Bill Howard - Battle of Balls Bluff, The: All the Drowned Soldiers

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2018 by William F. Howard

All rights reserved

First published 2018

E-Book edition 2018

ISBN 978.1.43966.557.2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018945788

Print edition ISBN 978.1.46714.073.7

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Each published work of history evolves as part of a continuum. Historians and authors who work to interpret the past are the beneficiaries of a rich legacya foundation of work laid by scores of others who passed this way before and made their best efforts to tell the story of the past. This book is no different. There are many whose work has helped to fill out the story of the Balls Bluff battle and have added to my understanding of this small battle with a long shadow. Special acknowledgement is extended to historians Kim Holien, Byron Farwell and James A. Morgan III for their great work in uncovering and explaining the details of Balls Bluff. In the case of James Morgan, he has not only published historical accounts of the battle but has helped to better interpret and preserve the battlefield through land acquisition, signage and tours. There is no greater gift to military history than the preservation of the land hallowed by sacrifice. In this volume I have tried to provide an account that adds to the understanding of Balls Bluff that is both historically accurate and readable. Military history has a tendency to become mired in the complex details of troop movements, which, while important, sometimes overwhelm the human dimension of war. I have tried to distill official military reports and primary source accounts into a volume that will be both informative and interesting to readers of all levels. The study of history is not the reserve of professional historians; the story of a nations past belongs to its people. This book is intended to tell the story of Balls Bluff in a way that will satisfy general readers and perhaps inspire some to pursue deeper study.

I came of age at a time in the years following the Civil War centennial commemoration of the early 1960s when scores of Civil War books were being published and old classics reprinted. I was fortunate to have had personal contact with many of the great historians and authors of those years, who inspired and cultivated my interest in both writing and history. I owe a lasting debt to Bruce Catton, Clifford Dowdey and, more recently, to Stephen B. Oates and Michael C.C. Adams. These authors were masters of combining solid history with great writing. I remain humbled by their support in my long-ago youth.

An earlier version of this book was published by H.E. Howard as part of his award-winning Virginia Civil War Battles and Leaders series in 1994. I am grateful to Harold Howard for his early support for my work and am pleased that I have been given the opportunity to significantly revise and expand this book some twenty-four years later.

In addition, I would like to extend thanks to so many whose support for my interest in history has been so important to me and to this book over the course of many years. Appreciation is extended to Michael Aikey, John Hennessy, Roger Hunt, Henry Deeks, Tom Broadfoot, Jeff McArdle and the late John Divine. I also owe thanks to so many others who have located and shared prints, maps, letters, books, photographs and other items associated with Balls Bluff.

Ron Coddington of Military Images magazine was a lifesaver who came along at just the right time. Not only does he edit one of the most respected Civil War publications, but he also helped make this work so much better by sharing his digital scans of the Balls Bluff images from the Ken Fleming Collection. His generosity in the interest of history saved a great deal of time and expense, and for that I will always be grateful.

The nonprofit Civil War Trust and the Friends of Balls Bluff (FoBB) are incredible organizations that have taken Civil War preservation to an entirely new level. The work of these two organizations has helped to preserve significant portions of the Balls Bluff battlefield. I have been a longtime contributing member of the trust and recently joined the FoBB. Sincere thanks to Tanya Roberts of the Civil War Trust and to the FoBB for supporting this project. I am pleased to report that a portion of the proceeds of this volume will be donated to support the important preservation work of these two fine organizations.

The U.S. Army Center of Military History granted permission to use the fine maps of Balls Bluff developed for its 2001 published Staff Ride volume Battle of Balls Bluff, by Ted Ballard. Special thanks to the centers Bryan J. Hockensmith.

The Massachusetts Historical Society granted permission to quote from the remarkable letter from Lieutenant Caspar Crowinshield to his mother, written the day after the Balls Bluff battle, in its collection. Much appreciation is extended to Sabina Beauchard, who provided great assistance in navigating through the MHS collection.

Thanks also to James D. Julia Auctioneers of Fairfield, Maine, for the use of the photograph of the sword belonging to Major Paul Revere and to Laura E. Christiansen of the Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg, Virginia, for access to the librarys Balls Bluff Collection.

In addition, I would like to acknowledge Steve Meadow of Midland, Michigan, who graciously allowed for the use of some prized portrait images from his private collection. Appreciation is also extended to Ken Fleming, whose impressive collection of images of the men who fought at Balls Bluff has added so much to this work. Collectors come in all sorts, but these dedicated guardians of the past have shared their collections in the interest of telling the human side of the Balls Bluff story. This work is better for their contributions.

Appreciation is also extended to Mike Woodcock and Rob Balander for their assistance with many things digital, as well as to Dick Stanley, whose website, www.13thMississippi.com, offered a treasure-trove of valuable information about the Mississippians who fought at Balls Bluff.

I am thankful to Paulette E. Morgan and my daughter, Katie Howard, who have shared and supported so much of my life journey through the past.

I also wish to thank my parents, William G. and Laura Howard, who long ago agreed to the quiet understanding that the route of all family vacations (no matter the end point) passed through Gettysburg.

Jane Balander has helped in so many ways in supporting the publication of this book. I value her great friendship and good work on my behalf. Quite simply, this book would not have come together without her assistance.

Lastly, I would like to express thanks to Kate Jenkins, Abigail Fleming and all of the good people at The History Press for their outstanding work on this volume and in helping to preserve the American past.