Barksdale's Charge,

[damYankee]

Pickett's Charge gets all the press, But Barksdale's Charge came closer to success .

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

OK @RobertP , where are you? You gave us the best description of the Mississippians I was ever able to wrap my head around. What you should have been is a teacher, it's stuck with me.

 

[Stone in the wall]

Colorful comander and top notch troops. Barksdale and the 13th Mississippi play a key role at Balls Bluff. Gained fame at both of the Frederickburg's.

 

[RobertP]

OK @RobertP , where are you? You gave us the best description of the Mississippians I was ever able to wrap my head around. What you should have been is a teacher, it's stuck with me.

You're way too nice, JPK. As you may recall, I became interested in Barksdale's Charge because my gg-grand BillyP was a private in the 17th Miss. and present at Gettysburg. They had a grand time routing the Yanks for at least a half mile until your New York regiments came up fresh and stopped them at Plum Run. Had the reinforcements been available and arrived when requested the brigade very well might have pushed through to Cemetery Ridge, cutting the Union line in half.

 

[jackt62]

That was a great video, it really explained that lesser known charge by Barksdale.

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

During the Gettysburg Campaign, Barksdale was in something of a snit.
During the Chancellorsville battle, the Mississippians held part of the "stone wall' at Fredericsburg. A MS colonel had allowed an informal truce to Federals to retrieve their wounded. Federal officers used the truce to examine troop placements. A while later, a mass bayonet attack at the perceived weak point forced the Rebs out of Fredericksburg. That incident may have been on Lee's mind at Cold Harbor, and influenced his refusal to allow informal truces.
Barksdale became incensed when details of that action were made public. He resented any black mark on Mississippi and made his own accusations. And he seems to have become something of a "berserker", bent on pretty much what he did at Gettysburg, which was go and not stop.

 

[DixieRifles]

I had a direct ancestor in the 17th Mississippi Regiment. Made it to Chickamauga before getting wounded in leg and a discharge.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I've always wondered why that charge didn't get the press... it was just as devastating as Pickett's and had the benefit of almost working, unlike the other charge that had a snowball's chance in hell.

 

[DixieRifles]

I've always wondered why that charge didn't get the press

I always thought it was famous. Years ago I found some article that described it as the longest charge in the War. It said they engaged 21 different infantry and artillery units. I don't know if that is true.
I always remembered this charge and was excited when I found out 4 or 5 years ago that I had an ancestor in one of the regiments.