Monthly Archive

“One cannot describe his feelings during the first night under a tent - the beginning of his real soldier life. There was so much to look forward to, so much to look back upon! Thoughts of separation from home and loved ones, never, perhaps, to be seen again, occupied the mind. All the hopes and ambitions of the young soldier were crowding through the brain, and ending in the one dearest wish to go speedily to the front.”

James I. Robertson, Jr., Soldiers Blue and Gray: p. 47.

“The army camp was the place where the recruit ceased to be a civilian and learned how to become a soldier. He would spend more time in camp than on marches and in battle combined. It was in camp that he was introduced to the mysteries of the army: bugle calls and drum beats, the military chain of command, discipline, the necessity of taking care of equipment, and obedience to orders. He drilled as best he could; he learned something about pitching a tent and using a weapon.”

James I. Robertson, Soldiers Blue and Gray: p. 41.

“The man who says the negro will not fight is a coward . . His souls is blacker than the dead faces of these dead negroes, upturned to heaven in solmen protest against him and his prejudices.”

- Major General Benjamin F. Butler
Butler has just witnessed the gallant fighting of black soldiers in the defense of Richmond in Septembet 1864.

Cited in Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 34.

Some tell us ’tis a burnin shame

To make the naygers fight;

An’ that the thrade of bein’ kilt

Belongs but to the white;

But as for me, upon my soul!

So liberal are we here,

I’ll let Sambo be muthered instead of myself

On every day of the year.

On every day of the eyar, boys,

And in every hour of the day;

The right to be kilt I’ll divide with him,

An’ divil a word I’ll say.

Private Miles O’Reilly
[Charles G. Halpine, NY soldier]

“We are in the beginning of the greatest war that has ever been waged on this continent.” The youths and middle-aged men who became Johnny Rebs and BillyYanks did so because they had been caught up in the heated atmosphere and angry words of the day, or else they had been emotionally moved . . . by swaying oratory, inspiring music, the sight of a flag waving defiantly at some moment. They were going off to war in enthusiastic expectation - in quest of excitement amd accomplishment - never slowed down by any thoughts that war contains hardships and sufferings, and that soldiers often die.

- James I. Robertson, Jr., Soldiers Blue and Gray: p. 18.

“When the new soldiers ‘unslung those corpulent knapsacks, the sense of relief felt by Bunyan’s pilgrim when he dropped his burden. Indeed, it seemed like getting out from under a haystack or a mountain.“

Cited in Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 15.

Men! - if manhood still ye claim,

If the Northern pulse can thrill,

R oused by wrong or stung by shame,

Freely, strong still! -

Let the sounds of traffic die;

Shut the mill-gate — leave the stall –

Fling the ax and hammer by –

Throng to Faneuil Hill.

- Written by John Greenleaf

“As victor exult, or in death be laid low,

With his back to the field and his feet to the foe,

And leaving in battle no blot on his name,

Look proudly to heaven fron the death-bed of fame.”

- Uttered by a Massachussets orator
Cited in Soldiers Ble and Gray, Robertson: pp. 7-8

“If we are conquered we will be driven penniless and dishonored from the land of our birth . . . As I have often said I had rather fall in this cause than to live to see my country dismantled of its glory and independence - for of its honor it cannot be deprived.”

- A Louisianian

“The great event in all our lives has at last come to pass. A war of gigantic proportions, infinite consequences, and indefinite duration is on us, and will affect the interests and happiness of every man, woman, or child, lofty or humble, in this country . . . We cannot shun it, we can not alleviate it, we cannot stop it. We have nothing left now but to fight our way through these troubles . . .”

- John M. Daniel, a Richmond newspaper editor
Quoted in Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 6

“I was a mere boy and carried away by boyish enthusiasm. I was ambitious and felt that I should be disgraced if I remained at home while other boys no older than myself were out fighting . . . I was tormented by feverish anxiety before I joined my regiment for fear the fighting would be over before I got into it.”

- James Cooper, a Tennessee soldier
- Quoted in Soldiers in Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 5

“No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.”

