Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His childhood was much like many 19th Century children. His father, Jesse Root Grant, owned a tannery business which was located adjacent to their home. In his autobiographical memoir, Grant recalled being disgusted by the stench of the tannery business.(i) He believed this was the cause of his lifelong abhorrence to the sight of blood. An accomplished horseman, he would ride as often as he could during his formative years. Later in life he would long for a time when he could settle with his wife, Julia Dent, on a farm and raise horses.

Young Grant would receive a general education and would be appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1839. A clerical error in his admission records would list his name as Ulysses Simpson Grant (Simpson being his mother’s maiden name). From that point forward, he would be U.S. Grant – Sam Grant to his friends. He graduated in 1843, 21st in a class of 39 cadets. Second Lieutenant Grant would be sent to St. Louis after his graduation. He was assigned to the 4th United States Infantry which was garrisoned at Jefferson Barracks. While in St. Louis he would meet his wife, Julia Dent, and a long courtship followed. He married Julia on August 22, 1848. Together, they would have four children.

His first experience in war would come during the Mexican War, during which he would receive two brevet promotions for gallantry. After the Mexican War he would be assigned to New York, the Oregon territory and California. When Grant went west, Julia stayed in St. Louis as he feared for her health during the crossing of the isthmus of Panama. Lonely to the extreme, Grant resigned his recently received captain’s commission on July 31, 1854.

Returning to Julia in St. Louis, Grant would build a home on his father-in-law’s property. There, he would try his hand at farming the rough ground west of town. The soil proved too tough for profitable row crops and he would be forced into selling firewood in St. Louis. Over the coming years he would work diligently to provide for his family, but would be forced to move to Galena, Illinois in 1860. While at Galena, Sam Grant would work at his father’s dry goods store and tannery, where he was forced to humble himself by working for his brother.

While not outwardly vocal about his political beliefs, Grant could not have failed to watch the 1860 presidential campaign as it unfolded before him. While he did not vote during the general election, he supported Democrat Stephen Douglas. With Lincoln’s election, he watched from the sidelines as the Secession Crisis erupted. After the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, Grant quickly determined that he would offer his services to his country. Unfortunately, due to rumors of heavy drinking, he was unable to secure a commission in the Regular U.S. Army. Eventually he would travel to Springfield, Illinois where he would help organize the Illinois volunteer infantry regiments as the mustered into service. On June 14, 1861 he was appointed colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry by governor Richard Yates.

The 21st Illinois was known as a raucous unit. Grant quickly brought organization and morale to the unit and spent time drilling the volunteers. Grant would lead the regiment on assignments in Missouri. In July 1861, Grant would be surprised to learn that he had been nominated for brigadier general. It was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate and he would receive his commission in August. His first assignment was command of the District of Southeast Missouri, stationed at Cairo, Illinois.

Some men are best suited for business pursuits, others for farming and some for leading men in battle. Grant was best suited for battle. Having failed at farming, bill collection and sales, he would quickly find his calling leading soldiers. U.S. Grant’s first battle as commander, was the Battle of Belmont, November 6, 1861. Here he would lead a successful attack against the Confederates camped across the Mississippi River from their fort at Columbus, Kentucky. With the disorganized Rebels fleeing for safety, Grant’s troops quickly started plundering the enemy’s camp. Confederate reinforcements quickly came ashore, from Kentucky, and organized an attack against the Federals who broke in retreat to their steamer. Grant throughout the disorganized retreat was a calming influence on his men. He ensured that his troops were on the steamer and would be the last soldier to board, sliding his horse down the steep bank and onto the riverboat just as it was pulling away.(ii) While the results of the Battle of Belmont were inconclusive at best, Grant had proven himself under fire.

