Ten Facts About Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 8: Who Was to Blame?

Fact 8:  Both Stone and McClellan blamed  Col. Edward Baker  for the tremendous loss.

When called before the Joint Committee, Charles Stone testified that he had given Edward Baker the responsibility to decide whether to send more troops across the river or to withdraw the ones already there.  By sending reinforcements, Stone argued, "Colonel Baker chose to bring battle."

General McClellan agreed.  After hearing  Stone's version of the events, McClellan publicly exonerated Stone from any blame and published in an army circular that "the disaster was caused by errors committed by the immediate commander [Baker]."

Although Stone and McClellan both  testified that Baker was the cause of the defeat, Stone remained the popular scapegoat for the failure.  When Stone was called to appear before the Joint Committee, they laid the blame  on him.  Stone was the friend of McClellan, a known Democrat, and his word amounted to little for the abolitionist Radical Republicans who dominated the committee.

They accused Stone of disloyalty to the Union, and Stone was arrested on February 8, 1862,  on the orders of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.  He was taken to Fort Lafayette, a prison designated for known Confederate  sympathizers, where he was held in solitary confinement without trial.

With no charges filed against him, Stone was released after six months, and Stanton ordered him demoted to colonel. and kept out of field work.  In 1864, Stone resigned from  the army.

--Old Secesh

10 Facts Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 6: Led to Creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War

Fact 7:  The Battle of Ball's Bluff led to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

After the embarrassing loss at Ball's Bluff, the third major Union defeat of the war, Republicans had had enough of what they considered the incompetency of officers Lincoln had appointed and determined to take a larger role in the prosecution of the war.

On December 9, 1861,  they established the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War to oversee the administration of the Army  and the Navy.  Throughout the remainder of the war, the committee was chaired by  the Radical Republican Senator from Ohio, Benjamin Wade.

The Radical Republicans wanted to  pursue a more aggressive course of war than President Lincoln, and used the Committee tom oversee generals and promote men who they believed would support harder war policies.

The Bane of Many a Union General.  --Old Secesh

10 Facts Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 5: The 'Harvard Regiment" and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Fact 6:  Future Supreme Court Justice  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.,  survived a nearly fatal wound at Ball's Bluff.

Shortly after graduating from Harvard , Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.,  secured a commission in the  in the 20th Massachusetts Infantry.  Holmes and his fellow officers in the 20th were Harvard graduates and close friends, and the regiment later became known as the "Harvard Regiment."

Holmes sustained his first major injury during the war at Ball's Bluff--  The 20th Massachusetts' first engagement.  They accompanied Devens across the Potomac River and was present  on the morning of October 21st.

At about 4:30 in the afternoon, Holmes was shot in the chest, a wound that was nearly fatal.  Holmes recovered, only to be wounded again at Antietam and again at Chancellorsville.  

He went on to serve as America's most influential and longest-serving Supreme Court Justice, a seat he held until the age of 90.

--Old Secesh

10 Facts Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 4: The Famed California Regiment Wasn't Actually from California

#5:  Ball's Bluff was the first major battle of the famed California Regiment.

Funded by Californians,  the 1st California Regiment was part of an effort to keep California in the Union by encouraging California men from across the United States to enlist in the regiment.  The regiment, however, was Californian in name only; not only was it led by  Colonel Baker, a senator from Oregon, but the regiment was raised primarily in Philadelphia, resulting in a regiment where the majority of the men were native Pennsylvanians.

After Baker's death, the regiment was renamed the  71st Pennsylvania Volunteers, and went on to see action at  Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, where they participated in the famous repulse of Pickett's Charge at the Bloody Angle.

Old Secesh

Ten Facts Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 3: A Big Defeat and Loss of Col. Baker

Eventually, the Confederates under Evans forced the Union forces off the bluff and into the Potomac River.  Here again, a shortage of boats took a toll on the Union forces.  Those who did not surrender would have to swim across the river and many drowned in the attempt.

The shocking disparity of casualties made the Union defeat all the more resounding.  The Federal Army suffered over 1,000 casualties while the Confederates less than 160.

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FACT #4:  The only sitting Member of Congress to be killed in battle died at Ball's Bluff.

Senator Edward  Dickinson Baker of Oregon and a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, became  a colonel when he was chosen to lead the California Regiment in May 1861.  He was assigned to  Brig. Gen. Stone's division stationed on the Potomac River.

On the morning of October 21, 1861,  Baker learned of Devin's raiding party into what they thought was a rebel camp and went to Stone to be briefed.  Stone, not yet knowing about the skirmish, ordered Baker to Ball's Bluff to take command of the reconnaissance and to evaluate whether to send in more troops or withdraw.

