The journey to Appomattox one month to go

The pieces are coming together as I begin a 3 session class about the Battle of Appomattox that after the first session brought me to tears. Tears for the men who died even one week before the key surrender (though of course not the end of the war). Hearing about the siege of Petersburg, seeing the maps that show the whole region from Richmond to Appomattox, having read and gotten to know through books and reenactments and symposiums and trips and songwriting some of the people and events over the past year. Amazing. I feel like I know these men and women somewhat and can feel the heartbreaking end as it draws near.

So why the tears. From the beginning, I, like many was intrigued by the brilliance and fighting spirit of General Lee and his corps of generals and soldiers.Yet horrified by the damage that was done in their names. So as I hear about Lee's words in a letter to to 'President' Davis that he received during St. Paul Sunday church services, that it was time to evacuate Richmond, I felt the sadness and defeat to come. 

I think it is absolutely necessary that we should abandon our position tonight…

Telegram from Robert E. Lee, in Petersburg, to Jefferson Davis, in Richmond, April 2, 1865. 
 (quoted in The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865, E.B. Long with Barbara Long 1971; reprint, New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), 663)

Jefferson Davis  abandoned the capital late that night on a train bound for Danville, Virginia.He was eventually captured on May 10  Description of Jefferson Davis' capture

Lee held on with 55, 000 men against the Union's 100,000 Army of the Potomac, the James and the Shenendoah as they thwarted his efforts to reach Danville in the south. These Federals created parallel lines in an attempt to outrun Lee's 4 converging lines of soldiers, calvary, wagons and even sailors unused to forced marches.

I can see the path now that I want to take over the course of the week that I'll be travelling. Richmond for a day, Petersburg and surroundings, then west to Appomattox stopping along the trail of defeat. Joined I hope by a friend during the week and then to the mountains west for the end.

The route of Lee's retreat and the battles between Richmond and Appomattox

Joined, or course, by thousands of others on the same journey. One month to go.

Richmond vignettes

Before the second of three classes on Appomattox campaign, I stop to pick up a library book called
Five Days in 1865, The Fall of Richmond. It is a series of historical/fictionalized vignettes taken from journals and memoirs that begins on the morning of  April 2.

The book opens with a bucolic description of a Sunday morning in Richmond as people attend church in their usual manner. But this would not be a normal day, as Jefferson Davis, receiving Episcopal communion for the first time, then  receives a note from Lees' messenger telling him to leave Richmond.

All around the city, soldiers receiving the news, get up from their pews and prepare to join their regiments. Throughout the afternoon, each short story highlights the drama of the day as people of all stations and walks of life make decisions about what to take with them, how to hide their valuables, or how to steal valuables from untended stores.
Whiskey barrels roll down the road, breaking into shards, with liquor spilling out onto the streets.

After all, nothing of what they have should go to the invading forces.

And then the order to burn, burn burn the remaining supplies and armaments. Dry tobacco goes up in flames, ships off shore are blown up, creating tremors throughout the town.

 Soon the city will be ablaze.

Yankee Doodle revisited

From a book of southern poetry and song.

Oh! say has the star spangled banner become
The flag of the Tory and vile Northern scum?

and

Yankee Doodle had a mind
To whip the Southern Traitors
Because they didn't choose to live
On codfish and potatoes
Yankee doodle doodle doo
Yankee doodle dandy
And so to keep his courage up
He took a  sip of brandy

Civil War Class: Events of 1865

The Civil War Institute holds classes at Manor College in Elkins Park that cover topics from Prisons of the Civil War to the Lincoln Assassination, and everything in between. This winter I've been taking a 6 part class on the Events of 1865 that has covered some of the less well known episodes of the war. We have learned about naval history-the last Confederate ship that was travelling around the globe well into June 1865 unaware that the war was over!  A fascinating talk about Sherman's march after his march to the sea where he tried to negotiate a surrender from Gen. Johnston 2 weeks after the events at Appomattox.  One week we learned about the 2 attacks on Fort Rich, the first badly planned and executed because of weather, incompetency and ego (sounds so familiar).

