tvcwrt.files.wordpress.com · Web view09/09/2018 · “Cooperationists” believed slavery could be continued and managed within the existing Federal framework given the South’s

Tennessee Valley Civil War Round TableSeptember 2018 Newsletter

To Inform and Educate Since 1993Contents

President’s Message …..………. Page 2

Announcements

September 13, Thursday; Mr. John Sledge introduces Clio’s Confederates; the ladies that placed him on the right path..…….…. Page 3

Mount UP; Let’s Ride; Forest Defends Mississippi TVCWRT Excursion ……………….…………….…..…… Page 4

Huntsville Ballet and the TVCWRT ………………………………………. Page 5

Preservation Update by Former President Carol Codori……………………………………….. Page 5

Volksmarch Madison ………… Page 6

Bicentennial Marker Challenge .……………………….……………… Page 8

Board Reports …………………… Page 9

2018 Programs Membership

TVCWRT Features

Nooks and Crannies by Emil PoseyThe Free State of Winston …………………………..……….… Page 9

Book Reviews

Death, Disease, and Life at War; Civil War letters of Dr. James D. Benton Edited by Christopher E. Loperfido ……..………………………….. Page 14

Gabriel Rains & The Confederate Torpedo Bureau by W. Davis Waters & James B. Brown

Little RT Report by Arley McCormick Battle of Prairie Grove ………. Page 20

The TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War. It also supports the preservation of Civil War battlefields and landmarks. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: P.O. Box 2872 Huntsville, Alabama 35804. Questions/Comments: Newsletter Editor; Arley McCormick Page 1

Little RT Schedule …………… Page 20 Questions/Comments: Newsletter Editor; Arley McCormick

President’s Message

It is now two months without our President, David Lady. David is on sick leave and fighting the recurrence of cancer. Many may recall, several years ago he took a leave of absence when he was diagnosed and began the fight to defeat cancer. He won. This year David was being treated for shingles and as that dreadful affliction lingered he learned the cancer was back. But, with the resilience of a cavalry trooper, he is fighting back with his wife, Ellen, and other family members aggressively supporting. Currently, his family is optimistic but it is too early for the medical authorities to predict the outcome. Keep David and his family in your prayers as they struggle through this uncertain time. We will endeavor to carry on until David’s health is restored and he returns, hopefully, in the near future. David would certainly want to tell you that the next few months are going to be very busy and exciting for the Round Table. Huntsville’s first “History Month” celebration begins in October and we may see several new faces at our regular meeting. Also, in October, Madison’s new Volksmarching club is asking for volunteers to stroll the streets of old Madison in period garb/dress to add to their focus on Civil War skirmishes that enveloped their depot and Indian Creek. Both events are rehearsals for the State Bicentennial next year. And, it is time to join the trek to Mississippi with Nathan Bedford Forest (or, I should say, his stand in; Former President John Scales as guide.) Folks from as far away as Bristol, Tennessee are joining us; don’t miss the adventure. The Huntsville ballet is also seeking help from the Round Table and you are not expected to find a tutu but you may join the cast in period dress/garb or simply add an accent by joining the crowd. Another major event for all our members is the introduction, for discussion and consideration, of a new membership initiative designed to recognized special members, increase our financial standing, and pave the way for great speakers into the future. Keep David and his family in your prayers and join us Thursday for another Civil War adventure with John Sledge explaining the impact of the women in his life that shone a light on the right path.

Arley McCormick


TVCWRT Newsletter Editor

ANNOUNCEMENTS;

On Thursday, September 13; John Sledge presents Clio's Confederates: The Women who gave me my path. Mr. Sledge’s presentation will focus on his grandmother and aunt on my father's side, one in Mobile and one in Selma. One was born in 1889, one in 1894, so essentially, they were Victorian Southern women and bona fide steel magnolias as well. They knew people who witnessed the Civil War in Alabama first hand and their magical story telling ability inspired me to become a historian. John S. Sledge is senior Architectural Historian for the Mobile Historic Development Commission. He has a BA in History and Spanish from Auburn University, and an MA in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. He is the author

of six books, including The Mobile River, and These Rugged Days: Alabama in the Civil War. His forthcoming title is The Gulf of Mexico: A Maritime History, to be published by the University of South Carolina Press in the fall of 2019.

LET’S VISIT NICK’s RISTORANTE Nick’s Ristorante remains the #1 steakhouse in North East Alabama and now has the Best Chef in the Valley as voted in The Planet. Fred Forest (right) wins the night out at Nick’s.


