Battles with Alchohol

[Private Watkins]

Just thinking about Generals Ledlie and Ferrero swigging away at a bottle of rum during the Battle of the Crater, well behind the lines in a bombproof, and wondering what other battles or major events were significantly influenced by the bottle...? And what was the impact, good or bad...?
(Apologies if this has already been covered in another thread... I tried searching...)

Thanks in advance to the many experts out there...

 

[Private Watkins]

Ok, one other that comes to mind is General Cheatham wobbly in the saddle at Murfreesboro.... any others?
Expired Image Removed

 

[rbasin]

Crittenden for the South?

Sturgis under Pope at 2nd Manassas? He had to be threatened with arrest.

I'm missing one and I cannot think of it. Was there another one in the Army of the Potomac?

 

[DixieRifles]

I am reading a new book on Shiloh by Tim Smith and, like many other books, the authors will mention reports of an officer being tipsy. It is sometimes only mentioned as a side comment or as undocumented statement. You really don't know of this is a case where one staff officer wanted to smear the reputation of another officer so he could get rid of his rival. It seems this comes up in almost all battles but I don't know if the outcome of the battle was altered.

I'm trying to recall if there was one account in his book where an officer rode up to a regiment to issue a command and he was shot because it was the wrong regiment.

After reading the bio of General Stephen A. Hurlbut, I learned that he had a drinking problem that appeared to be a problem earlier in the war---1862 in Missouri. His men would pick him up out of the street and take him home. His actions during some of those campaigns---not really important battles--- sure seemed to indicate it effected his decisions.

If you read the accounts of Fort Pillow, both sides claimed the other side were fighting under the influence.

 

[nextcity]

The Burning of Columbia, S.C. (whether accidental or not). Whiskey, which was both distilled and stored in the city in large quantities, was being consumed by both Sherman's troops and newly liberated blacks.

Of possible interest:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/...2/oct/21/whiskey-and-the-war-civil-war/90673/

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Here's A GREAT article on the topic. It intrigued me, not from ' Oh look who was dreadful ' but from ' How did anyone stand the carnage? ' aspect= this article speaks of how alcohol use was viewed inside the military and why. It also gets into some brief accounts of known officers and their alleged proclivities for liquor. Still, not sure anyone can judge them. I can't drink myself ( not won't, just can't- there's a difference ), bet it made a difference for some of these men who literally made life and death decisions for hundreds or thousands.

'Our most valued medicament was the alcoholic liquors, which were furnished to us sometimes in the form of whiskey and at other times of apple brandy," wrote Confederate physician William Henry Taylor. "These preparations were esteemed by the surgical staff very generally as a specific for malaria especially — a condition which was very prevalent."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jan/13/20060113-085716-3727r/#ixzz3g3I7UFDM

 

[Private Watkins]

Here's A GREAT article on the topic. It intrigued me, not from ' Oh look who was dreadful ' but from ' How did anyone stand the carnage? ' aspect= this article speaks of how alcohol use was viewed inside the military and why. It also gets into some brief accounts of known officers and their alleged proclivities for liquor. Still, not sure anyone can judge them. I can't drink myself ( not won't, just can't- there's a difference ), bet it made a difference for some of these men who literally made life and death decisions for hundreds or thousands.

'Our most valued medicament was the alcoholic liquors, which were furnished to us sometimes in the form of whiskey and at other times of apple brandy," wrote Confederate physician William Henry Taylor. "These preparations were esteemed by the surgical staff very generally as a specific for malaria especially — a condition which was very prevalent."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jan/13/20060113-085716-3727r/#ixzz3g3I7UFDM

Thanks JPKH... no judgments intended here... just curious about the impacts, both good and bad...

 

[Rebforever]

General Grant and his "barrel".

 

[Private Watkins]

General Grant and his "barrel".

Any impact on any battles...?

 

[Old Bay]

Dixon Miles at 1st Manassas (well he was stationed in Centreville with his Division) and Harper's Ferry.

 

[diane]

Think the Army of the Potomac was the hardest drinking army ever! But sometimes alcohol was blamed for something considered worse. Rufus King messed up at Brawner's Farm during 2nd Manassas, contributing to that win for Lee, and was dismissed for being drunk. He was an epileptic - had a seizure just when he was supposed to bring his division into the fight. He didn't fight the drunk charge because in those days it was much, much better to be thought a drunk than an epileptic.

 

[Tom Elmore]

When on the march, available whiskey was always a temptation to the ranks and a bane to senior officers. Junior officers were caught somewhere in the middle. When Lieutenant Andy Varner of the 27th Virginia saw "Irish Mike" emerge from a cellar in the town of Gettysburg with canteens full of whiskey, he began to rail against the evils of alcohol in front of his men, but soon thereafter was heard to whisper, "Here Mike, give me a nip," an irony which the men of his unit greatly enjoyed. Another joke making the rounds was that the army had marched in three states, and some in four: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the state of intoxication. While known saloons and liquor shops were closed and strictly guarded, infantrymen still managed to find and conceal other caches. Surgeon Miller of the 25th Virginia recalled that his regiment was transformed into an unruly mob in Chambersburg due to confiscated whiskey, resulting in straggling and fistfights, and that it took a few days for order to be restored - not a good thing on the eve of battle. Likewise, an abundance of whiskey in York caused a "merry drunk" among the Virginians of "Extra Billy" Smith's brigade on June 28, with the party continuing until June 30 - the next day the men went into battle. Surprisingly, a gill (about a pint) of whiskey was actually issued to John Bell Hood's men and others after their crossing of the chilly Potomac on their march north in summer 1863. The few teetotalers would give their ration to others, but Maj. Gen. McLaws did not recall anyone who refused the gill. As a result a considerable number of men fell out of the column and did not rejoin until many hours later, dark rings circling their eyes. Artillery Captain William W. Parker was so incensed that he refused to accept another ration.

 

[Greg Taylor]

General Ledlie's drunkeness was a major factor not only at the Crater. It was also a contributing element in a near disastrous premature and unsupported assault across Ox Ford at the Battle of North Anna River.

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/north-anna.html?tab=facts

 

[Rebforever]

Any impact on any battles...?

The topic which is battles of alcohol, Grant had a battle with it.

 

[johan_steele]

The topic which is battles of alcohol, Grant had a battle with it.

And apparently won that one to.

 

[diane]

The topic which is battles of alcohol, Grant had a battle with it.

Be that as it may, he was never seen to be drunk before, during or after a battle. Do you know of a Grant battle where his drinking was a factor? Like Lincoln is supposed to have said, find out what he's drinking and ship a barrel to all the generals!

 

[Lt.Drake]

I can't help but wonder how many officers and enlistedmen became alcoholics AFTER the war. It's well documented that many soldiers returning from war struggle with drinking problems and drug use.

 

[Rebforever]

And apparently won that one to.

Do you have a source for statement where he beat the alcohol problem.

 

[Rebforever]

Be that as it may, he was never seen to be drunk before, during or after a battle. Do you know of a Grant battle where his drinking was a factor? Like Lincoln is supposed to have said, find out what he's drinking and ship a barrel to all the generals!

I never said anything about affecting his performance. He had his battle with alcohol
Here is the OP -
Battles with Alchohol.

 

[johan_steele]

Do you have a source for statement where he beat the alcohol problem.

Have you read his memoirs or any legit bio on the man? He didn't die in an alcohol induced stupor or get cashiered out of the army because of his battle with alcohol. Any battle he had with alcohol he clearly won in the end.