Longstreet's Headquarters---Bleak House

[Gettmore]

 

[bayouace]

Roughing it in the field!
Hey, I recognize that Docent. Lol

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

View attachment 569506View attachment 569507View attachment 569508

At least Longstreet picked a good headquarters building. Unfortunately, his ability to select good tactics totally abandoned him at Knoxville.

 

[wausaubob]

At least Longstreet picked a good headquarters building. Unfortunately, his ability to select good tactics totally abandoned him at Knoxville.

Could be, but maybe the units that Burnside brought to Knoxville were the core of what became the Army of the Ohio, and they may have been very tough fighters.

 

[Aaron Vinson]

Here's an image drawn inside at the time of sharpshooters who were killed here

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Thought the b/w photos in the OP really capture the design features of this structure. (Believe the house was built by slave labor about 2 or 3 years prior to the war).

On Nov. 18, '63, there was heavy fire coming from 8 to 10 Confederate sharpshooters positioned inside the Armstrong/Bleak House who were pouring shots on B-G William Sanders's small force of Union troops defensively posted in a line opposite to hold back an advancing larger enemy force.

Sanders is widely believed to have been mortally wounded on that day by a shot fired by one of the several riflemen (some of whom were armed with whitworths) perched in the upper tower of this house.

In consequence, the rifled guns (consisting of four 20-pounder Parrotts) of Lt. Samuel Benjamin's Co. E, 2nd. U.S. artillery targeted the house at maximum range. One fired shot, at least, shattered the brick wall of the house, causing the Southern riflemen within to scurry and scatter.

Am uncertain though whether the three men sketched above on the tower wall were actually casualties of Federal artillery or infantry rifle fire.

If only those house walls could speak.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Here's an image drawn inside at the time of sharpshooters who were killed here

Underneath the above sketch drawn on the tower wall, the unknown soldier drawer also wrote, 'men that were shot up here'. (By this wording it seems that these three soldiers were shot, but not necessarily killed, in the tower - otherwise, the word 'killed' would more likely have been used in lieu of 'shot' in the written wall description).

Apparently, it's thought that the unbearded soldier in the center of this drawn trio may have been Cpl. William Raines of Co. C, 9th. GA. (As far as is known, the two bearded soldiers were never identified).

 

[Aaron Vinson]

William Raines of Co. C, 9th. GA

Interesting to note his muster roll says "killed in engagement with enemy at Knoxville Dec 18." I assume it's supposed to read November 18

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Interesting to note his muster roll says "killed in engagement with enemy at Knoxville Dec 18." I assume it's supposed to read November 18

Saw that too - coincidental it shows he died on Dec. 18, not Nov. 18.

His 'Find-a-Grave' listing ( https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157567981/william-green_gaither-raines ) similarly shows he died on Dec. 18. Interestingly here, it says he was promoted to Sgt. (not Cpl.) in '61 and the photo shows him bearded wearing his uniform and not youthful looking, like in the wall drawing.

Below is the link that identifies him as being the central soldier in the drawing:-

https://digital.mtsu.edu/digital/collection/shades/id/108/

If that's him, maybe he was shot (not killed) in the Bleak Tower on Nov. 18 and died later (of this, or a subsequent, wounding) on Dec. 18 during the aftermath of the Knoxville Campaign. (His place of burial is apparently unknown).

 

[gary]

Good thread. I visited the Bleak House over a decade ago.

East Tennessee Historical Society is worth visiting too. They have Davy Crockett's rifle (restored by Hershel House).