Sunday, April 29, 2007
New blog: Civil War Musings
Shiloh Nick has recently joined the ranks of Civil War bloggers with an account of a rather extended Civil War battlefield tour on the east coast. The blog is currently named Civil War Musings, but it sounds possible that this may change. The text and the photos are quite enjoyable, and not just for the battlefield commentary. After reading the story of his trip east, I'm definitely re-thinking my route through St Louis! Welcome, Nick.
Road to War: 2nd Cavalry
Actions on Arrival
The regiment had a great deal of work to do when they reached Carlisle Barracks. They were among the first regular army units to return to the vicinity of Washington, and as such their services were in high demand. They arrived with no horses and very little equipment, however. The efforts of the entire regiment, minus Palmer’s squadron already in Washington, were focused on equipping themselves and preparing for the field.
Two more squadrons, consisting of Companies B, E, G and I, departed for Washington as soon as they were mounted to help defend the capital. Although there were numerous officer vacancies due to resignations, they were promptly filled with new appointments. George Thomas remained in command of the regiment, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on April 25th and Colonel on May 3rd.
On May 27th, he reported the remaining two squadrons, Companies A, C, F and K, ready for service. They reported to General Patterson under Colonel Thomas’ command on June 1st to participate in operations in the vicinity of Harper’s Ferry.
The three squadrons in Washington guarded the White House and treasury buildings until May 23rd. On that date, three companies under Major Stoneman crossed the Potomac to assist in the capture of Alexandria. Company E was stationed in Alexandria, and Company I in Arlington. Company B was stationed at Fort Corcoran prior to 2ndLt Charles Tompkins’ reconnaissance to Fairfax Court House on May 31st.
The regiment had a great deal of work to do when they reached Carlisle Barracks. They were among the first regular army units to return to the vicinity of Washington, and as such their services were in high demand. They arrived with no horses and very little equipment, however. The efforts of the entire regiment, minus Palmer’s squadron already in Washington, were focused on equipping themselves and preparing for the field.
Two more squadrons, consisting of Companies B, E, G and I, departed for Washington as soon as they were mounted to help defend the capital. Although there were numerous officer vacancies due to resignations, they were promptly filled with new appointments. George Thomas remained in command of the regiment, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on April 25th and Colonel on May 3rd.
On May 27th, he reported the remaining two squadrons, Companies A, C, F and K, ready for service. They reported to General Patterson under Colonel Thomas’ command on June 1st to participate in operations in the vicinity of Harper’s Ferry.
The three squadrons in Washington guarded the White House and treasury buildings until May 23rd. On that date, three companies under Major Stoneman crossed the Potomac to assist in the capture of Alexandria. Company E was stationed in Alexandria, and Company I in Arlington. Company B was stationed at Fort Corcoran prior to 2ndLt Charles Tompkins’ reconnaissance to Fairfax Court House on May 31st.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Road to War: 2nd Cavalry
The Second Detachment
By the time the first detachment set sail, the second detachment was already on its way to Indianola. Company K departed Camp Wood, about 40 miles north of present day Uvalde, on March 15, 1861. Captain Charles J. Whiting, who would command the regiment during its ill-fated charge at Gaines’ Mill the following year, commanded the company. Captain James Oakes followed from Fort Inge on the 19th with Company C.
The final and most spirited departure was conducted by Captain Richard W. Johnson and his command. As the senior company commander at the post, he led the evacuation of regimental headquarters at Fort Mason, 80 miles from San Antonio, on March 29th. His command consisted of the regimental band as well as Companies A and F. Relations between the cavalrymen and state forces had become increasingly strained and acrimonious as the time for the command’s departure approached, to the point of couriers being searched and detained. As a result, Captain Johnson chose to turn a blind eye when some of his troopers torched the fort after the command’s departure.
When the command reached San Antonio, Johnson decided that the regiment wouldn’t leave without making a final statement. Ignoring the presence of armed state forces in the city and the state flag flying over former department headquarters at the Alamo, they paraded through the streets of the city with regimental standard and company guidons flying and the band playing patriotic tunes. No violence occurred, and loyal citizens presented them with a large American flag as they exited the city.
They reached Goliad the next day, where they reportedly cut down a state flag and cut it into mule harness streamers. Their march continued to Green Lake, traveling near but not with a company of the 8th Infantry. Each night, the infantry company would pass Johnson’s column before halting for the night. On the final night of the march before reaching Green Lake, Johnson resolved to arrive first. He departed his camp at 3am and arrived at Green Lake several hours before them. As luck would have it, there was a ship waiting at Indianola and his command was ordered forward while the infantry company remained at Green Lake.
