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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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This post might well complement the thread we've just been discussing on Franklin.
Franklin is up there with other great battles of the war ; who hears much about Iuka and Allatoona ?
These were both relatively small engagements, rather peripheral to the main events. Iuka was in the lead up to the Battle of Corinth - another underrated affair, IMHO - just as Allatoona was a preliminary affair in Hood's invasion of Tennessee. In both battles, the importance of supply lines and communications loomed large in the objectives of the attacking confederates
Both Iuka and Allatoona were remarkable for the severity of the fighting, and for the relatively high percentage of casualties suffered on both sides.
In both battles the rebels attacked, and were eventually repulsed. In both, the victorious yankees reported uncannily similar numbers of killed, and also claimed to have buried many more dead rebels than the evidence of confederate casualty lists allowed for. This was also to be the case at Corinth.
Here are the statistics as officially reported :
Iuka, 19 September 1862 : North - 141 killed, 613 wounded, 36 missing. Total : 790. Engaged : 4,500
South - 86 killed, 408 wounded, 199 missing. Total : 693. Engaged : 3,179
Allatoona, 5 October 1864 : North - 142 killed, 352 wounded, 212 missing. Total : 706. Engaged : 2,025
South - 127 killed, 456 wounded, 290 missing. Total 873. Engaged : 3,276.
The yankees reported more killed than the rebels ; yet the reported number of Confederate dead buried on the field was 263 at Iuka, and 231 at Allatoona.
What are we to make of these disparities ?
Incidentally, at Corinth the rebels reported their killed in action as 505 , while Rosecrans stated that 1,423 confederates were killed, counted and buried by his men.
As I wrote in my Franklin thread, how circumspect should we be with casualty figures and the claims of commanders ?
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Hi Phil
Your right about these battles getting little press, in fact, I thought Iuka was a battle in Finland? Kind of sounds Fin-ish doesn't it??
I had heard of the Battle of Allatoona, but you hear relatively little about it? You wonder if in this battle the high # of 290 missing at this late 1864 date were Reb soldiers going AWOL to take care of their desperate home situations??
What say you?
D
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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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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Maybe so, Dave....but in this instance I would look at the difference between the 127 confirmed killed in action in the Confederate casualty return and the claimed 231 buried by the Federals, and attribute the difference in large part to the 290 posted as missing.
You're surely right about the large number of AWOL in the rebel ranks : there were thousands departing for the very reason you state....but I think the post battle casualty returns were strictly assessed on the toll of the actual fighting, and that stragglers and deserters were excluded.
As I mentioned on the Franklin thread, the yankees reported only 189 killed in action, but there were well over one hundred additional killed who had been included in the 1,104 missing.
So say I !
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Reflecting on the defensive advantages enjoyed by the Union defenders at Allatoona, I have to say that I’m impressed with how well the Confederates performed when it came to the casualty exchange rate.
The yankees were well entrenched, with strong redoubts. There were two regiments of them equipped with repeating rifles. The numbers engaged did not afford the rebels anything like the advantage that we normally associate as the minimum for a successful attack : three to one being reckoned as necessary. In this case it was not even two to one.
What enabled the attacking southerners to inflict such damage on the defenders ?
I have noticed that there were episodes in the war when what seemed at first sight to be a good defensive position could turn out to be a death trap for the defenders : think of the Bloody Lane at Antietam.
I wonder if something similar happened to the yankees at Allatoona .
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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Gregory C. White
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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I'm embarrassed to admit I know so little about the Battle of Allatoona Pass, the site of which is just a few miles from my home. I know
there are some regimental/brigade monuments there.
I believe the old Blue & Gray magazine (now defunct) had an in-depth article on this overlooked battle. I checked Amazon Books and at
least 4 books have been published on the subject. The late Atlanta Campaign historian William R. Scaife authored one of the 4 books,
and actually resided on the battlefield.
Best Regards,
Greg C. White
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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.”
Sir William Wallace,
1280 A.D.
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Michigan Dave
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Phil,
With regards to the high casualties at Bloody Lane at Antietam. The History Channel's excellent series, "Battlefield Detectives" had an excellent program on that very topic. Their findings after walking the attack approach taken by the Yankees, towards that famous sunken road, was that the Rebs. had great fire ing lanes for most of the attack, but as the Union advance, reached a critical distance, there was a long protected advantageous dip in the terrain, above the sunken lane. Allowing the advancing Union Troops to pour murderous fire on the open Confederates position, while the Union troops were in a protected position! Hence the high casualties for the Rebs at the Bloody Lane!!
