Bombproof Huts in the Civil War

O'Sullivan, Timothy H., 1840-1882, photographer. "Bombproof huts in the front line before Petersburg, August 10, 1864." 1 photographic print on card mount : half stereograph, albumen.. 1864 Aug. Printed between 1880 and 1889. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012646253/ (Accessed 11/13/2013)

Bombproof Huts in the Civil War

Bombproof huts close to the front lines, made to withstand a bombardment. Bombproof Huts for "Colored" Troops, are basically a board over a ditch. Not much protection but generally the bombardment was towards the front lines so you would position the boards to deflect debris. Unfortunately if you were under this, and they were shelling you directly, it is not much cover.

Train Wreck

Russell, Andrew J., photographer. “Derailed train, Manassas, Va.” 1 photographic print on card mount : gelatin silver. Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed later. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington; Brady-Handy Collection http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012649985/ (Accessed 11/06/2013).

Train Wreck

Pictures of a derailed train, a destroyed bridge and a self propelled car on a bridge.

O'Sullivan, Timothy H., 1840-1882, photographer. "Destruction of a railroad bridge." 1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen ; 4 x 7 in. Hartford, Conn. : War Photograph & Exhibition Company, [photographed May 26, 1864, printed later] Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92503706/ (Accessed 11/05/2013)

Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. "Bridge over Running Water Creek destroyed during the Civil War; [Self-propelled coach]." 1 photographic print on card mount : gelatin silver. Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed between 1880 and 1889. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012649843/ (Accessed 11/6/2013)

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FR2MT7I

http://civil-war-diary.blogspot.com/2013/11/train-wreck.html

8 Inch Brooke Rifle in Revetment

Browne, William Frank, photographer. “Same gun, as shown in no. 1015, with Hurdle Revertment (i.e. revetment) and Epaulement - unfinished battery.” Stereograph showing a soldier facing the cannon in a trench fortified with gabions. James River in the background. 1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen ; 8 x 17 cm. Washington, DC : Philp & Solomons, 1865. Library of Congress Civil War Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011646191/ ( Accessed 10/28/2013)

8 Inch Brooke Rifle in Revetment

This Rifle weighed 21,987 lbs., and the Revetment was made using grape vine Cambions rolled out to hold the dirt in place. In this picture you can see the position is built up above the lay of the land with the ability to shoot at ships on the river. This particular Revetment is on the James River and it shows the techniques used at the time.

Here is the position before the dirt and sand was filled in.

Browne, William Frank, photographer. “Eight inch Brooke rifled gun, weighing 21,987 lbs., in unfinished battery wood-hurdle revertment (i.e. revetment), anchored by grape vines.” Stereograph showing a soldier standing next to a mounted cannon on the James River above Dutch Gap Canal. 1 photographic print on stereo card: albumen ; 8 x 17 cm. Washington, DC : Philp & Solomons, between 1861 and 1865. Part of series: View of Confederate Water Batteries on James River. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division; Civil War Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011646163/ ( Accessed 9/28/2013).

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FR2MT7I

http://civil-war-diary.blogspot.com/2013/10/8-inch-brooke-rifle-in-revetment.html

Breastworks (Trenches)

“Rebel breastworks in front of Petersburgh (i.e. Petersburg). The small mounds with chimneys are the soldiers' quarters, under ground.” 1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen ; 8 x 18 cm. New York : E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., American and Foreign Stereoscopic Emporium, 501 Broadway, 1865 April 3. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Civil War Photograph Collection Part of series: The War for the Union. Photographic History. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011649170/ (Accessed 10/28/2013).

Breastworks (Trenches)

They used Gambions which war basically wicker barrels filled with sand to create Breastworks and revetments for guns. The soldiers would live inside of these positions and they could quickly be made with the Gambions which look like barrels in some photographs but are actually a quick method of building a fortification that can withstand an artillery attack.

So when Richard talks about sighting the enemy from the Breastworks, he is talking about this type of structure.

