Civil War Institute Interview: The Fight For The Old North State

Thanks so much to Cameron Sauers and the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College for the opportunity to discuss The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864 from University Press of Kansas.   

Grant's Bravery at Burgess Mill: October 27, 1864

As the Second Corps pushed toward the South Side Railroad during the October 27, 1864 offensive at Petersburg, Ulysses S. Grant rode forward with a single aide to examine the conditions at Burgess Mill on Hatcher's Run. Here is the description of the incident from Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, October 1864 (Kent State University Press, 2013): 

U.S. Grant (LOC)

Concerned that a strong Confederate force would threaten any advance on the White Oak Road toward the South Side Railroad, Grant desired more than secondhand reports and sought to examine the ground at Burgess Mill personally.  He requested the company of his aide-de-camp, Orville E. Babcock, and directed  the rest of the party to stay behind. The two galloped on the Plank Road, past Egan, and to within several yards of the bridge at Hatcher’s Run, exposed to sharpshooter and artillery fire from the opposite bank. Severed telegraph wires littered the road in a tangled mass. Grant’s horse, distressed by the shells and balls zipping through the air, became ensnared, and strained to pull away, only  tightening the coil. With their commander in a tight spot, Union officers to the rear watched with increasing anxiety. 

Burgess Mill Battlefield, Oct. 27, 1864
from Richmond Must Fall

But Babcock coolly dismounted and untangled the horse, while Grant sat calmly in the saddle admonishing his aide to  avoid hurting the animal’s leg. The two pushed even closer to the bridge, where  Grant noted the dense brush on the banks, the trees slashed by the rebels, and the dams blocking the run. He then turned “slowly back as unperturbed as a man could be.” When he reached his fretful staff, he responded to their protests with a smile, saying, “Well, I suppose I ought not to have gone down there.” Thomas Livermore, the Hancock aide who ran the gauntlet earlier, noted that Grant had “exposed his own life . . . to find out with his own eyes whether our men were being killed to no purpose.”

Emerging Civil War Book Award: The Fight For The Old North State

Emerging Civil War has chosen The Fight for the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January–May 1864 (University Press of Kansas, 2019) as the recipient of this year’s Emerging Civil War Book Award.

From ECW Book Review Editor Ryan Quint: “[Newsome's] book on fighting in North Carolina was not only one of the best campaign studies I read last year, but have read ever.”

Thanks so much to Emerging Civil War and kudos to my friends at University Press of Kansas for their great work in putting this project together!
 

New in Paperback: The Fight For The Old North State

Happy to learn that The Fight For The Old North State is now out in paperback. Many thanks to the University Press of Kansas for getting the soft cover version out so quickly. 

1890: What the Richmond Planet Said About the Lee Monument

"The Negro was in the Northern processions on Decoration Day and in the Southern ones, if only to carry buckets of ice-water. He put up the Lee Monument, and should the time come, will be there to take it down." - Richmond Planet, June 7, 1890

Lee Monument (LOC)

When the Robert E. Lee monument went up on the outskirts of Richmond in the spring of 1890, several editors from African-American newspapers made their views crystal clear. Here are a few more excerpts:

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John Mitchell, Jr. Ed.- Richmond Planet

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Richmond Planet, May 10, 1890

"The boxes were decorated with bunting and Confederate flags. On every hand could be seen the “stars and bars.” Nowhere in this procession was there a United States flag. The rebel yell, reinforced by a glorification of the lost cause was everywhere manifest."

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The New York Age, New York, NY 

(quoted in Richmond Planet, June 7, 1890)

"Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest generals of modern times. We grant that. But he was a traitor, and gave his magnificent abilities to the infamous task of disrupting the union and to perpetuating the system of slavery. Where then is the wisdom or the propriety of wasting any sentiment on Robert E. Lee? Let the unconstructed Democracy of the South glorify him and his memory as they will, but let the patriots of the nation indulge in none of it." 

