Gettysburg Museum

The museum is divided into sections that represent what happened on each of the three days of the battle. There's a film on each day. Then there are exhibits about the battle itself.

One of the most sobering exhibits is one that shows pictures of the men who fought and died in the battle.

More from Gettysburg

Here are a few more pictures from Gettysburg. Got a little behind in posting what with the game and then some political thing that happened on Wednesday.

Abe greets you as you enter the visitor center/museum. I've included the map of the center. It is very impressive.

Typical Confederate uniform worn by the soldiers in the battle.

Typical Union uniform worn by the soldiers in the battle.

Gettysburg Cyclorama

To say that this was an amazing painting to see would be an understatement. It is 27 feet high and 359 feet in circumference. Here's a little more information on it:

The "Battle of Gettysburg" Cyclorama at Gettysburg National Military Park is one that has survived. This fantastic painting brings the fury of the final Confederate assault on July 3, 1863 to life, providing the viewer with a sense of what occurred at the battle long touted as the turning point of the Civil War.

The culmination of the battle was captured on canvas by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux, a professional cyclorama painter and artist. Philippoteaux was not present at Gettysburg, but came to the United States in 1879 when he was hired by a group of entrepreneurs to paint this monumental work for a special display in Chicago. Philippoteaux arrived in Gettysburg in 1882 armed with a sketchbook, pencils, pens, and a simple guide book to help him locate the site of the climactic charge. The artist spent several weeks on the battlefield, observing details of the terrain and making hundreds of sketches. To help him recall the landscape with accuracy, Philippoteaux hired a Gettysburg photographer to produce a series of panoramic photographs for his use. These images are some of the earliest detailed photographs of Cemetery Ridge, the Angle and the "High Water Mark", and the field of Pickett's Charge. Philippoteaux was also lucky enough to interview a number of veterans of the battle, who helped with suggestions on how to depict the chaos of battle.

There a narration of some of the important points shown in the painting. It is very impressive as you can tell by these pictures.

More from Gettysburg

Over the next few days I'll be posting about my trip to Gettysburg and Antietam.

The drive up went fairly well. I learned that taking Georgia Ave. to the Beltway is a mistake because of the number of red lights you run into. In fact, it seemed I hit few if any green lights at all. Then it was clear sailing. Ran into some fog on the way up. It was actually pretty. About 20 miles from Gettysburg the fog really closed in. The hills got closer to the road which might have caused the fog to get thicker. Then all of sudden it lifted.

More from Gettysburg

Around Gettysburg

The incredible cyclorama.

To Gettysburg and Antietam

I'm off to Gettysburg and Antietam today. Gettysburg first. A little foggy on the ride up.

Civil War 150 — Seven Days’ Battles

Seven Days’ Battles lasted from June 26–July 2, 1862. This was the Confederate response to McClellan's move on Richmond. The Confederates succeeded in defeating Union forces and the result was McClellan withdrew to Harrison Landing.

This was the decisive series of battles in the Peninsula Campaign. The Union had become fixated on taking Richmond believing that taking out the Confederate capital would lead to the collapse of the Confederacy. It has to be said that the Confederates felt if they could capture Washington they could win the war.

McClellan had started this campaign in March again with the ultimate goal of taking Richmond. He was incredible cautious and made constant demands on Washington for additional men and material. Slowly but surely McClellan advanced on Richmond. Here's a quick summary of the battles: 

Battle Summary:McCllelan's forces advanced to within 15 miles of Richmond. On June 26th, Lee's forces attacked Union forces at Mechanicsville. The Union forces were victorious, but McClellan ordered a withdrawal to Gaines' Mill. There, Confederate forces broke Union lines the next day. McClellan then ordered a general withdrawal. Three more battles were fought, including one at Malvern Hill, in which Confederate troops were slaughtered, in an ill advised attempt to scale it. In the end however, McClellan withdrew all of his troops to Harrison Landing.

