Show notes
Just in time for the anniversary of the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign, we're re-releasing Narrative Episode 2, this time with all three parts strung together so you don't have to go searching for each part. This episode brings you through the month of June up the the night of June 30. Excerpts from the script: Synopse [BEGIN "BEAR WALTZ"] As 1863 began, the Union Army of the Potomac found itself in a general malaise. Its failed attempt at another push towards Richmond, known as the "Mud March," had served as the nail in the coffin of army commander Ambrose E Burnside. When Joseph Hooker took his place as commander of the Army of the Potomac, the changes he implemented helped boost the morale and confidence of his troops. But Hooker squandered that goodwill by bungling the Chancellorsville Campaign, in the early days of May 1863. While many believed that drunkenness or the artillery round that knocked him out for a short time were the probable causes of such bungling, Hooker himself told Major General Abner Doubleday, while on the road to Gettysburg, "I was not hurt by a shell and I was not drunk. For once I lost confidence in Hooker, and that is all there was to it." After Chancellorsville, while Hooker was looking for ways to redeem himself, Robert E. Lee was setting the wheels in motion for his second invasion of the north. Meanwhile, every day citizens in a bustling country town called Gettysburg, were going about their daily business while reading about the war in any or all of the town's three newspapers. War had not left them untouched, however. They had sent their ablest young men off to fight for the Union cause and constant threats of invasion plagued them since they first sent their local militia, the "Gettysburg Blues", to fight to preserve the Union, in 1861. By the Fourth of July of 1863, this small town of 2400 would be left with the daunting tasking of cleaning up the carnage and healing 10 times their number. By mid-June, two great armies, totaling somewhere around 150,000 men, with tens of thousands of horses and mules, miles of wagons and, in one of those armies, human beings that were owned by other human beings, marched north into Pennsylvania. One army moving cautiously in order to determine its enemy's intentions, while the other army smashd a Union garrison at Winchester and then happily ran roughshod over the lush and untouched farmlands of Pennsylvania while its citizens, like Gettysburg's Sarah Broadhead wondered where their own army even was. On the last day of June, a Tuesday, the lead elements of these two armies would be poised for the commencement of the greatest, bloodiest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere, but very few, if any, had any notion of that as they closed their eyes to sleep. [BEAR WALTZ END] ........... THE BATTLE OF BRANDY STATION FRANK ROBERTSON: "The only time in my 14 month service with General Stuart that he seemed rattled was when Frank Dean, one of his couriers, dashed up and told him the Yankees were at Brandy Station. This was startling indeed. Frank Robertson, General Stuart's Staff." [FADE IN DIFFERENT NIGHT SUMMER AMBIENCE][FADE IN GENTLE RIVER SOUND] No fires were allowed in the Union cavalry camps on the night of June 8. Troopers ate cold dinners, then slept on the ground with their horses' reins looped around an arm. All was quiet and calm, for, just across the Rappahannock, camped Jeb Stuart's confederates. Pleasonton's combined force of 11,000 cavalry and infantry was poised for a double-envelopment of JEB Stuart and his 9500 cavaliers. Just around 4:30am, John Buford's Union division, led by the brigade of Colonel Benjamin "Grimes" Davis, crossed the Rappahannock River at Beverly Ford [HORSES SPLASHING] in a thick fog and brushed aside confederate pickets from the 6th Virginia Cavalry. [LIGHT MUSKETRY] CONFEDERATE SOLDIER: "At about daylight the Yanks drove in our pickets stationed at Beverly's Ford on the Rappahannock and came near surprising us in bed...they charged up to our camp and killed and wounded several horses before we could get out. Confederate Artilleryman" Behind the picket line were four batteries of Stuart's horse artillery, parked in preparation for the day's march. Further behind them, about two miles from the ford, at St James Church, was the brigade of William "Grumble" Jones. Carbine and pistol shots crackled through the morning air waking Jones. It took only a moment for him to come to his senses and, once aware of what was going on, Jones sent the 6th and 7th Virginia to meet the threat. In their haste to get at these Yankees [CHAOTIC VOICES, TRAMPLING HOOVES, GUNFIRE] some troopers were barely dressed and many rode their horses bareback. Major Cabell E. Flournoy, of the 6th Virginia, was able to rally about 100 men and charged with them into the Federals. But Flournoy was soon forced to withdraw in a hurry as he and his men were badly outnumbered. Lieutenant R. O. Allen's horse was wounded, causing Allen to be left behind during Flournoy's withdrawal. Allen took cover in a treeline when he spotted a Union officer, Colonel Benjamin Grimes Davis, at the head of the column of the Yankees. Down to one