Civil War Battles - Virginia & Pennsylvania

[giradman]

I've found the movie. It's called Ironclads. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironclads_(film)

Well, I went to Amazon and don't believe that I've seen that film (made in the early 1990s) - not available for streaming and only on VHS (no longer even have a VCR - I'm all DVDs & BDs) - but there are a number of YouTube offerings including the one below probably from that film - just 8 minutes but the battle scene between the two ships. Dave

 

[giradman]

Petersburg Siege & Pamplin Historical Park - Part 1

Boy, already on page 2 of this thread and have not even started my intended travelogue, but some great posts and questions about other aspects of the Civil War.

The Petersburg Siege which lasted 9 months was the end of a series of battles between Lee & Grant, who was brought east by Lincoln and made a Lieutenant General (Washington was the last to hold that rank!) and head of the Union Army. The size of this engagement was amazing, extending from around Petersburg to the west for nearly 30 miles - an introduction quoted below (Source) - more on the siege in the next post.

A must stop (off I-85 before reaching the town of Petersburg) is the Pamplin Historical Park (click the name) - a map of the grounds is included - we watched the film, visited the grounds, and saw the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier (well done!) - did not do the 'Breakthrough Trail' (maybe on a future visit) - the latter was the point on April 2, 1865 where the Union Army broke through the Confederate lines; General AP Hill was killed and Lee decided to retreat from Petersburg and headed west toward Appomattox Court House, where he surrendered to Grant a week later.

Below are some pics (about half are mine & others found on the web) - obviously, I will not be going in chronologic order - the Civil War started in Charleston harbor on April 12, 1861 and effectively ended four years later w/ Lee's surrender mentioned previously. The new estimate as to the number of soldier deaths for the entire war is 750,000 (the number of civilian deaths is unknown) - this represented about 2.5% of the United States population @ the time - today, that number would equate to 7,500,000 people! Dave

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865,[3] during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a classic military siege, in which a city is usually surrounded and all supply lines are cut off, nor was it strictly limited to actions against Petersburg. The campaign consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which Union forces commanded by Lt. Gen.Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully and then constructed trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles (48 km) from the eastern outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, to around the eastern and southern outskirts of Petersburg. Petersburg was crucial to the supply of ConfederateGen.Robert E. Lee's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the railroad supply lines through Petersburg to Richmond, and many of these caused the lengthening of the trench lines, overloading dwindling Confederate resources.

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[scifan57]

Well, I went to Amazon and don't believe that I've seen that film (made in the early 1990s) - not available for streaming and only on VHS (no longer even have a VCR - I'm all DVDs & BDs) - but there are a number of YouTube offerings including the one below probably from that film - just 8 minutes but the battle scene between the two ships. Dave

I've got it on 12" Laserdisc. I haven't watched it in over 10 years, though. You're right about the YouTube clip, it is from Ironclads.

 

[scifan57]

Petersburg Siege & Pamplin Historical Park - Part 1

Boy, already on page 2 of this thread and have not even started my intended travelogue, but some great posts and questions about other aspects of the Civil War.

The Petersburg Siege which lasted 9 months was the end of a series of battles between Lee & Grant, who was brought east by Lincoln and made a Lieutenant General (Washington was the last to hold that rank!) and head of the Union Army. The size of this engagement was amazing, extending from around Petersburg to the west for nearly 30 miles - an introduction quoted below (Source) - more on the siege in the next post.

A must stop (off I-85 before reaching the town of Petersburg) is the Pamplin Historical Park (click the name) - a map of the grounds is included - we watched the film, visited the grounds, and saw the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier (well done!) - did not do the 'Breakthrough Trail' (maybe on a future visit) - the latter was the point on April 2, 1865 where the Union Army broke through the Confederate lines; General AP Hill was killed and Lee decided to retreat from Petersburg and headed west toward Appomattox Court House, where he surrendered to Grant a week later.

Below are some pics (about half are mine & others found on the web) - obviously, I will not be going in chronologic order - the Civil War started in Charleston harbor on April 12, 1861 and effectively ended four years later w/ Lee's surrender mentioned previously. The new estimate as to the number of soldier deaths for the entire war is 750,000 (the number of civilian deaths is unknown) - this represented about 2.5% of the United States population @ the time - today, that number would equate to 7,500,000 people! Dave



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Another impressive post. It's amazing that the Confederacy was able to put up that much resistance that close to the end of the war.

 

[giradman]

I've got it on 12" Laserdisc. I haven't watched it in over 10 years, though. You're right about the YouTube clip, it is from Ironclads.