Our friend Nick of Nick's Resturante

John SledgeMobile Historic Development

Commission

We Thank, Homewood Suites by Hilton, (714 Gallatin Street Southwest Huntsville) for their support for the Round Table.

In the event a scheduled meeting must be canceled, visit the website www.tvcwrt.org for a detailed update no later than 3:00 P.M. on the day of the meeting. A cancelation will only be for weather or if the Elks Lodge has an unexpected facility issue that requires closure. The board will not attempt to contact members.

It is time to sign up and pay up to defend Mississippi. The per person cost (double occupancy): $170 includes all bus expenses, water on bus, handouts, and breakfast on Sunday. Not included are other drinks at rest stops, lunches Saturday and Sunday, and supper Saturday. Single rooms are $40 extra. Hotel is Wingate by Wyndham in Tupelo, MS. Depart from Space & Rocket Center parking lot 7 a.m. Saturday October 27th, return Sunday around 5 p.m. Sign up began Thursday 14 June. See Beth or Kevin. Huntsville Ballet and the TVCWRT

There is still time to dust off the 19th Century Garb and attend or participate in the Huntsville Ballet is producing “The Letter”, written by Sullivan Ballou, in honor of the


http://www.tvcwrt.org/

Bicentennial of Alabama. Mr. Philip Otto, the artistic director, has received a grant from the Alabama State Council of the Arts. He is choreographing and producing a world premier ballet based on this moving story of a Confederate soldier’s unwavering love for his wife and his country. Believing this to be an honorable endeavor, the TVCWRT board approved a gift in support of Mr. Otto’s undertaking. Performances will be Friday, October 26 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 27 at 2:00 pm, Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, October 28 at 2:00 pm, at the VBC Playhouse. TVCWRT members are encouraged to participate in period costumes to greet guests. We could also use the opportunity to promote our club’s activities. Additionally, Mr. Otto is looking for musicians, specifically fife and drum as well as re-enactors. Anyone interested in participating should contact Beth Altenkirch at 256-513-1417.

Preservation Update; Provided by Carol Codori, former President of the TVCWRT

In late August the fabrication that will support the renovation of the Sunken Side walk began. Below are photos illustrating the design and work in progress for the new steel viewing box. It

will sit atop special tempered glass (funded by Historic Huntsville Foundation), placed at pavement level. Designer Berry Baugh Allen is working on the scroll work. It replicates the design on city benches and street light posts.

Installation is scheduled in mid-September by the Huntsville General Services staff. Watch for a special inauguration event to highlight the 19th Century sidewalk. Support from the Round Table is requested for


period garb extra’s (no tutu’s please), period musicians, vocalists and possibly other characters.

Volksmarching

Volksmarching is a family affair in Europe and a great time to socialize and visit while casually observing the beauty that surrounds us. The entry fee includes a token highlighting the day and is awarded to each marcher without regard to time; it is a stroll not a race. The first annual Volksmarch in the City of Madison is scheduled for October. The march will include the city cemetery, with enactors located beside key graves of Civil War soldiers. The Village Green along the railroad tracks where the old depot stood during the war now has a double-sided Alabama Historical Marker to tell of both battles fought in the immediate area. One of the battles occurred at that precise site. Data on all of it, the men and their families, the two battles, easily and readily available for any volunteer who would undertake playing a role of just a few minutes each time a group of the marchers stop to listen. The march will be held on the morning of Saturday, October 27, from 9 until around noon and start and conclude on the Village Green. and award ceremonies immediately afterward, including a chance for everyone to enjoy Old Black Bear Brewery and other establishments along Main Street.Women can also tell the tales about their "view" of the battle(s) and the war from the wife and daughter perspectives. Africa Americans are encouraged to educate the public on their roll and achievement in that particularly difficult time in our countries’ history.

