Artillery 30 July 1864 at the Crater

One thing that stands out in much of the Union planning for this attack ... everything will go fine if only there weren't a Confederate army in the field. We have a picture of Burnside readying his HQ to be on the move into Petersburg as soon as his corps sweeps to the top of Cemetery Hill and Ferrero's 4th Division goes double-time down the Plank Road into town. [cite]

One indication of this mentality is Hunt's sketch for 5th, 9th and 18th Corps artillery placement from the OR Atlas Plate LXIV, No. 3:

While a few Confederate positions are marked, many are not shown. The ones not shown played a large role in slowing/stopping the Union advance. It's interesting that the map legend "SKETCH Explanatory Of The Positions ..." sits over the most significant of those Confederate batteries.

The mortars on the far side of the Plank Road were hidden from easy view, as the road was raised over east-west downward slopes. Wright's battery sat at small elevation on the north side of a natural ravine and to the west of thick timber, as a map from the opposition's point of view is shown in another OR Atlas Plate (LXXVIII, No. 5)

 Taking just the north part of the full map, starting with batteries 14-18 from the 5th Corps (and #19, the southernmost 9th Corp battery), I've moved the legend to make way for Confederate gun positions.

Various reports show that the Confederates were aware of a mine somewhere on this front and preparations were made by Pendleton and the other artillery officers to have sufficient extra ammunition on hand, just in case. Even though only 3 divisions were left south of the Appomattox when Lee responded to Grant's gambit at Deep Bottom on 27-29 July, they were on full alert.

Sure, the Union generals cooperated fully to make a mess of the attack of the mine, they weren't alone on the battlefield.They did have the full attention of soldiers who were putting up a fierce defense of their home state and towns. Led by very capable men, William Mahone among them.

City Point and Army Line

US Military RR from June 1864 to April 1865

Abstract and Chronology of construction, from Official Records III(5):69-74

Mr. C.L. McAlpine, engineer of construction and repairs


13 June: take up track of Richmond and York River RR, remove all material of value

18 June: arrive at City Point, orders to rebuild City Point and Petersburg RR
"the bridges were gone, track taken up, and the iron removed for a distance of four miles."
" ... on to within two miles and a half from Petersburg ... ties were very much decayed and the gauge needed changing from five feet to four feet eight and one-half inches."

5 July: bridges all rebuilt, track repaired and road in running order for 7 miles

7 July: regular trains start running

22 July: orders to make a preliminary survey of branch line from Pitkin Station (5.5 miles from City Point) to 5th Corps HQ at Yellow House. Survey made w/o instruments.

9 August: explosion, accidental[??] of ammunition stored on ordnance boat

30 August: orders to commence building Pitkin to Yellow House

1 September: work commenced

10 September: Pitkin to Yellow House (9 miles), City Point to Yellow House (14.5 miles)

?? September: construction of earthworks about 0.5 miles to protect open track from rebel batteries

October: road bed put in first-rate order, the yard at City Point enlarged, switches, sidings, turn-tables, engine-house, shops; at all stations, sidings laid and station-houses built. Average of 9 trains run each way daily.

22 October: orders received to extend to Peebles house (2.25 miles)

2 November: work on Patrick branch begins; weather raining nearly all the time

9 November: work complete with all necessary sidings

10 November - 19 December: extra side tracks, quarters for RR employees; 15 trains daily.

21 December: work begins on branch from Hancock Station to Fort Blaisdell

29 December: work complete

2 January: orders to extend this branch 2.5 miles to HQ of Crawfords' Division (5th Corps)

20 January: Gregg Branch line opens with station-houses, platforms and water-stations.

8 February: order received to extend Army Line west

13 February: work begins (from Warren Station south down the old bed of the Weldon RR about 2 miles, then right, west, to the Cummings house on the Vaughan road, a distance of 5 miles)

24 February: work to Humphreys Station complete, sidings, buildings, platforms, water-stations; weather rainy almost the whole time

---- "A number of hospital cars were fitted up for the purpose of moving the sick and wounded from the front and along the line to City Point. These were kept in almost constant use."

Added 2 passenger trains daily for mail, officers and others to/from the front.

"At the time of building the Army Line many of the officers of the Army of the Potomac, together with the regular Engineer Corps, denounced this location, declaring that it would be impossible for an engine alone to ascend the heavy grades; and as for furnishing the necessary supplies for the army over it, they considered it altogether out of the question."

15 loaded cars/train (up to 23) pulled by one ordinary engine

21 miles, 3955 feet with 1 mile, 1393 feet of trestle at an average 21 feet high

28 February - 3 April: not much of note; maintenance, improvements, building up rolling-stock, timber and iron ready to move the army.

