Move On The Left Flank

The Battle of Kolb’s Farm between Union Major General Joseph Hooker’s men and Confederate troops under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood was fought June 22^nd 1864.

Confederate General Joseph E Johnston’s Army of Tennessee moved into a line between Big Kennesaw Mountain and Little Kennesaw Mountain.  Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman started probing this line on June 19^th 1864, looking for a week spot.  Sherman decided the spot was the left flank, and he sent Hooker’s XX Corps with the support of Major General John McAllister Schofield to take on that flank near Powder Springs.  Johnston predicted the Union movement and sent Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood’s Corps to cover the Union movement.

Confederate Major General Cater L Stevenson one of Hood’s division commanders moved on the afternoon of June 22^nd 1864 toward Kolb’s Farm on the south Powder Springs Road.  They ran into heavy skirmishing with the Union 14^th Kentucky and 123^rd New York.  Hood ordered his whole Corps; about 11,000 men, to advance up the Powder Springs Road pushing the Union troops ahead of them.  Hooker had information about Hood’s coming troops and had entrenched his Corps of about 15,000 men across the Powder Springs Road.  The marshy terrain and well placed Union artillery stalled Hood’s attack and caused him to have to withdraw.

It was a one sided battle with the Union side coming out on top.  Confederate losses were about 1,000, the Union only had about 350 casualties.

If you would like to read more look at The Battle of Kolb's Farm

Commanding Artillery

Confederate Colonel Robert Franklin Beckham was wounded just before the Battle of Franklin and died December 5^th 1864.

Robert Franklin Beckham was born May 6^th 1837 in Culpeper, Virginia.  He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated 6^th out of 22 in the class of 1859.  He served with the United State Topographical Engineers as a Lieutenant through 1861.

Beckham resigned his commission when the Civil War started.  He was commanding an artillery battery at First Manassas.  In January 1862 he served on the staff of Confederate General Gustavus Woodson Smith, where he saw action at the Battle of Seven Pines.  Following the death of Confederate Major John Pelham, Beckham took over command of the Stuart Horse Artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia in April 1863.  Beckham was transferred to the Confederate Army of Tennessee and ordered to report to General John Bell Hood in February 1864, and received a promotion to Colonel.

While commanding artillery at Columbia, Tennessee, Beckham was mortally wounded on November 29^th 1864.  This occurred just one day before the Battle of Franklin.   He died December 5^th 1864, and is buried in the St John’s Churchyard Cemetery in Ashwood, Tennessee.

A Battle Over A Railroad Cut

The Battle of Allatoona Pass was fought October 5^th 1864 in Bartow County, Georgia and was a part of the Franklin Nashville campaign.

After Atlanta, Georgia fell, Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood moved his Army of Tennessee north to threaten Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s supply line.  A Confederate corps under Lieutenant General Alexander P Stewart hit garrisons and damaged track along the Western and Atlantic Railroad between October 2^nd and 4^th.  Under orders from Hood, Stewart moved to attack the Union supply base where the railroad ran through a gap in the Allatoona Mountain.

The Union garrison was commanded by Colonel John Eaton Tourtellotte, who had the 93^rd Illinois, 4^th Minnesota and 18^th Wisconsin under his command.  Just before the southern troops came up, Union Brigadier General John M Corse joined Tourtellotte with another brigade and took over total command.  The Union position was a strong one, with two earthen fortifications on each side of the deep railroad cut.

Confederate Major General Samuel G French’s division arrived near Allatoona in the early morning hours of October 5^th 1864.  A two hour long artillery assault was opened by Confederate Captain Alcide Bouanchaud.  French sent in a demand for surrender but Union force declined.  At this point French sent in his infantry, with Brigadier General Claudius Sears moving from the north, and Brigadier General Francis M Cockrell from the west.  The Union men stood up to a two hour attack against its fortifications.  It looked as though the Union forces would have to surrender.  Then around noon French received a faulty report from his  cavalry that a Union force was advancing, and so he grudgingly called his soldiers off.

Although a small battle it had high casualties, with about 706 Union men killed, wounded, or captured, and 897 Confederate.  Union Brigadier General Corse was wounded, sending a message to Sherman that said, "I am short a cheek bone and one ear, but am able to lick all hell yet."  The Confederates were unable to take the Union garrison or seize the railroad cut.