AFFAIR AT MADISON STATION, May 17, 1864; (A Vintage Vignette by John P. Rankin, December 23, 2010) Both Civil War engagements fought in and around Madison occurred during unusual weather. The one of December 23, 1864, at Indian Creek where Old Madison Pike crosses the water and along the campus of Madison Academy at Slaughter Road, was fought on one of the coldest days of a severely cold winter. It was so cold that not only did the creek freeze over, but guns were of little use because nobody could use their fingers adequately to reload after firing. It was largely a saber fight. However, artillery and guns were the weapons of the day when much warmer weather prevailed for the conflict that occurred on May 17, 1864. Both engagements began at dawn as surprise attacks on the entrenched forces. The December Union attack started near the Indian Creek railroad bridge and continued west toward the town. The May Confederate attack began in the town and continued east along the tracks to the Indian Creek railroad bridge. May brought a The TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War. It also supports the preservation of Civil War battlefields and landmarks. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: P.O. Box 2872 Huntsville, Alabama 35804. Questions/Comments: Newsletter Editor; Arley McCormick Page 6

Confederate rout of Federal forces, whereas the December struggle was a Union rout of rebel forces. The December fight involved frozen water as a factor. The May fight involved liquid water as a factor, because it was raining so hard that the combatants could barely see their opposition. The Union accounts described the December event as a “grand victory”, reportedly involving far more rebels than could possibly have been present. Some of the official reports claimed that 200 Union troops attacked a rebel force of 600, whereas more realistic descriptions show that a maximum of 150 rebels were surprised by over 300 Federals. Yet, the official Union accounts of the May event term it as simply as an “affair” -- not even worthy of being called a battle. However, the May attack by the rebel forces included four artillery pieces and over 1000 troops against a force of about 350 Federals who occupied the town of Madison. Confederate reports are sparse from those last months of the war, but there are numerous documents of the engagement preserved in Union accounts. The most descriptive Union reports were filed by Colonel Gorgas of the 13th Illinois Infantry. He first told that a cavalry force of about 1,000 with four artillery pieces attacked on May 17 about 8 o'clock in the morning. When General John Smith reported the engagement a day later, he stated that Madison Station had been attacked at 8 a.m. from all directions by a large force, numbering about 1,000 to 3,000 men with four pieces of artillery. Gorgas recounted that “...we were obliged to fall back, after a severe fight, and, being completely surrounded, we cut our way through their lines, and fell back to the bridge and water tank, about three miles east. We formed and returned to this place (Madison), and, after skirmishing, drove them from the town. They captured several of our men, what number we are not able to say. Our camp and garrison equipage, together with all the regimental and company papers, are either destroyed or carried off. The depot buildings are burned, together with about 50 bales of cotton. (He said 70 bales in a later report.) The railroad is all right, telegraph lines cut. We are left here without rations, and but little ammunition.” A much more detailed account of the engagement was filed by Gorgas a day or so later. In it, he specified that the artillery consisted of “four 12-pounder howitzers”. He wrote that the attacking force was under the command of Colonel Josiah Patterson and included “two regiments of mounted infantry”. He blamed the successful surprise upon local citizens guiding the rebels to the locations of his five pickets, who were then overwhelmed before they could sound the alarm. In fact, subsequently the Union occupiers arrested Madison residents Dr. Richard Matthew Fletcher, Edward Betts, and James Harvey Pride. They were taken into Huntsville to be tried and hanged as spies for complicity in the event. After gallows was


constructed, a recently-transferred and remotely-located but friendly senior Union officer who knew that Dr. Fletcher had compassionately treated Federal soldiers during the occupation years came to Huntsville and had the men released.

Bicentennial Marker Challenge

One of the missions of the Huntsville Madison County Historical Society is to coordinate and promote the 125+ historical markers in Madison County. In support of that mission, we have developed the Madison County Marker Challenge which encourages residents and visitors to explore the County’s history by visiting these markers during the Bicentennial. Seven marker trails are planned. The first two trails, located in downtown Huntsville, are completed along with smartphone apps and downloadable trail maps that guide participants from marker to marker, provide additional historical background information, and track their progress. Certificates are electronically awarded to anyone who successfully completes a trail. We plan to release the other five trails throughout the next year. The Society would like to take advantage of the upcoming History Month (October) to increase the visibility of the Marker Challenge and other Historical Society activities. We are planning a booth in one or more of the public activities scheduled for downtown in October and provide trail maps, lead escorted tours, and familiarize people with the apps. Participants that annotate visiting a minimum of 80% of the markers in a given trail can print a certificate from their home computer. Participants that visit a minimum of 80% of markers in Madison County may pick up a coin from the Early Works gift shop on Gates Street downtown Huntsville. Additional information about the Marker Challenge is available at http://hmchs.info/mkrs .Maple Hill Commentary Stroll; October 21st; The Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table is invited to participate in the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll. Dress in period garb, chat with the crowd and market the advantages of learning about the Civil War with the Round Table.


http://hmchs.info/mkrs

Quotes from General Robert E. Lee

“I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”

“Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.”

