Lee and His Generals-- Part 6: Lee Takes Command

Robert E. Lee's first job was as a military advisor to Jefferson Davis and was in charge of coastal defense along the Atlantic Ocean.  He went out in public and said that Fort Pulaski was so strong that it could never be captured.

 Lee essentially got whipped during the early part of the war in command in what became West Virginia.  

In 1862, Johnston was in charge of forces protecting Richmond.  Lee was primarily involved in building up that city's defenses.   So much defensive work he directed that Lee got the nickname "Old Spades.

Johnston was wounded at Seven Pines.  The top Confederate generals in terms of seniority were Samuel Cooper, Albert Sydney Johnston, Lee, Joe Johnston and Beauregard.

Lee took over command of the Army defending Richmond.  He found that he could most rely on Longstreet and the two Hills.  As for Confederate generals Magruder, Holmes and Huger not so much.

--Old Secesh

RoadTrippin' Thru History-- Part 15: A Beneficial Marriage for Captain Pershing?

John Joseph Pershing graduated from West Point in 1886, tanked #30 in his class of 77.  On 1895, he took command of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the original Buffalo Soldiers units.  In 1897, he was an instructor at West Point and was unpopular with the cadets who nicknamed  him "N___ Jack" because of his leading the Buffalo Soldiers  Eventually this was softened to "Blackjack" a nickname that stuck with him the rest of his life.

In 1905, he married the daughter of U.S. Senator from Wyoming, Francis E. Warren, Helen, and had four children with her.  He was twenty years her senior.  It was a huge wedding in Washington, D.C., and reportedly Francis Warren said he wasn't going to have his daughter married to a lowly captain, that nothing less than a general would do.

President Theodore Roosevelt had visited Wyoming several times and stayed with Warren and was a good friend.  Advancement through the ranks was rapid for the captain, who within a few years rose to major, lieutenant colonel, colonel and then brigadier general.  In so doing, he was advanced over nearly 900 officers with more seniority.  And doing this during a peacetime army, quite an accomplishment.  It must be good to have friends in high places.

Tragedy struck in 1915, when a mysterious fire at the Presidio in San Francisco killed Helen and three of her four children.  Only his son Francis Warren Pershing survived.

I've Got Friends in High Places.  --Old Secesh

RoadTrippin-- Part 3: And, Now for Your Itinerary

Now, I have already been down this road before and know what we'll be seeing.  You don't, however.  Si, here is a partial itinerary of where we'll be going.  (Not necessarily in order, though.)  And, all of these are not Civil War.  Like I say, when we're Roadtrippin' we don't know where we'll go or end up.

An international incident (just solved a few years ago)

A belated Civil War Medal of Honor

A governor

The Battle of Shiloh

Three Bells

One new SUV

An insurrection

The Forlorn Hope

Hell Roaring Jake

Belangiga, Samar

And, That's Not All.  There's More to Come.  --Old Secesh

Was Harley Wayne the Descendant of "Mad: Anthony Wayne?

In my last post, I wrote that the newspaper article said that Capt. Harley Wayne  was a descendant of an illustrious American Revolution officer Gem. "Mad" Anthony Wayne.  I decided to find out what that would be.

I found that he had an interesting story and I am thinking about writing about it in my Cooter's History Thing blog in the future.

From Wikipedia.

ANTHONY WAYNE (January 1, 1745-December 15, 1796)

Was an American soldier. officer, statesman of Irish descent.  He adopted a military career at the onset of the American Revolution exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him promotion to brigadier general and the nickname "Mad Anthony."

He later served as senior officer of the Army on the Ohio frontier and led the Legion of the United States.

--Old Secesh

William Loring's History-- Part 3: A Long and Varied Career 'Old Blizzards'

 **  IN 1862 he was promoted to major general in the Confederate Army.

**  Loring earned the nickname of "Old Blizzards" at the Battle of Fort Pemberton when he cheered on his men yelling, "Give them blizzards, boys!"

**  He was at the Confederate General Johnston's surrender in North Carolina in 1865.

**  After the Civil War, he went to Egypt where he served nine years  in the Army of Isma'il Pasha, the Khedeve of Egypt.

**  He returned to Florida, ran for  Senate, but lost.

**  He then moved to New York where he died  in 1896 from pneumonia.

**  Loring was cremated in New York.  His ashes were later exhumed and moved to a cemetery in St. Augustine.  In 1920, his remains were then taken to his memorial in downtown St. Augustine.

**  Now, 100 years later, his remains are once again on the move.  This time to a cemetery in St. Augustine.  His monument is going to go to Trout Creek Fish Camp near St. Augustine.

And, remember, in addition to his remains and monument being moved, the last hurricane that came through Wilmington, North Carolina, knocked down the marker showing where he was born.

That's Four Moves His Remains Have Made Since His Death.  --Old Secesh

Fort York, North Carolina-- Part 3: "One Wing York" and "Galvanized Yankees"

General Zebulon York of Louisiana was in command of the fort which was named after him.  he had previously lost an arm and his troops nicknamed him "One Wing York.  About 600 of his troops were "Galvanized Yankees."

He went to the Confederate Salisbury Prison and picked out "Catholics, Irishmen and Scottish men" who would not as likely be loyal to the Union because they had not been born there.  The Confederacy had a serious manpower problem at this late date.  General York's other troops were mostly Home Guard.

The battle took place on April 12, 1865.

--Old Secesh