This Mighty Scourge » Battlefield Wanderings

148th Anniversary of the conclusion of fighting at Gettysburg

Michael Noirot — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 17:04:21 +0000

Today is the 148th anniversary of the third day of fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. This battle was destined to become the epic battle in a war of epic battles: Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Stones River, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Franklin. None of these battles would match the casualty rolls which occurred during the summer of 1863 at the sleepy crossroads village of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Over the intervening fourteen decades, the landscape around Gettysburg has changed significantly. These changes were not only created by buildings, commercial development and urban sprawl. Much of it has been caused by the slow creep of the landscape. Fields becoming woodlots, woodlots becoming open fields and orchards vanishing into prairie grass. On this anniversary of the sanguinary fight at Gettysburg, I thought it might be appropriate to offer a link to an article which I wrote in October 2009: Gettysburg National Military Park – A Study in Contrasts. This article highlights the National Park Service’s efforts to restore the sight lines which existed in the 1860′s. If you have not been to Gettysburg recently, I would recommend you review this article. The park service has done a fine job at Gettysburg.

Gettysburg National Military Park – A Study in Contrasts

Shortly after this article was published, the National Park Service provided an update on the rehabilitation efforts at Gettysburg. To review this article click on the following link:

Gettysburg National Military Park – Rehabilitation Update

###

Touring Guides by Clint Johnson -book reviews

Michael Noirot — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:22:49 +0000

A few weeks ago I received a package from John F. Blair Publisher -a publishing house for a wide range of subjects based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In this package were two recently released second edition tour guides: Touring Virginia’s and West Virginia’s Civil War Sites and Touring the Carolinas’ Civil War Sites, both by Clint Johnson. As my regular blog readers know, I do a lot of travel. Much of my travel is to the mid-Atlantic region which includes the Virginias and Carolinas. While I know many of the Civil War sites in these states like the back-of-my-hand, I often want to explore new sites while I’m traveling. Unfortunately for the explorer in me, many of the coolest Civil War historic sites are off the beaten path and not well marked. It is very easy to drive by them without knowing they are there. For this reason, I am a proponent of the online Civil War travel guides such as CivilWarTraveler.com and CivilWarDiscoveryTrail.org. The drawback of these sites is that you can’t easily take them with you while you travel -unless you have internet access. This is where books like Johnson’s come in so handy. You can easily plan your travel while sitting in your office or living room, print out a map of your route, throw the book in your carry on bag and head out. It convenient and easy. Most importantly, you have the guide with you while you are traveling.

Both of Johnson’s books are well made. Each book is packed with pictures and text on the sites that the author guides you to. One feature of both of these books which this reviewer truly appreciates is the way Johnson organizes the sites into separate tours which are geographically connected and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. As an example, Touring Virginia’s and West Virginia’s Civil War Sites includes twenty-two separate tours including: The Harpers Ferry Tour, The Lee and Jackson Tour, The Shenandoah Valley Tour, The Peninsula Tour and The Appomattox Court House Tour. Each tour includes information and directions to the area’s battlefields, forts, memorials, graves, historically significant homes and towns which played an important role in the area during the war. I would highly recommend both of these books if you are planning summer or fall vacations to the mid-Atlantic states.

Details about “Touring Virginia’s and West Virginia’s Civil War Sites“
Written by: Clint Johnson
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: John F. Blair, Publisher
Date of Second Edition: May 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0895874024

Details about “Touring the Carolinas’ Civil War Sites“
Written by: Clint Johnson
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: John F. Blair, Publisher
Date of Second Edition: May 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0895874032

###

Gettysburg National Military Park – a short photo essay

Michael Noirot — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:02:39 +0000

I was recently in south central Pennsylvania for a business trip. During this trip I took a vacation day and visited Gettysburg National Military Park. Having been there many times over the past several years, I visited several spots which might afford some photographic opportunities. Unfortunately, having been sick the night before, I was late getting started on my vacation day – missing some of the best lighting conditions. As always, I tried to connect with several friends while in town and was able to meet with author James Hessler and the owners of Ten Roads Publishing, James Glessner and Eric Linblade. We had a great time at one of Gettysburg’s best pubs and eateries, O’Rorke’s Pub.

During my short visit, I was able to stop by the Iron Brigade monuments along McPherson Ridge and the Unfinished Railroad Cut (2d Wisconsin, 6th Wisconsin, 7th Wisconsin and 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry regiments). I also stopped by some of regimental monuments I have been missing in my monument collection: 3d West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry, 9th Massachusetts Battery, 150th New York Volunteer Infantry, 61st New York Volunteer Infantry, 145th New York Volunteer Infantry, 3d Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry and the 6th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry (Rush’s Lancers). I also visited Gouveneur Kemble Warren’s Little Round Top monument at sunset and Samuel Wylie Crawford’s monument. For me, no trip to Gettysburg is complete without visiting the New York regiments’ (63d, 69th and 88th Volunteers) Irish Brigade monument near the Wheatfield, which was one of my last stops. This Celtic Cross monument is one of my favorites. All told, it was a productive Gettysburg trip, albeit a short one. To view my short photo essay from this trip, click on my link, below.

