Being a longtime student of Civil War in the Western Theater, I am always interested in learning more about the armies, soldiers, civilians and press coverage in the heartland. Having received this book prior to the Christmas, I looked forward to diving into it after the holidays. The wait was worthwhile. Clampitt has created a real gem in this book. His research is impeccable and he obviously spent a great deal of time uncovering the huge quantity of letters, diaries and newspaper accounts he references throughout the entire book. Like most scholars, the author retains the punctuation, misspellings and slang the writers used in their journals, diaries and letters. This makes the read quite enjoyable and I found myself chuckling, more than once, as I read the solders’ accounts of life in camp.

I found Chapter 6, “November-December 1864: Sunset at Franklin,” particularly interesting. This chapter covers the events in central Tennessee that culminated in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. Clampitt makes a great case for this two month period of time, and the Battle of Franklin in particular, as being the death knell of the Confederacy. More than any other battle, Franklin destroyed the Army of Tennessee and, for the most part, permanently removed the threat that army posed to U.S. generals George H. Thomas and William T. Sherman’s forces. While the morale, confidence and support of the western Confederacy remained high throughout much of the war, the Franklin-Nashville Campaign caused a deterioration in support for the war effort in the heartland.

For any of my readers interested in learning more about the final eighteen months of the war in the Western Theater, I highly recommend this book. It is a quick paced read and is very enjoyable. Congratulations to Mr. Clampitt on a wonderful book.

Details about “The Confederate Heartland: Military and Civilian Morale in the Western Confederacy”
Written by: Bradley R. Clampitt
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: LSU Press
Date of First Edition: December 12, 2011
ISBN-10: 0807139955

Mike Noirot
Saint Louis, Missouri
January 31, 2012

I am sure you are probably wondering why I have not posted recently. It is not due to a waning interest in writing. It is due to the fact that my blog was hacked a couple of months ago. I am working with several WordPress security consultants to clean this blog, protect my content and secure it from future hackers. Please be patient with me as I work to get my blog’s health improved. Contact me via email if you have any comments, etc.

I pray you had a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or wonderful Holiday Season!

Mike Noirot
Saint Louis, Missouri
December 27, 2011

Later, Colonel Seawell L. Fremont was assigned to Fort Fisher with the 1st North Carolina Volunteer Artillery and Engineers. New Inlet, the entrance to the Cape Fear River, was the focus of much of his attention. Under Fremont’s guidance, several new artillery batteries were built on what became known as Federal Point at Fort Fisher.

In July 1862, Colonel William Lamb was assigned command of Fort Fisher. He immediately recognized the importance of the fort and set to work constructing the remainder of the fort. “I determined at once to build a work of such magnitude that it could withstand the heaviest fire of any guns in the American Navy,” – William Lamb. Lamb’s design incorporated huge earthen walls that would ultimately stretch from Sheperd’s Battery, near the Cape Fear River, to the Atlantic Ocean. A sea facing wall would be built and stretch south to Battery Lamb – a forty-three foot tall earthen work near New Inlet. For the next 2 1/2 years, the fort commanded the inlet to the Cape Fear River and was so formidable that no major Federal attacks occurred. That would change in December 1864.

The United States government, and military command, recognized the importance of Wilmington’s port. Throughout the war, the U.S. Navy was able to close all of the major ports of the Confederacy – with the exception of Wilmington. Blockade runners were able to enter the port and bring valuable supplies to the Confederate forces. While the U.S. Navy was able to sink many of the blockade runners, they were unable to close the port due to Fort Fisher’s commanding presence. US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant also knew the importance of the port and assigned Major General Benjamin F. Butler to command an amphibious assault against the fort in December 1864. Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, a Grant confidant, was assigned to command the naval forces tasked with transporting Butler’s infantry. The plan, as devised by Butler, was to shock the Confederate fort with the explosion of the USS Louisiana near the works. Laden with 200 tons of powder, it was hoped that the explosion would destroy a portion of the sea wall and allow the infantry to storm into the fort’s interior. While well conceived, the plan would ultimately fail when the ship was exploded, too far from the wall, on December 23. The explosion did not damage the fort and the preceding bombardment caused only small amounts of casualties. Butler, still convinced that a land attack might succeed, landed a division north of the fort on Christmas morning. Butler soon lost his nerve and called the attack off, ending the First Battle of Fort Fisher.

