Five Forks 1865: The Acoustic Shadow, Willie Pegram and Warren's Firing

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

On April 1, 1865, after nearly 10 months of siege at Petersburg, the dirt crossroads of Five Forks guarded the South Side Railroad, Robert E. Lee's last supply line. Lee ordered George Pickett to hold it at all hazards, but Pickett's exhausted men, fresh from fighting at Dinwiddie Court House, built a thin line of shallow ditches and pine logs about a mile and three quarters long, ending in a vulnerable refused flank. That afternoon Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee rode off to a shad bake hosted by Thomas Rosser across Hatcher's Run without telling anyone they were leaving.

A temperature inversion and dense pine forest created an acoustic shadow, so the generals heard nothing while Philip Sheridan's assault struck their line. Gouverneur K. Warren's Fifth Corps, delayed by mud and a collapsed bridge at Gravelly Run, swung too far east but came out behind the Confederate flank and rolled it up. Thousands surrendered, Lee informed the government that Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated, and the Appomattox campaign began. That evening Sheridan relieved Warren of command, a decision a court of inquiry overturned in 1883, months after Warren's death.

The shad for the lunch had been caught in the Nottoway River and brought up to the lines packed on ice.
Artillery chief Colonel Willie Pegram was the senior officer on the field without knowing the generals had left.
Pegram was mortally wounded at the crossroads after ordering his gunners to fire canister low.
Estimates of Confederates captured range from 2,400 to 4,000, against just over 800 Union casualties.
Warren asked to be buried in civilian clothes rather than an Army uniform.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Marras 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Marras 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Marras 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Marras 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Marras 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Marras 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Marras 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Marras 21min