William Nelson Rector Beall

William Nelson Rector Beall, a Captain in the United States army, 2d Cavalry, was appointed as cadet to West Point from Arkansas, where the members of his family resided; hence considered the State his home; he resigned at the commencement of the war and entered the Confederate Army. Commanded first a brigade of cavalry at Corinth, and afterwards a brigade of Infantry at Port Hudson, which place he fortified and defended. Seth M. Barton went out as Major of the 3d Arkansas Regiment under Col. Rust. On the promotion of Col. Rust to Brigadier-General he became Colonel of the regiment and was shortly afterwards promoted to Brigadier-General, and commanded a brigade in Virginia.

SOURCE: Fay Hempstead, A Pictorial History of Arkansas, from Earliest Times to the Year 1890, p. 366

Captain Charles Fessenden Morse: April 6, 1863

Headquarters Twelfth Army Corps,

April 6, 1863.

I wish you could have seen the great military display there was near here yesterday. You probably have seen by the papers that President Abe is paying a visit to the army; he came down in the great snow-storm Saturday night. Well, yesterday was appointed for a grand review of all the cavalry and horse artillery in the army. All the Major-Generals and many of the Brigadiers with their staffs were invited to be present. Our cortege left these headquarters about half-past ten. We made a pretty good show by ourselves; there were five general officers, namely; Major-General Slocum, Brigadier-Generals Williams, Ruger, Knipe and Jackson, with their staffs and escorts, all in full fig. We rode about seven miles to the reviewing ground and got there just as the President, General Hooker and their large retinue arrived; the artillery fired the salute and the review commenced.

In the centre opposite the troops, looking sick and worn out, dressed in a plain black suit with the tallest of stove-pipe hats, was the President, seated on a fine horse with rich trimmings. On his right and left were Generals Hooker and Stoneman, and clustering around on all sides were Major and Brigadier-Generals too numerous to mention.

You know the story of a man who threw a bootjack out of a hotel window in Washington, last winter, and hit six brigadiers and a dog, and said, “It wasn't a good night for brigadiers, either.” Yesterday was a good day for them. Who would have thought, five years ago, that such a sight as this would ever be possible in democratic, republican America. I doubt if any country has ever seen so large a collection of officers of high rank; there could not have been less than a thousand officers of all grades in the cavalcade, and now-a-days most every one dresses well; so you can imagine that such a crowd, well mounted on handsome horses with rich housings, was a gallant and gay sight. The cavalry was in two lines, each about two miles long; there were nearly ten thousand of them. I never have seen anything like such a number of horsemen together before. Generally they looked very well; the best regiments in appearance were the First and Second United States and the First Massachusetts and the First Rhode Island. There were four batteries of horse artillery, and the last one went by "flying." You know the term, “horse artillery,” is given to those batteries where all the gunners are mounted; this enables them to keep up with the cavalry.

SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 124-5

Colonel Charles Russell Lowell to Miss Forbes, September 21, 1864

Near Strasburg, Sept. 21, '64.

I write to you, rather than to your Father, to tell you that poor Billy was mortally wounded in the fight of Monday. I know how badly you will all feel, — I feel even worse than I did when Will was taken. The little fellow was shot in three places; but not being able to get up, James finally shot him. He was wounded in a charge of the Second U. S. Cavalry to take some guns from Breckenridge's Corps, — the charge failed, but not through any fault of men or horses. Had there been any of the Second Massachusetts near, I should have changed Billy before the charge, but I had not even an orderly near me to dismount. The fight of Monday was a very handsome one for the cavalry. I hope that I have heard of a horse in Washington, that will mount Will when he returns, — but of course he can never replace Billy.

SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of Charles Russell Lowell, p. 348-9

Colonel Charles Russell Lowell to Josephine Shaw Lowell, September 8, 1864 – 9 p.m.

Near Summit, 9 P. M., Sept. 8, 1864.

To-day has quite changed the face of things, — the Third Brigade (my brigade) has been broken up: the Second Massachusetts is transferred to the “Reserve Brigade,” and I take command thereof, Colonel Gibbs being transferred to command of Second Brigade: the change looks like making the Second Massachusetts a permanent member of the Army of the Potomac, or that portion of it which is here.¹

I am now where, if there is anything to be done for Mr. Linkum² in the way of fighting, I may have a chance to do it. Good-night, — it's dark and rainy and windy enough to make a move to-morrow certain, — it's just the night to injure forage and rations, and very naturally they have arrived.

_______________

¹ The reorganization of General Merritt's Division was as follows: First Brigade, Brigadier-General Custer; Second Brigade, Brigadier-General Devin; Reserve Brigade, Colonel Lowell. The Reserve Brigade consisted of the First, Second, and Fifth United States Cavalry and the Second Massachusetts Cavalry; also Battery D (horse artillery) of the Second United States Artillery.

² The negro “contrabands” called their far-off benefactor “Massa Linkum,” and the Union Army the “Linkum soldiers.”

SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of Charles Russell Lowell, p. 337, 460-1

Diary of Judith W. McGuire: June 1, 1861

Chantilly —We came here (the house of our friend Mrs. S.) this morning, after some hours of feverish excitement. About three o'clock in the night we were aroused by a volley of musketry not far from our windows. Every human being in the house sprang up at once. We soon saw by the moonlight a body of cavalry moving up the street, and as they passed below our window (we were in the upper end of the village) we distinctly heard the commander's order, "Halt." They again proceeded a few paces, turned and approached slowly, and as softly as though every horse were shod with velvet. In a few moments there was another volley, the firing rapid, and to my unpractised ear there seemed a discharge of a thousand muskets. Then came the same body of cavalry rushing by in wild disorder. Oaths loud and deep were heard from the commander. They again formed, and rode quite rapidly into the village. Another volley, and another, then such a rushing as I never witnessed. The cavalry strained by, the commander calling out “Halt, halt,” with curses and imprecations. On, on they went, nor did they stop. While the balls were flying, I stood riveted to the window, unconscious of danger. When I was forced away, I took refuge in the front yard. Mrs. B. was there before me, and we witnessed the disorderly retreat of eighty-five of the Second United States Cavalry (regulars) before a much smaller body of our raw recruits. They had been sent from Arlington, we suppose, to reconnoitre. They advanced on the village at full speed, into the cross-street by the hotel and court-house, then wheeled to the right, down by the Episcopal church. We could only oppose them with the Warrenton Rifles, as for some reason the cavalry could not be rendered effective. Colonel Ewell, who happened to be there, arranged the Rifles, and I think a few dismounted cavalry, on either side of the street, behind the fence, so as to make it a kind of breastwork, whence they returned the enemy's fire most effectively. Then came the terrible suspense; all was confusion on the street, and it was not yet quite light. One of our gentlemen soon came in with the sad report that Captain Marr of the Warrenton Rifles, a young officer of great promise, was found dead. The gallant Rifles were exulting in their success, until it was whispered that their captain was missing. Had he been captured? Too soon the uncertainty was ended, and their exultant shouts hushed. His body was found in the high grass — dead, quite dead. Two of our men received slight flesh-wounds. The enemy carried off their dead and wounded. We captured four men and three horses. Seven of their horses were left dead on the roadside. They also dropped a number of arms, which were picked up by our men. After having talked the matter over, we were getting quite composed, and thought we had nothing more to fear, when we observed them placing sentinels in Mr. B.'s porch, saying that it was a high point, and another raid was expected. The gentlemen immediately ordered the carriages, and in half an hour Mr. B's family and ourselves were on our way to this place. As we approached the house, after a ride of six miles, the whole family came out to receive us. L. and B. ran across the lawn to meet us, with exclamations of pleasure at seeing us. We were soon seated in the parlour, surrounded by every thing that was delightful — Mrs. S. all kindness, and her daughters making the house pleasant and attractive. It was indeed a haven of rest to us after the noise and tumult of the court-house. They were, of course, in great excitement, having heard wild stories of the fight. We all rejoiced, and returned thanks to God that lie had enabled our men to drive off the invaders.

This evening we have been enjoying a walk about these lovely grounds. Nature and art have combined to make it one of the most beautiful spots I ever saw — “So clean, so green, so flowery, so bowery,” as Hannah More wrote of Hampstead; and we look on it sadly, fearing that the “trail of the serpent may pass over it all.” Can it be that other beautiful homes are to be deserted? The ladies of the family are here alone, the sons are where they should be, in the camp; and should the Northern army sweep over it, they cannot remain here. It is pitiful to think of it. They all look so happy together, and then if they go they must be scattered. Colonel Gregg and others of a South Carolina regiment dined here yesterday. They are in fine spirits, and very sanguine.

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 23-5

Second Division, Army of the Tennessee Marker: W.H.L. Wallace Headquarters, Pittsburg Landing Road, Shiloh National Military Park

U. S.

SECOND DIVISION, ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE

BRIG. GEN. WM. H. L. WALLACE, (MORTALLY W’D.)

COL. JAMES M. TUTTLE, 2D IOWA

1ST BRIGADE	COL. JAMES M. TUTTLE, 2D IOWA
2ND BRIGADE	BRIG. GEN. JOHN McARTHUR, (W’D.)
	COL. THOMAS MORTON, 81ST OHIO.
3RD BRIGADE	COL. THOMAS M. SWEENY, 52D ILLINOIS, (W’D.)
	COL. SILAS D. BALDWIN, 57TH ILLINOIS.
BATTERY ‘A’ 1ST ILL. LT. ARTY., LIEUT. PETER P. WOOD.
BATTERY ‘D’ 1ST MO. LT. ARTY., CAPT. HENRY RICHARDSON.
BATTERY ‘H’ 1ST MO. LT. ARTY., CAPT. FRED. WELKER.
BATTERY ‘K’ 1ST MO. LT. ARTY., CAPT. GEORGE H. STONE.
COMPANIES ‘A’ AND ‘B’ 2D ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
COMPANIES ‘C’ 2D AND ‘I’ 4TH U. S. CAVALRY.

This Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. C. F. Smith, arrived upon this field March 19, 1862 and encamped along, and to the right of the road from Pittsburg Landing to Snake Creek Bridge.

April 2, 1862 Brig. Gen. Wm. H. L. Wallace was assigned to the command of the Division.

On Sunday, April 6, 1862, the 1st and 3d brigades were engaged at the “Hornets’ Nest”; two regiments of the 2d Brigade, under Gen. McArthur, were engaged east of the Peach Orchard; the other three regiments were detached to different parts of the field.  At about 5 P. M. Gen. Wallace was mortally wounded and four of his regiments were surrounded and captured.

On Monday the Division, under the command of Col. Tuttle, was in reserve, supporting the 5th Division of the Army of the Ohio, until about noon.  It then formed in the front line between the divisions of McCook and Crittenden, and was engaged in the Review Field.  The Division had present for duty, of all arms, officers and men, 8408.  Its loss was 270 killed; 1173 wounded; 1306 missing; total 2749.