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-List of Civil War Battles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Civil_War_battles>
-Mississippi Units in the Civil War: <http://mississippiscv.org/MS_Units/mississippi_history.htm>
-Battle of Vicksburg, Confederate Order of Battle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg_Confederate_order_of_battleI was born and bred a Southerner. But, now I live in Iowa. How to fit together these disparate circumstances?
1. Politics, economics, and bad decisions
There are exceptional historians and authors who have published acclaimed works on the Civil War. For southerners, we tend to flock to Shelby Foote who speaks with an authentic Southern voice. How else would you Yankees come to understand the love for Marse Robert which compelled the Army of Northern Virginia to silence their march in the vicinity of General Lee's tent in the middle of the night.
I am attracted to Bruce Catton. He tells us of the events which led up to the Clash of Arms and of the "turning of the Armies" which led to victory or defeat. Catton, the Congressional Centennial Historian of the Civil War, wrote two three-volume histories which provide an encyclopedic essay. But, my favorite work by Catton is his single volume history, This Hallowed Ground.
The year was 1856. Catton begins his work telling the story of John Brown's attack in Bleeding Kansas. The railroads were pushing west to the Mississippi. Notably, Lincoln made his mark as a lawyer when he represented the railroad vs. the shipping industry in a trial about the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi, located at Davenport IA. The bell for the Effie Aston is displayed at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum near the site of the original bridge.
Then, Catton informs of a little known act of geography and industry. A canal was opened on the St Mary's River at Sault Ste Marie which would allow ships to transport iron ore from the shores of Lake Superior into the lower Great Lakes and thus to the steel forges of the upper Midwest. The South had no such resource of iron ore; nor had they the infrastructure to manufacture the quantity of weapons which would be needed for the coming war. Thus, Catton foreshadows the economic/ industrial advantage which, added to the North's great population advantage, would doom the Confederacy to defeat.
Effectively by 1856, the nation was headed down a death-spiral to civil war. Politicians made choices upon choices which compounded the ever increasing slide. By 1860 and Lincoln's election, "the die was cast." From our perspective in the future, all we can do is to watch this great tragedy play out.
2. "Slavery and everything else"
Back when I attended St. Ambrose University, I made a point of taking Civil War and Reconstruction with Fr. George McDaniel. Fr. George is a published Iowa historian who has an Iowan's perspective. Whether or not I could agree with Fr. George, he could provide a new perspective.
The lesson was "Causes of the Civil War." Fr. George began by simply stating "Slavery and everything else." Then, he continued by illustrating how American Chattel Slavery affected every sector of American society:
-Transportation: Before the railroad, produce traveled on the rivers from the Midwest to the ports of the South. And manufactured goods traveled back North. Thus, the nation was connected North to South. With the coming of the railroad, the nation was linked East to West. The previous connection with the Old South was gone. And, Slavery was emblematic of the Old South.
-Industry: Manufacturers wanted to sell their products to the South. Northern politicians placed tariffs on imported, cheaper European goods. Regular folks in the North were concerned that Slavery would move North to replace wage earning workers in the Northern factories?
-Religion: I descend from Quakers who abandoned the South because Slavery moved into their neighborhoods. The Presbyterian Church in America split along the lines of Slavery, North and South. I descend from them too.
-Politics: The Framers were brilliant. We have a bi-cameral legislative body in Congress. The House of Representatives is comprised of Representatives who are apportioned by population. But, the Senate is apportioned by the number of States. In 1856, the question of Kansas and Nebraska's entry into the Union was a question of adding additional Slave States and potentially upsetting a precarious balance of power in the Senate and thus the Nation as a whole. And, politics is all about Power.Of note, the American Civil War was not about Slavery. But, Fr. George is right. The Civil War was about "Slavery and everything else." When Gen Beauregard fired on Ft Sumter SC in 1861, the question was Secession. When the Army of the Potomac marched south toward Bull Run Creek in northern Virginia, the question was Union. With Union Army success at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation which would go into effect January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end Slavery in America. Remember, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri were Slave states who did not Secede and join the Confederacy. Slavery did not end until passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. But, Lincoln put the US Federal Government on the course to ending Slavery.
1. 5Simeon Thomas Lewis [KIA], 4Willis Bonaparte Lewis, 3Bernis Bonaparte Lewis, 2Arnold D. Lewis, 1Charles E. Lewis
PVT Simeon Thomas Lewis (aged 42) served in Co B, 5th Mississippi Infantry (State Troops), CSA. This unit was envisioned as a Civil War version of the Revolutionary War Minute Men for the State of Mississippi. During MG Grant's Siege of Vicksburg, this unit was stationed on the north side of the Vicksburg salient in reserve for Smith's Division. And, two of Grandpa Simeon Thomas' teenaged sons, Walden and Jacob, served with him. In son Jacob's obituary, we learn that "his father [Simeon Thomas] was killed by his [Jacob's] side." Simeon Thomas was killed 6/6/1863 at Vicksburg and is buried in an unmarked grave under the road leading to the Union Army Cemetery. <http://www.nps.gov/archive/vick/city_cem/sldrsrest.htm>
2. 5William Wesley McPhearson, 4Mary Jane McPhearson, 3Bernis Bonaparte Lewis , 2Arnold D. Lewis, 1Charles E. Lewis
CPL William Wesley McPhearson (aged 34) served in Co G "Tolson Guards," 8th Mississippi Infantry, CSA. This unit served in Florida and Mississippi, then was assigned to General J. K. Jackson's, Gist's, and Lowry's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 8th Miss Infantry participated in the campaigns of the army from Kentucky to Murfreesboro to Chickamauga to Atlanta, was with Hood in Tennessee, and saw action in North Carolina where Grandpa William Wesley was paroled at the end of hostilities.
