Crossed Sabers

Coming Up For Air

2012-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

No, I haven't been lost in the wilderness with no access to the internet. No, I haven't given up my pursuit of the Civil war and all things cavalry. I've simply been learning a ton of things in the process of preparing my first manuscript for publishing which will make a wonderful series of posts AFTER it is delivered by the 31st of this month.

But I'm back. Mostly. As times permits between now and the end of the month, then "full time" once again.

So what's been happening while I was gone?

Retiring. Again. Finished up my retiree recall with the Army on Tuesday, with all of the administrative joy and loss of productive time that one might suspect. It was an amazing ride, and I'm truly grateful to all of those who helped along the way.

Finishing the manuscript. One teaser from the upcoming Getting Published series of posts - plan for success. We were incredibly fortunate to have our (my partner, Jim Jones and I, there's no royal plural here) first query accepted by a publisher instead of searching for months for an interested publisher. An acceptance letter and one complete chapter leave you a LONG way to go in the process. Enough said.

Maps. We have not one, not two, but 14 maps for the book, by two very talented cartographers. After the much-lamented Blake Magner's passing, Steven Stanley was kind enough to step in on very short notice and provide the maps for the Beverly Ford and Brandy Station chapters.

Back soon, manuscript to finish, syllabi for spring semester to post....

2nd US Cavalry in the Maryland Campaign

2011-04-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

Friend Larry Freiheit emailed me recently with a query about the regular cavalry in the Maryland Campaign. It’s not a campaign that the regular cavalry was particularly active or effective in, so the little available information is somewhat obscure. In examining the 2nd Cavalry in particular, the question of regimental and company strength is confusing at best, and baffling at worst.

The regiment began the campaign with only four companies: E, F, H and K, and a small headquarters staff. Co.’s A, B and D were broken up in July 1862, with their privates sent to other companies and the sergeants, buglers and officers sent to recruit in New York City, Carlisle barracks and Morristown, PA, respectively. Co.’s C, G and I were still in the western theater, on their respective journeys to rejoin the regiment from the beginning of the war. L and M Companies had only been authorized a month or so before and had just started recruiting. By year’s end 11 of 12 companies would be present on the Rappahannock, but for this campaign there were only four.

The regiment was commanded by the senior company commander present for duty. His staff consisted of permanently assigned positions. For this campaign they consisted of regimental adjutant, 2nd Lt. James McQuesten, the regimental sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Robert Lennox, and the regimental quartermaster sergeant, Sgt. Edward J. Spaulding.

The regiment disembarked ships from the Peninsula on August 25th, and went into camp in Centerville, VA. On September 1st, it was assigned as the Provost Guard for the General Headquarters, Army of the Potomac. Parts of the regiment, as well as a squadron from the 4th U.S. Cavalry, had performed similar duties during the preceding campaign.

The present for duty strengths of the four companies from the end of September 1862 monthly return are listed below. Bear in mind that the authorized strength of a cavalry company at this time was roughly 100 men, with a captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant each.

Co. E 1 officer /22 enlisted men (1st Lt. William H. Harrison)
Co. F 2 officer /36 enlisted men (Cpt. John Green, 2nd Lt. Paul Quirk)
Co. H 1 officer /24 enlisted men (2nd Lt. Michael Lawless)
Co. K 2 officers /30 enlisted men (Cpt. George A. Gordon, 2nd Lt. Peter Rinner)
Co. L 1 officer on detached service with Co. F (2nd Lt. Robert Lennox)

These officer numbers are a little tricky, however, as a number of noncommissioned officers of the regiment were approved for appointments as second lieutenants on July 17th. This news unfortunately did not reach the regiment until after the battle on September 24th. These promotions distort the already understrength numbers above. The promotions affecting the companies of the Maryland portion of the regiment are below.

E: 1stLt. William H. Harrison (news of promotion to 1stLt arrives 25 Sep)
F: Cpt. John Green
2ndLt. Paul Quirk (1stSgt of Co. F until news arrives 24 Sep. Date of rank 17 July)
2nd Lt. of Co. L on detached duty with Co. F (Regt SGM until news arrives 24 Sep)
H: 2ndLt. Michael Lawless (1Sgt of Co. H until news arrives 24 Sep)
K: Cpt. George A. Gordon
2ndLt. Peter Rinner (1Sgt of Co. K until news arrives 24 Sep)
Regt HQ: 2ndLt. Edward J. Spaulding (Regt QM Sgt until news arrives 24 Sep)

So the more accurate strength for the battle is:

Co. E 1/22 (2nd Lt. William H. Harrison)
Co. F 1/37 (Cpt. John Green)
Co. H 0/25
Co. K 1/31 (Cpt. George A. Gordon, also commanding regiment)
HQ 1/2 (2nd Lt. James McQuesten)

Regimental present for duty strength for the battle of Antietam for Captain George A. Gordon’s 2nd U.S. Cavalry was 4 officers and 117 enlisted men, just over one company in strength.

I thought I had posted this entry several days ago, so I suppose posting it today is somewhat of a lame birthday present for Brian Downey of Behind Antietam on the Web as well. Happy Birthday Brian!

Sources

Lambert, Joseph I. One Hundred Years With the Second Cavalry. San Antonio: Newton Publishing Company, 1999. (reprint of 1936 original, when Lambert was regimental adjutant)

Returns from Regular Regiments, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, September 1862

Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000. (reprint of 1876 original. Lt Rodenbough was in the regiment but off recruiting for Co.'s L & M during the Maryland campaign.)

SOS - Mapmaker Needed

2011-03-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

We've had a very positive response from a publisher on our 6th U.S. Cavalry manuscript, and they're ready to send contracts, but we find ourselves in a rather desperate need of a cartographer for the work's maps. The publisher couldn't recommend one.

Does anyone know of anyone who does this for a reasonable price? For that matter, can anyone tell me what a reasonable price is? We're basically looking at two battle maps, a map of part of the Rappahannock, and six or seven campaign maps. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely beyond Jim's and my ability to produce.

Of Poems and Roundtables

2011-03-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Poetry isn't a usual feature on this blog, but I recently unearthed this poem by Joseph Mills Hanson and thought it was worth sharing. It was in the Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Vol. 49, July-August 1911, page 142. It was originally published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, date unknown.

The Cavalry Veteran

This sabre-cut on my forehead scored?
I picked it up at Beverly Ford
The day we turned “Jeb” Stuart’s flank
And hurled him from the river bank.
It was parry and thrust with a hearty will
As we fought for the guns on Fleetwood Hill,
While over the fields and through the pines
Backward and forward surged the lines;
Twelve thousand men in a frenzied fray;
Charge and rally and mad melee ---
Oh, the crash and roar as the squadrons met,
The cheers and yells --- I can hear them yet!
But we’d forced the fords, so our work was done,
And we galloped away ere set of sun.

This welt of a bullet across my arm?
It’s a scratch I caught at McPherson’s farm
That morning our outposts chanced to strike
Hill’s solid corps on the Cashtown pike.
Hour by hour or thin ranks stood
Stubbornly holding each fence and wood,
Till, down the road where the wheat-fields grew
And the spires of Gettysburg pierced the blue,
WE saw a column of dust arise,
A welcome sight to our anxious eyes,
And into the hell of the battle’s roar
Reynolds marched with the old First Corps;
But the field where the rebel flood was stayed
Was held by the stand that Buford made.

This limp I got as my horse went down
When Fitz Lee ran us through Buckland town.
Out of the woods with a spurt of flame,
Driving backward our van, he came.
Custer struggled to turn the thrust,
But they whirled him off like a fleck of dust;
Davies, shattered in front and flanks,
Took to the fields with flying ranks,
And off we scampered, like boys at play,
Over the hills and far away.
Crack! A shot through my good steed’s knee;
Down he tumbled on top of me,
And I crawled to a thicket, right glad to lie
Till the jubilant rebels had thundered by.

This scar on my neck was a bayonet blow
From a stalwart Johnnie sat Waynesboro,
Where we routed Early from hill to hill
And tossed him over to Charlottesville,
Clearing the valley, all seamed and scored
By waste and pillage and fire and sword,
Down we galloped like Attila’s Huns,
Capturing trenches and flags and guns,
Bagging the foe ere the fight began.
(That was a habit with Sheridan!)
I seized a flag, but the color guard
Passed my parry and thrust me hard ---
Though we made it up and were friends for aye
When I shared my rations with him next day!

As often happens, this thread led somewhere unexpected. Reading the poem, it sounds as though the rider was a veteran of Buford's 1st Cavalry Division of the Army of the Potomac, most likely a volunteer from either the 1st or 2nd Brigade. A quick check of the NPS Soldiers & Sailors database didn't turn up a cavalryman by that name, so I did a generic internet search.

Here's what I turned up in a biography on a South Dakota State Historical Society website (look here for the remainder of the biographical sketch)

"In later years, deriving from his enthusiasm and expertise in military history, especially Civil War history, the National Park Service hired Joseph as Historical Assistant. He compiled maps for battles at Petersburg, Antietam, Kennesaw Mountain, and Richmond. He had a short stint as archeologist at Jamestown, from which he believed himself unqualified. His final assignment with the National Park Service placed him as first superintendent of the newly established Manassas Battlefield Park in Virginia where he was instrumental in researching, mapping and designating historical signage and landmarks throughout the park.

"In 1935, Joseph, along with 3 other Civil War enthusiasts from Manassas formed a group calling themselves the Battlefield Crackpates. In 1952, the group formally organized and expanded into the Civil War Roundtable of Washington D.C. Joseph was one of 18 as a founding member. The Roundtable promotes the preservation of Civil War historical fields and landmarks. Joseph and the members of the Roundtable actively lobbied and successfully prevented the federal government from building part of the interstate highway through the Manassas Battlefield. In 1957, Joseph received the Roundtable’s Gold Medal Award for distinguished achievement in Civil War history. One of the original Crackpates, artist Garnet Jex, painted Joseph’s portrait for the National Park Service at the Manassas Battlefield Park. In 1953, Joseph’s last book, Bull Run Remembers, was published, compiled from his extensive research for the Manassas Battlefield Park. Joseph retired from the National Park Service in December 1947 and lived with his second wife, Rosamond, in Manassas until his death on February 11, 1960. He is buried next to his parents in the Yankton Cemetery."

I will refrain from nominating any new members for the Battlefield Crackpates.

From poetry to the birth of the Civil War Round Table in one brief entry. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Fiddler’s Green: Richard Byrne, Regular Cavalryman in the Irish Brigade

2011-03-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Richard Byrne was born in 1833 in County Cavan, Ireland, and emigrated to New York in 1844. He appears to have initially joined the army in January 1851, but I was unable to find enlistment documents from his first enlistent. He appears only on post returns as a recruit.

Byrne was enlisted as a private into Company G, 1st (later 4th) Cavalry by Lt. Robert Ransom on May 21, 1856 at Fort Leavenworth, KS. His occupation is listed as soldier, and he’s described as 5’10 ½” tall, with black hair, gray eyes and a fair complexion. He was promoted to corporal and sergeant within Co. G, and by early 1861 was the regimental sergeant major.

On May 14, 1861, Sergeant Major Byrne was appointed a 2nd lieutenant in the 17th Infantry. He applied for a transfer back to the cavalry, which was endorsed by his former commander, now Brigadier General Edwin V. Sumner, and was transferred to the 5th Cavalry on September 21st. He remained attached to the 4th Cavalry until October 1861, when he joined his company in Washington, D.C.

He served with the 5th cavalry throughout the Peninsula campaign, seeing fighting at Williamsburg, Hanover Court House, Ashland, Old Church and White oak Swamp. Byrne was promoted to 1st lieutenant on July 17, 1862. During the Maryland campaign, he saw action at South Mountain, Antietam, Shepherdstown, Halltown and Martinsburg.

Massachusetts Governor John Albion Andrews appointed Byrne colonel of the 28th Massachusetts Infantry on September 29, 1862. On October 16, 1862, he was granted an indefinite leave of absence from the 5th Cavalry to accept the appointment, and assumed command of his new regiment two days later at Nolan’s Ferry. The following month, the regiment was assigned to Colonel Thomas Francis Meagher’s Irish Brigade, Hancock’s Division, II Corps.

Colonel Byrne led his regiment against Marye’s Heights at Fredericksburg, where they lost 157 men killed, wounded and missing of 720 engaged. He fought at the regiment’s head during the Chancellorsville and Gettysburg campaigns.

He was sent back to Massachusetts during the winter of 1863 and spring of 1864 to recruit for the regiment’s depleted ranks. By the opening of the Overland Campaign he had returned to the regiment, and as senior officer present assumed command of the Irish Brigade.

Colonel Byrne was mortally wounded while leading an attack on the Confederate entrenchments at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864. He was transported to Washington, D.C., where his wife joined him. Richard Byrne died on June 12, 1864. His appointment as a brigadier general of volunteers had been signed by President Lincoln, but he died before it could be officially presented to him. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York with military honors.

One of the Irish Brigade’s officers, D.P. Conyngham described Byrne as “brave almost to rashness, he always led his men, who knew no fear under his eye; a strict disciplinarian, just to each and all in the exercise of his authority, he commanded the respect and esteem of those under him, and to his efforts is mainly due the high reputation for steadiness and discipline which the Twenty-eighth enjoyed.”

References

Conyngham, D.P. The Irish Brigade and its Campaigns. New York: William McSorley & Co. Publishers, 1867.
Heitman, pg 272.
Price, pgs 495-496.
U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914, RG 94, NARA.
U.S. Army, Returns from Military Posts, 1806-1916, RG 94, NARA.

Fiddler's Green: David S. Gordon

2011-03-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

I recently received a request to check into David Stuart Gordon, and unearthed a very interesting cavalryman’s career.

David Stuart Gordon was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania on May 23, 1832, four years to the day before the birth of the regiment in which he would spend the majority of his career. Prior to the war, he moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he worked as a merchant and the city auditor.

After Lincoln was elected president, Senator James H. Lane of Kansas offered him a bodyguard of men from Kansas to protect him during his trip to Washington. Lincoln declined the offer, but Lane sent the men to Washington anyway. They organized themselves as a company known as the “Frontier Guard,” and established their headquarters at the Willard Hotel. Senator Lane was the company’s captain, and David S. Gordon was its first sergeant. Four days after the surrender of Fort Sumter, the company was asked by the Secretary of War to secure the White House. The company remained on duty there for several weeks before they were honorably discharged.

It is not surprising, then, that Gordon was in the first round of civilian appointments of officers to replace resignations in the regular army’s regiments. Senator Lane likely had something to do with this, since he was appointed to the Army from Kansas and not his native Pennsylvania. He was appointed second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry on April 26, 1861, and accepted the appointment the next day. Companies from the regiment were at that time arriving at Carlisle Barracks, PA from their evacuation of Texas. As soon as the first companies were refitted, they were dispatched to Washington, D.C. to defend the capitol. Gordon joined them when they reached Washington. He does not appear on the regiment’s muster rolls in April, May or June 1861.

On May 31, 1861, he accompanied Lt. Charles Tompkins and his company on a raid to Fairfax Courthouse (see here for details). Following the raid, and probably as a result of the hubbub surrounding it, Lt. Gordon was appointed an aide de camp to General Keyes. He was captured while serving in this position on July 21, 1861, during the battle of Bull Run.

Gordon was quite well-travelled as a prisoner, as the Confederate government struggled to establish a system for handling prisoners of war. Initially sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, he was subsequently incarcerated at Castle Pinckney, Charleston, SC; Columbia jail, SC; and Salisbury, NC. He was not exchanged until August 1862.

In the meantime, the U.S. cavalry regiments were redesignated the month after Bull Run. The 2nd Cavalry became the 5th Cavalry, and the 2nd Dragoons became the 2nd Cavalry. So Gordon emerged from captivity to service in a new regiment of the same name. Such was the confusion over which regiment Gordon was assigned to that he appears in George Price’s Across the Continent With the Fifth Cavalry only in Charles Tompkins’ entry. He served for several months as the inspector of the U.S. Army’s Parole Camp at Annapolis, MD before joining the regiment just before the battle of Fredericksburg.

Following the battle of Fredericksburg, Lt. Gordon was assigned to the staff of General Schenk, commander of the Middle Department at Baltimore, MD. He served as an acting assistant adjutant general to General Schenk through the Gettysburg campaign. On April 25, 1863, he was promoted to captain in the 2nd US Cavalry, and on paper assigned to Company D, though still listed on detached service. He received a brevet to major, U.S. Army for gallant and meritorious service at the battle of Gettysburg.

He rejoined his regiment during the pursuit from Gettysburg, seeing action at Manassas Gap, Rappahannock Station, and Culpeper Courthouse.

In 1864 he served with regiment during the Wilderness campaign and Sheridan’s two raids. He commanded the regiment on the second day of the battle of Trevillian Station when Capt. T.F. Rodenbough was seriously wounded on June 11. He commanded the regiment through the battle of Deep Bottom on July 27-28, 1864, and during the majority of the Shenandoah campaign from August to October 1864.

In late October he was assigned to Carlisle Barracks for recruiting duty, as were officers from all the regular cavalry regiments. He was further assigned to Cincinnati, OH, where he recruited for his regiment from October 1864 to January 1865.

His regiment did not participate in the Appomattox campaign, and as the senior officer present he assumed command when he rejoined it at Point of Rocks, MD from March to November 1865.

At that point the majority of the brevetted officers returned from duty with volunteer regiments, and Gordon made the long slide down to once again commanding his Company D. The regiment was assigned to duty on the frontier In November, and began the long march to Fort Leavenworth, KS. Once the regiment reached Kansas, Gordon and Company D were further assigned to Fort Lyon, CO, where they remained until October 1866.

The 2nd US Cavalry was reassigned to the Department of the Platte under pre-war commander Philip St. George Cooke at the end of the year, and the regiment’s companies were reassigned to forts in what is today Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Capt. Gordon and his company spent only a few weeks at their new post of Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory when they once again received marching orders. Following news of the Fetterman massacre, a column of infantry and cavalry was dispatched to the relief of Fort Kearney in January 1867. Gordon commanded a squadron of his own company and Company L in support of four companies of the 10th Infantry. An impromptu winter march across Nebraska must have been a challenging mission. Once they reached the fort, the majority of the column returned to Fort Laramie, but Gordon and his company garrisoned the fort until it was closed the following July.
Gordon’s next post was Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming Territory, where he and his company served from August 1868 to May 1869. During this period his service is described as “engaged with hostile Indians and escorting mail and government trains.” Gordon later published an account of this expedition in the Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States in 1911.

Gordon’s company conducted an extended scouting expedition of the Wind River valley from May to September 1869, engaged multiple times with hostile Indians before moving to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory in October. They were engaged in the affair at Miner’s Delight, WT on May 4, 1870, but I could not locate any information on said affair. They were then assigned to Camp Douglass, WT, where they spent the next five years.

At this point Gordon’s career becomes very cloudy. He was steadily promoted, so it’s unlikely any seriously untoward happened at Miner’s Delight, but there is no mention of further postings. He was promoted in the regiment to major on June 25, 1877 and lieutenant colonel on November 20, 1889.

In 1892, he was assigned to command Fort Myer, Washington, D.C. He finally left his regiment on July 28, 1896, when he was promoted to colonel and command of the 6th U.S. Cavalry. Gordon was promoted to brigadier general upon his retirement on May 23, 1896.

Brigadier General David S. Gordon died on January 30, 1930, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Sources:
Gordon, David S. "The Relief of Fort Phil Kearny," Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Volume 49, September-October 1911, pages 280-284.
Henry, Volume 1, page 153
Heitman, page 465
Lambert, Joseph. One Hundred Years With the Second Cavalry. San Antonio: Newton Publishing Company, 1999.
New York Times articles, December 29, 1895 and January 28, 1912.
Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry. New York: Antiquarian Press, Ltd, 1935.
Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.
Speer, John. The Life of General James H. Lane.

Will the Real John Dolan Please Stand Up?

2011-03-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of studying history is chasing down odd threads to see where they lead. I recently came across one such thread as I was cross-referencing information between regiments. I chanced upon an account of a former noncommissioned officer in George Price’s Across the Continent With the Fifth Cavalry that touched on three different regular cavalry regiments. Price’s account is the only more or less contemporary account of the regiment during the Civil war and on the frontier. It’s a decent reference as long as one keeps in mind that it has a very friendly bias (he was one of the regiment’s officers) and is entirely anecdotal in nature.

The individual in question, First Sergeant John Dolan, at the time of his death, “had been in continuous service for nearly thirty years, and had served more than twenty years as a first sergeant.”

A perfect soldier to profile, I thought. Given the information laid out by Price, there should be a wealth of information available on this fine soldier. Alas, trying to corroborate Price’s information in some areas proved to be quite challenging. A quick check of the National Park Service's database revealed no less than ten John Dolans in regular cavalry regiments during the Civil War, from 5 of the 6 regular cavalry regiments. Two were for a first sergeant of Company B, 4th US Cavalry.

Price’s coverage begins at the beginning of Dolan’s career. “He served two enlistments in the First Dragoons from 1850 to 1860, and during his first enlistment was on active service against hostile Indians and was distinguished for bravery and good deportment. He participated during his second enlistment, in many expeditions, and was frequently engaged in combats with the Apaches in Arizona and New Mexico.”

The only records that I can find for a John Dolan in a mounted regiment through regimental muster rolls or enlistment documents prior to the Civil War are for the 2nd Dragoons, not the 1st Dragoons. According to his enlistment documents, Dolan was born in Longford, Ireland, and was described as 23 years old, 5’ 10” tall, with grey eyes, dark hair and a ruddy complexion. He was enlisted in Company B, 2nd Dragoons by Captain James Oakes in Pittsburgh on April 6, 1853. He reenlisted in the same company as a private at Fort Riley, Kansas Territory on February 6, 1857. 1st vs 2nd Dragoons is an easy enough mistake, so perhaps it was the same person.

Price continues: “His third enlistment was with the First (now Fourth) Cavalry, and during the year 1860 he participated in an expedition against the Kiowas and Comanches. He served, with his regiment, during the early operations of the war of the Rebellion, participating in the battles of Springfield and Shiloh, and the fall of Corinth.”

This is possible, but would have required Dolan to move between units a bit. In 1860, B Company, 2nd Dragoons, commanded by Captain John Buford, was in Utah on the Mormon Expedition, not fighting Indians. Transfers of soldiers and noncommissioned officers between companies within the regiment were not unheard of, however, if not an everyday occurrence. There were companies from the regiment in New Mexico and Colorado, and their movements east toward the war would have brought them into contact with the 4th Cavalry in Missouri at about the time of the battles mentioned. Indeed, the only regular cavalry representatives at the battle of Shiloh were Company C, 2nd Dragoons and Company I, 4th Cavalry, commanded by an infantry lieutenant. These two companies remained together through the fall of Corinth.

At this point, our two Dolans diverge. 2nd Dragoon Dolan must have continued east with his regiment. He was in Carlisle, Pennsylvania when he was sworn in for his third enlistment, according to his enlistment papers, into Company M, 2nd Cavalry on May 28, 1862 as a private. During their long march west, the regiment had been redesignated as the 2nd Cavalry. His enlistment documents describe him as 32 years old, 5’ 11” tall, with grey eyes, dark hair and a ruddy complexion, matching our previous description.

“He distinguished himself in the battles of Perryville and Stone River; commanded his company at Stone River, and had a horse killed under him during the pursuit of General Bragg; also had a horse killed under him and was severely wounded while commanding the advance-guard at the battle of Snow Hill,” according to Price.
Official reports verify this. In the regimental commander’s report on the battle of Murfreesboro, or Stones River, Captain Elmer Otis notes, “First Sergt. John Dolan, Company B, captured a captain and received his sword.” (OR, Vol. 20, part I, page 650)

“He was recommended for a commission in 1863, but declined an examination; was again recommended in 1864, but failed to pass the required physical examination because of the wounds received at Snow Hill.”

Entirely possible, as several first sergeants in the 4th Cavalry, many of them the same ones mentioned in the report from Stones River for gallantry while leading their companies, received commissions as second lieutenants in the regiment. Given his wounds, it is entirely possible that he wasn’t able to pass the examination. Another 4th Cavalry first sergeant who was appointed a lieutenant in the 6th US Cavalry waited several months to report to his new regiment while his wounds healed.

“He served with General Sherman’s army in Georgia, and afterwards joined the army under General Thomas and participated in the battle of Nashville, where he had a horse killed under him, was captured and sent to Andersonville, where he remained four months, when he was exchanged, and rejoined his regiment in July 1865.”
This describes the course of the remainder of the 4th US Cavalry’s campaigns during the war, and logically makes sense. Unfortunately, I could find no reference to a John Dolan from the 4th US Cavalry in any records from Andersonville, and there is a pretty significant existing database. There was a John Dolan from the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, but he perished from diarrhea, and the only regular army John Dolan was from the 19th US Infantry.

Meanwhile, Dragoon Private Dolan again reenlisted at Carlisle, PA on April 11, 1865. This time he enlisted in Company I, 2nd Cavalry. His enlistment documents describe him as 35 years old, 5’11” tall, with grey eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He reenlisted a final time at Fort D.A. Russell, Dakota Territory on April 11, 1868, into the same company. Other than his age, his description in the documents is unchanged. He was discharged as an orderly sergeant from the 2nd Cavalry at the same post on May 24, 1869 in General Order #26, Department of the Platte and disappears from any further records.

As for Price’s Dolan, “he was in constant service, after the war, in Georgia and Texas until December 1870, when he was discharged for disability resulting from the breaking out of old wounds; after his wounds had again healed he enlisted in the Sixth Cavalry in November 1871, and had active service in the Indian Territory and Arizona until the expiration of his fifth period of service, when he joined the Fifth Cavalry, in 1876, on his sixth enlistment.”

All quite possible, and accurate descriptions of units and locations, but I was unable to locate any documents confirming the information.

“..was again recommended in 1878, and when he met his death in battle a bill was pending in Congress authorizing the President to appoint him a second lieutenant and place him on the retired list. It was favorably reported upon after the gallant soldier was dead.”

First Sergeant John Dolan, Company F, 5th U.S. Cavalry was killed in action at Milk Creek, Colorado on September 29, 1879. Price eulogized him as “a model first sergeant, and perfect in the duties of his office. He commanded, under all circumstances, the respect and good-will of his officers.”

Where does this leave us? With not one but two John Dolans, each of whom served in regular cavalry regiments over 25 years, including the entire Civil War. Surely that’s worth a memory and a few minutes of your time?

References

Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry. New York: Antiquarian Press Ltd., 1959. Page 682.

Returns from Regular Army Regiments, 1821-1916 (accessed via Ancestry.com)

U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 (also accessed via Ancestry.com)

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database, National Park Service

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion (as noted in text)

4th U.S. Cavalry Tribute

2011-02-24T07:25:00.001-08:00

I stumbled across a tribute to the 4th U.S. Cavalry in the National Tribune while researching something totally unrelated. Unfortunately, I only have part of one column of the article on the page I received from USAHEC.

The author was a former volunteer cavalryman, and among other topics he seems to primarily write about actions around Corinth in October 1862.

"The 4th U.S. Cav. was as fine a regiment as was ever organized in any war. The discipline, the gallantry, the bravery and prowess of that regiment was not excelled by any regiment in any department of the armies of the United States"

He continues to write about other units who participated in the fight, including the 72nd Indiana Mounted Infantry, 5th Kentucky Cavalry, 3rd Illinois Cavalry, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tennessee Cavalry, and the 2nd Iowa Cavalry. The last regiment was apparently instrumental in saving the day.

It seems all things these days are somehow connected to the 6th U.S. Cavalry, and I just realized this article has one, too. The commander of the 5th Kentucky Cavalry aat this time was none other than William Sanders, former captain of the 6th U.S. Cavalry and cousin of Jefferson Davis.

The article, for those who would like to look into this further, is the May 28, 1891 issue of the National Tribune, page 3, column 4 and possibly others (mine was in column 2).

Book Review - Distant Bugles, Distant Drums

2011-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

In Distant Bugles, Distant Drums, author Flint Whitlock conducts an in-depth analysis of the New Mexico campaign of 1862. Previous works have related primarily the Confederate viewpoint of the campaign, due in large part to the availability of primary source material from the campaign. Mr. Whitlock presents a more Union-centric approach, with a careful blend of primary accounts of both sides. The principal narrators of this story are the leaders and members of the 1st Colorado Volunteers. Through exhaustive research in the Colorado state archives, he has pieced together a narrative as enjoyable and accurate as it is compelling.

Too often in historical writing, accuracy and an enjoyable writing style are mutually exclusive. This is definitely not the case for this book. Whitlock provides a very lively and entertaining account of the campaign, from its roots to its culmination. He weaves firsthand accounts of the campaign into very accurate and coherent narration of the campaign’s skirmishes and battles. Unlike many books of this sort, there are actually enough maps to enable the reader to easily follow the action. Surprisingly, the author created them himself, and they greatly assist the reader to follow the individual engagements and the campaign as a whole.

This is far from a simple battle book, however. Whitlock develops his characters as well as many fiction writers, presenting them with both their strengths and foibles. The overwhelming majority of them are multi-faceted, with the possible exception of Henry H. Sibley. Although told from a primarily Union viewpoint, the author carefully blends in the situation and decisions of both sides as the campaign develops.

At the end of the campaign, Whitlock’s summary of the major players’ careers through the remainder of the war and modern descriptions of the locations of the book was both entertaining and enlightening. Given the depth of information about the 1st Colorado, a roster for the regiment would not have been out of place, but this was a campaign study and not a regimental history.

If I had one issue with this book, it would be that at times it seems a bit too 1st Colorado-centric. The efforts of the New Mexico volunteers are dismissed outright, and I would have liked to see more of the point of view of the Regular Army units and leaders. This may simply be due to the information available to the author, however, as official reports from the Official Records often don’t offer such insight. It is a minor issue that does not detract from the book, however. This is an excellent read, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in examining this generally poorly understood theater of the war.

Fiddler’s Green – Jeremiah C. Denney

2010-12-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah C. Denney was born in Mallow, Ireland about 1834, and emigrated to the United States at an early age. He enlisted in Company D, 2nd U.S. Cavalry on March 15, 1855, as the newly-created regiment initially filled its ranks. A 22 year old currier, he was enlisted by Lieutenant Buford in Louisville, Kentucky for a term of 5 years. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’ 5” tall, with fair hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He was promoted to corporal in November of the same year before transferring to the regimental band. Denney was appointed Chief Bugler of the regiment on August 1, 1858.

Chief Bugler Denney was reenlisted at Camp Cooper, Texas on January 15, 1860 by Lieutenant Richard S. Lord. Four months later, he was appointed the regimental sergeant major, and served in that capacity during the regiment’s exodus from Texas when that state seceded the following year.

During the summer and fall of 1861, he participated in General Patterson’s Shenandoah campaign, seeing action at Falling Waters, Martinsburg and Bunker Hill. He served with the regiment training in the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1861.

In March of 1862, he and his regiment moved to the peninsula with the rest of the Army of the Potomac. He was engaged in the nearly daily skirmishes during the army’s advance toward Richmond following the battle of Williamsburg in early May.
He was so badly wounded during the regiment’s fatal charge at Gaines’ Mill in July that he was transferred to the general service and assigned duties as a clerk in the War Department. Upon recovery from his wounds, however, he returned to the regiment. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the 5th Cavalry to date from July 17, 1862, and promoted to first lieutenant to date from the same day. These promotions took time to be approved and forwarded to the regiment, however.

He physically returned to the regiment itself, as opposed to its rolls, in September 1862, in time for the Rappahannock and Maryland campaigns. Following the battle of Antietam, he saw action at Halltown, Upperville, Markham’s Station, Barbee’s Crossroads and Amissville. Lieutenant Denney was assigned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company H until October 16, 1862, when he was assigned to Company B at the same rank until February 19, 1863.

Assignments didn’t always match duties, however. Lieutenant Denney served as company commander for Company B and acting regimental quartermaster during the winter of 1862 near Falmouth, Virginia. He left on a sick leave of absence from April until June, returning before the battle of Brandy Station. He fought with his regiment throughout the Gettysburg campaign and subsequent pursuit, including the second battle at Brandy Station on August 1st.

Once his promotion orders were received by the regiment, he returned to Company H as a 1st lieutenant, and served there until August 31st. He was then transferred to Company G, where he was assigned for the remainder of the war.

In September he led a detachment from the regiment to Point Lookout, Maryland, where he served until July 1864, when he and the detachment returned to the regiment in time for the battle of Deep Bottom.

