Monroe County Had Eight Medal of Honor Recipients-- Part 2

**  Private Frederick Ballen, of the 47th Ohio (Monroe County is right by the Michigan-Ohio border) volunteered to serve on a barge loaded with supplies that ran past Confederate batteries on the Mississippi River.

**  Sergeant Daniel  McGall was a member of Detroit's 17th Michigan Infantry.  At Spotsylvania, Virginia, on May 12, 1864,  he captured Confederate Colonel Barker and rescued a Union officer.

**  Private Henry Peters of the 47th Ohio Infantry served in the same action as Frederick Ballen.

**  While serving with the 5th New York Cavalry, Julius Rhodes had his horse shot out from under him at Thoroughfare Gap.  He then voluntarily joined the 105th New York and fought with them at Second Manassas, Virginia, serving gallantly.

**   Private Charles Sancrainte of the 15th Michigan Infantry captured the flag of the 5th Texas Infantry at the  Battle of Atlanta.

**  Peter Sype of the 47th Ohio was in the same action as Ballen and Peters.

--Old Secesh

This Month in the Civil War-- Part 2

Continuedfrom July 1.

From the American Battlefield Trust 2022 calendat.

JULY 11, 1864

**  Battle of Fort Stevens.  Confederates fail to capture Washington, D.C.

JULY 13, 1863

**  Riots erupt in New York City in protest of the draft.

JULY 18,1863

**  The 54th Massachusetts attacks Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina.

JULY 18, 1864

**  Battle of Cool Spring, Virginia.

JULY  21, 1861

**  First Battle of Manassas, Virginia.

JULY  22, 1862

**  President Lincoln presents to Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet.

JULY 22, 1864

**  Battle of Atlanta, Georgia.

JULY 24, 1864

**  Second Battle of Kernstown, Virginia.

JULY  28, 1864

**  Battle of Ezra Church, Georgia.

JULY 30, 1864

Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia.

--Old Secesh

John E. Gurley (135th USCT Commander)-- Part 6: The Battle of Atlanta to the End of the War

So, at the Battle of Atlanta, John Gurley did not become "a ruined man."

During the close-in fighting, Gurley had two horses shot out from under him.

But, for ordering those two regiments into line of battle without his commander's orders, Gurley was court martialed but since this action also saved his division from surprise and probably great loss of life, he was promoted to then rank of colonel and eventually received command of the 135th USCT Infantry Regiment the next year.

Before receiving that command, Gurley was part of Sherman's March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign.

He held the command of the 135th from March 1865 and his regiment was part of the Grand Review in Washington, D.C., and then to Louisville, Kentucky, where he and the regiment were mustered out of service in October 1865.

--Old Secesh

John E. Gurley-- Part 5: It Was Infantry in the Woods As It Turned Out

The question as to whether or not the noises were coming from cavalry or infantry was shortly determined when  Hardee's men emerged from the woods and attacked the rear of Smith's division with bullets streaming through the air and a big Rebel Yell.

Turning to Smith, John Gurley posed the question, "Are they infantry?"

Smith replied:  "yes, captain, and lots of them; go take command of those two regiments (that Gurley had formed into battle line of his own accord), lead them into the fight, check the enemy for a few minutes, till I get our men in line, then fall back to the main body."

Captain Gurley executed the order in the face of an overpowering foe and galling fire.  Then fell back as directed and fought with his comrades until night, maintaining their ground.

Sure Saved the General's Horse.  --Old Secesh

John E. Gurley-- Part 4: The Battle of Atlanta, About Those Noises Out in the Woods

At the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, John Gurley won his "Eagles," meaning his becoming a colonel.  You might even say his alert actions saved the Union army from a disastrous defeat at that battle.

During the early morning hours of July 22 reports of noises off in the wood s started coming into the Union commander in that section, Gen. Giles A. Smith, doubted it was infantry that was being heard, but sent an officer to investigate.

That officer was Captain Gurley and he was to make an observation and report back to the general.  He did just that and determined the sounds were coming from infantry.

On the evening of July 21, Confederate General Hood had ordered Lt. General  William J. Hardee's corps to make a 15-mile  night march and assault the Union army's  left flank, commanded by Major General  James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee.  The sounds being heard were Hardee's march.

Riding back to report to Giles, Gurley took it upon himself to order two Union regiments into line of battle to prepare for enemy attack.  He did this of his own accord and without the orders of his commanding general.

He got back to Smith's headquarters and made his report, "Infantry in large numbers, and will be upon you in a few minutes."   The general still did not believe him and thought it was just cavalry.  And when he found out that Gurley had taken it upon himself to order two of his regiments into line of battle without his express orders, the general blew his top, he turned to Gurley and said:  "Captain, if they are infantry you are all right, if not, you are a ruined man."

