Taking a break from the Civil War...

...to talk politics again. I've been listening to the Democratic candidates talk about their grand plans for changing the country and helping us "recover" from the Bush administration and I have some questions for them (Note: for some of these questions, I already know the answers)

1. Where do you intend to get the money to enact all of these wonderful programs?

2. How do you intend to make us energy-independent when we're completely dependent on oil and you're too beholden to the environmental lobby in your own party to support any new drilling anywhere in America?

3. How do you intend to defend us against the national security threats we face in the 21st century (i.e. terrorism)?

4. How do you feel we should go about securing our borders against the influx of criminals that cross them every day?

5. Why are governments that oppress and abuse their people (i.e. China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba) worthy of our negotiating with them on anything approaching equal terms?

Those are just five questions I have. I may come up with others. More Civil War and the last two chick movies when I get time

Today's Musical Selection: Led Zeppelin--Black Dog

Civil War Trip--Day 2

Day 2 of this trip consisted of visits to battlefields at South Mountain, Sharpsburg/Antietam, and Harper's Ferry.

5/6/08

10:33 AM
Turner's Gap, Near Boonsboro, Maryland

"If I cannot whip Bobby Lee with these papers, I am willing to go home."

This particular quote is from Union General George B. McClellan. To make a long story short, he didn't whip Bobby Lee and he did go home. The Maryland Campaign, Lee's first invasion of the North, began at the battles of the South Mountain Gaps. A Federal Corporal had discovered a copy of Lee's orders to the Army of Northern Virginia for its march into Maryland. This gave McClellan the opportunity to defeat Lee's army piecemeal, but he takes too long. Lee sends D.H. Hill to defend the South Mountain Gaps and slow McClellan enough to allow the arm to put itself back together. Hill does a great job and holds the gaps for most of a day, eventually allowing Lee to bring the Army together at Sharpsburg.

11:18 AM

Fox's Gap, Near Boonsboro, Maryland

OK, so now we're about 3/4 of a mile away at Fox's Gap, another of the South Mountain Battlefields. I actually walked my fat self through the woods to get here while the sensible people rode in the bus. Fox's Gap is notable for the presence of North Carolina troops during the battle as well as a really cool NC Monument. Also, this skirmish featured one of the mor horrific episodes of the war as Federal soldiers dumped the corpses of 60 Confederate soldiers down a farmer's well and then paid him $60 to make up for the trouble.

12:24 PM

Crampton's Gap, Near Boonsboro, Maryland

This is the last of the South Mountain Battles. This site is most notable for the War Correspondent's Monument erected by George Alfred Townsend. It is certainly interesting. Also, William Franklin had the opportunity to relieve the Harper's Ferry garrison, but didn't. More on that later.

2:55 PM

North Woods/Miller Cornfield--Antietam Battlefield

"Every stalk of corn was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife and the slain lay in rows exactly as they had stood in their ranks before."

This is the opening phase of the Antietam Battle. It started at 6:00 AM on September 17, 1862, soon to be known as the bloodiest single day in American history. At that time, Union General Joseph Hooker hammered Stonewall Jackson with the Federal I Corps. Jackson, never one for passive defense, counterattacked and the two sides fought over a 20-acre cornfield back and forth for several hours and several exchanges of the ground.

3:17 PM

Dunker Church

"General Hood, where is your division?"

"Dead on the field."

The Dunker Church is probably the most recognizable landmark on the Antietam Battlefield. In 1862, it housed a congregation of a Baptist pacifist sect known as the Dunkers. Ironically, it was the site of some of the day's fiercest fighting, including the advance of the Texas Brigade under division commander John Bell Hood. Hood's men were in a particularly foul mood that morning because they were in the middle of fixing breakfast (which would have been their first real meal in two days) when they were called into action. The Dunker Church was used as a hospital for the wounded during some of the bloodiest fighting of the entire war.

3:43--Artillery Hell

"I was never so tired of shelling in my life. I hate cannons."

Artillery Hell refers to the position taken up by Confederate Artillery oficer Stephen D. Lee in the early phase of the battle. Lee used his cannons to hold off the attack of federals around the Dunker Church, but was subject to crushing counterbattery fire in return. All of the flame, smoke, shot, noise, and death induced the comment above from a South Carolina medical officer.

4:44--Bloody Lane

"These men are going to stay here until the sun goes down, General, or victory is won."

Bloody Lane is a sunken farm road that served as a ready-made trench for its Confederate defenders during the midday phase of the battle. Using this fortification, the outnumbered Confederates were able to hold out for several hours until confusion about orders forced them to withdraw. The above quote is from John B. Gordon, a Georgia general who was wounded five times during this engagement, the fifth wound being in his face. He fell forward and would have drowned in his own blood, if not for a bullet hole in his hat that allowed the blood to drain out. I must say that, if ghosts exist, they surely live in this place, where so many died such horrible deaths.

5:15 PM--Burnside's Bridge

This is the last phase of the battle, fought in the late afternoon after Ambrose Burnside, Federal Corps Commander finally got moving. His men made several attempts to cross Antietam Creek viaa narrow stone bridge. Georgians on the high banks above, commanded by Robert Toombs made this impossible for most of the afternoon. However, the Federal troops were finally able to cross under the leadership of the 51st New York and the 51st Pennsylvania, two infantry regiments who agreed to take the position in exchange for the return of their whiskey ration. After this act of bold heroism, Burnside dressed his lines, replenished ammunition and rested for an hour before continuing his advance. But for that hour, the battle would ahe been a complete Federal victory.

5:54 PM--Light Division Flank March

"What men are those?"

This was Robert E. Lee's question whe he saw troop advancing from behind him at 4:30 PM. He knew that, if they were Federals, then the day was lost. However, he soon saw Confederate battle flags and knew that A.P. Hill's Light Division had arrived from Harper's Ferry and was ready to enter the fray. The Light Division struck Burnside's flank and drove the Federals almost back to Antietam Creek and finished the day's fighting. The fighting had been so fierce that General Lee had not even recognized his eldest son when Robert, Jr. had asked if his men must go into the fight once more. Truly intense.

6:37 PM--Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

"By damn, Jack, good for you! If we had you, we'd whip you boys for sure!"

Harper's Ferry sits in a low bowl at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. it is surrounded by high ground and is easy to captre, but hard to defend. Before he moved into Maryland, General Lee sent Stonewall Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry and neutralize the Federal garrison there. He did it, and then moved on to Sharpsburg. It is also the site of the capture of John Brown before the war, inching the nation closer to the unavoidable conflict.

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.