1863 (Part III)
SAMUEL KIRKMAN MARCHES TO JACKSON AND BACK AGAIN
On Sunday, July 5, 1863, the day after the surrender of Vicksburg, the 9th, 13th and 15th Army Corps were given marching orders. Their objective was to move east toward the city of Jackson in an attempt to destroy General Joseph E. Johnston's rebel army.1 Historian Victor Hicken describes the ordeal of this march:
"The march of the 13th Corps, now commanded by [Major General] Ord, was conducted under the most uncomfortable conditions, intense heat and dust." 2-A William Wiley also recalled the difficult conditions they faced:We were marched at a very rapid pace as Gen Sherman was trying to steal a march on Gen Johnson before he learned of the fall of Vicksburg. As the day got very hot and the road terribly dusty and water was very scarce and the boys being rather soft on the march after lying in the trenches around Vicksburg so long.2-BJoining the 13th Army Corps in the assault on the city of Jackson were the 9th Corps and the 15th Corps.3 Private William Bentley described what happened next:We were within easy range of the rebel guns, and the shells would crash through the trees and burst over our heads ... Our lines were drawing closer and closer around the rebel works, and we expected soon to have them surrounded on all sides. General Johnston, fearing such a result, took the precaution to evacuate during the night of [July] 16th ... On the morning of the 17th, troops were marched in and formal possession was taken of the city.4On Sunday, July 19th, two days after the surrender of Jackson, Mississippi, the 77th Illinois was ordered south of the city to tear up a section of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad. After discovering that the task had already been completed by other troops, they were ordered to return to Vicksburg, which they reached on July 23rd.5-A William Wiley described the regiment's reaction to their frequent marches:Our boys had got to calling themselves Gen Smith's greyhounds on account of being run about so much and on this march whenever Gen Smith would come in sight they would set up the most unearthly howling like a pack of hounds. At one time the Gen rode up to our Col and asked him what the h--ll his men meant by howling that way whenever he came near. . . He put us through all the faster from that to Vicksburg and the harder he marched us the harder we yelled.5-BOn July 24th, after almost six months of incessant toil, the soldiers of the 77th Illinois were finally allowed to rest and recuperate. Private Bentley described the easy life they had long awaited:We had company drill at seven o'clock in the morning, and dress parade at six o'clock p.m. The rest of the time, we enjoyed life as best we could.6-ADespite the light duty, the soldiers had to endure another hardship -- the heat and humidity of a southern summer. William Wiley remembers,. . . the weather was terrible hot. I think I never experienced such hot and oppressive weather as we had. While there we had to fix up frames and cover them with brush to make shades to lay in during the heat of the day. . . We spent a good deal of our time when not too terrible hot in visiting the city and the surrounding fortifications, our old battle grounds etc and visiting friends and aquaintances in other regiments.6-BTheir "life of enjoyment" would last approximately one month. On July 28th, soon after their return to Vicksburg, the 13th Army Corps was reorganized, with Major General Ord still in command.7 The Divisional organizations were as follows:1st Division, commanded by General C.C. Washburn
2nd Division, commanded by General Francis J. Herron
3rd Division, commanded by General Alvin P. Hovey
4th Division, commanded by General Stephen G. BurbridgeThe 77th Illinois was assigned to the Second Brigade of the 4th Division. With them were the 97th Illinois, 130th Illinois, 48th Ohio, 19th Kentucky, and the Mercantile Battery of Chicago. General A.J. Smith, who had been Samuel Kirkman's division commander for over seven months, was sent north to assume new duties. Their paths, however, would meet again the following year.8
On August 7, 1863, the Corps was transferred to the Department of the Gulf. Their new corps commander was Major General Cadwallader Colder (C.C.) Washburn. In a rather complicated course of events, General Washburn would command the 13th Corps from July 28th to September 14th. General Ord would re-assume command from September 15th to October 19th. General Washburn re-assumed command for one week (October 20th to October 25th), after which time, Major General Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana commanded the Corps from October 25, 1863 through January, 1864.9
On Tuesday, August 25th, the regiment boarded the steamer "Atlantic" for Carrollton, Louisiana (a suburb of New Orleans) to participate in an August 29th grand review before Major General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks. General Banks, a politician-general from Massachusetts, had recently completed a successful campaign against Port Hudson, Mississippi, south of Vicksburg.10 In the spring of 1864, General Banks would lead his Union armies (including the 77th Illinois) on one of the most unfortunate debacles of the war -- the Red River Campaign.
