Elmer R. Woodard III
Private
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
I'm doing a book on Malvern Hill as a sequel to "A Bloody Day at Gaines' Mill" (McFarland, Sept 28, 2018). Please, please deluge me with any information you might have on any regiment or battery that participated.
Of especial interest:
Magruder had 10 batteries of artillery, yet only McCarthy's Richmond Howitzers (attached to Barksdale's Brigade, Magruder's Division) is accounted for. What were the rest doing?
At Gaines' Mill, Lee put Harvey Hill under Jackson's command, creating the Reinforced Valley Army, being the Valley Army (3 small divisions Whiting, Winder/Jackson, and Ewell) plus Harvey Hill's huge division, each just over 10,00 men. The Valley Army led the march on July 1, and Whiting's Division (Law and Hood) led Whiting's Division. Winder and Ewell were next. I need more detailed information from Harvey Hill's men, as where they deployed ad how they attacked are still confusing.
First person accounts are crucial. Sears, Gallager, Foote, etc. are all just regurgitating someone else's ideas, so these are less important. However, first person accounts from them can be helpful.
Union accounts are also crucial. I've got a lot out of Porter's men, but not that much out of Couch's men, who are:
4th Corps (Keyes) Couch’s 1st Division 1st Brigade (Howe) 55 NY 62 NY Anderson Zouaves
93 Pa 98Pa 102 PA 2d Brigade (Abercrombie) 65 NY 67NY 23 Pa 31Pa 61Pa
3d Brigade (Palmer) 7 Ma 10 Ma 36 NY 2 RI
What I need to know is WHAT they did, WHERE they did it, and WHEN.
There are a LOT of Zouave units in these, yet so far I have not seen a single reference to red uniforms at all.
Federal Artillery is also important. So far, I have established three lines of guns. THE gunline, facing north near the Crews and West houses, 18 guns (6 rifles, 6 Naps 6 rifles). The Siege Gun line, with 5 30 lb Parrotts and a couple of Whitworths, in front of the Malvern House, a mile away from the Crews and West Houses, and the Western Gunline, along Malvern Cliffs facing WEST, away from the Confedrates. Some say there was another gunline behind THE gunline, curving generally northeast and east, but some others disagree. Help on this would be appreciated.
As a shameless teaser: Co F. of Berdan's Sharpshooters Lt. Col Ripley commanding, were deployed on the northern edge of Armistead's Ravine, in a field of mature wheat, gently waving in the breeze. As Armistead's skirmishers advanced, they were stopped cold by withering fire from the Sharps Infantry rifles of Ripley's men. This put Armistead in a bind. He had artillery on the way, coming to occupy the knoll, but the Union Sharpshooters still controlled it with deadly accurate fire, and lots of it. Pressed for time, Armistead ordered all three regiments in his front line to charge. Eight Hundred yards away, the union artillerymen were astonished to see a brigade come out of the woods. Even the gunners on the Napoleons must have smiled, as the Rebels were within easy range of their smoothbores.
Of especial interest:
Magruder had 10 batteries of artillery, yet only McCarthy's Richmond Howitzers (attached to Barksdale's Brigade, Magruder's Division) is accounted for. What were the rest doing?
At Gaines' Mill, Lee put Harvey Hill under Jackson's command, creating the Reinforced Valley Army, being the Valley Army (3 small divisions Whiting, Winder/Jackson, and Ewell) plus Harvey Hill's huge division, each just over 10,00 men. The Valley Army led the march on July 1, and Whiting's Division (Law and Hood) led Whiting's Division. Winder and Ewell were next. I need more detailed information from Harvey Hill's men, as where they deployed ad how they attacked are still confusing.
First person accounts are crucial. Sears, Gallager, Foote, etc. are all just regurgitating someone else's ideas, so these are less important. However, first person accounts from them can be helpful.
Union accounts are also crucial. I've got a lot out of Porter's men, but not that much out of Couch's men, who are:
4th Corps (Keyes) Couch’s 1st Division 1st Brigade (Howe) 55 NY 62 NY Anderson Zouaves
93 Pa 98Pa 102 PA 2d Brigade (Abercrombie) 65 NY 67NY 23 Pa 31Pa 61Pa
3d Brigade (Palmer) 7 Ma 10 Ma 36 NY 2 RI
What I need to know is WHAT they did, WHERE they did it, and WHEN.
There are a LOT of Zouave units in these, yet so far I have not seen a single reference to red uniforms at all.
Federal Artillery is also important. So far, I have established three lines of guns. THE gunline, facing north near the Crews and West houses, 18 guns (6 rifles, 6 Naps 6 rifles). The Siege Gun line, with 5 30 lb Parrotts and a couple of Whitworths, in front of the Malvern House, a mile away from the Crews and West Houses, and the Western Gunline, along Malvern Cliffs facing WEST, away from the Confedrates. Some say there was another gunline behind THE gunline, curving generally northeast and east, but some others disagree. Help on this would be appreciated.
As a shameless teaser: Co F. of Berdan's Sharpshooters Lt. Col Ripley commanding, were deployed on the northern edge of Armistead's Ravine, in a field of mature wheat, gently waving in the breeze. As Armistead's skirmishers advanced, they were stopped cold by withering fire from the Sharps Infantry rifles of Ripley's men. This put Armistead in a bind. He had artillery on the way, coming to occupy the knoll, but the Union Sharpshooters still controlled it with deadly accurate fire, and lots of it. Pressed for time, Armistead ordered all three regiments in his front line to charge. Eight Hundred yards away, the union artillerymen were astonished to see a brigade come out of the woods. Even the gunners on the Napoleons must have smiled, as the Rebels were within easy range of their smoothbores.