Favorite Regiment

[Bob Owen]

Berdan's Sharpshooters!

 

[Stony]

Haven't made up my mind yet.

 

[Bob Owen]

Haven't made up my mind yet.

Right!?

 

[NFB22]

My favorite is the 25th Tennessee Infantry Regiment (Confederate)because my great grandfather was captain of Company K. He was captured at Drewry's (Drury's) Bluff, Virginia in May 1864 and became one of the Immortal 600.

Will

Thats pretty neat, the chances of having a member in the Immortal 600 is pretty slim so being a direct descendant is noteworthy. That whole ordeal has always fascinated me.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

What company? My 3rd great grandfather was in co. B.

Company D "Oakland Guards" from Rowan County

He was wounded in his first battle at Gaines Mill, and later fought at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville,and Gettysburg, and then was discharged.

 

[leftyhunter]

2nd Colorado and 1st Ark USV they were very good at counter -insurgency warfare. The Iron Brigade and of course there were many brave CSA regiments especially from Ky and Mo .
Leftyhunter

 

[Americanfighter]

the army of the Tennessee basically for the march to the sea. it really took ball and trust in your commander to make that march that there was no turning back from.

 

[CSA Today]

the army of the Tennessee basically for the march to the sea. it really took ball and trust in your commander to make that march that there was no turning back from.

Yeah, considering the odds they were up against it must have been a real nightmare.

Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

 

[44 Henry]

The 7th Illinois Infantry was also at Bentonville, too bad for the Rebs, and were armed with Henry Repeating Rifles.

In a report dated March 28th, 1865 Major Edward S. Johnson of the Seventh describes their use of the Henry Repeating rifles during the Battle of Bentonville. He writes, "At 3 p.m. I received orders from the brigade commander to relieve the skirmishers of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry, then occupying the outer works of the enemy, and to hold those rifle pits at all hazards. I accordingly moved with my whole command, seventy men in all, principally armed with the Henry repeating rifle, to the swamp on the farther side of which those pits were located, and found that our skirmishers had withdrawn from them, and that they were reoccupied by the enemy in force. The enemy immediately opened a galling fire upon me, under which I, however deployed my men as skirmishers, and returned his fire. The left of my line succeeded in getting over the swamp, but was afterwards somewhat withdrawn to allow artillery uninterrupted play upon the enemy's position.....My men also threw up detached rifle pits for their own protection. The enemy attempted several times to advance his lines, but was driven back with little trouble. An exceedingly sharp fire was kept up, however, by both sides during the entire night, until 3:00 o'clock on the morning of the 22d, when the enemy's fire entirely ceased. At daylight I ordered a party over the swamp to reconnoiter the rifle pits in my front, which were found deserted; and I immediately advanced my whole line, occupying a second and third line of works, and finding the enemy had disappeared." (39) Seventy men armed with Henry Repeating rifles would be a force to reckon with. Even if each man only carried a hundred cartridges that would equal 7,000 rounds that could be fired stopping any advance by an enemy.

 

[Barrycdog]

Would you explain why? Where was it raised and where were the men from? Where did they wind up in the war? What happened to them? Thanks!

9th Georgia Artillery, 5 companies mustered out of Atlanta, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Columbus Bib and surrounding Counties. Company A.B. and E was all in the Atlanta area with Company B in the Oakwood, Buckhead Area. Most of the unit wound up in Virginia starting out as a light artillery and ending up as a heavy artillery.

Some of the unit surrendered at Appomattox, some returned home, some where captured at Bermuda Hundred Virginia, Some where at Camp Douglas, Johnson's Island and some released north of the Ohio. Each soldier had a different tale.

 

[CSA Today]

The 7th Illinois Infantry was also at Bentonville, too bad for the Rebs, and were armed with Henry Repeating Rifles.

In a report dated March 28th, 1865 Major Edward S. Johnson of the Seventh describes their use of the Henry Repeating rifles during the Battle of Bentonville. He writes, "At 3 p.m. I received orders from the brigade commander to relieve the skirmishers of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry, then occupying the outer works of the enemy, and to hold those rifle pits at all hazards. I accordingly moved with my whole command, seventy men in all, principally armed with the Henry repeating rifle, to the swamp on the farther side of which those pits were located, and found that our skirmishers had withdrawn from them, and that they were reoccupied by the enemy in force. The enemy immediately opened a galling fire upon me, under which I, however deployed my men as skirmishers, and returned his fire. The left of my line succeeded in getting over the swamp, but was afterwards somewhat withdrawn to allow artillery uninterrupted play upon the enemy's position.....My men also threw up detached rifle pits for their own protection. The enemy attempted several times to advance his lines, but was driven back with little trouble. An exceedingly sharp fire was kept up, however, by both sides during the entire night, until 3:00 o'clock on the morning of the 22d, when the enemy's fire entirely ceased. At daylight I ordered a party over the swamp to reconnoiter the rifle pits in my front, which were found deserted; and I immediately advanced my whole line, occupying a second and third line of works, and finding the enemy had disappeared." (39) Seventy men armed with Henry Repeating rifles would be a force to reckon with. Even if each man only carried a hundred cartridges that would equal 7,000 rounds that could be fired stopping any advance by an enemy.

There's a Henry rifle at the Bentonville small museum and
Bookstore combination and perhaps it is a trophy taken from the 7th Illinois by one of the North Carolina Junior Reservist.

