May 21, 2013

Gonna Be Writing A Lot About Winchester!

< Read through to the end, as several pictures are placed full-sized in the middle of the this post >

Today, my family bought the ownership of an additional franchise business in Winchester, Virginia. Though I have little hands-on involvement in this retail endeavor, I needed to be there for the transfer and paperwork, etc.  Now, it is not like I do not know or understand quite a few details about the role of Winchester in the Civil War, I’ve just never seriously scouted it all out – especially not recently enough to write about it in this blog. But that is going to change.IMG_0620

There is Civil War history close enough to our store to spit upon it! We are located on Loudoun Street which is the old Valley Pike – serving formerly as the main north/south road through town. This is now, for several blocks, a walking mall in an area called Old Town, Winchester. It is very well-done and a good model for urban renovation of a historic area.

I will have to research what our exact location was in the Civil War era, but immediately next door to the north of us is the currently ongoing renovation project of The Taylor Hotel.  Built and opened by Bushrod Taylor in 1848, its 70 rooms served travelers and functioned as a mail and stagecoach stop in the 1850s. Stonewall Jackson used the hotel as his first headquarters in 1861 while commander of the Valley District. During the War, the structure was a hospital location for wounded, particularly after the First Battle of Kernstown (March, 1862) and the Third Battle of Winchester (September 1864).

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Less than 100 yards to the south of our store and on the opposite side of Loudoun Street is the 1840-built County Courthouse. It was likewise used as both a hospital and a prison. The place was so crowded that the courtyard in front (seen in the picture) was used to contain prisoners. Writing about this in The History of the 118th PA (the Corn Exchange Regiment) was Sergeant Henry Peck – one of 63 prisoners captured at the Battle of Shepherdstown on September 20th, 1862. He wrote:

In Winchester we were consigned to the court-house and the enclosure between it and the street. There was already in these precincts a crowd of some 300 rebels, stragglers, conscripts and the riff-raff a provost-guard can pick up — a miserable lot — who did not fraternize with our men, and who were so filthy in clothing and habits that our men remained of choice in the open yard without tents or blankets, even during nights of hoarfrost, to avoid contact with those in the court-house, which we were otherwise free to occupy.

Owing to restricted diet and exposure, without any covering whatever from the frosty night air, all of our men suffered more or less with dysentery. No medical attention was offered them. Their previous robust health, however, and the hope of soon getting back to our own lines, kept them up, and not one became helpless.

For one or two nights we had small but very hot fires made of beef bones, which we found burn surprisingly well. On the morning we were sent away we were brought into the court-house, one by one, to sign the following parole paper:

 I, ___________ , do solemnly swear that I will not do or undertake any act or exert any influence in favor of or for the advantage of the United States or against the government of the Confederate States; and that I will not divulge anything that I have seen or heard, or may see or hear, to the prejudice of the Confederate States; or engage in any military act whatsoever during the present war until regularly included in an authorized exchange of prisoners.

Sworn before me this 29th day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, at Winchester, Virginia.    …Major W. Kyle.  

By order of General Robert E. Lee.  

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Posted by on May 21, 2013 in Antietam / Battlefield Guides, Antietam Aftermath Series, Winchester and tagged , .

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May 17, 2013

Battle of Big Black River Bridge

On this date of May 17 in 1863 occurred the Battle of Big Black River Bridge. Pulling back toward Vicksburg at their defeat at Champion Hill on the 16th, the Confederates threw up a delaying defense on the east bank of the Black River. Three divisions of McClernand’s 13th Corps engaged the Confederates under the command of John S. Bowen.Big Black River Bridge

Burning the bridges behind them, Bowen’s men did what they could, though their losses totaled about 600 with close to 1800 captured. A bold charge by the men of General Mike Lawler on the Federal right flank had set the southerners into a panicked flight – some even drowning in the river in an attempt to escape. The Union forces threw up their own bridges and continued to follow the next day. Federal losses were only about 300 in total.

