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Conference smurf::civil_war

Title:The American Civil War
Notice:Please read all replies 1.* before writing here.
Moderator:SMURF::BINDER
Created:Mon Jul 15 1991
Last Modified:Tue Apr 08 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:141
Total number of notes:2129

54.0. "Famous Brigades or Battalions" by OGOMTS::RICKER (Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865) Fri Nov 15 1991 06:44

    
    	I would like to open an topic concerning famous and/or not so
    famous Brigades and Battalions. I'm sure that anybody who has either
    studied or had a casual interest in the Civil War has a certain pet
    Brigade or Battalion that they would like to brag about or discuss.
    	So feel free to enter your favorite, either Blue or Grey. It also
    gives the Irishman one more chance to thump his chest about his
    infamous band of men a'wearin the green sprigs in their caps.
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
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54.1The Orphan BrigadeOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Fri Nov 15 1991 07:0727
    
    	One of the most illustrious units in the Confederate Army was
    the Orphan Brigade, an all-Kentucky unit whose men were not able to 
    go home after their state fell into Union hands in the early stages
    of the Shiloh campaign.
    	The brigade originally consisted of four infantry regiments ( 3rd
    through 6th ) Kentucky, Provisional Army of the Confederate States,
    plus two batteries and a company of cavalry under Capt. John Hunt
    Morgan. When most of Kentucky was captured by the Yankees in late
    1861, the brigade had to complete its organization and training in
    Tennessee.
    	Its first commander was Simon B. Buckner and its second was John
    B. Breckinridge, former U.S. vice-president. At Shiloh, the brigade
    was led by Col. Robert Trabue of the 4th kentucky, and was temporarily
    reinforced by two units from Alabama, one from Tennessee and one from
    Mississippi.
    	The Orphan Brigade fought with distinction at most of the West's
    major battles - Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Stones River,
    Jackson, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Atlanta - and earned a
    reputation as one of the most reliable units in the Army of Tennessee.
    	This valor and courage, however, brought high battle losses that
    could not be replaced because Kentucky was behind Union lines.
    Reduced from over 4000 men to under 500, the brigade was mounted as
    cavalry in the war's last months. It was one of the last Confederate
    units in the East to surrender in May of 1865.
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
54.2The Irish BrigadeCOOKIE::LENNARDRush Limbaugh, I Luv Ya GuyFri Nov 15 1991 16:0314
    It'll be a little tough dealing with brigades or battalions on the
    Union side.  There were very few "named" battalions, and brigades
    were in large part merely command_and_control units for multiple
    regiments.   But....how about the Irish Brigade at Fredericksburg?
    When they made their assault on the Stone Wall, observers talk of
    the rebel rifle fire being so heavy that the Irish actually seemed
    to "lean" into it.  They failed, of course, as did all other brigades
    making the assault that day.  Seems the CO (Meagher?) was never the
    same after that assault.  Took to drinking, etc.
    
    Plenty of famous Union Regiments though.  How about the Fifth New
    Hampshire which had the highest rate of casualties of any northern
    unit for the whole war?
                                                        
54.3more on the Irish BrigadeJUPITR::ZAFFINOMon Nov 18 1991 20:3540
    The Irish Brigade was originally planned to be raised by Michael
    Corcoran, and was to be composed of regiments from Massachusetts,
    New York, and Pennsylvania.  After Corcoran's capture at the first
    Battle of Mannassas, the task fell to Meagher; who had raised a
    company of Irish zouaves for the 69th New York.  Only the New York
    regiments, the 63d 69th and 88th, went to Virginia in the fall of 
    '61.  The 29th Massachusetts, a non Irish regiment, was sent in
    place of the 28th when the 28th was sent to South Carolina.  The
    28th Massachusetts and the 118th Pennsylvania didn't join the
    brigade until the fall of '62.  The first battle fought by the 
    whole brigade comprised of the 5 regiments raised for it was the
    Battle of Fredericksburg.  The Irish Brigade was the unit which
    made it closest to the confederate lines on Marye's Heights, to
    within 100 yards of the stone wall.  Praise was heaped on their
    courage and steadfastness by both sides.  Out of over 1200 who
    stormed the wall, only 280 answered roll call the next morning.
    Sometime after either Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville (I can't
    remember which) Meagher resigned in disgust due to not being 
    allowed to take his shattered regiments home to recruit, and was
    replaced by <fill in the blank> (again I can't remember).  The 
    Irish Brigade again charged into history at Gettysburg.  The regiment
    sized brigade was given it's final rights by Father Corby of the 88th
    New York, and plugged the gap which Longstreets Corp had plunged
    through between Little Round Top and the end of Cemetary Ridge on the
    second day.  Miraculously, these brave Irishmen who planned on dying
    to a man in the charge, managed with a few hundred men to stave off a
    disaster.  Throughout the rest of the war, the brigade served with
    distinction.  It ceased, for all intent and purpose, to exist as a
    fighting force after the final storming of the trenches at Petersburg.
    The 28th Massachusetts was transferred to Birney's brigade.  Of over
    2000 regiments raised by the north in the war, numbers 6 and 7 on the
    highest casualties list belong to the 69th NY and the 28th MA
    respectively.
    
    Now to pose a question: can anybody tell me anything about the
    Garibaldi Guard?  I've only recently heard of them, and I know nothing
    about them.  They apparently were the Italian equivalent of the Irish
    Brigade.  I hope that someone can fill in the blanks for me.
    
    Ziff
54.4errataJUPITR::ZAFFINOTue Nov 19 1991 04:106
    I checked a reference, and found that I'd made a mistake in my last
    entry.  All references to the 118th Pennsylavania should read 116th
    Pennsylvania.  Also, Meagher resigned command of the Irish Brigade
    on May 14, 1863.
    
