This Month in the Civil War: Battles of Green River, Corinth, Perryville and Tom's Brook and First Union Ironclad

From the American Battlefield Trust 2022 calendar.

OCTOBER 3, 1861

**  The Battle of Greenbrier River (Camp Bartow), Virginia (now West Virginia)

OCTOBER 4, 1862

**  Second Battle of Corinth, Mississippi,  begins.

OCTOBER 8, 1862

**  Battle of Perryville, Kentucky

OCTOBER 9, 1864

**  Battle of Tom's Brook, Virginia

OCTOBER 12, 1861

**  The first ironclad in the U.S. navy, the USS St. Louis, launched in Carondolet, Missouri.

--Old Secesh

Earl Van Dorn-- Part 1

From the American Battlefield Trust.

Van Dorn led the Confederates on the successful raid on Holly Springs.

He graduated number 52 out of 56 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on 1842.  He served several posts in the southern United States before fighting in the Mexican War where he saw combat at  the battles of Monterrey and  Vera Cruz and received brevet  promotions to major for his participation in  in the battles of Cerro Gordo,  Mexico City, Contreras and  Churubusco.

After the war, he saw action against the Seminoles  from 1849-1850 and the Comanches from 1858 to 1859.

He was made a brigadier general in the regular Confederate Army on June 5, 1861, and major general  September 19, 1861.

His first major action of the war came when his force was defeated at the Battle of Pea Ridge.  After the defeat, he was transferred to the Army of the Mississippi and commanded troops at the Battle of Corinth where he did well in the initial phase, but misjudged the Union position and was forced to retreat.

--Old Secesh

Roadtripping with Samuel A. Gilbert-- Part 3: Politicians and Brigadier Generals

**  ELEAZER ARTHUR PAINE 1815-1882):    Graduated from West Point in 1839.  Colonel of 9th Illinois Infantry.  Commanded 4th Division of Army of Mississippi at battles of Corinth,  Island No. 10 and Fort Pillow.  Placed in command of District of West Kentucky and deployed his corps to protect railroads from Confederate  raiders from 1862 to 1864.

Formally reprimanded for  brutality toward citizens  and violating their civil rights, he resigned in  November 1864.  After the war was a lawyer.

**  SAMUEL D. PHILLIPS  (1845-1915):  Indian Campaigns Medal of Honor recipient as member of 2nd U.S. Cavalry.  Received it for action at Muddy Creek, Montana.

**  Quite a few Union brigadier generals and Minnesota politicians.

**  JOHN BENJAMIN SANBORN (1826-1904):  Brigadier General.  Led troops at Battles of Iuka Corinth and Vicksburg.  After war sent to western frontier to subdue hostile Indians and attempted mediation  of difficulties between Indians of Indian Territory and their former slaves who had been freed by the 13th Amendment.

--Old Secesh

Events in October: Corinth, Perryville, Tom's Brook and the USS St. Louis

From the American Battlefield Trust October 2021 calendar.

1862

OCTOBER 3

Second Battle of Corinth, Mississippi begins.

1862

OCTOBER 8

Battle of Perryville, Kentucky

1864

OCTOBER 9

Battle of Tom's Brook, Virginia

1861

OCTOBER 12

First Union ironclad, the USS St. Louis, launched at Carondelet, Missouri.

--Old Secesh

More Mascots-- Part 4: About Old Douglas, the Camel

Company B of the 43rd Mississippi has a camel named Old Douglas.  Though, I saw it was Co. A in several sources.  He even has a Wikipedia page.  And, one of those government-issue grave stones.  Because of him, the 43rd became known as "The Camel Regiment."

According to the Wiki article,he was from Jefferson Davis' (while U.S. Secretary of War) plan to use camels in the southwest instead of horses, so he had two Confederate connections.

During the war, he was assigned to the regimental band and carried instruments.  The men tried to treat him like a horse, but Old Douglas could break any tether, so they just let him graze freely.  He participated in the Battle of Corinth and was killed by Union sharpshooters at the Siege of Vicksburg.

