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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Within days of CSA General Robert E. Lee’s victory over US Major General John Pope, at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Lee would cross his Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland. Lincoln had just placed Major General George B. McClellan in command of the armies at Washington City (Potomac and Virginia). Lee, unable to strike a deadly blow to Pope’s retreating army after the Battle of Chantilly, believed it essential that he maintain the momentum his army achieved after the Seven Days battles and Second Manassas. His plan called for a movement to the Frederick area where he could await the Federals on a field of his own choosing. Unfortunately, US Colonel Dixon S. Miles’ garrison at Harper’s Ferry posed a threat to the rear of his army. Additional Federal troops near Martinsburg, Virginia (present day West Virginia) could sever his supply line – effectively crippling the entire campaign. With roughly 60,000 soldiers in his army, he was severely outnumbered by whatever combined army the U.S. War Department sent to pursue him. Simply put, Lee found himself in a very precarious position.

In an audacious move, believing the Union troops would be slow in pursuit, Lee separated his army sending Major General James Longstreet’s command through Boonsboro to Hagerstown, Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s command to capture Harper’s Ferry and leaving a portion of his cavalry, and Major General Daniel Harvey (D.H.) Hill’s division, to guard the passes in South Mountain, just west of Frederick. Putting his plan in motion, Lee issued Special Order 191 sending copies to Jackson, Longstreet, two division commanders (Lafayette McLaws and D.H. Hill) and cavalry commander, Major General J.E.B. Stuart. The armies were to move at first light on September 10.

McClellan would arrive in Frederick with the Army of the Potomac on September 13. His army would be met with cheers from the largely loyal population of central Maryland. While resting near the Monocacy River, a misplaced copy of Lee’s Special Order 191 would be found wrapped around three cigars by a soldier in the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Believing it significant, the soldier passed it to his commander where it would make its way to McClellan.

While McClellan would immediately notify President Lincoln of his find, explaining “no time would be lost” in taking advantage of the most important intelligence of the war, it would take time to get his massive army through Frederick. Orders were issued to his senior lieutenants, major generals Ambrose E. Burnside and William B. Franklin, to move with alacrity at first light, September 14. Burnside was to push towards the northernmost gap, Turner’s, on the National Road. He was to clear the gap and push after Longstreet’s command. Mclellan’s orders to Bill Franklin were explicit and detailed, believing his role crucial to rescuing Miles’ garrison at Harper’s Ferry. He was to waste no time pushing through Burkittsville before first light, and using the Gapland Road, force his way through Crampton’s Gap. Once the gap was cleared he was to enter Pleasant Valley and march south toward’s Maryland Heights, relieving Miles. Unfortunately, the timing was not achieved and precious time would be lost reaching the gap.

The Battle of South Mountain was crucial for each army commander. Lee needed to delay any incursion into Pleasant Valley to provide Jackson time to consummate the capture of Harper’s Ferry. If McClellan did not push through the gaps quickly, Harper’s Ferry would eventually fall and any hope of defeating Lee piecemeal would vanish. The fate of both armies hinged on the defense which D.H. Hill could muster at the gaps. Lee’s Maryland Campaign and the future of the Union hung in the balance.

To read my complete essay on the Battle of South Mountain, click HERE.

To listen to a recent interview I had with Dr. Tom Clemens, editor of “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain,” click HERE.

To view a short photo essay on South Mountain, click HERE.

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For a more detailed narrative on the Battle of the Crater, check out my essay by clicking HERE.

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As McDowell marched his army of nearly 35,000 men from Washington City on July 16, 1861, CSA Brigadier General Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.) Beauregard was aware of the tenuous situation facing his Army of the Potomac. With roughly 22,000 troops, Beauregard was concerned that he would be overrun by the larger Federal army before reinforcements could arrive from the Shenandoah Valley. McDowell’s tactical plan was to march his army in three columns towards Bull Run Creek and place the largest portion south of the Confederate right flank – effectively severing the Confederate supply line with Richmond and forcing the Confederate general to move his army south of the Rappahannock River – the next defensible line available to him. This would serve to provide some relief for the beleaguered national capital and demonstrate the power of the Federal forces Lincoln had assembled to “save the Union.”

On July 18, in an effort to put his plan in motion, McDowell ordered Brigadier Daniel Tyler to initiate a flanking movement against the southern flank of Beauregard’s forces. This would result in what would best be described as a skirmish at Blackburn’s Ford. Tyler would retreat after his division was beaten back by Confederate forces under the command of CSA Brigadier General James Longstreet. While total losses would be less than 200, McDowell was forced to change his battle plan.