The steamship Empire City was too large to enter the port at Indianola, so the troopers and their families were forced to use a smaller boat to ferry them out to the ship. The ship, with the entire second detachment aboard under the command of Captain Whiting, sailed the next day. They stopped briefly in Havana, where they learned of Fort Sumter’s surrender on April 14th, before arriving in New York on April 20th. They moved by train from New York to Carlisle Barracks, where the companies reported for duty on April 27th.
The day after the Empire City departed, state forces under the command of former major of the regiment Earl Van Dorn seized the port. They captured the Star of the West, the same ship that had attempted to resupply Fort Sumter, and several companies of soldiers from the 8th Infantry waiting to embark on her.
Resignations and absences continued to take their toll. Only 13 of the regiment’s officers accompanied the regiment out of Texas. Among them were captains Palmer, Whiting, Stoneman, Brackett and Johnson, as well as lieutenants Jenifer, Royall, Chambliss, Lowe, Harrison, Kimmel, Arnold and Porter.
The vast majority of the enlisted men remained with the regiment, despite generous offers of good pay and large bounties for joining state units. Desertion rates for this period were no higher than for the year before. I suspect that this was due to the large number of immigrants in the regiment. Secession and states rights would have been an abstract concept, while the regiment was both home and family to them.
By the time the first detachment set sail, the second detachment was already on its way to Indianola. Company K departed Camp Wood, about 40 miles north of present day Uvalde, on March 15, 1861. Captain Charles J. Whiting, who would command the regiment during its ill-fated charge at Gaines’ Mill the following year, commanded the company. Captain James Oakes followed from Fort Inge on the 19th with Company C.
The final and most spirited departure was conducted by Captain Richard W. Johnson and his command. As the senior company commander at the post, he led the evacuation of regimental headquarters at Fort Mason, 80 miles from San Antonio, on March 29th. His command consisted of the regimental band as well as Companies A and F. Relations between the cavalrymen and state forces had become increasingly strained and acrimonious as the time for the command’s departure approached, to the point of couriers being searched and detained. As a result, Captain Johnson chose to turn a blind eye when some of his troopers torched the fort after the command’s departure.
When the command reached San Antonio, Johnson decided that the regiment wouldn’t leave without making a final statement. Ignoring the presence of armed state forces in the city and the state flag flying over former department headquarters at the Alamo, they paraded through the streets of the city with regimental standard and company guidons flying and the band playing patriotic tunes. No violence occurred, and loyal citizens presented them with a large American flag as they exited the city.
They reached Goliad the next day, where they reportedly cut down a state flag and cut it into mule harness streamers. Their march continued to Green Lake, traveling near but not with a company of the 8th Infantry. Each night, the infantry company would pass Johnson’s column before halting for the night. On the final night of the march before reaching Green Lake, Johnson resolved to arrive first. He departed his camp at 3am and arrived at Green Lake several hours before them. As luck would have it, there was a ship waiting at Indianola and his command was ordered forward while the infantry company remained at Green Lake.
The steamship Empire City was too large to enter the port at Indianola, so the troopers and their families were forced to use a smaller boat to ferry them out to the ship. The ship, with the entire second detachment aboard under the command of Captain Whiting, sailed the next day. They stopped briefly in Havana, where they learned of Fort Sumter’s surrender on April 14th, before arriving in New York on April 20th. They moved by train from New York to Carlisle Barracks, where the companies reported for duty on April 27th.
The day after the Empire City departed, state forces under the command of former major of the regiment Earl Van Dorn seized the port. They captured the Star of the West, the same ship that had attempted to resupply Fort Sumter, and several companies of soldiers from the 8th Infantry waiting to embark on her.
Resignations and absences continued to take their toll. Only 13 of the regiment’s officers accompanied the regiment out of Texas. Among them were captains Palmer, Whiting, Stoneman, Brackett and Johnson, as well as lieutenants Jenifer, Royall, Chambliss, Lowe, Harrison, Kimmel, Arnold and Porter.
The vast majority of the enlisted men remained with the regiment, despite generous offers of good pay and large bounties for joining state units. Desertion rates for this period were no higher than for the year before. I suspect that this was due to the large number of immigrants in the regiment. Secession and states rights would have been an abstract concept, while the regiment was both home and family to them.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Last two installments on Road to War: 2nd Cavalry
There are still two more installments on the 2nd Cavalry's road to war. The first is the account of the second detachment to exit the state. It should post in the morning, since I forgot to bring the material home with me. The second details what happened to them after they reached Carlisle Barracks (those companies that did) until their first battles, and should be out by the end of the week.