Union forces stayed at Harrison Landing for the next six weeks or so and then slowly began to go withdraw to Washington the same way they had come there by sea.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Memphis

Battle of Memphis June 6, 1862

This is the first Battle of Memphis. This one was fought on the water. The water was the Mississippi River right near Memphis. This was the start of the Union's drive to gain control of the Mississippi River and cut the Confederacy in half. A major goal of the Union. Eventually the idea was to capture New Orleans one of the major ports in the Confederacy.

Here's some more information on the battle:

After the Confederate River Defense Fleet, commanded by Capt. James E. Montgomery and Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson (Missouri State Guard), bested the Union ironclads at Plum Run Bend, Tennessee, on May 10, 1862, they retired to Memphis. Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard ordered troops out of Fort Pillow and Memphis on June 4, after learning of Union Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck's occupation of Corinth, Mississippi. Thompson's few troops, camped outside Memphis, and Montgomery's fleet were the only force available to meet the Union naval threat to the city. From Island No. 45, just north of Memphis, Flag-Officer Charles H. Davis and Col. Charles Ellet launched a naval attack on Memphis after 4:00 am on June 6. Arriving off Memphis about 5:30 am, the battle began. In the hour and a half battle, the Union boats sank or captured all but one of the Confederate vessels; General Van Dorn escaped. Immediately following the battle, Col. Ellet's son, Medical Cadet Charles Ellet, Jr., met the mayor of Memphis and raised the Union colors over the courthouse. Later, Flag-Officer Davis officially received the surrender of the city from the mayor. The Indiana Brigade, commanded by Col. G.N. Fitch, then occupied the city.  Memphis, an important commercial and economic center on the Mississippi River, had fallen, opening another section of the Mississippi River to Union shipping.

The city of Memphis allowed the Union to control the Mississippi River down to Vicksburg where one of the major and most important battles of the Civil War would take place in June of 1863.

Civil War 150

I've been interested in the Civil War for a long time. Living in DC, it is hard not to be interested in it since so many of the battle fields are so close to the city. After all Bull Run is about less than a 30 minute drive from DC depending on the traffic.

I decided since it was the 150th anniversary of the Civil War to try and do entries on the battles major and not so major on the days in which they happened. Best laid plans don't always come out that way. I'm going to attempt to play some catch up with that over the next few weeks.

Here's a major battle whose anniversary happened back at the end of May/beginning of June: Seven Pines.

Seven Pines May 31, 1862 - June 1, 1862

This was part of the Peninsula Campaign to move up the peninsula Richmond was located on and capture Richmond. The idea was that would some how end the war or at the very least be a huge blow to the Confederacy.

The commanders on the field were: Confederate: Joseph E. Johnston; (William) Dorsey Pender; James J. Pettigrew and for the Union: George B. McClellan.

Details of the battle:

The Armies mustered around 84,000 men available.

Casualties were heavy: the North lost nearly 6,000, the South about 8,000 men.

On May 31, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston attempted to overwhelm two Federal corps that appeared isolated south of the rain-swollen Chickahominy River. Johnston readied a plan that was not well suited for the variety of commanders he had – several had only recently joined his army and were not used to his style. Nor did he spend much effort to make sure his subordinates understood their roles.

The advance started late, and got confused. Instead of an early-morning attack it was 1 pm before even part of the Confederate force got into action. For a time the fight around Seven Pines see-sawed back and forth, and if more of the available rebel troops had attacked they would likely have carried that part of the field. Meanwhile at Fair Oaks the fighting yielded no advantage to either side until Sumner (acting without orders – neither McClellan nor Johnston did much commanding during the battle) took his troops over the available bridge. They arrived to smash a developing Confederate attack and make sure the Union held the field.

Late that day Johnston was badly wounded and G W Smith, the senior division commander, took over. Smith changed the plan a little for the next day. He would aim north towards the Chickahominy bridges rather than just driving the bluecoats east. But Longstreet (who’d botched his attack on the 31st) did it again on the 1st, moving east. Moreover, he moved weakly and achieved almost nothing. (McClellan had reinforced, so the whole basis of the attack – the vulnerability of the Union left – was altered.) Robert E. Lee arrived in early afternoon with a piece of paper that would affect the rest of the war: orders to take command. He broke off the action – it was going nowhere – and that night pulled the disappointed, mishandled troops back into the Richmond defenses.

