You are currently browsing the daily archive for December 15th, 2006.
About Dr. Steven E. Woodworth
Dr. Woodworth is a two-time winner of the prestigious Fletcher Pratt Award, for his books Davis and Lee at War and Jefferson Davis and His Generals.
Steven was born in Ohio in 1961, raised in Illinois (mostly), and graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1982 with a B.A. in history. Thereafter he studied one year at the University of Hamburg, in Germany, before beginning studies at Rice University, where he received a Ph.D. in 1987. From 1987 to 1997 Woodworth taught at Bartlesville Wesleyan College in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. At both institutions he was more or less the entire history department and taught everything from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Europe and the United States. In 1997 he came to TCU, where he teaches courses in U.S. history as well as the Civil War and Reconstruction and the Old South.
Recommended reading:
Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861-1865. By Steven E. Woodworth
Background for this interview?
- What was the military unit size for the Union army?
- What was the military unit size for the Confederate army?
At what time in the war and under what circumstances was this the size of typical Civil War units?
At the time of their enlistment, early in the war, Civil War companies nominally consisted of about 100 men, although the true number could be closer to 80 or 90. However, this began to attrit very early-on, especially as a result of disease. So that 70 or 80 was probably a more realistic figure for a company when first meeting the enemy–provided it did so within 6 to 9 months of its enlistment more or less.
How did garrison duty or an inactive theater impact unit sizes?
If a regiment pulled a long stint of garrison duty or found itself in an inactive theater so that it did not meet then enemy until it had been in service for a year or more, I would guess that 50 would be a better approximation of average company strength.
And how did active theaters of war impact unit sizes?
Regiments that had seen heavy fighting would be smaller of course, and for them the 35-40 figure is probably about right. Naturally, after many heavy battles a regiment might become extremely depleted, especially if it was not replenished with recruits, so there really almost is not minimum strength for a company. Nor can we speak of units all being of comparable size at the same time. Regiments enlisted in the fall of 1861 would have been heavily attritted by the the following fall, while other regiments on the same battlefield (I’m thinking of Antietam) would have been newly recruited and almost at full strength.
Which side did a better job of keeping unit strength (in sizes) up?
In general the Confederacy did a slightly better job of keeping their units up to strength than the Union did.
One Civil War ‘List’ book says that both sides averaged about 34-40 per company; 350-400 per regiment, and 800-1700 per brigade. Are those more appropriate during a particulat time in the war?
The company, regiment, and brigade figures are probably good for the average units of mid-1863. The preceding year, all three would have been larger, and I think even in ‘63 the Confederates had quite a few brigades significantly larger than 1,700 men.
One ‘List’ says the CSA division range was 6,000 - 14,000 men. How does that sound?
Pickett’s division, the smallest Confederate division at Gettysburg, numbered just over 5,000, so that range should probably be expanded downward.
Is the range of 24,000 - 28,000 for a CSA Corps side accurate?
As for Confederate corps size, this probably has reference to the Army of Northern Virginia. The Confederate corps at Shiloh were much smaller–about 10,000 men each, and corps in the Army of Tennesse probably continued to be smaller than the range given here, I would say probably something like 18,000-20,000 men each.
At the other extreme, I suspect that Longstreet’s corps at Fredericksburg was significantly larger than 28,000 men. The Union figures [12,000 - 14,000] seem about right–again, for the average units of the middle period of the war.
Surgeon W.B. Wall (C.S.A.)
Army Tenn.,
Dec. 13, 1864
My Dear Wife,
I hope you have recvd. some of the letters I have written lately as in them I gave you all the news from your relatives. They were well. No letter from you yet of later date than Oct. 21st. The time seems very long to me. It snowed here about a week ago. It is still 
upon the ground. The weather has been quite cold the thermometer standing from 12 to 15 degrees below zero. You would probably like to know how I am situated. Well, Dr. Phillips & myself took possession of a negro cabin that was nearly filled with corn. This we had thrown in the loft to the back of the cabin leaving us about half the room. It is well pointed & has an excellent fire place. We have some boxes & broken chairs to sit on so you see we are doing finely. At night we put down hay & spread our blankets on that for sleeping. We get plenty fat beef to eat & have but little to do except make ourselves comfortable. I have had only one man to report to me sick this month & there wasn’t much the matter with him. I don’t know how the men out on the lines stand the cold as they do. They have no extra amount of clothing, but few blankets & scarce of wood they suffer with cold, but endure it without much complaint. The wind is blowing fiercely today. We are in camp four miles from Nashville. You will have probably killed hogs before you get this. Let me know how much you made. Will you have corn enough or have you bought more? Like all of us I know you are anxious to learn what the army is doing & what it will do next. Well all I can tell you is we have dug trenches & are lying in them hoping the enemy will attack us. I have no thought we will attack them at Nashville and as to what we will do next I can give you no intimation for I have not the least knowledge of Gen. Hood’s intentions. Now, when will the war end? This is a hard question & one I am entirely unable to answer. I have no thought it will ever end in our subjugation. It makes me sad to think of being separated from you so much & so long, but I hope before a great while to be where you can at least visit me occasionally. Don’t allow yourself to become despondent but try to keep cheerful looking forward to a better day. Tell Laura and Mannie not to forget Papa. Hug & kiss them for me. Much love to Mrs. Oliver. I feel under deep & lasting obligations to her for her kindness to you & the children. Tell all the servants howdy & tell them to take care of the stock & not let it stray off or starve. I hope next year if the war continues to be where I can come home more frequently. I don’t wish to quit the service if I can remain in it & give home the necessary attention. I wrote you that Frank Robinson [probably was C. Franklin Robertson] was killed on the [Nov.] 30th at Franklin & Lt. Brown had his arm broken.