Over the coming 30 months of the Civil War, Grant would grasp victory from defeat on several occasions. He would be the only army commander in the United States to capture three Confederate armies (Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Appomattox). As a commander, he would never again lead his men away from the battlefield in defeat – he would only push on – always determined to wear the enemy down and capture them. Capturing points, a tactical goal for most U.S. army commanders of the time, was never his goal. Grant wanted to force surrender and end the war. While he was often called a “butcher” for leading bloody assaults against fortified positions, the numbers do not bear this out. As a percentage of forces engaged, his armies suffered lower casualty rates than Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.(iii)

Grant is most well known for leading his men to victory in the following battles:

• Fort Donelson (August 25-26, 1862)
• Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862)
• Champion Hill (May 16, 1863)
• Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863)
• Third Battle of Chattanooga (November 23-25, 1863)
• Overland Campaign – the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, Cold Harbor (May 5 – June 12, 1864)
• Petersburg Campaign (June 9, 1864 – March 25, 1865)
• Appomattox Campaign (March 29 – April 9, 1865)

During his tenure commanding in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted from Colonel of U.S. Volunteers to Lieutenant General U.S. Regulars. He would be the first man to reach the rank of lieutenant general since George Washington.

• Colonel, 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry (June 28, 1861)
• Brigadier General, Volunteers (August 7, 1861)
• Major General, Volunteers (February 16, 1862)
• Major General, U.S. Regular Army (July 4, 1863)
• Lieutenant General, U.S. Regular Army (March 2, 1864)
• Full General, U.S. Regular Army (July 25, 1866)

On November 3, 1868, Ulysses S. Grant was elected 18th president of the United States. He would serve two terms as president and would be forever tied to scandals including Black Friday and the Whiskey Ring. Over the past twelve decades, Grant’s legacy has been on the rebound. While he is still often thought of as a “butcher” and a corrupt president, he is in most scholarly circles considered one of the best army commanders in history and even his presidency is being reevaluated.

After his presidency, Grant and Julia would travel the world. He was a remarkable ambassador for the United States. In 1884, he would be diagnosed with terminal throat cancer – an obvious result of smoking cigars for many years. After being financially ruined by the bankruptcy of an investment banking company his son, Ulysses, Jr., was a partner in, Grant determined to use his final days writing his memoirs. He completed them days before succumbing to his cancer. His memoirs were published by Mark Twain and would be a phenomenal success, providing financial security for Julia during her remaining years.

Ulysses S. Grant died at Mount McGregor, New York on July 23, 1885. He is buried at General Grant National Monument in Manhattan, New York, next to Julia. The Grant Tomb is the largest mausoleum of its type in North America.

(i) Grant, Ulysses S., Memoirs and Selected Letters, Published by The Library of America in 1990, Pg. 22.
(ii) Ibid, Pg. 184.
(iii) Bonekemper, Edward H, III, A Victor, Not a Butcher: Ulysses S. Grant’s Overlooked Military Genius, Published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. in 2004, Appendix II, Pg. 323.

###

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

###

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

###

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.

###

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.

###

******************************************

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL
10:00 a.m. EDT, May 13, 2010

For more information, contact:
Mary Koik, CWPT, (202) 367-1861 x7231
Beth Newburger, Epoch, (571) 436-0887

Civil War Preservation Trust Releases Annual Report on Nation’s Most Endangered Battlefields

Best-Selling Author Jeff Shaara Joins Trust to Unveil “History Under Siege” Report

(Washington D.C.) – The iconic Pennsylvania battlefield synonymous with American valor, now facing a second attempt to bring casino gambling to its doorstep; a Virginia crossroads where a single marching order set the Union army on the road to victory, now proposed for a monstrous commercial development; and a rocky Arizona spire where Confederate and Union forces fiercely faced off, now jeopardized by state budget cuts; are some of the nation’s most endangered Civil War battlefields.

At a news conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) unveiled its annual report on the status of the nation’s historic battlegrounds.  The report, entitled History Under Siege™: A Guide to America’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields, identifies the most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to save them.

“All across the country, our nation’s irreplaceable battlefields – these tangible links to our shared history – are threatened by inappropriate development, misguided public policy, limited financial resources and, in some cases, simple apathy,” said CWPT President James Lighthizer at the report’s unveiling.  “Next year marks the Sesquicentennial of the bloodiest conflict in our nation’s history, and as we prepare for that seminal moment, it is an opportune time to shine a spotlight on the places that tell America’s story.”