On July 21, McDowell put his new plans in motion. Orders were drafted for Tyler’s Division to make a demonstration at the Stone Bridge, along the Warrenton Turnpike, while two other divisions, commanded by brigadier generals David Hunter and Samuel Heintzelman, would utilize Sudley Springs Ford to turn the left flank of the Confederate line. The battle would begin at approximately 5:15 a.m. with artillery rounds being fired from Tyler’s Division into the Confederate forces guarding the Stone Bridge. The Rebel field commander, Colonel Nathan “Shanks” Evans, quickly realized the bombardment was a feint and sent the majority of his command west to protect against a movement from the north. By 11:30 a.m., Evans new position, near Matthews Hill, was hard pressed by Federal forces. Pulling back from the Warrenton Turnpike, he would return to the main Confederate line near the Henry House. McDowell believed victory was within his grasp with his forces closing in around the small hill dominated by the Henry residence. Unfortunately, the momentum of the battle changed drastically with the arrival of CSA Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston’s Army of the Shenandoah.

Johnston had been tasked with preventing a large scale incursion of the Shenandoah Valley by forces under the command of US Major General Robert Patterson. Patterson had received a similar directive in anticipation of McDowell’s advance on Manassas Junction: keep Johnston’s forces engaged in the Shenandoah Valley to prevent a move to reinforce Beauregard. In this Patterson failed miserably. Johnston was able to quickly mobilize his army and arrived at Manassas Junction late on the morning of July 21. This quick deployment was made possible by the first successful military use of a railroad. Thus, when Confederate fortunes appeared bleak near Henry House Hill, the tide turned.

Recently promoted and little known Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson would arrive at Henry House Hill around noon. With the vastly overwhelmed Confederate line now disintegrating, the timing could not have been better. Jackson quickly conferred with Brigadier General Barnard Bee, who would soon be killed in action, and was advised, “The enemy are driving us.” To this Jackson responded, “Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet.”(iii) Jackson’s brigade quickly entered the confused fray, surprising the Federal forces and quickly changing the complexion of the battle. By 4:00 p.m., repeated Confederate assaults along the Henry House Hill line would force the retreat of the Union line. Realizing the fight had turned against him, and unable to organize his fear stricken army, McDowell ordered a general retreat across Bull Run Creek. Thus ended the First Battle of Bull Run which would repeat itself fourteen months later when another Federal force, the Army of Virginia, would retreat pellmell all the way back to the defenses of Washington City.

With news of the battle reaching the general population, moods changed. The combined losses at Manassas were staggering: nearly 5,000 killed, wounded, missing and captured. No longer was it believed that the war would be over quickly. Patriotic fervor would quickly swell the ranks of armies north and south, east and west. Across the south people rejoiced in the streets while its commanders, Beauregard, Johnston and Jackson were extolled as heroes. And while the Confederate victory was not solely the result of the actions of Thomas Jackson, he would earn the sobriquet, Stonewall – a moniker that would become synonymous with him – even today. Meanwhile in the north a quiet determination took hold. Quickly, a new army leader would emerge: Major General George B. McClellan. While he brought order to the somber, defeated ranks a new mantra would appear in the press and be voiced by northerners, “On to Richmond.” Little did the populace know, nor could they in their worst dreams imagine, the toll the war would take over the coming three years: 620,000 dead Americans and many more disfigured and forever scarred. July 1861 would forever herald the start of a new phase in the story of America – a story that still defines us today – a story of death, anguish and brothers fighting brothers – but most importantly a new birth of freedom.

While I could not attend today’s sesquicentennial activities at Manassas National Battlefield Park, my heart will never forget the last and final sacrifice which our patriots made on the bloody fields near Henry House Hill.

For a more in depth narrative of the First Battle of Bull Run click HERE.

To view my collection of photos of Manassas National Battlefield click HERE.

(i) Gipson, Lawrence H., Third Millennium Library paper, “The Collapse of the Confederacy.” To read this paper, click HERE.
(ii) McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, published by Oxford University Press on November 6, 2003, Pg. 336.
(iii) Robertson, James I, Jr., Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, published by MacMillan Publishing in 1997, Pg. 264.

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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

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Click HERE to view my short photo essay from Antietam.

Click HERE to view my collection of pictures from Antietam.

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With his army united along the Brock Road, Grant quickly realized Lee had arrived first, blocking his path. The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House began in earnest on May 9 when US Major General Winfield Scott Hancock attempted to cross the Po River at the Block House Bridge. A pitched battle occurred which ultimately kept Hancock from crossing the river and flanking Lee’s position. Calamity befell the Army of the Potomac that day when US Major General John Sedgwick was killed by a sniper’s bullet while inspecting his lines. Sedgwick would be one of the most senior generals killed during the Civil War and would be sorely missed by his VI Corps. He would be replaced by another competent general, Horatio G. Wright.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Confederate field works was a large salient, near their right flank. Dubbed the Mule Shoe, it would witness some of the most intense fighting of the Civil War – fighting that often times would be hand-to-hand as the opposing forces fought in the trenches along the field works of the salient. Grant, however, believed the salient was the weakest link in Lee’s line. He would send two successive attacks against it. The first attack was during the late afternoon of May 10 when he sent US Colonel Emory Upton’s brigade into the northwest face of the Mule Shoe. Upton’s attack proved successful but was not promptly supported by Wright’s VI Corps. After breaking through the lines, the Confederates would regroup and push the small force out of the salient. Grant was not one to pass up what he believed to be an opportunity and would launch a second assault against the Mule Shoe on May 12. Believing Upton’s attack failed because there were not enough troops involved, he ordered W.S. Hancock to lead the assault with his entire II Corps. After breaking through the earthworks, Hancock was to be supported by US Major General Ambrose E. Burnside’s independent IX Corps on the east side of the salient, with Major General Gouverneur K. Warren’s V Corps and Wright’s VI Corps on the west side of the works. The attack was launched before sunrise on May 12 and would be successful. Over 3,000 Confederate soldiers and officers would be captured. Unfortunately, the support from the IX and VI corps was not timely and would ultimately lead to the repulse of the II Corps once the Rebels regained their balance. May 12 was a very bloody day, with nearly 17,000 combined casualties – including the aforementioned capture of 3,000 Rebels.

