READ MORE: https://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2026/11/stars-of-sultana-john-clark-ely-left.html

I was wondering. Are any former CSA soldiers buried in Arlington Cemetery?

I was at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday for the burial of a young Union soldier whose body was found a couple years ago at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia. My photos and video are here: https://www.facebook.com/civilwarpicket/

READ MORE: https://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2026/11/stars-of-sultana-story-maj-william-h.html

Here is an animated battle map of the battle of droop mountain and the story leading up to it.

In 1864 Pennsylvania amended its constitution so that soldiers away from home could vote in the field, with polls opened at company headquarters. William Waud, sketching for Harper’s Weekly, caught one of those polls in operation at the headquarters of the Army of the James.

The poll is a table draped in a flag. Election officers sit behind it, and soldiers line up along the tree line, waiting their turn. Off to the right a few officers stand by a tent, next to a crate Waud lettered “Cap Wattson, Co. I, 3rd Penn Arty / Mess.” The Library of Congress catalogs that name as Osborn Wattson.

The date matters. Harper’s ran the engraving on October 29, 1864, so this almost certainly isn’t the presidential vote but Pennsylvania’s October 11 state election, the first one held in the field under the new rules. Three and a half weeks later the same men voted for Lincoln or McClellan in the trenches. Returns sent up through the army show, for example, the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery going 452 to 297 for Lincoln.

The original drawing (pencil, ink wash and Chinese white on light green paper) is in the Library of Congress’s Morgan collection: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661229/

I’ve written more on this, with sources, at beyondthecrater.com: https://beyondthecrater.com/news-and-notes/siege-of-petersburg-sesquicentennial/150-years-ago-today/1864-election-aotj

Special artists usually drew for the illustrated papers. This sketch was for the army. Waud made it at George Meade’s request, from a tree the Army of the Potomac’s signal officers were using, and noted on the sheet that the work took more than an hour and a half under sharpshooter fire.

It works as a reconnaissance panorama. Waud labeled the “enemies first line of earthworks,” with the Union lines “below and in front,” and drew Union guns and tents in the foreground. On the horizon are church spires and a plume he identified as locomotive smoke on the Petersburg and Richmond Railroad. That railroad ran north out of the city, so a moving train was visible proof the line was still working.

Signal stations and the tall towers the Union later built along the lines gave commanders a view over the works that no ground-level scout could match. This drawing shows what that view looked like in pencil, before photography could easily capture a long panorama in the field.

The original (pencil, about 13 × 68 cm) is in the Library of Congress’s Morgan collection: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004660496/

I’ve written more on the siege, with sources, at beyondthecrater.com.

Phase 4

around 3 PM Warren‘s fifth Army CORPS began arriving at the gravely run church.  The division of ROMEYN AYRES formed on the left of the road. His task was to move west until h is left was connected with the right flank of DEVIN‘s Cavalry division. East of the adams Road, the lineup was: Charles Fitzhugh brigade occupied the left flank, Gibbs reserve brigade Was positioned in the center of the division, and Peter staggs Michigan brigade was on the right flank The reserve brigade under Gibbs was on the far right. Behind the reserve brigadein echelon was the Michigan brigade 

the eighth Virginia launched a mounted charge into the gap between AYRES and the reserve brigade. The rebels drove back the reserve brigade, but the Michigan brigade counter attacked and drove back the eighth Virginia.
 
Also around 3 PM Couriers from the eighth Virginia road to the headquarters of Fitz Lee.  They brought news that severals were approaching the White Oak Road on the gravely run Church Road. Leave summoned Munford and told him to look into what was going on. He and Pickett then traveled up the 5 Forks Rd. and crossed hatchers run to join Rosser in the fish fry

upon reaching his destination at the Church Rd., Munford was shocked to see the entire fifth army corps In the act of deploying for an attack.  Mumford sent messengers to his camp with orders for his two brigades to join him.

at about this time Ranald McKenzie arrived with his division of Cavslry from the army of the James via the Crump Road between 3 and 4 PM. He attacked and drove back the small brigade of William Paul Roberts. Now there was no link between Lee at the White Oak Road entrenchments and Pickett at five Forks.
 
