Accounts about the period

[trippcor]

Guys,
To help get us in the proper frame of mind for this event and to help give guys some ideas about what we hope to see we will be posting some accounts of the period we are protraying at Before the Breakout.

Here is the first:

This Band of Brothers by James m. McCaffrey
“The opposing picket lines were only two hundred yards apart and much fraternizing went on. Pickets called informal truces for varying durations of time and met each other between the lines. They talked of home, their loved ones , mutual friends ect… A lively trade was also carried on in such items as southern tobacco for northern coffee and southern newspapers for those in the north. When the truces were over men returned to their lines and made ready to kill each other again. Not all the pickets engaged in these bartering sessions. “

“As the Army of Tennessee settled in to wait for the union army to starve, the confederates had a lot of free time on their hands. The was a limit to how much time could be spent with enemy pickets and pulling “greybacks” out of the seams of their clothes so men quite predictably turned to ther forms of entertainment. Near where Soldiers and civilians congregated there to engage in every imaginable game of chance from faro and monte to draw poker. Civilian sharpers came up from Atlanta to fleece the soldiers of their meager pay. Apparently the soldiers-gamblers dident mind. After all what else was there to spend their money on.”

Thanks to Herb Coats, Pete Berezek and Jordan Roberts for their help with the research for this event.

[robert-m]

Re: Accounts about the period

Well this makes for an interesting cinema in the light of history. Are there any plans to re-create some of these accounts? It would be icing on the cake so to speak, if that makes sense.

[yeoman]

Re: Accounts about the period

Sir, if I may, "Pickets trading between the lines" by Edwin Forbes, though created ca. 1876, this sketch captures a moment both sides shared together.

[trippcor]

Re: Accounts about the period

We will be doing some things to help encourage these types of activities (such as posting accounts like this) but ultimately it will be up to the participates to make it happen. As the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but.......

[robert-m]

Re: Accounts about the period

But you can't make it drink.

[Mike Nickerson]

Re: Accounts about the period

But can we bring our horses to the event? :)

Mike Nickerson

[trippcor]

Re: Accounts about the period

We are planning to have a small cavalry group on both sides. More details to follow.

[trippcor]

Re: Accounts about the period

Here is yet another account from the events we hope to protray. I hope you guys are reading these and getting some ideas of what we want to see at this event.

One of Cleburnes Command Captain Samual T. Foster
“they have established about a half mile in front of our line a place called Hells Half Acre where there about 300 to 500 congregate every day.”
“It is a curious place, so I am told. All kinds of games are played here that one ever heard of. An auction in full blast where you can buy a watch or and old worn out pair of shoes-the place cant be described.”

[trippcor]

Re: Accounts about the period

General Thomas J. Wood, 3rd Division commander, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland
“The Battles for Chattanooga, Voices of the Civil War

“Orchard Knob… is a steep, craggy knoll, rising some hundred feet above the general level of the valley of Chattanooga. It is twenty-one hundred yards from Fort Wood, and has been held by the rebels as an outpost since the investment was first established. The position being naturally so strong, they had done but little to strengthen it by intrenchments on its summit. To the right of Orchard Knob, looking toward the South, a rocky, abrupt wooded ridge extends several hundred yards toward the southwest, but it is as not so elevated as the knob. The enemy had formed rude but strong barricades on the northern slope, just beyond the crest of the ridge. To the left of the knob, sill looking toward the south, a long line of rifle-pits extended away off to the north-east, and, trending round reached almost to Citico Creek. Orchard Knob was the citadel of this line of intrenchments.”

[trippcor]

Re: Accounts about the period

Lieutenant Robert M. Collins, 15th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted), Smith’s Brigade, Cleburne’s Division
“The Battles for Chattanooga, Voices of the Civil War"

“Being in the immediate presence of the enemy, we beat the Confederacy out of about 6 weeks’ drilling. We put in a part of September, October, and a part of November in guard duty. The writer’s brigade was near the center of the line. Guard duty was pretty trying: our line of pickets was about two hundred yards from the Federal line; we could see their pickets plainly, and when no big officer on either side was near, we would sometimes get up a temporary armistice, lay down our arms and meet on half way grounds and have a nice friendly chat, swapping our flat tobacco for Lincoln coffee, our little 8x10 newspaper, ‘The Chattanooga Rebel,’ for their big blanket sheet dailies, such as New York Herald, Tribune, Cincinnati Times and Louisville Journal. Sometimes we would strike Federals on duty who would have none of us; these were generally Pennsylvania troops. We could always get along with Ohio and other western troops, but those first named and all other eastern troops always seemed to have a big red mad on.”

“Our bill of fair was pretty tough; corn-bread and poor beef was about all we had as a rule, and when the rule was suspended, it was generally by a day’s rations of bacon.”