After the near defeat on May 12, Robert E. Lee pulled his lines back, nearly a half mile, from the mule shoe. This served to compact his lines and make them easier to defend. The most severe fighting at Spotsylvania was over. Skirmishing would continue for days near the abandoned Mule Shoe and one large scale attack at Harris Farm, near the Federal left flank, would be fought on May 19. This pitched engagement was not expected and pitted heavy artillery units, recently converted to infantry, which had been brought from the Washington City defenses, against CSA Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell’s veteran 2d Corps. While green, the artillerist fought with zeal, commanded by US Brigadier General Robert O. Tyler. They would eventually be reinforced by veteran infantrymen and would hold the field. Casualties continued to mount at Spotsylvania.

Over the next several days Grant weighed his options. He finally determined to push around Lee’s right flank again, leaving the bloodied fields of Spotsylvania Court House on May 21. Once again, Grant disengaged his forces secretly and stole the march on Robert E. Lee. The fighting at Spotsylvania added another 31,000 combined casualties to the rapidly growing list of Civil War losses. Five general officers, including Sedgwick, would be part of the gruesome casualty list: Sedgwick, James C. Rice and Thomas Stevenson (Union) with Confederate generals Junius Daniel and Abner M. Perrin becoming casualties and adding to an already depleted list of general officers on the Rebel side. Most telling to the sanguinary Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was the fact that 43 Union soldiers would receive the Medal of Honor for their heroism.

Grant would next face Lee at the North Anna.

For more information on the Battle of Spotsylvania check out my previous articles:

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House – A New Level of Fighting

Mike’s Photo Essay on Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield

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Birth Date: May 6, 1806
Birth Place: County of Tyrone, Ireland

Date of Death: June 1, 1879
Location of Death: Ottumwa, Iowa

Education: Studied Law in Illinois

Military Experience: Mexican War, Civil War

Major Battles: Battle of Cerro Gordo (April 18, 1847), Battle of Chapultepec (September 12-13, 1847), Battle of Kernstown (March 22, 1862), Battle of Port Republic (June 9, 1862)

Awards/Medals/Promotions: Appointed brigadier general of Illinois regiments (July 1, 1846), received promotion to brevet major general after his wounding at Cerro Gordo, appointed brigadier general volunteers on August 19, 1861

Biography:

James Shields was born on May 6, 1806 in Altmore, County Tyrone, Ireland.(i) He was born to Charles and Ann (nee McDonnell) Shields and raised in the Catholic faith. The family left their native Ireland in 1823 and headed to Quebec, Canada. Little is known of his early life in North America. He would move west, settling in Kaskaskia, Illinois where he would study law and teach school. He was attracted to the Democrat party and would be elected to the Illinois Legislature in 1835. While serving as a legislator he would meet many men who would be conspicuous in the Secession Crisis and Civil War: Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John A. McClernand and John J. Hardin.(ii)

After his term as a state legislator, he served for two terms as state auditor. He is widely credited with saving the state of Illinois from the ravages of the Panic of 1837 by insisting that state taxes be paid in gold or silver.(iii) This action set the Whigs against him and impelled Abraham Lincoln to send an anonymous letter to the Springfield Journal in August 1842 decrying Shields’ actions as auditor and insulting him. Shields would become furious. Upon finding Lincoln was the source of the letters, he would demand a retraction. Lincoln did not oblige and it would ultimately lead to one of the most astonishing events in Lincoln’s life – the request for a duel. The parties would meet on Sunflower Island, opposite Alton, Illinois in Missouri, on September 22, 1842. The participants had chosen to use swords, but were able to avoid the duel when Shields learned that Lincoln had not penned all of the letters. In a later letter, Lincoln was to state, “…your conduct toward me, so far as I know, had always been gentlemanly. I had no personal grudge against you and no cause for any.”(iv)

Shields would remain popular in Illinois as demonstrated by his appointment to the Illinois Supreme Court on August 16, 1843 – a position he would hold until he resigned to accept the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office, in Washington City, in 1845.(v)

On July 1, 1846, Shields would be appointed brigadier general of the Illinois regiments mustered into service to fight the Mexican War. He would serve bravely while leading his men in action. He was wounded at the Battle of Cerra Gordo. The one inch grapeshot ball entered Shields’ right chest, piercing his lung and exiting near his spine.(vi) The wound was believed to be fatal, but he would recover and receive brevet promotion to major general. He would see further action at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco and Chapultepec. His presence on the battlefield was inspiring and he would receive accolades from General Winfield Scott for his bravery.

