Issue 23, summer 2014

The Sesquicentennial Commemoration

In June, July and August of 1864, with less than ten months left in the War, fierce and deadly battles continued. There were a myriad of “smaller” engagements throughout the South as well as the major conflicts at Cold Harbor, Atlanta and the Marietta Operations, Kennesaw Mountain and the slaughter at Petersburg. One bright spot for the South was Forrest’s performance at Brice’s Crossroads but one inspired victory could not offset the continued critical loss of men and materiel by the Confederacy. Sherman had designs on Atlanta and Grant wanted to attack Richmond and the armies of the South were dwindling. It was a time of crisis but Lee, Johnson, Hood and the others fought on.

Confederate Prisoners

Prisoner exchange had virtually ceased and this further added to the Southern woes. As we now know the lack of exchange also created places like Andersonville.

The summaries of the summer Battles begin on the next page.

The Summer Battles

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Grant continued his Overland Campaign and on May 31 the bloody Battle of Cold Harbor began. This included the Cavalry engagement at Trevilian Station and a concluding battle known as Saint Mary’s Church. Summaries of these three combats follow.

Cold Harbor

Location: Hanover County VACampaign: Grant’s Overland Campaign (May-June 1864) Dates: May 31-June 12, 1864 Principal Commanders: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: 170,000 total (US 108,000; CS 62,000) Estimated Casualties: 15,500 total (US 13,000; CS 2,500) Description: On May 31, Sheridan’s cavalry seized the vital crossroads of Old Cold Harbor. Early on June 1, relying heavily on their new repeating carbines and shallow entrenchments, Sheridan’s troopers threw back an attack by Confederate infantry. Confederate reinforcements arrived from Richmond and from the Totopotomoy Creek lines. Late on June 1, the Union VI and XVIII Corps reached Cold Harbor and assaulted the Confederate works with some success. By June 2, both armies were on the field, forming on a seven-mile front that extended from Bethesda Church to the Chickahominy River. At dawn June 3, the II and XVIII Corps, followed later by the IX Corps, assaulted along the Bethesda Church-Cold Harbor line and were slaughtered at all points. Grant commented in his memoirs that this was the only attack he wished he had never ordered. The armies confronted each other on these lines until the night of June 12, when Grant again advanced by his left flank, marching to the James River. On June 14, the II Corps was ferried across the river at Wilcox’s Landing by transports. On June 15, the rest of the army began crossing on a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Weyanoke.

Accepting his loss and abandoning the well-defended approaches to Richmond, Grant sought to shift his army quickly south of the river to threaten Petersburg.

Artist Concept of Cold Harbor Battle

Cold Harbor Battle Lines

Recovering Bodies at Cold Harbor

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Trevilian Station

Location: Gordonsville VACampaign: Grant’s Overland Campaign (May-June 1864) Dates: June 11-12 1864The Battle of Trevilian Station was the largest all-cavalry battle of the Civil War. In June 1864, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan to make a raid along the Virginia Central Railroad, destroy the road at the crucial junction town of Gordonsville, and then march to Charlottesville, destroy the supply depot there, and rendezvous with the army of Maj. Gen. David Hunter. The combined force would then march east, where it would join the Army of the Potomac at Petersburg. Sheridan marched on June 7, taking two divisions of cavalry and four batteries of horse artillery, about 9,000 men. Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton, leading two divisions of Confederate cavalry pursued the next day, and by utilizing shorter, interior routes of march, Hampton, along with the division of Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, got across Sheridan's route of march at Trevilian Station, a stop on the Virginia Central six miles west of Louisa and six miles southeast of Gordonsville, on June 10. The battle, ranging over 7,000 acres, raged for two days.

Battle of Trevilian Station

Battlefield Marker

Saint Mary’s Church

Location: Charles City VACampaign: Grant’s Overland Campaign (May-June 1864) Date: June 24, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan [US]; Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton [CS] Forces Engaged: Divisions Estimated Casualties: 630 total Description: On June 24, Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton’s cavalry attempted to cut off Sheridan’s cavalry returning from their raid to Trevilian Station. Sheridan fought a delaying action to protect a long supply train under his protection, then rejoined the Union army at Bermuda Hundred.

Saint Mary’s Church

This ended Grant’s Overland Campaign and Union forces withdrew to regroup and resupply before the upcoming Richmond-Petersburg Campaign.

In the meantime Sherman had initiated his attempts to attack, surround and capture Atlanta. He and Joe Johnson were now beginning their cat and mouse game of seeing who could trap who! General Johnson was relieved by John Bell Hood during this time and Sherman changed some of his plans because of that but continued his overall strategy. The map on the following page indicates the location of the many battle sites in the Atlanta Campaign.

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The Atlanta Campaign

Operations in the Atlanta Campaign began in May of 1864 and lasted through September. The summer battles are covered in this issue of the newsletter. From June 10 until July 4 there were continuous battles and skirmishes in and around Marietta. Battle lines would be formed by the Confederates only to be broken or circumvented by Union troops and vice-versa. The battle field was unstable as each Commander tried to outwit the other. Not a lot of detail is available for some of these engagements simply because of the continually fluctuating state of the Battlefield.

Marietta Operations

The Battle of Marietta was a series of military operations from June 9 through July 3, 1864, in Cobb County, Georgia. The Union forces, led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, encountered the Confederate Army of Tennessee, led by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, entrenched near Marietta, Georgia. A series of engagements were fought during this four-week period, including the battles of Brushy Mountain, Pine Mountain, Gilgal Church, Lost Mountain, Mcafee’s Cross Roads, Mud Creek, Neal Dow Station, Noonday Creek, Pine Knob, Rottenwood Creek, Ruff’s Mill, Kolb's Farm and Kennesaw Mountain.

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Battle Summaries:Forces Engaged: Military Division of the Mississippi [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS]

Description: During the Atlanta Campaign, instead of frontally attacking Johnston’s army which would cause too many casualties, Sherman usually attempted to maneuver the enemy out of defensive positions. Thus, when Sherman first found Johnston entrenched in the Marietta area on June 9, he began extending his lines beyond the Confederate lines, causing some Rebel withdrawal to new positions. On June 18-19, Johnston withdrew to an arc-shaped position centered on Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman made some unsuccessful attacks on this position but eventually extended the line on his right and forced Johnston to withdraw from the Marietta area on July 2-3.

From 4 June to 18 June 1864, the Confederates occupied a 10-mile long line from Lost Mountain to Brushy Mountain. From 4 June to 15 June, they also occupied an advance position on Pine Mountain. On June 14, 1864, Confederate General Leonidas Polk became a casualty of the war. He was scouting enemy positions near Marietta, Georgia with his staff when he was killed in action by a Federal 3-inch (76 mm) shell at Pine Mountain. The artillery fire was initiated when Sherman spotted a cluster of Confederate officers—Polk, Hardee, Johnston, and their staffs—in an exposed area. He pointed them out to Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, commander of the IV Corps, and ordered him to fire on them. The 5th Indiana Battery, commanded by Capt. Peter Simonson, obeyed the order within minutes. The first round came close and a second even closer, causing the men to disperse. The third shell struck Polk's left arm, went through the chest, and exited hitting his right arm then exploded against a tree, cutting Polk nearly in two.

On June 15th, the Federal 23th Corps struck Hardees line at Pine Knob. The attack did not succeed in driving the confederates from their main entrenchments, but they did force the confederate skirmishers to fall back and allowed the Federal troop to gain a foothold near the Confederate lines. During the night of the 15th Hardee pulled back to Mud Creek.

The Mud Creek Line was occupied 17-18 June, during which time Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk’s nephew, Brigadier General Lucius Polk, was wounded in the knee, rendering him incapable of field service for the rest of the war.

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Federal infantry probed the Lost Mountain-Brushy Mountain Line at several points on several occasions, while cavalry operations were near continuous on both flanks. Noting that the Federals were in position to flank his line to the south, Johnston withdrew from the Mud Creek Line and Brushy Mountain Line to the Kennesaw Mountain Line on the evening of 18-19 June.

Gilgal Church

Hardee had established his center in the vicinity of Mud Creek. On June 15, 1864, Sherman ordered a general advance because of the Rebel withdrawal from Pine Mountain and found them again in a line anchored by dependable Pat Cleburne from Gilgal Church to Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman ordered Hooker to engage the Rebel left in a general attack while McPherson engaged the Army of Tennessee in the vicinity of Acworth.

Daniel Butterfield, probably most famous for composing "Taps" during the Seven Days Retreat, and a portion of John Geary's Division struck Cleburne from the north while Milo Haskall, a brigadier under Schofield, moved in from the west. After a sharp engagement known as the Battle of Gilgal Church with between 800-1,000 causalities Hardee withdrew Cleburne and formed a line running north and south along

Mud Creek on June 17. Sherman moved Hooker to the south to join Schofield in a maneuver designed to potentially outflank Kennesaw Mountain.