Both sides claimed victory, but if this was the best the South could do they were doomed: McClellan would take Richmond by siege.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Pea Ridge

Battle of Pea Ridge March 6-8, 1862. It is located in the north west corner of Arkansas near the Missouri border. This proved to be a pivotal battle for the control of both Missouri and Arkansas:

Pea Ridge National Military Park preserves the site of an 1862 Civil War battle that gave the Union total control of Missouri and led directly to the federal occupation of Arkansas. During the Battle of Pea Ridge, some 26,000 soldiers clashed during the two-day battle, with Confederates under Gen. Benjamin McCulloch and Union forces under Gen. Samuel R. Curtis.

More information on the battle can be found at National Parks Service site.

A little more detailed information:

Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, USA
Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn, CSA


Casualties were heavy, with roughly 4,600 Confederates falling and 1,400 Northerners.

The Confederates were eager to return to Missouri so that its star on their flag would have real meaning. Meanwhile, Lincoln wanted to hold as many Border States in the Union as possible. The verdict of battle at Wilson's Creek in the summer of 1861 had favored the south, but when General Samuel R. Curtis was appointed he restored Union fortunes. Reinforced, and more active than his predecessor John C. Fremont (a political general if there was one) he'd not only secured Missouri, he'd pushed down into northwest Arkansas.

Here's a link to an account of the battle from local papers at the time of the battle. Here's an excerpt from that site:

In its comprehensive report following the fateful Battle of Pea Ridge, the Cincinnati Times included a preface to the battle recounting the Missouri skirmishes and the movements of Price’s army preceding the battle. That article was reprinted by the Wooster Republican (Wooster, Ohio) on March 27, 1862:

Camp Sigel, Pea Ridge, Benton Co., Ark.
Monday evening, March 10.

First Movement toward Arkansas

Some six weeks ago the first Federal movement was made from Rolla, the present terminus of the Southwestern branch of the Pacific Railway, toward Springfield, at which well known town Sterling Price was then encamped, with a body of Missouri State troops estimated at eight to ten thousand. Immediately after the evacuation of Fremont’s splendid army, Price marched into Springfield and made his headquarters there, declaring, with the huge oaths for which he is remarkable, that he would never again leave it without a fight. Acting Brigadier General Carr left Rolla with some twenty-four hundred cavalry, as an advance, about the 1st of February, followed by several regiments under Gen. Sigel, for the purpose of engaging the troublesome rebel, and driving him out of the State, which for nine or ten months he had kept in perpetual trouble and alarm, retreating and returning to overrun, ravage and destroy.

Price violated his word once more, and before half his own force was collected in the vicinity of Springfield, evacuated the town, marching down the Cassville road toward Bentonville, Ark., and daily expecting reinforcements from McCulloch, McIntosh, Van Dorn and Albert Pike, with two or three thousand Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians.

Various skirmishes occurred on the march, between our forces and those of the enemy, and a small engagement near the State line, resulting in the repulse of Price, and his crossing over into Arkansas, followed by our army.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Fort Donelson

Battle of Fort Donelson Feb. 1862 11-16 1862 in Stewart County, Tennessee which is located north west of Nashville near the Kentucky border. The first real major battle since 1861. The Union had about 27,00 and the Confederates in the fort numbered about 15,000.

Details of the battle:

Grant had about 27,000 men with naval support; the Confederate garrison was roughly 15,000.

Union losses were about 2,250 while the Confederates had about that many fall, and roughly 12,000 surrender.

After capturing Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, Grant advanced cross-country to invest Fort Donelson. The original garrison of the two forts was about 2,500 men, and Albert Johnston had dispatched about 12,000 reinforcements from Bowling Green, KY, under John Floyd to bolster the defense. A few men also arrived from Columbus, the western end of the Confederate defensive line. Grant had wanted to move fast, to prevent reinforcements arriving at all, but wretched weather (rain before and during his operations ruined the roads) delayed him and the Confederate troops arrived safely.