The three corps of Sherman, McPherson, and McClernand approached the Vicksburg defenses on the 18th. Assaults on the 19th and 22nd were not at all successful, revealing the strength of the arc of Confederate works around the city. Hence Grant concluded that a siege would be the only successful way to cause the fall of Vicksburg.

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Posted by on May 17, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series, Vicksburg Campaign.

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May 16, 2013

Battle of Champion Hill – 150 Years Ago Today

On this date of May 16 in 1863 was fought the Battle of Champion Hill (a.k.a. Baker’s Creek) – the name coming from a family who lived on the site. This was the primary battle of the Vicksburg Campaign and featured – in broad numbers – about 30,000 Union to 20,000 Confederate combatants. Pemberton had roughly twice that number in the larger vicinity at the onset of the campaign, but they were widely scattered and many cut off from connection due to the recent Battles of Raymond and Jackson.

Harper's Weekly sketch depicting the chaotic fighting Champion Hill (National Park Service)

Harper’s Weekly sketch depicting the chaotic fighting Champion Hill (National Park Service)

The battle began in the early morning along a 3-mile defensive front on the crest of a ridge overlooking Jackson Creek. Grant wrote of this, “Where Pemberton had chosen his position to receive us, whether taken by accident or design, was well selected. It is one of the highest points in that section, and commanded all the ground in the range.” McClernand was on the Federal left with McPherson on the right. Delayed in arriving at the center was Sherman in his march from Jackson, MS.  The left flank of the Confederate line was on Champion Hill where the most severe fighting was waged. Attacks and counter-attacks ended with the weight of the Union cause pushing the Confederates toward Vicksburg across the Big Black River Bridge – the theme for tomorrow.

Major General James B. McPherson

Major General James B. McPherson

A “champion” of the Champion Hill Battlefield site was the late Margie Bearss – wife of famed Park Service / Civil War historian Ed Bearrs.  She was the co-editor of My Dear Wife – Letters to Matilda: The Civil War letters of Sid and Matilda Champion.

Of the battlefield she wrote: “Years later, after I met and married Ed Bearss who at the time was the historian at the Vicksburg National Military Park, we visited Champion Hill where Ed was checking out the battlefield sites and drawing maps. The upper section of the crossroads had been opened and was passable from the site of the Champion house to the crossroads. I was amazed at how near the crest of Champion Hill was to the crossroads and to the upper section of the old Jackson Road. That stretch of road has now been closed for years. As Ed and I climbed the side of the hill, I began to feel uneasy and apprehensive. Too many men had died in the various charges on this hill. It was a solemn place of death. As I reached the top, my hair stood out from the back of my neck and my arms broke out in chill bumps. I could almost feel the menace of the Yankee charge breaking across the field. I have never since felt such unease and apprehension on the hill.”

A historian of the 30th Illinois regiment wrote, “There was not much time for burying the dead, and a good many of them was laid in a ditch and covered over. After the surrender of Vicksburg we were back over the battlefield and the rain had washed the dirt off and their knees were sticking out, and some of their teeth were shining.”  <from Granville B. McDonald of the 30th Illinois>

I noticed in my research that the great-grandson of Jefferson Davis will be the speaker this Saturday at the sesquicentennial celebration of the battle. To read about it, click HERE.

Posted by on May 16, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series, Vicksburg Campaign and tagged , .

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May 15, 2013

General “Burnslide”

Some people wonder how it is possible to do even hundreds of tour groups at Antietam and not get bored with the narrative. Well, even though there is a fair amount of repetition of the actual battle material, the people who come are very diverse, and interesting things happen along the way that never happened before.IMG_0596

Today, for the 2nd consecutive day, I had a busload of teenagers – this time from Ohio. It is sometimes a challenge to get them engaged, as there is clearly a wide range of natural interest in a historical site. I’ve learned that if I can get the girls interested, I’m likely to get most of the group – so I’ll often speak right at the girls, ask questions of them and fuss over them a bit, and then I’ve got the whole group tracking with me. It was going great today – until the end at the Burnside Bridge.

