RESEARCH: Regimental Map of the Assault on Fort Sanders

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.
1606277797181.png

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.
1606279366578.png

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.
1606276730029.png

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.
1606283988186.png

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.
1606281716188.png

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.)
After analyzing the casualties, I am confident that Lemon mixed up the two regiments; Phillip's Legion did participate in the assault; and the 24th Georgia remained in the rifle pits, with the 3rd Battalion Sharpshooters, to support the assault.

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:

1606285809588.png

Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
1606277006661.png

Original map from Library of Congress
 
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In summary, the sources examined so far indicate that McLaws' two columns directed their attacks against the northwest bastion of Fort Sanders.

The RIGHT column (Humphreys/Bryan) comprised of the following regiments, in this order: 13th MS, 17th MS, 53rd GA, 51st GA, and 50th GA, directed their attack against the northwest bastion, West of the salient.

The LEFT column (Wofford's) comprised of the following regiments: 16th GA, 18th GA, Phillip's Legion, and Cobb's Legion, directed their attack against the northwest bastion, North of the salient.
1606287317081.png

Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
 
"Fort Sanders, N.W. Salient. Point of Confederate assault on Nov. 29, 1863"
View attachment 382388
Very difficult to orient properly, but it looks like two embrassures close together below where that man is standing.
@lelliott19 I want to use the photo above for Benjamin's report saying many attackers fell on the wires strung stump to stump.
Looking back over the interesting work you have compiled, my own sense of proportion and understanding needs some help. First off, @uaskme mentioned 450 men in the fort during the time of the assault. Some scale for reference would really help me, here. Again even on the assaulting columns, you allow me the casualties to reckon the firepower received, but I fail to grasp the number of men involved in each regiment or legion. Markings for assault in column may have a left point and right point, end to end when the officer says to line up. Distance gives a sense of proportion, and also the numbers of men it takes to fill that distance. If these proportionate values could be highlighted somehow, it would do me great justice in my own understanding, similar to bringing two dimensional sight into three dimensional focus. Thanks, you are doing great!
Lubliner.
 
16th Georgians killed in the assault of 11/29:


#First NameMILast Name ResidenceSTOccupationEnlist RankEnlist AgeEnlist Date
1​
JosephMArthur Jackson CountyGA Priv
07/17/61​
2​
WarrenHChronic Jackson CountyGA Priv
07/17/61​
3​
ElijahJHerring Madison CountyGA Priv
07/11/61​
4​
JosephJKey Madison CountyGA Priv
07/11/61​
5​
JohnWKidd Jackson CountyGA Priv
03/01/62​
6​
JohnTKircus Gwinnett CountyGA Priv
08/11/61​
7​
HenryCNash Madison CountyGA Jr 2nd Lieut
07/11/61​
8​
IsaacBSimmons Madison CountyGA Priv
07/11/61​
9​
Jack Tankersley Habersham CountyGA Priv
07/24/61​
10​
SamuelMWhitworth Gwinnett CountyGA Priv
05/21/62​
11​
JRWood Jackson CountyGA Priv
01/01/63​
 
16th Georgia Wounded 11/29 assault:


First Name
MILast Name ResidenceSTOccupationEnlist RankEnlist AgeEnlist Date
1​
JGBarnett Madison CountyGA 3rd Corpl
08/05/61​
2​
WilliamCBarnett Madison CountyGA Priv
07/11/61​
3​
Neal Chandler Madison CountyGA Priv
11/03/63​
4​
StephenTHearn Walton CountyGA Priv
24​
07/19/61​
5​
WilliamMHunnicutt Gwinnett CountyGA Priv
08/11/61​
6​
Laban Maudlin Gwinnett CountyGA Priv
07/16/61​
7​
CCMoon Jackson CountyGA Priv
07/20/61​
8​
JamesRScott Gwinnett CountyGA Priv
08/11/61​
9​
GerameBStreetman Madison CountyGA 4th Corpl
08/05/61​
10​
AlexanderATimmons Walton CountyGA 1st Sergt
07/19/61​
11​
JohnNWoods Madison CountyGA Priv
03/10/63​
12​
JosephWWoods AthensGA Corpl
08/05/61​
 
Some scale for reference would really help me, here. Again even on the assaulting columns, you allow me the casualties to reckon the firepower received, but I fail to grasp the number of men involved in each regiment or legion. Markings for assault in column may have a left point and right point, end to end when the officer says to line up. Distance gives a sense of proportion, and also the numbers of men it takes to fill that distance. If these proportionate values could be highlighted somehow, it would do me great justice in my own understanding, similar to bringing two dimensional sight into three dimensional focus. Thanks, you are doing great!
Thanks Lubliner. Excellent points you make! I appreciate your input. Hopefully this will answer your questions. According to Orlando Poe: Fort Sanders was "a bastioned earthwork built upon an irregular quadrilateral, the sides of which are respectively 125 yards southern front, ninety-five yards western front, 125 yards northern front, and eighty-five yards eastern front." So about the length of a football field with the endzones and a bit wider than a football field including the team/coaching sideline buffers? It's not clear if by "sides" he means the actual faces, out at the end of the slopes, or the faces where the embrasures are located and the parapet runs. If anyone knows exactly what he is referencing as "the sides," please let us know. Here are those measurements, applied onto Poe's map.
1606327789437.png

