Bloody Redemption: Deshler's Brigade at Chickamauga

 

Brigadier General James Deshler 

Meeting Defeat at Arkansas Post

Confederate Colonel James Deshler was at the peak of his frustration. On January 11, 1863, after an intense firefight at Arkansas Post against overwhelming odds, he was ordered to surrender by the garrison commander, Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill. Deshler was not one to give up without a fight, preferring to fight until the last cartridge was spent. Seeing captured regimental flags dispersed among the hated Yanks further darkened his mood. Who better to reveal that mood to than the Union commander – General William Tecumseh Sherman. I approached Deshler “wishing to soften the blow of defeat,” Sherman recalled. “I spoke to him kindly, saying that I knew a family of Deshlers in Columbus, Ohio, and inquired if they were relations of his. He disclaimed any relation with people living north of the Ohio, in an offensive tone.” Now prisoners of war, Deshler and his fellow officers were transported to the frozen hell hole of Johnson Island, Ohio. For the enlisted men from Texas, their prison camp was worse - Camp Douglas near Chicago.

Camp Douglas and Confederate Prisoners

Death Camp

Camp Douglas was a filthy, disease-ridden prisoner of war camp that was as dangerous to its guards as it was to its prisoners. Initially a training camp for Union enlistees, the camp eventually became a prison camp under the firm hand of General Jacob Ammen. One thousand, five hundred ragged prisoners from Fort Hindman near Arkansas Post arrived on January 30, 1863. Many were already sick from the wretched conditions inside the fort. Weak from illness and a poor diet, they were more than vulnerable to a variety of fatal diseases that included smallpox, pneumonia and typhoid. A reporter described them as “being more poorly clad, dirtier, and more cadaverous than any that have been in camp before.” By the time of their arrival, the camp was buried under snow and ice and battered by sub-zero winds. Prisoners slept two to three in a bunk without bedding and blankets, facilitating the spread of disease. Before the end of April 1863, the Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas were exchanged. The surviving Arkansas Post prisoners were transported to Fort Monroe, Virginia then released into the Confederacy and renewed service in the Confederate Army. Out of the 3,932 prisoners at Camp Douglas, 792 died from exposure and disease. The time spent at Camp Douglas would be nothing compared to the battle they faced ahead.

Major General Patrick Cleburne

Cowards On the Rebound

Because of their surrender at Arkansas Post, the exchanged Texans arrived at Tullahoma, Tennessee under the cloud of cowardice.  They were determined to prove otherwise. The Texans were consolidated into two regiments. The first regiment consisted of the 6th and 10^th Texas Infantry Regiments and the dismounted 15^th Texas Cavalry Regiment under the command of Colonel Roger Q. Mills. The second regiment consisted of the dismounted 17^th,18^th, 24^th, and 25^th Texas Cavalry Regiments under Colonel Franklin C. Wilkes. Alongside the 19^th and 24^th Arkansas Infantry Regiments, they were placed under the command of the newly promoted Brigadier General James Deshler and then attached to General Patrick Cleburne’s Division of the Army of Tennessee. A stickler for drill and discipline, Cleburne had his brigades drill seven hours a day.  A private in the 18^th Texas Cavalry recalled Cleburne “drills us very hard; we will soon be as well drilled as any troops in the service.” Among the former prisoners, morale improved. They were becoming soldiers again.

Major General Braxton Bragg

Bragg's Dilemma

During the summer of 1863, the Confederacy was reeling from defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. Adding to this humiliation, the Army of Tennessee, led by Major General Braxton Bragg, was maneuvered out of Chattanooga by Major General William Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland. Fortunately, the retreat was orderly, but Bragg’s blood was up. He wanted to attack and recapture Chattanooga. To help him out, he was reinforced by the detached brigades of Major General James Longstreet from the Army of Northern Virginia. Bragg gathered his troops just south of the Tennessee-Georgia border along a meandering stretch of water called Chickamauga Creek or as the Cherokee’s once called it – the River of Death. The dense pine forest nearby hindered movement and visibility. To make matters worse, there was dissension between Bragg and his officers, leading to costly delays and poor coordination of troop movements. As a result, Confederate attacks were piecemeal and easier to repulse than a single, massive well-coordinated attack.

Battle of Chickamauga

Dresler's Redemption

The Battle of Chickamauga began in earnest on September 19,1863 after Bragg’s troops crossed Chickamauga Creek and drove off Union pickets guarding the creek’s bridges. Both sides formed opposing lines in a north to south crescent shape with the Confederate line pointed inward. Bragg attacked first, trying to outflank Rosecrans’ left. Heavy cannon and musket fire left heaps of mangled corpses for over half a mile. Cleburne’s troops followed suit, marching northward for 3 to 4 miles to attack the Union left. Along the way, Deshler’s men received jeers and catcalls from veteran Confederate troops who recognized them. They became soaked after wading through the autumn chilled waters of Chickamauga Creek. Under the command of Lieutenant General D. H. Hill, Cleburne’s Division was placed on the far right of Bragg’s line. Following costly morning and afternoon attacks from other Cofederate units, Cleburne was ordered to attack the Union left under the command of Major General George Thomas. At 6:00 PM, Deshler’s Texans stepped out, joining a mile long Confederate line.  In the evening darkness, they encountered the 77^th Pennsylvania and 79^th Illinois Infantry Regiments. Overwhelmed by a devastating volley and subsequent charge, they surrendered to the Texans. For the first time, Deshler’s men tasted victory. Three hundred prisoners were taken along with their battle flags. Deshler’s men settled in for the night while the Union line refortified. The Confederate advance stalled the following day. Private William J. Oliphant of the 17^th Texas Cavalry wrote, ”The enemy’s fire was terrific. Besides the infantry’s fire, eighteen Napoleon guns poured a deadly shower of grape and canister into our ranks as we advanced. Half our brigade went down before the terrible rain of missiles.”   Oliphant was among the fallen. Taken to a makeshift field hospital, he later wrote, “Hundreds of blood-covered men were lying in the straw and the number constantly increased as the ambulances and litter-bearers arrived from the battlefields. Many of the wounded were groaning, a few were crying out in agony, while others were quietly dying.”

Deshler's Advance

Epilogue

An erroneous order by Rosecrans left a gap on his line’s right side. Longstreet’s troops poured through, forcing the Union right to dissolve into chaos. Rosecrans retreated to Chattanooga, followed by Bragg’s Confederates who laid siege to the city. Deshler was killed when a shell fragment hit him in the chest, ripping the heart from his body. He was among the eight brigade commanders, from both sides, that were killed that day. Overall, 35,000 men from both sides became casualties, making Chickamauga the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The Confederate victory, however, was pyrrhic, resulting in more losses than the Union side. Amid the heavy losses, the Texans redeemed themselves and earned a measure of respect they sorely lacked.

Check It Out

Check out the book "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863" by Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Joseph L. Owen. The book describes the actions of the Texas regiments during The Battle of Chickamauga.