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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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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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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Alexander S. Webb, U.S. Brigadier General

Birth Date: February 15, 1835
Birth Place: New York City, New York

Date of Death: February 12, 1911
Location of Death: Bronx, New York

Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point – Class of 1855

Military Experience: Seminole War, Civil War

Awards/Medals/Promotions: brevet second lieutenant (July 1, 1855), second lieutenant (October 20, 1855), first lieutenant (April 28, 1861), captain (May 14, 1861), major (September 13, 1861), lieutenant colonel (August 20, 1862), brigadier general (June 23, 1863), brevet major general volunteers (August 4, 1864), brevet brigadier general Regular Army (March 13, 1865), brevet major general Regular Army (March 13, 1865), Medal of Honor (September 28, 1891)

Biography:

Alexander Stewart Webb was born in New York City, New York on February 15, 1835 to James W. Webb and Helen Bache Webb, nee Lispenard.(i) His father was a well respected newspaper owner and provided a comfortable living for his family. Young Alexander was able to attend private schools. He was appointed to West Point in 1851, graduating 13th in his class.(ii) After graduating he would be appointed brevet second lieutenant of artillery. He would see action in the Seminole War in 1856. From 1856-1857 he would serve garrison duty at Fort Independence, Massachusetts and Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He would return to West Point as an assistant professor of mathematics in November 1857 – a position he retained until January 1861.

After resigning his position at West Point, Webb would be transferred to Washington City where he served in garrison duty until April 4, 1861. He would be sent to Fort Pickens, Florida in early April and was promoted first lieutenant on April 28, serving in the 2d U.S. Artillery. On July 3, 1861 he was ordered to join Brigadier General Irvin McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia (this was before the Federal Army was officially designated the Army of the Potomac). While there, he would be promoted captain in the 11th U.S. Infantry on May 14 and would be present at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.(iii)

With the retreat of the Federal Army to Washington City, after its defeat at Bull Run, Webb would serve as assistant to Brigadier General William F. Barry, chief of artillery of the Army of the Potomac. He would be promoted major of the 1st Rhode Island Artillery Volunteers on September 14, 1861 and would serve in the defenses of Washington until April 1, 1862.(iv) With the start of Major General George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign, Webb would be sent with the Army of the Potomac to Fortress Monroe. He would see action at the Siege of Yorktown (April 5 – May 4), Mechanicsville (May 27) and Gaines’ Mill (June 27). During this time he served as Assistant Inspector General for Barry. He would be promoted lieutenant colonel of volunteers on August 20 and would serve as chief of staff in Brigadier General Fitz John Porter’s V Corps during the Maryland Campaign.

After the Battle of Antietam, Webb would be assigned to Washington to serve in the camp of instruction as Inspector of Artillery. He would remain at Camp Barry through January 1863 when he transferred back to the Army of the Potomac as Assistant Inspector General of Major General George G. Meade’s V Corps. He would see action at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

On June 23, 1863, Webb would be promoted brigadier general of volunteers and would be transferred to Major General Winfield S. Hancock’s II Corps.(v) He would command the Second Brigade (Philadelphia Brigade) in Brigadier General John Gibbon’s Second Division. In late June, the Army of the Potomac would march north to Pennsylvania and would become engaged in the largest battle on North American soil – Gettysburg. The II Corps would reach Gettysburg on the evening of July 1 and would be positioned in the center of the Union line along Cemetery Ridge. Webb’s brigade would be positioned near the center of the II Corps line and would not be part of the reinforcements Hancock sent to the Wheat Field and Peach Orchard to counter CSA Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s attack against Major General Daniel E. Sickles’ III Corps. However, they would be engaged against CSA Brigadier General Ambrose R. Wright’s late afternoon attack against their position. Webb’s brigade would push them back, beyond the Emmittsburg Road, capturing 300 Rebel prisoners and reclaiming a Federal artillery battery. During the evening hours, on July 2, he would detach two regiments to reinforce the I and XI corps on Cemetery Hill.

On the afternoon of July 3, Webb’s Philadelphia Brigade was holding the center of the II Corps line along Cemetery Ridge. They would eat a fairly quiet lunch with only the occasional artillery shell passing overhead. Webb was certainly unaware that his position would be the focal point for CSA General Robert E. Lee’s assault – an assault Lee hoped would break the Federal line and allow his Army of Northern Virginia to roll up the lines of the Army of the Potomac. Their position formed a salient angle with Colonel Norman J. Hall’s brigade to their left and Colonel Thomas A. Smyth’s brigade to their right. Smyth’s brigade was pulled back a couple hundred feet with the II Corps line extending north from their position. This formation created the salient angle with Webb’s brigade holding that angle. The 69th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry regiment comprised the brigade’s first line. They covered approximately 250 feet of the stone fence. The 71st and 72d Pennsylvania Volunteers supported the 69th, forming a second line approximately 50 yards to the rear of the first line.(vi) Two companies of Webb’s remaining regiment, the 106th Pennsylvania Volunteers, were posted further to the rear, supporting the skirmish line to their front (the other eight companies of the 106th were still detached on Cemetery Hill). Two guns of Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing’s Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery were placed between the 69th and 71st (Cushing is included in my Soldier Profiles series – click HERE to read the article.)

