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“The first thing in the morning is drill, then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill. Between drills, we drill and sometimes stop to eat a little and have roll call.”
- A Northern soldier
Cited in Soldiers Blue and Gray, Robertson: p. 48.
News about the capture of Nashville in the NY Times.
[Mercury, March 9, 1864]
Jacksonville, Fla., Feb.25, 1864
Messrs. Editors: I am pained to inform you that Corporal James H. Gooding was killed in battle on the 20th inst. at Olustee Station. He was one of the Color Corporals and was with the colors at the time. So great was the rout of our troops that we left nearly all our dead and wounded on the field. The fight lasted four hours. We were badly beaten that night, and the next day we kept falling back, until we reached Jacksonville. The fifty-fourth did honor to themselves and our city. All concede that no regiment fought like it.
James H. Buchanan, of New Befford, was killed; and Sergeant Wharton A. Williams, also of our city, was wounded in the hand. Many others of Co. C were wounded; but none of them from our city.
The regiment is pleased to learn that the bill to pay them $13 per month passed.
The total loss of the regiment, I am unable to give you at this time. All we want now is more troops; with them we would go forward again and drive the rebels from the State.
Your friend/James W. Grace/Captain Fifty-Fourth Regiment
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Corporal James Gooding was not killed at Olustee, but only wounded in the thigh. However, he was taken prisoner and sent to Andersonville. It was there, on July 19, 1864, that he died.
Corporal James Henry Gooding, 54th Massachussetts, was a soldier-reporter who reported events to the citizens of New Bedford, MA.
John Ransom’s Andersonville Diary/Life Inside the Civil War’s Most Infamous Prison,
by John Ransom
Andersonville: The Last Depot (Civil War America), by William Marvel
Web sites:
February 25, 1864
“If the cotton states wish to form an independent nation, they have a clear moral right to do so.”
- Horace Greeley, editorial, February 23, 1861, The New York Tribune
Five days earlier, Jefferson Davis was elected President of the Confederate States of America.
The Surrender of Nashville – An important rumor . . .
Interesting article about how some blacks from Green River country (Kentucky) took advantage of fleeing back home after Rebel troops impressed them to help with Donelson.
“DEATH CLAIMS A GOOD WOMAN”
February 22, 2008, Marks the 103rd Anniversary of Carrie McGavock’s Death
Franklin, TN … February 22nd, 2008 marks the 103rd anniversary of Carrie McGavock’s death. Known best for her “unwavering loyalty to the Confederate cause, both in war and in peace,” and also for her caring heart and devotion to the Presbyterian Church, Carrie’s death was a loss for her county and her country.
The funeral was held February 23, 1905 at Historic Carnton Plantation. She passed away without suffering with family surrounding her. She was 76. Many family members and friends gathered to honor the woman who during the bloody Battle of Franklin had her home converted to a Confederate field hospital.
The battle which left thousands of soldiers wounded, dead, and missing changed this Carrie to an advocate for the dead. She inspired the movement of roughly 1,500 buried bodies to the private cemetery on her property. Today, it is the largest privately owned Confederate cemetery in the nation.
McGavock kept a small journal containing the names of those buried at Carnton. It has served as a research tool for those looking for fallen soldiers for generations. Still today, visitors come to the cemetery to visit the grave of fallen relatives from long ago generations.
“Carrie McGavock was an ordinary woman thrown into extraordinary times, one who stepped up to the plate with extraordinary valor. She is the centerpiece of Robert Hicks’ international bestseller, Widow of the South,” said Angela Calhoun, executive director of Carnton Plantation.
Calhoun said Carnton will hold no special ceremonies or services on the anniversary of her death though the mirrors in the “Best Parlor” will be draped with black fabric to signify the loss of her life.
“We do expect increased visitors that day, however. Williamson County residents and visitors from across the nation will likely come here to honor the memory of this brave woman, the mistress of a home and the chief operating officer of the hospital it became,” Calhoun said.
