C.S.A. Chief Surgeon Hunter H. McGuire

Birth Date: October 11, 1835
Birth Place: Winchester, Virginia

Date of Death: September 19, 1900
Location of Death: Richmond, Virginia

Education: Winchester Medical College

Military Experience: United States Civil War

Major Battles: Served as a surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia throughout the Civil War

Awards/Medals/Promotions: Enlisted as a private Company F, 2d Virginia Infantry regiment (1861), brigade surgeon (1861), chief surgeon, 2d Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (1862)

Biography:

Hunter Holmes McGuire was born on October 11, 1835 in Winchester, Virginia. The third of seven children born to Hugh and Ann McGuire, young Hunter was known to spend much time with his father who was a prominent eye surgeon. Inevitably this made a strong impression on the son who would study medicine at Winchester Medical College, graduating in 1855. Moving to Philadelphia, to continue his medical education, he would return home when hostilities became inevitable during the secession crisis.

After returning to Winchester, McGuire would enlist as a private in the Winchester Rifles. Upon mustering into Confederate service, in April 1861, his unit would be designated Company F, 2d Virginia Infantry regiment. Assembled in Charles Town the regiment was quickly moved to Harper’s Ferry where it would be brigaded with four other Virginia infantry regiments and the Rockbridge Artillery. The brigade was commanded by a relatively unknown brigadier general, Thomas J. Jackson. With the growth of the Confederate army, surgeons were highly sought after and McGuire would quickly be promoted full surgeon on July 15, 1861, reporting directly to Jackson. His services would be needed quickly as Jackson’s brigade, which was part of the Army of the Shenandoah, would be sent to reinforce Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard’s Army of the Potomac at Manassas, Virginia. There, on July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the Civil War fought. The First Battle of Manassas (known as Bull Run in the North) was a deadly affair resulting in nearly 4,900 combined casualties. This would keep McGuire, and his team of surgeons, busy for an extensive period of time.

Over the next twenty-two months McGuire would command the medical department assigned to Jackson’s command. With Jackson’s promotion to lieutenant general, commanding the 2d Corps Army of Northern Virginia, prior to the Battle of Fredericksburg, McGuire would receive promotion to chief surgeon of the corps. Ironically, McGuire would become most well known for amputating Jackson’s left arm after the general was wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863 – an injury which would ultimately lead to Jackson’s death on May 10. McGuire remained with Jackson until his death, recording Jackson’s last words, “Let us cross over the river and rest beneath the shade of the trees.”

McGuire continued his service with the 2d Corps for the remainder of the war, serving under generals Richard S. Ewell and Jubal A. Early. He would witness the destruction of battle first hand and would suffer the anguish of losing his close friend, Lieutenant Colonel Sandie Pendleton (Third Winchester, September 22, 1864) and his brother, Hugh, who was mortally wounded in 1865. On March 2, 1865 McGuire was captured at Waynesboro, Virginia with the majority of Early’s 2d Corps. Federal Major General Philip Sheridan would parole him for his generous treatment of Union surgeons captured while tending to their patients. He would return to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and would surrender to US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.(i)

After the Civil War, McGuire settled in Richmond, Virginia and continued to practice medicine – often treating Confederate soldiers for no cost. A lifelong admirer of Stonewall Jackson, he would often give speeches about his commander and published several articles about his times serving with the legendary commander. Besides his practice, McGuire also chaired the surgery department at the Medical College of Virginia. He was active in many organizations and was president of the American Medical Association. Recognizing the need for quality nurses he founded St. Luke’s Hospital and Training School for Nurses. McGuire would marry Mary Stuart and father ten children, one of which, Stuart, followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a noted physician. McGuire died on September 19, 1900 from complications of a cerebral embolism.

I leave you with a couple of quotes regarding McGuire which appear on Jennifer Goellnitz’s site, Stonewall’s Surgeon:

“When people needed to talk, he listened. Those who knew him said Dr. Hunter McGuire made you feel like the most important person in the world.” – John W. Schildt, from his biography on McGuire

“Make not patients of your friends – but friends of your patients.” – Hunter McGuire

(i) See Jennifer Goellnitz’s wonderful biography on McGuire: http://www.huntermcguire.goellnitz.org/biography.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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After suffering a terrible defeat after the Second Battle of Bull Run, US Major General John Pope pulled his Army of Virginia back towards Centreville. His army was spread out to protect the approaches to Washington City, where the majority of US Major General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac was garrisoned. Lee wanted to inflict more damage on the Union army before they had a chance to join up with McClellan. He devised a flanking movement that would send CSA Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Left Army Wing around Pope’s right flank. They would be preceded by Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry Division which would scout the approach and provide warning to Jackson of the enemy’s dispositions. Meanwhile, US Army General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck had ordered Pope to attack Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Unfortunately for Pope, Lee attacked first.

By 3:00 p.m., Jackson had reached Ox Hill near the junction of the Warrenton Turnpike and Little River Turnpike. US Brigadier General Issac I. Stevens’ IX Corps Division was situated east of the hill. Severely outnumbered, Stevens decided to attack before the III Corps Division of Major General Philip Kearny, Jr. was on the battlefield. While initially successful, Stevens’ attack, during a driving rainstorm, was doomed. The topography was not in his favor – nor was his battle strength. Marching uphill, he ran directly into the center of the Confederate line and the division of CSA Brigadier General Alexander Lawton. Stevens led from the front and would be killed by a bullet wound to his head. It was 5:00 p.m.

