Battle of Aiken

Last updated
Battle of Aiken
Action at Aiken
Part of the Campaign of the Carolinas
DateFebruary 11, 1865
Location
Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States (1863-1865).svg United States Flag of the Confederate States of America (1865).svg Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick Joseph Wheeler
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
45-495 [1] 50-251 [1]

The Battle of Aiken (also known as the Action at Aiken) occurred on February 11, 1865 and was part of the Carolinas campaign. [2] The principal commanders were Union Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and Confederate Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. Wheeler was able to score a minor victory over Kilpatrick. Today, an annual re-enactment is held the final full weekend in February. As of May 2022, 28 reenactments of Aiken have been held. [3]

Contents

Battle

Fighting

Before the battle, on February 1, General Sherman began his invasion of South Carolina. [4] During the campaign he ordered Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and his cavalry corps from the Fifth U.S Cavalry to march through South Carolina. [4] [5] By February 5, he crossed into Aiken County where he would engage in battle with Joseph Wheeler's cavalry corps. Wheeler attacked Kilpatrick, who expected little resistance, despite having orders to not pursue Kilpatrick's cavalry. [5] Wheeler moved to defend the city of Augusta from the Union army. His army was stationed at 204 Park Avenue between Benjamin Franklin Cheatham and James Argle Smith's forces. [5] The Aiken Home Guard and a cavalry corps were under Wheeler's command. [4] [6] He planned to defeat Kilpatrick by forming his cavalry into a V-shaped formation with skirmishers deployed above it. When Kilpatrick charged the skirmishers, they would retreat into the center of the "V." Once Kilpatrick entered the formation the tips of the "V" would collapse, thus encircling Kilpatrick. [4] On February 11, at 9:00 AM, [6] the battle started.

Wheeler’s plan was prevented from coming to fruition due to a single Confederate soldier who prematurely fired their gun. [4] [5] [7] Resulting in Wheeler ordering all of his soldiers to attack the Union forces. [4] The armies engaged in hand-to-hand combat throughout the town. [4] During the fighting, it was reported that a Confederate soldier ran up to Kilpatrick and attacked the general with his pistol. However, the pistol did not fire. [4] After Kilpatrick was defeated, he retreated back to his defenses at Montmorenci. For the rest of the day, Confederate and Union soldiers skirmished. This continued until the two commanders signed a truce and agreed to collect the bodies. [4] Later, on February 13, Kilpatrick retreated and rejoined Sherman. [4] Despite this, Kilpatrick declared himself victorious. In the aftermath of the battle, Wheeler's decision to attack Kilpatrick left the Edisto River, and in turn Columbia, vulnerable. [8]

Casualties

According to General Kilpatrick, he had killed 31 Confederate soldiers, wounded 160, and captured 60. This would result in the Confederates taking 251 Casualties. [4] However general Wheeler states that he had suffered 50 casualties and that he had killed 53 Union soldiers, wounded 270, and captured 172. [4] This totals to 495 Union Casualties. [4]

To commemorate the battle, a granite monument was erected at the intersection of Richland Avenue and Chesterfield Street. [2] The people of the country reenact the battle annually on rural land located several miles away from the area where the battle was actually fought. According to the Southern Cultures journal, the residents of the city possibly reenact this battle as an attempt to score a "symbolic blow against the hated enemy of their ancestors and perhaps, against what they see as their enemies modern counterparts: The champions of political correctness in general and historical revisionism, and beyond those a leviathan bureaucratic state, which intervenes in their lives in unwanted (as well as welcome) ways." [2] The first reenactment of the battle happened in 1965. It was organized by John A May and Herman Boland. Both of these men were descendants of Confederate veterans. According to the Southern Cultures journal, the tradition of reenacting the battle had become "suspect." Resulting in the people of the town trying to "hold on to their 'southernerness'" by defending the practice. In 2005 Christopher Forbes and with Michael G. Hennessy directed and co-wrote The Battle of Aiken, a film about this battle. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Petersburg</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a classic military siege, in which a city is encircled with fortifications blocking all routes of ingress and egress, nor was it strictly limited to actions against Petersburg. The campaign consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which Union forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully and then constructed trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles (48 km) from the eastern outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, to around the eastern and southern outskirts of Petersburg. Petersburg was crucial to the supply of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. Many of these battles caused the lengthening of the trench lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Stones River</span> Major battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Of the major battles of the war, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. The battle ended in Union victory after the Confederate army's withdrawal on January 3, largely due to a series of tactical miscalculations by Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, but the victory was costly for the Union army. Nevertheless, it was an important victory for the Union because it provided a much-needed boost in morale after the Union's recent defeat at Fredericksburg and also reinforced President Abraham Lincoln's foundation for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which ultimately discouraged European powers from intervening on the Confederacy's behalf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta campaign</span> Campaign during the American Civil War

