Michigan in the War (Michigan GenWeb)
http://www.migenweb.org/michiganinthewar/cavalry/2ndcav.htm
Similar/Related site:
https://www.geni.com/projects/2nd-Michigan-Cavalry-USA-US-Civil-War/4164
Showing posts with label Second Michigan Cavalry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Second Michigan Cavalry. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (link to Michigan Cavalry)
A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
by Frederick H. Dyer
Second Michigan Cavalry, page 1269
Michigan Volunteers: Second Regiment Cavalry
http://bit.ly/Archive-CW-Compendium-Mich2ndCav-pg1269
Digitizing Sponsor: Emory University.
Location: Archive.org
Des Moines: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908
by Frederick H. Dyer
Second Michigan Cavalry, page 1269
Michigan Volunteers: Second Regiment Cavalry
http://bit.ly/Archive-CW-Compendium-Mich2ndCav-pg1269
Digitizing Sponsor: Emory University.
Location: Archive.org
Des Moines: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Wheeler and Roddey Raid, October 1863
The Wheeler and Roddey Raid began October 2, 1863, during the siege of Chattanooga. The Union had a long wagon train of supplies coming down Walden's Ridge in the Sequatchie Valley (Tennessee) when it was attacked by Confederates at Anderson's Crossroads. There is some evidence that the Confederates had not been watching and waiting for the supply line, but had come across it by accident while on another reconnaissance mission.
Confederate orders were to take no provisions (they couldn't carry them). However, the rebels were in almost the same starved condition as the besieged at Chattanooga. Also, cavalry is notoriously disorganized and rowdy. The men plundered the wagons, including the whiskey wagon, before burning the supply train. They killed thousands of mules and took a few of the best ones. They also took prisoners, mostly wagon masters.
As often happens, the Union officers underestimated their losses, while the Confederate officers may have overestimated their gains, so it's difficult to say exactly how many mules were killed and how many captured. The Federal cavalry (including the Second Michigan Cavalry) chased Wheeler from the Sequatchie Valley, down to Alabama, and back up through Tennessee toward the Knoxville area, finally catching him and recapturing the mules.
Various reports (via Google Books at Archive.org)
UNION REPORTS:
October 1863 Report by Robert Mitchell, Chief of Cavalry
including the Wheeler and Roddey Raid
Official Records, Volume 30, Part 2 (Reports), page 663
https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n812/mode/2up/search/crook
The above page begins the Wheeler and Roddey Raid section, with a summary and the first of thirty reports on the raid, including:
OTHER SOURCES/SITES:
Tennessee Sourcebook (with references to O.R.)
http://www.artcirclelibrary.info/Reference/civilwar/1863-10.pdf
including page 13, Ed McCook's rebuttal to Confederate accusations, in which he states that Confederates plundered the train of whiskey and robbed Federals and civilians whom they had taken as prisoners.
I hope to add more sources and links.
Confederate orders were to take no provisions (they couldn't carry them). However, the rebels were in almost the same starved condition as the besieged at Chattanooga. Also, cavalry is notoriously disorganized and rowdy. The men plundered the wagons, including the whiskey wagon, before burning the supply train. They killed thousands of mules and took a few of the best ones. They also took prisoners, mostly wagon masters.
As often happens, the Union officers underestimated their losses, while the Confederate officers may have overestimated their gains, so it's difficult to say exactly how many mules were killed and how many captured. The Federal cavalry (including the Second Michigan Cavalry) chased Wheeler from the Sequatchie Valley, down to Alabama, and back up through Tennessee toward the Knoxville area, finally catching him and recapturing the mules.
Various reports (via Google Books at Archive.org)
UNION REPORTS:
October 1863 Report by Robert Mitchell, Chief of Cavalry
including the Wheeler and Roddey Raid
Official Records, Volume 30, Part 2 (Reports), page 663
https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n812/mode/2up/search/crook
The above page begins the Wheeler and Roddey Raid section, with a summary and the first of thirty reports on the raid, including:
No. 3.
Report of Brig. Gen. Robert B. Mitchell, U. S. Army, Chief of Cavalry.
Headquarters Chief of Cavalry, Department of the Cumberland,
Decherd, Tenn., October 20, 1863.
ROBERT B. MITCHELL REPORT, PAGE 669 https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n818/mode/2up/search/crook
No. 4.
Report of Col. Edward M. McCook, Second Indiana Cavalry, commanding First Cavalry Division.
