The 33rd Regiment of Alabama Infantry is an infantry unit from Alabama that served in the Confederate Army of State during the US Civil War. Recruited from the southeastern districts of Butler, Dale, Coffee, Covington, Russell and Montgomery, it saw extensive service with the Tennessee Confederate Army before it was nearly destroyed at the Battle of Franklin in 1864. The survivors of the regiment will continue to serve until the final capitulation of General Joseph Johnston in North Carolina in 1865.
In addition to the above-mentioned countries, 33rd Alabama attracted recruits from three modern Alabama areas that did not exist in 1862: Geneva County, which later became part of the Dale and Coffee districts; Crenshaw County, to be established from Covington and other nearby districts after the war; and Houston County, which later became part of Dale and Henry Counties.
Originally commissioned to defend the Confederate stronghold in Pensacola Bay, Florida, the 33rd was quickly transferred to duty in the Tennessee Army, where he saw the first significant action on the Battle of Perryville. He went on to fight in the Stone's River, Chickamauga, Siege of Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign (including Ringgold Gap and Mount Kennesaw), and the devastating Franklin-Nashville campaign in late 1864.
From right after the Battle of Perryville through the Battle of Franklin, the 33rd fought under "Stonewall of the West": Major General Patrick Cleburne, an Irish-born officer General Robert E. Lee once referred to as "a meteor that shines from the overcast sky" to the greatness of his battlefield. Despite his terrible loss in Perryville (where he suffered eighty-two percent of the victims) and at Franklin (where he lost two-thirds of his figures), it was held along with a diminished number until the final Carolina Campaign in 1865.
The historians of the 33 have benefited from a very detailed account of the regiment's service by the soldiers on duty; the most important of these is written by Private W.E. Matthews of Co B, who left records of almost every aspect of the regiment's life from food to nicknames, sundries, and even the opinions of soldiers from two different service guns issued.
Video 33rd Regiment Alabama Infantry
Initial recruitment and deployment
Organization, officer and initial power
The 33rd Alabama was held in April 1862, in Pensacola, Florida. The following table shows information about each company at the start of the initial regiment:
Ft. McRee
The 33rd Alabama was initially assigned to duties during March-April 1862 at Fort McRee, which sits at the entrance to Pensacola Bay, Florida, in contrast to Fort Pickens held by the Federal. By the time 33 arrives, Ft. McRee has been reduced to wreckage by Federal warships and Ft. Pickens. However, the local commander, General Braxton Bragg, insisted on holding it. According to one veteran memoir, their time at this location was spent on initial military training, exercises, and guard duty.
At one point, the local commander decided to move the beach artillery from a badly damaged fort, and the 33rd was asked to help. The rifle is released from their five to eight inch base during the day; then, at night, they were carried under a specially built cart with a fourteen-inch tire, which was moored by thirty-six donkeys. The long straps were tied to the tongue, and 100 soldiers were given the exciting task of helping the donkeys drag the cannon across the sandy shore to the barge, which then took them to Pensacola. The weapons were replaced with wooden planks that were shaped and painted to resemble artillery, to deceive Federals into thinking about the fortress - or what was left at this point - still a threat.
While on duty at Ft. McRee, the regiment had the first direct encounter with the enemy - or what he thought was the enemy, at the time. During a severe storm one night, a Federal ship attempted to supply Ft. Pickens had trouble and dumped some of his cargo (described as "many barrels of vinegar, cracker boxes and other things"); The guard from Co's B and I thought the floating crates were for amphibious assault troops approaching their positions, and fired on them before they realized their mistake. Matthews personally reported to be involved with a "wholeboard full of Yankees" who tried to save some of these supplies; apparently, minor damage done by both parties.
Move to Corinth
After their initial assignment at Pensacola, the 33rd was ordered to report to Corinth, Mississippi, for the task of General Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of Mississippi. Arrived just after the loss of the Confederacy in Shiloh (where Johnston was killed and replaced by Commander General P.G.T. Beauregard), the 33rd was assigned to a brigade commanded by Colonel Alexander T. Hawthorn, who was part of the 3rd Army Corps. In July 1862, the Hawthorn brigade became part of the division commissioned by Maj. Gen. William Hardee, and the 33rd following month was transferred to the brigade (still within the Hardee division) commanded by Brigadier General Sterling Wood. Private Matthews reported being "hung in a muddy trench in SAM Wood's brigade," in May 1862, and also showed that he and his colleagues were trading in their Pensacola musket for the new "Enfield Rifles" painted out of the box, with bullets Minie , new bayonets and sarongs. "He reported that some soldiers were ill, and said that" we do not like water (in Corinth), except that we carry from the flowing artesian well. "
This same veteran then gave an interesting anecdote of the regiment at Corinth:
During this time, 33 people threw away many items they now consider unimportant, burdened by their frequent marches: "hammers, pillows, towels, books, sleepwear, clothing, big knives, cans, sheepskins, bears leather and other supplies. "
Maps 33rd Regiment Alabama Infantry
Kentucky Campaign
Moving south - then north
When General Hardee was given the command of the "Left Wing" of the Mississippi Army (now commanded by General Bragg, from the 33rd day of Pensacola), Wood's Fourth Brigade was assigned to the Third Division of the Left Wing, under the command of Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner. Along with the rest of the troops, the 33rd Corinth left at the end of July and traveled by train from Tupelo, Mississippi, to Meridian; then to Mobile, Alabama, and Montgomery, then to Atlanta, Georgia and Dalton before arriving at Tyner's Station, just east of Chattanooga, Tennessee. After this, Wood brigade marched into the city, where they crossed the Tennessee River on "ferry boats, driven by two blind horses" while taking a two month salary (at $ 11 per month), $ 50 prizes for each soldier, new shoes and clothing , and rations.
