"...that these dead shall not have died in vain..." Abraham Lincoln - 19 Nov 1863 _____________________________________________________________ Playing: "The Cruel War" words at bottom of page As information is found regarding the Civil War service of our ancestor George Scott, it will be posted on this page. Facts relating to the war will also be posted. George Scott b. Nov 4, 1831 d. Dec 26, 1911 A Private of Captain Charles Danforth's Company (I) 2nd; Regiment; New Jersey Volunteers Enlisted May 30, 1861 Discharged March 3, 1862 at Camp Seminary, VA The Battles of The Civil War July 1861 . . . . . . . . . . First Battle of Bull Run February - March 1862 . . . . The River War April 1862 . . . . . . . . . Battle of Shiloh May - June 1862 . . . . . . . Shenandoah Valley Campaign April - July 1862 . . . . . . The Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days' Battle August 1862 . . . . . . . . . Second Battle of Bull Run September 1862. . . . . . . . Battle of Antietam October 1862. . . . . . . . . Battles of Corinth and Perryville December 1862 . . . . . . . . Battle of Fredericksburg January 1863. . . . . . . . . Battle of Stones River May 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle Of Chancellorsville May 1862 - July 1863. . . . . Vicksburg Campaign July 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle of Gettysburg September 1863. . . . . . . . Battle of Chickamauga November 1863 . . . . . . . . Battle of Chattanooga May 1864. . . . . . . . . . . Battles of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania May - June 1864 . . . . . . . Battle of Cold Harbor May - September 1864. . . . . The Campaign for Atlanta September - October 1864. . . Missouri Fighting December 1864 . . . . . . . . The Battle of Nashville November 1864-March 1865. . . Sherman's March
As information is found regarding the Civil War service of our ancestor George Scott, it will be posted on this page. Facts relating to the war will also be posted.
George Scott b. Nov 4, 1831 d. Dec 26, 1911 A Private of Captain Charles Danforth's Company (I) 2nd; Regiment; New Jersey Volunteers Enlisted May 30, 1861 Discharged March 3, 1862 at Camp Seminary, VA
The Battles of The Civil War July 1861 . . . . . . . . . . First Battle of Bull Run February - March 1862 . . . . The River War April 1862 . . . . . . . . . Battle of Shiloh May - June 1862 . . . . . . . Shenandoah Valley Campaign April - July 1862 . . . . . . The Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days' Battle August 1862 . . . . . . . . . Second Battle of Bull Run September 1862. . . . . . . . Battle of Antietam October 1862. . . . . . . . . Battles of Corinth and Perryville December 1862 . . . . . . . . Battle of Fredericksburg January 1863. . . . . . . . . Battle of Stones River May 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle Of Chancellorsville May 1862 - July 1863. . . . . Vicksburg Campaign July 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle of Gettysburg September 1863. . . . . . . . Battle of Chickamauga November 1863 . . . . . . . . Battle of Chattanooga May 1864. . . . . . . . . . . Battles of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania May - June 1864 . . . . . . . Battle of Cold Harbor May - September 1864. . . . . The Campaign for Atlanta September - October 1864. . . Missouri Fighting December 1864 . . . . . . . . The Battle of Nashville November 1864-March 1865. . . Sherman's March
July 1861 . . . . . . . . . . First Battle of Bull Run February - March 1862 . . . . The River War April 1862 . . . . . . . . . Battle of Shiloh May - June 1862 . . . . . . . Shenandoah Valley Campaign April - July 1862 . . . . . . The Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days' Battle August 1862 . . . . . . . . . Second Battle of Bull Run September 1862. . . . . . . . Battle of Antietam October 1862. . . . . . . . . Battles of Corinth and Perryville December 1862 . . . . . . . . Battle of Fredericksburg January 1863. . . . . . . . . Battle of Stones River May 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle Of Chancellorsville May 1862 - July 1863. . . . . Vicksburg Campaign July 1863 . . . . . . . . . . Battle of Gettysburg September 1863. . . . . . . . Battle of Chickamauga November 1863 . . . . . . . . Battle of Chattanooga May 1864. . . . . . . . . . . Battles of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania May - June 1864 . . . . . . . Battle of Cold Harbor May - September 1864. . . . . The Campaign for Atlanta September - October 1864. . . Missouri Fighting December 1864 . . . . . . . . The Battle of Nashville November 1864-March 1865. . . Sherman's March
First Battle of Bull Run - July 1861
