Friendly Fire Incidents

[Championhilz]

Here's one of the saddest friendly fire incidents I have come across, related by Sergeant George Powell Clarke of the 36th Mississippi Infantry:

I am now going to relate one of the saddest and most heart rending incidents that came under my observation during the whole war. There were two brothers in our Brigade – members I think, of the 38th Mississippi Regiment. They had not been at home since their enlistment the winter before. The day after our arrival at Baldwyn, their mother and sister arrived at the camp on a visit to them, bringing clothing and a box of delicacies from home. The two brothers had been on picket or guard duty, and came up just as the two ladies arrived at the camp. Their guns were loaded, and as they met the ladies one of them brought his gun to the ground with such force that by some means it fired, sending the whole load through the head of his brother, killing him instantly before he had time to return the salutations of his relatives. Speak of heart rending cries and lamentations, but in all my life I never heard that which followed this accident exceeded.


These brothers mentioned by Sgt. Clarke were J. G. and S. L. Leonard, members of the Van Dorn Guards, Company B, 38th Mississippi Infantry, from Claiborne County. In his service record, J. G. Leonard is listed as "…accidentally killed on the retreat from Iuka, September 23, 1862." His brother S. L. Leonard later deserted from the regiment and never returned.

- Reminiscence and Anecdotes of the War for Southern Independence, by George Powell Clarke

 

[M E Wolf]

Here's one of the saddest friendly fire incidents I have come across, related by Sergeant George Powell Clarke of the 36th Mississippi Infantry:

I am now going to relate one of the saddest and most heart rending incidents that came under my observation during the whole war. There were two brothers in our Brigade – members I think, of the 38th Mississippi Regiment. They had not been at home since their enlistment the winter before. The day after our arrival at Baldwyn, their mother and sister arrived at the camp on a visit to them, bringing clothing and a box of delicacies from home. The two brothers had been on picket or guard duty, and came up just as the two ladies arrived at the camp. Their guns were loaded, and as they met the ladies one of them brought his gun to the ground with such force that by some means it fired, sending the whole load through the head of his brother, killing him instantly before he had time to return the salutations of his relatives. Speak of heart rending cries and lamentations, but in all my life I never heard that which followed this accident exceeded.


These brothers mentioned by Sgt. Clarke were J. G. and S. L. Leonard, members of the Van Dorn Guards, Company B, 38th Mississippi Infantry, from Claiborne County. In his service record, J. G. Leonard is listed as "…accidentally killed on the retreat from Iuka, September 23, 1862." His brother S. L. Leonard later deserted from the regiment and never returned.

- Reminiscence and Anecdotes of the War for Southern Independence, by George Powell Clarke

Oh man....that is a very sad tale indeed.

Thanks for sharing.

M. E. Wolf

 

[M E Wolf]

The term "Killing Our Own Men" is frequently used in the Official Records of the Rebellion, should those who wish to explore such.

M. E. Wolf

 

[ole]

There is a tale, possibly apocryphal, that Confederate troops refused to advance on a Union position with cannon fire arcing over their heads. This is attributed to the unreliability of Reb ammo -- shell and case would explode over the heads of the advancing troops.

 

[diane]

Forrest, along toward the end of the war, issued orders to his men to make sure their uniforms were GREY. He had been supplying them with goods from raids on Union depots for about 2 years, and they had so much USA stuff they could have been mistaken for Yankees even with the dyed uniforms! I don't know of any incidents of friendly fire creating a number of casualties with Forrest's troops except at the last Murfreesboro battle. His troops routed and some shot each other in the confusion - and Forrest shot dead a color bearer who was leading a retreat to the rear. It wasn't the first time he had shot dead one of his own. I guess if your general shoots you it's some other term than friendly fire, though!

 

[Miles Krisman]

There is a tale, possibly apocryphal, that Confederate troops refused to advance on a Union position with cannon fire arcing over their heads. This is attributed to the unreliability of Reb ammo -- shell and case would explode over the heads of the advancing troops.

This is a similiar incident that occurred at Gettysburg.

"The rest of the Regiment then moved up with Doles' Brigade and lay in line of battle in a lane. There was no shade and the heat of the sun was almost unbearable. A heavy cannonading was kept up with a great many shells passing over them. Some, from their own batteries exploded over their lines and killed men in Doles', Ramseur's and possible Iverson's Brigades. It was either very inferior ammunition or great carelessness on the part of the gunners."[1]


[1] Diary of Samuel Pickens – University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa

 

[kholland]

I am reading Harry Pfanz's "Gettysburg: Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill" and on Culp's Hill there was plenty of confusion in the dark with yankees in the next trench from confederates. And there was "friendly fire" there also.