First Lieutenant Denney commanded the entire regiment, minus the three companies serving as escort to General Grant, during numerous engagements with the Reserve Brigade in the Shenandoah Valley from July 28 to August 31, 1864. He also earned a brevet of captain at the battle of Cedar Creek for gallant and meritorious service on October 19, 1864.

Lieutenant Denney served near Winchester during the winter of 1864, and participated in Sheridan’s expedition to rejoin the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1865, as well as the pursuit from Petersburg toward Appomattox. He was captured in the battle of Five Forks on March 30, 1865, and reported himself as a paroled prisoner of war on April 3rd.

He rejoined the regiment on May 1st, and remained in command until June 25th. He marched with the regiment to Cumberland, Maryland in June, where it remained until January 1866. On July 28, 1866, he was promoted to captain and assigned command of Company A. Captain Denney joined his new company on reconstruction duty in North Carolina in August. He served in Raleigh, Kingston, Asheville and Morganton until September 1868, when the regiment was transferred to Kansas.

After action in three different engagements in October, Denney fell seriously ill. He was in hospital at Fort Wallace, Kansas from November 1, 1868 to February 3, 1869. During the fall, he was recommended by Generals Merritt and Emory for a brevet of major gallant and meritorious service during the Gettysburg campaign, but it was never approved. At some point during this winter, his wife died, and her loss hit Denney particularly hard. He rejoined his company at Fort Lyon, Colorado and marched with it to Fort McPherson, Nebraska, fighting skirmishes at Beaver Creek and Spring Creek along the march.

Against the judgment of his superiors, he accompanied the Republican River expedition of 1869. Although somewhat impaired mentally from the loss of his wife, it was hoped that active field service would restore his health. This unfortunately proved not to be the case, and he was relieved from command of his company and escorted back to Fort McPherson.

Captain Jeremiah Denney died at Fort McPherson, Nebraska on June 12, 1869, and is buried in Fort McPherson National Cemetery, in present day Maxwell, Nebraska. His pension was claimed by his minor dependent and presumed stepson, John Bolin, on June 6, 1873, according to pension records.

A contemporary described Denney as “a man of generous impulses, faithful to his friendships, and esteemed by those who knew him as a gallant officer and courteous gentleman.”

Sources:
Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry. Pgs 409-411.
Heitman, pg 367
Henry, Volume I, pg 146
Regimental Muster Rolls
U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914, as accessed on Ancestry.com

Chickamauga Cavalry Excerpt

2010-11-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to find an excerpt from David Powell's upcoming book Failure in the Saddle in the Fall 2010 edition of CWPT's Hallowed Ground. Powell is one of the two or three most knowledgeable people I am aware of on the Chickamauga campaign, and I've really been looking forward to the release of his book. We're inside my household's holiday book-purchasing moratorium window, so I'll have to wait a few more weeks, but the excerpt provided an excellent preview.

Powell's article focuses on the fight at Reed's Bridge near the outset of the battle. Elements of Minty's and Wilder's cavalry brigades held off advancing Confederate infantry at critical fords, providing important time for Union forces to react to the enemy advance. This has long been one of the most interesting parts of the battle to me, as there were several conflicting reports of just what happened in this fight by eyewitnesses after the war. There was quite a debate in the National Tribune across several issues. Some I've been able to locate, some I'm still looking for. A very romanticized version of the 4th U.S. Cavalry's participation in the fight can be found in James Larson's Sergeant Larson, 4th Cav., but the accuracy of this account has ben questioned.

If the quality of this article is indicative of the book itself, readers are in for a treat. Powell successfully weaves numerous (sometimes conflicting) firsthand accounts of a confusing series of skirmishes into a cohesive story that is as informative as it is entertaining.

The article can be found online here, and the book itself can be purchased from Savas-Beatie online here. David Powell's excelent Chickamauga blog can be found here, and in the blog list to the left side of this page.

Finally!

2010-11-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

After a great deal of time, trouble and tribulation, i am once again back to the blogosphere. A number of work and family issues seriously affected my ability to post the last couple of months, but that should all be behind me now, and I'm looking forward to a bit of writing therapy here on the blog.

Fortunately work has continued on the 6th Cav manuscript during my absence, so we hope to have it before a publisher very soon. I still need to finish the Fairfield Dead series, and was inspired to compile a biographical sketch of the 4th Cavalry's Wirt Davis by a recent magazine article/ book excerpt to be discussed in the near future. A review of Eric Wittenberg's book on Brandy Station (see interview here)and David Powell's Failure in the Saddle will also be appearing before long.

Something happened to the link for Mike Block's Today at Brandy Station blog, but that has now been fixed.

It's very good to be back, I'm looking forward to posting.

Fairfield Dead - Edson S. Cook

2010-07-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Edson Cook was born in Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio in 1845. Something happened to his father when he was a young child. According to the 1850 census, he was living with his mother at a cabinetmaker’s in Circleville. In 1860, he was working as a confectioner for R. Ball in Troy township, Richland county, Ohio and attending school.

Despite his youth, Edson hurried to enlist at the outbreak of the war. He was enlisted into the 6th U.S. Cavalry by Lieutenant James Wade in Columbus, Ohio on July 22, 1861. His enlistment documents describe him as 16 years old, 5’ 1 ¾” tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a ruddy complexion. Wade enlisted most of the regiment's buglers, several younger than Edson.

Edson was eventually assigned to Company I as a bugler, probably because of his age and size. He served there throughout the Peninsula and Antietam campaigns, and served with the regiment during a long cold winter of picket duty along the Rappahannock in 1863. The regimental rolls also show him as present for Stoneman’s Raid, Brandy Station, and the several cavalry fights on the march north to Pennsylvania.

On July 3rd, the regiment was sent on a mission behind enemy lines to Fairfield, Pennsylvania to capture a Confederate supply train. When the command reached the town without encountering the train, Edson’s squadron was detached under Captain George C. Cram to search for it while the remainder of the regiment moved toward Orrtanna.

A short time later, the squadron heard the sounds of gunfire. Judging from its volume that the regiment was engaged, Captain Cram turned his command and rode to the sound of the guns. They arrived to see the Confederates overrunning the regiment, and the two companies charged to the aid of their comrades. Vastly outnumbered, they were driven off with heavy losses. Riding at the head of the company, Captain Cram and his two buglers were very exposed. Captain Cram and Bugler Andrew J. Orm were both captured. Bugler Cook was killed, though initially listed as missing in the regimental rolls.

Edson S. Cook is believed to be buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery, in one of several graves marked for unknown members of the regiment killed there. His pension was claimed after the war by his mother, Ellen.

Note: Cook is sometimes identified in records as Edwin S. Cook.

Fairfield Dead - William R. Reynolds

2010-06-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

William R. Reynolds was born in Laporte, Indiana in 1838. He spent his teenage years working on the farm of James Greenwood in Springfield township, Laporte County, according to census records. He was probably still working here at the outbreak of the Civil War, though he does not appear in the 1860 census.

On June 19, 1861, William enlisted as a private in Company D, 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The company was organized in nearby Norwalk, Ohio. He served with this unit for over a year, including the Peninsula campaign.

During the battle of Antietam in September 1862, William was wounded. His regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting in the battle, suffering nearly 50% casualties. This was apparently enough of infantry life for William and many others. The following month, recovered from his wound, he transferred to the cavalry.

Reynolds enlisted as a private in Company C, 6th U.S. Cavalry on October 23, 1862. He was sworn in by Lieutenant Albert Coats at Knoxville, Maryland, while his regiment was stationed at nearby Harpers Ferry. His enlistment documents describe him as 5'7" tall, with light hair, gray eyes, and a light complexion.

Private Reynolds survived the battle of Brandy Station unscathed, but was not so lucky the following month. He was part of Lieutenant Joseph Bould's squadron at the battle of Fairfield, which served as the regimental reserve. Seeing the regiment being overrun by a charge of the 6th Virginia Cavalry, Bould charged with his squadron in an attempt to stem the tide. Unsuccessful, the squadron was routed and pursued. Reynolds was most likely killed in the charge or the ensuing pursuit.

William Reynolds is buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery.

"New" Blog - Today at Brandy Station

2010-06-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

While I was sleeping, another new blog started up, this one focused on Brandy Station and Culpeper County, VA. The link for Today at Brandy Station can be found here. I met Mike Block several years ago when doing some research on Kelly's Ford, and found him to be very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the Brandy Station area, particularly the winter encampment of 1864. I'll be adding this one to my blogroll shortly. A belated welcome to the blogosphere, Mike!

Fairfield dead - John Pattinson

2010-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do a brief series on the soldiers of the 6th U.S. Cavalry who were killed at the battle of Fairfield, PA on July 3, 1863. The first of these is Sergeant John Pattinson of Company M.

John Pattinson was born in Westmoreland County, England. He immigrated to the United States with his family, settling on a farm in Pennsylvania. He was working on the family farm in Carbon creek, Erie County, Pennsylvania according to the 1860 census.

He was enlisted into Company M by Captain Hays in Pittsburgh, PA on September 23, 1861. His enlistment documents describe him as 22 years old, 5’ 7 ½ “ tall, with brown hair, grey eyes, and a florid complexion. Pattinson earned promotion to Sergeant prior to the fight at Fairfield. He was wounded during the battle and later died of his wounds.

Sergeant Pattinson is buried in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg.

Gettysburg Weekend

2010-03-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law and I had a fantastic visit to Gettysburg this past weekend. Since he had never been there, my wife and I decided a couple of years ago that it would make a good 70th birthday present, so off we went. The fact that my birthday last week as well of course had absolutely nothing to do with it....

We arrived Thursday evening, and turned in early after dinner at Gettysburg Eddie's and a quick visit to a deserted Reliance Mine Saloon.

Knowing how overwhelming the battlefield can be to the uninitiated, I'd reserved a tour through the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides to provide an orientation to the field and overview of the battle. I've visited enough times to cover the basics pretty well, but not nearly as well as they do. Our guide, Paul Bauserman, did an excellent job with the tour, the best of the three times I've used the service, which says quite a lot.

On my previous visits to the area, I hadn't visited the site of the battle of Fairfield, so armed with our trusty Complete Gettysburg Guide and a draft driving tour that Eric Wittenburg was kind enough to provide for proofing, we headed for Fairfield.

We had lunch at the historic Fairfield Inn, then moved out to the battlefield. I took pictures of the inn and a couple of other buildings significant to the battle or its aftermath, but due to an oversight managed to miss the building where Lieutenant Balder of the 6th U.S. Cavalry reportedly died. Despite Eric providing the street address. Argh. Thanks to the directions, it was quite easy to find this time, and I was able to gain a much better mental picture of how the battle progressed.

Afterward, we returned to Gettysburg and stopped by the national cemetery to pay our respects to the troopers from the regular cavalry regiments (primarily the 6th) who are buried there.

After a few more stops along the sites of some Day 1 fighting, we did some tourist treasure-hunting and called it a day. We had dinner at O'Rorke's, where I'm not sure I've ever seen more food on a single plate in my life, and stopped by the Mine on our way back to the hotel.

I'd corresponded with Craig and Harry since they were in the area during the weekend to attempt a link up. Harry was busy doing productive things with the Saving Historic Antietam Foundation, but Craig emailed that he'd be up on Saturday. We coordinated to meet for lunch.

We began our second day on the field with a drive through Day 2's fighting on the southern side of the field. Moving up toward the Pennsylvania monument, I rediscovered (oxymoron?) the Regulars Monument, which I hadn't photographed before. Probably because Jenny Goellnitz' website always has better pictures than mine anyway. We stopped for a couple of pictures and drove on.

It's fortunate that we did, for who did we chance upon 200 yards further down the road, but Craig himself, spotted appropriately enough near some cannon. Remembering the picture-taking failure of the Longwood trip, we quickly remedied the situation. There really isn't an informally designated photo place at Gettysburg like there is at the cannon in front of the visitor's center at Antietam, so we just picked one and handed the camera to my father-in-law.

Craig had completed his work recording markers in town, and we decided to take a look at the markers near South Cavalry Field. Most I had visited before, but I hadn't seen the marker denoting the detachment of the 1st and 2nd US Cavalry on Merritt's left flank, which Craig was able to point out for us. I was able to get pictures of all 3 of my own 2nd US Cavalry's markers on the field.

Craig also offered a good perspective on the fight itself, but that's a post for another time. After an obligatory tromp along Pickett's Charge and lunch at the Appalachian Brewing Company, Craig headed for York County. Tony and I headed back to Little Round Top and the Pennsylvania Monument, which for some reason I had never been up in before. Coming down, we took this picture that appears to belie 1864 claims by the Cavalry Bureau that cavalry horses didn't grow on trees, also known as the monument to the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry, one of my favorites.

We stopped by the new visitor's center late in the afternoon before driving back to Baltimore. I miss the old one, but I haven't made up my mind whether I'm for or against the new one. Our intent was to spend as much time as possible on the field, so it was largely irrelevant to our trip.

All in all, we had a great time. Thanks again to Craig for his generosity in spending hours tooling around the battlefield and educating us about Civil War artillery.

Sheridan's Second Raid, A Doctor's Perspective

2010-03-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

The second of the physician's viewpoint articles on Sheridan's 1864 raids, this one focuses on his second raid. These were the observations of Surgeon R.W. Pease:

“On the evening of June 6th, I was directed to make preparations for a movement of the 1st and 2nd divisions of this corps, which would probably involve an absence of several weeks. Orders were given by the Major General commanding that but four ambulances to each division and two for headquarters should accompany the expedition. Instructions were immediately issued to have one ambulance loaded for each division, and an army wagon was well-filled with supplies of all kinds, and taken with the headquarter train. The command marched on the morning of June 7th, crossing the Pamunkey river at New Castle ferry, and moved towards the Virginia Central railroad, intending to strike it near Trevillian Station. Our march was uninterrupted until the morning of the 11th, when, about for miles east of Trevillian Station, we came upon the enemy in force. The engagement continued with great fury until about four o’clock P.M., the rebels being driven about five miles beyond the railroad. Our loss was about one hundred and sixty wounded. These, with about seventy wounded rebels, were brought to our field hospital, and every possible attention given to them. At eleven o’clock P.M., all but thirty-six severely wounded were placed in army wagons and moved to the station. Those left were placed in charge of Assistant Surgeon R. Rae, 1st New York Dragoons, with whom five hospital attendants and rations for five days were left, with medical supplies in sufficient quantity for immediate wants. The greater part of the 12th was occupied in destroying the railroad. At five o’clock P.M., the enemy was found about three miles west of the station in a strong position, entrenched and fully prepared for an attack. A spirited engagement ensued, which continued until after dark. Our loss, in this attack, amounted to about three hundred and sixty-six wounded. Our hospital was established at the station in a large and commodious building. Orders were received about eleven o’clock P.M. to be ready to move our wounded by midnight. Thirty army and twelve ammunition wagons were assigned for this purpose. All who could not be transported in these wagons and in our ten ambulances were placed in carriages and other vehicles, which we had impressed on our route. In addition to our own wounded, we had about forty severely wounded rebels. All were brought along on our return except the rebels, the thirty-six wounded left after the first day’s fight, and ninety-four severely wounded on the 12th. The latter were left at Trevillian Station in charge of Assistant Surgeon Stickler, 10th New York Cavalry, and Assistant Surgeon Powell, 1st New York Cavalry. One hospital steward and seven attendants were left with them, with rations for three days and nearly all the remainder of our medical supplies. Our train of wounded was at once fully organized, and six medical officers detached to attend it. On the 19th, we reached King and Queen Court-house, and from thence sent the wounded to Washington, via West Point. Seven of the wounded died before reaching Washington. On the morning of the 20th, we resumed our march for White House, Virginia, being hastened by a message stating that that place had been attacked. We made the march of twenty miles in four hours, but found the enemy had been repulsed. On the 21st, the corps moved to Jones’ bridge, skirmishing nearly all day. Thirty-seven were wounded. Five or six of the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry fell into the hands of the enemy; two were wounded by bushwhackers; making a total loss of forty-five men. Orders were received to send our sick and wounded to Washington the next day. Forty wounded and eleven sick were sent accordingly. On the 23d, during a skirmish near Jones’ bridge, on the Chickahominy, we had four killed and nine wounded. We received into our hospital tent ten of the 28th U.S. Colored Troops, wounded at the same time. On the 24th, the 2d division was attacked by the rebel cavalry while on the St. Mary’s church road, parallel to the Charles City Court-house road, on which a train of eight hundred wagons, left at White House for this command to guard to the James river, was moving. The division was driven back to Charles City Court-house, and lost about two hundred men. The severely wounded fell into the hand sof the enemy. On the 26th, I received an order from General Sheridan to go with the wounded and sick to Washington.”

Source: Barnes, Joseph K. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion (1861-1865), Volume 1. Washington: Government Printing Office: 1870.Page 180.

Scott Patchan's new blog

2010-03-19T10:29:00.001-07:00

A warm welcome to the blogosphere for Scott Patchan's new blog, Shenandoah 1864. The topic should be obvious, and Scott is one of the foremost experts on the subject. I found his Shenandoah Summer an excellent read, and look forward to an upcoming book on Third Winchester. He's also a very informative speaker, as I was fortunate enough to see him present at the Longwood University seminar last month (see entry below).

His first post is an interesting piece on Colonel James Mulligan at Second Kernstown. I think you'll enjoy it.

Welcome, Scott. I look forward to reading many more great posts.

An Irish tune on St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

In honor of St. Patrick’s day I thought I’d do something a bit different than the Kelly’s Ford battle. The tune “Garry Owen” is often related to the cavalry, although during the war it was the march of the 69th New York infantry. It was later particularly associated with the 7th Cavalry. Custer reportedly heard it sung among his Irish troopers and liked it so much that it became adopted as the unofficial regimental march.

The song’s lyrics have changed a great deal over time. This morning we’ll look at three of them. Here are the song’s ‘original’ lyrics, the ones Custer most likely heard:

Let Bacchus' sons be not dismayed
But join with me, each jovial blade
Come, drink and sing and lend your aid
To help me with the chorus:

Chorus
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.

We'll beat the bailiffs out of fun,
We'll make the mayor and sheriffs run
We are the boys no man dares dun
If he regards a whole skin.

Chorus

Our hearts so stout have got us fame
For soon 'tis known from whence we came
Where'er we go they fear the name
Of Garryowen in glory.

Chorus

After the battle of Little Big Horn, the 7th Cavalry developed their own new lyrics to the tune. The leader of the element would sing the lines of the verses, and the group would yell back “Sgt. Flynn” at the end of each of those lines. According to some reports, this version was sung by the elements of the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee.

I can hear those Sioux bucks singing, Sgt. Flynn
I can hear those tom-toms ringing, Sgt. Flynn
I can hear those Sioux bucks singing,
I can here those tom-toms ringing,
But they don't yet know the tune to Garry Owen.

Chorus
Garry Owen, Garry Owen, Garry Owen
In the valley of Montana all alone
There are better days to be
In the seventh cavalry
When we charge again For dear old Garry Owen.

It's first call I hear it sounding, Sgt. Flynn
And it sounds like taps a-rounding, Sgt. Flynn
Oh me lads, here's something fancy
Take a break, it's Private Clancy
And you'll feel better when he strikes up Garry Owen

Chorus

For it's Boots and Saddles sounding, Sgt. Flynn
Along the line the men are bounding, Sgt. Flynn
So let' saddle-up and fall in
For the trumpets are callin'
And the band is tuning up for Garry Owen.

Chorus
For it's forward we're advancing, Sgt. Flynn
And the breeze guides are a-lancing, Sgt. Flynn
Walk, trot, gallop, charge by thunder,
We will ride those cut throats under.
Drive your sabers to the hilt for Garry Owen.

Chorus

We are ambushed and surrounded, Sgt. Flynn
Yet recall has not been sounded, Sgt. Flynn
Gather round me and we'll rally
Make one last stand in the valley
For the Seventh Regiment and Garry Owen.

Chorus

You are cut, and scalped, and battered, Sgt. Flynn
All your men are dead and scattered, Sgt. Flynn
I will make your bed tomorrow
With my head bowed down in sorrow.
O'er your grave, I'll whistle Taps and Garry Owen.

The 7th’s version of the lyrics changed over time, and by 1905 they looked like this. I believe these are the same lyrics later adopted as the offical tune for both the 7th Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Cavalry Division.

We are the pride of the Army
And a regiment of great renown,
Our Name's on the pages of History.
From sixty-six on down.
If you think we stop or falter
While into the fray we're going
Just watch the steps with our heads erect,
While our band plays Garryowen.

Chorus
In the Fighting Seventh's the place for me,
Its the cream of all the Cavalry;
No other regiment ever can claim
Its pride, honor, glory and undying fame.

We know fear when stern duty
Calls us far away from home,
Our country's flag shall safely o'er us wave,
No matter where we roam.
‘Tis the gallant 7th Cavalry
It matters not where we are going"
Such you'll surely say as we march away;
And our band plays Garryowen.

Chorus

Then hurrah for our brave commanders!
Who led us into the fight.
We'll do or die in our country's cause,
And battle for the right.
And when the war is o'er,
And to our home we're goin
Just watch your step, with our heads erect,
When our band plays Garryowen.

Chorus

Civil War Cavalry Seminar

2010-03-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this event at Longwood University in Farmville, VA on February 27th. It looked to be a quality event when I saw the ads, and it more than lived up to my expectations. I'm happy to say that the event was very well attended --- indeed, standing room only for some. It's nice to see events like these continue to grow in popularity. Patrick Shroeder, the NPS Historian at Appomattox National Historical Park and his staff put on a first-rate event and should be commended, as should Dr. David J. Coles, the chair of Longwood's history department, for playing host.

I arrived to the location a bit early, and was able to finally meet Eric Wittenberg of Rantings of a Civil War Historian (see link at left) in person. He was very gracious, and introduced me to many of the attendees. I was also pleasantly surprised that Craig Swain of To The Sound of the Guns was able to make it. It was great to get to "meet" him again, since although we correspond frequently we hadn't actually seen each other since visiting a certain sandy place in a hurry over 15 years ago.

Bert Dunkerly, one of the rangers at Appomattox, had the unenviable task of leading off the presentations with a talk on cavalry horsepower and firepower. The talk intrigued me enough that I'm in the process of gathering materials for a series of articles on the same topic here.

Unfortunately Jeffry Wert was unable to attend due to severe weather in Pennsylvania, so the order of the presentations changed slightly. Eric's presentation on Phil Sheridan, originally scheduled for the afternoon, shifted to the morning. I had never before heard the famous "Sheridan rant," as he referred to it, and found it very interesting. I'm not a huge fan of Sheridan myself, but hadn't heard such a well researched case against him before. I was interested enough to buy the book, which I read in its entirety on the flight home. It sparked a few thoughts that may soon grace this blog as well.

After a brief lunch, Clark "Bud" Hall spoke on the battle of Brandy Station. The acknowledged dean of Brandy Station, his definitive work on the battle, "Sabers Across the Rappahannock," is forthcoming from UNC Press. Bud gave a very good talk on the "Daremark Line" and the strategic context of the battle instead of focusing on leaders and charges.

Eric then went again with a presentation on Jeb Stuart. This was based on the book "Plenty of Blame to Go Around," which he co-wrote with J.D. Petruzzi of Hoofbeats and Cold Steel . I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the presentation was excellent as well.

Scott Patchan was the final presenter, with a talk on the cavalry during the 1864 Valley Campaign. I was really looking forward to this one, as I had only recently read his book "Shenandoah Summer" and enjoyed it a great deal. His talk was very informative.

Following the seminar, I was fortunate enough to be invited to dinner with Eric and Susan Wittenberg and Bud Hall and his companion, Kim, in Lynchburg. Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the restaurant. i thought it was the "Mill Spring," but I don't think that is correct. It was a very pleasant conclusion to a great Civil War day.

Due to an early Sunday morning flight, I had to depart right after dinner to drive back to the airport. I then became but the latest U.S. cavalryman to have difficulties entering Richmond, although in my defense I was one of the few who tried it from the west side. I was able to reach the hotel with only minor problems due to my "shortcut," and flew home the next morning with no problems.

All in all, a very good time, and well worth the trip. Thanks again to everyone.

Civil War Cavalry Conference in VA This Weekend

2010-02-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

I thought I had posted about this long since. As originally posted on Eric's blog weeks ago, the 11th annual Civil War seminar at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia is this Saturday. The title of this year's seminar is "The Cavalry: Weapons, Leaders, and Battles." It is free of charge and open to the public.

The list of presenters is a veritable who's who of experts. Robert Dunkerly, one of the rangers at Appomattox, will present on horsepower and firepower. Eric Wittenberg will present on Sheridan, and Jeffry Wert on Jeb Stuart. Bud Hall will present on Brandy Station, and Scott Patchan will present on cavalry operations in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864. Wittenberg, Patchan and Hall are all due for new books in the not too distant future, so we may see and hear some new material as well. It looks to be a fantastic conference.

Due to a very understanding boss and a great deal of overtime recently, I will actually be able to attend this one. I'm really looking forward to it, and hope to see some of you there.

Spam-alicious

2010-02-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it's due to the infrequency of my posts of late, but I have recently become besieged by spam comments to several of my posts. Given that this isn't a widely read blog in the first place, these numbers are getting more and more rampant. Several posts are now receiving more than 30 such comments each per day. The post on Edwin S. Fitzhenry is currently leading, closely followed by Back in the Saddle and the Civil War Cavalry Forum, for those keeping score at home.

I selected comment moderation quite some time ago to keep the comments off the blog, but this currently means that my email inbox is flooding with all of these specious comments. Does anyone out there have any ideas that might help? It's getting to the point where I don't log onto the blog daily because I don't want to deal with the comments.

Sheridan's First Richmond Raid - A Doctor's Perspective

2010-01-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

During the summer of 1864, the Reserve Brigade accompanied the rest of the 1st Division of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac on both of Sheridan's "Richmond Raids." I recently came across the reports of the corps surgeon for each of the two raids, and thought the perspectives of these surgeons were interesting. The assistant surgeon Rogers mentioned was the regimental surgeon for the 6th U.S. Cavalry, who were serving as Sheridan's escort during the raid. Assistant Surgeon George McGill of the U.S. Army was the acting corps surgeon on the first raid, and his report follows:

“On the 9th day of May, Surgeon Pease being too sick for mounted duty, I was made acting medical director by Major General Sheridan. The corps was, at that time, upon the march, and numbered about nine thousand mounted men. There was one ambulance at the headquarters of the corps, and the batteries of the artillery had each an ambulance, in which, however, the mess things of the artillery officers and their bedding were carried; the ambulance boxes contained the usual supply of beef stock, etc. Thirty-one ammunition wagons were with the command, all heavily laden, but not the less adapted to ambulance service, for, as was afterwards shown, an engagement used up ammunition enough to make it possible to carry such of the wounded men as were cases to bring along, and yet unable to ride their horses. Each medical officer had a field companion, and each regiment was provided with the field register. During the five days in which we had no communication, the medicines and dressings on hand were used up, but a supply of dressings were obtained by a foraging party. The wounded were abundantly fed by foraging. As the corps headquarters was the most stable position in the command, it was ordered that all the wounded who were able to ride their horses should be sent thither. Acting Assistant Surgeon Rogers was placed in charge of these men, and Acting Assistant Surgeon McGuigan ordered to report to him. After a capture of three rebel wagons and three ambulances, made upon the night of the 9th of May, a corps ambulance train was organized, and the same officer put in charge. As the number of our wounded increased, the battery ambulances, with such spring wagons as could be appropriated in the corps or taken from inhabitants of the country, were added to the train, which finally assumed formidable proportions, and presented a remarkable appearance from the variety of vehicles embraced in it. The first engagement was on the telegraph road approaching Childsburg; an affair of the rear guard, in which, however, we lost heavily. Many of the wounded were captured by the enemy, but nineteen were saved and transported in ammunition wagons. On the night of the 9th and morning of the 10th, we had twenty men and officers wounded in skirmishing. During the afternoon of the 11th, the battle of Yellow Tavern was fought, an engagement in which the whole corps was concerned. Our corps hospital was established half a mile in the rear of the centre; it was under fire part of the time, but there was no situation within our lines that was not. It was thoroughly organized with a surgeon in charge, operators, dressers and recorders. The night and day following this battle was extremely trying for the wounded, as the corps moved during the night to near Meadow bridge, within the outer defences of Richmond, and fought all the day. On the 12th, the corps was engaged on three sides. On the left, facing Richmond, the 3d division was engaged with one of the rebel fortifications. On the right, the 2d division contended against a heavy force of infantry, while the 1st division built a bridge over the Chickahominy, and forced a passage in the face of the cavalry force defeated by the corps the day before. The wounded from these points were sent to the corps train after being carefully dressed. Most of the cases saved were brought off on horseback, as all our ambulances were already overloaded. Our loss was comparatively light, forty men in all being wounded in the 2d and 3d divisions. On the afternoon and evening of the same day, the corps fought at Mechanicsville, and, during the two days following, marched to Haxall’s landing, which was reached on the afternoon of the 14th. During these days, surgeons were detailed night and morning to dress and attend to the wounded. As soon as Medical Director McCormick heard of our arrival, he sent a transport well fitted up for the wounded. While lying at Haxall’s, nearly three hundred men were sent to general hospital, two hundred ten of whom were wounded. Much needed medical supplies were here obtained for the corps. From Haxall’s, we moved to White House, where fifty-seven sick and wounded were sent to general hospital. On the 18th, while lying at Baltimore stores, an expedition was made by Brigadier General Custer, who cut the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad near Hanover Court-house. In this expedition, two men were wounded, one of whom was lost. Crossing the Pamunkey river, the corps next marched to Dunkirk, on the Mattapony, thence to our wagon train, near Milford Station. In all there were about three hundred and eighty men wounded during the expedition, of whom about two hundred and eighty-five were secured.

Source: Barnes, Joseph K. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, Volume 1. Washington, Government Printing Office: 1870. Pages 179-180.

Civil War Times Illustrated Lookups Available

2010-01-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Ever come across a reference from an old magazine that doesn't seem to be available anywhere? Well, if so, shooting me a note might be helpful to some readers of this blog. I was fortunate enough to come across the hardbound twentieth anniversary printing of CWTI this weekend. 1961-2 to 1981-2 in 20 volumes for a quite reasonable price. And it was my wife's idea to pick it up instead of asking where I would put it. So if you're looking for something, let me know.

Also, if anyone's looking for a complete set of the OR, I know a bookseller who would really like to get one out of his store.

Of Maps and Manuscripts

2010-01-21T07:12:00.001-08:00

I've encountered a question that hopefully learned readers of this blog will be able to assist me with, to wit: at what point do maps enter into the publication process for manuscripts?

This question leads to a host of other related questions, which are all the more interesting to me given that the most often viewed complaint during reviews of historical works (particularly military ones) is a lack of maps. Is it the author's job to find a cartographer and arrange for maps, or the publisher? Is a publisher even interested in looking at a manuscript without maps? Who pays the cartographer? Should the author make rough maps for clarity before beginning the search for a cartographer?

Far more questions than answers, but perhaps this will spark a discussion.

Congratulations

2010-01-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

A hearty if belated congratulations to fellow blogger Mannie Gentile of A Year of Living Rangerously (see list to the left). Mannie was recently picked up as a full time NPS Ranger at Antietam National Battlefield. Congratulations, Mannie!

Making Progress

2010-01-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's a new year, and a great deal of progress is being made, not that one could tell from looking at this blog. My professional organizer wife has informed me that January is national "GO" month (GO= Get Organized), which given the disarray my historical files are in, seemed like an excellent deal. The bad news is that it feels like it's taking forever. The good news is that I'm turning up all sorts of material that I've been meaning to post, so there should be a great deal of traffic here shortly.

The manuscript on the 6th Cavalry, where I spent most of my time over the holidays, continues to grow at an alarming rate. We should have the last few sources in place by the end of March, then the great whittling project begins to reduce it to something resembling publishing size. Unfortunately, Jim just left for New York to resume flying, so we're down to mail and email collaboration, but we still hope to start querying publishers by the end of the summer.

We're putting together a Little Big Horn staff ride at work, so I've been doing a good bit of background bio on some of the officers, nearly every one of which served in the Civil War, so it's likely relevant odds and ends from that project will show up here as well.

No grand posting of topics for the new year, as that panned out rather dismally last year. My production was terrible, so most of those topics still need to be covered. I will simply say that this year I'll do better.

