BTC Notes: Civil War Talks: Further Reminiscences of George S. Bernard and His Fellow Veterans

Note: The BTC Notes series serves as a way to gather important information about a given source on the Siege of Petersburg like a book, article, essay, map, etc.

Subject: Civil War Talks: Further Reminiscences of George S. Bernard and His Fellow Veterans by George S. Bernard. Edited by Hampton Newsome, John G. Selby, and John Horn.

Important Points:

Chapter 7: The Petersburg Campaign: Initial Battles

• “Battle of The 9th of June” by Prof. W.N. Carr was published in the December 18, 1898 Petersurg Daily Index-Appeal.¹
• Lt Col Fletcher H. Archer led the 2nd Virginia Militia on June 9, 1864.²
• The 2nd Virginia Militia had 122 officers and men in the fight on June 9, 1864.³

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• “The Defense of Petersburg” by W.H. Hood was published in the February 1, 1903 issue of the Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal⁴
• Powhatan R. Page commanded Wise’s Brigade on June 15, 1864. He was killed on June 17, 1864.⁵

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• 6th VA, Weisiger’s Brigade, Mahone’s Div, 3rd Corps, ANV, lost 70 of 80 men carried into the Craterfight, the remainder being on picket duty.⁶

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• “Tablet to the Heroes of the Crater” Memorial Address was published in the August 1, 1911 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal⁷
• Lt Col William H. Stewart commanded the 61st Virginia at the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864.⁸
• Captain Richard W. Jones commanded the 12th Virginia at the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864.⁹

Chapter 8: The Battles for the Weldon Railroad

• Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal January 1, 9, 16, 23, 1898 (Bernard, George S. “The Weldon Railroad Fight”, 4 parts)¹⁰
• General John R. Chambliss and Victor B. Girardey were both killed on August 16, 1864.¹¹
• Captain Richard Henry Toler Adams, formerly of the 11th VA, was A.A.A.I.G. for Hill’s 3rd Corps.¹²
• General Clingman was wounded in the leg on August 19, 1864 at the Battle of Globe Tavern.¹³

• Major R.P. Duncan served on Mahone’s Division staff.¹⁴
• Weisiger’s VA Brigade had “over 600 muskets carried in” on August 19, 1864.¹⁵
• 12th VA had “90 and odd officers and arms bearing men carried in” to the battle on August 19, 1864 and lost 6 killed, 29 wounded, and 2 missing.¹⁶
• “Captain Jones” commanded the 12th VA on August 19, 1864 and was wounded.¹⁷

• Hugh R. Smith was adjutant of the 12th VA, and acted as a brigade staff officer on August 19, 1864.¹⁸
• Lt. Colonel William H. Stewart was second in command of the 61st VA on August 19, 1864.¹⁹
• January 1895 Blue and Gray Magazine, by Dr. W.V. White discusses the August 19, 1864 fighting.²⁰
• Colonel Virginius Despeaux Groner commanded the 61st VA on August 19, 1864.²¹

• The 61st VA had “less than 200 rank and file” on August 19, 1864 and lost “seventy-seven…killed, wounded and missing.”²²
• Captain W. A. S. Taylor was adjutant of the 61st VA on August 19th, 1864.²³
• August 1894 issue of McClure’s Magazine features an article by T.J. Mackey on the August 21, 1864, “The Bravest Deed of the War.”, p. 272.²⁴
• General Sanders commanded the Alabama brigade and Colonel Theodore Washington Brevard Jr. commanded the Florida Brigade on August 21, 1864. Sanders was killed that day.²⁵

Chapter 9: The Petersburg Campaign: August 27, 1864-March 21, 1865, Including the Battle of Burgess Mill

• “War Recollections: A Celebrated Engagement” about The Battle of Burgess Mill appeared in the Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal on June 14, 1896.²⁶
• Hugh R. Smith was adjutant of the 12th VA on October 27, 1864.²⁷
• Hamilton Blakemore of the 12th VA was on Mahone’s staff in 1864.²⁸

• Captain John D. Young commanded the Sharpshooter battalion in Scales’ Brigade on October 27, 1864.²⁹
• Capt. Thomas B. Pollard of the 12th Virginia was temporarily on Weisiger’s staff in late October 1864.³⁰
• The sharpshooters of Weisiger’s Brigade were nearly all captured at Burgess Mill on Oct. 27, 1864, and so the organization was broken up.³¹
• General Finegan was temporarily in command of Mahone’s Div. on Jan. 26-27, 1865.³²

