November 1, 1863 According to Abbott, “there has been some pretty hard fighting done here since we moved our camp and there is cannonading going on nearly every day!” Abbott’s regiment is camped out in Chattanooga, TN, which later in the month would see a few significant battles. One was the Battle of Lookout Mountain, occurring on November 24, 1863. Abbott, while not knowing that a battle would happen there in three weeks’ time, makes reference to this site. He informs his family that the Confederates had set up a battery at the very top of Lookout Mountain and they were continuously “pounding away at us nearly all the time…” Clearly, even weeks before the actual battle, little skirmishes were breaking out in this area. Nicknamed the “battle above the clouds,” the Battle of Lookout Mountain itself was one of the key battles in securing Chattanooga for the Union, along with Missionary Ridge. The Union capture of the mountain helped to break apart the Confederate siege of Chattanooga. For a few months leading up to this point, Confederate troops had set up camps on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge just outside of the city. The Union forces scaled the mountain, taking advantage of fog to cover their advance. The Confederates had roughly 1,200 men facing 12,000 Union soldiers, as they had assumed their position on the mountain would give them a significant advantage. However, this was not the case, as they ended up leaving their camp later that day. With the Union victory at Missionary Ridge the next day, these Union victories proved to be extremely beneficial to the Union army as it gained access to the Deep South, making way for General Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign later in the war. Like I said before, this letter was written about three weeks before the Battle of Lookout Mountain. I thought it was cool that Abbott mentioned there was already some early signs of battle almost a month in advance and decided it wouldn’t hurt to summarize the battle anyway. It’s not one that I had ever heard of since, while it was still important, it isn’t one of the large-scale battles mentioned in your average history class. Works Cited: The History Channel: This Day in History. ”Union Troops Prevail at the Battle of Lookout Mountain.” http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/-battle-of-lookout-mountain (accessed January 31, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Chattanooga.” http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chattanooga.html?tab=facts (accessed January 31, 2014). Photo Credit: "Battle of Lookout Mountain." wikipedia.org - The image is an 1889 lithograph of the battle
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August 13, 1863 Abbott writes to Roe and laments the fact that Roe hasn’t been receiving his letters as of late. Today’s letter is the fifth one Abbott has sent to his brother since July 4. He gives a quick overview of what he wrote about in his previous letters, since Roe evidently has not been able to read any of them. One of the fights he mentions participating in was the Battle of Hoover’s Gap. The Battle of Hoover’s Gap started on June 24, 1863. The leading Union officer was Major General George H. Thomas and his Confederate counterpart was Major General Alexander P. Stewart. According to the Civil War Trust website, Hoover’s Gap was the “decisive engagement of the Tullahoma Campaign.” Indeed, “The Battle of Hoover’s Gap secured the Union wedge between the Confederate forces and the city of Chattanooga, compelling the Southerners to fall back to and eventually abandon the city.” A fun fact about this battle is that it was one of the first times the “Spencer” rifle was used in battle. These guns could fire twenty rounds/minute compared to the typical muskets, which fired two or three rounds per minute. Having reliable weaponry clearly was a major advantage in battle, as General Thomas himself commented that he hadn’t expected “to get this Gap for three days.” The number of casualties is unknown though it is considered a Union victory. Clearly, this was one of the more important battles that Abbott took part in. However, he doesn’t elaborate at all on the battle, merely stating that he was there. This seems to be a fairly typical tendency of Abbott’s. He’ll mention a battle in a rather offhand fashion and later on, that battle will turn out to have been really significant. Though it is true that we have the advantage of hindsight, so we know as we read about the battles he mentions which turn out to be big deals. Obviously, Abbott would have had no idea at the time that he was in a major conflict. That’s one of the many reasons why this collection is so important. We’re really getting the chance to look at the Civil War as it progressed and was happening, rather than looking at it from a contemporary perspective. Works Cited: Heritage Preservation Services, CWSAC Battle Summaries. “Hoover’s Gap.” http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn017.htm (accessed January 10, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. ”The Battle of Hoover’s Gap: The Road to Chickamauga.” http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chickamauga/chickamauga-history/the-battle-of-hoovers-gap.html (accessed January 10, 2014). February 28, 1865 The most interesting part of today’s letter is when Abbott