Review: Shenandoah Summer

2009-12-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign, by Scott Patchan

University of Nebraska Press, 2009, paperback,408 pages

In Shenandoah Summer, author Scott Patchan provides the definitive examination of the Civil war actions in the Shenandoah Valley during the summer of 1864. While few works on the war to date provide even a chapter on the campaign, Mr. Patchan reveals a wealth of information and detail that is a delight to read.

Despite the title, I will admit that I purchased the book assuming that it would discuss Sheridan’s campaign in the Valley. In this I was very pleasantly surprised. Instead of Sheridan’s campaign, I was treated to a thorough examination of a campaign that I had previously known very little about. The majority of this book concerns the actions between Early’s raid on Washington and Sheridan’s Valley campaign of the fall. Instead of reading of the success of Sheridan’s campaign, the reader learns the reasons why Sheridan’s campaign had to take place.

Patchan skillfully blends the results of meticulous research with a vivid, readable writing style. His exhaustive research through previously unpublished works produces the detail readers hope for in this sort of book but all too seldom receive. His descriptions of individual actions and combat at the regimental level bring the action to life for the reader.

Despite the detail of his narrative, Patchan does a remarkable job of keeping the reader aware of the larger context within which the campaign takes place. Concurrent campaigns and elections had serious ramifications for actions in the Valley that summer. The difference in approach from the high commands on both sides I found particularly interesting. On the Confederate side, Lee seemed to support early as much as he could. On the Federal side, however, the “help” seemed to be in the form of pressure to make something happen instead of providing resources and assistance.

Early’s series of defeats in the Valley ultimately led to his dismissal, but Mr. Patchan depicts Early as a wily, opportunistic adversary who takes advantage of forces greatly outnumbering his own. He also objectively lays out the major difficulties facing his Union opponents, most notably division of responsibility and unity of command.

As is often the case with campaign studies, it would help if this book had a few more maps. A map of the retreat from Washington in particular would make the narration more understandable. There are a number of excellent maps and diagrams in the work, however, which greatly help readers follow the various maneuvering and battles of the campaign. Clearly Mr. Patchan has walked this ground and has an appreciation for terrain.

Overall, I found this book enjoyable and very enlightening on a previously obscure topic. Thorough research and clear prose make this a work any student of the Civil War will appreciate.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming

2009-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Home network issues have been resolved, computer issues have been fixed or replaced, the semester's over, and the office has been moved, so hopefully things are finally getting back to normal here as well as elsewhere in my life. Keep your fingers crossed and don't pull me off the blogroll just yet.

Review: Cavalryman of the Lost Cause

2009-12-15T07:36:00.001-08:00

In Cavalryman of the Lost Cause, historian Jeffry Wert provides the first meaningful biography of James Ewell Brown Stuart in decades. While I have enjoyed previous biographies of Stuart, particularly those of Burke Davis and Emory Thomas, I think Wert’s book outshines them both. Combining a crisp, clear writing style with in-depth research into manuscript collections and other previously unpublished sources, Wert delivers a winner.

Wert’s treatment of Stuart is refreshingly objective, and I found the book an enjoyable read. Neither scathing nor fawning, the book covers his entire life, and not simply the Civil War period. Nor did this biography focus on the controversial two weeks of the Gettysburg campaign to the detriment of the rest of Stuart’s life. Wert’s well documented biography provides all of the references that could be asked for from anyone desiring to dig deeper into the cavalryman’s life.

The biography focuses on more than the military facet of Stuart’s life, and the author explores the complexities of Stuart’s personality. Relationships with both peers and subordinates are examined in a balanced manner, as is his affinity for publicity. He was a shameless self-promoter, but the same could be said of many leaders of this period. His look at relationships with his wife and lady friends are tastefully and tactfully conducted. The author portrays Stuart as a thoroughly professional and deeply religious man.

The only part of this book that could be improved is the period of his U.S. Army service during the years leading up to the Civil War, and this is admittedly a very difficult period to find references for.

I highly recommend this book. It deserves a place in the library of anyone interested in the Civil War, its leaders, or cavalry operations.

Horses of a Color

2009-11-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

I've posted before about units attempting to have horses of the same color before and during their service in the Civil War. I came across the following passage in the war memoirs of Captain Isaac Dunkelberger of the 1st U.S. Cavalry concerning the fall of 1863:

"In October we (ed: the Reserve Brigade) were ordered to join the Cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac. On the 20th of October I was detailed to report to General Meade with my squadron of cavalry.

"I was put on duty of commanding the escort of General Meade. This gave me an ellegant (sic) opportunity to dicipline (sic) and equip my company in a manner that is seldom accomplished in cavalry organizations in time of War. My horses (about two hundred) were all of a size and jet black. They were fed and groomed to perfection."

It's good to be on headquarters duty, I guess. At this same time period in the Army of the Cumberland, units were being mounted on mules...

No more research for hire at USAHEC?

2009-11-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Author disclaimer: This is not a rant and should not be taken as one. I simply learned of this privately recently and wanted to get the information out there for others like me who might be affected by it. If anyone knows more on this topic, I would love to hear about it.

I received some rather disturbing news recently concerning researchers for hire at USAHEC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (formerly known as USAMHI). I had used a researcher for work there in the past, but was informed that person no longer conducts research for hire there. At one time, there was a webpage as part of the USAMHI site that listed outside researchers for hire for those who couldn't visit to conduct their research in person. Much to my chagrin, I couldn't find the page. Since I periodically have similar issues, I assumed I had done something wrong and contacted my former researcher again.

I was informed that new people were in charge at the center, and had determined that the researcher for hire listing provided too much personal information. A lot of military websites have reached this determination, and a good bit of web content has been removed as a result. Lists are not permitted to be sent out by mail or email for the same reason. Understandable.

The new regime also changed the rules for accessing the collections for outside researchers, possibly as the result of someone violating the rules. The system is now one of "pay as you go" for researchers, even for copies, so if one could find a researcher, that person would have to pay all costs up front at the time they accessed the information. If someone violated previously authorized privileges, then it is certainly understandable that these restrictions be tightened.

The results of said tightening, however, are now somewhat problematic. Assuming one doesn't live within convenient travelling distance of Carlisle, how does one access the information? If you can't go yourself, and what you need isn't available online, and there is no way to find a researcher for hire, what options are left?

One can make a research query online, and it will be addressed as time permits by the staff, generally with a wait of several weeks. This can be very limiting if one is in search of a large amount of research, however, since such queries need to be both specific and brief to enable busy employees to answer them.

I fear I've raised a problem without posing a solution in this case, as the only options I see at the moment are dividing research into many specific pieces and spreading over a several months or flying to Carlisle. This would be extremely enjoyable and something I hope to do someday, but really don't have the time for right now.

Ah well, if research was too easy everyone would do it, right?

Battle of Chickamauga blog

2009-10-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

Among the many neglected items of this blog is the blogroll, which I will endeavor to have cleaned up by the weekend. One of the links I erroneously thought had been posted is Dave Powell's excellent, Battle of Chickamauga blog. Dave is the expert on this battle, and is doing a great job with the blog. I'm looking forward to a great deal of education and enjoyment from this one.

Time Flies

2009-10-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

Wow! I had no idea it had been nearly three weeks since my last post. I will refrain from making any comments about being back in the saddle, since the post of the same name is still drawing daily comments from some Asian-language porn site.

I'm back, and finally willing and able to post again. The master's degree is at long last complete, papers and classes complete, and attention can be turned to family and more enjoyable things than school. I still hope to complete a second master's in history, but plan to take a few months in the interim to relax a bit.

My efforts to elicit commentary from anyone from or related to Norwich have been unsuccessful, so I suppose AMU wins that discussion by default....

Book draft two finally continues updates and editing. Several new sources popped up in the interim thanks to Dr. Rick Sauers, so more research is required. And I'm still working on a few things like the rest of the brief 3rd Cavalry history started before everything went awry a few months back. I've also been poking around a bit about Benjamin S. Roberts and William P. Sanders, and should have posts on them here in the near future. Not to mention the Kelly's Ford blog I've so neglected in the interim.

I haven't had a great deal of time for leisure reading, but am in the midst of two interesting books related to the war. The first is Jeffry Wert's excellent Cavalryman of the Lost Cause (found on Amazon here), which will likely prove the definitive biography on Jeb Stuart for years to come. Indeed, it was an anecdote from this book that lead me back to studying Sanders. The second book is The War Department in 1861 - A Study in Mobilization and Administration by A. Howard Meneely. A reprint of a book originally published in 1928, this has been a very informative work. Meneely provides a very even-handed look at the War Department at the beginning of the war, maintaining an objective view of the people and the situation without jumping to conclusions to demonize or seek scapegoats.

More posts soon!

Any Norwich MMH students or alumni out there?

2009-10-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

The discussion I started here a while back about graduate degrees in military history has resulted in a good bit of discussion over time. Several valid points and concerns have been raised, but the input has been very one-sided. American Military University students and alumni appear to be very content with their programs, while there has been litle to no input from either current students or slumni of the Norwich program. I would greatly prefer to have inputs from both sides, is there anyone out there willing to speak up?

Fiddler's Green: William W. Loring

2009-09-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I generally don't feature Confederate cavalry leaders, but in this individual's case, he relates to the current thread of posts on the Regiment of Mounted Rifles/ 3rd U.S. Cavalry and had a very colorful career, so I decided to make an exception.

William Wing Loring was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on December 4, 1818. The family moved to St Augustine, Florida when he was four, and he spent the rest of his childhood in that state.

His military service started at the tender age of fourteen, when he enlisted in the Florida militia to fight against the Seminole Indians at the beginning of the Seminole Wars. He eventually rose to the rank of second lieutenant in the militia. He attempted to run away to fight in the Texas War for Independence as a seventeen year old, but was prevented by his father.

After attending a boarding school in Alexandria, Virginia for his secondary education, William attended Georgetown University before going on to study law. He was admitted to the Florida bar in 1842. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1843, and unsuccessfully ran for the Florida Senate in 1845.

The outbreak of the Mexican War rejuvenated Loring's fortunes. He joined a newly formed regiment, the Regiment of Mounted Rifles, as a captain, receiving his appointment on May 27, 1846. Originally organized to protect the Oregon Territory, the regiment was diverted for service in the Mexican War. Loring's prior military service apparently served him well, as he was promoted to major on February 16, 1847, prior to the regiment seeing its first combat. His regiment fought in most of the battles of the war, and Major Loring was wounded three times. His third wound came at the head of his regiment leading the charge into Mexico City, and resulted in the amputation of his arm. He was brevetted lieutenant colonel on August 20, 1847 for gallant and meritorious service in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco, and colonel on September 13, 1847 for similar service at the battle of Chapultepec.

After the war, Loring commanded the Oregon territory for two years during the California Gold Rush. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on March 15, 1848. His next assignment was to the frontier of Texas and New Mexico Territory, where he served for five years against the Comanche, Apache and Kiowa Indians. At the time he was promoted to colonel on December 30, 1856 at age 38, he was the youngest full colonel in the Army.

In 1859, Colonel Loring was sent to Europe to study the military tactics of foreign armies and lessons learned from the Crimean War. He visited 10 different countries, including Turkey and Egypt.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Loring decided his loyalties lay with the South. He resigned his commission on May 13, 1861, and volunteered for service in the Confederate Army. He was commissioned as a brigadier general almost immediately and assigned to command the "Army of the Northwest" in western Virginia. His first campaign was against Major General George McClellan's forces invading from Ohio. After this campaign, General Loring and his men served in the western theater of the war. During the Vicksburg campaign, his forces were cut off from the rest of the Confederate army at the battle of Champion Hill. He marched south and joined his troops to the forces under General Joseph E. Johnston. He served in the corps of General Leonidas Polk afterwards, and commanded the corps briefly after Polk was killed at the battle of Pine Mountain. Wounded a fourth time during fighting at Ezra Church, General Loring did not return to action until after the Atlanta campaign. Upon his return, he fought first with General Hood at Franklin and Nashville, then joined Johnston's forces in the Carolinas.

After the war, Loring tried his fortunes overseas. He was one of fifty Civil war veterans recommended by General Sherman to the Khedive of Egypt to modernize his army. General Loring initially served as the army's Inspector General, and later commanded the country's coastal defenses. In 1875, he served as the chief of staff for an Egyptian pasha during an invasion of Abyssinia. When the invasion failed, the Americans were blamed for the failure. The American officers were dismissed in 1878, but not before Loring had attained the rank of Fereek Pasha, the equivalent of Major General in the U.S. Army.

Returning to the United States, Loring ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate from Florida. After his defeat he moved to New York City, where he wrote a book on his experiences in Egypt which was published in 1884.

William W. Loring died on December 30, 1886, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, St. Augustine, Florida

Short Takes

2009-09-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

Some weeks are longer than others, apparently, as it's been rather more than 7 days since my last post. At any rate....

Thank you very much to those who sent their condolences here and elsewhere on the passing of my mother. I took your thoughts and prayers to heart during this difficult time. There are a lot of great folks in the blogosphere, and it shows during difficult times.

What I'm reading: 1861: A Study in Unpreparedness (or something similar, I don't have it in front of me). Very interesting, though I haven't had much time to devote to it.

You wouldn't think there would be a Civil War link to a small town in the far northwest of California, but I managed. Camp Lincoln was established on June 13, 1862 near Crescent City, California by Company G, 2nd Regiment, California Volunteers. It wasn't intended to defend against Confederates, of course, but was established to protect settlers from Indians because all of the regulars had been sent east to fight in the Civil War. It was abandoned in 1869.

No Posts for a Week

2009-08-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Found out last night that my mother passed unexpectedly, and am on the way home to rural northern California to sort things out. There will be no new posts here for at least a week.

Chickamauga Blog

2009-08-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Chickamauga expert Dave Powell has entered the blogosphere with this site dedicated to chronicling one of the most significant battles of the Western theater of the war. His blog can be found in the blog listings at the left as well as right here. Welcome to the blogosphere, Dave, I'm really looking forward to reading more!

3rd U.S. Cavalry in the Civil War - 1861

2009-08-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Civil War history of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry regiment is largely unknown and unremarked. They were on the periphery of the conflict at its outbreak, and herculean efforts were involved simply to get them to the scene of large scale fighting by the end of 1862. Arguably, however, they had the most rigorous experience of any of the regular cavalry regiments during the war.

As with most Regular units, the Regiment of Mounted Rifles was caught off guard at the outbreak of the Civil War. Home to many seasoned veterans, the regiment had served on the frontier since the end of the Mexican War. Early 1861 found the regiment spread across New Mexico territory and portions of western Texas. They were renamed the 3rd U.S. Cavalry on August 3, 1861.

The regiment lost its commander prior to the outbreak of hostilities. Colonel William Wing Loring was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and appointed to the Army from Florida. He was one of the original officers appointed to the regiment as a captain when it was created in 1846. He was wounded three times during the Mexican War, receiving two brevet promotions during the war and losing an arm to amputation. Despite the loss, he worked his way to command of the regiment. When promoted to colonel of the regiment on December 30, 1856 at the age of 38, he was the youngest colonel in the Army. He resigned his commission on May 13, 1861. In a conference in New Mexico prior to departing the regiment, he told his officers, “The South is my home, and I am going to throw up my commission and shall join the Southern Army, and each of you can do as you think best.”

Colonel Loring was succeeded by John S. Simonson. Simonson had also been appointed a captain when the regiment was formed in 1846, but his first service had come as a sergeant in the New York militia thirty years previously in 1814. He distinguished himself during fighting at Chapultepec during the Mexican War, but was far too old for active campaigning in the Civil War. He retired at his won request on September 28, 1861 “for incapacity resulting from long and faithful service, and from injuries and exposure in the line of duty.”

Newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Marshall S. Howe of the 5th U.S. Cavalry was promoted to Colonel and command of the 3rd Cavalry, but he didn’t join the regiment until the following July. In the meantime, the regiment fought in numerous engagements during 1861.

First Lieutenant Christopher H. McNally led detachments of Companies B and F the regiment’s first engagement of the war. Another veteran, McNally worked his way through the ranks to first sergeant of Company D before his appointment to second lieutenant in 1855. He was promoted to first lieutenant in May 1861. This first fight against the Confederates didn’t go well for the mounted riflemen. In a fight at Mesilla, Texas on July 25, 1861, Lt McNally was wounded, and the squadron suffered “considerable loss.” They retreated to nearby Fort Fillmore.

Upon receiving word of the defeat, Major Lynde, the district commander, directed the abandonment of Fort Fillmore on July 26th. The following day he surrendered his entire command without warning at San Augustin Springs. Among the unwilling prisoners, were Lieutenants McNally and Alfred Gibbs and 88 men of Companies B, F and I. Soon receiving paroles, all of the regiment’s prisoners were assigned to Company F and sent to Fort Wayne, Michigan until they could be exchanged. By the time their exchange took place on August 27, 1862, their numbers had dwindled down to nearly nothing from discharge, desertion and death.

In the meantime, the remainder of the depleted regiment prepared for combat. Two new companies were authorized for the regiment in August 1861, but were not recruited. Of the 263 enlistments that expired during the year, only 61 soldiers re-enlisted. So few officers and troopers remained that Companies A, B, and H were “closed,” and the personnel reassigned to other companies. The regiment was now a reinforced battalion of Companies C, D, E, G, K and I, commanded by Major Benjamin S. Roberts.

A native of Vermont, Benjamin Roberts graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1835. He served as a lieutenant with the 1st Dragoons until 1839, when he resigned. Another original officer of the Mounted Rifles, he was appointed as a first lieutenant in 1846. Brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct on three separate occasions during the Mexican War, he had been serving on the frontier with the regiment since the end of the war.

In September 1861, Captain Robert M. Morris defeated a force of Texans neat Fort Thorn with Companies C, G and K. Company E, consolidated from the squadron of E and H, reached Fort Wise, Colorado Territory on August 30th, following the departure of the last two companies of the 4th U.S. Cavalry. Captain Alexander McRae’s Company I was drilling as a light battery of artillery to utilize the few available artillery pieces in the district.

The regiment spent the remainder of the year in patrolling and preparing for future operations. According to its annual return, regimental strength on December 31st was only 453 enlisted men, optimistically counting the paroled prisoners in Michigan as "detached service."

Review: The Complete Gettysburg Guide

2009-07-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest, by J. David Petruzzi and Steven Stanley. Savas Beatie Publishing, 306 pages, with maps, photographs and bibliography. $39.95.

I am generally skeptical of any work that claims the title of “complete guide.” In this case, however, I believe the title is well deserved. J.D. Petruzzi and Steven Stanley have combined to produce a work that may have redefined the standard for battlefield guides. After reading it cover to cover in two sittings and perusing it for several hours, I cannot think of an aspect of the battle that is not addressed in this guide.

This should be the one book carried by any visitor to the battlefield. Every aspect of the battle is addressed, and there is quite literally something for everyone inside its cover. Kids tired of looking at signs and cannons and statues? Turn them loose to look for the rock carvings detailed in a separate section of the book. Spouse tired of staring into empty fields trying to visualize historic charges and stands? Refer them to the detailed tour of the town itself.

This is a superior tour guide for several reasons. First, precise driving instructions that include warnings about traffic, parking areas and private property. Second, excellent color photos and maps that make it very easy for even a novice traveler to remain oriented on the battlefield. The maps provide much more detail than the black and white sort I am accustomed to seeing in battlefield guides. Third, it provides depth lacking in most guide books, with a wealth of human interest stories and other interesting tidbits. Finally, it provides the most comprehensive look at the battlefield and surrounding area that I have ever seen.

J.D. Petruzzi’s narrative is both readable and very informative. A wealth of detail is contained in the book, but it is packaged in such a manner that is not at all cumbersome to the reader. He uses many sidebars to highlight human interest stories from the battle to broaden the appeal of the book. For those who want to dig deeper into a given area, there are suggested sources for additional reading at the end of each section.

The maps are tremendous. Steven Stanley proves his justly deserved reputation as a Civil War mapmaking master, with maps that are clear and easy to use. Some of the maps portray skirmishes that I had never seen mapped before. The photos he has selected show the park during all seasons, illustrating how different the park appears at different times of the year.

The book is divided into several sections. The heart of the book is of course the 110 pages organized into 30 stops that cover the main battlefield. The other nearly 200 pages focus on outlying battlefields, the town itself, the cemeteries, field hospital sites, and even a section on rock carvings. Each section could stand nearly on its own as a separate book. My favorite section was the article on Fairfield, with the first maps of the skirmish I had ever seen. A close second was the rock carving section, which was organized to provide a ready made game of ‘find-it.’

The book is attractive enough for service as a coffee table book. Somewhat jaded after scores of ‘exciting’ (for me) new Civil War purchases, the first thing my wife said when I removed it from the package was, “What a beautiful book!” Savas Beatie has once again produced a very high quality (and adequately mapped!) book at a reasonable price. Nearly every one of the 300+ pages has a map, picture or sidebar, and often a combination of the three. Good binding and quality paper ensure this book will endure many visits to the park. The result is a work in which both the authors and the publisher should take a tremendous amount of pride.

The Complete Gettysburg Guide is a comprehensive volume on the battle. It is equally valuable as a historical overview of the battle, a tour guide, or a coffee table picture book. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the battle, from the first visit tourist to the experienced battlefield stomper.

Yes, yes, I know, less reading and more writing.....

Back in the Saddle Again

2009-07-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm back, with the joys and miseries of Washington state happily in my rearview mirror. Give me a day or two to sort through various accumulated honey-dos and how to get the ADC's first pony ride off the phone and onto another digital medium, and I'll be back to posting at the normal rate. Despite the lack of posts, Civil War cavalry research has been ongoing and progress continues to be made. More soon.

A Brief Hiatus

2009-06-10T13:06:00.001-07:00

Not that I've been posting more than once or twice a week anyway, but I have just been informed that I will be making an unscheduled trip starting this weekend and ending in late July that will leave me without internet access. Expect no further posts here until July 22nd.

Brandy Station letter

2009-06-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station, I decided to post this little known letter from one of the Regular participants. Lieutenant Christian Balder of the 6th U.S. Cavalry fought with the Reserve Brigade on the Beverly Ford side of the battle. After reading the letter several times, I still don’t know why he’s so upset with the 6th Pennsylvania cavalry, save perhaps that they received more honors in the newspapers. Lieutenant Balder would be killed just a few weeks later on July 3rd, at the battle of Fairfield, where his friend Lieutenant Paulding was captured.

Camp 6th Cavalry Near Catletts Station, Va.
June 12th, 1863

My dear Paulding

As I have today a few moments to spare, I will drop you a few lines. You have undoubtedly read in the Chronicle of yesterday the account of our fight with the rebs. Don’t believe the half of it. I for one will never believe newspaper accounts for they are all stating falsehoods either directly or indirectly. It appears from the Chronicle that the 6th Pa. supported by the 6th Regulars done all the hard licks, when the Pa.s “god save mark” ran like sheep.

I will try to give you an account of as much as came under my observation. Col. Davis’s Brig. went over the river first. They had little difficulty in crossing, because the rebs were a little surprised and did not expect us. Davis drove them slowly but poor fellow, he was nearly one of the first who were killed. The rebs contested every inch of ground manfully, and the fight grew beautifully larger & larger. The Reserve Brig. And Elders Battery had a position in an open field with thick heavy woods to our front and left, and being subjected to a heavy fire from a hill to our right and front. That hill should have been occupied by us, and we could have gotten it very early in the day but “somebody” thought it was of no consequence. We remained in this field till after 12. Elders Battery fireing but little. In coming from water with Co. F. Priv. Viall had the top of his head carried away by a round shot from a battery on the hill above alluded to. He died instantly. Finally we were ordered to advance through the woods to our front. Brisbine & Claflin’s Squadron having been sent to some other point we had only four squadrons remaining. The 2d. Cav. took the lead, then followed the 6th Pa. then our Regt. I being Off. Of Day brought up the rear with 15 men of the guard. The 1st Cav. Did not cross the river till late in the afternoon. The 5th was on some other part of the field. We advanced through the woods in column of squadrons. When I got half ways through the woods. I heard cheering & shouting as if the infernals had broke loose from the lower regions. Now, thinks I, my bravy Mackerals are giving it to the rebs. On emerging from the woods I saw about one Regt. Of Cav. I thought they were our men, for they were dressed the same. They soon thought me different, however, when they commenced firing at me and my brave Mackerals, and then they made several attempts to but did not do it. I looked in vain for the 2d, 6th Pa. and ours, but they had commenced a hurried advance towards Washington. The 6th Pa. had indeed made a charge, so I heard but a great many jumped into a ditch, got stuck and were taken prisoners. Why the 2d & 6th Regulars run is impossible for me to say, and I think it is a great shame. On my retreating in the woods I seen cavalries without hats, scratched noses, and the axes of our pioneers bumping against their backs like forty. The rebs were shelling the woods all the time and Madden was wounded by a shell, not dangerous, and he is now in Washington doing well. Kerin was taken prisoner. On arriving again in our first field, I found the 6th had partially rallied and I went to my squadron. What little accidents occurred from then to about 2 O’clock is not worth mentioning. We were continually skirmishing and having little charges repeatedly with more or less success. The rebs fought bravely. At one place the 2d had about 1 good squadron charging a host of rebs, driven them for a while and then the rebs driving them. Brisbine having by this time joined, he and Wade tried them with their squadrons, but with little better success. I and Ward went in next, drove the rebs from the place, then they drove us back. We rallied drove them again to near the edge of a wood, they firing a shower of bullets at us and we at them, being only about 30 yards apart. My mare was hit through her hind leg, but not hurt her much. My blood got up. I wanted my squadron to charge with me. Ward & Tupper done the same, but could not get those cowboys to come on. They all fight very well with the carbine & Pistol, but have no confidence in the sabre. I was in front of the squadron, waving my sabre, and entreating and cursing them alternately, trying to get them on, when all of a sudden, a rebel officer came dashing at me, at full speed, making a tremendous right cut at me, but fortunately, I just perceived him in the nick of time. I parried his cut successfully and striking his sabre clean out of his hand. He fled by me, and one of my men shot him through the heart. We stood fully 15 or 20 minutes opposite each other, the rebs afraid to charge, and only firing at us. I then seen about a regiment of rebs coming through a field on our right and I thought it time to retire. But poor Ward had been killed. He worked like a Trojan to get his men to go in with the sabre, but could not succeed. About half an hour after that Stoll was killed while skirmishing with a part of that Regt. I had seen coming on my right. So you see we lost about 1/3 of our officers in killed, wounded & missing. Out of about 280 men, we lost about 50. I never gave the rebs so much credit before, but I must now say, they go in with a will. Is it not strange now that the papers never say anything about the 2d and 6th who fought fine in the afternoon, no matter, what they done in the morning. Their list of killed & wounded speak for themselves.

My Dear Paulding, I must now stop. Write to me soon. My love to Nichols.

Yours truly

Balder

Fiddler’s Green: John Savage

2009-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Another of the lesser known officers of the 6th U.S. Cavalry was Captain John Savage of Company H. He is yet another cavalry officer native to Philadelphia, a city that spawned many prominent cavalry leaders during the Civil War. He remains a mystery in many ways. While many “wants” have been found, there are precious few “whys.” Thanks to Jim Jones for permitting me to edit this and post it here.

John Savage, III came from a very prominent Savage family line who settled in Philadelphia during the late 18th century. His great grandfather was Edward Savage, who became a famous painter and engraver. He painted the first panorama in Philadelphia, The Congress Voting Independence, and many other political and historical paintings. His grandfather, John Savage, was a shipowner and through his trades became a very wealthy merchant. He settled in Philadelphia, and was very active in his community, including service as a chief justice and a manager of the Almshouse.

John Savage, III was born in 1832 in Washington County, Maryland. His father, John Savage, II of Philadelphia and his mother , Adelaide H. Hughes of Maryland, were married in Washington County, Maryland on December 30, 1830. According to census records, by 1850 the family had moved to Philadelphia, along with nine other person sin the household. Savage’s father died in 1853, leaving his entire estate to his son, minus an annuity for his wife.

John, III married Isabella Swift Fitzhugh of New York in 1855. Isabella was the daughter of Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh, who was a surgeon in the fleet of Commodore Perry at the battle of Lake Erie, and also a pioneer of Bay City, Michigan. Prior to the Civil War, the couple had two children: John Savage, IV in 1857 and Anne Dana Savage in 1859. In 1860, his mother Adelaide was living with him along with eight other persons, who held such job titles such as domestic, waiter, and coachman. John’s occupation was listed as “Gentleman,” and his total estate value was $250,000 dollars! (a hefty sum by 1860 standards).

At the outbreak of the Civil War, John secured himself a commission as a captain in the newly forming 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment (later to be renumbered the 6th) on May 14, 1861. He immediately began recruiting for his Company H at the Girard House on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. He quickly obtained his quota of men, and, therefore, was also the first company to reach the regiment’s second camp at Bladensburg, Maryland. At Bladensburg, he was officially assigned to and took command of his company on August 21, 1861. As the first two companies to complete recruiting, his company, along with Captain August V. Kautz’ Company B, was denoted the 1st Squadron. They were also selected as the flank squadron, which was the only squadron in the regiment initially equipped with carbines and acted as the advance squadron during regimental movements. The remaining squadrons were armed only with pistols and sabers.

Captain Savage trained with his regiment through the winter of 1861 at Camp East of Capitol, D.C., near the Congressional Cemetery. He accompanied the regiment upon its initial campaign in March 1862, and served uninterrupted until July 21, 1862, when he took five days of leave. His company, under the squadron command of Captain Kautz, literally led the advance of the Army of the Potomac on its advance from Yorktown toward Richmond as the advance squadron the army’s advance guard. After his return from leave, he served during the remainder of the Peninsula Campaign. On September 9, 1862, as the regiment departed the peninsula, he took sick leave. In October and November, he was listed as “supposed to be in Philadelphia,” and in December, he was listed as “absent without leave since October 10, 1862”on the regimental returns. What the regiment was unaware of was that Captain John Savage resigned on December 23, 1862. The reason for his resignation is a mystery, as he doesn’t appear to have distinguished himself in an overly positive or negative fashion during the campaign. A third child, Daniel Fitzhugh Savage, was born to the family at some point during his service. Perhaps he simply didn’t care for the rigors of active campaigning in the cavalry. The regiment didn’t learn of his resignation until February 1863, while at winter camp. His name doesn’t appear again in records during the war. His mother released her claim to her annuity to John in December 1863.

In 1868, John sold his inherited estate. By June 10, 1870, according to census records, the family moved to Bay City, Michigan – the city her father helped create – and settled at 412 North Jackson Street. John was listed as “without occupation,” and a net worth of $11,000, which if not invested in property likely did not reflect the money from the sale of his estate. A fourth child, Adelaide Hughes Savage, was born in 1867, perhaps named after his mother.

By June 1880, John and his family, along with his mother were living together. His youngest daughter, Anne, died on January 5, 1879. John also employed one elderly servant lady. John was listed as “retired.”
In 1890, John was living at 908 North Jackson Street and employed as the county register. He is listed on the Veteran’s Schedule of Bay City as a captain in the 6th U.S. Cavalry. Interestingly, it listed him as having been captain of company B, and having served a full three years, from May 24, 1861 to May 24, 1864.

John, III died in Bay City, Michigan on April 18, 1896. His wife died in the same city seven years later, on October 27, 1903. John Savage, John II and his wife Adelaide, John III and his wife Isabella, and their daughter Anne Dana Savage, were all buried at Ronaldson’s Philadelphia Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This cemetery was removed in the 1920s to Forrest Hills, 101 Byberry Road, Philadelphia, and denoted the Philadelphia Cemetery.

Fiddler's Green: George C. Cram

2009-05-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Jim Jones has done a fantastic job sleuthing out the details of the life of one of the lesser known officers of the 6th (and 4th after the Civil War) U.S. Cavalry, George Cram. Although not terribly popular, and likely would have been voted most likely to be captured by his peers, there are nonetheless many items of interest in his career. Any errors are undoubtedly due to my editing, as Jim turned up a wealth of detail that I had to whittle down to something small enough to post. Unfortunately, George Cram is one of the few remaining officers we have been unable to find a picture of.

George Clarence Cram was born on June 13,1830 in New York City, New York. He was the youngest of five siblings born to Lydia Tucker and Jacob Louis Cram, a distinguished lawyer in New York and perhaps the founder of the law firm “Cram & Cram,” which resided at 65 Wall Street.