--Old Secesh

Some More on Fort D, Cape Girardeau-- Part 2: Company F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery

On August 30, 1861, General Ulysses S. Grant arrived in Cape Girardeau and took command.  He visited again in October and authorized Captain John Powell to raise a company of local men to man the forts and guns around Cape Girardeau.

They became Battery F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery and were organized immediately, but not mustered in until December 11, 1861.  Throughout the fall and  winter, Powell's men trained on the large cannons of the forts and did garrison duty.

In late March 1862, they were ordered to join the Union Army of the Tennessee at Pittsburg Landing in western Tennessee.    They were heavily engaged in the Battle of Shiloh a short time later on April 6 at a spot ever-after known as the Hornets' Nest for the fierce fighting that took place there.

It was there that Captain Powell was wounded in the wrist and forearm; later his  arm was amputated below the elbow.   His Battery F would go on to take part in the Battle of Corinth, Siege of Vicksburg and Atlanta among other battles.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Atlanta Stats

From Wikipedia.

Took place July 22, 1864, southeast of Atlanta.

Main Union commanders:  William T. Sherman and John B. McPherson
Main Confederate commanders:  John Bell Hoof and William J. Hardee.

Union Army:  Army of the Tennessee
Confederate Army:  Army of Tennessee

Strength  Union 34,863
Strength:  Confederate 40,438

Union Losses:  3,641  and Gen. James B. McPherson and Colonel Lucien Greathouse killed.
Confederate Losses:  5,500 and at least 1,000 killed

--Old Secesh

Some More On the Battle of Atlanta

From, the American Battlefield Trust  "Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864."

After his defeat at Peachtree Creek, Confederate General Hood was still hoping to drive Sherman from the outskirts of Atlanta with an offensive blow.

On the night of July 21, he ordered Lt. General William J. Hardee's corps to make a 15-mile night march and assault the Union forces on the left flank, commanded by Major General James B. McPherson.  Both McPeherson and Sherman knew Hood from his days at West Point and suspected he would try such a move.

They then held one of the corps in position to meet the attack.  This was a big reason Hood's attack failed.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Atlanta, Troup Hurt House-- Part 4: Confederate Loss Led to Siege of Atlanta

There is a tour you can take of the key points of the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864.  (I wonder if it has where Col. Greathouse was killed?)

The fighting that day was one of the biggest battles in the final ten months of the war, and the Union victory east of the city was followed by the daily bombardment of Atlanta and the eventual Union capture of the "Gate City of the South" on September 2, 1864.

I always thought the Battle of Atlanta took place on the west side of Atlanta since Sherman's Army was coming southward from that direction.  But it didn't.

I also wonder if they have the spot where Col. Greathouse was killed marked?

--Old Secesh

Battle of Atlanta, the Troup Hurt House-- Part 3: Success Eluded the Confederates

A historic marker at the north end of De Gress Avenue before it turns sharply east, indicates the location of the De Gress Battery.  Together the combined action of Manigault's brigade and other elements of Brown's and Clayton's Confederate Divisions opened a half-mile gap in the Union line that could further be exploited and this could have turned the tide of battle.

However, the Confederate success was short-lived and they were soon driven back by a ferocious Union counter attack.  General Sherman, observing the action from a position three-fourths of a mile north of the Troup Hurt House, directed cannon fire against the Confederate front and behind it, thwarting further gains and preventing reinforcement.

Union Major General John A. Logan, who had earlier in the afternoon replaced the fallen Major General James B. McPherson as commander of the Army of the Tennessee gathered reinforcements and led the successful infantry counteroffensive.

The federal troops did not pursue the retreating Confederates, and the fighting in the vicinity of the Troup House came to a close.  Combat continued until dark at Leggett's Hill.

--Old secesh

Battle of Atlanta, the Troup Hurt House-- Part 2: Confederate Break Through

The most famous moments of the Battle of Atlanta occurred at this site:  a mid-afternoon Confederate attack on the entrenched Union 15th Corps, followed shortly by a Federal counterattack.  The Cyclorama shows this decisive moment, taking place at around 4:30 p.m., when Union General John A. Logan rallied his troops to restore the broken Federal line and turn back the attacking Confederates.

Brigadier General Arthur M. Manigault's brigade had spearheaded the mid-afternoon Confederate assault.  Manigault's troops, followed by Col. Jacob H. Sharp's brigade pf Brown's Confederate division, drove a wedge through the Union line at the railroad cut near the present-day Inman Park MARTA station, poured through this opening, and forced the Union defenders to retreat.

