My Civil War Notes

Although born in Alabama, Henry C. Cushman served in Company A, 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment throughout the war. He joined the 2nd Florida as musician in 1861 and remained with the regiment until the surrender at Appomattox. At the Battle of Seven Pines, Cushman was nominated for the badge of honor for unspecified actions. Prior to the war, Cushman lived in Milton, Florida, working as a druggist’s clerk. After the war, he settled in Pensacola where he worked as a druggist. By 1870, he was married to Elizabeth. Henry and Elizabeth’s children include Ralph C., Bessie, S., Madge M., and Carlton H. On April 7, 1905, Cushman performed the wedding ceremony for his daughter Bessie to N. E. Terry of Chicago. Henry C. Cushman was born on 25 September 1842 and died 3 June 1920.

Alabama’s governor at the time of secession was Andrew B. Moore. Moore, who had been state legislator and judge, entered office in 1857 and would leave near the end of 1861. Moore, an advocate of secession, guided Alabama through the secession crises and gladly presided over the state as it took its place in the Confederacy. Although he was out of office for the duration of the war, Moore worked closely with his successors John G. Shorter & Thomas H. Watts. Moore was born on 7 March 1807, died 5 April 1873, and is buried in Marion, Alabama.

John G. Shorter, (23 April 1818-29 May 1872) succeeded Moore as governor of Alabama. Before entering the governor’s office, Shorter had served in the Provisional Confederate Congress. Shorter took an active role in preparing Alabama for defense against the forces of the enemy, and, as most Confederate Governors did, complained that his state didn’t have enough men and equipment, especially armament, to repel and enemy invasion. In January 1862, he wrote Judah P. Benjamin saying: “In our opinion I am sorry to say that, in view of the increasing armaments and numbers of the enemy in the Gulf and his threatening attitude towards our coast, we are perhaps as unprepared, for want of guns and arms, for his reception as any point in the Confederacy.“ Shorter would eventually be proven correct, but no place along the Gulf Coast would be able to be defend against the combined arms of the Union Navy and Army once they decided to take a city or port. In 1863, Shorter was defeated for reelection by Thomas H. Watts.

Thomas H. Watts (3 January 1819-16 August 1892) defeated John G. Shorter for Alabama Governor in 1863. Watts was a representative at the Alabama Secession Convention, and in 1861 he ran against Shorter for Governor. When Watts lost the Governor’s race, he instead raised the 17th Alabama Infantry and was elected its Colonel. In 1862, Jefferson Davis named Watts his Attorney General, and in 1863, he again ran against Shorter for Alabama’s chief executive, this time winning. Watts was still in office at the time the Confederacy fell and was arrested by the Union Army

Alabama’s representatives at the Provisional Confederate Congress were W. P. Chilton, Jabez L. M. Curry (Also served two terms in the U. S. House), Thomas M. Fearn, Stephen L. Hale, J. J. Hooper, David P. Lewis, Colin J. McRae, John Gill Shorter, Robert H. Smith, and Richard W. Walker.

In the First Confederate Congress, Alabama was represented by W. P. Chilton, Clement C. Clay, Jr., David Clopton, John A. Crawford, Jabez L. M. Curry, David Louis Dalton, Edward S. Dargan, Thomas J. Foster, George W. Jackson, James T. Jackson, Henry C. Loving, Francis S. Lyon, James A. Patterson, James L. Pugh, John P. Ralls, William R. Smith, Robert H. Wayne, William L. Yancy.

Second Confederate Congress members from Alabama were J. W. Anderson, W. P. Chilton, David Clopton, Williamson R. W. Cobb, M. H. Cruikshank, Edward S. Dargan, Thomas J. Foster, RobertJemison, Jr., Francis S. Lyon, James L. Pugh, John P. Ralls,
William R. Smith, Richard W. Walker.

Alabama’s U. S. Delegation in 1860 consisted of senators Clement Claiborne Clay, Jr. and Benjamin Fitzpatrick. Representatives were David Clopton, Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb, Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry, and George Smith Houston.