Mike’s May 2011 Gettysburg National Military Park photo essay

To see all of my recent pictures from Gettysburg National Military Park, click on the following link:

Mike’s Gettysburg National Military Park photo collection

###

Battle of Picacho Pass -a photo essay

Michael Noirot — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:14:51 +0000

The Battle of Picacho Pass was not a battle by Civil War standards. It was not even a heavy skirmish action. It could probably best be described as the Affair at Picacho Pass. It is most commonly known as being the western most engagement of the Civil War. Fought on April 15, 1862, between Phoenix and Tuscon, it pitted a Federal detachment of thirteen cavalry troopers, of the 1st California Cavalry, against ten Rebel cavalrymen. US Lieutenant James Barrett had been ordered to scout the Picacho Pass area by his commander, Captain William P. Calloway. He was ordered not to attack the Confederate troops rumored to be in the area of Picacho Peak. Riding southeast towards the peak, the Federal detachment captured three Confederate troopers under the command of CSA Sergeant Henry Holmes. Seeing his adversary in the thicket ahead of him, Barrett ordered a charge to capture or kill the remaining Rebels. It was during this charge that Barrett and two of his troops would be killed and three more wounded. The remaining Union force quickly retreated towards Phoenix. The Rebel soldiers returned to their camp at Tuscon and informed their commander, Captain Sherod Hunter, that the 1st California Volunteer Cavalry was marching toward their position. Hunter, with a total of 60 troops in his company, was severely outnumbered. He decided to retreat east to Texas in May 1862 leaving Arizona to the United States troops.

To view my photo essay on my visit to Picacho Peak State Park, click on the following link.

Mike’s Photo Essay on the Battle of Picacho Pass, Arizona

###

Battle of Franklin – a short photo essay

Michael Noirot — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:16:15 +0000

My regular readers know that the Battle of Franklin is one of my favorites to study. Over the years the battle has begun to resonate with other Civil War students and its popularity has grown. The History Channel’s Civil War series has certainly helped as it has featured historian Thomas Y. Cartwright prominently in all its shows focusing on the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Unfortunately, much of the actually battlefield has been covered by housing developments, strip malls and pizza joints. The sight-lines which CSA major generals A.P. Stewart, Frank Cheatham and Patrick R. Cleburne would have seen as they approached the village in 1864 are long gone. But much remains, which is why I visit Franklin every time I am in the Nashville area. I was able to visit Franklin earlier this month on a short trip to central Tennessee. The sun came out in time for me to get several nice shots on Winstead Hill and at Carnton Plantation. Unfortunately, time did allow me to visit the Carter House.

I was able to spend 30 minutes with Eric Jacobson while I was at Carnton. Eric is operations director at the Battle of Franklin Trust. His narrative on Franklin, “For Cause & For Country,” is excellent and made my “Top 12” list recently. It is always great to spend time with experts, such as Eric, as you always learn something new – in this case that his new book is due out this fall. It will detail the actions of newly organized regiments at Franklin and includes the 44th Missouri and 183d Ohio. Thanks for your time, Eric.

Please take some time to check out my photo essay on my visit to Franklin:

Mike’s Photo Essay on the Battle of Franklin

To learn more about the Battle of Franklin, check out the following two narratives on the campaign:

From Atlanta to Spring Hill

The Battle of Franklin

###

Spring Hill Battlefield – A Short Photo Essay

Michael Noirot — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:07:41 +0000

On November 29, 1864, CSA Lieutenant General John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee attempted to block US Major General John M. Schofield’s retreat route to Nashville. His goal was to place his army across the Franklin-Columbia Turnpike at Spring Hill, Tennessee. As he approached Spring Hill, he was unaware that a portion of the Federal army was already there. The resulting “Affair at Spring Hill” would result in nearly 700 combined casualties as CSA Major General Patrick R. Cleburne’s Division faced off against two Federal brigades at Rally Hill. The action was inconclusive with the two belligerents holding their positions until darkness covered the battlefield. During the overnight hours, Schofield was able to sneak his entire army past the resting Rebels setting the stage for the sanguinary Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864.

I was able to visit Spring Hill on a recent business trip. I am fascinated with how the battlefield changes with the passage of time and seasons. Check out my short photo essay on Spring Hill by clicking HERE. There are some very nice pictures of Rippavilla Plantation and Rally Hill.

For additional information on the Affair at Spring Hill, check out my December 2009 article:

From Atlanta to Spring Hill

If you are interested in learning more about the Battle of Franklin, check out my January 2010 article:

The Battle of Franklin

For an exciting narrative on the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, listen to my interview with famed historian Thomas Y. Cartwright:

Thomas Y. Cartwright Interview on ThisMightyScourge.com

As always, please remember to support the Civil War Trust. They have saved nearly 200 acres of the Spring Hill Battlefield.

