January 2013
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THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Founded December 3, 1940 Volume LXXIII, Number 5 Chicago, Illinois January 2013 David Powell on Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign by Bruce Allardice 717th REGULAR David Powell MEETING A 19th Century army’s primary means of gathering information on legendary Nathan Bedford Forrest. David Powell its opponent was through the use of on mounted troops. While the increase The relationship between Bragg, For- “Confederate Cavalry in combat power provided by mod- rest and Wheeler was complex, and full of conflict. The mounted men in the ern weaponry meant that cavalry played a less prominent role on the serving in gray that fall were numer- Chickamauga Campaign” civil war battlefield, their role off the ous, but not always well trained or H H H H H battlefield was as important as ever. led. All of these factors would affect the campaign, and Bragg’s decisions Friday, January 11 Any developing plan or campaign needed that critical flow of accurate about when and where to meet the H H H H H information in order to ensure that Federals in battle. Holiday Inn Mart Plaza an army commander made the right David A. Powell graduated in 1983 decisions. 350 North Orleans Street from Virginia Military Institute with a B. A. in history. Mr. Powell Cocktails at 5:30 p.m. In September of 1863, the Union Army of the Cum- has written articles Dinner at 6:30 p.m. berland and the for various maga- zines. In 2009 he $47 - Members/Non-members Confederate Army of Tennessee col- Call by published his first Entrée: Chicken Napoleon, lided in battle along Wednesday book, the well re- Baked Tilapia, the banks of West Jan. 9 ceived The Maps of Chickamauga, An Vegetarian Plate or Chickamauga Creek, Atlas of the Chick- Fruit Plate fighting that raged amauga Campaign. for three bloody David Powell has earned a reputa- days before the issue was decided. Please Note: tion as an excellent field guide for Prior to that collision of arms, how- Make your reservations by Wednesday, Jan. 9, by the Chickamauga Battlefield. Mr. emailing [email protected], or ever for nearly three weeks the two calling 630 460-1865 with the names of your party Powell’s latest book, Failure in the and choice of entrée. armies played cat and mouse in the Saddle: Nathan B. Forrest, Joe If a cancellation becomes necessary after dinner mountains of North Georgia, each Wheeler and the Confederate Cav- reservations have been made, please email us at grappling for advantage over the [email protected] and/or call us at alry in the Chickamauga Campaign 630-460-1865. other. Braxton Bragg, commanding is the first book length study to ex- We are offering the option of choosing not to have the Confederate force, relied heav- dinner and coming only for the address at 7:15 p.m., amine the Confederate Cavalry op- for a charge of $10 per person. ily on his mounted arm during this erations during the Chickamauga Parking at the Holiday Inn is $12 with a validated confusing time. The Rebel cavalry Campaign. parking sticker. at this time was a large force, more than 14,000 riders strong, and com- Mr. Powell is a former president of manded by Joseph Wheeler and the the CWRT of Northern Illinois. 2 The Civil War Round Table Battlefield Preservation THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE By Brian Seiter Saving Fredericksburg’s ers on the Trust’s behalf, placing the Slaughter Pen Farm property under contract in an agree- In March 2006, The Civil War Trust ment that turned the land over the announced the most ambitious pri- preservationists with no strings at- vate battlefield acquisition project tached. … Founded December 3, 1940 in American history—a $ 12 million Once the property was off the mar- 1039 Hinswood fundraising campaign to purchase the ket, no longer destined to be sold for Darien, Illinois 60561 208–acre Slaughter Pen Farm on the commercial development, the Trust Phone: 630-460-1865 southern end of the Fredericksburg began working with Sun Trust Bank, www.chicagocwrt.org Battlefield. … which provided a loan package that The only requirement for membership in The struggle for the Slaughter Pen enabled the organization to embark The Civil War Round Table is a genuine Farm was among the most intense in on a lengthy fundraising campaign. interest in the Civil War and its era. For Civil War history. More than 5,000 The first big break for the effort came information, address Membership Com- casualties were inflicted on the farm when the Central Virginia Battlefields mittee, 1039 Hinswood, Darien, Illinois during the Battle of Fredericksburg Trust (CVBT), one of the most effec- 60561, or [email protected]. on December 13, 1862. Five Congres- tive local battlefield preservation