This Mighty Scourge

“Suddenly a great bank of white smoke pushes upward from behind the wall. Another and another – a dozen roll up before the thunder of the explosions and the humming of the missiles themselves come bounding through clouds of dust into our covert, knocking over here and there a man and causing a temporary distraction, a passing thought of self.” (i)

~Ambrose Bierce describing the start of an artillery engagement ~

(i) Bierce, Ambrose, Shadows of Blue & Gray: The Civil War Writings of Ambrose Bierce, published in 2002 by Forge, Pg. 74.

Today marks the start of the Battle of Second Manassas.  Fought on the same ground as the opening battle of the Civil War, thirteen months earlier, Second Manassas was a sanguinary battle.  To read more about the battle check out the article I wrote last year:

Battle of Second Manassas – The Fields Again Turn Red

Ambrose Bierce enlisted in Company C, 9th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on April 24, 1861.  He would fight in the Eastern Theater during the early months of the war.  At the Battle of Rich Mountain, he would receive favorable attention for removing a wounded comrade.  Bierce would spend the latter part of the war fighting in the Western Theater and would see action at Shiloh and Atlanta.  He would achieve the rank of first lieutenant during the war.  After the war, he would write several books about his experiences.  I plan on providing some quotes, from his writings, over the coming months.

“When battles are going on in open ground it frequently occurs that the opposing lines, confronting each other within a stone’s throw for hours, hug the earth as closely as if they loved it.  The line officers in their proper places flatten themselves no less, and the field officers, their horses killed or sent to the rear, crouch beneath the infernal canopy of hissing lead and screaming iron without a thought of personal dignity.”(i)

Yes, the Civil War was terrible.  I’m sure this was very common as the soldiers and officers tried to avoid becoming another casualty.

(i) Bierce, Ambrose, Shadows of Blue and Gray, published by Forge in March 2002, Pg. 98.

I recently finished reading “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain.”  This is the first of a two part series edited by Tom Clemens.  Clemens is a professor of history at Hagerstown Community College and received a doctorate of arts in history education from George Mason University.  An expert historian on the Maryland Campaign, Clemens’ vast knowledge of the campaign is evident in the wonderful footnotes that grace this book.

Colonel Ezra Carman was commissioned as lieutenant colonel in the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on September 9, 1861.  He would be wounded at the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862.  Upon returning to duty, he would be promoted to colonel and would actively recruit the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.  He would lead his regiment during the Maryland Campaign, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.  Carman would temporarily lead a brigade to extinguish the New York Draft Riots.  He would be transferred to the Western Theater, with the XII Corps, and would participate in the Battle of Chattanooga and the Atlanta Campaign.  He would receive brevet promotion to brigadier general on March 13, 1865.  After the war, Carman would become chief clerk of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and would be a historical expert on the Maryland Campaign.  He was the superintendent at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Battlefield.  His first love, however, was as a historian.  His manuscript on the Maryland Campaign would occupy much of his time after the Civil War.  He would use firsthand accounts from commanders and soldiers to write his manuscript in addition to regimental histories and newspaper articles.  As Clemens told me, in our interview, the Carman manuscript would be used by other historians to write their narratives on the Maryland Campaign.  While the manuscript does contain some biases, it is still the definitive work on the subject.

Clemens did a masterful job of editing Carman’s manuscript.  His publisher, Savas Beatie, LLC, worked with him to ensure that the footnoting appears on the same page as Carman’s text.  This makes reading the book, and digesting the editor’s footnotes, a much easier experience.  I find myself often skipping footnotes, in other books, when I have to go to the end of the chapter or the notes section.  In “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862,” I read all of the footnotes in their entirety and it made Carman’s manuscript much more enjoyable to read.  I would often find myself chuckling while reading them as Clemens injected sarcasm and humor into his notes.  You will inevitably have an appreciation for Carman’s work, and Clemens’ research, when you read the book.  These footnotes alone make this book a great value.  Clemens also supports his editing of the manuscript with wonderfully unique maps.  The maps are in the front of the book and were created by cartographer Gene Thorp.  They are easy to understand and support the book well.

“The Maryland Campaign of September 1862” is intelligently organized.  The “Forward” was written by Ted Alexander, historian at Antietam National Battlefield.  Clemens’ well written “Introduction” is followed by the important section “Note on the Carman Manuscript” which provides detailed information on the manuscript and the challenges it presented Clemens during the editing process.  The chapter breakdown follows.