• General Finegan was temorarily in command of Mahone’s Div. on at least February 6, 1865.³³

Chapter 10: The Petersburg Campaign: Miscellaneous Accounts

• “Of the Siege of Petersburg: Some Interesting Recollections of an Officer of Bradford’s Battery” published in May 3 & 10, 1903 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal³⁴
• *City Battalion led by Major Peter V. Batte on June 15, 1864.³⁵
• Bradford’s MS Battery had 2 twelve pounders, 3 20-lb Parrotts, and 2 8-in mortars at the Siege of Petersburg. A detachment with the 12 pounders was at Belfield, VA.³⁶
• Lt. P. C. Hoy was in command of Bradford’s Battery on April 2, 1865.³⁷

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• “The Confederate Scout, The Bold Expedition Recalled” published in the March 27, 1895 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal on March 27, 1895.³⁸

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• The Nelson Light Artillery, aka Lamkin’s VA Btty, carried Enfield rifles during the Overland Campaign and became a mortar battery during the Siege of Petersburg.³⁹
• The batteries of Haskell’s Arty Bn werecommanded by Capt Hugh R. Garden, Capt. Ramey, Capt Henry G. Flanner, and Captain James N. Lamkin at the stsrt of the Siege of Petersburg.⁴⁰
• Lamkin’s Battery had 11 mortars made of iron in Richmond for their purposes during the Siege of Petersburg, inlcuding 8 24lb Coehorn mortars, 1 8 inch (64lb) mortar, and 2 12lb mortars.⁴¹
• 2 additional mortars were used by Lieut. Langhorne of Capt D.N. Walker’s battery (Otey Arty)⁴²
• At the Crater, Lamkin had 6 mortars in the Jerusalem Plank Road, presumably 8 lbers, the 64lb mortar under Sergt J.P. Wilkinson in rear of Wright’s Battery, and 2 (presumably 8 lb) mortars under Sergt Joseph W. Eggleston at “Fort Lamkin”, north of the covered way in a depression.⁴³
• Number of guns from some batteries near the Crater: 2 abandoned guns in front of Gee Hpuse manned by Lamkin, Flanner had 6 guns, Wright had 4 guns, 1 from Davidson under Capt Walker⁴⁴
• The 12lb mortars were carried up with Mahone’s assault.⁴⁵
• In the “winter of 1864-5”, Lamkin’s battery had become a mortar battalion of 26 mortars and 210 men. Liet. Fletcher T. Massie was (temporarily?) in command. Research this battalion.⁴⁶
• At some point in the Siege, Co. B, 12th Bn VA Light Arty (Martin’s VA Battery?) was commanded by Lt. Samuel H. Pulliam⁴⁷

Chapter 11: The Fall of Petersburg

• “A Deadly Assault: The Attack upon Fort Stedman on Friday, March 25, 1865, described by an Eye-Witness” appeared in the June 24, 1894 Richmond Dispatch. I found and downloaded this item as a PDF document.⁴⁸

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• “Battle of Fort Stedman: A Federal Soldier’s Account” by Milton A. Embick appeared in the March 28, 1908 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal.⁴⁹
• Lt Col W.H.H. McCall was in command of the 200th PA on the morning of March 25, 1865 at the Battle of Fort Stedman.⁵⁰

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• “Cockade City’s Surrender, Delivered to the Federals” by J. P. Williamson was published in the June 17, 1894 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal.⁵¹

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• “A War Reminiscence” by C.W. Maynard was published in the February 4, 1906 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal.⁵²
• 20th MI occupied Battery #9 in the winter of 1864-5 and at Fort Stedman⁵³

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• “Interesting Facts Connected with the Occupation of the City by the Federals following Evacuation in April, 1865” by G.W. Camp was published in the June 10, 1894 Petersburg Daily Index-Appeal⁵⁴

Chapter 12: The Appomattox Campaign

• Mahone’s account of the Appomattox Campaign was discussed in a January 1971 Civil War Times article by William C. Davis⁵⁵
• Mahone’s Div, 3rd Corps, ANV had “something between thirty-five hundred and four thousand muskets” on Sunday, April 2, 1865 per William Mahone.⁵⁶
• Commodore Tucker’s Naval Battalion had about 200 marines on April 3, 1865⁵⁷
• Mahone’s Div, 3rd Corps, ANV had “some three thousand muskets” on April 7, 1865 per William Mahone.⁵⁸

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