A Glorious Union or America: the New Sparta
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Chapter One Hundred and Twelve From Lambs to Lions
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
From Lambs to Lions
From Lambs to Lions
From “The Fighting Lambs – The Army of the James” by Geoffrey T. W. Werner
Radical Press 1928
“While the Army of the Potomac was winning further laurels in its near constant battles with Longstreet’s army, The Army of the James had been ordered to adopt n almost leisurely pace. There seemed no clear reason for General Kearny’s strictures. There was little opposition in the east half of the state: mostly militia, some cavalry and a few scratch brigades of infantry. Foster’s “Liberty” Corps had taken Raleigh with ease. Wright’s VII Corps had smashed a small rebel force before taking Goldsboro. General Kearny had ordered Peck to secure his prizes, concentrate at Goldsboro and await further orders. That did not stop Peck leading Birney’s Division to secure New Berne. The ports and towns of the Pamlico and Abermarle Sounds were now in Union hands…
Speculation swirled around the delay at Goldsboro. Were the largely (though not exclusively) negro corps to be denied glory in the defeat of the rebel forces? Was Wilmington, the likely target of any advance, too well defended? Did they await a siege train? The speculation was reflected in the Northern Press. Some radical publications began, some for the first time, to seriously question General Kearny’s commitment to the colored troops. Did he simply not want them racing ahead of his beloved Army of the Potomac…”
From “The North Carolina Campaign” by Thomas R. Yetters
Buffalo 2006
“The defeat at Statesville was a grievous one for Longstreet’s army, but he had never been as sanguine as General Jackson about the prospects of success. Indeed General Longstreet had thoroughly prepared for the failure of the flanking march. While the army fought, another army, one made up of impressed slave labor toiled around the city of Charlotte to prepare it for defense, though it had cost him a dearly need brigade of troops to watch over the slaves…
General Longstreet had no intention of being besieged in Charlotte, and quickly ordered the commencement of his supply base further south. However his hope was that he could once again tempt General Reynolds into a costly assault on his works there…”
Head-Quarters, Army of the James, Goldsboro
From “Kearny the Magnificent” by Roger Galton
NorthWestern
“When Reynolds set off on his flanking march that would lead to the farmland east of Statesville General Kearny had indicated he would remain at the river crossing least Longstreet move. That was a lie least any element of Reynolds force fall into rebel hands. As soon as the last element of Reynolds force was out of sight Reynolds placed Baldy Smith in command of the crossing. Kearny was going to Goldsboro to see Peck. It would mean riding across 50 miles of hostile country. General Buford was not about to let General Kearny set off without a guard. Brigadier Wesley Merritt and his cavalry brigade were given the dubious honor of escorting the commanding general. “Don’t let him get you into any scrapes” was the rather difficult instruction General Buford gave to Merritt before their departure. It was a very relieved Merritt who delivered General Kearny to General Peck’s headquarters in two days of hard riding. Merritt later wrote “Nobody could figure out how the General kept going…one armed as he was, he stayed in the saddle for hours without trouble…and rode easily on paths that were difficult for a sure footed mountain mule”...
Kearny would first ride with the surprised Peck to inspect the army. The troops, black and white, went wild at the sight of General Kearny. “I’ll never forget the General, so straight and fine looking, with his French cap raised. It gave me a shiver of pride just to see him” (Sergeant Nimrod Burke: Freeman and a Virginian in Blue). The incident caused General Kearny to circulate a note to the armies that showed some measure of his confidence: “The General commanding takes great pleasure in the kind reception given him when he passes among the men – but prefers – to be allowed to pass quietly and unobserved – Immediately after a victorious battle he has no obligation to a few hearty cheers”. Taken as a challenge to their rights the men cheered all the more loudly…”
From “The Fighting Lambs – The Army of the James” by Geoffrey T. W. Werner
Radical Press 1928
“General Kearny observed the men seemed well rested by their leisurely march. General Peck responded that they were lean and hungry for the fight and would rise to any challenge General Kearny cared to name. General Kearny had come to give orders for just such a challenge. General Peck was to strip down his troops quickly to a light marching order, as he had done in his march in Virginia, and prepare to move as directed. Any slower troops, his wagons and his heavy artillery were to follow as best it could. He was to use his cavalry under Elliott, which would be augmented by Buford to screen his movement from the rebels. Given Peck’s slow pace in North Carolina the rebels would not expect a swift march and a lightening blow from Peck’s troops…
The only remaining question was in which direction should Peck march? He naturally assumed it would be on Wilmington. It was not and General Kearny outlined an ambitious plan…”
General John J. Peck would be surprised by Kearny's Plan
From “The Life and Letters of John J. Peck” by John Watts de Peyster Jr.