Try googling Battlefield Detectives, Battle of Antietam, watch the episode, if you can access it, if you can it will definitely be worth your while!
Regards,
D
BTW, I have visited Antietam, & that does seem to be the case, with regards to the Un even terrain, what a beautiful battlefield!
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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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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Greg,
It's only because I make it my business to study the casualty statistics that Allatoona caught my eye.
For one thing, the size of the casualty list is remarkable, given the small numbers of men involved. Then there is the rather shocking proportion of killed : 142 Union soldiers killed compared with 352 wounded is extraordinary in a war that usually entailed five being reported as wounded for every one confirmed as killed outright.
Does this entail an inordinate proportion of shots to the head ? Bear in mind that Corse, the Union commander, took a bullet that tore his cheek and removed an ear. It looks like the rebel sharpshooters were effective. Men who enjoy the protection of earthworks do pay a price in the incidence of head wounds.
I think that the confederates were also able to deploy some artillery to good effect : something that they lacked at Franklin.
More to come,
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Dave,
Yes, Antietam is a battlefield with a beautiful backdrop .
Regarding the fate of the rebels in the Bloody Lane, I reckon that underlines a sacred rule of seeking an entrenched position : always make sure that it zig zags, so to speak....never present the enemy with a chance to shoot at you from the sides, in a straight line, while you're stuck in a long ditch ! Two hundred dead rebels in a five hundred foot stretch of the lane attest that .
There are other instances of troops enjoying the advantage of an apparently strong defensive position coming to grief....I'll return with some examples.
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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The Railroad Cut on Day One at Gettysburg....that has to be one of the best examples. Mississippians had deployed there, and were able to inflict a lot of damage on the approaching Federals, but were themselves enfiladed and overwhelmed, paying a fearful price.
Allatoona was also defined by a railroad cut, with yankees manning redoubts on either side. The position held, aided by resolutely served artillery and a good deal of firepower emanating from repeating rifles. But it was desperate.
Artillery made a big impact on the battle of Iuka, with one of the yankee batteries suffering a unique loss as it was overwhelmed by rebel infantry in hand to hand fighting. I don't know if the rebels had any artillery support in the fight.
Iuka was a head on close quarters affair, more redolent of old fashioned Napoleonic warfare.
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Quote: Hi Phil
Your right about these battles getting little press, in fact, I thought Iuka was a battle in Finland? Kind of sounds Fin-ish doesn't it??
I had heard of the Battle of Allatoona, but you hear relatively little about it? You wonder if in this battle the high # of 290 missing at this late 1864 date were Reb soldiers going AWOL to take care of their desperate home situations??
What say you?
D
These names, Dave....it's all about Creeks and Greeks !
Iuka is an old Creek Indian name ; so is Allatoona. There are numerous places in the South with names inspired by Antiquity : Corinth, for example....a city state in the Ancient Pelopponese. The people who settled these new frontier states and territories were keen to endow their new world with reassuring names from the old. Who better than Ancient Greeks and Romans to lean on ?
This is a fascinating feature of the Civil War ; the names and their provenance suggest a mixture of inspirations. People looked to the Bible, Shakespeare and the Classical traditions of Antiquity ; they were almost literally weaned on it, as their speeches and proclamations show. And yet this was the most modern country in the world in so many respects. The influence of Creek, Cherokee and Seminole names also came to the fore. Think of Chickamauga. Right now, we might even evoke James Brown, and sing " Georgia on my mind "....a bit of a tasteless joke, given current circumstances !
I'll try and integrate the names, dates and numbers into another post on this thread later on today.
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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This is an ideal chance for me to indulge my interest while helping family.
With our country locked down, those of us who have “ support bubbles” are allowed to keep contact with specified children and lend assistance with child care. So here I am, sitting in supervision over my eleven year old grandson, who must conduct his schooling online while his mum and dad are busy earning their daily bread.
He’s doing well, and I’ll get to grips with my thread in the meantime.
The names associated with Iuka and Antietam harmonise with the surname French.
Samuel G French was the confederate commander at Allatoona . At Antietam, William H. French was the union divisional commander who conducted the first assault against the rebel line in and around the Bloody Lane.
Ironically, the rebel general had been born in New Jersey, while his yankee counterpart had been born in Maryland.