Munfordville Battle
Up to now, the 33 has not seen any significant action, but this will change. Encouraged by the recent success achieved by Confederate invaders under Colonel John Hunt Morgan and trying to divert the Federal attention from strategically important cities in Chattanooga and Vicksburg, Mississippi, General Bragg decides to attack Kentucky, a slave state that remains faithful to the Union - but which still contains a large pro-Confederate minority. The pursuit of the Federal forces captured many unknown people, but refrained from attacking the main Confederate army at first. The Bragg army reached the fortified town of Munfordville, in Green River, on September 14. Despite the huge profits in the South, the Federal commander, Colonel John T. Wilder, rejected an initial request to surrender. The Confederate forces attacked his works and were repulsed, settling in for a siege two days before the Federal commander was eventually persuaded to surrender after being taken on a private tour of the Confederate line of siege by General Buckner.
Battle of Perryville
Following the Confederate victory in Richmond, Kentucky on August 30, the Confederate forces advanced deeper into the state, trying to push Federals across the Ohio River and thus setting the confederation's northern boundary in the waters. The summer drought has affected both soldiers, with one 33rd Alabama soldier saying that: "We get water under deep limesinks, some of which are partially full of water, and Federals have used some of the partially filled sinks for meat "The other soldiers, from Tennessee to 9, report that the only water available is usually from the pond, and it is" so muddy that we can not wash our faces in inside. " Food supply is also affected by dry weather, with Federal strength reduced first to half ration, then to quarter rations, then to hardtack and eventually become "worm flour". The South fared a little better.
Desperate for water, the two armies gathered in the small village of Perryville, Kentucky, where water is said to be still available. The confederation reached the first city, with 33rd Alabama arriving at around 10:00 am on 7 October and spreading with the rest of the Wood brigade to the north of the city. The fighting began on the morning of October 8, with the 33 taking small portions until the afternoon, when Bragg called in new troops to launch an attack on Dixville Crossroads, held by the 34th Brigade under Colonel George Webster. Webster Brigade contains the 22nd Indiana, the 75th Illinois, and the 59th Illinois Infantry regiment, all of which are crude recruits who have never seen a previous battle. In addition to these units, the 19th Indiana Artillery under Captain Samuel Harris assisted Webster in defending the region, which came to be known as "Perryville Slaughter Pen."
The Wood Brigade, including the 33rd Alabama, struck at about 5pm and ran into the deadly fire of the Webster guys. The Federals, powered by Captain Harris's batteries, destroyed the invading Confederates and forced them to retreat. Reunited at the base of the hill, the 33rd and the regiments of his sister - now assisting the fresh brigade led by Brig. John Richardson Liddell - prosecuted again, took more casualties but ultimately pushed Federals off the hill after Harris's batteries ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat. The 22nd Indiana, just across 33rd Alabama, suffered 65% of the casualties - mostly Federal units on the battlefield.
Matthews personally describes the actions in these words:
When the smoke was finally cleared that night, the Confederacy had won a tactical victory in Perryville. But the new Union Union approach and the increasingly unbearable situation in Kentucky forced Bragg to book a retreat. The 33 and the remaining troops of Bragg retreated to Tennessee via the Cumberland Gap, leaving Federals who ruled Kentucky for the rest of the war.
During the Battle of Perryville, 33rd Alabama experienced a terrible 82% victim rate. Entering the battle with 500 people, d the regiment came out with only 88 fitting for the task. Of the thirty-two people in Company B 33 who fought in Perryville, two people died on the ground and nineteen others were injured - of which only nine would survive.
After the battle, Private Matthews reported that members of the surviving regiment brought their wounded colleagues to field hospitals, while others removed the personal effects of the dead to return to their families in Alabama. He reported that although tired of the day's fighting, the surviving troops spent the night bringing water to their friends, collecting straw for them to lie down, and assisting surgeons in taking care of them. When some wounded people complain of cold, their colleagues cover them with their own blankets. After returning to their camps later, the victims found that their left backpacks had been looted by unknown people. According to Matthews, "some of us bring backpacks, afterward."