Manigault's troops then fanned out to the north and captured the Troup Hurt House and  Captain Francis De Gress's four-gun 20-Pdr. Parrot battery.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Atlanta: The Troup Hurt House-- Part 1: Where Col. Greathouse was killed.

From the Battle of Atlanta Digital Scholarship.

On Digress Avenue:  Site of two famous moments in the Battle of Atlanta: The Confederate capture of the Troup Hurt House and the De Gress Battery and the successful Union counterattack.

Evidently, this is the where Lucien Greathouse was killed in the counterattack.  I was a bit confused by my readings on this battle as apparently the 48th Illinois had retreated and then counter attacked..

The Troup Hurt House is no longer standing but is featured prominently in the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting on high ground north of the Georgia Railroad (now the right of way for MARTA commuter line and the CSX Railroad).

The site is now a privately-owned  home which was a church at one time.  The church was built in 1907.

--Old Secesh

Death of Col. Lucien Greathouse: A First-Hand Account

Letter from William H. Odell who served in Co. B of the 48th Illinois.  Letter in the Illinois State Historical Society.

"on the 22nd the enemy charged our works and tried to swing both our right and left flanks but we gave them a good and genteel whipping taking as estimated by General Logan 12 Thousan & 50 prisoners.  besides killing greate numbers, in this Battal our Colonel [Lucien Greathouse] was killed, poor fellow he was so good a Man as ever drew lifes breth.

"I loved him as a brother for he always treated me as such.  he fell amid the hotest of the contest with his sword in one hand & his hat in the other, cheering his never failing men to victory.

"fighting hard until night our Boys was very tired of over heat, for it was a vary hot day.  one Rebel Colonel Rode up to our works & demanded a surrender, but he soon fell to the ground, a victim to death & notorious trator to his country."

Spelling left as it was but paragraphs inserted.

Wonder What Happened to Lucien's Sword?  --Old Secesh

Col. Lucien Greathouse-- Part 6: Monument Inscription

Continuing with the inscriptions on his grave monument at Old City/State Cemetery in Vandalia, Illinois.:

"He led the command in forty hard pitched battles and was killed with the flag of his country in his hands standing upon the breast works of the enemy before the city of Atlanta, GA in the memorable fight of July 22, 1864.  May God and his country deal justly."

"Born Carlinville, Illinois 7th Day of June 1842 A.D. and was killed at the head of his regiment aged 22 years one month and fifteen days."

"WE CAN NOT WIN HIM BACK    You shall not mourn, oh daughters and sons, for the noble cause of liberty comes with a price of the supreme sacrifice of the gallant, the brave, and the best that one day all men may be free."

--Old Secesh

Col. Lucien P. Greathouse-- Part 4: Killed Leading Charge At Age 22 Years At the Battle of Atlanta

At the Troup Hurt House, the 48th Illinois led the charge.  Riding a large horse, Col. Lucien Greathouse led the way.  Forced to retreat, though, a Confederate yelled "Surrender, can't you see you are beaten?"  Lucien replied, "Beat hell, we've just come into the fight."

Riding forward with saber in hand he was struck in the chest by an enemy round and instantly killed.

Though he died, that charge turned the tide of the battle.

He was killed July 22, 1864, at the age of 22 years, one month and 15 days."

--Old Secesh

Lucien P. Greathouse-- Part 3: Company C, 48th Illinois

He taught school after graduation from Indiana University and studied law under his brother, Tevis Greathouse, in Vandalia, Illinois.

Greathouse enlisted and helped recruit Company C of the 48th Illinois and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually joining the regimental staff.  When he left Company C, he was given a jewel inlaid sword.

The 48th Illinois was at Vicksburg with General Grant and fought in 40 battles before going with General Sherman on his March to the Sea.

At the Battle of Atlanta there was a large brick house owned by Troupe Hurtt (or Troup Hurt House) that the Confederates were using as a stronghold.

--Old  Secesh

Lucien P. Greathouse-- Part 1: Youngest Union Colonel?

While researching William McHenry for my Not So Forgotten War of 1812 blog, I found than he was buried in Old State Cemetery in Vandalia, Illinois.  Another person buried there is one Col. Lucien Greathouse who was killed at the Battle of Atlanta while leading his troops.

I'd never heard of him.

There wasn't even an article about him in Wikipedia or even a stub, even though one source I found said he was the youngest Union colonel in the war.  He was just 22 when he was killed.

He commanded the 48th Illinois Infantry Regiment.

Looks like I will have to do some research on him.

I have been writing a lot about the Star-Spangled Banner and Fort McHenry in my War of 1812 blog.  I thought that McHenry County, Illinois, where we live, was named after Fort McHenry, but it was named after William McHenry.

--Old Secesh