mentions everyone is in “cheerful spirits and joyous over the good news from Sherman and the Coast” and they are optimistic “that the Confederacy is about wound up.” This statement is referencing William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” which occurred towards the end of 1864 and greatly affected the final months of the war. After reaching Savannah, Georgia, completing the “March” on December 21, 1864, Sherman began his movements towards the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. According to the North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial website, Sherman’s troops would join with Ulysses S. Grant’s at Richmond, thus ensuring “final victory for the Union by crushing Confederate general-in-chief Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.” Before this, however, Sherman would make his way to the Carolinas, with the Goldsboro, North Carolina as his final destination. This is what Abbott more than likely is speaking of in the letter. In early February 1865, Sherman began his campaign through the Carolinas, starting with South Carolina. The Union soldiers “laid waste to much of the state, reaching its capital, Columbia, which was captured by February 17, highlighting the effectiveness of the campaign. General Lee ordered General Joseph E. Johnston to take control of forces to combat Sherman’s march as he moved from South to North Carolina. Sherman’s advances showed just how ineffective the Confederacy’s resistance tactics were. Eventually, Sherman’s troops, combined with Grant’s, would succeed in squashing Robert E. Lee’s Virginia army. It’s cool that soldiers were aware of others aspects of the war. That might seem like a strange statement but think about it: efficient and timely methods of communication were essentially nonexistent, so it isn’t so unrealistic to be surprised at the fact that soldiers were able to receive news about other areas of fighting. This is especially true if you consider that regiments were constantly moving around. It also makes me wonder if they also knew just how significant the events they were hearing of were. Obviously, today we can look back and know what battles were important and why. But during the war, it had to have been difficult to gauge what battles had been effective and were having the most impact on the war as a whole. Abbott seems to recognize that Sherman’s successes definitely were problematic for the Confederacy’s chances of victory but was he equally aware of the significance of battles such as Gettysburg or Antietam? * the map included with this post is from the Library of Congress website. By following this link, you can view it in more detail: http://www.loc.gov/resource/g3871s.cw0090000/ Works Cited: North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial (North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources). “Sherman’s March through North Carolina.” http://www.nccivilwar150.com/history/sherman.htm (accessed January 29, 2014). Prairie Public. “Map: Sherman’s Savannah and Carolinas Campaign.” http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/war/map18.html (accessed January 29, 2014). Photo Credit: The Library of Congress April 5, 1865 Today is the last letter Isaac Mark Abbott wrote during his time as a Civil War soldier. Written four days before General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, Abbott definitely is aware that the end of the conflict is near, as he mentions that the regiment had heard news of Grant still being “in pursuit of Lee’s fleeing and demoralized Army!” He notes that his fellow soldiers are extremely excited about the prospect of the war ending. Additionally, he comments that he learned Grant and the Union had captured Richmond, the Confederate capital, and taken 20,000 prisoners. On April 3, the Union army took over Richmond, flying the United States flag from the city’s capitol building, thus reclaiming the city for the United States. Union General Godfrey Weitzel wired a message to Grant, saying, “We took Richmond at 8:15 this morning. I captured many guns. The enemy left in great haste. The city is on fire in two places. Am making every effort to put it out. The people received us with enthusiastic expressions of joy.” Winning Richmond was really the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. Since this letter marks the collection’s conclusion of the war, I thought it would be good to recap how the war would end over the course of April/May 1865. April 9 saw the surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, followed throughout the next month by every main Confederate Army. President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, cast a somber light over the happy occasion of the war being over. On May 10, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured, marking the last key component to resolve. Roughly 617,000 Americans had been killed and the Southern way of living completely decimated. In the years following the war, the United States entered a period of Reconstruction, in which the country began piecing itself together again. Following the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in January 1865, which officially abolished slavery, Congress in June 1865 passed the Fourteenth Amendment, granting citizenship to everyone born in the country. A few years later, in 1869, the Fifteenth Amendment was created, guaranteeing “that no American would be denied the right to vote on the basis of race.” On these foundations, the United States began restructuring itself. Works Cited: McPherson, Dr. James. The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “A Brief Overview of the American Civil War: A Defining Time in Our Nation’s History.