Buffalo 1892
“One might have thought Phil was anticipating a party rather than a deadly struggle…”
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Awesome stuff KI!
I got this feeling Grant is going to be meeting Kearney in Atlanta. Or should I say the Confederate forces stringing Grant along will meet him there.
I got this feeling Grant is going to be meeting Kearney in Atlanta. Or should I say the Confederate forces stringing Grant along will meet him there.
Great chapter KI! This is what I wanted to see; the AoJ seizing the NC coast and cutting off those ports from the Confederacy.
As for Kearny's plan......hmmmm....maybe has something to do with Charleston?
A "march to the sea" style raid?
As for Kearny's plan......hmmmm....maybe has something to do with Charleston?
A "march to the sea" style raid?
As a fun exercise and to expose the timeline to more people I have posted an election poll that will be open for a week:
1864 Election
1864 Election
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen Last Hurrah of the Black Horse Cavalry
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Last Hurrah of the Black Horse Cavalry
Last Hurrah of the Black Horse Cavalry
From “The North Carolina Campaign” by Thomas R. Yetters
Buffalo 2006
“From outposts at Kings Mountain and Cramer Mountain in the west, over the Catawba River to the main fortifications of Fort Latta, The Hornest’s Nest, Fort Wedgewood, Fort Lee, Cox’s Mill, Pharr’s Mill, Mint Hill and Midland, the city of Charlotte was ringed with defensive works. What artillery remained available to the Army of Northern Virginia had been expertly placed by its chief of artillery, E. Porter Alexander. General Longstreet had followed General Hardee’s (and indeed General Kearny’s example) by concentrating all his artillery under one officer…
As the last of his troops passed Fort Wedgewood on the Statesville Road, Longstreet was already planning how he would draw Kearny and Reynolds into an attack on his works. However his first priority was to send out General Stuart’s cavalry to precisely locate all Reynolds’ corps. General Longstreet had had enough Union surprises…”
From "Always The General - The Life of John Fulton Reynolds" by Jed Bradshaw
Penn State 1999
“When General Reynolds met General Smith in Carrabus County he was surprised to learn that General Kearny had ridden off to meet with Peck. However General Smith did have orders from Kearny to Reynolds. General Reynolds was to concentrate his forces to the north and west of the city, and maintain pressure without assaulting the city or otherwise driving the rebels out – “I want those people there when I return” was Kearny’s demand…
It made little sense to Reynolds. The city was best protected to the west by the Catawba River. The best Reynolds’ could cheaply win would be to overwhelm the rebel outposts at Kings and Cramer Mountains…
Kearny had a further order: Reynolds was to concentrate Buford’s full cavalry corps to the east of Charlotte. “Not a rebel, not a fox, not a bird must penetrate your screen…The rebels must be blind to all east of the Pee Dee River…If he must fight and whip Stuart to maintain the veil then by all means do so. So much the better…”
After the initial mounted clash between Stuart and Gregg's Division, the Union cavalry would fight largely on foot from behind cover
From "A History of Cavalry in the 19th Century" by Pierre J. Hollande
Nouveau Monde Editions 1952 Translated by Jack M. Webber
“The great Southern cavalry commander Stuart would finally be humbled at the eccentrically named Battle of Coffee Pot Hill. The gallant Stuart had located and reported the location of the 8 Union corps which stretched in a crecent formation from the west to the north east of the city. In doing so his subordinate, the amateur gentleman dragoon, Wade Hampton III had reported a heavy screen of Federal cavalry to the east. General Stuart was ordered to push the Federal cavalry, which could not be supported by Federal infantry (all corps being accounted for), into the Peedee [sic] River. The resulting battle, though not the largest cavalry engagement of the war, would be one of the most decisive…
Stuart planned to strike at the heart of the Federal cavalry screen – its midpoint near Haileys Ford. General Stuart would deploy his whole force, though much reduced in numbers from its former glories; it was still a formidable fighting formation. However it would be outmanned and outgunned by the Federal cavalry that day. Coffee Pot Hill was a battle of panache versus professionalism, courage versus firepower. If further evidence was needed that the age of mathematical warfare had commenced one need have looked no further that the victory of the calculating professional dragoon Buford over the dashing cavalier that was Stuart…”
From “The North Carolina Campaign” by Thomas R. Yetters
Buffalo 2006
“The defeat of Stuart’s cavalry by a mere 3/5ths of Buford’s cavalry (Gregg’s, Custer’s and B.F. Davis’ divisions) had catastrophic implications for the Confederates had they but known it. Overzealous charges into the face of Buford’s repeaters had crippled the Confederate mounted arm. However Longstreet was not initially overly concerned. Stuart had reported the location of all the Union corps, and Longstreet would ensure the remaining cavalry maintained a close watch. He had not concerned himself with the events in tidewater North Carolina – he had neither the troops nor the inclination to do so. If Wilmington were besieged there was nothing he could do about it in any event. His foe, the Army of the Potomac, was before him…”
Chief of Staff Joseph E. Johnson
From “The War Between the States” by Otis R. Mayhew
Sword & Musket 1992
“Joseph Johnson had approved Longstreet’s plan to fight defensively if practicable or to retreat if a siege was threatened. Johnson began to see possibilities: with interior lines in Georgia and South Carolina, there would be four rebel “armies” in close proximity – Longstreet, Hardee, Magruder [technically part of Hardee’s force] and Beauregard. Any three combined could smash McClernand’s Army of Alabama or Rodman’s Army of the Stono. All four together could well be a match for Reynolds or Grant…
Johnson’s endorsement of Longstreet’s plan emphasized the need not to be trapped or have his mobility limited unnecessarily. The Confederacy’s last hope lay in keeping its remaining armies mobile and capable of mutual support. Unfortunately for the rebels, what had occurred to Joseph Johnson had already occurred to Phil Kearny…”
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i love cavalry charges and seeing images like this.