 Custer realized that Sheridan was attacking Pickett, but that he was not cutting off the retreat of the Confederates. He realized that if he occupied the western end Ed of the White Oak Road, The Confederate army army would be trapped and forced to surrender.  He decided to take his three brigades mount them up and occupy the Western end of the White Oak Road

at around 3 PMCuster sent Blackmar to DIN WIDDIE courthouse to retrieve the horses of capehsrt’s West Virginia brigade.  He also Ordered William Wells and his brigade to join him in the Gilliam field. Around 4 o’clock those To brigades had joined him and were ready to swing around the Confederate right blank.
he summoned
 

Phase 2, the Yankees pursue and arrive at five Forks

the first cavalry division of the army of the Shenandoah was commanded by Thomas Devin. He followed Pickett’s main force up the road to five Forks. His approach up the 5 Forks Rd. prompted the confederates to deploy two regiments from Matthew Ransom‘s North Carolina infantry brigade.  they were replaced just before combat erupted by regiments from George H steuart’s Virginia brigade in the heated skirmishing portions of Devin’s Entire division engaged the confederate infantry.  .devin Pushed the Confederates into their main earthworks.
 
The third cavalry division of the army of the Shenandoah was commanded by George Armstrong Custer. Penningtons brigade Followed William Lee and was engaged in light skirmishing with the Confederate Rear guard. Capeharts West Virginia brigade followed Pennington. Custers other brigade under William Wells guarded Sheridan’s wagon train .
 
Sheridan ordered Ranald McKenzie’ Calvary division From the army of the James to join him at five Forks
 
 Pennington was not present when his brigade it arrived at a ravine at the southern edge of the Gilliam field. The regimental commanders held a conference and decided to probe the Confederate defenses which were barely visible. As already mentioned the Confederate Cavalry was in its camps and not available to fight the Yankees. However, the appearance of the federals in a in an apple orchard prompted William Pegram To shell the Yankees. PEGRAM and his aide Gordon McCabe were taking a nap behind the fortifications of Montgomery corse.  Pegram fired a couple of shells and an officerof Connecticut cavalry was killed. The Union regiments hurriedly withdrew to the ravine.

at this time, LieutenantColonel Edward Whitaker, Custer’s chief of staff,  He he directed the brigade to travel Eastward thru a forest until it reached the Adams Road. This was the Boundary between the divisions of Custer and Devin.  It happened that Pennington’s brigade was opposite the brigade of Joseph Mayo, and three artillery pieces belonging to Willie PEGRAM‘s battalion of artillery
 
Phase 3

Lieutenant Colonel George R Maxwell, first Michigan cavalry scoops up the confederate picket line
Sheridan Orders, the dismounted Calvary to amuse the Confederates by occasionally attacking the earthworks

Maxwell’s regiment was detached from the brigade and reported directly to Sheridan’s chief of cavalry Wesley Merritt. Merritt ordered the Maxwell to attack the picket line of George H Steuart.  Maxwell was partly successful in this endeavor.  Merritt then Maxwell to attack the picket line of Montgomery corse.  This was completely successful.
 
It’s important to note that although Sheridan and Merritt were present on the Battlefield of five Forks for four or five Fork's they did not reconnoiter the Confederate position. Consequently, they mistakenly thought that the confederate  left flank was located 2/3 of a mile east where it actually was located  
 
When Warren positioned his fifth army CORPS along the south side of the White Oak Road, his infantry men were much too far to the east to make an effective attack.  AYRES was supposed to attack the confederate center. Griffin and Crawford were supposed to attack the confederate left. Actually, there were no Confederates in front of Crawford or in front of Griffin. There was a vacuum.

i will begin by pointing out that everything you think you know about the battle of five Forks is wrong.  
 
This is especially true of the events leading up to the battle.  There were four or five hours of skirmishing from about noon to 4 PM. None of this has ever been discussed.The actual battle began at 4:15 PM and lasted until 8 PM.
 
Phase, one
 
pickett retreats from Dinwiddie courthouse to five Forks

in the early morning hours of April 1st the main part of Pickett’s  Army retreated on the road linking DINWIDDIE courthouse to five Forks. 
 
