Today in the American Civil War

[JAD_333]

I would say douchebags.

They do not represent the bravery of the soldiers of the ANV.

No, they don't.

They already did their part in scuttling reconstruction. BTW, I'm reading a new book called Ecstatic Nation by Brenda Wineapple, which covers the period 1848-1877. Book review: ‘Ecstatic Nation: Confidence, Crisis, and Compromise, 1848-1877’ by Brenda Wineapple - Books - The Boston Globe

I can't stack it up against other books on the post-war period, but it's an interesting read. What books on the period would you recommend?

[Albany Rifles]

1864: Sherman orders the evacuation of Atlanta

USS Wachusett captures CSS Florida at Bahia, Brazil

[Albany Rifles]

Busy day

1862 Skirmish at Barnesville, Maryland

General Robert E. Lee issues Special Order No. 191

1863 The Federal Army of the Cumberland enters Chattanooga, Tennessee

Brigadier General John W. Frazier surrenders his men guarding the Cumberland Gap to Union forces

Longstreet's Corps leaves Virginia to reinforce Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee in NW Georgia

[Albany Rifles]

1861 George Thomas ordered to relieve Bull Nelson at Camp Dick Robinson. General Nelson is ordered to Eastern Kentucky.

Battle of Carnifax Ferry General William Rosecrans defeats General John Floyd

Jefferson Davis places Albert Sidney Johnston in command of the Confederate West ("Department Number Two").

1863 Battle of Davis Crossroads

Battle of Bayou Forche, Arkansas

1864 Joe Wheeler returns to Confederate lines following a raid into North Georgia


And with that I will be off posting until 19 SEP (Chickamauga battle start anniversary).

I am heading to upstate New York and Ontario to do a War of 1812 Tour.

Anyone else feel free to post away in my absence...or even when I am here!

[Albany Rifles]

And we are back...

So what are some key events wich occurred in my absence?

Well there was the Antietam Campaiogn of 1862...Antietam: A Savage Day In American History : NPR and The Battle of Antietam Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org

In 1864 as part of the Petersburg Campaign there was the Beefsteak Raid...14-17 SEP Beefsteak Raid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My son went to elementary school about a 1/4 mile from the fields where the herds were...I live about 2 miles from there.

And today?

1863 The Fight at Reed's Bridge...opening bell of the Battle of Chickamauga The Fight at Reed's Bridge

[Doktor]

Good to see you back.

[Albany Rifles]

Good to see you back.

Thanks...almost done in by a few regiments of fencibles but managed to wiggle out of it!

What struck me the most on all of the sites I visited was 2 things...how short the campaiogn season was because of the northern climes and wilderness areas and how small most of the battles were, even when compared to the Rev War battles.

I will do a a write up soon.

[Albany Rifles]

Very eventful date

1861: Crossing into Kentucky through the Cumberland Pass, Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer disperses a small federal garrison at Barboursville

1862: Battle of Shepherdstown, WV The Battle of Shepherdstown Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org

1862: Battle of Iuka, Mississippi The Battle of Iuka Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org

1863: Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia The Battle of Chickamauga Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org

1864: Battle of Third Winchester (Opequon), Virginia The Battle of Third Winchester Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org


I will have much more to write about Chickamauga tomorrow...that day has significant meaning to me in my professional life.

[Albany Rifles]

1861: Battle of Lexington. Sterling Price, with 18,000 men, lays siege to Lexington, Missouri, with a federal force of 3.600 under Colonel James Mulligan. After fighting intensified on September 19, Mulligan surrendered on the 20th.

1862: The culmination of the Battle of Shepardstown. The Battle of Shepherdstown Summary & Facts | Civilwar.org

1863: The culmination of the Battle of Chickamauga

I already posted a link yesterday giving an excellent overview of the Battle of Chickamauga. But this battle and this date has a very special place for me. As a captain, I was S-3 Air, S4 and A Company commander in 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry. Through Army reorganization we were lineal descendants of the 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry which fought at Chickamauga in King’s regular Brigade (3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XIVth Corps, Army of the Cumberland). On 20 SEP 63 King’s Brigade formed the anchor of the small line which stood with Thomas on Snodgrass Hill. Their stand on that day would earn Thomas the nickname The Rock of Chickamauga and the same name was applied to the 19th Infantry as its motto. As a regular battalion, the 19th did not have colonel or lieutenant colonel in command but a major. The 19th US entered the battle with a major in command and 237 soldiers. When the regiment marched off Snodgrass Hill and headed for Chattanooga it was commanded by a second lieutenant and had 51 men present for duty.

