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

Union Gen. Charles C. Gilbert-- Part 4: Rest of War and Afterwards

Major General William S. Rosecrans took command of the Army of the Ohio and the subsequent reorganization as the Army of the Cumberland left Gilbert without a permanent command.  He commanded the 10th Provisional Division in Tennessee at the Battle of Harpeth.  

In July 1863 he was assigned to the  East on administrative duty, serving as assistant  provost marshal  general and chief  mustering officer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later Hartford, Connecticut, for the remainder of the war.

AFTER THE WAR

Gilbert served on the frontier after the war with the 28th U.S. and 7th U.S. Infantry Regiments.

When he retired in 1986, he was commanding officer of  the 17th U.S. Infantry with the rank of colonel.

He died in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 17, 1903, amd is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.

He was the brother of Union Brigadier General Samuel A. Gilbert and  uncle to Samuel's son Cass Gilbert.

--Old Secesh

Kentucky Union Soldier Gets New Gravestone-- Part 3: To the End of the War

The men made their way back down the mountain to their horses and were dismayed to find that the horses had starved to death where they had been tied.  

Incidentally, the volunteer who had allowed himself to be captured to start the ruse, was never seen or heard from again.

The situation was turned around when Gen. Joseph Hooker and two corps of Union soldiers arrived to relieve the besieged Gen.  William Rosecrans. They drove the Confederates off the mountain in what is called "The Battle Above the Clouds."

The Union forces seized Chattanooga and gained control of the Tennessee River and cut off the Confederate supply line and paved the way for the decisive Battle of Missionary Ridge.

On May  31, 1864, Johnny Lobb was injured at the Battle of Burnt Hickory near  Kingston, Georgia, when a minie ball struck his right arm above the elbow.  After treatment in a hospital, he returned to his company.  He was honorably discharged on March 19, 1865,  and returned to Hammonsville and began farming.

He was born on February  25, 1844, and died Jan. 2, 1911.

--Old Secesh

Jesse Merrill-- Part 6: The Signal Service Corps

Jesse Merrill enlisted in Company D, Pennsylvania Volunteers, in the spring of 1861, and received a commission as second lieutenant .  In the fall of the same year, he was detailed for duty in the Signal Service Corps.

When the Signal Corps was organized as a separate branch of the service, he was transferred to from his company with the rank of captain. In January 1862, he was appointed to organize the Signal Service in the Army of the Ohio, and he took command the following year.

By virtue of his position as signal officer, Captain Merrill was on the staff of Generals Buell, Rosecrans and Thomas, and they in succession, commanded the Army of the Ohio, which afterwards became the Army of the Cumberland.

--Old Secesh

Jesse Merrill-- Part 4: Obituary

GENERAL JESSE MERRILL

General John Jesse Merrill died at his home in Lock Haven on Saturday night last, of paralysis.  General Merrill was born  in New Berlin and was the son of the late James Merrill and was sixty-five years old.

He studied law with with Hon. W.C. Lawson of Milton and located in Lock Haven. 

During the Civil War he enlisted as a member of Company D, 7th Pennsylvania Reserves, and was detailed for duty with the Signal Corps. In 1862, he organized the Signal Service for the Army of Ohio., of which he took command shortly after.

He also served on the staffs of Generals Buell, Rosecrans and Thomas.

In 1871, he was appointed by Governor Geary major general of the National Guard of Pennsylvania.  While serving in the latter position he had charge of the Eleventh division, which he called out to quell the Williamsport riots in 1872.

He was married in 1866 to Miss Julia McCleerry, sister of Col. John McCleery.  Mrs. Merrill died about five years ago.

The deceased enjoyed a large practice in Clinton County., and was at one time postmaster of Lock Haven.

He was buried at Milton on Tuesday.

--Old Secesh

Congress Gives Thanks to Union Generals-- Part 2

The U.S. Congress also gave its thanks during the course of the war.  They limited their official thanks to just 15 army officers:

**  Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon--  the North's first hero, given posthumously.  Killed August 10, 1861, at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri.

**  Major General Ambrose Burnside

**  Major General Joseph Hooker for the defense of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

**  Major General William S. Rosecrans for his victory at Stones River, Tennessee.

**  Ulysses S. Grant  He also received the only Gold Medal awarded during the Civil War for his victories at Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg.

--Old Secesh

The Tullahoma Campaign

From Wikipedia.

Earlier this year, we had a talk at the McHenry County Civil War Round Table on this little-known Civil War campaign in Tennessee.  It was almost completely overshadowed by  the Battle of Gettysburg and surrender of Vicksburg, but was important nonetheless.

Also called the Middle Tennessee Campaign and lasted from June 24 to July 3, 1863.  Hence the overshadowing.

The Union Army of Cumberland under Major General William Rosecrans effectively drove the Confederates out of Middle Tennessee and threatened the strategic city of Chattanooga as a result of it.

Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his Army of Tennessee were in a strong position on the top of the Nashville Basin rim, south of that city.  But Rosecrans captured the strategic passes through the basin rim, partly aided by the new 7-shot Spencer repeating rifles.

As before mentioned, it was overshadowed by Gettysburg and Vicksburg as well as the Battle of Chickamauga two months later.

--Old Secesh

Failure in the Saddle, Confederate Cavalry at Chickamauga-- Part 3: Battle of Chickamauga

In the summer of 1863, Union General William Rosecrans decided to capture Chattanooga.  He determined a direct attack on the city, considering how easily it could be defended and the close quarters his troops would have to operate in to do so, was not in his best interest so decided to flank attack it.

Braxton Bragg had his Army of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but had his cavalry guarding his flanks. Joe Wheeler was guarding the Tennessee River to Chattanooga's southwest.  Forrest was northeast of the city.

Wheeler had only left about a thousand troops to guard the area nearest to Chattanooga while he and the rest of the corps was at Rome, Georgia, some 60 miles away. His command was having rest and recuperation, preparing for the upcoming campaign.

On August 28-29, 1863, Rosecrans began moving his troops across the Tennessee River to the southwest of the city.  This was easily accomplished with the token cavalry Wheeler had left behind.  Wheeler did nothing to stop it like hurry his command northward and also didn't report the Union move.  Bragg was completely in the dark as to what his enemy was doing.

--Old Secesh

A General's Journey From Goat to Hero: Thomas J. Word-- Part 2

After the defeat, Rosecrans accused Word of not moving his division as ordered. Then arose a question of whether he was following orders. Because of this, Confederates under Gen. Longstreet attacked where Wood's division had just been and were able to break the Union line and win the Battle of Chickamauga.

His reputation under fire, Word redeemed himself at the Battle of Chattanooga when his division was only supposed to make a feint at Confederate lines on Missionary Ridge, but continued on to force the Confederates to retreat and break the siege of Chattanooga.

Goat to Hero. --Old Secesh