Wilson's Creek: Franz Sigel's Attack

Earlier this week, I made a quick visit to the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield where I particularly focused on Colonel Franz Sigel’s surprise attack on the southern end of the Confederate encampment. At first his attack went well, and his men advanced steadily along Wilson Creek and through Sharp’s cornfield. However, things went awry as Backof’s Missouri Battery was placed near the Wire Road right before it dropped down into the Wilson Creek valley. The artillerists could not cover the zone before them, and Sigel did not send out an adequate picket force to guard from surprise. Additionally, his infantry, the 3^rd Missouri and the 5^th Missouri, were poorly situated well behind the artillery.

This photo shows Backof’s artillery position along the Wire Road:

A photo from the perspective of the 3^rd Louisiana Infantry that advanced along the Wire Road toward Backof’s Battery. When the men of the 3^rd Louisiana reached the top of the slope they were only 25 yards from Backof’s Battery.

Again, this photograph is a view from the Confederate perspective. Imagine Union soldiers in flight along the Wire Road and through the fields after being routed by Confederate troops.

Fort Smith National Historic Site

On a recent Saturday, I woke up and wanted to go on a road trip. Where to go? The Fort Smith NationalHistoric Site was selected as the day’s goal. Conveniently arriving in Van Buren at lunchtime, I dined there, browsed in a bookstore, and then drove the short distance to the old Fort. Established in 1817 near the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau rivers, the military abandoned the fort seven years later but then reestablished it in 1838. The commissary and barracks buildings are the only structures remaining from the Civil War years. Although little fighting took place in the Fort Smith area during the war, control over the region often figured in the strategy for both sides. In 1863, Union forces secured control of the Fort for the remainder of the war. 

In the postwar period, the fort was closed in 1871, but the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas was established the following year. The creation of the court led to the addition of a  jail and courthouse onto the barracks building. Judge Isaac C. Parker famously presided over this busy district court for several decades as authorities attempted to exert control over the wild Indian Territory. 

The visitor’s center has a number of fine displays that tell about the fort, the court, and the colorful characters associated with them. My favorite artifact was a large photograph from 1895 showing outlaw Crawford Goldsby (Cherokee Bill) in Wagoner, Indian Territory, after his arrest. With his arm around Deputy Dick Crittenden and a big smile on his face, Cherokee Bill was attempting to reach down and pull out Crittenden’s pistol. Luckily for Crittenden and others in the crowd, Cherokee Bill was unsuccessful in that attempt. If you’re ever in the Fort Smith area, drop by for a visit to the old Fort!

The location of the first fort:

The Old Barracks:

The Old Barracks Building showing the addition of the courthouse and jail:

The Gettysburg Bandwagon

Like almost every Civil War blogger, I have succumbed to the Gettysburg hoopla. I agree that Gettysburg was a significant battle, but some of the media stories give the impression that it was THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE OF THE ENTIRE WAR. Was it? I have some doubts…

How does Gettysburg relate to the trans-Mississippi? Soldiers from the trans-Mississippi fought and died on Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, Culp’s Hill, Little Round Top, Plum Run, and Seminary Ridge. Most of the trans-Mississippians were soldiers from the Confederate states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, but men from Minnesota also fought on the storied fields of Gettysburg. Here is a list of the units from west of the Mississippi and the losses that they suffered:

Union:

1^st Minnesota Infantry (2^nd Army Corps, Harrow’s Brigade): 50 killed, 173 wounded, 1 missing or captured

2^nd U. S. Sharpshooters (3^rd Army Corps, Ward’s Brigade—one company of the 2^nd was from Minnesota): 5 killed, 23 wounded, 15 missing or captured

Total trans-Mississippi Union casualties: 55 killed, 196 wounded, 16 missing or captured=267

Confederate:

Field and Staff (First Corps, Robertson’s Brigade): 1 wounded

3^rd Arkansas Infantry (First Corps, Robertson’s Brigade): 41 killed, 101 wounded, 40 missing or captured

1^st Texas Infantry (First Corps, Robertson’s Brigade): 29 killed, 46 wounded, 22 missing or captured

4^th Texas Infantry (First Corps, Robertson’s Brigade): 28 killed, 53 wounded, 31 missing or captured

5^th Texas Infantry (First Corps, Robertson’s Brigade): 54 killed, 112 wounded, 45 missing or captured

Robertson’s brigade=152 killed, 313 wounded, 138 missing or captured

Washington Artillery, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Companies [Louisiana] (First Corps, Artillery Reserve) 8 killed, 11 wounded, 11 missing or captured

Madison [Louisiana] Artillery (First Corps, Artillery Reserve): 4 killed, 29 wounded

1^st Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Nicholls’ Brigade): 11 killed, 28 wounded