"While I am able for service I intend to stand by the cause while a banner floats to tell where freedom's sons still supports her cause."

Major Walter Clark of the North Carolina Junior Reserve Brigade in a letter to his mother.

 

[44 Henry]

There's a Henry rifle at the Bentonville small museum and
Bookstore combination and perhaps it is a trophy taken from the 7th Illinois by one of the North Carolina Junior Reservist.

"While I am able for service I intend to stand by the cause while a banner floats to tell where freedom's sons still supports her cause."

Major Walter Clark of the North Carolina Junior Reserve Brigade in a letter to his mother.

I have been to Bentonville in 1990, 1991 and the last time in 2010 where we portrayed the 7th Illinois Infantry with Henry rifles, in fact in 2010 we had 23 Henry rifles in our company. I have seen the Henry rifle of which you speak. I think it may have been donated after the war by a member of the 7th Illinois Infantry as a reminder of the firepower that was faced by the Rebs., LOL

Bentonville is always a good time even thought it is a 2200 mile round trip for me. We wil be there in force for 2015 and the 150th.

 

[CSA Today]

I have been to Bentonville in 1990, 1991 and the last time in 2010 where we portrayed the 7th Illinois Infantry with Henry rifles, in fact in 2010 we had 23 Henry rifles in our company. I have seen the Henry rifle of which you speak. I think it may have been donated after the war by a member of the 7th Illinois Infantry as a reminder of the firepower that was faced by the Rebs., LOL

Bentonville is always a good time even thought it is a 2200 mile round trip for me. We wil be there in force for 2015 and the 150th.

An approximate 175-mile round trip for me to Bentonville. I go to the big five year events and to the yearly living history encampments.

Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

 

[johan_steele]

There are a variety of units that impress me, picking a favorite is difficult.

US

For the AoP... 1st MN VI, Iron Brigade, or perhaps Berdan's 1st & 2nd USSS simply for the contributions they gave to the AoP.

AoC... the Regular Brigade was the heart of the AoC helping to form the backbone of it IMO.

AoT... 52nd Illinois, 3rd IA, 4th MN as IMO they were the classic western regiments. None of the three ever broke and ran, though the 3rd was destroyed when overrun by about 3-7 times there number at Atlanta.

CS

ANV 4th AL hands down my fav, they were in every major fight of the ANV plus Chickamauga.

AoT CS the Missouri Brigade followed closely by the 1st TN & 8th TX Cav. The Missouri Brigade may have been the finest Brigade of either side of the war, I can think of few if any w/ their level of dedication. The 1st TN because it was old Sam Watkns Regt which has a certain celebrity because of him and which IMO deserved every bit of it. 8th TX cav... they were known to mount their horse just to cross the street, the best CS Cav unit of the war.

 

[johan_steele]

Yeah, considering the odds they were up against it must been a real nightmare.

Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

Hit the enemy where he ain't... old Sherman was following the instructions of Forrest only on a much larger scale. There job was to create the nightmares and they did. After all they still have you wetting your pants 150 years later.

 

[shanniereb]

Do we have to pick one? Or can we have several? What about from both sides? I have favorite regiments from both North and South.

 

[johan_steele]

Do we have to pick one? Or can we have several? What about from both sides? I have favorite regiments from both North and South.

I say pick all that impress you... it's what I did.

 

[ExNavyPilot]

My favorite is probably the 3rd Independent Battery, Wisconsin Volunteer Light Artillery, not because they were anything special but because they were a typical Union unit that saw some strenuous service in the Western Theater, experiencing heavy action at Stones River and getting their butts kicked at Chickamauga (lost 5 of 6 guns and took 26 casualties among the gun platoons) on the 20th in Dyer's Field. After Chickamauga, they mainly served in garrison, manning guns in the defenses of Chattanooga and at Fort Rosecrans (Murfreesboro), but almost 50 of them volunteered to be detached to two other batteries needing more manpower during the Atlanta Campaign.

Okay, okay, I admit it...the primary reason I like that unit is that my gg-granduncle, PVT Lewis Massuere, was in that unit, I grew up hearing some of his stories from my dad, I was named for my g-grandfather Louis who was named (with spelling change) for PVT Massuere, and that is the unit on which I've focused much of my research efforts and for which I have the most knowledge. But they're still kind of a cool unit.

On the Confederate side, I have a fondness for the Orphan Brigade. They had a good record and a great back story.

 

[CSA Today]

Hit the enemy where he ain't... old Sherman was following the instructions of Forrest only on a much larger scale. There job was to create the nightmares and they did. After all they still have you wetting your pants 150 years later.

?
Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

 

[cof]

My favorite would be the 26th N.C. My great grandfather, William Bradford was in co.F. His 1st cousin, Nero Bradford was in co. I. Both William and Nero were woumded at Gettysburg. Nero was captured at Gettysburg and was one of the "Immortal 600". I have a cow horn that he carved while held as a POW at Fort Pulaski. Lots of acorns and grapes and leaves. A rabbit and a beautiful dove with an olive branch in its beak. Carved words " IDLE HOURS OF PRISONER OF WAR" "N.G. BRADFORD" "FORT PULASKI GA. 1865". The horn was shaved down and the carvings left raised about 1/8 inch. My avatar is a picture of Nero.