Other News For January, 1863

The new year brought much the same story as the old. The battles at Stone's River and Fredericksburg still commanded much space. Letters from soldier correspondents were beginning to reach hometown newspapers and the sad lists of dead and injured brought much sadness to the reader. The war had long before became an all consuming feature of nearly every American’s life. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation vied for space with the battles and casualty lists. The following is some of the “Other News” that did find its way into print.

The January 22 issue of The Highland Weekly News, (Hillsborough,Ohio) belatedly reports of the admission of “Western” Virginia on January 1, giving some particulars of admittance.

Forty-eight counties of Virginia constitute the new state,which, in 1860 had a population of 350,000, including 13,000 slaves. All children born of slave parents after March 4, 1863 are declared free, and all under 10 years of age to be free at 25,no slave hereafter to come into the state for permanent residence.[1]

 

Flag of the First Regiment, West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry

 

The paper did indicate the wrong date for newborns to be considered free as it was actually July 4, 1863 and the date it was signed into law was December 31, 1862. **

Thus West Virginia would soon join Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and Missouri as a slave state in the Union. Gradual emancipation is mandated however. The state did not technically receive statehood at the time this was written. It is reporting that Abraham Lincoln had signed the statehood bill into law. A vote of the citizens on March 26, 1863 approved the bill and West Virginia officially entered the Union on June 20, 1863.

This paper also informs its readers that a new bridge being built across the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky will cost $500,000 and take 15 to 18 months to complete. [2]

The New York Daily Tribune (extra edition) describes the arrest of a man for the assault of another:

Brutal Assault--

A man named James Dalton was arrested yesterday, charged with assaulting Daniel Scott, at the residence of the latter, No. 159 South Second Street. It appeared upon an examination, that the parties were engaged in a fight, and that the accused bit Scott's nose completely off. He was held to answer. This occurred in Brooklyn, and it was front page material. [3]

 

The Tiffin Weekly Tribune (Tiffin, Ohio) on January 2 issues a call for firewood, by offer and by warning:

Wood or Money!

Those subscribers who promised to bring us wood in pay for the Tribune will have to bring it in soon, or we will be obliged to pay out money for wood, and of course will require pay in money. Now is a good time for those who have not yet taken our paper, to fetch us a load of good wood,and we will send them the Tribune for one year. We are entirely out of wood-- the last stick is in the stove-- so don't let us freeze.[4]

 

The Richmond (Virginia) Daily Dispatch of January 16 tells of an Illinois soldier, a deserter, foiled in his flight toward home: via The Louisville Journal

Nicely Caught

An Illinois soldier deserted from his regiment in Kentucky, and, forging a pass,succeeded in passing the guards at this city, and arrived in New Albany on Wednesday as a paroled prisoner. There, however, as we learn from the Ledger, he was overhauled by the Provost Guard and asked for his pass. “I've got a parole sir,” he replied to the guard, “here it is” showing him the forged document, which was signed “ Curby Smith”.The guard carefully examined it, then turning upon the sucker he said: “No you don't, old fellow; that parole is humbug. Kirby Smith has pretty much quit spelling his name Curby.” Illinois [acknowledged] the corn and said he had paid ten dollars for the parole, but thought the man who wrote it knew how to spell Kirby Smith's name.-- He was sent to the barracks in this city.

The Dispatch also gives a bit of good news in the city:

Lucky Escape

On Wednesday, about 2 o'clock, as a small lad named George Burgess, aged five years, was playing hide-and-seek on the premises of Mr. Geo. L. Earnest, on 25^th Street,Union Hill, the boards covering an old well on which he happened to be standing, gave way, and precipitated him to the bottom, a distance of thirty feet. In his descent he fell against and broke a stout scantling placed across the middle of the well. The water was five feet deep,but by some means he managed to secure a foot hold and just keep his head above water. The occurrence caused a large and excited crowd to assemble, none of whom volunteered to rescue the lad,till a small boy named Jimmy Wright appeared, and generously offered to undertake it. A rope being secured to a bucket he was let down and he soon appeared [at the] top with Burgess, a fellow passenger. He was not only thanked, but rewarded by the overjoyed parents of the imperiled lad.[5]

The January 8 edition of the Fayetteville Observer (Tennessee) reported a smallpox outbreak at Chattanooga and some east Tennessee counties. The paper urges the city officials of Fayetteville to implement vaccination, to “render it comparatively harmless” should the disease reach their city.

