Griersons alabama raid of april, 1865 encyclopedia of. A leader in military and general history book publishing. Griersons raid was a union cavalry raid during the vicksburg campaign of the american civil war. Mark lardas on april 17, 1863 benjamin grierson led a force of 1,700 union cavalrymen across enemy lines into confederateheld tennessee in a bold diversionary raid. Griersons alabama raid of april, 1865 encyclopedia of alabama. Grierson was chosen to lead a cavalry raid through central. Benjamin griersons raid through mississippi that paved the way for maj. Penciled in notation, likely written by general adams at a later date, reads griersons raid. This book tells the complete story of one of the most daring union raids of the war. The book was very exciting to read and had a lot of description of setting and events going on inside the story. Benjamin griersons epic 1863 civil war raid through mississippi promises to be a blockbuster the magnitude of john fords 1959 film starring john wayne and william holden. Usually confused with griersons raids, but not by those. The brigade consisted of the 6th illinois, 7th illinois, and 2nd iowa cavalry. He retired as a brigadier general in 1890 and died in 1911.
Readers might do a doubletake of the title of timothy b. General william tecumseh sherman in 1863 union colonel benjamin h. Early in 1863, major general charles hamilton, the commander of the corinth section of grants division, suggested a cavalry raid through mississippi. Brown calls it an adventure, and he writes about grierson s raid in just that way. Benjamin henry grierson july 8, 1826 august 31, 1911 was a music teacher, then a career officer in the united states army. He is most noted for griersons raid, an 1863 expedition through confederateheld territory that. It begins friday april 17 and concludes seventeen days later on may 3 rd, 1863. Benjamin griersons epic 1863 civil war raid through mississippi kindle edition by smith, timothy b download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Rich and detailed, griersons raid is the definitive work on one of the most astonishing missions of the civil wars early days. Griersons raid engages rebels during grants vicksburg campaign. For two weeks in the spring of 1862, colonel benjamin grierson and 1,700 union cavalry troopers conducted a. The obstacles overcome, the boredom and exhaustion of the ride that took these union cavalry units hundreds of miles one of the first books i read after getting out of the service in 1971 was dee brown s bury my heart at wounded knee. Grant s main attack plan on vicksburg, mississippi. William holden and constance towers, and the harold sinclair novel of the same name on which it is based, are fictional variations of griersons raid.
Operations against vicksburg, including grierson s raid. This epic account is as thrilling and fastpaced as the raid itself and will quickly. The campaigns goal was to destroy confederate supply points in southeastern alabama and southwestern georgia that remained after the fall of selma on april 2 and mobile on april 12. Grierson s raid was a union cavalry raid during the vicksburg campaign of the american civil war. Early in 1863, major general charles hamilton, the commander of the. Usually confused with grierson s raids, but not by those who suffered its sting. Grierson set out with 1,700 federal cavalrymen to divert confederate attention from major general ulysses s. Simply put, pemberton did not decide, after the fact, to use a willothewisp defense that he lacked cavalry to bolster his position in some back and forth argument.
Review adding his best work yet to an impressive and everexpanding list of publications, tim smiths release of the real horse soldiers. For two weeks in the spring of 1862, colonel benjamin grierson and 1,700 union cavalry troopers conducted a raid. Given command of the corps cavalry, he repeatedly skirmished with confederate forces led by colonel john logan. Griersons raid ebook by dee brown 9781453274187 rakuten kobo. Book covers griersons unconventional story on civil war news. Early in 1863, major general charles hamilton, the commander of the corinth section of grant s division, suggested a cavalry raid through mississippi. While many of the most famous cavalry raids were launched by confederate leaders such as jeb stuart or nathan bedford forrest, this was a union raid. It was commanded by benjamin grierson, who despite prewar dislike of horses quickly proved himself to be a brilliant cavalry commander. A well written and thoroughly researched record of this little reported raid across south mississippi and louisiana. During the civil war, vicksburg, mississippi, was better defended than any other southern city, but it had to be captured to achieve lincoln s goal of splitting the confederacy by controlling the mississippi river. Illinois regiments in griersons raid lagrange, tennessee to baton rouge, louisiana april 17 may 2, 1863 during the operations against vicksburg, union general ulysses s.