    Ziff
54.5the "Bloody Fifth"JUPITR::ZAFFINOTue Nov 19 1991 07:216
    Slammer, I know you subscribe to CWTI.  Since you're the primary
    resident-reb in this file, why don't you enter the story of the 5th
    Texas here?  If not you, I know that Wess will probably pick it up
    as he's the resident Texan.  I thought it was a real great story.
    
    Ziff
54.6MeagherMACNAS::TJOYCEFri Nov 22 1991 13:0527
    
    .3 is a great account of the Irish Brigade. The officer who replaced
    Meagher was Thomas Smyth of Fermoy, County Cork. After Smyth, two
    other officers called Burke and Nugent commanded the brigade in 
    turn.
    
    Smyth was later killed by a sharpshooter just two days before 
    Lee's surrender.
    
    Meagher had quite a reputation as a drinker - he was said to be
    drunk at Antietam, and his hospitality was legendary. He is
    remembered in Ireland primarlily as a fiery young revolutionary
    of the 1840's (the Famine era). He was tried and convicted of
    treason after the abortive "Young Ireland Rebellion" of 1848.
    This farcical episode is also known as the "Battle of Mrs.
    McCarthy's Cabbage Patch" - but that's another story! 
    
    Transported to Van Diemens Land (now Tasmania) Meagher escaped
    and made his way to the U.S.A.
    
    He later was made territorial governor of Montana by President
    Johnson but died in mysterious circumstances - apparently one
    night he fell off a riverboat (drunk?) and was drowned - but there
    were rumours of assassination by a political faction in the 
    territory. 
    
    Toby
54.7The Iron BrigadeNEMAIL::RASKOBMike Raskob at OFOFri Nov 22 1991 16:4630
    Since no one else has mentioned it yet, I'll stick in the little I know
    about the Iron Brigade.
    
    This was the 1st brigade, 1st division, I Corps in the AoP (which the
    soldiers felt was cause for pride, 'cause if the whole army ever
    assembled in one place for review, they would stand at the extreme
    right of it ;^}), and consisted of the 6th, 7th, and 9th Wisconsin and
    the 19th Indiana, later reinforced after Antietam by the 24th Michigan. 
    The brigade wore black slouch hats instead of the regulation forage
    cap, and were known as the Black Hat Brigade.  The name "Iron Brigade"
    supposedly came from a remark by McClellan as he watched the attack on
    the pass over South Mountain; the brigade was advancing uphill against
    heavy fire when Little Mac said, "That brigade must be made of iron!"
    
    It had a reputation as a tough fighting force.  I think it was first
    commanded by Gibbon.  At Gettysburg it was essentially destroyed in the
    first day's fighting on Seminary Ridge, taking something like 80%
    casualties.  There's a story that the Confederates, who had thought the
    dismounted cavalry of Buford's brigade might be militia, said when the
    Iron Brigade came into line, "Here're them damned black-hatted fellers
    again.  'Tain't no militia - that's the Army of the Potomac!"
    
    In the regimental-level simulation game I have of Gettysburg, the Iron
    Brigade is one of very few units that can never be "routed" -
    demoralized temporarily from casualties.  Another such unit is the
    Stonewall Brigade (just FYI, Slammer!  ;^} ).
    
    More data from others would be welcome.
    
    MikeR
54.8One more plug for the Irish BrigadeCST23::DONNELLYFri Nov 22 1991 17:0443
    
    Okay, since the base noter kindly gave us Irishers a chance to tout the
    Ould Brigade, I'd like to add to the previous replies. A reader
    unfamiliar with the whole history of the brigade might get the
    impression that its main contribution was taking a beating in good
    style at Frederickburg.  Consider:
    
    At Fair Oaks the IB was thrown into battle at a critical time when the
    ANV was winning the day. Gen. "Bull" Sumner told them something to the
    effect that they were his last hope of regaining the field and if it
    got too hot and they decided to run, he'd run right along with them.
    The made a notable spirited bayonet charge which took the field and
    basically bought the Union a draw instead of a defeat.
    
    During the Seven Days an observer watched in amazement as the IB, who
    had been stopping attacks cold all day, were suddenly caught in a 
    swift flank attack. He fully expected them to fold and a disaster to
    ensue when several sections of the line wheeled in perfect order to
    meet the attackers and drive them back. They then returned to their 
    original posts to help beat back back the frontal assault. This was a 
    disciplined outfit.
    
    At Chancellorville, 116th Penn. Regt. of the IB was trusted to cover
    the retreat of the AOP. They performed brilliantly under terrible fire and
    were given credit by many of preventing a complete disaster. Major 
    Mulholland of the 116th later received the Medal of Honor for this
    action.
    
    Near the end of the war, at Deep Bottom, the remnant of the IB along
    with several other war-weary veteran outfits finally ran out of gas.
    When ordered on one more suicidal attack they refused and were accused
    of mutiny. It was their widespread reputation for valor that kept them
    facing serious charges. 
    
    If you read the official history of the Second Army Corps, you will get
    a feel for just how tough, dependable, and repected these guys were in 
    battle.
    
    So, it isn't just marketing hype. These fellas got their laurels the
    old fashioned way--they earned 'em.
    
    TD  
         
54.9More Iron brigade infoASABET::D_SWEENEYSat Nov 23 1991 15:0712
    
    A little more on the Iron Brigade, just got through reading a little 
    about these guys in Vol 1 of S. Foote's series.  
    
    They were surprised by Stonewall Jackson at the out set of the 2nd 
    Manassas.  They were indeed under Gibbons, and although this was the
    first action they had scene the fought the vaunted Stonewall brigade
    to a stand still before finally leaving the field to await
    reinforcements.  They hold the distinctin of being the Union Brigade
    with the highest casualty rate. 
    
    Dan
54.10SMURF::CALIPH::binderAs magnificent as thatMon Nov 25 1991 14:524
Just IMHO, a high casualty rate is prima facie evidence of an inept
commander...