The first battle at Bull Run (also called First Manassas), fought during July 21, 1861, was a unique affair in several ways. It was the first major battle of the Civil War. It was fought for the most part by green amateur militia units in front of ladies and gentlemen from Washington, D.C., that actually went out to watch the battle as if it were going to be a picnic. Some of the uniforms worn were at best gaudy and included baggy red breeches, short blue coats, yellow or scarlet sashes about the waist, turbans or fezzes for the head and a New York regiment called the Highlanders had kilts for dress parade. Events leading up to the five hour battle began when reports from Virginia's Potomac frontier to leaders of the Confederate Army indicated that there were plans building in the Yankee capital for an invasion of the Confederacy. Federal General Irvin McDowell commanded a force of over 30,000 men near Washington. McDowell was considered intelligent and energetic but had no experience in field command. According to Confederate reports, he and his army were poised for a drive on Richmond. Jefferson Davis and most of the South felt that for reasons of political prestige and industry the loss of Richmond could not be tolerated. Davis gave the assignment of saving Richmond and stopping McDowell to General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. This short Creole was already a hero to the South as a result of taking Fort Sumter from the Yankees. Some who knew him found him pompous; some, merely vain; others saw him goaded to extremes of braggadocio by his desire for rank and fame. General Beauregard moved his Confederate troops northward from Richmond to Manassas Junction, where the Manassas Gap and Orange and Alexandria railroads met. He set up camp south of a stream called Bull Run and begin preparing to form a defensive line along this stream. Beauregard was uneasy and asking for reinforcements as his troops numbered only a little over 6,000 and were made up of many untrained men and boys. "I must be reinforced at once," he wrote the President, "or I must be prepared to retire (upon the approach of the enemy) in the direction of Richmond, with the intention of arresting him whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself; or I must march to meet him at one of the fords, to sell our lives as dearly as practicable." Beauregard's rhetoric and flair brought more troops to his Bull Run line. By the end of June he had about 15,000 men that made up six brigades. General McDowell on July 16th, began marching his 30,000 troops toward the rebels. Many of the troops were in their teens, wholly ignorant of the horrors of the battle-field. Unused to the rigid discipline of war, many of the men would drop out of line to gather berries or tempting fruits along the roadside or to refill their canteens at every fresh stream of water. Frequent halts were necessary to allow the stragglers to regain their lines. McDowell sent out advance units to probe towards Bull Run and a Confederate outpost at Blackburn's Ford. Alarmed by the advance units and reports from a spy in Washington, Beauregard telegraphed the War Department on the 17th and urgently requested that General Joseph E. Johnston and his 11,000 Confederate troops, which were in the Shenandoah Valley preparing to face 15,000 Yankees, be issued orders to join him. He received the results he wanted. Luck arrived with the orders to General Johnston. Confused by orders from Washington that were unclear and thinking they were outnumbered, the 15,000 Yankees were maneuvering and let Johnston and his troops slip away without an encounter. By the time General McDowell attacked Bull Run on the morning of July 21, three brigades of Johnston's men had arrived and the fourth was on the way. The Rebel army at Bull Run was in no better shape nor possessed more skills than the Federal army. They were, however, fighting a defensive battle which, as numerous battles in the Civil War would show, was easier for untrained troops. General Bee, of South Carolina, and his Confederate troops faced the first assault of the Federal troops. They held their ground until the Federal troops were heavily reinforced and at that point were in jeopardy of being overrun. Bee called for a retreat and as it began his men began to panic and fall into great disorder. Several southern regiments broke and ran. The Yankees began to cheer and thought they were on the verge of a great victory and the civilians that had come to watch the battle applauded their success and apparent victory. They were premature in their celebrations. Beauregard and Johnston galloped to the scene of the battle. Then came a dramatic moment in history that almost all of us remember. General Bee, as his troops were retreating, saw a Virginia brigade of Johnston's troops standing fast and delivering the Federal troops heavy fire. This brigade was led by a former V.M.I. Professor, Brigadier General T. J. Jackson. General Bee saw an opportunity to inspire his men. "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall!" yelled