Edward S. Bragg-- Part 9: End of the War

For the next several weeks, they remained in position besieging Petersburg.  They were in the trench line, which meant they were subject to  sniper fire and enemy artillery and there they remained until June 28, when they were relieved temporarily.

Finally, Edward Bragg received word of his official promotion to brigadier general, effective June 25, 1864.  They rotated back to the trenches a few weeks later.

They remained engaged in siege for the rest of the year and into early 1865.

On July 30, 1864, a Union sapper mine was exploded under the Confederate trenches resulting in what was called the Battle of the Crater.  On August  18, 1864, they were part  of a successful Union raid known as the Battle of Globe Tavern, to cut the Weldon Railroad and reduce the flow of supplies to the Petersburg defenders.

In October there was  another attempt to do that known as the Battle of Boydtown Plank Road, to sever another Confederate supply line, but the attack was withdrawn.

General Bragg's final battle of the war was the Battle of Hatcher's Run, which took place  February 6, 1865, near the site of the Battle of Boydtown  Plank Road.  The Iron Brigade took heavy casualties and, following the battle had to be significantly reorganized.

General Bragg was then summoned to Washington with four regiments and then sent to Baltimore to supervise transportation of conscripts.  He remained there until the end of the war and mustered out on October 9, 1865.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Slang-- Part 4: 40 Dead Men, Hospital Rats and Grey Backs

If you'd like to see all 20 slang terms, just click on the slang label below.

16.  FORTY DEAD MEN

Soldiers had nicknames for  almost every item that they had to take with them.  "Forty Dead Men" referred to a full cartridge box of bullets.  A full cartridge box held 40 rounds.  And, of course, they could kill you (well, the enemy).

17.  PLAY OLD SOLDIER / HOSPITAL RAT

Being honorable during the war was very important.  Faking an injury was not very honorable.  Nothing was more dishonorable than faking am injury of disability to avoid battle.

Soldiers doing this were referred to as "playing old soldier" or "hospital rat" for their frequent trips to the infirmary.

18.  PARLOR SOLDIERS

Parlor soldier was a derogatory term for an unsuitable soldier.  Someone who talked about their war experience without actually having it.

19.  GREY BACKS

Diseases rule when there is a war.  One of the most prevalent diseases during the war was malaria which was called "The Shakes."

Next to malaria, soldiers on both sides suffered from grey backs, otherwise known as lice.  This was also a derogatory term for Confederates since that was generally the color of their uniforms.

20.  LONG SWEETENING

Soldiers really loved their coffee.  And a favorite extra ingredient was "long sweetening" which was molasses.  This was a replacement for sugar, of course.  Unlike sugar, this was a runny sweetener.  If they could get sugar, that was short sweetening.

--Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 8: Spotsylvania and Petersburg

I am certainly finding out a lot about this man whom I had never heard of since I saw his name put up as a possible new name for Fort Bragg in North Carolina.  They wouldn't have to change the name.  He had quite an honorable history of military command.

At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Bragg's Pennsylvanians  participated in four attacks  on entrenched Confederates over four days, the one on May 12th was at the infamous "Bloody Angle."  Colonel Bragg was announced as having been killed at this battle, but he wasn't.  However, the story alarmed folks back in Wisconsin.

They were engaged with Confederates over the next two weeks and then Bragg was returned to the command of the Iron Brigade.

On June 12, they made a quick move and crossed the James River, engaging in what became known as the Siege of Petersburg.  On June 18 they participated  in a futile charge that led to  what is called the Second Battle of Petersburg.  The Iron Brigade charged across a half mile of open field, under Confederate fire and were ordered to halt to await reinforcements which did not come.

After two hours, they were forced to retreat after heavy casualties.

--Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 7: Command of the Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade

After the fighting on May 6, at the Wilderness, Bragg was placed in command of the division's 3rd Brigade which was made up of all Pennsylvania regiments, sometimes called the Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade, by General Lysander Cutler, who had been Bragg's original commander of the 6th Wisconsin.  Lysander had become division commander with the death of General  James S. Wadsworth.

Bragg was replacing  the Bucktails' commander Colonel  Roy Stone who had reportedly been drunk during the battle on May 5 and 6.  On both days, his brigade had performed poorly, reportedly marching and firing in disorganized manner and scattering in the face of Confederate skirmishers.  They even had accidentally wounded members of their own unit.

Stone had been removed after his horse  fell on top of him on May 6.