On 12 July 1855, George applied for his passport application in which he was described as 5’8” tall, with grey eyes, a straight nose, medium mouth, small chin, square face, high forehead, brown hair, and a fair complexion. This application implies that he travelled abroad between July 12, 1855 and June 25, 1860.

In 1860, George was living with his elderly parents and working as a lawyer in New York, according to census data.3 In 1861, he married his wife, Francis. Their time together for the next few years was to be short; overpowered by the outbreak of the Civil War.

On May 14, 1861, George secured a commission as a captain in the newly authorized 3rd U.S. Cavalry, where he was assigned command of Company I. He immediately set up his recruiting office in Rochester, New York, and between July 24th and September 29th, he recruited 79 men for his regiment (57 men for his own company, 17 men for Company G, one man for Company K, one man for the regiment’s Field &Staff, and three recruits who deserted).

In order to simplify the tracking of the large number of volunteer units being formed during the war, Congress had enacted, on 3 August 1861, that all mounted regiments should henceforth be known as cavalry. Army General Order No. 55, dated August 10, 1861, prescribed that the 3rd U.S. Cavalry would now be enumerated the 6th U.S. Cavalry.

On October 4, 1861, Captain Cram joined the regiment at Bladensburg, Maryland. Here, the regiment received its horses, and its first lessons in the saddle. On October 12th, the regiment broke camp at Bladensburg and marched to its new camp, East of Capitol. Here, the regiment would endure an intensive training regime, mounted and unmounted, and the company commanders would have the occasion to sharpen their men. Unfortunately, Captain Cram would not seize this opportunity. On November 27th, he took leave, and in February, he was absent, sick in Washington, D.C.

On March 10, 1862, the regiment broke camp and embarked with Major General McClellan on the famous Peninsula Campaign of 1862, where Captain Cram would serve in every engagement of the campaign. On May 30, 1862, during an action on the Pamunkey River, Major Williams mentioned in his report:

“At 12 o’clock on the night of the 28th Lieutenant Kerin left the camp with about 20 men, and successfully fired and destroyed the county bridge about 200 yards above the railroad crossing. He was assisted in both operations by Lieutenant Coats, and both deserve the highest praise for the effectual manner in which they discharged their duty. Another bridge was also burned by Captain Cram. This was a bridge which Rush’s Lancers had fired on the 27th, but owing to the suddenness of their having withdrawn from the front were unable to entirely complete the destruction.”

The regiment then marched into the brutal Maryland Campaign, remembered most famously for the battle of Antietam. Upon the closing of the campaign, Brigadier General Pleasonton, in making his report of the operations resulting in driving Lee’s army back into Virginia, said:

“The services of this division (cavalry) from the 4th of September up to the 19th were of the most constant and arduous character. For fifteen successive days we were in contact with the enemy, and each day conflicts of some kind were maintained, in which we gradually but steadily advanced. The officers and men have exerted themselves to insure the success of every expedition and these efforts have been fortunate. The officers entitled to mention for gallant services are....Captains W.P. Sanders commanding, and Capts. George C. Cram and Henry B. Hays, and Lieut. Albert Coats, adjutant.”

On October 31, 1862, Captain Cram was assigned to duty at Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the regimental command had changed hands many times due to most of the senior officers receiving higher commands within the volunteer forces. After returning to his company and settling into winter camp, Captain Cram assumed command of the regiment on December 13, 1862, now the senior regimental officer.

Captain Cram appears to have been despised by the men in his regiment. One private wrote:

“He was a curious, capricious man, seeming to almost delight when the men most feared him. A perfect sign of terror held sway over the guards. The new regimental commander would come down to the guardhouse at all hours of these winter nights, sometimes wearing his sidearms and at other times without them, and then, in violation of all regulations, the guard and prisoners were obliged to turn out and fall into line – the latter in their bare feet and drawers – that he might be saluted according to rank. A little hatred towards him was developed throughout the entire regiment. Whenever a soldier had occasion to speak of him, his name was invariably coupled with uncomplimentary phrases. The universal desire was often thus briefly expressed, except for the religious:
“Damn Cram!”
Thus religious wore off the round edge of a curse:
“Darn Cram!”
While the young men from the country, who still retained a wholesome fear of profanity, contended themselves with:
“Gol darn Cram!”
All sorts of violent deaths and untimely ends were pictured as in store for the unfortunate Cram. Few of the men seemed to believe that he ever allowed himself to become sober while in command of the regiment that winter.”

However much he may have been disliked by his men, Cram was diligent in attempting to see to the welfare of the men and their mounts. During the early part of January, the following letters were sent by Captain Cram, at a time when the strength of the cavalry should have been husbanded with great care for the coming spring campaign:

“Headquarters 6th U. S. Cavalry,
January 16th, 1863.
SIR: - I have the honor to report for the information of Brigade Headquarters, that the three squadrons of my regiment now on picket duty have the strength of 505 enlisted men. The three companies now in camp awaiting will turn out to-morrow 121 enlisted men. Present, absolute available strength mounted of the six troops and the three in camp, of which my command consists, 426.
There are three troops on detached service at General Sumner’s and General Pleasanton’s headquarters. Of ineffectives I shall leave in camp, mostly dismounted, 292. From the above it will be perceived that I can march with one-hundred and seventy-one men as the strength of my three disposable companies. I succeeded in getting thirty-six carbines and sabres from Pennington’s battery to-day. To-morrow I shall be obliged to send out two days’ forage and three days’ rations to my six companies on picket; this is essential to provide for their substance and forage. It requires six wagons for them to return during the day (they must be lightly loaded), which will cripple my transportation seriously, should I have to use it for general purposes to-morrow.
Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
(Signed) G. C. Cram,
Captain, 6th U. S. Cavalry, Commanding.
To Lieutenant MAHNKEN,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General,
2d Cavalry Brigade.”

“Headquarters 6th U. S. Cavalry,
January 21st, 1863.
SIR: - I have the honor to request to be informed whether I am at liberty to run out forage to the six companies of my regiment, now on picket; their forage is out this morning; also whether I can start my train to depot for forage. I have a scant two days’ in camp ahead for the whole command, and forage must be sent this morning to the detail on picket.
My entire command in rationed for three days, from this morning, in their haversacks. Am I to construe the circular received this morning as a standing order to run out the necessary transportation daily, to my detail on picket, with one day’s rations, without further orders, as it is only by that, that I can keep them three days ahead?
Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
G. C. Cram,
Captain, 6th U. S. Cavalry.
To Lieutenant H. MAHNKEN,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General,
2d Cavalry Brigade.”

“Headquarters 6th U. S. Cavalry,
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia, January 29th, 1863.
SIR: - I have the honor to transmit herewith approved requisitions for six wagons and requisitions for tools rendered absolutely necessary under orders from Headquarters 2d Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Division, January 28th, 1863, requiring me to employ the troops under my command to construct and keep in repair the bridges on the road between General Hooker’s headquarters and ‘Stoneman’s switch.’ I have the honor to officially state my belief that, unless I am furnished with the means called for in such requisitions, it will be impossible for me to perform the duty assigned to me under the above-noticed order, as my regimental resources are already insufficient for the purposes of foraging and rationing my command. I have also the honor to very respectfully request to be informed if it is intended to retain this regiment on the roster for picket while discharging this duty of road and bridge construction and police, and if, while assigned to such fatigue duty, it will also be required to do its usual outpost duty. The requisitions are based upon a careful survey and examination made to-day of the roads and line of country assigned me.
******************************************************************************
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) G. C. Cram,
Captain, 6th U. S. Cavalry, Commanding.
To Lieutenant H. MAHNKEN,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General,
2d Cavalry Brigade.”

In the months of winter camp in 1863, the cavalry underwent major changes. Major General Joseph Hooker took command of the army, relieving General Burnside after his failure at Fredericksburg the previous November. One of General Hooker’s changes was to organize the various cavalry regiments into a massive mounted service designated the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. Under this new organization, the regiment remained with the rest of the regular cavalry regiments in the Reserve Brigade, now acting as an independent brigade. While the structure of this fledgling cavalry corps was beginning to take shape, Captain Cram was assigned command of the brigade on February 16, 1863. One soldier who was stationed at brigade headquarters noted in his diary:

“Monday, 16
Rainy some this morning. Cleaned up about 10 o’clock. Capt. Cram is in command of the Brigade. Handsome Brig. Genl. but he can’t command a corporal guard. (unr) that ain’t mutiny.”

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Buford, who was then the chief of cavalry, requested to command the reserve brigade under this reorganization. Thus, in March, Captain Cram was relieved of command of the Reserve Brigade, and resumed command of the 6th U.S. Cavalry.

The regiment, Captain Cram commanding, broke winter camp on April 13, 1863 and participated in the expedition known as “Stoneman’s Raid.”

On May 12,1863, while in camp at Hartwood Church, Captain Cram, accompanied by Assistant Surgeon William H. Forwood and two enlisted orderlies, rode to General Buford’s headquarters, about a mile and a half distant. Towards evening, they started back to camp, and while passing along a country road, were suddenly surrounded and compelled to surrender by about thirty of Colonel Mosby’s men, under Lieutenant Fairchild.

The guerrillas had ridden close to the camps, under cover of a dense forest, and, secreting their horses in the underbrush, had posted themselves on both sides of the road and captured several troopers passing back and forth between the camps.

Captain Cram and Assistant Surgeon Forwood were not armed, and both were entirely unsuspicious of any danger until confronted with a demand for surrender, backed up by cocked carbines. It was a daring ambush, laid in the midst of the cavalry corps, on a piece of road supposed to be covered by patrols and pickets.

The captors mounted and conducted their prisoners through the forest to a house, which appeared to be their headquarters. Here, Lieutenant Fairchild offered to release them if they would give their parole. Captain Cram and the enlisted men were released on parole, after being deprived of their horses and equipments, and started to camp.

Since medical officers on both sides had the right to be released without parole if captured, Assistant Surgeon Forwood declined to sign the parole, and insisted upon his right, as a medical officer, to be released. This was refused, and he was turned over to a guard to be taken to some interior point as a prisoner of war. The guard started after midnight, the prisoner being placed on foot between mounted detachments in front and rear. While passing through a dense growth of pines, the gallant surgeon made a dash for liberty and escaped without injury from the carbine and pistol shots that resounded through the forest.

The escaping prisoner floundered along over fallen timber and through swamps until nearly daylight, when he succeeded in reaching the main road, where Captain Cram and his party had already arrived, and at that point not far from General Buford’s headquarters. This ordeal caused Captain Cram considerable embarrassment, and though unproven, is probably why the gallant surgeon spent the rest of the month on detached duty at the Cavalry Corps’ dismount camp near Dumfries. Surgeon Forwood rejoined the regiment just prior to the battle of Brandy Station and continued to share its fortunes with the same daring spirit that dictated his dash into the dark forest amidst the flying bullets of the guerrillas.

Considerable controversy arose over this capture, and the result was a general order published by the War Department forbidding the acceptance of parole under such circumstances. The order referred to, dated 3 July 1863, contains the following language:

“It is understood that captured officers and men have been paroled and released in the field by others than commanders of opposing armies********
Any officer or soldier who gives such parole will be returned to duty without exchange, and, moreover, will be punished for disobedience of orders. It is the duty of the captor to guard his prisoners, and if, through necessity or choice, he fails to do this, it is the duty of the prisoner to return to the service of his Government.”

It appears that Captain Cram wasn’t any more beloved by the officers of his regiment than he was by the enlisted men. In a letter dated the same day of Captain Cram’s capture, Captain Brisbin wrote to his wife:

“***I am now again in command of the regiment much to the delight of all in it. The Rebels got Cram, Body and Breeches. I am only sorry that they did not kill the son-of-a-bitch, but we are all rid of him and thats all we need care for.***”

Nonetheless, Captain Brisbin’s sentiment would not hold true, for after “officially” being paroled on June 2, 1863, Captain Cram again assumed command of the regiment, if only for a short time.

On June 9th, the battle of Brandy Station took place, in which Captain Cram can easily be commended for the way he handled his regiment in battle. He received a brevet promotion to major for gallant and meritorious service his actions during the battle.

The following day, June 10th, Major Samuel H. “Old Paddy” Starr was appointed to the 6th U.S. Cavalry and would have assumed command of the regiment. However, Major Starr was immediately given command of the brigade, replacing Major Whiting, his junior, while Captain Cram remained in command of the regiment.

Major Starr was a veteran of the old army and known to be a strict disciplinarian, which he rigidly exercised towards all – officers and men. One private would remember:

“There was one feature in MAJ Starr’s administration that in a measure compensated the men for their suffering and humiliation. That was the poorly concealed terror and hate with which he was regarded by the subordinate regimental officers. CPT Cram especially seemed to be an object of Major Starr’s terrific disciplinarian efforts. Under the watchful eyes of the major, poor Captain Cram seemed to have dropped from the pinnacle of happiness to the depths of despair. In his presence, Captain Cram appeared heavily ill at ease. His trepidation was visible to everyone, and a smile was sure to pass along the line on such occasions. Whenever the cold blue eyes of his senior were turned upon him, his manifest trepidation was expressibly gratifying to those who had been subject to Captain Cram’s caprices while at the previous winter camp.”

The regiment continued the march, and on June 21, 1863 participated in the battle of Upperville. On the 23rd, while camped near Aldie, Captain Cram submitted his official report, which is very interesting and given in more detail than is usual in such cases. This is likely because of Major Starr’s vociferous displeasure of the performance of the brigade during the battle. After the brigade’s brief stay at camp near Aldie, it continued the march, chasing after General Lee’s army.

On June 29, 1863, the command reached Frederick City, Maryland, where newly appointed Brigadier General Wesley Merritt assumed command of the brigade, relieving Major Starr. Starr assumed command of the 6th U.S. Cavalry, which in turn, relieved Captain Cram of command of the regiment and returned him to his company.

The command soon reached Emmitsburg, Maryland, where it went into camp. On July 3rd, the brigade commander received information that a Confederate wagon train was very near and guarded by a weak force. Sensing it was ripe for the taking, Brigadier-General Merritt ordered the 6th U.S. Cavalry to the task.

As the regiment marched into Fairfield, Pennsylvania, Major Starr ordered Captain Cram, commanding the 1st Squadron, to take his men and follow the course of an unfinished railroad that lay at the foot of the mountains on the western side of the valley. Captain Cram set off on his reconnoiter, while the rest of the regiment continued towards Cashtown. The battle which ensued, known as the battle of Fairfield, saw the regiment utterly routed by the Confederate force guarding the wagon train, which turned out to be an entire Confederate brigade, under the command of General William “Grumble” Jones. Captain Cram, hearing the firing from the engagement, quickly rushed his 1st Squadron toward the scene. His squadron charged the enemy, but his horse was shot out from underneath him, and he was captured. The remaining few men of the regiment retreated back towards Cashtown.

That afternoon, Captain Cram, along with the other prisoners, set off on the long march south towards the Confederate prisons at Richmond. After a long and rainy march, the prisoners camped some distance away from the battlefield. Now prisoners, and after a long, rainy, cold, hungry, and weary march, these Federal men were not only defeated on the battlefield, but also in spirit. One private noted:

“Grim jokes about ”cordwood brigades,” “Company Q,” and “put a nosebag on him” were occasionally heard, but there was no absolute disrespect shown by the men. Even Captain Cram, with all the different phases of common hate assumed toward him, escaped insult.”

The long march south resumed, and continued for the next few days. Shortly before daylight of July 7th, the men halted near a place called the Mountain House, and here remained until late in the afternoon. Here Captain Cram was once again illegally paroled. The parole was not recognized by the Federal government to be binding, as all prisoner exchanges required the delivery of prisoners to Vicksburg or City Point. He received parole, complaining of gout in his feet from the tremendous amount of marching.

This same day, Brigadier-General Neill reported that:

“***Captain [George C.] Cram, now a prisoner of war at Monterey, states that the discipline of the enemy seems to be very much relaxed. In the last two days I have taken a great many prisoners, or, rather, deserters from the rebels.***”

After this second unauthorized field parole, near Monterey, he was granted 20 days of leave starting on the 24thfor reason of being a paroled prisoner. He then extended his leave for 60 days and subsequently was put on duty as an inspector of cavalry horses at Washington, D.C. on November 6, 1863. On February 20, 1864, he again took leave. On March 10, 1864, he was assigned as a mustering and disbursing officer at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In September, he transferred to his home ground of New York City, still working as a mustering and disbursing officer. In November, he was listed as “sick in New York City,” and on November 16th he was ordered to join his regiment, yet managed to avoid rejoining throughout the remainder of the war. Perhaps the reason for his numerous leaves was that his wife was pregnant, and in 1865, she bore a son, which they named Jacob Cram, probably after George’s father.

At this point, it should be noted that Captain Cram was the only one of the original company commanders in the regiment that had not received some sort of higher command, whether in the regular army or more commonly the volunteer service. However, this was finally about to change, for while in New York, and perhaps the reason for his avoidance to join his regular regiment, he secured an appointment as Colonel of the 22nd New York Cavalry. Unfortunately for Cram, this appointment was rescinded upon the return of the original commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Horatio B. Reed.

Having failed to secure his volunteer command, he must have been compelled to rejoin his regiment, reporting sometime in May of 1865. Yet again, he took leave and was absent on June 16, 1865. In July, he was again reported present for duty, and was assigned special duty as the acting provost marshal at Frederick, Maryland. Yet again, he took leave on August 21, 1865, but was back on duty near Frederick, Maryland by September.

The regiment received hundreds of recruits during the summer, and now at full strength, was ordered to duty in Texas. The regiment broke camp at Frederick, Maryland on October 15, 1865 and proceeded by rail to Battery Barracks, New York, where it embarked , October 19th, on the steamship “Herman Livingston” for New Orleans. The steamer sailed the next morning, and when off the coast of Hatteras, during the 23rd and 24th, encountered a violent storm. One of the sad incidents of this trying voyage was the loss of horses, thrown overboard to lighten the ship. The ship weathered the severe gale which sent many vessels to the bottom, and reached Key West on the night of the 27th, and New Orleans on November 2nd.

The regiment remained in camp near New Orleans until the 10th, when it sailed on the steamer “Clinton” for Galveston, arriving there on November 12th. Austin, Texas, was reached on the 29th, and Camp Sanders was established half a mile west of town. During this month, Captain Cram was listed as present, but sick. By December, he was assigned on detached service as provost marshal at Major-General Custer’s Headquarters in Austin, Texas. On January 24, 1866, he was assigned as the acting inspector general at the same headquarters, until February 1st, when he rejoined his regiment. On March 16th, he was put on special duty attending the general court marshal of a soldier, per Special Order No. 65, and was relieved of that duty on April 22, 1866, yet reported sick. On May 3, 1866, Captain Cram reported to duty, and with his company was on detached service at Jacksboro, Texas.

During early 1867, he went on a scouting expedition after Indians. It is not known what happened on that expedition, but on April 5, 1867, he was listed as joined from that expedition and “in arrest,” since that date. On April 28th, he and his company transferred from Jacksboro to Fort Belknap, where he remained in arrest until June at that post. In June, the returns list him as “from present in arrest to absent in arrest since June 20, 1867, attending his trial before General Court Marshal at Austin, Texas.” Meanwhile, his company was transferred to Camp Wilson. On October 24, 1867 he reported from “absent in arrest to present in arrest” at Camp Wilson “by permission to delay joining his company until the decision of his trial is made known per instructions from the 5th Military District, dated 11 October 1867.”

In a baffling turn, Captain Cram was promoted to Major the next day, October 12, 1867, and assigned to the 4th U.S. Cavalry, and was ordered to report to his new regiment on November 19, 1867. In December, he was en route to Fort Clark, Texas to assume command of that post. He did not stay in command long at Fort Clark, for on January 20, 1868, Major Cram transferred and assumed command of Fort Verde and the regiment. In March, he led his regiment on a movement to transfer to Fort Concho, Texas, and assumed command of that post April 3, 1868.

For the next few months, Major Cram commanded the regiment and post to which he was assigned, until August 18, 1868, when he relinquished command and reported for detached service as a member of a military commission per Special Order No. 3, Headquarters, 5th Military District, dated August 12, 1868. He left the regiment on the 20th for this duty, and by October 2nd, his duty was complete, as he went on leave and travelled to his home in New York City. His leave there was extended for three months per Special Order No. 250, dated October 19, 1868.

On January 9, 1868, Major Cram was recommended for promotion to a lieutenant-colonelcy by Brigadier-General George Stoneman, now a Colonel in command of the 21st U.S. Infantry. Stoneman wrote the following recommendation on behalf of Major Cram:

“Petersburg, Virginia
January 9th, 1868
Hon. Secretary of War,

Sir,
I have never troubled the War department with many recommendations for promotion or preferment, and when I have done so it has ever been done with a knowledge of the person, his claims, and his merits, and because I really thought he was justly entitled to what was asked for him.
The case I now beg the privilege of bringing to the attention of the Department, and through it to the President, is that of one of the most gallant and deserving Officers in the Army --- Major G.C. Cram, 4th U.S. Cavalry, and what is asked for him by myself and through me by his friends who have written me on the subject, is that he may be brevetted a “Lieutenant Colonel in the Army for gallant and meritorious conduct at the engagement of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, July 3d, 1863.”
The circumstances are as follows, His Regiment the 6th Cavalry was taken into the action by Colonel Starr, who being wounded early in the engagement, the Command of the Regiment devolved upon major Cram --- who in extricating his Regiment and saving the Regimental Colors, had his Clothing and saddle perforated with bullets in many places, his horse killed under him, and himself wounded --- when being afoot he was captured by the enemy --- who recognizing and appreciating his gallantry, paroled him and turned him loose.
It is to be presumed that the reason why his name and claims have never been presented for consideration is that no Official report was ever made of the engagement by Colonel Starr, (for reasons unnecessary here to mention,) and I hope it is not now too late to do justice to a brave Soldier, gallant Officer, and thorough Gentleman,
I am, Sir,
Very Respectfully,
Your Obedient Servant
George Stoneman
Colonel 21st U.S. Infantry and
Brevet Major General U.S.A.”

It is obvious that Major Cram stretched the truth to favor himself for a promotion. It need only be mentioned that Private George C. Platt, of Company H, was the soldier who rescued the regimental colors from falling in the hands of the enemy, and for which action he became the regiment’s first Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Even though Major Cram was commanding the 1st Squadron (which consisted of companies B and H), it proves at the very least he was trying to take credit for one of his soldier’s actions.

This concoction of Major Cram’s would ultimately backfire, for at the time, promotions required a letter of endorsement from the commander of the soldier at the time of their actions: Major Samuel H. Starr! Major Starr was currently stationed in Texas with the 6th U.S. Cavalry, and upon receiving Major Cram’s recommendation to lieutenant-colonel, wrote the following:

“Post of Mount Pleasant, Tex.
February 17th 1868

Respectfully returned to HeadQuarters of the Army. I believe General Stoneman does not claim to know anything personally about the actuion mentioned by him in the within communication as he was not serving in the Army of the Potomac at the time: the first paragraph of his letter is intended, I presume, merely to remind the Department of his habitual course, from which, in this case, for sufficient reasons, he chooses to depart. There are several erros of fact in the General’s communication which, as it is referred to me, it is my duty to correct, and I will do so in the order they appear --- I was wounded some hours after the action began and after its close, while the regiment was in retreat through a narrow defile (a country road) and not “early in the engagement.” --- Major Cram certainly was not during any part of the action in command of the regiment --- The regiment being weak and attacked by two brigades of the enemy’s cavalry, under the rebel Generals B.H. Robertson and Jones, was much cut up, routed and disorganized, it is true, but was reformed several miles from the field of action by Lt. Louis H. Carpenter (now Captain, 10th U.S. Cavalry) and not by Maj. Cram. Capt. Carpenter is my informant in this. --- Major Cram had nothing to do with “extricating the regiment.” --- I never heard that Major Cram saved the standard, I think this is a mistake --- I did not know that he was wounded in that action, or that his saddle or clothing was spoiled --- major Cram with his squadron was detached by me on the morning of the 3rd July, the day of the action, before the enemy was discovered, to look after his (the enemy’s) foragers reported by the people to be robbing barns in the neighborhood of Fairfield; and he did not rejoin the regiment, at least not till after the action was over and the regiment was in full retreat; he took no part in the action up to that time; he was however captured. I have heard, and paroled because he was unable to walk from gout in his feet. He did not, I believe, serve again in the field during the war on account of some complications about his exchange.
The remark of General Stoneman in the last paragraph, written in parentheses, to wit “for reasons unnecessary here to mention,” requires notice: The reason no official report was made of the action by me was that in the retreat I lost my right arm near the shoulder while marching through the defile above mentioned --- myself the last man in the column. I add the last clause because it seems to me the remark quoted is calculated to injure me, it is at least liable to misconstruction.
S.H. Starr
Maj. 6th Cav. Bvt Col USA”

The remarks from Army's commanding general were characteristically brief:

“Gen. Stoneman’s recommendation is not approved.
U.S. Grant
General
Hdqrs. Army
March 7, ‘68”

Needless to say, Major Cram never received the promotion, and perhaps from this denial he chose to resign. His resignation was accepted per Special Order No. 23, Headquarters, Army, Adjutant-General’s Office, Washington, D.C., January 28, 1869, to take effect January 26, 1869.

While on leave in New York City, and after resigning, George C. Cram most likely entered schooling at Stamford, Connecticut. However, within the same year of his resignation, and on August 22, 1869, George Cram died. It is unknown what he died from, but still more puzzling is who wrote the following obituary, posted in the New York Times, 26 August 1869:

“The death is announced of Major George Clarence Cram, at Stamford, Conn., on Sunday last, the 22nd inst. Major Cram was a son of the late Jacob Cram, and brother of Henry A. Cram, Esq., and of Mrs. James Watson Webb. He entered the army in 1861, his first commission as Captain of the Sixth Regular Cavalry having been dated May 14, of that year. In this regiment he served throughout the war. In the latter part of 1862, Captain Cram found himself in command of his regiment, being the senior officer on duty with it, and early in 1863 the regular cavalry of the Army of the Potomac was organized into a brigade, the command of which was retained by him, although his rank was not increased. In both these positions he won the praise of his superiors, and the cordial likings of his inferiors in rank by his soldierly qualities and courteous, gentlemanly bearing. While commanding the brigade he kept open the communications of General STONEMAN’S expeditionary force with the main army, on which service he taught the guerillas a much needed lesson. June 9, 1863, he was brevetted Major, and was afterward on duty here as Provost Marshal, and was also sent on a tour of inspection through the North. October 12, 1867, he was commissioned Major of the Fourth Cavalry, and resigned on the 26th of January, 1869. He was in his fortieth year, and much beloved and respected by the many who knew him. His death will be sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends, and by none more sincerely than by his old comrades of the Army of the Potomac.”

Sources:

The Cram Sourcebook, Vol. II, Michael A. Cram.

Passport application of George Clarence Cram, filed 12 July 1855, New York City.

1860 Federal Census, District No. 2, 18th Ward, New York, New York, Page No. 81, Family entry 353.

General Order No. 33, Adjutant-General’s Office, 18 June 1861.

6th U.S. Cavalry database, compiled by Jim Jones.

Official Records to the War of the Rebellion.

Special Order No. 158. Returns for Regular Army Regiments, 6th U.S. Cavalry.

Returns for Regular Army Regiments, 6th U.S. Cavalry, October through December 1862.

Common Soldier, Uncommon War: Life as a Cavalryman in the Civil War, Sidney M. Davis.

From Yorktown to Santiago with the Sixth U.S. Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel William H. Carter.

The Union Cavalry Comes of Age, Eric J. Wittenberg.

The diary of Randolph R. Knapp, housed at the Gettysburg Library.

Letter to Jane, his wife, by James S. Brisbin, housed at the Iowa Historical Society.

List of Officers of the Army of the United States from 1779 to 1900, William Henry Powell.

Special Order No. 348, Adjutant-General’s Office, War Department, Washington, D.C.

Special Order No. 358 and Special Order No. 494, Adjutant-General’s Office, War Department, Washington, D.C., respectively.

Special Order No. 84, Adjutant-General’s Office, War Department, Washington, D.C., dated 20 February 1864.

Special Order No. 114, Adjutant-General’s Office, War Department, Washington, D.C., dated 10 March 1864.

Special Order No. 398, Adjutant-General’s Office, War Department, Washington, D.C.

From Rochester to Winchester: The Regimental History of the 22nd New York Cavalry, Michael G. Burns.

Returns for Regular Army Regiments, 6th U.S. Cavalry.

Special Order No. 8, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, D.C.

Special Order No. 190, Headquarters, 5th Military District, dated 19 November 1867.

Order No. 228, Headquarters, Department of Texas, dated 28 December 1867.

Special Order No. 7, dated 10 January 1868.

Returns for Regular Army Regiments, 4th U.S. Cavalry.

Military History graduate degrees

2009-05-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Now that my “work” master’s degree is at last finished, or at least in its finishing throes, I’ve decided to start looking for the program that I’ve really wanted to take for my own satisfaction. My goal has been a graduate degree in history since my time as an undergrad, but circumstances to date haven’t been compatible with pursuing such a degree. Since I’m not interested in relocating to pursue the degree and am curious about a degree in military history, I’m probably limited to an online or distance learning program. That is probably not conducive to university teaching upon completion of the degree (or likely even acceptance to a PhD program, though I’m unsure exactly how that works) but that isn’t necessarily the goal I’m shooting for.

American Military University and Norwich University both offer programs for a Master of Arts in Military History. They may not be the most prominent programs, but certainly appear to be the most prevalent from their advertising. I thought I would see how the two programs compare head to head in several categories.

Accreditation.
Norwich: New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.
AMU: Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council.
Advantage: Even, given that I don’t know enough to gauge which is better.

Program of instruction.
Norwich: Six 11 week seminars (courses) of 6 credit hours each. Each semester consists of two seminars. Seminars include: Introduction to Military History, The Western Way of War, Military Thought and Theory, The Non-Western Way of War, U.S. Military History or Race and Gender in Military History, and the capstone seminar. The seminars are structured in a required sequence, and there are no electives. Normal completion 18-24 months from enrollment date. Program culminates in 1 week residency and graduation ceremony at Norwich in June. Total: 36 hours.
AMU: 4 required core courses on historical research methods, historiography, studies in U.S. military history, and great military philosophers. Selection of one of five areas of concentration: American military history, American Revolution, Civil war, World War II, and War since 1945. Each concentration consists of five required courses and one elective. No residency requirement, but there is a (optional) graduation ceremony in Washington D.C. each summer. Total: 36 hours.
Advantage: Even, depends on a given student’s preference for depth or breadth of study.

Start times.
Norwich: 4 --- March, June, September, or December.
AMU: monthly.
Advantage: AMU.

Flexibility of content.
Norwich: very little, with one choice between two classes during one semester. 6 mandatory seminars, taken in a required order.
AMU: choice of five concentration options. The concentration option most comparable to the Norwich degree is American Military History, which is comprised of five required classes and one elective. Required classes: American Revolution in Context, Civil War, World War II in Context, War Since 1945, and Great Military Leaders. Electives include classes on air power, land warfare throughout history, sea power, special topics and independent study.
Advantage: AMU.

Cost.
Norwich: $657 per hour, or $7884 per semester, plus semester technology fee of $475 and resource fee of $450. Fees include all books and materials. Total: $26,427.
AMU: $275 per hour, or $825 per course. No additional mandatory fees, but students purchase their own books and materials. Total: $9,900.
Advantage: AMU, though there will be those who argue that you get what you pay for.

Exit requirements.
Norwich: capstone paper, similar to a thesis, which is defended during residency.
AMU: two options: capstone seminar/ thesis or comprehensive exam.
Advantage: Even, with a slight edge to Norwich as I favor an in-person defense of the thesis.

X-factor:
Norwich: degree has no mention of online designation. Students receive “the official, traditional diploma of Norwich University.”
Advantage: Norwich, given remaining stigma attached to online degree programs.

Some categories were intentionally omitted, as I had no effective way to compare them, or didn’t think them relevant. Class size wasn’t available for both schools. Faculty comparisons would a very research-intensive study outside the scope of this comparison. This comparison is admittedly quantity slanted vs quality, as I have no data readily available to compare the two qualitatively. Other than, hopefully, commentary from readers familiar with one or both programs.

On the surface of my rather limited analysis, it would appear that AMU is the clear winner. But it’s hard to quantify education, and whether one would be able to progress academically from either of these programs, so hopefully someone will be willing to share their thoughts.

