War Between the States trivia thread

[Milkman]

Stoneman it was.............. and yes north of Macon. His command was doomed after being repelled at Macon. His raiders were even repelled at the Oconee/Clarke county line by a group of home guard. All but one company of the 1200 men who left to make a big circle around Atlanta were lost on this raid.

I attended an event Sunday where the author of "Sherman's Horsemen" spoke.

Yep another book to read now.

After I answered "the other side of the river" , I looked and saw that it was 7 miles north of Clinton at Sunshine Church. I wonder if Old Clinton BBQ was there back then.

I have been to the Sunshine Church and Clinton battle re-enactments they have at Clinton each year. From what is told, there was no reason the Federals should have been defeated and captured there. The author of the book mentioned above stated that General Stoneman was suffering from an acute attack of hemmoroids at this period of time. That has to be the worst ailment a cavalry solder could have.
Maybe he was drinking too much laudnum or something and made some bad decisions, who knows.
( by the way, this is my theory of all the blunders made by JB Hood )

In that day Clinton was one of the largest cities in Ga. It never recovered from the war. It is not even a town now, no stores, business, etc.

 

[JustUs4All]

Clinton died because they would not allow the railroad through town. A station was built at Gray Station and Clinton eventually dried up. There is a large cemetery there with many veterans of the War buried there. At the War Days event they always have an evening ceremony a the cemetery.

Alvred Iverson beat Stoneman at Sunshine Church because Iverson was from Clinton and knew the country. Stoneman had hoped to free the prisoners at Macon and Andersonville, but failed to get across the river at Macon. He was searching further along for a crossing when he learned that Iverson had come out after him. He turned north, but Iverson had gotten between him and "home" and was dug in. Stoneman tried to bread through but failed and when pressed from the rear by a second Confederate force, he felt himself surrounded and hit upon the idea of splitting his force in the attempt to save some of it. Stoneman stayed at Sunshine Church with the delaying force while the others moved toward Athens. It nearly cost him being hanged because of the damage his troops had caused civilians.

The Federals had burned Sunshine Church to clear their field of fire. One of the Federal wounded who was treated by the locals after the battle returned after the War to preach at the rebuilt Sunshine Church.

 

[Milkman]

Clinton died because they would not allow the railroad through town. A station was built at Gray Station and Clinton eventually dried up. There is a large cemetery there with many veterans of the War buried there. At the War Days event they always have an evening ceremony a the cemetery.

Alvred Iverson beat Stoneman at Sunshine Church because Iverson was from Clinton and knew the country. Stoneman had hoped to free the prisoners at Macon and Andersonville, but failed to get across the river at Macon. He was searching further along for a crossing when he learned that Iverson had come out after him. He turned north, but Iverson had gotten between him and "home" and was dug in. Stoneman tried to bread through but failed and when pressed from the rear by a second Confederate force, he felt himself surrounded and hit upon the idea of splitting his force in the attempt to save some of it. Stoneman stayed at Sunshine Church with the delaying force while the others moved toward Athens. It nearly cost him being hanged because of the damage his troops had caused civilians.

The Federals had burned Sunshine Church to clear their field of fire. One of the Federal wounded who was treated by the locals after the battle returned after the War to preach at the rebuilt Sunshine Church.

G

Good stuff Jim............ thanks

 

[RBM]

The author of the book mentioned above stated that General Stoneman was suffering from an acute attack of hemmoroids at this period of time. That has to be the worst ailment a cavalry solder could have.

As bad as hemorrhoids are, acute dysentery (either Amoebic, Protozoan, Bacillary, or Viral) has to run close to even on that score for a cavalry soldier. Bad (contaminated) water or food can do that. In some cases, pathogens can cause permanent damage.

 

[JustUs4All]

Sometimes Different RailRoads in the CSA operated on different gauge track. This required that passengers and freight be moved from one train to another at certain locations to continue a trip.

There was also another reason for this inconvenience. What was it?

