Said to be from a Civil War Handbook

[Snowden]

This came to me from a friend, and other than the comment that it came from the handbook as mentioned below, I cannot verify the facts. So I hope the members here will comment on the contents, either true or false. We have enough history buffs in this club to comment, but there are no sources referenced and we'd like to find the validity of the stories. It would be interesting. Here we can begin to separate fact from fiction.



From a Civil War Handbook.
Did you know that?

Fort Sumter was surrender in 1861 by Kentucky born Union Officer Maj. Robert Anderson. Confederate General John C. Pemberton, a Pennsylvanian by birth, surrender Vicksburg in 1863. There was no collusion in either surrender; both men were loyal supporters of their respective causes.

President Lincoln had 4 Brother-in laws in the Confederate Army and three of his sister-in laws were married to Confederate officers.
The Battle of Lynchburg in June 1864 brought together two of the future presidents of United States
General Rutherford B. Hayes and Major General William McKinley and a former vice president-John C. Breckinridge, C.A.S.
Five other Union Generals rose to the Presidency, Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, & Benjamin Harrison.

Robert E. Lee & P.G.T. Beauregard, both ranked 2nd in their class at West Point and both returned later to the position of Superintendent there.
Lee’s appointment to full Col. in the U.S. Army was signed by President Lincoln.

General Pickett, C.S.A., a native of Virginia, was appointed to West Point from the State of Illinois.

John Todd Stuart obtained the appointment at the request of his law partner, Abraham Lincoln

Confederate Adjutant & Inspector General, Samuel Cooper came from New York. before the war he was Adjutant General in the U.S.Army.

The first supretendent of the Naval Academy, Commodore Franklin Buchanan commanded the first C.S.S. Vigina (Memrimac) in its first engagement. On the first ship to surrender under the Virginia’s guns was his brother, an officer in the U.S.Navy

When that fought each other, mortally wounded at Petersburg on April 2, 1965 were brothers Clifton Prentiss of the Maryland 6th Regiment (Union) and William of the Maryland 2nd infantry (confederate)

At Petersburg several years ago my wife & I, stood at a cemetery Monument that overlooks the gravesites of 30,000 Unknown confederate soldiers. Following the war they were dis-interned form graves in the area around Petersburg and re-buried by in lots by their STATES which were known by the buttons on their coats.

We were At another Petersburg Battlefield, site where there is a Monument to 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. that saw no action until 1864 and in the short span of one year , over half of 2,202 engaged in battle were wounded. At the battle in Petersburg, the monument is dedicated to the 604 men killed in 20 minutes.

There were twice as many deaths from disease as from hostile bullets. Diarrhea and dysentery took the lives of 44,558 union soldiers.



My friend added:

To fire a Civil War Musket (I own One) 11 separate motions had to be made. Regulations said that that a solider had to fire three aimed shots a minute, allowing 20 seconds per shot and two seconds per motion.

Of the 46 Confederate regiments that were in the famous charge at Gettysburg July 3, 1864, 15 were commanded by General Pickett. Thirteen of his regiments were led by Virginia Military Institute Graduates. Only two of them survived the charge.

At Gettysburg, The heaviest numerical loses were suffered by the 26 the North Carolina Infantry, who had gone into battle with over 800 men and by the end of the 3rd day, 708 were dead, wounded, or missing. In one Company of 84 every officer and man were hit.

Bill

[ollie]

From a Civil War Handbook.
Did you know that?