The two most disturbing weeks were about the explosion of the Sultana and the dreaded prison Andersonville

In this class I connected with someone from the Virginia trip, and have been talking more with some of the woman who like me, are just taking these classes because they are so interesting. It is good to hear them talk about 'not knowing anything' when they started, and now having some sense of satisfaction when they recognize names and which side they fought on.

I'd like to do a chart that has battles on top and elements that affected their outcome: weather, stragty, ego, competence level, dumb luck, timing, bad luck, rivalry, ambition, extreme bravery. There are probably other categories, but these seem to be the ones that come up again and again (especially egos, rivalry and dumb luck).

Song of Manassas Junction

Song of Manassas  Tobie Hoffman December 2014  One story from the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

  

A

We marched to Manassas Junction

D                                      A

To seize the depot there

         D                               A                  E     A

Our hungry men half naked and wanting

A                                                                   D                          A

Oh, the sight that greeted us brought out the Rebel cheer

 D                              A                                   E     A

As we were let  loose on the Federal bounty

D

Knock out the heads of the barrels fellas

A

Whiskey, brandy, and wine

D                                                            A                E

Streams of spirits run like water through the sands

D

Knock out the heads of the barrels , shouted

A

 Jackson  down the line

         E

Get down on your hands and knees

       E

drink greedily all you need

                    E                                       A

From the grounds of Mannass Junction

A

We pounced on oysters, biscuits, cheese,

D                          A

Sugar,  coffee, ham

         D                          A                      E                       A

Our gray and ragged uniforms a terrible sight to see

                    A                                                                   D                               A

What we stumbled on in the storehouses were splendid northern  blue

              D            A                                                E A

So we left  the buildings lookin’ like damn Yankees

Chorus

 

A

General Pope’s army closing in

          D                A

With 80,00 strong

         D                         A                             E     A

To finally beat the hide of Stonewall Jackson

                    A                                  

But we’d vanished from that blessed sight

        D                                 A

Ablaze as we marched off

  D                         A                         E A

Taking what we could without askin’

Chorus

A birthday to remember

General George Meade who lived on Delancey Street in Philadelphia celebrated his 199th birthday this year and as is the custom of the Meade Society, a party in his honor is organized on the exact day-December 31! The venue: Laurel Hill Cemetery, an historical and stunningly beautiful cemetery located on the hill above Kelly Drive. where he is buried with his family.
Unlike most of my other adventures, the day is cold, bitter cold, so even bundling up is not quite enough to keep warm from the wind.
An entourage of soldiers, representatives from veterans groups and women's groups and the rest of us in the riffraff form a parade to the grave sight accompanied by the civil war band. I wonder as I did at Gettysburg how they can play in such cold, but then again, those crazy football marching bands have the same problem. Liquor?

The ceremonies are delightfully managed as we see wreaths placed at the graves, hear the gunfire of the soldiers rifles, listen to music, and watch a short informative speech by an actual former navy captain who is, no surprise, playing a civil war naval captain. Dressed in his fancy naval plumed hat, he with his wife beside him play their parts well.

Although the celebration is my original motivation for coming out on a frigid December 31 afternoon, once again I have another 'Who knew?' moment. Who knew this cemetery was so exquisite? Who knew that just 10 minutes from my house is a hillside of such historical value? Now I do! Can't wait until spring to explore more of this Philadelphia treasure.

Gettysburg prayer

As the sun sets
And the hymnals play
Fairest Jesus
Amazing is the grace of God
Spirits rise
As the bugle plays
A song of consolation
Song of consolation


Please forgive us
We are sorry
For those who died on this and distant battlefields
We are sorry
Please forgive us
Sweet Jesus please comfort them still

As the sun sets
and the hymnals play