At 1:00 p.m., Longstreet ordered Colonel E. Porter Alexander to open what would be the largest artillery bombardment of the Civil War. This barrage was intended to soften the Federal lines and damage as many Union artillery placements as possible. The artillery bombardment would also signal Major General George E. Pickett to prepare for his attack against the Federal army on Cemetery Ridge. While creating a significant amount of noise, and visually captivating sights, Alexander’s artillery was not effective in softening the Union lines. Brigadier General John Gibbon noted that many of the Rebel shells were not detonating or were detonating late, their range being too long and landing on the reverse slope of the Federal line, near Taneytown Road.(vii)

By 2:00 p.m., fire from E. Porter Alexander’s reserve artillery began to wane. Over the next thirty minutes Pickett would prepare his lines and step off, encouraging his men, “Don’t forget today that you are from Old Virginia!,” and exhorting them to stand to the work.”(viii) Lieutenant Frank Haskell, an aide on the staff of Gibbon, captured the moment succinctly, “None on that crest now need be told that the enemy is advancing. Every eye could see his legions, an overwhelming, resistless tide of an ocean of armed men, sweeping upon us! Right on they move, as with one soul, in perfect order, without impediment or ditch, or wall, or stream, over ridge and slope, through orchard, and meadow, and cornfield, magnificent, grim, irresistible.” Now scanning his own lines, Haskell continued, “All was orderly and still upon our crest – no noise, and no confusion.” The II Corps men were “survivors of a dozen battles,” and “…knew well enough what this array in front portended…”(ix) The mass of Rebels pushed forward deliberately, as if on the parade ground. While Haskell accurately described the advance, he was not fully correct. There was a significant impediment that stood between Pickett’s infantrymen and the Federal line – a long, well built fence along the Emmittsburg Road. By the time the Rebel soldiers reached this point they were taking heavy losses from the Federal infantry on Cemetery Ridge. Well within range of the very lethal spherical case and canister, the large guns would tear large gaps in the Confederate formations. These gaps would immediately be closed by the next line, stepping forward into the teeth of the Federal artillery. Due to this heavy cannonading from Cemetery Ridge, the attacking Rebels did not have time to tear down the fence that impeded their advance. Instead they have to rapidly scale the fence and start forward from the opposite side.

Meanwhile, Webb was encouraging his brigade. He implored his men to do as well today, as they had done the previous day when they captured portions of Wright’s Brigade. While his infantrymen were well positioned along the “angle,” he was concerned that Cushing’s only pair of working guns would not provide his infantry with the support they required. Having advised the seriously wounded Cushing that he expected the enemy to push directly on their position, Cushing replied, “I had better run my guns right up to the stone fence and bring all my canister alongside each piece.” Webb concurred with Cushing’s assessment and it may well have saved the day as Cushing’s artillerymen were U.S. Regular Army veterans.(x) With Cushing’s pair of 3” rifled Parrott guns now at the stone wall, Webb wisely ordered eight companies of his 71st Pennsylvania to the right of the artillery, positioning them to cover the wall until it made its jog to the east where it joined up with Smyth’s brigade.

It was when Pickett’s Confederate Division slammed into Webb’s 1,000 men, at the stone fence, that Webb provided his most valuable service to his country. Having been sent forward moments before, the 71st Pennsylvania’s commander, Colonel Richard Smith, ordered Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kochersperger to command the eight companies assigned to the “angle.” While he conveniently stayed behind with his other two companies, he advised Kochersperger to withdraw should the enemy come too close. This order, while at odds with the Federal army’s need to hold their position, would cause a 50 yard gap to open in the Federal line at the very point where Pickett’s division would attack. Once again, Haskell eloquently describes the unfolding situation, “Great Heaven! There by the group of trees, and the angles of the wall, was breaking from the cover of their works, and without orders or reason, with no hand lifted to check them, was falling back a fear-stricken flock of confusion.”(xi) This fear-stricken flock was the eight companies of the 71st Pennsylvania sent to the “angle.” Kochersperger quite obviously had taken Smith’s orders to heart and ordered his men to fall back just as Pickett’s division was pushing toward them. This gap allowed CSA Brigadier General Lewis Armistead, and a small band of his Rebel soldiers, to pierce the Federal line near Cushing’s two guns. With Cushing already killed the Federal artillerists quickly bolted to the rear. Armistead’s men quickly gathered around the two guns but were unable to use them as they were caught in an effective “no-man’s land.”

Webb, caught in a terrible position, had to plug the gap which the 71st Pennsylvania’s retreat had opened. His second line, manned by the 72d Pennsylvania Volunteers, was some 70 yards behind the “angle.” He quickly ordered the 72d forward, but they failed to move. Next he tried to take the National colors away from their color bearer. He would not let go. While the 72d stayed put, their colorfully clothed Zouave infantrymen opened a galling rifle fire into the position vacated by the 71st. This fire was most likely responsible for mortally wounding Armistead as he struggled with his small command around Cushing’s guns. Webb was everywhere at once. When the 72d did not move, he quickly moved forward to lead the men of the 69th as they battled at the wall. Arriving there he most certainly was struck with the carnage from the fight that had turned from a rifle battle into hand-to-hand combat. Webb would receive a superficial wound to his leg while at the wall. Colonel Dennis O’Kane of the 69 th Pennsylvania would be mortally wounded. On the other side of the wall, CSA Brigadier General Richard Garnett was killed instantly by a bullet to the head. Miraculously, the Federal line held. While holding their position is a testament to the 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers élan, they were not alone in the fight. Timely reinforcements from Norman Hall’s brigade also helped Webb hold the “angle.” Additionally, the Rebel command structure had taken a beating with two brigadier generals out of the fight in Pickett’s division alone. The charge was doomed and the Confederate infantry retreated across the fields towards Seminary Ridge. Colonel Charles Wainwright, commander of the Union I Corps artillery was told by Webb, “…that when the enemy reached the wall all his lines began to shake, and for a moment he thought they were gone; but most of the rebs stopped at the wall…. That halt at the wall was the ruin of the enemy, as such halts almost always are; yet so natural is it for men to seek cover that it is almost impossible to get them to pass it under such circumstances.”(xii) Certainly, the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg may have been much different had Webb’s brigade not held its position at the “angle.” Webb was brave under fire and encouraged his men to fight like the veterans they were. Without a doubt he was upset with the cowardly performance of his 71st Pennsylvania. Writing his wife after the battle, Webb stated, “When my men fell back I almost wished to be killed, I was almost disgraced.”(xiii)

