lelliott19
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Many thanks to all for the sources and links you have provided! Since there is debate as to the progress of construction of Fort Sanders at the time of the assault, and since that is going to impact the arrangement of the embrasures and the Union artillery positions, I'll work on my drawing of the fort and the arrangement of the embrasures after I have a chance to review all the information provided.
In the meantime here is an enlarged version of the map mentioned by @Lampasas Bill in post #11 - the one at the Library of Congress, by Orlando Poe (Burnside's Engineer), published in 1864. I've indicated the location of the northwest bastion and the general direction of the Confederate assault for reference. Until I can revise my own drawing of the fort, Ill just use this one.
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
And just to review, the regiments that comprised the RIGHT column - from sources I provided in post #8 -illustrated onto the Poe map. In that post, I failed to mention the three regiments that remained in the rifle pits supporting the assault. Those regiments were the 18th and 21st MS from Humphreys' and the 10th GA from Bryan's brigade.
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
I'll proceed with the arrangement of regiments in the LEFT column, Wofford's brigade, and return later to the construct of the fort, the arrangement of the embrasures, and positioning the Union artillery. I apologize in advance for repeating some of the same sources, but feel it's important to lay out all the evidence in a single post for the LEFT column, as I did the for the RIGHT column.
LEFT COLUMN - WOFFORD'S
William Todd's map is below. Just a reminder that Todd was a member of the 79th New York, which defended the northwest bastion. Here, Todd reveals that McLaws' LEFT assaulting column advanced from the north, toward the northwest bastion. Again, Todd couldn't have known the specific regiments involved - only that men from Wofford's brigade were in that column because they were wounded, killed and captured. His map helps us locate the point of the assault, but not the specific regiments involved. For that information, we will have to go to the Confederate sources.
The other map -- the one I can't post here due to copyright -- was created by James Lile Lemon (A/18th GA, Wofford's brigade.) Lemon participated in the assault with his regiment, but he was wounded and lay unconscious for some time before he was captured. Lemon's map shows McLaws' two columns of regiments directing their attacks against the northwest bastion, with the RIGHT column (Humphreys/Bryan) assaulting the Northwest bastion, to the West of the salient, and the LEFT column (Wofford's) directed against the northwest bastion, north of the salient. [Feed them the Steel! Being the Wartime Recollections of Capt. James Lile Lemon, Co A, 18th Georgia Infantry, Edited by Mark Lemon, privately published, page 88.]
It's worth noting that Wofford was at home in Georgia at the time of the ill-fated assault. Solon Z Ruff (Col 18th GA) commanded the brigade in Wofford's absence. The brigade included 16th, 18th, 24th Georgia, Cobb's (GA) Legion, and Phillip's (GA) Legion plus the 3rd Battalion GA Sharpshooters.
On his hand-drawn period map, Lemon shows the 3rd Battalion Sharpshooters in the rifle pits and FOUR regiments in the column- 16th, 18th, 24th GA and Cobb's Legion, in that order. He was a member of the 18th GA, so I feel certain he got the position of his own regiment and that of the 16th GA regiment, in front of him, correct. Those two regiments had high casualties overall and there were some prominent officers from those regiments who were conspicuously killed and wounded leading in the assault. Cobb's Legion also sustained significant casualties. However, after analyzing regimental casualties, I believe that Lemon mis-stated the participation of the 24th Georgia - and that the fourth regiment was actually Phillip's Legion.
CASUALTY ANALYSIS
Wofford's brigade regularly sent casualty reports back home to the local newspapers. The reports from the regiments in Wofford's brigade appeared in the Athens Southern Watchman., February 3, 1864, page 2. Here's a chart showing the casualties reported.
By the author for CivilWarTalk
Phillip's Legion reported 65 total casualties - the second highest in the brigade. (It's even possible that they were second in the column instead of third.) Clearly, they were engaged in some kind of activity that resulted in the casualties. In his report (below) Gilbert Moxley Sorrel provides casualties by brigade, indicating which ones occurred on November 29, 1863. Which means the casualties in Phillips Legion occurred on Nov 29.
Sorrel reports that Wofford's brigade sustained 48 K, 121 W, and 81 missing/captured for a total loss of 250. The numbers are very close:
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the LEFT column was composed of the following regiments: 16th GA, 18th GA, Phillip's Legion, and Cobb's Legion and their attack was directed against the NORTH FACE of the NORTHWEST BASTION. Like this:
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
Original map from Library of Congress
In the meantime here is an enlarged version of the map mentioned by @Lampasas Bill in post #11 - the one at the Library of Congress, by Orlando Poe (Burnside's Engineer), published in 1864. I've indicated the location of the northwest bastion and the general direction of the Confederate assault for reference. Until I can revise my own drawing of the fort, Ill just use this one.