 

[Jamieva]

Franklin had friendly fire among the Union forces.

 

[Rio Bravo]

I still think that Gen.Albert Sidney Johnston was killed by "Friendly Fire" at Shiloh.
A Confederate .577 Minie Ball struck him at the back of his knee from behind.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

A number of incidents of naval "blue on blue" (more appropriate when talking about the navies)... though there may have been some fatal incidents, I can't think of any right off...

The Monitor was struck, possibly more than once, by projectiles fired from the USS Minnesota toward the CSS Virginia (ex-Merrimack) on 9 March 1862. The Minnesota's shots did no significant damage apart from annoying the Union ironclad's crew.

The Carondelet and the Pittsburg tangled more than once on the Western rivers. At Fort Donelson, the Pittsburg accidentally rammed her sister ship when attempting to drop back out of the fight on 14 February 1862; and below Island No. 10, Pittsburg fired close over Carondelet's deck while the two gunboats were engaging Confederate shore batteries. A Union general stated in his memoirs that Carondelet commander Walke threatened Lt. Egbert Thompson of Pittsburg that if it ever happened again, Walke would turn his guns on Pittsburg. (Thompson served again under Walke after the war, at Mound City Naval Station. I imagine their relationship was a bit frosty.)

 

[diane]

A number of incidents of naval "blue on blue" (more appropriate when talking about the navies)... though there may have been some fatal incidents, I can't think of any right off...

The Monitor was struck, possibly more than once, by projectiles fired from the USS Minnesota toward the CSS Virginia (ex-Merrimack) on 9 March 1862. The Minnesota's shots did no significant damage apart from annoying the Union ironclad's crew.

The Carondelet and the Pittsburg tangled more than once on the Western rivers. At Fort Donelson, the Pittsburg accidentally rammed her sister ship when attempting to drop back out of the fight on 14 February 1862; and below Island No. 10, Pittsburg fired close over Carondelet's deck while the two gunboats were engaging Confederate shore batteries. A Union general stated in his memoirs that Carondelet commander Walke threatened Lt. Egbert Thompson of Pittsburg that if it ever happened again, Walke would turn his guns on Pittsburg. (Thompson served again under Walke after the war, at Mound City Naval Station. I imagine their relationship was a bit frosty.)

Not sure if it's in the 'friendly fire' category, but the Hartford almost ran into another ship, think the Brooklyn. Farragut frantically signalled for the ship to speed up, move over but GET OUT OF THE WAY! Think they were trying to avoid a mine field, especially when the Tecumseh hit one and went down. Mobile Bay.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Yup! That was the Lackawanna. It was a bit unfair-- Hartford actually strayed into Lackawanna's path when the latter was having a run at ramming the CSS Tennessee-- but the story goes that Farragut whipped around to the signalman nearby and said, "Can you say 'For God's sake' by signal?" When the signalman indicated he could, Farragut said, "Then say, 'For God's sake, get out of the way and anchor!"

 

[diane]

That's right! Lackawanna. Farragut couldn't afford to worry too much about the mines, though. And...got to say, Buchanan was one tough old sea dog!

 

[Deleted member 8452]

Another Confederate "Friendly Fire" incident at Seven Pines/Fair Oaks:
The following is from the Official Report of Colonel William Smith commanding the 49th Virginia Regiment: "Here I met with General Garland who stating that his brigade had been cut to pieces, urged me forward. I gave the word, and my gallant boys dashed into the abatis, pressing forward with every possible dispatch. My men were falling fast from the fire of an unseen foe – indeed, several had fallen in the timber through which we had just passed from the shell of the enemy, and yet they gallantly pressed forward and had more than half perforated the abatis, had passed the rifle pits, and were under a galling fire from front and flank before I opened fire. Never did men behave more like veterans under such trying circumstances. We were under heavy fire on both of my flanks and directly in front of the enemy, and also from the rear by our friends, some of whom skulked behind the brick ruins some 800 or 400 yards in my rear, and some from the brush, and galled us with their fire, until I had to dash back to the fellows before I could be relieved of their annoyance.

The Abatis and obstacles placed by Union troops caused lots of problems for the confederate advance on May the 31st, Garland brigade was able to clear it and push back some units but couldn't hold on for long. There was an excellent detailed map in the 38th Virginia Infantry Book that shows the problems the fight near Seven Pines