Who's In This Photo?

2009-05-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at 6th U.S. Cavalry Headquarters circa 1862. From right to left: standing; unknown; Major Laurence A. Williams. Sitting; 2nd Lieutenant Samuel M. Whitside; Captain William P. Sanders. I found this photo on a Wikipedia search for Samuel Marmaduke Whitside, although I believe the original is housed at the Fort Huachuca, Arizona Museum.

Jim Jones and I have been trying to figure out who our mystery man is in the above photo, and decided to post this in hopes that a reader may see or know something that we do not.

What are our clues?

From the regimental records, we know that the regiment took to the field on 10 March 1862. Additionally, Major Williams left the regiment on 26 June 1862. Therefore, the photo must have been taken between 10 March and 26 June 1862.

Given our collection of 6th U.S. Cavalry officer photos, it is easy to eliminate whom this photo does not depict. To this, one can also take in consideration the date/time of the photo, eliminating any officers assigned after 26 June 1862. Thus, the potential candidates are:

CPT Savage (commander, Co H,present all three months)
CPT Cram (commander, Co I, present all three months)
1LT Brown (present)
1LT Hutchins (signed March '62 return as acting adjutant April 15th, also commander, Co E, present march-May, sick in June '62)
1LT Claflin (may have been present)
1LT Dodge (absent April-May '62)
1LT Johnson (present)
1LT Tucker (present)
1LT McLean (commander, Co F, present all three months)
2LT Spangler (regimental quartermaster, present all three months)
2LT Kerin (present)
2LT Coats (signed April retrun as acting adjutant May 1st, acting adjutant, April-May '62, present all three months)
2LT Balk (present)
2LT Madden (present April-May, absent May-June)
2LT Ward (present)
2LT Stoll (present)
2LT Balder (present or entry illegible)

Additional thoughts: At the time of the photo, Williams and Sanders are the two senior officers assigned to the regiment. It could be a regimental headquarters photo (the three named are from different companies, eliminating that possibility). Whitside filled in at times as an acting adjutant. If we make this assumption, the most likely candidates are Spangler as the RQM or the regimental sergeant major at the time. Given the appearance of the epaulets in the photo, however, it's most likely an officer.

Any ideas?

Fiddler’s Green – Myles Moylan

2009-05-17T15:21:00.001-07:00

As a former commander of Company C, 2nd U.S. Dragoons (at the time in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, currently designated the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, but still on continuous active service since 1836), it’s always gratifying to turn up information on one of the company’s soldiers. Little did I suspect, however, where following Moylan’s life would lead me. Shiloh, Gettysburg, Little Big Horn, Wounded Knee --- Myles Moylan was definitely born to be a cavalryman. Despite controversy shrouding his career more than once, the quality of the 36 years of his service speaks for itself.

Myles Moylan was born at Amesbury, Massachusetts on December 17, 1838. His father was Thomas Moylan and his mother was Margaret Riley, both born in Ireland. Educated in local schools, he worked as a shoemaker prior joining the army. He was enlisted as a private in Company C, 2nd U.S. Dragoons by Lieutenant McArthur in Boston, Massachusetts on June 8, 1857. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’9 ½” tall, with black hair, gray eyes and a ruddy complexion. For some reason he listed Galway, Ireland as his place of birth on his enlistment paperwork.

Army life apparently agreed well with young Myles. He was promoted to corporal on October 1, 1858, and sergeant exactly two years later. During this time, he served in the Utah expedition of 1857-1858 and later in Kansas and Nebraska. He fought in an engagement with Indians at Blackwater Springs, Kansas on July 11, 1860. Sergeant Moylan was promoted to first sergeant of the company on May 17, 1861.

This last promotion proved very important to the company, as all of its assigned officers resigned at the outbreak of the war. Company C left Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on June 11, 1861, under the command of Lieutenant Farrand of the 1st U.S. Infantry. It didn’t rejoin the rest of the regiment until June 1863. During these two years, it was commanded by eight officers of different regiments and corps, including four infantry officers and two artillery officers. It would have been the steady hand of the first sergeant that kept the company functioning.

First Sergeant Moylan led his company through engagements at Wilson’s Creek, Missouri, Forts Henry and Donelson in Tennessee. He re-enlisted at Pittsburgh, Tennessee on April 1, 1862, just days before the battle of Shiloh. He continued to serve with the company through that battle and the subsequent siege of Corinth. During the winter of 1862-1863, they served as the escort for General Grant for several months at Memphis, Tennessee. First Sergeant Moylan remained with the company until March 28, 1863, when he was discharged at Memphis, Tennessee. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the 5th U.S. Cavalry on February 19th, but it took over a month for the news to reach him.

Lieutenant Moylan joined his new regiment in Virginia in May, and was assigned to Company D. He immediately assumed command of the company upon his arrival due to a shortage of officers with the regiment. He commanded the company through engagements at Brandy Station, Aldie, Middletown, Upperville, Gettysburg, Williamsport, Boonsboro, Funkstown, Falling Waters, Manassas Gap, Front Royal, and Brandy Station again in August. The regiment moved with the rest of the Reserve Brigade to Giesboro Point, D.C. for remounting and refitting from August to October 1863. His final battle with the regiment was the engagement at Morton’s Ford, Virginia on October 11th, as part of the diversion for Kilpatrick’s raid.

His commission was revoked and he was dismissed from the service on October 20, 1863 for an unauthorized visit to Washington, D.C. and failing to report to military district headquarters. Sympathetic biographers have on several occasions referred to this as a “trifling offense,” but given the length of his service he should have known better. In his defense, officer absenteeism was a common problem subject to periodic crackdowns during the war, and he may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He didn’t stay out of action long, however. He enlisted in Company A, 4th Massachusetts Cavalry at Malden, MA under the fictitious name of Charles E. Thomas on December 2, 1863. Despite using a nom de guerre, he received a $325 bounty for enlisting. Given his experience, it is unsurprising that he was a sergeant in the company by December 26th, and appointed first lieutenant a month later on January 25, 1864.

Lieutenant Moylan led his company through engagements on John’s Island, South Carolina in July, 1864, and near Jacksonville, Florida in October before his regiment was assigned to the forces besieging Petersburg. He was promoted to captain of Company K on December 1, 1864, and served briefly on the staff of Major General John Gibbon. He commanded a squadron of the regiment at the headquarters of the XXIV Corps during the Richmond campaign, and on April 9, 1865 received a brevet promotion to major of volunteers for gallant and meritorious services during the campaign in Virginia. He was honorably mustered out of service with his regiment on November 14, 1865 at Richmond, Virginia.

After the holidays, Moylan was back in uniform, this time once again under his own name. He enlisted in the general mounted service at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania as a private on January 25, 1866, and on March 10th was promoted to corporal.

Corporal Moylan was assigned to the new 7th U.S. Cavalry when it was formed on August 20, 1866, and his fortunes soared again. He was noticed by the regiment’s Lieutenant Colonel Custer, and was appointed the regiment’s first sergeant major on September 1, 1866. The two had briefly served together in the 5th Cavalry prior to Gettysburg. Moylan would serve in the 7th Cavalry for the next 26 years.

Custer encouraged his new sergeant major to apply for a commission once again. He was appointed a first lieutenant, 7th U.S. Cavalry on July 28, 1866, but was initially unable to accept it because he failed the appointment examination. Custer obtained permission to administer a second test, however, and tutored him to pass the examination the second time.

Such patronage was not without its costs. The new lieutenant was not initially admitted into the junior officer’s mess, though whether this was due to his prior enlisted service or Custer’s favoritism is unclear. Lieutenant Moylan served as the regimental adjutant from February 20, 1867 to December 31, 1870, when he was relieved at his own request. He served in the 1868 Washita campaign, following which he was also assigned as an acting assistant adjutant general of the troops serving in Kansas from 1868 to 1869. Lieutenant Moylan was assigned on recruiting service from January 1871 to January 1873.

While on recruiting service, Myles Moylan married Charlotte Calhoun on October 22, 1872 at Madison, Indiana. Charlotte, or Lottie as she was known, was the 19 year old sister of First Lieutenant James Calhoun. Lieutenant Calhoun also served in the 7th Cavalry, and was married to Custer’s half sister, so this further cemented Moylan’s ties to the Custer family.

Moylan was promoted to captain in the 7th U.S. Cavalry on March 1, 1872, and assigned to command of Company A when he returned to the regiment. He commanded Company A and at times a squadron during the Yellowstone and Black Hills expeditions of 1873 and 1874.

Captain Moylan commanded his company at the battle of Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876, and was one the few officers of the regiment to survive the fight. He participated in the fight of Major Reno’s column in the valley, and later the Reno-Benteen defense on the bluff. Moylan lost both his patron and his brother in law during the battle. Interestingly given his ties to Custer, he later wrote a controversial letter defending Reno’s actions during the battle. He was part of the burial detail after the fight, and several months later wrote to Libby Custer of how he’d found her husband’s body on the battlefield.

Captain Moylan again led his company in the campaign against the Nez Perce the following year, when he earned the Medal of Honor. After a forced march of several days, the cavalry column successfully overtook a camp of the elusive tribe near Bear Paw Mountain, Montana on September 30, 1877. During the subsequent battle, he “gallantly led his command in action against Nez Perce Indians until he was severely wounded,” according to the award citation. He was reportedly wounded in the right thigh while at the head of his company charging at a full gallop. His was one of nine medals of honor awarded for the battle. He was brevetted major in the regular army for the battle on February 27, 1890, and his medal of honor was awarded November 27, 1894.

In 1880, Captain Moylan commanded his company and Fort Meade, Dakota Territory, according to census data. He commanded a battalion of three companies of cavalry during the summer Little Missouri River campaign of 1881, and his own company during an engagement with Crows in Montana Territory on November 5, 1887. He continued to serve on the frontier through the fighting at Wounded Knee in 1890.

Captain Moylan was promoted to major in the 10th U.S. Cavalry on April 8, 1892. He retired a year later, on April 15, 1893, after a career of almost 36 years. He and his wife moved to California, where he settled in San Diego with his wife. They had no children.

Major Myles Moylan died of stomach cancer in San Diego, California on December 1, 1909. Lottie survived him by seven years, dying March 29, 1916. The couple had no children, and are buried together in Greenwood Memorial Park, San Diego.

Sources:

Hammer, Kenneth. Men With Custer, Biographies of the 7th U.S. Cavalry. Fort Collins: Old Army Press, 1972.

Hatch, Thom. The Custer Companion. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1903. Page 733.

Henry, Guy V. Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume I. New York: D. Van Nostrand Publishing, 1873. Page 172.

Index to Compiled Military Service Records (accessed at www.ancestry.com on May 14, 2009)

Powell, William H. Records of Living Officers of the United States Army. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1890.

Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry. New York: Antiquarian Press, Ltd., 1959.

Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.

U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914. (accessed at www.ancestry.com on May 15, 2009)

Utley, Robert. Life in Custer’s Cavalry. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987.

Wert, Jeffry D. Custer. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1997.

New battle blog - Kelly's Ford

2009-05-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have already seen yesterday at To The Sound of the Guns, Craig Swain and I have launched a 'battle-blog' on the March 17, 1863 cavalry battle at Kelly's Ford, Virginia.

The Battle of Kelly's Ford is an attempt to use the blog medium to create a digital history of the battle, similar to Harry Smeltzer's Bull Runnings and Brain Downey's Behind Antietam on the Web.

The site is still under construction, with only the Official Records reports and order of battle information posted so far. We hope to incorporate at least partial points of view from every unit involved and biographical sketches of their leaders.

We wanted to start with a small, relatively self-contained battle for this experiment before taking on something larger. We'll see where it goes.

Regular Thoughts

2009-05-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering the situation of the regulars at the outbreak of the Civil War, and have determined there are definitely two different types of regulars. I haven't fully developed the idea yet, but thought I'd post what I've come up with so far here for comment.

During the summer and fall of 1861, Regular and volunteer units concentrated around Washington, D.C. Once their own company and regimental drills were accomplished, they began to drill in larger units and more complicated drills.

The Regulars, at least in the early going, needed the drill nearly as much as the volunteers they thought so little of. Without exception they had been scattered across the frontier in company sized or smaller garrisons, and had not faced a “modern” enemy since the end of the Mexican War.

This is not to say that these units gained nothing from the 10-15 years of Indian fighting they had experienced on the frontier. They were accustomed to hard fighting against a tenacious opponent in a difficult environment, generally while undermanned and poorly resourced. When not actively campaigning against the Indians, many long hours and days were spent in small unit drills that enhanced teamwork and obedience to orders from superiors. They returned from the frontier accustomed to a life governed by Army regulations and the articles of war. They were trained and disciplined soldiers with high morale.

As the war’s initial campaigns began, there were two kinds of regulars. The first was the hard-bitten “Old Army” soldiers of the frontier. These soldiers were for the most part commanded by veteran West Point trained officers and former sergeants. The second type was either the new recruit assigned to an older regular regiment or those selected to fill the ranks of the new regular units created at the beginning of the war. While these new recruits were no different than their volunteer neighbors when they enlisted, they had the advantage of receiving their training from experienced cadres of officers and sergeants. They also had the additional pressure of living up to the reputation of their regiments. This second group greatly outnumbered the first, as nearly all regular regiments were significantly below full strength at the beginning of the war.

These regiments, regulars old and new, were their army’s reserve, or backbone. In the Army of the Potomac, the Artillery Reserve was a division by the opening of the peninsula campaign in March 1862, with a regular light brigade and a regular horse brigade in addition to its other subordinate units. The infantry’s Reserve Division had two brigades of nine regular regiments. The cavalry’s Reserve Brigade initially contained over four regular cavalry regiments, but was divided on the eve of the campaign into a Cavalry Reserve of two brigades and supplemented with a few selected volunteer units. All of these organizations were designed to harness and protect the reliable units until or in case they were needed.

Adept at small unit tactics, the older regiments were quickly able to integrate new recruits into their familiar company level and below drills. Once this was accomplished, however, they needed training to operate at the unfamiliar regimental and brigade levels. What reads easily in a manual is a completely different story on a cold, windy winter parade field hoof-deep in mud.

The new regular units shared these problems, but their paths were much easier than their volunteer counterparts due to experienced sergeants and former sergeant junior officers familiar with the drills and responsibilities of regular service.

Top 10 Civil War Blogs

2009-05-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

There seem to be a couple of these going around right now. While I have no particular ax to grind, I will take the opportunity to highlight some of the blogs I enjoy on a regular basis. All of these can be found in the blogroll to the left, so I won't duplicate links inside the entry. I found it difficult to rank order these blogs, as I seem to turn to different ones at different times depending on the mood I'm in or what I'm looking for.

1. My Year of Living Rangerously - Manny Gentile
2. Bull Runnings - Harry Smeltzer
3. Rantings of a Civil War Historian - Eric Wittenberg
4. Civil War Books and Authors - Drew Wagenhofer
5. Civil Warriors - Mark Grimsley, Brooks Simpson and Ethan Rafuse
6. A Publisher's Perspective - Ted Savas
7. TOCWOC - Brett Schulte, et al
8. Civil War Bookshelf - Dmitri Rotov
9. 48th Pennsylvania Infantry - John Hoptak
10. Hoofbeats and Cold Steel - JD Petruzzi

Honorable mention to Behind Antietam on the Web by Brian Downey, which missed a spot only because of a very infrequent posting schedule. Such postings, however, are invariably worth the wait.

In looking back at my list, I notice that several of them post off-topic frequently. Perhaps that was a subcoscious criteria, but if so, then I really did Rene Tyree over at Wig Wags an injustice....

What a Great Map!

2009-05-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already perused the June 2009 edition of Civil War Times, I heartily encourage you to do so. The magazine continues to improve with every issue. I'm not too interested in McClellan, so the cover story wasn't of too much interest to me, but I was delighted with the map on page 34.

David Fuller crafted an excellent two-page map featuring the majority of the Peninsula campaign, complete with a day by day chronology of the campaigns significant engagements. While it's evident that the author isn't a fan of McClellan, the detail is excellent, and the map is a very good quick reference guide to the campaign

No new posts until 2 May

2009-04-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Due to an extraordinarily hectic week, there will no new posts here until this weekend. I should finally be back to a normal posting pattern next week. Thank you for your patience.

Fiddler’s Green: Joseph P. Ash

2009-04-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

Joseph Penrose Ash was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1839. He was the only son of Caleb L. Ash and Bella Maria Ashmead. Joseph was educated in Philadelphia, and joined the First City Troop of Philadelphia when he was 17. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he “held a responsible business position” in Philadelphia.

After the fall of Fort Sumter, he traveled to Washington, D.C. and joined Cassius M. Clay’s battalion of D.C. volunteers as a first lieutenant on April 18, 1861. Shortly thereafter, he volunteered to make a reconnaissance inside the enemy’s lines across the Potomac, which he accomplished successfully. Partly because of this daring enterprise, President Lincoln appointed him a second lieutenant in the 2nd (later 5th ) U.S. Cavalry on April 30, 1861.

Lieutenant Ash was assigned to Company H, and served with his regiment at Camp Cliffburn near Washington, D.C. through the winter of 1861. Joseph was promoted to first lieutenant on January 15, 1862 and assigned to Company E. He served with the regiment throughout the Peninsula campaign, and was one of the very few officers fortunate enough to come through the famous charge during the battle of Gaines Mill unscathed.

Following the battle of Antietam, he led a squadron of 150 men as part of a larger reconnaissance from Antietam toward Smithfield on October 15, 1862. His squadron led the advance on the way to Smithfield, and the rear guard as the force withdrew under pressure toward Sharpsburg. According to the report of the mission’s commander, Major Curtis of the 1st Massachusetts, “The immediate rear guard was taken from the Fifth Regular cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Ash, and behaved with great steadiness though closely pressed by the enemy’s cavalry in large numbers and annoyed by a concealed musketry fire.” (OR, Series I, Volume 51, part 1, pg 170)

Three weeks later he was commended for his actions while leading his squadron in a saber charge near Little Washington. He was brevetted major in the regular army on November 8, 1862 for conspicuous gallantry at Warrenton, Virginia. Lieutenant Ash was seriously wounded during the encounter, receiving at least three saber cuts and a gunshot wound. General Pleasonton’s report on the engagement noted, “Lieutenant Ash showed great daring, but the results of his charge did not compensate for his loss.” (OR, Series I, Volume 19, Part II, pg 120) Recovery from these wounds kept him away from the regiment and active service until the fall of 1863.

He was appointed a mustering officer on June 3, 1863, and assigned to Trenton, New Jersey. Later that month, he mustered out the 22nd NJ Infantry. He mustered in the 2nd NJ Cavalry and the 33rd NJ Infantry at Camp Parker near Trenton during August and September 1863. Lieutenant Ash was promoted to captain in the 5th US Cavalry on September 25, 1863 and assigned command of Company A.

Captain Ash rejoined the regiment in October, and lost no time getting back into the action. He was slightly wounded in the action at Morton's Ford that same month, and also fought at Bristoe Station. The night before the battle of Bristoe Station, he voluntarily conducted a personal reconnaissance behind the Confederate lines to determine their strength and dispositions. He verified the enemy's main force had retired, leaving only a screen of a cavalry brigade supported by artillery. The information he gathered was forwarded to General Meade, who decided to advance. He spent the winter in camp with the regiment near Mitchell's Station until February 1864.

Captain Ash was a very effective squadron commander, commanding Companies A and E. General Merritt made the following observation in his report of a reconnaissance to Barnett’s Ford the Rapidan river on February 9, 1864. “Captain Ash, of the Fifth Calvary, made a spirited charge with his squadron driving more than his number of the enemy’s infantry out of a peculiarly strong place.” (OR, Series I, Volume 33, pg 140) he was again slightly wounded in this engagement.

A story attributed to General Merritt about Captain Ash in this engagement is quoted in Makers of Philadelphia, page 287. “Captain Ash, in a bold effort to discover the force of the enemy behind their lines on the Rapidan, dashed at full speed along the front of their entrenchments unharmed through a shower of bullets, until the enemy, in admiration of his intrepid courage, ceased firing, and mounted to the top of their breastworks, where they filled the air with their cheers. Captain Ash reined up his horse, raised his hat with a graceful salute to the cheering Confederates, and rode leisurely back to his own lines amid the plaudits of friends and foes.” While possible, the tale seems unlikely, and General Merritt’s reports were characteristically both verbose and profuse in their enthusiasm.

Later the same month, Captain Ash led his squadron of the 5th US Cavalry during General Custer’s diversionary raid toward Charlottesville, where his daring earned the young general’s notice. Custer’s force encountered several batteries of Stuart’s horse artillery, which he incorrectly identified as several regiments of cavalry with artillery support. Sent forward with his sixty men to discover the enemy’s strength and position, he turned the enemy’s right flank and charged. According to Custer’s report, “Captain Ash drove the enemy back very gallantly, and succeeded in capturing 6 caissons filled with ammunition, 2 forges and harness complete, besides destroying the camp of the enemy.” (OR, Series I, Volume 33, pg 162) The two were acquainted, as they had briefly served together as lieutenants during the summer and fall of 1861.

Captain Joseph Ash was killed on May 8, 1864, while trying to rally a regiment of infantry near Todd’s Tavern during the opening phases of the battle of Spottsylvania Court House. According to his division commander’s report, “On the arrival of the infantry, a part of a regiment of Robinson’s division, through apprehension or excitement, fired into the woods to the great danger of the line of battle of the cavalry engaged some distance in front. Captain Ash, together with some of my staff, stopped the firing, and in leading the infantry into position on our skirmish line, was mortally wounded. He died nobly in the discharge of a most important duty; a heroic, patriotic, intrepid cavalry officer, a noble martyr in his country’s service.” (OR, Series I, Volume 36, Part 1, pg 812)

Captain Ash was brevetted lieutenant colonel effective May 8, 1864 for conspicuous gallantry at the battle of Spottsylvania. His body was reportedly buried between two apple trees near the spot where he fell, and his body remained there until the end of the war. He was re interred at St. James-the-Less churchyard, Philadelphia on May 15, 1865, in the burial plot of his uncle, Lehman P. Ashmead.

In his history of the regiment, George Price wrote of Ash, "He was one of the most gallant officers in the regiment, and was conspicuous for dash and intelligence. His brilliant conduct in the presence of the enemy was inspiring, and the regiment suffered a severe loss when he fell in battle."

Captain Joseph P. Ash, a gallant and fearless cavalryman.

Sources:

Burt, Nathaniel. The Perennial Philadelphians. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Pg 274

Heitman, pg 173

Henry, Volume 1, pgs 135-136

Morris, Charles, ed., Makers of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly, Co., 1894

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Volumes 19, 33, 36, 51, pages as noted.

Powell, List of Officers of the United States Army from 1779 to 1900. New York: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1900. Pg 167

Price, George. Across the Continent With the Fifth Cavalry. New York: Antiquarian Pres Ltd, 1959.

Wert, Jeffry D. Custer. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Pg 141

A Different Perspective

2009-04-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

I would be less than objective in reporting on the Regulars if I didn't include the bad information along with the good. Everyone, of course, didn't admire the Regulars or hold a high opinion of them.

Following the Gettysburg campaign, in October 1863, the 1st New York Dragoons was added to the Reserve Brigade. In their regimental history, published in 1900, I found some less than approbatory commentary about some of the the regular regiments of the brigade at the battle of Bristoe Station on October 17, 1863.

"The cowardly regulars, instead of supporting us in the charge, fell back as soon as the firing began, leaving the (New York) dragoons to contend all alone with three times their number, while those miserable paltroons went into camp without firing a shot. From what we have seen of the regulars they are a foul-mouthed set of blackguards, and our boys are disgusted at being brigaded with such trash." (Bowen, Regimental History of the First New York Dragoons, pg 102)

Then-bugler Bowen was rather unimpressed, to put it mildly. In order to present this objectively, however, a few other things should be considered. This was the 1st NY Dragoons' first fight, as they had left camp to join the brigade only 4 days before. I don't recall any such commentary from the historians of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and they fought with the regulars for the majority of the war. This was the perception of a bugler, and while undoubtedly what he saw, make not be what actually transpired. I'll go back and check the OR, but I don't recall any censure on the regulars from this fight. During which, incidentally, the brigade commander, Alfred Gibbs, was also the commanding officer of the 1st New York.

As to the identity of the regiments involved, it was likely the 1st and 5th US Cavalry. The history of the 6th US doesn't mention it, and I beleieve they were assigned to Cavalry Corps Headquarters at this time. The fight isn't mentioned in the histories of the 2nd US. I don't have a contemporary history of the 1st US Cavalry, but here's the very little mentioned in Price's Across the Continent With the Fifth U.S. Cavalry: "The regiment then rejoined the army at Centreville, and, under the command of Captain Arnold, participated in the engagement at Bristoe Station (where Captain Ash made a daring individual reconnaissance within the enemy's lines), Kettle Run, and in the Mine Run operations,..." (pg 119)

This might make the first sentence of this post disingenuous, but I think the observation and its context are both important. I'll check the OR and post more if there's relevant information, since I'm sure the brigade commander will have an opinion on how his brigade performed in the action.The reader can make his or her own decision.

Company Sergeants and Corporals

2009-03-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Returning to the theme of the enlisted soldiers of a cavalry regiment, I thought I'd work my way down from the sergeant major and provide a description of the duties and responsibilities of the company sergeants in the words of one who filled the various positions during the war.

"The first sergeant out-ranked all other warrant officers of the company. Very many of the duties of the captain have by custom fallen to the sergeant to do. The captain is responsible but the first sergeant relieves him of a great many burdens, or rather of the performance of many duties. The first sergeant becomes a quite important person in a company and enjoys a great many privileges. The discipline of the company is largely his work.

"The next sergeant in rank in a cavalry company is the sergeant who looks after the provisions or rations of food for the men and forage for the horses. he drills with the company at least until thoroughly instructed in the use of arms and in the prescribed movements for men and horses.

"The other four sergeants are 'duty' sergeants who serve with the company always in all of its duties. The sergeants usually have command of small working parties, and may have one or more corporals with them. The sergeants perform important parts in drills, and are very necessary under officers."

"The corporals rank below sergeants, and take rank among themselves from first to eighth."

"Often a sergeant or corporal may be such only in name, not having received an appointment. this is often done to reward a specially good enlisted man when there is no vacancy to be filled, or when the captain may wish to more fully acquaint himself with a soldiers (sic) capacity before finally determining to appoint him to the position."

Admitted to the Carnival

2009-03-20T10:04:00.001-07:00

Crossed Sabers has been fortunate enough to be included on the most recent Military History Carnival for a recent post on the sergeants major of the 6th US Cavalry. The post can be found under the general category (all things being equal, at a normal carnival the blog would probably be next to the bearded lady...). Thank you again to the folks at the MHC for including the post. The link to this version of the Military History carnival is here.

Fiddler's Green: Edwin S. FitzHenry

2009-03-18T04:23:00.000-07:00

Edwin Sawtell FitzHenry was born in Dublin, Ohio on July 24, 1835. He worked as a blacksmith prior to the Civil War.

Edwin was enlisted into Company B, 6th U.S. Cavalry on August 5, 1861 by Lieutenant Wade in Columbus, Ohio. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’ 6 ½” tall and 25 years old, with black hair, gray eyes and a sallow complexion. Interestingly, he signed into the regiment as Edwin S. Henry, dropping the “Fitz” from his name.
Private Henry trained with the new regiment at Bladensburg, Maryland and Camp East of the Capitol, Washing ton, D.C. through the fall and winter of 1861. He accompanied the regiment to the Virginia peninsula in March 1862 for the start of its first campaign as a company farrier.

Edwin seems to have avoided the disease that struck the regiment heavily after its arrival in Virginia. His first and only injury appears to have occurred at the battle of Hanover Court house on May 26, 1862. After the war he claimed to have been wounded in the left hand by a saber during the fight. There is no record of him in the regimental returns, either in the monthly return for June or the annual return for 1862. He did serve on detached service from his company at Cold Harbor with the regimental trains and hospital later that month, however, so there could be some credence to his claim. If he was injured, but not seriously enough to see one of the regiment’s assistant surgeons, there would not be a record of his injury. Regardless, he was back to duty with his company the following month.

Farrier Henry served through the rest of the campaigns of 1862 and 1863 without incident. He was one of the few soldiers in Company B who wasn’t killed, wounded or captured during the Gettysburg campaign in the regiment’s engagements at Fairfield or Funkstown. He continued to serve until the expiration of his term of service on August 6, 1864 at Light House Point, Virginia. The only change to his description is that his complexion had changed from sallow to ruddy, undoubtedly due to the many months outdoors and in the saddle during his enlistment.

The attached picture is courtesy of the Fitz-Henry family collection and shows Edwin at some point during his service. The person on the right is most likely Francis Riggs Chapman, another soldier from Company B. Chapman was also born in Dublin, Ohio, and enlisted the same day as Edwin at age 23.

After his return from the war, Edwin married Sarah Jane Burns on October 30, 1866. They had seven children over the next eighteen years. They moved to Illinois in the spring of 1875, where they lived on a farm two miles north of Gibson City until mid 1883. In 1883, Edwin moved his family to Fairbury, Nebraska. The family lived in Nebraska only six months before Edwin died from heart disease on January 12, 1884. He is buried in the Fairbury cemetery.

Sarah Jane and her children returned to Illinois. At the age of 34, she was a widow with children ranging in age from 5 months to 15 years. She received a widow's pension from the War Department for Edwin's service in the Civil War. Mrs. FitzHenry died of pneumonia on March 21, 1911.

Special thanks to Ann FitzHenry for starting me down the path of Edwin’s career and to her and her family for allowing me to post Edwin’s photo.

Fiddler’s Green: William J. Palmer

2009-03-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

While William J. Palmer was not a cavalryman in a regular regiment, he was a cavalryman who rose to great prominence and distinction after the Civil War. He used his Civil war career as a springboard to an amazing career as a railroad pioneer and philanthropist, yet he is all but forgotten today outside the city that he founded. As today marks the 100th anniversary of his death, I thought it fitting to post a memoriam of his life and achievements.

William Jackson Palmer was born to a Quaker family in Leipsic, Delaware on September 17, 1836. The family left the small coastal town when he was five and moved to the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He was fascinated as a child by steam locomotives and learned all that he could about railroads. When he was 17, he went to work the Pennsylvania Railroad.. He was sent to England and France to study railroad engineering and mining. When he returned in 1856, he became the private secretary of the president of the railroad. From this position, he was exposed to the inner workings of the railroad industry, something that stood him in excellent stead in later years.

Palmer explained to the president of the PRR that coal could replace wood as a fuel source, based on his observations in England. Faced with shortages of wood along its right of ways, the company became the first American railroad to convert to coal as a fuel source. He spent the next several years focusing on associated problems with railroad engine power and combustion. Among those he worked closely with during this time was the railroad vice president’s assistant, Andrew Carnegie.

Although raised as a Quaker, Palmer was also an active abolitionist, and felt compelled to serve for the Union during the Civil War. He was appointed a captain of volunteers and recruited a troop of cavalry during October and November 1861 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The unit, known throughout the war as the Anderson Troop, was organized to serve as an escort for Major General Robert Anderson, commander of the Army of the Ohio. He was replaced before the troop reached the army, but they subsequently served as escorts for generals Sherman, Buell and Rosecrans.

The troop was very active as scouts and couriers, and commended by General Buell for their efforts following the battle of Shiloh. Their performance was so exemplary that Buell petitioned the secretary of war for permission to expand the troop to a full battalion of cavalry. Upon receiving this permission, Captain Palmer and several of his men were ordered back to Pennsylvania in July 1862 to recruit three additional companies. They opened recruiting offices in several locations across the state, and again established a camp of rendezvous at Carlisle. Recruiting was so successful that a full regiment was eventually raised, and designated the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Although also known as the Anderson Cavalry, the original troop was never incorporated into the regiment.

Early in September 1862, the regiment’s drill and training were interrupted by the Army of Northern Virginia’s invasion of Maryland. While the rest of the regiment remained in place to defend the Cumberland valley if needed, two hundred fifty men were selected to move to the front under Captain Palmer. The group, still dismounted since the regiment had not yet received its horses, proceeded by rail to Greencastle, near the Maryland border. They procured a number of mounts locally, and picketed the roads leading into the town from the south. Skirmishing took place on the 12th and 13th, but the unit was able to hold its positions, convincing General Longstreet at Hagerstown that he had “swarms of Yankee cavalry” to his front. It was Palmer’s men that the tired troopers of the cavalry column from Harpers Ferry encountered with their captured wagon train just outside of Greencastle the morning after their escape. They were withdrawn two days later, and utilized for scouting during the battle of Antietam.