To commemorate that the unit coat of arms bears a rock with the shoulder strap of an Infantry Second Lieutenant.




We did several things in my battalion to keep the history alive. First of all, we had a 19 pound rock from the battle field itself. It was kept in the care of the junior lieutenant in the battalion. It was polished and had its own health and personnel records. That lieutenant took that rock with him EVERYwhere…to the field, formal functions, battalions runs, etc.

Every 20 September was Chickamauga day and we held our organization day. We started out with a 5 mile run and a breakfast where the officers served the men. After everyone got cleaned up we had a formal parade…where a change of command ceremony took place and that same junior lieutenant was placed in command of the battalion for the day…and the lieutenant colonel humped The Rock.

In exchanging salutes enlisted men & NCOs would say “Top Of The Rock, Sir!” and the officer would respond with “CHICKAMAUGA!”

Prior to serving in that battalion I was all about 20th Century military history, primarily World War 2 (After all I had served previously in the 16th & 26th Infantry in the 1st Infantry Division…the Big Red One.) I very quickly grew to appreciate Civil War history. And what really got me started was when my Battalion XO asked (I should say ordered) me to plan, organize and lead the battalion officers on a Staff Ride to Chickamauga National Military Park. In those pre-internet days it was a little hard gathering resources but a couple of weekend trips (we were at FT Stewart in Savannah, GA), a very helpful Park Ranger / historian and post librarian I got the trip organized. I actually received a medal for that deal.

And that XO created a monster!

[Albany Rifles]

1863. Thomas pulls back from Rossville Defense Line to Chattanooga with the rest of his corps.

BG Richard Hardin Helm of the Orphan Brigade dies from wounds. He was Lincoln's brother-in-law and was shot by a sergeant from the 15th Kentucky (US) Infantry.

[Triple C]

A very vague and amateurish question.

It seems to me that most flank attacks launched during the ACW were not what we would understand as flanking maneuvers. Rather than forming a line perpendicular to the enemy, a flank attack, for the most part, seem to be a frontal assault driven at the extreme left or right "front" of the enemy. It seems that trying to execute the former would actually put the attackers at risk of lateral fires from enemy rifles.

Is that a correct observation?

[JAD_333]

Triple:

I am not an expert on Napoleonic tactics but have read a good deal about different CW battles. So this is just an amateur's two cents. Albany will be along to correct me.

If by a flank attack you mean an attack directed at the right or left of center of the enemy force, the risk of lateral fire all depends on whether you also engage the enemy's center and opposite flank to some extent. Often the tactic was used to draw enemy forces toward their flank to reinforce it. If successful, you would then increase pressure in the center with forces held in reserve and hope for a break through. Flank attacks were also done in anticipation that the enemy's center was too strong.

A successful flank attack could also lead to outflanking the enemy and thus being a position to roll up his line. Any enemy fire in the direction of a roll up could do more damage to one's own retreating troops than to you. At battles such as Cedar Creek the Confederates initial attack was aimed directly at and parallel to the Union's flank and a roll up ensued with panicked Union troops running for dear life. Lee, in his tactical retreat away Grant's forces after the 2nd Battle of the Wilderness continually extended his line to match Grant's persistent effort to out flank him or thin out his lines to effect a breakthrough. Albany can shed more light on the subject and cite battles where frontal flank attacks were used successfully or failed.

[Shek]

A very vague and amateurish question.

It seems to me that most flank attacks launched during the ACW were not what we would understand as flanking maneuvers. Rather than forming a line perpendicular to the enemy, a flank attack, for the most part, seem to be a frontal assault driven at the extreme left or right "front" of the enemy. It seems that trying to execute the former would actually put the attackers at risk of lateral fires from enemy rifles.

Is that a correct observation?

You're correct. You tried to find the extreme flank and then overlap it. Once you overlapped it, you could then enfilade the line, and with fire coming from two different directions, the psychological moment would be reached and the line would crumble. The issue was having enough force to continue to push down the line with your flank attack (think short hook vs. Longstreet's long hook at the Wilderness or Jackson's long hook at Chancelorsville) - typically, you ran out of force or you became too disorganized to exploit the initial success.

[Albany Rifles]

I can add nothing!!! JAD and Shek nailed it.

[Albany Rifles]

1862. Lincoln's seminal statement of the war...the Emancipation Proclamation is issued. The face and reason of the war changes.

1864. Battle of Fishers Hill. The 8th Corps comes of age and The Burning of the Valley begins.