what the hell did i miss?
Breckinridge is Secretary of War. It was a two for one deal the cabinet and congress forced down Davis' throat. A new Secretary of War and a Chief of Staff to co-ordinate - Breckinridge and Johnson.
Uh oh....looks like Kearny's about to drop the hammer on the Confederacy....hard.
BTW KI, any plans for a chapter on late war naval activities? I know Kearny tends to ignore the Navy but I can't see Secretary Welles or his assistant Fox sitting on their butts; presumably they have their own plans....
BTW KI, any plans for a chapter on late war naval activities? I know Kearny tends to ignore the Navy but I can't see Secretary Welles or his assistant Fox sitting on their butts; presumably they have their own plans....
It is interesting that you note Kearny's disinterest in the navy. That's a theme that will come up again. As will Rodman's interest in it. However there will be one further short chapter on the navy which will include some further mention of the Roosevelt and Bulloch clans...
With Chapter One Hundred and Twelve, we have the benefit of hindsight. Nevertheless, I really enjoy the tone you bring to these excerpts. I suppose it could have been written this way because there was no way for CSA to get at Peck without Reynolds climbing up their back - I also like to imagine that the reputation of the Fighting Lambs would have given pause to any such venture. But, one could also read this as selective notations by Otis R. Mayhew to emphasize, to the discerning reader, that Johnson had forgotten about the Army of the James. Great story, but I really like the storytelling here.
The brevity with which the destruction of Stuart's Corps as fighting force is described, is chilling. I now find myself wondering what a "professional dragoon" might achieve with machine guns light enough to be brought into action by cavalry.
Promising. As a fan of the naval aspect, I look forward to what may come.
Overall, between Rodman, Peck, and the Army of the James itself, you really are doing a wonderful job with your dramatis personæ. I will be interested to see what of the wartime armies carries over into future conflicts. Will the names or the naming conventions be retained? Will Corps be grouped together based on history? If there are volunteer regiments, will they be assigned to particular formations? I am not sure who I would like to see fighting The Lambs but it is beguiling image.
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General Kearny has some radical ideas for the post war army (as does at least one of his cousins) but Kearny's wife has some radical ideas for Kearny himself post-war...
I don't know how you do it KnightIrish, but each chapter leaves me on the edge of the seat from excitement and wishing for more.
I sense an epic battle ahead with Fighting Lambs, including numerous black soldiers, giving a thorough whooping to Army of Northern Virginia in conjunction with Army of Potomac.
I sense an epic battle ahead with Fighting Lambs, including numerous black soldiers, giving a thorough whooping to Army of Northern Virginia in conjunction with Army of Potomac.
This is the National Union poster I made for 1864.
I hope you like. I will try to do the democrat poster but it should not be achieved before a good three weeks (exams).
That's awesome. Thanks. If you don't mind I will put it on the Election thread.
I am also fascinated by the different leaders that have emerged alongside the old ones and how they have different personalities, and that the both sidelined commanders and deceased ones: John F. Reynolds (the Union's Robert E. Lee), John Peck (hard fighter and champion of his Lambs), Isaac Rodman (clever soldier though his combined arms ideas - the naval assault - are both 100 years early!), Israel Richardson (pugnacious and bull-headed), Thomas James Churchill (Longstreet to Cleburne's Jackson), William Hardee (the army teacher who propped by his subordinates has the courage to be more aggressive that Johnson but not half as mad as Hood). And of course Phil Kearny himself. A dangerous man as Bismark says. Sometimes I see a bit of Patton in him - he definately doesn't seem to think war is too terrible to love it, and sometimes there is a bit of Teddy Roosevelt.