###

Battlefield Wanderings, Part 2 – Northwest Arkansas

Michael Noirot — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:13:09 +0000

This is the final installment of my report of the trip Eric J. Wittenberg and I took to the Trans-Mississippi Theater in July 2010. These photos are from our excursion into northwest Arkansas on July 17, 2010. On this unusually warm day, even by Arkansas standards, we visited Pea Ridge National Battlefield Park, Fort Smith National Historic Site and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. While Eric and I did not do as much hiking, as at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, we did journey most of the way up Telegraph (Wire) Road to the historic tan yard (Pea Ridge). The trip up the road was more comfortable than the trip back, as it was primarily downhill. While Fort Smith was an interesting site, it did not offer quite as much excitement as the battlefields. We finished our excursion with a visit to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. This is one of the better battlefield state parks in the country. With excellent interpretation, and many scenic views, it is well worth a trip for any serious Civil War battlefield student. After our visit to Prairie Grove, we drove back to St. Louis, arriving at 11:00 PM – quite exhausted. Our last stops were on Sunday morning, July 18, when we visited Jefferson Barracks and Grant’s Farm. I had an incredible time wandering the Trans-Mississippi battlefields and Eric experienced one final bit of excitement when his flight back to Columbus was delayed by a thunderstorm and then a “mechanical problem” with the Boeing 737. Thanks for a wonderful time, Eric!

Mike’s Trans-Mississippi Battlefield Trip on Flickr.

Battlefield Wanderings, Part 1 – Wilson’s Creek

Michael Noirot — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:27:38 +0000

Friend, and author, Eric Wittenberg and I are in the midst of a Trans-Mississippi battlefield excursion this weekend. Today we drove from Saint Louis to Springfield, Missouri. We were able to spend three interesting hours on the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. The weather was 95+ degrees. With the typical Missouri humidity the “feel like” temperature was around 105. A special treat was a short visit to the Wilson’s Creek Battlefield Museum, which is now managed by the National Park Service. They have an incredible collection of Trans-Mississippi artifacts with an emphasis on the battle at Wilson’s Creek.

Wilson’s Creek was the site of US Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon’s August 1861 thrashing by CSA Major General Sterling Price’s Missouri State Guard. Also present were regular Confederate troops commanded by CSA Brigadier General Ben McCullough. I have posted a few of today’s photos on my Flickr site: BattlefieldPortraits. I will update the photo set after our jaunt into northwest Arkansas.

Battle of Lynchburg – Photo Essay

Michael Noirot — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:52:08 +0000

In the summer of 1864 the upper Shenandoah Valley was a hotbed of military activity. After US Major General Franz Sigel’s Federal army was badly mauled at the Battle of New Market, on May 15, Ulysses S. Grant would remove him from command of the Valley forces. Major General David Hunter would be placed in command of the demoralized Valley troops and would move with celerity on the Confederate forces. In early June he would defeat CSA Brigadier General William E. “Grumble” Jones‘ cavalry at the Battle of Piedmont. Jones would be killed in the battle and Hunter would leave the Valley to attack Lynchburg, Virginia – a vital Confederate supply depot and hospital.

Hunter would arrive on the outskirts of Lynchburg about the same time CSA Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early arrived to command the meager forces that held the city. Early would deceive Hunter into believing more troops were garrisoned in the city by having his troops create a significant amount of noise – something the local citizens would take an active role in. On June 17, Hunter would attack Early and push his troops back into the city. Unfortunately for the Union fortunes, Rebel reinforcements would arrive during the day. On June 18, Hunter would launch several small probing attacks and a more concentrated attack against Early’s right flank. He would be repulsed. Early determined to attack Hunter the next day, but would find his adversary had retreated overnight into the Shenandoah Valley. Low on supplies, due to his supply line being crippled, Hunter would retreat into West Virginia. This proved costly for the United States as Early would invade the north, eventually reaching the very defenses of Washington.

During my May 2010 trip to the Shenandoah Valley, I was able to visit historic Lynchburg. To view my photo essay on Flickr, click HERE.

Lexington, Virginia – Photo Essay

Michael Noirot — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:52:36 +0000

I had the opportunity to visit Lexington, Virginia in May 2010. Lexington is a beautiful town located in the upper (southern) Shenandoah Valley. Home of Washington and Lee University, Lee Chapel, Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson‘s home and the Virginia Military Institute it is well worth the drive if you find yourself in western Virginia. While no major Civil War battles were fought within Lexington, it did witness much destruction when US Major General David Hunter was raiding the upper Shenandoah Valley during the summer of 1864. During his raid, he would burn much of the Virginia Military Institute – the military academy Jackson was a professor prior to the Civil War.

I was fortunate that the weather was fantastic for my visit to historic Lexington. I visited Jackson’s home, Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery, Washington and Lee University, Lee Chapel (Robert E. Lee‘s final resting place) and the Virginia Military Institute. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the Jackson home, or Lee Chapel. I did bend the rules slightly and took a couple of pictures in Lee Chapel. Check out the pictures by clicking on the following link.

Mike’s Photo Essay on Lexington, Virginia

Enjoy!