Earl Van Dorn-- Part 2: Success at Holly Springs Then Death

After the Battle of Corinth, Van Dorn was removed from command of the army and placed instead in command of the cavalry under  General John C. Pemberton.

Van Dorn's most impressive  achievement of his career took place while in command of the cavalry.  He led his troopers in action in December 1862 against the supply depot of  Union general U.S. Grant located at Holly Springs, Mississippi.

His forces destroyed hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of supplies and disrupted Grant's operations against Vicksburg until the following year.

After the battle, Van Dorn took part in several minor cavalry skirmishes until his death in May 1863.  On May 7, 1863, George B. Peters  shot and killed Earl Van Dorn after Van Dorn had allegedly committed adultry with Peters' wife.

--Old Secesh

The Holly Springs Raid Delayed Grant's General Order No. 11 That Expelled Jews from His Department

From Wikipedia.

Van Dorn's raid nearly coincided with U.S. Grant's General Orders No. 11 issued on December 17, 1862.  Thus expelled the Jews as a class from his military district within 24 houirs.  (Van Dorn's raid occurred on December 20.)

Grant believed that Jewish traders violated U.S. Treasury Department cotton trade regulations  which was the reason for the General Order.

Van Dorn's raid disrupted Union communications for weeks.  Additionally, Nathan Bedford Forrest's West Tennessee Raids, starting December 10, destroyed communications along 50 miles of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad behind Grant's front line.

The raid delayed implementation of Grant's orders, saving many Jews from possible expulsion.  It took 11 days for the orders to reach Paducah, Kentucky.  After which, many Jewish leaders appealed to President Lincoln.

At Lincoln's insistence, General-in-Chief of Union armies Henry Halleck ordered Grant to revoke General Order 11.  When Grant ran for president in 1868, this order  proved such an embarrassment that he disavowed it.

--Old Secesh

Holly Springs-- Part 7: The Aftermath

These Holly Springs enties were taken from the June 2022 presentation at the McHenry County Civil War Round Table meeting.

Van Dorn eventually covered 500 miles on his raid on Holly Springs and returned to Grenada on the 28th.   As  a result of Van Dorn's action, Grant withdrew from northern Mississippi.

In the meantime,Sherman went ahead with hisattack at Chickasaw Bayou.  With Grant's withdrawl from northern Mississippi, Confederates reinforced Chickasaw Bayou which  led to Sherman's defeat.

On his part, it wasn't too long before Van Dorn was killed by a jealous husband.

As for our hapless Colonel Robert Murphy at Holly Springs, he was mortified and sacked of his command.  He appealed all the way to Washingtn, D.C., but to no avail and after fifteen years, gave up.

He died in 1888 and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery.  In 2021 a headstone was put up for him.

--Old Sesh

Holly Springs-- Part 6: A Huge Confederate Success

On December 20, 1862, Van Dorn was just 14 miles awayfrom the Union supply depot at Holly Springs.  

When they attacked at 6 am, they hit the court house first, then the fairgrounds and by 8 am, had Holly Springs secure and started destroying supplies.  In seven hours,the Confederates had destroyed some $400,000 worth of Union assets.  Van Dorn estimated the destruction at $1.5 million.

In addition, 1500 Federal soldiers were captured and paroled.  According to Ed Bearss, Van Dorn's men became the best equipped Confederates in the South as a result.

The only casualty was a civilian.

North of Holly Springs there is Davis Mill.  Colonel William Morgan and 200 men of the Indiana regiment saved the trestle there.

Grant sent Grierson to go after Van Dorn.

--Old Secesh

Holly Springs-- Part 5: The Expedition Begins

Colonel John S. Griffith wanted to lead th  raid on Holly Springs, but the command went to Earl Van Dorn.

Colonel Theophilus Lyle Dickey commanded the 4th Illinois Cavalry and was to attack the Mobil & Corinth Railroad.

The raid was to be planned and begun in total secrecy.  Van Dorn had 3,500 men.  It began on December 16, 1862,   He took along no artillery or wagons and had orders not to engage in the opening days.  His column covered 45 miles the first day.  On December 17, they headed north.

Colonel Dickey caught sight of the Confederates on December 18. On December 19, Van Dorn was at Cotton Plantation then he moved northwest to Holly Springs.

In the meantime, Mrs. Grant and a son were in Holly Springs at the Walter Place House and had to leave quickly.

Old Secesh

Murphy's Law & the Peter Principle-- Part 4: Murphy Returns to Command

This was the topic of the presentation given to the McHenry County (Illinois) Round Table in June 2022.

On November 29, 1862, U.S. Grant established his headquarters at Walter Place.  In early December, Colonel Robert  Murphy returned to duty.  Grant hates Rosecrans and Rosecrans hates Murphy.

Grant promoted Murphy and posts him in charge of the huge Union supply base at Holly Springs.  Murphy's command, however, did not include his regiment, the 8th Wisconsin.

It did include:

six companies of the 2nd Illinois Cavalry

eight companies of the 29th Illinois Infantry

200 men of the 62nd Illinois Infantry

101st Illinois Infantry

--Old Secesh

McHenry Co. CW Round Table: Battle of Holly Springs

Of interest, the Spires-Boling House is located in Holly Springs,  Mississippi.  Famed Ida B. Wells was born there.

Robert Murphy, the colonel of the 8th Wisconsin was into Wisconsin politics and his family was well-connected to presidents.  He had, however, little military experience and didn't learn on the job either.  He was promoted to command of the 2nd Brigade  of Gen. Rosecran's Army of Mississippi.

George Driggs, a sergeant with the 8th Wisconsin kept a journal and said that Murphy was generally well-liked by his men.

At Iuka, Mississippi, Murphy was arrested for abandoning his post at the September 19, Battle of Iuka.  The Union Army retook Iuka, but the Confederates were able to get away. Grant blamed Rosecrans for it.  As a result, Grant and Rosecrans now disliked each other.

A court martial was held for Murphy and Murphy covered himself and was acquited.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT June Meeting: 'Murphy's Law & the Peter Principle'

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table met Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Woodstock, Illinois, library and heard a talk onte Battle of Holly Springs by Jerry Allen.  We had earlier heard him give a talk about the 8th Wisconsin  The commander of the 8th Wisconsin was Colonel Robert Murphy.  He played a part in the Union disaster at Holly Springs, Mississippi, on December 20, 1862.

This caused General Grant's planned attack on Vicksburg to be delayed until the next spring.  Grant was depending the supplies at Holly Springs to support his advance on that city.

And, Murphy went far beyond his level of competence.

Earlier in 1862, the Union forces made great strides coming up the Mississippi River from New Orleans.  By April 29, 1862, New Orleans was in their control, followed by Baton Rouge on May 9 and Natchez on May12.  Union naval commander S.P. Lee even went to Vicksburg to demand its surrender.  James Autry refused to do so.

Then, came Holly Springs.

--Old Secesh

In Case You're Wondering About Murphy's Law and the Peter Principle

On the last post, I wrote about Jerry Allen's presentation to the McHenry County Civil War Round Table this coming Tuesday at the Woodstock (Illinois) Public Library.  His talk will be about "Murphy's Law and the Peter Principle: The Holly Springs Raid."

In case you aren't sure, or forgot, Murphy's Law refers to the old adage "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

The Peter Principle is what happens when members of a hierarchy are promoted until they reach the  level at which they are no longer competent.

So, evidently these two things had something to do with the Holly Springs raid. 

Come on by Tuesday and find out.

--OldMurphyandPeter