Bee, waving his sword. "Rally behind the Virginians." The expression spread to the army and to the world, and that soldier has since been known as "Stonewall" Jackson. Beauregard and Johnston rallied and turned the fleeing troops and the battle was renewed. Beauregard, like McDowell on the other side, led his men in the thickest of the fight. A bursting shell killed his horse under him and tore the heel off his boot; he mounted another horse and continued the battle. Fresh Confederate troops just off the train from the Shenandoah Valley began to pour into the battle. The Union attack began to fail and McDowell called for a retreat. As the army retreated, panic began to set in and the officers lost control of the men. The running retreating Yankees and their equipment became entangled in the civilians that had come to watch and their carriages, wagons, buggies, and hampers of food and drink. All-out turmoil and chaos grew worse each moment as panicky civilians and disorganized running troops tried to force their way through a tangle of vehicles and debris. The troops refused to listen to any commands; they rushed on and many of them traveled all night, reaching Washington in the morning. The Confederates might have pursued, but did not. Jefferson Davis had reached the scene and he conferred extensively with Johnston and Beauregard. He almost ordered a pursuit but finally did not. In fact, the Confederate army was almost as disorganized by its victory as the Union army was by its defeat. Nearly five hundred of the Union soldiers were killed and fourteen hundred were wounded. The captured and missing brought the Federal loss to nearly three thousand men. The Confederate loss in killed, wounded, and missing was less than two thousand. It seemed at the time that the casualty lists were incredibly large. The later Civil War battles would make them look small. As a result of the battle, General McDowell was demoted and thirty-four year old George B. McClellan was made commander of the new Army of the Potomac. Some attributed bad luck and not bad leadership to the failure of the Federal troops in this battle. Many people in the South thought that this battle indicated that the Federal soldiers were inferior to their own and expected a relatively quick victory in this war. Many of the shamed people in the North agreed with this assessment and thought it best to make immediate peace with the South. They did not realize at the time, that in the end it might have done the Union more good than harm. Bull Run awakened the North to reality and renewed their determination. They came to realize they would have to put together a real army and expert attention would have to be given to the organization of it. Sentiment in the South after the battle was that one "Reb" could whip ten Yankees. It was a great day for the victors, albeit costly. It was going to be far costlier war than they now realized. Article source: A paper titled The Civil War Battle At Bull Run by Lee Whitney who credits the following sources: Irwin Unger, Instant American History; Bruce Catton, Short History of the Civil War, The Coming Fury, and Mr. Lincoln's Army; Frank E. Vandiver, Their Tattered Flags; A. B. Roman, The Military Operations of General Beauregard; Francis Trevelyan Miller, The Opening Battles. Battle results: Approximatly 400 Confederates were killed and 1,600 wounded, of whom some 225 would die of their wounds. Approximatly 625 Union forces were killed and mortally woulded, 950 non-mortally wounded, and more than 1,200 captured. Battle results source: Battle Cry of Freedom By James McPherson Info above from this URL
The first battle at Bull Run (also called First Manassas), fought during July 21, 1861, was a unique affair in several ways. It was the first major battle of the Civil War. It was fought for the most part by green amateur militia units in front of ladies and gentlemen from Washington, D.C., that actually went out to watch the battle as if it were going to be a picnic. Some of the uniforms worn were at best gaudy and included baggy red breeches, short blue coats, yellow or scarlet sashes about the waist, turbans or fezzes for the head and a New York regiment called the Highlanders had kilts for dress parade.
Events leading up to the five hour battle began when reports from Virginia's Potomac frontier to leaders of the Confederate Army indicated that there were plans building in the Yankee capital for an invasion of the Confederacy. Federal General Irvin McDowell commanded a force of over 30,000 men near Washington. McDowell was considered intelligent and energetic but had no experience in field command. According to Confederate reports, he and his army were poised for a drive on Richmond. Jefferson Davis and most of the South felt that for reasons of political prestige and industry the loss of Richmond could not be tolerated.
