Best of The History Guy: American Civil War

the relatively underappreciated naval war in the United States Civil War generally favored the federal Fleet there just weren't a lot of shipyards in the South and so it was easier for the union Navy to acquire and build vessels but the union Navy had a daunting task as the Union's idea was to starve the Confederacy through a stifling blockade that required that the union Navy cover some 2500 miles of Confederate Coast land instead of a series of Fleet engagements the naval war and the Civil War was largely a series of small ship engagements that were trying to either break or hold that blockade and in that fight one of the most interesting stories is of the unique Confederate Ironclad CSS Alber Marl whose brief service represented extraordinary daring and provado on both sides it's history that deserves to be remembered by 1862 the larger and quickly growing Federal Navy was managing an effective though not airtight blockade and the South was looking to overcome a numerical disadvantage by producing better quality ships notably new iron clouds the CSS Virginia was built from the cut down hole of the steam screw frigate USS miramac which had been scuttled by the union Navy in 1861 after being trapped in the harbor in Norfolk Virginia the ship was raised its whole cut down and a casemate built on top in the March 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads the Virginia proved devastating to wooden Federal warships being virtually invulnerable to their Cannon while the subsequent battle between Virginia and the USS monitor the world's first battle between ironclads was indecisive the success against Federal wooden warships gave the Confederate Navy hope that they could break the union blockade in North Carolina Early in the war a union offensive had taken much of the coast of North Carolina allowing them to build fortifications that could support the federal Fleet enforcing the blockade especially a fortification at Plymouth along the ronok river Upstream from alal sound on North Carolina's inner Banks just a month after the battle of Hampton Roads the Confederate Navy awarded a contract to a 19-year-old Naval engineer named Gilbert Elliot to build a Confederate Ironclad boat on the ronok river that could defeat the federal gunboats that were defending the Union fortifications at Plymouth but the construction of the boat would be no mean feet if the construction were to be on the river the union Navy would simply destroy it on the as it was being built instead Elliot decided to build a boat in essentially a cornfield at a place called Edwards Ferry far enough up River and in shall enough water that the union gunboats could not reach it that necessitated building the boat away from industry Supply was an issue especially the amount of iron needed to build the casem mate Elliot had a scrouge for iron often going door to door asking for locals to donate their cast iron pans or plows sometimes making that request at gunpoint Elliot sketched a design that was was finalized by John L Porter a Virginia and navy veteran who had largely been responsible for the conversion of the marabac into the Virginia Porter had been appointed Chief Constructor in the Confederate States Navy Confederate naval officer James W cook was given command to the vessel and oversaw the Construction Construction began in January 1863 the boat was 158 ft long slightly more than half of that of CSS Virginia with a beam of just over 35 ft while the casem mate sloped at 30° would be similar to Virginia the new boat would Mount just two guns 6.4 in double-banded Brook rifles a rifle barreled muzzle loading Naval gun designed by John Mercer Brook chief of the Confederate Navy's Bureau of ordinance the brook rifles were mounted on swivels to the four and a each could fire one of three directions through portals with armored covers giving a 180° Field of Fire that allowed one each to shoot forward and AF or both to be fired in broadside the guns were heavy nearly 12,000 lb and including the carriage the boat's prow was designed as a ram that was intended to drive a hole beneath the waterline of an enemy vessel her single screw was driven by a steam engine that allowed her to make about four knots she had a crew of 150 and a relatively shallow draft of just under 9 ft that would allow her to operate in the shallows and that would protect her from the larger deep water ships of the Federal Navy they decided to name the ship the CSS Alber Marl after the town of Alber Marl North Carolina which was named after the first Duke of Alba who was a 17th century Englishman who was among the first to get a charter to establish a colony in the Carolinas construction took more than a year and in that time the union Navy became aware of the project but the site was too far up River for the Navy to respond and the Army decided it couldn't spare troops from an Overland mission to attack the construction Alam Marl launched in April 1864 intent upon clearing the ronok river of Union vessels to facilitate an attack on the fortifications there by troops under the command of General Robert F Hoke the union Navy had prepared for the new Ironclad Ram first obstacles had been placed at a Narrows intending to prevent Alam Marl from reaching the federal Fleet but the river was running high after heavy rains and there was just enough River for Alam Marl to clear the obstacles guns from nearby Union fortifications fired at but they were unable to penetrate the ironclad's armor but the union Naval Commander Lieutenant Commander Charles W Flusser had another plan for the Ironclad two Union Steamers USS Southfield and USS Miami had been chained together to concentrate Firepower and rushed towards Alamar cook recognized the Trap and managed to maneuver Alam Maro outboard of Southfield bringing it dangerously close to the shore where Alam Marl could become grounded as the three boats collided alamar's Ram scraped across Miami's bow and smashed through southfields starboard side the ram penetrated below the waterline and Southfield began to sink the crew of Miami had to cut the chains tying the vessels together so to not be taken down with Southfield but Alamar was caught it's Ram trapped in southfield's side as safield sank and start to bring alamire under with it taking advantage of alamar's predicament fusser personally fired a Canon point blank from the Miami into the albamar the explosive shell had a 10-second fuse the shell struck Alam Marl bounced off its sloped iron armor and landed at flusser's feet it exploded killing him instantly the crew of Miami tried to board albam Maro but were driven back by musket fire alar was still going down with Southfield but the steamer rolled as it hit the river bottom Fring Alamar however the bow had been pulled down so low that it could not lift fast enough to make a clean shot at Miami which retreated thus the Southfield in Sinking saved the Miami but Alam Marl had won the battle the union Navy retreated and without the help of their guns and with Alam Marl firing at them