The Atlanta campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May 1864, opposed by the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Upperville</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21, 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gettysburg campaign</span> Military campaign during the American Civil War


The Gettysburg campaign was a military invasion of Pennsylvania by the main Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee in summer 1863. It was the first time during the war the Confederate Army attempted a full-scale invasion of a free state. The Union won a decisive victory at Gettysburg, July 1–3, with heavy casualties on both sides. Lee managed to escape back to Virginia with most of his army. It was a turning point in the American Civil War, with Lee increasingly pushed back toward Richmond until his surrender in April 1865. The Union Army of the Potomac was commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker and then by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cavalry Corps (Union Army)</span> Military unit

Two corps of the Union Army were called Cavalry Corps during the American Civil War. One served with the Army of the Potomac; the other served in the various armies of the western theater of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Judson Kilpatrick</span> Union United States Army general, politician (1836–1881)

Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appomattox campaign</span> Series of battles in the American Civil War ending with Confederate surrender (1865)

The Appomattox campaign was a series of American Civil War battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that concluded with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia to forces of the Union Army under the overall command of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, marking the effective end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristoe campaign</span> Military campaign in Virginia during the U.S. Civil War

The Bristoe campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Lee countered with a turning movement, which caused Meade to withdraw his army back toward Centreville. Lee struck at Bristoe Station on October 14, but suffered losses in two brigades and withdrew. As Meade followed south once again, the Union army smashed a Confederate defensive bridgehead at Rappahannock Station on November 7 and drove Lee back across the Rapidan River. Along with the infantry battles, the cavalry forces of the armies fought at Auburn on October 13, again at Auburn on October 14, and at Buckland Mills on October 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Gettysburg, third day cavalry battles</span> Battle of the American Civil War

On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the disastrous infantry assault nicknamed Pickett's Charge, there were two cavalry battles: one approximately three miles (5 km) to the east, in the area known today as East Cavalry Field, the other southwest of the [Big] Round Top mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolinas campaign</span> Military campaign, American Civil War

The Carolinas campaign, also known as the campaign of the Carolinas, was the final campaign conducted by the Union Army against the Confederate Army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. On January 1, Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The campaign culminated in the defeat of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army at the Battle of Bentonville, and its unconditional surrender to Union forces on April 26, 1865. Coming just two weeks after the defeat of Robert E. Lee's army at the Battle of Appomattox Court House, it signaled that the war was effectively over.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia</span> 1864 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Waynesboro was an American Civil War battle fought on December 4, 1864 in eastern Georgia, towards the end of Sherman's March to the Sea. Union cavalry forces under Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick defeated Confederate cavalry led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, opening the way for William T. Sherman's armies to approach their objective, Savannah.

The Battle of Griswoldville was the first battle of Sherman's March to the Sea, fought November 22, 1864, during the American Civil War. A Union Army brigade under Brig. Gen. Charles C. Walcutt fought three brigades of Georgia militia under Brig. Gen. Pleasant J. Philips, at Griswoldville, near Macon, Georgia, and continued its march toward Savannah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Buck Head Creek</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Buck Head Creek was the second battle of Sherman's March to the Sea, fought November 28, 1864, during the American Civil War. Union Army cavalry under Brig. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick repulsed an attack by the small Confederate cavalry corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, but abandoned its attempt to destroy railroads and rescue Union prisoners of war.