Noonday Creek/McAFee’s Crossroads

General Garrard was ordered by General Sherman to interpose between General Joseph Wheeler's cavalry and detached infantry at Noonday Creek, which was just a few miles from Sherman's headquarters at Big Shanty. When, after a week, Garrard failed to do so, two brigades of infantry and three brigades of cavalry with artillery support were advanced against the Confederate positions on June 9. Two charges failed, and the Union Army retired from the field, however, Wheeler's cavalry was moved to a position between Bell's Ferry and Canton Road. On June 10, the 15th regiment Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry pushed the enemy across Noonday Creek after heavy fighting. On June 15, a division of Union Cavalry attacked and was repelled. On June 17, the Federals pushed Wheeler down Bell's Ferry Road, where he retired to Doctor Robert McAfee's house.  On June 19, the Union Army attacked but was driven off with heavy losses. On June 23, Colonel Eli Long, USA, crossed Noonday Creek with his brigade. He was attacked at that time but repelled the attackers.

Noonday Creek

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Kolb's Farm

Date: June 22, 1864Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield and Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker [US]; Lt. Gen. John B. Hood [CS]Forces Engaged: Two corps [US]; Hood s Corps [CS]Estimated Casualties: 1,350 total (US 350; CS 1,000)Description: On the night of June 18-19, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, fearing envelopment, moved his army to a new, previously selected position astride Kennesaw Mountain, an entrenched arc-shaped line to the west of Marietta, to protect his supply line, the Western & Atlantic Railroad. Having encountered entrenched Rebels astride Kennesaw Mountain stretching southward, Sherman fixed them in front and extended his right wing to envelop their flank and menace the railroad. Joe Johnston countered by moving John B. Hood’s corps from the left flank to the right on June 22. Arriving in his new position at Mt. Zion Church, Hood decided, on his own, to attack. Schofield and Hooker, having learned of Hood´s plans from some captured Confederates, ordered their troops to dig in. At 4:00 p.m. Hood sent two of his three divisions towards the waiting Federals. After several unsuccessful charges through the woods, fields, and swamps across the road, the battered Confederates withdrew. Although the victor, Sherman’s attempts at envelopment had failed.

Neal Dow/Ruff’s Mill

On July 1, 1863, the 23rd Army Corp established a position at the Moss House (Floyd Station). This placed the 23rd AC closer to the Chattahoochee River than the Confederates at Kennesaw. The Confederate forces under General Johnston withdrew from their Kennesaw Line the night of July 2-3 and took up a new position at a double line of breastworks, prepared in advance, running from the old Smyrna Camp Ground east of the R.R. From this point, the Confederate line ran east to Nickajack Creek, south of Ruff´s Mill. Maj. Gen. William W. Loring's Corp on the right, Lieut. Gen. William J. Hardee Corp. held the center and Lieut. Gen. John B. Hood's Corp the left. This line became known as the Smyrna-Ruff Mill line.The Battle of Neal Dow (Smyrna Camp Ground) then took place on July 3 and the Battle of Ruff's Mill at Nickajack Creek occurred on July 4.

On July 4th, 1864, the 4th AC, commanded by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, attacked the Confederate forces east of the rail line in Smyrna but failed to break the Confederate line. Concurrent with this attack, Brig. Gen. John Fuller´s Brigade, 4th division of the 16th AC, attacked Gen. Hood´s Corps along Nickajack creek. This attack also failed. Later on the 4th, Gen. Fuller´s men, supported by Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Sweeny

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´s 2nd division succeeded in capturing the first line of breastworks. Maj. Gen. Francis P. Blair´s 17th AC of the Army of the Tennessee was also able to drive Maj. Gen. Gustavus Smith’s Georgia Militia and Brig. Gen. L.S. Ross´ Texas Cavalry Brigade back toward Smyrna. With his left threatened, General Johnston was forced to retreat to a prepared position west of the Chattahoochee at the Railroad Crossing. Most of the buildings in the battle area were burned by Sherman's troops. Notable exceptions were the Smyrna Academy which served as a Confederate and Union hospital, Ruff's Mill, the Ruff family home and the Gann House.

Kennesaw Mountain

Date: June 27, 1864Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman [US]; Gen. Joseph E. Johnston [CS]Forces Engaged: Military Division of the Mississippi [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS]Estimated Casualties: 4,000 total (US 3,000; CS 1,000)Description: On the night of June 18-19, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, fearing envelopment, withdrew his army to a new, previously selected position astride Kennesaw Mountain. This entrenched arc-shaped line, to the north and west of Marietta, protected the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the supply link to Atlanta. Having defeated General John B. Hood troops at Kolb's Farm on the 22nd,

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Sherman was sure that Johnston had stretched his line too thin and therefore decided on a frontal attack with some diversions on the flanks. On the morning of June 27, Sherman sent his troops forward after an artillery bombardment. At first, they made some headway overrunning Confederate pickets south of the Burnt Hickory Road, but attacking an enemy that was dug in was futile. The fighting ended by noon, and Sherman had suffered very high casualties.

Kennesaw Mountain 1864

Kennesaw Mountain Today

Rottenwood Creek

With roads dried out, with sufficient supplies accumulated, and with the last units of McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee shifted from positions at Brushy Mountain and elsewhere for purposes of coordinating with and eventually replacing Schofield’s army in turning the Confederate left,  Sherman abandoned his month-long focus on the

battlefields around  Kennesaw Mountain. He would now turn southward toward the Chattahoochee River and the prize of Atlanta.

Sherman’s activities meant that Johnston must abandon his strong positions at the mountain and retire southward to protect his railroad lifeline to Atlanta. What followed would be a race for the Chattahoochee with an opportunity, Sherman believed, to embarrass Johnston’s Confederates in the act of crossing the river. Instead he found the Rebels with new defenses along an east-to-west-running ridge just north of Smyrna; flanks anchored near Rottenwood Creek at the river on the east, and fish-hooked at the west on a hill two miles from Ruff’s Mill. At 4 p.m. on July 4, a column of six regiments from Dodge’s Sixteenth Corps led by Colonel E.F. Noyes (39th Ohio Infantry) attacked an advanced position near this angle, capturing the line and about 100 prisoners.

Rottenwood Creek Gorge

As the Marietta Operations wound down Sherman set his sights on Atlanta. Sherman and Johnson would now move south with their attacks and counter-attacks. However, Johnson would not be given the opportunity to continue battling Sherman. On July 17, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaced General Johnston with John Bell Hood as commander of the Army of Tennessee.

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Davis, impatient with Johnston's defensive strategy in the Atlanta campaign, felt that Hood stood a better chance of saving Atlanta from the forces of Union General William T. Sherman. In a telegram informing Johnston of his decision, Davis wrote, "You failed to arrest the advance of the enemy to the vicinity of Atlanta, far in the interior of Georgia, and express no confidence that you can defeat or repel him, you are hereby relieved from command of the Army and Department of Tennessee, which you will immediately turn over to General Hood."

JOHNSON SHERMAN

General Johnson yielded Command to General Hood. Sherman, learning of the change had strategy meetings with his staff to change plans as required to battle the more aggressive Hood.

Atlanta was still the goal and Sherman wasted no time in preparing to continue to carry the battle to the Confederates.

New Confederate Commander John Bell Hood

Hood immediately challenged Sherman At the Battle of

Peachtree Creek

Battle SummaryDate: July 20, 1864Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas [US]; Gen. John B. Hood [CS]Forces Engaged: Army of the Cumberland [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS]Estimated Casualties: 6,506 total (US 1,710; CS 4,796)Description: Under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the Army of Tennessee had retired south of Peachtree Creek, an east to west flowing stream, about three miles north of Atlanta. Sherman split his army into three columns for the assault on Atlanta with George H. Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland moving from the north. Johnston had decided to attack Thomas, but Confederate President Jefferson Davis relieved him of command and appointed John B. Hood to take his place. Hood attacked Thomas after his army crossed Peachtree Creek. The determined assault threatened to overrun the Union troops at various locations. Ultimately, though, the Yankees held, and the Rebels fell back.

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Peachtree Creek Marker

Peachtree Marker textOn July 20th, Hood ordered the attack to begin at 1:00 P.M. Hardee and Stewart were to advance, drive the enemy back to the creek, and then west into the angle formed by the creek and the river; but events east of Atlanta caused the line to be shifted about a mile to the east, delaying the attack until all but Ward´s division of the enemy had occupied strong ground in line of battle. Bate´s division (Hardee´s right) halted with its right on Clear Creek and its left reaching Walker´s right near Peachtree and Spring Street. Walker´s left met Maney´s right near Brookwood Station. Maney´s left joined the right of Loring´s division (Stewart´s right) which now occupied Loring Heights. Loring´s left extended to meet Walthall´s right near Northside Drive and Bellemeade Avenue. Walthall´s left regiment halted west of Howell Mill Road. About 3:30, Hardee moved forward, Stewart a half hour later. Walker´s advance, astride Peachtree Road, was impeded by uncut forest growth, Maney´s by miry creek bottom and steep hills, Bates by swampy, densely-thicketed bottom of Clear Creek. At Collier Road, Walker´s charging men met a withering fire of musketry and canister from Newton´s lines. Although they fought desperately, heavy losses forced them back. On their left, Maney´s men also met defeat. In the creek bottoms, Bates swung around Newton´s left flank to attack his rear; but Bradley´s men, massed along the road overlooking the creek, met them with musketry.