Private Matthews reports that "for a few days after the battle, our right shoulder was very ill from our Enfield Rifles rebound when firing, as they were after prolonged shootings, and some rifles kicked worse than others." He also reported that due to the loss of their horses by the four regimental officers who drove them into battle, "our regimental officers left them behind [then], while going into battle."
Matthews also told of a wounded soldier named Ward who asked his "waiter" e Jesse to return to Alabama and deliver his last goodbye to his wife. Matthews emphasized that Jesse could easily escape in confusion and seek freedom with the nearby Federal forces, but he chose to go home - entirely alone - carrying his master's message.
Fragging
While fragging - the killing of officers unpopular by their subordinates - commonly associated with the Vietnam War, this natural incident occurred during the Civil War as well. Matthews personally speaks of "Lieutenant Colonel [Henry Virtner] Save" in the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment, which he describes as "tyrant." Keep is considered a martinet by his subordinates after he punishes them by ordering them to carry a heavy rail fence or wooden pole as they march; Matthews reported that his soldiers promised that he would not survive his first engagement. Although they did not manage to kill him, they were overjoyed to learn about Keep's departure after the battle.
With regard to his own unit, Matthews said: "I never heard any news that one of our 33rd Alabama officers had been deliberately shot by our people, since there was no tyrannical officer like Colonel Keep in the regiment." He said that disgruntled people who do not believe that they can "get justice" from their regimental officers can usually obtain transfers to other units.
Action in Tennessee
Back to Tennessee
After retreating from Perryville, General Bragg moved south to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where he connected with other Confederate forces under Major General Kirby Smith. From here he resumed his retreat to Knoxville, Tennessee, where the army withdrew the inventory described as: "flour, cornflour, bacon, fresh beef, rice, salt and first soap we drag in two months," along with new uniforms and shoes. Here the regiment reunited with some previously ill soldiers, who were left at the hospital in Chattanooga at the start of the Kentucky Campaign.
Tragedy on the rails
On November 4, 1862, 33rd Alabama was ordered to board a train scheduled to take them to Chattanooga. In a strange accident a few miles south of Cleveland, Tennessee, a large log fell off the locomotive tender as the train moved quickly at a descending level, breaking the shaft of one of the coaches immediately behind it and causing part of the train to thwart. Soldiers. Matthews reports that when the axle stops in the car he is in, all the wheels break off and "clogged" under the car wheel behind him (occupied by Co G), causing his separation from the train. Meanwhile, the engine continues to pull the wheel-less B Company car two or three hundred meters on the track before it finally stops. Some soldiers rode on roofs: Matthews reported that this was "shaken, like shaking peaches from a tree, and jerking when they fell to the ground." Others are embedded underneath and inside the ruins; some just escaped by "perched on their heads."
Seventeen people were killed in the disaster, with sixty-seven others injured; many of whom would later die of their wounds. Most of the deceased came from Co G, "Daleville Blues," including company commander, Captain R.J. Cooper. All were buried the next day in a trench dug in the southeast of the railroad track surrounded by a fence apart; this remained unmarked and largely forgotten until the deceased descendants established a monument on the site in November 1989.
Stones River Battle
After the Battle of Perryville, the 33rd Alabama - along with other Wood brigades - was transferred to a new division ordered by Major General Patrick R. Cleburne, where the 33rd will serve the vast majority of the rest of the war. Now Bragg has turned his "wings" into a corps; Cleburne's division was assigned to the corps commanded by Lieutenant General William J. Hardee, in what is now officially called the Tennessee Army. After leaving Chattanooga, General Bragg and his troops marched west until they reached the small town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Union held by Union. Private Matthews reported that the 33rd Alabama was assigned to serve as a rearguard for their brigades along the march, occasionally fighting in pursuit of Federal troops while competing with muddy roads during the end of their journey.
Knowing that Murfreesboro and the surrounding area were strong in Southern sentiment, Bragg felt compelled to stand on relatively flat ground in the north of the city, although some of the more preserved areas were further north and south. The Federal Army of the Cumberland, now under the command of Major General William S. Rosecrans, closed with Bragg in late December 1862, arriving in Murfreesboro on 29 December and moving into position the following day. After a music contest between Southern and Federal bands during the night hours on the 30th, the two soldiers prepared to attack each other at dawn on the 31st. Incredibly, Bragg and Rosecrans each made plans to attack the right side of each, respectively, at almost the same time. The Hardee Corps - over 10,000 troops in all-- will strike at dawn in big waves, hoping to catch their enemies off guard and busy with breakfast and other morning activities, just as they do at Shiloh where they have achieved complete surprise. A whiskey quota was issued for troops at 8:00 pm; soon after that they slept for the night, sleeping on cornstalks in an effort to keep the soil wet.