Hdqrs. First Cav. Div., Dept. of the Cumberland,
Winchester, Tenn., October 23, 1863.
E.M. McCOOK REPORT, PAGE 675 https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n824/mode/2up
Note: McCook's report places the 2nd Michigan (part of the First Brigade) at Eyler's and Rankin's Ferries. The rest of the First Brigade was at Caperton's Ferry. The Second East Tennessee (part of the Second Brigade) was guarding fords and ferries around Jasper. He mentions placement of other units in these brigades as well.
No. 5.
Report of Col. Archibald P. Campbell, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, commanding First Brigade.
Hdqrs. First Brigade, First Cav. Div., Winchester, Tenn., November 1, 1863.
ARCHIBALD P. CAMPBELL REPORT, PAGE 677
https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n826/mode/2upCONFEDERATE REPORTS:
No. 28Does Roddey's report for October even mention the raid? I found nothing useful in it.
Report of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, C. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Corps, Army of Tennessee.
Headquarters Cavalry Corps, October 30, 1863.
JOS. WHEELER REPORT, PAGE 722https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n872/mode/2up
No. 30.
Report of Brig. Gen. Philip D. Roddey, C. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Brigade.
Headquarters, Rogersville, Ala., October 21, 1868.
PHILIP RODDEY REPORT, PAGE 728https://archive.org/stream/warrebellionaco45offigoog#page/n878/mode/2up
OTHER SOURCES/SITES:
Tennessee Sourcebook (with references to O.R.)
http://www.artcirclelibrary.info/Reference/civilwar/1863-10.pdf
including page 13, Ed McCook's rebuttal to Confederate accusations, in which he states that Confederates plundered the train of whiskey and robbed Federals and civilians whom they had taken as prisoners.
I hope to add more sources and links.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Second Michigan Cavalry (History, link)
Second Michigan Cavalry in Portraits and Biographies
https://archive.org/stream/bad0928.0001.001.umich.edu#page/70/mode/2up
Internet Archives
Hillsdale College, Hillsdale County, Michigan in Portraits and Biographies
http://bit.ly/HillsdaleCollege-in-Portraits-and-Biographies-181
Robert McDougall, 2nd Michigan Cavalry.
http://bit.ly/RobertMcDougall-of-HillsdaleMichigan-Portraits-and-Biographies-671
Google Books (short URL)
https://archive.org/stream/bad0928.0001.001.umich.edu#page/70/mode/2up
Internet Archives
Hillsdale College, Hillsdale County, Michigan in Portraits and Biographies
http://bit.ly/HillsdaleCollege-in-Portraits-and-Biographies-181
Google Books (short URL)
http://bit.ly/RobertMcDougall-of-HillsdaleMichigan-Portraits-and-Biographies-671
Google Books (short URL)
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
History of Calhoun County, Michigan (link to Second Michigan section)
History of Calhoun County, Michigan
History of Calhoun County, Michigan; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interestsby Hon Washington Gardner ...
Author: Gardner, Washington, ed. 1845-1928,
Collection: Michigan County Histories and Atlases
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/bad0867.0001.001/589?q1=stampfler&view=image&size=100
Record of service of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (link to series)
Record of service of Michigan volunteers in the civil war, 1861-1865.
Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers (PDF online)Pub. by authority of the Senate and House of representatives of the Michigan Legislature under the direction of Brig. Gen. Geo. H. Brown, adjutant general.
Hathitrust has many more volumes than the ones selected below. My links may provide clues. For instance, Volumes 1-30 are Michigan Infantry units; Volume 31 begins the First Michigan Cavalry (etcetera). Besides this series, the site has links to other series. I noticed a volume somewhere on the Michigan Pioneers, and there may be volumes on the drafted regiments).
INFANTRY
Volume 01, First Michigan Infantry
Volume 22, Twenty-Second Michigan Infantry
Volume 30, Thirtieth Michigan Infantry
CAVALRY
Volume 31, First Michigan Cavalry
Volume 32, Second Michigan Cavalry
Volume 36, Sixth Michigan Cavalry
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003931700
This resource has brief summaries of the records of Michigan soldiers in the Civil War, typically including, but not limited to, name, rank, company and regiment, branch of service, date of enlistment, age at enlistment, promotions, and date of discharge or date of death. It is both searchable and browseable, but it is most helpful to know the branch of service and regiment of the soldier, if browsing. The particular source I used to search for soldiers in the Second Michigan Cavalry was volume 32 in the above series, two copies made available by the University of Michigan, and another, by Michigan State University. This is one of the University of Michigan copies, with link):
Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers In the Civil War, 1861-1865, Vol. 32. Michigan, Adjutant-General’s Dept. (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Ihling bros. & Everard, printers, 190-), Hathitrust Digital Library, babel.hathitrust.org.