At the Peachtree Creek Bridge, Thomas in person emplaced Ward´s two batteries on the high ground along Peachtree Hills Avenue. Canister from these guns shattered Bate´s right. Already suffering from Bradley´s musketry, his men fell back. Having no reserves, Hardee could not renew the attack so he withdrew. About 4:00, Stewart´s corps attacked. Loring moved forward with Featherston´s brigade on the right, Scott on the left. Featherston´s men crossed Tanyard Branch and moved through dense wood into a wide clearing. They reformed their lines (astride Dellwood Drive) under fire from Geary´s batteries, firing from their left. Sweeping back the Federal picket line barricaded along it, they charged over Collier Road and into the gap between Newton´s right and Geary´s left; but a cross fire of musketry from those positions, together with Ward´s arrival, drove them back with severe losses. Ward´s men took position along Collier Road.

Atlanta

Location: Fulton County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Date: Beginning July 22, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman [US]; Gen. John Bell Hood [CS] Forces Engaged: Military Division of the Mississippi [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS]

Description: Following the Battle of Peachtree Creek, Hood determined to attack Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee. He withdrew his main army at night from Atlanta’s outer line to the inner line, enticing Sherman to follow. In the meantime, he sent William J. Hardee with his corps on a fifteen-mile march to hit the unprotected Union left and rear, east of the city. Wheeler’s cavalry was to operate farther out on Sherman’s supply line, and Gen. Frank Cheatham’s corps was to attack the Union front. Hood, however, miscalculated the time necessary to make the march, and Hardee was unable to attack until afternoon.

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Although Hood had outmaneuvered Sherman for the time being, McPherson was concerned about his left flank and sent his reserves—Grenville Dodge’s XVI Army Corps—to that location. Two of Hood’s divisions ran into this reserve force and were repulsed. The Rebel attack stalled on the Union rear but began to roll up the left flank. Around the same time, a Confederate soldier shot and killed McPherson when he rode out to observe the fighting. Determined attacks continued, but the Union forces held. About 4:00 pm, Cheatham’s corps broke through the Union front at the Hurt House, but Sherman massed twenty artillery pieces on a knoll near his headquarters to shell these Confederates and halt their drive. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan’s XV Army Corps then led a counterattack that restored the Union line. The Union troops held, and Hood suffered high casualties.

Battle of Atlanta

The Battle of Atlanta cost Union forces 3,641 casualties while Confederate losses totaled around 5,500. For the second time in two days, Hood had failed to destroy a wing of Sherman's command. Though a problem earlier in the campaign McPherson's cautious nature proved fortuitous as Sherman's initial orders would have left the Union flank completely exposed. In the wake of the fighting, Sherman gave command of the Army of the Tennessee to Major General Oliver O. Howard. This greatly angered XX Corps commander Major General Joseph Hooker who felt entitled to the post and who blamed Howard for his defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

On July 27, Sherman resumed operations against the city by shifting to the west side to cut the Macon & Western Railroad. Several additional battles occurred outside of the city before Atlanta's fall on September 2.

Attack!

Counter Attack!

Ezra Church

Other Name: Battle of the Poor House Location: Fulton County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Date: July 28, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard [US]; Gen. John B. Hood [CS] Forces Engaged: Army of the Tennessee [US]; two corps of Army of Tennessee [CS] Estimated Casualties: 3,562 total (US 562; CS 3,000)

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Description: Earlier, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s forces had approached Atlanta from the east and north. Hood had not defeated them, but he had kept them away from the city. Sherman now decided to attack from the west. He ordered the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard, to move from the left wing to the right and cut Hood’s last railroad supply line between East Point and Atlanta. Hood foresaw such a maneuver and determined to send the two corps of Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee and Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart to intercept and destroy the Union force. Thus, on the afternoon of July 28, the Rebels assaulted Howard at Ezra Church. Howard had anticipated such a thrust, entrenched one of his corps in the Confederates’ path, and repulsed the determined attack, inflicting numerous casualties. Howard, however, failed to cut the railroad.

Battle of Ezra Church(Picture from Harper’s Weekly)

Ezra Church House

Utoy Creek

Location: Fulton County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Dates: August 5-7, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield [US]; Gen. John B. Hood [CS] Forces Engaged: Army of the Ohio [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS] Estimated Casualties: Unknown Description: After failing to envelop Hood’s left flank at Ezra Church, Sherman still wanted to extend his right flank to hit the railroad between East Point and Atlanta. He transferred John M. Schofield’ s Army of the Ohio from his left to his right flank and sent him to the north bank of Utoy Creek. Although Schofield’s troops were at Utoy Creek on August 2, they, along with the XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, did not cross until the 4th. Schofield’s force began its movement to exploit this situation on the morning of the 5th, which was initially successful. Schofield then had to regroup his forces, which took the rest of the day. The delay allowed the Rebels to strengthen their defenses with abatis, which slowed the Union attack when it restarted on the morning of the 6th. The Federals were repulsed with heavy losses by Bate’s Division and failed in an attempt to break the railroad. On the 7th, the Union troops moved toward the Confederate main line and entrenched. Here they remained until late August.

Utoy Creek

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Dalton II

Location: Whitfield County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Dates: August 14-15, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. James B. Steedman [US]; Maj. Gen. J. Wheeler [CS] Forces Engaged: District of Etowah [US]; Wheeler’s cavalry force [CS] Estimated Casualties: Unknown Description: Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler and his cavalry raided into North Georgia to destroy railroad tracks and supplies. They approached Dalton in the late afternoon of August 14 and demanded the surrender of the garrison. The Union commander, Col. Bernard Laibolt, refused to surrender and fighting ensued. Greatly outnumbered, the Union garrison retired to fortifications on a hill outside the town where they successfully held out, although the attack continued until after midnight. Skirmishing continued throughout the night. Around 5:00 am, on the 15th, Wheeler retired and became engaged with relieving infantry and cavalry under Maj. Gen. James B. Steedman’s command. Eventually, Wheeler withdrew. The contending forces’ reports vary greatly in describing the fighting, the casualties, and the amount of track and supplies captured and destroyed.

Battle of Dalton

Dalton Reenactment

Lovejoy’s Station

Location: Clayton County Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864) Date: August 20, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. H. Judson Kilpatrick [US]; Brig. Gen. William H. Jackson [CS] Forces Engaged: Kilpatrick’s Cavalry Division [US]; Jackson’s Cavalry Division [CS] Estimated Casualties: Unknown Description: While Confederate Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler was absent raiding Union supply lines from North Georgia to East Tennessee, Maj. Gen. William Sherman, unconcerned, sent Judson Kilpatrick to raid Rebel supply lines. Leaving on August 18, Kilpatrick hit the Atlanta & West Point Railroad that evening, tearing up a small area of tracks. Next, Kilpatrick headed for Lovejoy’s Station on the Macon & Western Railroad. In transit, on the 19th, Kilpatrick’s men hit the Jonesborough supply depot on the Macon & Western Railroad, burning great amounts of supplies. On the 20th, they reached Lovejoy’s Station and began their destruction. Rebel infantry (Cleburne’s Division) appeared and the raiders were forced to fight into the night, finally fleeing to prevent encirclement. Although Kilpatrick had destroyed supplies and track at Lovejoy’s Station, the railroad line was back in operation in two days.

Lovejoy’s Station Monument

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Jonesboro

At the Battle of Jonesboro, General Sherman launched the attack that finally secured Atlanta for the Union, and sealed the fate of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army, which was forced to evacuate the area.The Battle of Jonesboro was the culmination of Sherman’s four-month campaign to capture Atlanta. He had spent the summer driving his army down the 100-mile corridor from Chattanooga against a Confederate force led by General Joseph Johnston. General Hood, who replaced Johnston in July on the outskirts of Atlanta, proceeded to attack Sherman in an attempt to drive him northward. However, these attacks failed, and by August 1 the armies had settled into a siege.In late August, Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro, and attacked the Union troops on August 31, but the Rebels were thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost just 178 men, while the Confederates lost nearly 2,000.On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position, and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta. Atlanta had fallen.