Webb would receive brevet promotion to major of U.S. Regular Army for his actions at Gettysburg. He would command Gibbon’s division of the II Corps during the Rapidan Campaign and at Bristoe Station on October 14, 1863. Upon Gibbon’s return to command, Webb would return to brigade command during the Overland Campaign. He would see action at the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. While leading his brigade during the II Corps attack on the Mule Shoe salient, on May 12, 1864, Webb would receive a serious head wound. This wound would remove him from field command until January 11, 1865 when he would return as Chief of Staff to Major General George Gordon Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac. He would receive brevet promotion to major general volunteers on August 1, 1864 for his gallant actions at Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. He would remain Chief of Staff for the Army of the Potomac through the conclusion of the Civil War. On March 13, 1865, Webb received brevet promotion to brigadier general and major general U.S. Regular Army. After the Civil War, he would remain in the U.S. Army and would reach the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served in both the 44th and 5th U.S. Infantry. Prior to retiring in 1870, he would also serve as assistant professor of geography, history and ethics at West Point.(xiv)

Webb and his wife, Anna Elizabeth nee Remsen, had eight children together. They married on November 28, 1855. After retiring from the U.S. Army, Webb returned to New York City and became president of the City College of New York, a position he would hold for 32 years. On September 28, 1891, General Webb received the highest military honor the United States awards – the Medal of Honor – for his brave leadership at the Battle of Gettysburg. The official citation reads, “Distinguished personal gallantry in leading his men forward at a critical period in the contest.”(xv) Webb died on February 12, 1911 at Bronx, New York. He was 75 years old. He is a true American HERO.

i.See Alexander Stewart Webb at ancestry.com (http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/18374139/person/650870239)
ii. Cullum, George W., Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Vol. II, published by D. Van Nostrand in 1868, Pg. 401.
iii. Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders, published by Louisiana State University Press in 1999, Pg. 545.
iv. Cullum, George W., Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Vol. II, published by D. Van Nostrand in 1868, Pg. 402.
v. Ibid.
vi. Trudeau, Noah A., Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, published by Harper Collins in 2002, Pgs. 495-496.
vii. Sears, Stephen W., Gettysburg, published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 2003, Pgs. 396-397.
viii. Trudeau, Noah A., Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, published by Harper Collins in 2002, Pg. 476.
ix. Sears, Stephen W., Gettysburg, published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 2003, Pg. 409.
x. Ibid, Pg. 436.
xi. Ibid, Pg. 445.
xii. Ibid, Pg. 452.
xiii. Ibid, Pg. 450.
xiv. Cullum, George W., Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Vol. II, published by D. Van Nostrand in 1868, Pg. 402.
xv. Proft, R.J. (Bob), editor, United States of America’s Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and Their Official Citations, published by Highland House II, Inc. in 2006, Pg. 1,037.

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Alonzo H. Cushing, US First Lieutenant

Birth Date: January 19, 1841
Birth Place: Delafield, Wisconsin

Major Battles: First Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Peninsula Campaign, Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg

George E. Pickett, CSA Major General

Date of Death: July 30, 1875
Location of Death: Norfolk, Virginia

Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point – Class of 1846

Military Experience: Mexican War, Civil War

Major Battles: Battle of Chapultepec (Mexican War), Peninsula Campaign, Gaines’ Mill, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Five Forks

Awards/Medals/Promotions: Two brevet promotions during the Mexican War, first lieutenant and captain (1855), major CSA (June 25, 1861), colonel CSA (July 1861), brigadier general CSA (January 14, 1862), major general CSA (October 10, 1862)

Biography:

George Edward Pickett was born in Richmond, Virginia on January 16, 1825. He was the oldest of eight children born to Robert and Mary Pickett who came from a long line of well known Virginians. Pickett would move to Springfield, Illinois, as a young man, to study law. He would be appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point when he was seventeen. While there were claims that Pickett was appointed by Abraham Lincoln, he was in fact appointed to West Point by John T. Stuart, a law partner of Lincoln.

Pickett obtained a rather unwanted reputation, while at West Point, that would nearly prevent him from graduating. Known as a prankster, the young cadet earned more than his share of demerits. He would eventually work off his demerits and would graduate last in his class of 1846 – a class that would include many well known Civil War general officers: Ambrose Powell “A.P.” Hill, John Gibbon, George B. McClellan, Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and Jesse L. Reno.(ii)

After his graduation, Pickett would be appointed second lieutenant in the 8th U.S. Infantry. He would quickly be sent to the Mexican-American War where he would receive two brevet promotions for gallantry on the battlefield. At the Battle of Chapultepec, he would be given the U.S. flag by wounded friend, James Longstreet, and would receive much attention for carrying the colors over the wall and to the roof of the palace – all the while under fire. Over the next thirteen years, Pickett would serve on the frontier. In 1855, hewas promoted to first lieutenant and captain while serving with the 9th U.S. Infantry.(iii) His commands would take him from Texas to the Washington Territory.

While Pickett was not a supporter of slavery, he quickly cast his lot with the Confederate States of America, resigning from the United States Army on June 25, 1861. He would venture east, from Oregon, when Virginia seceded from the United States. Early in the war, he would be appointed colonel and would command the Rappahannock Line in the Department of Fredericksburg. His commander, Major General Theophilus Holmes would be instrumental in Pickett’s promotion to brigadier general on January 14, 1862.

