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Civil War Memoirs of a Virginia
Cavalryman by Lt. Robert T. Hubard Jr.
By Elizabeth Carr
The Civil War Memoirs of a Virginia Cavalryman by Lt. Robert T. Hubard Jr. was about the wartime adventures of Lieutenant Robert T. Hubard Jr. of the 3rd Virginia Calvary, Company G. Hubard accurately described his ordeal through letters and recollections. He gave reasons for the loss of morale and lack of discipline so prevalent among the Confederate ranks. Hubard praised those officers he deemed worthy and criticized those who were not. In addition, Hubard described his role in several campaigns including the Peninsula Campaign, Gettysburg, Chambersburg Raid, Antietam and others. Moreover, Hubard recorded his observations of the election of officers, troop movements, battles, victories, retreats, battle casualties, weather, picket duty, skirmishes and camp life throughout the book.
Hubard volunteered to serve in the Army of Northern Virginia in 1861. He had volunteered for just a year. However, when the Conscription Act of 1862 was enacted, Hubard volunteered again rather than be conscripted. He blamed the Conscription Act for the break down of morale among the troops and one of the key factors leading to the defeat of the Confederacy. The men in his unit in particular were tired, homesick and felt that they had done their duty and it was time for someone else to take their place. On the other hand, Hubard did not have a wife and family to worry about so he felt bound to do his patriotic duty.
Hubard was apart of the elite. His father owned a rather large profitable plantation. Several times, Hubard felt very disadvantage in the early days of the war because he had no servants to tend to his horse. This condition was soon remedied as he had acquired two yellow boys and one black to attend to his horse, cook and black his boots for him. His servants also provided some companionship too. When a soldier scoffed at Hubard being a cavalryman, the black boy told him not to worry because the infantryman was jealous as he was down in the mud while Hubard was on his horse.
The first winter, Hubard did not suffer so much from the cold. However, the second winter was not so comfortable. The weather was very wet. Yet, they had good tents with access to saw mills to make bedsteads and floors for the tents. They built wooden chimneys to keep the tents dry. Therefore, he was not that uncomfortable. There were several accounts where Hubard had to sleep on the ground in the rain, cold and miserable, with his hand on his horse's bridle in order to be ready in case of attack. He did not sleep much those times. Hubard described many miserable days with heavy rain, swollen streams that were difficult to cross and the mud. Their clothing and blankets were wet all the time. Damp rainy days caused his limbs to ache, campfires to smolder and most important their guns not to fire.
Throughout the book, Hubard describes the election of officers by naming names of those officers who resigned and those newly elected. He was nominated in several of these elections but did not win because the other candidates were more popular. Hubard blamed the break down in discipline among the Confederate troops on the election of officers. He stated that officers did not discipline their troops when necessary because they were afraid of being ousted in the next election. Moreover, the troops tended to elect officers based on likability rather than ability. Due to no restraint and lack of discipline, the army lost its morals, unity, morale and self reliance. In addition, many disregarded orders or did not fully obey them.
The breakdown in morale caused a large number of deserters as well as an abuse of the system. For example, when crossing the Potomac River to invade the North, Lee ordered that soldiers that were entirely barefooted should remain in Virginia. After the announcement, Hubard noted that there were a huge number of shoes discarded. Another frequent abuse occurred in the Cavalry. Since the Confederate army could not afford to furnish horses, Cavalrymen were expected to furnish their own. Moreover, they could get leave to go home to get another horse if their horse broke down. Therefore, many broke their horses down on purpose and were able to either stay home or stay on the road going back and forth. The result of this was fewer men at the front to fight. Yet, the privilege of going home for any reason, helped boost the morale of the Cavalryman as opposed to the infantryman who rarely if ever got to go home.
The observations of this eyewitness account told the story of the ordinary soldier and his ordeal without the pomp and the glory of war. For example, during the Peninsula Campaign, Hubard spent his time doing boring picket duty once a week, relieving posts everyday and keeping guard at camp. He was given two days a week to get rations, scout and forage for supplies. Hubard helped build the mainline of offense here by fortifying the breast works. He was very worried about being shot by a Yankee sharpshooter here because there was no cover. To remedy this problem, Hubard gathered brush for cover and carried it about with him as he worked. Moreover, he states that they'd all run if shot at. Hubard described the retreat from the Peninsula. Supplies were sent up the river. Provisions that could not be sent ahead were destroyed. Hubard and his regiment threw tents, cloth, horseshoes, tools, picks, spades, shovels and more provisions into the river so the enemy would not benefit from them. Torpedoes were set to many of the stores as booby traps. In their haste, one such torpedo was accidently set off killing a few Confederates. The cavalry had to protect the rear during retreat. Hubard and his unit were ordered to avoid a fight even though the Yankees were clearly in sight above their location. When they got to the beach, Hubard and his unit started throwing off saddlebags, blankets and anything else that might weigh down their horse so the horse could run faster. When they went inland, the foot soldier trudged through the woods with extreme difficultly cursing the war and longing for home. It was easier to make their way through the tangling shrubs and vines rather than sink ankle deep in the mud on the roads. Hubard noted after this retreat, the troops were very tired, hungry and thirsty. They had no fire or water. There was a rush on firewood and they ate crackers and raw meat and were glad to have it. After each engagement of the enemy, Hubard recorded the casualties of the troops. In addition, he often recorded the names of a few of the men in his regiment who were wounded or killed after each engagement in more detail.