1. Maryland
2. The Confederate Invasion of Maryland
3. The Confederate Army Crosses the Potomac
4. General McClellan and the Army of the Potomac
5. Advance of the Army of the Potomac from Washington to Frederick and South Mountain
6. Harper’s Ferry
7. South Mountain (Crampton’s Gap), September 14, 1862
8. South Mountain (Fox’s Gap), September 14, 1862
9. South Mountain (Turner’s Gap), September 14, 1862
10. From South Mountain to Antietam
11. McLaws and Franklin in Pleasant Valley

The chapters are followed by an Appendix 1: Organization of the Armies followed by the Bibliography that makes it readily apparent how difficult Clemens editing project was.

I would highly recommend “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain” to any serious Civil War student or enthusiast.  I’m certain you will find the book extremely interesting and enjoyable to read.

I was able to interview Tom on August 2, 2010.  As always, I have broken the 90 minute interview into multiple parts to make it easier to enjoy; you can listen to the parts at your leisure and come back to the next part when your time allows.

Details about “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain”
Written by: Colonel Ezra Carman
Edited by: Thomas G. Clemens
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: Savas Beatie, LLC
Date of First Edition: May 19, 2010
ISBN-10: 1932714812

Click HERE to order this and other excellent Civil War titles from Savas Beatie, LLC

Tom Clemens Interview – 15 Parts
“The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain”
Interview Date: August 2, 2010
Total Time: 1 hour 29 minutes 49 seconds

Part 1:

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Time: 6:08
Contents: Welcome and introductions | About Tom Clemens | Why use Ezra Carman’s manuscript? | About Carman and his famous manuscript

Part 2:

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Time: 5:59
Contents: Maryland during the Secession Crisis | Why did it take so long for Carman’s manuscript to be published in its entirety? | Tom’s research methodology and the difficulties he encountered | The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia pushes for an invasion of Maryland as early as 1861

Part 3:

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Time: 6:42
Contents: Why did Jefferson Davis finally approve the invasion of Maryland in September 1862? | Did Lee believe a victory on northern soil would lead to Confederate recognition in Europe? | Why the Confederate authorities believed they could control the Mississippi and receive support from the northwest states

Part 4:

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Time: 7:20
Contents: A discussion on Robert E. Lee’s decision to divide his Army of Northern Virginia | Carman’s belief that Harper’s Ferry was lost with the abandonment of Maryland Heights | Did the deliberate movements of US Major General William Franklin’s VI Corps make the surrender of Harper’s Ferry inevitable?

Part 5:

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Time: 8:24
Contents: A discussion on Carman’s disdain for Halleck and the eventual capitulation of Harper’s Ferry | The tactical situation in Pleasant Valley and Harper’s Ferry prior to the surrender of Harper’s Ferry | The censure of Dixon Miles and the special commission’s decision with regards to the surrender of Harper’s Ferry

Part 6:

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Time: 6:52
Contents: A discussion on Carman’s assertion that Lee could have been beaten piecemeal had Franklin’s VI Corps moved rapidly into Pleasant Valley in conjunction with a rapid movement by McClellan towards Boonsboro | How Frederick affected the movements of the Army of the Potomac

Part 7:

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Time: 4:51
Contents: Franklin’s VI Corps attacks Thomas Munford at Crampton’s Gap | Carman’s criticism of CSA Brigadier General Howell Cobb

Part 8:

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Time: 5:40
Contents: The fight for Turner’s Gap and Fox’s Gap | Tom’s description of the terrain at South Mountain and how it affected troop deployments and movements | Walking a battlefield is important to understanding the battle

Part 9:

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Time: 5:28
Contents: The death of US Major General Jesse Reno and the fight for Fox’s Gap | Carman’s criticism of CSA Brigadier General Roswell Ripley

Part 10:

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Time: 7:16
Contents: The fight at Turner’s Gap and the performance of US Brigadier General John Gibbon’s Iron Brigade | The performance of US Major General Ambrose Burnside | The other Iron Brigade from New York

Part 11:

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Time: 3:30
Contents: The other Iron Brigades (continued)

Part 12:

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Time: 7:51
Contents: Robert E. Lee orders his troops from South Mountain and Harper’s Ferry | A discussion of Carman’s criticism of McClellan’s slow movements from South Mountain

Part 13:

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Time: 5:40
Contents: A discussion about McClellan’s lost opportunities of September 15, 1862 | The arrival of the Army of Potomac at Antietam | The tactical situation on September 16 at Antietam | An assessment of McClellan’s actions in the Maryland Campaign | Tom’s opinion on Ezra Carman’s manuscripts and their balance

Part 14:

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Time: 4:28
Contents: Further discussion on the Carman manuscripts and the difficulty in researching them | Tom’s extensive database on Carman’s manuscripts

Part 15:

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Time: 3:40
Contents: The status of The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 2: The Battle of Antietam | A discussion on the footnoting of Tom’s book | Wrap up and closing

Today is the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, less commonly known as the Battle of Oak Hills.  Fought near Springfield, Missouri, it was the first major conflict in the Western Theater of the Civil War.  In an effort to rid Missouri of the Confederate Missouri State Guard, commanded by CSA Major General Sterling Price, US Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon determined to strike first.  Splitting his army, Lyon would send Colonel Franz Sigel’s Second Brigade on a long march to get behind Price while he attacked from the north with the rest of the Army of the West.  It would be a bitter defeat that would cost Lyon his life.  At the end of the day’s contest, over 2,300 soldiers would become casualties.