On September 4th, an even more impressive review (consisting of 15,000 troops) took place before General Banks, General Grant, and Adjutant General Thomas.11 The July/August Muster Records for Company K showed that Samuel Kirkman was present for all these activities.12
MEANWHILE ... THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA
Contributing to the downfall of Vicksburg was the fact that a powerful Union army prevented Confederate forces located in the middle part of Tennessee from moving southward to assist the defenders of Vicksburg.13 That Union army, commanded by Major General William Starke Rosecrans, had its own objectives in mind. In August of 1863, General Rosecrans brought his 80,000 man Army of the Cumberland to the Tennessee River in an attempt to capture the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Historian William Glenn Robertson explains his motivation:
That city was important because of its rail lines, its mineral resources, and its position astride a railroad pathway through the Appalachian Mountains into the South's heartland... Defending Chattanooga was the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg and 50,000 troops.14On September 18-20, 1863, these two armies clashed in what would become the largest battle in the western war, the Battle of Chickamauga. The battle was decided by a Union blunder late in the morning of September 20th. General Rosecrans, acting on unverified information, ordered Union troops along their front line to close a gap in their formation -- a gap that didn't exist. General Rosecrans' order created a real gap in the Union line, and Confederate troops took full advantage of this mistake by storming through this break in the line. Federal units on either side of the hole crumbled and fled for their lives. Only the brave fighting by soldiers under Major General George Thomas (who was known thereafter as the "Rock of Chickamauga") kept the Union army from being annihilated. Although the battle was a major Confederate victory, it was not fully exploited in the days that followed, and Confederate General Bragg would be severely criticized for his inaction.15
A disorganized and demoralized Union army retreated to Chattanooga, with General Bragg's Confederates in pursuit. Instead of attacking the Union army, however, General Bragg decided to conduct a siege in an effort "to cut off Union supplies and oblige the Federals to either surrender or abandon Chattanooga." 16
Realizing the importance of Chattanooga, President Lincoln ordered heavy reinforcements to that city, including 20,000 troops from General Sherman's 15th Corps and a similar number from two different army corps stationed with the Army of the Potomac in Virginia, commanded by Major General Joseph Hooker.17
Although none of my three soldiers fought in the Battle of Chickamauga, Job Benjamin fought in the Battle of Chattanooga that took place two months afterwards. However, before that could happen, Job Benjamin first had to be returned to his regiment after a one-year absence.
JOB BENJAMIN IS RETURNED TO THE ARMY
As I described earlier, Job Benjamin deserted from the Union camp at Helena, Arkansas on August 10, 1862.18 Unfortunately for Job Benjamin, seven months later (on March 3, 1863) the U.S. Government created the Provost Marshal General's Bureau to enforce the conscription of soldiers and apprehend deserters.19 On July 22, 1863, this newly created bureau caught up with Job Benjamin in Sylvania, Ohio. He was arrested and subsequently turned over to the Provost Marshall in the 13th Congressional District of Ohio.20 From there, he was apparently transported to Cairo, Illinois and turned over to the Provost Marshall of the 10th District of Illinois. Records show his subsequent transport from Cairo to Memphis, Tennessee on or about September 3, 1863.21 On September 18, 1863, Job Benjamin rejoined his unit, which was camped at the railroad bridge along the Big Black River, about 20 miles east of Vicksburg.22
THE PENALTIES FOR DESERTION
Historian James Robertson described the severity of the problem of desertion:
At the beginning of 1865, over 420,000 soldiers North and South were absent from their commands. A sizable percentage of those absences was justified for one reason or another, but the majority of them were not. Since the chances were about 3 to 1 that a deserter could make a successful escape from the army, disgruntled soldiers took advantage of both the opportunities and the odds.23No other army transgression had such a wide variety of punishments imposed than that of desertion. Historian Irvin Bell Wiley describes this inconsistency:Early in the war, punishments were amazingly light, often not exceeding the forfeiture of one to three months pay ... Penalties became more severe after the first year or two of conflict, but even then deserters occasionally drew relatively trivial sentences ... Penalties ranged from death, imprisonment from one to five years, or being branded with a letter 'D'.24Lesser punishments included confinement to the guardhouse (often no more than a guarded tent), marching about the camp carrying a log or a bag of sand, digging stumps, or performing extra duties.25-A Charles Willison, a private from Job Benjamin's 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, mentioned three other soldiers from the 76th Ohio who had deserted two days before Job Benjamin's departure. Seven weeks later, they were returned to the regiment. Willison describes their punishment:After the inspecting officer had concluded his duties and before the regiment was dismissed to quarters, four men convicted by court martial were brought before it under guard. Three of these had been tried for desertion and one for insubordination. Their crimes and sentences were read to them in the hearing of the regiment and they were drummed in disgrace out of camp, one deserter to be taken to the military prison at Alton, Illinois, to work out the term of his enlistment and forfeit all pay from August 8, 1862, the date of his desertion. The other two deserters were sentenced to hard labor for six months and to forfeit $10 of each month's pay for that period.25-BWhen Job Benjamin was returned to Company C of the 76th Ohio Infantry, he faced the possibility of a general court martial and certainly the disrespect of his comrades. His regiment had fought at Chickasaw Bluffs, Arkansas Post and Vicksburg without his presence. There is no way to know if and how Job Benjamin was punished upon his return. Perhaps his only punishment was the "cold shoulders" turned his way and the general humiliation directed at him by his fellow soldiers.