the union troops were defeated and the forts were taken on April 20th Alam Marl had another crack at the union Navy on May 5th while escorting a vessel carrying Confederate troops at the mouth of Alamar sound named after the same British Duke Alamar along with a small steamer and the transport ran into a substantial Squadron of eight Federal gunboats including USS Miami the four largest of which mounted 60 cannons combined the federal Cannon thundered but were able to pierce Alam maral's armor the ram was struck by more than 500 shells leaving it stack looking like swiss cheese Alba Marl tried to Ram USS matab Basset but the steamer avoided the ram Alamar was then rammed by the 200ft steamer USS sass us sasus wrote up on abam maru's bow so much so that the ram seemed like it might sink cook reportedly yelled to his men stand to your guns and if we must sink let us go down like brave men sasus wrote up on Alam Maro for nearly 10 minutes but a shot from Alam Maro pierced sasus is boiler and the ship filled with hot steam sasus managed to float free but Alam Marl had escaped a correspondent from Harper's Weekly was aboard sasus and rote of the unsuccessful attempt to Ram no better opportunity than was here presented could have been desired for testing and deciding the moted point as to the possibility of injuring an ironclad by ramming with a wooden ship USS Miami tried to sink Alamar with its Spar torpedo into an explosive in the end of a spar but failed to score a hit the federals attempted to entangle alamar's propeller with a net but a broken line filed the plan the small Confederate steamer was captured but the troop transport and CSS albam Marl escaped only one member of alamar's crew had been killed in the battle shot while looking out a portal but Alamar was damaged its AF gun had been broken off 18 in from the end although it continued to fire and some of its metal plates from the hail of fire had started to buckle and were becoming detached Alamar went back to Plymouth for repairs and rear Admiral Samuel Lee head of the Union Atlantic blocking Squadron hatched a new plan William Barker Cushing had attended the US Naval Academy from 1857 to 1861 but had not had a good career there been kicked out for poor scholarship and pulling pranks he'd been reinstated at the outset of the Civil War during the war he distinguished himself commanding gunboats and he led several daring reconnaissance and reading excursions into Confederate territories knowing his reputation Admiral Lee sent for Cushing kushen proposed sending two small steam launches armed with Spar Torpedoes to attack the Alam Marl while in Port was a daring plan more reminiscent of the Commando raids of World War II than the US Civil War kushen whose brother had died at the Battle of Gettysburg and earned a medal of honor for his bravery was reportedly a good friend of Charles Flusser was said to be eager to seek revenge for his friend's death Cushing acquired two small steam launches in New York the launches were 30 ft long with a shallow draft of about 3 and 1/2 ft and each was armed with a small Howitzer and a spar torpedo an explosive on a stick that if they could sneak up close enough could be used to hold Alamar below the waterline one of the boats was lost at sea on the way from New York and so Cushing was forced to make the attempt the night of October 27th in just one of the boats the launch with Cushing and seven crew was accompanied by a small cutter with 15 more men the Confederates used the wreckage of USS Southfield as a lookout post and the men in the cutter were assigned to subdue the Lookouts there or if necessary the additional men might be used to board and take control of Alamar but it was rainy that night and Cushing's group was not spotted as they passed the wreck when they arrived at Alamar that morning they ran into an obstacle Alamar had been surrounded by a log barrier as they approached they were spotted by sentries came under musket fire Cushing wrote in his report the cutter was then cast off and Order below while we made for our enemy under a full head of steam passing her closely we made a complete circle so as to strike her fairly and went into her bows on by this time the enemy's fire was fairly severe but a dose of canister at short range served to moderate their Zeal and disturb their aim three bullets struck my clothing and the air seemed full of them but Cushing was uncowed according to in and Thom gay even as they were under Fire Cushing yelled at the crew of alaro leave the Ram or I will blow you to pieces Cushing pushed his launched to full speed hoping the logs in the barrier would be water logged and could slide over them in gay described the attack having backed our boat sufficiently to get Headway enough on her to jump the log pin which encircled the ram we succeeded in jumping the logs and lowering the torpedo boom still resting on the logs and under constant fire Cushing wrote the torpedo boom was then lowered and by a vigorous pull I succeeded in diving the torpedo under the overhang and exploding it at the same time that the alamar's gun was fired because of the smoke kushin was unable to tell if the attack succeeded he tried to back the boat out but they were trapped by the log barrier according to inent gay he yelled to the crew Men save yourselves before diving overboard himself inen Gade tried to swim away but the water was too cold he and most of the Raiders were captured but Cushing managed to swim away Cushing keeping to his daring record found and stole the was skiff and escaped reaching the blockade steamer USS Valley City only one other member of the rating party Sean William Hoffman made it back to Union lines Cushing was able to write in his report the ram is now completely submerged and the enemy have Sun three Schooners in the river to obstruct the passage of our ships a Confederate letter later captured by the union described the damage the torpedo bursting blew a great hole in her some six feet long sinking her almost instantly she's now lying at the bottom of the ronok river the crew lost everything they had bed clothing and everything in gay and the other Union Officers that were captured were eventually pred in February of 1865 at least two bodies of Raiders were later recovered by the union and buried with honors with Alam Marl sunk the union was able to recapture Plymouth and the wreck of alam Marl was raised and her hole repaired but Alam Marl saw no further service and was finally scrapped for Salvage in 1867 one of her Brooks rifled Cannon is on display at the headquarters of the commander us Fleet forces command at the Norfork Virginia naval base William Barker Cushing received the thanks of Congress for his raid and became a national celebrity and moderately wealthy from the prize money for the eventual capture of the Alamar he distinguished himself again during the war in the January 1865 conquest of Fort Fish North Carolina he continued in the Navy after the war and played a notable role during the 1873 Virginia's affair with Cuba he passed away in 1874 is