USA Civil War

SCOTS AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Our convenor David R Ross brought back some interesting photos from his recent tour of the States regarding the "Scottish" involvement in the Civil War of America. It lead to a very interesting discussion and we thought it might make an interesting article for the site.

Our main discussion was centred around the Battle of the Crater which was part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade (under the direct supervision of general-in-chief, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant).

Crater left behind after the explosion in the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia.

The crater today.

After weeks of preparation, on July 30 the Federals exploded a mine in Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's IX Corps sector, blowing a gap in the Confederate defenses of Petersburg, Virginia. From this propitious beginning, everything deteriorated rapidly for the Union attackers. Unit after unit charged into and around the crater, where soldiers milled in confusion. The Confederates quickly recovered and launched several counterattacks led by Brig. Gen. William Mahone. The break was sealed off, and the Federals were repulsed with severe casualties.

Brig. Gen. Edward Ferrero's division of black soldiers was badly mauled. This may have been Grant's best chance to end the Siege of Petersburg. Instead, the soldiers settled in for another eight months of trench warfare. Burnside was relieved of command for his role in the debacle.

The sketch above is rather interesting as it's claimed it was drawn on the actual day of the battle, written on an accompanying piece of paper in pencil and black ink: The advance to the "crater" after the explosion of the mine. In the middle distance are the mounds of earth thrown up by the explosion: beyond upon the high ground cemetery hill the Confederates inner line of works, which if they had carried, would have given the Union Army Petersburg and Richmond.

In the foreground troops are seen advancing to and beyond Burnsides outer intrenched line and moving upon the Confederate defences. These were, on the left Bartletts Massachusetts brigade, and on the right, the Negro troops, this sketch was made about 8 AM July 30th 1864. A point in the Rebel works known as Elliots Salient over this part was held by the 18th and 23rd S. Carolina infantry and a battery of artillery blown up in the explosion.

David informs us "This Saltire of Scotland was carried by Confederate troops during the American Civil War 1861-65. The Scots had a large influence on the south, many Scots originally using Cape Fear in the Carolinas as their port of entry to the New World post Culloden etc. The Scots mostly settled in the Appalachian Mountains, as the hilly landscape reminded them of their homeland. This flag is on display at the Museum of the Civil War, in Richmond, Virginia. Photography is not allowed in the museum, as the flash would damage the integrity of the objects on display, but where there's a will there's a way and although taken surreptitiously (hence the poor quality as it was taken with a telephoto lense etc) no flash was used so no real crime committed then!"




	We went on a bit of a search for monuments in Scotland to the Civil War and rather surprisingly there are a few. The photo of Abraham Lincoln at the top of the page is in Edinburgh and it stands beside the monument of David Hume. The life-size statue of Abraham Lincoln stands in memory of five Scotsmen who died in the American Civil War. Sergeant Major John McEwan of the 65th Illinois Volunteer Rifles Lieutenant Colonel William Duff of the 2nd Illinois Artillery Robert Ferguson of the 57th New York Infantry Volunteers Robert Steedman of the 5th Maine Infantry Volunteers James Wilkie of the 1st Michigan Cavalry. We also found an interesting wee site HERE that has some more photos form Glasgow and Dunblane as well as more shots of the Abraham memorial in Edinburgh. It would seem that after the Highland Clearances that Scotsmen and women were the very cornerstone of which their adopted homelands were built upon. The first shot fired in the American Wars of Independence is said to have been from a Scottish Doune pistol.

It is thought that as many as twenty one, maybe more, of the men who signed the American Declaration of Independence had Scottish blood. Two of the signatories, John Witherspoon (the only clergyman to sign) and James Wilson were both born in Scotland. Among the signatories who had Scottish forebears were, Thomas Jefferson,Thomas McKean, Francis Lewis, Phillip Livingstone, George Ross and Benjamin Rush.

(Thomas) Woodrow Wilson 1856 - 1924, twenty eighth president of the United States once said - "Every line of strength in American history is a line coloured with Scottish blood."

Kind of makes you proud doesn't it.