JAMES DEMETRIS ROWLISON
OUR CIVIL WAR SOLDIER at The Battle of
Chickamauga
I’ve told pieces of the story of my great,
grandfather’s Civil War service and have distributed bits and pieces. His story
deserves to be collected and preserved a single account and his descendants
deserve a concise account of this story that can be preserved and passed on. –
Jerrell R. (Jerry) Johnson, April 2020.
OUTLINE
Introduction
James’s
own account of his service
An early
Wikipedia entry on the 82nd Indiana Infantry
Context of
The Battle of Chickamauga in the Civil War
Comments
on the Union Army organization and where James fit in.
INTRODUCTION
James
Demetris Rowlison (1839-1890) was in Company A of the 82nd Indiana
Infantry from the beginning of the Civil War until the unit mustered out at the
end of the war in 1865. He was one of two men who of Company A to serve in the
unit for the entire war.
This
account focuses on his participation in The Battle of Chickamauga, September
18-20, 1863 at Chickamauga Creek in Northwest Georgia, south of Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
James D. Rowlison
was the father of Maggie (Rowlison) Cassell > grandfather of Mildred
(Cassell) Johnson > and great, grandfather of Jerry Johnson
NOTES ON
SERVICE BY JAMES D. ROWLISON – His own account as preserved by Mildred
(Cassell) Johnson.
James D. Rowlison was born in
Jefferson County, Indiana. Enlisted,
Fifteenth of August, 1862 at the age of Twenty-three years, in Co. A, 82nd
Indiana Infantry, at Madison, Indiana.
Regiment mustered into U. S. Service the 22nd day of August with Morton
C. Hunter as its Colonel, on the same day, it embarked for Louisville, Kentucky
to meet Braggs invasion of Kentucky with 980 men, rank file. (No uniforms had yet been given us) arriving
about dark of the same day.
Our first duty as warriors was under
the leadership of Brig. Gen. Burbridge.
Our Brigade, known as the Burbridge Brig. was composed of the 80, 82, 87
Ind. and 104, Illinois. We did duty
together for about one month, when the Brig. was broken and we were assigned to
the 1st Brig., 1st Div., 14th Army Corps.
Col. Walker 31 Ohio Brig. Com., Gen. Schoepff Div. Co., Gen. Geo. H.
Thomas Corps Com. The Brig. was composed
of the 17th, 31st, 38th, Ohio, 82nd Ind. 12th Ky, and "C" 4th, Mich.
Bat. We remained in the same brigade and
division until the Chickamauga battle when we formed a a part of the 1st Brig.,
3rd Div., 14 A.C. John Turchin Brig.
Com., Absalom Barid Div. Com., John M. Palmer, Corps Com. The Brigade composed of the following Reg'ts. 11th, 17, 31 89, 92, Ohio, 82 Indiana, 19,
24, Illinois, on the Atlanta Campaign (the 23 Mo. was added) when the 11th
Ohio, 19 and 24, expired, after the fall of Atlanta, Gen. Turchin
resigned. Col. Hunter of 82 Ind. assumed
command and continue to be the Brig. Com to the end of the war. The 82 constructed more than two miles of
earth works during her time of service, and never fired a shot at the enemy
from behind one of the lines. The regt.
fought at Perryville, Ky, Stone's River, Tenn., Hoover Gap, Tenn., Tullahoma,
Tenn., Chickamauga, Ga., Brown’s Ferry, Tenn., Mission Ridge, Tenn., Rocky
Face, Ga., Resaca, Ga., Buzzard Roost, Ga., Snake Creek Gap, Ga., Big Shanty,
Ga., Kennesaw Mt., Ga., Marietta, Ga., Etawa River (Etoway in diary) Ga., Peach
Tree Creek, Ga., Atlanta, Ga., Jonesboro, Ga., besides a thousand
skirmishes. The Regt. never missed duty
a day, never was driven from a single position asked it during the two years
and ten months of Service.
Now comes the master stroke of the
war. The march through Georgia to the
sea. The 82nd took an active part up to
and including the capture of Savannah.
