Lee and His Generals-- Part 3: Hood, Ewell, the Heberts and Holmes

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group at Panera Bread on Crystal Lake, Illinois, on July 24, 2022.

**  John Bell Hood:  Lost a leg at Chickamauga and an arm at Gettysburg.

**  Richard S. Ewell fought in the Mexican War.  Was wounded 8 times.

TWO HEBERTS  (Pronounced E-Bear)

**  Louis Hebert :  USMA  1845.   Commander of artillery in and around Fort Fisher.   He was a target of William Cushing in a capture attempt.

**  Paul Octave Hebert:  USMA 1836.  These two were first cousins.

**  Theophilus Hunter Holmes' nickname was "Granny."  USMA 1829   Fort Holmes on Bald Head Island was named for him.  Served as  colonel in the North Carolina Coast Defense in 1861.

Not Sure That I Would Want the Nickname "Granny."   --Old Secesh

McHenry Co. Civil War Round Table: 'Lee and His Generals'

Continuing with the pre-discussion quiz on Confederate general nicknames as well as decade they graduated from the USMA.

6.  Pete, Old Pete

7.  Parson

8.  Little Billy

9.  Beauty

10.  Baldy

Answers below

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6.  James Longstreet, 1842

7.  William N. Pendleton, 1830

8.  William Henry Chase (W.H.C.) Whiting, 1845

9.  James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart, 1854

10.  Richard Stoddert Ewell, 1837

--Old Secesh

Gen. Junius Daniel-- Part 4: Action at Gettysburg

Junius Daniel was commissioned a brigadier general on September 1, 1862, making him one of the five men from Halifax County to attain that rank in the Confederate Army.  (I am unable to find out who the other four brigadier generals are from Halifax County, N.C.)

He spent the fall of 1862 with his brigade at Drewry's Bluff in Virginia and then served in North Carolina.  During this time, his unit saw very limited combat action.

Shortly after the Battle of Chancellorsville, his unit was transferred to Major General Robert E. Rodes' division of Richard S. Ewell's 2nd Corps, where he served with distinction during the Gettysburg Campaign  Daniel's largest brigade, trusted to carry the Corps Flag, consisted of the 32nd, 43rd, 45th and 53rd North Carolina along with the 2nd North Carolina Battalion.

On July 1, 1863, the first day of the battle, Daniel's brigade repeatedly attacked Union forces on McPherson's Ridge, eventually driving off  the Union brigade of Colonel Roy Stone.  As his first attack on that position failed, and his men began retreating, Daniel heroically galloped after his men, rallied them and  launched another assault.

Daniel's men suffered the  greatest loss of any brigade in the 2nd Corps on the first day at Gettysburg.

--Old Secesh

Gen. Junius Daniel-- Part 3: Service on the Frontier, Louisiana and Back to North Carolina

Continued from October 11, 2020.

In 1852, he was assigned to Fort Albuquerque in New Mexico Territory and remained stationed on the frontier for five years.  Temporarily under the command of Richard S. Ewell of the 3rd Dragoons, Lieutenant Daniel saw action  in a series of skirmishes with Apache Indians in 1855.

In 1858, Daniel resigned his commission and became a planter in Louisiana, joining his father who had moved there in 1851 after his last term in Congress.  In October 1860, he married Ellen Long.

CIVIL WAR SERVICE

The state of Louisiana offered Daniel a commission after Lincoln's call for volunteers, but he returned to Halifax, North Carolina, where he offered his services to his native state.  he was chosen colonel of the  4th (later 14th N.C. Infantry).  When the period of enlistment ended, he was offered command of several regiments before accepting that of the 45th Infantry Regiment.

Junius Daniel led four regiments from Raleigh to Goldsboro where he organized them into a brigade.  Afterwards, he organized two other brigades.  In June 1862, his brigade was ordered to Petersburg, Virginia, where his brigade joined the Army of Northern Virginia just before the Seven Days Battles, though it took no part in them.

--Old Secesh

 

Longstreet's Silent Charge at Gettysburg-- Part 2: The "Acoustic Shadow"

Longstreet took a long time to prepare his attack and didn't step off until late afternoon.  But, when he did attack,  Ewell did not know as he could not hear any artillery or fighting.  Longstreet was just narrowly beaten on July 2, 1863, and Ewell's lack of action might very well have contributed to it.

So, why didn't Ewell hear Longstreet?  According to physicist and military expert Charles D. Ross, Ewell was likely in the midst of an acoustic shadow, an atmospheric phenomenon caused by a combination of geography, heat and wind by which sound is "stopped" from traveling in one direction, even while it travels well in others.