Your devoted Husband,
W.B. Wall
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
William B.[Burgeess] Hall enlisted as a surgeon in the 33rd Miss. Infantry, Company I.
According to Wikipedia:
Thomas planned to strike both of Hood’s flanks, with a minor attack on the Confederate right and the major effort on the left. Before daylight on December 15, the division led by Maj. Gen. James Steedman hit the Confederate right and held down one corps there for the rest of the day. The attack on the left, under Schofield, leading two corps and a division, began after noon with a charge up Montgomery Hill and it had a devastating effect on the entire Confederate line. Hood’s army was battered, but not routed. Fighting stopped at dark and Hood reformed his men for the second day of battle. He established a main line of resistance along the base of a ridge about two miles south of the former location, throwing up new works and fortifying hills on their flanks. Union troops marched out close to the Confederate’s new line and began constructing fieldworks on the morning of December 16. Once again Thomas planned to attack on both flanks, but the initial attack on the strongly fortified Confederate right was unsuccessful. It was followed by the stronger left flank attack under Schofield, Smith, and Wilson, which succeeded. Their success inspired Thomas J. Wood and James B. Steedman to resume their attack on the right flank, which overran the Confederates. Hood’s army collapsed and fled in a heavy rain in the direction of Franklin.
The 33rd Mississippi lost its flag in the Battle of Franklin.
Collection of the Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History, Jackson, MS.
The 33rd Miss., Company B, were known as the Amite County Guards.
The following 33rd men were killed at Franklin. It is likely that Surgeon Wall attended their wounds and/or their deaths: 1st Lt. John Powell, (Acting Major when killed Franklin, Co.B.), Alex Stewart (Co.,B.). For a complete list of the 33rd’s casualties see this site.
Dr. George C. Phillips, Surgeon for the 22nd Mississippi, watching the Battle with Surgeon W.B. Hall on top of a hill wrote, “This was the first and only time I ever heard our bands playing upon a battlefield and at the beginning of a charge…When within three hundred yards of their breastworks a cannon boomed from their fort (Granger) across the little river north of the town. This seemed to be the signal waited for. A sheet of flame and smoke burst from the entire crescent of the enemy’s breastworks, answered by the Rebel yell and musketry fire from our men. In a moment the whole valley was so filled with smoke that nothing could be seen but the flashes of cannon and musketry.”
Surgeon W.B. Wall (C.S.A.)
Army Tenn.,
Dec. 13, 1864
My Dear Wife,
I hope you have recvd. some of the letters I have written lately as in them I gave you all the news from your relatives. They were well. No letter from you yet of later date than Oct. 21st. The time seems very long to me. It snowed here about a week ago. It is still upon the ground. The weather has been quite cold the thermometer standing from 12 to 15 degrees below zero. You would probably like to know how I am situated. Well, Dr. Phillips & myself took possession of a negro cabin that was nearly filled with corn. This we had thrown in the loft to the back of the cabin leaving us about half the room. It is well pointed & has an excellent fire place. We have some boxes & broken chairs to sit on so you see we are doing finely. At night we put down hay & spread our blankets on that for sleeping. We get plenty fat beef to eat & have but little to do except make ourselves comfortable. I have had only one man to report to me sick this month & there wasn’t much the matter with him. I don’t know how the men out on the lines stand the cold as they do. They have no extra amount of clothing, but few blankets & scarce of wood they suffer with cold, but endure it without much complaint. The wind is blowing fiercely today. We are in camp four miles from Nashville. You will have probably killed hogs before you get this. Let me know how much you made. Will you have corn enough or have you bought more? Like all of us I know you are anxious to learn what the army is doing & what it will do next. Well all I can tell you is we have dug trenches & are lying in them hoping the enemy will attack us. I have no thought we will attack them at Nashville and as to what we will do next I can give you no intimation for I have not the least knowledge of Gen. Hood’s intentions. Now, when will the war end? This is a hard question & one I am entirely unable to answer. I have no thought it will ever end in our subjugation. It makes me sad to think of being separated from you so much & so long, but I hope before a great while to be where you can at least visit me occasionally. Don’t allow yourself to become despondent but try to keep cheerful looking forward to a better day. Tell Laura and Mannie not to forget Papa. Hug & kiss them for me. Much love to Mrs. Oliver. I feel under deep & lasting obligations to her for her kindness to you & the children. Tell all the servants howdy & tell them to take care of the stock & not let it stray off or starve. I hope next year if the war continues to be where I can come home more frequently. I don’t wish to quit the service if I can remain in it & give home the necessary attention. I wrote you that Frank Robinson [probably was C. Franklin Robertson] was killed on the [Nov.] 30th at Franklin & Lt. Brown had his arm broken.
