Earl Van Dorn and the Holly Springs Raid

TinCan

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Much has been written about colorful Confederate cavalry commanders such as the "Wizard of the saddle", Nathan Bedford Forrest, and J.E.B. Stuart. Another colorful commander, often overlooked by historians, was Major-General Earl Van Dorn. Standing 5 foot 5 inches tall he was known to be an emotional and impulsive individual, a painter, a poet, an excellent horseman, and a notorious womanizer. An 1842 graduate of West Point, he stood 52nd in his class of 56.

His early army career did little to enhance his chances for promotion as his assignments up until the Mexican War were various garrison posts in which he did not distinguish himself. In the Mexican War Van Dorn found his true calling. War was his element and he was very good at it. Brevetted twice, he rose from lieutenant to major in less than a year.

After he war he returned to garrison duty which was interrupted by the Seminole War of 1849-50. And after that again back to garrison duty. During the latter 1850's he was posted in the west where he became a skilled Indian fighter in battles with the Comanche's. Promoted to major in June of 1860 Van Dorn resigned his commission when his home state of Mississippi left the Union and joined the Confederacy in January 1861. Van Dorn was made a brigadier general of the Mississippi Militia the same month, and replaced Jefferson Davis as it's commander in February when Davis was elected President of the Confederate States.

Van Dorn served in Texas and commanded a cavalry division in Virginia with the Army of the Potomac, before Davis selected him to command the Trans-Mississippi Department in January 1862. Shortly after his appointment Van Dorn was brought to battle by Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis and his Army of the Southwest, at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, and after a two day battle (7-8 March 1862), the Confederates were defeated.

Transferred to reinforce the Army of Tennessee, he was again defeated at the Second Battle of Corinth (3-4 October 1862) and brought up on charges stemming from his poor performance in handling that engagement. Subsequently acquitted of all charges against him he was never again entrusted with the command of an army, and eventually lost his district command as well. He next served as a cavalry commander in John C. Pemberton's Army of Mississippi. When Lt. Col. John S. Griffith suggested a raid on Grant's supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi, Pemberton turned to his cavalry division commander Van Dorn to lead it.

Van Dorn led his three brigades of cavalry (3,500 men) eastward around Grant's army. Taking back roads so as not to attract any Union attention, Van Dorn arrived on the outskirts of Holly Springs on the evening of
December 19th. The next morning, dividing his command for a three pronged attack, the Confederates quickly over ran the Union garrison.

Col. Robert C. Murphy, commander of the 1,500 man garrison surrendered after no fight at all (for which he was later court-martialed for cowardice and disgraceful behavior) and dismissed from the army.

Finding rail cars loaded with food, uniforms, pistols, rifles, ammunition, and other supplies, the raiders helped themselves to anything they needed, offered the townspeople anything they could use, and set fire to or blew up the rest. Three hundred wagons filled with ammunition were destroyed as well as 6,000 to 7,000
stands of small arms.

The destruction of Grant's supplies at Holly Springs coupled with Forrest's destruction of the Mobil and Ohio railroad in his rear forced Grant to retire north across Mississippi and not resume his campaign against Vicksburg for several months.

In May of 1863 while sitting at his desk at his headquarters in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Van Dorn was shot in the back of the head and killed instantly by Dr. James B. Peters who claimed Van Dorn was having an affair with his wife. Although arrested for the murder Dr. Peters was never brought to trial. Van Dorn's murder robbed the Confederacy of a talented cavalry commander at a time when they could ill afford to lose one. Had he been around, he, like Forrest, might have been able to bring out a larger number of the Vicksburg garrison which the Trans-Mississippi could have sorely used.
 
I often wonder what my ancestors thought of the raid. Many were living in HS or in the country when it took place. When having supper at my grandma's, whose mother had been a girl in HS during the war, I remember being shown silver spoons, and china on the wall, that had been buried in HS to keep them from being taken by the Federals.
 
My granddaughter now "owns" and operates a ladies boutique just off the square of Holly Springs. I'm proud of her so I wanted to brag. She is only 19.

It is located a short distance down E Van Dorn Avenue from this sign.
HollySprings sign.JPG
 
I often wonder what my ancestors thought of the raid. Many were living in HS or in the country when it took place. When having supper at my grandma's, whose mother had been a girl in HS during the war, I remember being shown silver spoons, and china on the wall, that had been buried in HS to keep them from being taken by the Federals.
This is an old thread but if you see this I'm curious as to who your grandmother was. I remember from being a Pilgrimage guide that Mrs. Marbury (Cuffawa) had a sterilng pitcher that had a dent in it made by a shovel when it was dug up after the war. Pretty sure she didn't have kids, though.
 
This is an old thread but if you see this I'm curious as to who your grandmother was. I remember from being a Pilgrimage guide that Mrs. Marbury (Cuffawa) had a sterilng pitcher that had a dent in it made by a shovel when it was dug up after the war. Pretty sure she didn't have kids, though.
My grandmother's mother was Alice Wynne Ervin, 11 years old when the war broke out. Joel E Wynne was Alice's father. I own a drawing she made in 1861.
 
Van Dorn served in Texas and commanded a cavalry division in Virginia with the Army of the Potomac, before Davis selected him to command the Trans-Mississippi Department in January 1862.
I have a question about General Van Dorn's command while he spent that short time in Virginia. I'm reading Robert G. Hartje's biography of Van Dorn. He left his command in Mississippi and arrived in Richmond on 23 September 1861. He wasn't there long before he received orders on 10 January, 1862 to report to General Albert Sydney Johnston to command the Trans-Mississippi Department of Department No. 2.
The biography states that Major General Van Dorn was expecting to be assigned a corps but instead he was given charge of a division of Mississippi troops. In September, the War Department formed 13 brigades into 4 divisions. General Joseph E. Johnston requested Van Dorn to be assigned one of the new divisions. Then in October, the War Department organized the 4 Virginia division into two corps: 1st Corps commanded by P. G. T. Beauregard and 2nd Corps by Gustavus W. Smith. Van Dorn was commander of First Division, 1st Corps.
However, President Davis confided in him that he would transfer all the cavalry in Virginia to the First Division. He ordered all the Mississippi troops into two brigades and assigned to Van Dorn's First Division.
After more troop transfers, Van Dorn's First Division consisted of nine Mississippi regiments, the army's cavalry and General Wade Hampton's Legion. He was ordered to the line that stretched from Union Mills through Centerville to Stone Bridge. Van Dorn established his headquarters at Union Mills, about three miles from Manassas.

Q: What were the specific Mississippi regiments and the organization of General Van Dorn's division during his brief 4 months of command??
I was also interested to know what brigade the 13th, 17th & 18th Mississippi Regiments were assigned to at this time. It seems that in the Battle of Ball's Bluff they were in General Nathan Evan's brigade.
 
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