buried at the United States Naval acad Cemetery five US Navy ships have been named in his honor the story of the Ironclad Confederate Ram CSS alaro is interesting for so many reasons this unique vessel built in a cornfield so vexed the federal Fleet and the the daring raid to Sinker show how individual initiative can have such a powerful impact on larger events you know in the grand context of War sometimes it's the actions of individual units in small encounters that are so much more interesting than great generals and Grand [Music] strategies the naval component of the United States Civil War is relatively forgotten compared to the land campaigns but the war did test many new ship designs and technologies that heralded the future of Naval Warfare in February of 1863 the union Navy suffered a surprising reversal against the Confederate Navy forcing the union to deploy a new class of ship the massive and intim ating Black Terror flying the skull and crossbone flags of a pirate the cruise of the Black Terror is an example of History more interesting than fiction history that deserves to be remembered control of the Mississippi River which ran along both northern and southern states was vital to the war effort for federal forces control of the river would cut off Confederate forces in Texas Arkansas Missouri and elsewhere West along with denying the South the ability to move troops trade and supplies along one of the country's major trade routes for the South control of the river was just as vital without it the country was cleaved in half and they lost the ability to effectively defend or contest Missouri or move troops North by boat confederate general Braxton Bragg said the river is more important to us than all of the country together for the union the battle in the west along the river was commanded by ulyses S Grant who assum command the District of Southeast Missouri in September of 1861 headquartered at Koo Illinois a Koo ship designer Samuel M PUK was working for the Navy Department he had experienc designing rivercraft which few of the men in the department did and he designed a set of vessels that would become the city class ironclads more commonly known as PUK turtles or eids gunboats while PUK designed the ships they were built in shipyards at coray Missouri owned by wealthy St Louis industrialist James Buchanan eids eids was not the only person building ships for the union brown Water Fleet as the Mississippi River Squadron would come to be known in Cincinnati another ship Builder Joseph Brown signed an agreement with the US government on April 30th 1862 to build the USS Indianola the ship was named after the town of Indianola Iowa like the city class ironclads Indianola was a casemate Ironclad in the Battle of Hampton Roads between the Monitor and the former marac the then called the Virginia the marac was a casem mate Ironclad while the monitor represented the monitor type of Warship a small ship designed to sail in Shallow Waters and present a smaller Target as possible above the water casemade ironclads of the Mississippi Squadron generally followed the Virginia design with a low cut hole that sat close to the water surface a case made is a fortified defensive structure the idea of the case made ironclads was to build such a defensive imp placement at top a boat beging for a highly effective and defensible gun battery by September of 1862 Brown reported that the indiano was nearing completion however on September 2nd a Confederate Army occupied Covington Kentucky Union Major General Lou Wallace saw the Army as a threat to Cincinnati leading the union to appropriate The Unfinished ship and launch it for emergency defensive action on September 4th the ship was commissioned on September 27th and by October 23rd the ship was declared armed and ready to defend Cincinnati but remained incomplete ultimately the Confederate Army didn't march on Cincinnati and the Indian was returned to Brown for completion when it was finally completed in December of 1862 the ship was unable to join the Mississippi River Squadron until she arrived at Koo Illinois on January 23rd in 1863 Indianola was a sidewheel steamer with two wheels for propulsion but she also had two screw propellers she could move faster up River than most of the ships in the Squadron she was armed with four guns two 11-in doin smooth Bo cannons and two 9-in ones weakness in her design was that the guns had a slow rate of fire were situated so she could only effectively fire four and half but not broadside in this early part of the war the ships on both sides of the conflict had been hastily constructed or adapted from earlier civilian ships this led to a seemingly anacronismo of USS Cumberland led many nations to at least briefly begin fitting out ships with Rams thought to Be an Effective tactic since Ironclad ships were initially remarkably immune to enemy cannon fire even at close range both the union and the Confederacy put Rams into use the north even formed the United States Ram Fleet for use on the river between January and March 186 3 Grant was conducting his Bayou operations seeking to offer a water route south of the city that would keep the River gunboats from having to run the rebel blockade where Confederate guns Overlook the river the union had at this point blockaded both ends of the river controlling everything north of Vicksburg and maintaining a blockade in the Gulf cork to the river's exit but the South still controlled hundreds of miles of the river between Vicksburg and Port Hudson Louisiana including the Red River which flowed from the West to connect the South with her Western territory rear Admiral David Porter son of a controversial commodor who fought in the War of 1812 had been given command of the Mississippi River Squadron and chafed at the criticism that he was the greatest humbug of the war that he' failed to do anything useful the assistant secretary had promised that Porter would be made a full Admiral if he could take control of the river so in February Porter ordered the ram USS Queen of the West to conduct operations south of Vicksburg especially to control the Red River Queen of the West ran the blockade and captured several Supply ships Bound for Vicksburg she also rammed in iously damaged the CSS Vicksburg on February 14th the queen entered the Red River capturing the steamboat era number five which was carrying 4,500 bushel of corn she continued up River to investigate reports of Confederate ships and was caught under heavy Fire by a Confederate Fort ordered to back down river she ended up grounded on the right Bank under direct and heavy fire forced to abandon ship the crew escaped by floating down river on bales of cotton until they were picked up by another union ship the doo which then also ran ground the crew took over era number five began fleeing down river pursued by the Confederate Ram CSS web the Indianola under the command of Lieutenant Commander George Brown had been ordered to join the queen of the West and had run the Vicksburg blockade on the night of February 13th she was chosen