The American Civil War Diaries (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter UKReb
- Start date
UKReb
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 2,436
Thanks for your kind comments and likes guys, always appreciated this end. The fight for Devil's Den continues.
4.15pm July 2nd 1863.
With crashing rifles, screeching shots, cheers and shouts everyman was now his own general shouting out commands to his colleagues. One Texan soldier would recall "..that Devil's Den tussle was more like Indian fighting than anything I experienced in the war"
Drawn up on the ridge were what remained of John Ward's brigade supporting Captain James Smith's 4th New York Independent battery. Ward had posted the 4th Maine on the other side of Smith's battery.
Ward did not have any illusions about holding his position for his men formed but a single line of battle- unsupported. In the ravine behind him- which led up to Little Round Top- was nothing but a small herd of horned cattle.
It was a difficult terrain to traverse- strewn with boulders ranging in size- by a Texan comparison- from that of a hogshead to a small house. But moving from rock to rock the Confederates slowly advanced up the ridge toward the Federal defenders
With a high pitched Rebel yell the co-mingled Texans and Georgians now charged racing toward the summit
As the heavy battle line of Confederates charged toward the Federal line the Federal commander now saw the end coming and quickly dragged his bloodied regiment northward along Houck's Ridge leaving three of Smith's guns to the enemy
The howling Confederates, leaping to and fro from boulder to boulder now controlled the abandoned ridge
With the Texas Lone Star banner proudly planted on the highest boulder Hood's Texans would hold the Devil's Den position for the next 22 hours. During that time Confederate sharpshooters fired atop LRT with telling effect dropping Union officers and artillerymen.
In a sense the fight at Devil's Den was a victory for the Confederates albeit they were unable to take LRT. But the cost had been high, most of the field officers of the Texas brigade were either killed or wounded. The hard and bloody fighting at Devil's Den gave it a hallowed place in American history that probably far exceeded its actual significance.
Late on the evening of July 2nd General George Meade called a council of war with his commanders at his headquarters, the Lydia Leister farmhouse. Ten of his generals were present. M.G. Warren, suffering a shrapnel wound to his neck remained seated as did General John Sedgewick. Meade's Chief of Staff M.G. Daniel Butterfield formulated three questions to ask the assembled generals
1. Is it advisable for this army to remain in its present position?
2. If the army remains shall it attack the enemy?
3. If retaining the defensive how long can we hold this position?
Butterfield proceeded by asking the most junior officer, John Gibbon, first. He replied
"We are in no condition to attack the enemy. Stay here and fight it out"
The other generals echoed Gibbon's sentiment and agreed to hold their ground and await Lee's attack.
Meade who had remained silent throughout the council now succinctly declared "Such then is the decision". He then looked at Gibbon-whose division held the centre of the Federal line-and said
"They attacked our right yesterday, our left today. If Lee attacks tomorrow he'll strike our centre"
To Be Continued
Reb
4.15pm July 2nd 1863.
With crashing rifles, screeching shots, cheers and shouts everyman was now his own general shouting out commands to his colleagues. One Texan soldier would recall "..that Devil's Den tussle was more like Indian fighting than anything I experienced in the war"
Drawn up on the ridge were what remained of John Ward's brigade supporting Captain James Smith's 4th New York Independent battery. Ward had posted the 4th Maine on the other side of Smith's battery.
Ward did not have any illusions about holding his position for his men formed but a single line of battle- unsupported. In the ravine behind him- which led up to Little Round Top- was nothing but a small herd of horned cattle.
It was a difficult terrain to traverse- strewn with boulders ranging in size- by a Texan comparison- from that of a hogshead to a small house. But moving from rock to rock the Confederates slowly advanced up the ridge toward the Federal defenders
With a high pitched Rebel yell the co-mingled Texans and Georgians now charged racing toward the summit
As the heavy battle line of Confederates charged toward the Federal line the Federal commander now saw the end coming and quickly dragged his bloodied regiment northward along Houck's Ridge leaving three of Smith's guns to the enemy
The howling Confederates, leaping to and fro from boulder to boulder now controlled the abandoned ridge
With the Texas Lone Star banner proudly planted on the highest boulder Hood's Texans would hold the Devil's Den position for the next 22 hours. During that time Confederate sharpshooters fired atop LRT with telling effect dropping Union officers and artillerymen.
In a sense the fight at Devil's Den was a victory for the Confederates albeit they were unable to take LRT. But the cost had been high, most of the field officers of the Texas brigade were either killed or wounded. The hard and bloody fighting at Devil's Den gave it a hallowed place in American history that probably far exceeded its actual significance.
Late on the evening of July 2nd General George Meade called a council of war with his commanders at his headquarters, the Lydia Leister farmhouse. Ten of his generals were present. M.G. Warren, suffering a shrapnel wound to his neck remained seated as did General John Sedgewick. Meade's Chief of Staff M.G. Daniel Butterfield formulated three questions to ask the assembled generals
1. Is it advisable for this army to remain in its present position?
2. If the army remains shall it attack the enemy?
3. If retaining the defensive how long can we hold this position?
Butterfield proceeded by asking the most junior officer, John Gibbon, first. He replied
"We are in no condition to attack the enemy. Stay here and fight it out"
The other generals echoed Gibbon's sentiment and agreed to hold their ground and await Lee's attack.
Meade who had remained silent throughout the council now succinctly declared "Such then is the decision". He then looked at Gibbon-whose division held the centre of the Federal line-and said
"They attacked our right yesterday, our left today. If Lee attacks tomorrow he'll strike our centre"
To Be Continued
Reb
Louis Badolato
Lieutenant General
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2005
- Messages
- 17,266
What he said!^&grin
M
MajorPoint
Guest
And what he said too
Seriously, I don't collect ACW but Mr Reb, these are tremendous photographs and a tremendous thread.