bullet in his revolver, Allen decided it would be best spent taking out the brave blue-bellied officer daring to lead his men from the front. So Allen spurred his wounded horse towards Davis, whose back was turned. In the nick of time, Davis turned around and faced Allen for long enough to see that Allen was charging at him. Davis began swinging his saber in an effort to hit the charging rebel. Allen saved himself by dropping down to his horse's side and fired his revolver at Davis, sending his last bullet through the colonel's brain. Allen galloped off to the safety of his own lines. [ABOVE SOUND EFFECTS DIP IN VOLUME AND PAN TO LEFT SPEAKER] The action of Grumble Jones' men enabled most of Stuart's artillery, which was camped dangerously close to Buford's troops, [OFFICERS SHOUTING ALL KINDS OF ORDERS; MOST INDISTINCT...CHAOS] to to fall back and form a line around St James Church. Meanwhile, on Fleetwood Hill, Stuart, was drinking his morning coffee at his headquarters. Fleetwood Hill, which ran north and south, and was about a half mile northeast of Brandy Station and around four miles behind the scene of Buford's crossing. Stuart hastily sent his supply wagons towards Culpeper while his staff scurried this way and that to get themselves together to meet whatever danger was about to befall them. Stuart then ordered reinforcements ahead to the sound of the fighting. As Buford's brigades pushed their way further into the confederate lines, they were met by the confederate troops of Brigadier General Wade Hampton, who formed his brigade to the right of Grumble Jones. At that moment, Major Robert Morris, commander of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, was ordered to clear the confederates from his front. Morris and the 6th Pennsylvania, also known as "Rush's Lancers", charged against the Confederate artillery. CAPTAIN HENRY WHELAN- "We flew along-- our men yelling like demons. Grape and canister were poured into our left flank and a storm of rifle bullets on our front. We had to leap three wide, deep ditches and many of our horses and men piled up in a writhing mass in those ditches and were ridden over. Captain Henry Whelan, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry." The 6th Pennsylvania's charge failed when Confederates counterattacked and drove them back after a brutal hand-to-hand melee. Major Morris was captured. One Confederate described the charge as "brilliant and glorious." [CHARGING CAVALRY, MEN SHOUTING, CANNON FIRING LOUDLY, HORSES SCREAMING] The 6th PA suffered the highest casualty rate of any regiment at Brandy Station. This charge, however, seemed to stabilize the battle for the time being. As Buford's troopers began to fall back towards the Rappahannock, groups of them would dismount and join the infantrymen of Adelbert Ames' brigade which had come up in support. While his regiments were forming to charge, messengers from Beverly Robertson's brigade brought Grumble Jones, on the confederate right, some unwelcome news: a large dust cloud had been seen rising from the direction of Kelly's Ford to the Confederates' right-rear. Jones rushed a courier to Stuart. JEB Stuart was on the scene of the St James Church line. The seriousness of the event still didn't seem to occur to Stuart or his staff as a few of his more youthful staff members climbed a nearby cherry tree. Jubilantly, they picked and ate and picked and threw cherries down to their comrades on the ground until a federal shell carened through the tree. The shell sent splintered branches flying and the young staff officers plummeting to the relative safety of the ground. Stuart, beside himself with laughter, said: "What's the matter, boys? Cherries getting sour?" Around this time one of Jones' couriers rode up to Stuart and delivered the message about the threat to his flank. The doubtful Stuart arrogantly replied, "Tell General Jones to attend to the Yankees in his front, and I'll watch the flanks." Upon receiving this reply, Jones grimly scoffed: "So he thinks they ain't coming, does he? Well, let him alone, he'll damned soon see for himself." ........... What the Second Battle of Winchester dispelled, however, were doubts about Ewell's competency at the helm of a corps and confirmed the faith that his troops had in him. One of the Union boys lying mortally wounded by Ewell's bullets, was a member of the 87th Pennsylvania, Johnston "Jack" Skelly, a native and citizen of Gettysburg. Upon learning of Jack's presence, Confederate soldier, John Wesley Culp, went to find him. Jack and Wes had grown up together in Gettysburg. In the 1850s, Wesley had taken employment with local carriage maker, C. William Hoffman. In 1856, Hoffman decided to move his business to Shepherdstown, Virginia and invited several of his employees along. Wes's brother, William declined, but Wesley Culp accepted the invitation, leaving his childhood home, family and friends behind in Gettysburg. In Shepherdstown, Wesley and Hoffman's three sons joined the Hamtramck Guards, the local militia and drinking club. When Civil War broke out, Wesley bid his fellow Gettysburg transplants a fond adieu as they left to return to Pennsylvania and fight for the Union. Wesley and the rest of the Hamtramck guards enlisted in the Confederate service on the 20th of April, 1861 at Harpers Ferry. They became Company B of the 2nd Virginia, which was placed in the First Brigade under the command of Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson The brigade and the man would, in a short time, earn the nickname "Stonewall". But Culp was a confederate. Sure that he was dying, Jack asked Wesley to deliver a letter to Jennie should he ever find himself back home in Gettysburg. Wesley took the letter, promising to do so. LINCOLN: "To General Hooker: Winchester and Martinsburg were both besieged yesterday...the enemy holds both places. Confederate troops are crossing the Potomac at Williamsport… I would like to hear from you.