After the Mexican War, on August 14, 1848, Shields would be appointed governor of the Oregon Territory – a position he declined in order to run for one of the Illinois U.S. Senate seats. He was elected in the fall of 1848 but was unable to be seated after an investigation proved he had not been a naturalized citizen for the required nine years – his date of citizenship was October 21, 1840. Returning to Illinois he ran in a special election for the senate seat, having passed his ninth year of citizenship, and won election. He would be seated and would fight for land improvements during his term. Shields was not reelected and would move to Minnesota after his defeat. He would subsequently be elected in 1858 to a two year term as one of the first U.S. Senators from Minnesota. Again, he was not reelected.

After his defeat in Minnesota, Shields would move to California. He was involved in mining in Mexico when the Civil War erupted and would be appointed brigadier general volunteers on August 19, 1861.(vii) Shields would be sent east to serve with the Army of the Potomac. He would be given command of Brigadier General Frederick W. Lander’s brigade, after Lander’s death on March 2, 1862. With CSA Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s actions in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, Shields would be sent to the Shenandoah Valley with his brigade. There, in temporary command of a division, he would successfully bring Jackson to battle at Kernstown, on March 23, 1862. In command of the forces at Kernstown, he would successfully attack Jackson, eventually forcing his retreat south. His command of the forces at the First Battle of Kernstown was all the more impressive as he had suffered a broken arm, the previous day, in a skirmish with CSA Colonel Turner Ashby’s Cavalry.

After his successful battle against Jackson, Shields would be given permanent command of a division in Major General Nathaniel Banks’ Army of the Shenandoah on March 29, 1862.(viii) He would push south, along the eastern face of the Shenandoah Mountains, in effort to keep Jackson’s forces in the valley. In this move he cooperated with US Major General John Fremont’s forces which were operating in the valley. Jackson, who had rightfully earned a reputation as a hard fighter, knew opportunity when it presented itself. Believing he could annihilate the separate commands of Shields and Fremont, he attacked Fremont at Cross Keys on June 8, quickly defeating him. On June 9, working rapidly to consolidate his command, he attacked one brigade of Shields’ Division, commanded by Brigadier General Erastus B. Tyler, at Port Republic. With Shields’ command spread out, Jackson attacked Tyler north of Port Republic. The battle would have been a quick, one-sided affair had Tyler not had artillery and infantry posted on a prominent coaling which commanded the field of battle. Unfortunately, for Shields’ reputation, Jackson’s numbers were irresistible and would eventually force Shields to retreat up the Luray Valley. Shields would see no additional field command after the Battle of Port Republic. He would resign his volunteer commission in 1863 believing a great injustice had been done to him by the Lincoln administration and Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. After being brevetted major general in the Mexican War, Shields believed Stanton had worked to prevent him from receiving promotion to major general of volunteers during the Civil War – a promotion which Abraham Lincoln had sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. In Condon’s biography of Shields, he makes a case for Shields being denied his promotion for political reasons of expediency. After resigning his commission, Shields would become a quasi martyr for the Irishmen serving in the U.S. Army. Condon suggests that Shields, by quietly resigning, took the best course of action available to him, “He left posterity to vindicate him, when party strifes had ceased and political necessities did not demand martial victims, and in this he proved wise.”(ix) Looking through the prism of nearly fifteen decades, this author is left to wonder if Shields became the scapegoat for other setbacks the United States suffered during 1862, specifically: The Seven Days and the Second Battle of Bull Run. Shields had proven himself a competent tactician in his defeat of Jackson at First Kernstown. Many other officers of less capacity would be promoted to major general – some inevitably for political gain with certain groups, such as the German population with Major General Franz Sigel’s appointment to command the Department of West Virginia in 1864. Perhaps he was the victim of political necessity?

After the Civil War, Shields would move to Missouri where he would serve in the Missouri House of Representatives and as a railroad commissioner. In 1879, he would be elected to fill the remaining term of U.S. Senator Lewis V. Bogey who died on September 20, 1877. He would not seek reelection after serving the remaining two months of Bogey’s term. James Shields is the only person to have served as a U.S. Senator from three different states. General Shields died of an apparent heart attack on June 1, 1879 in Ottumwa, Iowa. He had been there to deliver a lecture on the Wednesday before his death. His earthly remains were removed to Carrollton, Missouri where a Catholic funeral service was performed on June 4. The Reverend Father Walsh, of Saint Bridget’s Church in Saint Louis, delivered this poem during the eulogy:

How sleep the brave who sink to rest
By all their country’s wishes blessed.
When spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mold,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than fancy’s feet have ever trod.