We cross the Savannah River into South Carolina, following the enemy
until he surrendered. The Regt. passed
in Grand Review at Washington. Arriving
at the capitol of the state - Indianapolis we were mustered out the last of
June, 1865.
At Chickamauga September 18-21,
1863, the Regt. entered the fight with 240 men, rank and file, 40 of which was
on the skirmish line, during the two day fight we lost 132 men (in killed,
wounded and taken prisoner, 59 of which was killed outright.) Co. A had 26 men for duty the morning of the
Second day. Lost 13 of them. At the charge on Mission Ridge, November 25,
1863, the Regt. lost 30 men in killed and wounded. Co. A. 2 killed at Rocky Face Ridge February
25, 1864. The Lt. Col. and 35 men
killed. Co. A., 2 men slightly wounded.
AN
EARLY WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ON THE 82nd Indiana Infantry
82nd
Regiment, Indiana Infantry
OVERVIEW:
Organized at
Indianapolis and Camp Emerson and mustered in August 30, 1862. Ordered to
Louisville, Ky., September 1. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Army of
the Ohio, September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the
Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Center 14th Army Corps,
Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Army
Corps, to June, 1865.
SERVICE:
Pursuit of Bragg
into Kentucky October 1-15, 1862. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8.
March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there till December
26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862,
and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Expedition toward
Columbia March 4-14. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July
7. Hoover's Gap June 24-26.
Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland
Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August
16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September
19-21. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Reopening
Tennessee River November 26-29. Brown's Ferry October 27. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign
November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Pursuit
to Graysville November 26-27. Demonstrations on Dalton, Ga., February 22-27,
1864. Tunnel Hill, Buzzard's Roost Gap and Rocky Faced Ridge February 23-25.
Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11.
Battle of Resaca May 14-15.
Advance on Dallas May 18-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and
battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona
Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain
June l0-July 2. Pine Hill June 10-14.
Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27.
Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July
5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege
of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 5-7.
Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle ofJonesboro August
31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations in North Georgia and
North Alabama against Hood September 29-November 3. March to the sea November
15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas
January to April, 1865. Fayetteville, N. C., March
11. Averysboro March 16.
Battle of Bentonville March 19-21.
Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of
Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army.
March to Washington, D. C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May
24. Mustered out June 9, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 65 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 170 Enlisted men by disease. Total 244.
Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 65 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 170 Enlisted men by disease. Total 244.
CONTEXT
OF THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA
The
82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment was mustered into the army in August
1862 from men in Jefferson County, Indiana. They first saw combat at the Battle
of Stone’s River at Murfreesboro, Tennessee at New Years.
The
family story is that James was struck by lightning at Murfreesboro. What
injuries he must have incurred did not prevent him from serving in the army for
the next two and a half years. The family story continues that he was never a
healthy man, unable to work at 100% and that he applied, unsuccessfully, for a
disability pension.
James
died in 1890 at the age of 51 leaving his wife Rhoda (Walton) with 11 children,
seven of them between 2 and 16 years of age. Rhoda did receive a widow’s
pension of $12 a month for much of her later life. She died in 1932.
SPOILER
ALERT! The Confederacy won the Battle of Chickamauga. MG Rosecrans, and James,
had been tangling with General Bragg’s army from the middle of Tennessee to the
southeast. Rosecrans was trying to engage and defeat the Army of Tennessee and
give the Union its third major victory of the year after Gettysburg and
Vicksburg.
The
Battle of Chickamauga was a near standoff, and also a near rout of the Union
forces. Watch for how James and the 82nd Indiana had a role in
averting that rout.
The
Army of the Cumberland made it to safety in Chattanooga after the battle but
were under siege there for several weeks, cut off and down to one-quarter
rations for a time. General Grant arrived, opened the supply lines, reinforced
the army, and engaged Bragg in the Battle of Chattanooga forcing the
Confederates to begin their retreat to Atlanta.