2^nd Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Nicholls’ Brigade): 15 killed, 47 wounded

10^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Nicholls’ Brigade): 22 killed, 69 wounded, 19 missing or captured

14^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Nicholls’ Brigade): 15 killed, 50 wounded

15^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Nicholls’ Brigade): 3 killed, 35 wounded

Nicholls’ Brigade=66 killed, 287 wounded, 36 missing or captured

5^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Hay’s Brigade): 7 killed, 30 wounded, 30 missing or captured

6^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Hay’s Brigade): 8 killed, 32 wounded, 21 missing or captured

7^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Hay’s Brigade): 13 killed, 40 wounded, 5 missing or captured

8^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Hay’s Brigade): 14 killed, 50 wounded, 11 missing or captured

9^th Louisiana Infantry (Second Corps, Hay’s Brigade): 19 killed, 35 wounded, 19 missing or captured

Hay’s brigade=61 killed, 187 wounded, 86 missing or captured

Louisiana Guard Artillery (Second Corps, Early’s Division): 2 killed, 5 wounded

Donaldson Artillery [Louisiana] (Third Corps, Heth’s Division): 2 wounded, 4 missing or captured

Total trans-Mississippi Confederate casualties: 293 killed, 832 wounded, 275 missing or captured=1,400

Note: Casualty figures are from Busey, John W. and David G. Martin. Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg. 4^th ed. Hightstown, NJ: Longstreet House, 2005.

A Civil War Extravaganza!

Soon, a Civil War series sponsored by the Springfield-Greene County Library District (Springfield, Missouri) and focusing on the year 1863 will begin. Comprising a dozen talks altogether, the series starts on July 10^th and runs through July 22^nd. Additionally, special guided tours of the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield as well as a tour of sites associated with the Battle of Springfield will be conducted.

In conjunction with a Civil War Round Table meeting, I will start the series on July 10^th at 7:00 pm with a presentation about Albert C. Ellithorpe and the 1^st Indian Home Guards. The talk will focus on the nature of warfare in the trans-Mississippi and the role of Indian troops. Other paper topics and their presenters include the battle of Honey Springs (Ralph Jones), Ulysses S. Grant (Pam Sanfilippo), the massacre at Baxter Springs (Matt Matthews), the Vicksburg campaign (Terry Winschel), Guerrillas, Civilians, and the Nature of Warfare in the Trans-Mississippi (Matt Stith), the raid on Lawrence (Jeremy Neely), the campaign to take Little Rock (Mark Christ), Longstreet and the Gettysburg Controversy (William Piston), George Meade: the Victor of Gettysburg (Michael Price), the hospital diary of Corporal William Miller, 75^th Indiana Infantry (Jeffrey Patrick), and From Virginia to Missouri: The Civil War in 1863 (William Piston). The series closes with a book discussion group led by Steven E. Woodworth. For complete information on topics, dates, times, etc. see the Springfield-Greene County Library District website. 

Iowans on the March

As some of my previous postings have noted, soldiers in the trans-Mississippi were involved in some incredible marches. One of these marches is documented in Jeffrey L. Patrick’s Campaign for Wilson’s Creek: The Fight for Missouri Begins. The book is part of

the McWhiney Foundation Press’ “Civil War Campaigns and Commanders” series, consisting of shorter books about a variety of topics. Patrick’s book is a clearly written study of the Wilson’s Creek campaign. Notably, it includes a number of helpful maps and sidebars with biographical data about prominent campaign participants.

Patrick’s description of the march is based partly on Missouri in 1861: The Civil War Letters of Franc B. Wilkie, Newspaper Correspondent. Edited by Michael E. Banasik, this excellent source focuses on the activities of the 1^st Iowa Infantry during the Wilson’s Creek campaign; in the second half of the book, Wilkie chronicles the later 1861 fall campaigns.

While crossing the Osage River on July 11^th, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon learned that Brigadier General Franz Sigel’s force was retreating to Springfield after the battle at Carthage with Confederate forces in pursuit. Lyon ordered a forced march to Springfield to rescue Sigel and his men. The 1^st Iowa Infantry led the way for Lyon’s force and pulled out shortly afterwards at 5:00 a.m. on July 11^th.  Ten hours later, the 1^st Iowa had logged 27 miles. Following a break of about three hours, the soldiers again took up the march and by 3:00 a.m. on July 12^th, they had traveled an additional 21 miles. A two-hour break followed and then the soldiers trudged another five miles. At this point, a courier arrived to announce that Sigel’s force had arrived safely in Springfield. So, from 5:00 a.m. on July 11^th to the morning of July 12^th, the 1^st Iowa infantry marched 53 miles. The men sustained themselves in part by singing “Happy Land of Canaan,” a tune enhanced by the addition of over 200 verses.