civil War buffs. To understand the man you gotta read what the man wrote and you need to go out and buy Right or Wrong, God Judge Me: The writings of John Wilkes Booth.

What Civil War General am I?

Today's blog is short and sweet. Personally, I took a quiz that shows what Civil War general I am. Some interesting choices but since Lee and Sherman are at the top of my list I don't feel so bad. Thank god I am not General Burnside or Hooker or Bragg. I highly recommend this quiz to you. Check it out ASAP!

You scored as Robert E. Lee, Honorable and courageous, you've made a career of winning great battles against overwhelming odds. You, um, might want to stay the heck out of Pennsylvania... Robert E. Lee 100% William T. Sherman 90% General James Longstreet 75% General George McClellan 60% U.S. Grant 45% Stonewall Jackson 45% General Ambrose Burnside 40% General Jeb Stuart 40% General Nathan Bedford Forrest 40% General Phillip Sheridan 25% Which American Civil War General are you? created with QuizFarm.com

A last letter home

Letters home from soldiers can explain a lot of the ups and downs that soldiers face. Sometimes letters can bare bad news and bring pain to the family members that read them. Obviously, these letters are ones that bare the news that the a particular soldier is not coming home. Many times these letters are written by an officer and rarely come from the death bed of a soldier. However, during the Civil War there were moments when soldiers were able to write out or dictate a few lines to someone present. Many times these were never reported but the ones that were offer us a glimpse into the family life of the 1860's and the love that a son had for the family involved.

Sergeant John Moseley, 4th Alabama Infantry was one of the few soldiers who managed to communicate to his loved ones as he lay on his death bed. Here is Moseley's letter, note how he says goodbye to his loved ones who are miles away from the small hamlet of Gettysburg. Moseley was wounded during the Confederate attack on Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Imagine if you received the letter below stained with your loved ones blood as Moseley's letter was on that July day.

Battlefield Gettysburg, July 4,1863

Dear Mother:

I am here a prisoner of war, and mortally wounded. I can live but a few hours, at farthest. I was shot fifty yards from the enemy's line. They have been exceedingly kind to me. I have no doubt as to the final result of this battle, and I hope I may live long enough to hear the shouts of victory before I die. I am very week. Do not mourn my loss. I had hoped to have been spared; but a righteous God has ordered it otherwise, and I feel prepared to trust my ease in his hands. Farewell to you all! Pray that God receive my soul.

Your unfortunate son John

as quoted from the book "Wasted Valor" by Greg Coco

George G. Meade: The "No respect General"

Last night as I continued my research on the 4th Alabama I came across a few lines about George Meade that caught my eye. It wasn't a fact that I was unaware of but have you ever been reminded of something and it clicked some information within your mind? General George G. Meade has never received his just due in history. Few historians rank him as a top General of the Civil War even though he commanded the Army of the Potomac longer than anybody and he defeated Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg.

Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac in June of 1863 under extraordinary circumstances. The Army of Northern Virginia had just whipped the Union army at Fredericksburg in December 1862 and at Chancellorsville in May 1863. In fact, Lee had defeated or fought to a draw every Northern general to cross his path since taking command in June of 1862. So Meade had to face down the invincibility that Robert E. Lee had assumed in the the eyes of the public and foreign nations. Moreover, Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania was underway so he had the added pressure of beating an army that his forces had be unable to contain for nearly twelve months.

History tells us that Meade overcame these obstacles and Robert E. Lee was defeated on July 1-3 at Gettysburg. However, when you ask the common layman about the great generals of the Civil War they tend to mention Lee, Grant and Sherman. Meade is the forgotten man of the group, a great warrior and a tough soldier who doesn't get the credit that he so richly deserves. It should be noted that when Grant took command of all Union forces in 1864 he traveled with the Army of the Potomac to face Lee. General Grant kept Meade in command of the army but pulled all the strings. U.S. Grant's presence overshadowed Meade and helped make him a forgotten general.

Meade's military career was extraordinary because he served in three wars during his lifetime. During the Civil War he rose through the ranks from brigade command to army command in just two years. Meade had a terrible temper which earned little respect from the men serving in the ranks but amongst his fellow generals he was fairly respected. Many historians have accused Meade's lack of aggression but he preferred to calculate the risks and then make a decision. In many ways, Meade was the exact opposite of Robert E. Lee because he took his time and didn't over commit his forces. This lack of "aggression" emphasized Meades finest qualities as a commander which is the ability to adapt tactics.

I would argue that Meade was able to change with the times. During the Civil War the weapons had advanced warfare beyond the old style tactics that many officers still used. Just take a look at Picketts Charge and you will see Robert E. Lee using a strategy that was fairly outdated. The weapons were way ahead of the tactics. Military educators failed to emphasized Meade's unwillingness to attack fortified positions with frontal assualts as an intelligent decision. This could have been used during World War I when millions of Europeans and Americans were killed in attacks on fortifications.