I wrote a detailed battle narrative for last year’s anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.  You can read it by clicking on the following link.

Wilson’s Creek: The Civil War Breaks out in the West

Click HERE to view my photo essay on the Battle of Wilson’s Creek

I hate being sappy.  It’s something I try to avoid.  However, after watching Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary, for the 100th time, yesterday, I find myself in the very sappy mood I loathe.  Towards the end of part one, Sullivan Ballou’s letter, to his wife Sarah, is read very eloquently.  Perhaps the most famous and heart rending letter ever written home during war, it exemplifies a simpler time – one which a written letter took the place of a phone call or email.

Sullivan Ballou was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island on March 28, 1829 to Hiram and Emeline Ballou.  A graduate of Brown University he would study law at the National Law School and was admitted to the Rhode Island bar.  He would be elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Ballou would be appointed major of the 2d Rhode Island Infantry.  Mustering into Federal service in June 1861, Ballou and the 2d Rhode Island would depart Providence on June 19 and head for Camp Sprague, Washington City.  On July 16 Ballou would leave Washington to engage the enemy in Northern Virginia.  Prior to leaving Camp Sprague, he would write the following letter to his wife.

July the 14th, 1861
Camp Clark, Washington

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sullivan(i)

Less than one week after writing Sarah, Ballou would be killed at the First Battle of Manassas.  The letter had not been mailed.  It was found in his trunk after his death.  It would be delivered to Sarah by Rhode Island Governor William Sprague.

(i) The Civil War, at PBS.org was used to research this article.

I had the opportunity to visit historic Oakwood Cemetery, in Raleigh, North Carolina, on a visit in May 2010.  Founded in 1869, it is located in downtown Raleigh.  Many Confederate notables are interred at Oakwood including George Burgwyn Anderson, Basil Charles Manly, Robert F. Hoke and Henry King Burgwyn, Jr.  Interestingly enough, US Brigadier General Carle Augustus Woodruff, who received the Medal of Honor for his action at the Battle of Newby’s Crossroads, is also buried at Oakwood.  In addition to the notable Confederate officers, 1,500 Confederate soldiers are buried in the Confederate Cemetery that is located within Oakwood.  Nestled amongst the rolling hills of Raleigh, this historic cemetery is well worth a visit if you are in the Raleigh area.

I have created a photo essay of my visit to Oakwood Cemetery.  It is located at my Flickr site and can be accessed by clicking on the following link.

Mike’s Photo Essay on historic Oakwood Cemetery

“I stood picket in Perryville the night before the battle – a Yankee on one side of the street, and I on the other.  We got very friendly during the night, and made a raid on a citizen’s pantry, where we captured a bucket of honey, a pitcher of sweet milk, and three or four biscuits.  The old citizen was not home – he and his whole household had gone visiting, I believe.  In fact, I think all the citizens of Perryville were taken with a sudden notion of promiscuous visiting about this time; at least they were not at home to all callers.” – Sam Watkins, private Company H, 1st Tennessee Infantry regiment.

Watkins, Sam, Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show, Edited by M. Thomas Inge, published by New American Library in 1999, Pg. 44.

Good afternoon Civil War enthusiasts!  Are you looking for something to do this weekend?  Perhaps you might like to enjoy some Civil War rations with your kids and teach them about the food a Civil War soldier would eat while in camp?  I received a link to the following blog article, from Suzy Evans.  Suzy’s blog, The History Chef, is quite unique.  The stated goal of her blog is to “help parents and kids learn how to cook together, learn about history together, and hopefully help them create many great memories and meals together.”  Spend some time with your kids this weekend and enjoy some hardtack!

Civil War Rations and Hardtack Crackers, by Suzy Evans

This past Friday, July 30, marks the 146th anniversary of the Battle of the Crater.  It would prove a debacle for Ulysses S. Grant while he tried to break Robert E. Lee’s lines in front of Petersburg, Virginia.  Federal soldiers would be annihilated as they became stuck in the crater – the aftermath of a mine explosion under the Confederate works.

To read my article, from last year’s anniversary of the battle, click HERE.