At the time of secession, Florida was the youngest and least-populated of the eleven states that would make up the Confederacy. Despite its size, the Sunshine State did have experienced politicians to lead the way during those early uncertain days and throughout the war.

Florida’s Congressional delegation in 1860 consisted of Senators Stephen Russell Mallory and David Levy Yule and Representative George Sydney Hawkins. During the war, Mallory became the Secretary of the Navy for the Confederate States; Yulee built and promoted railroads in Florida; and Hawkins served as a district judge.

Florida’s governor at the time of secession and the beginning of the war was Madison Starke Perry. Perry would leave office in October 1861 and serve as Colonel of the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment. Succeeding Perry was John Milton who served as Governor until 1 April 1865 when he committed suicide. Abraham K. Allison replaced Milton as Governor until 19 May 1865 when Federal authorities install their own government.

Representing Florida at the Provisional Confederate Congress in 1861 were James Patton Anderson, Jackson Morton, and James B. Owens. Anderson was elected Colonel of the 1st Florida Infantry and would rise to the rank of Major General in the Confederate Army. Morton had served three terms in the United States Congress and signed both the Provisional Confederate Constitution and the Confederate States Constitution. George T. Ward then J. P. Sanderson filled the seat vacated when Anderson resigned to accept a commission in the 1st Florida Infantry. Ward also served as Colonel of the 2nd Florida Infantry during the war.

Florida’s representatives to the First Confederate Congress were Senators James M. Baker and Augustus E. Maxwell and Representatives James B. Dawkins, Robert B. Hilton, John B. Martin, John Perkins, Jr., St. George Rogers, and J. P. Sanderson.

In the Second Confederate Congress, Florida was represented by Senators James M. Baker and Augustus E. Maxwell and Representatives Robert B. Hilton, John B. Martin, John Perkins, Jr., St. George Rogers, J. P. Sanderson, and George T. Ward.

Five states—Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas—made up (and still make up) the Gulf States. In 1860, the total population of these five states was 3,208,147. Of that population, 1,447,748 were slaves, or 45% of the total population. By comparison, the total population of the entire Confederate states was 9,103,332. The five Gulf States comprised 35% of the population of the entire Confederacy and 10% of the all the states that had been admitted to the Union by 1860. The population of free persons of color was 23,397 (most in Louisiana) or less than 1% of the total population.

William F. Fox, in Regimental Losses, puts the total military population of the Confederacy at 1,064,193. Of that number, 361,602, or 34%, came from the five Gulf States. Combined, the Gulf States contributed 350 Regiments, battalions, and batteries (not including militias and home guards) to the Confederate Cause.

The next few posts will highlight each Gulf State individually.

For the first two years of its existence, the 15th Massachusetts Light Artillery Battery did not see any combat. That would change, however, at Fort Blakeley, the last major battle of the war.

The 15th Massachusetts Battery mustered into Federal service in February 1863 under the command of Timothy Pearson, a lawyer from Lowell, Massachusetts. On 9 March 1863, the 15th sailed from Boston Harbor bound for their first duty in Louisiana. After a month at sea, the 15th arrived at New Orleans where they became part of the New Orleans Defenses. The battery moved from post to post in Louisiana for the remainder of the year.

Their first operation of any sort came in January 1864 when a section of four guns was assigned to the steamer Kate Dale on an expedition under the command of Joseph J. Reynolds. The expedition was to go to Madisonville, Louisiana, for the purpose “of opening a source of certain supplies for the army, particularly lumber, logs, tar, turpentine, bricks, and wood, which abound in this region.” The trip proved successful, but there was no fighting and the 15th Massachusetts Battery suffered no casualties.

The 15th Massachusetts Battery was back in New Orleans in late January where they stayed until October 1864. In October 1864, the 15th was sent to Arkansas, then Tennessee, and finally back to Louisiana. In March 1865, the 15th moved to Barrancas Barracks at Pensacola, Florida.