Bragg led the brigade for  most of the remainder of the Overland Campaign.  His leadership stabilized the brigade and they performed admirably at Spotsylvania Court House,  North Ana, Totopotomoy Creek and Cold Harbor.  After Cold Harbor, Bragg turned command of the brigade over to Gettysburg hero Joshua  Chamberlain.

--Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 6: Re-enlisting and the Battle of the Wilderness

At the Battle of Gettysburg, the 6th Wisconsin had 340 effectives on the field and lost 30 killed,  116 wounded and 22 missing.  Most of them all were on the first day.

Colonel Bragg returned to the 6th Wisconsin about August 28, 1863,  During the Bristoe Campaign and the Battle of Mine Run, the Iron Brigade participated in a series of  maneuvers but weren't engaged in any serious fighting.

In January 1864, the 6th Wisconsin's enlistment was over.  Those who re-enlisted were given Veteran Status and they, along with Bragg traveled by train home on furlough and were feted in Milwaukee.

Returning to Virginia, the 6th was then involved in Gen. Grant's Overland Campaign, starting with the Battle of Wilderness on May 5, 1864, during which Edward S. Bragg was nearly captured trying to ascertain where other Union regiments were located.

On May 6, the Iron Brigade was involved in an attack on the Confederate left flank that was initially successful until Confederate reinforcements counterattacked and forced them to fall back.

--Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 5: Too Ill for Gettysburg

Colonel Edward Bragg became seriously ill after the Chancellorsville, possibly because of  the poor weather conditions during the battle, combined with an injury he received from being kicked by Major  John Hauser's horse.  He remained in his tent while attempting to recuperate, but in early June he was sent to a hospital in Washington, D.C..

While sick, he missed the entire Gettysburg Campaign, leaving the regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Rufus Dawes.  Both Dawes and the regiment performed heroically on the First Day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Rufus Dawes was the great grandson of William Dawes who warned the Massachusetts  Minutemen of the approach of the British prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  He was one of several  men spreading the word, but Paul Revere is the one best-known for doing it.

Bragg attempted to rejoin his regiment in the days after Gettysburg but was too ill and had to return to medical care.

--Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 4: Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville

The Iron Brigade did not participate in the Peninsula Campaign, but was posted across from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

After Gen. John Pope took command of the Army of the Potomac, the Iron Brigade ended up fighting Confederates at the Second Battle of Bull Run, also called the Battle of Gainesville.  The brigade was outnumbered three to one but managed to hold their ground.  The brigade was held in reserve the second day of the battle, but fought in the third day.  They ended up forming the Union Army's rear guard as it fell back.

There were two major offensives against the Confederates at Fredericksburg in the winter of 1862 and 1863, but the brigade was not engaged in serious fighting in either.   On March 10, 1863, Edward Bragg was promoted to full colonel.  He also met President Lincoln.

During the Chancellorsville Campaign, the brigade was put in charge of securing a pontoon bridge at Fitz Hughes Crossing of the Rappahannock River. When the bridge engineers came under fire, Bragg was ordered to take his men and cross the river to secure the bank on the other side.  he accomplished this in an hour and captured 200 Confederate in the process.

--Old Secesh

Boy, Was That Fun Last Night in Union. First In-Person Round Table Meeting Since March 2020.

Last night I drove 30 miles from Spring Grove, Illinois, to Union, Illinois, for the first in person McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) meeting since March of 2020 (because of you-know-what).  We had an excellent presentation on Civil War generals by Bruce Allardice.

The meeting was held at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum located in an old school in Union.  We normally have our monthly meetings at the Woodstock (Illinois) Public Library, but their meeting rooms remain closed.  (Hopefully next month we can meet there.)

Just as fun, we also had a pre-meeting dinner group at the Checkers II restaurant in Union which had eight in attendance.  When we used to meet in Woodstock, we had the pre-meeting eat and greet at 3 Brothers restaurant.

I must admit that I used to take these get-togethers for granted, but believe me, no more.

In addition, I joined the McHenry County Historical Society.  While there I got to see the journals the MCCWRT has paid to have preserved and an exhibit on the GAR in McHenry County.

This, by the way, was the second farthest I'd been from home since March 2020.  The farthest was over Memorial Day weekend a couple weeks ago when I went to the Indy 500.

