A Summer Break!

It is time for my semi-annual blog break, and I will not be posting for about two weeks. Next month a new academic year begins at my university—frankly, it’s rather shocking that the summer is almost over.

I’ve been reading an interesting book that is not directly related to the Civil War but has much fascinating material about the Great Plains in the years immediately preceding the war. At some point, I’ll write up a short posting about the book, and of course there are many other items in the pipeline. See you in August!

"Fear Not Death--Fear Dishonor"

That motto appears on one of the flags carried by the 6^th Michigan Cavalry during the war. Alert readers will wonder why I am even mentioning the 6^th Michigan Cavalry because they served in the Eastern Theater. But is that the only theater that they served in? Interestingly, these Gettysburg veterans served in the Dakota Territory for part of the summer of 1865. My previous posting mentioned the 11^th Kansas Cavalry; in August 1865, the 6^th Michigan Cavalry relieved the 11^th Kansas Cavalry at Platte Bridge Station in the Dakota Territory (the location of Platt Bridge Station is in present day Wyoming).

Now for confession time…it was not until I read Steven C. Haack’s article featured in the last posting that I realized that the 6^th Michigan Cavalry had served in the trans-Mississippi. For several months, I have been conducting a series about the twenty-three regiments from William F. Fox’s list of “300 Fighting Regiments” that served at some point in the trans-Mississippi. The 6^th Michigan Cavalry was not in my list of 23…so, it was back for another look at each of the profiles written by William F. Fox. A review led to the discovery of more regiments that had served in the trans-Mississippi; tucked in to some of the profiles were rather casual mentions of service in the trans-Mississippi. And, so, the list of twenty-three regiments has now expanded to thirty-seven regiments (or 12.3%) of the “300 Fighting Regiments.” Many of these additional regiments served for only a brief time in the trans-Mississippi, but they will all be highlighted in future blog postings.

For further information about the 6^th Michigan Cavalry:

Michigan in the Civil War: roster, brief history, other materials

Rally Around the Flags (Michigan Historical Museum): photographs of two flags carried by the 6^th Michigan Cavalry

Kidd, James Harvey. Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer’s Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Civil War. Ionia, MI: Sentinel Printing Co., 1908. (NOTE: This book has been reprinted.)

Wittenberg, Eric J., ed. At Custer’s Side: The Civil War Writings of. James Harvey Kidd. Kent State University Press, 2000.

Wittenberg, Eric J., ed. One of Custer’s Wolverines: The Civil War Letters of Bvt. Brig. Gen. James H. Kidd of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry. Kent State University Press, 2000.

“Custer's Brigade — Kilpatrick's Division--Cavalry Corps.

（1) Col. George Gray.

（2) Col. James H. Kidd; Bvt. Brig.-Gen.

companies.		killed and died of wounds.			died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.			Total Enrollment.
		Officers.	Men.	Total.	Officers.	Men.	Total.
Field and Staff		1		1				20
Company	A		8	8		21	21	140
	B	1	13	14		15	15	121
	C		18	18		19	19	140
	D	1	17	18		20	20	147
	E	1	11	12		26	26	134
	F		11	11		21	21	133
	G	1	9	10		31	31	148
	H		8	8		16	16	121
	I		14	14		27	27	128
	K		8	8		17	17	137
	L	2	5	7		17	17	132
	M		6	6		21	21	123
Totals		7	128	135		251	251	1,624

Total of killed and wounded, 496; died in Confederate prisons (previously included), 98.