The day after the battle, Captain Palmer was sent across the Potomac to Virginia in civilian clothes as a scout to determine the disposition of the Confederate army. He was captured by Confederate cavalry shortly after crossing the river, however, and sent to Castle Thunder prison in Richmond. Four months later, he was exchanged for a political prisoner and sent north. Unbeknownst to him, he was promoted to Colonel of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry on September 8, 1862.

Upon his release, Colonel Palmer recuperated very briefly before moving west to rejoin his regiment. The unit at the time was in deplorable shape. Palmer’s capture had occurred at a critical time in the formation of the regiment, and left the unit without a number of key leaders. The problems culminated in December, when over half the regiment had refused to move to the front and fight at the battle of Stones River. The 200 men who fought in the battle gave a good accounting of themselves, and both majors were killed during the fighting. Colonel Palmer returned on February 7, 1863 to find part of his regiment praised in official reports of the battle and over 600 men in prison under death sentences for mutiny.
Within weeks the young colonel negotiated a settlement which reorganized the regiment and paroled the mutineers from the firing squad as long as there were no further incidents. The regiment was organized into twelve companies, and received it s full complement of horses and equipment. The regiment was reviewed by General Rosecrans on April 10th and deemed ready for action.

The regiment performed well in the Tullahoma campaign, with three companies retained at army headquarters as an escort for the commanding general. They spent the majority of July and August on scouting and mapmaking duty. They guarded flank roads during the battle of Chickamauga, and assisted in covering the army’s retreat. They were among several cavalry units detached from the army during the siege of Chattanooga. Once the siege was raised following the battle on November 25th, they led the column under Sherman sent to relieve Burnsides’ forces at Knoxville. They continued to distinguish themselves in various engagements during November and December of 1863.

On January 13, 1862, Colonel Palmer learned that Confederate General Vance, with a force of 300 cavalry and dismounted Indians, had advanced from North Carolina and captured a small wagon train and a number of prisoners near Sevierville. His regiment was at the time in camp, with a brigade of Confederate cavalry to its front. Leaving his pickets posted to the regiment’s front, Palmer assembled 125 men and took a mountain back road to cut off the raiders before they could reach Newport. Following a march of 30 miles, Palmer’s force overtook the Confederates. A successful saber charge netted them General Vance, 150 horses, 50 prisoners, and the entire wagon train. He successfully moved the entire party safely back to Sevierville. He was recommended for promotion for his gallantry in the affair by Elliott, Foster and Sturgis.

In late January, Palmer led a raid of his regiment and the 1st Tennessee Cavalry to the mouth of the Big Pigeon River, where they captured another small wagon train and a number of mules and prisoners. The remainder of the winter was spent in scouting and reconnaissance.

The winter’s hard campaigning had exhausted the regiment’s horses, and in May 1864 it was ordered back to Nashville to remount and re-equip. Due to supply shortages, it was August before all necessary equipment was received. The regiment was further delayed from rejoining the army in responding to raids by Confederate general Wheeler. The fall was spent in continuous scouting. At the end of the year, Palmer and his men joined in the relentless pursuit of Hood’s defeated Army of Tennessee following the battle of Nashville. On November 6, 1864, he was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers for meritorious service.

On January 14, 1865, at Red Hill, Ala., Palmer and his men attacked and defeated a larger force, capturing 200 Confederate soldiers and one fieldpiece without losing a man. Palmer was awarded the Medal of Honor for that action by Congress on February 24, 1894.

Before the spring campaign of 1865 was started, General Palmer was assigned command of the First Brigade of Gillem’s Division in the cavalry under General Stoneman. General Palmer continued to perform well, and succeeded Gillem in command of the division. At the end of April 1865, Palmer’s division was ordered to proceed south in an attempt to capture Jefferson Davis. While his men didn’t succeed in capturing Davis, they did capture General Braxton Bragg and over a million and a half dollars belonging to the various banks of Macon, Georgia. This capture was forwarded to army headquarters at Augusta without incident. Not long afterward, General Palmer and his regiment were mustered out of service on June 21, 1865.

After the war, Palmer resumed his railroad career. He was appointed managing director of the Kansas Pacific Railroad and was responsible for its extension to Denver. During this time, he met Dr. William Bell, an Englishman who became his friend and partner in most business ventures for the rest of his life. Once this line was complete, he and Bell co-founded the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1870.

The young railroad entrepreneur met Mary “Queen” Mellen and her father while they were on a train trip to see the west. William and Mary were married in Flushing, New York on November 8, 1870. During their honeymoon in Great Britain, Palmer noticed the use of narrow gauge (3’ wide) railroading and recognized the advantages of using such a gauge on his own line. The narrower gauge enabled trains to take steeper grades and sharper curves, which was particularly useful in the mountains of Colorado. The majority of the D&RG railroad was built in narrow gauge. One 45 mile section, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, continues to operate today as a tourist line.

He also assisted in the establishment of Hampton University in Virginia. Typical of many traditionally black colleges and universities which trace their roots to the period immediately after the end of American Civil War, the school received much of its financial and leadership support from church groups and former officers and soldiers who had served in the Union Army. The new normal, or teachers’ school at Hampton was led by another former Union general, and Palmer gave substantial sums to help. "Palmer Hall" on the Hampton University campus was named in honor and gratitude of the his financial support.

The new railroad’s first section was an area line from Denver to Pikes Peak. Palmer loved the new area at the base of the mountain. In 1871, he acquired 10,000 acres of land east of the former territorial capital, Colorado City, and laid out and founded the new city of Colorado Springs. The city was centrally planned and developed by Palmer. Saloons and gambling houses were not permitted, and the production or sale of alcohol was illegal in the city until prohibition was lifted nationwide in 1933. Mrs. Palmer opened the first public school in the new town in November. Within two years the city had grown to over 1,500 people.
This city later became the focus of Palmer’s life. He built his dream home, which he called Glen Eyrie near Colorado Springs in the northwest foothills north of the Garden of the Gods rock formations which are today a city park. Dr. Bell built his home, called Briarhurst, at the southern end of the unique rock formation. Glen Eyrie was a 22-room frame house with a large carriage house. In 1881, the house was remodeled to include additional rooms and a tower. The house still stands today, and is owned by a group known as The Navigators. Tours of the main house can be arranged.

In 1879, he noticed a high demand for steel for rails, and constructed a large steel mill in the nearby town of Pueblo for the Colorado Coal and Iron Company. In 1892 the company merged with Colorado Fuel Company to become the state’s largest employer, and a company that dominated industry within the state for decades.

All of Palmer’s fortunes were not on the rise, however. His north-south railroad had conflicting right of way issues with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. A long and bitter legal battle ended with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Palmer in 1880. Later that year, Mrs. Palmer suffered a mild heart attack and was advised to move to a lower altitude. She and their three daughters moved first to the East Coast, then to England. Mrs. Palmer died on December 28, 1894, and a grieving William Palmer went to England to return Mrs. Palmer's remains and the girls to Colorado Springs.

In 1901, Palmer sold the Rio Grande Western Railroad and retired. He dedicated himself and the fortune he had amassed to charity. He enjoyed being the benefactor to the Colorado Springs community, and was well liked by the people.
William Jackson Palmer’s legacy is tremendous. He granted land to several institutions in Colorado Springs, including the Union Printer's Home, the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, several churches in central Colorado Springs, and Cragmor Sanitarium, a tuberculosis sanitarium. He also provided land and funding for the creation of Colorado College and was one of its founding trustees. Palmer Hall, the main social science building on the Colorado College campus, is named for him. Two local high schools are also named for the general. Palmer Divide, the ridge north of the city, and Palmer Park in Colorado Springs, are also named in his honor. Queen Palmer Elementary School in Colorado Springs is named in honor of his wife.

In 1906, Palmer suffered a fall from a horse while on a ride with his daughters and a friend. He was paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Unable to travel in 1907, he paid for all the expenses of the 208 surviving veterans to come to his vast Colorado home for a three-day reunion and celebration.

William Jackson Palmer died at his home on March 13, 1909 at the age of 72. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Sources for this entry are open sources too numerous to document, but which include Samuel P. Bates’ History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, and an excellent article by Thomas P. Lowry which can be found online at http://www.historynet.com/william-j-palmer-forgotten-union-general-of-americas-civil-war.htm

Special thanks to Brian Downey at Antietam on the Web for permission to use the wartime photo of Palmer from his website.

On Being a Regimental Sergeant Major

2009-03-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

on blogs and elsewhere we often throw around terms and ranks without an explanation of what the term means or what the responsibilities of a given position were dutring the Civil War. One of those terms I've used a great deal over the last few months without an explanation is "sergeant major."

The sergeant major of a regiment was the senior enlisted man in the regiment. Jim Jones recently tipped me off to this description of a sergeant major in the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry in his own words from May 1865.

"Dear mother I have got along very well since I have been in the army. I am now Sergeant Major of the Regiment, but I am sure you will want to know what that is so I will tell you about it.

"A Sergeant Major is a man that does all the writing for the regiment and keeps all the Regimental Books and papers. He keeps a correct account of all the men and notes all the wounded and killed in his morning report which is sent to the headquarters of the army. Also it is his duty while laying in camp to mount guards every morning and make out all details for picket and fatigue duties. This keeps me pretty busy but I have a man to assist me to do the writing. I have a man to take care of my horse and saddle him up when I need it." (source: http://www.laird-bogstown.com/Elagh%20Letters.php)

This position still exists in the Army today, and the responsibilities have changed somewhat from Sergeant Major Laird's time. Sergeants major exist in units of battalion size or larger. The sergeant major is the senior enlisted advisor to the commanding officer. He or she serves as a monitor for, and advocate of, the enlisted personnel in the command and basic soldier standards. The position also carries with it certain ceremonial functions such as caring for the unit's colors, various ceremonies, etc.

Book Review: From Everglade to Canyon

2009-03-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

I had planned to write a review of Theophilus Rodenbough’s From Everglade to Canyon just after I posted his Fiddler’s Green entry. While researching the author’s life, however, I discovered this review from its original publication and found history’s words much more interesting than mine. Merritt's comments weren't too surprising, as he was a popular scapegoat after the 1864 elections and after the war, particularly by the cavalry. I found the comments on General Wright and Cedar Creek intriguing, and am now curious whether Major Smith was present on the battlefield, and if so where.

The following article is from the New York Times edition of January 28, 1876.

“New Publications

The Second United States Cavalry

From Everglade to Canon with the Second Dragoons, (Second United States Cavalry.) An authentic account of service in Florida, Mexico, Virginia, and the Indian country, including the personal recollections of prominent officers, with an appendix containing orders, reports, and correspondence, military records, &c, (1836-1875) Compiled by Theophilus F. Rodenbough, Colonel and Brevet brigadier general, united States Army (late Captain, Second Cavalry) Illustrated. New York: D. Van Nostrand.

The Second Dragoons – more recently and better known as the Second United States Cavalry – was originally organized under an act approved May 23, 1836. David E. Twiggs was its first Colonel, and William S. Harney its Lieutenant Colonel. These names, with those of Col. May, Major Gen. Buford, Brevet Major gen. Philip St. George Cooke, Brevet major Gen. Wesley Merritt, Col. I.N. Palmer, and others whose services were quite as distinguished, carry back the memory to the days of the Seminole War in Florida, then to the Mexican War, in which the organization bore a most brilliant part, following that to frontier service in California, New Mexico, Kansas, and Utah, and finally to the war of the rebellion. From the first Bull Run to the famous battle of Cedar creek, when Sheridan “sent the enemy whirling through Winchester,” the Second cavalry bore a prominent part in every important battle in Northern Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley. Besides this, it executed some of the most brilliant “raids” of the war, so that its varied experiences cover all the phases of army life, and the rehearsal of its exploits recalls many of the most stirring events in our military history as a nation.

Gen. Rodenbough’s gallant services in connection with the regiment abundantly entitle him to discharge the duties of its historian. He was appointed Second lieutenant of the Second Dragoons March 27, 1861; was promoted to a First Lieutenant the following May, and after serving with the Army of the Potomac through the campaign on the Peninsula, was appointed captain July, 1862. At the battle of Manassas, Aug. 29-30, he was captured, but was exchanged a week afterward, and during the Rappahannock campaign in January-May 1863, he was in constant service – among other duties commanding a squadron during the Stoneman raid. He commanded the regiment in the battle of Gettysburg, as well as during the Richmond campaign, (April-July 1864) accompanying Sheridan on his raid toward Charlottesville in june, and receiving a wound at the battle of Trevillian Station, which kept him out of the field for three months. He returned to his regiment in September, just in time to command it during the battle of the Opequan, where he lost an arm. One promotion after another testified to his gallantry during the war and in individual actions, until he was made Brevet brigadier general in the regular Army in March, 1865, and in December, 1870, was retired from active service, “with full rank of Colonel of cavalry on account of wounds received while on duty.”

In compiling this volume Gen. Rodenbough has modestly but wisely allowed the chief actors in the campaigns through which the Second cavalry passed – those who have made its history – to tell their story in their own words. As a consequence, we have a succession of vivid sketches of campaigns on the frontier and of hard fighting in the field, told with an enthusiasm and force which could only spring from a memory of personal experience. Col. A.T. Lee, for instance, describes a scout with Ben Beall during the Seminole War; Gen. P. St. George Cooke gives his recollections of the campaigns of 1855-1860 in New Mexico and Kansas, a “Trumpeter’s Notes,” by Chief Bugler William Drown, supply sketches of the doings of the organization partly during this same period, (1852-8); “The Letters of a Subaltern” give incidents of the early days of the war, when McClellan was organizing the Army in front of Washington and come down to the famous “change of base” to the James River; one of the “raiders” describes the famous Stoneman raid of 1863; Gen. Merritt sketches the operations of the force from Beverly Ford to Mitchell’s Station, covering some of the hardest fighting and its most brilliant exploits; Col. Charles McK. Leoser tells of a “Ride to Richmond in 1864,” and of his subsequent experience in a rebel prison; Col. William H. Harrison describes the events from Deep Bottom to Winchester in 1864, and Major S. smith gives his personal recollections of Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek. Reminiscences of less eventful times are presented by Major Alfred E. Bates, brevet Major Lewis Thompson and Lieut. Gustavus C. Doane, who assume the duty of describing the campaigns in the North-west from 1866-1875, including the Piegan expedition of 1870 and the two Yellowstone expeditions. Gen. Rodenbough introduces and connects these different papers with enough narrative to make them present a tolerably complete history of the organization through all its vicissitudes and exploits, and in an appendix he collects a list of the battles of the regiment, a summary of the military records of the officers, the roll of honor, and numerous orders, reports of operations &c. A carefully-prepared index gives the names of all officers mentioned in the volume, and makes reference easy to the different documents. Maps and numerous illustrations also add to the value and attractiveness.

Such a description of the contents of the handsome volume indicates but slightly the vast amount of labor which its preparation has cost Gen. Rodenbough. Still more imperfectly does it suggest the varied interest which it possesses for the unprofessional reader. Here and there one comes upon incidents either thrilling or grotesque, and which effectively lighten up the severer narratives of skirmishes and battles. Gen. Merritt, for instance, throws into a foot note this laughable story of the fight at Beverly Ford:

“While Dr. Wilson, Chief Surgeon of the regular brigade, was operating in a ‘field’ or ‘flying’ hospital in the cool shade of some trees, exposed occasionally to the warm compliments of the enemy’s artillery, a shell suddenly fell near him as he was in the act of bandaging the leg of a dragoon who had been slightly wounded. Simultaneously with the appearance of the shell the man jumped to his feet and hopped off with amazing agility, exclaiming, ‘Doctor, this isn’t a good place – it’s be-be-better down there!’ at the same time executing the most extraordinary kangaroo hops on one foot, while yards upon yards of the Doctor’s valuable bandage was streaming over the grass behind him. The Doctor started in pursuit, calling upon the fugitive in ‘gentle and persuasive’ tones to halt. All the non-combatants or stragglers joined in the hue and cry, but the stampeded youth continued his camel-like course until the bandage took a turn around the stump and brought him to the ground. It is needless to say that the irate surgeon returned that patient ‘for duty’ on the next morning in report of the company.”

Gen. Merritt, by the way, opens his contribution to this volume with some plain-spoken criticisms upon McClellan and his treatment of the cavalry when he had assumed command of the Army. “It was a grave misfortune,” writes Gen. Merritt, “that the controllers of our Army organization in the early part of the rebellion did not appreciate the part that cavalry was to play in the war – a misfortune for the country – a greater misfortune for the cavalry. *** The few cavalry regiments which were permitted by by our frugal Government *** were emasculated and disorganized by furnishing details as escorts , guides, orderlies, and small scouting parties, until nowhere in the State of Virginia was there a sufficient force of Union cavalry to meet successfully the splendidly-organized squadrons of Southern horse under Stuart and the younger Lees. No one was more to blame for this than McClellan, and no one of the unfortunate commanders of the Army of the Potomac suffered more because of the lack of properly organized cavalry than this general. Nor did he know how to use the cavalry he had in hand. His treatment of cavalry and cavalry commanders was proverbially harsh and unjust. He divided it up with a lavish hand among his infantry corps, division and brigade commanders, so that the smallest infantry organization had its company or more of mounted men, whose duty consisted in supplying details , as orderlies for mounted staff officers, following them mounted on their rapid rides for pleasure or for duty; or in camp, acting as grooms and bootblacks at the various head-quarters. It is not wonderful that this treatment demoralized the cavalry. It is not strange that the early cavalry commanders looked with despair on their shattered squadrons, and submitted in disgust to the disintegration which their best efforts could not prevent, and afterward in silence to the abuse for failures which they did not deserve. It was not until McClellan was removed that the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac was fairly organized under Stoneman, with Buford and David Gregg as his lieutenants. Then it was that we commenced practicing the lessons which the enemy had taught us, pursuing his tactics to his ruin.”

By virtue of having lost an arm at the battle of the Opequan, when he was in command of the regiment, Gen. (then Captain) Rodenbough might have been pardoned had he himself given an account of that famous conflict, but he modestly leaves that duty to others. Major Robert S. Smith in writing of the action says:

“History has given to Gen. Sheridan all honor for his great military services rendered to his country, but has it been equally just to that noble commander, Gen. Wright, to whose matured judgment and skillful action the country has often been indebted? The world accepts success as the only proof of greatness, and by this severe interpretation it cannot now be determined whether the arrival of Gen. Sheridan at the hour he came on the battle-field of Cedar Creek was a greater misfortune to Gen. Wright than it was a benefit to the country. *** No one could more highly appreciate his great achievements than I do. I only plead for equal justice. If Gen. Sheridan had been at the head-quarters of the Army in the morning would that have prevented the surprise upon Crook’s corps? And after the enemy had gained the entrenchments behind Cedar Creek was it possible for the Army to do otherwise than fall back until a new position could be taken, and the line of battle re-formed? This was done, and an Army superior in discipline and numbers faced the enemy ready to advance when Gen. Sheridan arrived. Could the result have been different than it was with such an Army led by so experienced an officer as Gen. Wright?”

In a foot note in which he calls attention to the fact that Major Smith does not speak of the morale of the Army on Sheridan’s arrival, Gen. Rodenbough indicates that does not fully agree with the writer in his criticisms. Still the question may stand as reviving a question which was discussed at the time of the battle to some extent, and which the future historian of the war may consider in describing this notable incident in Sheridan’s campaigns. Such memoirs de service as this are chiefly valuable for the side lights which they throw upon the events with which they are connected. Gen. Rodenbough has shown what conscientious labor, inspired by genuine enthusiasm, can accomplish in this direction, and if future compilers of similar records shall show the same care in their preparation there is no danger that such volumes may be unreasonably multiplied. On page 21 we notice an error in crediting the publication of a military order to The New York Times in 1836, some years before this journal was established.”

"Discussion" Groups

2009-02-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

Most people who pay attention to Civil War news are aware of the recent controversy at Gettysburg concerning Dr. Latschar. He was apparently resigning from a prominent job with the National Park Service to become head of a large local group supporting the park. There was some discussion of ethics and a possible conflict of interest, and Dr. Latschar withdrew from consideration. I'm being deliberately vague here, because my point doesn't concern the details of the matter or my opinion.

To my mind, however, a "discussion" group by its very nature implies that everyone does not share the same opinion. On such a group or forum, I would expect that people with opposing views could respectfully disagree and state their opposing views, preferably with some evidence supporting their arguments. This does not necessarily imply agreement being reached, as sometimes those with strong differing views simply have to state their case and agree to disagree. It's one of those great things about this country, you have the right to your opinion and the right to state it as long as it doesn't endanger others or infringe on their right to do so.

This could be confusion on my part, but my perception to this point is that moderators in such areas exist to ensure the rules of the discussion group are followed, that people are decent to one another, and that things don't get out of hand. When wearing their moderator hat, they're neutral and objective. I fully admit that this view may be overly simplified or even naive, but other groups that I've participated in such as the Civil War Discussion Group seem to follow this model. I think Joe Avalon at Civil War Interactive's forums does this particularly well. Maybe he's just spoiled me -- as I've stated numerous times I'm fairly new to this game.

I recently joined the Gettysburg Discussion Group. My thinking was that the group would probably have lots of great information and discussions about various aspects of the battle which I find interesting. If there's one battle upon which people have an opinion in the Civil War, it's usually Gettysburg (with no offense to those western theater afficionados out there). And I must say that it appears to be a group of very learned folks who know a great deal about the battle.

This issue with Dr. Latschar has stirred some pretty strong sentiment on both sides. Given the group's focus, it was no surprise to me when it drew a good deal of discussion on GDG. Two opposing views were stated, somewhat strongly but not to my mind offensively. Opposing arguments were stated, levels of experience were compared, and the two individuals agreed to disagree. Respectfully, it seemed to me. At this point, a moderator stepped in with a long, somewhat emotional tirade about the view he didn't support, questioned its relevance, and stated that anyone who didn't agree with him wasn't "for" Gettysburg preservation.

This gave me pause. So if anyone who doesn't agree is against the entire park and its preservation? I'm not a big fan of all or nothing arguments. Maybe I'm just not rigid enough in my thinking. Discussion, as long as it doesn't descend into personal attacks and such, is the point of such groups. So if we can't have differing opinions, what's the point? Is it a discussion group or a fan site?

It wasn't, however, my site, and the owner/ moderator of each site can run it as he/ she/ they choose. So I quietly unsubscribed from the group. Their site, their rules. But it bothered me enough that I felt I needed to post about it. Not as an attack on the GDG. There have been other good discussions there where I learned a good bit. As I said, it seems to be a place where some very smart folks can discuss the battle. I've seen the same "problem" (my view, others may not have an issue with such an approach) in other places, this is simply the most recent example which prompted me to write about it.

I think discussion groups are a valuable resource, and excellent source of inquiry into historical events. Cases are often made, and not always agreed with. But the evidence behind the arguments and the discussion of sources from which they came is more than worth the price (generally free) of admission. And that's not even mentioning the eloquence oftentimes expressed by "amateur" historians.

Just my two cents. And for the sake of the comments, please note that my topic is discussion groups, not the Latschar situation. That lies close enough to politics that I'll keep my opinion to myself.

Sergeants Major of the 6th US Cavalry

2009-02-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

Jim Jones was kind enough to donate the following article on the sergeants major of the 6th US Cavalry during the Civil War. Much of this was originally posted in comments, but I felt that it truly deserved more visibility. Jim has conducted hundreds of hours of research on the members of the regiment, and has the most complete roster in existence of the regiment’s members during the war.

The majority of these men were subsequently commissioned, and their biographical sketches have either already been posted to Fiddler’s Green or will be in the near future. Any errors or perceived gaps in the account are due to my editing and not Jim’s research.

Although authorized one sergeant major per battalion in addition to the regimental sergeant major by General Order #16, A.G.O., 1861, none of the regular cavalry regiments appear to have done so.

The regiment’s first sergeant major was the famous Samuel M. Whitside, serving as sergeant-major from August 1, 1861 to November 4, 1861. He was subsequently appointed as a second lieutenant in the 6th U.S. Cavalry (Returns from Regular Army Regiments, NARA, Microfilm #744, Roll 61, page 11).

The second regimental sergeant major was James F. Jackson, appointed from Company B . He served in the position until December 8, 1861, when he was discovered to be "Charles" Jackson, a deserter from the General Mounted Service. Jackson had deserted from the General Mounted Service, probably at Carlisle barracks, on August 21, 1861, and enlisted in the 6th US Cavalry on August 30th. Apparently he was favored by the regiment, as he was not court-martialed. He was, however, demoted to the rank of private per Special Order #189, and served in Company K through the remainder of his enlistment (Ibid, page 13. Also, The U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914).

He was succeeded by Sergeant Major John Lee, who served as sergeant major until May 12, 1862. He was then appointed a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Cavalry, the second member of the 6th US Cavalry so honored (Hamersly, L. R. Record of Living Officers of the United States Army (Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1884).

The fourth sergeant major was Tullius C. Tupper, who held the post through the remainder of the campaign on the peninsula until his appointment as a second lieutenant in the regiment on September 22, 1862 (Returns from Regular Army Regiments, NARA, Microfilm #744, Roll 61, pages 26 and 35).

The fifth sergeant major was not so fortunate. Martin Armstrong’s service as regimental sergeant major came to an abrupt end on December 1, 1862, when he was relieved after failing to properly inspect the arms of the pickets as they returned from duty. After their return to camp, one of them accidentally shot and killed his companion while playing around. The soldier was initially arrested, but subsequently returned to duty . Armstrong returned to duty in Company M (Ibid, page 37. Also: Davis, Sidney Morris. Common Soldier, Uncommon War).

Taking his place was Sergeant Major Hercules G. Carroll of Company B, who held the post from December 1, 1862 to June 23, 1863. While making his rounds inspecting the pickets near Aldie on the latter date, he was captured and sent to Libby Prison. Evidently no one in the regiment was aware that he’d been captured, as he was listed as a deserter on the regiment’s monthly returns. Carroll was subsequently paroled and worked as a clerk in the AGO in Washington, D.C. until after the war (Ibid, pages 41 and 59. Also The U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914).

Taking his place was SGM Patrick Cusack, also of Company B, who appears to have moved back and forth between the 6th US Cavalry and the 4th US Artillery during the first two years of the war. He was transferred back from the 4th U.S. Artillery on the day SGM Carroll went missing. Ironically, he held the position the longest of any during the war, serving until he was appointed a second lieutenant in the newly-organized 6th US Colored Cavalry on January 19, 1865 (Ibid, page 59. Also Hamersly, L. R. Record of Living Officers of the United States Army (Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1884), and The U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914).

There was a brief interlude in SGM Cusack’s service, when he was allowed a brief furlough to see his family in November 1864. During his absence, regimental commissary sergeant Charles J. Garrard served as the sergeant major, but was not formally promoted to the position.

The final regimental sergeant major was Henry Orsay, sometimes spelled D’Orsay, who closed out the war in the position and subsequently accompanied the regiment to Texas. He served as sergeant major from January 19, 1865 to April 12, 1868 (Returns from Regular Army Regiments, NARA publication, Microcopy #744, Roll 61, page 59. Also The U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914).

Fiddler's Green: Edward Fitzgerald

2009-02-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Edward Fitzgerald was born in County Limerick, Ireland in 1837. He immigrated to the United States, and was working as a laborer in New York when he joined the army. He was enlisted into Company E, 1st U.S. Cavalry in Albany, New York by Lieutenant Johnston on January 9, 1858, at the age of 21. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’8 1/2” tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a ruddy complexion.

Fitzgerald served in Company E with the 1st, then 4th U.S. Cavalry for the next five years, earning promotions to corporal, sergeant and first sergeant of the company. At the beginning of the Civil War, he served in a squadron consisting of his company and Company A in the Army of the Potomac until the winter of 1862. Once the peninsula campaign started, they served the majority of that time as the headquarters escort for the Army of the Potomac and Major General McClellan. As the company first sergeant, Fitzgerald was responsible for the company’s discipline. This was sometimes a less than popular position with his soldiers, as exhibited in one of Charles Bates’ letters here.

Fitzgerald’s enlistment expired at a camp near Falmouth, Virginia on January 8, 1863, shortly before the squadron returned to the rest of the regiment in the western theater. By the time the squadron reached the regiment, however, he was back in uniform.

First Sergeant Fitzgerald was appointed a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Cavalry on February 19, 1863, and assigned to Company I. He served with his company and regiment throughout the campaigns of 1863 and 1864, receiving a promotion to first lieutenant on May 9, 1864.

Lieutenant Fitzgerald was wounded while charging against a battery of three enemy guns at the front of his company on December 17, 1864 during fighting near Franklin, Tennessee. He never recovered from his wounds, and died on February 16, 1865.

Sources:

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1903), page 422.

Henry, Guy V. Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume II (New York: D. Van Nostrand Publishing, 1873), pg 90.

Muster Rolls, 4th U.S. Cavalry, NARA, M744

U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914

New Blog: Interning Learning

2009-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hat tips to Brett Schulte and John David Hoptak for mentioning this on their blogs. Jared Frederick, a student at Penn State pending an internship at Gettysburg National Military Park this summer, has started a new blog, found here.

Once I got over my initial spate of jealousy (what an amazing opportunity!), I found several interesting posts there already, with the promise of more to come. Welcome to the blogosphere, Jared!

Fiddler's Green: Joseph Rendlebock*

2009-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Joseph Rendlebock was born in Rickbinghaus, Prussia in 1823. He enlisted in Company A, Regiment of Mounted Rifles on May 22, 1851, at the age of 28. He served with the Mounted Rifles for the next five years, earning promotions to corporal, sergeant and first sergeant of the company prior to his discharge in May 1856.

A few months later, he was enlisted into Company G, 1st U.S. Cavalry at Fort Leavenworth by Lieutenant (later Confederate Major General) Robert Ransom, Jr. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’10 ½” tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a florid complexion. Rendlebock served the majority of the rest of his career with this company.

Rendlebock was once again the first sergeant of his company when he was reenlisted at Fort Wise, Colorado Territory by Lieutenant Warren on July 13, 1861. This ended that winter, however, when he was appointed a second lieutenant in the same company of the 4th Cavalry on November 29, 1862 at Nashville, Tennessee. Sergeant Martin Murphy succeeded him as the first sergeant of Company G.

Lieutenant Rendlebock distinguished himself on several occasions during the rest of the war. He was active and mentioned in reports on the battle of Stones River in January 1863. He was brevetted first lieutenant for gallant and meritorious service in the cavalry action at Franklin, Tennessee on May 10, 1863. Leading his company’s charge, he succeeded in overrunning and capturing two guns of Freeman’s Battery. Unfortunately, the guns were spiked and lost later in the battle during a counterattack by Forrest. A few months later he was brevetted captain at McMinnville, Tennessee on October 4, 1863, again for gallant and meritorious service.

Joseph was promoted to first lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Cavalry on December 15, 1863. He continued to serve with his regiment through the remainder of the war. He was brevetted major in the regular army for gallant and meritorious services at the capture of Selma, Alabama on April 2, 1865.

After the war, Lieutenant Rendlebock accompanied the regiment to the frontier, where he served as the regimental quartermaster from August 20, 1866 to August 13, 1867. His promotion to captain freed him from this duty, and he returned to Company G as its commander that same day. He served the remainder of his career commanding his company in Texas.

Captain Joseph Rendlebock was retired on July 23, 1879 for disability incurred in the line of duty. He died ten years later, on March 13, 1889.

Sources:

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1903), page 823.

Hamersly, L. R. Record of Living Officers of the United States Army (Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1884), page 428.

Henry, Guy V. Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume II (New York: D. Van Nostrand Publishing, 1873), pg 328.

Muster Rolls, 4th U.S. Cavalry, NARA, M744

* Note: His last name is listed in various places as Rindlebock, Rindlebrook, Rendelbrock, Rendelbock and Rendlebrook.

Dragoon Base moves to new location

2009-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dragoon Base, one of the websites for the 2nd U.S. Cavalry Association, has moved to a new web location. The address for the new site is http://dragoonbase.ning.com/. The word is still getting around, but many alumni seem to have found it already.

New CW Blogs

2009-01-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

A found three new Civil War blogs worth mentioning while surfing the web the other night.