The “Atlanta Campaign” was over and Sherman prepared for his scorched earth March to the Sea. Although the War had less than a year before its end the fighting was still fierce and continuous. As the fighting around Atlanta ended, Nathan Bedford Forrest headed west to Mississippi where he was assigned to defend that state as much as he could. He began with a surprising victory at a place called Brice’s Cross Roads. He also engaged the Union forces at Tupelo and made a raid on Memphis.

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Brice's Cross Roads

Other Names: Tishomingo Creek Campaign: Forrest’s Defense of Mississippi Date: June 10, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis [US]; Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS] Forces Engaged: Three-brigade division of infantry and a division of cavalry (about 8,500 ) [US]; cavalry corps [CS] Estimated Casualties: 3,105 total (US 2,610; CS 495) The Battle of Brice's Crossroads was fought on June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn in Lee County, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. It pitted a force of about 2000 men led by Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest against an 8,500-strong Union force led by Brigadier General Samuel D. Sturgis. The battle ended in a rout of the Union forces and cemented Forrest's reputation as one of the great cavalrymen. The battle remains a textbook example of an outnumbered force prevailing through better tactics, terrain mastery, and aggressive offensive action.

Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman had long known that his fragile supply and communication lines through Tennessee were in serious jeopardy because of depredations by Forrest's cavalry raids. To effect a halt to Forrest's activities, he ordered Gen. Sturgis to conduct a penetration into northern Mississippi and Alabama with a force of

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around 8,500 troops to destroy Forrest and his command. Sturgis, after some doubts and trepidation, departed Memphis on June 1. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, alerted of Sturgis's movement, warned Forrest. Lee had also planned a rendezvous at Okolona, Mississippi, with Forrest and his own troops but told Forrest to do as he saw fit. Already in transit to Tennessee, Forrest moved his cavalry (less one division) toward Sturgis, but remained unsure of Union intentions.Forrest soon surmised, correctly, that the Union had actually targeted Tupelo, Mississippi, located in Lee County, about 15 miles south of Brice's Crossroads. Although badly outnumbered, he decided to repulse Sturgis instead of waiting for Lee, and selected an area to attack ahead on Sturgis's projected path. He chose Brice's Crossroads, in what is now Lee County, which featured four muddy roads, heavily wooded areas, and the natural boundary of Tishomingo Creek, which had only one bridge going east to west. Forrest, seeing that the Union cavalry moved three hours ahead of its own infantry, devised a plan that called for an attack on the Union cavalry first, with the idea of forcing the enemy infantry to hurry to assist them. Their infantry would be too tired to offer real help and the Confederates planned to push the entire Union force against the creek to the west. Forrest dispatched most of his men to two nearby towns to wait. Forrest’s ploy worked just as he planned. His brilliant tactical victory against long odds demonstrated his mastery of the use of cavalry in battle situations.

Brice’s Cross Roads Confederate Cemetery

Brice’s Cross Roads Monument

Tupelo

Other Names: Harrisburg Location: Lee County Campaign: Forrest’s Defense of Mississippi Dates: July 14-15, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. A.J. Smith [US]; Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee and Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS] Forces Engaged: 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions and Cavalry Division, XVI Army Corps, and 1st Brigade, U.S. Colored Troops (14,000) [US]; Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana [CS] Estimated Casualties: 1,948 total (US 648; CS 1,300) Description: Maj. Gen. A.J. Smith, commanding a combined force of more than 14,000 men, left LaGrange, Tennessee, on July 5, 1864, and advanced south. Smith’s mission was to insure that Maj. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest and his cavalry did not raid Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s railroad lifeline in Middle Tennessee and, thereby, prevent supplies from reaching him in his campaign against Atlanta. Laying waste to the countryside as he advanced, Smith reached Pontotoc, Mississippi, on July 11. Forrest was in nearby Okolona with about 6,000 men, but his commander, Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, told him he could not attack until he was reinforced. Two days later, Smith, fearing an ambush, moved east toward Tupelo. On the previous day, Lee arrived near Pontotoc with 2,000 additional men and, under his

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command, the entire Confederate force engaged Smith. Within two miles of the Federals, on the night of the 13th, Lee ordered an attack for the next morning. Lee attacked at 7:30 am the next morning in a number of uncoordinated assaults which the Yankees beat back, causing heavy casualties. Lee halted the fighting after a few hours. Short on rations, Smith did not pursue but started back to Memphis on the 15th. Criticized for not destroying Forrest’s command, Smith had caused much damage and had fulfilled his mission of insuring Sherman’s supply lines.

Tupelo Battlefield Marker

Marker TextTo our Confederate dead that gave their lives in the battle here on July 14, 1864. For their

rights. Erected 1918

Memphis

Location: Shelby County TNCampaign: Forrest’s Defense of Mississippi Date: August 21, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. C.C. Washburn [US]; Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS] Forces Engaged: Troops stationed at Memphis [US]; Forrest’s Cavalry (approx. 400) [CS] Estimated Casualties: 94 total (US 160; CS 34)

Description: At 4:00 am on the morning of August 21, 1864, Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest made a daring raid on Union-held Memphis, Tennessee, but it was not an attempt to capture the city, occupied by 6,000 Federal troops. The raid had three objectives:  to capture three Union generals posted there; to release Southern prisoners from Irving Block Prison; and to cause the recall of Union forces from Northern Mississippi. Striking northwestward for Memphis with 2,000 cavalry, Forrest lost about a quarter of his strength because of exhausted horses. Surprise was essential.  Taking advantage of a thick dawn fog and claiming to be a Union patrol returning with prisoners, the Confederates eliminated the sentries. Galloping through the streets and exchanging shots with other Union troops, the raiders split to pursue separate missions.  One Union general was not at his quarters and another escaped to Fort Pickering dressed in his night-shirt. The attack on Irving Block Prison also failed when Union troops stalled the main body at the State Female College. After two hours, Forrest decided to withdraw, cutting telegraph wires, taking 500 prisoners and large quantities of supplies, including many horses. Although Forrest failed in Memphis, his raid influenced Union forces to return there, from northern Mississippi, and provide protection and thus was considered a Confederate victory.

Forrest at the Irving Block Prison in Memphis

Petersburg Campaign17

In the wake of his defeat at the Battle of Cold Harbor in early June 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant continued pressing south towards the Confederate capital at Richmond. Departing Cold Harbor on June 12, his men stole a march on General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and crossed the James River on a large pontoon bridge. This maneuver led Lee to become concerned that he might be forced into a siege at Richmond. This was not Grant's intention, as the Union leader sought to capture the vital city of Petersburg. Located south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and railroad hub which supplied the capital and Lee's army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible

Petersburg, located in south central Virginia, was the second-largest city in the state at the outset of the War. Originally sharing the conservative political stance of most business-oriented cities in the Upper South, Petersburg's white citizens eagerly embraced the Confederate cause after Virginia's Convention of 1861 voted to secede in April 1861. The city hosted a variety of Confederate installations, particularly hospitals, and served as headquarters for a number of Confederate military departments that bore responsibility for southern Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Petersburg experienced its first nearby combat in the spring of 1864 during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign and then became the focal point of the Petersburg Campaign between June 1864 and April 1865. The city capitulated to Union forces on April 3, 1865, initiating the Appomattox Campaign and just six days before Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, ninety miles west of Petersburg

Marching from Cold Harbor, Union General Meade’s Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point.

General Butler’s leading elements crossed the Appomattox River and attacked the

Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of Petersburg under command of Gen. Beauregard were driven from their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek. On June 16, the II Corps captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the IX Corps gained more ground. Beauregard stripped the Howlett Line (Bermuda Hundred) to defend the city, and Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg from the Army of Northern Virginia. The II, XI, and V Corps from right to left attacked on June 18 but was repulsed with heavy casualties. By now the Confederate works were heavily manned and the greatest opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost.

The stage was set for the battles in and around Petersburg which would become the longest lasting campaign of the War. Besides the attempts to take the city itself, battles and skirmishes for control of supply lines, railroad routes and other critical sites continued for months. Covered in this issue are the summer battles. They occurred on the Jerusalem Plank Road, the Staunton River, at a little church known as Sappony Baptist Church, places called Ream’s Station and Deep Bottom and near a little road house named Globe Tavern. One of the bloodiest engagements occurred when Union soldiers attempted to blow up the Confederate line at Petersburg with mines placed in a tunnel underneath the Confederates. The explosion killed and wounded many Rebels but then the crater created a killing field as Federals swarmed into it and were unable to climb out. The Confederates were able to fire from above and it became a death trap for the Union soldiers. Participants from both sides called it the most frantic and deadly battle they ever witnessed. This battle was so significant that it became known as the Battle of the Crater and is treated as a separate battle from the main Petersburg battles.