I would like to see the film or more interesting a new production on the ironclads or the Hunley w/ some great CGI - we were @ the Shiloh Battlefield in Tennessee last year (believe in one of my travelogues) and the CGI of the ironclads coming into Pittsburgh Landing was pretty believable (a newly made video).

Another impressive post. It's amazing that the Confederacy was able to put up that much resistance that close to the end of the war.

Thanks again - Robert E. Lee was a mythical character by then and I cannot imagine how long this war would have lasted w/o him? Lincoln offered him overall command of the Union Army before Virginia decided to secede, and he went w/ his state - had he accepted the offer, what might have happened? Other Virginians stuck w/ the Union, such as the great General George Thomas (the Rock of Chickamauga), whose family never spoke w/ him after the war!

Today, just received the Teaching Company's package on Lee & His High Command - Susan was saturated from our recent trip (she loved the hotels, food, and the Newseum in D.C.), so need some of you guys here to watch this 12-hour 4 DVD set - I've got beer, wine, cheese, & popcorn! Dave

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[scifan57]

Oysters too?

 

[giradman]

Oysters too?

OH MY! Only if I could make that promise - we do have a few places in Winston-Salem offering shucked oysters, including the one below but we never have high expectations, BUT often tasty - Dave
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[giradman]

Petersburg Siege - Part 2

After Grant's victory in Chattanooga, TN, Abraham Lincoln brought him east to Washington, D.C. and he was promoted to Lieutenant General - beginning in May 1864, Grant affronted Lee on multiple battles that extended southeast from the Wilderness, through Spotsylvania & Cold Harbor, to finally the 9+ month siege of Petersburg, the topic of this post - first pic below shows these battles and the final movement of Lee to Appomattox Court House where the Civil War ended in April of 1865, so nearly a year of fighting between these two great generals w/ much centered around the siege of Petersburg.

The Petersburg Campaign was prolonged and the battlefield extended over nearly 30 miles from Petersburg to the west near the Pamplin Historical Site discussed in the previous post - Grant's headquarters was at City Point on the James River (off the second map to the upper right corner). The official Petersburg National Battlefield is shown in the next map and is a small representation of the geographic extent of this siege - the Visitor's Center is small w/ a short but good movie (note on the map of the restaurant that we had an excellent dinner in the old historic area of downtown Petersburg - recommended in you are there).

Petersburg was indeed a LONG siege w/ earthworks, trenches, wood spikes, etc. - this really was a prelude to the trench warfare of WW I - the following pics below emphasize this type of warfare w/ a photo of the huge mortar called 'The Dictator' - a couple of stereoscopic images added for those that can cross their eyes to merge the images; at the Pamplin Historical Site, there was a stereoscopic exhibit (w/ colored glasses) that showed numerous 3-D pics of the scenes around Petersburg - pretty amazing views!

Finally, one of the most famous and unfortunate episodes occurred early in the siege, i.e. the Battle of the Crater - second quote below (Source) - the last pics below show a plaque & the reconstructed entrance to the tunnel - we did the Siege Road drive through the park and stopped at a number of places, including the remains of the crater, now not as impressive and covered w/ tall grass - reading the description of the event is much more dramatic - ALSO, this battle was in the start of the film 'Cold Harbor' - next onto Manassas! Dave

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865,[3] during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a classic military siege, in which a city is usually surrounded and all supply lines are cut off, nor was it strictly limited to actions against Petersburg. The campaign consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which Union forces commanded by Lt. Gen.Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully and then constructed trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles (48 km) from the eastern outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, to around the eastern and southern outskirts of Petersburg. Petersburg was crucial to the supply of ConfederateGen.Robert E. Lee's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the railroad supply lines through Petersburg to Richmond, and many of these caused the lengthening of the trench lines, overloading dwindling Confederate resources.

After weeks of preparation, on July 30 the Federals exploded a mine in Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside'sIX Corpssector, blowing a gap in the Confederate defenses of Petersburg, Virginia. From this propitious beginning, everything deteriorated rapidly for the Union attackers. Unit after unit charged into and around the crater, where soldiers milled in confusion. Grant considered the assault "the saddest affair I have witnessed in the war." The Confederates quickly recovered and launched several counterattacks led by Brig. Gen. William Mahone. The breach was sealed off, and the Federals were repulsed with severe casualties. Brig. Gen.Edward Ferrero's division of black soldiers was badly mauled. This may have been Grant's best chance to end the Siege of Petersburg. Instead, the soldiers settled in for another eight months of trench warfare. Burnside was relieved of command for the last time for his role in the debacle, and he was never again returned to command.