-dick
54.11Casualty rates as a measureCST23::DONNELLYTue Nov 26 1991 18:0520
    re .10
    
    Maybe...
    
    But "famous" brigades did not get that way ONLY because they had a high
    casualty rate. They tended to find themselves in the hottest spots
    (The Bloody Lanes, The Devil's Dens, The Bloody Angles), mostly I think
    because they earned reputations for being dependable and the division
    commanders looked for them when they needed the best. Esprit de corps
    also contributed to a high casualty rate. They fought stubbornly and
    with spirit.
    
    The 442nd Combat Regmt. in WWII is a similar case. They didn't have
    more purple hearts than any other regiment in U.S. history because 
    they were poorly lead. Hell, their leaders had to run to keep up with
    them! They took the casualties because they went for broke every time.
    They wanted to prove something and I imagine the crack regiments of the
    Civil War were much the same.
    
    TD 
54.12COOKIE::LENNARDRush Limbaugh, I Luv Ya GuyTue Nov 26 1991 18:2319
    Yes....I also don't agree with .10, although God knows there were
    plenty of inept commanders.  The really good units tended to stand
    their ground regardless of how hot things got.  This is not of course
    to say that some of the really good units didn't also know when the
    time had come to "skedaddle".
    
    Reminds me of the 37th Mass at the Bloody Angle.  They were right at
    the apex, and so heavily engaged for over 24 hours that they could not
    be relieved.  Their muskets were so carboned-up, that units sent up
    to relief them just passed cleaned weapons up to them so they could
    keep the fire up.
    
    The 37th was also the unit at "second" Fredericksburg that when
    charging the infamous Stone Wall refused orders to withdraw and went
    over the top anyhow.  They basically knew they would take casualties
    during the withdrawal, and would almost certainly be sent back up
    again anyhow.  I am in sheer awe at the guts of many of the regiments
    of the AoP.
    
54.13Stonewall BrigadeOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Wed Nov 27 1991 08:1590
    
    	Re: To Raskob's challenge in 54.7  :^)
    
    	One of the most famous brigades in American history - and certainly
    the most renowned in Confederate military history - initially was known
    as Virginia's First Brigade. In time it officially and popularly was
    called the Stonewall Brigade. It and its first commander, Thomas J.
    Jackson, recieved their nicknames simultaneously at the baptism at
    First Manassas. Cherished by its namesake, and serving with him until
    his death, the brigade achieved a reputation almost without parallel
    for agility, gallantry, and pugnacity.
    	Whether called "Stonewall's Band," "Jackson's Foot Cavalry,"
    "The Men of Manassas," or the Stonewall Brigade, this organization
    made an impact on history few units can match.
    	They were rough fighters, these men of Stonewall Jackson. 
    Eventually they came to the conviction that they could defeat any given
    number of Ynakees at any time - a conviction amply justified by their
    war record. They achieved a reputation for invincibility accepted by
    North and South alike.
    	Confederate troops seemed to grow in confidence if they knew the
    Stonewall Brigade was charging in an assault with them. Federal
    soldiers came to feel that the brigade possessed some superhuman power,
    a quality which they attributed to the unpredictable and mysterious
    Jackson. A New York prisoner once asked a staff officer of Jackson's:
    "What sort of man is your Stonewall jackson anyway? Are his soldiers
    made of gutta-percha, or do they run on wheels?"
    	The dazzling reputation achieved by the brigade stood in marked
    contrast to the simplicity of its origins. All members were from around
    the Valley of Virginia. Most were of Scottish-Irish, German, Swedish,
    or English descent, nurtured in the rustic surrondings of small
    hillside farms, raised in the wholesome outdoors of an invigorating
    climate, and by nature hardy, robust, and fun-loving.
    	One veteran of the brigade estimated that no more than one out of
    thirty of the members owned slaves. Yet they were strongly Virginian
    in their sentiments, moreover, they were exceedingly clanish in their
    associations. Partly as a result of their devotion to locale, friends,
    and family, members of this organization, unlike those of most Civil
    War units, attached little significance to the regiment to which they
    belonged. Their pride lay more in their membership in the Stonewall
    Brigade.
    	The battle flags of the brigade fluttered amid the smoke of thirty
    nine engagements. Its original muster rolls list a total of 2,600 men,
    and it is reasonable to assume that more than 5,000 served in the unit
    during the course of the war. Yet at Appomattox only 210 men remained -
    none above the rank of captain. That Jackson's special affection for
    the brigade may have been more hazardous than beneficial is suggested
    by the comment of one of the survivors: "Whenever there was an extra
    hard duty to be performed, General Jackson always sent his old brigade
    to the post of duty for fear the other brigades under his command would
    think and say he favored his old command."*
    	The brigade was characterized by a combination of Jackson's iron-
    cored discipline and a feeling of confidence derived from success.
    It fought savagely and devotedly, marched long and hard, and only once
    during the war ever disappointed a commander. On the other hand, it 
    discarded tents and knapsacks, preferring the open bivouacs and the
    bare necessities in order to lighten its burden on marches.
    	The men served under commanders they did not like, even having the
    audacity to threaten the murder of one if the Yankees did not oblige
    them in battle. If ordered to cook three day's rations prior to a 
    campaign, they did so willingly, then promptly ate the food rather than
    carry it with them into action. For experience soon taught these men
    that they could always secure abundant supplies from the Yankees who
    were forced to flee before them. :^)
    	When all was lost at Appomattox, the survivors of the brigade
    returned home and lived out their last days in fond recollection of
    their war record. Their positions as survivors of the Men of Manassas
    seemed to place them a little higher than other fragments of an army
    known for gallantry. That they gloried in their status during the war
    is evidenced by a familiar verse:
    
    	From John Esten Cooke, "The Song of the Rebel,"
    		And men will tell their children,
    		Tho' all other memories fade,
    		How they fought with Stonewall Jackson
    		In the old "Stonewall Brigade".
    