The fighting for the Bloody Lane was assuredly one of the most sternly contested struggles in the war’s bloodiest day. In this memorable and murderous encounter, French’s division suffered a casualty rate of 30.6%. Compared with Antietam, Allatoona is hardly a footnote in the history of the war ; and yet, French’s confederate division took casualties of 26.6% in this relatively obscure engagement. I think that might be enough on the numbers, and hope that I make my point.
As for Iuka, that has a singular parity with Antietam in terms of date, since it was fought just two days after Antietam. And exactly two years and one day after the Battle of Corinth, the Battle of Allatoona was fought.
Iuka, I think, sits nicely with Corinth, as does Allatoona with Franklin. Both were preludes to the main events of their respective theatres in two crucial periods of the war.
I want to cite Corinth because the very name of the place evokes the strange grip that Classical folklore had on the American people, more so in the South, and, it would seem, for Mississippians in particular. Did the southern soldiers like to see themselves as modern day Spartans ?
I never miss a chance to summon up the famous epitaph left by the Spartans at Thermopylae :
Go, Stranger, passing by,
And tell Sparta that here,
In obedience to her law, we lie !
An anecdote of the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam : a Union officer encountered a wounded Mississippian near the Dunker Church, and offered solace to his suffering foe, saying you fought well, and stood well.
Believe it or not, he received this reply :
Yes... and here we lie.
I don’t know where I’m going with this, but thanks for indulging me.
Tell Sparta !
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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Larry Purtell
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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From the Cleveland daily Leader.
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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First rate to have you pitching in here, Larry, thanks !
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
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Curiosity drove me to google “ Sparta Mississippi “.
I wanted to test my suggestions about the inspiration of Antiquity in the place names we see in the story of the Civil war.
It’s gratifying to report that there is a place called Sparta, an unincorporated community in Chickasaw Co., Mississippi . More to the point, its history records that it was a community at the time of the Civil War that contained two churches, a school and a post office. More excitingly, it was the recruiting ground for Co H, 13th Mississippi Regiment, that was inaugurated at the start of hostilities in 1861 and called itself “ The Spartan Band “.
My heart leaped when I saw that the regiment fought in the Dunker Church sector of the Antietam battlefield, and that 60 of the regiment were killed or wounded there, including several from Co H, “ The Spartan band “ !
The anecdote I alluded to in a post above might well be attributable to a wounded Mississippian from Sparta.
There, in obedience to his oath, he lies !
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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Gregory C. White
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Quote:Quote: Hi Phil
Your right about these battles getting little press, in fact, I thought Iuka was a battle in Finland? Kind of sounds Fin-ish doesn't it??
I had heard of the Battle of Allatoona, but you hear relatively little about it? You wonder if in this battle the high # of 290 missing at this late 1864 date were Reb soldiers going AWOL to take care of their desperate home situations??
What say you?
D The influence of Creek, Cherokee and Seminole names also came to the fore. Think of Chickamauga. Right now, we might even evoke James Brown, and sing " Georgia on my mind "....a bit of a tasteless joke, given current circumstances ! I'll try and integrate the names, dates and numbers into another post on this thread later on today. Regards, Phil
Phil, I believe you have your Georgians mixed up. Did you mean Ray Charles?
Greg
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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.”
Sir William Wallace,
1280 A.D.
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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Quote:Quote: Quote: Hi Phil
Your right about these battles getting little press, in fact, I thought Iuka was a battle in Finland? Kind of sounds Fin-ish doesn't it??
I had heard of the Battle of Allatoona, but you hear relatively little about it? You wonder if in this battle the high # of 290 missing at this late 1864 date were Reb soldiers going AWOL to take care of their desperate home situations??
What say you?
D The influence of Creek, Cherokee and Seminole names also came to the fore. Think of Chickamauga. Right now, we might even evoke James Brown, and sing " Georgia on my mind "....a bit of a tasteless joke, given current circumstances ! I'll try and integrate the names, dates and numbers into another post on this thread later on today. Regards, Phil Phil, I believe you have your Georgians mixed up. Did you mean Ray Charles? Greg
Apologies , Greg !
Ray Charles sang it twenty one years before James Brown released his version. I don’t know who wrote it .
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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Gregory C. White
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Quote:Quote: Quote: Quote: Hi Phil
Your right about these battles getting little press, in fact, I thought Iuka was a battle in Finland? Kind of sounds Fin-ish doesn't it??