Lieutenant Alfred Moore, regimental aide, described the action at the Stones River and consequently in a letter to his mother, Amanda:
Private Matthews reports that when the first battle begins, the fog has obscured so many fields that visibility is limited to about fifty feet. He reports that during the initial levy, the Federers left their "breakfast" on fire, "along with tents, carts, backpacks, groceries, and other supplies." Blame "low powder" for causing many of their Enfield rifles to fail at Perryville and now here, he points out that most of his colleagues dumped the weapons for the Springfield Springfield Model 1861 rifle they found on the battlefield.Matthews both wrote that many soldiers were trading in their original cedar cola (from their day Ft. McRee) for the "closed cloth, Yankee's oval shaped block [s]" they found, the federal blanket, the protection section, the hat (which Matthews described as "good") and the mantle also valued by the 33rd Alabama - those who can not find it in the field, will buy it from someone else who has extras.
The Stones River ended on January 2, 1863, as a Federal victory: although Bragg had caused huge losses to the Rosecrans army, he could not drive it from the field. With new Union reinforcements threatening to give Rosecrans a tremendous advantage for future attacks, Bragg chose to retreat to Tullahoma, Tennessee.
Chickenpox and snowballs
During the 33rd time at Tullahoma, several Company I (from Dale County) members suffered from smallpox, apparently from a soldier who had been on leave to Columbus, Georgia. All the regiments were ordered into quarantine, which necessitated a move from the rest of the army and into the nearby swamps, where they set up camps on high ground and awaited the epidemic. Those who died there were buried in swamp by other members of their chaos, but were not given the military rewards normally given to those who died at the camp or on the battlefield.
After this enforced isolation is lifted, The 33th is celebrated by offensive in a completely new kind of war. Personal Matthews report:
After being removed from quarantine, the regiment watched the Federal spy hanging, then moved to Wartrace, where they went to camp for a while.
Camp life
Although the 33rd was resting at Wartrace, not all the time was spent casually. The commander of the new division, General Cleburne, drilled his men and held a firefighting competition along with the readiness and inspection of frequent equipment. Cleburne's previous record success went well with his new troop; he insisted that the weapons were clean and well maintained at all times, and also that his soldiers attended their own personal hygiene to the fullest extent possible. Cleburne encourages competitiveness between the company and its regiment: the person who reports to the guard of his company with the cleanest weapon and best performance will be freed from the duty of the shift, while at the regiment level, the five best-rifled troops will be exempt from duty and will be formed into special reserves to replace the guard who became ill or moved for other reasons. The new blue-and-white regiment flag was published, with "Perryville" and "Murfreesboro" written on it in large white letters, the original was nearly destroyed on two engagements.
In the camps, the regiments occupied themselves in various ways: "We brought wood, water, cooking, washing our clothes, cleaning our rifles, talking, writing letters to our people at home, wrestling , running, jumping, boxing or cheering each other in friendly ways, some recruiting lazily or lying around and grieving at home until they are sent to the hospital or die in the camp.The other cheerful sings sing songs, especially in night, others play a variety of game opportunities: cards, dice, kino or other games... We fish in a creek or river or go bathing, and some often attend worship... The green bandmen near us make a discordant sound on the horn Their lead causes some boys to swear, even though we love music after they learn to play. "
Matthews reports that Wartrace is the last place where his regiment uses the wall tents that had been issued at the beginning of their service. Once they went there, he said, the tents were "taken or burned." A sergeant assigned to the unit managed to escape with all the pocket watches in the regiment, then he immediately went to Federals.
18th Alabama Battalion
In early 1863, 33rd Alabama learned that a partisan partisan battalion from Jackson County, Alabama, in the northern part of the state, was "tied" to them for administrative purposes and orders, without losing his identity. Recruited in the summer of 1862, the first Partisan Rangers Battalion was originally installed and intended for the local service. Consisting of five companies that were consolidated into three, the 18th was attached to 33rd Alabama in January 1863 (having previously served under General Nathan Bedford Forrest) and fought with the 33rd afterwards, while remaining separate organizations. Led by Major John H. Gibson, it is also known as the Gibson Battalion.
Chickamauga
Tullahoma Campaign
On June 24, 1863, the Cumberland Federal Army opened the Tullahoma Campaign in central Tennessee. This went on until July 3, and resulted in Bragg's helplessness from his strong defensive positions at Tullahoma and nearby areas including Wartrace. Hearing the shots of Federals on the 24th, 33rd Alabama cooked ration of flour, beef, bacon and cornflour three days, then marched back to the main force at Tullahoma, which was evacuated around 30 June. Bragg moved south to Chattanooga, a strategically valued city considered a "gateway" to Georgia and its vital railroad in Atlanta. Stopping in the big spring outside the town of Harrison, Tennessee, the 33rd was originally ordered to keep the river crossings at this point. In September, the regiment was ordered to evacuate this position, and moved to Chattanooga. From Chattanooga they moved to Lafayette, Georgia, from there via Dug Gap in nearby Pigeon Mountain, where Private Matthews reported that the regiment moved "Indian files, one behind the other, crawling under, around and above, trees, wood and brush that have been cut and fall on the road through a gap, sometimes in cutting in a road full of brush and wood with high walls on each side... "The regiment was peeled off by the nearby Federal troops as they went on their way, but made it to McLemore Cove.