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The National Home Protector, Baltimore, Md.  
(quoted in Richmond Planet, June 14, 1890)

"The [dedication] of the Lee monument adds another chapter to the history of the American nation that the next generation both North and South will no doubt read with regret. Though the general was guilty of treason against the United States government he bound himself under oath to support and fought bravely to forever establish and extend the accursed institution of human slavery; yet he possessed virtues which are fair minded people appreciated. That he would have a monument erected to his memory by the people who followed him to defeat, seems to be in the natural order of things. But when the unveiling of the monument is used as an opportunity to justify the southern people and rebelling against the U. S. Government and to flaunt the Confederate flag in the faces of the loyal people of the nation occasion calls for serious reflection. When General Lee furled his flag and presented his sword to his conquerors, he said secession is dead, and now, any attempt to resurrect the corpse of rebellion is not only an insult to the loyal people of the nation, but also casting a stigma on Gen. Lee’s record as commander of the Confederate Army."

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 The State Capital, Springfield, Illinois 

(quoted in Richmond Planet, June 14, 1890)

"This is shameful disregard for the flag of the Union and of higher respect for the flag of treason, was disgracefully he demonstrated at the unveiling of the monument to the lead Gen. R. E. Lee at Richmond, Va., May 29. We appreciate the spirit which prompted his followers to rear a monument to his honor. He had many virtues which are worthy of emulation, but when they put up that ensign of treason – the stars and bars – and make it a god to display, and to worship. We, as an American citizen, offer or silent protest and demand in the name of our fathers, in the name of the constitution and in the name of every patriotic impulse that such thing shall not be tolerated."

Grant's Sixth Offensive at Petersburg: Brief Observations

With the anniversary of the Grant's pre-election offensive at Richmond and Petersburg approaching, I thought I'd revisit some of the key takeaways. The short quotes below come from Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, October 1864 (Kent State Univ. Press), my study of Grant's Sixth Offensive at Richmond and Petersburg in October 1864. Those operations (the battles at Burgess Mill, the Williamsburg Road, etc.) are often overlooked but instructive in examining his command style.

Previous Efforts During the Petersburg Campaign

"In each offensive, Grant demonstrated patience in waiting for the right conditions as well as flexibility in trying new approaches. The extraordinary length of the Confederate front allowed him to vary the location, strength, and intensity of his advances ... [He] tried different combinations of movements and strengths, multipronged and single attacks, diversions, lunges at different locations along the rebel line, and different force sizes. However, he had yet to conjure a successful plan."

Pre-Election Decisions 

"Grant appreciated that the arithmetic of beans, bullets, and manpower favored him.  However, he also understood that lack of progress & military failures could degrade Union will and destabilize Lincoln’s support. Excessive delay, or worse yet, disaster...in Virginia, could damage Lincoln at the polls."

Inspiration For the Sixth Offensive 

"Even as the pressing need for military success waned, the Cedar Creek victory may have inspired Grant to consider a strike against Lee despite ample reasons for caution. Election or no, he would not hold back."

Day of Battle - October 27, 1864

"Grant had exercised his direct, hands-on command style...he rode directly to the key locations and consulted with the commanders... [he] took personal risks to examine conditions on the front firsthand. This ... helped him make reasonable choices."

Albert Mackey Reviews The Fight For The Old North State

Over on his Student of the American Civil War blog, Al Mackey has posted a nice review of The Fight For The Old North State.  It starts with a line I really love (and what author wouldn't): 

This book by Hampton Newsome was a lot of fun to read.

Here are some more excerpts:

It’s deeply researched, well written with a compelling narrative, and delves deeply into a part of the war most accounts simply gloss over .... Newsome masterfully places these actions within their historical context and doesn’t shy away from controversial and difficult issues, such as the confederate murder of surrendered and wounded black soldiers at Plymouth. His clear descriptions and the fantastic maps in the book facilitate easy understanding of what happened. This is an excellent book all students of the war will find useful. I can highly recommend it.