3. 5John Campbell, 4Columbus Campbell, 3Tommie Lenora Campbell, 2Arnold D. Lewis, 1Charles E. Lewis
1SG John Campbell (aged 27) served in Co A "Gaines Invincibles," 46th Mississippi Infantry, CSA. This unit served in S.D. Lee's and Baldwin's Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The unit participated in the long Siege of Vicksburg and was captured on July 4, 1863. After the exchange it was assigned to General Baldwin's, Tucker's, and Sears' Brigade. It fought in the Atlanta Campaign, endured Hood's winter operations in Tennessee, and had many disabled at Franklin TN. The 46th withdrew with the remnant of the Confederate Army of Tennessee to Tupelo MS where they were furloughed until February 1865. Only a remnant surrendered near Mobile AL in May of 1865, including Grandpa John Campbell.
4. 5Robeson Lee, 4Mary Susannah "Minnie" Lee, 3Tommie Lenora Campbell, 2Arnold D. Lewis, 1Charles E. Lewis
PVT Robeson Lee (aged 44) served in Co H, 5th Mississippi Infantry (State Troops), CSA. This unit was envisioned as a Civil War version of the Revolutionary War Minute Men for the State of Mississippi. During MG Grant's Siege of Vicksburg, this unit was stationed on the north side of the Vicksburg salient in reserve for Smith's Division. Grandpa Rob was paroled after the surrender of Vicksburg. Some veterans re-enlisted in Regular Confederate units, but most returned home after being paroled. Grandpa Rob returned home and reportedly fought rear-area Union troops as a Confederate Partisan.
5. 5Joseph Brannoc Wilkinson, 4Charles Brannoc Wilkinson, 3Dolly Cornelia Wilkinson, 2June Elizabeth Weaver, 1Charles E. Lewis
Mexican-American War
PVT J. B. Wilkinson (aged 24) enlisted 6/1846 in the 1st Regiment, Missouri Mounted Volunteers and served in the Mexican-American War. The unit returned to New Orleans where J. B. was discharged 6/1847.
American Civil War
PVT J. B. Wilkinson (aged 38) served in Co A "Franklin Rifles," 7th Mississippi Infantry, CSA. This unit served on the Mississippi coast, fought at Shiloh TN, saw action in Kentucky, then was assigned to Generals J.P. Anderson's, Tucker's, and Sharp's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 7th participated in many conflicts with the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, marched with Hood to Tennessee, and fought in North Carolina. Grandpa J. B., a veteran of the Mexican-American War, served for about a year and a half and was discharged 12/11/1862 after the Kentucky Campaign. According to NARA records, J.B. Wilkinson was discharged because he was over 40 years-old. J.B. who was born 11/16/1822 had just turned 40 by his date of discharge.
6. 6William M. Case, 5Perry J. Case, 4Elizabeth Vivian Case, 3Dolly Cornelia Wilkinson, 2June Elizabeth Weaver, 1Charles E. Lewis
First Enlistment
[CPL] William Case (aged 37) enlisted 7/14/1862 as the Senior Corporal in Co E, Quinn's 2nd Miss Infantry (State Troops), CSA. This was in response to new Confederate legislation for organization of State Reserves. In Mississippi, persons 17 to 18 and 35 to 45 were assigned to regiments known as State Troops. Grandpa William attended the many musters with Co E, but never deployed with the Quinn's 2nd Miss Infantry (State Troops) [MST] to combat. And, the last known roster for Co E, 2nd MST was on 9/4/1862.
Individual companies of the 2nd MST periodically mustered and deployed in support of the Confederate war effort, only to be released to their homes with weapons in hand, literally to defend the home-front as the Union Army of the Tennessee swept back and forth across the state during the battle for and siege of Vicksburg. And along with the other soldiers over 40 and under 18, Grandpa William was discharged in 6/1864; as he had just turned 40. And, Grandpa William's second enlistment was in 8/1864 with Co E, 24th Battalion Miss Cavalry, CSA.
Second Enlistment
[SGT] In February of 1864, the Seven Stars Artillery was reorganized as Moorman's Battalion (Mississippi Cavalry), later to be designated as the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry with LTC George Moorman as commander and Major Calvitt Roberts as adjutant. In August of 1864, Grandpa William Case chose to enlist as a Sergeant and serve with his friends and neighbors in Co E, 24th Battalion, Miss Cavalry, CSA.
The 24th BN, Miss Cavalry served with Col. Wood's Cavalry Brigade, BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Division, under MG Franklin Gardner, District of Mississippi and East Louisiana and then with LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest until the end of the war. The last record for Grandpa William is on 5/12/1865 after LTG Forrest surrendered and Forrest's entire Corps was paroled at Gainesville AL.
<http://www.gainesville-vols.org/activitiesevents.html>7. 6Thomas W. Burke [KIA], 5Margaret Burke, 4Elizabeth Vivian Case, 3Dolly Cornelia Wilkinson, 2June Elizabeth Weaver, 1Charles E. Lewis
PVT Thomas Burke (aged 38) served in Co E "Franklin Beauregards," 7th Mississippi Infantry, CSA. This unit served on the Mississippi coast, fought at Shiloh TN, saw action in Kentucky, then was assigned to Generals J.P. Anderson's, Tucker's, and Sharp's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 7th participated in many conflicts with the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, marched with Hood to Tennessee, and fought in North Carolina. Grandpa Thomas died in October of 1862 during the Kentucky Campaign. According to NARA records, Grandpa Thomas was "captured and died in the hands of the enemy in Kentucky." Let us be generous and presume that he died of wounds suffered in battle. Grandpa Thomas is buried at Bardstown Cemetery, Nelson Co KY. And, his tombstone shows date of death as 10/31/1862.