Leading His Brigade When Killed

Union Colonel Sylvester Gardner Hill was killed in action December 15^th 1864 during the Battle of Nashville.

Sylvester Gardner Hill was born June 10^th 1820 in North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island.  He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1840’s working in the lumber business.  When gold was found in California, Hill caught the fever and traveled there, but finding no profit hunting for gold, he moved back east to Muscatine, Iowa.

When the Civil War started, Hill helped to raise the 35^th Iowa Infantry.  He was appointed Colonel of the regiment on September 18^th 1862.  They started out doing garrison duty in Illinois and Kentucky before joining the Union Army of the Tennessee at Vicksburg.  As the Union forces put Vicksburg under siege, Hill was placed in command of the 3^rd Brigade of the 1^st Division in the XVI Corps.  Hill was wounded at the Battles of Pleasant Hill and Yellow Bayou, but was back in command at the Battle of Tupelo.

At the Battle of Nashville on December 15^th 1864, Hill was leading his Brigade against Confederates holding Montgomery Hill.  He was shot in the head and died instantly.  His body was taken home to Muscatin, Iowa where he is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery.

They Served Until The End

The 1^st Arkansas Field Battery; also known as the John D Adams Artillery, was mustered into Confederate service December 1^st 1861.

The 1^st Arkansas Field Battery was organized as the John D Adams Artillery, and mustered in the state militia in April 1861.  The unit was named in honor of Arkansas vet John D Adams, who had served in the Arkansas Mounted Gunmen during the Mexican American War, and was wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista.  The Battery became a part of the Confederate army on December 1^st 1861 under the command of officers Captains James J Gaines and Francis McAnally.

They were assigned to Herbert’s brigade, a part of Confederate General Benjamin McCulloch’s Division.  The 1^st Arkansas was armed with four cannon in the fight on March 7^th and 8^th 1862 during the Battle of Pea Ridge.  Following the retreat the Battery moved with the rest of the army to Corinth, Mississippi.  They were reorganized on May 16^th 1862, becoming part of the Army of the West.  The battery would see action at the Battle of Corinth, and Hatchie Bridge in October 1862.

The Battery was assigned to service at Vicksburg during the siege.  It surrendered with the rest of the garrison on July 4^th 1863.  At the time of the surrender 2 of 1^st Arkansas’ guns were on detached service under the command of First Lieutenant Frank A Moore and escaped capture.  This section was attached to the 2^nd Missouri Battery for the rest of the war.  The remainder of the Battery was exchanged in November 1863 and reorganized with four 6 pounder cannon and assigned to the 5^th Artillery Battalion, commanded by Confederate Major William Durbin Blocher.

The men of the Battery were still serving when orders were read from Confederate General Kirby Smith on April 23^rd 1865 announcing Lee’s surrender.  When the Confederate Trans Mississippi Army surrendered in May 1865, the unit was simply disbanded and the men went home.

The President's Brother-In-Law

Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin Hardin Helm was killed during the Battle of Chickamauga  September 21^st 1863; he was the brother-in-law of President Abraham Lincoln.

Benjamin Hardin Helm was born June 2^nd 1831 in Bardstown, Kentucky, the son of John L and Lucinda (Barbour) Hardin.  In 1846 he enrolled in the Kentucky Military Institute at the age of 15, just three month later he left for the United State Military Academy at West Point.  Helm graduated 9^th out of a class of 42 in 1851.  He served at the cavalry school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and at Fort Lincoln, Texas before being discharge do to being diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis.  Helm went on to study the law at the Universities of Louisville and Harvard; graduating in 1853 he began practicing law with his father in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives and served as Hardin County State’s Attorney.  In 1856 Helm married Mary Todd Lincoln’s half-sister Emilie.

In 1861 with Kentucky remaining neutral President Abraham Lincoln offered Helm the job of Union Army Paymaster.  Helm turned the job down and raised the Confederate 1^st Kentucky Cavalry.  He was commissioned their Colonel October 19^th 1861, and they marched south under Confederate Brigadier General Simon Bolivar Buckner.  On March 14^th 1862 Helm received the assignment to raise the 3^rd Kentucky Brigade and was promoted to Brigadier General.  They saw action at the Battle of Shiloh, guarding the flanks.  In January 1863 Helm was placed in command of the First Kentucky Brigade, known as the “Orphan Brigade” and was assigned to the Confederate Army of Tennessee.  With the Orphan Brigade Helm saw action at the Battles of Chickamauga and Vicksburg.

The Orphan Brigade was a part of Confederate fight against Union Major General William Rosecrans’ offensive during the Battle of Chattanooga on September 20^th 1863.  Striking near the center of the Union line and moving against heavy fire the men under Helm made it to within 40 yards of the Union line.  In less than an hour the Orphan Brigade lost a third of its men.  Helm, on horseback was shot in the chest by a member of the Union 15^th Kentucky Infantry.  Helm fell from his saddle and was carried to the rear, where it was determined his wound was mortal.  He died September 21^st 1862.  Confederate General John Cabell Breckinridge wrote to Helm’s wife, saying "Your husband commanded them [the men of the Orphan brigade] like a thorough soldier. He loved them, they loved him, and he died at their head, a patriot and a hero."