3 April: abandoned the Army Line and began relaying South Side RR to Petersburg.

4 April: that road open and in running order; yard work in Petersburg to change gauge.

11 April: completed gauge change on South Side RR to Burkeville, 62 miles from City Point, and trains began running with supplies

Union Forts at Petersburg

Based on the Official Records, Series III, Volume 5, pages 173 - 182, the following map shows the growth of Union fortifications at Petersburg from June 1864 through April 1865. The "Narrative collated from the reports of N. Michler" lays out a fairly detailed chronological description of how fortifications came about and when. The original map is from Michler's 1866 version, scanned at 600dpi (2 inches/mile) at the National Archives in College Park, MD, July 2013. This version,  scaled by a factor of 6 to 200 pixels/mile has also been cropped to show only the relevant fortifications.

Petersburg Maps

The operations of both armies in the Richmond-Petersburg campaign from June 1864 through April 1865 are complex and far-ranging. If there was ever a clear link from the set battle pieces of early to mid 19th century warfare to the continent/world spanning wars of the 20th century, this campaign has to be that link.

Maps that show coordinated operations in the theater have to cover a lot of territory; to see the place names and unit movements/fighting means text legibility; both of these together require digital maps that are very large in size, both dimensionally and by the megabyte. These are maps that do not fit easily into books. How to give readers enough information at enough detail is one of the puzzles Ed and I have to solve by the middle of 2014 when we plan to publish.

Just to illustrate: the line along Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg from Cemetery Hill to Round Top and across to Seminary Ridge, almost the entire engagement of that pivotal battle, fits into a map of operations on the South Side. The Gettysburg overlay is 2 miles wide by 4 miles tall and sits beside the engagements known as Poplar Spring Church -- Peebles Farm -- Pegram Farm which took place 30 September through 2 October 1864. Twenty thousand Union soldiers from four divisions in the V and IX Corps took three hours just to clear the lines on Friday morning; there was just one main road west and dense woods led to some caution as the columns approached them. A smaller number of Confederate soldiers under Heth, with support by cavalry detachments commanded by Hampton were able to give good battle in defense of the vital Boydton Plank Road and Southside Railroad over those three days.

Civil War Carded Medical Records and Geneological Research

Civil War historians and family researchers have long known about the value of a soldier's compiled military service record (CMSR) and pension file (PF).  Copies of both the CMSR and the pension file, which are filed in individual envelopes for each soldier, may be easily ordered from the National Archives.  See Military Service Records at the National Archives, Reference Information Paper 109 at 10, 43 and NATF Form 86.

The value of the carded medical records (CMR) (Record Group 94, Entry 534) is less well known, probably because these records are not as easily accessible.  The CMRs are filed by state, then regiment, and then roughly alphabetically within the regiment.  (To complicate matters, there are many mispellings and misfiles both within and between regiments due to miscommunication of information at the time of admission.)  (See Publication 109 at 10-11, 43)

 The CMRs compiled information from casualty reports and hospital reports.  Because a significant number of Civil War soldiers were sick enough to be admitted to hospital at some point and many were wounded, most Civil War soldiers will have a carded medical record.  For the 179th New York,  there are CMRs for roughly three-quarters of the soldiers.  The CMR contains details not present in the CMSR.  A comparison of the CMR and CMSR for  my great-great grandfather, James C. Rutan, Co. A, 179th New York Volunteers, demonstrates the additional detail available in the CMR relating to a soldier's wounds and sickness.

CMR                                                                                              CMSR

  July 30, 1864  Wounded: Right side (Missile: shell)            July 30, 1864.  Shell wound, right side
     Treatment: Simple dressing.  Sent to Depot
     Hosp. Aug. 1 City Point

  August 2, 1865 Admitted Depot Field Hospital,                 July-Aug 1864 (USAGH)  Sick
      9 AC, City Point.  Bruised

  August 5, 1864 Admitted to USA Hosp. Steamer
       Atlantic.  Sent to GH Aug 7, 1864

  August 9, 1864.  Admitted USA GH, Rochester, NY         Sept -Oct 1864 (179th) Absent sick
      Chronic hepatitus.  Deserted 9/11/64                              Sept 11, 1864 (USAGH) Deserted from
                                                                                                 furlough
  November 12, 1864.  Returned to USA GH Rochester      Nov-Dec 1864.  (179th) Absent

  February 14, 1865.  Returned to duty from Rochester        Jan-Feb 1865.  (179th) Absent sick
                                                                                           Jan-Feb 1865 (USAGH) Sick
  February 18, 1865.  Admitted to USA General Hospital
       Ladies' Home, NYC from Battery Barracks, NY
       Pneumonia.  Transferred to GH April 4, 1865    

  April 5, 1865.  Admitted USA GH Elmira from                  Mar-Apr 1865.  (179th) Absent sick
       Ladies' Home.  Contusion right kidney 7/30/64              Mar-Apr 1865. (USAGH) Sick
       Missile: Wagon wheel

  April 18, 1865. Furloughed

  May 18, 1865  Discharged from service.                           May 23, 1865  Mustered out.      

                                                                                          July 11, 1891.  Charge of desertion removed.                                                                                                     AWOL 9/11/64 to 11/12/64.