Davis gave the assignment of saving Richmond and stopping McDowell to General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. This short Creole was already a hero to the South as a result of taking Fort Sumter from the Yankees. Some who knew him found him pompous; some, merely vain; others saw him goaded to extremes of braggadocio by his desire for rank and fame.
General Beauregard moved his Confederate troops northward from Richmond to Manassas Junction, where the Manassas Gap and Orange and Alexandria railroads met. He set up camp south of a stream called Bull Run and begin preparing to form a defensive line along this stream. Beauregard was uneasy and asking for reinforcements as his troops numbered only a little over 6,000 and were made up of many untrained men and boys. "I must be reinforced at once," he wrote the President, "or I must be prepared to retire (upon the approach of the enemy) in the direction of Richmond, with the intention of arresting him whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself; or I must march to meet him at one of the fords, to sell our lives as dearly as practicable." Beauregard's rhetoric and flair brought more troops to his Bull Run line. By the end of June he had about 15,000 men that made up six brigades.
General McDowell on July 16th, began marching his 30,000 troops toward the rebels. Many of the troops were in their teens, wholly ignorant of the horrors of the battle-field. Unused to the rigid discipline of war, many of the men would drop out of line to gather berries or tempting fruits along the roadside or to refill their canteens at every fresh stream of water. Frequent halts were necessary to allow the stragglers to regain their lines. McDowell sent out advance units to probe towards Bull Run and a Confederate outpost at Blackburn's Ford.
Alarmed by the advance units and reports from a spy in Washington, Beauregard telegraphed the War Department on the 17th and urgently requested that General Joseph E. Johnston and his 11,000 Confederate troops, which were in the Shenandoah Valley preparing to face 15,000 Yankees, be issued orders to join him. He received the results he wanted.
Luck arrived with the orders to General Johnston. Confused by orders from Washington that were unclear and thinking they were outnumbered, the 15,000 Yankees were maneuvering and let Johnston and his troops slip away without an encounter. By the time General McDowell attacked Bull Run on the morning of July 21, three brigades of Johnston's men had arrived and the fourth was on the way.
The Rebel army at Bull Run was in no better shape nor possessed more skills than the Federal army. They were, however, fighting a defensive battle which, as numerous battles in the Civil War would show, was easier for untrained troops.
General Bee, of South Carolina, and his Confederate troops faced the first assault of the Federal troops. They held their ground until the Federal troops were heavily reinforced and at that point were in jeopardy of being overrun. Bee called for a retreat and as it began his men began to panic and fall into great disorder. Several southern regiments broke and ran. The Yankees began to cheer and thought they were on the verge of a great victory and the civilians that had come to watch the battle applauded their success and apparent victory. They were premature in their celebrations.
Beauregard and Johnston galloped to the scene of the battle. Then came a dramatic moment in history that almost all of us remember. General Bee, as his troops were retreating, saw a Virginia brigade of Johnston's troops standing fast and delivering the Federal troops heavy fire. This brigade was led by a former V.M.I. Professor, Brigadier General T. J. Jackson. General Bee saw an opportunity to inspire his men. "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall!" yelled Bee, waving his sword. "Rally behind the Virginians." The expression spread to the army and to the world, and that soldier has since been known as "Stonewall" Jackson.
Beauregard and Johnston rallied and turned the fleeing troops and the battle was renewed. Beauregard, like McDowell on the other side, led his men in the thickest of the fight. A bursting shell killed his horse under him and tore the heel off his boot; he mounted another horse and continued the battle. Fresh Confederate troops just off the train from the Shenandoah Valley began to pour into the battle.
The Union attack began to fail and McDowell called for a retreat. As the army retreated, panic began to set in and the officers lost control of the men. The running retreating Yankees and their equipment became entangled in the civilians that had come to watch and their carriages, wagons, buggies, and hampers of food and drink. All-out turmoil and chaos grew worse each moment as panicky civilians and disorganized running troops tried to force their way through a tangle of vehicles and debris. The troops refused to listen to any commands; they rushed on and many of them traveled all night, reaching Washington in the morning. The Confederates might have pursued, but did not. Jefferson Davis had reached the scene and he conferred extensively with Johnston and Beauregard. He almost ordered a pursuit but finally did not. In fact, the Confederate army was almost as disorganized by its victory as the Union army was by its defeat.
