Exposed To Great Danger

Union First Lieutenant George L Gillespie was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on May 31^st 1864 at the Battle of Cold Harbor.

George L Gillespie was born in Kingston, Tennessee October 7^th 1841.  He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated second in his class of 1862.  Gillespie received a commission in the Corps of Engineers.

Even though Gillespie was a southerner, he remained loyal to the Union and joined the Army of the Potomac in 1862.  He commanded companies of engineers, building pontoon bridges, and fortifications.  At the Battle of Cold Harbor on May 31^st 1864 Gillespie carried military dispatches under fire through enemy lines to Union Major General Philip H Sheridan.  For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor.  Gillespie would serve as Sheridan’s Chief Engineer through out the rest of the war.

After the Civil War Gillespie supervised work on the harbors at Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York City.  He constructed the canals on the Columbia River and the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.  Gillespie commanded the United State Army’s Department of the East in 1898, and was the acting Secretary of War in 1901.  He was in charge of ceremonies at President William McKinley’s funeral.  He retired with the rank of Major General on June 15^th 1905.  He died in Saratoga Springs, New York September 27^th 1913.  He is buried at West Point.

Gillespie’s Medal of Honor Citation reads; "Exposed himself to great danger by voluntarily making his way through the enemy's lines to communicate with Gen. Sheridan. While rendering this service he was captured, but escaped; again came in contact with the enemy, was again ordered to surrender, but escaped by dashing away under fire".

The Commissary At Winchester

A major victory for Confederate Major General Thomas J Stonewall Jackson, the First Battle of Winchester was fought May 25^th 1862.

Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks learned on May 24^th 1862 that his garrison at Front Royal, Virginia had fell to the Confederates.  He also learned that Jackson was moving on his position.  Banks made a retreat from Strasburg, with columns being attacked at Middletown and Newtown.  The Confederates captured a great deal of supplies and wagons, so that they began calling Union General Banks, “Commissary Banks”.

Bank deployed at Winchester placing Union Colonel George Henry Gordon’s brigade on the right at Bower’s Hill with his left on the Valley Pike.  The center of the line was held with artillery and Cavalry.  Colonel Dudley Donnelly’s brigade on the Front Royal Pike covered the left with the rest of the artillery.  At first light Confederate skirmisher advanced and drove the Union pickets back into their lines.

During the night Confederate Major General Richard S Ewell advanced his division.  Jackson moved three of Ewell’s brigades to advance on Valley Pike, leaving just Isaac Trimble’s brigade.  At dawn on May 25^th 1862 Jackson had Trimble advance on the Union left flank.  Trimble’s lead regiment the 21^st North Carolina came under heavy fire, they regrouped and brought up artillery.  Ewell advanced, sending regiment around enfilading the Union position.  Donnelly withdrew back through the town.

As Ewell’s troops advanced on the Front Royal Pike, Jackson moved on the Valley Pike.  He sent a brigade over the hill to the left of the Pike driving the Union skirmishers in.  Jackson placed artillery and they began a duel with the Union guns on Bower’s Hill.  With more Confederate troops brought up, they flanked the Union right.  Although the Union troops put up a determined fight they gave way and retreated back into Winchester.

After being routed at Winchester, Banks made a retreat to the Potomac River, crossing it at Williamsport.  The Confederate pursuit was sluggish at best, as Jackson’s troops were worn from hard marching done the preceding week.

Killing At Pottawatomie

On the night of May 24^th and early morning hours of May 25^th 1856, John Brown led what is known as the Pottawatomie Massacre.

Following the attack on Lawrence, Kansas, which was led by a pro- slavery sheriff and included the destruction of abolitionist owned homes, hotel, and newspapers, John Brown was outraged.  He saw the action of these antislavery people as cowardly.  On the morning of May 22^nd 1856 a Free State company under the command of John Brown Jr heard of the sacking of Lawrence and not knowing if the people needed assistance set out.  They camped near Ottawa Creek until late on May 23^rd 1856.

John Brown Sr handpicked a party to join him on a private expedition.  He took four of his sons; Frederick, Oliver, Owen, and Watson, along with Henry Thomason, Theodore Weiner and James Towsley.  They camped throughout the 23^rd and into the evening of the May 24^th in a ravine just off the traveled road near Dutch Henry’s Crossing on Pottawatomie Creek in Franklin County, Kansas.  After dark on May 24^th 1856 they left their hiding place and went to the house of James P Doyle.  They ordered Doyle and his two adult sons William and Drury out of the house.  Brown’s party took the three men out into the darkness where the Brown brothers killed them with broadsword, finishing by shooting the men in the head to make sure they were dead.  From here Brown’s men went to the house of Allen Wilkinson who ran the local Post Office.  Wilkinson was ordered out of his house and stabbed to death.  Around midnight Brown’s group crossed the Pottawatomie and forced their way into the home of James Harris at the point of a sword.  Harris had three guests staying with him, Jerome Glanville, William Sherman, and John S Wightman.  Glanville and Harris were interrogated and released, while Sherman was taken to the creek and hacked to death.

Brown found out at Harris’s home that his target Henry Sherman was away from home, they ended their killed and returned to the ravine where they had camped the night before.

If you are interested in reading more about the Pottawatomie Massacre this is a good web site.

A part of Confederate Major General Thomas J Stonewall Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign, the Battle of Front Royal was fought May 23^rd 1862.

Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks had about 9,000 troops in the area of Strasburg, Virginia on May 21^st 1862.  Union Colonel John R Kenly had another 1,000 soldiers at Front Royal, Virginia.  Confederate Major General Thomas J Jackson’s Army of the Valley totaling about 16,500 men was advancing along the Luray Road May 22^nd 1862, within ten miles of Front Royal.

On the morning May 23^rd 1862 Confederate Colonel Thomas L Flournoy’s cavalry crossed the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, approaching Front Royal from the south.  There was some minor skirmishing with Union pickets, who withdrew.  The leading Confederate brigade under Brigadier General Richard A Taylor deployed along Prospect Hill, with the 1^st Maryland and the Louisiana Tigers entering Front Royal and clearing it of Union skirmishers.  Kenly’s Union troops pulled back to Camp Hill and the support of a section of artillery.  Finding more Confederate Cavalry coming from the west Kenly retreated across the South and North Fork bridges, trying to burn them behind him.  The Confederate troops were able to put out the flames and make repairs to the bridges.  Flournoy’s cavalry continued to press the Union men.  Kenly continued his withdrawal fighting a rear guard action against the 6^th Virginia Cavalry.

Kenly withdrew to beyond Cedarville, Virginia with the Confederate Cavalry in pursuit.  Upon reaching the Thomas McKay House about a mile north of Cedarville, the Union troops made a stand deploying on the heights.  Flournoy’s Confederate Cavalry flanked the Union troops, Kenly was wounded.  The Union saw losses of 960 men of which 691 were captured or surrendered after Kenly’s wounding.  The Confederates lost only 56 men.

The advance on Front Royal allowed Jackson to get into the rear of the Union army and place his troops in position to move on Winchester, Virginia.

A Forlorn Hope

Union General Ulysses S Grant ordered an assault on the heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi on May 22^nd 1863.

On May 22^nd 1863 Union General Ulysses S Grant pulled together a plan to attack the Confederate held heights at Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Grant was stretching Confederate Lieutenant General John C Pemberton's line of defense.   He called for volunteers, as there wasn't much hope for survival.  This mission of “forlorn hope” called for the building of a bridge across a ditch, then placing ladders to scale the embankment.

One hundred and fifty men volunteered.  They came under Confederate fire at once, and were trapped in the ditch.  Even though the Union made several attacks against the Confederates, they were unable to cover the volunteers so they could get back to safety.  Out of the 150 men who volunteered for the storming party only 79 survived.  They would all received the Medal of Honor.

Among the men who were awarded the Medal of Honor was Leonidas Mahlon Godley.  His citation tells the story.  “The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant Leonidas Mahlon Godley, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 22 May 1863, while serving with Company E, 22d Iowa Infantry, in action at Vicksburg, Mississippi. First Sergeant Godley led his company in the assault on the enemy's works and gained the parapet, there receiving three very severe wounds. He lay all day in the sun, was taken prisoner, and had his leg amputated without anesthetics.”

A Three Year Regiment

Henry W Slocum

Union Colonel Henry W Slocum organized the 27^th New York Infantry; it was accepted May 21^st 1861 at Elmira, New York.

The 27^th New York Infantry was organized at Elmira, New York by Colonel Henry W Slocum.  The State of New York accepted the regiment on May 21^st 1861.  It mustered into service in early June and left for Washington, DC on July 10^th 1861.  The 27^th saw its first action at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21^st 1861.  The men of the 27^th were also in Battles at Yorktown, Gaines’ Mills, Crampton’s Gap, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and others in the early part of the war.

The 27^th was a three year regiment, and their enlistment was up on May 31^st 1863.  The men mustered out at Elmira, New York.  They had 4 officers and 142 enlisted men killed, die from wounds or disease during their service.

If you’re interested in learning more about the 27th Infantry Regiment Civil War Union Regiment this is a good web site.

A Brave Drummer Boy

Union Private Orion Perseus Howe one of the youngest Medal of Honor awardees, received the Medal for action on May 19^th 1863 as part of the Vicksburg Campaign.

Orion Perseus Howe was born in Portage County, Ohio December 29^th 1848 the son of William Harrison and Eliza Ann (Westland) Howe.  Following the death of his mother in 1852, the family moved to Waukegan, Illinois.

At the age of 12 Howe, along his younger brother Lyton Druett Howe joined the 55^th Illinois Infantry as musicians.  Their father was the regimental band leader.  During a battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi May 19^th 1863, Howe crossed the field under fire to report the need of ammo to Union General William Tecumseh Sherman on the behest of Colonel Oscar Malmborg.  Howe and several other men volunteered, and Howe although badly wounded was the only one to make it.  It was reported that “he ran through what seemed a hailstorm of canister and musket-balls, each throwing up its little puff of dust when it struck the dry hillside. Suddenly he dropped and hearts sank, but he had only tripped. Often he stumbled, sometimes he fell prostrate, but was quickly up again and he finally disappeared from us, limping over the summit and the 55th saw him no more for several months."

Howe reenlisted in the 55^th Illinois on December 25^th 1863.  He was discharged November 30^th 1864 as a Corporal having seen action in 14 battles.  General Sherman wrote about Howe to Union Secretary of State Edwin M Stanton and attained an appointment for him to the United State Naval Academy.  Howe didn't make it through the Academy, but did graduate from the New York University.  He settled in Springfield, Missouri, where he died January 27^th 1930.  He is buried in the Springfield National Cemetery.

Howe’s Medal of Honor reads, “A drummer boy, 14 years of age, and severely wounded and exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy, he persistently remained upon the field of battle until he had reported to Gen. W. T. Sherman the necessity of supplying cartridges for the use of troops under command of Colonel Malmborg.”