Joining Lighthizer at the news conference was best-selling author Jeff Shaara, who also serves on the CWPT Board of Trustees.  The author of nine New York Times bestsellers, Shaara’s novels, including the Civil War-themed Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, have been praised by historians for their painstaking research.  His  only non-fiction work, Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields,  is a unique and personal tour across ten of America’s most hallowed battlegrounds.  In testament to his commitment to historic preservation, Shaara donated the entire advance from the project toward battlefield protection efforts.

“Nothing creates an emotional connection between present and past like walking in the footsteps of our Civil War soldiers,” said Shaara.  “I hope that by drawing attention to endangered Civil War battlefields, Americans will this see hallowed ground in a new way and understand that these sites must be preserved for future generations to experience.”

Also taking the podium at the news conference was Dr. Mark Snell, director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd University.  A Civil War scholar and retired army officer, Snell was appointed to the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Commission last summer by Governor Joe Manchin, and was subsequently elected vice-chairman.

“Particularly on the eve of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, there is no more fitting commemoration of American valor than respectfully protecting the land where our soldiers fought and bled,” said Snell.

For three days in the summer of 1863, 160,000 men in blue and gray fought the Civil War’s largest and bloodiest battle around the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 2006, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board rejected a proposal to build a slots parlor near Gettysburg’s East Cavalry Field, citing widespread public opposition to the plan. However, earlier this year the same chief investor rolled the dice again and announced plans for another Gettysburg casino.  Although smaller than the previous proposal, this casino would be only one half-mile from Gettysburg National Military Park.

In May 1864, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s bloody Overland Campaign began in a tangled mass of second-growth trees and scrub known as the Wilderness, Virginia.  When portions of Grant’s army attacked elements of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army on May 5, 1864, it was the first time the two legendary commanders met in battle.  In August 2009, the Orange County, Va. Board of Supervisors approved a massive commercial center featuring a Walmart and four retailers at the gateway to the historic battlefield.  A lawsuit to block the project is pending.

While most of the battles of the Civil War took place on southern soil, Confederate and Union forces engaged in their westernmost struggle at Picacho Pass, Arizona, on April 15, 1862.  Confederate Capt. Sherod Hunter raised his flag in the small, frontier settlement of Tucson, hoping to take another step toward the Pacific and the creation of an ocean-to-ocean Confederacy.  The Confederate rangers were met by a detachment of Union cavalry under the leadership of Lt. James Barrett near Picacho Peak, a rocky spire 50 miles northwest of Tucson.  Although Picacho Peak State Park is a popular tourist destination, it will close to the public on June 3, 2010, due to drastic cuts in the state budget – less than one year before the sesquicentennial of the war.

The Civil War Preservation Trust is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promoting appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism.  History Under Siege is composed of two parts; one identifying the 10 most endangered battlefields in the nation, and a second section lists 15 additional “at risk” sites also confronted by serious threats.  Sites discussed in the report range from the famous to the nearly forgotten, but at least part of each site is in danger of being lost forever.  Battlefields were chosen based on geographic location, military significance, and the immediacy of current threats.

History Under Siege™ also includes:

Camp Allegheny, W.Va., December 15, 1861: Early in the war, North and South both strove to gain control over the western counties of Virginia, meeting in a number of engagements among the peaks and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains.  Today, the scenic beauty of Camp Allegheny, West Virginia stands to be compromised by a field of 40-story-high wind turbines — 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — to be built within view of the battlefield.

Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864: In the fall of 1864, Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan marched up the fertile Shenandoah Valley, stripping the countryside bare to starve out Confederate forces.  After a daring Confederate surprise attack at Cedar Creek, Union forces launched a crushing counterattack, extinguishing the South’s last hope of recovering the Valley.  In 2008, the Frederick County Board of Supervisors approved a massive expansion of the mine operating adjacent to Cedar Creek, which would destroy nearly 400 acres of battlefield land crucial to telling the story of this decisive struggle.