    	A confidence gained on many battlefields as a result of hard-won
    victories gave the unit a cockiness that, to say the least, sometimes
    hampered its discipline. Moreover, it had its share of cowards,
    deserters, and stragglers. It was an exceptional brigade, but by no
    means a perfect one. Yet its weaknesses, when viewed against its
    achievements, are so negligible taht it does stand out as a model
    brigade worthy of its fame.
    
    * John O. Casler, "Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade."
    
    
    					The Alabama Slammer
    			
    	 
54.145th Alabama Battalion, Company AOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Wed Nov 27 1991 09:2755
    
    	My bias opinion here!  :^)
    
    	The officers and men of the North Sumter Rifles, made up mostly of
    young men from the Gainsville and Warsaw areas of Alabama. The company
    became Company A of the 5th Alabama Battalion, Archer's Brigade, Heth's
    Division, A.P. Hill's 3rd Corp's., A.N.V.  They too forged a gallant
    fighting record with the Army of Northern Virginia.
    
    		   From the 5th Alabama's Record Book
    
    	-Formed; 26 May 1861 -
    	-June 5th ordered to Richmond-
    	-Left June 17th, 1861-
    	- Mustered into Confederate service June 23rd, 1861, by Major H.L.
    	  Clay, at Lynchburg, Virginia.-
    	-Left Lynchburg July 4th, arrived at Manassas, Va. July 5th.-
    	-Manned heavy artillery, Commanded by Captain Branch F. Sterret,
    	 C.S. Navy, stayed until January 17th, 1862, per order #250.-
    	-Ordered to Dumfries, Va., formed 5th Alabama Battalion. Commanded
    	 by Colonel F.B. Sheppard. Attached to Whiting's Brigade.-
    	-Left Cockpit Point, March 8th, 1862, for Fredericksburg, Va.-
    	-Arrived at Fredericksburg, Va., March 12th, 1862., Battalion
    	 attached and under command of 6th N.C. troops.-
    	-March 21st, 1862, performed Provost Guard duty.-
    	-Left Fredericksburg Va., April 17th, 1862, attached to General
    	 Field's Brigade, 47th Va. Regt. until June 14th, 1862.-
    	-Transferred to General Archer's Brigade.-
    	-Engaged in the Seven Day's Battles before Richmond-
    	-Wintered, Camp Gregg, Guiney Station on the RF+P Railroad.-
    	- April 29th, 1863, left for Chancellorsville.-
    	-Engaged in battle May 3rd, 1863, at Chancellorsville.-
    	-June 4th, 1863, Provost Guard for 3rd Corps., Station Hamilton's
    	 Crossing on the RF+P Railroad.-
    	-June 6th, 1863, started for Pennsylvania.-
    	-June 28th, 1863, reported to the Brigade.-
    	-July 1st, 1863, deployed as skirmishers, first to fire at
         Gettysburg.-
    	-July 2nd, 1863, no report listed.-
    	-July 3rd, 1863, charged enemies works. (Pickett's Charge)-
    	-July 4th, 1863, retreated back to Virginia, Battalion decimated-
    	-Wintered at Orange Court House-
    	-Left May 4th, 1864, for Provost Duty.-
    	-Participated in the defense of Petersburg-
    	-September 13th, 1864, assigned as A.P. Hill's Provost Guard.-
    	-April 3rd, 1865, retrieved A.P. Hill's body from Union lines
    	 after his death on April 2nd, 1865.-
    	-Evacuated Richmond with Lee-
    	-April 8th, 1865, 5th Alabama's Battalion's last war casuality, Pvt.
    	 Jesse Hutchins, killed on the eve of the surrender. His grave may
    	 been seen at Appomattox Court House today still.-
    	-April 12th, 1865, formally surrendered arms at Appomattox Court
    	 House.- 
    
    						The Alamaba Slammer  
54.15Er, a word of mitigation hereSMURF::SMURF::BINDERAs magnificent as thatSun Dec 01 1991 21:406
    Re: .10
    
    I guess I should have used a smiley face.  As much as anything, I was
    just rattling people's chains.
    
    -dick
54.16Tribute to the BrigadeOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Tue Dec 03 1991 08:0620
    
    	The best-known American novelist who fought for the Confederacy,
    John Esten Cooke, was so certain the brigade had no equal that he wrote
    of it:
    	The Old Stonewall Brigade! What a host of thoughts, memories and
    emotions do these words excite! How like a call to the charge sounds
    the simple mention of the famous band! These veterans have fought and
    bled and conquered on so many battlefields, that memory grows weary
    almost of recalling their glories.... The soul of their leader seemed
    to have entered every breast - and "Stonewall's Band" became the terror
    of the enemy. To meet the enemy, was to conquer him, it might almost be
    said, so obstinately did the eagles of victory continue to perch upon
    the old battleflag. The laws of the human body seemed to have been
    reversed for these men. They marched, and fought, and triumphed, like
    war machines which felt no need of rest, or food, or sleep.
    
    John Esten Cooke, "Stonewall Jackson and the Old Stonewall Brigade",
    edited by Richard Harwell (Charlottesville, 1954)
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
54.17Lee's Grenadier GuardELMAGO::WRODGERSI'm the NRA - Sic Semper TyrannisWed Dec 04 1991 16:4366
    The Texas Brigade, or Hood's Texas Brigade, served in every battle of
    the ANV except Chancellorsville, and they made up for that one by
    taking part in Chickamauga and Longstreet's Knoxville campaign in the
    winter of '63.
    
    The Brigade was composed of three regiments of Texas troops - the 1st,
    4th, and 5th Texas Vol. Infantry - and at various times Hampton's
    legion of South Carolina Infantry, the 18th Georiga, and the 3rd
    Arkansas Infantry.  The Brigade was supported by Battery D, North
    Carolina Artillery until after Gettysburg.
    