 

And from across the waves, Punch gives this conversation from “Spirit- Land” in the January 10 issue. This accompanied a short sketch of a longer conversation between the ghosts of George Washington and King George III discussing the“revolution in America”.

 

And as always...

Partial list of 2nd Corps soldiers who died in hospital near Falmouth, Virginia. Dateline January 4, 1863

From Washington, Dateline January 6, 1863

The Picket

 

Sources

1- The Highland Weekly News, January 22, 1862, page 1 column 2 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

2- Ibid, page 2 column 3

3- The New York Daily Tribune, January 2, 1863, page 1, column 2. Library of Congress, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

4- The Tiffin Weekly Tribune, January 2, 1863, page 3 column 2, Library of Congress,http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87076793/1863-01-02/ed-1/seq-1/

5-The Richmond Daily Dispatch,January 16, 1863, http://dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/browse.html

6- The Fayetteville Observer, January 8, 1863, page 2, column 1. Library of Congress, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033395/1863-01-08/ed-1/seq-2/

7- Punch, January 10, 1863, volume 44, page 15 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015055217163;page=root;seq=25;view=2up;size=100;orient=0;num=3#page/14/mode/2up

**From West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History at http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehoo.html

Flag of the First Regiment West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry, from http://www.wvculture.org/agency/press/battleflags.html

Casualty Lists from Library of Congress, Chronicling America Collection

New York Daily Tribune, January 7, page 3, column 2, Second Army Corps, near Falmouth, Virginia http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030213/1863-01-07/ed-1/seq-3/

New York Daily Tribune, January 8, 1863, page 3, column 6, from Washington,

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030213/1863-01-08/ed-1/seq-3/

Dogs Of War- Fredericksburg

From the Tiffin Weekly Tribune, January 9, 1863 via the Philadelphia Enquirer comes a heart wrenching story of one of the many pets that “served” in the armies of both sides during the American Civil War.

A Dog On The Battlefield

On Monday last, as Hon. John Covode, in company of other officers, was passing over the battle-field beyond Fredericksburg,their attention was called to a small dog lying by a corpse. Mr. Covode halted for a few minutes to see if life was extinct. Raising the coat from the mans face he found him dead. The dog looking wistfully up, ran to the dead mans face,and kissed his silent lips. Such devotion in a small dog was so singular that Mr. Covode examined some papers on the body and found it to be that of Sergeant W.H. Brown, Company C, 91^st Penna.

The dog was shivering with the cold, but refused to leave his masters body, and as the coat was thrown over the face again he seemed very uneasy, and tried to get under it to the mans face. He had, it seems, followed the regiment into battle, and stuck to his master, and when he fell remained with him, refusing to leave him or eat anything. As the party returned an ambulance was carrying the corpse to a little grove of trees for interment, and the little dog followed, the only mourner at the funeral, as the heroes comrades had been called to some other point.[1]

A Civil War Dog

The 91^st Pennsylvania was organized at Philadelphia between September and December, 1861. At the Battle of Fredericksburg they were part of the First Brigade (Tyler's), Third Division, (Humphreys') Fifth Army Corps (Butterfield) of Major General Joe Hooker's Center Grand Division. They were destined to be hurled against the stone wall at the base of Marye's Heights the late afternoon of that terrible December 13, 1862.



What Brown and his comrade faced.

 

W. (William) H. Brown enrolled in Company C of the 91^st on September 13, 1861 at Philadelphia as a private. He was later promoted to sergeant. The card on file at the Pennsylvania state archives does not give any particulars about him other than his age, 25, at the time of enrollment. He may have also served in the 9^th Pennsylvania Infantry (3 months) prior to enrolling in the 91^st , a 3 year regiment. A William H. Brown enrolled in the 3^rd at Chester (very near Philadelphia) on April 21, 1861 and mustered out with the company on July 29, 1861. Again, no information given other than the age, which was the same. Given the close proximity of Chester to Philadelphia it is a possibility they are one and the same. [2] The roll of Company C of the 91ST lists his last rank held, which was Sergeant.***

What of the dog? One can speculate but nothing further is known of the poor creature. He is just another of the forgotten pets that served their masters during the war. Perhaps he attached himself to another regiment, or he later caught up with his old comrades. Or perhaps he rested on his masters breast until he, too, departed life and from that bloody field.