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Map of Petersburg and Vicinity June 21-22, 1864

Petersburg 1861 U. S. Engineering Battalion in Petersburg

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The Petersburg Campaign BattlesJune 9-August 25, 1864

Petersburg I

Other Names: Old Men and Young Boys Location: City of Petersburg Date: June 9, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Quincy Gillmore [US]; Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard Forces Engaged: 7,000 (US 4,500; CS 2,500) Estimated Casualties: 120 total Description: On June 9, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler dispatched about 4,500 cavalry and infantry against the 2,500 Confederate defenders of Petersburg. While Butler’s infantry demonstrated against the outer line of entrenchments east of Petersburg, Kautz’s cavalry division attempted to enter the city from the south via the Jerusalem Plank Road but was repulsed by Home Guards.  Afterwards, Butler withdrew. This was called the “battle of old men and young boys” by local residents. On June 14-17, the Army of the Potomac crossed the James River and began moving towards Petersburg to support and renew Butler’s assaults. Result: Confederate victory

Female Seminary in Petersburg

Confederate Fortifications at Gracie’s Salient

Petersburg   II

Other Names: Assault on Petersburg Location: City of Petersburg Dates: June 15-18, 1864 Principal Commanders: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard [CS] Forces Engaged: 104,000 total (US 62,000; CS 42,000) Estimated Casualties: 11,386 total (US 8,150; CS 3,236) Description: Marching from Cold Harbor, Meade’s Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point. Butler’s leading elements (XVIII Corps and Kautz’s cavalry) crossed the Appomattox River at Broadway Landing and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of Petersburg under command of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard were driven from their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek. After dark the XVIII Corps was relieved by the II Corps. On June 16, the II Corps captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the IX Corps gained more ground. Beauregard stripped the Howlett Line (Bermuda Hundred) to defend the city, and Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg from the Army of Northern Virginia.

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The II, XI, and V Corps from right to left attacked on June 18 but was repulsed with heavy casualties. By now the Confederate works were heavily manned and the greatest opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost. The siege of Petersburg began. Union Gen. James Morton, chief engineer of the IX Corps, was killed on June 17. Result: Confederate victory

Jerusalem Plank Road

Other Names: First Battle of Weldon Railroad Location: Dinwiddie County and Petersburg Dates: June 21-24, 1864 Principal Commanders: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: Corps Estimated Casualties: 4,000 total Description: On June 21, the Union II Corps, supported by the VI Corps, attempted to cut the Weldon Railroad, one of the major supply lines into Petersburg. The movement was preceded by Wilson’s cavalry division which began destroying tracks. On June 22, troops from Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill’s corps led by Brig. Gen. William Mahone counterattacked, forcing the II Corps away from the railroad to positions on the Jerusalem Plank Road. Although the Federals were driven from their advanced positions, they were able to extend their siege lines farther to the west. Result: Indecisive but Union gained ground

Staunton River Bridge

Other Names: Blacks and Whites, Old Men and Young Boys Location: Halifax County and Charlotte Date: June 25, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. James Wilson and Brig. Gen. August Kautz [US]; Maj. Gen. William H.F. “Rooney”  Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: Divisions (4,000 total) Estimated Casualties: 150 total

Description: On June 22, the cavalry divisions of Brig. Gen. James Wilson and Brig. Gen. August Kautz were dispatched from the Petersburg lines to disrupt Confederate rail communications.  Riding via Dinwiddie Court House, the raiders cut the South Side Railroad near Ford’s Station that evening, destroying tracks, railroad buildings, and two supply trains. On June 23, Wilson proceeded to the junction of the Richmond & Danville Railroad at Burke Station, where he encountered elements of William H.F. Lee’s cavalry between Nottoway Court House and Blacks and Whites (modern-day Blackstone). Wilson followed Kautz along the South Side Railroad, destroying about thirty miles of track as he advanced. On June 24, while Kautz remained skirmishing around Burkeville, Wilson crossed over to Meherrin Station on the Richmond & Danville and began destroying track. On June 25, Wilson and Kautz continued tearing up track south to the Staunton River Bridge, where they were delayed by Home Guards, who prevented destruction of the bridge. Lee’s cavalry division closed on the Federals from the northeast, forcing them to abandon their attempts to capture and destroy the bridge. By this time, the raiders were nearly 100 miles from Union lines. Result: Confederate victory

Staunton River Today

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Staunton River Battlefield Marker

Marker Text

The Battle of Staunton River Bridgewas fought here June 25, 1864

Capt. Ben J.L. Farinholt 53rd VA Inf. with296 men reinforced by 642 citizens

and soldiers from Halifax, Charoletteand Mecklenburg counties Virginia

DefeatedCol. R.M. West 5th Penn Cavalrysupported by the 3rd New York

This monument placed by HalifaxChapter U.D.C. and the

State of Virginia

Sappony Church

Other Names: Stony Creek Depot Location: Sussex County Date: June 28, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. James Wilson and Brig. Gen. August Kautz [US]; Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton [CS]

Forces Engaged: Divisions Estimated Casualties: 1,817 for entire raid Description: Maj. Gen. William H.F. “Rooney” Lee’s cavalry division pursued Wilson’s and Kautz’s raiders who failed to destroy the Staunton River Bridge on June 25. Wilson and Kautz headed east and, on June 28, crossed the Nottoway River at the Double Bridges and headed north to Stony Creek Depot on the Weldon Railroad. Here, they were attacked by Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton’s cavalry division. Later in the day, William H.F. Lee’s Division arrived to join forces with Hampton, and the Federals were heavily pressured. During the night, Wilson and Kautz disengaged and pressed north on the Halifax Road for the supposed security of Reams Station, abandoning many fleeing slaves who had sought security with the Federal raiders. Result: Confederate victory

Sappony Church Battlefield Marker

Ream’s Station I

Location: Dinwiddie County Date: June 29, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. James Wilson and Brig. Gen. August Kautz [US]; Maj. Gen. William Mahone and Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: Divisions

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Estimated Casualties: 600 total  (1,817 for entire raid) Description: Early morning June 29, Brig. Gen. August Kautz’s division reached Ream’s Station on the Weldon Railroad, which was thought to be held by Union infantry.  Instead, Kautz found the road barred by Mahone’s Confederate infantry division. Wilson’s division, fighting against elements of William H.F.  “Rooney” Lee’s cavalry,  joined Kautz’s near Ream’s Station, where they were virtually surrounded. About noon, Mahone’s infantry assaulted their front while Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry division threatened the Union left flank. The raiders burned their wagons and abandoned their artillery. Separated by the Confederate attacks, Wilson and his men cut their way through and fled south on the Stage Road to cross Nottoway River, while Kautz went cross-country, reaching Federal lines at Petersburg about dark. Wilson continued east to the Blackwater River before turning north, eventually reaching Union lines at Light House Point on July 2. The Wilson-Kautz raid tore up more than 60 miles of track, temporarily disrupting rail traffic into Petersburg, but at a great cost in men and mounts. Result: Confederate victory

The First Battle of Deep Bottom

Other Names: Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, Gravel HillLocation: Henrico CountyDates: July 27-29, 1864Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock [US]; Maj. Gen. Charles Field [CS]

Forces Engaged: CorpsEstimated Casualties: 1,000 totalDescription: During the night of July 26-27, the Union II Corps and two divisions of Sheridan’s cavalry under command of Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock crossed to the north side of James River to threaten Richmond. This demonstration diverted Confederate forces from the impending attack at Petersburg on July 30. Union efforts to turn the Confederate position at New Market Heights and Fussell’s Mill were abandoned when the Confederates strongly reinforced their lines and counterattacked. During the night of July 29, the Federals re-crossed the river leaving a garrison as heretofore to hold the bridgehead at Deep Bottom.Result: Confederate victory

Deep bottom Battlefield

Deep Bottom Battle Scene Published in Harper’s Weekly

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Battle of the Crater

Other Names: The Mine Location: Petersburg Date: July 30, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: IX Corps [US]; elements of the Army of Northern Virginia [CS] Estimated Casualties: 5,300 total Description: After weeks of preparation, on July 30 the Federals exploded a mine in Burnside’s IX Corps sector beneath Pegram’s Salient, blowing a gap in the Confederate defenses of Petersburg.  From this propitious beginning, everything deteriorated rapidly for the Union attackers. Unit after unit charged into and around the crater, where soldiers milled in confusion. The Confederates quickly recovered and launched several counterattacks led by Maj. Gen. William Mahone. The break was sealed off, and the Federals were repulsed with severe casualties. Ferrarro’s division of black soldiers was badly mauled. This may have been Grant’s best chance to end the Siege of Petersburg. Instead, the soldiers settled in for another eight months of trench warfare. Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside was relieved of command for his role in the debacle. Result: Confederate victory

View of the Mine preparationsNote Tarping on Trench in middle of picture

Union Sketch of the Mine

The Mine Entrance Preserved Today

The Second Battle of Deep Bottom

Other Names: New Market Road, Fussell’s Mill, Bailey’s Creek, Charles City Road, and White’s TavernLocation: Henrico CountyDates: August 13-20, 1864Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. Charles Field [CS]Forces Engaged: CorpsEstimated Casualties: 4,600 totalDescription: During the night of August 13-14, the Union II Corps, X Corps, and Gregg’s cavalry division, all under command of Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, crossed James River at Deep Bottom to threaten Richmond, coordinating with a movement against the Weldon Railroad at Petersburg.