“The Education of a man is never complete until he dies.”Board Reports

Programs; 2018 programs as provided by Acting Programs and Field Trip Coordinator John Scales

Dates Presenter Program

11 Oct; Greg Biggs “Atlanta Campaign Logistics” 8 Nov; Janet Croon, “The War Outside My Window”, The Membership; submitted by Membership Chair Kevin Rodriguez; our membership stands at 133 including families and students.

TVCWRT Features

Nooks and Crannies (formerly The Posey Position)

The Free State of Winston by Emil Posey

When Alabama seceded from the Union, the citizens of Winston County declared their intent to remain neutral, earning themselves a reputation that endures in the nick-name “the Free State of Winston.” What was that all about?

Standing in front of the Winston County Courthouse in Double Springs, AL is the statue "Dual Destiny" depicting a half Union and half Confederate soldier. (left) (Reckon anyone will want to pull this one down? Perhaps cut in half?)

Settlement of Alabama followed navigable rivers: the Tennessee, the Al-abama, and the Tombigbee. In 1860 there were just under 1 million Al-


abamians, 55% free and the rest slave. The population spread along these vital rivers and as described by John Sledge, “Fewer than 50,000 [free or slave] resided in towns. In fact, only seven cities were listed in the 1860 census—Florence, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Marion, Montgomery, Selma, and Mobile. By far, Alabamians were a rural people, their world was the planta-tion and the farm…Slaves could be found in every corner of the state, but unsurprisingly their numbers were concentrated on the best farmland… Slave numbers in the hill counties… like St. Clair and Winston counties, were thin. Black Belt total were staggering by comparison. Dallas, Marengo, and Greene Counties all counted significant slave majorities, approaching 80 per-cent. Isolated Alabama River planters and their families lived in a sea of black humanity and, as secession loomed, keenly felt their vulnerability.”

Alabama’s Black Belt region is part of a larger, geo-graphical Black Belt region that stretches from Texas to Virginia. Originally, the term referred to the exception-ally fertile black soil that encouraged early pioneers in the 1800s and 1830s to settle Alabama and construct the network of cotton plantations that supported half of Al-abama’s enslaved population. During this time, the Black Belt was one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful regions in the United States, and in Alabama, its commerce elevated Montgomery, Selma, and Cahaba into some of the most affluent towns in the nation.

Counties highlighted in red are historically considered part of the Black Belt region. Counties highlighted in pink are sometimes considered part of the region. Slave owners in Alabama were always a small percent of the state’s popu-lation, yet they had the loudest political voice since slaves by far were the single largest financial asset of property, constituting almost 50% of the total wealth of the South in 1860. “In Alabama, 33,730 slaveholders had a direct, economic stake in keeping the 437,271 slaves working to produce 42 per-cent of Alabama’s 1860 per capita income. In addition, … some nonslave-holders shared this economic tie to slavery… their families – the learned pro-fessions, the lawyer, the doctor, preacher, teacher, editor, merchant, me-chanic – all professions, trades, and employments, because the slave agricul-tural interest, the only one developed, paid them incomes, and they gave to the towering monopoly their allegiance.” Some two-thirds of Alabamians in The TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War. It also supports the preservation of Civil War battlefields and landmarks. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: P.O. Box 2872 Huntsville, Alabama 35804. Questions/Comments: Newsletter Editor; Arley McCormick Page 10