The
82nd Indiana and James played a role we can reconstruct at the
battle on Missionary Ridge when they participated in the charge up that steep
ridge in one of the more remarkable frontal assaults in military history. And
that’s no hyperbole but it is another story.
COMMENTS
ON THE ORGANIZATION OF UNION MILITARY UNITS and JAMES’S PLACE IN THE ARMY OF
THE CUMBERLAND.
The
videos and articles that are linked to this account describe the action in the
battle generally by referring to the generals in charge of the units. Thus, it
is necessary to identify James’s position in the army’s organization to be able
to track where he was and what he was doing in the battle.
The
document that identifies the relationships of military units here is the Order
of Battle for the Union at The Battle of Chickamauga available at Wikipedia:
The
Army of the Cumberland under MG William Rosecrans (Union Armies were named
after rivers.) facing the Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg
(Confederates named armies after states – a later Union army was The Army of the
Tennessee, named after the river).
The
Union had four Corps in the battle:
XIV
Corps under MG GEORGE HENRY THOMAS – James’s unit was in this Corps for much of
this part of the war.
XX
Corps under MG Alexander McCook
XXI
Corps under MG Thomas Leonidas Crittenden
A
Reserve Corps under MG Gordon Granger – they would be important to James’s
situation late in the battle.
MG
GEORGE THOMAS’s XIV Corps had four Divisions
First
Division under BG Absolom Baird
Second
Division under MG James S. Negley
Third
Division under BG JOHN MILTON BRANNAN – James’s unit was in BRANNAN’s division.
Fourth
Division under MG Joseph J. Reynolds
BG
JOHN BRANNAN’s division had three Brigades:
1st
Brigade under COL JOHN M. CONNELL – James’s unit was in CONNELL’s brigade
2nd
Brigade under John T. Croxton (who was wounded – then Col William H. Hays)
3rd
Brigade under Col. Ferdinand Van Derveer
Plus
there were three artillery batteries in the Third Division
COL
JOHN CONNELL’s Brigade had four regiments:
82nd
Indiana Regiment under COL MORTON C. HUNTER – James’s regiment.
17th
Ohio Regiment under Ltc. Durbin Ward
31st
Ohio Regiment under Ltc. Frederick W. Lister
38th
Ohio Regiment under Col Edward H. Phelps – this regiment was detached and
assigned to train guard – likely guarding the supply wagon trains. They did not
fight with the rest of the brigade.
The
list of enlisted men of the 82nd Indiana is at
The
accounts of the battle will usually track the action referring to the
commanding generals of the Corps and the Divisions, rarely tracking the
brigades and almost never referring to individual regiments. A major exception
is the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment – James’s regiment that
distinguished itself at Chickamauga late in the battle at Snodgrass Hill.
There
was a structure to regiments as well. Regiments were composed of Companies.
James served throughout the war in Company A of the 82nd Indiana. A
newly formed regiment nominally consisted of ten companies of about 100 men
each for a fighting force of 1,000 men. In James’s account above, he says that
the regiment arrived at Chickamauga with 240 men. As men were killed, wounded,
captured, or deserted during the war, the regiments were generally not
replenished with new men. Brigade fighting strength was maintained by assigning
additional regiments to a brigade.
As
commander of the Army of the Cumberland, MG Rosecrans had a General Staff. His
Chief of Staff was BG James A. Garfield who became the 20th
President of the United States in 1881. Other staff positions included an
inspector general, quartermaster, provost marshal (milltary police) Staff Judge
Advocate, Engineers, Surgeons, Chaplain, etc. There was a unit of cavalry and
infantry and sharpshooters who were assigned to the commander’s headquarters.
Corps
commanders had a provost guard (military police) and an escort unit that
protected the headquarters.
Artillery
batteries could be assigned to brigade commanders or to the division commander.
To
recap, to follow James and the 82nd Ind watch for:
THOMAS
and the XIV Corps
BRANNON’s
Division --- Third Division
CONNELL’s
Brigade ---- 1st Brigade
82nd
IND --- 82nd Indiana Infantry
Regiment.