thanks to a greater speed up river which would allow her to retreat in case of trouble she sailed with two large barges strapped to her side both loaded with coal on February 16th era number five reached the Indianola on the Mississippi she had no coal left and only kept up steam by burning corn as fuel Captain by Lieutenant Commander George Brown the Indian went after the web and spotted her at Ellis Cliffs opening fire web proved to be out of range and disappeared around the bend of the river further protected by a heavy fog the following day Indianola followed the web to where the Mississippi and Red River joined for several days she blockaded the mouth of the river keeping web from causing any trouble however after several days the crew learned that the web had been reinforced with a refloated queen of the West the union ran had been abandoned but not set a flame as the first mate remained on board too injured to move the ship was relatively easy to return to service Indianola retreated up River but was slowed by the barges of the coal that she towed she hoped that they would be able to resupply any reinforcements sent from the river Squadron February 24th still south of Vicksburg Webb and queen caught up near Davis bend a peninsula that extended into the river they were reinforced by two other Steamers in fact the Confederate ships could have caught up earlier but they waited hoping that the Indianola would take fire from the Confederate Shore batteries and to launch their attack at night bow ships were loaded with men and field artillery and were under the command of major Joseph Brent on the night of February 24th Indianola cited the uncoming Armada the maneuverable ship came about putting one of the C barges between herself and the oncoming Rams first came Queen of the West which rammed the cbar and cleaved it in half doing little damage to Indianola web charged next and Lieutenant Commander Brown stood for her at full speed and both vessels came together bows on with a tremendous crash which knocked nearly everyone down aboard both vessels rifle fire came through Port holes web rammed again this time sinking the second colarge Queen rammed again as well shearing off the starboard Rudder and caving in the wheel housing Indianola was in trouble listing heavily to one side as water poured in the moon was partially obscured by a veil of white clouds major prent recalled which made it difficult for indianola's cannons to find a Target though they fired reports are unclear if they hit anything or were able to damage the enemy ships web struck again damaging Indianola Stern Lieutenant Commander Brown ran about the deck commanding his men and firing his pistol at the enemy's pilot despite the rifle fire and canister shot ultimately she was rammed seven times and his Confederate soldiers prepared to board Brown shouted for God's sake don't shoot anymore I've surrendered Brown had attempted to sink the ship in deep water to prevent her capture but the Confederate ships were able to drag her so that she sank in relatively shallow water near palmir Island only one Union soldier was killed but only three managed to escape and the rest were captured a team was set to repair and repoat Indian including slaves sent from a nearby Plantation owned by Confederate President Jefferson Davis Porter up River was faced with a disaster two of his ships were gone when already afloat in Confederate hands loss of the Indianola to the enemy was unacceptable and promised to threaten success on the river altogether Vicksburg celebrated piping and dancing have been the order of the night every night this week reported the publisher of the Vicksburg daily wig Admiral Farragut blamed Porter saying that he allowed his boats to come down one at a time and they' been captured by the enemy Porter in turn blamed the captains of Queen and Indianola I can give good orders but I cannot give officers good judgment he fumed Gideon well Secretary of the Navy didn't care whose fault it was and ordered a force to be sent to prevent Indianola from being salvaged Porter however didn't think he had the ships to do it two more of his Rams are out of service thanks to enemy batteries and none of his remaining ships could match Webb or queen for Speed so he came up with a new plan the creation of the Black Terror his men set to to work finding a flatbed or a c barge logs were loaded on to give the ship the appearance of a hole and canvas and wood created a casemate and padded wheel housings an ouse became a pilot house broken rescue Boats were tied on blackened logs were loaded aboard as cannons and smoke stacks are created out of pork barrels the whole ship was blackened with tar two pots were ignited to make it appear that smoke was pouring from the Smoke Stacks the Black Terror was possibly the largest warship ever to sail on the Mississippi River during the war it bristled with weapons built in just 12 hours at a total cost of $863 at 11:00 p.m. on February 25th the Black Terror was towed out to the river according to an article in America Civil War magazine by Donald Barnard the ship had large words pinned in the boat house that read diluted people cave in and flew a skull and crossbones flag in addition to a us one without a crew the ship was cut loose and sent down the Mississippi at Vicksburg surpris Gunners were awoken to the call that an ironcloud was running the blockade never did the batteries of Vicksburg open with such a den Porter wrote later the Earth fairly trembled and shot flew thick and fast around the devoted monitor the rudderless ship did strike the West Bank when south of Vicksburg but Union Soldiers pushed her back into the current on the approach of the ship Queen immediately turned tail and ran damaging a transport in a hurry the Salvage crew was abandoned possibly drunk and in a panic they threw two of the ship's guns into the river pointed the larger guns against each other and fired them and set the ship a flame exploded loud enough for Porter to hear up River Confederate Colonel wrote that with the exception of the wine and liquor stores of the Indianola nothing was saved the valuable Armament the large supplies of powder shot and shell were all lost the Black Terror sailed 2 miles further and struck a mud Bank when no one came on Deck some men sailed out and found the ship a complete fake laugh and hold your sides L you die of a serpent of derision stated the Richmond Examiner blown up because for so a float boo of mud scow with a small house taken from the back Garden of a plantation put on top of it is floated down the river before the frightened eyes of the partisan Rangers and so disaster was turned into Victory the queen of the West and the Webb retreated up the Red River removing the immediate threat and both would be destroyed in separate engagements before the end of April within a few months Vicksburg and Port Hudson would fall giving the Union control of the Mississippi River the Indianola was Salvage in 1965 it's remained sold when speaking of the victory Admiral Porter who was the Foster brother