    The Texas Brigade was never broken when it was on defense, and the only
    time it was ever stopped on offense was at Gettysburg, when that
    magnificent SOB Chamberlain did the impossible.
    
    At Gaine's Mill the Hell Roarin' Fourth broke the Federal line after
    some other very fine Rebel units had broken their hearts on that ridge.
    
    At 2nd Manassas the Ragged Fifth again broke the Federal line and
    chased their shattered foe so far that staff officers on horseback had
    to ride like hell to catch them.
    
    At Anteitam they stook dreadful fire, and the Bloody First took the
    highest percentage of casualties of a Confederate regiment in the war.
    (NOTE:  I've seen tables that put the 1st in second place, behind the
    26th NC.)  Stephen Sears wrote that Stonewall Jackson detailed some
    staff officers to round up stragglers at Anteitam and bring them back
    into the fight.  He told the officers, "If you find any of Hood's men,
    leave them alone; they have fought enough today."  By golly, when Ol'
    Blue Light said you'd fought enough, you'd flat been through it!
    
    At Gettysburg, along with the rest of Longstreet's Corp, the Texans
    rolled up the Federal left like a rug, and took many hundreds of yards
    of ground before being stopped at Little Round Top. 
    
    At Chickamauga, they were the sharp end of the spear that Hood thrust
    through the Federal right, forcing the Army of the Tennessee to retreat
    all across its front.  Only Pap Thomas saved the AOtT that day.
    
    At the Wilderness, in the company of Jenkin's South Carolinians, they 
    stopped Hancock's corps dead in its tracks and drove it back several
    hundred yards.  This action effectively finished the Brigade as a
    fighting force, but they soldiered on through that god-awful summer and
    went into the trenches at Petersburg.  They were involved in the
    battles on the Confederate right, including Darby Town Road and Fort
    Harrison.
    
    Lee loved his Texans, and got in serious political trouble by calling
    them the best troops in his army.  At the Wildernes, as the brigade
    executed "By Company into line... By battalions, forward into line...
    By regiments, forward into line,"  Lee asked, "What troops are these?"
    
    "They are Texans, Sir."
    
    Lee stood in his stirrups and shouted, "Hurrah for the Texans!  The
    Texans always move them!"  Lee then moved to the front of the Brigade,
    as though to lead it in its charge.  The Texans refused to budge until
    their idol was sent safely to the rear, at which time they closed with
    the better part of a seasoned Federal corps and gave it a first class 
    bloody nose.
    
    Wess
    AKA  1st Sgt. Garland Colvin,
    Co. B, 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry.
    The Tom Green Rifles of the Hell Roarin' Fourth
    
54.18Empty Stomach's = Ticked off Texan's!OGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Thu Dec 05 1991 06:039
    
    	One question Wess, wasn't the reason Hood's Texas boy's fought so
    fiercely at Antienam's "Cornfield" was because Jackson threw them into
    the fray while they were cooking their breakfast? As the story goes, it
    seems that they had just marched into the Sharpsburg area and where 
    cooking thier first meal in a couple of days and Jackson threw them
    into the Cornfield to plug the breach.
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
54.19standing and runningELMAGO::WRODGERSI'm the NRA - Sic Semper TyrannisThu Dec 05 1991 11:4229
    I don't remember reading this version of the story, but would hesitate
    to say it isn't so.  Truth is stranger than fiction, especially when
    Texicans are in the bargain!  I would suspect that any troops put into
    a situation like the cornfield would either have to fight like all hell
    or cut and run, and running from a fight like that would be as deadly
    as standing up to it.  Sort of like the Marines on Guadalcanal:  how
    the heck to you skedaddle?
    
    The Texas Brigade was involved in a hilariuos skedaddle in Tennessee. 
    ONe night they were sent out as skirmishers and pickets on a mountain
    called Raccoon Mountain.  Their lines were very seriously probed, and
    it became obvious to one and all that they were facing the better part
    of a couple of divisions.  The Texans simply turned and ran off the
    mountain.  Now this mountain was covered with dense brush and jack
    pine, and the night was awful dark.  As the men ran down the hill,
    gravity had its way with them, and they couldn't stop, or even slow
    down!  They crashed into trees, into each other, and generally beat the
    hell out of themselves.  ONe old man in Co. B, A.R. Rice, apparently a
    man as full in girth as years, tripped and fell into a small gully. 
    His body spanned the gully, and his comrades used him as a bridge.  Val
    Giles, in "Rags and Hope," says this is where Rice earned his nickname,
    "Old Pontoon."  (Lest there be a temptation to look at Rice as a joke,
    his name is one of 8 privates on the Appomattox roster of Co. B.  This
    forum understands what that says of a man's character.)
    
    This precipitate retreat down the mountain is known in the folklore of
    the Brigade as "The Raccoon Races."
    
    Wess
54.20They were hungry...ASABET::D_SWEENEYThu Dec 05 1991 14:0116
    
    Re:  Cornfield and hungry Texans...
    
     I just read the section in S. Foote's book on this.  Indeed the Texans
     had marched hard to get to the spot in line and had not had any real
     food in two days,  Jackson had let them withdraw to cook there food 
     when all H*ll broke loose in the cornfield and in Stonewalls line. 
     Hood brought his Texans up, must of them still hungry and drove the 
     blue coats back off the field in the First of many battles on a day
     that would see the most casualties in a single day of combat during 
     the entire War.   They say that the Cornfield was ripe and with full
     stalks ready for picking at the begining of the day, by the end it was
     like a harvested field and the bodies were so deep you could walk
     across the field and never have to touch the ground....
    