 

The Picket

Sources

1-Tiffin Weekly Tribune, January 3, 1863, page 1, column 7

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

2- Veteran's Card File, 1861-1866 Indexes, Pennsylvania State Archives http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us/archive.asp?view=ArchiveItems&ArchiveID=17&FID=1096850&LID=1096899&FL=B&Page=4

***Muster Roll of the 91^st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r19-65RegisterPaVolunteers/r19-65Regt091/r19-65Regt091%20pg%2023.pdf This is just one hand written muster roll of the Pennsylvania Volunteer units, in 16 volumes, from 1^st to 215^th, 3 month, 9 month, Militia and 3 year regiments. It is written in a very legible hand and should be helpful to those interested in Pennsylvania regiments. This link is for the main index. http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r19-65RegisterPaVolunteers/r19-65MainInterface.htm

Drawing Credit

A.C. Redwood – circa 1894
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004669996/

 

Photo Credit

Dalmatian belonging to  Rufus Ingalls
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/cwp/item/cwp2003005041/PP/

A Letter From Vicksburg

As a nice bookend to the Gettysburg letter, this one was sent from Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 10, 1863. It gives a Western flavor to July of '63. Written by Adjutant Edward P. Stanfield, 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry to his brother Howard. He is in the process of paroling the numerous Confederate prisoners that Ulysses Grants Army of the Tennessee had penned up and finally captured at that important town. The letter contains some interesting details about the surrender and the make up of the rebel forces. Again this appears as it was written save for paragraph breaks. Illegible words appear in [], to the nearest guess by the transcriber. (The Picket)

Stanfield writes:

Head Quarters, 48th Indiana Vols

In Vicksburg, Miss. July 10th

Dear How,

I've just received your letter of the 30th inst. yesterday. Doubtless the good news of the capture of Vicksburg has reached you on this. We are greatly elated by our success especially so because it happened on the 4th. That fact is galling to the rebels. On the 3^rd about day light a flag of truce came out of their works and it soon was rumored that a negotiation was going on. Grant and Pemberton sat together under a peach tree and discussed the terms of surrender. Night closed in and nothing had been effected, for Pemberton tried to carry every thing with a high hand. His proposition was, to be permitted to march out of town with their colors, arms, etc. Grant would have nothing but an unconditional surrender. The night of the 3rd was so quiet and calm as if peace prevailed.

 

Artist rendering of the meeting published after the war.

Orders for the celebration of the 4th were issued. 34 rounds were to be fired by every battery in the line at [meridian] and 13 at sunrise. The rebels [dreaded] it and at day light they surrendered with the understanding that they would be paroled and sent home. Such an arrangement was much better than sending them North. Here it is six days since the surrender and the paroling isn't finished yet.

In the meantime the rebel soldiers dispirited and homesick have mingled freely with our men and been treated kindly by them. The effect has been wonderful. They have discovered that the Yankees are human beings and not the men they were represented to be. Two thirds of this rebel army is lost to the Secession cause. They will escape to their homes and defy the conscription. Hundreds of them are taking the oath of allegiance and going North. Many are escaping across the Mississippi river. I think Mr. Pemberton will have hard work to get such a large body of  un armed into a parole camp. When the paroling is finished they are all-- Pemberton at their head-- to march out. I suppose you know how many cannon and small arms we took. It is stated that there were here 50,000 stand of arms – which hadn't been taken out of the boxes – for Price's Army. These guns are perfectly new and hadn't been used. An order has yet been issued stating the number of prisoners but they are supposed to be 32,000 including sick and wounded. The history of the war cant show another such a success as this, from the beginning to the end.

 

As soon as Vicksburg fell six brigades, including ours were left here and the rest of the army under Sherman started across the Big Black for Jackson. I hear that there has been some little fighting with Johnston but it didn't amount to much as Johnston took good care to keep at a respectful distance. I expect we are in possession of Jackson by this time. We are rapidly repairing the railroad in that direction.

Among the rebels are a great many Indianians: Joshua Miller, son of the furniture Miller at South Bend is here. Alex La Pierre [?] our Serg't Major found a cousin and the Adjt. Of the 59th Indiana found his half brother.