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[scifan57]

Petersburg Siege - Part 2

After Grant's victory in Chattanooga, TN, Abraham Lincoln brought him east to Washington, D.C. and he was promoted to Lieutenant General - beginning in May 1864, Grant affronted Lee on multiple battles that extended southeast from the Wilderness, through Spotsylvania & Cold Harbor, to finally the 9+ month siege of Petersburg, the topic of this post - first pic below shows these battles and the final movement of Lee to Appomattox Court House where the Civil War ended in April of 1865, so nearly a year of fighting between these two great generals w/ much centered around the siege of Petersburg.

The Petersburg Campaign was prolonged and the battlefield extended over nearly 30 miles from Petersburg to the west near the Pamplin Historical Site discussed in the previous post - Grant's headquarters was at City Point on the James River (off the second map to the upper right corner). The official Petersburg National Battlefield is shown in the next map and is a small representation of the geographic extent of this siege - the Visitor's Center is small w/ a short but good movie (note on the map of the restaurant that we had an excellent dinner in the old historic area of downtown Petersburg - recommended in you are there).

Petersburg was indeed a LONG siege w/ earthworks, trenches, wood spikes, etc. - this really was a prelude to the trench warfare of WW I - the following pics below emphasize this type of warfare w/ a photo of the huge mortar called 'The Dictator' - a couple of stereoscopic images added for those that can cross their eyes to merge the images; at the Pamplin Historical Site, there was a stereoscopic exhibit (w/ colored glasses) that showed numerous 3-D pics of the scenes around Petersburg - pretty amazing views!

Finally, one of the most famous and unfortunate episodes occurred early in the siege, i.e. the Battle of the Crater - second quote below (Source) - the last pics below show a plaque & the reconstructed entrance to the tunnel - we did the Siege Road drive through the park and stopped at a number of places, including the remains of the crater, now not as impressive and covered w/ tall grass - reading the description of the event is much more dramatic - ALSO, this battle was in the start of the film 'Cold Harbor' - next onto Manassas! Dave





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Amazing how similar the battles here were to World War I, with the trenches and most importantly, the use of mines; all of it 50 years and more before the fighting in Europe began. Here it lasted for months. In World War I it lasted over 4 years, with a casualty rate even more deadly. I'm sure that some of the generals in the First World War looked back on the later stages of the civil war for ideas.

 

[scifan57]

Here are some Civil War battle maps of the siege of Petersburg and a sketch of Union tunnellers. Finally, a map of the trenches surrounding Petersburg.

Here are some more maps showing the battle of the crater and a photo of the entrance of the mine tunnel.

 

[giradman]

Hi Scifan.. - thanks for adding the extra maps - there are so many images from this siege that could fill numerous posts - as mentioned, there is a wonderful 3-D stereoscopic exhibit @ the Pamplin Historical Park of numerous dual images of the Petersburg trenches and earth works, also showing the devastation around the area - indeed, a 'no-man's land' foreseeing what was to come in WW I - somewhat eerie.

There were so many 'new' appearances of weapons, iron ships, etc. in the Civil War - another was the Gatling gun (below) which was invented in the early 1860s and was the precursor of the machine gun - so all that was needed to forecast what appeared in the Great War was the invention of tanks & airplanes which required engines running on fuel, treads, rubber wheels, etc.

Concerning sieges in the Civil War, the only other prolonged one that I've visited years ago now is the Vicksburg Siege, another campaign under the charge of U.S. Grant - the pictures from that event are also appalling; in particular, the citizens digging and living in the bluffs of the Mississippi River offer chilling stories. Dave
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[scifan57]

Hi Scifan.. - thanks for adding the extra maps - there are so many images from this siege that could fill numerous posts - as mentioned, there is a wonderful 3-D stereoscopic exhibit @ the Pamplin Historical Park of numerous dual images of the Petersburg trenches and earth works, also showing the devastation around the area - indeed, a 'no-man's land' foreseeing what was to come in WW I - somewhat eerie.

There were so many 'new' appearances of weapons, iron ships, etc. in the Civil War - another was the Gatling gun (below) which was invented in the early 1860s and was the precursor of the machine gun - so all that was needed to forecast what appeared in the Great War was the invention of tanks & airplanes which required engines running on fuel, treads, rubber wheels, etc.

Concerning sieges in the Civil War, the only other prolonged one that I've visited years ago now is the Vicksburg Siege, another campaign under the charge of U.S. Grant - the pictures from that event are also appalling; in particular, the citizens digging and living in the bluffs of the Mississippi River offer chilling stories. Dave
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The Gatling gun was the first practical machine gun and it's modern incarnations are still in use today, mostly in anti-missile defence.