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On August 14, the X Corps closed on New Market Heights while the II Corps extended the Federal line to the right along Bailey’s Creek. During the night, the X Corps was moved to the far right flank of the Union line near Fussell’s Mill. On August 16, Union assaults near Fussell’s Mill were initially successful, but Confederate counterattacks drove the Federals out of a line of captured works. Heavy fighting continued throughout the remainder of the day. Confederate general John Chambliss was killed during cavalry fighting on Charles City Road. After continual skirmishing, the Federals returned to the southside of the James on the 20th, maintaining their bridgehead at Deep Bottom.Result: Confederate victory

Crossing the James River at Deep Bottom

Globe Tavern

Other Names: Second Battle of Weldon Railroad, Yellow Tavern, Yellow House, Blick’s Station Location: Dinwiddie County Dates: August 18-21, 1864 Principal Commanders:   Maj. Gen. G.K. Warren [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee, Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill, Maj. Gen. Henry Heth, and Maj. Gen. William Mahone [CS] Forces Engaged: Corps (34,300 total) Est. Casualties: 5,879 ttl (4,279 US; 1,600 CS) Description: While Hancock’s command demonstrated north of the James River at Deep Bottom, the Union V Corps and elements of the IX and II Corps under

command of Maj. Gen. G.K. Warren were withdrawn from the Petersburg entrenchments to operate against the Weldon Railroad. At dawn August 18, Warren advanced, driving back Confederate pickets until reaching the railroad at Globe Tavern. In the afternoon, Maj. Gen. Henry Heth’s division attacked driving Ayres’s division back toward the tavern. Both sides entrenched during the night. On August 19, Maj. Gen. William Mahone, whose division had been hastily returned from north of James River, attacked with five infantry brigades, rolling up the right flank of Crawford’s division. Heavily reinforced, Warren counterattacked and by nightfall had retaken most of the ground lost during the afternoon’s fighting. On the 20th, the Federals laid out and entrenched a strong defensive line covering the Blick House and Globe Tavern and extending east to connect with the main Federal lines at Jerusalem Plank Road. On August 21, Hill probed the new Federal line for weaknesses but could not penetrate the Union defenses. With the fighting at Globe Tavern, Grant succeeded in extending his siege lines to the west and cutting Petersburg’s primary rail connection with Wilmington, North Carolina. The Confederates were now forced to off-load rail cars at Stony Creek Station for a 30-mile wagon haul up Boydton Plank Road to reach Petersburg. Confederate general John C.C. Sanders was killed on August 21. Result: Inconclusive, Union gained ground

Globe Tavern

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Ream’s Station   II

Location: Dinwiddie County Date: August 25, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock [US]; Maj. Gen. Henry Heth [CS] Forces Engaged: Corps Estimated Casualties: 3,492 total Description: On August 24, Union II Corps moved south along the Weldon Railroad, tearing up track, preceded by Gregg’s cavalry division. On August 25, Maj. Gen. Henry Heth attacked and overran the faulty Union position at Ream’s Station, capturing 9 guns, 12 colors, and many prisoners. The old II Corps was shattered.  Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock withdrew to the main Union line near the Jerusalem Plank Road, bemoaning the declining combat effectiveness of his troops. Result: Confederate victory

Second Battle of Ream’s Station

This concludes the summaries of battles which occurred in the summer of 1864. Important and notable engagements, skirmishes and battles continued into the fall of 1864, some of which were very critical to the outcome of the war and these will be summarized in the September issue.

PHOTOS OF THE WAR

A Chance to Take a Bath!

Charleston

Cold Harbor Bones

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MATCHINGMatch the Numbers with the letters.

1. What weapon did Confederate General John Bell Hood declare the Yankees could use against him?

2. What did Confederate General Richard Ewell say when he was hit in the leg?

3. How did one Confederate relate the speed of the Army of Northern Virginia's advance towards Pennsylvania?

4. For what military contribution is Federal General George McClellan most widely remembered?

5. Upon meeting General Lee, after being out of contact for days, what did General J.E.B. Stuart announce he had taken from the Federals?

6. The name of this Gettysburg prominence held ironic meaning for the Confederates who assaulted it.

7. This Gettysburg hill fell into Confederate hands late on July 2.

8. Most soldiers at Gettysburg carried into battle a standard issue of musket balls—what is a standard issue?

9. The battle of Gettysburg is claimed to be one of the loudest man-made noises heard in the United States. What distant city is reported to have heard the thunder of the cannon on July 3?

10. The fighting was so severe at Gettysburg that many soldiers suffered what hazard of rifles fired too rapidly?

11. Not all Virginians served in Lee's army; name the unit which supported the Lincoln government.

12. What name did Stonewall Jackson's men give themselves after marching four hundred miles and fighting in five different battles?

13. What illness affected nearly two thousand Confederate troops just before First Manassas?

14. Early in the fight at Gettysburg, Confederates quickly realized they were facing regular Federal troops and not militia because of what uniform feature?

15. This Virginia town changed hands over seventy times during the war.

16. According to legend what did a Rebel soldier holler when he saw a rabbit run across the field at Gettysburg?

A. 125 wagons and their teamsB. The McClellan cavalry saddle C. The Loudoun Rangers of the

Piedmont regionD. “Run, rabbit, run, if I was an ole’

rabbit I’d run too!”E. Sixty rounds per manF. The Black Hats of the Iron Brigade

G. The barrels became too hot to hold and the powder spontaneously ignited.

H. Cemetery Ridge

I. “Breakfast in Virginia, whiskey in Maryland, and supper in Pennsylvania”

J They could “roll rocks down on you!”

K. Winchester, Virginia

L. Pittsburgh, some hundred-fifty miles to the west

M. “It does not hurt a bit to be shot in a wooden leg.”

N. “Old Jack’s foot-cavalry

O. Devil’s Den, named either for a large snake which inhabited the rocks, or the grotesquely shaped rocks themselves

P. Measles

ANSWERS

1.J 5.A 9.L 13.P

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2.M 6.H 10.G 14.F

3.I 7.O 11.C 15.K

4.B 8.E 12.N 16.D

Colonel Robert F. WebbThe Last Colonel of the Bloody Sixth North

Carolina

Robert F. Webb was a 38 year-old farmer who enlisted 5-20-61 as a Captain in Co. B., NC 6th Infantry and rose to full Colonel. He was wounded at Sharpsburg, taken prisoner at Rappahannock station and confined at Johnson’s Island for a year and a half, released on Oath of Allegiance 6-25-65. This is his personal account of his capture. “Many of my men escaped by swimming the river; others dispersed through the country and got off. Some of my officers escaped, but how, I was never able to ascertain. I cannot describe to you the terrible anguish I endured at the thought of being captured, as gradually that host of armed men surrounded me.”“I knew that my escape was impossible. I have faced death often, but never have I endured such fearful hours of horror as I did that night. I thought of loved ones -- wife, children, and home. Tears ran down my cheeks, the first I had shed during the war. I was aroused from my reverie by a stout arm grasping me by the shoulder. Do you surrender? No was my quick response, not to a private. Are you an officer? I am, I replied. A colonel rode up to me. It was the Fifth Maine. Do you surrender, Sir? says he. I presume that I do, I replied as I have no discretion in the matter, being already your prisoner.”

When Col. Webb was captured, he held his sword in his one good hand. His other hand was in a sling from his terrible wound at Sharpsburg. Beginning immediately after his capture at Rappahannock Bridge, Webb writes, “I was moved that night about two miles to the rear in company with my brother officers, and I must do the enemy the justice to say that they treated me kindly. They gave me some whiskey, of which I stood much in need!”

Buffalo in Ft. Bend County and the Runaway Scrape

1836

Right after the Alamo fell to Santa Anna and his Mexican Army, Santa Anna headed east to find and defeat the rest of the Texas Army led by General Sam Houston.When Santa Anna’s action became apparent, the landowners and settlers east of San Antonio started traveling toward the safety of the Louisiana border because the Mexicans were ransacking and burning everything in sight. This in history is called the “Runaway Scrape.” The people that were living on the west side of the Brazos River were ready to go but couldn’t leave at their chosen time because of a large herd of buffalo blocking their way. They had to wait for the herd to pass before leaving.

Apparently this large herd of between 3000 and 4000 buffalo came down from the north through the Brenham area and continued moving south between the San Bernard River and the Brazos River.

The herd crossed to the east side of the Brazos somewhere south of where Highway 59 now crosses the River, near the town of Richmond (old Fort Bend). The herd continued on into Brazoria County to some place south of the present day town of Pearland.