On the 13th the third Union division arrived (Lew Wallace’s) and Grant had his cordon of roughly 25,000 men. The next day Foote opened his naval attack. He had four ironclads and two wooden gunboats, and he led with the ironclads. St Louis (flagship) and Louisville had their steering gear shot away, the other two ironclads had holes punched through their thinner deck armor. The wooden ships didn’t risk themselves much. The Confederates didn’t lose a gun or a man killed.

The Confederates didn’t think about supplying themselves by water; it was unconventional, and they were cut off by land. They also thought Grant was stronger than he really was, and being continually reinforced. They worried that Foote would turn up with another fleet. In a council of war on the night of February 14, they decided to try and break out.

The plan was to reinforce the left (Pillow) with Buckner’s men from the right. Pillow would lead the attack and clear the road to Charlotte and Nashville. Buckner’s men would keep the road open while the rest of the garrison was evacuated, and everybody would join the main army in central Tennessee. It almost happened. Pillow, with Buckner joining the attack, broke the Union line in late morning. They captured 300 prisoners, about 5,000 rifles, and an artillery battery. Indecision then lost the victory. Pillow was cautious, Buckner bold, and Floyd foolish. After hemming and hawing Floyd ordered his (victorious) men to return to the trenches. Meanwhile Grant returned to the field. He’d been conferring with Foote (wounded, so the conference had to be on the gunboat) and returned in time to rescue the battle.

He ordered his reserve into action, attacking the Fort rather than the victorious Confederate left. The deploying attack was what drew the Confederates back to their trenches, but Buckner’s men didn’t arrive in time. They held the Union to only limited gains, but the Confederate’s main defensive line was broken. They had broken the Union line, but snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Grant also rallied his right, and reoccupied most of the ground lost in the morning, so the day closed with a near-total Union advantage.

On February 16, 1862, the 12,000-man garrison surrendered. Buckner had enquired about terms and Grant uncompromisingly replied “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” Buckner fumed that it was “ungenerous and unchivalrous” but it was warlike. With a demoralized command he had no choice.

This was a major victory for Grant and a catastrophe for the South. It ensured that Kentucky would stay in the Union and opened up central Tennessee to a Northern advance along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Grant received a promotion to major general for his victory and attained stature in the Western Theater, earning the nom de guerre “Unconditional Surrender.”

Civil War 150 — Battle of Roanoke Island

Battle of Roanoke Island Feb. 7-8 1862 in Dare County, North Carolina. This is the area where Cape Hatteras is.

Details of the battle:

On February 7, Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside landed 7,500 men on the southwestern side of Roanoke Island in an amphibious operation launched from Fort Monroe. The next morning, supported by gunboats, the Federals assaulted the Confederate forts on the narrow waist of the island, driving back and out-maneuvering Brig. Gen. Henry Wise's outnumbered command. After losing less than 100 men, the Confederate commander on the field, Col. H.M. Shaw, surrendered about 2,500 soldiers and 32 guns. Burnside had secured an important outpost on the Atlantic Coast, tightening the blockade.

Burnside had 7,500 men, while Wise had around 3,000. Very precise casualty statistics were recorded: the US had 37 killed, 214 wounded, and 13 missing; the South had 23 killed, 58 wounded, 62 missing, and 2,500 captured.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Fort Henry

Battle of Fort Henry Feb. 6, 1862 in Western Tennessee. Another Union victory. Details of the battle:

Total casualties were light, under 150.

By February 1862, Fort Henry, a small Confederate earthen fort on the Tennessee River with seventeen outdated guns, was partially inundated and the river threatened to flood the rest. Tilghman was working on one weakness of the fort, and had started building Fort Heiman on the high ground across the river. Before he could finish the job, Union troops arrived.