battles.	K. & M. W.	battles.	K. & M. W.	battles.	K. & M. W.
Senaca, Md., June 11, 1863	5	Smithfield, Va., Feb. 5, 1864	2	Fisher’s Hill, Va., Sept. 22, 1864	1
Hanover, Pa., June 30, 1863	2	Todd’s Tavern, Va., May 6, 1864	5	Woodstock, Va., Oct. 9, 1864	1
Hunterstown, Pa., July 2, 1863	2	Yellow Tavern, Va., May 11, 1864	3	Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864	5
Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863	1	Meadow Bridge, Va., May 12, 1864	2	Winchester, Va., Nov. 18, 1864	2
Williamsport, Md., July 6, 1863	1	Hawes's Shop, Va., May 28, 1864	18	Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865	1
Boonsboro, Md., July 8, 1863	3	Cold Harbor, Va., June 1, 1864	2	Beaver Mills, Va., April 4, 1865	2
Falling Waters, Md., July 14, 1863	28	Trevilian Sta'n, Va., June 11, 1864	18	High Bridge, Va., April 6, 1865	2
Newby's Cross Roads, July 24, 1863	3	Winchester, Va., Aug. 11, 1864	1	Guerrillas, Va.	3
Summerville Ford, Va., Sept. 16,‘63	6	Front Royal, Va., Aug. 16, 1864	2	Indian Territory. Aug. 31, 1865	2
Brandy Station, Oct. 12, 1863	3	Shepherdstown, Va., Aug. 25, 1864	1	Place unknown	2
Charlestown, W. Va., Oct. 18, 1863	1	Opequon, Va., Sept. 19, 1864	5

Notes.--One of the most remarkable and gallant cavalry charges of the war was made by a squadron of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry at Falling Waters, Md., on July 14, 1863. In the retreat from Gettysburg, a Confederate division made a stand at Falling Waters on the Potomac, to cover the crossing of troops, and intrenched their position. This position was attacked by four companies of the Sixth--Companies D, C, B, and F--led by Major Peter A. Weber, who with two other officers was killed in the affair. The outer line of works was carried, and the men leaped their horses over the inner line, but were obliged to retreat with a heavy loss. At Hawes's Shop, Custer's Brigade fought dismounted, the Sixth Regiment losing 16 killed and 19 wounded out of 140 engaged. In Sheridan's cavalry campaign in 1864--from May 4th to June 30th--the Sixth lost 29 killed, 60 wounded, and 64 missing; many of the latter were killed or wounded. After the close of the war the brigade was ordered to the far West where it was engaged in fighting Indians.

The Sixth was organized at Grand Rapids under the second call for volunteers, and was mustered into the service of the United State, October 13, 1862. It left Grand Rapids, 1,229 strong, on the 10th of December, 1862, and proceeded to Washington where it was assigned to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade. This brigade was commanded by General Copeland, who was succeeded in June, 1863, by General Custer. The brigade was mustered out on November 24, 1865, the recruits having been previously transferred to the First Michigan Veteran Cavalry, which was not mustered out until March 10, 1866” (Fox, p. 378).

The Battle of Red Buttes

In the fall of 1864, Confederate Major General Sterling Price led approximately 12,000 soldiers on a raid into Missouri. So how does this relate to the Battle of Red Buttes in the Wyoming Territory? Following the defeat of Price and his men, the Confederate threat to the border region of Arkansas, the Indian Territory, Kansas, and Missouri was much reduced; this allowed authorities to transfer soldiers further west to guard the vulnerable trails stretching across Kansas, the Nebraska Territory, and the Dakota Territory from Native Americans. One of the regiments transferred further west was the 11^th Kansas Cavalry whose soldiers were veterans of several actions in the border region.

Steven C. Haack’s article, Peace Be To Their Ashes: The 11^th Kansas Cavalry and The Battle of Red Buttes, chronicles the 26 July 1865 battle as well as the rediscovery of the battle’s location by several veterans in the twentieth century. This article was published in the Summer 2011 issue of Army History and may be read by clicking on the article’s link. I enjoyed learning about a battle that I knew little about—hopefully you will enjoy reading the article as well.

A Visit to Fort Union National Monument

“The country around Fort Union is pretty—by far the nicest in the Territory. The streams have formed deep narrow canons, the borders of which are rocky and timbered. The prairie is swelling, smooth, and covered with excellent grass. Small mountains and wooded points give variety, and it only wants seasonable rains to vie with any place in the world for beauty and salubrity” (p. 220). So wrote Ovando J. Hollister of the 1^st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers in his book Colorado Volunteers in New Mexico: 1862.