In addition to whatever punishment he received, Job Benjamin owed the government money for one French rifle musket ($16.79), one knapsack ($4.50), one haversack (32 cents), one canteen (37 cents), and transportation from Cairo to Memphis ($8.30).26 It is not clear if, when, and how this money was repaid. Chances are he kept his equipment, and therefore owed the government only for the transport.
JOB BENJAMIN AFTER HIS RETURN
It is nearly impossible to determine how Job Benjamin was treated by his equals and superiors upon his return to the 76th Ohio and what duties he was subsequently asked to perform. The regimental records show only bits and pieces of pertinent information. One fact is clear. Sometime between Job Benjamin's return in September of 1863 and his injury in the Battle of Atlanta in the summer of 1864, he was restored to full duty.
One possibility is that Job Benjamin was not restored to full duty until after February of 1864, when the War Department issued new orders which gave army commanders the power to restore to full duty those deserters whose service would be beneficial to their unit.27
A more likely possibility is that Job Benjamin was restored to full duty very soon after he was returned to his regiment in September, 1863. Company muster rolls indicate that Job Benjamin was present for duty at the September/October muster and the November/December muster.28 On January 23, 1864, he was detached from his regiment to perform some unspecified duty at their winter camp of Paint Rock, in northern Alabama.29 In March of 1864, he was detailed to perform guard duty on an unspecified railroad.30 These notations seem to indicate routine duties of winter camp life, suggesting that Job Benjamin may have been accepted back into his regiment's normal routine rather quickly. With his regiment on the verge of a major Union movement into Tennessee, his superiors may have felt that they needed every man they had. My story will continue under this assumption.
JOB BENJAMIN MOVES NORTH TOWARD TENNESSEE
On Wednesday, September 23, 1863, Job Benjamin's 1st Division of the 15th Army Corps, now commanded by General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, embarked at Vicksburg for Memphis on September 30th, and on October 11th, it moved from Memphis by railroad to Corinth, Mississippi. The Company C Muster Roll for September/October, 1863 showed Job Benjamin to be present for duty.31 During the months of October and November, their division led the forward advance, constantly skirmishing with the enemy in northern Alabama and Tennessee.32 General Grant describes the difficulties their division encountered along the way:
The distance they had to cover was 330 miles through a hostile country ... guerilla bands infested the country and [much of the] South's cavalry was still in the west.33-AHigh water levels made river crossings difficult, further delaying Sherman's troops. Charles Willison, a Private in Company I, described the extreme hardships they faced:As we neared Chattanooga the conditions were indescribably horrible. Troops and teams were being rushed to that center with the resultant congestion of the roads. Rains were constant, the muddy roads almost impassable, cut up and seemingly bottomless... Then, too, as we neared Chattanooga, where Grant's army was in a partial state of siege with his line of supplies largely controlled by the enemy, our accumulating reinforcements had to suffer with them the scarcity of food.33-BSherman's troops finally arrived in the vicinity of Chattanooga on November 20, 1863.34
JOB BENJAMIN AND THE BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA
Company C -- 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Major Willard Warner) -- 1st Brigade (Brigadier General Charles Robert Woods) -- 1st Division (Brigadier General Peter Joseph Osterhaus) - 15th Army Corps (Major General Francis Preston Blair, Jr.), until Nov. 23, 1863; temporarily assigned to combined army corps (Major General Joseph Hooker) -- Army of the Tennessee (Major General William Tecumseh Sherman).35
On October 17th, President Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as overall commander of all Union forces between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Almost immediately, Grant decided to replace General Rosecrans with General George Thomas, who had saved the Union army from a crushing defeat at Chickamauga. He also assigned General Sherman to succeed him as commander of the Army of the Tennessee.36 Grant himself arrived at Chattanooga on October 23rd, immediately recognized the severe shortage of supplies reaching the city, and established a vastly improved method of getting food and supplies to the troops -- a sixty mile long "cracker line," as the soldiers called it.37
Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg commanded the high ground surrounding the city -- the six mile long Missionary Ridge east of the city and the 2,000 foot summit at Lookout Mountain southwest of the city.38