Will Be Publicly Shot To Death

Union Major General Stephen Gano Burbridge in command of Kentucky issued order Number 59, "Whenever an unarmed Union citizen is murdered, four guerrillas will be selected from the prison and publicly shot to death at the most convenient place near the scene of the outrages," on July 16^th 1864.

Stephen Gano Burbridge was born August 19^th 1831 in Georgetown, Kentucky.  He attended Georgetown College and the Kentucky Military Institute.  After graduating Burbridge became a lawyer.

When the Civil War started Burbridge joined the Union army, forming a regiment; the 26^th Kentucky, which he was the Colonel of.  He was promoted to Brigadier General on June 9^th 1862.  He saw action at several battles including Shiloh, and the Vicksburg Campaign.  In June of 1864 he succeeded Union General Jeremiah T Boyle in command of the District of Kentucky which had a problem with Confederate guerrilla fighting.  He was given a brevet to Major General after repulsing Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s raid on Kentucky on July 4^th 1864.  One July 16^th 1864 Burbridge issued Order Number 59, which said, "Whenever an unarmed Union citizen is murdered, four guerrillas will be selected from the prison and publicly shot to death at the most convenient place near the scene of the outrages."  Do to the outrage of the population and civil authorities of Kentucky, Burbridge was relieved of his command in January 1865.

After the war Burbridge moved to Brooklyn, New York where he died December 2^nd 1894.  He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

For more information about Burbridge’s Order # 59, I recommend Four Confederate Soldiers Martyred at Pleasureville

Brother, Brother-in-Law, Generals

Union Army General Charles Ewing and foster brother of William Tecumseh Sherman died June 20th 1893.


Charles Ewing was born March 6th 1835 the son of Thomas Ewing, the United States Interior Secretary. He received an education at the Dominican College and the University of Virginia, where he studied law. Ewing was practicing law in St Louis, Missouri when the Civil War broke out.

In 1861 Ewing received a commission in the 13th infantry as Captain under his brother-in-law William T Sherman. He was wounded at the Battle of Vicksburg while placing the company flag on the Confederate fort. He received brevets for his actions at Jackson, Missionary Ridge and the Atlanta campaign. Ewing was made Brigadier General of volunteers March 8th 1865.

After the end of the war Ewing resigned his commission in 1867 and returned to law, practicing in Washington, DC. In 1874 he served as the Catholic Commissioner for Indian Missions. He died in Washington, DC June 20th 1883.

An Independent Battery

The 10th Ohio Independent Battery was organized January 9th 1862 in Xenia, Ohio under Captain Hamilton Berlace White.

The 10th Ohio Independent Battery was organized in Xenia, Ohio on January 9th 1862. They mustered in under Captain Hamilton Berlace White, with a three year enlistment at Camp Dennison in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 3rd 1862.

The 10th was part of the 6th Division of the Army of the Tennessee. They were ordered to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, and advanced on the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi April 29th 1862. The 10th were part of General Ulysses S Grant’s Mississippi Campaign in the winter of 1862/1863. The men of 10th manned guns during the Siege of Vicksburg June 13th through July 4th 1863. As part of the Atlanta Campaign the 10th saw action at Kennesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek and, Turner’s Ferry. The 10th moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and were in reserve there during the Battle of Nashville December 15th 1864. The Battery moved to Sweetwater, Tennessee April 1st 1865, and then until July they were in Loudon, Tennessee. It mustered out of service July 17th 1865 at Camp Dennison. The 10th lost only 18 men during the was, all died from disease.

The High Commander

President Abraham Lincoln, impressed with Ulysses S Grant's fight and ability to win, had him promoted to Lieutenant General and on March 9th 1864 Grant took over command of all the Union forces.

At the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 Ulysses S Grant was a Colonel in the 21st Illinois Infantry. In February 1862 he became the Major General of volunteers. When his forces caused the surrender in July 1863 of the Confederates at Vicksburg he was made Major General. In March 1864 Grant was promoted the Lieutenant General after his victory at Chattanooga. After receiving this promotion Grant was place in command of all of the Union armies, and decided to accompany the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern theater, which caused that Army’s commander; General George Gorden Meade a great deal of frustration.

He served in this position from March 9th 1864 to March 4th 1869, commanding the army during Reconstruction.

Train Wreck

At about three pm on the 19th of February 1863, the train the “Mississippi Southern” left the depot in Meridian, MS. The train was loaded with Confederate soldiers headed to the Battle of Vicksburg. As the train crossed a bridge over the Chunky River near the town of Hickory, MS, the train wrecked. [Please note this not an image of the Chunky River wreck] Forty plus passengers of the one hundred on the train where killed do to the speed of the impact and being trapped under the wreckage [I‘ve seen causality numbers from 40 to 93]. The CSA 1st Choctaw Battalion, under General Arnold Spann; which had been recently organized, led the rescue and recovery. Many of those rescued owed their lives to these men, who strip off their clothes and dove into the icy water. The next morning, bodies and cargo were recovered from the flooded river. Many of those who died in the tragic crash were buried on a farm a few miles from Hickory.

Other places to find information
The Chunky Creek Train Wreck of 1863