      Dan
54.21More Texans at AnteitamELMAGO::WRODGERSI'm the NRA - Sic Semper TyrannisFri Dec 06 1991 16:0212
    A soldier in the 1st Texas shouted at his messmate that they
    really ought to get out the spot they were in.  They were lying 
    prone in the cornfield.  The soldier's messmate said they had to
    stay because all the other men in the company were staying put, 
    and to run would be disgraceful.  The first soldier said, "They're
    all dead, you d***fool!" and to prove his point, he fired his rifle
    into the body of the man next to him.  The man never twitched because
    he was, indeed, dead.  The two fellows skedaddled and lived to write
    memoirs.
    
    
    Wess
54.22CTHQ2::LEARYbusted flat in baton rougeFri Jan 03 1992 13:0130
    
    I received a rather large book for Christmas that outlline Civil
    War battlefields. It also includes drawings and representations of
    various uniforms and battleflags. I found this aspect of the book
    much more interesting than the actual battle depictions.
    
    I realize that each state regiment and militia had their own
    distinctive uniqueness in uniform but I was amazed at the
    divergence of color and style, from the Zouaves to butternut.
    There must have been confusion, especially early in the War
    when both armies in either theater had similar uniforms.
    For example, the Zouave unoiforms of the NY and Penna. regiments
    were extremely similar the Louisiana Washington (?) Artillery.
    
    Some other examples: Georgia regiment with dark blue tunics and
    sky-blue pants resembling the Union uniform. Or another Georgia
    regiment that wore green uniforms similar to the some Federal
    Irish regiments. I read of a particular NY regiment (could have been
    militia) that wore a full gray uniform with gray kepi cap similar
    to the Virginia and North Carolina Conferderate soldier. There was
    the Cincinnati Union regiment that also wore gray in an outfit
    resembling a West Point cadet. And the 5th Union Indiana regiment
    that also wore a gray tunic and pants with red trim that must have
    caused some confusion at Shiloh.
    
    Can anyone enlighten further or comment? Thanks
    
    MikeL
    
    
54.23Rifle or Irish Green?ELMAGO::WRODGERSI'm the NRA - Sic Semper TyrannisMon Jan 06 1992 16:3015
    re: .22
    
    I don't remember that any Irish regiments wore green uniforms.  That
    one is new to me.  Rifle regiments on both sides - such as the U.S.
    Sharpshooters and the Alexandria Rifles - wore dark green uniforms. In
    fact, somewhere I read that the color was called "rifle green."  The
    British Army has a regiment called the "Royal Green Jackets," which was
    a rifle regiment formed during the American Revolution.
    
    The uniforms were, indeed, splendid in their variety early in the war. 
    Cases of mistaken identity were very common:  Manassas included at
    least two, Wilson's Creek about 5 or 6...  There were many others.
    
    
    Wess
54.24Shades of BlueOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Wed Jan 08 1992 05:2138
    
    	Federal encampments of 1861 and even later were marked by the 
    greatest diversity of clothing. Almost every conceivable color and
    shade was represented. Materials ranged from broadcloth to satinette,
    and styles from the outlandish fezzes and bloomers of the Zouaves to
    "stiff and old fashioned" suits of ancient militia organizations. In
    some regiments each company had a distinctive uniform.
    
    	Soldier letters and diaries indicate that gray was a favorite
    color among early volunteer units. Indeed, in the first months of the
    war gray seems to have been almost as popular in Northern as in
    Southern camps. This circumstance led to unfortunate results on more
    than one battlefield. At First Manassas the gray-clad soldiers of the
    Second Wisconsin were said to have been mistaken for Confederates and
    fired on by their comrades, and at Cheat Mountain a similiar
    circumstance caused Ohio troops to shoot at soldiers of the Thirteenth
    Indiana, killing and wounding several of them.
    
    	At Wilson's Creek early in 1862 Louisiana and Arkansas troops were
    allowed to maneuver within musket range of Sigel's command because the
    opposing troops wore the same color. Three days before Shiloh, Grant
    reported that some of his men were "still in gray uniform," owing to
    their reluctance to swap the good-quality gray garments for the shoddy
    blue dispensed by the quartermasters. Not until the summer of 1862
    could the term boys in blue be applied accurately to the Union forces,
    and deviations were to be found occasionally until the end of the war.
    
    	But many of the early organizations had to go to war in their
    gaudy militia regalia. Heavy reliance for initial needs was placed
    on women's sewing groups and while the results sometimes were
    gratifying, in many cases the handiwork indicated more zeal than skill.
    
    
    			   From	"The Life of Billy Yank"
    					By Bell Irvin Wiley
    
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
54.25Shades of GrayOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Wed Jan 08 1992 07:0577
    
    	Volunteer companies did the best they could. Some received issues
    of clothing from state authorities, though these were faced with 
    problems of supply very much like those of the central government.
    
    	In not a few instances, regiments went into Confederate service
    garbed in the flashy suits which they had worn for parade purposes as
    militia organizations. The Orleans Guard Battalion of New Orleans
    arrived at Shiloh while the battle was in progress, and went into the
    thick of the fight wearing blue dress uniforms. Fellow Rebels mistook
    the newcomers for Yankees and began to shoot at them. When the Guards
    realized the cause of their plight, they hastily turned their coats
    inside out so as to present a whitish color instead of blue; and thus
    they went through the battle.
    
    	But blue was just one of many colors worn by soldiers of '61 and
    '62. The Emerald Guards of Mobile went to Virginia attired in dark
    green, a color adopted in honor of old Ireland, the land from which
    most of the members came. Captain Patterson's company of East
    Tennesseans dressed themselves in suits of yellow to give meaning to
    their previously adopted designation of "Yellow Jackets". The
    Granville Rifles of North Carolina sported uniforms featuring black
    pants and flaming red flannel shirts that must have made easy targets
    for Yankees considerably removed. Some of the Maryland companies who
    espoused the cause of the Confederacy were clothed in uniforms of
    blue and orange.
    