I've received a good bit more information this week, so I'm not sure where we're headed after that. I'm about ready to head west for a while, maybe to Dug Springs. Stay tuned.
I've received a good bit more information this week, so I'm not sure where we're headed after that. I'm about ready to head west for a while, maybe to Dug Springs. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Marcus Reno's papers?
This is somewhat odd given my current round of posts, but does anybody out there have any idea where Marcus Reno's papers or memoirs might be found? I haven't found any record of them, but since virtually everything related to Custer and Little Big Horn have been researched, someone must have found them.
I knew he'd commanded the 5th Cavalry at Kelly's Ford in March 1863, but was unaware until today that he had also commanded the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry and led a brigade against Mosby late in the war.
Just to maintain the tie-ins to the current thread, though, the 2nd Cavalry became the 5th in August 1861, which Reno led in battle as mentioned above, so it all ties together....
I knew he'd commanded the 5th Cavalry at Kelly's Ford in March 1863, but was unaware until today that he had also commanded the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry and led a brigade against Mosby late in the war.
Just to maintain the tie-ins to the current thread, though, the 2nd Cavalry became the 5th in August 1861, which Reno led in battle as mentioned above, so it all ties together....
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Roads to War: 2nd Cavalry
The First Detachment
The regiment was somewhat fortunate in its postings at the time of Twiggs’ surrender. Although spread between eight different forts and camps, the farthest two companies were only about 250 miles from San Antonio. The regiment might have saved a great deal of its equipment had it been able to assemble in northern Texas and march out of the state, but it wasn’t possible to do so. Captains Oakes, Stoneman and Whiting met at Fort Inge to discuss the feasibility of such an attempt. They came to the reluctant conclusion that there were insufficient animals, wagons and stores available to assemble the regiment and move it north through what would then be hostile territory.
In late February the regiment began to evacuate its posts. Prior to this, on January 28th, Captain Albert G. Brackett moved his command from Camp Ives four miles south to Camp Verde, a more defensible position. Pursuant to the Order of Exercises, companies were to marshal at Green Lake, approximately 130 miles southwest of San Antonio. On February 21st, Captain Brackett led Company I from Camp Verde to begin its march. Among the property left behind for the Texans were the 53 remaining camels from the former secretary of war’s experiment and their two Egyptian handlers. They were reportedly used to haul cotton to Mexico to trade to the British for supplies during the war, and sold off to several circuses after it. The same day, Captain Innis Palmer led his squadron consisting of Companies D and H from Camp Cooper, near Abilene. His was the farthest march to Green Lake, nearly 400 miles.
Five days later, on February 26th, Captain E. Kirby Smith led Company B from Camp Colorado to Green Lake by way of Fort Mason. There had been a rather tense stand-off between Captain Smith and Henry McCulloch, who commanded several companies of state troops. McCulloch demanded the immediate surrender of all property of the troopers and the camp, including their side arms. Smith informed him that he would not dishonor his soldiers in such a fashion, and would indeed attempt to cut his way free of the fort if forced to by McCulloch. Smith received notice of Twiggs’ surrender the following day. After negotiating the retention of his soldier’s mounts, weapons, and ten days of rations, he led his men out of the fort.
This was the extent to which duty and honor pervaded the majority of the professional army at the outbreak of the war. Less than a month and a half later, Smith would resign his commission after his command arrived in New York harbor. In the meantime, he was responsible for leading it to safety.
Companies E and G moved by steamboat from their respective posts to Brazos Santiago, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Captain George Stoneman evacuated Camp Hudson on March 17th with Company E, followed by Company G from “Camp on the Rio Grande” on March 20th. The commander of Company G, Captain William R. Bradfute, did not make the move with his company, resigning his commission the next day. From Brazos Santiago, the two companies moved north up the coast to Indianola, where they joined the other four companies.
These six companies formed the first detachment of the regiment to depart the state. Under the command of Captain Palmer, they boarded the steamship Coatzacoalcos on March 31st in Indianola. They sailed from there to New York by way of Key West and Havana, to be met on their arrival by Major George H. Thomas on April 11th. Captain Palmer and his squadron were ordered immediately to Washington, while the other four companies moved by train to Carlisle Barracks to draw mounts and refit.
The regiment was somewhat fortunate in its postings at the time of Twiggs’ surrender. Although spread between eight different forts and camps, the farthest two companies were only about 250 miles from San Antonio. The regiment might have saved a great deal of its equipment had it been able to assemble in northern Texas and march out of the state, but it wasn’t possible to do so. Captains Oakes, Stoneman and Whiting met at Fort Inge to discuss the feasibility of such an attempt. They came to the reluctant conclusion that there were insufficient animals, wagons and stores available to assemble the regiment and move it north through what would then be hostile territory.