IMG_0600After some recent cool and damp weather, this afternoon was brightly sunny and warm. That is probably what brought a lot of “nature” to life. Before even reaching the bridge we were assaulted by thousands of gnats. And then, when crossing, the bumble bees were flying around us as thick as the missiles from the 2nd and 20th Georgia regiments 150 years ago – I caught one of them in flight – see the picture with its shadow cast upon the bridge surface. But finally, there was the real narrative killer – the appearance of a guy I’ll call General Burnslide – getting a spring tan on the sides of the bridge. He was not alone, as his cousin Captain Griswold of Company A was curled up about five feet away.

This sent my busload of kids headed for their transportation at the double quick. The tour was essentially done!

Even with what I believe to be the most despicable creatures on the planet hanging out at the Burnside Bridge, it has to be about the most beautiful spot on earth.

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Posted by on May 15, 2013 in Uncategorized.

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May 14, 2013

Vicksburg Campaign – Battle of Jackson

The Battle of Jackson, Mississippi occurred on this date of May 14, 1863, and should not be confused with the Battle of Jackson, Tennessee – which was on December 19, 1862.

Confederate General Joseph Johnston – wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines in May, 1862 – arrived on the 13th in the state capital of Jackson, Mississippi. He was now commanding the Department of the West, having been ordered to Mississippi to address the growing threat in that region. He quickly surveyed the situation and seeing inadequate defenses and numbers of troops, he ordered the city evacuated.

Bowman house hotel in Jackson MS

The Bowman House Hotel

On the 14th, John Gregg’s men fought to delay the Union attacks of the 15th Corps of Sherman and the 17th Corps of James B. McPherson, and buy time for the city to be abandoned. The fighting began in late morning and intensified into the mid afternoon. The city having by this time been evacuated, Johnston ordered Gregg to break off the action and follow.

The Union occupied the town with Grant himself hosting a victory party at the Bowman house (hotel). Sherman was ordered to destroy railroad connections with Vicksburg and anything else in the city that could contribute to the war effort. This was done over the next two days. Properties were pillaged as well. Many of Jackson’s inhabitants also suffered the loss of personal property. A minister in the town remarked: “My thresholds, it is true, were spared the stain of blood; but theft and ravage, and wanton destruction marked every room in the house and every article on the premises. . . . May God forgive them for all the evil they did during the two memorable days which they spent amongst us.”

This Union victory not only brought down morale in the South, it isolated Pemberton’s troops in Vicksburg from reinforcement and supply.

Posted by on May 14, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series, Vicksburg Campaign and tagged , .

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May 12, 2013

Today begins a series of quick posts that look back 150 years ago to a number of conflicts surrounding the Vicksburg Campaign, with the ultimate surrender on July 4th. There have already been two articles on this campaign in the Enfilading Lines Blog:

1.  The Running of the Vicksburg Batteries (April 16) and may be found by looking HERE.

2.  The American Normandy: Grant Crosses the Mississippi / Battle of Port Gibson (April 30) and may be found by looking HERE.

The remaining posts will be:

3.  Today, May 12: The Battle of Raymond

General John Gregg

General John Gregg

4.  May 14: The Battle of Jackson

5.  May 16: The Battle of Champion Hill

6.  May 17: The Battle of Big Black River Bridge

7.  May 19: The First Assault on Vicksburg

8.  May 22: The Second Assault on Vicksburg

9.  May 26: The Siege of Vicksburg

10.  July 4: The Surrender of Vicksburg

The Battle of Raymond – May 12, 1863

The forces of Grant’s Army of the Tennessee marched northeast in Mississippi from their river crossing point at Bruinsburg (rather than an expected straight north – see the map), pushing inland from the river over a period of 10-12 days. On this date of May 12, 150 years ago, the Battle of Raymond was fought.

Confederate Brigadier General John Gregg was ordered by commanding general John Pemberton at Vicksburg to intercept advancing Union troops, but to not bring on a general conflict against a larger force. Gregg sought to set a trap at a bridge crossing the 14-Mile Creek, believing the Union force to be some sort of advance raiding party. But the blast of artillery upon the bridge signaled the presence of more infantry (a division under John Alexander Logan). Though the Confederates had the numerical advantage early in the day, the arrival of the Union XVII Corps under the command of Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson turned a 2-1 Confederate advantage into a 3-1 deficit. After six hours of fighting, the superior numbers prevailed and Gregg was forced to retreat from the field.