[So your the world]-- I hope to get home sometime before Winter. Its about impossible for well man to get a leave. But I am bound to go before many months if I have to get “dismissed the service”. Capt Hart started day before yesterday. He was quite low and hardly fit to travel. The Colonel hasn't sent in his resignation and he will be out of the service in a few days I think.

Give my love to Ma and Eva and the young 'un,

Your affectionate brother

E.P. Stanfield [1]

The 48th was organized at Goshen, (Elkhart county) December 6, 1861. Up to the time of its participation around Vicksburg the regiment had been at the siege of Corinth, Battle of Iuka, Second Battle at Corinth, Jackson, Raymond and Champion Hill. During the siege of Vicksburg the regiment was part of the May 22 assault on the rebel works where they lost 38 men killed and wounded. [2] The men hailed mostly from the extreme northern end of the state, mostly from Elkhart, Jasper, and St. Joseph counties, with a fair sprinkling from Whitley, Marshall and Greene counties. It is this fact that makes Stanfield's discovery of “a great many Indianians among the rebs” so surprising, especially the man from South Bend.

I have always enjoyed old letters and diaries, and I really enjoy transcribing them. At times that task is quite difficult due to fading ink or the way the letters of alphabet were shaped in the 19th century as opposed to today’s standard. It is challenging at times but the value of the letter should not be overlooked. They often give us small details, such as the 50,000 muskets destined for Price's army, that may be brushed aside in more scholarly treatments of the events. In this case a fast check of the Official Records does not reveal anything about it. It does not mean that it is not true, but it does give a direction for further research. Although, in relating the musket story, it appears Stanfield is passing along second hand information. It does make sense though given Vicksburg's prominence as a shipping point.

I hope you have enjoyed the two letters posted here. More will come but I have no plans on becoming a transcribed letter blog. There will be just enough to be interesting without being tedious. That is unless my loyal readers request more. Then I will be happy to oblige!

The Picket

Sources

1- Indiana Historical Society, http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dc008&CISOPTR=364&REC=2 Transcribed from the original by Steven R. Gore

2- Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, volume 2, 1865. page 480 Google books at http://books.google.com/

Drawing Credit

Library of Congress, at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/civwar/item/2003663125/ 

A Letter From Gettysburg

This is an interesting letter written by Captain David E. Beem, Company H, 14^th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Written July 5, 1863, Beem gives an overview look at the Battle of Gettysburg. Although not extremely detailed, it does offer a glimpse of how one man witnessed the battle. It exudes the excitement he, as well as the entire Army of the Potomac felt upon achieving the “glorious victory”. Paragraphs and some punctuation have been added for clarity, and remarks in parentheses are added to place the narrative in context of the events. Otherwise it is as it was written.

My dear wife,

The Army of the Potomac has again met the enemy, and after three days desperate fighting, have achieved the most glorious victory of the war. The fighting ceased on the evening of the third but until now have had no chance to write and even now my facilities for writing are very poor, but I will give the best narrative of events I can.

I last wrote you at Frederick on Sunday last, which place we left on Monday. The Regiment marched during Monday and Monday night to Uniontown, a hard march indeed. I rode in an ambulance, the train took the wrong road and after driving hard all night and until 3 o'clock on Tuesday we got up to the Reg't Wednesday morning at day light. We were on the road, marched from Uniontown to Tannytown where we took the road to this place.

When we moved to within a few miles of this town we ascertained that the First Army Corps had that day engaged the enemy and it, with a portion of the Eleventh Corps was badly defeated, the rebels largely outnumbering them. They fell back a mile to the East and North of Gettysburg where they were reinforced by the 3^rd, 5^th, and 12^th corps. Our 2^nd Corps got within two miles on Wednesday, the 1^st . On the morning of the 2^nd we took our place in the line of battle and without having gone to eat breakfast we were ready for the great conflict. (On Cemetery Hill)

 