Perhaps the thing that hurt Meade's image was his short lifespan after 1865. Meade died in 1872 after serving faithfully in various commands. These included; Military Division of the Atlantic, the Department of the East, and the Department of the South. Gettysburg didn't entrench itself within the national conscience until after Lee (who died in 1870) and Meade passed on into the next world. Therefore, Meade and his reputation didn't enjoy the celeberity that many Gettysburg heroes benefited from. Despite these facts there is one thing that the world cannot change and that is George G. Meade commanded the army that defeated Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg and that victory helped pave the way for the defeat of the Confederacy. Meade might have summed up his own legacy in history when he discussed warfare itself by stating "War is very uncertain in its results, and often when affairs look most desperate they suddenly assume a more hopeful state." I hope that Meade's uncertainity in history has passed and that history will continue to view Meade in a postive light. I think it will.

More infomation on Meade can be found at http://www.civilwarhome.com/meadebio.htm

This is my 25th post. I hope that you have enjoyed all of my writings up to this point. More on the way.

Why won't the voices stop!

I know that the the name of this blog might scare a few people. Believe me it relates to the story that I am about to unfold. I don't know why a small hill in Pennsylvania holds such a magicial hold on me. Those who have read my blogs from the beginning know this. If you've just stumbled upon it or have just arrived please to a blogger search and you'll find it referenced in most of my blogs.

Little Round Top was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Considered by many historians to be the key point in the Union Army's defensive line that day, Little Round Top was defended successfully by the 20th Maine, 16th Michigan, 44th New York, 83rd Pennsylvania and later the 140th New York. The Confederate attack consisted of regiments from both Evander Law's and Jerome Robertson's brigades. These regiments are the 4th Alabama, 15th Alabama, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, 47th Alabama and later the 48th Alabama.

The study of the fight on Little Round Top has occurred since I was eight years old. All the time I want to find out more and I am always looking for the next book or article on the subject. That part of the battle is unique because it involves both sides overcoming the heat, the exhaustion of that day. The lost of John Oates who was the brother of the 15th Alabama's colonel William Oates. The pain that Will must have felt and the way he had to carry that with him for the rest of his life. The courage of the 20th Maine and the 140th NY as they held key parts of the Union line on Little Round Top. It just all seem to come together in a brilliant package that makes history so interesting to me.

The story of Little Round Top is overshadowed by the films and documentaries that have made it larger than life. I am happy to say that before the film Gettysburg (1993) Ken Burns The Civil War (1990) came out I was already a Little Round Top fan. I personally believe that the Union was saved on that small hill and I'll never doubt that....ever! It still amazes me that some historians dispute the importance of the struggle for Little Round Top. They say that had Lee's men secured the hill that it couldn't have been used for artillery. I find it interesting that Little Round Top never seemed to be an objective for the Confederates. Robert E. Lee even states this in his official battle report on the battle. "General Longstreet was delayed by a force occupying the high, rocky hills on the enemy's extreme left." This statement backs up the premise that Lee's true objective was to turn the Federal flank and not occupy Little Round Top. Still the possession of the hill would have put Lee in a position to reevaluate his decision made to keep the town of Gettysburg within his armies possession. Lee would not have used the word "delayed" if the true assault objective was Little Round Top.

If Little Round Top was an objective for the Confederates or not. Whether or not Little Round Top was the key to the battle is pointless. I highly doubt that my interest in the struggle for Little Round Top will ever leave me. I visited that rocky hill twice in my lifetime in 1986 and again in 1989. I cannot wait to visit it again and so my fiancee Megan how much the battle has become a part of me. If you haven't visited Gettysburg yet, if you haven't been on Little Round Top than plan a trip as soon as possible.

Abraham Lincoln had a weird face

Many people remember Lincoln as the best President in American history. According to science and recent laser scans, Abraham Lincoln had unusual degree of facial asymmetry. What in the hell does that mean?? Basically, the left side of Lincolns face was smaller than the right. This issue is known as cranial facial microsomia. Yes I can't say that either!

This isn't the only ailments that historians have given to Lincoln. Many have said that he suffered from smallpox, depression and heart disease. Now lets get back to cranial facial microsomia. Lincoln's bony ridge over his left eye rounder and thinner than the right side, and set backward. This could have caused double vision and many his friends noticed that his left eye would move upward before his right. The cool thing about this study is that Lincoln allowed his face to be sculpted in 1860 and in 1865. So the people conducting this study have been able to use accurate measurements so this study can be viewed as accurate.

However, laser scans can tell us that one side of Lincoln's face was smaller than the other but it cannot tell us how this occured. Was Lincoln born with it? Lincoln was kicked in the head by a horse as a child so could this have been the cause? We may never know the answer but I will keep an eye on this and as soon as I hear more I will write another blog.

Source:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070813/ap_on_re_us/lopsided_lincoln