Pickett’s Brigade was composed exclusively of Virginia regiments: 8th, 18th, 19th, 28th and 56th infantry regiments. Most of the regiments would receive their “baptism of fire” during the Peninsula Campaign. Pickett would also be leading his men into battle for the first time. They would see action at the battles of Williamsburg and Seven Pines (Fair Oaks). On June 27, at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill, Pickett would be severely wounded and knocked off his horse, by a bullet to the shoulder. While he was certain he was mortally wounded, he would recuperate over the summer.(iv)

With his return to active duty, in the autumn of 1862, Pickett would receive promotion to major general. Now commanding a five brigade division, he would be present at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, but would see little action. His division would march to Suffolk, Virginia with Longstreet’s 1st Corps and would be engaged in the siege there from April 11 – May 4, 1863. They would be recalled to Spotsylvania County when CSA General Robert E. Lee engaged US Major General Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville from April 30 – May 6, 1863. They would not arrive in time for the battle, but would take part in Lee’s upcoming campaign.

In early June, 1863, Robert E. Lee set off from the Rappahannock Line. Marching west, through Orange and Rappahannock counties, they would enter the Shenandoah Valley. Lee used this valley to mask his movements, leaving Hooker largely blind to what his intentions were. In late June they would arrive near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Pushing east, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia would engage US Brigadier General John Buford’s Federal cavalry division just west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1. This would be the opening salvo of the three day Battle of Gettysburg. Longstreet would push two division towards Gettysburg, commanded by major generals Lafayette McLaws and John Bell Hood, arriving south of the city on the morning of July 2. Pickett’s Division would be left to guard the supply trains and lines of communication at Chambersburg. He would arrive on the evening of July 2, after the terrible struggle at Little Round Top, the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard. With much of his army exhausted, Lee determined to strike the center of the Federal line on Cemetery Ridge on the third day. It was his assumption that the Union line at that position had to be weakened by sending reinforcements to each flank on July 2. Longstreet would be in overall command of the combined “strike force” which would include Pickett’s Division, and two divisions from Lieutenant General A.P. Hill’s 3d Corps (J. Johnston Pettigrew and Isaac Trimble). Following a two hour artillery barrage, by Colonel Edward Porter Alexander’s artillery battalion, Pickettadmonished his division, “Up, men, and to your posts! Don’t forget today that you are from Old Virginia!”(v) His all Virginia division started their sanguinary march across the fields south of Gettysburg. All the time under severe artillery fire, the men were cut down in rows. While Brigadier General Lewis Armistead’s brigade was able to punch a hole through the Federal lines, he would receive no support from the other two brigades in Pickett’s division, commanded by brigadier general Richard Garnett and James Kemper. Armistead and Garnett would both be killed and Kemper would be wounded and captured. Pickett’s Division would suffer staggering losses at Gettysburg which included all thirteen of his regimental commanders. Often called the “High Water Mark” of the Confederacy, the Battle of Gettysburg, and Pickett’s Charge in particular, certainly demonstrated the fighting élan of the boys from Virginia. After returning to the Confederate lines at Seminary Ridge, Lee ordered Pickett to rally his division – fearing a Federal counterattack. Allegedly, Pickett responded, “General Lee, I have no division.”(vi) Pickett was said to be inconsolable and regretted the loss of his men for the remainder of his life.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, he would be sent to command the Department of Southern Virginia and North Carolina. In the spring of 1864, with US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant pushing Lee in the battles of the Overland Campaign, Pickett would be sent to command the defenses of Richmond. Under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard, he would take part in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, effectively “bottling up” US Major General Benjamin F. Butler’s Army of the James. In June 1864, his division would be sent to reinforce Lee at Cold Harbor. It would be positioned near the center of the Confederate line and would not see significant action.(vii)

Following Lee’s movement to Petersburg, in June 1864, Pickett’s division would be with Longstreet’s 1st Corps, primarily along the Bermuda Hundred front. By late March 1865, the situation became tenuous for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. After the Battle of Fort Stedman, on March 25, Lee was forced to bring Longstreet’s corps to the south edge of Petersburg. With Federal pressure mounting to take control of the railroads supplying Lee, he detached Pickett’s Division to protect his supply line – and his right flank. This would culminate in the Battle of Five Forks where Pickett’s division faced off against US Major General Phil Sheridan’s cavalry and the V Corps infantry. With only 5,000 troops to hold off the huge Federal force, Pickett quickly had his left flank overpowered and a pell-mell retreat towards the main Confederate lines followed. Unfortunately, Pickett was not on the field – he was at a shad bake several miles north of the battle and arrived too late to have any impact on the fighting. The loss at Five Forks made Lee’s lines at Petersburg untenable. He would be forced to retreat to Appomattox, where he surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865. Pickett would be removed of command, by Lee, after the Battle of Sailor’s Creek on April 6. There is some controversy regarding this order as Pickett was still signing official documents at “Major-Gen, Commd’g” as late at April 11 and was at Appomattox Court House when Lee surrendered.(viii)

Despite the terms of his parole, Pickett would flee to Canada after the war. He returned to Richmond in 1866 and worked as an insurance agent. Like so many other Confederate officers, especially those who graduated from West Point, Pickett had difficulty receiving amnesty. While President Grant supported pardoning Pickett, he would not receive his pardon until an Act of Congress passed on June 23, 1874 – one year before his death. General Pickett died in Norfolk, Virginia on July 30, 1875 and is buried at historic Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

(i) There is some confusion about Pickett’s actual birth date. The open edit online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, lists his birth date as January 16, 25 o 28, 1825. FindAGrave.com has his birthday listed as January 16, 1825. Ezra J. Warner, in Generals in Gray, lists his birth date as January 28, 1825.
(ii) See West Point Class of 1846 on CivilWarHome.com
(iii) Eicher, John H. and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, published by Stanford University Press in 2001, Pg. 428.
(iv) Tagg, Larry, The Generals of Gettysburg, published by Savas Publishing in 1998, Pg. 237.