Mackey is a veracious reader and regularly posts reviews of books, talks, and other Civil War-related items on his blog. I was happy to provide him with a review copy of my book.

How Did the Confederates Capture Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Some final thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the fight. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 4:

Battle of Plymouth Anniversary: THREAD FOUR 

How Did the Confederates Capture Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Robert Hoke arrived outside the Plymouth fortifications on April 17. He captured an outer work, Fort Wessells, in a nighttime attack on the 18th. However, the primary Union positions- a continuous line on the right & detached redoubts on the left – remained secure.

But everything changed when the ironclad Albemarle arrived early on April 19th and attacked the USS Southfield and Miami, ramming & sinking the former immediately and driving the Miami away downstream.

The Albemarle’s victory made all the difference. The Union positions at Plymouth were not designed to protect from a naval threat. With the rebel gunboat firmly in control of the Roanoke River, it shelled the rear of Union positions. And Hoke prepared to land a decisive blow.

On April 20, Matt Ransom’s brigade, supported by the Albemarle, attacked the Union left to the east of Plymouth, overran the detached positions there, and flooded into town behind the Federal lines. After intense fighting, Union commander Henry Wessells surrendered to Hoke.

 

Who Were the Union Defenders at Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Still yet more thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the fight. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 3:

THREAD THREE:  Yankees, Buffaloes, & USCT Recruits.  Who Were the Union Defenders of Plymouth, North Carolina?

The Plymouth garrison, led by Henry Wessells, totaled about 2,800, including the 16th CT, 85th NY, and 101st and 103rd PA - along w/ detachments from the 2nd MA & 3rd PA Heavy Arty, 12th NY Cav., 24th NY Lt. Indep. Batt., 2 co's. of white NC volunteers (2nd NCUV), and 200+ African-American recruits.

The white NC Union volunteers were known as “Buffaloes.” At New Bern in Feb, Pickett captured and executed nearly two dozen of these men after finding they had previously served in rebel units. The controversy from the “Kinston Hangings” would follow Pickett well beyond the war.

Plymouth was an important recruiting station for USCT units. At the time of the battle, recruiting officers from the 10th, 37th, and 38th USCT, & the 2nd USCC were in the town. The new recruits, about 245, filled the fortifications to help fend off the Confederate attack.

Behind Plymouth's fortifications, the USS Southfield and Miami patroled the Roanoke River. The naval commander at Plymouth was Charles Flusser, a young, aggressive officer who had become obsessed with defeating the Confederate ironclad Albemarle incubating upriver. 

 

Battle of Plymouth Anniversary: Why Did the Federals Establish a Base at Plymouth, North Carolina?

More thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the battle. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 2:

THREAD TWO 
Battle of Plymouth Anniversary

Why Did the Federals Establish a Base at Plymouth, North Carolina?

The Federal garrison at Plymouth was set up in 1862 after Union forces under Ambrose Burnside took control of eastern NC. It provided a springboard for operations into the surrounding area & served as an important refuge & recruiting station for emancipated persons.

Not everyone thought a base at Plymouth was such a good idea. Union naval officers, particularly Admiral S. Phillips Lee, objected early on to maintaining small, isolated positions at places like Plymouth & Washington (on the Pamlico). He urged greater concentration at New Bern.

Much later, after Plymouth’s loss, both U.S. Grant and Benjamin Butler claimed to have expressed similar reservations about maintaining these positions. However, no evidence of such objections has surfaced.

Whatever the case, by early 1864, a force of several thousand men led by Henry Wessells manned the works covering the town. Several wooden gunboats bobbing in the Roanoke River backed up the garrison.

What Led the Confederates to Attack Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Here are a few thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina to mark the upcoming anniversary of the battle. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864.  