When Baker learned about the skirmish, he ordered all available troops forward and crossed the river to Ball's Bluff himself in midafternoon.  About 4 pm, he was struck simultaneously in the heart and brain by four bullets and died instantly.

--Old Secesh

Ten Facts About Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 2: Crossing the Potomac Based on Faulty Intelligence

Trying to find out what the Confederates were up to, Charles Stone ordered a reconnaissance party across the river.  A company advanced about a mile and discovered what they believed to be was an abandoned Confederate camp.  It's commander, Captain Chase Philbrick,  returned to his superiors with the news.  Stone then ordered a 300-man raiding party to advance under the command of Colonel Charles Devens with orders to attack the camp.

When dawn broke on October 21st, it was found that the "camp" was actually just a line of trees.  Receiving further orders to wait for reinforcements and then make a move toward Leesburg, about this time, the Union force  encountered pickets from the 17th Mississippi and a skirmish began.

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#3   Inexperience, difficult terrain and a shortage of boats led to a military disaster.

What began as an attempt to raid an abandoned Confederate camp ended in an embarrassing Union defeat.  Not only was the raid based on faulty intelligence, but communication between Union officers at the scene was inefficient.

The terrain at Ball's Bluff itself presented quite a challenge.  It is made up of steep, wooded  bluffs bordering the Potomac River.  The Federals on the south side of the river found themselves with their backs to the river and it impossible to gain ground.

A further problem was that only four small boats were available on  Harrison's Island (in the river) caused reinforcements to arrive slowly and in inadequate numbers.

--Old Secesh

Ten Facts About the Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 1: A 'Slight Demonstration'

American Battlefield Trust.

Battle of Ball's Bluff, Virginia fought October 21, 1861.

1.  The Battle of Ball's Bluff was the result of a "slight demonstration."

On the Virginia side of the Potomac River, Confederates, commanded by  Col. Nathan "Shanks" Evans, numbered less than 3,000.  he began worrying that his position would be flanked by Federals.  Opposing him was  Brigadier general Charles P. Stone's Corps of Observation.

On October 16, Evans  to abandon his position at Leesburg.  When Stone reported this, Union commander McClellan  ordered McCall's troops to advance immediately, then had second thoughts and rescinded the order.  Instead, he ordered Stone  to make a "slight demonstration" toward  Evans to see what the enemy intentions were.

In the meantime, Confederate General Beauregard had ordered Evans to return to Leesburg.

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2.  Union troops crossed the Potomac River based on faulty intelligence.

After Stone's "slight demonstration" failed to get any reaction from Evans, Stone ordered a reconnaissance party to cross the river at Ball's Bluff to gain further information on the Confederate positions.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 4: The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War

The Battle of Ball's Bluff led to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, the bane of many a Union officer.  (I can't help but chuckle thinking about the story of Benjamin Butler appearing before the committee after the mess at Fort Fisher.  Supposedly he was in the middle of testifying that the fort could not be taken when news of its fall reached Washington, D.C.)

Both Brigadier General Charles P. Stone and McClelland blamed Col. Edward Baker for the tremendous loss.  But the committee, made up of members of the U.S. Congress were not about to place the blame on one of their own.

So, the committee went after Stone and had him arrested and confined for six months.  In the end, this ruined Stone's military career..

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**   A good question was brought up by one of the people in attendance and that was "Was the California Brigade made up of mostly men from California?"

Answer:  The California Brigade was kind of a misnomer as very few were from California.  Some had been out to California and returned.  Most of the men were from Philadelphia and New York City.

**  West Point grads had problems commanding such large numbers of troops as were now in uniform for the war.  Before that, most had never commanded more than a company or regiment at most.

**  Stone engineered the base of the Statue of Liberty.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 3: The Commanders and Battle Itself

The commanders at the Battle of Ball's Bluff were Brigadier General Charles P. Stone for the Union and Colonel Nathan G. "Shanks" Evans for the Confederacy.

Neither one was actually present at the battle, however.  Evans was known as a hard-drinking man.  Stone had some 12,000  soldiers in his command.

The battle grew out of what was initially going to be a slight demonstration.  Evans was moving his troops around in response to Union movements.  The Union forces determined to have a reconnaissance in force.

Problems on both sides arose from inexperience, difficult terrain and shortage of boats led to a military disaster.  There were also steep bluffs.

The Union troops were starting to retreat down the bluff.  Some accounts had them jumping off the bluffs, but that is not true.  The big problem was that there was just a narrow road descending to the Potomac River and that led to a real mess.