of David faragate who would go on to serve as superintendent of the United States Naval Academy and whose eventual 62-year career was amongst the longest in US Naval History said merely of the Black Terror that it was a cheap expedient which worked out very well I don't think any military commander in history can claim to have gotten better military return out of an investment of $863 War represents Humanity at its most exposed with that juxtoposition between heroism and horror one thing that isn't often discussed is the connection between War and the strongest of human emotions love war reveals that bond between Brothers in Arms or even between enemies across a field of shared sacrifice or the strength of love that can develop when Ordinary People are exposed to extraordinary circumstances maybe it is that period of great sacrifice or the fear that you might not live to see another day that reminds us of what is most precious that time when George kuster attended a Confederate wedding during the Civil War is history that deserves to be remembered George kuster had a strange path into the the military he grew up in a large family where the siblings played pranks on each other the Detroit News wrote in 2013 kuster had three younger brothers in a sister it was a rough and tumble existence Armstrong's brothers and his father who was described as a childish himself constantly teased and played practical jokes on each other well into adulthood but his childhood was marred by the death of his mother the news continues his mother died when they were children so kuster's half sister Lydia an who was 14 years older became his surrogate mother at the age of 14 George called aie by his family lived with Lydia an and her husband David Reid to attend school he graduated from normal school at the age of 17 AE wanted to be a soldier and attend the United States Military Academy at West Point but there was a problem the website history net explains the only hitch was that kuster needed the requisite Congressional appointment but the local Congressman was a staunch Republican and the custers staunch Democrats but Salvation came in an interesting way he started an affair with a local girl her father was an influential Republican and he secured kuster's appointment to West Point in order to keep him away from his daughter George has been described as West points worst Cadet not only did he not take his studies seriously but he remained a Merry Prankster who led the academy in Dem merits historian Hal Funk writing in the Springfield News Leader wrote if he'd had a few more demerits he would have been completely dismissed in fact he seemed to know exactly how many demerits he had a Cadet would be expelled if he reached 100 demerits in 6 month history.net notes kuster earned 90 citations in only 3 months but managed to restrain himself for the next few months without a single misdeed at one point he managed to get by with 98 kuster had more fun gave his friends more anxiety he walked more tours of extra Duty and came nearer to being dismissed than any other Cadet I've ever known a classmate recalled kuster himself would later write my career as a Cadet Deb had but little to recommend it to the study of those who came after me unless as an example to be carefully avoided but for all his pranking kuster was popular with other Cadets as history net notes what kuster lacked in academic Excellence he made up for in popularity as a Cadet kuster made many friends at the Academy among them was John Willis Lee uh gimlet is a small tool for drilling holes and Lee had been given the nickname gimlet because he was tall and thin there's a little record of their dealings together at the Academy but as would become clear they must have become close friends kuster did poorly on his exams although he excelled at horsemanship and Cavalry skills he might never have graduated given his academic record and his eventual total of 726 demerits but history.com explains the union needed officers to fight its newly begun Civil War George kuster graduated at the bottom of his class 34th out of 34 in 1861 the website essential Civil War history writes the loudest and most enthusiastic harra for any Cadet of the US Military Academy graduation of 1861 came when the name George Armstrong kuster was announced many of his fellow students and instructors doubted that he would receive a diploma after all he'd been the class clown prankster had finished last in his class due to his funloving personality but kuster was also the most popular man in his class but his friend gimlet Lee didn't graduate a North Carolina he had resigned from the academy to join the Confederacy he was made a captain of company I of the fifth North Carolina Infantry Regiment George kuster was commissioned a second Lieutenant the Detroit News writes he returned to Detroit in 1861 a second lieutenant and met with Michigan Governor Aon Blair at the Michigan exchange hotel for approval to join the Michigan Cavalry as an officer Detroit historian syus farmer noted that Blair was distrustful of kuster's flowing blonde hair and otherwise a feminite appearance but eventually signed his approval kuster joined the second United States Cavalry with whom he participated in the July 21st First Battle of Bull Ron by May of 1862 kuster joined the staff of Major General George mcleland in the Peninsular campaign kuster was among those brave enough to Recon orderer in the gas field observation balloons and among the first Union Officers to discover that Confederate troops under General Joseph Johnston had abandoned their defensive positions around Yorktown retreating to defend the Confederate Capital at Richmond mlen ordered a Pursuit leading to the Battle of Williamsburg one of the first pitch battles of the Civil War a force of some 41,000 federals attacked an approximately 32,000 strung Confederate rear guard protecting Johnston's Retreat the battle was quite bloody and inconclusive while the union made some gains especially when General Winfield's Scott Hancock's Brigade threatened the Confederate flank the federals were not able to follow up and Johnson's Army was able to continue its Retreat George led a charge during the battle the essential Civil War curriculum rights soon after kuster was serving on the staff of briger General Winfield Scott Hancock when the union troops were ordered to charge into a line of Confederate soldiers at Williamsburg the anxious Union troops hesitated kuster impatiently spurred his horse and burst from their midst to lead the charge the Union Soldiers obediently followed this Gallant oneman charge which resulted in routing the Confederates into Retreat kuster later returned to Friendly lines with a captured officer and five enlisted men and the real trophy a Confederate Battle Flag the flag appears to have been abandoned on the field and hinded to kuster by an enlisted man yet it was the first Confederate battle flag of the war captured by the army of the pomac mcleen called kuster's charge a gallant Affair and complemented kuster personally after kuster was