General Grant worked out new plans to break the Confederate stranglehold on Chattanooga, but rains delayed the Union armies from attacking on November 20th, 21st and 22nd. Finally, on November 23rd, Sherman's 15th Corps was in position to attack. However, one of his divisions, commanded by General Peter Osterhaus and including the 76th Ohio, was delayed in crossing the Tennessee River due to high water and a broken pontoon bridge at Brown's Ferry. Because of this problem, the 76th Ohio fought the Battle of Chattanooga under the command of Major General Joseph Hooker, thereby becoming the only body of western troops engaged in the Battle of Lookout Mountain.39-A Years later, Private Charles Willison commented on this odd twist of fate:These eastern troops were brave men, having seen hard and bloody service in the Army of the Potomac. But Grant had soldiered with the westerners and knew by personal experience to what extent he could rely on them.39-BThe first step of General Grant's plan was to send General Hooker's troops up Lookout Mountain to force the rebels from their positions there. General Hooker's command was a mishmash of troops: Osterhaus' Division of the 15th Corps (Army of the Tennessee), John Geary's Division of the 12th Corps (Army of the Potomac) and Charles Cruft's Division of the 14th Corps (Army of the Cumberland). General Grant recalled the difficulties they faced:The side of Lookout Mountain confronting Hooker's command was rugged, heavily timbered, and full of chasms, making it difficult to advance with troops, even in the absence of an opposing force.40Historian Victor Hicken described the Union ascent of Lookout Mountain as "a step by step rigorous advance through gullies and ravines, and over fallen trees and rocks." 41
Despite these obstacles, General Hooker's assault on Lookout Mountain began on the morning of Tuesday, November 24, 1863. A heavy fog enveloped the peak that morning, prompting a war correspondent to later call this assault "The Battle Above the Clouds." 42-A The 76th Ohio, within Osterhaus' Division, would provide only a supporting role in this battle. Early that morning, it was ordered to form a junction with the left flank of the lead Union division, commanded by Brigadier General John W. Geary, as it worked its way around the mountain.42-B
After crossing Lookout Creek shortly after 9 a.m., Geary's Division began their ascent into the thick fog and dense timber. Huge rocks and countless ravines forced the soldiers to constantly watch their steps to avoid falling. For nearly an hour, the advancing Union columns stumbled along the western slope of Lookout Mountain with little more than sporadic fire. Finally, at about 10:30 a.m., the firing became more regular, signalling that contact had been made with the enemy. As fighting intensified, the Union advance was slowed by reinforcing Mississippi regiments. However, outnumbered four to one, the rebel lines didn't hold for long.42-C
Shortly before noon, Job Benjamin and the 76th Ohio were sent across Lookout Creek and advanced up the mountain. As the fresh reserves of Union soldiers flanked the remaining rebel defenders and maneuvered to surround them, the Mississippian defenders surrendered in droves.43-A "When two sergeants from the Seventy-sixth Ohio sprinted ahead of their own regiment and caught up with one band of fourteen Mississippians, the Rebels meekly stopped, laid down their rifles, and raised their hands." 43-B Private Charles Willison described their advance:We picked our way steadily through the forest, amid large boulders, the enemy giving way as rapidly as we advanced that I did not have occasion to fire more than three our four shots. While hazardous and exciting and romantic, I have always looked back upon this 'battle above the clouds,' as it has been termed, as a veritable 'picnic' compared with a good many of our less renowned engagements.44Further up the mountain, Confederate defenders had now retreated to a more defensible position near the Craven's house. Blinded by fog and the smoke of battle, both sides struggled against a largely unseen foe. In the end, greater numbers and a seemingly unlimited amount of ammunition gave the battle to the Union army.45
Below Lookout Mountain, fellow Union soldiers watched for any sign of success, but could see very little. Occasionally, through the fog, they could see the flashes of light from the guns of the advancing troops. Many thought the advance would be a failure. Historian Victor Hicken described what happened next:Then, for one heart-stopping instant, the colors of a Federal regiment were seen waving from near Craven House. [A Union band] immediately broke out in a quickstep version of 'Hail to the Chief,' and in the ranks of the [Union] regiments not a few were emotionally affected.46-AShortly after midnight, the remaining rebel soldiers abandoned Lookout Mountain. Most retreated to nearby Missionary Ridge, still occupied by Confederate troops.46-B That night, the clouds parted, and a full moon illuminated the gory aftermath of battle. Shortly after 2 a.m., however, the moon began its passage into the earth's shadow, and for nearly 3 1/2 hours, it face was dimmed and reddened by a deep, very nearly total, lunar eclipse. By the time of maximum eclipse just before 4 a.m., the brightly lit landscape had turned black, hiding the rebel's departure from their Union adversaries but also casting a sinister cloud over many of the disheartened soldiers.46-C As one Confederate veteran described,The men, wet and cold and tired and hungry, were disheartened by defeat. Disappointment had succeeded disappointment, and incapacity had turned victories into defeats. . . The moon went into eclipse and shrouded everything in almost total darkness, which to many was an omen of evil.46-DThe next morning, the Stars and Stripes were carried to the crest of Lookout Mountain, where they were proudly displayed to the Union troops in the valley below.47
The second part of General Grant's plan was to send the remaining Union troops to scale Missionary Ridge and finally break the rebel hold on the city. Union troops were oriented as follows: Sherman's 15th Corps held the Union left flank opposite the northern edge of Missionary Ridge. Troops under General Thomas' Army of the Cumberland, hoping to redeem themselves after their humiliating defeat at Chickamauga, held the Union center. Hooker's command held Lookout Mountain and therefore anchored the Union right flank.