--Old Secesh

The Battle of Ball's Bluff-- Part 2: Famous People at the Battle

Presentation given to the McHenry County Civil War Round Table meeting on May 10. 

This was the first major battle of the famed California Regiment, commanded by Col. Edward D. Baker.

Future Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. survived an almost fatal wound received at this battle.

The grandsons of Paul Revere were also at the battle on the Union side and survived, but both were mortally wounded in later actions during the war.  They were Dr. Edward H. revere and Major Paul Revere.

The only sitting member of the U.S. Congress was killed at the battle, Edward D. Baker, who was born in England in 1811 and his family moved to Illinois.  In 1851, he went to California and in 1861, co-organized the California Brigade.

He was a good friend of the Lincolns who named their second son, Willie, for him.  After Baker's death, Willie wrote a poem about him.

At the time of the battle, both opposing armies were named the Army of the Potomac.  The Confederate one did not become the Army of Northern Virginia until after Lee took it over.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting 5/10/22: 2022 Scholarship Winner and the Battle of Ball's Bluff

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table's (Illinois) held its May meeting at the Woodstock (Illinois) Public Library both in person and by Zoom.

The announcement was made that McHenry High School student Jack Waters was the recipient of the 2022 essay contest.  He will be receiving a $1000 scholarship to college.  Congratulations, Jack.

Tonight's speaker was Fred Reczkowiz and he spoke on a battle I've often heard of, but really didn't know much about, the Battle of Ball's Bluff on October 21, 1861.  

He described the battle as  a simple accident resulting from a faulty report.  And, indeed, after hearing his presentation, Ball's Bluff reminded me a whole lot of the Union catastrophe at the Battle of Shepherdstown less than a year later.  I have written a whole lot about that battle in this blog in January and February.

The battle included the 20th Massachusetts, so-called the Harvard Regiment because so many members were from that school.  It was also called the "Copperhead Regiment" because so many members were Democrats and not in favor of Republicans.

--Old Secesh

Other Union Veteran Graves Decorated Decoration Day 1903

Same source as earlier entries.

The good folks of Woodstock not only decorated the graves of Illinois soldiers in 1903, but also those of veterans from other states.  Here is a list of veterans graves from Union regiments from other states:

33rd Iowa  (2)

13th Wisconsin (2)

25th Wisconsin

33rd Wisconsin

58th Pennsylvania

14th Ohio Artillery

49th New York

38th Iowa

4th Minnesota

146th New York

39th New York

10th US Heavy Artillery

Evidently, there was a lot of movement among ex-soldiers after the war.

--Old Secesh

May Civil War Events: Resaca, New Market, Vicksburg and North Anna

MAY 13, 1864

**  Battle of Resaca, Georgia, begins.

MAY 15, 1864

**  Battle of New Market, Virginia

MAY 16, 1863

**  Battle of Champion Hill, Mississippi

MAY 19, 1863

**  First assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi

MAY 23, 1864

**  Battle of North Anna, Virginia, begins

MAY 25, 1864

**  Battle of New Hope Church, Georgia, begins

MAY 31, 1864

**  Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, begins

--Old Secesh

American Battlefield Trust Saving Acres of the Cold Harbor Battlefield

From the May 2022 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

COLD HARBOR, VIRGINIA

280 acres saved

Initiated on May 31,1864, Union General Ulysses S. Grant's multi-day assault at Cold Harbor, Virginia, ended as a bloody failure, with more than 12,700 Northern casualties.

Of that number, 7,000 Federals fell on June 3, the battle's bloodiest day.

The Trust, along with partners that include the Commonwealth of Virginia and the HTR Foundation, has saved 280 acres at this historic battlefield and persevere to protect even more in the future!

Preserving Our Heritage.  --Old Secesh

Graves Decorated of Other Illinois Regiments in Woodstock 1903

Earlier this month I posted about Union veteran graves decorated in 1903 for Decoration Day in Woodstock, Illinois, of the 15th and 95th regiments, two units made up of many McHenry County residents.

I did not write down the names of the men in other Illinois units whose graves were also decorated  because of lack of time, but made a quick list of the unit numbers.

Here they are  (all units Illinois):

5th Artillery  (4 men)

153rd

36th (two men)

Dragoons

137th

124th (two men)

5th Battalion

92nd

53rd

1st Artillery

9th Cavalry

88th

8th Cavalry

17th Cavalry

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting This Tuesday: Battle of Ball's Bluff

This Tuesday the McHenry County Civil War Round Table of Illinois will meet at the Woodstock Public Library at 7 p.m..  