-- Abraham Lincoln." [CADENCE BEGINS] From Winchester, Ewell sent Robert Rodes' infantry division, north to raid Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Along with Rodes' Division was the irregular cavalry brigade of Albert Jenkins, a colorful character who often tucked his long beard into his belt when the wind was up. At 2am, on June 15, Jenkins led his cavalry on the road to Chambersburg. ............. SARAH BROADHEAD: "No alarm was felt until Governor Curtin sent a telegram, directing the people to move their stores as quickly as possible. This made us begin to realize the fact that we were in some danger from the enemy, and some persons, thinking the Rebels were near, became very much frightened, though the report was a mistake. Sarah Broadhead" Sarah "Sallie" Broadhead, was a Gettysburg resident and wife of train engineer Joseph. Thirty year old Sarah and Thirty-two year-old Joseph had a four year-old daughter named Mary. Together, they lived at 217 Chambersburg Street. After hearing the news of Confederate mischief along the Potomac, Sarah began a journal. Ever since word of the Confederates crossing the Potomac first reached them, residents of Gettysburg and many other south-central Pennsylvania towns were beginning to panic and prepare as best they could for the approaching invaders. No one knew just where the Confederates were heading. No one knew what the Confederates would do to them should they descend on their city or town. And no one knew where their own army was to protect them and drive off the rebel hordes. Civilian militias began to form. Still, the townspeople worried, for what good could days-old militia do against Robert E Lee's formidable veterans? TILLIE PIERCE: "We had often heard that the rebels were about to make a raid, but had always found it a false alarm. ~ Tillie Pierce, Gettysburg Resident" In truth, Gettysburg lived under a constant cloud of worry ever since the Civil War broke out in 1861. Just ten miles to its south, is the border with Maryland. While a border state that remained within the Union, Maryland's doing so was fragile. Its citizens had sympathies for both sides of the war. Virginia, the state which was home to the Confederate capital of Richmond, was not much farther beyond Maryland. On April 22, 1861, Gettysburg proudly sent "The Gettysburg Blues", its local militia that mainly had experience performing ceremonial duties, off to fight for the Union. Almost immediately, townspeople began to feel uneasy about sending its only armed forced away. And, so, that same night, the people of Gettysburg gathered in the courthouse to discuss forming a new Home Guard to ease the peoples' minds. Out of nowhere, two unknown men burst into the courthouse yelling "the Rebels are burning Hanover and Gettysburg is next!" The report was that 500 or more "pug-uglies" from the city of Baltimore--a city with deep Confederate sympathies-- were heading towards Gettysburg. As the citizens filtered out into the street, a single rider galloped into town along York Street. "To arms! The Rebels are coming!" The calm curiosity that the people of Gettysburg embodied only a moment before, gave way to utter panic and chaos. Word spread quickly through the town. The streets were crowded with panic-stricken people. Bells pealed across town to raise alarm. Riders in the style of Paul Revere were dispatched in every direction to warn neighboring hamlets and farms. Of course, all firearms and the ammunition for those firearms had left hours earlier with the Gettysburg Blues. All that was left was a smattering of shotguns, antique muskets, shovels, hoes, axes, knives and various other items of little to no real use against the coming pug-uglies. Finally, after midnight, Gettysburg's cooler heads decided to send a train to Hanover to see just what was up. The train returned around dawn with the shocking news: it was a false alarm. Furthermore, those unknown harbingers of alarm who started the pandemonium, were nowhere to be found. Time and time again, between June of 1861 and June of 1863, the alarm would be raised, panic would ensue, and all would be let down as no Rebel threat had developed. The only time that the threat came close to being real was in 1862 when Jeb Stuart's Cavalry invaded Pennsylvania and raided Chambersburg, then appeared at the foot of the mountains at Cashtown, just 8 or so miles west of Gettysburg. But Stuart had no…
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