Involvement in Chickamauga
After forcing Bragg to evacuate Chattanooga on September 6th through a series of skilled maneuvers, Rosecrans ordered his troops to advance along three different paths to northwest Georgia in the pursuit of the Tennessee Army. With the Federation divided and unable to support each other due to the terrain of the mountains, Bragg chose to concentrate on one corps of the Union, XIV Corps, which had advanced through the same gap taken by the 33th at Mount Merpati (and passed through the adjacent), and move towards Lafayette. A failed attack launched by the Cleyburne and Hindman divisions at Davis's Cross Roads allowed Federals to flee to safety, so Bragg now turned north, where Rosecran's main force quickly concentrated on Lee and Mill Gordon along Chickamauga Creek. Has been promised three additional divisions - including two led by Lieutenant General James Longstreet - Bragg decided to attack the Rosecrans forces. The shooting began on September 18, with the opening of the main battle on 19 September. This engagement will mark one of the few major contests of war in which Confederate forces will exceed the number of Germans: 65,000 to 60,000.
Bragg's plan was for the Confederate to drive past Federals at Chickamauga Creek, then move north toward Chattanooga. If executed correctly, this maneuver will force Rosecrans to fight against a superior number in unfavorable conditions, or to withdraw. Unfortunately for Bragg things did not go exactly as he meant, and on the afternoon of 19 his troops were stranded along the battlefield with dense trees with a length of about 5 miles (8.0 km). With the Federals doing great resistance and showing no disposition to give way, Bragg ordered the 33rd Alabama and another Cleburne division (which had been on the left side of his army up to this point) to move north to Youngblood Farm. , near the right wing. Although most of the fighting had shifted further south throughout the afternoon, Bragg understood that the ultimate effort should come at the end of the field if he wanted to win. He is still convinced he can turn the Federal wing in the north, thus gaining control of Lafayette Road and positioning himself between Federals and Chattanooga, which is his ultimate goal.
Night attack on Winfrey Field
Wading through the Chickamauga River after removing their shoes, trousers, and socks, the 33rd Alabama reached Youngblood Farm at around 5:30 pm. After reporting to General Polk, Cleburne was expected to be ordered to put his troops to sleep for the night, as the night combat was very rare during the Civil War. However, with his astonishing astonishment, Cleburne takes command to form his troops into the line in fading light, and prepares to launch a direct attack on Federals in the future. The 33rd Alabama and the rest of Wood's Brigade took a central position in attack formation, with the Polk Brigade on their right, and the Deshler brigade on their left. Cleburne started his advance at 6:00 pm, through a small meadow known as Winfrey Field. The plot is described as "200-300Ã, meters deep, and long enough to almost cover the length of its brigade." The 18th Alabama advanced to the 33rd left, while the 16th Alabama and 45th, 32nd and 15th Mississippi regiments advanced to the right. Three artillery batteries are placed to support, although in darkness their gathering has the potential to inflict as much damage on their friends as it does on the enemy. This enemy consists of the 5th Infantry Infantry Regiment of Kentucky, Ohio 1st and 32nd (belonging to the Federal Military Brigade of Baldwin and Willich), who wait for them right behind the fence fence near the trees.
The 33 and his sisters advanced cautiously to Federals, who quickly opened them from the far side of the field. At one point about half, Alabama's 16th suddenly stopped; Adams ordered 33 to stop, too. The two regiments continued their journey after about ten minutes or so, though in the dark they now have to deal with the wild men who are firing at them from behind, as well as their enemies in the future. A friendly fire incident claimed the life of Lieutenant Alfred Moore g , who was accidentally shot in the neck from behind by a stray man. Some of the 33 companies started to falter, but Adams quickly tied them up and drove them back into battle. With the now stalled attacks, the artillery batteries grew up in the dark along with support troops under Brigadier General John Jackson; this eventually pushed Federals back. The 33rd Alabama crosses federal breasts, headed straight for the nearest 6th Indiana.