Massachusetts would send nearly 160,000 soldiers and sailors to fight in the war. She would also send many general officers including Joseph Hooker, Edwin V. Sumner, Nathaniel P. Banks and Darius Couch. I started in Boston with a visit to Joe Hooker’s monument at the state house. The monument is massive and sits at one of the entrances to the capitol building.

Directly across the street from Hooker’s equestrian monument is the Robert Gould Shaw monument. As I’m sure you’re aware, Shaw originally served in the 7th New York Infantry where he marched to the defense of Washington City in April 1861. After its 30 day enlistment period ended, Shaw would be appointed second lieutenant in the 2d Massachusetts Infantry and see action at Winchester, Cedar Mountain and Antietam. After the bloody battle along Antietam Creek, Shaw would be approached by his father and offered command in a new all black regiment – the 54th Massachusetts. He would serve as major and colonel of this regiment, paying the ultimate price with his life, while leading his black troops to the parapet of Fort Wagner. He died on July 18, 1863.(i)

From Boston, I headed to Waltham and Brookline where I stopped and visited Nathaniel Prentiss Banks, Erastus Blakeslee and one of my favorites: Francis Channing Barlow.

Major General Banks, a political general that served as governor of Massachusetts and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, had less than impressive results in the U.S. Army. He would be defeated by CSA Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson during the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign and at Cedar Mountain. He would be transferred to command the Department of the Gulf, based in New Orleans. From there, he would command the Siege of Port Hudson and the failed Red River Campaign. Fortunately, for Banks, he now rests in peace at Grove Hill Cemetery in Waltham.

Brevet Brigadier General Erastus Blakeslee would enlist in the 1st Battalion Connecticut Cavalry on October 9, 1861. He would receive quick promotions to second lieutenant and captain of Company A – all in little more than five months. As Eric Wittenberg told his blog readers in August 2009, the 1st Connecticut was not a very well known unit. It would see action in Western Virginia before it was sent to Baltimore, Maryland during the winter of 1862-1863. While it did not take part in the Gettysburg Campaign, it would continue to see action around Harper’s Ferry, where it was stationed from July 1863 through January 1864. Blakeslee would be promoted major in July 1863 and would take command of the battalion. He would be promoted lieutenant colonel on May 21, 1864 and colonel less than a week later. His case was rather remarkable, with his rise from private to colonel in 2 1/2 years. He would be wounded during the Battle of Ashland on June 1, 1864, returning in time to fight in the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. He would officially muster out of Federal service on October 26, 1864 when his term of service expired. He received brevet promotion to brigadier general of volunteers for his exemplary service leading his troops at Ashland. His men held him in very high regard with one saying, “The General is the idol of his old regiment.”(ii)

Major General Francis C. Barlow’s story is amazing. Barlow enlisted as a private soldier in the 12th New York Militia in April 1861. He would be promoted to first lieutenant within one month. After serving his 90 day enlistment he quickly was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 61st New York in November 1861. He would be promoted full colonel of the regiment during the Peninsula Campaign. He would command a brigade in the First Division of Major General Edwin V. Sumner’s II Corps during the Battle of Antietam. He would receive praise from division commander, Brigadier General John Caldwell, for his actions along the Sunken “Bloody Lane” – where he was injured. He would be promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on September 19, two days after the battle. He would continue in division command during the remainder of the war seeing action at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. He would take sick leave in 1865, but would return to the Army of the Potomac in time to take part in the Appomattox Campaign. He received promotion to major general of volunteers on May 25, 1865. Barlow is indeed a unique soldier being promoted from private to major general during the course of the war – without a military education.(iii)

My next stop was the Worcester Rural Cemetery and North Cemetery in Oxford. While in Worcester, I stopped for a visit with colonels Samuel H. Leonard, George H. Ward and William S. Lincoln. At Oxford I paid my respects to Clara Barton. Leonard commanded the 13th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and would see action at the battles of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Ward commanded the 15th Massachusetts and would be killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. He received brevet promotion to brigadier general of volunteers posthumously. Lincoln was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 34th Massachusetts and would be wounded and captured during the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Upon his exchange he would be promoted colonel and would command the regiment through the end of the war. He would receive brevet promotion to brigadier general. Clara Barton is well known as the “Angel of the Battlefield.” She became somewhat of a celebrity during the Battle of Antietam where she cared for wounded soldiers. She followed the eastern armies from the start of the war, at First Bull Run, through the Petersburg Campaign. After the war she would go to Andersonville Prison to help identify the dead Union soldiers. She would later found the American Red Cross.

My next stop was in Brookfield where I visited the Brookfield Cemetery. There is a nice G.A.R. monument there along with the grave of Major Albert R. Howe. Howe served in the 47th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry regiment. After the war he would move to Mississippi where he would be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a “carpetbagger.”

My last stop was the Springfield Cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts. This historic cemetery is located in the heart of downtown Springfield and is accessed through a small entrance on one of the main streets. The entrance is about a block long and opens into a beautiful well kept cemetery. As I drove in, I must have looked lost, because the manager James Mooney, took me under his wing and guided me to several significant Civil War era graves. These included generals James Barnes and James Ripley. Additionally I got to pay a visit to one of my favorite colonels, Everett Peabody.