Griersons raid was probably the most effective cavalry raid of the entire american civil war. During the campaign to capture vicksburg, ms in 1863, grierson led a famed cavalry raid through the heart of mississippi which did substantial damage and distracted the. Griersons raid civil war history discussion american. Relates another dispatch from pemberton asking that they, collect wirt adams cavalry and send them out to meet the enemy which were at 12 oclock to day at hazlehurst.
Major general benjamin grierson was noted union cavalry commander during the civil war. Griersons raid by dee brown nook book ebook barnes. The great sweet potato raid by chris watts and greg price. The raid was a tremendous success, not only by virtue of the destruction it caused, but also because the confederates were forced to divert thousands of troops away from the front lines during general grants critical vicksburg offensive. Grierson is a native of pennsylvania, having been born in pittsburg in the month of july, 1827.
Brown calls it an adventure, and he writes about griersons raid in just that way. He is most noted for griersons raid, an 1863 expedition through confederateheld territory that severed enemy communication lines between vicksburg. I have always been interested in the vicksburg campaign, and am turning my professional writing attention to it after spending years on the tennessee river campaign. Despite his continuing distrust of horses, he remained in the regular army after the war, battling indians as a colonel with the 10th u. Grant had marched his troops down the west side of the mississippi until they were below the city s fortifications. Map showing griersons raid lagrange, tennessee to baton rouge, louisiana april 17 may 2, 1863 map source. Benjamin griersons epic 1863 civil war raid through mississippi ebook. Griersons raid by dee brown book cover, description, publication history. Griersons raid is studied in detail in timothy smiths new book, the real horse soldiers. Joined by shermans division, he now had 40,000 men in mississippi. Over the next seventeen days, griersons horsemen caused havoc by destroying railroad lines, attacking outposts, burning military stores and fighting numerous small actions, before breaking. General grant launched two cavalry raids to pull attention away from vicksburgh. Official records, series 1 volume xxiv, part 1, pages 253 and 255.
The raid was a tremendous success, not only by virtue of the destruction it caused, but also because the confederates were forced to divert thousands of troops away from the front lines during general grant s critical vicksburg offensive. Griersons cavalry raid through alabama in april 1865 was among the last military actions to take place in the state during the civil war. Finding aid for the general wirt adams collection mum00755. The story of general grierson is very exciting and. Griersons raid by d alexander brown confederate ordinance. Stuart, but his intelligence and creativity made him an excellent leader. Their objective was to damage a major confederate rail line, spreading alarm and. The last serious study was published more than six decades ago. This epic account is as thrilling and fastpaced as the raid itself and will quickly rival. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the real horse soldiers. Grierson was chosen to lead a cavalry raid through central mississippi with 1,700 soldiers, destroying railroad tracks, burning bridges, ripping out telegraph. Benjamin griersons epic 1863 civil war raid through mississippi 2018. His general store in meredosia had failed in the financial panic of. Operations against vicksburg, including griersons raid.
Grierson s raid was a union cavalry raid through the heart of mississippi during the vicksburg campaign of the civil war. This book does an excellent job of describing the raidbut also of placing it in a strategic context at this critical stage in the civil war. We give above a map of part of mississippi, showing the route taken by colonel grierson on his late famous cavalry raid. Forums user list calendar active threads forum help. Benjamin griersons epic 1863 civil war raid through mississippi. Serving in the western theater of the conflict, he came to fame while assigned to major general ulysses s.