On 20 March 1865, the Thirteenth Army Corps, to which the 15th Massachusetts battery now belonged, left Barrancas, moved through Pensacola, and travelled northward through Escambia County. The roads were poor and the weather wet, causing the column to repair or build roads as it went along. They occupied the towns of Pollard and Stockton, Alabama, capturing stores and telegraph equipment, including a telegraph operator. From Stockton, the Thirteenth Army Corps turned west and south toward Fort Blakeley.

The Thirteenth Army Corps began its investment of Fort Blakeley on 2 April. The 15th Massachusetts Battery took a position on the Stockton Road in support of the Second Division. Over the next several days, the Union lines moved forward several hundred yards until they were within about 500 yards of the Confederate main lines.

On 6 April, the Confederate infantry made an attack against the position of the 15th Massachusetts Battery (commanded by Albert Rouse), but was easily repulsed. The following day, the 15th exchanged fire with the Confederate artillery in Redoubt number 4. The Confederate fire was extremely accurate, knocking out the 15th Massachusetts until the morning of the 8th when they were able to rejoin the action. The following afternoon (9 April), the Union Army assaulted Fort Blakeley capturing nearly 1,500 men and numerous cannon and other arms. Here ended the 15th Massachusetts’ only battle of the war, performing extremely well.

After the capture of Blakeley, the 15th Massachusetts sailed up the Alabama River to Selma. On 11 and 12 May 1865, the 15th sailed back to Mobile and then to Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, where they remained until 20 July. The battery was mustered out of Federal service on 4 August 1865.

The focus of this blog is changing.

Before, I would write about anything of interest—admittedly without much focus. Now, however, My Civil War Notes will concentrate on the Civil War along the Gulf Coast—from the southern tip of Texas all the way to the Keys and Dry Tortugas—including all of Florida. Any event that took place along the Gulf, and any person, regiment or ship that saw service here, however brief, is fair game for study—including their time in other theaters of war.

My absence from blogging for the past couple of months has been due primarily to the side-effects of the steroid Prednisone.

Lucky for me during this time, I have had two great women who have been at my side —My Mom and Nancy. They deserve more credit that I am able to express.

I have been taking Prednisone since March for a lung condition, and I was not prepared for the intensity of the side-effects. The first month on this incredible drug was fine. I had a lot of energy and wasn’t showing any signs of side-effects.

The second month, however, was quite different. My neck began to swell, I was tired all the time, I had an insatiable appetite for meat, and the headaches started. I have had headaches before, but nothing like this. They were intense and energy draining. Functioning became a major chore, and I would spend most of the day lying down shielding my eyes from any light that tried to make the pain worse.

The headaches seemed random, and I thought it was just something I was going to have to live with as long as I was taking Prednisone (up to a year or more, the Doctor said). Then, one day while surfing the net for information on headaches, I ran across an article (I should have bookmarked it) stating that about 95% of all headaches are caused by potassium deficiency. That sounded good, so I started eating more foods with potassium. The headaches continued, so I did more research and found that potassium and sodium compete for each cell in our body.

Well, I thought, if potassium and sodium compete and I am taking in more potassium than sodium in my diet (or so I thought), what would happen if I reduced the sodium in my diet but maintained the same level of potassium. It was worth a try, so I started reading labels very carefully when at the store. I was shocked by the amount of sodium in nearly everything I ate. I had absolutely no idea. It became a challenge to find the products with little to no sodium, but eventually I found some that were also somewhat tasty.

I experimented with different foods, developed new recipes, and now I think (hopefully) have found the correct balance. I occasionally miscalculate and suffer for it the next day or two, but by and large, I think I have a handle on it.

The next big challenge is eating out. Restaurants are notorious for loading up their dishes with salt, so we will see if they are willing and able to prepare meals my way. I have found a couple of places so far, but I stick to either smoked dishes or steak. On the side, I have fries or potato (lots of potassium) and a salad – choosing my dressing carefully.

As bad as the headaches are, I think the worst side-effect in not being able to eat chocolate. Before the fist bite is even swallowed, I have a low-grade headache. I am much more comfortable cutting sodium out of my diet than chocolate.

I will be returning to blogging this week. Posting won’t be as frequent as before, just a few a week.

See you soon.

Thomas