Brigadier General James Barnes originally was appointed colonel of the 18th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry regiment. The regiment was sent to Virginia in time to join Major General George B. McClellan during the Peninsula Campaign but would not see action until the Battle of Fredericksburg – where Barnes led a brigade in a hopeless assault against Marye’s Heights. He would receive promotion to brigadier general before the Battle of Chancellorsville where his brigade was not heavily engaged. At Gettysburg, he would be in command of a division in the V Corps. Arriving in time to take part in the second day’s battle, he would lose one brigade (Strong Vincent’s including Joshua Chamberlain’s 20th Massachusetts) to fight at Little Round Top. He would lead his remaining brigades to the Wheatfield where he would receive criticism for pulling them back and not supporting the brigades on his flank during the action there. Barnes would be wounded and would not see action again in the war, commanding garrisons in Maryland and Virginia.(iv)

Brigadier General James W. Ripley is best known for being the superintendent of the Springfield Armory. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Ripley was quickly commissioned brigadier general and placed in charge of armaments and forts on the New England coast. He would receive brevet promotion to major general in 1865.

Colonel Everett Peabody is one of my favorite regimental commanders. A native of Massachusetts, Peabody was trained in civil engineering at Harvard. He would move to Missouri to take a job with a railroad. With the outbreak of hostilities, he would be appointed major of the 13th Missouri Infantry (US). He would be promoted full colonel of the regiment in September 1861. During the Battle of Lexington, Missouri, Peabody would be captured with his entire regiment. After being exchanged, he would recruit a new regiment – the 25th Missouri Infantry (by then another regiment had been designated the 13th). He would be ordered to Pittsburg Landing and would take charge of a brigade in Brigadier General Benjamin Prentiss‘ Sixth Division. On the morning of April 6, 1862, Peabody would take the initiative to send portions of his command to scout what his commanders considered cavalry skirmishing. The recognizance was not approved by his superiors but would be credited with providing the Federal army enough time to prepare for the brutal assault that would mark the start of the Battle of Shiloh. Peabody would organize a defensive line and would be shot three times, while leading his brigade, before a fourth minie ball smashed into his face killing him instantly. For more information on Peabody, and his actions at Shiloh, see my recent blog article, “Colonel Everett Peabody – Unsung Hero of Shiloh.”

To view my complete photo essay on this trip, click HERE.

(i) Robert Gould Shaw at Wikipedia was used to research this article.
(ii) See Eric Wittenberg’s blog article on Erastus Blakeslee for more information.
(iii) Francis Barlow at Wikipedia was used to research this article.
(iv) James Barnes at Wikipedia was used to research this article.

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Hooker’s operational plans for the upcoming campaign were well devised and provided a terrific opportunity for success against CSA General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.  Leaving US Major General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps at Fredericksburg, to deceive Lee of his true intentions, Hooker planned to march his remaining six infantry corps northwest of Fredericksburg, crossing the Rappahannock River at U.S. and Ely’s fords.  From there he would push south falling on Lee’s left flank and rear, preventing him from escaping towards Richmond.  Additionally, Hooker sent his cavalry corps, commanded by US Brigadier General George Stoneman, on a long circuitous route around Lee’s army to destroy his communications and provide an additional layer of of support to prevent Lee from escaping south.  According to Civil War scholar, Ernest B. Furgurson, “Hooker had sent most of his cavalry away from the battle; what was left was misused, and ignored when it did show initiative.”(i)  This would prove to be the undoing of Hooker.  While his plan confused Lee to his true intentions, Hooker was operating blindly.  Lee, in perhaps his best performance as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, would split his smaller army not once, but twice, in front of an army that had a two to one numerical advantage.  On May 2 Lee sprung his own trap sending CSA Lieutenant General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s 2d Corps on a long flanking march to fall on the right flank of Hooker’s army.  The surprise was complete, pushing US Major General Oliver O. Howard’s XI Corps more than two miles towards Chancellorsville.  On May 3 Hooker consolidated his position around the Chancellor tavern giving up the high ground held by US Major General Daniel Sickles’ III Corps at Hazel Grove.  This also proved disastrous as Lee’s artillery would use the high ground to pound the Federal position. 

Meanwhile, Hooker had ordered Sedgwick to dislodge CSA Major General Jubal A. Early’s 2d Corps division from Marye’s Heights at Fredericksburg.  While Early’s division was significantly outnumbered, he was able to delay Sedgwick’s advance long enough for CSA Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox to establish a trap at Salem Church, just east of Chancellorsville.  Arrayed in the woods, along the Orange Turnpike, Wilcox would halt Sedgwick’s VI Corps in their tracks as they were marching along the pike.  After the bloody fight at Salem Chuch, Sedgwick, like Hooker, consolidated his corps along the Rappahannock River at Scott’s Ford.  Having left Fredericksburg uncovered, Early marched his division back to his trenches on Marye’s Heights cutting off Sedgwick’s retreat route.  This essentially ended any opportunity Hooker had to defeat Lee.  No longer willing or able to take the offensive Hooker would retreat across the Rappahannock River in the overnight hours of May 5.

Chancellorsville would prove fatal to Hooker’s ambition.  He would be removed from command of the Army of the Potomac in June.  Suffering nearly 14,000 casualties at the Battle of Chancellorsville it be one of the worst defeats the Federal army would suffer in the eastern theater.  Lee’s army was also badly mauled, suffering approximately 10,000 casualties.  However, Lee’s most significant loss was Thomas Jackson.  The great Stonewall would be wounded during the May 2 flank attack.  Scouting between the lines, Jackson would be shot by one of his own soldiers while returning to his lines.  The wound, in itself not fatal, would require the amputation of his left arm.  While recovering, at Guinea Station, Jackson would contract pneumonia and die on May 10, 1863.

For a more complete narrative on the Battle of Chancellorsville, refer to the article I wrote last year: The Battle of Chancellorsville – Joe Hooker’s Legacy.

(i) Furgurson, Ernest B., Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave, published by Vintage Civil War Library in 1993, Pg. 161.