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/overview.html (accessed January 27, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Abraham Lincoln, President.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/abraham-lincoln.html (accessed January 27, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “The Fall of Richmond, Virginia.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/warfare/richmond.html (accessed January 27, 2014). Prairie Public. “The Civil War and Emancipation.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967.html (accessed January 29, 2014). May 11, 1863 On this date, Isaac Mark Abbott wrote home telling his family that Roe has been fairly sick for a few days and that he was heading to the hospital later that day. He assured them, however, that they shouldn’t worry as he was confident that Roe was not dangerously ill. He also talks about how he has developed into a decent cook, especially as he has been cooking for forty-two men. PBS published an interesting article about soldiers cooking during the Civil War. Apparently, the biggest issue regarding cooking was the fact that the men had little to no experience in terms of preparing food. This is why I think it’s neat that Abbott was so proud of himself for learning how to cook. He was super pumped that he was able to make meals not only for himself but for his fellow soldiers as well. In an era in which men typically did not do domestic chores, it’s interesting to see how men had to adapt and learn these different skills. Abbott struggled to find things to write about, as he reported that nothing new had happened there. He does mention that the camp received word that day that Richmond had fallen, leading to celebration in the regiments. He stated, “I hope the report is true for I always thought that whenever we got Richmond the Southern Confederacy would soon play out!” This is again an example of the optimism that seemed to have been felt when a victory appeared imminent. Since this letter was written in 1863, just under two years were left of the war, so clearly Richmond didn’t succumb to Union forces at this time. Works Cited Avey, Tori. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), "The History Kitchen: Civil War Cooking: What the Union Soldiers Ate." Last modified September 21, 2012. Accessed November 12, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/civil-war-cooking-what-the-union-soldiers-ate/. (Information and photo credit) December 4, 1862 One of the more historical references Abbott has made thus far occurs in today’s letter when he mentions reading the President’s Message. He calls it “the best thing I have ever read.” Indeed, the 1862 State of the Union address served to reinforce the Emancipation Proclamation, delivered only ten weeks previously. Lincoln presented it in a far more moderate way, though still emphasizing that once freed, slaves would remain so forever. This is definitely an interesting tidbit that he has mentioned. It’s not every day that we can learn about the major speeches from this time period from someone who was actually around at the time. Abbott also reasserts his strong belief that soldiers deserve to receive high quality letters. In his eyes, a soldier should receive around two replies for every letter he has written. He has found, however, that people seem to think the opposite is true: he should be the one writing long letters, whereas soldiers should be satisfied by their relatives “scratching a few careless lines.” Again, letters were really the only way to keep in contact with loved ones. Naturally, Abbott would expect to receive letters that had a sufficient amount of thought and information put into them. It looks like the regiment will be on the move again sometime soon, which will be a nice change of pace for the group! Works Cited: History Channel, "This Day in History." Accessed November 12, 2013. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincolns-state-of-the-union-address. Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln October 25, 1864 Abbott spends a good portion of today’s letter reminiscing about the past. As it is a letter to Roe, much of it revolves around their time in the army together (remember, Roe is no longer with the regiment). What I think is important to look at in this letter however, is winter camp, as it is something mentioned by Abbott. While he is in Bridgeport, Alabama currently, Abbott explains that in his last letter, “we were at Decherd, Tenn., fixing to spend the winter there” before being relieved by an Ohio regiment and subsequently being sent on. I still thought this would be a good time to explain winter encampments, since the winter months were approaching at this time. According to the Civil War Trust, “Civil War winters were particularly trying and monotonous for the armies.” Imagine how stir crazy Abbott must have gotten in the winters, seeing as he was fairly bored during the warmer months! The soldiers built huts out of whatever materials were