Fort Sumter was surrender in 1861 by Kentucky born Union Officer Maj. Robert Anderson. Confederate General John C. Pemberton, a Pennsylvanian by birth, surrender Vicksburg in 1863. There was no collusion in either surrender; both men were loyal supporters of their respective causes.
TRUE

President Lincoln had 4 Brother-in laws in the Confederate Army and three of his sister-in laws were married to Confederate officers.
The Battle of Lynchburg in June 1864 brought together two of the future presidents of United States
General Rutherford B. Hayes and Major General William McKinley and a former vice president-John C. Breckinridge, C.A.S.
Five other Union Generals rose to the Presidency, Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, & Benjamin Harrison.
TRUE

Robert E. Lee & P.G.T. Beauregard, both ranked 2nd in their class at West Point and both returned later to the position of Superintendent there.
Lee’s appointment to full Col. in the U.S. Army was signed by President Lincoln.
TRUE

General Pickett, C.S.A., a native of Virginia, was appointed to West Point from the State of Illinois.
TRUE with this note, the representative that appointed him was none other than ABE LINCOLN. Pickett would not allow a cross word to be said about Lincoln in his presence.

John Todd Stuart obtained the appointment at the request of his law partner, Abraham Lincoln
DON'T KNOW

Confederate Adjutant & Inspector General, Samuel Cooper came from New York. before the war he was Adjutant General in the U.S.Army.
TRUE

The first supretendent of the Naval Academy, Commodore Franklin Buchanan commanded the first C.S.S. Vigina (Memrimac) in its first engagement. On the first ship to surrender under the Virginia’s guns was his brother, an officer in the U.S.Navy.
TRUE

When that fought each other, mortally wounded at Petersburg on April 2, 1965 were brothers Clifton Prentiss of the Maryland 6th Regiment (Union) and William of the Maryland 2nd infantry (confederate)
DON'T KNOW

At Petersburg several years ago my wife & I, stood at a cemetery Monument that overlooks the gravesites of 30,000 Unknown confederate soldiers. Following the war they were dis-interned form graves in the area around Petersburg and re-buried by in lots by their STATES which were known by the buttons on their coats.
TRUE

We were At another Petersburg Battlefield, site where there is a Monument to 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. that saw no action until 1864 and in the short span of one year , over half of 2,202 engaged in battle were wounded. At the battle in Petersburg, the monument is dedicated to the 604 men killed in 20 minutes.
TRUE plus another interesting fact. Arlington cemetery was started by burying soldiers of the 1st Maine H.A. as close to the house as possible to prevent it from being used as a home again.

There were twice as many deaths from disease as from hostile bullets. Diarrhea and dysentery took the lives of 44,558 union soldiers.
False.
total casualties were 620k. death by disease was around 400K.





My friend added:

To fire a Civil War Musket (I own One) 11 separate motions had to be made. Regulations said that that a solider had to fire three aimed shots a minute, allowing 20 seconds per shot and two seconds per motion.

False - The procedure to load the musket was known as LOAD IN NINE TIMES.
Load in nine times.

*1. LOAD.

Grasp the piece with file left hand as high as the right elbow and bring it vertically opposite the middle of the body, shift the :right hand to the upper band, place the butt between the feet, the barrel to the front; seize it with the left hand near the muzzle, which should be three inches from the body; carry the right hand to the cartridge box.

*Whenever the loadings and firings are to be executed, the instructor will cause the cartridge box to be brought to the front.



2. Handle-CARTRIDGE.

One time and one motion.
Seize the cartridge with the thumb and next two fingers, and place it between the teeth.



3. Tear-CARTRIDGE.
One time and one motion.
Tear the paper to the powder, hold the cartridge upright between the thumb and first two fingers, near the top; in this position place it in front of and near the muzzle-- the back of the hand to the front.



4. Charge- CARTRIDGE.

One time and one motion.
Empty the powder into the barrel; disengage the ball from the paper with the right hand and the thumb and first two fingers of the left; insert it into the bore, the pointed end uppermost, and press it down with the right thumb; seize the head of the rammer with the thumb and fore-finger of the right hand, the other fingers closed, the elbows near the body.

5. Draw- RAMMER.
One time and three motions.
(First motion.) Half draw the rammer by extending, the right arm; steady it in this position with the left thumb; grasp the rammer near the muzzle with the right hand, the little finger uppermost, the nails to the front, the thumb extended along the rammer.