THREAD ONE: What led the Confederates to attack Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

In early Jan. 1864, from his headquarters outside Orange, Va., Robert E. Lee wrote Jefferson Davis recommending an offensive in North Carolina to capture New Bern, the key Union base there. He proposed this operation for two reasons.

First, Lee was in the middle of a supply crisis. His troops were lacking nearly everything and his correspondence at the time repeatedly broadcast his anxiety over this. The capture of Union positions in NC would open up large, agriculturally rich areas to feed his army. Second, military victories in NC would aid the Confederate political situation there. Beginning in 1863, a growing peace movement, informally led by editor William Holden, was calling for NC to leave the Confederacy. Lee knew successful operations would help counter this.

 Curiously, Davis offered to command Lee's proposed military operation, a clear example of his tendency to micromanage. The President then recommended the role to Lee, who begged off. Eventually, the pair tapped the NC Dept. commander, the hapless George Pickett. 

In February, Pickett led an unsuccessful expedition against New Bern, hampered by the absence of ironclads still under construction on the Neuse and Roanoke Rivers. Following the New Bern failure, Lee anticipated further operations and left some of his army's troops in NC.

By April, the ironclad Albemarle was complete and the Confederate high command determined to resume the offensive. The town of Plymouth was the target, a fortified Union position on the Roanoke. Casting Pickett aside, Confederate leaders handed the task to Tar Heel Robert Hoke.

Thanks to the Old Baldy CWRT of Philadephia

Many thanks to the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table. I had a great time talking to them on Thursday night about The Fight For the Old North State. Rich Jankowski, Dave Gilson, Arlene Shchnaare, and the other officers & members have made a smooth transition to virtual meetings, having used the approach for some of their past speakers. The good-natured banter between members across the Zoom platform was entertaining and the Q&A session at the end was great. If you are looking to manage virtual talks for your group during these difficult times, they've set a great example.

A Great Online Resource for New York's Civil War Regiments

Looking for information on New York's Civil War regiments? If you haven't checked this out, you should. The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center has a fantastic database of all the state's units. I've found it invaluable for several projects, including my recent book, The Fight For the Old North State, which featured several units from the Empire State. For each regiment, the site provides a brief service history, photographs, muster rolls and rosters, a detailed bibliography, newspaper clippings, and, in some cases, images of banners from the New York State Battle Flag Collection.

For me, the newspaper clippings have been particular useful. Some come from publications not readily available online. In my current book project on Union operations against Richmond during the Gettysburg Campaign (the "Blackberry Raid"), the Museum's resource has provided a bonanza of detailed soldier accounts about Union operations against Richmond's defenses as well as the railroads in Hanover County in June and July of 1863.  

A Cool Head at Burgess Mill: Captain James Farwell, 1st Minnesota Battalion

Burgess Mill Battlefield, LOC

On October 28, 1864, the day after the Battle of Burgess Mill southwest of Petersburg, Minnesota Captain James C. Farwell found his command isolated on the picket line - abandoned in the wake of the Second Corps' withdrawal after intense fighting on the Burgess Farm the day before. Gathering his command, Farwell managed a successful escape back to the Union lines. I found his testimony, excerpted below, at the National Archives in Lieutenant Colonel Horace P. Rugg's court martial transcript. Farwell's story is further detailed further in Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, October 1864.

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Testimony of Captain James C. Farwell, 1st Minnesota Volunteers
Horace Rugg Court-Martial Transcript (Farwell testimony), Record Group 153 (LL-
649), NARA.

Question by the Judge Advocate: What did you do at 9:30 o’clock in the morning of the 28th of October 1864 with your command?

Answer: I called in what men I had posted in my front during the night and also  the 19th Regt Mass Vol. which I knew were posted in the edge of the timber. I sent out men from 7 until 8:30 am, in different parties to see if our troops were occupying the same position they did on the night before or had left. They failed to report back. I then sent a commissioned officer up to the house where the Battery was stationed in the afternoon on the 27th. He went to the house; came back on the run and reported that we had no forces there but that the enemy’s cavalry were advancing. 