Union General Ulysses S. Grant, at Fort Donelson, Tennessee
February 16, 1862

HARPER’S WEEKLY.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1862.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

THE capture of Fort Donelson, with 15,000 men, including both the Generals Buckner and Bushrod Johnston, is probably the culminating point in the struggle between the United States Government and the malcontents. At the hour we write General Buell, with 80,000 men, is pressing upon the Cumberland River; while General Grant, with 50,000, and Flag-officer Foote, with his gun-boat and mortar fleet, are ascending the same stream from the bend at Dover. Rumor states that the remnant of the garrison of Fort Donelson, with part of the Bowling Green army, have taken refuge at Clarksville, and seem disposed to make a stand there. If they do, they will inevitably share the fate of the army which has just surrendered. The events of the past week have rendered its indisputable masters of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, of Nashville and all Northern Tennessee, and of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Wherever we meet the enemy we shall be three to one, and by far superior to them in equipments, commissariat, clothing, transportation, and arms.

The fate of Columbus, Memphis, and consequently New Orleans, is now sealed. It is hardly probable that the right reverend rebel Leonidas Polk will wait to be caught in the trap he has built for himself at Columbus. If he does, we shall by-and-by take him and all his force without firing a gun. If he evacuates his present post, the rebels themselves admit that they can not defend any other point on the Mississippi. One Union army of enormous strength will advance on Memphis from Nashville, while another Union army under Halleck’s generals will drive Price before them through Arkansas, and both will meet on the Mississippi in time to co-operate with Flag-officer Foote’s gun-boat and mortar-fleet. Unless some unforeseen accident occurs the whole Mississippi will be ours, from the Gulf to Cairo, by 15th March.

Meanwhile, Burnside is cutting off the retreat of the Virginia army through North Carolina, and making ready to take Norfolk. When he was at the mouth of the Roanoke the people of Weldon fled from their houses. Norfolk should be in our possession as soon as Memphis.

Simultaneously, Dupont and Sherman are moving against Savannah, and Commodore Porter’s fleet is on the way to Mobile and New Orleans.

Against such a combination of forces working together on such a plan, how long can the rebellion last?

“Close to the rear of the battle line, often amidst the crashing of shells and the smoke of battle, these devoted men [chaplains] carried fuel and water to keep their vessels of hot coffee full and steaming; and with hands tender as a woman’s, fed the hungry, staunched the blood, and bound up the gashes . . . These priests of God, Catholic and Protestant, asked no questions of the sufferer, but simply obeyed the divine precept to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and bind up the wounds of both friend and foe.”

Source: Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 185.

“A chaplain recently assigned to the field sought to improve his condition by commandeering a horse from a Virginia farmer. He then joined his regimental commander, who promptly asked him where he got the horse.

‘Down the road there,’ the chaplain replied.

Angrily the colonel told the chaplain to return the horse.

Protesting strongly, the chaplain sought to justify what he had done by stating: ‘Why Jesus Christ, when He was on earth, took an ass whereon to ride to Jerusalem.’

The colonel snapped back: ‘You are not Jesus Christ; that is not an ass whereon to ride to Jerusalem; and the sooner you restore that horse to its owner, the better it will be for you.”

Source: Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 177-178.

Quite a large number had a “boy” along to do the cooking and washing. Think of it! a Confederate soldier with a body servant all his own, to bring him a drink of water, black his boots, dust his clothes, cook his corn bread and bacon, and put wood on his fire. Never was there fonder admiration than these darkies displayed for their masters.

Their chief delight and glory was to praise the courage and good looks of “Marse Tom,” and prophesy great things about his future. Many a ringing laugh and shout of fun originated in the queer remarks, shining countenance and glistening teeth of this now forever departed character.

It is amusing to think of the follies of the early part of the war, as illustrated by the outfits of the volunteers. They were so heavily clad, and so burdened with all manner of things, that a march was torture, and the wagon trains were so immense in proportion to the number of troops, that it would have been impossible to guard them in an enemy’s country. Subordinate officers thought themselves entitled to transportation for trunks and even mattresses and folding bedsteads, and the privates were as ridiculous in their demands.

Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. II. Richmond, Virginia, September, 1876. No. 3.
Detailed Minutiae Of Soldier Life In The Army Of Northern Virginia.

In addition to each man’s private luggage, each mess, generally composed of from five to ten men who were drawn together by similar tastes and associations, had its outfit, consisting of a large camp chest containing skillet, frying pan, coffee boiler, bucket for lard, coffee box, salt box, sugar box, meal box, flour box, knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, &c., &c. These chests were so large that 8 or 10 of them filled up an army wagon, and were so heavy that two strong men had all they could do to get one of them into the wagon. In addition to the chest each mess owned an axe, water bucket, and bread tray. Then the tents of each company, and little sheet iron stoves, and stove pipe, and the trunks and valises of the company officers, made an immense pile of stuff, so that each company had a small wagon train of its own.

