A Day At The Races

The Battle of Tom’s Brook fought on October 9th 1864 was also known as The Woodstock Races for the speed at which the Confederate retreated from General Philip Sheridan’s Calvary.

Following a victory at Fisher’s Hill, Major General Philip H Sheridan chased Confederate General Jubal A Early’s troops through the Shenandoah Valley to near Staunton. Sheridan began pulling back north toward Cedar Creek on October 6th 1864, and had his cavalry destroy anything that could be used by the Confederacy, including barns and mills. Early was reinforced by General Joseph Kershaw division. Confederate General Thomas L Rosser took over command of Major General Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry. The Confederates harassed the Union soldiers as they retreated killing a number of them.

On October 9th 1864 the Union army turned on its Rebel hunters, routing two divisions at Tom’s Brook. The Union energetically chased the Confederates through the County seat of Woodstock, causing this battle to be jokingly called The Woodstock Races.. The victory in this Battle gave the Union an overpowering control of the Shenandoah Valley.

Another web site with more information about this battle The Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley, Battle of Toms Brook

He Wrote The Songs

The Minstrel of Merrimack, Walter Kittredge was born October 8th 1834.

Walter Kittredge was born in Merrimack New Hampshire, the part known as Reed’s Ferry on October 8th 1834. He was the son of Eri and Lucretia [Woods] Kittredge. Kittredge was a self taught musician, making his first instrument from the stock of an onion. He became a traveling musician, performing along and with the minstrel Hutchinson Family Singers of Milford New Hampshire. Kittredge married in 1860 to Annie Fairfield and settled on a farm about a mile from where he grew up.

He was kept from Civil War military service do to a bout with Rheumatic Fever. He did his service through his music. Kittredge wrote over five hundred songs, including “When They Come Marching Home”, and “Tenting Tonight On The Old Camp Ground”. These were songs sung by both the Union and Confederate soldiers.

Kittredge held several government offices in Reed’s Ferry and was a founding member of the Thornton Grange in Merrimack. He sang his last song there at the 30th Anniversary meeting. Walter Kittredge died at this home July 8th 1905, and was buried in the Last Rest Cemetery in Merrimack New Hampshire. There is a bronze marker in the lobby of the New Hampshire State House in Concord in his memory.

For more information about Walter Kittredge and his songs
Tenting Tonight On The Old Camp Ground

A Small Part Of The Petersburg Campaign

The Battle of New Market and Darbytown, which was part of the greater Richmond - Petersburg Campaign occurred on October 7th 1864.

With an escalating Union threat on Richmond Virginia, General Robert E Lee responded to the loss of Fort Harrison from the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm. The Confederates on October 7th 1864 took an offensive on the far right Union flank. After pushing Union cavalry out of their position along the Darbytown Road, Robert Hoke and Charles W Fields’ divisions attacked the Union line along the New Market Road. The Union defenses was under the command of Brigadier General August V Kautz and Major General David B Birney. The Rebels were repulsed.

Following this action Lee withdrew his army back into the defenses of Richmond. The Confederate Brigadier General from Texas; John Gregg was killed during the battle.

Massacre At Baxter Springs

The Baxter Springs Massacre or Battle was fought on October 6th 1863 in Kansas.

Heading to Texas for a winter camp, William Quantrill’s Raiders; numbering about 400, were traveling south along the Texas Road in October 1863. The raiders captured two teamsters form the Union Fort Blair near Baxter Springs, and killed them. Quantrill ordered an attack on the Fort. He split his force in half, with part under his command and the other half under David Poole. Poole’s unit came across some Union soldiers, most of whom were African American. The Raiders gave chase and killed a number of them, before the Union men reached the fort.

The garrison in Fort Blair put up fight against Poole’s men. The other column of men under the command of Quantrill came at the fort from the other direction. They ran into the Union detachment of Major General James G Blunt who was moving his headquarters to Fort Smith. Most of Bunt’s detachment was killed, including members of a military band. Blunt and few men who were mounted managed to make it to Fort Blair.

