Civil War Trip--Day One

This week, I have been engaged in taking my HIS 226 class on a tour of Civil War battlefields in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. As I have gone along, I have tried to record my observations on the various fields and, in this entry, I'll try to pass some of them along:

5/5/08

11:52 AM
Stonewall Jackson Shrine, Guinea Station, Virginia
“God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with it.”

Stonewall Jackson’s death is the turning point for the Confederacy. The Virginia state government has done a great job preserving the building in which he died. It was somewhat eerie to see the bed in which he died and the clock which was in the room that day. I also found it interesting that there are theories that he may have been developing pneumonia before Chancellorsville. I also found vile the medical treatments they used on him, such as burning his skin to drain fluid and using mercury to induce vomiting and diarrhea. Also, I learned that Jackson’s surgeon, Hunter H. McGuire, was later President of the American Medical Association.

2:05 PM
Rappahannock River Crossing, Fredericksburg, Virginia

“It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it.”

The Rappahannock Crossing on December 11, 1862 was one of the finest examples of physical courage I’ve ever heard of anywhere. Looking at that river and realizing that the Federal Engineers had to bridge it under sniper fire made me admire them all the more. It also made me deprecate the stupidity of Ambrose Burnside even more than I did, if that’s possible. It was criminal to wait 19 days for pontoons, allowing Lee’s men to entrench both in Fredericksburg and on the heights beyond, and then to attack anyway.

2:43 PM
Marye’s Heights, Fredericksburg, Virginia

“General, a chicken couldn’t live on that field when we open on it.”

What was Burnside thinking? That’s all I can say. I also find interesting the irony of the Union Irish Brigade advancing against the stone wall, with the 24th Georgia (also composed primarily of Irishmen) defending. Also, I was fascinated by the death of TRR Cobb. He was apparently killed by a fragment of an artillery round that passed through the house in front of him. Must have been his destiny.

3:33 PM
Prospect Hill, Fredericksburg, Virginia

“General, don’t all those Federals across the river scare you?” “Very soon, we shall see if I scare them.”

Gave primer on artillery tactics. Students found it very interesting to know how artillery pieces are served in battle, including emplacement. Also, talked about different types of artillery ammunition and their uses in battle.

4:30 PM
Lee and Jackson’s Last Bivouac, Chancellorsville, Virginia

“General, with what do you propose to make this attack?” “My entire corps.” “Well, then, go on.”

Chancellorsville is the greatest screw-up of the Union army in the war. Hooker’s plan was working until he pulled Meade and Couch back into the Wilderness. So, since Old Joe Hooker wouldn’t come out of the Wilderness, Stonewall Jackson had to go in and get him. I am amazed by the fact that Jackson’s men made the 12-mile flank march in absolute silence in order to drop the hammer on the Union XI Corps. He even ordered that stragglers were to be bayoneted.

5:30 PM

Site of Jackson’s wounding, Chancellorsville, Virginia

“Tell A.P. Hill he must come up. His objective is the United States Ford.”

Night recon in the Civil War was a bad idea. Jackson was wounded by riflemen from the 18th NC Infantry when he was returning from recon mission between the lines. There is some dispute about where exactly he was wounded, but it was amazing to be in the general area where it happened. It also seemed to be insult added to injury that an unknown U.S. Army soldier is buried 20 feet from the memorial to Jackson’s wounding. WTF?

5:51 PM
Saunders’ Field, The Wilderness, Virginia

“Ain’t I glad to get out of the Wilderness?”

The Wilderness was a Confederate victory, but just barely. A.P Hill nearly lost the battle by not dressing his lines after the first day. By the way, here’s to First Lieutenant Sion H. Oxford, 22nd NC Infantry. He was wounded 134 years ago today, shot in the left arm and the right thigh.

6:08 PM
Widow Tapp Farm, The Wilderness, Virginia

“My God, has the army dissolved?”

When Hancock’s II Corps attacks A.P. Hill’s raggedy line on May 6, the Confederate III Corps could do nothing but run. Robert E. Lee tried to personally rally the troops and lead the counter-charge. The only thing that stopped him from doing so and possibly losing his life was the timely arrival of the Texas Brigade. The Texans refused to move forward until Lee moved to the rear. The rest of Longstreet’s Corps then arrived and rolled up Hancock’s Federals “like a wet blanket”. Longstreet himself was severely wounded.

7:08 PM
Bloody Angle, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia

"They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance”

Those were the last words of Major General John Sedgwick, United States Army. Confederate sharpshooters proved him wrong shortly thereafter. This is a prolonged, bloody melee in the rain, with an 18-hour period of hand-to-hand combat. Also, the only documented instance of suicides by soldiers on the line, just to get the fighting over. In addition, this battle is the last appearance of the Stonewall Brigade, almost exactly a year to the day after the death of their namesake. Lastly, John B. Gordon saves Lee’s Army to fight one more day.