By fairy hands their knell is rung;
By forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There honor comes a pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
And freedom shall awhile repair,
To dwell a weeping hermit there!(x)

James Shields had immigrated to the United States to seek a better life. He served his adopted country as a state representative, U.S. Senator and a general in two separate wars. He is a true American HERO.

i. There is some discrepancy with Shields’ date of birth. Most sources list him as being born on May 10, 1810, but his biography by William Henry Condon, Life of Major-General James Shields, lists his birth as May 6, 1806. This is more likely as he had a brother, Patrick, who was born on March 17, 1810. See: Condon, William Henry, Life of Major-General James Shields: Hero of Three Wars and Senator From Three States, published by Press of the Blakely Printing Company in 1900, Pg. 10.
ii. Condon, William Henry, Life of Major-General James Shields: Hero of Three Wars and Senator From Three States, published by Press of the Blakely Printing Company in 1900, Pg. 29.
iii. Ibid, Pg. 44.
iv. Ibid, Pg. 49.
v. Ibid, Pg. 52.
vi. Ibid, Pg. 69.
vii. See American Civil War General Officers on Ancestry.com.
viii. Ibid.
ix. Condon, William Henry, Life of Major-General James Shields: Hero of Three Wars and Senator From Three States, published by Press of the Blakely Printing Company in 1900, Pg. 261.
x. Ibid, Pg. 331.

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Sullivan Ballou, U.S. Major

Birth Date: March 28, 1829
Birth Place: Smithfield, Rhode Island

Date of Death: July 29, 1861
Location of Death: Manassas, Virginia

Education: Brown University and National Law School

Military Experience: Civil War

Major Battles: First Battle of Bull Run

Awards/Medals/Promotions: Commissioned major 2d Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry (June 5, 1861)

Biography:

Sullivan Ballou was born on March 28, 1829 in Smithfield, Rhode Island. His parents, Hiram and Emeline Ballou, nee Bowen, were of Huguenot descent. Young Sullivan would suffer the loss of his father on June 30, 1833 when he was only four years old.(i) Forced to provide for himself, Sullivan would become a self-made man. He attended Phillips Academy as a youth and would graduate from Brown University. After graduating from college he would attend National Law School and be admitted to the Rhode Island bar in 1853. Growing up in New England, Ballou would become a staunch abolitionist. Before the outbreak of the Civil War, he would be elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives and would serve as house speaker. Ballou married Sarah Hunt Shumway on October 15, 1855. They had two children, Edgar Fowler (August 21, 1856) and William Bowen (January 2, 1859).(ii)

Ballou was an ardent Republican and supported Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 general election. After the firing on Fort Sumter, on April 12, 1861, and Lincoln’s April 15 call for 75,000 state militia troops, he would be commissioned major in the 2d Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry regiment on June 5, 1861.(iii) After being mustered into Federal service, the 2d Rhode Island Volunteers would leave for Washington City on June 19, 1861. They were stationed at Camp Sprague until July 16 where they would be drilled and receive arms.(iv) The regiment would be assigned to a brigade in Brigadier General David Hunter’s division of the Army of Northeastern Virginia, commanded by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell. The brigade was commanded by Colonel Ambrose E. Burnside who organized the 2d Rhode Island Volunteers.(v)

On July 16 General McDowell set his army in motion to confront the Confederate Army of the Potomac which was camped near Manassas, Virginia. This would be the first march for the green soldiers of the Federal army and it would be very trying. Most had never marched in regimental units, much less as a large fighting army. It would be Ballou’s first march – and his last. Many soldiers were said to have premonitions of death before battle. Ballou’s is perhaps the most poignant example of such premonitions – so much so that his letter was featured in Ken Burns’ documentary, The Civil War. His stirring letter to his wife, Sarah, was written on July 14 while still encamped near Washington:

July the 14th, 1861
Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah:
The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days – perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more….

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter.  I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution.  And I am willing – perfectly willing – to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt….

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long.  And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us.  I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me – perhaps in the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you.  How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been!  How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness….

But, O Sarah!  If the dead can come back to this earth and fit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights…. always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.  Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again….

As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know their father’s love and care.  Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood.  Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers, his and hers, I call God’s blessing on them.  O Sarah, I wait for you there!  Come to me, and lead thither my children.