Fort Stevens, Washington, D.C., July 11-12, 1864: Fort Stevens was part of an extensive ring of fortifications surrounding Civil War Washington, but in July 1864 those defenses were vulnerable to a direct attack by Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early.  President Abraham Lincoln, watching the action from Fort Stevens, came under fire from sharpshooters.  Last year, a church adjacent to the fort applied for a zoning exemption to build an immense community center complex.  The new construction would tower over the fort, significantly degrading the visitor experience.

Pickett’s Mill, Ga., May 27, 1864: The Battle of Pickett’s Mill was one of the most stinging Union defeats of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign and the first serious check on Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s momentous campaign against this Confederate transportation center.  Although Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site is widely regarded as thoroughly preserved and interpreted, the park was forced to reduce its hours significantly due to budget cuts, and last autumn it was inundated by floodwaters that destroyed footbridges and a portion of the historic mill.

Richmond, Ky., August 29-30, 1862: Confederate Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith’s newly-dubbed “Army of Kentucky”—a bearded, shoeless band of rebel soldiers — marched north in the soaring heat of August 1862 and encountered a hastily-formed Union force led by Maj. Gen. William Nelson.  The ensuing battle became one of the most decisive Confederate victories of the Civil War.  Although the battlefield has been well protected to date, future preservation efforts will be complicated by the addition of a new highway interchange, paving the way for significant commercial growth in an area that has previously experienced little development pressure.

South Mountain, Md., September 14, 1862: In early September 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee launched an audacious invasion of the North.  But when a copy of his orders was discovered by Union soldiers in a field, wrapped around cigars, federal commanders were able to move quickly against the vulnerable Confederates at the Battle of South Mountain.  In December 2008, Dominion Power purchased 135 acres of battlefield land for a proposed $55 million natural gas compression station, a plan that has been subsequently suspended with an option to re-file.

Thoroughfare Gap, Va., August 28, 1862: Although a relatively small engagement, the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap was of immense strategic significance, setting the stage for the battles of Second Manassas and, ultimately, Antietam.  In February, consultants began seeking comments from the preservation community regarding a proposal to build a 150-foot-tall communications tower within the core battlefield area at Thoroughfare Gap.  Although construction of Interstate 66 in the 1960s saw portions of the mountain gap widened, the area retains much of its rural, scenic beauty.

With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States.  Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds.  CWPT has preserved more than 29,000 acres of battlefield land across the nation. CWPT’s website is www.civilwar.org.

###

(For additional materials, visit us online at http://www.civilwar.org/historyundersiege)

10. The end of Sri Lanka’s Civil War

9. H1N1 – The Swine Flu

8. Mexico’s Bloody Drug War

7. Pakistan: On the Verge of Breakdown

6. The Death of Michael Jackson

5. Massacre at Fort Hood

4. The Divisive Debate Over Healthcare Reform

3. Iran’s Tumultuous Election and Its Aftermath

2. Afghanistan: Can the U.S. Avoid a Quagmire?

1. America’s Economic Crisis

While most news stories, that would make an annual Top 10 list, are going to involve bloodshed, or death, two of last year’s top stories, at Time magazine, did not: “The Divisive Debate Over Healthcare Reform” and “America’s Economic Crisis.”  Obviously these stories will continue to make news headlines over the coming year.

After reading Time Magazine’s Top 10 list of news stories for 2009, I decided to assemble my own list.  The Top 10 most popular articles on This Mighty Scourge for 2009.  While totally unscientific, it certainly points out which articles my readers liked the most.  As I have done in previous lists, I have left out the articles on the Wilderness Wal-Mart, and other “calls to action,” as they always tend to enjoy a huge spike with little follow-up readership after a couple of days.  My top 10 list for 2009 are articles that have enjoyed consistent readership over long periods during the year.  If you haven’t read all of these articles, they are each hyperlinked so you can do so today.

2009 Top 10 List of Articles on This Mighty Scourge

10. Interview with James A. Hessler, author of “Sickles at Gettysburg” (Click HERE to Read)

9. The Battle of the Crater (Click HERE to Read)

8. Interview with Sally Jenkins & John Stauffer co-authors of “The State of Jones.” (Click HERE to Read) This article has been quite controversial and has been picked up by many news outlets due to the ongoing bickering between Stauffer & Jenkins and Vikki Bynum.

