Resaca Preservation Effort

Time for a post and update, its been hard to pay much attention to the blog lately due to a number of factors, most notably working on my next book. However, after a brief visit and drive around the Resaca area on Monday, I thought it would be timely to note the recent effort by the Civil War Trust to try to preserve more land at the site. Resaca is a true Gem of a site and will hopefully be open to visitation in the not too distant future.
The little village of Resaca was the site of two engagements during the Civil War, the most notable being the slugfest that occured on May 14-15, 1864 between Sherman and Johnston. The second was part of Hood's march north following the fall of Atlanta. Portions of both engagements are being preserved at this time by efforts from the Civil War Trust, The Friends of Resaca Battlefield, along with the state of Georgia. Here is the most recent annoucement by the Civil War Trust to work on obtaining the land where some of the heaviest fighting in the battle occured, http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/resaca/resaca-2011/a-message-from-jim-lighthizer.html. Also, for those who are interested, http://www.resacabattlefield.org/ (Note the Confederate Sharpshooter on the lower left is yours truely circa 1991.)

Failure in the Saddle Review

A new book that I would consider to be MUST reading for any Army of Tennessee aficionado is Dave Powell's newest, Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joseph Wheeler, and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign. I have chided Dave for several years that with this book he would never be able to come south again, due to daring to offer a critique of N.B. Forrest in this campaign, but after reading the complete book I have to say that any open minded student of Forrest and the western cavalry will learn a lot from this book and even if you don't agree with the analysis offered by Dave, I still think it gives you a lot to think about. With that though I do agree with the author on these subjects.
Forrest does not perform that well in this campaign, not all of this is his fault however, having to deal with several less than stellar subordinates, General John Pegram and Col. John S. Scott, as well as having to command a Corps for the first time. One thing that is often lost on Forrest is his rapid rise to commanding a corps, going from commanding a brigade in April to corps by September, with several intervals due to other factors. Forrest has a learning curve and its one that he benefits from, the Forrest of 1864 had to be made and the Chickamauga campaign was part of that. Dave is fair with Forrest and so although he fails at things, he does ultimately learn from his mistakes.
Forrest, however, is only part of this story. The other half belongs to "Fighting Joe" Wheeler, who really comes out of this looking bad. Wheeler never learned, and was a problem for the mounted arm of the Army of Tennessee. Wheeler should be held up with Leonidas Polk as one of the most incompetent high level leaders in the Confederate service.
I have often said that if the cavalry is the eyes and ears of an army, then the Army of Tennessee was blind and deaf during this campaign and Dave's book definitely cements that view. I high recommend it to anyone interested in the Chickamauga Campaign or the Army of Tennessee in general.

The Union is Dissolved!

I have been wondering for several days what I was going to write this evening, I felt that I needed to note the evening of December 20th, 2010 with some posting in observance of the 150th Anniversary of the Secession of South Carolina, the first domino to fall that leads to the firing on Fort Sumter in April of 1861. So as I rode back from a trip to Shiloh and Corinth, I thought about all of the lives that this event impacted, almost all of the men that fought in those battles were living quiet and peaceful lives 150 years ago tonight, a year later they were embroiled in a bloody war due to the series of events that this one kicked into high gear. So while fellow bloggers are covering the modern commemoration/celebration in SC, or what the cause of this event was I will refer you to future brigade commander and General, Arthur M. Manigault who would recall with a Lost Cause slant:

"The election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States by the Republican party of the North, in October 1860, satisfied the people of the Southern States that the time long since foreseen by our wiser statesmen, had at last arrived when the South must withdraw from the Union. It was now evident that the party into whose hands the direction of the government had fallen would to a great extent pervert the Constitution to the advancement of their own ends, and denying us through the majority which they possessed in Congress, the rights and protection which it secured us, eventually bring about our complete and thorough ruin. To save themselves from the threatened danger, most of the Southern slaveholding States, with remarkable unanimity, one after another, called conventions of the people and passed Ordinances of Secession, beginning with South Carolina, on the 20th of December, 1860, and expresing a desire peaceably to withdraw from the Union, adopted a Constitution of their own, and formed a Government known as the Confederate States of America."

So readers, thus it began. The following morning the famous Evans and Cogswell Broadside proclaiming "THE UNION IS DISSOLVED" was posted.

November Museings and Updates

Just a little update. Today is the 147th anniversary of the retreat from Missionary Ridge. 147 years ago today two small fights occured. One near Chickamauga Station, involving the famed Orphan Brigade, and the other, Wild Cat Creek, which involved Maney's Brigade. Both actions would be against elements of General Jefferson C. Davis' division. The last few months have been incredibly busy, with the anniversary programs for both Chickamauga and Chattanooga, finishing an essay on Manigault's brigade at Chickamauga, a book review, and researching and writing my next book length project. So thats my pitiful excuse for neglecting this blog. BUT, with that said, I do have some interesting things to post from my research, so look for those in the next few weeks.

CCNMP Study Group 2011 tours

Dave Powell has announced his CCNMP Study Group 2011 tour. Below is a brief outline, you can find the full description on his http://chickamaugablog.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/ccnmp-2011-study-group/

Friday
All day Bus Tour which will cover McClemore's Cove and Davis Crossroads.

Saturday
Morning, Viniard Field on foot
Afternoon, North Dyer Field, Mendenhall forms a line

Chickamauga Anniversary Sept 17-19, 2010

This weekend is the anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga and as always the NPS is offering a full slate of special tours and other programs, including some 150th programs being provided by our own Chris Young. Anyway, if you want to tramp on the battlefield in conditions very similar to what they were 147 years ago here is your chance. Note, that your hosts here are all involved in the programing, you can view the schedule here, www.nps.gov/chch/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=295473 I will be doing five special programs this weekend one on Friday covering Col. John Wilder's defence of Alexander's Bridge, a new one "Sins of the Fathers" which will be about Col. Peyton Colquitt and General James Deshler, A.P. Stewart's Breakthrough, will co-lead the "Secession Crisis" tour with Dr. Keith Bohannon, our own Patrick Lewis, and Lindsey Brown, and conclude on Sunday with my Longstreet's Breakthrough tour. Chris will be leading his Forrest tour, a program on the Civilians caught in the conflict, and then overseeing our 1860 Election programs. Going to be a busy week. So anyway, a lot of good programs free to the public and hope to see some of you all there.

NPS and Franklin

Found the following of interest.

Park Service confirms grant for battlefield
$492,000 will pay down debt for land on Columbia Ave.

By Kevin Walters • THE TENNESSEAN • August 20, 2010


FRANKLIN — Another piece of land on Columbia Avenue is closer to becoming part of a proposed Battle of Franklin battlefield park.

The National Park Service confirmed this week its award of $492,000 to the city of Franklin for use in helping Franklin's Charge complete the purchase of the one-acre Holt House property off Columbia Avenue.

The house and land sit at the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin, which was fought on Nov. 30, 1864, where a cotton gin once stood.

The house and land sit at the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin, which was fought on Nov. 30, 1864, where a cotton gin once stood.

The award is part of $977,500 given from the National Park Service this week to local governments in Franklin, Richmond, Ky., and Bentonville, N.C.
"We must honor the memories of those who fought and teach people about the Civil War and its pivotal role in our nation's history," National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in announcing the grant.

Priority was given to battlefields listed in the National Park Service's Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. Money is awarded based on the significance of the land to be acquired and the availability of required nonfederal matching funds.
The money is awarded to the city through the NPS's American Battlefield Protection Program and used by the nonprofit Civil War Preservation Trust to buy the land and then deed to Franklin's Charge.

The grant will be used to help pay down the $950,000 spent back in 2008 to buy the Holt House, said Ernie Bacon, Franklin's Charge president.

The group hopes to eventually purchase the Domino's Pizza restaurant and strip center, which would make up much of where a future battlefield park might go.

"Our goal hasn't changed," Bacon said. "Our vision is by 2014 — the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Franklin — is to have a Battle of Franklin park."

Bacon said negotiations for the Domino's Pizza land are ongoing. In 2005, Franklin spent $300,000 to buy a Pizza Hut restaurant at 1259 Columbia Ave., which was the first piece of the park.

Congress appropriated $9 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to help nonfederal entities acquire and preserve Civil War battlefields, the NPS said.