orga- sional Medals of Honor for valor were nizations in the nation, committed $1 awarded for actions taken on the site million toward the project—a monu- that day. According to Ed Bearss, chief Since the Slaughter Pen Farm is lo- mental sum for a group of its size. historian emeritus of the National cated outside the currently authorized According to CVBT President Mike Park Service, the farm was “without a boundary of Fredericksburg and Spot- Stevens, “Standing on the last unblem- doubt the most significant part of the sylvania National Military Park, the ished landscape, where so many men battlefield at Fredericksburg that is not gave their lives, it is clear that such Trust will not be able to immediately protected. Its acquisition will provide sacrifice and valor must be preserved transfer it to the National Park Service an opportunity to permit visitors to to inspire future generations.” At the once the full cost is paid. However, the walk in the footsteps of history.” true reason to preserve a historic prop- For years, the fate of the Slaughter 2012 Civil War Trust Annual Confer- Pen Farm, located along historic Tide- ence, CVBT representatives honored erty like this is to open it for public water Trail (U.S. Route 2) in an area their commitment, presenting the fi- education and appreciation. Knowing that witnessed tremendous industrial nal installment of their payment and this, the Trust opened a 13-stop inter- and commercial growth in recent de- received a standing ovation from the pretive trail at the site in 2008. More- cades, had hung in the balance. The grateful attendees. over, the Slaughter Pen Farm is one of In October 2006, the Trust held property was zoned for industrial the four tours included in the Trust’s the first public event at the Slaugh- use, and sat immediately adjacent to Fredericksburg Battle App, which de- a major north-south rail line, making ter Pen Farm, a news conference in buted in 2011. This GPS–enabled mo- it extremely attractive to developers. which then-Secretary of the Interior When the property was put on the Dirk Kempthorne announced that bile battlefield tour utilizes the latest market in December 2005, the listing the project would receive a $2 mil- technology, including historian video agent described it as “one of the best lion federal matching grant from the and maps, to help visitors interpret the industrial sites in the Commonwealth American Battlefield Protection Pro- land under their feet. of Virginia.” Under the circumstances, gram—a sum that remains among the To date, the Trust has raised more preservation of the farm seemed a long largest awards in that program’s his- than 60 percent of the purchase price tory. The Commonwealth of Virginia shot at best. for the Slaughter Pen Farm; however, Once the Slaughter Pen Farm was also contributed $300,000 toward the work remains to be done before this placed on the market, preservation- project through its Civil War Sites incredible part of our nation’s history ists were in a race against time. Fortu- Preservation Fund, the only state-level nately, the Trust was able to secure the matching grant program for battlefield is fully set aside for posterity. assistance of Tricord, Inc., a local fam- preservation. Efforts to purchase and Learn more about the work that re- ily-owned development company that protect the Slaughter Pen Farm were mains and how you can help at www. had previously cooperated with pres- among the driving forces behind cre- civilwar.org/fredericksburg ervationists to save the 140–acre First ation of the program. The Trust’s gen- Day at Chancellorsville Battlefield. ... erous members also responded to the From Hallowed Ground, Civil War Tricord negotiated with the land own- call for donations with enthusiasm. Trust, Winter 2012 3 The Civil War Round Table December Meeting By Mark Matranga Dale Phillips addressed the 716th General Frederick Steele, attacking turned to “rusty mud” when it final- meeting of The Civil War Round from Arkansas, would converge on ly rained. The 20-mile long column Table of Chicago on “The Red River Shreveport; the combined army was a recipe for disaster. Franklin Campaign.” As General Grant took would then enter Texas. Support- failed to heed warnings, and was over command of all federal forces ing the army was Porter’s flotilla: 21 attacked at Mansfield on April 8th. in spring 1864, he determined to warships and over 100 support ves- Taylor crumbled the union line and bring the full might of the union sels. The campaign began in March military to bear on the Confederacy. 1864 when Smith’s men, moving on caused a rout; Banks avoided com- The campaign in Virginia was about transports from Vicksburg, met re- plete destruction thanks to confed- to begin while Sherman was poised sistance at Fort De Russy near the erate looting.