Sullivan(vi)

On July 21, 1861 the opposing armies would meet in the fields north of Manassas, Virginia. Fought along the meandering Bull Run Creek, the battle would be known as First Bull Run, in the North, and First Manassas in the South. Ballou would be with his 2d Rhode Island Volunteers as they were sent with Burnside’s Brigade on a long flanking march via Sudley Ford. There they crossed Bull Run Creek and marched south towards Manassas. They would clash with CSA Colonel Nathan Evans’ Brigade near the crest of present day Matthews Hill. This opening engagement of the battle would be brutal as the green troops, from both sides, endured their “baptism of fire.” Ballou was conspicuous as he led his men on horseback. During the ensuing fight he would be mortally wounded by an artillery shell which ripped through his right leg, killing his horse. Taken to the rear, the remainder of the leg was amputated. Ballou died one week later, on July 29, and was buried near the Sudley Church. Based on eyewitness accounts it was learned that Ballou’s body was exhumed and mutilated by Confederate soldiers.(vii) While his remains were never identified, portions of what was believed to be his body were reinterred at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island. The moving letter which Ballou wrote to Sarah was never mailed but was found in his personal trunk after he died. It was delivered to Sarah by Governor William Sprague, who led the party which exhumed the bodies of Rhode Islanders killed at the First Battle of Bull Run.

While Sullivan Ballou would gain fame in the late 20th Century for the letter he wrote his wife, he is first and foremost an American HERO. Inevitably, I am quite certain that Ballou would prefer to be remembered for his actions on the battlefield than his personal letter to Sarah. He was a line officer who chose to lead from the front instead of behind the lines. While he died in the first major battle of the Civil War, who knows how far he could have advanced in the army? Many lesser officers received promotion to general officer. This writer is proud to call America home – just as Sullivan Ballou did nearly 200 years ago.

i. See the Sullivan Ballou family tree on Ancestry.com.
ii. Ibid.
iii. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles as provided by Ancestry.com.
iv. See the 2d Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry page at the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.
v. See the Union Order of Battle – First Manassas at the Manassas National Battlefield Park National Park Service website.
vi. See The Civil War at PBS.org.
vii. See Sullivan Ballou: The Macabre Fate of an American Civil War Major at HistoryNet.com.

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Ezra Ayers Carman, U.S. Colonel

Birth Date: February 27, 1834
Birth Place: Oak Tree, Middlesex County, New Jersey

Date of Death: December 25, 1909
Location of Death: Washington City, District of Columbia

Education: Kentucky Military Institute and University of Nashville

Military Experience: Civil War

Major Battles: Williamsburg (May 5, 1862), Antietam (September 17, 1862), Chancellorsville (April 30 – May 6, 1863), Gettysburg (July 1 – 3, 1863), Atlanta Campaign (May – September, 1864), Sherman’s March to the Sea (November 2 – December 13, 1864)

Awards/Medals/Promotions: colonel (July 8, 1862), brevet brigadier general (March 13, 1865)

Biography:

Ezra Ayers Carman was born on February 27, 1834 at Oak Tree, New Jersey. He was the eldest son of Nelanchton Freeman Carman and Anna Marie nee Ayers. After receiving his early education in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Carman clerked at the United States Post Office and Farmers Bank, both in Rahway, New Jersey. In September 1853, 19 year old Ezra entered the Kentucky Military Institute as a cadet. On June 7, 1855, he received an A.B. degree, at what would be later known as the University of Nashville. He delivered the class valedictorian address. After his graduation he would become an assistant professor of mathematics and would chair the department until 1856. He earned his A.M. degree from the university in 1858. Leaving Nashville, after his graduation, Carman would return to New Jersey and work as a bookkeeper at T.P. Howell’s – a manufacturer of leather goods.(i)

With the outbreak of sectional hostilities, Carman was gripped, as many of his northern compatriots, with patriotic fervor. He traveled to Washington City and was present, as a civilian, at the First Battle of Bull Run. Returning to New Jersey, Carman would be appointed lieutenant colonel of the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on September 19, 1861 – two weeks after being mustered into Federal service.(ii) They would be immediately ordered to Washington City where they would remain until the start of US Major General George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign.

Carman departed Washington between April 5 and 8 aboard the steamers transporting the Army of the Potomac to Fortress Monroe, near Hampton, Virginia. He would see his first action at the Siege of Yorktown and would be wounded on May 5, 1862 at the Battle of Williamsburg. The serious wound to his right arm would require him to return to New Jersey to recuperate. While at home, he would be appointed colonel of the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on July 8, 1862. His new regiment would be mustered into Federal service on August 25.(iii)

The 13th New Jersey Volunteers would depart New Jersey on August 31, 1862 and would proceed to Washington City. The regiment was assigned to Camp Richardson, at Arlington Heights, Virginia, but their stay would be quite short. With the defeat of US Major General John Pope’s Army of Virginia, at the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Army of Potomac would quickly be put in motion to protect Washington City from CSA General Robert E. Lee’s developing invasion of Maryland. Leaving Camp Richardson on September 2, the 13th New Jersey would arrive in the vicinity of Rockville, Maryland by September 9. Once in Maryland, Carman’s regiment was assigned to Brigadier General George H. Gordon’s third brigade, of Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams’ First Division of Major General Joseph K.F. Mansfield’s XII Corps. While not engaged in the battles of South Mountain, the XII Corps would arrive near Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 16. Arrayed on the east bank of the creek, the Army of the Potomac could clearly see Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia lining the heights on the opposite side. This tactical arrangement set the stage for the sanguinary Battle of Antietam on September 17.