Looking forward to seeing others grow in the future like Lew Wallace. I imagine a living Isaac Stephens will also be significant.
Just remembered someone whose status I was curious off. I know little enough of Emory Upton, scarcely more than is on Wikipedia I am ashamed to say. Nevertheless, what I do see is intriguing.
On a somewhat related note, I wonder what effect this war will have on its Northern participants. Will the character of this war be sufficiently different, from the perspective of the men who fought it, to alter who they become? Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Walt Whitman, Joshua Chamberlain, etc.?
On a somewhat related note, I wonder what effect this war will have on its Northern participants. Will the character of this war be sufficiently different, from the perspective of the men who fought it, to alter who they become? Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Walt Whitman, Joshua Chamberlain, etc.?
Brigadier General Emory Upton
Upton would command his regiment, in Howe's Brigade of the Fighting VI Corps, valiantly at the Battle of Ashland. Howe's elevation to divisional command would see Upton become commander of the Third Brigade, I Division, VI Corps. He suffered a minor injury on the assault on Fort Johnson, part of the Battle of Richmond.
In any other corps Upton might have stood out, but in the VI Corps he had stiff competition - Isaac Rodman, Albion P. Howe, David Russell, William T.H. Brooks.
His brigade formed part of the famous flank attack of the VI Corps at Pipe Creek. Upton was part of Howe's attack that shattered D.H. Hill's command.
With the transfer of the VI Corps to South Carolina, Howe is promoted to command the VI Corps. Alfred Torbert was the senior brigade commander (and his command of a New Jersey brigade may have helped commend him to Kearny) and was promoted to command the division.
Upton is running out of opportunities to shine, unless perhaps the innovative Rodman has noticed him...
Walt Whitman
Whitman would still see the terrible suffering in 62/63 among the wounded which would temporarily temper his views on war until Custer's liberation of his captured brother from the Prisoner of War Camp at Salisbury. Whitman's first sight of his emaciated brother would harden Whitman's views of the "so called Gentlemen of the South". Indeed some of Whitman's poetry from the beginning of the war could well sum up the radical demand for total war:
Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
Make no parley—stop for no expostulation,
Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer,
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's entreaties,
Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump O terrible drums—so loud you bugles blow.
Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain
Make no parley—stop for no expostulation,
Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer,
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's entreaties,
Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump O terrible drums—so loud you bugles blow.
Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain
The 20th Maine's fight taste of battle would be at the route of Oak Grove under Colonel Adelbert Ames. Ames would later be transferred to command a brigade in IV Corps. Having been sat on Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg which Jackson resolved not to attack, Colonel Chamberlain would win his stars leading an uphill brigade sized bayonet charge at Perry Hill during the Battle of Pipe Creek after the fall of his birgade commander, Strong Vincent. Given the blood bath the division experienced at Pipe Creek, Chamberlain is the senior brigade commander.
Captain Oliver Wendell Holmes jr
Serving in the 20th Massachusetts he would see ample action at Balls Bluff and in the Peninsula. He would miss out on the Battle of Rappahannock as Sedgwick's Division of II Corps was not ready to march in time. It would be involved in a supporting role in the Rapidan Campaign, skirmishing with A.P. Hill's troops.
The regiment would suffer at the brutal battle of Grindstone Hill under its divisional commander Napoleon Dana. It would see action again in Richardson's flanking attack at Ashland, fighting first with Fitz Lee's horsemen and then with Hood's infantry, with Gibbon now in command of the division. They then suffered under Stonewall Jackson's steamroller attack on II Corps at Richardson's salient suffering serious casualties.
The 20th Massachusetts was in the front line in the assault on Richmond, on the Plank Road axis and would be involved first in the brutal fight for Fort Lee and then in its defense, again taking on Hood's rebels. General Gibbon would be injured badly in this fight. After the fight II Corps would be ordered to garrison Northern Virginia to recoup its strength. It would remain there until the North Carolina Campaign.
The 20th Massachusetts would be involved in the first battle of the new campaign at Hanging Rock Forest and in the foolish assault at Rural Hall. It would be heavily committed at Greensboro but would have a rest at Salisbury Bridge missing Statesville.
Captain Holmes is lucky to be alive having seen all this action, having only been injured during the fighting at Richmond.
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