Grant's strategy was to send Sherman's troops to assault Missionary Ridge on the northern edge. Hooker's troops would descend the north face of Lookout Mountain, cross the Chattanooga valley and attack the southern edge of Missionary Ridge, forcing the Confederates to reinforce both their flanks. Then, Thomas' troops would assault the weakened center of the Confederate lines atop Missionary Ridge.48
The assault on Missionary Ridge began early on the morning of Wednesday, November 25, 1863. Writer John MacDonald described the early fighting:Throughout the morning and afternoon, Sherman launched several vigorous assaults. The fighting was fierce and often hand-to-hand, but each Union charge was ultimately turned back by the steadily strengthening Confederate right. By mid-afternoon, Hooker should have [begun mounting his assault on the south edge of Missionary Ridge], but he had been seriously delayed in getting his troops across the Chattanooga Creek ... Grant realized that if pressure was to be taken off Sherman, it could only be done by advancing Thomas' force in the center.49The decisive action of the battle, and one of the most remarkable actions of the Civil War, was carried out by General Thomas' troops late that afternoon.50 After seizing the rifle pits at the base of Missionary Ridge, Union troops (with regiments oriented in a series of "V" formations with their regimental flags leading the way toward the enemy) charged up the steep rocky face of the summit against orders.51 Historian Geoffrey C. Ward described the difficult ascent:Sections of the slope were so steep that the Union troops had to crawl; some men used tree branches or bayonets to haul themselves up, but they kept coming.52Fortunately for the Union, the Confederate cannons had been incorrectly positioned, making it impossible for the rebel defenders to depress their cannons low enough to hit the advancing Union columns.53
In less than an hour, the Federals had driven the disintegrating Confederate army from the crest of Missionary Ridge. Only darkness saved the Confederates from an even more crushing defeat.54
While the bulk of the Union army assaulted Missionary Ridge, the 76th Ohio and the other units of Osterhaus' Division under Hooker's command lay bridges over Chattanooga Creek and began their march toward the largely undefended Rossville Gap, just across the Georgia state line.55-A As Peter Cozzens, author of The Shipwreck of their Hopes, explains,Not only was Rossville Gap critical as the break in the ridge through which passed the Ringgold road, an easy avenue into the Rebel rear, but in the tiny hamlet of Rossville itself were gathered substantial stores and a large supply train.55-BBrigadier General Peter Osterhaus recognized a rare opportunity. He suggested to his commanding officer that he maneuver his forces behind the Confederate left flank and attach them from behind. Major General Joseph Hooker conjured an even better plan. Using the resources of two other Union divisions -- one to attack the Confederates from the front and the other to attack the left flank of the Confederate army -- Hooker positioned Osterhaus' division so as to catch any rebels trying to flee from behind. "We've got 'em in a pen," Osterhaus shouted to his troops as they ascended the ridge.55-C Private Charles Willison of the 76th Ohio recalled the satisfying engagement:It was certainly a picturesque and exciting rounding up -- a fit scene for a painting. Just as we reached the summit amid the noise and tumult of battle and were wheeling to sweep it up, a brigade of the enemy was coming in wild confusion down, cut off further up the ridge by our troops charging from the front. Hedged about on all sides, they became a whirling, struggling mass of panic-stricken men, signalling frantically to make us understand they surrendered.55-DThat evening, the 76th Ohio was assigned the task of marching their prisoners to the proper authorities in Chattanooga. The following morning, they returned to Rossville Gap to begin their pursuit of the retreating Confederate army.56
JOB BENJAMIN AND THE CHARGE UP TAYLOR'S RIDGE
General Braxton Bragg chose Ringgold, Georgia as the Confederate army's next objective. Located about 20 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Ringgold was located astride a strategically important railroad that passed through a long, narrow ridge even more imposing than Missionary Ridge. Ringgold Gap, located southeast of town between Taylor's Ridge to the south and the White Oak Mountains to the north, afforded the Western and Atlantic Railroad a pathway to Atlanta.57-A
After the Battle of Chattanooga, the 76th Ohio, still assigned to General Hooker's command, moved out of Rossville toward Ringgold.57-B Their division (Osterhaus') was not only assigned to lead the march, but Wood's brigade, including the 76th Ohio, served as the advance guard. After encountering a steady stream of surrendering rebel stragglers, the advancing Union columns met a cavalry force of 200 Kentucky troopers, who delivered a long-range volley toward the Union soldiers before turning their horses and galloping away. Confederate Major General Patrick Cleburne had ordered this action to mislead the Union army into believing that only a small enemy force awaited them. It worked. Hooker decided to launch a direct attack against Ringgold Gap, where he encounted a much larger rebel force instead.57-C
A few minutes after 8 a.m. on Friday, November 27th, the 17th and 31st Missouri regiments (both from the same brigade as the 76th Ohio) walked into an ambush of rebel soldiers commanded by Colonel Hiram Granbury of Texas. In a matter of minutes, the Missouri regiments were in frantic retreat. They didn't stop running until they reached the Union rear, and they resisted all further attempts to rally them for a counterattack.57-D
Brigadier General Charles Woods, commander of the 1st Brigade, sent the 3rd and 12th Missouri regiments forward across the same ground that their fellow Missourians had advanced and retreated just before. He also sent the 13th Illinois forward as well. This time, however, he also sent one regiment -- Job Benjamin's 76th Ohio -- to climb the adjacent ridge in hopes of attacking the enemy's flank. 57-E
Private Charles Willison had been unable to keep up with the double-quick pace of his 76th Ohio regiment when they were brought forward, and he now found himself separated from his regiment amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces.57-F He described what he saw:From my position I could look back over the bottomland approaching the Gap and see our columns advancing in line of battle. It seemed like senseless exposure of brave men. They were in unobstructed and easy range of the batteries posted on the ridge in the Gap, and were mowed down in swathes by the grape and cannister that swept the field. It was simply murderous, and horrifying to look at, but the brave survivors closed their ranks and kept forward.57-GWhile their comrades were severely tested by rifle and artillery fire, the 76th Ohio toiled up the steep slope, its loose stones and slippery surfaces making their climb a dangerous challenge.58-A The good fortune they had so far enjoyed in this campaign would end on this day.