 

[giradman]

Manassas or Bull Run Battles - Part 1

For the second day of our trip, we left Petersburg heading north on I-95 until the HW 234 exit which took us into the Manassas National Battlefield Park (see first map below) - about a 2 hr drive. This area was the site of two battles, first in July 1861 and the second in August 1862, both Confederate victories. This is a large park w/ a Visitor's Center located on Henry Hill - the film is well done, a small museum is inside, and walking tours w/ National Park guides are given which cover the first battle; in another location of the park, a guide discusses the second battle.

Some battles in the Civil War had different names, i.e. the South would often use a local town or a landmark, thus the battles here were called Manassas, while the Union would typically pick a nearby river or stream, hence the battles of Bull Run (another good example in Maryland is the battle of Sharpsburg, a town or Antietam, a river - September 1862 and Lee's first invasion into the north after the success of Second Manassas) - quoted below is a brief description of First Manassas (Source). The battle involved many 'smaller fights' over a large area and ended on Henry Hill the current site of the Visitor's Center (see 2nd map w/ the black arrow added). This is where the former VMI professor and West Point graduate, Thomas Jonathan Jackson held his ground firmly and acquired the nickname 'Stonewall Jackson.' (a statue of him on horseback is shown below along w/ a portrait).

Henry Hill was a farm and belonged to an invalid widow who was in her bedroom during the fighting - southern snipers were firing from the house and a number of Union cannonballs destroyed the structure and killed Mrs. Henry (one of the early civilian casualties of the war). In June of 1865, a memorial was constructed to honor this first major battle of the Civil war - the remaining pictures below show the monument w/o the house (B&W photo) - a reconstructed 2-story (original was one story) house was built on the original location - Mrs. Henry is buried in a small family cemetery near the 'new' house.

The casualties in this battle were 'light' compared to the many much more bloody encounters that followed - see second quote below (Source); however, both nations were SHOCKED at the deaths & injuries - many felt this would be a short war w/ one or two battles only - after First Manassas and then Shiloh (April 1862 - 23,741 casualties - 13,047 Union and 10,694 Confederate), the country knew that this would be a prolonged bloodbath! Dave

P.S. 'Casulties' in these battles mean killed, wounded, or missing in action.

This was the first major land battle of the armies in Virginia. On July 16, 1861, the untried Union army under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell marched from Washington against the equally green Confederate army, which was arrayed behind Bull Run beyond Centreville. On the 21st, McDowell crossed at Sudley Ford and attacked the Confederate left flank on Matthews Hill. Fighting raged throughout the day as Confederate forces were driven back to Henry Hill. Late in the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements (one brigade arriving by rail from the Shenandoah Valley) extended and broke the Union right flank. The Federal retreat rapidly deteriorated into a rout. Although victorious, Confederate forces were too disorganized to pursue. Confederate Gen. Bee and Col. Bartow were killed. Thomas J. Jackson earned the nom de guerre “Stonewall.” By July 22, the shattered Union army reached the safety of Washington. This battle convinced the Lincoln administration that the war would be a long and costly affair. McDowell was relieved of command of the Union army and replaced by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, who set about reorganizing and training the troops.

Union Casualties at First Bull Run (approximate)
McDowell's 28,400 men suffered 480 killed, 1,000 wounded, and 1,200 missing, for a total loss of 2,680 casualties, approximately 9.5 percent.

Confederate Casualties at First Bull Run (approximate)
Beauregard and Johnston's combined force of 30,800 had 390 killed, 1,600 wounded, and about a dozen missing, a total of approximately 2,000 or about 6.5 percent.

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[scifan57]

Manassas or Bull Run Battles - Part 1

For the second day of our trip, we left Petersburg heading north on I-95 until the HW 234 exit which took us into the Manassas National Battlefield Park (see first map below) - about a 2 hr drive. This area was the site of two battles, first in July 1861 and the second in August 1862, both Confederate victories. This is a large park w/ a Visitor's Center located on Henry Hill - the film is well done, a small museum is inside, and walking tours w/ National Park guides are given which cover the first battle; in another location of the park, a guide discusses the second battle.

