Honoring the Battles, Soldiers and Spirits

SEEING THE ELEPHANT-PART 4 Once we halte

SEEING THE ELEPHANT-PART 4 Once we halted behind our artillery, we were given the command “Front”. This put up in a brigade battle line. We were also commanded to load our muskets. Our artillery quit firing, which allowed us to move through their battery and advance on the Union Infantry that was threating the taking of our cannon. On the …


SEEING THE ELEPHANT-PART 2

SEEING THE ELEPHANT-PART 2 Saturday morning a few of the unit member’s wives cooked us breakfast of bacon, eggs, and bread along with steaming hot coffee. Food cooked over a fire in a camp setting seemed to bring out more favors in anything you eat. I was stuffed to the gills and loving it. After breakfast Pard and I looked …


SEEING THE ELEPHANT-PART 1

SEEING THE ELEPHANT-Part 1 Seeing the Elephant is a weird expression. During the Civil War and in today’s Civil War Reenacting it means participating in your first battle. I remember the first Civil War Battle for me was the first weekend in December, 1994, at Prairie Grove Battlefield in Northwest Arkansas. The reenactment commemorated an 1862 battle that confirmed Missouri …


THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES It is hard to explain the desperation of infantrymen in Civil War Battles when they know they can’t hold against the enemy due to overwhelming numbers. The likelihood of being killed or taken prisoner can cause a rout to ensue. Some units will just turn and run. Others due to their leadership …


THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES After daybreak on Sunday the 14th of September fighting could be heard on South Mountain as the Union Forces forced their way toward Turner’s and Fox’s Gaps and took Crampton’s Gap. The smoke from this fighting was visible from Walker’s position on Loudoun Heights. During the 14th the rest of the division …


THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES How would you like to have marched from Richmond, VA to Frederick, MD to Harper’s Ferry to Loudoun Heights in Virginia, crossed the Potomac River twice, banged on a concrete aqueduct to no avail, and participated in siege of Harper’s Ferry all within 19 days? Then guess what? Once Harpers Ferry was surrendered, you …


THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES The division stayed in bivouac on September 11th and took up the march on the morning of the 12th. Colonel E. V. White,a Loudoun County native and commander of the 35th Virginia Battalion. had been sent, according to the orders in Special Order 191, by Gen. Jeb Stuart to guide Walker’s Division …


THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES Special Order 191 was the Army of Northern Virginia’s plan for the Maryland Campaign. It fell into the hands of General McClellan and gave him the full outline of what Lee planned to do. To paraphrase Special Order 191,its 10 parts were as follows: I No soldier was to go into Frederick, …