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
And just to review, the regiments that comprised the RIGHT column - from sources I provided in post #8 -illustrated onto the Poe map. In that post, I failed to mention the three regiments that remained in the rifle pits supporting the assault. Those regiments were the 18th and 21st MS from Humphreys' and the 10th GA from Bryan's brigade.
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
I'll proceed with the arrangement of regiments in the LEFT column, Wofford's brigade, and return later to the construct of the fort, the arrangement of the embrasures, and positioning the Union artillery. I apologize in advance for repeating some of the same sources, but feel it's important to lay out all the evidence in a single post for the LEFT column, as I did the for the RIGHT column.
LEFT COLUMN - WOFFORD'S
William Todd's map is below. Just a reminder that Todd was a member of the 79th New York, which defended the northwest bastion. Here, Todd reveals that McLaws' LEFT assaulting column advanced from the north, toward the northwest bastion. Again, Todd couldn't have known the specific regiments involved - only that men from Wofford's brigade were in that column because they were wounded, killed and captured. His map helps us locate the point of the assault, but not the specific regiments involved. For that information, we will have to go to the Confederate sources.
The other map -- the one I can't post here due to copyright -- was created by James Lile Lemon (A/18th GA, Wofford's brigade.) Lemon participated in the assault with his regiment, but he was wounded and lay unconscious for some time before he was captured. Lemon's map shows McLaws' two columns of regiments directing their attacks against the northwest bastion, with the RIGHT column (Humphreys/Bryan) assaulting the Northwest bastion, to the West of the salient, and the LEFT column (Wofford's) directed against the northwest bastion, north of the salient. [Feed them the Steel! Being the Wartime Recollections of Capt. James Lile Lemon, Co A, 18th Georgia Infantry, Edited by Mark Lemon, privately published, page 88.]
It's worth noting that Wofford was at home in Georgia at the time of the ill-fated assault. Solon Z Ruff (Col 18th GA) commanded the brigade in Wofford's absence. The brigade included 16th, 18th, 24th Georgia, Cobb's (GA) Legion, and Phillip's (GA) Legion plus the 3rd Battalion GA Sharpshooters.
On his hand-drawn period map, Lemon shows the 3rd Battalion Sharpshooters in the rifle pits and FOUR regiments in the column- 16th, 18th, 24th GA and Cobb's Legion, in that order. He was a member of the 18th GA, so I feel certain he got the position of his own regiment and that of the 16th GA regiment, in front of him, correct. Those two regiments had high casualties overall and there were some prominent officers from those regiments who were conspicuously killed and wounded leading in the assault. Cobb's Legion also sustained significant casualties. However, after analyzing regimental casualties, I believe that Lemon mis-stated the participation of the 24th Georgia - and that the fourth regiment was actually Phillip's Legion.
CASUALTY ANALYSIS
Wofford's brigade regularly sent casualty reports back home to the local newspapers. The reports from the regiments in Wofford's brigade appeared in the Athens Southern Watchman., February 3, 1864, page 2. Here's a chart showing the casualties reported.
By the author for CivilWarTalk
Phillip's Legion reported 65 total casualties - the second highest in the brigade. (It's even possible that they were second in the column instead of third.) Clearly, they were engaged in some kind of activity that resulted in the casualties. In his report (below) Gilbert Moxley Sorrel provides casualties by brigade, indicating which ones occurred on November 29, 1863. Which means the casualties in Phillips Legion occurred on Nov 29.
Sorrel reports that Wofford's brigade sustained 48 K, 121 W, and 81 missing/captured for a total loss of 250. The numbers are very close:
- 47 killed reported back to the newspaper; 48 reported killed by Sorrel.
- 125 wounded reported back to the news; 121 reported wounded by Sorrel.
- 67 missing/captured reported back to the newspaper; 81 reported missing by Sorrel (some of the 14 difference could have made their way back later.)
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the LEFT column was composed of the following regiments: 16th GA, 18th GA, Phillip's Legion, and Cobb's Legion and their attack was directed against the NORTH FACE of the NORTHWEST BASTION. Like this:
Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
Original map from Library of Congress
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