He has his own grave at  Vicksburg's Cedar Hill Cemetery.

--Old Secesh

Some More on Fort D, Cape Girardeau-- Part 2: Company F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery

On August 30, 1861, General Ulysses S. Grant arrived in Cape Girardeau and took command.  He visited again in October and authorized Captain John Powell to raise a company of local men to man the forts and guns around Cape Girardeau.

They became Battery F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery and were organized immediately, but not mustered in until December 11, 1861.  Throughout the fall and  winter, Powell's men trained on the large cannons of the forts and did garrison duty.

In late March 1862, they were ordered to join the Union Army of the Tennessee at Pittsburg Landing in western Tennessee.    They were heavily engaged in the Battle of Shiloh a short time later on April 6 at a spot ever-after known as the Hornets' Nest for the fierce fighting that took place there.

It was there that Captain Powell was wounded in the wrist and forearm; later his  arm was amputated below the elbow.   His Battery F would go on to take part in the Battle of Corinth, Siege of Vicksburg and Atlanta among other battles.

--Old Secesh

15th Illinois Infantry Actions and Campaigns-- Part 1: Battle of Shiloh

In Missouri to Feb. 1, 1862
Oct-Nov. 1861, part of Fremont's advance toward Springfield, Mo.
Capture of Fort Donelson, Tn.,  Feb. 16, 1862

Battle of Shiloh, Tn.,  April 6-7, 1862
Siege of Corinth, Ms.,  April 29-May 30, 1862
Duty at Memphis to Sept. 6, 1862

Battle of Hatchie River  Oct. 5, 1862   Also known as Battle of Hatchie's Bridge or Metamora
Operations in Mississippi  Oct. 31 to Jan. 10, 1863
Duty at Memphis until May 1863

Siege of Vicksburg   May 22- July 4, 1863
Assault in Jackson, Ms. July 12, 1863
Duty Natchez, Ms. Aug. 15 to Nov. 10, 1863

--Old Secesh

2nd Texas Infantry-- Part 3: At Battle of Shiloh

The Order of Battle for the 2nd Texas Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh"

2nd Army Corps under Major General Braxton Bragg.

Second Division under Brigadier General Jones M. Withers.

Third Brigade under Brigadier General John K. Jackson

Also in the Third Brigade:

17th Alabama
18th Alabama
19th Alabama
Georgia Battery under Capt. Isadore P. Girardey

At Shiloh, the 2nd Texas was led by Colonel John C. Moore
Lt. Colonel was William P. Rodgers.  (During the Mexican War he had gotten into a quarrel with Jefferson Davis which almost led to a duel.)  He was later killed at the Battle of Corinth on October 4, 1862.  A famous photograph was taken of his body and others in his command who died there.

Of 6.482 men at the Battle of Shiloh, the 2nd Division had 1,918 killed and wounded.

Jackson's 3rd Brigade had 86 killed, 365 wounded and 213 missing.

Heavy Fighting Indeed.  --Old Secesh

Pvt. Joseph M. Beavers, 56th Illinois, Victim of SS General Lyon Disaster-- Part 2

Enlisted as a private in Co. C., 56th Illinois.

The 56th Illinois was an all Egyptian unit (Little Egypt comprised of the very Southern Illinois counties).  Almost all of its members were from the counties of Massac, Pope, Gallatin, Saline, White, Hamilton, Franklin and Wayne, with a few from Hardin County.

They were sent to Camp Mather in Shawneetown and then had their first military duty guarding Paducah, Kentucky.  Even though they weren't directly involved in the fighting, they were at the Siege of Corinth in April 1862 and "Saw the Elephant" at the Battle of Corinth October 3-4, 1862.

After that, their history was the history of the major fighting in the west and then with Sherman.

--Old Secesh

The 14th Wisconsin Infantry: Private Stockwell's Regiment

From Wikipedia.