The 121st New York Infantry, often called Upton’s Regulars after their second commander, Emory Upton, had been decimated during the Chancellorsville Campaign while fighting in US Major General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps, at Salem Church.  Upton, desiring to fill out his regiment requested all the able bodied three year men he could obtain.  Knowing of the 16th New York Battalion, Upton petitioned VI Corps headquarters for the men.  The men of the 16th were given the option of joining a Massachusetts battery, a Federal battery of the 121st.  Most of the men chose the 121st.  On June 16, 1863, Hall took command of Company F, 121st New York.  While the VI Corps saw little action in the Battle of Gettysburg, they were engaged in the pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia during his retreat from Gettysburg.  Seeing action during the Bristoe Campaign, from October 9–22, they would find themselves facing the Army of Northern Virginia, on opposite sides of the Rappahannock River, as winter approached. 

Many of the soldiers believed Army of the Potomac commander, US Major General George Gordon Meade, would enter the winter months with no additional fighting.  However, Meade had different ideas.  Believing he could out maneuver Lee along the Rappahannock River line, he determined to push across the river.  During the upcoming battle, Hiram Hall would provide his most valuable service to his country.

Robert E. Lee had constructed a strong bridgehead at Rappahannock Station with two artillery redoubts and connecting trenches, on the north bank.  CSA Major General Jubal Early’s 2d Corps Division manned the works, with the rest of Lee’s army south of the river commanding all the major fords.  He believed that any significant attack, by Meade, would require him to divide his forces.  Lee’s plans proved quite prescient.  On November 6, Meade ordered the I, II and III Corps to cross the Rappahannock River at Kelly’s Ford, while the V and VI Corps would push across at Rappahannock Station.  They were ordered to move on the morning on November 7.  Major General William French would command the left wing, while Sedgwick would command the right wing.  Meade’s tactical plan was to have French’s wing push across the river, at Kelly’s Ford, in an effort to divert Lee’s attention from the main attack by Sedgwick.(ii)  Once across, they would push west to join the rest of the army that had crossed at Rappahannock Station.  From there, the Army of the Potomac would push south towards Brandy Station.

On the morning of November 7, the 121st New York, with the rest of the V and VI Corps pushed south from Warrenton.  Emory Upton was commanding the Second Brigade of US Brigadier General Horatio Wright’s First Division.  With Sedgwick commanding the right wing, Wright commanded the VI Corps and US Brigadier General David Russell commanded the First Division.  Opposing them at Rappahannock Station were two brigades commanded by CSA Brigadier Generals Robert F. Hoke and Harry Hays.  Hays’ Louisianans had earned the moniker, “Louisiana Tigers,” for their fighting prowess.  Both brigades were seasoned veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia.  Once Sedgwick had his forces in place he began to pound Early’s Confederates with artillery.  He maintained this fire throughout the afternoon, causing much consternation, and many casualties at the bridgehead.  Meanwhile, Upton’s brigade, consisting of the 121st New York, 5th Massachusetts, 95th and 96th Pennsylvania were joined by US Colonel Peter Ellmaker’s Third Brigade, consisting of the 6th Maine, 5th Wisconsin, 49th and 119th Pennsylvania.  Commanded by David Russell, they were assigned the unenviable task of carrying the works manned by Hays’ “Louisiana Tigers” and Hoke’s North Carolinians.  With dusk beginning to blanket the field, Russell’s division pushed out of the woods and towards the bridgehead.  Partially protected by the railroad embankment, the division was able to get very close to the fortifications before they were engaged by Hays’ soldiers.  Upton would detach companies B and D, as skirmishers.  They were commanded by Captain John Fish.  Upton was very clear in his orders to Fish, “When the line advances upon your right, you will advance – you will drive the enemy off that crest, you will use your judgment and act as if you had a separate command: but remember one thing – I want my brigade line to get there as soon as any of them.”(iii)  Clinton Beckwith described the action, “We moved forward briskly and soon discovered the Rebel skirmish line.  They waited a good while, an age I thought, before they fired on us, and I knew someone would get hit.  Finally they let go and we started on a run after them, and they skedaddled.  One fellow waited until Jack Marden, one of our boys, got close to him, and then fired and hit Jack.  But the ball, striking something in Jack’s pocket, glanced off.  The Rebel shouted, ‘I surrender,’ but Jack shot and wounded him badly….The artillery in the fort was now firing rapidly and the cannon shots flew over us and went after our fellows who were coming up behind.  The Reb skirmishers kept falling back, but kept up a sharp fire.”(iv)  Soon, Fish and his skirmishers, along with the rest of the 121st New York, were upon the works.

Hiram Hall’s Company F was part of the attacking column.  Upon reaching the Rebel works, he was able to reform his lines.  The fighting became hand-to-hand, with several casualties coming from bayonet wounds.  With darkness quickly covering the battlefield, the action is described in “Upton’s Regulars,” by Salvatore Cilella: “(the Louisiana brigade remained) sanguine and defiant….Upton could see their colors in the gathering night, inscribed with “Cedar Run,” “Manassas Second,” “Winchester,” “Harpers Ferry,” “Sharpsburg,” “Fredericksburg,” “Chancellorsville,” and “Gettysburg.”  Without waiting for Russell for further instructions, Upton sent Capt. Seymour Hall to tell Russell that he had accomplished his mission and had reformed his lines parallel to the rifle pits that were still crawling with rebel soldiers.  He intended to attack again.”(v)  Upton had advised his men, “Boys, or rather Old 121st, I am with you again.  We are going to make a charge, and some of you will fall, but you will all go to heaven.  And I am going with you over the works.”  With that, Hall’s Company F, and the rest of the 121st New York stormed the rifle pits, performing a left face they rolled up the flank of the 6th, 54th and 57th North Carolina regiments.  Many of the Confederates surrendered and the 121st New York was able to capture a regimental flag.  All told, with the 5th Maine at their side, the 121st New York was able to capture seven Confederate flags, 103 officers, 1,300 enlisted men and 1,200 weapons.  One captured Rebel asked how many corps were involved in the attack.  When he was told only two regiments carried out the assault the “mortification” was “extreme.”  After the battle Upton reported, “The success at Rappahannock had a most electrifying effect throughout the army.”(vi)

Hall would continue to lead Company F, 121st New York Infantry, through some of the most bloody battles of the Eastern Theater: The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna and Cold Harbor.  In April 1864, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 43d United States Colored Troops.  He would lead these men at the Battle of the Crater, Weldon Railroad, Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run and the Appomattox Campaign.  He would receive a brevet promotion to brigadier general on March 13, 1865.

