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

MCCWRT June Meeting: 'Murphy's Law & the Peter Principle'

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table met Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Woodstock, Illinois, library and heard a talk onte Battle of Holly Springs by Jerry Allen.  We had earlier heard him give a talk about the 8th Wisconsin  The commander of the 8th Wisconsin was Colonel Robert Murphy.  He played a part in the Union disaster at Holly Springs, Mississippi, on December 20, 1862.

This caused General Grant's planned attack on Vicksburg to be delayed until the next spring.  Grant was depending the supplies at Holly Springs to support his advance on that city.

And, Murphy went far beyond his level of competence.

Earlier in 1862, the Union forces made great strides coming up the Mississippi River from New Orleans.  By April 29, 1862, New Orleans was in their control, followed by Baton Rouge on May 9 and Natchez on May12.  Union naval commander S.P. Lee even went to Vicksburg to demand its surrender.  James Autry refused to do so.

Then, came Holly Springs.

--Old Secesh

The Battle of Port Hudson-- Part 3: The Siege of Port Hudson

There was a naval battle that occurred at Port Hudson which resulted  in a Union disaster.  Most of the casualties occurred on the USS Mississippi which was also lost in the battle.

Next, the Union Army surrounded the 7,000 Confederates with 40,000 men.  A full-frontal assault was ordered, but only a small number of Union soldiers made it  to the Confederate works and were easily killed, wounded or captured.

A second Union assault also failed and the Union troops began digging  trenches and set up a siege of Port Hudson.

Things got worse for the Confederates who began running out of pretty much everything.  They faced starvation and would eat  mules, horses and even rats.

When word of Vicksburg's surrender reached Port Hudson, at first the Confederates wouldn't believe it.  But finally on July 9, 1863, the 7,000 man garrison surrendered.  However, they had inflicted more than 5,000 casualties on Union forces while losing just 500 of their own.

Most people think that when Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, 1863, that the Union had control of the Mississippi River, but that actually did not occur until July 9 with the surrender of Port Hudson.

--Old Secesh

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Fort McPherson, Natchez, Mississippi

In the last post, I wrote about Fort McPherson in Natchez, Mississippi.  I'd never heard of it before, so figured I's do some research on it.

NORTH AMERICAN FORTS

Fort McPherson, Natchez. Miss.   (1863-1865)  Was a line of earthworks and batteries surrounding the town, built by Union forces after they took control of the area.

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The site of Fort McPherson was designed by Captain Peter Hains of the Engineering Corps.  It could accommodate 5,000 troops and provided an unobstructed view of the Mississippi River and surrounding countryside.

The site begins at present-day North Canal and Madison streets.  Parts of an old slave market called Forks in the Road were used in its construction.

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It was named for Union General James McPherson who was killed in action during the Atlanta Campaign.

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United States Colored Troops (USCT)  consisted of 175 regiments of black soldiers, many of who had been slaves,   The 58th, 70th and 71st Colored Infantry and 6th  Colored Heavy Artillery were stationed in Natchez.

No major action took place at Fort McPherson.

There are very little remnants of the fort remaining.

--Old Secesh

A History of the University of Missouri- Columbia-- Part 1: First Land-Grant University West of the Mississippi

From Wikipedia.

The University of Missouri- Columbia was established in 1839.  This later expanded to the statewide University of Missouri System which is why the name Columbia now accompanies it.

It was established in 1839 as part of the Geyer Act to establish a state land-grant university.  The school became the first land-grant university west of the Mississippi River.

The year of its founding, the citizens of Columbia pledged $117,921 in cash and land to beat out five other mid-Missouri counties for the location of the state university.  The land on which the college was constructed was just south of Columbia and owned by James S. Rollins, who became known as the "Father of the University."

It was the first university in Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase and was designed in part on Jefferson's plans for the University of Virginia.  Because of this, the original tombstone of Thomas Jefferson was given to MU in July 1883 by Jefferson's heirs.

