Fort Harrison and the Battle of Chaffin's Farm by Douglas Crenshaw

Author:Douglas Crenshaw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2013-03-12T16:00:00+00:00

Map of Birney’s attack on Fort Gilmer. This attack was supposed to be launched in conjunction with that of Foster. Hal Jespersen.

Birney next decided to send the Eighth USCTs against Fort Gregg, a short distance to the south of Gilmer. Major George Wagner had eight companies but only about 250 men to launch the attack. They were fired on by the remaining big gun at Fort Gilmer, the Salem Artillery’s four twelve-pound Napoleons at Fort Gregg and a three-inch rifled cannon from Fort Johnson. DuBose’s Georgia Brigade added its small-arms fire. Wagner’s men bogged down, and he was soon convinced that to continue would be “to have them slaughtered and still make no impression on the enemy’s position.” He reported this to his commander and said that he would continue if so ordered. William Birney responded by telling him to hold the line where he was, and the attack of the Eighth USCTs ground to a halt.182

The piecemeal attack was continued by sending in the men of the Seventh USCTs under the command of Colonel James Shaw. The advance of the Eighth had been stopped, and its men had retreated as the Seventh emerged from the woods, just to the right of where the Ninth had attacked. Shaw received orders from William Birney “to form in ‘right into line’ on the right of the road and in a direction oblique to it, a slight descent in the ground partially covering the line, then to charge and take an earth-work some three-quarters of a mile in our front.” Before forming his line, Shaw received another message, which in his mind seemed to countermand the previous one. “I was directed to send out four companies as skirmishers for the same purpose. Companies C, D, G and K were designated for this purpose, Capt. Julius A. Weiss, the senior captain, in command.”183

The verbal orders Colonel Shaw received were not clear to him, and he apparently interpreted them as meaning that he was only to attack with four companies. He questioned the orders and received a reply from Birney’s adjutant, Captain Marcellus Bailey: “Well, now the general directs you to send four companies, deployed as skirmishers, to take the work.” Shaw obeyed the orders as he understood them and sent forward four of his companies, leaving his remaining companies in the rear.184 Following the battle, Bailey wrote to Shaw, stating, “The brigadier-general commanding has no recollection of having countermanded the first order mentioned by you. The only subsequent order from him was given to you by Captain Bailey, his assistant adjutant-general.” He went on to say that he had created a memorandum of the order: “The general commanding directs you to advance with your whole force and attack the work in your front, which is firing. You will throw forward four companies of your command as skirmishers.”185

The truth surrounding the orders to Shaw will probably never be known. What is important, and instructional, is how important clear orders are and how, in the confusion of battle, a misunderstanding can lead to tragic results.

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