In 1865 in America, the 13th Amendment get rid ofing bondage was officially ratified, and the Ku Klux Klan was formed. Most of Americans in 1860 lived pacifically in farms and little towns ; nevertheless by 1865 the Civil War had changed that landscape dramatically.
By the beginning of 1865 the Confederacy was in rags. Its soldiers by now were more disquieted about nutrient and apparels than contending. Robert E. Lee, who was now in charge of all the forces of the South, was urgently inquiring for more money for his military personnels in Congress to no help. General Lee stated, ” I had been up to see the Congress, and they do non look able to make anything except to eat peanuts and chew baccy while my Army is hungering. ” ( Burns 1989 )
Atlanta had been ransacked and burned to the land by General William Tecumseh Sherman, and the remainder of Georgia and the Carolinas were incapacitated before his progress. General Sherman had said, ” My purpose so was to flog the Rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their innermost deferrals, and do them fear and fear us. War is inhuman treatment. There is no usage seeking to reform it. The crueler it is, the Oklahoman it will be over. ” ( Burns 1989 )
After his echoing triumph in Atlanta, General Sherman proposed to President Lincoln his most dare program yet. He was to process his military personnels from Atlanta all the manner into the Atlantic to present the metropolis of Savannah and the province of Georgia. Lincoln advisers thought this program foolhardy, the President approved it.
For several hebdomads the people and the imperativeness in the North wondered about Sherman and his Army. While the General and his Army was making mayhem and desolation throughout the Confederacy during his “ March to the Sea ” and efficiently using his rule of “ adust Earth ” , back in the North they thought them lost. However, on December 25 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman wrote to President Lincoln, “ Dear Mr. President, I beg to show you as a Christmas gift, the metropolis of Savannah with 150 heavy guns and plentifulness of ammo. Besides, approximately 25,000 bales of cotton ” . ( Burns 1989 )
Military historiographer David J. Eicher wrote that Sherman “ defied military rules by runing deep within enemy district and without lines of supply or communicating. He destroyed much of the South ‘s possible and psychological science to pay war. ( wikipedia 2011 )
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After resting his military personnels in Savannah for about one month, Sherman directed his attending to the Carolinas. Before going Savannah, General Sherman clearly expressed his purposes towards the topographic point where sezession began, ” When I go through South Carolina, it will be one of the most atrocious things in the history of the universe. The Satan himself could n’t keep my work forces in that province. ” ( peter 2010 )
By 1 February 1865, run to South Carolina had begun, and Sherman ‘s chief aim was to maintain the Confederates thinking as to where his following move was traveling to be. He wanted them convinced that his following onslaught was traveling to be either Augusta, or Charleston ; while his existent aim was to take Columbia, South Carolina.
General Sherman ‘s forces were divided among Maj. General Oliver O. Howard, who had been sent to Beaufort via ship from Savannah, Georgia and General Henry Slocum. General Howard was to process towards Charleston, S.C. whereas General Slocum was to travel up towards Augusta, GA. , where the Confederacy gunpowder Millss where located. General Sherman ‘s horse commanding officer, General Hugh J. Kilpatrick and his horse were with this wing. General Kilpatrick was better known as “ Kill Cav ” for his heedlessness in conflict that got his ain work forces killed, was objectionable, braggart and a ill-famed womaniser. ” ( peter 2010 ) . He represented everything that Southerners disliked as the quintessential “ Yankee ” .
General Sherman had instructed Kilpatrick to sham an progress on Augusta in conformity to his programs of maintaining the enemy guesswork as to what his existent aim was. As General Kilpatrick kept progressing towards Augusta, one more, little route block remained in the South Carolina side ; the town of Aiken, which was merely 15 stat mis from Augusta. ” Aiken ‘s was non strategically of import to Sherman ‘s programs. However, an onslaught on the town of Aiken would rise the Confederate frights of an progress on Augusta. ” ( major brushs, conflicts and actions in South Carolina 2005 ) .
Waiting for Kilpatrick at the town of Aiken was Major General Joe Wheeler ‘s horse, who was a conflict hardened veteran of about every conflict fought by the ground forces of Tennessee. “ Contending Joe ” , as he was called, had been a changeless nuisance to the federal forces since the Atlanta run, and was by all histories a superb horse officer. ( major brushs, conflicts and actions in South Carolina 2005 ) .
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conflict order
Confederate Forces:
Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler
Capt. T. F. Percival, aˆ?Aiken Home Guards
Brig. Gen. William Wirt Allen ‘s Division
Brig. Gen. Robert Houston Anderson ‘s Brigade:
3rd Confederate, Cavalry
8th Confederate Cavalry
tenth Confederate Cavalry
5th Georgia Cavalry
Col. James Hagan ‘s Brigade:
1st Alabama Cavalry,
3rd Alabama Cavalry
9th Alabama Cavalry
12th Alabama Cavalry
51st Alabama Cavalry
Col. C. C. Crew ‘s Brigade:
1st Georgia Cavalry aˆ?