On February 4-5, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Union, landed his divisions in two different locations, one on the east bank of the Tennessee River to prevent the garrison’s escape and the other to occupy the high ground on the Kentucky side which would insure the fort’s fall; Foote’s seven gunboats began bombarding the fort. Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, CSA, realized that it was only a matter of time before Fort Henry fell. While leaving seventy artillerymen in the fort to hold off the Union fleet, he escorted the rest of his force out of the area and sent them safely off on the route to Fort Donelson, 10 miles away. (They escaped since the creeks were too high for Union troops to cut them off.) Tilghman then returned to the fort and, soon afterwards, surrendered to the fleet, which had engaged the fort and closed within 400 yards. (Since the Confederate fort was basically at water level the gunboats could easily and accurately shell it, while a fort on high ground was a harder target and could use plunging fire. Fort Henry was a problem waiting to happen for the South.)

Despite a two-hour gun duel, armor plate saved Foote’s ships from serious damage, and only the USS Essex needed much repair. Fort Henry’s fall opened the Tennessee River to Union gunboats and shipping as far as Muscle Shoals, Alabama. (Foote sent his three wooden gunboats up the almost undefended river, holding his four ironclads to support the attack on Fort Donelson.) After the fall of Fort Donelson, ten days later, the two major water transportation routes in the Confederate west, bounded by the Appalachians and the Mississippi River, became Union highways for movement of troops and material.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Mill Springs

Battle of Mill Springs Jan. 19, 1862 in Pulaski & Wayne Counties, Kentucky. This is located directly south of Lexington and right next to the Daniel Boone National Forest.

The details of the battle:

Although Brig. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer’s main responsibility was to guard Cumberland Gap, in November 1861 he advanced west into Kentucky to strengthen control in the area around Somerset. He found a strong defensive position at Mill Springs and decided to make it his winter quarters. He fortified the area, especially both sides of the Cumberland River.

Union Brig. Gen. George Thomas received orders to drive the Rebels across the Cumberland River and break up Maj. Gen. George B. Crittenden’s army. He left Lebanon and slowly marched through rain-soaked country, arriving at Logan’s Crossroads on January 17, where he waited for Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf’s troops from Somerset to join him. Maj. Gen. George Crittenden, Zollicoffer’s superior, had arrived at Mill Springs and taken command of the Confederate troops. He knew that Thomas was in the vicinity and decided that his best defense was to attack the Yankees.

The Rebels attacked Thomas at Logan’s Crossroads at dawn on January 19. Unbeknownst to the Confederates, some of Schoepf’s troops had arrived and reinforced the Union force. Initially, the Rebel attack forced the first unit it hit to retire, but stiff resistance followed and Zollicoffer was killed. The Rebels made another attack but were repulsed. Union counterattacks on the Confederate right and left were successful, forcing them from the field in a retreat that ended in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Here's a link to the Mill Springs Battlefield Association.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Middle Creek

Battle of Middle Creek Jan. 10, 1862 in Floyd County, Kentucky. Located in south eastern Kentucky close to the Virginia border. This was a Union victory:

More than a month after Confederate Col. John S. Williams left Kentucky, following the fight at Ivy Mountain, Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall led another force into southeast Kentucky to continue recruiting activities. From his headquarters in Paintsville, on the Big Sandy River, northwest of Prestonsburg, Marshall recruited volunteers and had a force of more than 2,000 men by early January, but could only partially equip them.

Union Brig. Gen. Don Carlos Buell directed Col. James Garfield to force Marshall to retreat back into Virginia. Leaving Louisa, Garfield took command of the 18th Brigade and began his march south on Paintsville. He compelled the Confederates to abandon Paintsville and retreat to the vicinity of Prestonsburg. Garfield slowly headed south, but swampy areas and numerous streams slowed his movements, and he arrived in the vicinity of Marshall on the 9th.

Heading out at 4:00 am on January 10, Garfield marched a mile south to the mouth of Middle Creek, fought off some Rebel cavalry and turned west to attack Marshall. Marshall had put his men in line of battle west and south of the creek near its forks. Garfield attacked shortly after noon, and the fighting continued for most of the afternoon until Union reinforcements arrived in time to dissuade the Confederates from assailing the Federal left.