surveying the field in an area where a confused Confederate attack had been devastated by Union fire historian Carson Hudson of the Williamsburg Battlefield trust explains they had been hurrying forward towards the fighting and had lost contact with the rest of the Brigade after they entered a thick and Tangled piece of forest trying to find their way they emerged onto a large muddy field and found themselves under a murderous fire from a sizable Union force on their left their Commander Lieutenant Colonel John C batam ordered his men to turn and charge but as they changed their Direction and began to advance Colonel batam went down shot through the forehead his men fared no better moving forward through the mud the fifth North Carolina was shot to Pieces losing over 300 men killed and wounded in just a few minutes a 2013 issue of the Chicago Tribune writes after the bloodiest Sal to failed to dislodge Hancock from redout number 11 kuster joined many of the horrified but curious Union men picking through a killing field so thickly covered with Fallen Southern soldiers that it was hard to avoid stepping on the dead and wounded as he made his way across the Grim landscape he discovered the bloody form of a West Point classmate when George found gimlet Lee shot through the legs Hudson writes in his 2019 book hidden history of Williamsburg people thought they were brothers kuster wrote to Lydia on the 15th when we first saw each other he shed tears and threw his arms around my neck and we talked of old times and asked each other hundreds of questions about classmates on opposing sides of the conflict I carried his meals to him gave him stockings of which he stood in need and some money this he did not want to take but I forced it on him he burst into tears and said it was more than he could stand his last words to me were God bless you old boy the bystanders looked with surprise when we were talking and afterwards asked if the prisoner were my brother Lee overcome with gratitude wrote in kuster's journal Williamsburg 5662 if ever Lieutenant kuster USA should be taken prisoner I want him treated as well as he has treated me Lee's wound would change his life in a 1930 interview Williamsburg resident Zachary goodwitch dery 14 years old at the time of the battle recalled there wasn't a hospital or anything of the kind here to take care of the Wounded the Confederate and the Yankees were all down in a barn and my father went down he heard that men were suffering offering there and he took his Carriage down and asked if he could bring up some of the wounded soldiers to his house his father was the well-to-do colonel Goodrich dery supporter of the Confederacy who owned a house in Williamsburg called Basset Hall named after a previous owner Burwell Basset nephew of Martha Washington and one of the soldiers he brought back to his home to recover was Captain Lee there he would be cared for by the Colonel's 17-year-old daughter Margaret a friend of the dery named Harriet Cary described Lee and another officer taken there spent the rest of the day at Colonel D's where there are two of our wounded very interesting gentlemen captain Lee and Lieutenant Hayes both doing quite well the former the happiest soul I ever saw and that happiness had everything to do with Margaret dery Hudson wrote by the end of the month Lee was able to get around on crutches and within the next two months having secured the permission of her father he and margarate announced their engagement meanwhile Lieutenant ker had returned to his duties in may he enountered another Confederate friend from West Point Lieutenant James Barrel Washington George Washington's great grand nephew and an aid to Camp to General Johnston who had been captured at the May 31st Battle of seven pines when the two met they talked for several hours and kuster had their picture taken in June The Dashing Lieutenant kuster was promoted to the rank of Captain in August he would see gimlet Lee again the website emerging Civil War explains when the army of the pomac withdrew back through Williamsburg following the seven days battles kuster now a brever captain serving on George mullen's staff sought for and received permission to locate gimlet Lee kuster found him a prisoner on parole at Basset Hall after visiting for an evening kuster returned to camp and received permission to visit Lee again when he arrived again at Basset Hall Lee informed kuster that he was to be married to Margaret and requested that kuster join the wedding party as groomsman the Chicago Tribune writes the couple decided to move their marriage up by a week and marry the next evening with kuster standing up as Lee's best man Margaret's cousin Maggie was the bridesmaid kuster said of them I never saw two prettier girls kuster described the ceremony in a letter to Lydia Lee was dressed in a bright new Rebel uniform trimmed with gold lace I wore my full uniform of blue the minister arrived at 9: and we took our places on the floor Lee made the responses in a clear and distinct tone the Bride made no response whatever except to the first question she was evidently confused though she after said laughing that she neglected to respond purposely so as to be free from any obligations when Lee noticed that the bridesmaid was crying he suggested it was because she wasn't married and then suggested that she marry George right there on the spot he said George would be happy to carry such a pretty bride away from the Confederacy she responded according to kuster while captain Lee you are just as mean as can be George obtained permission for leave spent another 2 weeks at the house he wrote Lydia that he never had a more pleasant visit among strangers they played cards Lee winning every time Maggie tried apparently to rib AE by playing Confederate Tunes but even the tune Dixie didn't seem to disturb him in September he wrote Lydia the approach of the Rebel Army to Williamsburg and the departure of our army rendered a longer State dangerous in more ways than one Lee has been exchanged is now back again with the rebel forces fighting for what he supposes to be right William gimlet Lee would be wounded two more times during the Civil War in May 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville and then in the September 1864 third battle of Winchester he ended the war a colonel in command of the fifth North Carolina infantry in April 1865 he was an acting Brigade Commander at the Battle of atics Courthouse George was there too by then a reverent Major General the youngest in the history of the United States Army Hudson writes that gimlet joined AE in his tent for for dinner the night of April 9th after Robert El surrender and they talked of old times after the war John Willis Lee became an Episcopal priest and he and Margaret raised six children Margaret passed away in 1883 and Lee passed away in 1884 from blood poisoning at the age of 45 George kuster would have his own Love Story Maring Elizabeth Clift bacon in February 1864 he died in combat fighting the SU in the June 25th 1876 Battle of the greasy grass