67th Tigers
Major
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2006
In Cox's report, and his later memoirs, Cox claims he received an order to form to attack the bridge at "about 7 o'clock on the 17th." Talking with saphroneth, I now doubt this was the case.
McClellan and his engineers had laid out positions for 9th Corps to be at on the 16th, and they were supposed to be there that night, ready to go the next morning. Per Cox these positions were:
On the bluffs, left hand side: Rodman's Division with Ewing's brigade in support
On the bluffs, right hand side: Crook's Brigade with Sturgis' division in support
Willcox's division as the reserve.
Cox claims these positions were occupied on the 16th, but they weren't. At dawn on the 17th, none of the 9th Corps appears to be in their allotted positions they were supposed to have been in per McClellan's order of the 16th.
Rodman is sort of near where they are supposed to be, Crook has moved towards where he was supposed to be etc. It's clear an attempt was made, but failure has resulted.
Cox claimed he was ordered to move the troops into position about 0700, which he places after the artillery duel between Eubanks' and Benjamin's batteries. However, about 0700 Eubanks'battery opens fire on Fairchilds' brigade (who occupied their position after dark), provoking the duel. Harland is ordered to follow. At 0730, half an hour after Cox has supposedly started moving troops towards the bridge, Rodman is marching away from it, and no-one else has stirred.
By 0800, Cox has fully withdrawn from the bluffs, and no-one is moving into position:
Per McClellan and Wilson, at 0800 an order was issued to McClellan to assault the bridge. By ca. 0830, the 11st Connecticut is moving back onto the bluff to support the batteries. Crook has been ordered to move to he bluffs over the bridge (said order carried by Capt Christ), but has no idea where the bridge is. He sends out two coys of the 11th Ohio to the west, and 5 coys of the 28th Ohio to the northwest to . This is clearly a response to the 0800 order.
When Harland sent an ADC to fetch the 11st Connecticut back, he couldn't find them. At 0900 they charged the bridge. They were supposed to have been acting as skirmishers for Crook's brigade, but Crook hadn't found the bridge, and indeed wouldn't.
Stedman's report for the 11st CT is not in the OR etc., but is quoted here. They received their orders to attack the bridge directly from Burnside. With Crook's brigade and the 11th Connecticut under orders to storm the bridge by 0845, it's clear that the 0800 order was indeed an attack order.
Cox claims he was ordered to get the corps into position around 0700, but he clearly didn't do any such thing. His report and memoir places him receiving the order after the rebel bombardment, since the bombardment interrupted his breakfast, and he hadn't yet moved anyone. It's more likely the sequence of events is thus:
Before 0800: no attempt to move troops to storm the bridge. Instead, Rodman's division moves away from the bridge.
ca. 0800: Wilson carries the order to Burnside to storm the bridge.
ca. 0810: Burnside, who is with Cox, orders Cox to move the forces forward to be in position to storm the bridge.
ca. 0830: Crook has no idea where the bridge is, and has sent scouting parties to find it.
ca. 0845: Thinking everything is fine, Burnside orders the bridge stormed.
ca. 0900: The only force near the bridge, the 11th CT, attempts to storm the bridge unsupported.
also ca. 0900: McClellan wonders why the bridge hasn't been stormed and has the order reissued.
McClellan and his engineers had laid out positions for 9th Corps to be at on the 16th, and they were supposed to be there that night, ready to go the next morning. Per Cox these positions were:
On the bluffs, left hand side: Rodman's Division with Ewing's brigade in support
On the bluffs, right hand side: Crook's Brigade with Sturgis' division in support
Willcox's division as the reserve.
Cox claims these positions were occupied on the 16th, but they weren't. At dawn on the 17th, none of the 9th Corps appears to be in their allotted positions they were supposed to have been in per McClellan's order of the 16th.
Rodman is sort of near where they are supposed to be, Crook has moved towards where he was supposed to be etc. It's clear an attempt was made, but failure has resulted.
Cox claimed he was ordered to move the troops into position about 0700, which he places after the artillery duel between Eubanks' and Benjamin's batteries. However, about 0700 Eubanks'battery opens fire on Fairchilds' brigade (who occupied their position after dark), provoking the duel. Harland is ordered to follow. At 0730, half an hour after Cox has supposedly started moving troops towards the bridge, Rodman is marching away from it, and no-one else has stirred.
By 0800, Cox has fully withdrawn from the bluffs, and no-one is moving into position:
Per McClellan and Wilson, at 0800 an order was issued to McClellan to assault the bridge. By ca. 0830, the 11st Connecticut is moving back onto the bluff to support the batteries. Crook has been ordered to move to he bluffs over the bridge (said order carried by Capt Christ), but has no idea where the bridge is. He sends out two coys of the 11th Ohio to the west, and 5 coys of the 28th Ohio to the northwest to . This is clearly a response to the 0800 order.
When Harland sent an ADC to fetch the 11st Connecticut back, he couldn't find them. At 0900 they charged the bridge. They were supposed to have been acting as skirmishers for Crook's brigade, but Crook hadn't found the bridge, and indeed wouldn't.
Stedman's report for the 11st CT is not in the OR etc., but is quoted here. They received their orders to attack the bridge directly from Burnside. With Crook's brigade and the 11th Connecticut under orders to storm the bridge by 0845, it's clear that the 0800 order was indeed an attack order.
Cox claims he was ordered to get the corps into position around 0700, but he clearly didn't do any such thing. His report and memoir places him receiving the order after the rebel bombardment, since the bombardment interrupted his breakfast, and he hadn't yet moved anyone. It's more likely the sequence of events is thus:
Before 0800: no attempt to move troops to storm the bridge. Instead, Rodman's division moves away from the bridge.
ca. 0800: Wilson carries the order to Burnside to storm the bridge.
ca. 0810: Burnside, who is with Cox, orders Cox to move the forces forward to be in position to storm the bridge.
ca. 0830: Crook has no idea where the bridge is, and has sent scouting parties to find it.
ca. 0845: Thinking everything is fine, Burnside orders the bridge stormed.
ca. 0900: The only force near the bridge, the 11th CT, attempts to storm the bridge unsupported.
also ca. 0900: McClellan wonders why the bridge hasn't been stormed and has the order reissued.
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