7. Gettysburg National Military Park – A Study in Contrasts (Click HERE to Read)

6. Interview with J. David Petruzzi, author of “The Complete Gettysburg Guide” (Click HERE to Read)

5. Antietam – One Bloody Day in September 1862 (Click HERE to Read)

4. Andersonville Prison – A Photo Essay and History (Click HERE to Read)

3. The Fighting 69^th New York Infantry and the Irish Brigade (Click HERE to Read)

2. Interview with Earl J. Hess, author of “In the Trenches at Petersburg” (Click HERE to Read)

1. Interview with Jim Lighthizer, President of the Civil War Preservation Trust (Click HERE to Read)

It should be noted that a few articles had very impressive finishes, reaching the top 10 list over the past couple of weeks.  Obviously articles that were published earlier in the year, had more time to gain readership.  For those of you interested in the articles that round out the top 20, on This Mighty Scourge, continue reading.  It’s interesting to note, that my mid-December article, on the Battle of Fredericksburg, came in at 14.  A very respectable position for only being available for two weeks.

Filling Out the Top 20 at This Mighty Scourge

11. The Battle of Chancellorsville – Joe Hooker’s Legacy (Click HERE to Read)

12. William T. Sherman – US Major General (Click HERE to Read)

13. Second Manassas – Again the Fields Turned Red (Click HERE to Read)

14. Battle of Fredericksburg – Ambrose Burnside’s First Foray (Click HERE to Read)

15. Robert E. Lee, General – CSA (Click HERE to Read)

16. Battle of the Wilderness – Grant Takes it to Lee (Click HERE to Read)

17. Robert E. Lee Surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia (Click HERE to Read)

18. Wilson’s Creek – the Civil War Breaks Out in the West (Click HERE to Read)

19. Interview with Scott L. Mingus, Sr. – Author of “Flames Beyond Gettysburg” (Click HERE to Read)

20. Albert Sidney Johnston – CSA General (Click HERE to Read)

Thank you for making 2009 a successful year at This Mighty Scourge!

Mike Noirot

###

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

In early May, Grant had the Army of the Potomac camped north of the Rapidan River.  His plan, to be carried out by Meade, was to quickly cross the Rapidan and push through the “Wilderness” before Lee could move in and attack.  The Wilderness was a dense forest of thick brush, mixed with newer growth forest and farm fields.  In May 1863, US Major General Joseph Hooker was thrashed by Lee, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, in the same dense forest.  Grant had that in mind when he planned his battle, not wanting to give Lee an opportunity to strike his army there.

Robert E. Lee had camped his Army of Northern Virginia, during the winter months, west of Chancellorsville.  Anticipating Grant would make a move towards Richmond, Lee sent CS Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s 2nd Corps, and CS Lieutenant General A.P. Hill’s 3rd Corps, to counter such a move.  Lee knew it was in his best interest to engage Grant in the Wilderness, where his smaller army would have a better chance against the 100,000+ Federal troops.  Additionally, Lee had ordered CS Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s 1st Corps, less CS Major General George Pickett’s Division, to join him west of Chancellorsville.  Unfortunately, by the morning of May 5, Longstreet had not arrived.

Meade had ordered his three corps to cross the Rapidan River, on May 4.  US Major Generals Gouverneur Warren’s V Corps, and John Sedgwick’s VI Corps crossed at Germanna Ford.  US Major General Winfield S. Hancock’s II Corps crossed further east, at Ely’s Ford.  On May 5, the two Confederate corps engaged the Yankee army.  Ewell’s Corps attacked Warren’s troops, battling throughout the day, along the Orange Turnpike.  Later in the afternoon, A.P. Hill’s Corps attacked Hancock’s II Corps, and a portion of Sedgwick’s VI Corps.  Hill would be roughly handled along the Orange Plank Road.  Grant would receive additional reinforcements, with the arrival of US Major General Ambrose Burnside’s IX Corps.  Grant positioned him between the two wings of the army.  Overnight, on May 5, the two armies held roughly the same positions.  Grant, speaking to reporter Henry Wing, told him to relay to Lincoln, “(Grant) told me I was to tell you, Mr. President, that there would be no turning back.”(iv)