Instead, the Rebels retired south and were ordered back to Virginia on the 24th. Garfield's force moved to Prestonsburg after the fight and then retired to Paintsville. Union forces had halted the Confederate 1861 offensive in Kentucky, and Middle Creek demonstrated that their strength had not diminished.

This victory, along with Mill Springs a little more than a week later, cemented Union control of eastern Kentucky until Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg launched his offensive in the summer and fall. Following these two January victories in Kentucky, the Federals carried the war into Tennessee in February.

For in depth information on the battle follow this link.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Roan's Tan Yard

Battle of Roan's Tan Yard Jan. 8, 1862

Another battle in Missouri. This was set north of the city of Columbia. This was a Union victory:

Rumors and sightings of a Confederate force in the Howard County area had circulated for more than a week, but the Union troops could not locate them because civilian sympathy in the area was pro-Confederate.

Then on January 7, 1862, information came to hand that Col. J.A. Poindexter and his Confederate force were camped on Silver Creek. Detachments from various Union units gathered and headed towards the Confederate camp, about 14 miles northwest of Fayette. After finding the camp, the Federals attacked and routed the enemy. Those that were not killed, wounded, or captured fled for safety. Afterwards, the Union troops destroyed the camp to prevent its further use. This small action cost the Confederates Randolph County as a base for recruiting and raiding.

Civil War 150 — Battle of Hancock

Battle of Hancock on Jan 5, 1862 - Jan 6 , 1862

Western Maryland serves as the first site of a battle to open 1862:

"Stonewall" Jackson had long urged the strategic value of an offensive out of the Shenandoah Valley, which could threaten Washington and wreck Union east-west communications by breaking the Baltimore & Ohio railroad.

He started from Winchester to Bath with the objective of disrupting traffic on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. On January 5, after skirmishing with the retiring Federals, Jackson's force reached the Potomac River opposite the garrisoned town of Hancock, Maryland. His artillery fired on the town from Orrick's Hill but did little damage. Union garrison commander Brig. Gen. F.W. Lander refused Jackson's demands for surrender. Jackson continued the bombardment for two days while unsuccessfully searching for a safe river crossing. The Confederates withdrew and marched on Romney, in western Virginia, on January 7.

There were a series of events that took place to commemorate the battle. Follow this link.

Civil 150 — Battles in Oklahoma

This is an area of the Civil War that you rarely hear about. The part of the conflict that took place west of the Mississippi. Here are two battles that took place in modern day Oklahoma but was Indian territory at the time.

Round Mountain Nov. 19, 1861. The exact location of the battle is unknown. It was also between Confederate forces and Indians not regular Union troops. Here's a summary of what happened:

Internal differences within the Creeks (repeated in smaller scale in the decimated Seminole nation) led the aged Chief Opothleyahola to lead a substantial faction (perhaps 3,500 of which 1,000 were warriors) to seek protection from the Federal Government in Kansas. The Confederates wanted to stop this.

Cooper set out on November 15, 1861, with about 1,400 very green men to either compel submission or “drive him and his party from the country”. He led his men up the Deep Fork of the Canadian River to Chief Opothleyahola’s camp which they found deserted. On the 19th, Cooper learned from prisoners that part of Opothleyahola’s band was at the Red Fork of the Arkansas River, where they were erecting a fort.

Cooper’s men arrived there around 4pm and he ordered a cavalry charge which discovered that the Natives had recently abandoned their camp. The Confederates did find some stragglers beyond the camp and followed them, blundering into the new camp. The Natives fired into the Rebel cavalry and moved large numbers to attack them. This chased the Confederate advance guard back to the main body, but did not end the engagement. Darkness prevented Cooper from attacking until the bulk of the Natives were within 60 yards. A short fight ensued but Opothleyahola’s men broke it off and fell back to their camp.