The result of the battle was that Confederate forces under Pemberton and Gregg (soon to be in command of Johnston) were unable to combine, and the Southern Railroad supply for Vicksburg was cut. Total losses were roughly in the 400-500 range for the Union, and about double that for the Confederates.

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Posted by on May 12, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series and tagged , .

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May 10, 2013

Death of Stonewall Jackson – 150 Years Ago Today

One of the great losses to the Confederate cause happened on this date of May 10, 1863 in the death of General Stonewall Jackson. This was, of course, due to his accidental shooting by his own forces in the grand confusion of that dark evening of eight days prior at the Battle of Chancellorsville. His left arm was amputated, and infections and pneumonia followed. General Lee is reported to have sent word to Jackson with some version of “you have lost your left arm, but I my right.” On the day of his passing which was a Sunday, Jackson said, “It is the Lord’s Day; my wish is fulfilled. I have always desired to die on Sunday.”  And his final words were “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.”

The room at Guinea Station where Jackson died.

The room at Guinea Station where Jackson died.

Probably everyone who ever spent any time with Stonewall Jackson had interesting stories and anecdotes to tell about him. My guy Abner Doubleday was no exception to this. So I thought I would include here an excerpt from my Doubleday biography that I’ll likely never finish (so might as well use it). This is from a time in the couple of years immediately after the Mexican War – so about 1848-1850 – when Doubleday was assigned duty in the old army at Forts Columbus and Hamilton in New York.

< Actual Doubleday quotes are the words italicized >

 The most interesting and unusual person to enter into Doubleday’s association at this time was a gloomy, strict, awkward, and poorly dressed First Lieutenant named Thomas Jackson—later to be known as Stonewall Jackson. Like many others who knew Jackson, Doubleday penned remarks concerning a number of his most prominent eccentricities. Jackson fretted much about his health, as Doubleday wrote: When we met, he either was in poor health, or thought himself to be so, which amounted to pretty much the same thing. Jackson believed that all of his food ran down into his right leg, thus making his left leg weak. He was therefore very strict in his exercises, and also exhibited a fear of drinking surface water—pumping for long moments to get the deeper water of a well. Before a deep religious experience, he had quite some temper and was fond of the honors involved with dueling and the strict rules connected with it. Doubleday wrote of A.P. Hill commenting to him that “Jackson is the last man I should wish to have as a second in an affair of honor—for if he thought I infringed the code, ever so little, he would shoot me himself.” It was a triumph of grace, a proof of deep and sincere piety, when after his conversion, he gave up his belief in this way of settling disputes.   

Jackson owned a fine-looking horse that Doubleday negotiated to possibly purchase. Jackson hesitatingly informed Doubleday it was a fine horse that formerly had some bad habits, which he had solved. They agreed upon a price, and Doubleday took it out for several “test rides” before buying it. It struck Doubleday as odd that a group of people gathered around to see him mount and ride the horse for the first time. I was rather astonished to find that so simple a performance drew a crowd of spectators. Afterward I knew that they wanted to see which would come off best—myself, or the stubborn beast.

But the initial ride of a steady half-mile proved agreeable. On the next occasion, the same onlookers gathered as Doubleday took the horse out on a military exercise. The first occasion when Doubleday halted, the horse threw out his forelegs and refused to be moved. After much prodding, the horse cut some pretty shines and took Doubleday wildly through a ravine and into some brambles. When Doubleday related the experience to Jackson, the latter intimated it was Doubleday’s fault for stopping—that if he had kept him going, the horse would have been just fine!  The deal was not consummated.

Many people feel that the Confederate disaster at the third day at Gettysburg would not have happened if Jackson had survived to be present there. I don’t have a lot of patience for alternative history and speculations about “what ifs” … but there is no doubt that Jackson’s death was a major blow to the Southern cause.