I had heard of the Battle of Allatoona, but you hear relatively little about it? You wonder if in this battle the high # of 290 missing at this late 1864 date were Reb soldiers going AWOL to take care of their desperate home situations??
What say you?
D The influence of Creek, Cherokee and Seminole names also came to the fore. Think of Chickamauga. Right now, we might even evoke James Brown, and sing " Georgia on my mind "....a bit of a tasteless joke, given current circumstances ! I'll try and integrate the names, dates and numbers into another post on this thread later on today. Regards, Phil Phil, I believe you have your Georgians mixed up. Did you mean Ray Charles? Greg Apologies , Greg ! Ray Charles sang it twenty one years before James Brown released his version. I don’t know who wrote it . Regards , Phil
It was written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1930.
In 1979 it was adopted as Georgia's state song.
Greg
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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.”
Sir William Wallace,
1280 A.D.
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Phil Andrade
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Thanks, Greg.
Here I am, shooting forth about names and their provenance, and I make a few howlers.
That name Iuka, how is it pronounced ?
EYE-you- Ka ? EEEE-you Ka ? eye -YOU -Ka ?
It's always been an attractive feature of your civil war, these exotic names : Indian, French, British and, of course, the influence of Ancient Greek and Roman.
Reflecting on the " Spartan Band" - Co H, 13th Mississippi - I'm wondering if the wounded Mississippian in the Antietam anecdote might have hailed from Sparta, Mississippi. There was a school there, and in my mind's eye I see the children there being taught about the legends of Sparta. It would certainly be a ready made logo for promoting unit pride and enhancing local identity and kinship : something that was so profoundly important in the ranks of the armies, North and South. I imagine a badly wounded soldier of Co H replying to his chivalrous yankee captor and here we lie , because that's what he had been taught in that little school !
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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Gregory C. White
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Quote: Thanks, Greg.
Here I am, shooting forth about names and their provenance, and I make a few howlers.
That name Iuka, how is it pronounced ?
EYE-you- Ka ? EEEE-you Ka ? eye -YOU -Ka ?
It's always been an attractive feature of your civil war, these exotic names : Indian, French, British and, of course, the influence of Ancient Greek and Roman.
Reflecting on the " Spartan Band" - Co H, 13th Mississippi - I'm wondering if the wounded Mississippian in the Antietam anecdote might have hailed from Sparta, Mississippi. There was a school there, and in my mind's eye I see the children there being taught about the legends of Sparta. It would certainly be a ready made logo for promoting unit pride and enhancing local identity and kinship : something that was so profoundly important in the ranks of the armies, North and South. I imagine a badly wounded soldier of Co H replying to his chivalrous yankee captor and here we lie , because that's what he had been taught in that little school !
Regards, Phil
Phil,
I would not swear to the "correct" pronunciation, but I've heard Iuka pronounced eye-ooh-ka.
Here in Georgia, we have Coweta County. I've heard at least 3 different pronunciations.
We have Taliaferro County. We call it "Toliver".
Houston County is "how-ston".
For most people (all over) Gettysburg is pronounced Gett-ees-burg. The locals in Gettysburg pronounce it "Gett-us-burg".
We Americans can't agree on too much anymore !
Best Regards,
Greg
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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.”
Sir William Wallace,
1280 A.D.
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Larry Purtell
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From the Daily Delta, New Orleans Louisiana. September 30,1862
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Larry Purtell
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A list of casualties from the battle at Iuka. Not the best quality but interesting none the least. From the Daily Missouri republican. St Louis Missouri. September 30, 1862.
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Phil Andrade
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Larry,
Judges 15 : 8
And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter....
A closer look at that casualty list reveals a lot of wounds to the hip and thigh.
Good Lord, the Civil War lived up to its Biblical evocations, didn't it ?
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
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" Aim slow....shoot low boys!"
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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Larry Purtell
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Quote: Larry,
Judges 15 : 8
And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter....
A closer look at that casualty list reveals a lot of wounds to the hip and thigh.
Good Lord, the Civil War lived up to its Biblical evocations, didn't it ?
Regards, Phil
I thought the same thing. Hip, thigh and knee wounds seem to be most prevalent. Why?
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Gregory C. White
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Quote:Quote: Larry,
Judges 15 : 8
And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter....
A closer look at that casualty list reveals a lot of wounds to the hip and thigh.
Good Lord, the Civil War lived up to its Biblical evocations, didn't it ?