Link to Volume 32 (not sure it will work, no permanent link was given):
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015071160736&view=2up&seq=8
The same resource is searchable on Ancestry.com, though I noticed that the search mechanism doesn't seem to retrieve results well with the soldier's given name--just the surname. This link is to a catalog of all volumes in the series:
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/genealogy-glh20944174/
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Correspondence: J.H. Wilson, Chief of Cavalry Bureau, USA, to E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War, 1864
Correspondence: James H. Wilson, Chief of the Cavalry Bureau, Washington, to Edwin M. Stanton, 4 April 1864.
http://bit.ly/OR_1-32-3-JH-Wilson-to-EM-Stanton-1864
On April 4, 1864, J.H. Wilson, Chief of the Cavalry Bureau [since Feb. 1864] writes to E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War, discussing details and assignments of the mounted cavalry of the Department of the Cumberland (28 regiments cavalry; 7 regiments mounted infantry). He directs that certain regiments of several brigades "be mounted and equipped and returned to duty before any more new regiments are supplied" (255).
Regiments to be equipped:
FIRST DIVISION
First Brigade:
(1) Second Michigan Cavalry
(2) Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry
Second Brigade:
(1) Second Indiana Cavalry
(2) Fourth Indiana Cavalry
(3) First Wisconsin Cavalry
Third Brigade:
(1) Seventh Kentucky Cavalry
(2) First Tennessee Cavalry
SECOND DIVISION
First Brigade:
(1) Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry
(2) Fourth Michigan Cavalry
(3) Fourth U.S. Cavalry
(4) Fifth Iowa Cavalry
(5) Third Indiana Cavalry
Second Brigade:
(1) First Ohio Cavalry
(2) Third Ohio Cavalry
(3) Fourth Ohio Cavalry
(4) Tenth Ohio Cavalry
(5) Second Kentucky Cavalry
Third Brigade:
(1) Seventeenth Indiana Mounted Infantry
(2) Seventy-Second Indiana Mounted Infantry
(3) Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry
(4) One Hundred and Twenty-Third Illinois Mounted Infantry
(5) Third Kentucky Cavalry
(6) Eighth Iowa Cavalry
"The Second Michigan, Ninth Pennsylvania, Second Indiana, and First Wisconsin have all signified their willingness to re-enlist if they can be furloughed, but at present they cannot be spared from duty" (256).
Knoxville and Strawberry Plains: "...the cavalry was almost entirely used up, the horses almost starved to death..." (256).
6,000 - 9,000 horses required.
Arms: Spencer or Sharps carbine.
Special note concerning poor organization of certain Tennessee regiments; new order will override plans of Governor [Andrew] Johnson [Military Gov. of Tenn., 1862-1865] who was in process of requesting that these inferior regiments be equipped. [Later in the doc., and explanation appears to be that new Tennessee units are forming, but will be untrained, inferior to veterans]. Regarding Tennessee cavalry:
"Regarding the efficiency of these Tennessee regiments there is but one opinion. With the exception of the First Tennessee, they are all worthless" (256).
(In March): Cavalry, Dept. of the Ohio, concentrated at Louisville, Kentucky.
Plans for direct communication between generals commanding the Cavalry Bureau is submitted (duties of officers, recuperation of horses, rations, surplus stores, arms, return of horses from citizens, discourage use of mounted infantry, etcetera). [See text].
Criticism of Colonel Wolford (under General Schofield).
Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 32, Pt. 3, Chp. 44 (Correspondence, Etc.--Union) [Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891], 255-258 [Wilson to Stanton: Washington, 4 April 1864].
Short URL: http://bit.ly/OR_1-32-3-JH-Wilson-to-EM-Stanton-1864
Full Citation (general info, for series).
Subjects: Cavalry, Condition of Cavalry, Starvation, Army of the Cumberland, Organization of Army
http://bit.ly/OR_1-32-3-JH-Wilson-to-EM-Stanton-1864
On April 4, 1864, J.H. Wilson, Chief of the Cavalry Bureau [since Feb. 1864] writes to E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War, discussing details and assignments of the mounted cavalry of the Department of the Cumberland (28 regiments cavalry; 7 regiments mounted infantry). He directs that certain regiments of several brigades "be mounted and equipped and returned to duty before any more new regiments are supplied" (255).