Griersons raid was a union cavalry raid during the vicksburg campaign of the american civil. He was a cavalry general in the volunteer union army during the civil war and later led troops in the american old west. The objective of this raid was to destroy rebel supplies, depots, and railroads and their related material. Smith, a former park ranger at shiloh, holds a phd in history from mississippi state university and has written a. Benjamin griersons raid through mississippi that paved the way for. Winner, 2018, operational battle history, army historical foundation distinguished book award winner, 2018, fletcher pratt literary award, civil war round table of new york benjamin griersons union cavalry thrust through mississippi is one of the most wellknown operations of the civil war. On april 17, 1863 benjamin grierson led a force of 1,700 union cavalrymen across enemy lines into the confederateheld tennessee in a bold diversionary raid. Was benjamin griersons cavalry raid in mississippi. Register log in home forums hunters campfire colonel griersons 1863 cavalry raid. After his raid succeeded, illustrators for northern newspapers like harpers weekly gave him a dashing image. Volume 12 of osprey publishings raid series and coming in at a slender 80 pages, mark lardass roughshod through dixie. This book does an excellent job of describing the raid but also of placing it in a strategic context at this critical stage in the civil war. Illinois regiments in grierson s raid lagrange, tennessee to baton rouge, louisiana april 17 may 2, 1863 during the operations against vicksburg, union general ulysses s. Griersons raid by tom lalicki book cover, description, publication history.
He would send his union forces down the mississippi below vicksburg. The source of information for this article is griersons raid. Griersons raid broke a vital confederate rail line at newton station that supplied. Griersons raid was a union cavalry raid through the heart of mississippi during the vicksburg campaign of the civil war. Benjamin grierson s raid through mississippi that paved the way for maj. On the previous page we give a portrait of the now famous colonel grierson, of the sixth illinois cavalry, whose magnificent raid through mississippi has won him such fame. General ulysses grant chose an unorthodoxand dangerousstrategy to invest vicksburg. Colonel grierson, who led the raid, lacked the flair of confederate counterparts like j. Aug 18, 2015 pemberton was placed in a very bad position, not only by grierson s brilliant raid, but by general johnston not, in my humble opinion, by his own stupidity or lack of generalship. William tecumseh sherman called the most brilliant expedition of the war. Adding his best work yet to an impressive and everexpanding list of publications, tim smiths release of the real horse soldiers. The campaign s goal was to destroy confederate supply points in southeastern alabama and southwestern georgia that remained after the fall of selma on april 2 and mobile on april 12.
Grierson, a former music teacher, had been in the military for just 18 months before this assignment. The raid suited grierson, who in december had taken command of the 1st brigade, 1st cavalry division, xvi corps. Map showing grierson s raid lagrange, tennessee to baton rouge, louisiana april 17 may 2, 1863 map source. This ebook features an illustrated biography of dee brown including rare photos from the authors personal collection. During the civil war, vicksburg, mississippi, was better defended than any other southern city, but it had to be captured to achieve lincolns goal of splitting the confederacy by controlling the mississippi river. The obstacles overcome, the boredom and exhaustion of the ride that took these union cavalry units hundreds of miles one of the first books i read after getting out of the service in 1971 was dee browns bury my heart at wounded knee. Book covers griersons unconventional story on civil war. He led the 2nd iowa, the 6th and 7th illinois cavalry. Griersons raid in mississippi mississippi historical. A daring cavalry strike through the heart of the confederacy tom. Grierson s cavalry raid through alabama in april 1865 was among the last military actions to take place in the state during the civil war. For two weeks in the spring of 1862, colonel benjamin grierson and 1,700 union cavalry troopers conducted a raid from tennessee to louisiana. Griersons raid 1863 by mark lardas, johnny shumate illustrator, donato spedaliere illustrator online at alibris.
After recovering from the raid, grierson was promoted to brigadier general and ordered to join major general nathaniel banks xix corps at the siege of port hudson. Never knew a of a northern born general in the confederate. Grant had marched his troops down the west side of the mississippi until they were below the citys fortifications. It ran from april 17 to may 2, 1863, as a diversion from maj. Benjamin henry grierson with his union cavalry brigade reached newton stationthe raid that gen. John grierson, founder of the british documentaryfilm movement and its leader for almost 40 years. Abraham lincoln presidential library and museum 87,563 views. The improbable civil war raid that led to the siege of vicksburg, recounted by the. It was intended to divert confederate attention from ulysses s.
His supporting transports and gunboats had run the gauntlet and were in position to ferry his command. Griersons raid engages rebels during grants vicksburg. He was one of the first to see the potential of motion pictures to shape peoples attitudes toward life and to urge the use of films for educational purposes. Pemberton was placed in a very bad position, not only by griersons brilliant raid, but by general johnston not, in my humble opinion, by his own stupidity or lack of generalship.