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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6281
Joined: 2004
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Cold Harbor
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The day before this one, in 1864, an initial Union assault made a significant lodgement in the Confederate lines at Cold Harbor and several hundred rebel prisoners were captured, albeit at bloody cost.
A couple of days later, on the 3rd, a much more massive attack was murderously repulsed with casualties to match. The notorious result was made more appalling by the fate of the wounded yankees who were left dying between the lines because Grant refused to ask for a truce, lest he be seen to admit defeat.
I’ve alluded to this in a post attached to one of Larry’s for 17 May.
It does, I reckon, merit its own thread.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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Michigan Dave
Muskegon
MI USA
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Posts: 7905
Joined: 2006
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Cold Harbor
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Hi Phil,
After the war Grant was to say he regretted his final assault, in the battle he had over twice as many casualties as Lee! I think this is where Grant got the title, "the butcher"??
Just what was the final casualties count??
Regards,
MD
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"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."
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morris crumley
Dunwoody
GA USA
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Posts: 3250
Joined: 2007
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Cold Harbor
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As Lee moved his men to new positions near Old Cold Harbor, and called for reinforcements from the Bermuda Hundred, Anderson`s Corps hastily entrenched and in the position of his line assigned to Wofford`s Brigade the line was broken by the existence of a deep, wooded ravine ( called Middle ravine as I recall). Now Wofford`s "scouts" his sharpshooters had found an old abandoned railroad bed that provided an excellent, concealed, approach to the left flank of Hancock`s men, just weeks before at the Wilderness. He at once saw the danger to the confederate positions that this "avenue of approach" would provide Federal attackers with. The ravine extended out towards the Federal`s position. Wofford called this to the attention of his superiors. When the Federal attack got underway, he pulled his men back, and late arriving reinforcements would try to tie in his flanks. Needless to say, the Federals were able to get close enough to Wofford`s line to begin to overwhelm it`s defenders., and push them back.
A heavy rainstorm came in that evening, and the confederates pulled back their lines and utilized a low ridge to prepare extensive entrenchments. When their preparations were hastily completed, the area in and around the ravine approach was in the shape of a horseshoe, it`s open end pointing toward the Federals. Grant had convinced himself that the rebels were broken down by day after day of hard fighting, never ending skirmishing, and hard marches. He decided he could throw three corps at them and break their lines for good.
In the center of Anderson`s position, in and around that ravine, Smith attacked the confederates...and his men were entering into the open end of the horseshoe...and what would become " a slaughter pen." Federal troops were cut down from triangulated fire on three sides. Men could be shot to pieces...some hit by bullets from the left, the right, and directly in the front simultaneously. One man saying that, in all the carnage he had witnessed in all the battles of the past two years he had never seen such destruction. Men stacked up in piles, the dead pinning down the wounded...and everywhere!
Evander Law said, " this is not war, it is simply murder."
Respects, Morris
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"You are a $70, red-wool, pure quill military genius, or the biggest damn fool in northern Mexico."
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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6281
Joined: 2004
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Cold Harbor
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Once again, Morris, you speak with authority and the fact that you’ve got family “ skin in the game “ adds a special dimension to the impact of your post.
The confederate soldiers seem to have developed an uncanny eye for the lie of the land, and as your vignette depicts, were quick to utilise this skill to deadly effect.
As one senior rebel officer emphasised, it wasn’t just the earthworks and the strength of the position that confronted the Yankee onslaught, it was the quality of the men who occupied those works.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6281
Joined: 2004
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Cold Harbor
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Quote: Hi Phil,
After the war Grant was to say he regretted his final assault, in the battle he had over twice as many casualties as Lee! I think this is where Grant got the title, "the butcher"??
Just what was the final casualties count??
Regards,
MD
Here you are, Dave.
For Cold Harbor, June 1-12, the Union casualties were recorded as 12,737. Of these, only 1,844 were confirmed as killed, but there were 1,816 missing who were, in the overwhelming majority, either killed or left to perish by inches on the battlefield. An additional 9,077 wounded were counted, and there were mortal cases among them, too. We might reasonably assume four thousand northern dead in all.
Probably sixty percent of the total Union casualties there were victims of the frightful repulse of 3rd June, most of them attributable to a half hour of sheer carnage as Morris has depicted.
On that day, the rebels might have suffered barely one tenth the number of casualties they inflicted .
There had been significant southern casualties in the overall battle, though, with a meticulous study revealing 5,237 between May 31 and June 12.
Of these, 1,050 were killed or died from wounds, and 1,123 were taken prisoner.
So if Grant claimed that he was winning the war of attrition, he was either very deluded or indulging in serious denial.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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morris crumley
Dunwoody
GA USA
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Posts: 3250
Joined: 2007
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Cold Harbor
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I will add one little tidbit to the events of this fighting.
Following the breakthrough of the confederate line on 1 June, the next day a single Napoleon gun, ( I think from Cabell`s battalion), had held the angle of the line as it was desperately defended, the gun wreaking havoc with canister and shell and masking the weakness of the temporary confederate line.. It held the sector. That night, treating the gun with the same regard afforded "the Gallant Pelham`s field-piece , Kershaw ordered that it was not to be abandoned as the shift to the new line was being made. Major Robert Stiles, adjutant of Cabell`s Battalion began the dangerous task of removing the gun and caisson in the cover of night. Stiles and a Lt. Callaway approached the line just in rear of Wofford`s men when they were confronted by Wofford himself who forbade them the use of their artillery horses. He proclaimed that there would be too much noise and in such close proximity to the Federals to go unheard. Wofford then ordered a detail of 20 the biggest and stoutest men from his command to go forward with them to retrieve the gun and ordnance by hand.
In Stiles account: "The gun was backed out of the little work, limbered up, and the ammunition chest replaced; some of the men took hold of the wheels and some of the tongue, and the piece was soon moving after us, almost noiselessly along the sassafras field towards Wofford`s line. In a few moments we reached our goal, returning our thanks to the General.....and the sturdy, gallant men they lent us....."
Respects, Morris
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"You are a $70, red-wool, pure quill military genius, or the biggest damn fool in northern Mexico."
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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6281
Joined: 2004
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Cold Harbor
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Morris,
That anecdote attests to the good relationship between officers and men, the “ hands on “ enthusiasm of the Major and the Lieutenant, the eager endorsement of their superior commanders, and the wholehearted support of the men in the ranks.
Grant, in the meantime, was opining that the enemy was disheartened and fragile in morale.
He was wrong.
Not that I seek to deny credit to Grant : he made perhaps the most courageous decision of the war in his “ Forward to Spotsylvania ! “ moment. A decisive episode, a turning point of epic significance.
He met his match, and the price paid in the lives and blood of his men was horrific.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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