The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads was a battle during the Carolinas Campaign of the American Civil War in Cumberland County, North Carolina, on the grounds of the present day Fort Liberty Military Reservation. Involving about 4,500 men, it pitted mounted Confederate cavalry against dismounted Union cavalry. It was one of the last all-cavalry battles of the Civil War. The inconclusive fighting lasted for several hours early on the morning of March 10, 1865. The Confederate attack delayed the United States cavalry's movement toward Fayetteville, denying Brevet Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick the honor of entering the town first.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fight at Monterey Pass</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Fight at Monterey Pass (or Gap) was an American Civil War military engagement beginning the evening of July 4, 1863, during the Retreat from Gettysburg. A Confederate wagon train of Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, withdrew after the Battle of Gettysburg, and Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. H. Judson Kilpatrick attacked the retreating Confederate column. After a lengthy delay in which a small detachment of Maryland cavalrymen delayed Kilpatrick's division, the Union cavalrymen captured numerous Confederate prisoners and destroyed hundreds of wagons.

The 5th Ohio Cavalry Regiment was a regiment of Union cavalry raised in seven counties in southwestern Ohio for service during the American Civil War. It primarily served in the Western Theater in several major campaigns of the Army of the Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retreat from Gettysburg</span> A timeline of events for the Confederate Army after losing the Battle of Gettysburg

The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia began its Retreat from Gettysburg on July 4, 1863. Following General Robert E. Lee's failure to defeat the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg, he ordered a retreat through Maryland and over the Potomac River to relative safety in Virginia. The Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, was unable to maneuver quickly enough to launch a significant attack on the Confederates, who crossed the river on the night of July 13 into South Mountain through Cashtown in a wagon train that extended for 15–20 miles, enduring harsh weather, treacherous roads, and enemy cavalry raids. The bulk of Lee's infantry departed through Fairfield and through the Monterey Pass toward Hagerstown, Maryland. Reaching the Potomac, they found that rising waters and destroyed pontoon bridges prevented their immediate crossing. Erecting substantial defensive works, they awaited the arrival of the Union army, which had been pursuing over longer roads more to the south of Lee's route. Before Meade could perform adequate reconnaissance and attack the Confederate fortifications, Lee's army escaped across fords and a hastily rebuilt bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bentonville</span> 1865 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Bentonville was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th New York Cavalry Regiment</span> 5th New York Cavalry in the American Civil War 1861–1865

The 5th New York Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 5th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry and nicknamed the "1st Ira Harris Guards", was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment had a good fighting reputation, and had important roles in the Battle of Hanover and the Battle of the Wilderness. It was present at nearly 175 battles and skirmishes, including Gettysburg, Opequon, and Cedar Creek. A majority of its fighting was in Virginia.

References

  1. 1 2 "Battle of Aiken". battleofaiken.org. Archived from the original on October 21, 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Farmer, James (2005). "Playing Rebels: Reenactment as Nostalgia and Defense of the Confederacy in the Battle of Aiken". Southern Cultures. University of North Carolina Press. 1 via JSTOR.
  3. "Battle of Aiken continues Sunday". Post and Courier. 26 Feb 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Battle of Aiken". battleofaiken.org. Archived from the original on October 21, 2004. Retrieved 2020-09-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Yellow House and the Battle of Aiken". Aiken Regional Medical Centers. 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  6. 1 2 Reynolds, Donalds; Kele, Max (1969). "A YANK IN THE CAROLINAS CAMPAIGN: THE DIARY OF JAMES W. CHAPIN, EIGHTH INDIANA CAVALRY". The North Carolina Historical Review. North Carolina Office of Archives and History. 46: 42–57 via JSTOR.
  7. "Battle of Aiken Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  8. Berg, Gordon. "Five or Ten Minutes of Blind Confusion: The Battle of Aiken, South Carolina, February 11, 1865." America's Civil War, vol. 32, no. 2, May 2019, p. 59. Gale Academic OneFile.
  9. Forbes, Christopher (2005-08-26), The Battle of Aiken (Action), Gabriel Baxley, Troy H. Bradley, Jerry Chesser, Tripp Courtney, retrieved 2020-09-03

Further reading