The Fish Hook

We had a splendid position, our line being somewhat shaped like a V. The 2^nd Corps occupied the center, or apex of the V which was close to the town and on a high eminence in open fields where we had some 40 pieces of artillery planted. During the entire engagement this position was shelled by the enemy and in all my experience as heretofore, I was never under such a terrible shelling. On Thursday the 2^nd , with the exception of occasional cannon, all was quiet until about 3 o'clock PM when the rebels opened all their batteries on their left, the firing was awful and proceeded from left to right, a distance of four miles, until the whole line sent up one grand roar and dense cloud of smoke. At 4 PM the artillery slackened and for a few moments it seemed the demonstration was for that day over. In a few minutes , however, our pickets commenced a rapid musketry fire on the extreme left, they soon came hurrying back to the lines and in a moment the rebels, massed in tremendous columns rushed with a loud cheer upon the 3^rd Corps commanded by Sickles. (The Peach Orchard) Bravely did these gallant veterans meet and with the timely assistance of other forces this part of the line was made as strong as a mountain, which all the desperate energy of the rebels could not sway. Our artillery was used with great effect. Indeed, the artillery in this series of engagements did splendid service. The musketry firing was in a assent, and crash after crash resounded along the line for a mile and a half and the repeated efforts to turn our left were foiled before night. Only a part of our corps was engaged in this great attack on the left but the two divisions that were in the fight did nobly and suffered much. Our Brigade (Carroll’s) were during this time supporting the batteries in the center and were not in the musketry but under heavy artillery fire.

About six o'clock PM after the heavy attack on the left had been repulsed, a fourth attack was made on our right which did not last very long nor was it very desperate. Just at dark appearances indicated that a desperate attempt was to be made on our center to storm the batteries there. We were duly warned of this and ready for any event. The Eleventh Corps, or rather a part of it, supported a battery (Ricketts F-G, 1^st Pennsylvania Light) just on our right which it was necessary to defend as the loss of it would have ruined the day. We had no confidence in the Dutch of the 11^th. As soon as it was dark the rebels, a very heavy column, with great rapidity [fell] on this battery. The Dutch ran like cowards, the battery was unsupported and almost in the hands of the enemy.** Our Brigade was ordered to change front, which we did quickly, and went to the support of the battery on the double quick.

 

Carroll's Brigade moving to support Ricketts' Battery

We arrived just in the nick of time. They had already surrounded one gun. The artillerists defended their pieces bravely but nearly lost them. One artillerist knocked a rebel down with his sponge staff. When we approached the officers of the battery threw their hats in the air and shouted for joy. We pushed right on through to the rebel horde and got right in among them but they did not long stand our rapid volleys. They ran pell mell, several of their officers were wounded and fell into our hands together with a large number of prisoners and in thirty minutes the attack was repulsed and the battery saved.

 

Here occurred our only loss and here is the mournful part of my letter. Two of our very best men, Corporal Issac Norris and Sergeant John Troth were killed, both instantly. Norris was carrying the flag which was presented to us by the ladies of Spencer. A ball had previously shot the staff in two places. He was then shot by a ball through the head and never knew more. Troth was shot through the heart and never spoke. I could have laid my hand on him when he fell. Strange to say none were wounded-- all came out unscathed. I cannot say to much in praise of the two brave men who fell nor have I time to say what I would like. None ever fell more nobly, none were ever mourned more by surviving comrades. They were buried by their friends as decently as possible under an apple tree and headboards suitably inscribed placed at their graves. I will not probably have an opportunity soon to write to their friends but will do so soon as I can.

The rebels had thus far been repulsed with heavy loss on all sides but not an inch of ground had been taken from us. But the heaviest fighting was yet to come. At 4 ½ in the morning of the 3rd they made a desperate effort was made to break our right, which rested on a range of hills. The fighting was nearly all musketry and for six long hours the crash and roar of close fighting was kept up with greater desperation than has perhaps been witnessed in the war. Time and again the rebels charged our line which sometimes swayed backwards but only to come forward again. At 10 o'clock finding that they could not break our right wing, they fell back.

Comparative quiet then prevailed until about five in the evening. At this time they massed all their forces for a last bold dash. It seems that every available man was put in their columns for the desperate onslaught. The attack was made a little to the left of our center and they came on with tremendous power. They had to pass over open fields under our artillery which opened with a roar upon them and thinned their ranks. Three times were they repulsed. Again they swept forward to where our infantry advanced upon the open plain to meet them and there commenced the last and bloodiest conflict. It was soon decided. Our men swept the field like a tornado, left it strewn with the dead and dying, captured several thousands, and were victorious on the bloody field. This was a grand and glorious moment. All our banners floated and from one end of our line to the other, tens of thousands sent up their cheers. Thus ended the three days conflict. Fighting a desperate foe for three days on the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd of July.