Federal reinforcements were at hand, with the arrival of General Phil Kearny’s III Corps Division. Arriving about the time of Stevens’ death, he deployed Brigadier General David B. Birney’s brigade on the left of Stevens’ demoralized troops. Running headlong into CSA Major General A.P. Hill’s Division, the fighting devolved into a hand-to-hand struggle. Kearny would accidently ride into the Confederate lines and would also be killed. With the arrival of the remainder of the Kearny’s brigades, Birney pulled back and the fighting ended.

While a small battle compared to Second Bull Run, it was still costly. Federal losses were 1,300 combined casualties of all types, including the deaths of Stevens and Kearny. Confederate losses were 800 combined casualties of all types. During the overnight hours the Union forces would pull back to the area of Fairfax Court House and combine with McClellan’s forces. Lee, concerned that he could not successively attack the forces at Washington City, decided the the time for bold action was at hand. On September 4, 1862 he would cross the Potomac River into Maryland. New battlefields awaited him which would be covered with the blood of both armies.

To see my photo essay on the Chantilly Battlefield click HERE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Education: Studied Law in Illinois

Military Experience: Mexican War, Civil War

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

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

Biography:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ezra Ayers Carman, U.S. Colonel

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

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

Education: Kentucky Military Institute and University of Nashville

Military Experience: Civil War

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

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

Biography:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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George E. Pickett, CSA Major General

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

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

Military Experience: Mexican War, Civil War

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

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

Biography:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The upcoming battle, on December 13, 1862, would be unique in several ways. First, it was the first battle of the war that either belligerent had to build a bridgehead across a stream, all the while under enemy fire. Secondly, the battle would witness significant street-to-street fighting as the Confederate army retreated through the streets of Fredericksburg ahead of the Federal army. Homes would be looted, pantries robbed and furniture torn up. But the most significant physical damage to the town would be caused by the artillery of the opposing armies. Many buildings would be totally destroyed. The battle itself was one-sided. While experiencing some initial success on his left flank, Burnside’s Army of the Potomac would be turned back there by the tactically brilliant defense of Prospect Hill by CSA Lieutenant General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s 2d Corps. With the assaults on his left flank turned back, Burnside would order repeated attacks against CSA Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s 1st Corps which was defending Marye’s Heights – immediately beyond Fredericksburg proper. With the Rebels protected by a stone wall, which guarded a sunken road, the Confederate infantry and artillery had plenty of protection to pour a withering fire into the Federal infantry. Charge after charge from the Union troops resulted in the same outcome: wasted life with not one soldier reaching the Confederate lines. At the end of the day the carnage was significant. Federal soldiers lay scattered all over the field – many dead. Overnight the temperatures plummeted so many of the wounded would freeze to death.

I was able to visit Fredericksburg recently and created a photo essay on my Flickr site. For those of you that are interested in a more detailed narrative of the battle, click on the following link for my essay.

Battle of Fredericksburg – Ambrose Burnside’s First Foray

Mike’s Photo Essay on the Battle of Fredericksburg

Later this week I will publish my interview with Michael Aubrecht, co-producer of the recently released DVD, “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.” Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lee’s orders to his lieutenants, detailing the movement on Harper’s Ferry and the division of his army, would find their way to the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General George B. McClellan.  The so called “Lost Orders” represented perhaps the largest security breach of the Civil War.  General Orders 191 would reach McClellan after a soldier found the orders wrapped around three cigars near the Monocacy River.  While the soldier inevitably believed the cigars to be a wonderful discovery, McClellan would be the ultimate beneficiary of the find.  He knew that Jackson’s Wing was separated from CSA Major General James Longstreet’s Wing and that a small force, at South Mountain, was all that stood in his way to a potentially decisive victory against Robert E. Lee.

McClellan issued orders for a two pronged attack against the Confederate forces holding South Mountain on the evening of September 13.  Major General William B. Franklin was to attack Crampton’s Gap at first light on the following morning.  Once he had pushed the Confederate forces aside, he was to push south, down Pleasant Valley, to relieve Miles’ forces at Harper’s Ferry.  Further north, at Fox’s and Turner’s gaps, the IX Corps, commanded by Major General Jesse Reno, and the I Corps, commanded by Major General Joseph Hooker, were to push through D.H. Hill’s Division the same morning.  The Army of the Potomac was slow in moving and would face a much more daunting challenge than McClellan had foreseen.  The delay in the engagement would cost many casualties – including General Reno.  At the end of the day, Franklin held Crampton’s Gap and Major General Ambrose E. Burnside’s wing (I and IX corps) had only a badly mauled force in their front.  After the fighting had ended, Lee recognized that the day had gone against him and ordered his army to reunite at Sharpsburg, Maryland – west of the banks of Antietam Creek.  In the coming days, the opposing forces would meet and fight the largest single day battle, by casualties, in the history of the United States.  While the engagements at South Mountain would pale against the upcoming Battle of Antietam, the results were sanguinary: 4,500 combined casualties.

There has been much written about the deliberate movements of McClellan after the discovery of Lee’s “Lost Orders.”  Most scholars have been critical of how slowly he moved to attack Hill at South Mountain.  However, in a recent interview with Tom Clemens, I learned that McClellan acted appropriately based on the information he had available to him on September 13.  He had no solid intelligence on the size of the forces arrayed against him at South Mountain.  Additionally, Frederick posed a problem for the movement of his large army – creating a 19th Century traffic jam.  It took Lee a couple of days to move his smaller army through the city while it only took McClellan one day.  While criticism can judiciously be piled on McClellan for his failure to act with alacrity on September 15, his movements against South Mountain were handled professionally.

For additional information refer to the following:

Mike’s Interview with Tom Clemens, editor of “The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. 1: South Mountain”

Mike’s Photo Essay on Fox’s Gap