This blogster visited Fort Union National Monument last month, a mere 149 years after Hollister’s visit. Like Hollister, I thought the area was quite pretty, and I would guess that the countryside around Fort Union has changed little since Hollister’s visit.

Fort Union, approximately twenty-eight miles north of Las Vegas, New Mexico, was established in 1851 by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin V. Sumner, the commander of the Ninth Military Department. Situated near the Santa Fe Trail, the fort was well placed to provide supplies to travelers and as a base for military activities. Hastily constructed with green wood, the buildings often were in need of repair. Once the war started, Fort Union morphed into an important supply point for Union forces, and soldiers labored on a large star shaped fortification. In 1863, construction began on the third and final phase of the fort: most of the surviving fort dates from this final phase. The fort survived until the military abandoned it in 1891.

On June 25^th, my mom, a friend, and I pulled into a nearly full parking lot; this was a surprise as Fort Union is a bit off the “beaten track.” It turns out that we happened in on a living history event featuring guest speakers, reenactors, and exhibitors. The reenactors below represent men of the 1^st New Mexico Volunteer Infantry—the presenter pointed out that many Americans today do not realize that the New Mexico Territory even fielded troops during the Civil War.

Freight wagons played a vital role in supply:

In the postwar period, residents of Fort Union could make use of the sun dial:

And even know the elevation: “6835.423 Above Tidewater Aug. 1867”

The ruins were fascinating to me—and a bit haunting:

From Missouri to the March to the Sea

Today marks the fourteenth part of my regimental series about Union units from William F. Fox’s list of 300 Fighting Regiments that served at some point in the trans-Mississippi. The 20^th Illinois Infantry began their combat service in Missouri then went on to serve actively in many other campaigns. This was a small regiment that suffered a high percentage of killed and mortally wounded compared to their enrollment numbers.

For more information about the 20^th Illinois see:

Illinois in the Civil War: contains a roster and a history relating to the regiment

“J. E. Smith's Brigade — Logan's Division--Seventeenth Corps.

（1) Col. C. C. Marsh.

（2) Col. Daniel Bradley.

（3) Col. Henry King.

companies.		killed and died of wounds.			died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.			Total Enrollment.
		Officers.	Men.	Total.	Officers.	Men.	Total.
Field and Staff		3		3		1	1	16
Company	A		10	10		17	17	93
	B		12	12		22	22	110
	C	1	14	15		14	14	93
	D	1	14	15		15	15	102
	E		15	15		25	25	114
	F		11	11		13	13	105
	G		11	11		22	22	111
	H	1	14	15		18	18	132
	I	1	19	20		21	21	110
	K		12	12	1	23	24	106
Totals		7	132	139	1	191	192	1,092

139 killed == 12.7 per cent.

Total of killed and wounded, 503.

Battles.	K. & M. W.	Battles.	K. & M. W.
Fort Donelson, Tenn.	30	Siege of Vicksburg	6
Shiloh, Tenn.	39	Hillsboro, Miss., Feb. 15, 1864	1
Britton's Lane, Tenn.	6	Kenesaw, Ga.	2
Columbus, Ky.	1	Battle of Atlanta	10
Edwards's Station, Miss.	1	Siege of Atlanta	6
Raymond, Miss.	29	The Carolinas	2
Champion's Hill, Miss.	5	Fayetteville, N. C.	1

Present, also, at Frederickton, Mo.; Siege of Corinth, Miss.; Jackson, Miss.; Big Black, Miss.; Pocotaligo, S. C.; Sherman's March; Bentonville, N. C.

