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Chapter 5
July 2, 1863, 6:30 a.m.
Carlisle Pike
West of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
May God curse this Jenkins, thought Brigadier General William Farrar 'Baldy' Smith as he gazed at his spread-out column. The men who stumbled along looked less like soldiers and more like a hungover wedding party. March discipline was practically non-existent. Smith cursed silently. It would be a success if no one lost his musket until the next break.
The order to march from Harrisburg to Carlisle had come late the previous evening. Since Lee had been unusually passive, George Meade probably wanted to do everything in his power to put pressure on the rebel leader. Which meant calling for the militia. On its own, this would not even have posed too much of a problem. The rail connection between the two towns was excellent and a quick relocation would have been possible. At least if it had not been for Albert Gallatin Jenkins. Smith's militiamen under the command of Major General Darius Couch had fought several skirmishers with Jenkins' cavalry brigade in the past few days when the latter had shielded the advance of Ewell's corps to the northeast and also had briefly made contact with Harrisburg and its defenses. The raider's greatest achievement, however, had been the systematic destruction of the railway line. Rails had been torn from their anchorages, the wood had been burned and the iron parts melted and bent over the fire. Train traffic had thereby been made impossible. That was the only reason Baldy Smith had to grapple with freshly called up newcomers on a mediocre pike.
When a color guard with the state banner of New York passed him, he was again made aware of the irony of the overall situation. Allthough the governor of Pennsylvania had grandly proclaimed the drafting of 100,000 men to defend the state, the absolute majority of men who had volunteered to serve at the gun were from New York state. In fact he commanded an outfit of 4,600 men exclusively from New York. Even in Harrisburg, Smith almost ran out of patience. The majority of the local able-bodied young men had just watched the construction of entrenchments without participating. Sections of the population had had the nerve to give water to soldiers from the neighboring state, who were toiling in the blazing sun, only in exchange for money. In view of this attitude, the Union commander had briefly been tempted to offer the rebels the city as a gift if the situation had not been so serious.
More men stumbled past Smith. It would be a long march before they reached Carlisle.
Brig. Gen. William F. 'Baldy' Smith, USA
Chapter 5
July 2, 1863, 6:30 a.m.
Carlisle Pike
West of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
May God curse this Jenkins, thought Brigadier General William Farrar 'Baldy' Smith as he gazed at his spread-out column. The men who stumbled along looked less like soldiers and more like a hungover wedding party. March discipline was practically non-existent. Smith cursed silently. It would be a success if no one lost his musket until the next break.
The order to march from Harrisburg to Carlisle had come late the previous evening. Since Lee had been unusually passive, George Meade probably wanted to do everything in his power to put pressure on the rebel leader. Which meant calling for the militia. On its own, this would not even have posed too much of a problem. The rail connection between the two towns was excellent and a quick relocation would have been possible. At least if it had not been for Albert Gallatin Jenkins. Smith's militiamen under the command of Major General Darius Couch had fought several skirmishers with Jenkins' cavalry brigade in the past few days when the latter had shielded the advance of Ewell's corps to the northeast and also had briefly made contact with Harrisburg and its defenses. The raider's greatest achievement, however, had been the systematic destruction of the railway line. Rails had been torn from their anchorages, the wood had been burned and the iron parts melted and bent over the fire. Train traffic had thereby been made impossible. That was the only reason Baldy Smith had to grapple with freshly called up newcomers on a mediocre pike.
When a color guard with the state banner of New York passed him, he was again made aware of the irony of the overall situation. Allthough the governor of Pennsylvania had grandly proclaimed the drafting of 100,000 men to defend the state, the absolute majority of men who had volunteered to serve at the gun were from New York state. In fact he commanded an outfit of 4,600 men exclusively from New York. Even in Harrisburg, Smith almost ran out of patience. The majority of the local able-bodied young men had just watched the construction of entrenchments without participating. Sections of the population had had the nerve to give water to soldiers from the neighboring state, who were toiling in the blazing sun, only in exchange for money. In view of this attitude, the Union commander had briefly been tempted to offer the rebels the city as a gift if the situation had not been so serious.
More men stumbled past Smith. It would be a long march before they reached Carlisle.
Brig. Gen. William F. 'Baldy' Smith, USA
- Lothar
- Word Count: 450