September 18 – 20, 1863, Between U.S

PRESENTATION MONTHLY DISCUSSION GROUP AT THE AT PRESENTATION REVIEW BY BOB FRENZ The August meeting of the MCCWRT met at the McHenry County Historical Society so members could view Civil War artifacts in the museum’s collection that the Round Table has helped to preserve. One of these objects, a drum, actually turned out to be from the 1880’s, but was owned by a county veteran and, perhaps, was used in GAR bands. TO THE Another artifact was a Civil War diary kept by a county soldier in 1863. Owing to its fragile condition, the diary required extensive preservation efforts. Finally, an 1863 rifled musket mainly needed cleaning and the removal of years of wax build-up PRESENTED BY (this last project was undertaken by member, Dave Noe). The Round Table also looked at some possible future restoration efforts. Thanks go to McHenry County Historical Society Curator, Kira Stell, for opening the museum to us. The same evening members also engaged in some “show and tell” of their own Civil War artifacts. Dave Noe brought two rare guns to display, including an 1844 Oldenberg (modern Germany) rifled musket. The other that Dave exhibited is an 1853 Windsor Enfield, made in Vermont. Both WIKIPEDIA guns are in beautiful condition. The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on Don Purn displayed a number of pieces of September 18 – 20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate currency, a reproduction Navy Confederate forces in the American Civil War, revolver, and a knife, of which the authenticity is marked the end of a Union offensive in uncertain. southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia — the Chickamauga Campaign. It Ed Urban brought what he believes may be the was the first major battle of the war fought in original draft lottery drum – or “Wheel of Fortune” – used in McHenry County during the Civil War. Georgia, the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater, and involved the Purchased from a Marengo family, it looks Old Abe second-highest number of casualties after the authentic and still contains hundreds of names on The War Eagle Mascot Battle of Gettysburg. Of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry small slips of paper. ALTON’S This would be a very valuable Civil War, and The Chattanooga Campaign was a series CIVIL WAR PRISON McHenry County, artifact. of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863. Following the defeat of Maj. WAS ONCE GUARDED Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of BY THIS the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga RAGTAG BUNCH in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg besieged Rosecrans by occupying key high terrain around Chattanooga, Tennessee. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was given command of Union forces in the West, now consolidated under the Division of the Mississippi. Significant reinforcements also began to arrive with him in Chattanooga from Mississippi and the Eastern Theater. On October 19, Grant removed Rosecrans from command of the Army of the Cumberland and replaced him Scott Larimer displayed some of his great- with Major General George Henry Thomas. grandfather’s GAR ribbons that represented the Iowa regiment that he fought in. He also After opening a supply line (the "Cracker brought memorabilia from re-enactments that he Line") to feed his starving men and animals, Tom Emery For the Telegraph has participated in over the years. Grant's army fought off a Confederate a ALTON — The Civil War prison at Alton was guarded by a surprise counterattack at the Battle of variety of regiments. One was stranger than the others. Wauhatchie on October 28–29, 1863. The 37th Iowa, which was stationed at Alton, On November 23, the Army of the Illinois for six months in late 1863, was unusual Cumberland advanced from their fortifications for several reasons, mainly because of the age around Chattanooga to seize the minor high of its recruits. Over half were older than the ground at Orchard Knob while elements of the traditional Civil War service cutoff of 45 years Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. of age, leading to the unique nickname of the Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman had then regiment – the “Greybeards.” maneuvered to launch a surprise attack against Bragg's right flank on Missionary The idea for the 37th was concocted by Ridge. Georgea Kincaid, a 50-year-old farmer from Muscatine, Iowa who was described as a “tall, On November 24, Sherman crossed the rawboned, gray-haired man of stern principles” Tennessee River in the morning and then Bob Frenz brought some of his grandfather’s and “a devout teetotaler.” advanced to occupy high ground at the Civil War books, including ones by John Logan northern end of Missionary Ridge in the Kincaid not only believed older men in