Original map from Library of Congress with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
This report also states that "the eastern front was entirely open and is to be closed with a stockade." Although Ive provided it in the form of a newspaper article from 1882, the information contained therein is directly from his official report in the OR dated January 13, 1864
1606327233607.png
 
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Print of a photo after the war:
Thanks Georgia. Some of the images appear in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 3 (published in 1888, public domain.) Ive always thought that this one (page 742) provides a good perspective of the face of the fort and the ditch.
1606345768376.png

Battles and Leaders, Volume 3, Century Publishing, 1888, page 742.

Apparently, the engraving was done from this image by photographer Samuel A Cooley.
1606345861072.png

Image from the Library of Congress

Unfortunately, I don't think any embrasures are visible in the image. If anyone sees evidence of one, please let me know.

I like the engraving so much, I started to hand tint a copy of it but never finished it. Maybe I should return to that project too.
1606346224577.png

Original engraving from Battles and Leaders, Volume 3, Century Publishing, 1888, page 742; hand tinted by the author.
 
Back to the embrasures and Union artillery placement within the fort.
In addition this photograph taken after the battle shows six embrasures in the angle that was assaulted, two on each face, and one on each short face positioned to fire down the ditch.
"Fort Sanders, N.W. Salient. Point of Confederate assault on Nov. 29, 1863"
View attachment 382388
Very difficult to orient properly, but it looks like two embrassures close together below where that man is standing.
Thanks for providing these images. I believe this image was taken in the direction indicated by the drawing? Unless it's reversed? I'm not sure what kind of equipment would have been used and if it reversed the image or not? James N. can you weigh in please?
1606351690483.png

Here are thee different versions of the same image for examination. I'd appreciate opinions on how many embrasures are visible in the image. It looks to me like we can definitely see three on this side of the bastion and maybe a couple more on the other side of the salient? And maybe two more in the west face of the fort? For ease of reference, I've numbered them to coincide with the ones I placed on the drawing above.
1606352084579.png

Original image by Samuel A Cooley from the LOC with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
So are those openings 4&5 on the west face of the fort? and are there embrasures at 6&7 on the west face of the northwest bastion? Here's another version of the same image with the features marked with the corresponding numbers.
1606352421635.png

Original image by Samuel A Cooley from the LOC with edits by the author for CivilWarTalk
And here's the darker version also with the features marked with the corresponding numbers. The gap, labeled as 4 in the other two versions, is cut out of this view.
1606352676791.png

Thanks for any and all input and opinions.
 
Thanks Georgia. Some of the images appear in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 3 (published in 1888, public domain.) Ive always thought that this one (page 742) provides a good perspective of the face of the fort and the ditch.
View attachment 382546
Battles and Leaders, Volume 3, Century Publishing, 1888, page 742.

Apparently, the engraving was done from this image by photographer Samuel A Cooley.
View attachment 382547
Image from the Library of Congress

Unfortunately, I don't think any embrasures are visible in the image. If anyone sees evidence of one, please let me know.

I like the engraving so much, I started to hand tint a copy of it but never finished it. Maybe I should return to that project too.
View attachment 382548
Original engraving from Battles and Leaders, Volume 3, Century Publishing, 1888, page 742; hand tinted by the author.
I need to get you some black walnut ink for your tinting project- it’s amazing the shading one can achieve with it.
Loving your original piece that you shared. Are you using watercolors or thinned acrylics with an ink pen like a rapidograph I’m betting watercolor pencils would be nice too. I’ve found if you’re trying to age a piece a light wash of water and instant coffee crystals broken and scattered make good age spots along with tea.
 
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@lelliott19 Poe says;
'it is a bastioned earthwork....The eastern front is entirely open and is to be closed with a stockade.'
Could the soldier be standing on the north or southwest bastion corner, with the stockade where you point arrows for 4 & 5?
Unless they logged the interior wall of the fort, is how I see it. Nice tinting on the engraving, by the way.

Thanks @Package4. From what I gather for the 16th Georgia alone, 10 privates and one second lieutenant were killed in the charge. 8 privates were wounded along with 3 corporals and one sergeant, and 6 privates and one corporal captured. Only one of the wounded, James R. Scott, fell into Union hands. What I am trying to determine is how these men lined up as a unit, and how many were there to begin the assault. This regiment alone sustained 29 total casualties, counting Scott only once. Maybe 10 % casualty rate?
Thanks,
Lubliner.
 