I satisfied myself that our troops had left and started out of the timber. Ninety-three enlisted men and five commissioned officers was the command I had. As soon as we commenced marching out the enemy followed in our rear and struck the timber and commenced firing. We crossed the plank road and the enemy’s cavalry came down on a charge from the plank road at the same time we were crossing. I about faced the command and ordered them to fire. We broke the cavalry—they scattered and went back to the rear. 

I then marched into the timber, after we had gone some quarter of a mile in the timber the enemy charged in where we were, with a yell. I did not halt the command. I kept marching, and marched about a mile and a half and halted the command to rest them, then formed them in two ranks and took the course by the sun; struck the Weldon Rail-road about 1½ miles north of Reams Station about four or half past four o’clock in the afternoon of the 28th. I then followed the Rail-road up until I came to our cavalry pickets. On the morning of the 29th I reported to Division and Brigade headquarters.

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Fearing capture during the cross-country march back to the Union lines, Farwell tore the national colors and handed a star to each man with him at the time “so that the enemy would have failed to capture them, except after the death of the whole command, and the search of their bodies.” Farwell and his band made it through the wet, tangled countryside, forded Hatcher’s Run, and arrived safe at camp, where they were greeted as heroes.

Harwell Award Winner: The Fight For the Old North State

I learned recently that The Fight For the Old North State is the 2020 winner of the Richard Barksdale Harwell Book Award, which is given annually by the Atlanta Civil War Round Table for the best book on a Civil War subject published in the preceding year. I'm thrilled and grateful to Round Table for this award. I look forward to speaking there in November.

Emerging Civil War Review of The Fight For the Old North State

Ryan Quint at Emerging Civil War has written a great review of The Fight For the Old North State. The full review is posted at the Emerging Civil War website. Here are some excerpts:

Newsome’s pages present a perfectly mastered monograph on the subject ... In summation, it is difficult to imagine any writer approaching the subject of the 1864 North Carolina Campaign with the same degree of thoroughness that Newsome has accomplished in this book. He has proven to be among the best Civil War authors writing today.

Upcoming Speaking Schedule

Photo by Skip Riddle

Over the last several months, I've had a great time speaking at various groups including the Pender CWRT in Rocky Mount, the Outer Banks CWRT, the Petersburg CWRT, and the New Bern Historical Society. I also want to thank Gerry Prokopowicz for having me on Civil War Talk Radio. I'm grateful for the recognition The Fight For the Old North State has received, including Best Book of the Year from Civil War Books and Authors. Thanks so much to everyone who has bought the book!

Here is the upcoming (and revised) speaking schedule. If you live near one of these places, please come by and say hello. Also, if your group is looking for speakers, please feel free to email me.

Old Baldy CWRT of Philadelphia - April 9, 2020
Wilmington (Delaware) CWRT - May 6, 2020
Charlottesville CWRT - May 18, 2020
Raleigh CWRT - June 15, 2020
Puget Sound (Seattle) CWRT - October 8, 2020
Richmond CWRT - April 13, 2021 

 

Thanks to the New Bern Historical Society

Many thanks to the New Bern Historical Society for a great program yesterday. It was an honor to deliver the Annual Ed Bearss Civil War Lecture at the N.C. History Center at Tryon Palace. There was a great, capacity crowd (about 200) at a fantastic venue.

Most of all, I enjoyed talking with so many knowledgeable people before and after the talk signing including Mickey Miller (the Society's Executive Director), Jim Hodges (the Society's Curator), Jim Reifinger, Steve Shaffer, David Skaggs, John Klecker, Jon Miller (New Bern Battlefield Park), Lindy Cummings (Tryon Palace), Alan Hawkins, Skip Riddle (Kinston CWRT), Steve Dembickie, and many others. I also want to give a special shoutout to my cousin, Asher Brinson, who attended as well.

Photo by Skip Riddle