This month's presentation will be preceded by the announcement of this year's recipient of the Round Table's Dr. Edward Wilt  Jr. 2022 Scholarship with the formal presentation given next month.  This will provide a McHenry County high school senior with a $1000 scholarship for college next year.

This month's presentation will be the Battle of Ball's Bluff by Fred Recowkicz.

The meeting is both live and by Zoom.

Everyone is welcome.

--Old Secesh

Graves Decorated for Decoration Day 1903: 95th Illinois Infantry

Same source as previous post.

Graves decorated of members of the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

John Crosby

Louis Ballard

Lawrence C. Church

Allen Giles

Edgar Hughes

Gardner S. Southworth

George Parsons

Thomas Lindsey

This regiment had the most companies from McHenry County.  Seven companies were primarily composed of men from McHenry County.

--Old Secesh

Graves Decorated in 1903 in Woodstock, Illinois: 15th Illinois

From the May 29, 1903, McHenry County Republican  (McHenry County, Illinois).

This was done by the Woodstock Woman's Relief Corps.

15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry

D.M. Howland

Edgar Richards

William Love

Wallace P.  Jewett

William H. Sherman

Lewis B. Kelly

John D. Bliss

A.W. Cumins

Andrew W. Lascella

This regiment had three companies that were primarily from McHenry County.

--Old Secesh

The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes-- Part 4: About That Proclamation and an American Irish Attack on Canada

The French definitely wanted there to be an American civil war as they had plans on taking over Mexico which the U.S. could not oppose if they were deep into a war.

Lincoln was also involved with his Emancipation Proclamation.  He was also pro toward American infrastructure as in his transcontinental railroad.  His major goal was to keep European countries from recognizing the Confederacy.  The Emancipation went a long way toward that.

The Emancipation was actually the very first Executive Order.  It was, however, very important to have the 13th Amendment pass to insure that it would stand.  Otherwise it could be negated.

What did Lincoln do to stop Britain from getting involved?

A  big part of his plan was the blockade.

The Red River Campaign was primarily to obtain cotton.

The Irish in the United States were going to invade Canada after the war.  There were only 12,000 British troops there.

--Old Secesh

The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes-- Part 3: Who Had Stakes in a War?

**  What was the British stake in the Civil War?

Get back for the War of 1812

Need for Southern cotton

British banks had investments in both the North and South

**  Who wanted there to be a war?

Radical Republicans

Britain

Irish

Southern Conservatives

**  The French wanted war

They had an interest in taking over Mexico and with a war in the United States this would take away a major problem for them.

--Old Secesh

The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes-- Part 2: A Peace Conference Before the War

Joshua Giddings met Abraham Lincoln in 1847 when he was a Congressman from Ohio.  During the Lincoln administration, Giddings was the spy chief and was killed in Montreal in 1864.

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When the Whig Party split up, the northern ones became moderate Republicans which were offset by the Radical republicans.  In the South, those Whigs became Moderate Democrats.

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British players in the American Civil War were Lord Richard Lyons and Queen Victoria.

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There was a little-known Peace Conference from January to early March 1861, but on January 12 Seward shot it down.  Six states left the Union the same day he gave his speech and now there were , with the original one, South Carolina, seven seceded states.

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On February 26, 1861, it was proposed that owners would be compensated for runaway slaves.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting, 4/12/22: 'The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes'

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) met April 12, 2022, at the Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock, Illinois, for its monthly meeting.  It is so good to be back at the monthly meetings in person again.

Earlier, several members met for dinner at 3 Brothers Restaurant in Woodstock.

The speaker at the meeting was Steve Albans.

The Civil War could have been avoided.  Abraham Lincoln himself gave clues as to how it started.  Joshua Giddings wrote a book about it which was printed in 1864

Here are some questions about what caused the war:

**  Different economies

**  Slavery

**  Were any foreign countries involved in it?

**  Who stood to gain if the South was victorious?

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Abraham Lincoln wasn't supposed to win.

At his 1861 inauguration, Lincoln said his goal was just to restrict slavery to where it already existed.

--Old Secesh

May Civil War Events: Chancellorsville, Lincoln Buried, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Stonewall Dies

From the May 2022 American Battlefield Trust calendar. 

MAY 1, 1863

**  Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, begins.

MAY4, 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.

MAY 12, 1863

**  Battle of Raymond, Mississippi.

MAY 12, 1865

**  Battle of Palmito Ranch, Texas, begins.

--Old Secesh