the and Allan Pinkerton. He also displayed a afternoon. The same day, Eastern Theater ranks could be of service, but that younger bayonet and scabbard owned by a county troops under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker men would be inspired — or shamed — into veteran (Dave Noe identified the bayonet as defeated the Confederates in the Battle of joining the Union effort themselves. actually from the Indian Wars but the leather Lookout Mountain. The next day they began a Secretary of War Edwin Stanton agreed, and scabbard from the Civil War – and probably as movement toward Bragg's left flank at approved the odd plan. The regiment was valuable as the bayonet). Rossville. mustered into service in December of 1862. Bob Frenz On November 25, Sherman's attack on “Overall, only six percent of Union soldiers ______________________________________ Bragg's right flank made little progress. were conscripted,” said George Eaton, Hoping to distract Bragg's attention, Grant historian for the Army Sustainment Command IF THE BRITISH ordered Thomas's army to advance in the at the Rock Island Arsenal, where the regiment ENTERED center of his line to the base of Missionary was stationed after coming to Alton. “I think THE Rid ge. A combination of misunderstood Kincaid and the Iowa governor used the 37th AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, orders and the pressure of the tactical as a way to goad younger men into enlisting WOULD IT HAVE ALTERED situation caused Thomas's men to surge to and avoiding a conscription.” THE OUTCOME? the top of Missionary Ridge, routing the Army American Civil War Forum Traditionally, Civil War service was limited to of Tennessee, which retreated to Dalton, Georgia, fighting off the Union pursuit men ages 18-45. Of the 914 men in the 37th, English participation in the Civil War would have successfully at the Battle of Ringgold Gap. almost 600 were at least fifty years old, and been decisive in my opinion. There would not forty-eight were sixty or over. Nine were have been great invasions to or from Canada. Bragg's defeat eliminated the last significant seventy or older, including Curtis King, 80, Instead, the union would be blockaded and the Confederate control of Tennessee and who nonetheless had five children under the CSA’s blockade would be lifted. opened the door to an invasion of the Deep age of sixteen. Most were farmers and some were veterans of This would have had so many dramatic results, South, leading to Sherman's Atlanta the War of 1812, from a half-century earlier. they’re hard to list. campaign of 1864. Grant called off the remaining pursuit of Bragg because his On the flip side, Kincaid also ignored the age 1. Oregon would likely be invaded. army was low on rations and he decided minimum. Eighty-six recruits were underage, he needed to stay close to his supply line. 2. A Royal Navy squadron would eventually including one who was fifteen years old. Furthermore, Washington was still clamoring clean the Pacific coast of US ships which would for the rescue of Burnside in Knoxville and The adjutant general of Iowa wrote that include closing San Francisco Bay and the Grant was told that Union troops there had Kincaid was “large as life, happy as a clam, stopping or taking over the gold trade. If an rations that would last only until December 3. and proud as a peacock” of his new unit, which enemy army occupied California, it might be a President Lincoln's congratulstory message may have been an omen. The late scholar Spanish one from the Philippines. This would to Grant after Missionary Ridge had said Benton McAdams declared that “in (Kincaid’s) hurt the US economy significantly. "Well done. Many thanks to all. Remember estimation, he was now half a step below God, Burnside." and beholden to no one.” 3. The Royal Navy could freely bombard US coastal cities and launch raids to burn factories, Casualties for the Union Army amounted to Prior to their transfer to Alton, the Greybeards etc. 5,824 (753 killed, 4,722 wounded, and 349 were stationed at the notorious Gratiot Street missing) of about 56,000 engaged; Bragg prison in St. Louis. There, Kincaid informed a 4. The US would have to move tens of reported Confederate casualties of 6,667 thousands of troops to coastal defense, not to group of Confederate officers that all women of (361 killed, 2,160 wounded, and 4,146 the South, including their wives, were mention the northern border. missing, mostly prisoners) of about 44,000. “prostitutes of the very lowest class.” Southern losses may have been higher; 5. The economy of New England would Grant claimed 6,142 prisoners. Kincaid also had his own form of collapse as the whaling fleet would be sunk When a chaplain asked General Thomas waterboarding. One recruit in the 37th and the fishing fleets would be kept in port.

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