among his effects Left Behind was his incomplete memir leaving unfinished his personal description of the battle of Williamsburg on July 21st 1861 forces of the union and the Confederacy met in the first major battle of the United States Civil War called The Battle of Bull Run in the North North and the Battle of Manasses in the South the battle dashed early Union hopes of a quick victory over the Confederacy but mostly what the battle did was illustrate to both sides that the war would be long expensive and bloody much less remembered as the second major battle of the United States Civil War the Battle of Wilson's Creek was notable for several reasons but like the Battle of Bull Run fought just 20 days before it would illustrate to both sides that the war would be far more costly than anyone had imagined the August 10th 1861 Battle of Wilson's Creek deserves to be remembered Missouri received surprisingly scant attention in the general study of the Civil War it shouldn't Missouri was more than just a divided border state Missouri had been admitted as a slave state under the Missouri Compromise in 1821 a decision partly related to the early French Colonial history in the area but also largely to migration following the Louisiana Purchase in 1903 the state had become in many ways the epicenter of the debate between abolition and and slavery with the murder of abolitionist publisher Elijah Lovejoy in 1837 and the central role the state played in The Landmark court case Dread Scott versus Sanford which among other important rulings struck down the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional by the outbreak of the Civil War the demographics of Missouri had changed substantially slavery was still an important part of the state's economy and slaves represented nearly 10% of the state's population but slavery was mostly restricted to The More Southern and Rural parts of the state there was a notable abolitionist sentiment that was growing mostly among the newly arrived Irish and German immigrants but the largest sentiment was one common to Border States to stay out of the war on January 21st 1861 the legislature passed an act calling for a State Convention to consider relations between the government of the United States and the government and people of the state of Missouri and to adopt such measures for vindicating the sovereignty of the state and the protection of its institutions as shall appear to them to be demanded the ACT stated that delegates to the convention would be elected by popular vote on February 18th 1861 and were to convene in Jefferson City on February 28th 1861 the purpose of the convention was simply to consider whether to secede from the union but the majority elected supported the union and secession was rejected by an overwhelming vote Missouri was the only state during the US Civil War to call upon a convention to consider secession without actually following through with secession rather the convention preferred a different stance remain in the Union Ain slavery in the state reject violence from both sides and refuse to provide arms soldiers or material support to either but both the union and the Confederacy understood that the Mississippi River would be important strategically making the large city of St Louis on the Mississippi River a critical military objective and the people of the state were deeply divided like other Border States during the war Missouri would find out that staying out of the war was impossible Central to the state's position at the time was governor Clairborne Fox Jackson Jackson had run in the fall of 1860 as a Douglas Democrat Steven Arnold Douglas had run in the 1860 presidential election as a Democrat who supported popular sovereignty the idea that each state should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery within their borders Douglas's position was essentially to prevent secession by the south by guaranteeing that the federal government would not involve itself in the issue of slavery his message failed nationally of the four presidential candidates in 1860 to win electoral votes he earned the least but his message resonated in Missouri the only state he won in 1860 to many the election of Abraham Lincoln essentially guaranteed secession in Civil War but Jackson elected on a ticket seen as one trying to prevent war was sympathetic to the cause of the Confederacy and hoped to go the state into secession when the Missouri convention refused secession he began Communications with the president of the Confederacy with a plan to seize St Louis and most importantly the federal Armory there and hand the state to the Confederacy Jackson started raising units of the state militia a right guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution ostensibly the purpose of the militia was to protect Missouri's neutrality and protect the state from incursions by both Federal forces and Confederate forces but in reality Jackson had appointed Confederate sympathizers to command in the militia and intended to use the militia to seize the city of St Louis Jackson had units of the state militia form around St Louis to tr secretly had negotiated with the Confederacy to provide the militia with heavy artillery needed to breach the thick walls of the federal Arsenal but the plan was derailed by commander of Union forces in St Louis Captain Nathaniel lion by some accounts lion suspecting the militia's purpose spied on them dressed as a farm woman having discovered the artillery he l a force of pro-union militia and US regulars and captured the camp surrounding them and forcing them to surrender lion marched the captured and disarm men through the city to the Arsenal where he planed to parole them in ordered them to disperse but a crowd of pro Confederate citizens became Rowdy and eventually started throwing objects at the union militia eventually the conflict escalated by some accounts a drunk man fired into the Union troops but other accounts say that the militia fired without provocation but in the end 28 civilians were killed and another 75 wounded in the Camp Jackson affair while Lion's action had saved the Arsenal and possibly the state from Confederate capture and also raised the state's ey in May the legislature passed the military bill the bill reorganized the state militia into the Missouri State guard and g governor Jackson wide power as commander of the Guard the guard was placed under the field command of former Missouri governor Sterling price and was supposed to defend Missouri territory from incursion by forces of the Union or Confederacy especially an anticipated Invasion by federal forces the law also forbade the creation of other militias within the state to prevent the recruiting of pro-union militia like those that have been involved in the Camp Jackson Affair fearing that Missouri would side to to the Confederacy briger General William horie commander of the US Army Department of the West negotiated an agreement that said essentially that the US Army would state in St Louis and the Missouri State guard would control