I will be writing about the three times weather has "saved" America in my Cooter's History Thing and Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blogs today.

--Old Secesh

Longstreet's Silent Charge at Gettysburg-- Part 1

From the March 20, 2019, Washington Post  "Weird weather saved America three times" by Gillian Brockell.

In June 1863 Confederate General Lee headed North, hoping a decisive battle might get the peace he wanted for his country.  Confederate General James Longstreet was with him and widely blamed for Lee's failure due to his lethargy of action.

But, according to one  theory, a bizarre phenomenon occurred known as an "acoustic shadow" may have played a role in the eventual Confederate defeat.

Lee ordered Longstreet to attack the virtually empty Little Round Top.  General Ewell's troops was to make a show of force at the other end of the Confederate lines to draw Union attention away from Longstreet. Ewell was to begin his action at the sound of Longstreet's artillery.

And Then?  --Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 5: Ewell's Effectiveness After Wounding and Leg Removal Ended

One person brought up that Richard Ewell's effectiveness as a general ended after he was wounded and lost his leg.   Afterwards, often moved around in a wagon.  His fall from grace began at the Battle of Gettysburg.

We then got into a discussion about seniority in the Confederate Army.  We were also off-subject when there was some question about the Provisional Confederate Army and Navy.  Was this done to clarify seniority issues?

The Provisional Army was before the states seceded.

Reasons for the Battle of Gettysburg:  get supplies from Pennsylvania and Maryland, lure the Union Army into a battle on Lee's terms and relieve pressure on Vicksburg.

Early became a recluse but pushed the "Lost Cause" idea and that Robert E, Lee was the greatest general ever.

There was mention that he had gone to Mexico as part of the proposed Confederate Colony there.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 4: What About Generals Ewell and Early?

These were some of the comments made at the discussion at Panera Bread Co. in Crystal Lake on January 23, 2016.

Both were pro-Unionist and anti-secessionist.  Ewell was still in the U.S. Army until his state, Virginia, seceded.  Early was in the Mexican War.

Both were colonels going into the Battle of Bull Run, but became generals afterwards.

Jubal Early was known for ransoming Union towns that he captured  The question of the group arose of what he did with that money.

Early had rheumatism from an early age and that gave him a bad disposition.  He was also a lifelong bachelor.  he would also round up blacks he came across when he was fighting in the North and send them back South.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 3: Richard S. Ewell's USMA Class of 1840

Confederate General Richard S. Ewell graduated with West Point's Class of 1840 and was #13 of 42.  Nickname was Old Bald Head or Baldy.

Other famous Civil War graduates of that class:

Union:  William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas

Confederate:  Bushrod Johnson and Paul O. Hebert

Others who fought:

Union

Stewart Van Vliet
George W. Getty
William Hays
James N. Caldwell
Pinckney Lugenebell
Oliver L. Shepherd
Stephen D. Carpenter

Confederate:

William Gilham
John P. McCown
James G. Martin
Reuben P. Campbell
William Steele
Robert P. Maclay
Thomas Jordan

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 1: Early and Ewell

I went to my first meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group this past Saturday, January 23, which meets at the Panera Bread Co. restaurant on Northwest Highway in Crystal lake, Illinois.  I'd never been in a Panera before.  It was quite crowded, but we had a private room which was good as it would have been too loud otherwise.

I just had the coffee (large for $2.25, but free refills).  Quite good.  I now know why they put those paper strips around the cup.

We had about 14 people in attendance and the topic today were Confederate Generals Richard S. Ewell and  Jubal Early.  I have often heard the names of these two men,  but didn't know a real lot about them. That was also the case with most everyone else, so it was a good topic.

--Old Secesh

Oyster's Point, Pa., High Point of Confederate Gettysburg Campaign

From the June 26, 2013, (Pa) Sentinel by Janel Knight.

The Confederates never made it to Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, but they came close. On June 29th, just three miles west of Harrisburg in what is now Camp Hill, Union forces waited at Oyster's Point.

In 1863, the Carlisle Pike and Trindle Road intersected at Oyster's Point. The name of the site came from the family who lived there, not from oysters. They owned a tavern.

The Confederates were commanded by Brigadier General Albert Gallatin Jenkins. Facing him were mostly green Union troops hastily assembled for the capital's defense.

General Richard Ewell's 15,000 troops in the Army of Northern Virginia's 2nd Corps were awaiting word from Jenkins as to whether or not to attack Harrisburg.

Before anything major could come about, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered all forces to concentrate at Gettysburg.

--Old Secesh