The Great Beefsteak Raid by Mort Kunsler

[CSA Today]

The Great Beefsteak Raid

General Wade Hampton, September 16, 1864

By September of 1864, Confederate forces began to show the ill effects of a drawn-out war. Food, ammunition, and medicine were in short supply as trench warfare and siege tactics became the norm. In Virginia, General Wade Hampton was besieged at Petersburg and became well aware of the desperateness of his situation. A new enemy, one even more formidable than the much larger and better-outfitted Union Army, began to overtake his lines. The adversary's name was "hunger" and it threatened to destroy the entire southern army's spirit.

The growing desperateness of his troop's situation forced Hampton to undertake what would become one of the most ambitious raids of the entire Civil War. On September 15th he set out to commandeer an entire herd of cattle, numbering in the thousands, from the surrounding Union Army. By September 17th he had not only accomplished his goal of thievery, he also managed to drive the herd back to the safety of his own lines.

This amazing feat required 2,500 captured cattle to traverse streams and cross battle scarred landscapes without stampeding. Perhaps the critical nature of the mission enabled the famished horsemen to pull it off as Hampton's men returned triumphantly with enough food to sustain and nourish the starved army."
http://blog.mortkunstler.com/search/label/The Making of a Masterpiece: The Great Beefsteak Raid
http://blog.mortkunstler.com/search/label/The Making of a Masterpiece: The Great Beefsteak Raid

 

[diane]

That's a great picture, CSA! Hampton had guts to do that. Can't help but see Hampton standing in his stirrups and hollering, "Head 'em up...move 'em out!" No disrespect - just can't help it! (It's ok - Gil Favor's crew was mostly Confederate veterans!)

 

[ErnieMac]

Saw this movie not too many years after it was released. Found out later that it had its origins, if not its plot, in a real event.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060095/reviews

William Holden plays the owner of the cattle herd who has arranged, for a price, to deliver a prime beef herd to Union lines during the latter year of the War, 1864. As Kelly, he'll do anything that can be done, as long as there is a handsome fee at the end of the task. Richard Widmark plays the leader of the Confederate raiders who is just as determined to get the herd delivered, but not to Yankees, but instead to starving Confederate soldiers and citizens. His Southern accent is a bit contrived, but bearable. Widmark is able to convince Holden to change the route of the herd; however, the Union army is going to have to be contended with, as they know this herd was intended for them.

 

[Yankeedave]

Map of the raid

 

[Sbc]

Saw this movie not too many years after it was released. Found out later that it had its origins, if not its plot, in a real event.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060095/reviews

View attachment 106125

William Holden plays the owner of the cattle herd who has arranged, for a price, to deliver a prime beef herd to Union lines during the latter year of the War, 1864. As Kelly, he'll do anything that can be done, as long as there is a handsome fee at the end of the task. Richard Widmark plays the leader of the Confederate raiders who is just as determined to get the herd delivered, but not to Yankees, but instead to starving Confederate soldiers and citizens. His Southern accent is a bit contrived, but bearable. Widmark is able to convince Holden to change the route of the herd; however, the Union army is going to have to be contended with, as they know this herd was intended for them.

Great action flick

 

[donna]

Saw the movie too. I think Turner Classic channel had it on not too long ago. They were doing William Holden movies for the day.

CSA Do like the print. It shows such great action. Thanks for posting.

 

[1NCCAV]

I am a Wade Hampton admirer. He is vastly underrated as a cavalry commander and has never captured the imagination of the casual Civil War reader like the more romantic figures of Forrest or Morgan. But Hampton had great natural ability that was undoubtedly refined under the "greatest cavalryman ever foaled in America" - James Ewell Brown Stuart. And although the relationship between Hampton and Stuart was strictly professional - they could not be considered friends - Hampton was mature and professional and must have learned much from Stuart.

 

[Rio Bravo]

It was fortunate that Hampton's Cavalry were born Cowboys, and were able to head off the frightened cattle, round them up & bring them safely back to Lee's starving Soldiers !

 

[diane]

I am a Wade Hampton admirer. He is vastly underrated as a cavalry commander and has never captured the imagination of the casual Civil War reader like the more romantic figures of Forrest or Morgan. But Hampton had great natural ability that was undoubtedly refined under the "greatest cavalryman ever foaled in America" - James Ewell Brown Stuart. And although the relationship between Hampton and Stuart was strictly professional - they could not be considered friends - Hampton was mature and professional and must have learned much from Stuart.

It was really a great loss to Lee when Hampton went back to South Carolina. He had to - Sherman was literally standing on his front door step!