the rest of the state but the so-called price hary truce could not last Jackson Who theoretically swore allegiance to the union and was governor of a state that had rejected secession openly allowed recruiting for the Confederate Army did not stop abuses against Union supporters Harney was called back to Washington and lion was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the Department of the West Minor battles were fought between the Missouri State guard and federal troops in June in July well little more than skirmishes the battles of Booneville and Carthage were unique these were not fought between the union and the Confederacy but between the union and the Missouri State guard officially under the authority of a state that had specifically rejected secession Jackson himself commanded the Missouri State guard at Carthage a sitting Governor had not commanded troops in battle in the United States since the war War of 1812 these small engagements represented a unique War within a war this was not a fight between the union and the Confederacy but a fight between federal troops and Missouri State guard task with protecting Missouri's neutrality but in reality Jackson and price weren't neutral at all not only were they Confederate sympathizers they were negotiating with the Confederacy to facilitate an invasion of Missouri but the legislator had finally had enough meeting again in July they once again voted against secession but also declared the governor's office vacant in essence exiling Jackson Hamilton gamble who had been Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court during The Dread Scott case was appointed Governor by the end of July Jackson had convinced the Confederate Army to invade Missouri and Missouri State guard camped near the southwestern Missouri Town of Springfield the mixed Missouri Arkansas and Confederate Force numbered some 12,000 nearby lion was camped with some 5,400 federals realizing that he was outnumbered more than 2 to one l plant to retreat to the city of rala some 100 miles away to await reinforcements the Confederate Force now the commander of Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin McCulla planned an attack for November 10th but the rain on the night of the 9th compelled them to call off the attack but lion surprised them in the morning with an attack intended to delay any pursuit of his Retreat to Raa the attack came on a Confederate Camp along a small stream called Wilson's Creek it was the first major battle of the US Civil War West of the Mississippi the federal plan was a surprise attack lion would attack the Confederate camp at dawn but he had detached some 12200 men under Colonel France seagull to do a flanking maneuver it was a risky plan as it meant splitting a federal Force already outnumbered by the enemy the two forces would be separated with no clear line of communication in theory the federal forces although outnumbered were better trained and equipped than the Confederate Force at first the federal plan succeeded in the confusion of their canceled attack the previous night the Confederates had neglected Ed to put out pickets and were caught by surprise lion quickly overran the camp taking The High Ground of what would be called bloody Hill but a battery of artillery from the Arkansas militia managed to check the federal Advance allowing price to organize the Missouri State guard and prevent a route price attempted to retake the hill in a series of frontal attacks each repulsed with heavy losses seagull's attack also had initial success surprising and routing the Confederate Cavalry in their camp but his force was taken by surprise the Union force included an Iowa Infantry Regiment that wore gray uniforms when seagull saw a force approaching he assumed it was the first Iowa but the men were in fact Confederates of the thirdd Louisiana seagull's troops held fire until the force was almost upon them and seagull's flank collapsed seagull's force was forced to withdraw and disarray the main Union force on Bloody Hill was now on its own lion who had been wounded twice in the heavy fighting tried to lead a counter attack but was shot through the heart he was the first Union general officer to be killed in combat in the civil War while they still held a defensible position major Samuel D Sturgis now in command realized that his troops were running short of ammunition and decided to withdraw after a 6 and 1 half hour battle the Confederates held the field the Battle of Wilson's Creek was notable for a couple of reasons it was only the second major battle of the war and the first to be fought west of the Mississippi River like bull Ron the defeat shocked the union and like B Ron the defeat Illustrated to both sides that the war would not be easily won despite holding the field the Confederate Army had taken nearly as many casualties as the Union Army had and short on Supply especially ammunition and not having faith in the training of the Missouri State guard the Confederates were unable to follow up the union Retreat to rala the victory essentially seated Southwest Missouri to the Confederacy and it facilitated a victory as far north as Lexington Missouri but further defeats in October compelled both the Confederate Army and Sterling Price's Missouri State guard to abandon the state and a defeat at the Arkansas Battle of P Ridge the following March essentially dashed any Confederate hopes of retaking Missouri Jackson convinced a small group of pro Confederate delegates to pass an ordinance of secession in October but the group was never recognized by the majority of the state the secession government applied for and on November 28th 1861 was granted admission to the Confederacy as they purported 12 state of The Southern federal republic the government in Exile sent legislators to the Congress of the Confederate States and Missouri was represented by the 12 star on the Confederate flag Jackson himself died of pneumonia in December 1862 but Missouri remained contested throughout the war and not just by armies but of the particularly bloody and vicious attacks by and reprisals against The Irregular forces called Missouri Bushwhackers counting small actions there were more than 1,00 separate engagements inside the borders of the state of Missouri during the Civil War I hope you enjoyed this episode of the history guy short Snippets of gotten history between 10 and 15 minutes long and if you did enjoy please go ahead and click that Thumbs Up Button if you have any questions or comments or suggestions for future episodes please write those in the comment section I will be happy to personally respond be sure to follow the history guy on Facebook Instagram Twitter and check out our merchandise on teespring.com and if you'd like more episodes on forgotten history all you need to do is [Music] subscribe

Channel: The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

Views: 62,322

Keywords: history, history guy, the history guy

Id: Ni7vMG6J4mQ

Length: 53min 26sec (3206 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 08 2024