Posted by on May 10, 2013 in Abner Doubleday, Sesquicentennial Series and tagged , , .

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May 5, 2013

Summary and Final Chancellorsville Thoughts

On this rainy day of May 5th, 150 years ago, the Army of the Potomac was retreating to the north across the Rappahannock River at the United States Ford. Though a midnight council of war had met to consider the matter and had voted 3-2 to stay and continue the fight, Hooker had decided to pull back … and that is what happened throughout this day and into the morning of the 6th.

But to quickly summarize the 3rd and 4th (since the last post of 3 days ago on the 2nd) … Relentless and bold Confederate attacks pounded the Union lines on the 3rd, using the advantage of the recently captured high ground called Hazel Grove. Hooker issued few orders this morning, while watching and standing on the veranda of the Chancellor house. A Confederate round shot split the wooden pillar on which he was leaning, leaving him stunned for 30 minutes. Though he mounted his horse and attempted to take charge, varied symptoms consistent with a traumatic brain injury overcame his efforts. He ordered a pullback, which stunned Couch and Meade, though they implemented his command by establishing a bridgehead around the U.S. Ford.

Confederate dead at Marye's Heights

Confederate dead at Marye’s Heights

Over at Fredericksburg, Sedgwick was assaulting Marye’s Heights – being repulsed on the first two attempts. A third more audacious advance with orders to simply rush the hill without pausing to load and fire proved successful, as General John Newton’s division seized the hill and scattered the rebel defenders. Sedgwick quickly gathered his men into columns and pushed them westward toward Hooker at Chancellorsville, leaving John Gibbon’s division of the 2nd Corps to garrison Fredericksburg. Sedgwick’s men encountered opposition at Salem Church – just about 5-6 miles east of Chancellorsville. Lee correctly surmised that Hooker would not come out from behind his trenches near the U.S. Ford, and Sedgwick correctly surmised that Lee was going to bring his heaviest force against him – therefore Sedgwick dug in. The time required for Lee to make these dispositions delayed his attack until late on the 4th, with Sedgwick successfully defending his lines. Sedgwick was told to also retreat north across the Rappahannock, which he too accomplished on the 5th via pontoon bridges downstream from the Banks Ford.

When Lincoln heard of these retreats he exclaimed, “My God, my God, what will the country say? What will the country say?”  Likewise in similar terms, Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune wrote, “My God, it is horrible—horrible; and to think of it, 130,000 magnificent soldiers so cut to pieces by less than 60,000 half-starved ragamuffins!”

So what are we to make of Hooker’s curious behavior? It really is such a mixed bag of good and bad. He had done a wonderful job of resuscitating the army after the Fredericksburg disaster. His battle plan was excellent, and he maneuvered his forces into place on a fine schedule. But when it came time to actually fight the battle, he mysteriously changed personality into a passive person not previously seen. Some blamed his reputation for drinking, while others said it was his cessation from drinking that changed him. And still others said it was a righteous retribution for his arrogant and bombastic speech. Whatever, it was a mess.

John Gibbon wrote of this in his Recollections of the Civil War, “There was a bad influence pervading Hooker’s Headquarters whilst he was in command and this began to crop out immediately after the battle of Chancellorsville. An idea gained ground in the army that by insinuations, innuendoes and intrigues, Hooker and those about him were seeking some “scape-goat” on whom to saddle the responsibility of his failure, a course not without precedent in the army in front of Washington, and when such an impression gets abroad, confidence is soon lost in the officer who attempts it, for no one can ever feel safe in following the dictates of his judgment.”

Ruins of the Chancellor house

Ruins of the Chancellor house

Posted by on May 5, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series and tagged , , , , .

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May 2, 2013

A Day of Disasters at Chancellorsville

On this date of May 2nd of 1863, the second day of the Battle of Chancellorsville featured disasters for each side. The Union’s right flank would be crushed by a surprise attack, while the Confederates would mistakenly mortally wound Lee’s right arm – General Stonewall Jackson.