available, including things such as mud, trees, and their existing tents. Typically, a chimney would be included in an attempt to keep the huts warm. These camps were constructed to resemble villages, including streets and churches, though clean water was scarce and waste removal techniques inadequate. To deal with the boredom, activities were planned, like drilling, card games, and church services. There were some positives however, as winter camps “allowed soldiers an opportunity to bond, have a bit of fun, and enjoy their more permanent camps.” Since they couldn’t really engage in battles or be ordered to move to a new location, winter really does seem to have been a time for soldiers to unwind a little bit and step away from the realities of war. * for more photographs of winter camps, follow the URL listed in the works cited! Works Cited/Photo Credit: The Civil War Trust. "Winter Encampments: The Long and Frozen Road." Last modified 2013. http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/warfare/winter/winter-encampments-1.html December 24, 1863
This letter focuses solely on quite a lengthy battle/set of skirmishes with the Confederates. It had been quite awhile since Abbott last wrote his family, so he had a lot to say today. It appears safe to say that the series of battles that Abbott describes were the Chattanooga campaign, which consisted of battles at places like Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, and Lookout Mountain. It’s hard to say if this is exactly what Abbott’s regiment was engaged in since Abbott doesn’t mention many dates in this letter, but the places mentioned and the time-frame are consistent with Chattanooga. Abbott uses a variety of battle terms throughout this letter, so I thought it would be pertinent to define some of them, since they’ll more than likely be used later in the collection. One such term is “battery,” which I took to mean a collection of artillery that is set up, such as cannons, guns etc. Indeed, according to dictionary.com, a battery is “two or more pieces of artillery used for combined action; a tactical unit of artillery, usually consisting of six guns together with the artillerymen, equipment, etc.” Artillery is “mounted projectile-firing guns” that are either “mobile or stationary,” and are different from smaller arms. This gives a nice visual of what Civil War battles consisted of in terms of weaponry. At one point, Mark talks about advancing on the Confederate lines and then having to stop and literally lay down to avoid being hit by the constant shelling from the other side. Miraculously, no one near Abbott was injured, though shells landed close enough to spray dirt over them. This definitely was a highly dangerous and while no one near Abbott was hurt he does reveal that during the battle, Roe was shot. Abbott received permission to find him and sit with him, discovering that Roe was in quite a bit of pain but thankfully not killed. Abbott says he sat with Roe until after midnight, when he helped him into an ambulance. This is one of the more personal incidents that has affected Abbott thus far in the war. It doesn’t get much more personal when your brother is shot. However, in this letter, we don’t learn of Roe’s fate. Abbott tells his family that he has not heard from Roe since he put him in the ambulance, which was at least before December 3. Yet, Mark emphasizes that he is, despite everything, in good health and happily reassures the family that he is “still above ground.” Again, here is evidence of Abbott’s enduring positivity. It’s interesting to read about how battles were conducted during this time period. Almost all of them were given specific names, a trend that, for Americans, stemmed back to the Revolutionary War and extended to at least World War II. The nature of battles has changed immensely in modern times. Take, for example, the Iraq War. 100 years from now, students are not going to learn about specific battles that took place during the war because that simply is not how battles work anymore. That is very different from today, when we can name the significant battles of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. With the increase in technology, the way in which soldiers engage in warfare is always changing significantly. Abbott describes the Union regiments lining up and getting themselves organized with the Confederate troops clearly visible. During this time, soldiers were fighting more hand-to-hand combat. They had to personally engage the enemy, as there were no such things as tanks or machine guns. Really, the two different sides would line up opposite one another and have at it. This is unheard of today, especially since, for example, the recent wars the U.S. has been involved in over the past decade haven’t been against foreign armies- they’ve been more engaged with non-state actors, such as terrorist groups. Works Cited: Dictionary.com, LLC, "Dictionary.com." Accessed January 8, 2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/. |
AuthorTessa Wakefield, student intern at the Concordia College Archives, assembled these blog entries in 2013-2014 for the Isaac Mark Abbott Civil War Letters Collection. The posts summarize the content of the letters, interpret Abbott's experiences and place them in the larger context of the Civil War. Archives
March 2014
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