In late February the regiment began to evacuate its posts. Prior to this, on January 28th, Captain Albert G. Brackett moved his command from Camp Ives four miles south to Camp Verde, a more defensible position. Pursuant to the Order of Exercises, companies were to marshal at Green Lake, approximately 130 miles southwest of San Antonio. On February 21st, Captain Brackett led Company I from Camp Verde to begin its march. Among the property left behind for the Texans were the 53 remaining camels from the former secretary of war’s experiment and their two Egyptian handlers. They were reportedly used to haul cotton to Mexico to trade to the British for supplies during the war, and sold off to several circuses after it. The same day, Captain Innis Palmer led his squadron consisting of Companies D and H from Camp Cooper, near Abilene. His was the farthest march to Green Lake, nearly 400 miles.
Five days later, on February 26th, Captain E. Kirby Smith led Company B from Camp Colorado to Green Lake by way of Fort Mason. There had been a rather tense stand-off between Captain Smith and Henry McCulloch, who commanded several companies of state troops. McCulloch demanded the immediate surrender of all property of the troopers and the camp, including their side arms. Smith informed him that he would not dishonor his soldiers in such a fashion, and would indeed attempt to cut his way free of the fort if forced to by McCulloch. Smith received notice of Twiggs’ surrender the following day. After negotiating the retention of his soldier’s mounts, weapons, and ten days of rations, he led his men out of the fort.
This was the extent to which duty and honor pervaded the majority of the professional army at the outbreak of the war. Less than a month and a half later, Smith would resign his commission after his command arrived in New York harbor. In the meantime, he was responsible for leading it to safety.
Companies E and G moved by steamboat from their respective posts to Brazos Santiago, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Captain George Stoneman evacuated Camp Hudson on March 17th with Company E, followed by Company G from “Camp on the Rio Grande” on March 20th. The commander of Company G, Captain William R. Bradfute, did not make the move with his company, resigning his commission the next day. From Brazos Santiago, the two companies moved north up the coast to Indianola, where they joined the other four companies.
These six companies formed the first detachment of the regiment to depart the state. Under the command of Captain Palmer, they boarded the steamship Coatzacoalcos on March 31st in Indianola. They sailed from there to New York by way of Key West and Havana, to be met on their arrival by Major George H. Thomas on April 11th. Captain Palmer and his squadron were ordered immediately to Washington, while the other four companies moved by train to Carlisle Barracks to draw mounts and refit.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Road to War: 2nd Cavalry
Setting the Stage
The 2nd US Cavalry was one of the first units in the Army to be affected by the secession movement. This article will attempt to chronicle their abrupt exodus from Texas in early 1861, long before the fall of Fort Sumter. In order to understand the trials faced by the regiment during this period, it is necessary to first understand the larger situation.
The majority of the fault for the regiment’s abrupt departure unfortunately lays at the foot of another cavalryman, former Second Dragoon commander Brevet Major General David E. Twiggs. In December of 1860, General Twiggs returned from a leave of absence to command of the Department of Texas. He was second in seniority of the four brigadier generals in the Army, junior only to Brigadier General Wool.
The Texas secession convention assembled in January 1861. On February 1, the ordinance of secession was adopted by the convention, subject to its ratification by the people of Texas on February 23rd. On the 4th, before its ratification, the convention appointed a commission to discuss with General Twiggs the surrender of all army installations and equipment within the borders of the state. Twiggs in his turn appointed a commission to negotiate with the Texas commission. On February 15th, officials demanded the immediate surrender of all government property in the state, which he refused. On the 18th, he was again presented with the demand, and given six hours to return a decision. Citing the desire to avoid fighting between state and national troops, Twiggs ordered all soldiers in the state to surrender their posts and march to the coast.
While he is consistently vilified for his role in the surrender, there are a few factors to consider in the conduct of Twiggs. In the interest of fairness, he had on three different occasions formally requested guidance from Washington on actions to take in the event of Texas’ secession. The guidance he received in return was minimal and vague. He had also asked to be relieved of command of the department on January 13, 1861. Once the request reached the capital, Colonel C. A. Waite was sent to replace him. Twiggs had not, however, been authorized to surrender any government installations or equipment, particularly without a shot being fired. He was dismissed from the army by President Lincoln on March 1st for “treachery to the flag of his country.” He was subsequently appointed a general in the Confederate army, which rank he held until his death the following year.
The Department of Texas at this time contained one fifth of the entire army, including the 2nd Cavalry. Department headquarters was in San Antonio, but the troops were scattered across twenty or more small posts consisting of 50 to 150 men throughout the state. These posts varied in distance from San Antonio from 50 to almost 700 miles, and were commanded by lieutenants or captains.