Some battles in the Civil War had different names, i.e. the South would often use a local town or a landmark, thus the battles here were called Manassas, while the Union would typically pick a nearby river or stream, hence the battles of Bull Run (another good example in Maryland is the battle of Sharpsburg, a town or Antietam, a river - September 1862 and Lee's first invasion into the north after the success of Second Manassas) - quoted below is a brief description of First Manassas (Source). The battle involved many 'smaller fights' over a large area and ended on Henry Hill the current site of the Visitor's Center (see 2nd map w/ the black arrow added). This is where the former VMI professor and West Point graduate, Thomas Jonathan Jackson held his ground firmly and acquired the nickname 'Stonewall Jackson.' (a statue of him on horseback is shown below along w/ a portrait).

Henry Hill was a farm and belonged to an invalid widow who was in her bedroom during the fighting - southern snipers were firing from the house and a number of Union cannonballs destroyed the structure and killed Mrs. Henry (one of the early civilian casualties of the war). In June of 1865, a memorial was constructed to honor this first major battle of the Civil war - the remaining pictures below show the monument w/o the house (B&W photo) - a reconstructed 2-story (original was one story) house was built on the original location - Mrs. Henry is buried in a small family cemetery near the 'new' house.

The casualties in this battle were 'light' compared to the many much more bloody encounters that followed - see second quote below (Source); however, both nations were SHOCKED at the deaths & injuries - many felt this would be a short war w/ one or two battles only - after First Manassas and then Shiloh (April 1862 - 23,741 casualties - 13,047 Union and 10,694 Confederate), the country knew that this would be a prolonged bloodbath! Dave

P.S. 'Casulties' in these battles mean killed, wounded, or missing in action.




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Very informative and interesting. I learn things I never knew before whenever I read your posts. Keep up the good work.

 

[giradman]

Manassas or Bull Run - Part 2

Second Manassas occurred just over a year later in August 1862 and much had happened in that time: 1) George McCellan's Peninsular Campaign to capture Richmond was initiated in the spring of that year, occupied a number of months, led to a string of small and larger battles, and eventually failed; 2) Joseph E. Johnston (a Southern hero at First Manassas) and field general in charge of the rebel army was severely wounded at the end of May, and Robert E. Lee was put in command and renamed his force the 'Army of Northern Virginia'; and 3) Shiloh, a 2-day battle in southern Tennessee occurred in April w/ SHOCKING casualties to the nations but a victory for U.S. Grant and the Union.

After pushing McCellan off the peninsula (i.e. the one between the York & James Rivers), Lee was supremely confidant and headed north w/ two of his best generals, i.e. Stonewall Jackson & James Longstreet. Robert E. Lee and John Pope were the respective generals in charge for the south and the federals. Quoted below is a brief summary of the battle (Source - click the link for more details, if interested). As in First Manassas, there were many 'little & larger fights' - the Stone House (see arrow on map & several photos) became part of the battle toward the end and served as a hospital. With the combined assault of Jackson & Longstreet, the Union army was driven back toward Bull Run, in part crossing the stream at the Stone Bridge (see other arrow on the map and a pic below of the 'new' stone bridge) - we parked in that area, crossed the bridge and I took a mile walk along a path that followed the water (last image below my own) - the steepness of the banks can be appreciated, one reason for choosing this site for battle back in July of 1861.

As to casualties, the total was over 22,000 - see second quote below for a breakdown between the two armies (Source) - the war had changed since the first encounter on these grounds - future battles until the end would see similar if not larger numbers. Lee's victory here gave him further confidence, and his next move was to invade the north which in September of 1862 resulted in the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, Maryland) - the BLOODIEST single day in American history (over 22,000 casualties in one morning & afternoon of fighting!). Dave

In order to draw Pope’s army into battle, Jackson ordered an attack on a Federal column that was passing across his front on the Warrenton Turnpike on August 28. The fighting at Brawner Farm lasted several hours and resulted in a stalemate. Pope became convinced that he had trapped Jackson and concentrated the bulk of his army against him. On August 29, Pope launched a series of assaults against Jackson’s position along an unfinished railroad grade. The attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. At noon, Longstreet arrived on the field from Thoroughfare Gap and took position on Jackson’s right flank. On August 30, Pope renewed his attacks, seemingly unaware that Longstreet was on the field. When massed Confederate artillery devastated a Union assault by Fitz John Porter’s command, Longstreet’s wing of 28,000 men counterattacked in the largest, simultaneous mass assault of the war. The Union left flank was crushed and the army driven back to Bull Run. Only an effective Union rearguard action prevented a replay of the First Manassas disaster.

Dates: August 28 – 30, 1862
Generals: Union: Major General John Pope | Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
Soldiers Engaged: Union: 62,000 | Confederate: 50,000
Outcome: Confederate Victory
Casualties: Union: 14,000 | Confederate: 8,000

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