At this point, with their attack on the verge of success, the 16th Alabama commander suddenly ordered his regiment to retreat, on which they retreated back toward the safety of their own path. Although his left wing is now open, Colonel Adams opted to close with Indiana 6th in a pitch black forest, where a fierce hand-to-hand battle ensues before Hoosiers finally withdraws. Winfrey Field caught fire behind them from artillery explosions, though the Rebel's shells mostly sailed over the heads of the defenders. Friendly units are now shooting each other in the dark, illuminated only by the flashes of muzzles and blazes on the ground, threatening to eat the wounded soldiers lying there. Mass confusion quickly occurred on both sides, and although the Confederacy achieved some success, their attack finally stalled, leaving Federals in control of La Fayette Road. Unaffected by this setback, Bragg decided to attack again the next morning, first in the north and then moving south as the attack progressed, hoping to "roll up" Union forces. h
Private Matthews reported that the 33rd people slept that night "in a battle in the woods, without letting go of our stuff except shoes and blankets." He reported that the regiment was refilled with ammunition from the carts coming into their positions; they also made rations of crackers and bacon for breakfast the next morning. Some people from the regiment failed to remove their ramrods from their rifles as they fired them during the engagement; according to Matthews, this is trapped in trees twenty feet above the ground; the others were buried halfway on the ground.
Assault on La Fayette Road
The miscommunication between General Bragg and his subordinates, together with a blunder by General Polk, would bring down the 33 and his sister regiments into a series of futile attacks on the Federal left wing on September 20. At 7:25 am that morning, when his men were eating breakfast, Cleburne received an order from Polk to attack the Federal line at a new location known as Kelly Field, along with Brigadier General John C. Breckinridge, a former US Vice President in favor of on the South. The Wood Brigade has been entangled with the division of Stewart (part of the "wing" of the Longstreet troops), and no attacker or officer they realize they are attacking directly into six Federal divisions. General Wood's Brigade was separated from the other attack units, and quickly found himself, attacking Federals on high ground against enormous odds.
The 33rd Alabama begins its rise around 10:00 am, along with 16 Alabama close by. The last regiment quickly took refuge after the first volley of the Union line, while the 33 continues to advance until they reach a small ravine, where they are sheltered for nearly an hour until ordered to move forward again. The two regiments now moved to a point about 275 meters from the Union line, when the 33rd was suddenly struck with a killer artillery and a shotgun from his right wing. Completely deprived of support from both sides, the 33 continues to advance, finally achieving something that no other Confederate regiment did in the sector: it crosses La Fayette Street, General Bragg's main objective. However, they were forced to withdraw immediately afterwards, losing 16 people and 133 people injured from 219 people who started the attack.
Confusion and miscommunication are not limited to Southern forces. A failed order issued by General Rosecrans opened a huge gap in another part of the Federal line: Longstreet quickly exploited it, spun the Federal right and paralyzed their defenses. Rosecrans and most of his troops fled the field, and only last-minute despair by Major General George H. Thomas saved Union troops from total destruction. The 33rd Alabama took part in a new attack at Kelly Field in the afternoon, but due to the reduced number, it played a sizeable minor role in the final defeat of the Federal forces in that sector. The Federals retreated back to Chattanooga, where they awaited a direct attack by a very happy Bragg army. Bragg, however, threw away the biggest win of his career by taking time on the battlefield to collect equipment left behind and inclined to the injured, rather than quickly chasing and destroying demoralized Federals. After reaching Chattanooga, Rosecrans forces quickly repaired the previous Confederate fortresses there; this will ensure their survival and the last defeat of the Bragg army.
Matthews wrote that the regiment drew more biscuits and bacon that night, sent their canteen to fill, then "slept soundly, after the last two days of tension." The next day was spent burying the dead, with people buried singly or in pairs: "each wrapped in a blanket with a hat covering his face." Major Gibson was seriously injured during the 20th battle.
The last victim to 33rd Alabama in Chickamauga was the commander of their old brigade, Brigadier General Wood. Never mentioned in reports after Cleburne's actions or anyone else, his performance during the attack on Winfrey Field remained shrouded in controversy. Personally accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy, and reportedly threatened with a military trial by Cleburne, Wood withdrew from his commission as soon as the battle was over, and returned to his legal practice in Alabama. The brigade command was forwarded to Brigadier General Mark Lowrey, a Southern Baptist priest known as the Confederate "Preacher General".
Chattanooga to Ringgold Gap
Chattanooga Siege
After the disaster in Chickamagua and his subsequent failure to prevent Union troops being directed to flee to Chattanooga, Bragg put the town under siege after hearing that the enemy had only six days of leftover food. Entering his troops at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge overlooking the city and Tennessee River, Bragg soon learned that he would face a new opponent: Ulysses S. Grant. Fresh from his victory in Vicksburg, Grant has been ordered to take over the command of all the Federal forces in the region; His first action after arriving was to remove Rosecrans and replace him with George Thomas, who had saved Union forces in Chickamauga. With 50,000 new reinforcements to help him, Grant opened the so-called "Cracker Line" to the starving federal Federals in the Battle of Ferry Brown; here 15th Alabama, another regiment recruited from equal parts of the country as 33, was expelled from the field after losing and overwhelmed by attacking Federals.