Blunt had his command stripped for a time, for not staying with his men and protecting the column. Although considered a massacre by many, it was really a typical Battle for the warfare that occurred along the Kansas - Missouri border. The Confederates saw only a loss of three men. The Federal side lost 103.

No Real Movement

The Battle of Greenbrier River, a part of the Western Virginia campaign took place on October 3rd 1861.

Union Brigadier General Joseph J Reynolds with two brigades advanced during the night of October 2nd into the 3rd 1861 from Cheat Mountain in Pocahontas Country Virginia [now West Virginia]. He was investigating the Confederate’s under Brigadier General Henry R Jackson’s position near the Traveler’s Repose Inn at Camp Bartow along the Greenbrier River. The Federal troops pushed the Confederate pickets in. After four an half hours of lively fighting and an attempt to turn the Rebel right, Reynolds pulled his men back. The Union troops returned to Cheat Mountain. The Confederates continued to hold their position.

Granting Absolution To The Irish Brigade

The Reverend William Corby, the religious leader of the Irish Brigade was born on October 2nd 1833.

William Corby the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Corby was born October 2nd 1833 in Detroit Michigan. He was educated in local Detroit schools, until at the age of sixteen he joined his father’s real estate business. Corby started feeling a desire to go to college and recieving a calling to the priesthood was sent in 1853 to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana. By 1859 the then Father William Corby was the “Prefect of Discipline” at Notre Dame.

The Catholic Church had no official view on the Civil War. At Notre Dame there was a prohibition from discussion views of either the Union or Confederate cause. Father Corby in 1861 resigned his professorship at Notre Dame and joined the Chaplains’ Corp. He was assigned to the 88th New York’s famed Irish Brigade. He ministered to needs of Catholic soldiers three years, finding himself often under fire as he moved among the casualties and spent days in the field hospitals offering comfort and absolution.

On July 2nd 1863 the Irish Brigade was called to restore the line on the Wheat Field at Gettysburg. It was here that Father William Corby spoke to the men from a rock in the field, before they entered the battle, offering them absolution. He was said to have spoke to them about duties, telling the men that the Church would not offer a Christin burial to any who wavered on the field. The men were told to confess their sins correctly at their earliest opportunity. The Irish Brigade then went into battle, 198 of the men who had received Father Corby’s blessing would be dead by the end of the day. A bronze statue of Father Corby was dedicated on the Gettysburg battlefield October 29th 1910, the only such memorial to a chaplain.

Following the war Father Corby went back to Notre Dame, where he became Vice President, and a year latter the University President. In 1877 as President of the college he oversaw the rebuilding of the school after it was nearly destroyed by fire. In 1888 the Father was invited to the 25th reunion of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg. The veterans of the 88th campaigned to have Father Corby awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The medal was never granted.

On December 28th 1897 Father William Corby died of pneumonia. His casket was not carried as was the custom by fellow priest, but by Civil War veterans. His coffin draped in the flag of his regiment a rifle volley fired as he was lowered into the ground.

Gunboats Found Only Silent Guns

Confederate Brigadier General John Finegan’s battery was threatened on October 1st 1862 near Jacksonville, Florida on ST John’s Bluff.

To stop Union ships from moving up the ST Johns River, Confederate Brigadier General John Finegan placed a battery on the ST Johns Bluff near Jacksonville, Florida. Union Brigadier General John M Brannan, with about 1500 troops aboard 4 ships left from Hilton Head, South Carolina on September 30th 1862, and arrived at the mouth of the ST Johns the next day where they were joined by gunboats. In the early afternoon of October 1st 1862 Brannan began sending part of his troops ashore at Mayport Mills, and another force at Mount Pleasant Creek which was five miles behind the Confederate battery.

Finding themselves outmaneuvered the Confederates abandoned the position in the dark. When the Union gunboats arrived at the buffs on October 3rd 1862, they found the guns silent, and the Rebel gone.