During the evening and overnight hours, the Army of the Potomac commander, George B. McClellan, prepared for his army to attack Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia by sending Major General Joseph Hooker’s I Corps across Antietam Creek via the Upper Bridge. His tactical plan was to use the I Corps to attack Lee’s left flank, commanded by CSA Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Mansfield’s XII Corps and Major General Edwin V. Sumner’s II Corps would be situated nearby to offer support where necessary. While this attack was taking place, Major General Ambrose E. Burnside’s IX Corps, reinforced with Brigadier General Jacob D. Cox’s Kanawha Division, would attack the Confederate right flank positioned on the heights above Rorhbach Bridge. In theory, McClellan’s battle plan was designed to prevent Lee from sending reinforcements from one flank to the other of his much smaller army. The V and VI corps, commanded respectively by major generals Fitz John Porter and William B. Franklin, would be held in reserve. While sound, McClellan’s plan would require proper timing and coordination between his separated flanks. The rolling hills above Antietam Creek would make this difficult even in ideal conditions.

By the time the sun was rising on September 17, over their left shoulders, the soldiers in Hooker’s I Corps were assembling near the North Woods. They pushed off quickly to attack the left flank of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Pushing through a corn field, the soldiers quickly got caught in a nasty duel. Facing them were a division of veterans commanded by Brigadier General John Bell Hood. Additionally, Stonewall Jackson’s leftwing was positioned near the Dunker Church and West Woods. Jackson’s old division, commanded by Brigadier General John R. Jones, added to the misery by enfilading the soldiers as they pushed south. The Federal soldiers were literally mowed down as they pushed towards the Rebels. By 9:45 a.m., Mansfield’s XII Corps were ordered from their position, near the East Woods, to support Hooker’s attack and Sumner’s II Corps which was hotly engaged near the Dunker Church. In his first battle as a line officer, Carman would lead his 13th New Jersey Volunteers due west, towards the corn field. His raw regiment would push past the corn field, many witnessing the carnage of battle for the first time, and across the Hagerstown Turnpike. Carman described the situation, “For the first time in their soldier experience the men loaded their muskets.” They would quickly come under a heavy musketry from Confederate troops across the pike which were sheltered by limestone outcroppings in the West Woods. “The men were being shot by a foe they could not see, so perfectly did the ledge protect them.”(iv) Making matters worse, Carman’s inexperienced regiment would soon be caught in a withering fire from their south, as CSA Colonel Matthew W. Ransom’s 49th North Carolina Infantry poured a blistering salvo of musketry into their left flank. Being more than they could handle, the men of the 13th New Jersey quickly retreated across the Hagerstown Turnpike and to the protection of the East Woods.(v) They were not alone as Hooker’s I Corps was out of the fight and Sumner’s II Corps had been pushed back towards the Mumma Farm from their advanced position near the Dunker Church. Additionally, the XII Corps had been decapitated earlier in the fight when Mansfield was mortally wounded while organizing his corps near in the East Woods. This left Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams in command of the corps during the most critical stage of the fight for the West Woods. Needless to say, the Confederate hold on the northern part of the Antietam battlefield was secure. Over the next several hours the Battle of Antietam would continue to unfold in other sectors: the Sunken Road, Burnside (Rohrbach) Bridge and along Branch Avenue – all to the south. At the end of the day’s fight, the bloodiest single day in American history, the two opposing armies held roughly the same positions they started in. The battle would be considered a tactical victory for McClellan’s Army of the Potomac as Lee would end up retreating into Virginia. How did Carman and his 13th New Jersey Volunteers perform? Probably as well as could be expected for the largely untested soldiers who received concentrated fire from an unseen enemy and a blistering fire to their left flank. While they did retreat pell-mell to the East Woods, they were certainly not alone. Carman, while wounded at Antietam, would remain in command of his regiment.(vi)

Due to his wounding at the Battle of Antietam, Colonel Carman would not command his regiment during the Battle of Fredericksburg. He would however command his New Jersey troops at the Battle of Chancellorsville. On May 1, 1863, the 13th New Jersey Volunteers would be assigned to Brigadier General Thomas Ruger’s Third Brigade of Williams’ First Division of the XII Corps – now commanded by Major General Henry Slocum. During the opening of the battle, Carman’s regiment would be posted along the Orange Plank Road and would be engaged against CSA Major General Richard Anderson’s Division of Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s 1st Corps. They would suffer heavy losses. At the close of the day’s fight, Carman and the rest of the XII Corps would be positioned near Hazel Grove. Hooker would eventually consolidate his army, near the Chancellor Tavern. He would remain in a defensive position through the day on May 3 while repulsing several attacks from the Confederate 2d Corps, which was commanded by Major General J.E.B. Stuart, after the mortal wounding of Jackson. Later on May 3, in an effort to protect his retreat route across the Rappahannock River, Hooker would further consolidate his army posting the XII Corps on his far left flank along the river. After four days of fighting, in which the 13th New Jersey Volunteers suffered 141 casualties (vii), Hooker would retreat north of the Rappahannock bringing the Battle of Chancellorsville to disastrous close for the United States. Always in the thick of the fight, Carman would again be wounded.(viii)

