150 Years Ago in the Civil War 29 OCT 1863 CS President Jefferson Davis is in Atlanta, GA, trying to bolster the resolve of the citizens there, as well. This year has not gone well for the Confederacy, and in a few months, US Gen William Tecumseh Sherman will bring Atlanta an entirely different message. The shelling of Fort Sumter continues with another 2700 rounds fired into the works. This claims another 33 Confederate lives, but they still refuse to yield. CS Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest, the self-taught cavalry genius, hopes he has feuded with his commander, CS Gen Braxton Bragg, for the last time. He has convinced CS President Davis to give him an independent command, answering to Davis directly. He is assigned to northern Mississppi. In a rare nighttime attack, CS Gen Micah Jenkins and his troops attack the new Union supply line that is being formed. US Gen John Geary was forewarned, and although the woods are so dark that the Union troops only know what to shoot at when they see the muzzle flash from a Confederate shot, they repel numerous attacks and the Rebels finally fall back, leaving the flow of food & ammunition into Chattanooga, TN, unhindered. Both sides lose about 400 in dead, wounded & missing. In a personal note, I was able to visit the Chickamauga battlefield this last weekend. It always moves me to stand on the ground where these battles took place and envision the flow of troops around me, and the noise, and the carnage. I stood where US Gen William Rosecrans mistakenly opened a hole in his line, trying to plug an opening that didnt exist, and in exactly the spot that CS Gen James Longstreet had ordered his charge. As they plunged thru, on their left was US Gen Wilders brigade, armed with seven shot Spencer repeating rifles. These guns could deliver 15 shots a minute, compared to the Confederate muskets three. Wilder wanted to have the greatest effect on the enemy, so he had his men rise above their hastily constructed barricades, deliver a 1 shot volley, drop back down, and wait 20 seconds before standing for the next volley. As the Confederates did not suspect the superior fire power, they charged straight in until within 100 yards before the Union command to, Fire at will! was given. On the Confederate left, an Indiana artillery battery set up with their guns loaded with canister and double cannister, basically a small bucket on golf ball sized iron balls, turning the cannon into large shot guns. They also waited until the enemy was very close. As the firing started, 800 men of a Georgia Regiment were in the killing field, and 5 minutes later, 500 of them were dead. I also visited the monument to the 8th Kansas Infantry. Before the battle, they had been reduced from their original number of 1000 to 400. After the first days fighting, there were less than 200 left. And yet they fell back to US Gen George Thomas position and continued the fight. Where did these men, on both sides, find the courage to fight after this type of slaughter? And repeat it battle after battle?
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 12:42:47 +0000
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