The 33rd Alabama was dug at the western tip of Missionary Ridge on November 22, behind a vineyard at its base. The gunhole is built, and the guards are rotated there every 24 hours; those who are not in charge of keeping to work clean up all the vegetation from the western slope of the ridge, cut the tree so that the peak falls towards Chattanooga, creating a natural barrier of twisted tree twigs. Matthews reported that the removal of these trees allowed a cool autumn breeze to cool the troops on the ridge, because the South had nothing but a small tent to break the wind. He reported staring in wonder at the valley below, where the fire of thousands of Federal soldiers "[shows] beautifully at night." Large siege weapons are transported to Lookout Mountain to break into Union and Chattanooga camps; Matthews recalled that "... with an instant of pistols at night, some soldiers drew attention by shouting and watching long flights and shell explosions, which were very attractive to us as we stood, squatted or sat in our camp fire." He said that the quota, which has so far been abundant, "short" during this time.
At this point, Bragg chose to divide his army: Longstreet's 4,000 soldiers were ordered to move north to Knoxville to deal with separate Federal troops there under Ambrose Burnside. On November 22, he ordered General Cleburne to take his share, including the 33rd Alabama, along with another division under General Simon B. Buckner to help. Seeing the movement in the Southern line, General Grant ordered the Federal forces to attack near a small hike called Orchard Knob; their success, although limited in scope, led Bragg to remember Cleburne (who was in the process of loading his troops onto their trains); he took a position just behind his former work that had been occupied by other South people after their departure the day before.
Holding Tunnel Hill
After successfully lifting the Chattanooga Siege, General Grant now decides to double the Bragg army. Major General William T. Sherman was ordered to attack with 20,000 people from the north along Mission Ridge, while Major General Joseph Hooker was directed to attack from the south along Lookout Mountain, flooding southern troops there, then proceeded to cut back Bragg while Sherman and Thomas beat him from north and west. The contest began on the morning of November 24, when Hooker drove Confederate troops from Lookout Mountain in what he called "Battle Above the Clouds," while Sherman crossed the Tennessee River and took a position along what he thought was the far end of Missionary Ridge - only to find out that he had occupied a nearby hill, called Billy Goat Hill. The 33rd Alabama, entrenched at the southern end of Missionary Ridge near Bragg headquarters, heard the sound of battle on Lookout Mountain, but could not see the action because of the thick fog that enveloped it.
Realizing that his right wing was vulnerable to Sherman's upcoming attacks, Bragg ordered Cleburne at 2 pm to double the time from the south to the northernmost part of his line - just as he did in Chickamauga - and took a new position opposite Sherman in a place called " Tunnel Hill, "where tunnels from East Tennessee and Georgia trains pass through Missionary Ridge. The Lowrey Brigade, including 33, was dug in the south of the tunnel, but "skirmising only" occurred that day.
Ordered to strike at dawn on November 25, General Sherman was delayed until around 7 am, when he sent his combat troops forward. The actual attack did not start until around 10 am and 10:30 am. With another unit moving onto the ridge to the left, Cleburne shifts the Lowrey Brigade to spur projections from the ridge, just north of the tunnel. Advancing into a killer fire, Federals came within eighty yards of the South position before the angry Confederate counter-attack forced them back, leading Sherman to undo the attack. Cleburne pointed out that the battle load was borne by Smith's Texas Brigade and three Arkansas regiments at the Gowan Brigade; The 33rd Alabama saw a "big battle," but did not play a major role since the Federals never approached closer than 100-200 yards into their sectors of the line. The Cleburne people have done their work, capturing eight enemy banners and 500 prisoners.
At that time, disaster struck. Further south along Bragg's midline, the Federal forces under General Thomas destroyed the Confederate positions at the base of the hill, sweeping the hill and riding Bragg's men in front of them. With his troops crushed before his eyes, Bragg ordered Cleburne to hold Federals long enough for the rest of his troops to flee. The 33rd Alabama attacked approaching skirmishers in collecting darkness, allowing the rest of Bragg's troops to cross Chickamauga Creek to the east and retreat to Georgia. Because the division was held more or less together during the defeat, Cleburne now found his regiment - including 33rd Alabama - serving as the vanguard of the Tennessee Army.
Ringgold Gap - "fire wall"
As his troops retreated, General Bragg became concerned that deep mud slowed his supply trains as he passed through the mountains near the town of Ringgold. Afraid that chasing Federals will chase and destroy them - and with them, his troops - Bragg ordered Cleburne to "hold this position in all dangers." The 33rd Alabama crossed Chickamauga Creek as deep as the waist and cold on November 27 from the waist down, "when the cold wind stings our open anatomy." Finding hot ashes from another regimental fire, the Alabamians dried themselves and reused their clothes, then slept beside the river bank on frozen ground. When the rest of their division moved the next day, the 33rd was left with elements from the 45th Alabama and some Joseph Wheeler cavalry to guard the creeks against the upcoming Federals. The advanced Federal elements fought with them as the 33rd Cavalry and Wheeler slowly retreated towards the Ringgold Gap, spun several times to the fire, backed off a short distance, then turned on to fire again.
