Captain Harley Wayne-- Part 2: Co. D, 15th Illinois Infantry, Killed at Shiloh

Originally from New York, he lived well by pre-Civil War  standards.  He built the spacious Wayne House  in Union in 1857, owned 640 acres and ran a successful business.  He was also one of the first people to join the new Republican Party.

A strident abolitionist, he left it all, against his wife's wishes, and joined the Union Army when the Civil War broke out.  He joined the 15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in Freeport, Illinois,  where the men of Company D elected him their captain.

The unit was in the first line of battle at Shiloh on April 6, 1862, and held its part of the line as the Ohio unit guarding its flanks broke and ran.  Wayne was one of the many officers of the 15th cut down in the fighting that ensued.

The battle cost  almost 24,000 casualties on both sides, or, in other words, more than the American Revolution,  War of 1812 and Mexican War combined.

Yet, there would be eight more Civil War battles with higher casualties.

--Old Secesh

Captain Harley Wayne-- Part 1

From the Find-A-Grave site.

CAPT. HARLEY WAYNE

BIRTH:  1823  Maryland, New York

DEATH:  6 April 1862 (aged 38-39), South Pittsburg, Marion County, Tennessee.  Killed at the Battle of Shiloh.

BURIAL:  Marengo City Cemetery  Marengo, Illinois

Originally from New York, he lived well by pre-Civil War standards.

--Old Secesh

Roster of the Harley Wayne GAR Post #169, Marengo, Illinois

From McHenry County, Illinois, Genealogy.

This was the roster of the Marengo, Illinois, Harley Wayne GAR Post #168.  Unfortunately, there was no date given.

The names were given, but I went through the list and recorded what units the men were in during the war.

There were 31 men listed.

These were the Illinois Infantry Regiments and how many from each one:

95th:   8  All ten companies from McHenry and Boone counties.

15th:   4   Companies A, D and F were from McHenry County.

141st:   3  Company F from McHenry and Kendall counties.

153rd:   2  Company K from McHenry County.  Company B from McHenry and Boone counties.

5th:   1

23rd:   1

36th:    1

37th:   1

65th:  1

93rd:    1

CAVALRY

9th:   1

15th:   1

OTHER STATES

125th New York:   1

10th New York Cavalry:   1

14th  Iowa

19th Michigan:    1

12th Wisconsin Artillery:    1

11th Vermont Artillery:   1

--Old Secesh

The Marengo, Illinois, Grand Army of the Republic Post (Harley Wayne Post #169)

The McHenry County Historical Museum in Union, Illinois, has a display on the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) that existed in the county at one time.  One of them was Marengo's Harley Wayne Post #169.

It was organized on December 29, 1882 and was the second GAR post in the county and named after Captain Harley Wayne who was killed at the Battle of Shiloh.  Our McHenry County Round Table president had told me that this man's mansion was in Union.  

Almost a third of the post members had belonged to the 95th Illinois Infantry Regiment that was primarily from McHenry County.  They met every second and fourth Friday in large gatherings at the Marengo Opera House.

After 1905, the meetings attracted smaller numbers  of veterans and were much more infrequent.  The last recorded meeting took place on December 8, 1922 when seven of the remaining twelve members got together.

They officially disbanded in 1930.

The last Marengo veteran, Samuel Wise, died in 1936.

--Old Secesh

This Month in the Civil War: Today the Battle of Mobile Bay, Wilson's Creek, Quantrill, Manassas

From the August 2021 American Battlefield Trust calendar. The month's feature was on the Battle of Hanging Rock, South Carolina during the American Revolution.  The Trust now saves Hallowed Ground  other than the Civil War.  And that includes the American revolution and the War of 1812.

I wrote about it in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog today.

AUGUST 5

1864:  Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama

AUGUST 9

1862:  Battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia

AUGUST 10

1861:  Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri

AUGUST 17 

1863:  Federals begin their great bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina

AUGUST 21

1863:  Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas

AUGUST 25

1864:  Second Battle of Ream's Station, Virginia

AUGUST 28

1862:  Second Battle of Manassas, Virginia, begins.