Confederate forces were spotted moving south of Chancellorsville, perceived by Hooker as a withdrawal. In fact, though moving south, before long they took a road to the west and thus were in a position to attack the exposed right flank of the Union Army – that of the 11th Corps of O.O. Howard. Though numerous warnings and reports were received by Howard throughout the day, for unknown reasons he did not take them seriously. Some of his lieutenants took matters into their own hands to make what preparations they could, but it was insufficient to withstand the weight of Stonewall Jackson’s entire corps rolling them over. As the 11th Corps was washed from the field, Hooker became aware of it by the flight of the men streaming past his headquarters. The action being taken late in the day made it impractical for the Confederates to follow up on it, and darkness ensconced men from both sides in utter confusion – seeking to find safety among their own. As Stonewall Jackson returned from a reconnaissance, he was mistakenly fired upon by his own men – dying eight days later.

Of this disaster of the 11th Corps, I’ll share here some excerpts from Doubleday’s book on the battle. Howard and Doubleday were certainly not pals. Howard had reported Doubleday’s well-ordered retreat at the first day of Gettysburg as a rout – contributing to Newton (Doubleday’s junior) being given a corps assignment over him. Doubleday was terribly bitter about this, and actually never fought again after Gettysburg. I believe this attitude is but scantly beneath the surface in his writing as seen in these excerpts – though Howard did (or didn’t do) plenty to earn such verbal castigations……..

O.O. Howard

O.O. Howard

Notwithstanding Hooker’s order of 9:30 a.m., calling Howard’s attention to the weakness of his right flank, and the probability that Jackson was marching to attack it, no precautions were taken against the impending danger. … So far as I can ascertain, only two companies were thrown out on picket, and they were unsupported by grand guards, so that they did not detain the enemy a moment, and the rebels and our pickets all came in together. … There was no reason other than Howard’s utter want of appreciation of the gravity of the situation to prevent him from forming a strong line of defense to protect his right flank.

The Germans were bitterly denounced for this catastrophe, I think very unjustly, for in the first place less than one-half of the Eleventh Corps were Germans, and  in the second place the troops that did form line and temporarily stop Jackson’s advance were Germans; principally Colonel Adolph Buschbeck’s brigade of Steinwehr’s division, aided by a few regiments of Schurr’s division, who gave a volley or two.

In reference to this surprise, Couch remarks that no troops could have stood under such circumstances, and I fully agree with him.

The subsequent investigation of this sad business by the Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War was very much of a farce, and necessarily unreliable; for so long as both Hooker and Howard were left in high command, it was absurd to suppose their subordinates would testify against them. Any officer that did so would have soon found his military career brought to a close.

Howard was in one or two instances mildly censured for not keeping a better lookout, but as a general thing the whole blame was thrown on the Germans. Hooker himself attributed the trouble to the fact that Howard did not follow up Jackson’s movements, and allowed his men to stray from their arms.

A great French military writer has said, “It is permissible for an officer to be defeated; but never to be surprised.”

Posted by on May 2, 2013 in Abner Doubleday, Sesquicentennial Series and tagged , .

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May 1, 2013

First Day at Chancellorsville – 150 Years Ago Today

The huge Battle of Chancellorsville kicked off in earnest on this date of May 1st in 1863. In the last post of several days ago, I finished with this quote of a note to the Army of the Potomac from General Hooker – a note that EVERYONE who writes about Chancellorsville includes in their comments: “It is with heartfelt satisfaction the commanding general announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that our enemy must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his defenses and give us battle on our own ground, when certain destruction awaits him.”  It is reported that Hooker also said within the hearing of a newspaper reporter that “The rebel army is now the legitimate property of the Army of the Potomac. They may as well pack up their haversacks and make for Richmond. I shall be after them.”

On the beautiful morning of this 1st day of May in 1863, Hooker ordered his men in a three-pronged attack to the east of Chancellorsville, exiting the thicket of the wilderness. The idea was to secure the high ground near Zoan Church and press any Confederates toward Fredericksburg.