Your devoted Husband,
W.B. Wall
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
William B.[Burgeess] Hall enlisted as a surgeon in the 33rd Miss. Infantry, Company I.
According to Wikipedia:
Thomas planned to strike both of Hood’s flanks, with a minor attack on the Confederate right and the major effort on the left. Before daylight on December 15, the division led by Maj. Gen. James Steedman hit the Confederate right and held down one corps there for the rest of the day. The attack on the left, under Schofield, leading two corps and a division, began after noon with a charge up Montgomery Hill and it had a devastating effect on the entire Confederate line. Hood’s army was battered, but not routed. Fighting stopped at dark and Hood reformed his men for the second day of battle. He established a main line of resistance along the base of a ridge about two miles south of the former location, throwing up new works and fortifying hills on their flanks. Union troops marched out close to the Confederate’s new line and began constructing fieldworks on the morning of December 16. Once again Thomas planned to attack on both flanks, but the initial attack on the strongly fortified Confederate right was unsuccessful. It was followed by the stronger left flank attack under Schofield, Smith, and Wilson, which succeeded. Their success inspired Thomas J. Wood and James B. Steedman to resume their attack on the right flank, which overran the Confederates. Hood’s army collapsed and fled in a heavy rain in the direction of Franklin.
The 33rd Mississippi lost its flag in the Battle of Franklin.
Collection of the Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History, Jackson, MS.
The 33rd Miss., Company B, were known as the Amite County Guards.
The following 33rd men were killed at Franklin. It is likely that Surgeon Wall attended their wounds and/or their deaths: 1st Lt. John Powell, (Acting Major when killed Franklin, Co.B.), Alex Stewart (Co.,B.). For a complete list of the 33rd’s casualties see this site.
Dr. George C. Phillips, Surgeon for the 22nd Mississippi, watching the Battle with Surgeon W.B. Hall on top of a hill wrote, “This was the first and only time I ever heard our bands playing upon a battlefield and at the beginning of a charge…When within three hundred yards of their breastworks a cannon boomed from their fort (Granger) across the little river north of the town. This seemed to be the signal waited for. A sheet of flame and smoke burst from the entire crescent of the enemy’s breastworks, answered by the Rebel yell and musketry fire from our men. In a moment the whole valley was so filled with smoke that nothing could be seen but the flashes of cannon and musketry.”
Headquarters
1st Brigade
Near the Weldon Railroad
August 22, 1864
[Written by Ansel L. White to his mother]
Dear Mother,
We recrossed the James [River] night before last and came to this point in rear of the 5th Corps ready to support them if necessary. We have the Weldon Road in our possession and Gen. [Ulysses S.] Grant intends to hold it. The 5th Corps had quite a fight before we reached here. They repulsed the Rebs with great slaughter. I presume our move across the James was only intended to draw the Rebs attention that way while the 5th Corps took the r.[ail] road which was done after a pretty severe fight. Our loss was quite heavy. Our brigade lost in the charge about two hundred & fifty. I presume you have seen accounts of it in the paper. Col. Marcy of the 20th Mass. was in command. Our Corps is under arms ready to follow the 5th as soon as they become engaged. Gen. [G.K.] Warren has just sent word that the enemy had left his front. I think he will find a plenty of them before he proceeds. Maj. Patten of the 20th Mass., a particular friend of mine was shot in the leg and had it amputated. I am afraid he will not live. Our brigade is commanded by Lt. Col. Rugg of the 59th N.Y. He will be relieved in a day or two. I think Col. Hudson will take command. It is fight, fight, fight, the same over & over every day.
Remember me to all,
Ansel
__________________________________________
Ansel L. White, was a 27 year old resident of Belfast, Maine, when he enlisted on Aug. 25, 1862, as a sergeant, and was mustered into Co. D, 19th Maine Infantry. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, Nov. 10, 1862, and Captain, Oct. 31, 1864. He was mustered out of service on May 31, 1865.
The 19th Maine Infantry was one of the hardest fighting units in the Army of the Potomac. Their battle honors include Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Bristoe Station, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Deep Bottom, Reams’ Station, and Hatcher’s Run. At Gettysburg, the regiment went into the battle with 440 officers and men. When the fighting was over they had lost 12 officers and 220 men!
Unit
1. Company 34-40
2. Regiment 350-400
3. Brigade 800 - 1700
4. Division 3,000 - 7,000
5. Corps 12,000 - 14,000
Source: The Civil War Book of Lists, p. 56.
Unit
1. Company 35-40
2. Regiment 350-400
3. Brigade 800 - 1700
4. Division 6,000 - 14,000
5. Corps 24,000 - 28,000
Source: The Civil War Book of Lists, p. 56