Do you do any other conflicts? Or just concentrate on the War between the States?
UKReb
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 2,436
And what he said too
Seriously, I don't collect ACW but Mr Reb, these are tremendous photographs and a tremendous thread.
Do you do any other conflicts? Or just concentrate on the War between the States?
Thank you MP for your comment
The ACW conflict is my primary collecting era but as a Brit I have come to the conclusion that I am a rare breed amongst UK toy soldier collectors. I have yet to locate another single countryman on or indeed off the forum who has any serious interest whatsoever in figures that represent the War between the States.
The "struggle between the North and South" (as our American cousins often tend to call it) has fascinated me for more years than I care to remember. Consequently, I thoroughly enjoy researching and then constructing -as historically accurate as I can- various scenes with added text that occurred during that traumatic event in the US some hundred and fifty years ago. I appear to have a small following amongst the froggers on here and I always appreciate any comments they post.
Further to your question I also have a reasonable collection of FIW and Alamo figures and you will find my efforts to depict these conflicts on this very board under the titles of:
Nous sommes touts Sauvages-1759
Deguello-The Fall of the Alamo
Thanks again for your interest.
Bob the UKReb
Bob: Your interpretations of the ACW as exemplified in this terrific thread are light years ahead of anyone both sides of the Atlantic. Fairly sure respected students of the ACW like Mike in Wisconsin and Chris in Kentucky as well as many others would concur. Hope you keep this thread going as collectors are being promised with additional ACW rollouts from WB and hopefully a few other manufacturers fairly soon.
M
MajorPoint
Guest
Thank you for the clarification Bob the UKReb. I shall certainly have a look at your 1759 and Alamo efforts.
In truth, I was wondering if you have ever done WW2 dioramas, as your techniques would transfer very well to my favourite collecting interest.
I can only dream of your talents applied utilising K&C Battle of the Bulge King Tigers, (and other Tanks), along with German Winter Soldiers.
Thank You
MP
Hi Bob,
I'm that other Reb in the North West of England. I have a collection of around 1000 Confederate figures. Unlike yourself I keep mine stored in cupboards and boxes. Excellent Devils Den by the way.
Jeff
UKReb
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 2,436
The Indignity of Invasion
Early morning July 1st 1863-Chambersburg Pike
"We are a band of brothers and native to the soil.......
..............Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star"
Singing and martial music brought Thomas and Hannah Kerchner out onto their porch
"What in blazes......" uttered Kerchner
Hannah Kerchner answered her husband "Good Lord those are rebels Thomas"
Indeed they were and to the couple it appeared the whole Reb army was descending upon them
Making their way to their front gate Hannah asked a young Confederate officer "What in heaven's name are you doing here?"
The officer curtly threw his reply over his shoulder "On the orders of General Robert E. Lee, Ma'am"
The couple were then addressed by a Confederate Colonel
"Good morning sir, Ma'am. Colonel Marshall, 53rd North Carolina, Pettigrew's Brigade, at your service"
Old man Kerchner snarled "Colonel, I hope you are just as polite when you meet General Hooker and his Union army"
"Ah! sir", said Marshall smiling, "I'm afraid your information has been superseded. General Hooker has been relieved of command of the Union army. May I just add that I do believe his dismissal had something to do with us at Chancellorsville. Your army's commander is now General Meade and when he surrenders I assure you he will be treated with all due respect in accordance with his rank. I bid you both good day"
To the Kerchner's the Confederate army seemed to stretch back miles down the pike. This was the second time the Rebs had invaded the North but this time it looked very much like they intended to stay.
Reb
Early morning July 1st 1863-Chambersburg Pike
"We are a band of brothers and native to the soil.......
..............Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star"
Singing and martial music brought Thomas and Hannah Kerchner out onto their porch
"What in blazes......" uttered Kerchner
Hannah Kerchner answered her husband "Good Lord those are rebels Thomas"
Indeed they were and to the couple it appeared the whole Reb army was descending upon them
Making their way to their front gate Hannah asked a young Confederate officer "What in heaven's name are you doing here?"
The officer curtly threw his reply over his shoulder "On the orders of General Robert E. Lee, Ma'am"
The couple were then addressed by a Confederate Colonel
"Good morning sir, Ma'am. Colonel Marshall, 53rd North Carolina, Pettigrew's Brigade, at your service"
Old man Kerchner snarled "Colonel, I hope you are just as polite when you meet General Hooker and his Union army"
"Ah! sir", said Marshall smiling, "I'm afraid your information has been superseded. General Hooker has been relieved of command of the Union army. May I just add that I do believe his dismissal had something to do with us at Chancellorsville. Your army's commander is now General Meade and when he surrenders I assure you he will be treated with all due respect in accordance with his rank. I bid you both good day"
To the Kerchner's the Confederate army seemed to stretch back miles down the pike. This was the second time the Rebs had invaded the North but this time it looked very much like they intended to stay.
Reb
mikemiller1955
Lieutenant General
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2008
- Messages
- 17,491
Bob...
love the title and short little story...
"The Indignity of Invasion"...
the building looks spectacular...
love the title and short little story...
"The Indignity of Invasion"...
the building looks spectacular...
REVWARBUFF
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2006
- Messages
- 1,968
You are a great story teller Bob! Love your work as always.
Another phenomenal scene!!
Mark
Another phenomenal scene!!
Mark