Regards, Phil
I thought the same thing. Hip, thigh and knee wounds seem to be most prevalent. Why?
Aim for the middle?
Greg
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“Any society which suppresses the heritage of its conquered minorities, prevent their history, and denies them their symbols, has sown the seeds of its destruction.”
Sir William Wallace,
1280 A.D.
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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6390
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Configuration of terrain, lack of cover, leaving men exposed and vulnerable to direct fire ?
Perhaps a single blast of fire caught men who were deployed in a bad place.
It suggests that the rebels knew their business.
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: 6390
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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The rebels surged forwards against a yankee battery, and the brave gunners stood their ground, inflicting gruesome punishment on the Texans who were fighting as dismounted cavalry.
The southerners were crammed into a ravine beneath a ridge. The yankee artillery ( 11th Ohio battery) was deployed on the ridge above. The gunners were supported by two federal infantry regiments - Indianans and Missourians - who made themselves conspicuous targets as they tried to keep the rebels away from the cannons. The Confederates were battle hardened, the Federals were green. One of the yankees heard a rebel officer telling his men to aim low, and the resulting fire smote the bluecoats hip and thigh, literally. Having the high ground does not always confer the advantage, apparently.
The battery was stormed and overwhelmed, and the yankees counterattacked and took further heavy casualties. The 11th Ohio battery suffered a loss of 19 killed and 35 wounded, a uniquely high casualty rate for artillerymen in that war.
This small but intense and vicious battle is worthy of more study. It has the hallmarks of a classic encounter.
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: 8092
Joined: 2006
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Phil,
I would imagine an attacking force overtaking a enemy battery would be extremely volatile towards its units! After experiencing it's wrath, perhaps that explains the plight of the 11th Ohio's Artillery, & their high casualties??
Just a thought?
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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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6390
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Yes, and a very legitimate thought, I would say.
Any soldier who metes out slaughter to his attackers, can expect scant quarter if his position is overrun .
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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Brian W
Atlanta
GA USA
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Posts: 1225
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Greg, please check your Private Messages. Sent you a PM several days ago about our local ACW area and interesting book.
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"Take it easy. But take it" - Tom Morello's mom.
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Larry Purtell
Little Meadows
PA USA
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Posts: 1745
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Here is a letter from Lt. Cyrus Sears of the 11th Ohio battery concerning their part in the fighting at Iuka MS.
From the Wynadot Pioneer. Upper Sandusky Ohio. October 3, 1862.
  
Cyrus Sears
26 years old.
Enlisted on 10/12/1861 at Bucyrus, Crawford Co., OH as a 1st Lieutenant.
On 10/27/1861 he was commissioned into OH 11th Light Artillery
He was discharged for promotion on 5/25/1863
On 5/25/1863 he was commissioned into Field & Staff US CT 49th Infantry
He was Mustered Out on 3/22/1866
Wounded 9/19/1862 Iuka, MS
Promotions:
Lt Colonel 5/25/1863 (As of 49th USCT Infantry)
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Phil Andrade
London
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Posts: 6390
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Thanks, Larry, what a wonderful article to post !
It really does testify to the fury and deadliness of this minor but exemplary battle ; as it does to the mettle of the men who fought it.
A cliché, I know, but doesn't it make you sad to reflect on the calibre of the men on both sides, and make you wonder what such qualities might have achieved if they had worked as hard helping humanity as they did trying to kill each other ?
A truism of all wars, but this one in particular.
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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Larry Purtell
Little Meadows
PA USA
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Posts: 1745
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Again from the Wyandot Pioneer. Upper Sandusky Ohio. October 17th, 1862
 
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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Michigan Dave
Muskegon
MI USA
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Posts: 8092
Joined: 2006
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Larry,
I didn't realize recruits were offered land?
Was this common? Anyone?
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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Dick Evick
Waco
TX USA
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Posts: 390
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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We're all aware of bounties offered in border areas but I'm not familiar with land offerings.
Dick.
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Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6390
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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Didn't the Ancient Romans reward their legionaries with grants of land at the expiration of their service ?
The recurring allusions to the Classical Antiquities come to the fore in Civil War folklore.
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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Larry Purtell
Little Meadows
PA USA
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Posts: 1745
Joined: 2004
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Iuka and Allatoona : small but bloody battles
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New of the fighting at Allatoona.
More news from the New York Herald. October 8, 1864
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"My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
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