Unlike the numerous mistakes and miscalculations made by the Confederate leadership at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, Confederate General Patrick Cleburne and his subordinate commanders performed splendidly at Ringgold Gap. Upon realizing that their right flank was threatened, brigade commander Lucius Polk ordered the 1st Arkansas to scale the ridge to oppose the 76th Ohio. They quickly did so, and reached the summit a mere twenty paces from the left-most companies of the Ohio regiment.58-B
The Arkansas and Ohio troops exchanged fire, and in the minutes that followed, the Confederates grew in number and extended their lines on either side of the 76th Ohio, threatening to enfilade the Ohioans from two sides. This was too much to endure; the soldiers from the 76th Ohio began to withdraw.58-C
General Polk wanted his troops to seize the Union colors, and seeing the increasingly desparate plight of the 76th Ohio, he sent the 1st Arkansas forward to claim them. Eight color bearers and two officers of the 76th Ohio were shot down while protecting the Stars and Stripes, but the Arkansans were successful in taking their regimental flag.58-D "Years afterward," Private Willison remembered, "I met a Southerner who said he had been in that battle among our opponents and that this captured banner was torn in small bits and distributed among its captors as mementos." 58-E
Three hours after the Union advance guard walked unsuspectingly into ambush, the battle had deteriorated into a stalemate. Individual soldiers fired upon individual soldiers whenever and wherever they appeared. By noon, however, Union artillery had been brought up and was starting to pinpoint the rebel defenders. In the early afternoon, Confederate commanders informed General Cleburne that since their army trains were now well on their way, he could withdraw his troops and make way to the east. By 2 p.m., the field belonged to Union troops.58-F
Years later in his memoirs, General Grant recalled the charge up Taylor's Ridge:[Hooker's men attacked] Confederate General Patrick Cleburne's Division, which had taken a strong position in the adjacent hills so as to cover the retreat of the Confederate army through a narrow gorge which presents itself at that point. Just beyond the gorge, the valley is narrow and the creek is tortuous ... The attack was unfortunate and cost us some men unnecessarily.58-GJob Benjamin's 76th Ohio suffered a fearful loss in the charge up Taylor's Ridge. In one company of twenty men, eight were killed and another eight were wounded.59-A
The loss of Chattanooga was a terrible blow to the spirit of the Confederacy. In early December, a demoralized General Braxton Bragg asked to be relieved of command. On advice from General Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis reluctantly replaced General Bragg with General Joseph Johnston.59-B The following summer, Chattanooga would serve as the springboard for a Union offensive aimed at the city of Atlanta.