Weirding the War has the potential for some very interesting chemistry. A group blog, it bills itself as "a creative discuccion for those researching and writing on the American Civil War." It features a batting order of papers to be presented, and I look forward to seeing how this evolves.

Jim Rosebrock's South from The North Woods is another Maryland campaign-based blog. He features lots of great Civil War quotes among the many interesting posts on his blog.

Michael Noirot's This Mighty Scourge is also new. I didn't have time to delve too deeply, but liked what I saw and recommend a visit.

Michigan Men, Part II

2009-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

The Michigan troopers' Civil war experiences were as varied as the men themselves. Unsurprisingly, they run the gamut of possibilities, excluding only re-enlistment.

One didn't even make it to Washington, D.C. Benjamin F. Sweet was discharged for disability at the regiment's second camp in Bladensburg, Maryland on October 1, 1861. Several others didn't last until the regiment's initial campaign on the Peninsula the following March. Warner C. Bradish died of disease at Camp East of the Capitol, Washington on January 31, 1862. Joseph J. Spence was also discharged for disability in Washington on February 10th.

The regiment's duty on the Peninsula was costly for the Michigan troopers. On May 1, 1862, Ruel V. Rounds died of brain fever at Yorktown, VA. Nelson Benson and John G. Beavington deserted the following day. The group suffered its first combat losses at Slatersville, VA on May 9th. Abel A. Irish was killed in action, and Elisha J. Ellis was captured and confined in Richmond the next day. He was paroled on August 11th, but there is no further mention of him in federal records. There was an Elisha J. Ellis with Company G, 44th Indiana Infantry, so it's possible he decided to try his fortune with the Army of the Ohio. John Dunmore deserted the day after the action at Slatersville. Wilber R. Allen was discharged for disability in Washington, D.C. on May 28th, and James H. Cory was discharged a few days later on June 3rd.

On July 6, 1862, Edgar R. Knapp, the sole doctor in the group, was appointed a hospital steward. He continued in this duty with the regiment until his discharge in 1864.

1862's campaigns took their toll on the Michigan men during that winter. William M. Palmer was discharged for disability from Camp Banks, VA on December 31st, and Philemon Finch the next day. By the end of the month, a convalescent camp had been established for the Army of the Potomac, and two more Michigan men were discharged from it before the beginning of the spring campaign. George W. Haight was discharged for disability on January 31st, and Albert C. Waggoner on April 3rd. Frederick S. Ladd offically deserted on April 12th, but had been appointed a Second Lieutenant in Company C, 9th Michigan Cavalry over a week before on April 3rd. He achieved the rank of captain and command of Company C before he was killed in battle at Cypress Swamp, GA on December 7, 1864.

The Gettysburg campaign was hard on the men from Michigan as well. At Fairfield, Pennsylvania on July 3rd, Sergeant Theodore Fox and Private William Robinson were both wounded and captured. Corporal James P. Campbell, Private Robert Craig and Private Charles H. Miller were also missing in action after the battle. Sergeant Miles L. Ten Eyck was killed in action at Williamsport, Maryland on July 6th, and Randolph R. Knapp was wounded and captured the following day in the engagement at Funkstown. Randolph Knapp returned from parole on August 17th, and William Robinson on August 30th. Sergeant Fox returned to duty on August 24th, but was discharged for disability at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania on December 10th. This was likely a result of his wound and imprisonment. The group's only other 1863 loss was Charles Blossom, who was captured at Brandy Station on October 11th.

1864 saw the end of the group's service. Beach B. Kennedy was discharged for disability on March 23rd. Charles Blossom died of disease while a prisoner at Andersonville Prison on May 22nd. Charles H. Miller also died there of disease on July 5th, after a year of imprisonment.

In September 1864, the remaining fourteen members of the group were discharged at the end of their terms of service. Not one re-enlisted. Four deserted and ten were discharged for disability. Seven of the thirty five men died during the war, or twenty percent of the total.

Michigan Men, Part I

2009-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

Most histories of the 6th United States Cavalry note that the regiment was raised in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. What these histories don't mention is the portion of Company E that was recruited in Adrian, Michigan during an eleven day period in September 1861.

Second Lieutenant Stephen S. Balk, newly commissioned from the ranks, arrived in Adrian on September 8, 1861. By the time he left town on the 19th, he had enlisted 35 men into the 6th US Cavalry. Over the next few days, we'll conduct a micro-historical case study of these 35 men and their experiences before, during and in some cases after the war.

They are a fairly typical sampling of Union soldiers raised in the fall of 1861. Their median age was 22. The oldest was 35 at the time of enlistment, the youngest three were 18. They were predominantly (21) farmers, with 4 clerks, 3 carpenters, 2 blacksmiths, a mason, an engineer, a tinner, a painter and a medical doctor listed as their occupations. Atypically, only five were immigrants, two each from England and Ireland and one from Canada. Twelve were born in New York, ten in Michigan, six in Ohio, one in Pennsylvania and one in Massachusetts. The group included three sets of brothers or cousins. Their median height was 5'8", with the shortest 5'4 1/2" and the tallest 6'2".

The names of the 35 are listed below. Their Civil War experiences will be related in the next post.

Allen, Wilber A.
Beach, Edward
Beavington, John G.
Benson, Nelson
Blossom, Charles
Bradish, Warner C.
Campbell, James P.
Cory, James H.
Craig, Charles
Craig, Robert
Dierdorff, Jonas
Dunmore, John
Ellis, Elisha J.
Finch, Philemon
Fox, Theodore
Haight, George W.
Hamilton, Samuel M.
Heckman, John
Irish, Abel A.
Kasson, William O.
Kennedy, Beach B.
Knapp, Edgar R.
Knapp, Randolph R.
Ladd, Frederick
Miller, Charles H.
Palmer, William M.
Parker, John
Robinson, William
Rounds, Ruel V.
Spence, Joseph J.
Sweet, Benjamin F.
Ten Eyck, Miles L.
Ten Eyck, William
Waggoner, Albert C.
Walker, William B.

300 and a look ahead for 2009

2009-01-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

I hadn't meant to wait this long to get the first post of the year up, but real life has a way of claiming its due time. I noticed when I logged on this evening that my New Year's post was my 300th, and the site went over 20,000 visits last week as well. Nice to start the year off with a couple of milestones. Thank you to everyone who has visited, and especially those who keep coming back.

Posts will most likely be infrequent (best case) or nonexistent (worst case) until the 23rd. I've been recalled from retirement to active duty, and included in this is an all expense-paid trip to South Carolina to be put back into the personnel system, finance system, healthcare system, etc. This was neither involuntary nor unexpected, but preparing for the trip has consumed a good deal of my time of late. So depending on connectivity and the cooperation of my ancient laptop, maybe I'll manage a few posts in the interim. We also found and successfully bid on a house this week, which although time-consuming has come as a great relief.

As for the year ahead, I'm not one for resolutions, as they tend to wear out long before the year does. Instead I have some goals for the year for the blog, my research and other writing projects. They aren't listed in any particular order.

1. 100 posts for the year, which may be a challenge with a slow January.
2. Finish the 6th Cavalry Fiddler's Green articles, and add more diversity from the other regiments.
3. Finish my portion of the virtual battlefield project started with Craig Swain.
4. Have a magazine article accepted for publication.
5. Complete transcription and annotation of the manuscript started in 2008.
6. Feature the 4th Cavalry in 1863 on the blog to learn more of the western theater.
7. More posts explaining facets of cavalry life and tactics.
8. Finish the company muster rolls for at least 8 of the 12 companies of the 6th Cavalry.

The blog format will remain the same for now. I'm considering switching to a different service, but am not yet convinced. I haven't had any problems with this one other than the ability to post separate pages, and have thought of a workaround or two that might work. We'll see.

See you on the high ground, either this week or next.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to wish all of my readers a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year. 2008 was a tumultuous year for many, though many good things happened as well. Here's hoping for a better 2009 for everyone.

Housekeeping

2008-12-31T18:54:00.001-08:00

Finally took some time today for some blog housekeeping (I tried 'blogkeeping' and it just didn't look right). The observant reader will note several new additions in the recommended blogs to the right. The housekeeping highlights:

Updated the links for Hoofbeats and Cold Steel and Civil War Memory.

Added several new links. Robert Grandchamp's 7th Rhode Island Volunteers is a new blog that shows great promise, and will give me yet another perspective on presenting regimental histories. Jim Lamason's Thoughts of a Native Son of New Jersey also shows promise. I find Jim Beeghley's Teaching the Civil War With Technology, with many interesting ideas. I have added Jim Bissland's Blood, Tears, and Glory and the collaborative Army of Tennessee to provide some western theater balance to the blog for the new year. Although BT and G isn't currently being written, it ties in well with the wealth of Ohio regulars that I've turned up this year.

I've also added a site that's probably not new, but is new to me. Gettysburg Daily looks to be a very interesting site.

The next round of updates will include distinct lists between 'normal' blogs and 'information compilation' blogs, but there wasn't time for that today.

Company F, 6th US Cavalry Roster, Part I

2008-12-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

Company F was recruited in Pittsburgh by Lieutenant Hancock T. McLean. By January 1862, he would command the company, as Captain Joseph H. Taylor had moved to Brigadier General E.V. Sumner's staff in November 1861.

The company was officially organized on August 16, 1861 at Camp Scott, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its captain was Joseph H. Taylor, nephew of former president Zachary Taylor. The first lieutenant was his first cousin, Hancock Taylor McLean. No second lieutenant was assigned until Isaac M. Ward was assigned to the company on November 5, 1861. Captain Taylor left the company that same month for a variety of staff positions, and McLean and other lieutenants commanded the company throughout the war. A total of 182 enlisted men served in the company during the war, 31 of whom joined from volunteer units in the fall of 1862. The majority of these soldiers came from the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, the 1st Minnesota Infantry, and the 9th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. 52 of them joined the regiment in the fall of 1864, many as draftees or their substitutes.

The roster below lists all of the enlisted men assigned to the company during the war. The rank listed is the highest rank achieved. The date listed is the date the soldier enlisted into the 6th US Cavalry. The officers are not posted, as they appear in separate Fiddler's Green entries.

Brown, John M., First Sergeant, July 1, 1861. Enlisted as a private at Pittsburgh by LT McLean at age 23. Acting 1SG of Company F in March 1863. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 1, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, Va.

Swartz, Emil, First Sergeant, 1861. Enlisted into Co E, 1st US Cavalry October 1, 1855 by Captain Sturgis in Harrisburg, PA. Re-enlisted into the same company by LT Ingraham at Fort Smith, AR on September 1, 1860. Transferred to 6th US Cavalry, date unknown. First Sergeant of company during Peninsula Campaign. Discharged for disability in camp near Falmouth, VA as a First Sergeant. Enlisted into General Service, Adjutant General's Office, HQ Army by MAJ Williams on February 26, 1863. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on February 26, 1868 in Washington, DC, a sergeant. Born in Berks County, PA. Originally enlisted at age 25, auburn hair, blue eyes, fresh complexion, 5'8" tall. Former trade, butcher.

Wallace, Robert, First Sergeant, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 6, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a sergeant.

Buckton, John, Sergeant, July 10, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 10, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA, a sergeant.

Croy, Levi B., Sergeant, July 3, 1861. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 32. Promoted to sergeant September 1862. Captured at battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863. Discharged in the field at the expiration of his term of service on July 3, 1864.

Everson, Richard, Sergeant, July 3, 1861. Born Newport, England. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 40. Described as short. Promoted to Commisary Sergeant before the Regiment reached Washington. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 5, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA.

Hutchison, William, Sergeant, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Reenlisted on February 9, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA by LT Tupper. Discharged February 8, 1867 at the expiration of his term of service in Jacksboro, TX as a sergeant.

McMasters, Robert H., Sergeant, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 6, 1864 as a sergeant.

Piedfort, Albert, Sergeant, August 15, 1863. Born in Havre, France. Enlisted in New York City by CPT Arnold. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on August 15, 1868 at Fort Larned, KS as a sergeant.

Stinson, Sam'l. F., Sergeant, December 7, 1864. Enlisted in Philadelphia by CPT Rodenbough. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on December 6, 1867 at Camp Wilson, TX as a sergeant.

Walsh, Michael, Sergeant, July 4, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 4, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a sergeant.

Wiederway, Frank, Sergeant, August 8, 1861. Originally enlisted into Company G in Rochester, NY by CPT Cram. Transferred from Company G to Company F, February 27, 1864. Re-enlisted into Company F by LT Tupper at Brandy Station, VA as a private.

Bopenhagen, August, Corporal, July 3, 1861. Born in Germany. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean at age 21. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 3, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA.

Donaldson, James, Corporal, July 29, 1861. Captured at the battle of Funkstown, MD as a corporal on July 7, 1863. Discharged July 29, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service as a private.

Froben, Louis H., Corporal, July 3, 1861. Also Von Froben. Born in Germany. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 21. Discharged at Light House Point, VA July 3, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service. Enlisted into General Service by LT Carpenter in Washington, D.C. on August 10, 1864. Discharged September 20, 1866 per Special Order 464, Para. 1, HQ Army, AGO, September 18, 1866.

Simonet, Peter, Corporal, July 25, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 25, 1864 as a corporal.

Slattery, Michael, Corporal, July 5, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 5, 1864 as a corporal.

Closz, John, Bugler, July 22, 1861. Also Closs. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Transferred Company F to regimental band November 6, 1861. Discharged July 22, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA.

Curthin, John, Bugler, July 22, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service in the field on July 22, 1864 as a bugler.

Dietz, Frank A., Bugler, July 23, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability on January 12, 1863 in Washington, DC, a bugler.

Adams, Benjamin F., Private, November 21, 1864. Born in Montreal, Canada. Enlisted in Cincinatti by CPT Gordon. Deserted October 15, 1865.

Aldrich, William, Private, November 7, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 20, 1864 as a private.

Archible, John, Private, July 29, 1864. Enlisted in Rochester by LT Simson. Deserted July 24, 1865.

Armbruster, Jacob, Private, July 9, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged July 9, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service, a private.

Bailey, Cloyed, Private, December 10, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by LT Sweatman. Deserted January 31, 1865.

Bailey, George, Private, December 16, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by LT Sweatman. Deserted January 29, 1865.

Baker, Archibald, Private, October 27, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by CPT Gordon. Deserted December 10, 1865.

Balk, Stephen S., Private, July 1, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Dropped by appointment as 2nd LT, 6th US Cavalry, August 26, 1861.

Company F, 6th US Cavalry Roster, Part II

2008-12-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

Bappenger, August, Private, July 3, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged July 3, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA, a private.

Barlow, George, Private July 3, 1861. Called "Billy". Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged July 3, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA, a private.

Bates, Butler H., Private, October 25, 1862. From Erie Co, NY. Prior service as private in Company E, 3rd WI Infantry. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Belote, James, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service in Company G, 1st MN Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on May, 19, 1864 as a private.

Bemis, Joseph G., Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service as private in Company G, 1st MN Infantry. Killed at Fairfield, PA on July 3, 1863.

Besk, John, Private, December 14, 1864. Enlisted in Philadelphia by CPT Rodenbough. Deserted January 29, 1865.

Besser, Adam, Private, July 15, 1861. 27 years old at time of enlistment. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Wounded on July 3, 1863 at Fairfield, PA, saber wound on head. Hospitalized August 4, 1863 in Annapolis, MD. Hospitalized April 9, 1864 at Annaplois Junction, MD. Hospitalized June 7, 1864 at Pittsburgh, PA. Discharged July 25, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA, a private.

Bichler, Thomas, Private, July 11, 1861. Also Behler and Bishler. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Detached duty as butcher Oct 1861. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 11, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA, a private.

Blacksmith, Andrew, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Enlisted as a private in Company G, 9th PA Reserve Corps on July 24, 1861. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 24, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

Bock, Jacob, Private, July 15, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted from Camp East of Capitol, Washington on November 28, 1861. Separate record says died of pithias pulmonalis at Washington, DC, a private.

Brooks, Robert F., Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean at age 21. Transferred from Company F to Company C when he was re-enlisted by LT Tupper at Brandy Station on February 8, 1864.

Brown, James, Private, November 22, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted July 19, 1865.

Brown, John C., Private, December 16, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by LT Sweatman. Deserted January 26, 1865.

Buck, George, Private, July 26, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted November 21, 1861.

Campbell, Bernard, Private, November 9, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by CPT Gordon. Died of tuberculosis December 3, 1865 at Hicks Hospital, Baltimore, MD, a private.

Center, Charles W., Private, October 22, 1862. Prior service as a private, Company A, 78th NY infantry. Deserted from May 11, 1863.

Charlton Jr., Joseph, Private, July 11, 1861. From Allegheny Co, PA. Born in Newcastle, England. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 20. Wounded at Fairfield July 3, 1863. Discharged for disability July 29, 1864 in West Philadelphia.

Closz, Jacob, Private, July 22, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted from Camp Scott, PA on August 25, 1861.

Collins, Robert, Private, July 23, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted August 5, 1861.

Conley, Joseph, Private, November 9, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by CPT Gordon. Deserted December 15, 1864, apprehended December 23, 1864, deserted July 1, 1865.

Conway, Michael, Private, July 3, 1861. Born in County Kerry, Ireland. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 32. Injured during training at Camp East of the Capitol when his horse carried him against a limb protruding from a stump, injuring him internally. Died of disease January 1, 1862.

Cook, James, Private, December 23, 1864. Enlisted in New York City by CPT Paulding. Deserted January 27, 1865.

Couse, James, Private, December 24, 1865. Enlisted in New York City by CPT Paulding. Deserted January 31, 1865, apprehended February 3, 1865, deserted February 9, 1865.

Craig, Louis Y., Private, December 7, 1864. Enlisted in Philadelphia by CPT Rodenbough. Deserted February 26, 1865.

Craven, John, Private, July 8, 1861. Born in Galway, Ireland. From Allegheny Co, PA. Ironworker by trade. Discharged for disability 30 July 1863 from General Hospital, Washington, DC, a private.

Daily, Patrick, Private, November 12, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted May 27, 1865.

Dann, Almon C., Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company G, 106th PA Infantry. Transferred from Company F to Company G, date unknown. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on February 28, 1865 at Winchester, VA, a private.

Davis, Chas., Private, November 16, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted May 27, 1865.

Davis, Evan, Private, July 9, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 9, 1864 as a private.

Davis, Sidney M., Private, July 8, 1864. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 20. Captured at the battle of Fairfield July 3, 1863. Paroled September 23, 1863 at City Point, Va. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 8, 1864, a private.

Dawson, William I., Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted as private, Company H, 28 PA Infantry on July 11, 1861. Transferred to 6th US Cav October 25, 1862. Captured at Fairfield July 3, 1863. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 16, 1864, a private.

Dervin, John C., Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service as a private, Company A, 3rd WI Infantry. Discharged June 29, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Camp 6th Cavalry, a private.

Drake, Ellis, Private, July 25, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged July 25, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service, a private.

Draker, Christian, Private, July 16, 1861. Born Hanover, Germany. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 31. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 16, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, Va.

Elmer, Henry A., Private, December 24, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by LT Sweatman. Deserted April 22, 1865.

Evans, James, Private, July 22, 1861. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 19. Killed at the battle of Funkstown, MD July 7, 1863.

Ewing, John, Private, December 14, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinatti by LT Sweatman. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on December 14, 1867 at Camp Wilson, TX, a private.

Ferguson, William, Private, July 3, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 32. Deserted from Camp East of Capitol November 21, 1861. Joined from desertion at CEOC December 12, 1861. Discharged July 3, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA.

Fisher, William, Private, December 10, 1864. Born in St. Catherine, Canada West. Enlisted in Cleveland by LT Drummond. Deserted January 26, 1865.

Fleischer, Mathias, Farrier, July 3, 1861. Also Matthias Flascher. Born Konigsberg, Germany. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 32. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, Virginia on July 3, 1864 as a farrier.

Gargan, James, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Died of fever in Washington, DC on December 3, 1861.

Gargan, Peter, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted from Camp East of the Capitol on January 27, 1862.

Gipson, Samuel T., Private, September 26, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. No further record available.

Gorman, Patrick, Private, October 24, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville by LT Coats. Reenlisted on February 9, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Grener, Adolph, Private, August 15, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Sick in Washington Jan-Feb 1862. Discharged for disability at Washington April 17, 1862.

Grisom, Franklin, Private, November 10, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted July 30, 1865.

Gross, Sebastian, Farrier, August 9, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability on July 29, 1864 in West Philadelphia, PA as a farrier.

Haffner, Louis, Private July 7, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability August 6, 1862 in Washington, DC as a private.

Hargreaves, Henry, Private, July 8, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted to the enemy in November 1862.

Hefler, Charles, Private, July 13, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 13, 1864 as a private.

Company F, 6th US Cavalry Roster, Part III

2008-12-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

Henry, Mathew, Private, December 9, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by LT Sweatman. Deserted January 25, 1865.

Heverin, Thomas, Private, December 30, 1861. Enlisted in Cincinnati by LT McLean. Reenlisted July 9, 1864 at Brandy Station, VA by LT Tupper into Company B as a private. Discharged February 10, 1867 at the expiration of his term of service at Austin, TX as a private.

Heyse, Julius, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted July 8, 1862.

Hoffman, Lewis, Private, July 7, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability August 6, 1862 in Washington, DC as a private.

Hollister, George N., Private, October 28, 1862. From Glastonbury, CN. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company E, 1st MN Infantry. Discharged April 29, 1864 at the expiration of his term at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Hopfengarten, Christian, Private, August 7, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Died of disease October 26, 1862 at Washington, DC. Buried in Military Asylum Cemetery.

Howenstein, George W., Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Enlisted as a private on May 4, 1861 in Company G, 9th PA Reserve Corps. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on May 6, 1864 in the field as a private.

Huber, John, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Brandy Station, VA on April 28, 1864 as a private.

Irons, James A., Private, July 25, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted from Camp Scott, PA on August 23, 1861.

Jeffcoat, Emanuel, Private, December 31, 1864. Enlisted in New York City by CPT Paulding. Deserted September 27, 1865.

Jefferson, Rufus H., Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company E, 1st MN Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 24, 1864.

Jewell, Benjamin H., Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company G, 1st MN Infantry. Discharged for dysentery on November 16, 1863 from General Hospital No 21 near Richmond, VA as a private.

Keene, Saml., Private, December 16, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by LT Sweatman. Deserted July 31, 1865.

Kelly, John, Private, October 31, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted November 24, 1864.

Kelsey, George B., Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service in Company E, 1st MN Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on May 23, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Kettelburger, Jacob, Private, July 26, 1861. Born in Altdorf, Germany. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 21. Died November 18, 1863 of pneumonia while a POW in a general hospital in Richmond as a private.

Kirk, Hugh, Private, July 23, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted January 17, 1863.

Kirk, Peter, Private, December 10, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by LT Sweatman. Deserted January 27, 1865.

Kohlhepp, Wilhelm, Private, July 13, 1861. Also William. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged November 25, 1862 by order of the Secretary of War at Belle Plain, VA as a private.

Kohlmeier, Karl, Saddler, July 23, 1861. Also Charles A. Kohlmeyer. Born in Bavaria on July 4, 1838. Enlistedin Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged in the field at the expiration of his term of service on July 24, 1864.

Larimore, John, Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service as a private in Company B, 3rd WI Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Leonard, John, Private, July 11,1861. Born in Staffordshire, England. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 22. Discharged on July 10, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Light House Point, VA.

Lewis, James T., Private, December 15, 1864. Enlisted in Philadelphia by CPT Rodenbough. Deserted January 26, 1865.

Lewis, William, Private, July 16, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted May 10, 1863.

Luh, Casper, Private, July 3, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 3, 1864 as a private.

Manell, Matthias, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Maenner, Charles, Private, July 15, 1861. Also Maners. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 15, 1864 as a private.

Mariony, Eugene, Private, November 25, 1864. Born in Troy, France. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted May 31, 1865.

McAlligott, Charles, Private, July 9, 1861. Born in County Kerry, Ireland. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean, age 20. Deserted July 19, 1863, apprehended October 6, 1863. He was discharged July 9, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

McHarnas, William, Private, July 11, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 11, 1864 as a private.

McKeefery, Thomas, Private, July 8, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 8, 1864 as a private.

McKibbin, John W., Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 6, 1864 as a private.

Miller, Joseph, Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Enlisted as a private in Company H, 28th PA Infantry on July 11, 1861. Discharged April 25, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

Miner, Henry, Private, October 31, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted April 24, 1865.

Mittelstetter, John, Private, July 5, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 5, 1864 as a private.

Montgomery, Thomas, Farrier, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Reenlisted on February 9, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA by LT Tupper.

Motts, Phillip, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company B, 33rd IN infantry. Discharged July 16, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

Muller, Gottlieb, Private, July 16, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 16, 1864 as a private.

Murphy, Frederick, Private, November 22, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted January 27, 1865. Was shot for desertion at Harpers Ferry, VA on March 3, 1865 per Special Order 20, Middle Military District, dated February 28, 1865.

Murry, Andrew, Private, November 15, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted July 30, 1865.

Nellis, Dennis, Private, July 13, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Reenlisted on February 9, 1864 at Brandy Station, VA as a private.

Newell, Alonzo, Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Prior service as a private in Company K, 3rd WI Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Nold, Frank X., Private, July 24, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service at Lighthouse Point, VA on July 24, 1864 as a private.

Noon, Martin, Private, November 11, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted on July 30, 1865.

Norris, James, Private, August 29, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted on August 21, 1865.

O'Brian, John, Private, December 5, 1864. Also O'Brien. Enlisted in Cincinnati by LT Drummond. Deserted January 10, 1865.

O'Connell, James, Private, July 19, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted October 18, 1861, apprehended September 4, 1863. Discharged February 24, 1864 as sentence of General Court Martial, HQ, Cavalry Corps at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Perveil, Laughton, Private, October 22, 1864. Born in Toronto, Canada. Enlisted in Cleveland, OH by LT Drummond. Deserted April 24, 1865.

Pierce, William A., Private, July 4, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service in the field on July 4, 1864 as a private.

Pinkerton, Eli, Private, November 21, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by CPT Hays. Died of typhoid fever on May 31, 1865 at Judiciary Square Hospital, Washington, DC as a private.

Plate, Henry, Private, July 3, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted to the enemy in November 1862.

Powell, Patrick, Private, July 4, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted August 13, 1863, apprehended October 18, 1863. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 4, 1864 in the field as a private.

Company F, 6th US Cavalry Roster, Part IV

2008-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

Purath, August, Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service in Company B, 3rd WI Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 in the field as a private.

Purcell, John, Private, July 3, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted September 1, 1861.

Purcell, Patrick, Private, July 26, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted December 3, 1861.

Reinel, Henry, Private, July 19, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 19, 1864 in the field as a private.

Riely, Henry, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 6, 1864 as a private.

Ritz, Henry, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 6, 1864 as a private.

Roehl, Frank, Private, July 16, 1861. Also Rohl. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 16, 1864 as a private.

Ryan, Patrick, Private, November 16, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted May 1, 1865.

Schafer, Sebastian, Private, July 16, 1861. Also Schaler. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Died of disease in Washington, DC on July 18, 1862 as a private.

Scheide, George, Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged due to disease on November 6, 1861 at Washington, DC as a private.

Schilling, Jacob, Private, July 11, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 11, 1864 as a private.

Schilling, John, Private, July 26, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 26, 1864 as a private.

Schilling, William, Private, July 12, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 12, 1864 as a private.

Schmuckler, John, Private, July 9, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted November 21, 1861.

Schnell, Augustus, Private, July 18, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability April 15, 1863 in Baltimore, MD as a private. Enlisted again July 21, 1863 at Harrisburg, PA by LT Cramer into the same company. Discharged May 19, 1865 for disability at Carlisle Barracks, PA as a private.

Schowalter, John, Private, July 9, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted November 30, 1861.

Schumacher, John M., Private, July 29, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability on March 3, 1863 at Camp near Falmouth, VA as a private.

Schwab, John, Private, July 26, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 26, 1864 as a private.

Sebolt, Michael, Private, August 15, 1861. Also Seabolt. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Deserted August 4, 1863, apprehended February 28, 1864. Discharged August 15, 1864 at the expiration of his term of service in the field as a private.

Sharkey, Chas., Private, November 21, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted on January 29, 1865.

Simoner, John P., Private, July 6, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 6, 1864 as a private.

Smith, Harve, Private, December 9, 1864. Enlisted at Carlisle Barracks, PA by LT Johnson. Deserted October 5, 1865.

Smith, James, Private, November 21, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted January 12, 1865.

Smith, Thomas J., Private, February 11, 1864. Enlisted by LT Tupper at Brandy Station, VA. Died in Salisbury, NC on January 15, 1865 as a private.

Stample, Nicholas, Private, July 23, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 23, 1864 as a private.

Steeb, Michael, Private, July 29, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. No further data available.

Stevens, James P., Private, October 29, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Claflin. Enlisted as a private in Company G, 9th PA reserve Corps on May 4, 1861. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on May 4, 1864 as a private.

Stevens, William C., Private, July 12, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 12, 1864 as a private.

Stewart, James, Private, July 26, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Reenlisted on February 9, 1864 at Brandy Station, VA as a private. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on February 8, 1867 at Jacksboro, TX.

Strine, Jeremiah, Private, November 12, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on November 12, 1867 at Camp Wilson, TX as a private.

Sullivan, John, Private, November 3, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted December 11, 1864, apprehended December 13, 1864, deserted December 18, 1864.

Sullivan, Thomas, Private, December 14, 1864. Born in Montreal, Canada. Enlisted at Carlisle Barracks, PA by LT Johnson. Deserted May 31, 1865.

Taylor, Lucius S., Private, November 21, 1864. Born in Montreal, Canada. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Deserted November 4, 1865.

Termaine, William, Private, November 18, 1864. Also Termayne. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on November 18, 1867 at Austin, TX as a private.

Thorn, Gustav, Private, October 25, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service as a private in Company B, 3rd WI Infantry. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on June 29, 1864 at Camp 6th Cavalry, VA as a private.

Uffelmann, Melchior, Private, July 19, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 19, 1864 at Fort Adams, RI, as a private.

Vicell, Spencer, Private, October 25, 1862. Also Viall. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by LT Coats. Prior service as a private in Company F, 3rd WI Infantry. Killed in action June 9, 1863 near Beverly Ford, VA during Battle of Brandy Station. Born Corydon, PA.

Walter, Harry, Private, November 22, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on November 21, 1867 at Camp Wlson, TX as a private.

Warner, John, Private, July 11, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 11, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

Watson, George, Private, November 21, 1864. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted January 7, 1865.

Watson, John W., Private, December 5, 1864. Enlisted in Cleveland by LT Drummond. Deserted January 12, 1865.

Webb, Edward C., Private, November 7, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on November 7, 1867 at Camp Wilson, TX as a private.

Weisenberger, John, Private, July 15, 1861. Also Weisenbiher. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Discharged for disability on December 2, 1862 at Camp near Falmouth, VA.

Werner, John, Private, July 11, 1861. Enlisted at Pittsburgh by LT McLean. Baker Sep 1861. Baker in commisary Dec 1861-Jan 1862. Post baker, CEOC, Feb 1862. Captured at Funkstown, MD on July 7, 1863. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on July 11, 1864 at Lighthouse Point, VA as a private.

Weston, John, Private, December 8, 1864. Enlisted in Cleveland by LT Drummond. Deserted January 29, 1865.

Wilkes, David, Private, November 21, 1864. Enlisted in Cincinnati by CPT Gordon. Discharged for disability August 8, 1865.

Williams, Charles, Private, November 7, 1864. Born in Montreal, CAN. Enlisted in Harrisburg, PA by LT McDonald. Deserted November 21, 1864.

Wilson, James L., Private, July 17, 1861. Enlisted in Pittsburgh by LT McLean at age 23. Deserted August 8, 1861.

Wise, George W., Private, October 28, 1862. Enlisted in Knoxville, MD by Lt Claflin. Previously served in Co G, 9th PA Reserve Volunteers. Died of disease at Andersonville Prison on November 15, 1864.

Young, George, Private, December 4, 1864. Enlisted in Philadelphia by CPT Rodenbough. Deserted May 1, 1865.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T08:07:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to all of my friends and readers, regardless of your religious persuasion! We actually had a party this year on Festivus, though not in honor of the holiday, as I'm apparently the only one in the family who remembers that episode from Seinfeld.