At the ridge at Zoan Church were Richard Anderson’s command and the units that had retreated back from the United States Ford … along with the 5/1 morning arrival of McLaws and Jackson’s infantry and artillery. Rather than merely dig in for a defensive stand, the Confederates moved west in an offensive – therefore moving directly into the attack coming toward them. Pressed forward by the audacity of Jackson and Lee, the Union forces ran into a bee’s nest of fire.

Henry Slocum

Henry Slocum

Back at Chancellorsville, the heretofore confidant Joe Hooker completely lost his nerve – ordering a retreat back into the wilderness area to entrench. Hooker’s subordinates were flabbergasted by this. Slocum’s 12th Corps was actually gaining ground at this juncture with but few losses. Meade grudgingly complied with orders but exclaimed, “My God, if we can’t hold the top of a hill, we certainly can’t hold the bottom of it!”

Hooker tried to make the best of it with continued verbal bravado, “Lee is just where I want him; he must fight me on my own ground.”  But Darius Couch could see that he was in the presence of a defeated commander, writing later that “…the retrograde movement had prepared me for something of the kind, but to hear form his own lips that the advantages gained by the successful marches of his lieutenants were to culminate in fighting a defensive battle in that nest of thickets was too much.”  Lee had gained the momentum, and it would not be relinquished … nor would Hooker revive.

My guy (of particular study) Abner Doubleday wrote a volume in the series called Campaigns of the Civil War, writing a combined work on Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. It is not considered a particularly great piece of analysis. As something of a friend of Hooker, Doubleday was not particularly harsh; in fact he may even have something of an apologetic tone of support at times. Among his remarks:

Regarding Hooker’s plans for May 1st movements:  Hooker, who was a very sanguine man, expected to be able to form line of battle by 2 P.M., with his right resting near Tabernacle Church, and his left covering Banks’ Ford. It did not seem to occur to him that the enemy might be there before him and prevent the formation, or that he would have any difficulty in moving and deploying his troops; but he soon found himself hampered in every direction by dense and almost impenetrable thickets, which had a tendency to break up every organization that tried to pass through them into mere crowds of men without order or alignment. Under these circumstances concert of action became exceedingly difficult, and when attempts were made to communicate orders off of the roads, aids wandered hopelessly through the woods, struggling in the thick undergrowth, without being able to find anyone. It was worse than fighting in a dense fog.

Regarding the order to retreat:  To retreat without making any adequate effort to carry out his plans made the General appear timid, and had a bad effect on the morale of the army. It would have been time enough to fall back in case of defeat; and if such a result was anticipated, the engineers with their 4,000 men, aided by Sickles’ corps, could easily have laid out a strong line in the rear for the troops to fall back upon. … After the order came to retire, Couch sent to obtain permission to remain, but it was peremptorily refused. Hooker soon afterward changed his mind and countermanded his first order, but it was then too late; our troops had left the ridge and the enemy were in possession of it. There was too much vacillation at headquarters. Slocum, who was pressing the enemy back, was very much vexed when he received the order, but obeyed it, and retreated without being molested.  …

Here is where a tone of apology is heard: Chancellorsville being a great centre of communication with the plank road and turnpike leading east and west, and less important roads to the south, and southeast, Hooker desired above all things to retain it; for if it should once fall into the hands of the enemy, our army would be unable to move in any direction except to the rear.

Regarding the situation at the end of the day:  The prospect for Lee as darkness closed over the scene was far from encouraging. He had examined the position of the Union army carefully, and had satisfied himself that as regards its centre and left, it was unassailable. Let any man with a musket on his shoulder, encumbered with a cartridge-box, haversack, canteen, etc., attempt to climb over a body of felled timber to get at an enemy who is coolly shooting at him from behind a log breastwork, and he will realize the difficulty of forcing a way through such obstacles. Our artillery, too, swept every avenue of approach, so that the line might be considered as almost impregnable. Before giving up the attack, however, Stuart was directed to cautiously reconnoiter on the right, where Howard was posted, and see if there was not a vulnerable point there.

Yep, there was … and that is much of the story for tomorrow!

Zoan church

Posted by on May 1, 2013 in Sesquicentennial Series and tagged .

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