 

Forrest Held Up The Union Troops

The Battle of Anthony’s Hill [also know as the Battle of King’s Hill and the Battle of Devil’s Gap] part of the north Alabama, middle Tennessee campaign took place on December 25th 1864.


Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood ordered Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest to guard the rear of the Army of Tennessee after the lost at the Battle of Nashville. Leaving Pulaski, Tennessee in the evening of December 24th 1864 Forrest had to find a way to slow Union Major General James H Wilson’s pursuit long enough so the rest of the army could make its escape to the Tennessee River.

Wilson pushing his troops to capture the Confederates, was on the road first thing Christmas morning, December 25th 1864. That afternoon a few miles south of Pulaski, Wilson’s men ran into Forrest’s skirmishers. Wilson sent 3 regiments of dismount cavalry, into a wooded gorge leading up to Anthony’s Hill. Forrest posted 2 brigades of infantry and 2 of cavalry with some field pieces along a rail barricade. The Confederates unleashed a heavy fire, causing the Union troops to retreat, with Forrest’s men pursuing. The Confederates captured some cannon, pursuing for another half-mile before coming up against a full division of Union cavalry. Forrest disengaged at this point, pulling his troops back up the hill to their original positions, behind their barricades. The Confederate withdrew south to Sugar Creek in dark.

A web site about this subject that I recommend checking out is The Battle of Anthony’s Hill

He Served Through Out The War

Union Brigadier General Green Berry Raum a politician, author and lawyer died December 18th 1909.

Green Berry Raum was born December 3rd 1829 in Golconda, Illinois. He attended local schools, studied law and admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1853.

Raum enlisted in the Union Army when the Civil War started. He was a Major in the 56th Illinois Infantry, and was their Colonel by 1862. Serving under Major General William S Rosecrans during the Siege of Corinth, Raum ordered the charge on the Confederate left, capturing an artillery battery. They were part of the army at the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi in July 1863, and he led the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division of the XVII Corps at Chattanooga. Raum was wounded at the Battle of Missionary Ridge November 1863. In 1864 Raum’s brigade held the line of communication during the Atlanta Campaign. He received a brevet to Brigadier General in September 1864. He and his men were called in to reinforce Resaca, Georgia in October and held the town against Confederate General John Bell Hood. He served through to the end of the war.

Following the war Raum returned to his home in Illinois. In 1866 he secured the charter for the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad and became its first president. He ran for and served as a Congressmen for two terms. Raum was the United States Commissioner for the Internal Revenue Service from 1876 through 1883. He oversaw the Commission of Pension, rejecting or accepting Union Civil War pension application from 1889 to 1893. Raum spent the rest of his life practicing law in Chicago, Illinois. He died December 18th 1909, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

They Were In A Battle Before They Mustered

The 14th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry was mustered into the Union Army, December 10th 1861 for three years.

Organized at Camp Wallace near Louise, Kentucky, the 14th Kentucky Infantry was mustered in December 10th 1861 for a three year enlistment. They were under the command of Colonel Laban Theodore Moore. The 14th saw action before mustering in at Ivey’s Mountain on November 8th 1861 on the border of Virginia. They were active through out the war mostly in the western theater. The 14th was ordered to join General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Atlanta Campaign, were they participated in the actions; until moving against Confederate General John Bell Hood in Alabama and Tennessee. The 14th saw losses of 201 men during the war, 49 enlisted and 5 officer where killed, and 142 enlisted and 5 officer died from disease. The 14th mustered out of service September 15th 1865 at Louisa, Kentucky.

Hood Lost His Chance

The Battle of Spring Hill begun on the night of November 28th 1864 has been called a non-fighting event.

Confederate General John Bell Hood and the Army of Tennessee marched on the night of November 28th 1864 toward Spring Hill Tennessee. The object was to seal off Union Major General John McAllister Schofield’s supply line. As the Confederate’s advanced cavalry on both sides had skirmishes. With Union Brigadier General James H Wilson fighting the Confederate troopers led by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The next day November 29th 1864 Schofield was holding the crossroads at Spring Hill with reinforcements. Late that afternoon the Union troops were able to repulse an Confederate infantry attack. Hood’s assault was piecemeal at best and poorly executed. During the night the Union troops moved through Spring Hill to Franklin. Many have called this battle "one of the most controversial non-fighting events of the entire war.
Hood lost his best chance to envelop the Union command, and Schofield punished him for that failure the next day at Franklin Tennessee.

