On November 19, 1863, a little over 4 months after the battle, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at what today is the cemetery across from the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.

The Kentucky monument to its native son's address at the cemetery at Gettysburg NMP

In my mind, this is still the most eloquent and forceful dedication to a cause that a leader has yet to deliver. Unbelievably, Lincoln left Gettysburg with the impression that the address had been a miserable failure and he had not risen to the occasion. Showing signs of his self-doubt that plagued him at times, Lincoln reminds us that brevity and directness, though seemingly incongruent with enormous endeavors, is often what history demands of its giants.

Ride Recommendation

The official GNMP map is the only resource you really need for a great day-long tour by motorcycle. If you want an end of day jaunt to loosen up the bike and your mind, head west up the Lincoln Highway to Tuscarora Summit.

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Book and Map Recommendations

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Before Gettysburg came the preparation of the route north.

After the win at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee decided to move north to secure provisions for his increasingly ragged troops. As well as this practical matter, Lee hoped the move would encourage the peace activists of the north by threatening, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia from the west. Whilst encamped in Culpeper, Virginia with his infantry (Ewell's and Longstreet's two Corps), Lee's cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart met a large Federal Cavalry force led by Alfred Pleasanton near Brandy Station on 9 June 1863. This ended up being the largest cavalry battle of the entire war. It ended in a tactical draw, but had two significant outcomes. First, Stuart was successful in screening Lee's force in Culpeper and the Union left the field not knowing where Lee was, but suspected he was amassing a large army on its doorstep. Second, the aggressive fighting of the Federal cavalry marked the end of Stuart's domination of the cavalry field in the eastern theatre. The legend of the southern cavalry had been broken by names such as John Buford. Regardless of who won at Brandy Station, Lee's army was still in Northern Virginia and on the move northward with extreme prejudice.

Lee sent Ewell's II Corps to clear the Winchester area of the Shenandoah Valley of known Union emplacements there. This was to be the route north and Lee wanted nothing slowing him down when he began his big gamble. The Union forces at Winchester were commanded by Robert Milroy and were significantly less than Ewell's numbers. The emplacements were made up of the the "Star" fort to the west of Winchester and the main fort in the town itself. Because of the general havoc created by the advancing Confederates and the Union's shallow numbers, Milroy had been ordered to withdrawal from Winchester to Harpers Ferry. However, after skirmishing all around Winchester on the 13th, Milroy decided to try to hold the town. This decision would later get him relieved of command, but the Confederates would relieve him of many of this troops before then.

On the 14th of June, Ewell began in earnest by sending Jubal Early's Division to take the Star Fort during the day and increasing pressure on the main fort into the evening. As the Confederates closed on Winchester, Milroy was starting to think better of his option of withdrawal. After as quick counsel of war, he decided to retreat to the north. However, Ewell had anticipated this and sent Edward "Allegheny" Johnson's division to cut him off. Johnson's forces met Milroy's retreat in the early morning hours of the 15th at Stephenson's Depot on the Harpers Ferry road to the north of Winchester. Johnson created havoc around the Federals and the Milroy's command collapsed in panic. Milroy and some of his cavalry got away, but virtually all of the remaining infantry were killed or captured along with a great number of artillery, horses and supplies. By the morning of the 15th, all was left was to mop up the stragglers.

The road was now clear from Lee to march northward with the mountains and Stuart's cavalry as a screen. Gettysburg and destiny awaited.

Motorcycle Ride Recommendation

I'm writing about the Second Battle of Winchester, because I never miss a chance to recommend a ride in the Shenandoah Valley, especially any part of the Skyline Drive. I've also included some lesser known roads in West Virginia that are worth the ride. The Skyline Drive ends near Front Royal which is where Ewell staged from before attacking Winchester.

Book Recommendation: The Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester from Amazon.com

Map Recommendation: Virginia & West Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer 2006 from Amazon.com

Accor Hotels in the Winchester, Virginia area

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Sorry for being sparse with new rides lately, but I'm back. Work and a mammoth ride in the American northeast has precluded much writing. The ride included 7 states, 1 Canadian province, 4 wars, 7 forts, 10 battles and 2,350 miles on my new (to me) 2003 Triumph Tiger. New posts are on the way.

Check out the whole ride to get a feel for what's coming.

Below is a picture of the Tiger at the William Wells monument at Gettysburg.

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One of the major problems that Union forces had with capturing Vicksburg and all of the lower Mississippi was that they faced almost continual harrassment of supply lines, both on land and rivers. In Fort Hindman, near Arkansas Post and overlooking the Arkansas River, the Confederates had a strong position to harry any Union boats trying to make their way up to Little Rock. Additionally, it was a safe haven and replenishing point for Confederate gunboats working the Mississippi River. Before the Union forces could secure the lower Mississippi river area, they needed to secure their supply lines throughout Missouri, Arkansas and along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Hence, on 9 January, Union General John McClernand led a combined graund and naval force with Admiral David Porter to shut down Fort Hindman starting on 9 January 1863. Union troops, led by General William Sherman landed on the 9th and began assaulting the outlying trenches of the fort immediately, eventually over-running them and forcing the Confederates to retreat to the fort itself. On 10 January 1863, Porter laid into the fort with naval fire. By 11 January 1863, McClernand had tightened the noose with infantry preparing for a full attack on the fort and Porter's guns both bombarding the fort and cutting off retreat lines. Eventually, Confederate commander General Thomas Churchill saw the futility of further resistance and surrendered the fort. One more secure post along the Mississippi was secured for future Union operations.

Books from Amazon.com

Check out this biography of John A. McClernand, who was a congressman before becoming a general. McClernand did well at first, but went head on with Grant, shortly after Arkansas Post, and lost over the conduct of the Vicksburg campaign. McClernand was one of the main sources that reported back to Washington about Grant's drinking. To which, Abraham Lincoln was to have said, "I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals."

Motorcycle Ride

Try this circular route from Pine Bluff to Stuttgart to Gillett to Dumas and back to Pine Bluff which passes by Arkansas Post National Memorial. It also includes the long stretch of scenic highwy US 65.

Maps

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For every Gettysburg and Vicksburg in the American Civil War, there were hundreds of smaller actions that did not involve the great Generals and large numbers of troops. However, these small actions often had real strategic consequences. On 8 January 1863, a Confederate advance led by General John Marmaduke made an attempt to capture the important Union supply point at Springfield, Missouri. The Supply point, led by General Egbert Brown, was important to supplying the Union Army of the West. The battle is unusual in the fact that it involved a substantial amount of urban combat..something fairly uncommon in the Civil War.
The Union garrison was warned of the advance with a few hours to spare. The defense was short on experienced soldiers, but had the advantage of high ground in the form of four earthen forts around the town. Marmaduke was short of one of his three columns, which had been delayed by skirmishing near Hartville, but decided to attack on the morning of 8 January anyway. Marmaduke made several attempts, but failed in each. Most of the fighting occured around fort number four with Marmaduke trying frontal assaluts and flanking movements with little success. As night fell, Marmaduke realized he had lost and retreated back to Arkansas.
The Second Battle of Springfield will never be called a turning point in the war, but one could imagine that Vicksburg and the final Mississippi River stronghold of Port Hudson, LA, might not have fallen in July 1863, if Springfield had been lost to the Confederates in January.

Books from Amazon.com

Check out this book about a young Union logistician in the Western theatre;

Motorcycle Ride

Follow the general direction that Marmaduke took from Harrison, Arkansas to Springfield, Missouri, through Ozark on US Highway 65.

Maps

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