AUGUST 30

1862:  Battle of Richmond, Kentucky

--Old Secesh

Supporting the History Groups

While I was at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in June, I joined this esteemed group.  I am a big supporter of all kinds of historical groups.  They need the membership and the money even worse in these days of the virus because if you ever noticed, most history people are also old, including myself.

I also belong to quite a few history groups myself:

ILLINOIS

McHenry County Civil War Round Table

The McHenry Area Historical Society (The City of McHenry)

The Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp Douglas Camp #516  (Chicagoland area)

NORTH CAROLINA

Wayne County Historical Society

Old Waynesboro Park (Goldsboro, Wayne County)

Friends of Fort Fisher  (Kure Beach)

Federal Point  Historic Preservation Society (Carolina Beach)

NATIONAL

National Trust for Historic Preservation

American Battlefield Trust

So, as you can see a put my money where my mouth is and support these worthy organizations.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Officers-- Part 7

Colonels, majors and captains were elected by their men.

The soldiers had no choice but to put up with who they elected after that.

Then, there was Ben Butler, a whole story onto himself.

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The Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table will be having a trip to the Battle of Shiloh.  Members will go by bus for two days at a cost of $175 a person.  Dates are October 22 and 23, 2021.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Generals-- Part 6: How They Stood

IRVIN McDOWELL had been a major and a staff officer and had never commanded any men.  At First Bull Run, he was leading 35,000 troops.

P.G.T. BEAUREGARD was an engineer and had never command more than about fifty men which he did during the Mexican War.

JOHN C. FREMONT, known as the Pathfinder, was an explorer and complete failure as an army commander.

WILLIAM T. SHERMAN got his chance at command because of his brother John who was a powerful Ohio politician.  He had essentially failed at everything he had done before the war.

U.S. GRANT was a failure and a civilian when the war came.  Each Congressman had the power to nominate a general.  Elihu Washburne, from Galena, Illinois, where Grant was living pushed for him.

ALBERT  SIDNEY JOHNSTON had commanded a regiment during the Mexican War and had the best pre-war credentials to command an army.

--Old Seecsh

Civil War Generals-- Part 5: Better Know Your French at the Point

The first ten major generals appointed in the Union had six politicians among them.  Also John A. Dix, George McClellan and David Hunter.

Those not on the list included three who would rise to stature in the war:  Grant, Sherman and Sheridan.

As far as experience for general officers in commanding large groups, there wasn't much.  Before the war (and after the Mexican War) the U.S. Army was involved primarily in fighting Indians and commands were small groups and companies.  Much of the time was spent building forts.

Graduating classes from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were placed according to what part of the class they graduated in.  The top third became army engineers, Middle third went to the infantry and bottom third to the cavalry.  A lot of your class standing at the Point came from your knowledge and speaking ability of French, which was THE language at the place.  If you couldn't speak it, your chances of rising was not likely.

Duty on the frontier was boring and many officers out there took up drinking to pass the time.

Robert Toombs, Georgia politician and Confederate officer once said:  "The Confederacy died of West Point."

--Old Secesh

Bruce Allardice's Talk 'Poltroons, Patriots & Politicians: Civil War Generals'-- Part 4

A very gifted speaker, this Bruce, who has quite a few different topics he can speak on, even a website (civilwarbruce).  Also a big baseball fan and, even better, a White Sox fan.

Well, of course, the first thing he had to say was what a poltroon was.  This is not a commonly used word these days, although I would say some of our leaders might qualify for it.

A poltroon is an incompetent, lacking in morals, person.

After his talk, I would have to say it was a miracle that any generals emerged from the war as anything but a poltroon.

The U.S. Army was entirely unprepared for the Civil War.  It had only four generals and 16,000 men.  Even little Paraguay in South America had a larger army.  Furthermore, there were only 76 officers in the U.S. Army ranking major or higher.

There would be a need for at least 1,000 generals during the war.

******************************

There were only four generals at the start of the war:

Winfield Scott   (1786-1866)

David E. Twiggs (1790-1862)

John E. Wool  (1784-1869)

William S. Harney  (1800-1889)

They were all quite old to say the least.

--Old Secesh

McHenry Co. CWRT-- Part 3: Preserving the Past: John Brink's Notebook

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) has also spent money for repairs to two items in the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union (where we met) and we had the opportunity to see where our money went.