Cooper did not want his raw troops to try anything in the dark, and waited until the morning of the 20th. Again they found Opothleyahola’s campsite, but the fugitives were gone.

The Confederates claimed victory for pushing Opothleyahola out of the area, but it was only the first of three encounters between Opothleyahola’s Union supporters and Confederate troops.

This set up the next battle. The battle of Chusto-Talasah on Dec. 9, 1861. Here are the details:

After the defeat of Opothleyahola and his Unionist force at Round Mountain, he retreated northeastward in search of safety. He may have been thinking about moving to Kansas and protection of US Army garrisons, or perhaps just moving away from his pursuers.

On December 9, 1861 Opothleyahola and his followers were at Chusto-Talasah, or Caving Banks, on the Horseshoe Bend of Bird Creek when Cooper’s 1,300 Confederates attacked about 2pm. The Natives knew Cooper was coming and had deployed their fighters in a strong position at the Bend. For almost four hours, Cooper repeatedly attacked and attempted to outflank the Natives. Just before dark the attacks succeeded in pushing Opothleyahola east across Bird Creek.

Cooper claimed another victory, camped on the battlefield overnight but did not pursue because he was short of ammunition. Opothleyahola and his followers moved off in search of security elsewhere

Civil 150 — Battle of Ivy Mountain

Battle of Ivy Mountain Nov. 8-9, 1861.

Another important border state to both sides was Kentucky. Here's an idea of what Kentucky went through during the war:

Citizens of the state of Kentucky were truly divided over issues that caused the Civil War. The Kentucky legislature did not vote to secede from the Union, but neither did it vote to raise troops to support the Union. Instead, the state declared neutrality. But this neutrality did not last long. Because Kentucky was a strategic border state dividing the South and the North, it was occupied by both Union and Confederate forces. In 1861 and 1862, Kentuckians at home saw a number of battles and skirmishes. By the end of 1862, Confederate forces had been run out of the state. However, the destruction caused by war was not over for Kentuckians. From December 1862 to January 1865, famous Confederate raids by John Hunt Morgan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Quantrill, and "Sue" Mundy destroyed Union supply depots, bridges, and county courthouses. Kentucky also experienced a period of lawlessness in 1864, when "Bushwhackers" -- small bands of unruly soldiers from both sides -- looted small towns and robbed local farmers of produce and livestock.

This specific battle turned out better for the Union mostly because they controlled the field of battle at the end of the day due to a Confederate withdrawal.

Ivy Mountain is south east of Lexington not far from Prestonburg and the West Virginia border.

Details of the battle:

The Confederates had about 1,000 men, but were chased by a substantially larger Union force, elements of a dozen units.
US losses were about 30, against roughly 250 Confederate casualties.
While recruiting in southeast Kentucky, Rebels under Col. John S. Williams ran short of ammunition at Prestonsburg and fell back to Pikeville to replenish their supply. Brig. Gen. William Nelson sent out a detachment from near Louisa under Col. Joshua Sill while he started out from Prestonsburg with a larger force in an attempt to "turn or cut the Rebels off." Williams prepared for evacuation, hoping for time to reach Virginia, and sent out a cavalry force to meet Nelson about eight miles from Pikeville. The Rebel cavalry escaped, and Nelson continued on his way. Williams then met Nelson at a point northeast of Pikeville between Ivy Mountain and Ivy Creek. Waiting by a narrow bend in the road, the Rebels surprised the Yankees by firing upon their constricted ranks. A fight ensued, but neither side gained the edge. As the shooting ebbed, Williams's men felled trees across the road and burned bridges to slow Nelson's pursuing force. Night approached and rain began which, along with the obstructions, convinced Nelson's men to go into camp. In the meantime, Williams retreated into Virginia, stopping in Abingdon on the 9th. Sill's force arrived too late to be of use, but he did skirmish with the remnants of Williams's retreating force before he occupied Pikeville on the 9th. This bedraggled Confederate force retreated back into Virginia for succor. The Union forces consolidated their power in eastern Kentucky mountains.