    	But most resplendently attired of all were the Louisiana Zouaves
    whose trousers were of scarlet cloth, cut in such fashion as to 
    suggest the term "bloomers" to derisive comrades, belted at the waist
    with large blue sashes and bound at the ankles with gaiters of white;
    jackets were heavily adorned with varicolored lace; shirts were of
    blue, cut low to reveal the sunburnt throats and hirsute chests;
    headpieces consisted of fezzes, perched at angles indicating the
    jauntiness of the wearers.
    
    	These flashy regalia contrasted markedly with other types observed
    in the streets of Richmond in the summer of 1861. Here might be seen a
    rugged Texan mounted on a high-pommel saddle, attired in homespun gray,
    peering disinterestedly from beneath the expansive brim of a western
    hat; there a native of the southern Applalachian area, ambling along
    in bearskin blouse, nondescript trousers and rawhide leggings.
    Occasionally one might encounter "the dirty gray and tarnished silver
    of the muddy-complexioned Carolinian; the dingy butternut of the lank,
    muscular Georgian, with its green trimming and full shirts; and the
    Alabamians from the coast nearly all in blue of a cleaner hue and
    neater cut."
    
    	Blue trousers, for instance, seem to have been the rare exception
    rather than the rule. Certainly the impression derived from soldier
    correspondence is that gray was the standard color for trousers as well
    as coats, and the impression is corrobated by wartime uniforms on
    display in various Confederate museums. But the cadet gray of 1861 and
    1862 gradually gave way, as the blockade drove the South to an
    increasing dependence on her own resources, to a yellowish brown
    resulting from the use of dye made of copperas and walnut hulls. This
    peculiar tint was dubbed butternut, and so wide was its use for 
    uniforms that Confederates soldiers were rather generally referred to
    by both Yanks and Southerners as "butternuts."
    
    	In a few instances at least, undyed outfits were issued by the
    government. The Second Texas Regiment was the recipient of such an
    issue a few days before leaving Corinth for Shiloh. When the men
    beheld the whitish-looking garments exclamations of the most
    unorthodox character went up on every hand such as "Well, I'll be
    damn'!" "Don't them things beat hell?" "Do the generals expect us to
    be killed and want us to wear our shrouds?" After the battle a Federal
    prisoner was said to have inquired: "Who were them hell cats that went
    into battle dressed in their graveclothes?"
    
    
    				From "The Life of Johnny Reb"
    					By Bell Irvin Wiley
    
    							The Alabama Slammer 
    
    
54.26New York "Graybacks"OGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Thu Jan 09 1992 09:1421


		The 7th New York State Militia (also called National Guard),
	was an old pre-war organization that dated back to 1806, its 
	membership was composed of the cream of New York City society.
		Called the "old graybacks" thanks to their uniforms,
	members of the 7th served for seven years, drilled every month and
	paid for their own uniforms and equipment. For any young man,
	membership in the regiment was distinctly a social plus.
		In the crisis after Fort Sumter, the 7th quickly volunteered
	to go to the relief of Washington, being one of the first units
	to arrive in April 1861. They remained there until late May, when
	the immediate crisis abated and they returned to New York.
		They were not called "graybacks" for nothing, thier short
	shell jackets, pants and kepis were light gray with black trim,
	while their other equipment was either black oilcloth or canvas.
		They also carried with them a distinctive red blanket
	and were armed with a Model 1855 rifle-musket.

						The Alabama Slammer
54.27Lee's TigersOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Thu Jan 16 1992 05:1557
    
    	No one Louisiana unit can be singled out as being responsible for
    creating the Tiger's infamous reputation. Major Roberdeau Wheat's 1st
    special Battalion is most often cited by historians as being the first
    unit nicknamed the "Louisiana Tigers" and of spawning the image 
    associated with that name. One company in Wheat's Battalion, the Tiger
    Rifles, did lend its name to the entire Louisiana infantry, and no one
    can doubt that the battalion played a significant role in creating the
    reputation that surronded the Tigers.
    	But it was not Wheat's men who first spread the fear and
    apprehension that came to be associated with the Louisiana troops. Two
    other Louisiana commands, the 1st Battalion, Louisiana Zouaves
    (Coppens' Battalion), and the 14th Louisiana Volunteers, initiated this
    image by their wholesale rioting, looting, and robbery. These two units
    did more to tarnish the image of Louisiana's soldiers during the first
    few months of the war than Wheat's Battalion did during its entire
    existence. In creating mayhem, even Wheat's desperadoes could not match
    the Irish, Germans, and Creoles of Coppen's Battalion and the 14th
    Louisiana Volunteers.
    
    		The fierce reputation of the Tigers was well earned, for
    Louisiana probably had a higher percentage of criminals, drunkards, and
    deserters in its commands than any other Confederate state, probably
    because of the great number of poor foreigners who filled the state's
    ranks. The Irish and Germans made excellent fighters, but many were
    newcomers to America and had little enthusiasm for the war. Thus many
    deserted when a chance arose to escape the rigors and danger of
    campaigning. Other foreigners who enlisted off the rough New Orleans
    waterfront, where drinking, fighting, and thievery were a way of life,
    naturally brought their vices with them to the army.
    	This is not to imply that all of Louisiana's foreign soldiers fell
    into this category. The majority did not. Most of the Irish and Germans
    were dedicated soldiers who behaved as well as native-born Americans.
    Nevertheless, these foreign-dominated units were most often mentioned
    in connection with such deviant behavior.
    