Four members of the 14th won the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Corinth, Oct. 3-4, 1862, including Color-Sergeant (carried the battleflag) Denis J.F. Murphy of Green Bay who was wounded three times.

The 14th organized in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on January 30, 1862 and mustered out at Mobile, Alabama on October 9, 1965.

During the course of the war, 6 officers and 116 enlisted men were killed in action or mortally wounded. Another 3 officers and 194 enlisted died from diseases.

There is a small metal plaque at Camp Randall in Madison (where the University of Wisconsin plays football) that says 27 men of the 14th died of wounds received at the Battle of Shiloh (where Elisha Stockwell was wounded) on April 7, 1862.

It was sometimes called the Northwest Regiment (because most of the men were from the northern part of the state) or the Wisconsin Regulars. Private Stockwell's Company I was called the Black River Rangers.

The Story of a Regiment. --Old Secesh

Collector Carries Sword to Grave of Fallen Hero-- Part 2

Six years later, Allen Wandling got a call from the family, who had found it in a closet after the old man had died.  Then, Wandling traced the sword to William Rowley, of the 58th Illinois Regiment who had cut the sword from Col. Rogers' belt after his death.  Rogers had been wearing an armored suit at the battle but had been shot many times before finally being done in by a direct blast of cannister from a cannon.

His body was taken back to Corinth where Rogers was buried with honors.  Rowley later gave the sword to an officer of the 9th Illinois who took it back to Belleville after the war.

Rogers' great-great-great granddaughter found out about the sword and contacted Wandling, asking if she could buy the sword.  He agreed to meet her at the show in Corinth, but wouldn't sell it.  Wandling had an ancestor at the battle in the 63rd Ohio who was likely shooting at Rogers.  " Here were two descendants of people who had fought each other, shaking hands and holding the sword.  It was a nice moment, " said Wandling.

They plan on returning this fall for the 150th anniversary of the battle and hope to work out a deal to display the sword at the battlefield interpretive center.

I Would Surely Like to Have That Sword There So Everyone Can See It.  --Old Secesh

Collector Carries Sword to Grave of Fallen Hero-- Part 1

From the March 26, 2012, Auction Central News by Wally Spiers of the Belleville (Il) News-Democrat.

Allen Wandling held the old Confederate sword over the grave of its owner in Corinth, Mississippi and swears he felt the hair on his arms stand on end, "It was spooky."

He was at the grave of Confederate Col. William P. Rogers, killed at the Battle of Corinth on Oct. 4, 1862.  He had bought the sword from a man in Joplin, Missouri, but the sword had been in Belleville, Illinois, for many years after the war where it most likely was a war momento in the local GAR post.  Wandling has spent four years tracing the sword's history.

Wandling had bought the leather scabbard for the sword in 2006 from the man in Joplin who said his grandfather had inherited it from a sister who was married to a Belleville police officer, who had bought it when the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall had sold it at auction.

The scabbard did not have its drag, the brass tip of it,and Wandling had the man promise him to contact him if it was found.  They also didn't have the sword.  Six months later, he bought the drag, but still not the sword.  What good is a scabbard without its sword?

The Sword Cometh.  --Old Secesh

The Battle of Corinth

I started the blog entry back on March 13th and 19th.

There is a Col. W. P. Rogers Camp #321 in Corinth, Mississippi, where I got this information.

Rogers was born Dec. 27, 1819 and married Martha Halport of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jan. 15, 1840 and became a successful lawyer in Aberdeen, Mississippi. 

During the Mexican War, he raised Company  K, the Tombridge Guards, which became part of the 1st Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Col. Jefferson Davis.  Rogers became a captain and earned the reputation for bravery and leadership.

At the capture of Monterrey, Rogers was the second to enter the Mexican Fort Teneria while under heavy enemy fire.  Later, he became US consul at Vera Cruz, Mexico.

After the war, he moved to Washington, Texas, before establishing his law practice in Houston.