He was First In His Class

A career United States army officer James Birdseye McPherson was born November 14th 1828.

James Birdseye McPherson was born November 14th 1828 near Clyde, Ohio. He began his education at the Norwalk Academy in Ohio, before going on the graduate first in his class at West Point in 1853. His roommate at the Military Academy was John Bell Hood. McPherson was appointed to the Corps of Engineers, and taught for a year after his graduation at West Point.

At the beginning of the Civil War he was stationed in San Francisco, California. McPherson requested a transfer to the east, and received a position on the staff of Major General Henry W Halleck. McPherson was the Chief Engineer for Brigadier General Ulysses S Grant when the Union Army captured Forts Donelson and Henry. Following the Battle of Shiloh he was promoted to Brigadier General. In 1862 McPherson was given command of the XVII Corps in the Army of the Tennessee, and in 1864 he got command of the whole of the Army of the Tennessee when Major General William Tecumseh Sherman was promoted.

On July 22nd 1864 Union troops noticed that the Confederate soldier had pulled out of Atlanta, Georgia. Sherman felt the Confederates where evacuating, but McPherson argued that they were moving to attack the Union’s right flank. While this was being discussed four divisions under Confederate General William J Hardee flanked the Union XVII Corps. McPherson was riding toward his old Corp when he was confronted by a line of Rebels yelling for him halt. He turned his horse in an attempt to escape but was mortally wounded.

Four days after McPherson’s death Sherman wrote to his wife, telling her, "I lost my right bower in McPherson."

Death's Of Two General

Fox’s Gap, one part of three battles known collectively as the Battle of South Mountain were fought on September 14th 1862.

The Battle of Fox Gap was one of the three battle fought on September 14th 1862, known as the Battle of South Mountain. Major General George B McClellan’s Army of the Potomac needed the passes in order to pursue General Robert E Lee’s Confederate Army of the Northern Virginia. Confederate General A P Hill’s division defended Fox Gap against Brigadier General Jacob D Cox. Cox’s Kanawha Division attack at 9am and secured south side of the gap. The Union troops pushed through the North Carolina troops at the crest of the gap, but were exhausted when they got there, and the failed to drive the Confederates out. Major General Jesse Reno sent in more Union troops, but they were unable to dislodge the Confederates due to Brigadier General John Bell Hood’s reinforcements.

At the end of the day, with Crampton’s Gap lost to the Confederates and Fox’s and Turner’s Gap sketchy at best, Lee ordered a withdrawal from the area. Confederate Brigadier General Samuel Garland Jr and Union Major General Jesse Reno were both killed in nearly the same spot at Fox’s Gap, with in hours of eachother. With Confederates broke up, McClellan could have closed in but instead gave Lee time pull his divisions together in time for the coming battle of Antietam.

Another good web site
The Battle of South Mountain Fox's Gap

Rock of Chickamauga

General George Henry Thomas was born on July 31st 1816.

George Henry Thomas was born July 31st 1816 in Southampton County Virginia. As a boy he warned neighbors about the slave revolute led by Nat Turner in 1831. He graduated from West Point in 1840, and saw military service in the Seminole Indian War, the Mexican War, and served as an instructor at West Point. In 1855, the US Secretary of War Jefferson Davis appointed Thomas as a Major to the Second Cavalry.

With the out break of the Civil War, he like many southerns debated staying in the Union army. Thomas remained with the US military, and quickly rose through the ranks. On January 19th 1862, while in command of a force in Kentucky he attacked General Felix Zollicoffer’s Confederates at Mill Springs, and won the first important western theater Union victory. Holding firm to the field during the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19th 1863, Thomas earned the name “The Rock of Chickamauga”. In the autumn of 1864 Thomas was given the task of dealing with John Bell Hood in Tennessee, while General William Tecumseh Sherman made his march to the sea. For his victory in outside of Nashville TN, December 16th 1864 over Hood he was promoted to Major General, and given the thanks of Congress.

After the Civil War ended Thomas led the military departments in Kentucky and Tennessee until 1869. He was ordered to the West coast where he became the division commander of the Pacific and was headquarter in San Francisco. Thomas died there March 28th 1870.