    	In an effort to glorify the Louisiana troops, some historians only
    lightly treat these negative aspects of the Tigers, or else make their
    deeds seem more like childish mischief than criminal behavior. Such
    apologies are unnecessary. Despite the Tiger's reputation, the 
    Confederate commanders time and again called on them in the most
    desperate situations.
    	From First Manassas to Appomattox they consistenly played key roles
    in the most important campaigns. It was the Louisianians who held back
    the initial federal onslaught at First Manassas, made possible General
    T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famed Valley Campaign, contained the Union
    breakthrough at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle, and led Lee's last
    offensive actions at Fort Stedman and Appomattox. 
    	For all their vices, weaknesses, and failings, Lee's Louisiana
    Tigers emerged from the Civil War with one of the most respected
    military records of any southern fighting unit. The Louisiana Tigers
    had once again proven themselves to be the premier shock troops of the
    Army of Northern Virginia.
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
     
    	
54.28The Colorful 44th New York RegimentOGOMTS::RICKERLest We Forget, 1861 - 1865Thu Feb 13 1992 07:1757
    
    	Colonel Joshua Chamberlain's 20th Maine may have won the most fame
    during the grueling fight for control of Little Round Top, but the
    largest regimental monument on the battlefield today commemorates a
    brother regiment that fought alongside the 20th Maine that desperate
    afternoon - the 44th New York, the "People's Ellsworth Regiment."
    	
    	The New York regiment was raised to pay tribute to the first Union
    martyr, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a former law partner of Abraham
    Lincoln's who was shot dead after hauling down a Confederate flag in
    Alexandria, Va., in May 1861.
    
    	Ellsworth had won fame before the Civil War as the founder of the
    National Guard Cadets, later renamed the U.S. Zouave Cadets of Chicago,
    an organization that he patterned after France's colonial troops, down
    to the baggy pants, sashes, short jackets and fezzes worn by French
    Zouaves in Algeria.
    
    	The Zouave Cadets toured the East the summer before the war,
    performing crack drill maneuvers before rapt audiences from New York
    City to Washington. When the war began, Ellsworth traveled to New York
    to raise a regiment of Union volunteers. Recruiting heavily among the 
    city's fire departments, he clothed the volunteers in his favored
    exotic regalia and dubbed the colorful regiment the 1st New York Fire
    Zouaves in honor of their origin. Renamed the 11th New York, the
    regiment subsequently saw action at First Bull Run (Manassas).
    
    	Following Ellsworth's martyrdom, the state of New York authorized
    the organization of a new regiment, the "People's Ellsworth Regiment."
    The regiment was to be an elite organization, composed entirely of
    unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 30. Each man was to be at
    least 5 feet, 8 inches tall and of good moral character; recruits were
    raised from each town or ward of the state, and each recruit had to
    personally contribute $20 to the regimental fund. Many of the
    regiment's officers transferred over from the Fire Zouaves.
    
    	At Little Round Top, fighting alongside the 20th maine, the New
    Yorkers picked up 90 Rebel prisoners following the melee on the ledges.
    ( A 91st prisoner fell before Captain Nathanial Husted, shot from
    behind by one of his fellow Confederates. ) Another regimental captain,
    Lucius S. Larrabee, a former Fire Zouave, was himself fatally wounded
    in the fighting after having told two fellow officers that he had a 
    premonition he would die that day.
    
    	The commander of the 44th at Little Round Top, Colonel James C.
    Rice, was later promoted to brigadier general. Rice was fatally
    wounded 10 months later at the Battle of Spotsylvania. His last
    thoughts were of his old regiment. With his dying breath, Rice asked:
    "Tell the 44th I am done fighting. Turn me over and let me die with
    my face to the enemy."
    
    	Today, the memorial to the 44th New York stands at the southern
    end of Little Round Top's crest, the largest regimental monument at
    Gettysburg.
    
    						The Alabama Slammer
    	
54.29RAVEN1::WATKINSFri Feb 21 1992 22:2911
      When I was in the Army I was in the 2nd Inf.  Our flag had battle
    ribbons for all the battles fought by the Army of the Potmac (sp).
    What was interesting is that my great grandfather fought against that 
    same unit at Gettysburg, my great grandfather was in a North Carolina
    unit of the ANV.
    
    
    
    
                                     Marshall
    
54.30rebel leathernecksJUPITR::ZAFFINOMon Mar 02 1992 08:367
    I just recently learned that there was a Confederate States Marine
    Corps.  Can anyone tell us anything about them?  Organization, service
    records, muster dates, uniforms, etc.  Given the size, state, and 
    function of the Confederate Navy I didn't know that a Marine Corps
    was ever even considered. 
    
    Ziff
54.31The Confederate Marine Corps.STRATA::RUDMANAlways the Black Knight.Tue Apr 14 1992 17:5237
     Not much detail is known about the Confederate Marines, as the 
     largest collection of marine records was destroyed in a fire at 
     the home of Marine Commandant Col. Lloyd J. Beall.

     Authorized early in the war, the Confederacy had lofty intentions of 
     building a large force.  On May 9, 1861, 2000 marine uniforms were 
     ordered from an British firm, but the South never had enough men to 
     fill them.  Like the regular navy, there weren't many enlistees 
     interested in a war at sea.  Men volunteered for the army, for that 
     was where the glory was; besides, there was only a small number of 
     Southern sailors to begin with.

     By October 30, 1864, the marines numbered 539, of which 62 were POWs 
     and 32 were trainees.

     Confederate Marines served on almost every warship that roamed the 
     seas, and also took part in engagements on inland waters.  (Twenty 
     marines served aboard the CSS Savannah during her brief 1861 career 
     as a commerce-raider.)

     The largest Confederate Marine unit in action was the 55 officers 
     and men who helped serve the guns of the CSS Virginia at Hampton 
     Roads, Va., in March of 1862, against Federal wooden gunboats and 
     the ironclad Monitor.

     After the Virginia was burned/blown up to avoid capture on May 11,
     the marines went to Drewry's Bluff to man the shore batteries there.
     This same outfit marched with Robert E. Lee in April of 1865 when
     Richmond was evacuated, and fought in the April 6 Battle of Sayler's 
     Creek.

     There are a few books out on the subject, with more information
     than I'm offering here, but nothing as comprehensive as has been
     published about the Confederate Army & Navy.

     						Don