Also,
watch for James Rowlison’s younger brother Manelburt Rowlison (age 21) and
their cousin Alexander C. Rowlison who were in the 22nd Indiana
Infantry Regiment. Their units:
MCCOOK’s
Corps --- XX Corps
DAVIS’s
Division --- BG Jefferson C. Davis’s First Division –
Union general, not president of the Confederacy
POST’s
Brigade --- Col P. Sydney Post’s 1st Brigade
22nd
IND --- 22nd Indiana Infantry Regiment –
Col Michael GOODING
Now
to see what James was up to those days in September 1863:
This
53-minute youtube video describes the battle with lots of video of reenactment
guys doing their thing.
This
hour-plus video is a Battle of Chickamauga Documentary with a shout-out to the
82nd Indiana Infantry at about the 54-minute mark and a shot of the
regiment monument at the Chattanooga – Chickamauga Battlefield Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZj9O-Ikm3M&t=3275s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZj9O-Ikm3M&t=3275s
This
22-minute video titled Chickamauga: Animated Battle Map illustrates unit
movements.
A history.com overview including the story of George
Thomas becoming the “Rock of Chickamauga”
“Thomas organized the
remaining Federals in a desperate Union stand, earning a lasting reputation as
the “Rock of Chickamauga” for his efforts.”
Questions: How did the 82nd
Indiana play a part in BG Thomas earning that reputation and why is this
imposing monument to the 82nd IND on the Chickamauga Battlefield?
The
description of the 82nd Indiana Infantry monument reads: “This monument to a 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment is in
recognition of their service during the during the Battle
of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863. The regiment
was commanded by Colonel Morton C. Hunter. This is one of three monuments to
the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment on the battlefield.”
What
happened? The
text on the rear of the 82nd IND’s monument reads:
When the front line was
driven from the works by Longstreet’s fierce attack, just before noon, Colonel
Hunter ordered the 82nd, to charge, which it did in gallant style, recapturing
and holding the works, but being Immediately outflanked and almost surrounded,
it fell back fighting until it reached the site of this monument at a little
after 12 M.
The 82nd was the first
Regiment of Brannan’s division that formed a line of battle on Snodgrass Hill,
which line was firmly held against all assaults until night put an end to the
battle.
Killed
20; wounded 68; missing 23.
A second marker on the battlefield honors the Connell Brigade under the command of Col. John
M. Connell
This third marker on the Chickamauga battlefield designates the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment.
As described in the Animated Video (15-minute point), further south, one-third of the union army is forced off the field in a rout including Rosecrans, McCook and Crittenden leaving Thomas on the field. Note that Manelburt Rowlison and the DAVIS Division is clobbered when Longstreet breaks through the Union lines.
M. Connell
This third marker on the Chickamauga battlefield designates the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment.
As described in the Animated Video (15-minute point), further south, one-third of the union army is forced off the field in a rout including Rosecrans, McCook and Crittenden leaving Thomas on the field. Note that Manelburt Rowlison and the DAVIS Division is clobbered when Longstreet breaks through the Union lines.
Union
forces under General THOMAS, Wood and BRANNON needed to hold their position or,
as the narrator states, the Union disaster will be complete.
The
82nd IND is credited with being the first regiment-sized unit to
take a stand on Snodgrass hill where small groups of soldiers joined them to
resist the charging rebels.
General
Granger’s reserves joined, and the Army of the Cumberland made its last
Chickamauga stand on Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge until late afternoon
when Major General THOMAS order the retreat toward Missionary Ridge and
Chattanooga to begin.
Almost
all of XIV Corps was able to retreat safely except for the 22nd
Michigan and the 21st and 89th Ohio regiments which were
all lost, killed or captured.
Accounts
refer to the 82nd as the first regiment-sized unit to take that
stand on Snodgrass Hill. How large was this regiment at this time?
James
Rowlison tells us that the 82nd had 240 men at the beginning of the
battle. The 82nd IND monument’s inscription lists 20 killed, 68
wounded, and 23 missing – that’s 111 lost leaving 129 at the end of the battle.
James’s account was 132 lost during the two days.