Nearly five hundred of the Union soldiers were killed and fourteen hundred were wounded. The captured and missing brought the Federal loss to nearly three thousand men. The Confederate loss in killed, wounded, and missing was less than two thousand. It seemed at the time that the casualty lists were incredibly large. The later Civil War battles would make them look small.
As a result of the battle, General McDowell was demoted and thirty-four year old George B. McClellan was made commander of the new Army of the Potomac. Some attributed bad luck and not bad leadership to the failure of the Federal troops in this battle.
Many people in the South thought that this battle indicated that the Federal soldiers were inferior to their own and expected a relatively quick victory in this war. Many of the shamed people in the North agreed with this assessment and thought it best to make immediate peace with the South. They did not realize at the time, that in the end it might have done the Union more good than harm. Bull Run awakened the North to reality and renewed their determination. They came to realize they would have to put together a real army and expert attention would have to be given to the organization of it. Sentiment in the South after the battle was that one "Reb" could whip ten Yankees. It was a great day for the victors, albeit costly. It was going to be far costlier war than they now realized. Article source: A paper titled The Civil War Battle At Bull Run by Lee Whitney who credits the following sources: Irwin Unger, Instant American History; Bruce Catton, Short History of the Civil War, The Coming Fury, and Mr. Lincoln's Army; Frank E. Vandiver, Their Tattered Flags; A. B. Roman, The Military Operations of General Beauregard; Francis Trevelyan Miller, The Opening Battles.
Battle results: Approximatly 400 Confederates were killed and 1,600 wounded, of whom some 225 would die of their wounds. Approximatly 625 Union forces were killed and mortally woulded, 950 non-mortally wounded, and more than 1,200 captured. Battle results source: Battle Cry of Freedom By James McPherson
Info above from this URL
Civil War Veteran - William Potter Please Sign Our Book Copyright ©1998-2005 zarges All rights reserved Genealogy Home Or Send Us An Email YOUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE A GENUINE SCOTSMAN ShadCat's FREE Genealogy Listings
A GENUINE SCOTSMAN
The cruel war is raging, Johnny has to fight. I want to be with him, from morning 'til night.
I want to be with him, it grieves my heart so, "Won't you let me go with you?", "No, My Love, No."
"I'll tie up my hair, men's clothing I'll put on I'll pass as your comrade, as we march along."
"I'll pass as your comrade, noone will ever know Won't you let me go with you?" "No, My Love, No."
"Oh Johnny, oh Johhny, I fear you are unkind I want to be with you, from morning 'til night."
"I want to be with you, it grieves my heart so, Won't you let me go with you?" "Yes, My Love, Yes."
Lyrics - Version 1 (see info below)
The cruel war is raging Johnny has to fight I want to be with him from morning till night
I'm counting the minutes the hours and the days, Oh Lord, stop the cruel war, for this, my heart prays.
I made my decision, I will join up too, Oh Johnny, dear Johnny, I'll soon be with you.
We women are fighters, we can help you win, Oh Johnny, I'm hoping, that they'll take me in.
Repeat first verse
Lyrics - Version 2
Oh Johhny, dear Johnny, morning, noon and night, I think of you marching, left, right, left and right
I know you're so gentle when you hold me tight, Oh how will they make you get out there and fight?
Go speak to your sergeant, and say you want out, Just say you're allergic to this kind of bout.
Oh Johnny, dear Johnny, yes, I know you're brave, But oh how I miss you, it's your love I crave.
Oh why did the army take you from my side, To go into battle, away from your bride.
Version 1 and 2 above: Information, Lyrics and Music from: The Golden Encyclopedia of Folk Music Lewis Publishing Company Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation Not Dated ISBN 0-88188-380-8
Barry Taylor Information Lyrics I first heard The Cruel War on a Peter, Paul and Mary album. My source traces it back to the American Civil War, but it's likely it is based on an older English tune. I've included two versions of lyrics.
GENEALOGY MAIN PAGE