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After the herd passed, the settlers were able to cross the river and then traveled to Harrisburg and continued east to the Lynchburg Ferry located near the present day San Jacinto Monument. Upon arriving at the ferry they found themselves with about 5000 other people waiting to cross the San Jacinto River. This crossing took them three days. Their route took them north of Galveston Bay as they headed toward the Sabine River. It is assumed there was also a ferry across the Trinity River, probably at present day Liberty, Texas. It is also assumed that old Highway 90 was the original route to Louisiana.A large part of the Mexican Army stayed in the Ft. Bend area while General Santa Anna went to engage General Sam Houston and the Texas Army. The two Generals eventually found each other at San Jacinto and… it was the worst eighteen minutes of General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s life.

Thanks to Compatriot David G. Whitaker for this bit of Texas History.

Source: Texas Tears and Texas Sunshine by Jo Ella Powell Exley. Texas A&M Press, 1985.

JEFFERSON QUOTES

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

A Poetic Tribute

In 1907 Julia Ward Howe who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic penned these words on the anniversary of Gen. Lee's birth:

A gallant foeman in the fight,A brother when the fight was o’er,

The hand that led the host with mightThe blessed torch of learning bore.

No shriek of shells or roll of drums,No challenge fierce, resound far

When reconciling Wisdom comes To heal the cruel wounds of war.

Thought may the minds of men divide,Love makes the heart of nations one,

And so, thy soldier grave beside,We honor thee, Virginia's son.

TRIVIA

A. Although General Rosecrans reported a Union victory at Stones River TN, how did his casualties compare with those of the Confederates?

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B. In what state did the engagement of Coffeeville take place?

C. When Indian fighter John R. Baylor recruited 1,000 fellow Texans in spring 1861, actually to secure the New Mexico Territory for the Confederacy, what did he say his mission was?

D. What Confederate cavalryman sometimes demanded surrender as “Brigadier General of Cavalry, C.S.A.”?

E. After Pea Ridge AR, who succeeded Lew Wallace as the youngest Union General?

Trivia Answers on page 35

The Coleman Scouts

The tactics and strategy of warfare depend on information as well as on soldiers and guns. Spies and scouts are sent into enemy territory to gather news concerning movements of troops, to secure newspapers, and to obtain any vital information about enemy resources. Both the Northern and Southern armies during the War Between the States availed themselves of this medium of securing information.

In 1862 following the general practice of organizing scouting operations to keep the commanders informed of enemy operations, a group of young men under Captain Henry B. Shaw was brought together. These scouts, known interchangeably as Shaw's Scouts or Coleman's Scouts, were to play an important part in the operation of Bragg's Army.

Captain Shaw (Coleman) and the Remaining Men of the Coleman Scouts in a Secret Reunion in 1866

Shaw, the Captain of the group, assumed the name of Coleman to hide his real identity. He operated within the enemy lines under the guise of an itinerant herb doctor. Information secured by Shaw was passed from him to the scouts and then relayed to Confederate headquarters.

A Scout Reports to a Band of Guerillas

Sam Davis

Early in 1863, a young man named Sam Davis became a member of "Coleman's Scouts." The Yankees were constantly on the lookout for these spies, whom they called Coleman's Scouts after the pseudonym, E.C. Coleman, that Shaw used. On November 20, 1863, they caught a 21 year old man in Confederate uniform with information about federal troop positions and a pass signed by "E. Coleman." Among the papers found

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concealed on Sam was information that could have only come from the desk of Union General Grenville Dodge. Convinced that one of his own officers was supplying information to the Confederates, Dodge decided to put pressure on Sam to identify the source of the documents.

The federal soldiers especially wanted to know where "E. Coleman" was, but Davis would say nothing, even when General Grenville M. Dodge interrogated him and offered not to hang him as a spy if he would turn over the information. Davis refused and insisted that he was not a spy but simply a courier. He was quickly and illegally tried, convicted, and hanged. Throughout the ordeal he composed himself bravely. He stoically refused to betray "Coleman," causing Dodge to exclaim as he saw the body dangle from the gallows: "He was too brave to die."

The Yankees did not know it, but they had "Coleman" in the same jail cell as Davis. Shaw, described by his captors as "an old, seedy, awkward-looking man in citizen's clothes," was known to the Yankees only by his real name and had been arrested separately from Davis. Shaw had once been Davis's teacher and they were friends, though they were careful to make sure their captors did not know. Davis's execution was clearly visible to his friend in the jail cell. Davis's patriotism and willingness to die for his country was praised in print and stone throughout the South and caused him to be known as a Confederate Nathan Hale." Sam’s last words still resonate: “If I had a thousand lives to live, I would give them all, rather than betray a friend or my country.”

Sam Davis

Sam Davis Monument Nashville Tennessee

Less glamorous is the story of another Coleman Scout, Dewitt Smith Jobe and his two cousins, Dee Smith and Thomas Benton Smith. These cousins were natives of the Mechanicsville community. Dewitt Jobe’s father, Elihu C. Jobe, was a cabinetmaker and farmer in Mechanicsville. He was also known for his coffins. Dee Smith was with the 45th Tennessee. Thomas Benton Smith was a “boy” general with the 20th Tennessee.Each met a tragic – horrible – end at the hands of Federal troops.

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Brig. General Thomas Benton Smith

Gen. Thomas Benton Smith

In 1862 Thomas Benton Smith fought in the Battle of Stone's River, where he suffered a serious wound that put him out of action for much of 1863. After his recuperation, Smith resumed field duties, but was again wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in September. After another lengthy recovery period, he returned to action during the 1864 Atlanta Campaign. He was promoted to brigadier general on July 29, 1864. His First action as a General officer was on the extreme left of the Confederate flank at the Battle of Utoy Creek where he personally led his Brigade in a charge against attacking Union soldiers capturing some 30 Union Soldiers and the 2 Colors of the 8th Tennessee Infantry, USV and 112th Illinois Infantry, USV of Riley's Brigade, Cox Division of the US XXIII Army Corps.

His military career ended at the Battle of Nashville on December 16. Smith surrendered during the battle. After Smith had surrendered and been disarmed, Union Colonel William L. McMillen, whose brigade had suffered heavily in an engagement with Smith's Brigade, reportedly berated and then attacked the Confederate general, now a disarmed prisoner, with Smith's own sword (one source says "wantonly and repeatedly”). Smith's resultant brain injuries were so severe that for a time it was feared he would not live. Held at Johnson's Island in Ohio and

later at Fort Warren in Massachusetts, Smith was not released until July 24, 1865.

Dewitt Jobe

DeWitt Smith Jobe enlisted in 1861 and became part of Company B of the 20th Tennessee Regiment commanded by Col. Joel Battle and his cousin Thomas B. Smith.He was wounded and captured at the Battle of Fishing Creek and fought at Stones River. Jobe was hand-picked as a scout about the time Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg began his retreat out of Middle Tennessee and into Georgia.As a scout, Jobe did escape the doldrums of routine military life, but his new role with the Army of Tennessee was far more dangerous. Many of the members of Coleman’s Scouts were shot, killed or imprisoned.And each of the Scouts knew about Sam Davis’ end on the Union gallows.

In August 1864, Jobe and fellow scout Tom Joplin were far behind Union lines and reconnoitering near the towns of College Grove, Triune and Nolensville.On Monday, Aug. 29, Jobe was hiding in a cornfield after eating breakfast at the home of a family between Triune and Nolensville. He had an important message hidden on his person. With Yankee patrols in the area, the Confederate scout/spy was hiding during the day and traveling at night. Unfortunately, he was spotted by a patrol of 15 men from the 115th Ohio Regiment of the Union Army of the Cumberland. Seeing that he was about to be caught, Jobe tore up the note and began to chew and swallow it. Angered by the near miss, the Union patrol first threatened Jobe and then began to torture him in an effort to get the scout to divulge the content of the dispatch.The Ohio troops first hanged Jobe from a bridle rein and then pistol-whipped him, knocking out some of his teeth.Bound and disarmed, helpless and bleeding, Jobe revealed nothing. The torture went on. The Yanks were whooping now, yelling so loudly that they could be heard at a distant

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farmhouse. They put out Jobe's eyes. Perhaps then it was that Jobe heaped epithets upon them. In retaliation they cut out Jobe's tongue.The Union patrol finished off Jobe by dragging him to death behind his own galloping horse. The event is not mentioned in Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, but was preserved in Jobe family oral history and letters and books like Bromfield Ridley’s “Battles and Sketches of the Army of Tennessee.”A Tennessee Historical Marker between Nolensville and Triune commemorates Jobe’s death:

“DeWitt Smith Jobe, a member of Coleman's Scouts, CSA, was captured in a cornfield about 1 1/2 miles west, Aug. 29, 1864, by a patrol from the 115th Ohio Cavalry. Swallowing his dispatches, he was mutilated and tortured to make him reveal the contents. Refusing, he was dragged to death behind a galloping horse. He is buried in the family cemetery six miles northeast."