At the time of the surrender, Twiggs issued an ‘Order of Exercises’ to the various units of the department, detailing the order and routes of their movements out of the state. This order required all commanders to evacuate their posts, surrendering all public property not required to transport them to the coast. Following this, they were to concentrate at Green Lake and surrender any remaining equipment with the exception of their sidearms. The troops were to move to the coast in a directed schedule by small units, with the most distant posts instructed to move first to prevent a troop concentration in the northern part of the state. As he was still the department commander at the time, his order was binding on the army’s officers, despite their feelings on it.
The order came at a particularly bad time for the 2nd Cavalry, as none of the regiment’s senior leadership was present for duty. The regimental commander, Colonel Albert S. Johnston, was in San Francisco serving as the commander of the Department of California. Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee had been ordered to report to Washington DC earlier in the month to meet with Major General Winfield Scott. Both of the regiment’s majors, George H. Thomas and Earl Van Dorn, were on leaves of absence. At this critical juncture, the regiment was without a commanding officer from February 13th to April 11th.
This, then, is where we join the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in February of 1861: scattered to the winds and forced to decide at the company level how to react to this chain of events.
The 2nd US Cavalry was one of the first units in the Army to be affected by the secession movement. This article will attempt to chronicle their abrupt exodus from Texas in early 1861, long before the fall of Fort Sumter. In order to understand the trials faced by the regiment during this period, it is necessary to first understand the larger situation.
The majority of the fault for the regiment’s abrupt departure unfortunately lays at the foot of another cavalryman, former Second Dragoon commander Brevet Major General David E. Twiggs. In December of 1860, General Twiggs returned from a leave of absence to command of the Department of Texas. He was second in seniority of the four brigadier generals in the Army, junior only to Brigadier General Wool.
The Texas secession convention assembled in January 1861. On February 1, the ordinance of secession was adopted by the convention, subject to its ratification by the people of Texas on February 23rd. On the 4th, before its ratification, the convention appointed a commission to discuss with General Twiggs the surrender of all army installations and equipment within the borders of the state. Twiggs in his turn appointed a commission to negotiate with the Texas commission. On February 15th, officials demanded the immediate surrender of all government property in the state, which he refused. On the 18th, he was again presented with the demand, and given six hours to return a decision. Citing the desire to avoid fighting between state and national troops, Twiggs ordered all soldiers in the state to surrender their posts and march to the coast.
While he is consistently vilified for his role in the surrender, there are a few factors to consider in the conduct of Twiggs. In the interest of fairness, he had on three different occasions formally requested guidance from Washington on actions to take in the event of Texas’ secession. The guidance he received in return was minimal and vague. He had also asked to be relieved of command of the department on January 13, 1861. Once the request reached the capital, Colonel C. A. Waite was sent to replace him. Twiggs had not, however, been authorized to surrender any government installations or equipment, particularly without a shot being fired. He was dismissed from the army by President Lincoln on March 1st for “treachery to the flag of his country.” He was subsequently appointed a general in the Confederate army, which rank he held until his death the following year.
The Department of Texas at this time contained one fifth of the entire army, including the 2nd Cavalry. Department headquarters was in San Antonio, but the troops were scattered across twenty or more small posts consisting of 50 to 150 men throughout the state. These posts varied in distance from San Antonio from 50 to almost 700 miles, and were commanded by lieutenants or captains.
At the time of the surrender, Twiggs issued an ‘Order of Exercises’ to the various units of the department, detailing the order and routes of their movements out of the state. This order required all commanders to evacuate their posts, surrendering all public property not required to transport them to the coast. Following this, they were to concentrate at Green Lake and surrender any remaining equipment with the exception of their sidearms. The troops were to move to the coast in a directed schedule by small units, with the most distant posts instructed to move first to prevent a troop concentration in the northern part of the state. As he was still the department commander at the time, his order was binding on the army’s officers, despite their feelings on it.
The order came at a particularly bad time for the 2nd Cavalry, as none of the regiment’s senior leadership was present for duty. The regimental commander, Colonel Albert S. Johnston, was in San Francisco serving as the commander of the Department of California. Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee had been ordered to report to Washington DC earlier in the month to meet with Major General Winfield Scott. Both of the regiment’s majors, George H. Thomas and Earl Van Dorn, were on leaves of absence. At this critical juncture, the regiment was without a commanding officer from February 13th to April 11th.
This, then, is where we join the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in February of 1861: scattered to the winds and forced to decide at the company level how to react to this chain of events.
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