As before mentioned, the first graduating class in 1843 consisted of just two men, both first cousins, Robert Levin Todd and Robert Barr Todd.  If the Todd name rings a bell, they were also first cousins of Mary Todd Lincoln.  Rober L. was the valedictorian and Robert T. was the salutatorian.

--Old Secesh

Siege of Port Hudson-- Part 3: Another Assault Repulsed and Confederate Surrender After Vicksburg Fell

Another attempt to take Port Hudson failed on June 13, when the Confederates inflicted 1,805 casualties on Union forces while losing fewer than 200.  Those gad to be some strong earthwork defenses.  The Confederates at Port Hudson held out until they learned of the surrender of Vicksburg.

Without its upriver (Mississippi River) position it lacked  strategic significance and the garrison surrendered on July 9, 1963.  This gave the Union control of the entire Mississippi River, though ships on the river came under Confederate attacks from time to time throughout the rest of the war.

Today the Port Hudson State Commemorative Area  (Commemorative Area?  Really?) has 889 acres on the northern portion of the battlefield, three observation towers, six miles of trails an a museum.

Four thousand Civil War veterans are buried at the Port Hudson National Cemetery which stands just outside the Confederate lines.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Trust October 2018 Calendar: Port Hudson, Louisiana

PORT HUDSON, LOUISIANA

256 acres saved

The Civil War Trust has partnered with The Conservation Fund to ave 256 acres of land at Port Hudson, Louisiana, the site of the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River after Vicksburg fell.

The acreage saved by the trust includes the site of the first black assault in the Civil War, made by the 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guard regiments on May 27, 1863.

Hallowed Ground.  --Old Secesh

The Sultana Tragedy

From the McHenry County Civil War Round Table.

On April 24, 1865, the riverboat Sultana left Vicksburg, Mississippi with as many as 2,100 released Union prisoners from Andersonville and Cahaba, 100 civilians and 85 crewmen.

To say the least, the boat was extremely overloaded and humanity filled almost every square inch.  The boat was six times over capacity which was 376.  At approximately 2 a.m. on April 27, seven miles north of Memphis, the ship's boilers exploded.

Lt. Colonel Ruben Hatch and other officers and businessmen were responsible for "The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History."

--Old Secesh

McHenry Civil War Round Table Meeting Tuesday: Ruben Hatch and the Sultana Disaster

The monthly meeting of the McHenry Civil War Round Table will take place this Tuesday, August, 8 at the Woodstock Public Library, 414 Judd Street (just off the historic Woodstock Square) from 7-9 p.m..

Gene Salecker will make a presentation on Ruben Hatch:  Sultana Boarding Agent in Vicksburg for Prisoners Returning Home."

On April 27, 1865, the seriously overloaded Steamship Sultana exploded killing at least 1,192 passengers, mostly just-released Union prisoners of war, many from Andersonville.

--Old Secesh

My 20 Most Significant Events Affecting the Civil War-- Part 2: Army-Navy Cooperation

6.  Union Army-Navy Cooperation

7.  The Emancipation Proclamation  It didn't really free any slaves, but went a big way to keeping England and France out of the war.

8.  Egyptian/Indian (India) cotton replaced Southern cotton.

9.  Collapse of Confederate money and finances

10.  Loss of the Mississippi River

--Old Secesh

July 4, 1863, A Particularly Bad Day for the Confederacy

From History In An Hour.

Two separate events took place on July 4, 1863 which definitely led to the end of the war.

The Battle of Gettysburg marked the second time Confederate General Robert E, Lee had invaded the North, and it was the second time he was defeated.  Sometimes called the High Tide of the Confederacy, it was all downhill after this.

The battle itself took place July 1-3.  But the Confederates did not retreat from the field until July 4th.

The second event took place out west, along the Mississippi River where the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg surrendered July 4th.  The Union now had control of the length of the Mississippi River, dividing the Confederacy in half.

