So, to my tease of yesterday...
What is often overlooked by some folks is that the operations of the fall of 1862 represent the only real strategic level operation carried out by the Confederacy during the Civil War. That autumn the Confederacy organized 3 coordinated assaults against strategic and operational targets within Union territory. In the East Lee's Northern Virginia and Maryland Campaigns were not done in isolation. Yes they had the goal of getting the AOP away from Richmond and an attempt to get a Confederate Saratoga. But they were part of a coordinated effort to apply pressure against the Union. In the West, Bragg's Kentucky Campaign was aimed at the Ohio River Valley and was hoped as a spring board to "return" Kentucky to the Confederacy. This invasion resulted in the Battle of Perryville in early October. Coinciding with that was an attack by Stirling Price out of the Trans-Mississippi aimed at the critical northern Mississippi rail junction town of Corinth. This action resulted in the twin fights of Iuka & Corinth.
In all instances, and in varying degrees, each was to be for naught. By early November all 3 Confederate thrusts had been repulsed and the status quo returned.
And this leads to a little more on Bragg's campaign.
Several years ago I attended a seminar whcih discussed teh ACW in the borderland. Various speakers talkled about actions and activities in Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia & Maryland. Ken Noe spoke on the Battle of Perryville...this was not long after his masterful book on the that battle was published Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle: Kenneth W. Noe: 9780813122090: Amazon.com: Books.
Ken stated that while researching the book he noted a very peculiar trace for the Army of Tennessee for its route northward. The path the Confederates took looked like a tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! Sure enough the line of advance fairly closely matched the trail. He had a cool map with overlay to illustrate the point.
So were the Confederates a bunch of drunks?
The answer actually had a very practical reason. The fall of 1862 was a very dry one in the South. It was really a major drought situation. So logically the armies moved along routes where they could get water. And distilleries are set up on reliable sources of water....natural springs! So that is why they were on that route. In fact the 2 armies clashing at Perryville started as a fight by picket lines along Doctor's Creek over pools of water in the drying stream.
What is often overlooked by some folks is that the operations of the fall of 1862 represent the only real strategic level operation carried out by the Confederacy during the Civil War. That autumn the Confederacy organized 3 coordinated assaults against strategic and operational targets within Union territory. In the East Lee's Northern Virginia and Maryland Campaigns were not done in isolation. Yes they had the goal of getting the AOP away from Richmond and an attempt to get a Confederate Saratoga. But they were part of a coordinated effort to apply pressure against the Union. In the West, Bragg's Kentucky Campaign was aimed at the Ohio River Valley and was hoped as a spring board to "return" Kentucky to the Confederacy. This invasion resulted in the Battle of Perryville in early October. Coinciding with that was an attack by Stirling Price out of the Trans-Mississippi aimed at the critical northern Mississippi rail junction town of Corinth. This action resulted in the twin fights of Iuka & Corinth.
In all instances, and in varying degrees, each was to be for naught. By early November all 3 Confederate thrusts had been repulsed and the status quo returned.
And this leads to a little more on Bragg's campaign.
Several years ago I attended a seminar whcih discussed teh ACW in the borderland. Various speakers talkled about actions and activities in Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia & Maryland. Ken Noe spoke on the Battle of Perryville...this was not long after his masterful book on the that battle was published Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle: Kenneth W. Noe: 9780813122090: Amazon.com: Books.
Ken stated that while researching the book he noted a very peculiar trace for the Army of Tennessee for its route northward. The path the Confederates took looked like a tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! Sure enough the line of advance fairly closely matched the trail. He had a cool map with overlay to illustrate the point.
So were the Confederates a bunch of drunks?
The answer actually had a very practical reason. The fall of 1862 was a very dry one in the South. It was really a major drought situation. So logically the armies moved along routes where they could get water. And distilleries are set up on reliable sources of water....natural springs! So that is why they were on that route. In fact the 2 armies clashing at Perryville started as a fight by picket lines along Doctor's Creek over pools of water in the drying stream.
Comment