In
any event, we can guess that the 82nd probably had no more than 150
or so men when it made that stand on the afternoon of September 20.
That
small group of men, including our X times great, grandfather is credited with
being the foundation of the stand on Snodgrass Hill which, with the stand on
Horseshoe Ridge allowed the bulk of the Army of the Cumberland to retreat from
the battlefield to safety eventually in Chattanooga. There the army regrouped
and began their breakout at Brown’s Ferry on October 27 and at the Battle of
Chattanooga and Ringgold on November 23-27 leading to the defeat of the
Confederacy in Georgia and the southeast.
We
can point to Civil War history that clearly shows that Corporal James D.
Rowlison deserves to be remembered as having played a real and significant role
in the success of the Union Army.
The
Rowlison story had yet another distinguished chapter two months later.
After
breaking the siege of Chattanooga, the Army of the Cumberland attacked Bragg’s
army at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. There were shakeups in command
before that happened.
President
Lincoln assigned MG Ulysses S. Grant as Commander of the Military Division of
the Mississippi, a new command. General Grant dismissed MG Rosecrans and
replaced him with James Rowlison’s Corps commander, MG George H. Thomas. The
new order of battle for following James in the videos about Lookout Mountain
and Missionary Ridge is:
MG
George H. THOMAS – Army of the Cumberland
XIV
Corps – MG John M. PALMER
Third
Division – BG Absalom BAIRD
1st
Brigade – BG John B Turchin
82nd
IND -
Col Morton C. HUNTER
The story of the frontal attack by troops from the Army of the Cumberland at Missionary Ridge is a classic in military history.
Troops from the Army of the Mississippi, fresh from their resounding victory at Vicksburg arrived in Chattanooga to reinforce Rosecrans's troops and troops from Army of the Potomac arrived from their even more honored victory at Gettysburg. Soldiers from each of those armies were not bashful in their treatment of the Rosecrans army after their defeat at Chickamauga.
General Grant began breaking the siege with a battle at Brown's Ferry which the 82nd IND had a part in.
After the Union prevailed at Lookout Mountain, General Grant planned the attack at Missionary Ridge. General Sherman and his army was to attack the left end of the ridge. General Hooker was to attack the south end of the ridge. General Thomas was now in command of the Army of the Cumberland and they were given a "token" assignment to make a "demonstration" against fire pits at the base of the ridge. This assignment did not sit well with the troops who had taken that beating at Chickamauga. They expected an opportunity to redeem themselves.
The Sherman attack bogged down on the left; the Hooker attack on the right was not making progress.
General Thomas's troops took the Confederate positions at the base as the rebels began to retreat up the hill. Thomas's troops, including the 82nd Indiana Regiment in General Turchin's brigade were taking fire from rebels at the top of the ridge.
General Turchin is credited with being the first of the subordinate commander to give the order to attack up this steep 400 foot slope to the top of Missionary Ridge sending his 1st Brigade up the hill. The 82nd Indiana was in his brigade along with the 11th, 17th, 31st, 36th, 89th, and 92nd Ohio Regiments.
The rest of General Thomas's XIV followed. The Union soldiers, including Corporal James D. Rowlison pushed the rebels up the hill and turned right chasing them south along the top of the ridge and pursued the rebels to the east. The sound of the Rebel Yell had filled the air at Chickamauga two months earlier as the Confederates celebrated their victory. The Union soldiers chasing the rebels at the top of Missionary Ridge took up a celebratory scream, "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!"
Generals Grant, Thomas, and Granger were positioned a distance back watching the action and were surprised, more likely stunned to see the 25,000 Union troops begin to charge up that hill.
General Grant asked Thomas if he'd given an order to advance past the fire pit. Thomas said he hadn't Grant asked Granger who also denied it but added, "Once those boys get started, even Hell can't stop them" or words to that effect.
The story of the frontal attack by troops from the Army of the Cumberland at Missionary Ridge is a classic in military history.