The Army of the Potomac, long resting under the disgrace of public opinion celebrated the glorious 4^th of July with their guns still black with powder and on the very field where they had vindicated their bravery.

I have not been over the battle field to a great extent but everywhere may be seen the horrible remains of a bloody day. When circumstances allow I will write you more particulars. All the boys of Co. H were in the engagement and all did their whole duty. Our flag has many scars and I shall send it home for safe keeping soon. I will write again when I can. Show this to father as I may not get to write to them at once. We will leave here probably to-day. No more at present, only my love to you and all- God bless you.

Your loving husband

David [1]

 

The men of the 14^th Indiana Volunteer Infantry were long time veterans by the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, with hard service at Winchester, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville to their credit. They were mustered into federal service June 7, 1861. They had originally formed in Vigo county in May as a one year regiment but soon volunteered for three years service and were so designated upon entering Federal service. The men comprising the regiment were drawn from Knox, Martin, Monroe, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Vanderburg, Vermillion, and Vigo counties. David Beem had in the beginning been company First Sergeant for company H, but was soon made first lieutenant. He was commissioned as Captain dating from May 13, 1862. He survived the war and mustered out at the end of three years service on June 24, 1864.

At Gettysburg the regiment lost 123 officers and men killed or wounded. [2] When Beem refers to Troth and Norris being their only loss he is speaking only of Company H.

** R. Bruce Ricketts, captain of the battery abandoned by the 11^th Corps men later recorded:

“As soon as the charge commenced they, although they had a stone wall in their front, commenced running in the greatest confusion to the rear, hardly a shot was fired, certainly not a volley, and so panic stricken were they that several ran into the canister fire of my guns and were knocked over.” (Sears, Stephen W., Gettysburg, 2003, page 337-338)

 

The Picket

Sources

[1] David Beem letter transcribed by Steven R. Gore from the original at the Indiana Historical Society, from http://images.indianahistory.org/u?/dc008,144

[2] Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Volume 2, 1865. pages 118-123 from Googlebooks.com http://books.google.com

Photo Credit

The 14TH Indiana Volunteer Infantry monument at Gettysburg. Craig Swain, February 21, 2009. from HMdb.org at http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=17190

Craig Swain is the author of the blog “To the Sound of the Guns” at http://markerhunter.wordpress.com/ Check it out sometime!

 

Map Credit

Maps by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com This is a neat place for maps while reading books that do not have maps.

Surround Us!

After the recent advance of our army upon Bragg at Tullahoma, and his retreat, the Pioneer Brigade pushed on to Elk River to repair a bridge. While one of its men, a private, was bathing in the river, five of Bragg's soldiers, guns in hand, came to the bank and took aim at the swimmer, one of them shouting: “Come here, you___ Yank, out of the wet!”

The Federal was quite sure that he was “done for”, and at once obeyed. After dressing himself he was thus accosted:
“You surrender, our prisoner, do you?”
“Of course I do.”
“That’s kind. Now we'll surrender to you!” and the five stacked arms before him, their spokesman adding:
“We've done with 'em, and have said to old Bragg, “goodbye!” Secesh is played out. Now you surround us and take us into your camp.”
This was done accordingly; and is but one of hundreds of instances of wholesale desertion coming to the knowledge of our officers in Lower Tennessee.

Amusing Instance of Rebel Desertion. From the book, Pen Pictures by Ledyard Bill, 1864.

Neat little incident published in the spring of 1864. It appears mainly to be a propaganda piece to encourage the Northern population. Books like this are not always factual nor are they completely false. They contain nuggets of truth but seldom give references for verification of the incidents described. They are still entertaining to read though.

The Picket

Sources

 

Pen Pictures, Bill, Ledyard, 1864 http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006568336

Sketch, Prisoners captured at Woodstock, Virginia, 1862. Edwin Forbes. Three of the men are marked as being from the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry, and the man on the right is from Ashby's Cavalry.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004661887/

 

 

 

Some Sketches of the Civil War

Sketch artists during the American Civil War had no shortage of subject matter. Unlike their photographer counterparts, they could go any where at any time, and quite often did. Night time scenes are often depicted as are battle scenes, camp life and typical soldier portraits. They could convey a sense of urgency in their drawings that a photographer could only dream of. Some of the following sketches are hastily done “first drafts”. They would later appear in Harper's Weekly, Frank Leslie's Illustrated News, or The New York Illustrated.