Dewitt Smith JobeAt the time, news of his torture spread quickly. It pushed his cousin, Dee Smith, to exact his own bloody revenge.Smith was with the 45th Tennessee, commanded by Col. Anderson Searcy of Murfreesboro, when he heard of his cousin’s murder.Smith left his regiment near Chattanooga and rode back to Middle Tennessee and raised the “black flag.” He would give no quarter and swore to kill any Yankee who crossed his path. Smith was a quiet killer who did his work with a butcher knife. It was said he used

that knife to slit the throats of 14 Union soldiers while they slept in their tents near Tullahoma.

Dee Smith’s personal war continued for nearly two months during which he killed as many as 50 Yankees before he was captured.At last they surrounded him near Nolensville, Tennessee, and shot him. Afterwards they brought him twenty miles from Nolensville to Murfreesboro. Although in excruciating pain when the doctors probed his wounds, he said that he would die before his enemies should see him flinch. Fortunately, he died before noon of the next day, at which time he was to be hanged.

There’s no indication that the soldiers from the 115th Ohio were punished for the atrocity. Legend says the sergeant in charge of the Union patrol “became a raving maniac.”And for those who believe in such things, there was a bit of karmic justice meted out to the soldiers of the 115th Ohio. A number of them were captured and sent to the horrific Rebel prison at Andersonville, Ga.Other soldiers from the unit died in the Sultana Disaster on April 27, 1865. The Sultana, a side-wheeler, steam river boat, was loaded with Union soldiers headed from Memphis to Cairo, Ill. Just north of Memphis, the river boat exploded in the worst maritime tragedy in U.S. history. An estimated 1,700 died, including a number of soldiers from the 115th Ohio.

Carmack’s Pledge to the South

These words, written by Edward Ward Carmack of Sumner County, Tennessee, were read into the Congressional Record when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are also inscribed on a bronze plaque at the base of his statue on the Capitol grounds in Nashville, Tennessee.

TEXT

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The South is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust and m o i s t e n e d i t w i t h t e a r s ; a l a nd s c a r r e d a n d r i v e n b y t h e p l o w s h a r e o f wa r a nd b i l l o w e d w i t h t h e g r a v e s o f h e r d e a d ; b u t a l a n d o f legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.

To that land every drop of my blood, every fiber of my be ing , every pu lsa t ion of my hear t , i s consecrated forever. I was born of her womb; I was nurtured at her breast; and when my last h o u r s h a l l c o m e , I p r a y G o d t h a t I m a y b e pil lowed upon her bosom and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms.

THIS TABLET PLACED HERE BY THE W.C.T.U.

Plaque at base of Statue

Edward Ward Carmack served in the U. S. House from 1897 to 1901 and as a U. S. Senator from 1901 to 1907.

Carmack

Nashville Statue of Carmack

Sea Raven PressOffers Discount to MOS&B Members

Sea Raven Press publishes popular pro-South books by award-winning historian Lochlainn Seabrook. They are offering discounts to everyone associated with the Military Order of The Stars and Bars for bulk orders of their books. They have an extensive on-line bookstore and a list of available books may be found at: www.SeaRavenPress.com. They are also preparing to turn Mr. Seabrook's screenplay about Nathan Bedford Forrest into a full-length motion picture film and seeking financial support i.e. contributions and investments to launch the project.  If you are interested in buying books in bulk or contributing to the movie project you may e-mail Cassidy Ravensdale, Company President, at searavenpress@gmail.com.

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About the Company:Sea Raven Press is an independent academic book publishing company located in Nashville, Tennessee, specializing in nonfiction family-friendly books for all ages on the American Civil War (from the South's perspective), Jesus, the Bible, spirituality, the Law of Attraction, theology, health, healing, the paranormal (ghost stories, UFOs), history, biography, social issues, mythology, etymology, family history, and genealogy. The Company takes great pride in producing well researched, historically accurate, provocative books, with one-of-a-kind titles, timeless themes, easy-to-read interiors, rare and original artwork, and lavishly designed covers.

About the Author:Author Lochlainn Seabrook is the recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal.  His adult, teen, and children’s books have sold thousands of copies throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia, and Central and South America.  Known as the "new Shelby Foote," Lochlainn is a recognized historian, Bible scholar, and popular Civil War scholar who has penned over two dozen South-oriented books on the War for Southern Independence.Lochlainn, also an acclaimed screenwriter, has just signed on with renowned filmmaker Christopher Forbes, to bring Lochlainn's screenplay (based on his award-winning book, "A Rebel Born: A Defense of Nathan Bedford Forrest") to the big screen. 

The Last Naval Engagement

When and where did the last battle of the War Between the States take place? Well, probably not when and where you think!

In 1905, two courtly and erudite old gentlemen were rowing to their residence on an island off the mouth of Mobile Bay. During a visit to the mainland to pick up a load of supplies, they had picked up quite a load of another type at a local saloon. They alternately rowed and sampled a jug, all the while bemoaning the intolerable end of the War Between the States. When a US battleship entering the bay came abreast of them, they became enraged at the sight of the "hated” US flag.

Grabbing a fowling piece, first one old gentleman and then the other fired a shot "across the bow" of the ship. One load of shot hit the bridge, resulting in a gig being lowered and the two old men being taken on board the ship. There they demanded to see the captain. Brought to his cabin, they demanded the surrender of the ship. The captain not only possessed rich manners and a quick understanding, but also a sense of humor.

Inviting the men to be seated, he offered them cigars and politely and gravely begged for a discussion of terms. These were pre-sented during a conversation over several bottles of champagne. Finally, a formal truce was drawn. This peace treaty between the U.S. and the Confederacy was signed and sealed in duplicate. Under the terms, the ship was allowed to proceed, but not to sail near the men's island, and the captain was allowed to keep his sword.

Afterward the captain escorted the Confederates on deck where they were piped over the side with full naval formality. A launch waited there to tow them to their island. As the dory was towed away, one of the old men rose in the boat, raised the returned fowling piece, and fired a salute.

Thus ended the last battle of the War Between the States.

Reprinted with Permission from: THE REBEL YELL

“The Oldest Newsletter in the Confederation”The Rebel Yell is the official newsletter

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of the Brig. Gen. Stand Watie SocietyOklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Editor Charles H. Smith, DCS

TRIVIA ANSWERS

A. Union: 13,200; Confederate: 10,266B. Mississippi, April 4, 1862C. A buffalo huntD. Nathan Bedford ForrestE. Francis J. Herron

CHAPTER COMMANDER’S REPORT

Gentlemen,

There has been some email discussion about a possible project for our Chapter. We are thinking of doing a little advertising in hopes of gaining some recruits. We have already looked into some of the costs involved, both print and radio. I would like everyone’s input. We need to decide if it is an idea worth pursuing, if we have the financial support needed and what the content of the advertising should be. Please provide your feedback to me at mosb264@valornet.com.

I will follow-up with an email to everyone based on what input I receive. I think this is the type project we can get behind. It doesn’t require any travel and therefore fits with our being scattered across the state. My wife and I recently attended the Texas Society Convention. It was well attended for a non-election year. No important changes to report. The Society is showing a good savings by having most members receive the Clarion Call electronically. This savings is being used to establish our Texas scholarship program. There was a good sharing of Chapter projects and activities. Emphasis was, as always, on recruitment. Our membership’s average age

keeps climbing. This focus on membership, especial the younger demographic, is part of what prompted our looking into advertisement. There are no other Chapters in Texas pursuing this and it could really help the Order. I spoke with Texas Society Commander, Larry Wilhoite, and he feels the Society could help us with funding, when we get a plan in place. I hope you are all receiving some of this needed rain, minus the storms.

God Bless,Gary L. “Nux” LoudermilkCommanderMajor John LoudermilkChapter 264

BANNAL AB BRAITHREAN

(Band of Brothers)Is a newsletter published

of and for the Major John Loudermilk

Chapter #264 of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars

It is published electronically and issued

seasonally.Comments, suggestions or

questions may be sent to the Editor, Gary M. Loudermilk at

gmldhl@harrisbb.com Two Time Winner of the Captain

John Morton Award for Best Chapter Newsletter

Military Order of the Stars and Bars Benediction

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Leader: I asked God for strength, that I might achieve, Members: I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.Leader: I asked for health, that I might do greater things,Members: I was given infirmity that I might do better things.Leader: I asked for riches, that I might be happy,Members: I was given poverty, that I might be wise.Leader: I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,Members: I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.Leader: I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,Members: I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.Leader: I got nothing that I asked for – but everything I had hoped for.Members: Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.ALL: I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier Found on his body in the “Devil’s Den” at Gettysburg

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