Notes.--Organized May 14, 1861, at Joliet, and mustered in June 13th. It left camp the next week for Alton, from whence it moved, July 6th, to Cape Girardeau, Mo., remaining there or in its vicinity seven months, during which it was engaged on several minor expeditions, and in some fighting. On February 2, 1862,--then in W. H. Wallace's Brigade, McClernand's Division,--it embarked for Fort Donelson, where it sustained a loss of 18 killed, 108 wounded, and 6 missing; total, 132; Lieutenant-Colonel William Erwin, an officer who had seen service in the Mexican war, was killed in this action, a round shot striking him in the breast; every man on the color-guard was either killed or wounded. At Shiloh the brigade was commanded by Colonel Marsh, the loss of the regiment amounting to 22 killed, 107 wounded, and 7 missing; total, 136. During the Vicksburg campaign in 1863, the Twentieth served in General John E. Smith's Brigade, Logan's Division, Seventeenth Corps. At the battle of Raymond, the regiment lost 17 killed—including Lieutenant-Colonel Evans Richards,--68 wounded, and 1 missing; at Champion's Hill, 2 killed, 15 wounded, and 8 missing. It was stationed at Vicksburg, or in its vicinity, from July, 1863, to February, 1864, when it marched on the Meridian campaign. Returning from its veteran furlough, it joined Sherman's Army, June 8, 1864, while on the advance to Atlanta, the regiment being assigned to Force's (1st) Brigade, Leggett's (3d) Division, Seventeenth Corps. The Twentieth accompanied the army on its march through Georgia to the Sea, and on the campaign through the Carolinas, the brigade being then under command of General Charles Ewing” (Fox, p. 357).

Major General Jesse Lee Reno: The Oklahoma Connection

Traveling often yields surprises, and my recent road trip to Taos, New Mexico, is a fine example. Our travel party stopped off in El Reno, Oklahoma, to eat at Johnnie’s Grill. I happen to enjoy a good hamburger, and Johnnie’s makes an excellent onion burger (the fries are great too). After partaking, we drove around the downtown area where I soon noticed an intriguing monument to Major General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union general mortally wounded at Fox’s Gap, Maryland, in September 1862. Although I admire the spirit of those who contributed to this monument, regrettably there are some factual inaccuracies in the monument’s text. Never have I read that Reno was “credited with saving the nation’s capitol at the 2^nd Battle of Bull Run prior to being promoted to Major General in July 1862.” Furthermore, the part about his promotion is confusing. According to my trusty copy of Generals in Blue by Ezra J. Warner, Reno “was appointed major general on August 20 to rank from July 18, 1862” (p. 395). So, his promotion occurred before his participation at the battle of Second Bull Run.

Now, how is it that a town in Oklahoma Territory named itself for a Union general who served in the eastern theater? In 1874, Fort Reno was established and then named by General Phil Sheridan in memory of his friend, Jesse L. Reno. As a result of land runs in 1889 and 1892 a town sprung up and was eventually named El Reno in recognition of the nearby fort. Fort Reno had a rather colorful history and more information about it may be found on the website of Historic Fort Reno, Inc. As a further side note, Reno, Nevada, is also named for Jesse Lee Reno!

Self-Promotion

Warning: This posting consists of self-promotion. If that offends you, please stop reading now and bide your time until the next posting.

I’m pleased to announce that my essay titled “Daniel Weisiger Adams: Defender of the Confederacy’s Heartland” is included in Confederate Generals in the Western Theater: Essays on America’s Civil War edited by Lawrence Lee Hewitt and Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr. and published by The University of Tennessee Press. Lest you think that I have drifted off the topic of this blog, well, not quite. Brigadier General Adams did serve in the Western Theater, but he did command a fine Louisiana brigade for over a year.

Regrettably, there are limited primary accounts relating to Adams, but isn’t that the case for all too many Civil War participants? Researching and writing the piece about Adams was a fun project; he was an interesting and rather fiery gentleman. I admired the pluckiness of a man who had the nerve to mount the defensive works at Jackson, Mississippi, and fire two musket shots at the enemy.

My essay is illustrated with five maps drawn by Stuart Salling, the author of Louisianians in the Western Confederacy: The Adams-Gibson Brigade in the Civil War (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010). Stuart’s blog, Louisiana in the Civil War is one I read regularly, and I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t done so.

There are nine other essays in the book featuring well-known individuals such as Leonidas Polk and Albert Sidney Johnston but also some lesser known generals such as Martin Luther Smith, Joseph Finegan, and Hiram Bronson Granbury.