Regiments to be equipped:
FIRST DIVISION
First Brigade:
(1) Second Michigan Cavalry
(2) Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry
Second Brigade:
(1) Second Indiana Cavalry
(2) Fourth Indiana Cavalry
(3) First Wisconsin Cavalry
Third Brigade:
(1) Seventh Kentucky Cavalry
(2) First Tennessee Cavalry
SECOND DIVISION
First Brigade:
(1) Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry
(2) Fourth Michigan Cavalry
(3) Fourth U.S. Cavalry
(4) Fifth Iowa Cavalry
(5) Third Indiana Cavalry
Second Brigade:
(1) First Ohio Cavalry
(2) Third Ohio Cavalry
(3) Fourth Ohio Cavalry
(4) Tenth Ohio Cavalry
(5) Second Kentucky Cavalry
Third Brigade:
(1) Seventeenth Indiana Mounted Infantry
(2) Seventy-Second Indiana Mounted Infantry
(3) Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry
(4) One Hundred and Twenty-Third Illinois Mounted Infantry
(5) Third Kentucky Cavalry
(6) Eighth Iowa Cavalry
"The Second Michigan, Ninth Pennsylvania, Second Indiana, and First Wisconsin have all signified their willingness to re-enlist if they can be furloughed, but at present they cannot be spared from duty" (256).
Knoxville and Strawberry Plains: "...the cavalry was almost entirely used up, the horses almost starved to death..." (256).
6,000 - 9,000 horses required.
Arms: Spencer or Sharps carbine.
Special note concerning poor organization of certain Tennessee regiments; new order will override plans of Governor [Andrew] Johnson [Military Gov. of Tenn., 1862-1865] who was in process of requesting that these inferior regiments be equipped. [Later in the doc., and explanation appears to be that new Tennessee units are forming, but will be untrained, inferior to veterans]. Regarding Tennessee cavalry:
"Regarding the efficiency of these Tennessee regiments there is but one opinion. With the exception of the First Tennessee, they are all worthless" (256).
(In March): Cavalry, Dept. of the Ohio, concentrated at Louisville, Kentucky.
Plans for direct communication between generals commanding the Cavalry Bureau is submitted (duties of officers, recuperation of horses, rations, surplus stores, arms, return of horses from citizens, discourage use of mounted infantry, etcetera). [See text].
Criticism of Colonel Wolford (under General Schofield).
Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 32, Pt. 3, Chp. 44 (Correspondence, Etc.--Union) [Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891], 255-258 [Wilson to Stanton: Washington, 4 April 1864].
Short URL: http://bit.ly/OR_1-32-3-JH-Wilson-to-EM-Stanton-1864
Full Citation (general info, for series).
Subjects: Cavalry, Condition of Cavalry, Starvation, Army of the Cumberland, Organization of Army
A Hundred Battles in the West (Thatcher) (link)
A Hundred Battles in the West: St. Louis to Atlanta, 1861-1865. The Second Michigan Cavalry
Full-Text Version, at Archive.org
https://archive.org/details/ahundredbattles00thatrich
Detailed, first-hand story of the organization, movements, actions, and experiences of the Second Michigan Cavalry Vols, by Marshall P. Thatcher (link to digitized version of book, via Archive.org). This book is central to my story, so I check it often. For anyone working on The Army of the Ohio, The Army of the Cumberland, the Battles of Boonville, The Atlanta Campaign, and similar subjects, it's a very good source. For anyone working on Michigan Cavalry units, specifically, the Second Michigan Volunteer Cavalry, I think it's an indispensable source. It's also just a good story, for anyone who likes Civil War non-fiction. The author was a soldier in the Second Michigan.
Full-Text Version, at Archive.org
https://archive.org/details/ahundredbattles00thatrich
Detailed, first-hand story of the organization, movements, actions, and experiences of the Second Michigan Cavalry Vols, by Marshall P. Thatcher (link to digitized version of book, via Archive.org). This book is central to my story, so I check it often. For anyone working on The Army of the Ohio, The Army of the Cumberland, the Battles of Boonville, The Atlanta Campaign, and similar subjects, it's a very good source. For anyone working on Michigan Cavalry units, specifically, the Second Michigan Volunteer Cavalry, I think it's an indispensable source. It's also just a good story, for anyone who likes Civil War non-fiction. The author was a soldier in the Second Michigan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)