Sure Good to Be Back.  --Old Secesh

Edward S. Bragg-- Part 3: To D.C. and Rising to Rank of Lt.-Colonel

The 6th Wisconsin was organized at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin (present-day Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers).  They mustered into service July 16, 1861, under Colonel Lysander Cutler.  

They were ordered to proceed to Washington, D.C., and once there became a part of General Rufus King's brigade.  They were soon joined by the 2nd Wisconsin, 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana regiments in what would become known as the Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac.

From that point to the end of the war, Bragg  participated in nearly every battle of the Iron Brigade.

Bragg and his 6th Wisconsin spent the  Fall of 1861 to Spring 1862 on  picket duty near Washington, D.C., building  fortifications to protect the city and drilling in preparation for combat.  During this time, Bragg was promoted to major in September 17, 1861 and then to lieutenant colonel on June 21, 1862, after Lt.-Col. Benjamin Sweet was given command of the new 21st Wisconsin Infantry regiment.

--Old Secesh

About Colonels Edward S. Bragg and Charles F. Fisher and Their 6ths

I just realized that right now, I am writing about two colonels from famous regiments in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War and Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blogs.

Charles F. Fisher was the commander of the 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment and was killed leading his men at the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) in 1861.  The 6th regiment went on to great glory during the war and fought at most of the major battles in the Eastern Theater of conflict.

I am writing about him in my Running the Blockade blog, even though the 6th NC was infantry because Fort Fisher was named after him.

Edward S. Bragg was the commander of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, which went on to become a part of the famed Iron Brigade and fought the war in the Eastern Theater.  

Both regiments fought at the sane battles for much of the war.  Both had particularly high casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg.

A Coincidence?  --Old Secesh

Edward Bragg-- Part 2: Lawyer to Captain

Continued from May 27.

Edward Bragg settled in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and became a lawyer there.  He quickly rose to prominence and associated himself with the Democratic party.  In 1853, he was elected district attorney of the town and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, S.C., in 1860 and nominated Stephen A. Douglas for president.

When word  of the attack on Fort Sumter reached Fond du Lac, he addressed an assembly there and an entire company of men were raised for three months' service.   As Bragg was going about arranging his affairs, another call went out, this time  for three years' service.

He recruited another company and was elected its captain.  The company became known as "Bragg's Rifles" and would become Company E of the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting June 8 in Union, Illinois

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table will be having its first in person general meeting since March 2020 at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union this Tuesday, June 8, at 7 pm.

We have already had several in person discussion group meetings, but this will be the first regular meeting like that.

Bruce Allardice will give his presentation "Poltroons, Patriots and Politicians:  Civil War Generals" at that time. 

Also, a group of us will be meeting at Checkers restaurant at 5:30 pm.

Everyone is welcome.  Come on by.

Looking Forward to Learning What a Poltroon Is.  --Old Secesh

Civil War Events in June: Seven Days' Battles Begin and kennesaw Mountain

JUNE 19, 1862

Lincoln signs a bill prohibiting slavery in the Western Territories.

JUNE 25, 1862

The Seven Days' Battles begins at Oak Grove, Virginia.

JUNE 27, 1862

Battle of Gaines' Mill, Virginia

JUNE  27, 1864

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia

JUNE  29, 1862

Battle of Savage's Station, Virginia

JUNE 29, 1864

Battle of Reams Station, Virginia

JUNE 30, 1862

Battle of Glendale (Frayser's Farm), Virginia

--Old Secesh

Civil War Events in May: Lee Gets ANV, Memphis, Brandy Station & Brice's Cross Roads

From the June 2021 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

JUNE 1,  1862

General Robert E. Lee appointed commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.

JUNE 6, 1862

Battle of Memphis, Tennessee

JUNE 8, 1862

Battle of Cross Keys, Virginia

JUNE 9, 1863

Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia

JUNE 10, 1864

Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Mississippi

JUNE 11, 1864

Battle of Trevilian Station, Virginia

JUNE 15, 1864

Petersburg Campaign begins.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Brice's Cross Roads

From the June American Battlefield Trust 2021 Calendar.

BRICE'S CROSSROADS, Mississippi

1,500 acres saved

Brice's Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, Baldwyn, Mississippi

With 1,500 acres saved, Brice's Cross Roads is the Trust's largest preservation success at a battle field outside of the Eastern Theater.

The Trust and its partners -- including te Brice's Cross Roads National Battlefield Commission -- plan to protect the entirety of this battlefield in the coming years.

--Old Secesh