As you're celebrating the holidays with friends and loved ones, please take a moment to remember those serving overseas who don't have that opportunity this holiday season and keep them in your prayers.

I hope everyone is getting a chance to spend some relaxing quality time with their families, and hopefully some quiet moments for reflection as well.

Fiddler's Green: Adolphus Lapoint

2008-12-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

Taking a much needed break from the 6th Cavalry, I thought I'd write a bit about one of the Canadian-born regular cavalrymen who fought during the war and after.

Adolphus Lapoint was born in Three Rivers, Canada in 1840. He moved to New York upon reaching adulthood, and was living in Granwich, New York and working as a shoemaker according to the 1850 census. Adolphus was working as a lumberman in New York at the outbreak of the Civil War, and enlisted in Company A, 93rd NY Infantry during the first week of September 1861.

By the fall of 1862, Adolphus had apparently reached the conclusion that infantry life wasn't for him. He was enlisted into Company E, 4th US Cavalry by 1st Lieutenant Joseph Hedges on October 21, 1862 at Pleasant Valley, Maryland. His enlistment documents describe him as 5'8" tall, with blue eyes, blond hair, and a dark complexion.

Cavalry life agreed better with Adolphus, and he was reenlisted into the same regiment and company by 1st Lieutenant Thomas W. Sullivan in Nashville, Tennessee on March 1, 1864. He remained with the regiment through the end of the war and its subsequent movement to Texas. He was again reenlisted into the regiment by 1st Lieutenant Justinian Alman at Brownsville, Texas on January 1, 1867.

Private Adolphus Lapoint drowned on January 4, 1868 after falling from a dam on the Ouachita River in Texas.

Who Says You Can't Take Them With You?

2008-12-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

I posted sometime back about regular army officers taking favored enlisted men with them to volunteer units when they received volunteer appointments. The initial discussion was here about Captain J. Irvin Gregg of Company G, 6th US Cavalry, and how he had his first sergeant, Andrew F. Swan, commissioned after he took over the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Captain Swan commanded Company C.

Apparently the tendency ran in the family. When Captain Gregg's first cousin, David McMurtry Gregg, left Company E to command the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry, he took one of his enlisted men with him also.

Henry J. Ladd was born in Rome, New York in 1832. His enlistment documents describe him as 6 feet tall, with hazel eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He was working as a conductor at the time of his enlistment. Henry was enlisted into Company E, 6th US Cavalry by Lieutenant Wade in Cleveland, Ohio on August 14, 1861. He achieved the rank of commisary sergeant prior to his discharge on July 19, 1862 to accept an appointment as the second lieutenant in Company L, 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Harrison's Landing, Virginia.

There could be some other reason for this appointment other than the regimental commander's intercession, but I haven't been able to come up with another plausible one. I can't find any other connection between someone born in New York and working in Ohio with a Pennsylvania regiment. The arrangement apparently didn't work out, as Lieutenant Ladd was discharged for unknown reasons on April 27, 1863.

In another case, I have truned up several members of the 6th and 2nd Cavalry regiments who were enlisted into Adjutant General Office positions as sergeants later in the war by Major Lawrence Williams, who left the regiment in 1862 under dubious circumstances. Several of these sergeants received government positions shortly thereafter. More on this as I turn up more information.

Contemporary Account of Stoneman's Raid

2008-12-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

We turned up a contemporary newspaper account of Stoneman's Riad in a Pennsylvania newspaper recently that I thought interesting. I considered saving it for posting in May, then considered the likelihood of me forgetting all about it by then and decided to put it up now. Unfortunately, I don't know who the "one who accompanied it" is. This article was originally published in the may 21, 1863 edition of The Alleghenian:

"Stoneman’s Great Cavalry Expedition

The following account of Gen. Stoneman’s remarkable expedition comes from one who accompanied it:

Gen. Stoneman with 2,700 picked men and a light battery of six pieces composed of a section selected from three batteries with special reference to procuring the best horses and men, started on the raid which has now become famous.

On the 13th of April, owing to heavy rains and various other circumstances, he did not cross the Rappahannock until ten days or a fortnight afterward. At the time of the crossing, General Averill started with a column along the end of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad with the intention of driving Lee and Hampton who were in that vicinity to Culpepper and Gordonsville, thus clearing the way for Gen. Stoneman’s body of cavalry who were to accomplish the real objects of the expedition.

General Stoneman crossed the Rappahannock at two places below where Gen. Averill crossed and advanced on the Shepherdsburg road. Sending out a party to reconnoiter toward Shepherdsburg, they came upon the rear pickets of the enemy who were in force between Stevensburg and the railroad with Gen. Averill in front. The nature of Gen. Stoneman’s expedition did not allow of his remaining there to fight, as to seek a battle would prevent the accomplishment of his designs; he therefore moved on to Raccoon Ford upon the advance. Reaching this place they found it defended by infantry and artillery. A detachment was therefore sent to cross the Rappahannock at a point some distance below Raccoon Ford and then to attack the enemy in the flank and rear. This was successfully accomplished and the main body crossed safely at Raccoon Ford. The command then proceeded down the direct road to Louisa Court House, sending out parties along every intersecting road to destroy bridges and telegraph wires and to obtain forage and provisions.

The bridges over unfordable streams, on the direct road, were left to be guarded by detachments in case they were required as a line of retreat. Reaching Louisa Court House on the line of the Virginia Central Railroad, expeditions were sent out along the road in either direction to destroy the road, telegraphs, burn the water tanks, depots and railroad ties. The expedition toward Gordonsville encountered a force of the enemy, who, by this time, had been driven from Culpepper and Gordonsville by Averill, who did not, however, effect a junction with Stoneman as directed. The enemy were in such force that re-enforcements were sent out and the Rebels were driven back to Gordonsville.
The destruction of the road was completed and a party proceeded to tear up the railroad between Gordonsville and Charlottesville. Parties were also sent out from Louisa Court House to destroy the bridges over the North Anna River. The command then proceeded through Sauceyville and rendezvoused at Thompson’s Crossroads.

From there three expeditions were sent out – one along the South Anna River to destroy the bridges across this unfordable stream; another to destroy the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad from Ashland down; also the railroad from Richmond to Hanover Court House to get as near Richmond as possible, and if practicable to cross over to Pamunky River, destroying such bridges as it was practicable to destroy and then to proceed down the Peninsula to West Point; the third expedition was to strike the James River at Columbia, break the locks of the canal and destroy the bridges as far down the river as might be. This expedition was to cross a small force over the James at Carterville and pass down and destroy the railroad bridge on the Richmond and Lynchburg Road, over the Appatuattox [as spelled in newspaper] River.

Gathering the balance of his force together at Thompson’s Cross roads, Gen. Stoneman prepared to return. By this time, Stuart, Lee and Hampton were in pursuit of the audacious party. The forces of the latter two were driven in the direction of Charlottesville and Stuart was drawn off in the direction of Guiney’s Station, by an apparent diversion of our forces in that direction.

Having thus separated Stuart’s command, Gen. Stoneman started on his return between the two bodies along the same route he went out. His scouting parties encountered the enemy’s infantry pickets on the road to Spotsylvania Court House but the command succeeded in safely re-crossing the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers, swimming the latter.

The feat of getting the artillery across the latter stream, the horses swimming and drawing the guns, is certainly worthy of notice. Only one man was lost by drowning.

The success of the whole expedition is mainly due to the deception practiced upon the inhabitants.

The force was everywhere magnified and, by scattering in small parties, the delusion was completed by dividing the command into different expeditions. They were enabled to supply themselves with forage and provisions and thus live upon the country through which they passed. Their pack-mules were sent back the first day out, and officers and men only carried what they could upon their horses.

For two days and three nights they never built a fire. In many places they camped as though intending to remain, giving out that they were merely the advance guard of the main army.

With telegraphic communication destroyed and railroads interrupted, this was only too readily believed. The inhabitants were paroled and sent to Richmond. The officers captured were detained as prisoners; among these was Major Johnston of Gen. Stuart’s staff.

At one place, two large houses were found, filled with hams. What of this was not needed was destroyed. Twelve hundred hogsheads of tobacco were also captured, most of which were burned. Such horses as could be found were taken and those worn out by the march were left in their places.

Gen. Stoneman reports large quantities of supplies in Albemarie county, gathered there by the inhabitants. It was to protect these that Lee and Hampton proceeded in that direction.

It is estimated that the total number of miles traveled by the different expeditions will exceed one thousand.

The men return in the best of spirits though of course, considerably fatigued by their march. It seems almost incredible that the battery should have made the entire march with the main body, and returned without accident. The roads were in wretched condition and all the streams considerably swollen. During the whole time Gen. Stoneman has had no communication with General Hooker’s army."

Fiddler's Green: John Peffer

2008-12-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

I received a request for information on an ancestor in the comments section without any contact info, so I'll post it here in hopes the requester will see it.

John Peffer originally enlisted in Company F, 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on June 22, 1861. Born in Buffalo, New York, he was 20 at the time of his enlistment. The following year, he was one of hundreds of volunteers who joined regular cavalry regiments.

John was enlisted into Company B, 6th US Cavalry in Knoxville, Maryland by Lieutenant Claflin on October 28, 1862 for the balance of his three year term. His enlistment documents describe him as 5'7 1/2" inches tall, with dark hair, dark eyes and a light complexion. He was discharged at the expiration of his term of service in the field in virginia on June 22, 1864 as a private.

Reinforcements for the Regulars redux

2008-12-04T11:40:00.001-08:00

I've posted before on the way that the Regular regiments, cavalry and otherwise, received replacements during the war. The bulk of those posts focused on the volunteers which joined by the hundreds following the Antietam campaign from October to December 1862. For the cavalry regiments particularly, these replacements helped bring the Regular regiments close to their authorized strength.

There was, however, a catch. All of these volunteers enlisted in the Regular units for the remainder of their initial enlistment, not a fresh three year term. This was the same time period that the initial enlistments were running out for all of the 6th US Cavalry's personnel. As a result, the Reserve Brigade withered away during the summer months of 1864, losing literally hundreds of men per month. By the end of the summer, these regiments were shadows of their former selves, some literally reduced to the authorized strength of a company or two.

This led to a second wave of reinforcements for the Regulars during the fall/ winter of 1864. This wave, however, was much less effective than the first. This time, nearly all of the replacements were new soldiers, not veterans transferring from other units. Many of them were either draftees or substitutes for draftees. Surprisingly, roughly 20% of these replacements were born in Canada. An estimated 40,000 Canadians fought in the war, but this was the first time that I'd noticed them in any numbers.

The vast majority of them came from recruiting centers in Cincinatti, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, manned by veteran Regular officers who were often recovering from wounds. In Cincinatti, Captain David S. Gordon of the 2nd US Cavalry and 1st Lieutenant Robert Sweatman of the 5th US Cavalry figure prominently in the enlistment records. In Harrisburg it was Lieutenant John McDonald and in Philadelphia Captain Theophilus Rodenbough, both of the 2nd US Cavalry.

Unfortunately, the second wave wasn't nearly as effective as the first wave. Many of them had deserted before the spring campaign even started. The majority of them deserted during the summer of 1865, apparently deciding that their service should end once the war did. From the records that I've seen so far, roughly 25% of those who enlisted during this period completed their enlistments.

Fiddler’s Green: Theophilus F. Rodenbough

2008-11-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

This is an entry that I've been working on for quite some time, off and on. Some of the sources were hard to find, and there were always "a couple more things" that I wanted to check on or delve deeper into before I posted it. So here at long last is the entry on someone whom I greatly admire.

Theophilus Francis Rodenbough was born on November 5, 1838 in Easton, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest of two sons of Charles Rodenbough, a wiring manufacturer, and Emily Cauffman of Philadelphia. He attended private schools, had private tutors, and completed a course of English literature and mathematics at Lafayette College in 1837.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln appointed Rodenbough a second lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons on March 27, 1861, at the request of Andrew H. Reeder. Reeder, a native and fellow resident of Easton, was prominent in the Republican Party for his service as the governor of Kansas in the late 1850s.

Lieutenant Rodenbough was initially assigned to Company E, but several months would pass before he joined the regiment. He served as the post adjutant and quartermaster of Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania until January 1862. He was promoted to first lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoons on May 14, 1861.

When he finally joined the regiment in January 1862, he was assigned to Company H. He immediately assumed command of the company as its assigned captain, Alfred Pleasonton, was on detached service. During the peninsula campaign he commanded Company H and often the squadron consisting of it and its sister company. He distinguished himself on several occasions, most notably during the battle of Gaines Mill. He was promoted to captain in the 2nd US Cavalry on July 17, 1862.

He and his company were part of Captain Thomas Hight’s squadron captured by Fitz Lee’s brigade following the second battle of Bull Run on August 31, 1862. He was paroled a week later, and exchanged on September 21, 1862 at Aiken’s Landing, Virginia for Samuel Y. Finley of the 6th Florida Infantry.

Recognized for his ability despite this setback, he was assigned to command one of the regiment’s two new companies, Company L, when they were authorized on September 24, 1862. He was sent north Pleasant Valley, Maryland to recruit and organize his company October 1862 to January 1863. He and his new company spent the remainder of the winter on picket duty near Falmouth, Virginia.

Captain Rodenbough and Company L participated in Stoneman’s Raid, during which he led a column of nearly 300 members of his own regiment and the 5th U.S. Cavalry to destroy a bridge over the South Anna River near Louisa Court House. The following month, he was slightly wounded and had two horses shot out from under him at Beverly Ford during the battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863.

When regimental commander Wesley Merritt was promoted to brigadier general later that month, Rodenbough assumed command of the regiment. This left his company without officers, as he had been the only officer present since Stoneman’s Raid. Captain Gordon returned to take command of the regiment on July 6th. Rodenbough served with distinction throughout the Gettysburg campaign, including actions at Upperville, Williamsport, Boonsboro, Funkstown, Falling Waters, Manassas Gap and again at Brandy Station at the end of July.

He accompanied the regiment and the rest of the brigade to Camp Buford at Giesboro Point for refitting in September, where he finally received additional officers for his company. His first lieutenant was a guest at Libby Prison, but his second lieutenant, Charles McMasters, was previously featured in a Fiddler’s Green entry. Captain Rodenbough spent the winter of 1863 performing picket duty with his regiment near Brandy Station. At times during the fall and winter, he performed as an “acting field officer,” according to the regimental muster rolls.

Rodenbough was again in command of his regiment for the beginning of Sheridan’s cavalry campaign in the spring of 1864. He was commended for his performance at Todd’s Tavern, as well as fighting in engagements at Culpeper Court House and Old Church during the spring.

Captain Rodenbough led the advance of the Regular Brigade with his regiment at the battle of Trevillian Station on June 11, 1864. He was wounded during the battle, and turned command of the regiment over to Captain David Stanley. In 1893, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for the battle. His citation reads “for distinguished gallantry in action at Trevillian Station, Va., June 11, 1864, where he was severely wounded while handling his regiment with skill and valor.”

Rodenbough was back in command of his regiment several weeks later, and led his regiment in the great charge that decided the battle of Opequon or Third Winchester on September 19, 1864. He was severely wounded in the right arm and his horse killed while leading the regiment’s charge. His right arm was amputated later that day.

First Sergeant Conrad Schmidt of Company K rode forward and rescued his wounded commander, earning a Medal of Honor. The citation reads “Went to the assistance of his Regimental Commander, whose horse had been killed under him in a charge, mounted the officer behind him, under a heavy fire from the enemy, and returned him to his command.” First Sergeant Schmidt’s actions served as the inspiration for the painting “Sergeant’s Valor” by Don Stivers.

Captain Rodenbough was brevetted major, regular army, for gallant and meritorious services during this battle. Following the battle, he served on general recruiting service in Philadelphia until April 1865 while recuperating from his wounds.

Rodenbough was brevetted lieutenant colonel on March 13, 1865 for gallant and meritorious service during the war, and colonel on the same date for gallantry and meritorious service in the battle of Todd’s Tavern, Virginia. He was further brevetted brigadier general, regular army, for gallant and meritorious service in the battle of Cold Harbor. In his recommendation for this brevet, General Sheridan wrote the following:

“Colonel Rodenbough was one of the most gallant and valuable young officers, under my command, in the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. He was constantly in the field with his regiment, the 2d U.S. Cavalry (a portion of that time in command of it), from the spring of ’62 up to the time of his being wounded whilst gallantly leading his regiment at the battle of the Opequan, September 19, 1864.” On April 13, 1865, he was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers for gallant and meritorious service during the war.

Rodenbough was granted a leave of absence from the regular army at the recommendation of General Sheridan to accept the colonelcy of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry on April 29, 1865. Rodenbough was transferred from the regiment to command the 3rd Provisional Cavalry (Pennsylvania), a provisional brigade consisting of regular and volunteer units, on June 24, 1865. He served there and in command of the district of Clarksburg, West Virginia until honorably mustered out of volunteer service on October 31, 1865.

Returning to his regular army rank of captain, Rodenbough served on Major General Dodge’s staff during the winter of 1865 as the inspector general for army forces in Kansas and the territories at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He then rejoined his regiment at Fort Ellsworth, Kansas in May 1866 and was employed with his company constructing Fort Harker until September 1866.

Upon the reorganization of the army in the summer of 1866, he was promoted to major of the new 42nd US Infantry on July 28, 1866. He was involved in organizing the regiment from September to November 1866, then commanded the post of Plattsburg Barracks until the following December. He subsequently commanded the post of Madison Barracks, New York until 1869.

Major Rodenbough also served on boards for the selection of a magazine fed gun, the examination of officers, and reportedly “the investigation of the case of the first colored cadet at West Point.” I assume this indicates the court martial of Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper of the 10th U.S. Cavalry in 1870, but could not locate verification of this.

Rodenbough retired from the army at his own request at the rank of colonel on December 15, 1870, “with the full rank of the command held when wounded.” He was retired again, as a Brigadier General, U.S.A., on April 23, 1904, according to that year’s Army Register.

Theophilus Rodenbough married Elinor Frances Foster in New York City on September 1, 1868. Their eldest daughter died in childhood. His son, James Foster Rodenbough, was living in Easton and working as a civil engineer with the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company at the time of his father’s death. His daughter, Nina, married and lived in New York City.

Following his retirement, Rodenbough became the most prominent American cavalry historian of the 19th Century. His books began with a history of his regiment with From Everglade to Canyon with the Second Dragoons in 1875. Other works included Afghanistan or the Anglo-Russian Dispute (1882), Uncle Sam’s Medal of Honor (1887), The Bravest Five Hundred of ‘Sixty-one (1891), August Leaves from Family Trees (1892), and Sabre and Bayonet (1897). The Bravest Five Hundred and Sabre and Bayonet were revisions of his earlier work on Uncle Sam's Medal of Honor. His most ambitious work culminated in 1896 with the release of The Army of the United States: Historical Sketches of Staff and Line with Portraits of Generals-In-Chief, which he edited with active duty Major William Haskin. He also authored several articles in the Cavalry Journal, and served on the editing committee of the history of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry published in 1909. His final literary efforts were in editing several volumes of the ten volume Photographic History of the Civil War, published in the year of his death.

In addition to his writing, Rodenbough held many prominent positions following his retirement. He served as the Deputy Governor of the U.S. Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C. through the end of 1871. He then worked as the General eastern Agent of the Pullman Car Company from 1872 to 1873. From 1876 to 1877, Rodenbough was the Associate Editor of the Army and Navy Journal and the Corresponding Secretary of the Society of the Army of the Potomac in 1878. He was an assistant inspector general for the state of New York from 1879 to 1882. He worked from 1878 to 1893 on the Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States as secretary, then editor and vice president. He was also the Chief of the Bureau of Elections for the city of New York from 1890 to 1892.

Theophilus F. Rodenbough died in New York City on December 19, 1912. He is buried in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Sources:

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1903), page 529.

Henry, Guy V. Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume I (New York: D. Van Nostrand Publishing, 1873), pg 434.

Pierce, Frederick Clifton. Foster Genealogy. New York: Press of W.B. Conkey Company, 1899. Pages 973-974.

Rodenbough, Theophilus F. Autumn Leaves from Family Trees. New York: Clark & Zugall, 1892. Pages 153-155.

Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry (New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1875)

Rodenbough, Theophilus F., ed. History of the Eighteenth regiment of cavalry, Pennsylvania volunteers New York: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1909.

Wittenberg, Eric J. Glory Enough For All. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s, Inc., 2002.

Wittenberg, Eric J. The Union Cavalry Comes of Age. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s, Inc., 2003.

What's With All the Digital History Chatter?

2008-11-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

The discussion about the role of digital history continues on several blogs, most notably Cenantua's Blog and Bull Runnings. I made some of the comments below on Robert's blog this morning, but wanted to get them up here for those who don't do "comment-delving".

Someone, I think it was harry, made the observation that no "established historians" (I put it in quotes to forestall the discussion on what the term means and who it should encompass, not to belittle said individuals in any fashion) had as yet joined the discussion. In all fairness, they may simply be unaware of it. I think it would be very interesting to hear what someone like the folks at Civil Warriors have to say about the discussion, but I agree with Robert that it’s interesting enough in its own right. These discussions have made me spend many hours thinking about such things when I otherwise might not have.

After looking at Robert’s and Harry’s sides of the discussion and spending a great deal of time thinking about them, I still find myself somewhere in the middle. I (now) see Robert’s points about the potential for web-based history, and different directions that it can go. The possibilities are fascinating, and limitless for those with the proper training. Enough so, in fact, that Craig Swain and I have been discussing a limited scale virtual battlefield experiment. At the same time, I appreciate Harry’s points about the value of narrative history.

Despite the approach utilized, I think sooner or later it's going to come back to narrative history in some form or fashion. Even the virtual battlefield is going to offer some sort of narrative history at some point, I believe. Younger folks may go right after the animation-centric parts of a site, while more mature viewers will key in on the more traditional narrative.

And I don't see anything wrong with this. The point of the whole exercise, after all, is to bring more people to view the history. And if it does that, through narrative, animation, virtual experience or anything else, then I'm all for it. As long as it remains properly researched and sourced history.

Digital History Blogging --- Format

2008-11-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

As noted here and elsewhere, there’s been quite a discussion going on in the blogosphere about blogging, digital history and their relationships. Commentary can be found at Bull Runnings, Cenantua’s Blog, Draw the Sword, and others. The result has been an extremely interesting and illuminating discussion on the possible roles of blogging and digital history. It’s even spawned a wiki for further group discussion, thanks to Brian Downey. This posting is intended to address presentation format, not content.

Robert over at Cenantua’s Blog had an excellent post yesterday on formal and informal digital history. My concept of digital history at the beginning of discussion was that formal digital history is a completed work able to stand on its own that usually has its own website. A blog is an online journal, which by its very nature is an informal medium. At first blush, the two don’t appear to mix. The aforementioned Mr. Downey, for example, separates his formal work to the Antietam on the Web website, while his more informal postings appear on his blog, Behind Antietam on the Web. Both sides are great, but they're separate.

As in most cases, however, there is middle ground. Someone (I think it was Robert or Harry) recently coined the phrase “information compilation blog.” I didn’t particularly care for the title at first, but after some thought it describes my blog’s goal. Several good ones out there include Bull Runnings, Draw the Sword and To the Sound of the Guns. I hadn’t really done much comparison, but the more I looked into it, the more convinced I became that a blog is not necessarily exclusively informal. Some are intentionally informal, those that take the more traditional path of the blog as web journal. Others try to be more formal and present only “finished” pieces. Some, such as Eric’s Rantings of a Civil War Historian, do both as the mood strikes. That’s only fair, it’s the author’s blog to do with as he or she wills.

All types definitely have their place. Robert had an excellent point yesterday about the value of being able to “look over the historian’s shoulder” and get an idea of what they’re seeing and thinking through their blog as they’re writing their books. I couldn’t agree more, as such posts are some of my favorites from Eric’s blog. Others have deliberately developed this hybrid blog that is both formal and informal.

I am now convinced that an information compilation blog will be most effective as one of these hybrids. I shy away from “musts” and “shoulds,” as any author is free to do with their blog as they will, but I truly believe this is the most effective way to convey the information for such a blog. I didn’t realize it at first because I thought of it as simply a hobby, but I write this blog for readers. I’m trying to make information available, to educate those who wish to learn more about my subject. Since this is the case, I should make that information as readily available to the reader as possible. If it’s difficult for the reader to locate information on my blog, it’s not being effective.

Thus, I think the optimal format, in my particular case, is a blend of formal pages of information with informal postings on whatever I deem appropriate. The formal postings, since they are intended as history, should be correctly attributed and cited. Several blogging programs out there (not unfortunately, this one) provide the ability to post to pages within the blog, so I’ll be looking into them. I don’t think posting itself will change a great deal, but how the information is stored on the site will.

Christmas in November

2008-11-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, the stars line up just right and provide a real treat, usually when one isn't looking for it. I was incredibly fortunate this weekend, one of those nice coincidences that make me eager to see the sunrise each morning.

It all started with a need for some quality adult time with my wife. We have a 17 month old, so there aren't huge amounts of adult time. Not that I don't love the little guy to death and spoil him unmercifully, but any parents out there know what I'm talking about. Also, work's been an absolute bear lately -- one day off last pay period, two days the one before that. So we prevailed upon grandma and grandpa to babysit (which unsurprisingly required absolutely no armtwisting) so we could go to lunch and goof around town for a couple of hours.

My wife wanted to have lunch at a place she was very familiar with downtown where I hadn't been. As we walked up to the place, I noticed a used bookstore right next door. I mentioned that we'd have to stop in after lunch. We had a very good lunch (she's nearly always right about restaurants), and she reminded me as we were leaving that I wanted to look in the bookstore before we went home. It's small, independently owned store, and has only been open for a couple of months.

As we walked in the door, I noticed some volumes of the Official Records along the top of the bookcases across the room. I'm enough of a Civil War junkie that my wife even recognized them on sight and asked, "Are those what I think they are?" I agreed that they were and strolled over to take a look while she chatted with the owner. Once I reached the shelf, I saw that they were volumes 1-20. Curious. I turned around, and there they were down the tops of the bokkcases on the other wall. It was an entire set, well over half of them still in shrink-wrap. Definitely not something I ever expected to see in Colorado.

The OR's something I've always enjoyed, in an abstract sort of way. I've used it extensively in college libraries, and my wife bought me a cd version a couple of years ago for Christmas. But I like books. I like the feel of them, the smell of them. Being able to pull up reports from the cd is nice, but it's not the same as being able to open a book and look at them in print. Call me old-fashioned. One way is faster, the other is more fun to me. But I digress.

I never thought I'd own a full set, didn't really think it would be practical. I've collected a few individual volumes that specifically interested me such as the ones on Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and Wilson's Creek, and always have an eye out for others that might help my research. particularly on the Western Theater. But the whole thing? 130 volumes? Where would you put them all? And it would be price-prohibitive. $3,500 plus shipping from North Carolina? Not going to happen. But this is, after all, what libraries are for.

So we looked around the store, found a couple of books (for some reason I've never read Sears' Gettysburg, but I have it now), and went up to the counter to check out. I asked him idly how much the volumes of the OR that he had on display were.

"Well," he said. "I resolved when I moved from my last location to this one that I was going to be a book seller, not a book collector. Now that is a complete set, and it's a lot of books, but I'll sell it to you for $x."

My wife looked at me. I very carefully did not look at my wife. We talked with him some more and then left, promising to return. The Civil War section was small but pretty good, and he has a really good collection of westward expansion books (my undergrad concentration). Trying to encourage return visits, the owner gave my wife a 20% off card for her next visit.

So we get into the car to drive home, and my wife asks, "That was a really good price, wasn't it?" Carefully watching the road, I replied that it was an extremely good price, and how much the set would cost new. She mulled this over for a half a block or so before telling me to turn around, that I'd better appreciate this, that it would be my present for Christmas, anniversary, etc. And back we went.

After telling me to check and make sure the set was complete, she talked to the owner. Veteran shopper that she is, she not only got the set at the already low price, she talked him into giving her the 20% off as well. So I am now the proud owner of an entire set of the OR for the price of just over $500 including tax.

Yes, my wife is pretty wonderful. Not only has she tolerated my time and space-consuming hobby, she has aided and abetted it. This is truly above and beyond the call of duty. And she even thought it necessary to ask if she'd spoiled my Christmas because I knew what I was getting!

My son will get to learn about the Civil War from the OR, from the comfort of his own home. Between these and the copy of the Golden Book I found last summer, I figure he's a lock for a Civil War scholar. And I plan on spending just a little bit of time with them in the meantime. Now I just have to figure out where to put them all.

Move to the Sound of the Guns

2008-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Craig Swain has a couple of fantastic posts on forming Civil War databases over on his blog To the Sound of the Guns. It's a little bit of a stretch to follow it all, but I'm definitely learning things. Hopefully it will help with the 6th US Cavalry history project that I seem to be neck-deep in.

These two posts aside, I still heartily recommend Craig's site. The Historical Marker Database is growing by the day.

What Makes A "First String" Cavalry Leader?

2008-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

I've recently tried to explore on a couple of the discussion boards why the Union cavalry in the western theater was perceived to be led by the "second string". I think there are several reasons for this, among them, the fact that the theater was (and continues to be) overshadowed by the war in the east and the fact that late in the war it was where unpopular and unsuccessful cavalry leaders were sent. I have a theory or two about this, but the thought that has been pestering me all day is a working definition of what differentiates a "first string" cavalryman from the "second string."

With a few moments' thought, I can easily come up with several examples of cavalry leaders that I would consider first string: Buford, Stuart, Hampton, David Gregg, and Minty, to name a few. So what is it that characterizes these leaders?

Here are a few items for my litmus test just off the top of my head, I'm sure we can come up with others.
1. Aggressively maintain contact with the enemy
2. Keep higher headquarters informed over time
3. Ability to "read the brown" when looking at maps and visualize terrain and how it affected movement (ex: use of gaps and passes during the retreat/pursuit from Gettysburg)
4. Willingness to fight for intelligence when necessary

The Union cavalry division commanders during the Gettysburg campaign are a good example, the corps commander (Pleasonton) not so much. Minty and Wilder at Chickamauga are others, though Wilder commanded mounted infantry not cavalry. I personally don't think Sheridan is, primarily due to the Wilderness when he left his boss all but blind about the enemy to his immediate front.

I'm very curious about others' thoughts on what made first string leaders, and who you think would make the team. There is no limit on numbers other than by qualification.

More Effective Blogging

2008-11-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

There's a great discussion going on about different ways to store information on blogs and how to make them more useable to researchers over at Harry Smeltzer's Bull Runnings, for anyone who might be interested. The link is right here.

I've been very intrigued by some of the ideas there, which could cause a chgange of address for this blog over the holidays. Stay tuned for more information.

Fiddler’s Green: Isaac M. Ward

2008-11-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Isaac M. Ward was born in Scott County, Kentucky in 1834. He attended local schools and worked as a bootmaker prior to his enlistment in the army. Isaac was enlisted into Company A, 1st US Cavalry by Lieutenant Riddick in Decatur, Ohio on January 26, 1857. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’6” tall, with light hair, hazel eyes, and a fair complexion.

Ward served for the next four years on the frontier in Company A, receiving promotions to corporal and sergeant. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he accompanied his regiment as it moved to Washington, DC. After Company A reached Washington, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the 6th US Cavalry on October 23, 1861. The 6th US Cavalry's acting commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Emory had commanded the 1st Cavalry at the outbreak of the war, and may have had something to do with the appointment.

Lieutenant Ward joined his new regiment that same month, and was assigned to Company A. The following month he was assigned to Company F, where he served through the peninsula campaign. He trained with the regiment throughout the winter of 1861, and accompanied them to the peninsula for their first campaign the following March.

In August 1862, Lieutenant Ward was assigned as an aide de camp to General Pleasonton, on whose staff he served until the following April. Ward was promoted to first lieutenant on October 20, 1862. He returned to his regiment in April 1863, just in time to command Company A during Stoneman’s raid.

Lieutenant Ward was killed at the head of his squadron of Companies A and M near Beverly Ford during the battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863. The squadron was charging in support of a flanked line of the regiment’s skirmishers. He was shot through the chest while attempting to capture a Confederate battle flag in close fighting. He is buried at Culpeper National Cemetery in Culpeper, Virginia.

Sources:

Carter, From Yorktown to Santiago, pages 86

Crouch, Richard E. Brandy Station, page 241

Enlistment documents, Isaac M. Ward

Heitman, page 1001

Henry, Volume II, page 215