(Second motion.) Clear the rammer from the pipes by again extending the arm; the rammer in the prolongation of the pipes.

(Third motion.) Turn the rammer, the little end of the rammer passing near the left shoulder; place the head of the rammer on the ball, the back of the hand to the front.



6. Ram- CARTRIDGE.

One time and one motion.
Insert the rammer as far as the right, and steady it in this position with the thumb of the left hand; seize the rammer at the small end with the thumb and fore-finger of the right hand, the back of the hand to the front; press the ball home, the elbows near the body.

7. Return- RAMMER.
One time and three motions.
(First motion.) Draw the rammer half-way out, and steady it in this position with the left thumb; grasp it near the muzzle with the right hand, the little finger uppermost, the nails to the front, the thumb along the rammer; clear the rammer from the bore by extending the arm, the nails to the front, the rammer in the prolongation 'of the bore.

(Second motion.) Turn the rammer, the head of the rammer passing near the left shoulder, and insert it in the pipes until the right hand reaches the muzzle, the nails to the front.

(Third motion.) Force the rammer home by placing the little finger of the right hand on the head of the rammer; pass . pass the left hand down the barrel to the extent of the arm, without depressing the shoulder.

8. PRIME.*-
One time and two motions.

(First motion.) With the left hand raise the piece till the hand is as high as the eye, grasp the small of the stock with the right hand; half -face to the right; place, at the same time, the right foot behind and at right angles with the left;. the hollow of the right foot against the left heel. Slip the left hand down to the lower band, the thumb along the stock, the left elbow against the body; bring the piece to the right side, the butt below the right forearm the small of the stock against the body and two inches below the right breast, the barrel upwards, the muzzle on a level with the eye.

(Second motion.) Half cock with the thumb of the right hand the fingers supported against the guard and the small of the stock remove the old cap with one of the fingers of the right band, and with the thumb and fore-finger of the same hand take a cap from the pouch, place it on the nipple and press it down with the thumb; seize the small of the stock with the right hand.

9. Shoulder- ARMS
One time and two motions
(First motion.) Bring the piece. to the right, shoulder and I'll support it there with the left hand, face to the front bring the right heel to the side of and on a line with the left - grasp the piece with the right hand as indicated in the position of shoulder arms.

(Second motion.) Drop the left hand quickly by the side.

Of the 46 Confederate regiments that were in the famous charge at Gettysburg July 3, 1864, 15 were commanded by General Pickett. Thirteen of his regiments were led by Virginia Military Institute Graduates. Only two of them survived the charge.
False & were killed 6 were wounded

At Gettysburg, The heaviest numerical loses were suffered by the 26 the North Carolina Infantry, who had gone into battle with over 800 men and by the end of the 3rd day, 708 were dead, wounded, or missing. In one Company of 84 every officer and man were hit.
TRUE
================

There are some other facts that are interesting as well.

John Tyler, Former President of the United States was elected to the Confederate congress representing Virginia.

At the Battle of Sharpsburg, the 1st Maryland Reg't CSA fought the First Maryland Regiment USA.

Wesley Culp a Confederate Private was killed at Gettysburg on the second day near his uncle's farm in Gettysburg.

Albert Sidney Johnston served as a General in three republics, U.S., Texas and the Confederacy.

During the battle of Spotsylvania Union General Sedgewick was asked to lay low by his men. He told them that the rebs couldn't hit an elephant at this distance. Moments later he was struck in the face and killed by a Confederate sharpshooter hidden in a barn 800 yards away.

And so on!!!

ollie

[Snowden]

Thanks, Ollie. It's rather a shame that Gen. Sedgewick was killed, isn't it. He was proved wrong, but he never knew what hit him..

[m60-gunner]

In raw facts more men died in battle, but most that made it to the aid stations or hospitals died of infection or pnemonia.