Undeterred, Grant ordered a second assault to capture Fort Fisher. Planned for mid-January 1865, it would include the entire North Atlantic Blockading Squadron – 52 ships – again commanded by Porter. US Major General Alfred H. Terry was in command of the ground forces – a provisional corps of 9,000 troops divided among six infantry brigades and siege artillery. An additional naval landing party of marines, commanded by Captain Kidder R. Breese, would be used as a landing party to secure the beach for Terry’s infantry.

Fort Fisher, still under the command of Colonel Lamb, would be reinforced and would reach of strength of 1,900 soldiers. CSA Major General Robert F. Hoke’s division of 6,400 troops were located further north of the peninsula, bringing the entire Rebel force to a combined strength of slightly more than 8,300 troops.

On January 13, Terry would land his provisional corps on the beach north of Fort Fisher – between Hoke’s division and the garrison at Fort Fisher which was now commanded by Whiting himself. Concerned about opening the route to Wilmington, Hoke made no attempt to prevent the landing of Terry’s forces. On the morning of January 15, Porter’s gargantuan naval flotilla opened a devastating bombardment of Fort Fisher and by noon had silenced the majority of the sea facing batteries. Hoke, hearing the distant shelling, detached 1,000 soldiers from his command to reinforce Whiting. However, with Terry’s much larger command blocking much of the way, only 400 men would ever reach the fort.

Lieutenant Commander Kidder’s landing force attacked the section of the fort where the land and sea sides connected – known as the Northeast Bastion. While this assault would be repulsed, it would pull critical troops away from the point which Brigadier General Adelbert Ames’ division attacked on the land side of the fort. While Kidder’s attack was in progress, Ames ordered his first brigade to attack the fort. It was 2:00 p.m. The first brigade was able to storm through the abatis and reach the first traverse. Wanting to keep the momentum going, Ames ordered his second brigade against the works near the river side gate at the western edge of the fort. With his first brigade stalled near the fourth traverse, Ames ordered his third brigade into action. By this time, the Confederate defenders at Battery Buchanan, located at the south edge of the fort, near New Inlet, turned their heavy guns on the north wall. Additionally, Whiting led a counterattack against the Federals and was severely wounded after receiving several demands for his surrender.

Porter’s attack squadron was also busy, taking out numerous gun placements as the Federal infantry continued to swarm along both walls of the fort. Ordering all of his troops to counterattack again, Colonel Lamb was severely wounded and taken, along with Whiting, towards Battery Buchanan. Department commander, General Braxton Bragg, never realized how untenable the situation at Fort Fisher had become. Tiring of repeated calls for reinforcements from Whiting, Bragg ordered Brigadier General Alfred H. Colquitt to the fort to relieve Whiting. He arrived at Battery Buchanan as Whiting and Lamb were being evacuated. The situation Colquitt found himself in proved untenable and General Terry knew this to be true. With his forces inside the fort, and the artillery on both faces haven fallen silent, he determined to capture the rest of the fort that evening. Ames, in command of the forces in the fort, sent a portion of his command in a flanking movement to the rear of the Confederate position. Colquitt would leave the fort before the surrender in a rowboat. Left behind, the soldiers in the fort, now commanded by Major James Reilly, would be forced to surrender. Around 10 p.m., General Terry would ride to Battery Buchanan and receive the official surrender from General Whiting.