As will be seen in the first example, the sketch artist, :
“If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it.” [1]

The above sketch is by Arthur Lumley.** after the Battle of Fredericksburg. He notes on the back that these pickets wore Federal overcoats “over the secessh” and had not been buried “up to Sunday”, a day after the battle. Waud does not say exactly which pontoon bridge is seen in the right background but that these men were killed while the Federals were building it. It is quite possible it is the Middle Bridge leading directly into town.

 

Camp Las Moras, CSA, March 1861 drawn by Carl G. von Iwonski, shows camp life early in the war. The description states that it is the first illustration received by Harper's Weekly. It is near Fort Clark, Texas and shows many of the men are Mexicans.

Ellsworth's Chicago Zouaves- 1861 drawn by Waud. This shows the zouaves going through one of their drills which were said to have been quite strenuous and at the same time very precise. Note the French Zouave uniform with kepi as opposed to another zouave uniform:

A Zouave Sentry also sketched by Waud. This one appears to be intended for a painting or color print to be rendered at a later time. Note the color coding for each piece of the uniform written on the drawing. Also note the turban. Zouaves liked standing out in a crowd, even among other Zouaves!

Another drawing for those interested in common soldiers:

 

This was drawn by Edwin Forbes, “Rebel prisoners and battle flags captured at Chancellorsville”. It does show the sundry types of headgear worn by the Confederate soldier, and does lend itself to the “ragged rebel” theme. Note the patches on the breeches of the man in the front rank, left side, and the man behind him has a patch on his coat. This also is a highly romanticized drawing. Note the Confederate battle flags waving in the breeze. It is unlikely the cavalry troopers would have had them unfurled even far behind the fighting. Imagine the reaction in the rear if a body of enemy soldiers, with flags flying, suddenly appeared in their midst! It has to be the Black Horse ! Not a likely scenario, but artistic license can be forgiven. The men at the lower left are making coffee. It is strange that this group appears smaller in scale when compared to the prisoners even though they are in the foreground.

 

An Officer Directing His Troops Into Battle. This is by John R. Chapin and depicts an unknown battle somewhere and illustrates the use of the artists friend, Chinese White, when smoke or clouds were present. It is a well constructed piece, showing the viewer everything the artist wants you to see without getting too crowded. It appears that a later print by Kurz & Allison may have been somewhat inspired by this piece. The Battle of Gettysburg was printed by them in 1884.

 

Notice the resemblance of the mounted officer, same pose only pointing with his sword. Also look at the right corner with men carrying a wounded comrade and what appears to be other wounded soldiers and prisoners. There are other similarities between the two. This print looks like the first on a much grander scale.

The sketch artists left us a visual record of events during the war. Some were soldiers themselves. Many drawings never left the artists sketch book to be seen by millions in the newspapers of the time or in later books on the war. They were talented and brave individuals

that often shared the privations of camp, battlefield, and hospital with their subjects. No one escaped their gaze as officers, privates, contraband’s, sutlers and citizens were sketched. Even after the advent of photography, the sketch artist was in high demand and still still reigned supreme in the newspapers and magazines during and after the war.

The Picket

 

Sources

1- New York Times, October 20, 1862 Brady's Photographs:Pictures of the Dead at Antietam, from http://www.nytimes.com/1862/10/20/news/brady-s-photographs-pictures-of-the-dead-at-antietam.html?scp=84&sq=matthew+brady&st=p

**“Rebel Pickets, Dead in Fredericksburg” The LOC lists this drawing as being rendered by A.R. Waud but also directs you to it from a search of Arthur Lumley. It is hard to say who drew it. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004660776/

Camp Las Moras C.S.A. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004661291/

Ellsworths Chicago Zouaves- 1861 http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004660036/

A Zouave Sentry http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004660895/

Rebel Prisoners and battle flags captured at Chancellorsville, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661818/

An Officer directing his troops into battle.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/drwg/item/2004661334/

Battle of Gettysburg, Kurz &Allison, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003656853/