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Post by quincannon on Apr 12, 2014 7:54:17 GMT -6
Yes Tom I remember seeing both house and barn ruins of the Garrett Farm in 63 or 64 before the other two lanes of Highway 301 were put in between Port Royal and Bowling Green. It is about a mile south of Bowling Green, but as far as I know there is only a marker left on the island that exists between the highway north-south lanes.
Yes, I know Milford, just southwest of Bowling Green on the railroad. That puts you what, about fifteen klicks south of Guinea Station where Jackson was taken, only to die a few days later. I would expect you to be able to find all sorts of stuff along that railroad> It was the major supply route to Hamilton's Crossing.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 8:03:48 GMT -6
Yes Tom I remember seeing both house and barn ruins of the Garrett Farm in 63 or 64 before the other two lanes of Highway 301 were put in between Port Royal and Bowling Green. It is about a mile south of Bowling Green, but as far as I know there is only a marker left on the island that exists between the highway north-south lanes. Chuck, Tom, Here's a site about the Garret farm:
www.abandonedcountry.com/2013/03/04/where-john-wilkes-booth-died-the-garrett-farm/
Best, c.
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Post by quincannon on Apr 12, 2014 8:30:48 GMT -6
Back in the day Chris, there was an old house along 301 in Port Royal, that was converted into a Restaurant. I took my officers to dinner there one evening, and clearly remember them having a photograph of the Garrett House on didplay in the lobby that must have been taken around the turn of the last century.As I recall it was a two story frame affair, in bad repair then. Could not tell the color but it appeared to be white with some sort of darker trim.
I don't know by what name the now northbound lanes of 301 were known by then, but I do recall Stuart marching over that road from Bowling Green to Port Royal, and thus past the Garrett Place during the Fredericksburg Campaign when they were watching for a possible crossings over the Rappahannock from the Port Conway side.
Hamilton's Crossing up US 17 from Port Royal and much closer to Fredericksburg is the place that Pelham ran that lone gun out and enfiladed the attack on Jackson;'s lines. It was that during that same attack that Union forces broke Jackson, and really messed up Maxey Gregg's brigade.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 8:52:38 GMT -6
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Post by quincannon on Apr 12, 2014 9:12:27 GMT -6
Chris: That first is the photo I remember. Did not realize it was that early though.
The real treasure trove, and I think Tom would agree, is on the east side of A. P Hill. The highway bisects the military reservation. The west side, that nearest Fredericksburg is all maneuver training area. There is a little bit of training area on the northern portion of the east side as well, but most of it is given over to range impact area, and except for a whole lot of expended ordnance virtually unchanged since 1941.
Tom: I remember going out to the ranges on that east side, and occasionally stopping for a cold Coke at Fraughnaugh's Store, which appeared to be Civil War vintage. Don't think the damned place had a coat of paint in 100 years. It was down near Smoots, and Poorhouse Corner. Wonder if it is still there?
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Post by tubman13 on Apr 12, 2014 13:28:32 GMT -6
Chuck, you do have a memory for detail.
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Post by Yan Taylor on Apr 12, 2014 14:50:39 GMT -6
Tom, I Just looked up “Bloody Angel” sounds hellish to say the least, according to the web page Grant wrote his letter to Washington, the one I mentioned about the other day;
"I will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer."
Grant must have been a brutal type of man to dig his teeth in after his army had suffered so, he must have also been aware of the losses too, and the men that would die in the coming week or so, but he kept to his word and won the campaign, and I bet that would have done his reputation a heap of good because it showed his men that he was not a girl thingy, it also so showed Lee that he was a man how wouldn’t give up, no matter what the cost.
Ian.
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Post by quincannon on Apr 12, 2014 15:08:14 GMT -6
Tom: I do have a good eye for detail. I rarely get mis-oriented. I also take mental pictures of the stops along the way, and can vividly recall them. Smoots as an example, a sharp bend in a barely two lane road and as you round the bend on the southwest side elevated from the road is a large frame house, probaby vintage 1920, painted white with green trim. a few out buildings, all looking down on Fraugnnaughs store on the southeast side and right on the bend.I have not been there since before 1979.
Ian: I think Grant wanted it over, as the country wanted it over. Rather than being brutal, I believe it more that he made a calculation that he would incur many casualties, but the toll would be much, much greater, the longer the affair was prolonged. That war could have very easily gone on for a year longer than it did, and it could have gone on three or four years longer had not there been the Grant like Sherman rampaging through the south against Confederates who where nowhere near the standard of Lee.
I trust your arm is better.
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Post by lew on Apr 12, 2014 20:39:31 GMT -6
I visited the site of the Garrett farm a few years ago. It was the most haunting feeling I've experienced at a Civil War site. To know that the final act took place there.
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Post by Yan Taylor on Apr 13, 2014 4:13:23 GMT -6
Hi Chuck, so Grant (and Sherman) saw the need for total war, in the hope that it will shorten the conflict by a few years, well I can see there point. A lot of people regard the ACW as the first modern war so total war along with its hardships was the new way to fight.
Yes the shoulder feels better thank you very much, probably due to pain killers though, I have to see the Doc on Tuesday to see what the score is and if I need an x-ray or physio, thank god for the NHS.
Ian.
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Post by tubman13 on Apr 24, 2014 17:41:12 GMT -6
Hi Chuck, so Grant (and Sherman) saw the need for total war, in the hope that it will shorten the conflict by a few years, well I can see there point. A lot of people regard the ACW as the first modern war so total war along with its hardships was the new way to fight. Yes the shoulder feels better thank you very much, probably due to pain killers though, I have to see the Doc on Tuesday to see what the score is and if I need an x-ray or physio, thank god for the NHS. Ian. In conjunction with total war concept, something else came on the scene late in the war. In 1864 more and more repeating rifles -Spencer's and "16 shooter" Henry's made their way into Union units. The South was being overwhelmed by superior numbers and firepower. As a matter of fact a number of battles turned due to these weapons. One such battle was Peach Tree Creek and there were others. You would think the US would have kept these weapons in their arsenal. It may have helped Custer, his troops had repeaters at the Washita.
Regards, Tom
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Post by Yan Taylor on Apr 25, 2014 3:42:37 GMT -6
Yes Tom, Buford’s Cavalry at Gettysburg used their Spencer’s to stop the Confederate’s in their tracks, I wonder if the US military tested the Spencer against Springfield to see which was best, I do recall a certain officer named Reno being part of some board concerning testing.
Ian.
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Post by lew on Apr 29, 2014 0:09:17 GMT -6
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Post by Yan Taylor on Apr 29, 2014 7:19:37 GMT -6
Lew, I saw General Meade in your excellent link, is it true that Meade was the only Officer who wanted the job of leading the Army of the Potomac? Apparently when the job was up for grabs all the other commanders distanced themselves from the post and only Meade had the guts to take it, which says a lot for the man.
Ian.
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Post by tubman13 on Apr 29, 2014 7:58:21 GMT -6
Lew, thanks for a wonderful post!
Regards, Tom
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