The fall of Fort Fisher was a terrible blow to the dying Confederacy. With no other Atlantic ports available for the blockade runners, it became a matter of time for the Rebel armies as supplies quickly began to dwindle. Little more than three months later, CSA General Robert E. Lee would surrender the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House.

Today, Fort Fisher State Historic Site stands near the original land wall of the fort. Much of the land wall fortifications have been rebuilt to look much as they did in 1865. The trail leading from the visitors center winds through the position of the west river gate. Shepard’s Battery has a large cannon on its precipice. Battery Buchanan still sits over New Inlet – albeit with no cannon. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Wilmington, North Carolina, I would encourage you to make the drive to Kure Beach to visit this wonderful historic site.

To view my photo essay from my visit to Fort Fisher State Historic Site, click on the following link.

Mike’s Photo Essay on Fort Fisher State Historic Site

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This past September, I was able to visit Arlington National Cemetery, as I do on many occasions when I am in Washington D.C. I never tire of the serenity and beauty of the place. With so many Civil War soldiers to visit, I always plan my trip ahead of time. On this visit I was able to pay my regards to several Civil War notables: William F. “Baldy” Smith, John P. Hatch, Frank Wheaton, George Crook, Samuel D. Sturgis and Philip H. Sheridan. Some lesser known soldiers were also part of my itinerary and included: Joseph A. Mower, Stephen G. Burbridge, Thomas T. Crittenden and Green C. Smith. To view my photo essay click on the following link:

Mike’s September 2011 Arlington National Cemetery photo essay

To view more photos of Arlington National Cemetery, click on the following link:

Mike’s Flickr Collection of Arlington National Cemetery graves

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C.S.A. Chief Surgeon Hunter H. McGuire

Birth Date: October 11, 1835
Birth Place: Winchester, Virginia

Date of Death: September 19, 1900
Location of Death: Richmond, Virginia

Education: Winchester Medical College

Military Experience: United States Civil War

Major Battles: Served as a surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia throughout the Civil War

Awards/Medals/Promotions: Enlisted as a private Company F, 2d Virginia Infantry regiment (1861), brigade surgeon (1861), chief surgeon, 2d Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (1862)

Biography:

Hunter Holmes McGuire was born on October 11, 1835 in Winchester, Virginia. The third of seven children born to Hugh and Ann McGuire, young Hunter was known to spend much time with his father who was a prominent eye surgeon. Inevitably this made a strong impression on the son who would study medicine at Winchester Medical College, graduating in 1855. Moving to Philadelphia, to continue his medical education, he would return home when hostilities became inevitable during the secession crisis.

After returning to Winchester, McGuire would enlist as a private in the Winchester Rifles. Upon mustering into Confederate service, in April 1861, his unit would be designated Company F, 2d Virginia Infantry regiment. Assembled in Charles Town the regiment was quickly moved to Harper’s Ferry where it would be brigaded with four other Virginia infantry regiments and the Rockbridge Artillery. The brigade was commanded by a relatively unknown brigadier general, Thomas J. Jackson. With the growth of the Confederate army, surgeons were highly sought after and McGuire would quickly be promoted full surgeon on July 15, 1861, reporting directly to Jackson. His services would be needed quickly as Jackson’s brigade, which was part of the Army of the Shenandoah, would be sent to reinforce Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard’s Army of the Potomac at Manassas, Virginia. There, on July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the Civil War fought. The First Battle of Manassas (known as Bull Run in the North) was a deadly affair resulting in nearly 4,900 combined casualties. This would keep McGuire, and his team of surgeons, busy for an extensive period of time.

Over the next twenty-two months McGuire would command the medical department assigned to Jackson’s command. With Jackson’s promotion to lieutenant general, commanding the 2d Corps Army of Northern Virginia, prior to the Battle of Fredericksburg, McGuire would receive promotion to chief surgeon of the corps. Ironically, McGuire would become most well known for amputating Jackson’s left arm after the general was wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863 – an injury which would ultimately lead to Jackson’s death on May 10. McGuire remained with Jackson until his death, recording Jackson’s last words, “Let us cross over the river and rest beneath the shade of the trees.”

