Marching On Richmond: Winter 1864-65

After the action at Virginia Farm both sides moved into winter quarters, setting up cantonments in Virginia. As Spring 1865 approached and we prepared for the new campaigning season my Division received new reinforcements, and smattering of new recruits. Meanwhile the 2nd New Hampshire, 4th “Magnificent” Maine, and 54th “Unstoppable” Massachusetts (Coloured) were all disbanded due to low numbers and the survivors used to reinforce other regiments – my force therefore was thus: Continue reading “Marching On Richmond: Winter 1864-65”

Marching On Richmond: Virginia Farm 1864

As the summer of 1864 dragged on we continued to manoeuvre and fight indecisive engagements with our erstwhile rebel opponents. As Fall approached however we finally cornered the main Confederate Army in Virginia to force a major action to defend Richmond. My Division was engaged near the centre-right of our line, at a place we dubbed “Virginia Farm” where once again we found General Longman’s forces opposing us… Continue reading “Marching On Richmond: Virginia Farm 1864”

Marching On Richmond: May 1864

After our rebuff in The Wilderness we quickly reformed as our army continued an on going series of manoeuvres and battles against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Part of my division (29 CT & 88 NY) had not been present at our defensive action on the hills and they now joined us as our remaining units recovered. No immediate artillery replacements were available for our lost battery, and the wonderful “Fighting Sixty-Ninth” was finally disbanded as there were less than half a company of men left in the regiment. Likewise the redoubtable 4th Vermont was lost to us – the last of it’s men falling into enemy hands after their brave stand in the last battle. On the positive side I have developed a strong rapport with the 5th Wisconsin and their Colonel, and a surprise visit by The President during this time greatly boosted the 5th Wisconsin’s morale and enthusiasm!

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Marching On Richmond: The Wilderness 1864

On the 4 May 1864 we crossed the Rapidan River, and headed towards the Wilderness Tavern, the convergence point for our Corps, prior to heading south into the open terrain beyond on our march to Richmond… Prior to this march I had taken the decision to permanently disband the 20th Indiana (a somewhat problematic regiment for me at the best of times), its remaining men were sent to the 6th New Jersey as replacements. However the wily Robert E. Lee launched a rapid and unexpected counter attack on us the next day (5 May) and we were taken by surprise. My Division, being near the forefront, was rapidly deployed on what suitable ground could be found to hold the line while the rest of the army moved up into battle formation.

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Marching On Richmond: Winter 1863

After our Bristoe campaign we moved into our winter quarters in early November 1863, however shortly after we were involved in the failed Mine Run Campaign through the wilderness (vaguely familiar terrain), but after it’s inconclusive result we soon retired and then encamped at Brandy Station, in Virginia, until the spring. During the winter my division suffered much attrition, but the men were cheered by the arrival of fresh units, including the smart looking 5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment (finally we would have our eyes back, something we had missed since the 5th Cavalry had departed us in mid-1862), and Battery A of the Maryland Light Artillery, as always with our artillery a fine looking professional formation. Being an ex-Artilleryman I was much impressed by them, as with all our fine gunners!

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Marching On Richmond: Bristoe 1863

As previously described to my readers, we had been recovering from our battle that was the preview to the great fight at Gettysburg. We had steadily but slowly pursued General Lee into central Virginia, but then in October he had suddenly turned around and marched North again, endeavouring to turn our western flank and get behind us (to cut us off from Washington). Retiring along the Orange & Alexandria Railroad we shadowed Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia as both armies moved north.

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Marching On Richmond: Fall 1863

Following on from our action on the Gettysburg-Hanover railroad, a major action was fought by the Army of the Potomac against General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia – this epic 3 day encounter was thought to have decided the war, but as usual the Confederates managed to slip away from us and retire to the safety of Virginia with our pursuit proving cumbersome and erratic. The outstanding performance of our new commander (General Meade) at Gettysburg was somewhat tarred by the escape of Lee and ‘his boys’ and we spent the next two months playing a very ponderous game of cat and mouse around Northern Virginia! However good news had come from the west, at the same as we were at Gettysburg, my namesake General ‘Ulysses’ S. Grant had defeated the rebs at Vicksburg, and finally wrestled control of the mighty Mississippi – the Confederacy was cut in two. Shortly after General Grant was promoted to command of all the U.S. armies and headed east to join us, basing himself with the Army of the Potomac.

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Marching On Richmond: Pennsylvania 1863

A few weeks after our defeat at Chancellorsville, as we were reorganising my division as previously described, General Robert E. lee suddenly invaded the north again, this time heading for Pennsylvania! By the time our army was aware of his manoeuvre he had a sizeable head start, but we hurried after him with much greater vigour than previous occasions, heading through Maryland into the heart of Pennsylvania. As we neared the end of June our commander (Joe Hooker) was replaced by yet another new commander, General George Meade was now head of the Army of the Potomac. However meanwhile, unknown to us, General J.E.B. Stuart had taken his cavalry off on a wild raid deep into our territory, effectively leaving the main CSA army blind, and as a result we blundered into him in late June catching up on part of one of his corps, and forcing on them a hasty defensive battle. We were several miles north of a town called Gettysburg, along the Gettysburg-Hanover railroad, and the date was the 30 June 1863.

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Marching On Richmond: May 1863

Following our army’s defeat at Chancellorsville and our withdrawal back across the Rappahannock we again had a period of some inactivity, during which we reorganised our forces and received further replacements. My Division were in fairly good spirits (as we had been victorious at the Cornfields), but we had a large number of men who had succumbed to injury, wounds, or illness during the previous campaign, and despite the Summer weather attrition had taken it’s toll. However we had also heard the enemy had suffered a great leadership loss, the great Stonewall Jackson had apparently been shot by his own men (a sad end to a great warrior). It was at this juncture, and in anticipation of a new summer campaign in the coming weeks, that I took the difficult decision of merging some of my regiments, their numbers having fallen to only that of the strength of 1-2 companies, and therefore their combat effectiveness was becoming questionable. To try and reduce the resentment this would cause the regiments that were broken up were sent as replacements to their closest ‘neighbouring’ regiments – in the hope this would smooth the transition.

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