behind AotW

It is well that Antietam on the Web does not depend entirely on one person for new material, as I am again overwhelmed with my vocation and necessarily neglecting this avocation. Thankfully, AotW is also served by a large group of people who each contribute in many ways, large and small. We’re at 85 enrolled Members now, with hundreds more contributing less ‘officially’ over the years.

One of our newest members, Larry Freiheit, has done some fine research on the War, and has offered a capsule analysis of JEB Stuart’s performance on the Maryland Campaign of 1862 to be our latest Featured Exhibit. It’s been a while since we put up a new exhibit, so I’m very glad to have Larry’s help.

I’m slowly working through Larry’s paper, formatting paragraphs and his abundant footnotes for the web, but I wanted to get some of the highlights out: teasers, I guess, for the complete work due in a few days. I hope he won’t mind my taking a few nibbles out of the whole to whet the appetite …

• … Stuart’s actions during this campaign were part of and controlled by Lee’s late 1862 strategy and must be evaluated in light of his tactical moves implementing that strategy …

• There was no reason for Lee to believe that the slow-moving Federal army was going to be such a threat that unusual expediency or detailed instructions on his part were needed. Stuart, as the cavalry division commander reporting directly to Lee, could not help but be influenced by this relaxed control of his army commander, but the danger with Stuart was that the “Gay Cavalier” needed tighter control and guidance than any of Lee’s other top commanders…

• … during the Maryland Campaign, Stuart’s penchant for frivolity came into play arguably detrimentally affecting his performance … Stuart’s mood of jollity and lack of serious concern about the enemy [early in the campaign] prevailed and infected his staff. It is likely, however, that this mood was at least partially influenced by Lee’s relative calm state of mind believing that the Union advance was typical of what he saw of the events during the Peninsular Campaign …

• Lee relied on Stuart for intelligence of the enemy’s moves but also used other available means … but given the results of his actions during this campaign based on what he knew, Lee’s intelligence gathering was inadequate. … [h]owever, it is also true that McClellan’s intelligence in this generally friendly country was little better than Lee’s. Stuart and Pleasonton maintained fairly effective cavalry screens thwarting both Union and Confederate efforts to gauge the other’s movements.

• Stuart’s ride from Harper’s Ferry to Sharpsburg to personally bring the good news about its fall to Lee (about which Lee had already received news) can be viewed as another of his unnecessary grandstanding exploits despite his statement that Jackson asked him to do so. Here, as later at Gettysburg, Lee had no time to coddle Stuart and met his report with a brusque reply.

• His screening efforts prior to and including the Frederick sojourn were at least good; rearguard actions from Frederick to South Mountain and his noteworthy defensive actions in Sharpsburg especially at Nicodemus Hill with his artillery are generally viewed as very good; his miscues at the South Mountain gaps and Harper’s Ferry are recognized as failures…

Of course posting bullets this way is not entirely fair to Mr Freiheit — being out of context and unsupported by his notes, so I’ll get his complete piece up on AotW as soon as I can. I’ve been enjoying his perspectives, and wanted to share; and it’s taking me way too long to prepare for publication.
__________________

Update Monday 8/27

Larry’s complete article is now up on AotW. Very fine.
__________________

Note

The illustration above is of General Stuart at the head of his column on the famous ride around the Federal Army of the Potomac in June 1862 (click for larger view). The original lithograph by Henry Alexander Ogden was published in about 1900, and is at the US Library of Congress.

I admit I’m something of a research snob.

I prefer sources primary and delight in finding fault (at least in my own head) with the over-simplification and same-old tired anecdotes found in many mass market publications. The ubiquitous Time-Life Civil War series is a good example of this sort. Last week, however, I found a gem among these weeds.

cover, Voices of the Civil War: Antietam

Also by the Editors of Time-Life, this 1996 volume is packed with carefully selected eyewitness quotes, stunning photographs, and excellent explanatory text. I’m embarrassed to tell you I didn’t even know the book existed til I found it in a neighboring library.

A likely explanation for its unexpected quality can be found in the list of “consultants” credited in the back of the volume. These were the late Brian Pohanka, ANB Historian Ted Alexander, and Gettysburg’s Scott Hartwig. I see their fingerprints all over it.

Some of my Antietam boys are much better known for action elsewhere. One such celebrity was Henry Reed Rathbone (1 July 1837 – 14 August 1911). He’s at the far left in this famous scene from 1865:

Currier & Ives–Assassination of President Lincoln (1865, US Library of Congress)

At the fatal shot

[i]nstantly, Major Rathbone sprang upon the assassin. Booth dropped the derringer, broke from Rathbone’s grasp, and lunged at him with a large knife. Rathbone parried the blow, but received a deep wound in his left arm above the elbow. Booth placed one hand on the balustrade, to the left of the center pillar, raised his other arm to strike at the advancing Rathbone, and vaulted over the railing. Rathbone again seized Booth but only caught his clothing…

Being webmaster of Antietam on the Web has its challenges, but big rewards, too. Once of the greatest is the steady stream of correspondence I get from people all over the world who have pieces of the puzzle to share.

Just before stepping off the grid for vacation a couple of weeks back, I had a note from a delightful person in Arizona who’s family owns the painted portrait you see here.

MGen Thomas C Devin, artist unknown; poss. Healy (c. 1870, courtesy of the owner)

This noble warrior is Thomas Casimer Devin (1822 - 1878), here in the uniform of Major General: the (honorary) rank he attained by brevet in March 1965 and by appointment in the US Volunteers after the War was over.

He was Colonel in command of the 6th New York Cavalry at the battle of Antietam in 1862, and led a detachment from his Regiment in that action, their first significant combat of the War.

We’ll touch later on the battle of Five Forks for which he is celebrated here, but first let me skip ahead to the punchline of this post. Take a peek down in the bottom left corner of the picture and note the flag draped at Devin’s right knee. Yes, those are actually dinner forks …

Thulstrup’s Antietam (1887)

This famous print, from a watercolor by Bror Thure de Thulstrup, is behind a great story sent me by email from a great-granddaughter of the late Gustav August Freudenthal, once Private, Company K, 20th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry.

The story is that Freudenthal told his family he is pictured in the painting.

It seemed unlikely on first hearing, but I thought I’d dig about a little to be sure …