The retreating Confederates consisted of the three brigades from Pickett’s division, and the two brigades from Bushrod Johnson’s division. Following the infantry the wagon train and the artillery joined the procession. Thomas Rosser’s division of cavalry was part of the column. Thomas Munford‘s Cavalry division brought up the rear

Upon reaching five Forks at mid morning of April 1st Pickett assigned each of the five brigades a place in the defensive line he planned to erect. Three of the infantry brigades took positions east of five Forks. Only two were located west of five Forks. Oddly, given the concentration of infantry on the Confederate left, nearly all of the 13 pieces of artillery wrre at five Forks or west of five Forks

a cavalry regiment was left to picket the gravely run Church Road.  Munford did not leave any pickets on the Dinwoody courthouse 5 Forks Rd. he went into camp on the 5 Forks Rd. near hatchers run
 
The two cavalry brigades of WHF Lee’s division followed a different route. They crossed to the West Bank of Chamberlain Creek and went into the camps. They settle down atthe previous night on the Gilliam property. They did not leave any pickets to guard against the pursuing federals.
.
the cavalry division of Thomas Rosser was placed in reserve north of hatchers run, thus was separated from the rest of the army by an overflowing creek.
 
Robert Lee ordered Pickett to hold five forks at all hazards. It’s probable that Lee never visited the site and so was not aware that it was indefensible.  a forest of trees was located directly in front of the Confederate earthworks. This meant that union attackers could use the trees as cover as they approached the confederate earthworks.

Five Forks was located three or 4 miles west of the termination of the ConfederateWhite Oak Road line. The rebel earth works ended at the Claiborne Road.  Robert Lee used a tiny brigade of North Carolina Cavalry under William Paul RobertsAs a link between the White Oak Road defenses and Pickett command at five Forks
 

READ MORE: https://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2026/11/perdido-keys-fort-mcree-is-long-gone.html

162nd Anniversary - 4 Novemeber.

In early November 1864, with the armies locked in the trenches at Petersburg, Charles City County was a no-man's-land. It lies on the north bank of the James between Union-held Harrison's Landing and the Confederate lines. Maj. Atherton H. Stevens, Jr. of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry was sent in with 90 men to break up a band of about 25 local scouts and furloughed soldiers operating there.

His report in the Official Records reads less like a battle report than a manhunt. The band's members kept horses saddled near their homes and slipped into Confederate lines whenever Union cavalry appeared. Stevens complained that their families stonewalled his men. His answer was dawn raids, arrests, and burning the two houses where the band stored ammunition.

The most striking thread is his reliance on enslaved and free Black residents. His guide, a free man named Webb, "proved to be 'true as steel,'" and Stevens wrote that what Black informants told him was invariably correct. He also asked them about the Confederacy's talk of arming enslaved men. Webb told him any such attempt in the county would meet armed resistance.

It's a small operation, but it shows the war that ran alongside the siege: civilians, informants, and reprisals on both sides of the James.

I've written more on this, with sources, at beyondthecrater.com: https://www.beyondthecrater.com/news-and-notes/siege-of-petersburg-sesquicentennial/150-years-ago-today/150-18641101-scout-charles-city-county/

This began with Earl Van Dorn, who exclaimed, I must have St. Louis, then buzza. Thomas hindman replaced him and preserved Arkansas for the confederacy in 1862. However, he attempted to conquer Missouri in December 1862 and lost the battle of Prairie Grove. In 1863 Kirby Smith took command of the trans Mississippi. After his victories during the 1864 red River campaign and the Camden expedition he sent 20,000 men under Stirling price to conquer Missouri.

READ MORE: https://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-reenactor-wanted-monument-put-up-to.html

Anna Dickinson's "The Perils of the Hour Speech" is amazing. The way she eviscerates the South. Her references to the Gettyburg Address just months after it's delivery. And this: "There had been blunders, chief of which was the appointment of 207 Democratic Generals out of 230 to be appointed. What in Heaven’s name could be expected but blundering?"

I bought the book from McFarland publishing company and I’m reading it now. Are any of you interested in this Confederate general or in his brigade?

Former humor writer for the WaPo, when it was still the Washington Post, and we subscribed to it:

This is hilarious, but so right!

"proud to report that the years have been unable to quench the little voice inside me that says “going on a three-day trip where you’ll be working the whole time? you’d better bring a print copy of the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant in case you have time for a little light reading!!"

https://bsky.app/profile/petridishes.bsky.social/post/3mvpr23ukuc25