The Memoirs of a Virginia Cavalryman is significant because it is a record of the observations of an ordinary soldier who was an eyewitness to many important battles as well as the everyday drudgery of camp life. This book would be a good resource for anyone researching the Civil War in Virginia as it covers the war from start to finish. Moreover, it gave an incite in how the army felt about their leaders, the war in general, conditions, orders, retreats and so forth as the war progressed.
Bibliography
Hubard, Robert. The Civil War Memoirs of a Virginia Cavalryman. Edited by Thomas Nanzig. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2007.
Elizabeth Carr - is a history major at UNCA you can read more articles using this link [http://www.ashevillelist.com/History.htm ]example history essays
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Civil-War-Memoirs-of-a-Virginia-Cavalryman-by-Lt-Robert-T-Hubard-Jr&id=1616280 ] Civil War Memoirs of a Virginia Cavalryman by Lt Robert T Hubard Jr
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Robert Smalls Was a Slave
and Civil War Hero
By Jake Hickory
 Robert Smalls was a slave born on April 5, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina. His mother was a house slave, his father an unknown white man. When Robert was only 12-years-old, he began working in the Charleston, South Carolina shipyards.
Smalls was 23-years-old when he became the pilot of a steam-powered side-wheeler named the Planter. The Planter was used to move cotton bales through the coastal waters of South Carolina. The Confederate States of America also used the Planter for missions in waters held by the Rebels.
On May 13, 1862 slave Robert Smalls dressed as the Planter's captain, and with help from family and other slaves, he commandeered the boat. As a ship pilot, Smalls knew the necessary signals that would allow the Planter to get by the Rebel-held Fort Sumter. Smalls took the Planter out to the Yankee navy boats blockading Charleston, and turned the boat over to the Union. Smalls, and the other slaves on board, gained their freedom. The Union got the Planter, along with four cannon, the cannon's armament, and important intelligence regarding Confederate defenses in Charleston.
Smalls continued to pilot boats, but now he did it for the Union. As a civilian, Robert Smalls became the Planter's captain and the boat took part in 17 engagements during the Civil War. On April 7, 1863 Smalls was piloting an ironclad ship named Keokuk during an attack on the Rebel-held Fort Sumter. During a flotilla attack of this engagement, Smalls was injured in his eyes while piloting the Keokuk. The ironclad Keokuk Smalls piloted was hit 90 times, most of the hits were at or below the ironclad's waterline. The Keokuk sank the next day.
Robert Smalls was rewarded with fame and fortune for his heroic actions. Smalls met President Abraham Lincoln, and helped in fund-raising activities. Smalls learned how to read. President Lincoln signed a Congressional bill awarding prize money in the amount of $1500 to Smalls (Smalls' associates also received money).
In August of 1862, Robert Smalls and a missionary named Mansfield French met with President Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Smalls and Mansfield were asking Lincoln and Stanton for authorization to recruit African-American troops. Soon permission to raise the African-American troops was obtained.
Robert Smalls' success did not end when the Civil War ended. After the Civil War, Smalls purchased the home of his former owner and master, and the slave quarters he was born in. He lived in his former master's home the rest of his life. Smalls became a politician and served in the South Carolina house of representatives for two years, and then in the state senate for three years. His record was not without blemish however, as a state senator Smalls took a $5,000 bribe and was sentenced to three years in prison. Smalls was pardoned and served no time.
Robert Smalls was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1875 and served five terms. Later, he was the collector for the Beaufort, South Carolina port. Congress awarded Robert Smalls a $30 a month pension in 1897, then he was awarded $5,000 in 1900 for capturing the side-wheeler Planter. Smalls died in 1915.
There is nothing small about Robert Smalls' life accomplishments.
About the Author
I have been blogging about American Civil War history and stories since 2005. The history and lessons of the Civil War are always important to know and learn about. There is something about America's Civil War that captures and holds our interest and imagination, it's truly an amazing story.
If you want to learn more about the Civil War, then please stop by my Learn Civil War History blog: http://www.learncivilwarhistory.com
I hope you found this article interesting and want to learn more about the Civil War. Thank you for stopping by.
Your Obedient Servant,
Jonathan R. Allen
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Robert-Smalls-Was-a-Slave-and-Civil-War-Hero&id=3461995 ] Robert Smalls Was a Slave and Civil War Hero
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