Meanwhile, in the gap itself, Cleburne puts his division in the face of upcoming members of the Federation. With nearly 4,000 people and only two cannons to arrest 16,000 invading forces of Joseph Hooker, Cleburne arranges his troops on either side of the narrow gap, telling them to hide themselves from view and wait for his signal. Thirty minutes later, the 33rd and their friends finally retreated into the gap; Matthews reported that another regiment had done a good job of hiding himself that he and his friends had not noticed them until they had graduated from their positions. The 33rd was ordered to take place with the rest of their brigade at the center above White Oak Ridge, on the north side of the pass. They arrive just in time; a battle witness will then say: "two minutes [more] it's too late."
When Hooker's main element enters the mountain pass, Cleburne allows them to enter within fifty yards of his men before instructing them to open fire. Shaken from the first shots, the aggressive Federers backed up, but quickly reunited and launched a great counter-attack one after another, searching for the first one to rotate Cleburne's right wing (where 33rd Alabama), then left. Each new attack meets a Confederate response, which one history describes as a "wall of fire;" one of the Cleburne regiments had run out of ammunition, and had to throw stones before the reserves came and set them free. Ringgold Gap became a slaughterhouse for the next four hours as Hooker fed the regiment after the regiment, only to see everyone being thrown back with a severe defeat; Private Sam Watkins of the 1st Tennessee Infantry described the gap as having a "rooftop appearance, strewn with dead Yankees... From the foot to the top of a hill covered with a slain, all lying on their faces"... The land was piled with dead Yankees; they are lying in a pile. "As soon as the poles reach safety further south in Dalton, Bragg orders Cleburne to withdraw, he withdraws his men, and Hooker takes over at about 2 pm In the midst of all the massacres, 33rd Alabama has lost just one person: they overall have lost just twenty people and wounded 201, while holding Federal forces four times their number for nearly five hours.
At Ringgold Gap, Cleburne and his men became legends; all divisions will receive Thanks from the Confederate Congress for their performance at this engagement. But the war is far from over, because the Alabamians and their friends will soon learn.
The savage waltz
Winter in Georgia
Once safely retrieved to Dalton, Georgia, General Bragg directed Cleburne to a camp near Tunnel Hill, a city of the same name he had defended in Missionary Ridge. Private Matthews reported that 33rd Alabama was given "several cabins... on top of tunnels... there were oak poles, others of oak stems, cracks in clay." Captured part of protection used as a door, and people in winter there as best as possible. He writes that those who died here are buried nearby; the regiments would accompany them to their final resting place "with reversed weapons," and there was a knock, but [we] did not always fire empty bullets out of our weapons, for fear of attracting other sick people in the camp. " Though they were worried about a virtually worthless currency, they were paid, "there are not as many complaints as people think, because everyone realizes that the [Confederate] Government is doing all it can for us." Matthews blames "hospital rats" for the most part of nagging, and observes that troops in these winter spots are playing cards, dominoes, dice or keno; those who have dollars, he says, can go to the singers' performances. Not everyone in the camp has the best interests of their colleagues at heart: "two or more roster," he said, would accuse the soldiers of doing various jobs and trying to get them out of their income. One regiment is assigned to duty on a daily basis; whenever 33rd Alabama withdrew this task, they packed up their gear and walked a mile or more to the front, leaving the sick and guard over their other possessions.
On December 2, 1863, The 33rd Alabama and their colleagues in the Tennessee Army learned that they would get a new commander: Braxton Bragg, who had led troops since the Kentucky Campaign, had resigned from his position. General Hardee was given a temporary punishment on the troops, but on 27 December General Joseph Johnston, a veteran leader who would prove popular with many of his troops, took over command.
Dalton
With Chattanooga safe and a Confederate retreat, General Grant sent Sherman to Mississippi, against the Confederate railroad in Meridian. Studying this step, Johnston ordered two divisions of his troops, including Cleburne, to help their colleagues in the state. This, in turn, led General Thomas to launch a series of probing attacks along the Johnston line at Dalton, where he quickly learned that the new Confederate commander was someone to be reckoned with. The 33rd Alabama has traveled as far as West Point, Alabama, when they were summoned to Dalton. Instead of returning to Tunnel Hill, they were ordered to camp along a tributary east of the city, where they were forced to work digging trenches between that point and their old camp on the hill. A new flag was given to the regiment with the words: "Perryville", "Murfreesboro", "Chickamauga" and "Ringgold Gap" embroidered on it, along with an oval-shaped disc in the center containing "33 ALA." With Federals temporarily retreating, life in Dalton returns to normal - at least for now. Rifle exercises are held, with targets set at various distances up to two hundred meters, and "fake battles" are fought with empty cartridges. Rocky Face Ridge Rocky Face Ridge
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