After Chancellorsville, Carman would lead his regiment in pursuit of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, after the latter invaded the north, culminating in the Battle of Gettysburg. Slocum’s XII Corps would arrive during the evening hours of July 1 and would be positioned at the far right flank of the Army of the Potomac, on Culp’s Hill. On the second day of the battle Carman’s soldiers would witness significant action, while not being directly engaged. Most of the fighting would take place on opposite flanks as Brigadier General George S. Greene’s XII Corps’ brigade repulsed an attack by CSA Major General Edward Johnson’s 2d Corps’ Division to their right and Brigadier General Francis C. Barlow’s XI Corps’ division fended off attacks from CSA Major General Jubal A. Early’s 2d Corps’ division to their left. All the while, they would be forced to maintain a tense state of readiness awaiting an assault on their section of the line. There chance would arrive the next morning when Johnson’s Division again attacked Culp’s Hill during the mid-morning hours. This three brigade assault was directly against the Federal works on Culp’s Hill and would leave nearly 3,100 casualties strewn over the slopes of the hill. While not incurring the casualties which other areas of the XII Corps’ lines did, Carman’s 13th New Jersey Volunteers would suffer 21 losses of the nearly 350 officers and enlisted men which arrived at Gettysburg.(ix) The often referenced “high water mark” of the Confederacy would be achieved during the afternoon fight at Cemetery Ridge when Robert E. Lee sent three divisions of infantry to attack US Major General Winfield S. Hancock’s II Corps on Cemetery Ridge. The assault, commanded by CSA Major General George E. Pickett, was disastrous and would result in Lee’s retreat back to Virginia.

After Gettysburg, Carman would continue to command the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. He would be sent to New York to quell the Draft Riots during mid-July 1863, commanding a brigade that included the 13th New Jersey, 107th New York and 150th New York. Carman would be sent west, with the rest of the XII Corps, in October 1863. His New Jersey regiment would be attached to the Second Brigade, First Division of the XX Corps and would see action during the Atlanta Campaign. He would receive high praise for commanding his regiment during several significant battles: Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, and Kolb’s Farm – all during 1864.(x) At the conclusion of Sherman’s March to the Sea, when the XX Corps was in front of Savannah, Georgia, Carman would again command a brigade, this time on the left flank of the army. With CSA Major General Joseph Wheeler’s cavalry between him and Savannah, at Izard’s Mill, Carman decided not to press an attack. Unfortunately, the Confederate forces, commanded by Lieutenant General William J. Hardee, were able to escape from Savannah without being captured. While not being censured for failing to attack the Confederate flank, Carman was sent to Nashville, Tennessee on “special duty.” He would receive brevet promotion to brigadier general on March 13, 1865 and was mustered out of Federal service on June 8, 1865 at Washington City.

After the Civil War, Carman would remain active in civil service, serving as a clerk of the United States Department of Agriculture from 1877 – 1885, historical expert at the Antietam National Battlefield and superintendent of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. By far, Carman’s most significant contribution to students of the American Civil War was his narrative of the Maryland Campaign. His study of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, while at times mixed with commentary, provides the basis for nearly every study of these battles ever written. His knowledge of the Maryland battlefields, understanding of the troop placements and dozens of post-war interviews make his manuscripts essential for anyone studying the Maryland Campaign of 1862. Carman was twice married and had six children. He died on December 25, 1909 at Washington, D.C. from pneumonia and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Thomas G. Clemens recently released his first book based exclusively on Carman’s manuscripts, “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. I: South Mountain.” Clemens’ editing brings Carman to life and will inevitably place you amongst the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry during the Maryland Campaign. I recently had the opportunity to discuss his book with him. Clemens’ knowledge of the Maryland Campaign is compelling and his stories about Colonel Carman are quite interesting. Click HERE to listen to my interview.

i. Ezra Ayers Carman’s biography at The New Jersey Historical Society #176
ii. See the 7th New Jersey Infantry regimental history at the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
iii. See the 13th New Jersey Infantry regimental history at the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
iv. Sears, Stephen W., Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, published by Ticknor & Fields in 1983, Pg. 230.
v. Ibid, Pgs. 248-249.
vi. Toombs, Samuel, New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign From June 5 to July 31, 1863, published by The Evening Mail Publishing House in 1888, Pg. 384.
vii. Sears, Stephen W., Chancellorsville, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1996, Pg. 489, Appendix II.
viii. Toombs, Samuel, New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign From June 5 to July 31, 1863, published by The Evening Mail Publishing House in 1888, Pg. 384.
ix. Trudeau, Noah Andre, Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, published by HarperCollins in 2002, Pg. 578.
x. Toombs, Samuel, New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign From June 5 to July 31, 1863, published by The Evening Mail Publishing House in 1888, Pg. 385.

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