Historic Carnton Plantation is a private, non-profit historic site located in Franklin, Tennessee. Today the site consists of 48 of the original 1,400 acres and includes the restored antebellum home, a recreated one-acre 1847 garden, slave quarters, smokehouse, springhouse, and the adjacent Confederate and family cemetery.
We invite the public to come and honor Carrie McGavock on the anniversary of her death.
For More Information contact: Joanna Stephens (Joanna@carnton.org) or Eric Jacobson (Eric@carnton.org) or (615) 794.0903
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Source: Official Carnton Plantation news release
Contrary to popular Northern belief, the average Southerner was not fighting for slavery. Owning slaves, and profiting from their labor, were attributes only of the upper classes who constituted a very small percentage of the South’s population. Most Confederate soldiers were farmers or laborers who took musket in hand to defend their homeland.”
James I. Robertson, Jr. Soldiers in Blue and Gray: p. 9.
[The following text is courtesy of Friends of the Hunley]
February 17th is a red-letter day for Friends of the Hunley. Exactly 144 years ago today, maritime history changed forever.
Eight men boarded an experimental vessel and accomplished something the world had never seen: the Hunley became the first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship — a feat that would not be repeated until World War I, a half a century later.
The submarine’s historic achievement may not have been possible without the determination and faith of Lt. George Dixon, a young charismatic officer who had a vision for the Hunley. During earlier trial runs, the Hunley had fatally sunk twice, and the Confederate government took it out of commission, concluding the experiment was more dangerous to them than to the enemy.
Dixon refused to give up. He believed the submarine could be an effective weapon and convinced the Confederate command to give the Hunley another chance, with him at the helm. Then, on February 17th, 1864, Dixon and his volunteer crew navigated the Hunley onto the pages of world history. On this special day, we offer an exclusive member update, with photographs of one of the Hunley project’s most recently conserved artifacts. The silver suspender clasp (pictured on the right before and after preservation) was found with Dixon’s remains. Scientists discovered the clasp — like Dixon’s life-saving gold coin — was engraved with his initials: G. E. D.
Thanks to you, the Hunley’s amazing story of courage, innovation and technological achievement is being preserved and will be told for generations to come. On this important anniversary, we want to thank you once again for joining us on this historic journey.
Sincerely,
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According to the Adjutant General’s Regimental history report of the 48th Illinois involvement at Ft. Donelson:
“February 15, was in position by the side of the Eleventh and Twentieth. The rattle of musketry, on the right, was incessant, and gradually approached the left, where the Forty-eighth was stationed, on the brow of the hill, and it was soon fiercely engaged. The enemy were twice repulsed from the front of the Forty-eighth, but they finally succeeded in turning the right of our line, and the Regiment was compelled to retire and form a new line, where the enemy was again repulsed, and he retired within the works. The Regiment lost, this day, forty killed and wounded. Among the killed was the gallant, daring and courteous Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Smith.”
Fort Donelson
Dover Tennessee
February 27, 1862
[From an Illinois Union soldier in the Wallace 3rd Brigade],
Editors note: this Union soldier was probably a member of the 20th or 48th Illinois Infantry.
On the 8th, inst we received the news of the surrender of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, and also received orders to move from (Cape Girardeau?) immediately.
Accordingly we embarked on the Steamer Gladiator at 4 o’clock pm of the 8th, and were soon on our way down the Mississippi arriving at Cairo [ILL] at 2am of the 9th when we took the Cario up to Paducah, Ky where we arrived at 10am and stopped for one hour. Here we found but few soldiers, the rest having gone to Fort Henry, Tenn.
We took the Tennessee River and arrived at Fort Henry at 10pm and disembarked at 9am on the 10th. I took a stroll around the late Rebel fort which was one of the strongest and best armed forts I have seen during the campaign, but it’s occupants could not stand the shot and shell that were thrown with such effect from our gunboats.
They must have lost many more than were reported to have been, for we found some twenty bodies that had been thrown into the water inside of the fort and covered up with sand bags. They had some twenty guns well mounted and plenty of ammunition. One of their guns was a 128 pound Dahlgren, and one a 32 pound rifled cannon the latter of which was burst during the action.