1860 did not own slaves or live in the household with a slave owner, and they composed a majority of Alabama’s 113,871 voting age population. Win-ston County in 1860 was one of the freest of counties in Alabama, in terms both of actual number of slaves and the percentage of total county popula-tion. Still, since most of the state’s slaves and thus most of the state’s wealth was in the Black Belt, as the Black Belt went, so eventually did the rest of Alabama. It is easy to visualize how the rise of the plantation/slave-owning sector diverged socially and geographically from the subsistence farmer sector, as well as the concomitant divergence of political power and agendas. That diver-gence did not, in itself, lead directly to secession, however; given that (a) cotton was the principal source of export wealth in Alabama (as in the Cotton Belt in general) and (b) the reliance on slaves to make that agrarian sector so suc-cessful, protection of the institution of slavery would seem to have naturally led to the decision for secession. Yet, it was not that simple. The final leap to secession needed a catalyst. In Al-abama, that catalyst was William Lowndes Yancey. Yancy, an Alabama lawyer deeply involved in politics and known for his “unexcelled oratorical abilities as a spokesman of Southern interests’” was one of the Original Secessionists, or Fire-Eaters. For years Fire-Eaters pro-moted secession as the only real defense against slavery’s demise. * John Brown’s unsuccessful raid on the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859, an effort to spark a widespread slave rebellion in the South, was the spark Fire-Eaters awaited. The raid exacerbated fear in the South – fear of slave rebellions and of general abolition, and thus fear of the imminent loss of the Southern way of life and the lifeblood of its economic wellbeing. Such fears, of course, were not prevalent in the subsistence farming sector. They didn’t rely on slaves; in fact, they looked at slave-owners as the “Establish-ment” of its day – maintaining political and economic power to the detriment of the common folk. The political lines were drawn, and via crafty political maneuvering in the months leading to Alabama’s secession convention (Jan-uary 7, 1861), Yancy and his Secessionists led Alabama to the Confederacy.

* “Secessionists” were adamant that Southern states, Alabama included, should leave the Union as the only way to protect the Antebellum South’s cul-ture and economy. Secessionists tended to be from the professional class,


William Lowndes Yancy

particularly lawyers. “Cooperationists” believed slavery could be continued and managed within the existing Federal framework given the South’s politi-cal and economic strength relative to the north; but, if secession proved nec-essary, then it should be by a group of states at the same time. “Unionists” opposed secession, believing instead that the Union should be maintained.

The contrast be-tween the slave-owning/plantation sector of the popu-lation and the non-slave-owning/sub-sistence farmer sector can be seen in the distribution of votes for seces-sion. Notice the trend line from west-central Al-abama northeast-wards through east-ern Tennessee and

on up into northwestern Virginia. The "Republic" of Winston, present-day Winston County, Alabama, was one of several places in the Confederacy where disaffection with secession was strong.* In Winston County, this opposition be-came violent and had long-lasting political conse-quences —deep enough to generate a legend after the war that the county seceded from Alabama. * In 1860, Winston County was larger than today (see map at right—1860 boundaries in black, overlaid on modern boundaries in white), encompassing the west-ern part of today’s Cullman County, with the remainder of Cullman County included in Blount County. The “Free State of Winston” is sometime depicted as en-compassing today’s Winston, Cullman, and Blount Counties, along with the northeastern corner of Walker County.


Winston County was originally formed from part of Walker County in 1850 and was named Hancock County, before it became Winston in 1858, named after John A. Winston, the fifteenth governor of Alabama. It is located in the hilly terrain and steep-walled gorges of northern Alabama, which together with poor soil and unpredictable climate made subsistence farming, rather than large-scale cotton planting, the mainstay of Winston's economy. More-over, its shallow soil was unsuitable for plantation-style agriculture, thus the county was never home to many slaves. The 1860 census lists only 3,450 white residents in the underpopulated county, and just 14 slave holders with a total of 122 slaves. Winston's residents were mainly poor farmers who viewed the Confederacy with suspicion, fearing it was meant to maintain the political control of the wealthy planter class. Census records reflect that the county had among the lowest total number of acres of farmland and the least cumulative cash value of farms in the state. In the 1860 election, the majority of Winston County's voters supported Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge for president, perhaps because they

saw Breckinridge as the political heir of Andrew Jackson, a hero to many of the county's residents. From the begin-ning of the war, though, Winston County's inhabitants were strongly Unionist. Charles Christopher Sheats, a 22-year old Winston County schoolteacher and ardent Union-ist, was elected by an overwhelming majority to represent the county at Alabama's secession convention in January 1861. There, he refused to sign Alabama's ordinance of secession, even after it had been passed by a vote of 61 to 39. Sheats became so vocal in his opposition that he

was finally arrested. On his release, he became a leader of a pro-neutrality group. Later, he would become an open supporter of the Union and spent most of the war in prison. In the first months after secession, many Winston Unionists formed home guard companies to defend themselves against Confederates. In addition, Unionists elected as officers in many of the county's militia units refused to take the oath of office, preventing them from drilling and entering Confeder-ate service. “That feeling ran high was evidenced by the fact that Yancey was burned in effigy in Lawrence County.”