Fort Henry Guns

"Dutch Gap Canal, James River, Virginia. A 10-inch Columbiad gun on the James River above Dutch Gap Canal." 1 negative : glass, stereograph, wet collodion ; 4 x 10 in.1865 Apr. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003006042/PP/ (Accessed 10/23/2013)

Fort Henry Guns

Fort Henry had two big guns, the 10 in Columbiad (depicted above) and a 24 inch Rifled Gun, and 32 pounder smooth bores. The 32 pounders were from naval ships and were mounted in forts all over the Confederacy. Unfortunately most of them were under water when the Union Navy showed up to fire at close range on the fortress. A 24 pounder rifled gun is depicted in the picture below as the gun with the crew and the gun in the foreground is a 32 pounder.

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

"Destruction of the rebel ram "Arkansas": By the United State gunboat "Essex," on the Mississippi River, near Baton Rouge, August 4th 1862." 1 print : lithograph, hand colored. New York: Currier & Ives, [1862?] Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/91795896/ (Accessed 10/18/2013).

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

Richard faced this ship in three different battles, at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and at Port Hudson where it was the only Ironclad gunboat in the lower Mississippi Fleet. The rest of those ships were oceangoing warships and some of them were in Commodore Perry's trip to Japan ( 1852-1854).

Gunboats that fired on Fort Henry

“[USS CINCINNATI] The gunboat that fired the first shot at Fort Henry.” 1 photomechanical print: halftone Halftone repro. of photo in Miller, Photographic History of the Civil War, 1911 edition, vol. 1, p. 185. 1911. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006691870/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

Gunboats that fired on Fort Henry

The Cincinnati (Ironclad) and the Lexington (Timber Clad) were at Fort Henry. The Pittsburg was part of the northern fleet.

The Upper Mississippi River Fleet

“The Mississippi River Fleet at Mound City, Illinois” 1 photographic print on card mount: albumen. Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed between 1880 and 1889]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/cwp/item/2013647493/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

The Upper Mississippi River Fleet

These are the ships that started at Cairo Illinois and went up the Ohio River to Tennessee River to Fort Henry and then most of them went down to the Ohio River and then up the Cumberland River to Fort Donelson.

“Federal tranports in the Tennessee River” 1 photographic print : albumen. Hartford, Conn: Taylor & Huntington, No. 2 State St., [between 1861 and 1865] Part of series: The War for the Union. Photographic War History, 1861-1865. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012647172/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FR2MT7I

Flooding of the Tennessee Valley leads to battle

Waud, Alfred R. (Alfred Rudolph), 1828-1891, artist. "Position of ft. Henry on Tennessee River." 1 drawing on light green paper : pencil ; 8.9 x 12.8 cm. (sheet). Formerly Waud no. B-27. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Morgan collection of Civil War drawings. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004660528/ (Accessed 10/17/2013)

Flooding of the Tennessee Valley leads to battle

The Tennessee River flooded, and as the water rose, Fort Henry became partially submerged, including about half of its cannons. You could land troops directly into the fort by water. This gave the North a wonderful opportunity to take not only Fort Henry but Fort Donelson which was just a few miles to the East Northeast on the Cumberland River. If the North could take Fort Henry, they could attack Fort Donelson from the River with Ironclads and from the land and lay Siege to the garrison.

Trains, Railroad Bridges, Train Wrecks and "The General"

Waud, Alfred R. (Alfred Rudolph), 1828-1891, artist. "Destruction of the locomotives on the bridge over the Chickahominy." 1 drawing on brown paper : pencil, Chinese white, and black ink wash ; 18.3 x 25.9 cm. (sheet). 1862 June. Library of Congress Morgan collection of Civil War drawings. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004660377/ (Accessed 10/16/2013).

Trains, Railroad Bridges, Train Wrecks and "The General"

Richard's first battle was to keep control of the Danville Railroad Bridge over the Tennessee River. This bridge was vital to the South for supplying Forts Henry and Donelson and the North wanted it to cut off their supply chain and to use it to bring supplies when they invade eastern Tennessee. So in this case everyone wanted to keep the bridge intact and so it became a battle of control.

Richard Lauren McClung

Richard Lauren McClung

My great great grandfather Richard Lauren McClung passed this diary down to his grandson Sergeant James Monroe Pepper who was my great uncle and a hero of the Second World War, a combat medic in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and southern France, he wanted me to understand the cost of freedom.