From the 2023 May American Battlefield Trust calendar.
MAY 1, 1863
** Battle of Chancellorsville, Virgina, begins.
MAY 4, 1865
** Abraham Lincoln buried in Springfield, Illinois.
MAY 5, 1865
** Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, begins.
MAY 8, 1864
** Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, begins.
MAY 10, 1863
** Stonewall Jackson dies of pneumonia at Guinea Station, Virginia.
MAY 10, 1865
* Union troops capture a fleeing Jefferson Davis in Georgia.
--Old Secesh
Lt. Nesbit no longer served in the 22nd Georgia after his wounds on the second day at Gettysburg. But the regiment continued to see action.
1863
July 23: Manassas Gap The regiment suffered 50 casualties.
October: Bristoe Campaign
November-December: Mine Run Campaign
*********************************
1864
May 5-6: Battle of Wilderness Lt. JosephW. Alexander captured
May 8-21 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Lt. Harrison Broadwell of Company A killed.
May 23-26: Battle of North Anna
June 1-3: Battle of Cold Harbor
--Old Secesh
I am certainly finding out a lot about this man whom I had never heard of since I saw his name put up as a possible new name for Fort Bragg in North Carolina. They wouldn't have to change the name. He had quite an honorable history of military command.
At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Bragg's Pennsylvanians participated in four attacks on entrenched Confederates over four days, the one on May 12th was at the infamous "Bloody Angle." Colonel Bragg was announced as having been killed at this battle, but he wasn't. However, the story alarmed folks back in Wisconsin.
They were engaged with Confederates over the next two weeks and then Bragg was returned to the command of the Iron Brigade.
On June 12, they made a quick move and crossed the James River, engaging in what became known as the Siege of Petersburg. On June 18 they participated in a futile charge that led to what is called the Second Battle of Petersburg. The Iron Brigade charged across a half mile of open field, under Confederate fire and were ordered to halt to await reinforcements which did not come.
After two hours, they were forced to retreat after heavy casualties.
--Old Secesh
After the fighting on May 6, at the Wilderness, Bragg was placed in command of the division's 3rd Brigade which was made up of all Pennsylvania regiments, sometimes called the Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade, by General Lysander Cutler, who had been Bragg's original commander of the 6th Wisconsin. Lysander had become division commander with the death of General James S. Wadsworth.
Bragg was replacing the Bucktails' commander Colonel Roy Stone who had reportedly been drunk during the battle on May 5 and 6. On both days, his brigade had performed poorly, reportedly marching and firing in disorganized manner and scattering in the face of Confederate skirmishers. They even had accidentally wounded members of their own unit.
Stone had been removed after his horse fell on top of him on May 6.
Bragg led the brigade for most of the remainder of the Overland Campaign. His leadership stabilized the brigade and they performed admirably at Spotsylvania Court House, North Ana, Totopotomoy Creek and Cold Harbor. After Cold Harbor, Bragg turned command of the brigade over to Gettysburg hero Joshua Chamberlain.
--Old Secesh
From the American Battlefield Trust May 2021 Calendar.
MAY 1, 1863: Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, begins.
MAY 4, 1865: Abraham Lincoln buried in Springfield, Illinois.
MAY 5, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, begins.
MAY 8, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, begins.
MAY 10, 1863: Stonewall Jackson dies of pneumonia at Guinea Station, Virginia
MAY 10, 1865: Union troops capture a fleeing Jefferson Davis in Georgia.
--Old Secesh
As a member of the American Battlefield Trust, I receive the calendars. This is from the 2021 calendar which had a preliminary page for December 2020.
Since the organization works to save American battlefields from the American Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War, each month they feature a different battlefield with a full page current photo as well as information. There is also writing on specific days telling what happened.
I didn't know they had December 2020 in it until I opened it up.
December featured a picture of part of the Williamsburg, Virginia, battlefield by Robert James.
There was also a smaller picture of Prospect Hill at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP, in Virginia by Chris Landon.
--Old Secesh
During the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on May 12, 1864, Daniel led his brigade in a fierce counterattack on the "Muleshoe" (also known as the "Bloody Angle"), trying to recapture that important position from the Army of the Potomac, which had captured it at dawn. He was struck in the abdomen by a Minie ball, inflicting a mortal wound.
He died in a field hospital the next day and his body was taken to Halifax and buried in the Old Colonial Cemetery.
Unknown to Daniel, Robert E. Lee had recommended his promotion to major general just prior to his death.
Fellow North Carolinian and close friend, Brigadier General Bryan Grimes later wrote, "He was decidedly the best general officer from our state. Though in all possibility I gained a brigadier at his death, I would for the sake of the country always remained in the status quo than the country should have lost his services."
General Grimes named one of his sons Junius Daniel Grimes (who would become a well-known Washington, D.C. attorney in the late 19th century).
The Junius Daniel Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Weldon, North Carolina , was named in Daniel's honor.
--Old Secesh
From Wikipedia.
JUNIUS DANIEL
June 27, 1828-May 13, 1864
Planter and career military officer, serving in the U.S. and then the C.S. armies. His troops were instrumental in the Confederate success at the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. He was killed in action at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.
He was born in Halifax, North Carolina, the son of a wealthy political family. His father, John Reeves Jones Daniel served as attorney general for North Carolina and member of the U.S. Congress. His mother, Mary Stith, came from a family of prominent Virginians that descended from John Stith and William Randolph.
Education for Daniel came at local school in Halifax and then another school in Raleigh. President James K. Polk appointed him to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1846 and graduated from there with the Class of 1851, ranking 33rd out of 41 one in that group.
Appointed brevet 2nd lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Infantry, he was sent to Newport, Kentucky, as assistant quartermaster.
Further Service in U.S. Army. --Old Secesh
Today, I was writing about the Confederate statue at the Halifax County Courthouse in North Carolina being removed and a picture accompanying the article was a plaque in honor of this man, but actually wasn't the monument in question.
Junius Daniel was born and grew up in Halifax County and is buried there.
The plaque reads:
JUNIUS DANIEL
1828-1864
West Point graduate in 1851. Officer in the U.S. Army until 1858. Brigadier-General in the C.S. Army Mortally wounded in the Battle of Spottsylvania Court House. Born and Buried in Halifax.
Erected 1929 by The North Carolina Historical Commission and the Halifax Chapter, U.D.C.
It is located on the grounds of the Halifax Court House.
Of course, now there is someone wanting to remove it. Confederate, you know.
--Old Secesh