Christopher Sheats

Winston earned its reputation as a Unionist "free state" during a large in-formal gathering of Unionists from Winston and surrounding counties, a crowd estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000 people met from numerous north Alabama counties. One early local histo-rian gives the date as July 4, 1861, at Looney's Tavern, north of present-day Ad-dison, whereas other sources suggest a later date, perhaps as late as early 1862, also at Looney's Tavern.* According to the earlier account, the Unionists passed three resolutions. The first commended Sheats for his staunch opposition to secession. The second denied Al-abama's right to secede but declared that if Alabama had that right, Winston County also had the right to secede from Alabama. The third resolution de-clared that those present desired to fight neither the Union nor the Confeder-acy and requested to be left alone by both sides to "work out our own politi-cal and financial destiny." Although the second resolution affirmed the right of the county to secede from Alabama, it did not actually declare Winston's secession. Nevertheless, one of those present reportedly said, "Oho! Win-ston secedes! The Free State of Winston!"

* The first performances of “The Incident at Looney’s Tavern” were staged in a shopping center parking lot in 1987. Initially intended as a one-time-only production by the organizers of the Winston County Tourism Free Stat Festi-val Committee, it was such a success that the theatre was built. The play was designated as Alabama’s official state drama in 1993. However, the pro-gram was discontinued in the 2000’s and other than a limited encore in 2016 by the Winston County Young Actors Guild held in the Double Springs Middle School gymnasium, the drama is no longer produced.

Many supporters of the Confederacy volunteered for Confederate service at the beginning of the war. Confederate Home Guards in the county were poorly disciplined and often used their uniforms as excuses to settle old grudges. The Union men responded by forming their own irregular bands, and by the end of the war Winston County had been largely devastated by its own people. The county's Confederates held a meeting of their own on No-vember 30, 1861. They petitioned Gov. John Gill Shorter to suppress the


https://www.alabamapioneers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Looneys-Tavern.jpg

Unionist spirit pervading the county, to require all of the county's residents to take the Confederate loyalty oath, and to order the county to provide 250 Confederate soldiers. Shorter responded by issuing writs of arrest for those in the county who were actively disloyal to the Confederacy and also de-manding that militia commanders who would not take the oath of office re-sign. Although Winston County's Unionists wanted to be left alone, the govern-ments of the Confederacy and of Alabama did not oblige. The hill-country Unionists soon faced Confederate con-scription beginning in April 1862. The government in Richmond imposed manpower quotas on the individual states. Every able-bodied white male between the ages of 18 and 35 was subject to military service. Each state was required to produce a certain number of men for the Confederate armies. If a state’s quota wasn’t filled by volunteers, the men must be con-scripted. In the hill counties of the Southern states, including north Alabama, volunteering fell far short of the numbers required. Frustrated at the refusal of these “tories” to see the light, Governor Frank Shorter of Alabama sent conscription parties, most composed of Home Guards, into the northern counties with leave and license to coerce their reluctant neighbors into the Confederate army. To refuse meant jail at the very least, and, quite possi-bly, death. Many of the pro-Union Winstonians enlisted in the Union Army's new 1st Al-abama Cavalry Regiment, United States Volunteers, formed in Huntsville and Memphis in October 1862 and commanded by a New Yorker, George E. Spencer. While the regiment would play a heroic part in the war, it generally did so outside of Alabama. * A few of the county's residents, including Bill Looney, served the Union Army by helping Unionists escape to the safety of Union lines. In July 1862, Col. Abel D. Streight led a detachment of Union troops into the hills to gather more recruits for the Union Army. The Unionist farmers who fled into the woods and to the Union Army to avoid the Confed-erate draft could not work on their farms. Hence, the county's residents had difficulty growing enough food. Confederate impressment agents worsened The TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War. It also supports the preservation of Civil War battlefields and landmarks. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: P.O. Box 2872 Huntsville, Alabama 35804. Questions/Comments: Newsletter Editor; Arley McCormick Page 15

Natural bridge was a gathering point for Unionists

matters by taking food and livestock from the county to feed the Confeder-ate army.

* See http://www.1stalabamacavalryusv.com/1sthistory.aspx unit history.