One was the Civil War diary of John Brink notebook.  He served from 1862 to 1863 and took a trip to Murfreesboro, Tn. after the Battle of Stones River.  He was from McHenry County.

The other is also a Brink notebook which has the names of about 400 soldiers from McHenry County.

Both are now preserved and in the museum's Civil War exhibit, which also has a lot of GAR artifacts.

The topic for June's MCCWRT discussion group will be Civil War Veterans Organizations and will be held at the Panera Bread Company restaurant in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CWRT Meeting, June 8, 2021-- Part 2: Scholarship Winner and Don Purn

We had 15 people there in person and some others via Zoom.

Our president Robert Frenz opened the meeting and we presented a scholarship to a McHenry County high school student for $1000 to further her career in college.

This year's topic for the Dr. Edward  F. Witt Jr. Scholarship was a comparison of todays Coronavirus pandemic and Civil War medicine.  We had nine entries and they were all good (I was on the judging committee).  After reading each one, we ranked them, then had a meeting of the committee to reach a winner.

This year's winner was Julia Vogt of Cary-Grove High School in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  She intends to continue schooling at McHenry County Community College with studies in Library Science.  At high school, she was involved in youth leadership and was on the Teen Group of the American Battlefield Trust.

A very poised young lady.  Congratulations.

We also presented a plaque to Don Purn who was our treasurer and webmaster for many years and was in charge of the Round Table's many McHenry County Civil War gravestones.  I doubt anyone knows more about Civil War graves in our county.  In accepting the plaque, he said he got involved with the Civil War while working on the history of his village, Algonquin.

He will be much missed.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table June Meeting-- Part 1

It was so great getting together with the other members and friends of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table last month in Union, Illinois (I don't know about that name), but still the first time together since March 2020.  Little did we know what was in store for us when we met at the Woodstock, Illinois, Public Library that second Tuesday in March.

It would be 15 months before we met again.

However, we did have several monthly discussion group meetings outside at the Algonquin Panera Bread Co. and Stucky's in Johnsburg.

Right now, the MCCWRT is having the presentations via Zoom, but, I don't do Zoom, so this meeting was special to me.  Also special because of the dinner several of us had together at Checkers II beforehand.  I agree with Frank Crawford when he said after one of our pre-meeting dinners at 3 Brothers Restaurant in Woodstock that he actually enjoys those meals with friends even more.

Anyhow, it sure was good to have this opportunity to have our meeting (with social distancing and face masks) at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union.

--Old Secesh

Oh Those Civil War Generals-- Part 5: Prewar Professions

First number Union, second one Confederate.

LAWYER/JURISTS (Many of whom were also politicians):  126 (22%)  //  129   (30%)

PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS:  197  (34%)  //  128 (30%)

BUSINESSMEN:  116 (20%)  //  55  (13%)

FARMERS/PLANTERS:  23  (4%)  //  42  (10%)

FULL-TIME POLITICIAMS:  47  (8%)  //  24  (6%)

EDUCATORS:  16  (3%)  //  15  (3%)

CIVIL ENGINEERS:  26  (4%)  //  13  (3%)

OTHERS:  32  (5%)  //  19  (4%)

**********************

TOTAL:  583  //  425

Them's the Figures.  --Old Secesh

Oh, Those Civil War Generals-- Part 5: About All Those 'Brevets'

Notes on Bruce Allardice's figures already printed:

**  More modern research shows that Ezra Warner in his book "Generals in Gray" missed the prewar state militia service and military school attendance of a number of Southern generals.

**  An additional 1,400 Union officers were made "brevet" generals.  Under law, a "brevet" rank entitled an officer to command as a general, without the substantive rank of general.  In practice, most of the promotions to "brevet" general were made after the war (some as late as 1869), to honor and reward their wartime service at a lesser rank.

I found this especially true when going through a list of Union veterans who were buried in a Chicago cemetery and found a whole lot of colonels who had been brevetted to brigadier general.

**  Warner also excludes many officers promoted to general in one fashion or another, but for whom proof of appointment is/was lacking.

--Old Secesh