Troops from the Army of the Mississippi, fresh from their resounding victory at Vicksburg arrived in Chattanooga to reinforce Rosecrans's troops and troops from Army of the Potomac arrived from their even more honored victory at Gettysburg. Soldiers from each of those armies were not bashful in their treatment of the Rosecrans army after their defeat at Chickamauga.
General Grant began breaking the siege with a battle at Brown's Ferry which the 82nd IND had a part in.
After the Union prevailed at Lookout Mountain, General Grant planned the attack at Missionary Ridge. General Sherman and his army was to attack the left end of the ridge. General Hooker was to attack the south end of the ridge. General Thomas was now in command of the Army of the Cumberland and they were given a "token" assignment to make a "demonstration" against fire pits at the base of the ridge. This assignment did not sit well with the troops who had taken that beating at Chickamauga. They expected an opportunity to redeem themselves.
The Sherman attack bogged down on the left; the Hooker attack on the right was not making progress.
General Thomas's troops took the Confederate positions at the base as the rebels began to retreat up the hill. Thomas's troops, including the 82nd Indiana Regiment in General Turchin's brigade were taking fire from rebels at the top of the ridge.
General Turchin is credited with being the first of the subordinate commander to give the order to attack up this steep 400 foot slope to the top of Missionary Ridge sending his 1st Brigade up the hill. The 82nd Indiana was in his brigade along with the 11th, 17th, 31st, 36th, 89th, and 92nd Ohio Regiments.
The rest of General Thomas's XIV followed. The Union soldiers, including Corporal James D. Rowlison pushed the rebels up the hill and turned right chasing them south along the top of the ridge and pursued the rebels to the east. The sound of the Rebel Yell had filled the air at Chickamauga two months earlier as the Confederates celebrated their victory. The Union soldiers chasing the rebels at the top of Missionary Ridge took up a celebratory scream, "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!"
Generals Grant, Thomas, and Granger were positioned a distance back watching the action and were surprised, more likely stunned to see the 25,000 Union troops begin to charge up that hill.
General Grant asked Thomas if he'd given an order to advance past the fire pit. Thomas said he hadn't Grant asked Granger who also denied it but added, "Once those boys get started, even Hell can't stop them" or words to that effect.
 |
| Order of Battle at Missionary Ridge |
The 22nd Indians Infantry was in Turchin's Brigade, Baird's Division on the left flank, Turchin n Baird's right nest to Wood's Division's left. Accounts credit General Turchin with being the first of the subordinate commanders to order his troops up the ridge.
Observers saw inverted "V" formations with the standard bearers at the apex carrying the flag as soldier's fanned out on either side. As the standard bearers fell, other soldiers picked up the flag and took the lead at the front of their "V".
Brother Manelburt Rowlison and cousin Alexander with the 22nd Indiana Infantry were in Sherman's Brigade on the right flank of General Philip Sheridan's Division toward the south end of the echelon.
Fun
piece of information: Brig. General John Basil
Turchin’s real name was Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov, also known as “The Mad
Russian.” He was a major in the Imperial Russian Army and fought in Hungary and
in the Crimean War. He met U.S. officers in Crimea and after emigrating with
his wife Nadezhda Antonina L’vova they settled in Chicago where he joined that
army when the Civil War began. He began as commander of the 19th Illinois
infantry, his contacts from his Crimea days probably helping.
Turchin’s
wife, now known as Nadine Lvova Turchin traveled with him during the war (completely
against all rules) at times serving as his surrogate in command of his troops
when he was ill. The troops referred to her as Madame Turchin. Nadine Turchin
kept a diary, the only Union female diarist of the Battles of Chickamauga and
Missionary Ridge.
Shall
we speculate about how much James Rowlison knew about Madame Turchin after
General Turchin became his brigade commander and what he thought of her?
Confederate Cavalry General Nathan Bedford Forrest may have been one of the most successful generals in Bragg's army. After the war, he was an early member of the Ku Klux Klan and became one of the klan leaders by the 1868 presidential campaign. He is believed to have been the first "Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan" the title stemming from his wartime nickname as the "Wizard of the Saddle."