Here's another for the record, seems to show the ground over which the Georgians attacked. I wonder if the man standing on the parapet in the distance is the same as in the other photograph. Embrassures can be seen to the left of him (to his right).

"N.W. Salient, Fort Sanders, Knoxville, Tenn." On left is Gen. Orlando M. Poe, on right is Col. Orville E. Babcock, U.S. Engineers.
 
Here's another for the record, seems to show the ground over which the Georgians attacked. I wonder if the man standing on the parapet in the distance is the same as in the other photograph. Embrassures can be seen to the left of him (to his right).

"N.W. Salient, Fort Sanders, Knoxville, Tenn." On left is Gen. Orlando M. Poe, on right is Col. Orville E. Babcock, U.S. Engineers.
This photo definitely gives me a better perspective on my field of vision. The former photos made all my measurements seem as feet instead of yards. This helps a lot!
Lubliner.
 
From what I gather for the 16th Georgia alone, 10 privates and one second lieutenant were killed in the charge. 8 privates were wounded along with 3 corporals and one sergeant, and 6 privates and one corporal captured. Only one of the wounded, James R. Scott, fell into Union hands. What I am trying to determine is how these men lined up as a unit, and how many were there to begin the assault. This regiment alone sustained 29 total casualties, counting Scott only once. Maybe 10 % casualty rate?
Actually no. The men @Package4 lists are not all of the casualties in the 16th Georgia. In fact they are only about a third of them. Just the ones that Historical Data Systems has record of. For casualty numbers reported back to the newspaper, see the chart below. I also included it above in post #21
14 killed, 24 wounded 30 captured - total 68.
1606357892913.png

However, even these numbers are not entirely accurate. I have compiled the casualties from the carded records. That is - gone through them - man by man. By compiling the casualties from carded records, I have what I now consider to be as close to accurate as can be obtained with the records and resources currently available.

Here are my figures.
1606358170147.png

So excluding one each of Cates/Curtis and Gardner/Gordon (just in case they are the same men) and excluding the guy who was on sick furlough but was reported missing, my numbers indicate:
17 K, 3 MW, 13 W, 13 W&C, 38 C, and 3 M = TOTAL at least 87.

And it indicates an under-reporting of casualties in the 16th GA by 27%. Obviously, if the casualties in other regiments of Wofford's brigade are similarly under-reported, then the actual casualties for Wofford's brigade were much higher - like 303+/- instead of the 250 Moxley Sorrel reports. Which would have been devastating to an already under-sized brigade.

By March 31, 1864, there were about 1636 effectives in Wofford's brigade. Forty rounds of ammo per man was issued to 1636 men on that date. [Source: Carded records]

On May 5, 1864, Al Young estimates the strength of Wofford's Brigade at 1615 effectives and the 16th GA at 305 effectives. [Source: Alfred C. Young, Lee’s Army During the Overland Campaign, pp. 244-245.}
 
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Actually no. The men @Package4 lists are not all of the casualties in the 16th Georgia. In fact they are only about a third of them. Just the ones that Historical Data Systems has record of. For casualty numbers reported back to the newspaper, see the chart below. I also included it above in post #21
14 killed, 24 wounded 30 captured - total 68.
View attachment 382559
However, even these numbers are not entirely accurate. I have compiled the casualties from the carded records. That is - gone through them - man by man. By compiling the casualties from carded records, I have what I now consider to be as close to accurate as can be obtained with the records and resources currently available.

Here are my figures.
View attachment 382561
So excluding one each of Cates/Curtis and Gardner/Gordon (just in case they are the same men) and excluding the guy who was on sick furlough but was reported missing, my numbers indicate:
17 K, 3 MW, 13 W, 13 W&C, 38 C, and 3 M = TOTAL at least 87.

And it indicates an under-reporting of casualties in the 16th GA by 27%. Obviously, if the casualties in other regiments of Wofford's brigade are similarly under-reported, then the actual casualties for Wofford's brigade were much higher - like 303+/-. Which would have been devastating to an already under-sized brigade.

By March 31, 1864, there were about 1636 effectives in Wofford's brigade. Forty rounds of ammo per man was issued to 1636 men on that date. [Source: Carded records]

On May 5, 1864, Al Young estimates the strength of Wofford's Brigade at 1615 effectives and the 16th GA at 305 effectives. [Source: Alfred C. Young, Lee’s Army During the Overland Campaign, pp. 244-245.}
Thanks for clearing that up with me. I was trying to determine the size, and 1615 effectives with Wofford, and 400 for the 16th. Sometimes my sense of proportion gets stretched out so with small details my judgements get skewed. You are detailing minutiae and I was having a difficult time placing things dimensionally. The photo above that John Hartwell added really did allow depth, height and width in real time. So do you think the inside was logged?
(Happy Thanksgiving).
Lubliner.
 