The weeks that followed saw the 76th Ohio marching and bivouacking in various places in northern Georgia and Alabama. Although the fighting may have ended, the misery did not.59-C Private Willison recalls:Rain fell almost incessantly, and it was next to impossible to move the wagon trains. We had to wait at Stevenson a full day for them to come up. Next day we made but four miles, the route taking us through an extensive swamp.59-DPension records indicated that during the march toward winter camp (in December of 1863), Job Benjamin contracted bronchitis "from exposure to the rainy and cold weather." 60 On January 1, 1864, the regiment went into camp for the winter at Paint Rock, Alabama, about 15 miles southeast of present day Huntsville.61The Company C Muster Roll for November/December, 1863 showed Job Benjamin to be present.62
SAMUEL KIRKMAN MARCHES THROUGH LOUISIANA
Company K -- 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Colonel David Perkins Grier) -- 2nd Brigade (Colonel William Jennings Landram) -- 4th Division (Brigadier General Steven Gano Burbridge) – 13th Army Corps (Major General Cadwallader Colder (C.C.) Washburn, July 28 to Sept. 14, 1863; Major General Edward Otho Cresap Ord, Sept. 15th to Oct. l9th; General Washburn (again), Oct. 20th to 24th; Major General Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana, Oct. 25 through Jan, 1864) -- Army of the Gulf (Major General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks).63
After a layover of more than a month near New Orleans, Samuel Kirkman and the 77th Illinois boarded the steamer "North America" on Saturday, October 3, 1863 and landed at the opposite side of the river at the railroad station in Algiers, Louisiana. Late that same day, the regiment was piled into a train "like hogs" and traveled 80 miles to Brashear City, which they reached the following morning.64
In the next 2 1/2 days, the regiment marched 50 miles, reaching the town of New Iberia on October 9th. After a short rest, they were ordered to backtrack 27 miles toward camp near Franklin, which they reached on October 11th.65 During these latter activities, their brigade (the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Division of the 13th Army Corps) was commanded by Colonel David Grier, who had been promoted from regimental commander to brigade commander during the July siege of Jackson, Mississippi.66 His command now consisted of the 77th, 97th and 130th Illinois and 48th Ohio regiments and the Mercantile Battery of Chicago.67 William Bentley, recently promoted to the rank of Corporal, described the beauty of the Deep South:We found the country along the Bayou Teche [the river that passes through both New Iberia and Franklin] one of the richest and most beautiful portions of Louisiana we had yet seen. Large and fertile plantations reached back as far as the vision extended, while handsome residences, almost hidden behind the dark green foliage of trees peculiar to the south ... lined the road along which we passed.68In marked contrast to Job Benjamin's harrowing "autumn of '63," Samuel Kirkman's was relatively easy. On October 31st, his regiment received two new flags from Peoria, replacing those lost in the assault on Vicksburg.69 On that same day, the Company K Muster Roll recorded that Samuel Kirkman was present. It also restated that he had been detailed to the Regimental Quartermaster on April 5th, by orders of Colonel Grier.70 On November 24th, approximately 192 new recruits were added to the regiment to replenish its depleted numbers. Thirteen new recruits were assigned to Samuel Kirkman's Company K. Some of these men were subsequently transferred to the 130th Illinois regiment.71
On November 26th, Thanksgiving was observed with a gathering of troops, numerous speeches, and music from several regimental brass bands. "It was one of the most cheering scenes we had seen for many a day," wrote Corporal William Bentley.72
The 77th Illinois remained in New Iberia until December 7th, when it began a march back to New Orleans. On Thursday, December 17th, the regiment boarded a transport named the "De Molay" for Pass Cavello, Texas [near Matagorda Bay between present-day Galveston and Corpus Christi]. As the boat left the tranquil waters of the Mississippi River and entered the choppy waters of the Gulf of Mexico, many soldiers became seasick.73-A Private William Wiley recalled the trip:Sometime during the night when the storm was at its height I crawled out on deck thinking that I would like to see what it looked like outside. I stood there and held to the mast for a while and I thought it was a pretty wild old sight. The great waves were rolling about twice as high as our ship and each one looked like it would roll right over our ship but she would ride up over the wave and down into the trough between that wave and the next and up again over the next wave.73-BOn December 20th, they reached the destination -- "a dreary, desolate sandbank known as DeCrows Point" [present day Matagorda Peninsula].74 Corporal William Bentley described the difficulties they faced:While here, we felt much inconvenience for want of rations. While vast stores of 'hardtack' and kindred luxuries were piled up at New Orleans, General Banks, with a foresight for which his military administration was famous, failed to furnish his troops in Texas with the much needed supplies. To add to the discomforts of the situation, the weather was exceedingly cold for a southern climate. At night, the cold northwesters would howl across the sandy waste, and it was no uncommon thing to see the whole encampment lying prostrate on the sand.75For some reason, the November/December Company K Muster Records showed that Samuel Kirkman was absent on the day of roll call.76 Since there is no evidence of disciplinary action taken against him, perhaps he was merely sick that day.
As the year 1863 drew to a close, Samuel Kirkman was on the sandy shore of Texas and Job Benjamin was at winter camp at Paint Rock, Alabama..
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© 2002 by Bart Benjamin
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1863 (Part lII) FOOTNOTES1. Bentley, pp. 184-185.
2-A. Hicken, p. 324.
2-B. Winschel, p. 62-63.
3. Hicken, p. 324.
4. Bentley, pp. 188-189.
5-A. Ibid., pp. 189-190.
5-B. Winschel, p. 69-70.
6-A. Bentley, p. 192.
6-B. Winschel, p. 71.
7. Boatner, p. 195.
8. Bentley, pp. 193-194.
9. Boatner, p. 195.
10. Ludwell H. Johnson, "The Red River Campaign," in The Civil War Battlefield Guide. ed. Frances H. Kennedy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990), p. 163; Hicken, p. 325.
11. Bentley, pp. 193-197.
12. from Co. K Muster Roll, from the National Archives.