At 4pm of the 11th we started out with two days rations for Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River a distance of 15 miles. After going 4 miles we encamped for the night and at daylight we started again in the direction of the enemy arriving within 2 1/2 miles of the fort, we were drawn up in line of battle when we heard firing in the advance which proved to be skrimmishing between the advance guard and the pickets of the enemy the latter were soon drove in with a total of five killed and several wounded.
We came in sight of their camp outside of the fort at sundown and cast a few shells among them which drove them in confusion into the trenches. We soon surrounded their works at a distance of 1/2 mile and lay on our arms to await the approach of daylight to commence the attack.
At an early hour our guns opened up on the enemy and we were occasionally answered by a shell from their batteries. Our force was some 40,000 thousand strong and hourly increasing.
At eleven am (the 13th) Col. Oglesby [8th Illinois] with his Brigade [1st] was ordered to take a redoubt and batteries which were supposed to be vacated by the enemy but he refused to do so, and Col. [William R.] Morrison [3rd brigade, led the 17th and 49th Illinois at Donelson] with the 2nd Brigade (ours) was assigned the task.
Editors note: The 2nd brigade was led by W.H.L. Wallace (also Colonel of the 11th ILL). Comprised of the following regiments: 11th, 20th, 45th, 48th Illinois Infantries. Battery B & D artillery, and 4th Illinois Cavalry.
We moved forward through the woods to within 100 yards of the works when we received a murderous crossfire of Artillery & musketing and the engagement had commenced. We again moved foward and held our position until ordered three times to fall back, which we did with reluctance after Col. Morrison was carried wounded from the field.
The enemy was within their works, with their front so effectually blockaded that it was impossible for us to approach them in line or we would have taken the redout at the point of the bayonet. But Gen. Grant seeing our situation ordered us to fall back which we did in good order.
The loss of our Regt. in this charge was 15 killed and 80 wounded, & in our Co. 4 killed and 15 wounded, several of whom were mortally. We brought off our dead and wounded many of whom were found within 50 yards of the enemy, but the dead of other companies were left on the field.
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Note: In Feb 1862, Grant ordered 30,000 men including Col Oglesby who led the 8th Ill and five other regiments, on to take Fort Donelson. The Federals quickly drove back the Rebel pickets, but the Rebs were now entrenched behind breastworks and ditches. The 8th with its sister regiments with artillery support attacked the redoubts, but were bloodied and repulsed. That night it snowed and the men were without cover and suffered terribly in the weather. But, by Feb 15th the fort was surrounded and it was only a matter of time for the Rebs.
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Casualties at Donelson:
11th Illinois – Fort Donelson; February 12th, 13th and 14th, occupied in investing that place; 15th, heavily engaged with the enemy about five hours, losing 329 killed, wounded and missing, out of about 500 engaged, of whom 72 were killed and 182 wounded.
20th Illinois, at Donelson in mid February had 19 killed and 4 wounded (at least according to CWD).
45th Illinois, at Fort Donelson it was sent to the relief of the 49th Ill. infantry, which was engaged close up to the enemy’s works and received its “baptism of fire.” The regiment bore its full share of the three days, fight at Donelson, though its loss was small, only 2 killed and 26 wounded.
48th Illinois, At Fort Donelson, in connection with the 17th and 49th Ill., it charged the enemy’s works, but was repulsed with a severe loss, and was under fire during the following day, losing a few men wounded. During the third and last day of the battle it was fiercely engaged and lost 40 in killed and wounded.
According to the Adjutant General’s Regimental history report of the 48th involvement at Donelson:
“February 15, was in position by the side of the Eleventh and Twentieth. The rattle of musketry, on the right, was incessant, and gradually approached the left, where the Forty-eighth was stationed, on the brow of the hill, and it was soon fiercely engaged. The enemy were twice repulsed from the front of the Forty-eighth, but they finally succeeded in turning the right of our line, and the Regiment was compelled to retire and form a new line, where the enemy was again repulsed, and he retired within the works. The Regiment lost, this day, forty killed and wounded. Among the killed was the gallant, daring and courteous Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Smith.”