McGuire continued his service with the 2d Corps for the remainder of the war, serving under generals Richard S. Ewell and Jubal A. Early. He would witness the destruction of battle first hand and would suffer the anguish of losing his close friend, Lieutenant Colonel Sandie Pendleton (Third Winchester, September 22, 1864) and his brother, Hugh, who was mortally wounded in 1865. On March 2, 1865 McGuire was captured at Waynesboro, Virginia with the majority of Early’s 2d Corps. Federal Major General Philip Sheridan would parole him for his generous treatment of Union surgeons captured while tending to their patients. He would return to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and would surrender to US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.(i)

After the Civil War, McGuire settled in Richmond, Virginia and continued to practice medicine – often treating Confederate soldiers for no cost. A lifelong admirer of Stonewall Jackson, he would often give speeches about his commander and published several articles about his times serving with the legendary commander. Besides his practice, McGuire also chaired the surgery department at the Medical College of Virginia. He was active in many organizations and was president of the American Medical Association. Recognizing the need for quality nurses he founded St. Luke’s Hospital and Training School for Nurses. McGuire would marry Mary Stuart and father ten children, one of which, Stuart, followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a noted physician. McGuire died on September 19, 1900 from complications of a cerebral embolism.

I leave you with a couple of quotes regarding McGuire which appear on Jennifer Goellnitz’s site, Stonewall’s Surgeon:

“When people needed to talk, he listened. Those who knew him said Dr. Hunter McGuire made you feel like the most important person in the world.” – John W. Schildt, from his biography on McGuire

“Make not patients of your friends – but friends of your patients.” – Hunter McGuire

(i) See Jennifer Goellnitz’s wonderful biography on McGuire: http://www.huntermcguire.goellnitz.org/biography.html

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After touring the capitol complex, I visited historic Greenwood and Oakwood cemeteries. I was very fortunate to have a personal guide at Oakwood Cemetery. Cemetery maintenance foreman, Phillip Taunton was gracious enough to guide me to all of the grave sites I had on my list – plus several which he recommended I would be interested in. Besides knowing the locations of all of the famous soldiers, officers and politicians, Mr. Taunton is a solid historian on all things Montgomery – especially the soldiers who fought for the independence of the Confederacy. I was able to pay my respects to several well known individuals including: William Lowndes Yancey,  James T. Holtzclaw, Birkett D. Fry, William C. Oates and John C.C. Sanders. Other notables were: Colonel Jack Thorington and brigadier generals Tennent Lomax and James H. Clanton. Many thanks to Mr. Taunton for providing me a tour of beautiful Oakwood Cemetery.

If you find yourself in Montgomery, Alabama with some time on your hands, make sure to visit its historic cemeteries, the capitol complex and the First White House of the Confederacy.

To view my photo essay on Montgomery, Alabama, click HERE.

(i) See Captials of Alabama at Alabama Department of Archives and History.

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During my short visit I was able to pay my respects to several famous officers: William Sooy Smith, John McArthur, Thomas E.G. Ransom and Milo S. Hascall. Others were not so famous: Robert W. Healy, Edward Needles Kirk and James Adelbert Mulligan. Two earned their fame through heroic actions on the battlefield and would receive the Medal of Honor: James Dunne and Hugh Molloy. These men all served their country and several would pay the ultimate sacrifice. They all deserve our unending gratitude. God bless the U.S.A. and all the men and women who serve so we can be free.

To view my photo essay from my trip to Chicago, click HERE.

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To learn more about the Battle of Chickamauga, click HERE.

To view my collection of photos from Chickamauga National Military Park, click HERE.

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To view my photo essays on the Antietam National Battlefield Park, click HERE.

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