2nd Georgia Cavalryaˆ?
3rd Georgia Cavalry aˆ?
6th Georgia Cavalry
Brig. Gen. William Young Conn Humes ‘ Division
Col. George G. Dibrell ‘s Brigade:
4th Tennessee Cavalry
11th Tennessee Cavalry
Shaw ‘s Tennessee Battalion
Col. H. M. Asby ‘s Brigade:
1st Tennessee Cavalry
2nd Tennessee Cavalry,
5th Tennessee Cavalry
9th Tennessee Cavalry
Brig. Gen. Thomas Harrison ‘s Brigade:
3rd Arkansas Cavalry
8th Tennessee Cavalry
8th Texas Cavalry ( Terry ‘s Texas Rangers )
11th Texas Cavalry
Federal Forces:
Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Lt. Col. William B. Way ‘s 4th Brigade:
held in modesty
Col. George E. Spencer ‘s 3rd Brigade:
held at Windsor
Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jordan ‘s 1st Brigade:
held at Montmorenci
Brig. Gen. Smith D. Adkin ‘s 2nd Brigade at Aiken:
92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry
9th Michigan Cavalry
9th Ohio Cavalry
tenth Ohio Cavalry
tenth Wisconsin Light Artillery ( Peter 2010 )
General Wheeler intended to utilize Kilpatrick ‘s ain heedlessness to his advantage, and had planned for a well-disguised trap. On the forenoon of the 11th of February 1865, General Kilpatrick ordered the progress of the Second Brigade, under the bid of General Adkin towards the town of Aiken. The 92nd Illinois was to be the progress for the Brigade. With one battalion of the 92nd helping as brushs, they were able to force the Confederate forces they encountered to the bounds of Aiken with virtually no resistant. ( major brushs, conflicts and actions in South Carolina 2005 )
Wheeler had concealed his forces and had his horse formed in the form of a V, with the underside of the V indicating west toward Augusta. He would so deploy little brushs to the top of the V and lure Kilpatrick into following these work forces as they fell back towards the whirl of the V. Wheeler would so fall in the tops of the V environing him. ( peter 2010 )
Even though he was certain of the presence of Wheeler ‘s military personnels in the town, Kilpatrick ordered the 92nd to maintain forcing into Aiken. Liing in forepart of the Federals was Wheeler ‘s about whole force. He had carefully concealed his divisions of Humes ‘ and Allen in the town. Wheeler ‘s trap nevertheless did non work to perfection, as an overeager Alabama cavalryman fired his rifle prematurely. In malice of it, Wheeler ordered all units to assail and was able to environ the Federal forces barricading their line of retreat. Adkin so, seeing no other options, ordered a little brush up front while the remainder of the 92nd charged the forces barricading the rear to plug a hole through the enemy line. They succeeded and were able to withdraw towards the line of conflict of Adkin ‘s brigade, who was so able to utilize their superior fire power to halt the Confederates progress. During this pandemonium, the Confederates even charged at the personal guard of General Kilpatrick ‘s about capturing him. ( major brushs, conflicts and actions in South Carolina 2005 )
“ Commanding officers in their studies frequently overestimated their opposition ‘s casualties and downsized their ain. Kilpatrick states that Wheeler lost 31 killed, 160 wounded and 60 taken captives, for a sum of 251 Confederate casualties. Wheeler admitted 50 killed and wounded. Wheeler besides claimed that the Confederates onslaught resulted in 53 killed, 270 wounded and 172 captured, or 495 Union casualties in all. Kilpatrick admitted to losing 25 killed and wounded and less than 20 captured.
Entire Federal casualties were between 45 and 495, while the Confederates lost between 50 and 251. Twenty Union soldiers lie buried in the First Baptist Church cemetery, while two Tennessee troopers lie in the St. Thaddeus cemetery. It is presumed that the remainder of the Confederate dead were shipped to their places.
The citizens of Aiken, the governor of South Carolina and Gen. D. H. Hill hailed Wheeler as Jesus. If non defended against, Kilpatrick would hold doubtless destroyed Aiken, and the Graniteville Millss. ” ( peter 2010 )
Although of no great strategic importance, The Battle of Aiken and the licking inflicted upon Kilpatrick by Wheeler, is important to the local history since it saved the part from certain devastation, and farther economic sufferings. This allowed the part to defy the Reconstruction period with a little more easiness than other bedraggled countries of the South.
