The geography and towns near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers can be confusing. The Union used the rivers as much as possible for moving troops, supplies, animals and equipment. A typical river steamer carried about one thousand men, about two regiments.
The rivers meet at Cairo, Illinois, which is pronounced kerr-oh. When driving east on US-60, you cross the Mississippi from Missouri into Cairo for about 30 seconds and then cross the Ohio into Kentucky. The town occupies a tiny peninsula between the two rivers.
Cape Girardeau is about 35 miles up the Mississippi from Cairo.
Paducah, Kentucky, is 35 miles by land and 50 miles by river boat up the Ohio. The Tennessee river enters the Ohio at Paducah. Only 2 miles further and the Cumberland river joins the Ohio.
Columbus, Kentucky, on the east bank, and Belmont, in Missouri on the west bank of the Mississippi, are about 25 miles down the Mississippi from Cairo.
Located near the confluences of these four great rivers, Cairo was a logical jumping off point for southward movements by Northern forces. Use of these rivers was a great strategic advantage to the Union army and 'brown-water' navy.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
A Geographic Primer
Posted by HankC at 9:42 PM 0 comments
Generals in Blue Missouri - Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
graduated from the military academy at West Point, served in the Mexican War
and various western posts before resigning from the army as a captain in 1854.
He farmed on his brother-in-law’s property near St, Louis and sold firewood in
the city. In 1856 he and his wife Julia moved onto his father-in-law’s farm
which he dubbed ’Hardscrabble’. Failing as a farmer, they moved into St. Louis
and he worked as a bill collector with no success. In 1860, the family moved to
Galena, Illinois, where he worked in his father’s leather goods shop.
Posted by HankC at 9:15 PM 0 comments
Monday, January 23, 2017
Generals in Blue Missouri - John Pope
Posted by HankC at 9:06 PM 0 comments
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Generals in Blue Missouri - Samuel R. Curtis
Samuel
Curtis was a Republican Iowa Congressman and Colonel of the 2nd Iowa
Volunteer Infantry. Promoted to Brigadier General on May 17, 1861 he reported
to St. Louis and helped organize the Union forces in the area.
Given command
of the Army of the Southwest on Christmas day and it’s 3 divisions, he moved to
Rolla. In March 1862, the army moved into northwest Arkansas and won the battle
of Pea Ridge on March 7th and 8th. After campaigning in
Arkansas, Curtis earned command of the District of Missouri. Coming in political
conflict with the Union Republican Governor, Hamilton Rowan Gamble, Curtis was reassigned to the
Department of Kansas and Indian Territory.
During Confederate General Sterling Price’s 1864 invasion, Curtis brought his forces, the self-styled Army of the Border, east and helped defeat Price at the battle of Westport on October 23. Afterwards he was assigned to the Department of the Northwest, leading the military response to Native American uprisings against white settlers.
Posted by HankC at 8:35 PM 0 comments
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Generals in Blue Missouri - Henry W. Halleck
Henry Wager Halleck replaced Fremont as commander of the Department
of Missouri on November 9, 1861. Halleck was a military theorist and able
administrator and quickly sorted out the chaos of corruption, fraud and
disorder left by his predecessor. Seldom close to either superiors or
subordinates, throughout his career he strove to ensure that credit for good work came to him but that blame for bad fell on others.
While administering the department from St. Louis, Union
troops won victories at Pea Ridge, Belmont, Island Number 10 and New Madrid
under field generals Samuel Curtis, Ulysses Grant, and John Pope.
Halleck was leery of the talents of his most successful
subordinate, Grant. Being risk-averse,
Halleck viewed Grant as overly pugnacious, unreliable and carrying a reputation
for alcoholism. Grant’s victory at the small battle of Belmont allowed Halleck
to give him a bit more leash in Tennessee, after which both their careers
pointed south and then east.
Posted by HankC at 3:18 PM 0 comments
Friday, January 13, 2017
Generals in Blue Missouri - John Charles Fremont
John C.
Fremont is the most famous man to become a general in Missouri. Famous western
explorer, first Republican presidential candidate and controversial adventurer,
he was appointed commander of the Department of the West, headquartered in St.
Louis, on July 1, 1861.
Posted by HankC at 9:04 PM 0 comments
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Generals in Blue Missouri - Nathaniel Lyon
Posted by HankC at 6:01 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 15, 2016
Gettysburg photo mysteries
A few years ago, John Cummings discovered the previously mysterious position of a famous Gettysburg photograph usually titled 'Harvest of Death'. His notes are here. His research also reveals ways in which that era's photographs were artistically manipulated and don't necessarily record reality.
His work leads me to identify the position of another Gettysburg photograph, conjectured to be on the Confederate right in the 2nd day's battlefield near the Rose farm, but whose actual location is also unknown. No one else has made this leap.
In this photo of partially buried Confederate dead, several landmarks appear: the scraggly trees in the background, the up-sloping topography and the pile of white-washed fence boards.
Posted by HankC at 1:10 PM 0 comments
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Soldier Ages - Mythical Company Musters Out
Our mythical company of 100 originally enlisted for 3 months and then re-upped for 3 more years.
Now the time to muster out and return to homes and occupations has at last arrived.
Through more then 3 years of warfare, with discharge, disablement, disease, desertion and death thinning the ranks, the 100 soldiers count only 35.
Their ages at the last muster are :
age number
18 or under 1
19 2
20 8
21 4
22-24 12
25-27 7
over 28 1
Posted by HankC at 11:46 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Soldier Ages - some references
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 1 1911:
Posted by HankC at 2:39 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 29, 2016
Sodier Ages - Mythical Company
Let's use the Adjutant General's data and recruit a mythical 100-soldier infantry company.
At the first drill, the company lines up by age.
As we inspect the ranks, the first 4 'men' are 15 or younger!
Walking the line of soldiers, we see:
age number
16 4
17 22
18 11
19-21 37
22-24 20
25-43 1
finally, last in line is an old greybeard over 43!
Posted by HankC at 10:51 AM 0 comments
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Soldier Ages - the full text
Here is the transcribed text from the booklet, with words replacing the actual ditto, double-quote, marks :
Grand Army of the Republic
The veterans’ organization was founded by Dr. Stephenson, in Decatur, Illinois, in 1866. The final encampment was in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1949.
Number of men, by age who served in the Union (from the Adjutant General’s report)
Age 10 and under: 25
Age 11 and under: 38
Age 12 and under: 225
Age 13 and under: 300
Age 14 and under: 1,525
Age 15 and under: 104,987
Age 16 and under: 231,051
Age 17 and under: 844,891
Age 18 and under: 1,151,438
Age 21 and under: 2,159,798
Age 22 and over: 618,511
Age 25 and over: 46,626
Age 44 and over: 16,071
TOTAL . . . . . . 2,778,304 [actually 2,778,309 ]
Posted by HankC at 6:04 PM 0 comments