After the war, Hall would move with his wife, Augusta, to Carrollton, Missouri and finally to Kansas.  She bore him five children: Clarence, Harry, John, Mabel and Augusta.  Seymour H. Hall would die on July 1, 1908 in Kansas City, Kansas and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas.

For his bravery, and gallant leadership, Hall would receive two Medals of Honor on August 17, 1891 – one for his actions at Gaines’s Mill and the other for his heroism at Rappahannock Station.  The official citation reads:

Although wounded at Gaines Mill, Va., he remained on duty and participated in the battle with his company.  At Rappahannock Station, Va., while acting as an aide, rendered gallant and prompt assistance in reforming the regiments inside the enemy works.(vii)

Captain Seymour Hall is a true American HERO.

(i) Cilella, Salvatore G., Upton’s Regulars: The 121^st New York Infantry in the Civil War, published by the University Press of Kansas in 2009, Pg. 184.
(ii) Cilella, Salvatore G., Upton’s Regulars: The 121^st New York Infantry in the Civil War, published by the University Press of Kansas in 2009, Pg. 235.
(iii) Cilella, Salvatore G., Upton’s Regulars: The 121^st New York Infantry in the Civil War, published by the University Press of Kansas in 2009, Pg. 237.
(iv) Best, Isaac O., History of the 121^st New York State Infantry, published by Lieut. Jas. H. Smith in 1921, Pgs. 100–101.
(v) Cilella, Salvatore G., Upton’s Regulars: The 121^st New York Infantry in the Civil War, published by the University Press of Kansas in 2009, Pg. 240.
(vi) Cilella, Salvatore G., Upton’s Regulars: The 121^st New York Infantry in the Civil War, published by the University Press of Kansas in 2009, Pg. 243.
(vii) R.J. (Bob) Pfoft, Editor, United States of America’s Medal of Honor Recipients, Fifth Edition, Pg. 883.

Today, the Civil War Preservation Trust announced a new campaign to save 179 acres of endangered battlefield at The Wilderness and Chancellorsville battlefields.  As you have previously read, on This Mighty Scourge, The Wilderness Battlefield has continued to be lost to development – including Wal-Mart receiving a special use permit to build a Supercenter adjacent to the hallowed ground that was covered with the blood of our countrymen.  Using generous matching funds, the CWPT has committed over $1 million to save 85 acres of Chancellorsville battlefield and 94 acres of The Wilderness.  Following are the details as provided in their email earlier today.

“You Can Go Forward, Then”

A Historic Opportunity to Save Land at Both Chancellorsville and the Wilderness

“You can go forward, then” — With those very words, Stonewall Jackson unleashed his 30,000 hardened soldiers upon an unsuspecting Federal Eleventh Corps deep in the woods around Chancellorsville.

It has to be one of the most exciting and historically important preservation opportunities that we’ve ever presented.  CWPT is now in a position to save a critical section of the Chancellorsville battlefield – the very ground where Stonewall Jackson’s forces crashed into the Union Buschbeck Line during his famous Flank Attack on May 2, 1863.

In addition to this remarkable Chancellorsville opportunity, we are also partnering with the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust to save 94 acres of the Wilderness battlefield.

As you well know, this great 1864 battlefield, where Grant first met Lee in battle, continues to be threatened by nearby development efforts.  Now we can step forward and snatch back a portion of the battlefield before it’s too late.

View our Chancellorsville-Wilderness Appeal Online:
civilwar.org/chancellorsvillewilderness
Battle maps, history articles, photos, videos, and more

Chancellorsville

* Acreage: 85 Acres
* Location: Spotsylvania County, Virginia
* Total Cost: $2,125,000
* CWPT Commitment: $916,667
* CWPT Donation Match: $2.3 to $1

Wilderness

* Acreage: 94 Acres
* Location: Spotsylvania County, Virginia
* Total Cost: $950,000
* CWPT Commitment: $95,000
* CWPT Donation Match: $10 to $1

My friend, I will be the first one “over the top,” so to speak.  I have already written a personal check, made payable to CWPT, for $1,000.  I could not, in good conscience, ask you to contribute to an effort I was not willing to put my hard-earned cash into as well.

For your gift of $100 or more, I will do something that CWPT has done with great success at several other battlefields around the nation, such as The Slaughter Pen at Fredericksburg, the First Day of Chancellorsville, Harpers Ferry, Parker’s Crossroads and more:

For your donation of just $100 or more today, I will include your name on a permanent display that will stand on this hallowed ground.

You read that right; this offer is not just for those “heavy hitters” among us; everyone who gives $100 or more to this appeal will have his or her name included on this commemorative display!

CWPT is going to recognize – at Chancellorsville, on this ground – the thousands of CWPT members who will now make this historic victory possible.

Most Sincerely Yours,

Jim Lighthizer
President

Civil War Preservation Trust
1156 15th Street N.W., Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20005 | Phone (202) 367-1861
www.civilwar.org

Please take some time today to learn more about this great opportunity to save this hallowed ground.  I will be making my donation this evening – I hope you will as well.

Click here to listen to my June 2009 interview with CWPT president, Jim Lighthizer