Winston County itself was suffering from its own internal war, producing a number of atrocities as both Unionists and Confederates committed acts of robbery, vandalism, and even murder against their former neighbors. One notable instance was the murder of probate judge Tom Pink Curtis by a band of Confederate horsemen who were looking for salt left in Curtis's charge by the Alabama state government for distribution to the poor. Unionist farmers who fled into the woods and to the Union Army to avoid the Confederate draft could not work on their farms. Hence, the county’s residents had diffi-culty growing enough food. Confederate impressment agents worsened mat-ters by taking food and livestock from the county to feed the Confederate army. In the later years of the war, both Union and Confederate raiders swept through the county. Confederate Captain Nelson Fennel led an unsuccessful raid into Winston in June 1863 to seize deserters and draft-dodgers. Lt. Col. W. L. Maxwell led a Confederate expedition in April 1864 into the county for a similar purpose, but the rugged terrain hampered his efforts. Union colonel William J. Palmer led a raid through Winston County in December 1864 and January 1865. While in the county, his force won a skirmish with a body of Confederates and liberated a large number of Unionist conscripts. Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson led a major Union raid through the county in March and April of 1865. It was so bad that Confederate General Leonidas Polk, “knowing that his troops were as liable as Union soldiers to be bushwhacked in some parts of the district, tried [in the spring of 1864] both the carrot and the stick to round up deserters. He first followed the widespread practice of offering an amnesty period for deserters to rejoin their regiments…he then ordered the arrest of all deserters, conscripts, and armed Unionists. Anyone who re-sisted, especially if ‘banded together,’ should be executed ‘upon the spot.’ Portions of Alabama regiments were reassigned to the state to break up ‘rob-ber bands’…” After the war, considerable tensions remained between Winston County's Unionists and Confederates, leading to occasional violence. The county's Unionism led to Republican Party dominance of local politics. After the Civil


War, Winston County became a bastion of the Republican Party in Alabama, in sharp contrast to the overwhelming support for the Democrats in the rest of the state. It is believed by many that the state retaliated against the county by splitting up its state Representative districts into multiple sec-tors, which was a huge economic blow to the county. That would have crippled the area politically in that its state Representatives would have had little voter base in the county and, thus, little reason to spend money there. This may account, at least in part, for why in 1877 the eastern por-tion of the county became part of the newly-formed Cullman County. (The remainder of Cullman County was drawn from the western portion of Blount County and the northeastern corner of Walker County.) The “Free State of Winston” was an idea, declared in spirit if not in real-ity; manifested in action, but held captive by the hard grip of secessionist politics. The people of Winston County were rugged, tough and hardy who had their own vision of political freedom. In the end, they were neither “free” nor a “state”. Emblematic of all in the South caught in the events nei-ther wanted nor escapable, they rode the ragged edge of an epic cultural and political eruption.

Post Script: State of Nickajack Winston Country wasn’t the only Alabama region to resist secession. There also were meetings in Lawrence and Franklin Counties and a serious discussion between many north Alabama representa-tives to form a new state which was to be called "Nickajack". The threats never materialized, but the talk was serious enough to gain the attention of some politi-cians in the state.

A preposterous proposition? Compare the map above with the Secession vote map at the beginning of this article, and note that West Virginia did, in


The Proposed State of Nickajack

fact, break away from Virginia – a state as steeped in legend and tradition as any state. And it didn’t stop there— State of Scott, a similar secession-resisting area in North Tennessee Searcy County, Arkansas, Jones County, Mississippi.

Secession was not clean, popularly or geographically. Lots of layers.Many thanks to David Lady and Arley McCormick for their valuable guidance and editorial support. Special thanks to Geneva (Posey) Jordan for her inspiration and guidance with this piece. Geneva is part of my branch of the Posey family tree that hails from Winston County. A version with source notes is available upon request. –Emil (b. Haleyville, Winston County, Alabama, 1948)

Book Reviews

Death, Disease, and Life at War, The Civil War Letters of Surgeon James D. Benton, 111th and 98th New York Infantry Regiments, 1862 – 1865, by Christopher E. Loperfido, 139 pages, Savas Beatie, 2018, a Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table Review by Arley McCormick.

This book was originally published in 2011 as, A Surgeon’s Tale: The Civil War Letters of Surgeon James D. Benton, 111th and 98th New York Infantry Regiments, 1862-1865 and Dr. Benton captures not only the soldier’s life in camp but brigade movement, general engagements and his perceptions of events. The author precedes Dr. Benton’s observations with more expansive discussion of the events that surrounded the Doctor’s experience. The Army leadership struggled with the exact structure of medical service support for the entire war and the Mr. Loperfido illustrates the changes in unison with Dr. Benton’s observations. For those interested in Civil War medicine there is

much to learn and for those who have an interest in how the Army was organized and elements of support were structured to maximize success and reduce the staggering loss of life during engagements will find ample food for thought and debate.