And, a new hero came to the forefront for the Union and he was U.S. Grant, the man who knew how to beat Lee.

It Was a Particularly Bad Day for the Confederacy To Say The Least.  --Old Secesh

Mort Kunstler's July Civil War Calendar-- Part 1: Grant Takes Vicksburg

THE GLORIOUS FOURTH

"General Ulysses S. Grant at Vicksburg

"On July 4, 1863, jubilant Union soldiers marched past the gaunt defenders of Vicksburg and into the city which was the final Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

"General Ulysses S. Grant, in his typically informal dress without swordbelt, rode to the Old Landing to meet and congratulate Admiral David Porter, commander of the river fleet, aboard his flagship, USS Benton.  There were more than eight thousand Union troops on hand cheering, waving flags, and celebrating this great victory.

"The fall of Vicksburg placed the entire Mississippi River in Union hands."

There are many Union soldiers cheering Grant as he rides past them.  Grant looks to them and raises his hat.  There are Union ironclads and warships in the river in the background.

Between this and Gettysburg the day before, the real beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

--Old Secesh

Fort Defiance, Illinois

From Aug. 21st WSIL Channel 3 News.

Spring floods have left the site, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in really bad shape. It is now overgrown.

During the Civil War, Fort Defiance, also called Camp Defiance, was very important strategically. U.S. Grant once commanded the place. In May 2011, the whole city of Cairo, Illinois, just to the north of the fort, was evacuated. Levees to the south of town were breached by the Army Corps of Engineers to save the place.

During the war, there were ironclads built 6 miles up the Mississippi at Mound City. These ironclads patrolled it.

A Forgotten Civil War Site? --Old B-R'er

Naval Chronology May to June 1861: Blockade and Privateers

Some things happening back these dates in 1861 that pertain to some of the things I've posted about recently.

MAY 26th-- The USS Brooklyn, Cmdr. Charles H. Poor, set the blockade at the mouth of the Mississippi River and New Orleans.

USS Union, Cmdr, John R. Goldsborough, set the blockade of Savannah.

USS Powhattan, Lt. D.D. Porter, set blockade of Mobile.


MAY 29th-- The Confederate privateer J.C. Calhoun captured the American brig Panama and took it to New Orleans along with two other prizes it had captured, the schooners Mermaid and John Adams.

MAY 31st-- The USS Perry, Lt. Parrott, captured the blockade-runner Hannah M. Johnson.

JUNE 3rd-- Confederate privateer Savannah, Capt. Baker, captured the American brig Joseph with a cargo of sugar. Then, the Savannah was captured by the USS Perry, Lt. Parrot.

Lots of Naval Stuff happening. --Old B-Runner

Some More on the Sultana Disaster-- Part 2

*** An East Tennessee Sultana Survivors Group met annually until 1928 when only four were left.

*** In 1982, an archaeological expedition uncovered what was believed to be the Sultana's wreckage.

*** Blackened deck planks and timbers were found 32 feet under a soybean field on the Arkansas side, about four miles from Memphis.

*** The Mississippi River has changed course several times since the Civil War. Today, the main channel lies about two miles of its 1865 position.

Something Most People Have Never Heard Of. --Old B-Runner

Some More on the Sultana Disaster-- Part 1

Back on May 19, 2009, I wrote about the horrible Sultana Disaster at the end of the war.

As we approach the 145th anniversary of it later this month, I have some more information about it, gleaned from Wikipedia.

*** The explosion took place on April 27, 1865. It was known that the boilers were in bad shape and needed replacement, but that would take three days, so they were just patched.

*** The soldiers were mostly from Ohio.

*** The explosion took place 7 to 9 miles north of Memphis.

*** The exact death toll is not known, but estimated at between 1300 and 1900. The official count is 1547. Between 700-800 survived.

*** In 1888, a death bed confession claimed that the explosion was caused by a coal torpedo.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner