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Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 1. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), Attack on Fort Gilmer, September 29th, 1864. (search)
d of. And I write for no purpose of attracting your notice to myself or to my company, but to do what I can to perpetuate the memory of the bravest men I ever saw under fire. With this much of an introduction, I leave my account with you to use as you think proper. I write from memory, and do not profess to be positively accurate; but my statements can be verified by Major W. J. Dance, Powhatan Courthouse, Virginia; Lieutenant Wm. M. Read, Augusta Georgia, and Lieutenant H. E. Blair, of Roanoke. On the 29th September, 1864, there were on the north side of James river, in the neighborhood of Chaffin's Bluff, about two thousand (2,000) men, consisting of what remained of Bushrod Johnson's Tennessee brigade (300 strong), commanded by a colonel whose name I think was Johnston; the Texas brigade, also commanded by a colonel whose name I do not remember; the City battalion, some battalions of Department troops (made up of clerks and attaches of the different departments of the Govern
laining formations and changes of front to Captain Johnstone, who, Scotchman-like, was disputing the authority of Dobbs's version of Hardee; while Lieutenant Moore entertained half a dozen round the fire with his reminiscences of the Emerald Isle. Said Major Jones, emptying his glass: Smithers, I entirely disagree with you. The campaign wasn't worth a cent till Lee took the helm, and I believe that Davis himself endeavored to map out operations before that. See what miserable failures Roanoke and Donelson were. Who was commander — in chief before Lee? Nobody that I know; and the fact of sending men to be cooped up, surrounded, and destroyed on that island, speaks volumes for the stupidity and incapacity of somebody. I don't mean to say that a stouter resistance might not have been made by a better general than Wise. Wise has proved himself a first-rate orator, writer, and politician — is greatly beloved in Virginia — but all these things go to show that it requires something<
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, The Passing of the Armies: The Last Campaign of the Armies., Chapter 9: the last review. (search)
m, and whom in turn they bore. Now rises to its place the tried and tested old Ninth Corps, once of Burnside and Reno, now led by Parke, peer of the best, with Willcox and Griffin of New Hampshire and Curtin leading its divisions, --Potter still absent with cruel wounds, and Hartranft detached on high service elsewhere,and its brigade commanders, General McLaughlen and Colonels Harriman, Ely, Carruth, Titus, McCalmon, and Matthews. These are the men of the North Carolina expedition, of Roanoke and New Berne, who came up in time of sore need to help our army at Manassas and Chantilly, and again at South Mountain and Antietam. After great service in the west, with us again in the terrible campaign of 1864; then in the restless, long-drawn, see-saw action on the Petersburg lines; through the direful crater ; at last in the gallant onset on the enemy's flank and the pressing Southside pursuit;--part of us until all was over. So they are ours, these men of the Ninth Corps, and ou
upon the Beaufort, and she was compelled to withdraw. Lieutenant Robert Minor was then sent in a boat from the Virginia to fire the frigate; but was badly wounded by a Minie-ball, from under the white flag; and Captain Buchanan was seriously hit in the leg by the same volley. Then it was determined to burn the Congress with hot shot. There is no room for comment here; and no denial of these facts has ever been made, or attempted. Meanwhile, the frigates Minnesota, St. Lawrence and Roanoke had advanced and opened fire on the Virginia; but upon her approach to meet it, they retired under the guns of the fort; the Minnesota badly damaged by the heavy fire of her antagonist, while temporarily aground. Next day the Virginia had a protracted but indecisive fight with the Monitor; the latter's lightness preventing her being run down and both vessels seeming equally impenetrable. Later in the day the victorious ship steamed back to Norfolk, amid the wildest enthusiasm of its pe
Thomas C. DeLeon, Four years in Rebel capitals: an inside view of life in the southern confederacy, from birth to death., The firing under the white flag, in Hampton Roads. (search)
Under this fire the steamers left the Congress; but as I was not informed that any injury had been sustained by those vessels at that time, Lieutenant-Commanding Parker having failed to report to me, I took it for granted that my order to him to burn her had been executed and waited some minutes to see the smoke ascending from her hatches. During this delay we were still subjected to the heavy fire from the batteries, which was always promptly returned. The steam frigates Minnesota and Roanoke, and the sailing frigate St. Lawrence, had previously been reported as coming from Old Point; but as I was determined that the Congress should not again fall into the hands of the enemy, I remarked to that gallant young officer, Flag-Lieutenant Minor, that ship must be burned. He promptly volunteered to take a boat and burn her, and the Teazer, Lieutenant-Commanding Webb, was ordered to cover the boat. Lieutenant Minor had scarcely reached within fifty yards of the Congress, when a deadly
Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee, Chapter 1: ancestry. (search)
he might also have been the author of the Declaration of American Independence in place of Thomas Jefferson. His services to the cause of the colony were great, and their struggle for independence was sustained by his tongue and pen. He was a great orator, an accomplished scholar, a learned debater, and a renowned statesman in that period of our country's history. His father's brother, Henry Lee, the fifth son of the second Richard, married a Miss Bland, a great-aunt of John Randolph, of Roanoke. His only daughter married a Fitzhugh. His son Henry married Miss Grymes, and left a family of six sons and four daughters. Henry, the eldest, was the well-known Light-horse Harry of the Revolutionary War, the father of Robert E. Lee. He and Richard Henry Lee are frequently confounded, and their relationship has often been the subject of inquiry. Richard Henry Lee's father, Thomas, and Henry Lee's grandfather, Henry, were brothers. The former was therefore a first cousin of the latter
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, XIII. April, 1862 (search)
d disaster have come to the conclusion, unanimously, and the House has voted accordingly, and with unanimity, that the blame and guilt of that great calamity rest solely upon Gen. Huger and Judah P. Benjamin. April 13 Gen. Wise now resolved to ask for another command, to make another effort in defense of his country. But, when he waited upon the Secretary of War, he ascertained that there was no brigade for him. Returning from thence, some of his officers, who had escaped the trap at Roanoke, crowded round him to learn the issue of his application. There is no Secretary of War I said he. What is Randolph? asked one. He is not Secretary of War! said he; he is merely a clerk, an underling, and cannot hold up his head in his humiliating position. He never will be able to hold up his head, sir. April 14 There will soon be hard fighting on the Peninsula. April 15 Gen. Beauregard has written to Gen. Wise, offering him a command in his army, if the governm
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Volume 2., McClellan organizing the grand Army. (search)
thodical concentration of the immense number of men enrolled in the service of the republic, in the formation of his armies, and in constructing a scheme for their concerted action. General Halleck, but just then arrived in Washington, was sent to the West with extensive powers [see Vol. I., p. 315]. McClellan assigned to him one of his best lieutenants, General Buell [see Vol. I., p. 385]. Finally, he prepared the great naval expeditions which should give to the Federal arms Port Royal, Roanoke, and New Orleans. Scarcel y had he begun the work when the fact was borne in on him that the armies of the West were as regarded material, well prepared for the offensive than those of the East, and as it seemed requisite that they should act together, it may be inferred that frome the first days of his assuming command, the scheme of postponing Mt. Olivet Church on the old Fairfax road — picket post of the 40th New York Volunteers. From a sketch made in Sept., 1861. till spring the ope
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 2., Chapter 5: military and naval operations on the coast of South Carolina.--military operations on the line of the Potomac River. (search)
and was followed by the Locust Point, Star of the South, Parkcersburg, Belvidere, Alabama, Coatzacoalcas, Marion, Governor, and Mohican. The Atlantic led the central line, and was followed by the Vanderbilt, towing the Great Republic; the Ocean Queen, towing the Zenas Coffin; and these were followed by the Winfield Scott, Potomac, Cahawba, Oriental Union, R. B. Forbes, Vixen, and O. M. Petit. The Empire City led the right, followed by the Ericsson, Philadelphia, Ben De Ford, Florida, Roanoke, Matanzas, Daniel Webster, Augusta, Mayflower, Peerless, Ariel, Mercury, Osceola, and two ferry-boats The twenty-five coal-barges, convoyed by the Vandalia, had been sent out the day before, with instructions to rendezvous off the Savannah River, so as to mislead as to the real destination of the expedition. During a greater portion of the day of departure, they moved down the coast toward stormy Cape Hatteras, most of the vessels in sight of the shore of North Carolina, and all hearts chee
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 2., Chapter 6: the Army of the Potomac.--the Trent affair.--capture of Roanoke Island. (search)
al batteries had been erected on prominent points of the shores of Roanoke, which commanded the Sounds on its eastern and western sides; and olored boy named Thomas R. Robinson, the slave of J. M. Daniel, of Roanoke, who ten days before had escaped to Hatteras. He was taken with triumph for the National cause, the conflict known as the battle of Roanoke. Report of General Burnside to General McClellan, Feb'y 10th, 1he approval of Queen Elizabeth, invested with the title of Lord of Roanoke, the first and last peerage created in America. Nearly a hundred rivers — the North, West, Pasquotank, Perquimmons, little, Chowan, Roanoke. And Alligator; four canals — the Albemarle and Chesapeake, Dismaffolk; two railways — the Petersburg and Norfolk, and seaboard and Roanoke. At the same time it guarded four-fifths of the supplies for Norfl Vigeur de Monteuil the entire National loss in the capture of Roanoke was about 50 killed and 222 wounded. That of the Confederates, acc<