13. Bowman, p. 114.
14. William Glenn Robertson, "Chickamauga," in The Civil War Battlefield Guide. ed. Frances H. Kennedy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990), p. 150.
15. MacDonald, pp. 112-123.
16. Charles P. Roland, "Chattanooga," in The Civil War Battlefield Guide, ed. Frances H. Kennedy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990), p. 157.
17. Ibid., pp. 157 and 159.
18. from Co. C Muster Roll for July/August, 1862, from the National Archives.
19. Wiley, pp. 282 and 423.
20. from Co. C Descriptive List of Deserters Arrested, from the National Archives.
21. from Co. C Muster Roll for November/December, 1863, from the National Archives.
22. from Company C, 76th Ohio Returns Roll, from the National Archives; Sherman, p. 370.
23. Robertson, Soldiers Blue and Gray, p. 135.
24. Wiley, pp. 205-206.
25-A. Ibid., p. 197.
25-B. Willison, p. 26.
26. from Co. C Muster Rolls for July/August and September/October, 1862, from the National Archives.
27. Wiley, p. 216.
28. from Company C Muster Rolls, from the National Archives.
29. from Company C Muster Roll for January/February, 1864, from the National Archives.
30. from Regimental Returns Listing, from the National Archives.
31. from Co. C Muster Roll for September/October, 1863, from the National Archives.
32. Reid, p. 441; Grant, p. 422; Sherman, p. 397.
33-A. Grant, pp. 422 and 430-431.
33-B. Willison, pp. 72-73.
34. Grant, pp. 422 and 430-431.
35. Johnson and Buel, Ill, 729.
36. Grant, pp. 409-412.
37. Roland, p. 159; Ward, p. 258.
38. Ward, p. 258.
39-A. Grant, p. 435; Sherman, p. 399; Hicken, p. 225; Willison, p. 74.
39-B. Willison, p. 74.
40. Grant, p. 440.
41. Hicken, p. 226.
42-A. Grant, p. 441; Roland, p. 160.
42-B. Peter Cozzens, The Shipwreck of their Hopes, (Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1994), p.162.
42-C. Ibid., pp. 167-178.
43-A. Ibid., pp. 179-180.
43-B. Ibid., p. 180.
44. Willison, pp. 75-76.
45. Cozzens, pp. 182-189.
46-A. Hicken, p. 227.
46-B. Boatner, p. 145; Roland, p. 160.
46-C. Cozzens, p. 197; Eclipse details were calculated using Redshift 3 (Piranha Interactive Publishing) and Occult: Eclipses and Transits 1.4.0 (D. Herald, distributed by International Occultation Timing Association) software programs.
46-D. Ibid., pp. 197-198.
47. Boatner, p. 145; Roland, p. 160.
48. Grant, pp. 450-451; MacDonald, pp. 129-130.
49. MacDonald, p. 130.
50. Roland, pp. 160 and 162.
51. Ward, p. 261.
52. Ibid.
53. MacDonald, p. 127.
54. Ibid., p. 131.
55-A. Cozzens, p. 313.
55-B. Ibid.
55-C. Cozzens, pp. 314-315; Willison, p. 77.
55-D. Willison, p. 77.
56. Ibid., p. 78.
57-A. Cozzens, pp. 347 and 378.
57-B. Grant, p. 453.
57-C. Cozzens, pp. 372-373.
57-D. Ibid., pp. 373-375.
57-E. Ibid., p. 375.
57-F. Willison, pp. 78-79.
57-G. Ibid., p. 79.
58-A. Cozzens, p. 377.
58-B. Ibid., pp. 377-379.
58-C. Ibid., p. 379.
58-D. Ibid., pp 379-380.
58-E. Willison, p. 79.
58-F. Cozzens, pp. 383-384.
58-G. Grant, p. 453.
59-A. Reid, pp. 441-442.
59-B. Roland, p. 162.
59-C. Willison, pp. 80-82.
59-D. Willison, pp. 81-82.
60. from Declaration for Original Invalid Pension, dated May 4, 1888 and Department of the Interior's Bureau of Pensions form, dated July 7, 1888, both from the National Archives.
61. Reid, pp. 441-442.
62. from Co. C Muster Roll for November/December, 1863, from the National Archives.
63. Boatner, pp. 194-195; Bentley, pp. 193-194.
64. Bentley, p. 205.
65. Ibid., p. 206.
66. Ibid., pp. 28-29.
67. Ibid., p. 216.
68. Ibid., pp. 206-207.
69. Ibid., p. 208.
70. from Co. K Muster Roll, from the National Archives.
71. Bentley, pp. 218-233.
72. Ibid., p. 215.
73-A. Ibid., p. 234.
73-B. Winschel, p. 85.
74. Bentley, p. 235; Illinois at Vicksburg, page 239.
75. Bentley, p. 235.
76. from Co. K Muster Roll, from the National Archives.. .
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Continue to 1864 (Part I)
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Last Updated: February 1, 2002