The battle would resume on May 6, with Lee still waiting for Longstreet’s Corps to arrive.  To the north, Ewell would continue to contain Sedgwick and Warren’s corps along the Orange Turnpike.  Further south, along the Plank Road, Hancock’s II Corps aggressively pushed Hill’s 3rd Corps nearly two miles west.  Hill was again suffering large losses.  Lee was in a serious predicament.  He was in jeopardy of being flanked, on his right, and pushed against the Rapidan River.  Fortune would once again shine on Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia when Longstreet’s 1st Corps arrived, around 12:00 noon.  With Hancock’s corps fatigued by six hours of fighting, Hill’s troops would start pushing him back.  Longstreet’s 12,000 troops were sent to the aid of Hill.  Finding an unfinished railroad cut, south of Hill’s flank, Longstreet pushed his corps quickly towards Hancock’s left flank.  There they would slam into Hancock, pushing him back to the intersection of the Plank Road, and Brock Road.  After two terrible days of fighting, both sides were essentially at a stalemate.  While Lee had momentum, and had taken the offensive, he was still badly outnumbered.  Additionally, Lee once again suffered the loss of one of his most trusted lieutenants – James Longstreet – who was seriously wounded by friendly fire.  He would recover several months later, but would leave Lee with a vacuum in his senior leadership.  Grant held a strong position and could continue to battle Lee in the tangle of the Wilderness.

Overnight, on May 6, Grant made preparations to move around the right flank, of Lee, heading south for Spotsylvania Court House.  After fighting for two days in the Wilderness, Grant told Lieutenant Colonel Horace Porter, “I do not hope to gain any decided advantage from fighting in this forest.”(v)  As the Army of the Potomac disengaged from Lee, on May 7, many of the soldiers had resigned to another retreat.  One Federal soldier stated it was not, “another Chancellorsville….another skedaddle…,” as the army turned south, “our spirits rose.”(vi)  However, the carnage was terrific.  Artillery shells set the forest ablaze.  Porter recalled the terror of the battle, “Forest fires raged; ammunition trains exploded; the dead were roasted in the conflagration; the wounded, roused by its hot breath, dragged themselves along, with their torn and mangled limbs, in the mad energy of despair, to escape the ravages of the flames; and every bush seemed hung with shreds of blood stained clothing.”(vii)  Indeed, many wounded soldiers could not escape the slowly advancing flames, and were burned to death.  Some soldiers were able to load and fire their muskets, taking their lives before the flames could do their grizzly work.

In what would become known as the Overland Campaign, the carnage had only begun.  Grant would continue to attempt flanking moves, around Lee’s right flank.  Eventually, he believed he could reach Richmond before Lee.

Statistics for the Battle of the Wilderness(viii)

Combat Strength:
Federal: 115,000
Confederate: 60,000

Casualties:
Federals: 18,000
Confederate: 10,800

Result: Inconclusive

(i) The Battle of the Wilderness, at Wikipedia, was used to research this article.
(ii) Grant’s written order to Meade, April 9, 1864, Grant, Ulysses S., Grant Memoirs and Selected Letters, published by The Library of America 1990, Pg. 482.
(iii) Grant’s written order to Meade, April 9, 1864, Grant, Ulysses S., Grant Memoirs and Selected Letters, published by The Library of America 1990, Pg. 481.
(iv) Bonekemper III, Edward H., A Victor Not a Butcher: Ulysses S. Grant’s Overlooked Military Genius, published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. 2004, Pg. 167.
(v) Rhea, Gordon C., The Battle of the Wilderness: May 5–6, 1864, published by Louisiana State University Press 1994, Pg. 436.
(vi) McPherson, James A., Battle Cry of Freedom, published by Oxford University Press 1988, Pgs. 635–636.
(vii) Rhea, Gordon C., The Battle of the Wilderness: May 5–6, 1864, published by Louisiana State University Press 1994, Pgs. 451–452.
(viii) Kennedy, Frances H., The Civil War Battlefield Guide, Second Edition, published by Houghton Mifflin Company 1998, Pg. 281.