All thought money was absolutely necessary, and for awhile rations were disdained, and the mess supplied with the best that could be bought with the mess fund. Gloves were thought to be good things to have in winter time, and the favorite style was buck gauntlets with long cuffs.

Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. II. Richmond, Virginia, September, 1876. No. 3.
Detailed Minutiae Of Soldier Life In The Army Of Northern Virginia.

Very little washing was done, as a matter of course. Clothes once given up were parted with forever. There were good reasons for this. Cold water would not cleanse them or destroy the vermin, and hot water was not always to be had. . One blanket to each man was found to be as much as could be carried, and amply sufficient for the severest weather. This was carried generally by rolling it lengthwise, with the rubber cloth outside, tying the ends of the roll together, and throwing the loop thus made over the left shoulder with the ends fastened together hanging under the right arm.

Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. II. Richmond, Virginia, September, 1876. No. 3.
Detailed Minutiae Of Soldier Life In The Army Of Northern Virginia.

“The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress so immense andour means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope.”

Robert E. Lee

Artwork used with permission by Andy Amato

The Singing man generally put in towards the last and sung us to bed. He was generally a diminutive man, with a sweet voice and a sweetheart at home. His songs had in them rosy lips, blue eyes, golden hair, pearly teeth, and all that sort of thing. Of course he would sing some good rollicking songs in order to give all a chance. And so, with hearty chorus, ‘Three times around went she,’ ‘Virginia, Virginia, the Land of the Free,’ ‘No Surrender,’ ‘Lula, Lula, Lula is Gone,’ ‘John Brown’s Body,’ with many variations, ‘Dixie,’ ‘The Bonnie Blue Flag,’ ‘Farewell to the Star Spangled Banner,’ ‘Hail Columbia,’ with immense variations, and ‘Maryland, My Maryland,’ till about the third year of the war, when we began to think Maryland had ‘breathed and burned’ long enough and ought to ‘come.’ What part of her did come was first class. How the woods did ring with song. There were patriotic songs, romantic and love songs, sarcastic, comic and war songs, pirates’ glees, plantation melodies, lullabies, good old hymn tunes, anthems, Sunday school songs, and everything but vulgar and obscene songs these were scarcely ever heard, and were nowhere in the army well received or encouraged.
Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. I. Richmond, Virginia., February, 1876. No. 2
Camp Fires Of The Boys In Gray.

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
71 Broad Street
Charleston, SC
http://www.stmichaelschurch.net/

Contrary to popular belief, the steeple of St. Michael’s, though a highly visual target during the Union bombardment of Charleston during the Civil War, was never actually struck by a Union artillery. Other parts of the church were however.

The steeple is 186 feet in height; the weather vane is 7 ½ feet long. The entire steeple sank eight inches as a result of the earthquake in 1886. The font was imported from England in 1771.

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Another view

Another view

Old view

Another view

View from top of St. Michael’s spire, looking north

St. Michael’s Church is the oldest church edifice in the City of Charleston, standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia. In the 1680’s a small wooden church, the first in the new town of Charles Town, was built on this spot for the families of the Church of England, and named St. Philip’s. By 1727, the town had grown too large for the small church and a more spacious one was built of brick on Church Street, later destroyed by fire in 1835.

By 1751, St. Philip’s had again proved too small for the increasing population, and another church as authorized by the General Assembly of the Province, to be built on the old site and to be known as St. Michael’s. The cornerstone was laid in 1752 and in 1761 the church was opened for services. Except for the addition of the sacristy in 1883 on the southeast corner, the structure of the building has been little changed.

Although the architect’s name is unknown, the type of architecture follows the tradition of Sir Christopher Wren, generally used during our Colonial period and up to the Gothic revival in 1841. The design carries out worship according to the Book of Common Prayer, where the service is to be heard and all the worshippers are to participate. The altar is close to the congregation in a shallow recess, the apse, with the choir and organ in the rear. A gallery on three sides brings more people closer to the center of worship. St. Michael’s is one of the few city churches in America that has retained this original design.