Frequently, the memoirs of soldiers on the line illustrate the frustration of rumors becoming a daily source of information the results of which is a source of some truth but mostly fiction. Mr. Loperfido adds to the understanding of the impact of medical support, structure, and management in the Union Army throughout Dr. Benton’s experience.

Gabriel Rains and the Confederate Torpedo Bureau, by W. Davis Waters & Joseph Brown, 168 pages, Savas Beatie, 2017. Tennessee Valley Round Table Review by Arley McCormick

What you don’t know about torpedoes Gabriel Rains can teach you. A West Point Graduate and wounded at Seven Pines this soldier found his calling after recovering from his wounds and assigned to Richmond, Virginia to head up the Torpedo Bureau for the Confederacy. If you don’t know much about the Confederate Navy this is a good introduction to one of the advances in war technology, he designed the first modern mechanical and electrical fuse for land mines and his technology supported the defense of Mobile, Charleston, Savanna and other ports on the Confederate sea coast. The 168-page volume may not contain all you ever wanted to know about torpedoes of the Civil War but

its difficult to clearly identify what is missing. It is an easy quick read and clearly illustrates a topic that is often over looked by Civil War enthusiasts yet addresses a topic, land mines, that is clearly a diplomatic nightmare in todays military environment. The authors adequately address all the issues of design, subterranean shells, and do not skirt the controversy associated with one of the most terrifying inventions of war. Even if your not a Navy enthusiast it is worthy of your attention.

Little Round Table Report August 23, 2018: by Arley McCormick

The Battle of Prairie Grove December 7, 1862 discussion was led by Larry Byrd and he talked us through the leader’s backgrounds, terrain, units, and tactical assessments. The Union General James G. Blunt was assigned the task of removing Confederate resistance from Northwest Arkansas. He was engaged by Confederate General Hindman at Prairie Grove and while


the Confederates appeared to have the numerical and tactical advantage they managed to fight the battle to a stalemate. David Lady reports; … “the battle is nothing, but the Union campaign, principles, and consequences (The Confederate Army in Arkansas disintegrated after the battle and General Hindman was sent away while the Federal Army moved up the Arkansas River to take Little Rock and forever become the dominating military force in Northwest Arkansas.”-sealing the fate of Northwest Arkansas. The most spirited threads that followed the LRT meeting, over the next

week, centered on the Colt Revolving rifles used by Union Troops. Mark Hubbs reports; “I think most Colt Revolving rifles were purchased by states instead of the Federal Governments. They provided great firepower (at least for 5 shots) but were generally unpopular due to inconsistent accuracy and the horrible gas escape at the cylinder-barrel junction. The escaping gas burned the

forearm if it was left exposed.”

TVCWRT Little Round Table Discussion Schedule, 2018The Civil War west of the Mississippi river, 1861-62, a seven-part series

27 September_ Fred Forst: The New Mexico Campaign and the Battle of Glorieta Pass.25 October _John Allen: The Sioux Indian War in Minnesota, 1862.13 December_ Mark Hubbs: Technology and the War; The most important new weapons of the American Civil War.

Thank You! Mr. Mann, your spirited, insightful, and humorous presentation regarding Alton Military Prison and other topics were stimulating and impressively detailed. At left Mr. Mann is receiving the TVCWRT Certificate from John Scales former President of the Round Table.


The TVCWRT Board of Directors

David Lady, President Johnathan Creekmore, Secretary and Website ManagerJohn Scales, Former President, Field Trip Coordinator Edwin “Ed” Kennedy, Communications OfficerBeth Altenkirch, TreasurerLee Hattabaugh, Deputy TreasurerRobert Hennessee, Preservation OfficerKevin Rodriguez, Membership OfficerArley McCormick, Newsletter Editor

ADVISORSJohn A. Allen, Former President and founder, Little Round TableCarol Codori, Former PresidentJohn Mason, Former PresidentKent Wright, Former Programs OfficerMark Hubbs, Former Preservation Officer and co-founderApril Harris, Academic Outreach Advisor

STAGE CREWEmil Posey, Former Vice PresidentMike SosebeeLin Turner


Documents

tvcwrt.files.wordpress.com · Web view09/09/2018 · “Cooperationists” believed slavery could be continued and managed within the existing Federal framework given the South’s