A Soldier's Officer.  --Old Secesh

More on Col. William P. Rogers, 2nd Texas

There is a Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #321 in Corinth, Mississippi.

Also a William P. Rogers Chapter #44 United Daughters of the Confederacy in Victoria, Texas, chartered April 6, 1896.

A statue of Col. Rogers is downtown in Corinth as well.

I was unable to find out if Rogers is still buried on the Battle of Corinth field or elsewhere.

Quite a Confederate Hero and One You Don't Hear About. --Old Secesh

The Colonel's Sword: Colonel William P. Rogers

I have done some more research on the colonel and have determined him to be a leader of men, an officer who was not afraid to lead a charge, one who had to have been poplar with his troops.

The Battle of Corinth (Mississippi) took place Oct. 4, 1862, so we're coming up on the sesquicentennial of it.

Battery Robinett was a redan protected by a 5-foot ditch mounting three 20-pdr. Parrott rifles and commanded by Lt. Henry Robinett (from whom it got its name).

Col. William P. Rogers of the 2nd Texas was a Mexican War comrade of President Jefferson Davis. He was killed and Col. Lawrence Sullivan Ross of the 6th Texas was thrown from his horse and mistakenly reported as killed.

The photo of Rogers and some of his men was taken the next day, Oct. 5th.

Control of Battery Robinett came down to hand-to-hand fighting.

In the fight, Col. Rogers grabbed the regiment's colors to keep them from falling to the ground and then jumped the five-foot ditch, leaving his dying horse and assaulting the battery. He was then hit by a load of canister from one of the cannons, the fifth color bearer to fall that day.

More to Come. --Old Secesh

Back to the Colonel's Sword Coming Back

From the March 5th WTVA "Civil War sword unites two families" by Allie Ware.

Confederate General William Rogers' sword was a big attention-getter at the Crossroads Arena in Corinth, Mississippi, this past weekend. (Well, actually he was a colonel.)

Allen Wandling, who now owns it, said Rogers was a hero, "He charged the fort three times. [He did so] twice with his horse, and the last time he picked up the Texas flag, he had his sword in his hand. He charged the fort and was shot eleven times."

His remains are still on the field where he fell.

Knowing the sword's history makes it even a rarer Civil War relic. One member of Wandling's family in the 63rd Ohio actually was fighting against Rogers at the battle.

Not only that, but the great-great-great grandaughter of Rogers, Leslie Eckert, heard about the sword being there and came from Texas to see it. "It gives me goosebumps. Growing up, I had heard the story from my parents and seen the lithograph print in our den that depicted Williams P. Rogers on the battlefield at his death. I had always heard about him, but coming to Corinth brought it to life."

Wandling doesn't know the value of the sword and has no intention of selling it soon, but didn't rule out the possibility of its coming back to Corinth at some time in the future.

I would also have liked to know the history of the sword after it was taken from Rogers up to the time Wandling got it.

I Find That Fascinating. --Old Secesh

The Colonel's Sword Comes Back

From the March 2nd Columbus (In) The Republic "Civil War relics show brings back Confederate colonel's sword to Corinth." From the March 2nd Daily Corinthian (Ms) by Bobby J. Smith.

On October 4, 1862, victorious Union troops claimed a trophy of war, the sword and scabbard of Col. William P. Rogers of the 2nd Texas Infantry, who had died leading the doomed assault on Union Battery Robinett at the Battle of Corinth in Mississippi.

After Union soldiers finishing stripping Rogers' body of souvenirs, he and the bodies of some of the men he led were gathered together and a photo taken of their corpses. The Union commander then ordered the colonel buried at the spot he fell.

This weekend, that sword and scabbard were returned to Corinth for the first time in nearly 150 years as part of the Corinth Civil War Relic and Militaria Show and Sale sponsored by the Col. W. P. Rogers Camp SCV.

Current owner of the sword, Allen Chandling, a collector from St. Louis, will be bringing it. He acquired the sword and scabbard in 2010.

Welcome Home. --Old Secesh