Here's another for the record, seems to show the ground over which the Georgians attacked. I wonder if the man standing on the parapet in the distance is the same as in the other photograph. Embrassures can be seen to the left of him (to his right).

"N.W. Salient, Fort Sanders, Knoxville, Tenn." On left is Gen. Orlando M. Poe, on right is Col. Orville E. Babcock, U.S. Engineers.
Thanks John. I believe this shot was taken facing the NW bastion. Here, I've cropped it and enlarged it to show just the left half or the north face of the NW bastion.
Picture of Poe in front of NW bastion cropped to North face.JPG

Do the three structures indicated with green arrows match the three lunettes on Poe's map?
Poe map with three lunettes.JPG
 
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Here's another for the record, seems to show the ground over which the Georgians attacked. I wonder if the man standing on the parapet in the distance is the same as in the other photograph. Embrassures can be seen to the left of him (to his right).

"N.W. Salient, Fort Sanders, Knoxville, Tenn." On left is Gen. Orlando M. Poe, on right is Col. Orville E. Babcock, U.S. Engineers.
Thanks again for your help John. Here, I've cropped the image and enlarged it to show the West face of the NW bastion and points beyond, which would presumably be the west face of the fort and the north face of the SW bastion. In this view, it's possible to see that there are two matching embrasures on the West face of the NW bastion.
Picture of Poe in front of NW bastion cropped to West face.JPG

So I think that definitely settles the question of how many embrasures were located in the bastion. By placing hypothetical embrasures in corresponding places on the other completed (SW) bastion I've gone ahead and drawn in six in both of the completed bastions and in corresponding positions on the unfinished ones. Hypotheticals in green.
Embrasures hypothetical.JPG

Besides not having real confirmation that the hypotheticals were actually there, or in use, I still don't know whether there were embrasures along the N, W, and S faces of the fort. If there weren't any cannon on the faces, we have 16 positions that could have had cannon that could be considered inside the fort? I assume the three lunettes to the NE had cannon in them - there were a lot of Confederates out there to the west/northwest, so if you had cannon positions, it seems like you'd be using them? Any input is certainly much appreciated!
 
I am going to put on my art director hat for this one.
The narrative of the fate of the men trapped in the ditch is missing an essential detail.

Fort Sanders drawing detail.jpeg

There is an error in this drawing. The embrasures that allowed cannon to sweep the ditch with a crossfire are missing.

Fort Sanders embrasure detail .jpeg

In this drawing, the ditch flanking embrasures are clearly marked.

Fort Sanders photo detail.jpeg

This detail of the photo clearly shows the embrasure designed to sweep the ditch on the drawing above.

point of view image Fort Sanders.jpeg

Detail of photo of the ditch taken from the point of view of the ditch sweeping embrasure.
The embrasures that allowed a crossfire on the approach to & ditch itself are a standard template for star fort designs. If you think about it, without those cannon dominating the ditch, it would have been in defilade & sheltered the trapped attackers that are such an important part of the Fort Sanders narrative.
 
Actually no. The men @Package4 lists are not all of the casualties in the 16th Georgia. In fact they are only about a third of them. Just the ones that Historical Data Systems has record of. For casualty numbers reported back to the newspaper, see the chart below. I also included it above in post #21
14 killed, 24 wounded 30 captured - total 68.
View attachment 382559
However, even these numbers are not entirely accurate. I have compiled the casualties from the carded records. That is - gone through them - man by man. By compiling the casualties from carded records, I have what I now consider to be as close to accurate as can be obtained with the records and resources currently available.

Here are my figures.
View attachment 382561
So excluding one each of Cates/Curtis and Gardner/Gordon (just in case they are the same men) and excluding the guy who was on sick furlough but was reported missing, my numbers indicate:
17 K, 3 MW, 13 W, 13 W&C, 38 C, and 3 M = TOTAL at least 87.

And it indicates an under-reporting of casualties in the 16th GA by 27%. Obviously, if the casualties in other regiments of Wofford's brigade are similarly under-reported, then the actual casualties for Wofford's brigade were much higher - like 303+/- instead of the 250 Moxley Sorrel reports. Which would have been devastating to an already under-sized brigade.

By March 31, 1864, there were about 1636 effectives in Wofford's brigade. Forty rounds of ammo per man was issued to 1636 men on that date. [Source: Carded records]

On May 5, 1864, Al Young estimates the strength of Wofford's Brigade at 1615 effectives and the 16th GA at 305 effectives. [Source: Alfred C. Young, Lee’s Army During the Overland Campaign, pp. 244-245.}
Keep in mind that those figures are for that date only, there were other casualties on subsequent days.
 
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