 

[JustUs4All]

24 hours is up here is a hint. The reason was an economic one that benefited the cities where the tracks were located.

 

[JustUs4All]

I found a great site on Confederate Railroads - csa-railroads.com. Here is the explanation from that site:

They were called Citi Railroad Gaps and they were not accidental -- every one was caused by the city businessmen and politicians wanting to force spending in their city. City ordinances were adopted that prevented the running of trains on the city streets -- and it was not possible to run a railroad into a town and connect to another railroad without crossing streets. Railroads in the same town were encouraged to configure their passenger train schedules so that passengers had to spend the night in town. The distance between stations gave work to cargo handlers at both stations and draymen to haul the goods from station to station {sample, sample, sample}. Of course, this was very inefficient to the through movement of goods and troops, but local demands died hard. Even in Richmond, the connection of some roads was allowed for only emergency movement of locomotives to prevent them being captured.

 

[Milkman]

OK, fellows nap is over.

4 Union Generals were credited with bring the war to a close. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, and Thomas.

Where were they last all together during the war?

 

[RBM]

Shiloh?

 

[westcobbdog]

probably somehwere around the base of missionary ridge as Grant told little phil someone would pay or be held accountable if the unauthorized charge up the ridge failed. Blue tidal wave captured 41 gray cannons that day. Sheridan rode one like a pony in glee, Union Gen Harker did the same and burned his buns so bad he couldn't ride a horse for 2 weeks. After that, Grant went east, Sherman took over in the west.

 

[Milkman]

OK, fellows nap is over.

4 Union Generals were credited with bring the war to a close. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, and Thomas.

Where were they last all together during the war?

probably somehwere around the base of missionary ridge as Grant told little phil someone would pay or be held accountable if the unauthorized charge up the ridge failed. Blue tidal wave captured 41 gray cannons that. Sheridan rode one like a pony n glee, union Gen Harker did the same and burned his buns so bad he couldn't ride a horse for 2 weeks. After that, Grant went east, Sherman took over in the west.

The stogie goes to you sir............. indeed it was Chattanooga Tenn/Ga when these 4 villians last sat down together during wartime. So glad to hear about one of the enemy leaders burning his butt during this campaign.

As a side note tomorrow is my birthday and my sweetie and I are traveling to the Choo Choo City for a couple of days to re-visit some of the national park sites again. She is a really good woman and indulges me on visiting battlefields and such.

 

[JustUs4All]

Congratulations and Happy Birthday tomorrow.

 

[westcobbdog]

Happy B day to you sir.

Never been up on that ridge, would like to see it to understand exactly what happened and see how the rout happened. Bragg of course blamed everyone but himself. Whomever placed the cannons didn't consider or unerstand the angle or suddeness of an attack because the cannon wouldn't depress that far down to take the charging Federals out .

 

[westcobbdog]

this could apply to a select group of men, all that wore Gray.

I fought Indians, Mexicans and Yankees over my career.

 

[JustUs4All]

AS Johnston, JE Johnston, Bragg, Ewell, Early, AP Hill, and others.

 

[JustUs4All]

Here is an odd fellow. He fought the Indians, the Mormons, the Mexicans, the Confederates at Manassas, and the Federals at Chickamauga.

 

[westcobbdog]

Here is an odd fellow. He fought the Indians, the Mormons, the Mexicans, the Confederates at Manassas, and the Federals at Chickamauga.

wow. I knew my question was a abit easy but this question has me totally stumped. A few men of notoriety switched sides during the war between the states but I can't come up with a name.

 

[JustUs4All]

He also was one of the very few who joined the Confederate service before he resigned the Federal service, technically putting him at war with himself.

 

[westcobbdog]

I started a mail service from Washington DC to Milledgeville Ga. many years before the war, was Gov. of VA., at wars outbreak made a Col., then Brig. Gen. I was seen more than once in battle with a tall beaverskin hat and blue umbrella. After the war a politician again and Gov again.

 

[JustUs4All]

Extra Billy Smith