This is

The End

of

The Battle of Aiken .

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Scroll to the bottom of this page and view this album moving upwards.

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I hope you enjoyed this blog and thanks for looking.

Eye Witness Accounts of the Battle of Aiken

I find the battle itself to be interesting because it was fought in 1865 on the streets that we travel every day in downtown Aiken. For you history buffs, since this battle was fought at the end of the war in the midst of the Confederate defeat, the Battle of Aiken makes few history books. But the victory here was crucial to the local history of the region because the victory prevented the destruction of the local economy and enabled Aiken and Augusta to withstand the Reconstruction period better than other more devastated areas of the South.
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Here's one accounting of the events of the day, 141 years ago on February 12, 1865:

As Kilpatrick's men moved towards Aiken, residents of the county realized that their worst fears were coming true. Mr. James Courtney determinedly extinguished three fires that Union Cavalry had started to destroy his home. Each time Courtney extinguished the fire, the cavalry would restart it. After the third time, the cavalry shot him in the leg to prevent him from saving his house. Mr. Courtney sent a request for a Union surgeon to come stop the flow of blood, but the surgeon refused to come and Mr. James Courtney slowly bled to death while his home burned in front of him. Courtney was possibly the first casualty in Aiken County.
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A lady reported on the destruction and pillage of personal property: "It may have been an hour after their arrival when Pauline came rushing to me saying the Yankees had come - our first floor was specially filled with armed men. At first I very politely unlocked several trunks assuring them that they only contained ladies apparel, but this band of 150 men ransacked every nook and corner, breaking open trunks and boxes, singing, whistling, swearing. One young villain come in, fastened the doors, demanded our watches, and using the most profane language and terrible threats ordered us to confess where our gold and silver was buried. The entreaties of our faithful servants alone saved the house from conflagration. They began digging and found all the concealed provisions but gave us a few hams and some rice. We have lost all our silver, china, and glass. All our blankets, quilts, shawls and all the pillow cases were used as bags to remove provisions."
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One of the oldest families in Aiken is the Toole family:

"Ramsey and Kelly Toole, brothers at home because they were too young to fight, had ropes placed around their necks and were threatened with hanging if they didn't reveal where their horses were hidden in the swamps. Their mother was forced to prepare dinner for the officers, only to see her dishes thrown against a tree when they were through. Even after this, a fire was started under the Toole house as they left, although Mrs. Toole was able to extinguish the blaze."
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Wheeler, the Confederate Major General, consolidated his troops in Aiken where he devised a plan to surprise and trap Kilpatrick, the Union Brigadier. The Aiken Home Guards scouted and advised Wheeler as to Kilpatrick's movements. Wheeler formed his cavalry in the shape of a V, with the bottom of the V pointed west towards Augusta. The railroad and Park Avenue ran down the center of the V. A thin line of skirmishers was deployed between the top tips of the V which paralleled Williamsburg Street. The plan was for Kilpatrick's line to charge the retreating Confederates into the V. Wheeler would then collapse the tops of the V around Kilpatrick and surround him.

Although civilians had warned Kilpatrick that Wheeler was in Aiken, the officer leisurely marched toward the town. On February 11, the Union troops marched up Park, Richland, and Barnwell Avenues. Wheeler's advanced picket line on Williamsburg Street fell back as planned toward York Street. But here the plan fell apart. An Alabama trooper fired his gun prematurely, thus springing the trap too soon. Wheeler ordered all units to attack. The engagement occurred on Richland Avenue in front of the Baptist Church amidst yells and shouted commands in hand to hand battle. Scattered fights occurred in other parts of the town including a desperate fight around the Williams house off South Boundary. To add to the confusion, a Federal battery of the 10th Wisconsin lobbed 59 shells into the town.
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The best description of the battle is from John Reed of the 92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry:

"We were within a half mile of the town of Aiken, when we discovered long lines of rebel cavalry. The column halted - Kilpatrick came dashing up the head of the column and desired to know the reason of the halt. Just then a locomotive ran out in plain view near Aiken and whistled and whistled. Kilpatrick brought up the artillery and sent a few rifled shells toward the locomotive and into the town. Kilptrick also called on the 92nd Silver Cornet Band to play Yankee Doodle. The next thing in order was for the 92nd Illinois to charge into the town.

"Now we felt we were going into a trap, but Kilpatrick took the lead. The ladies of the town waved their handkerchiefs in welcome and smilingly invited the officers and men into their houses. But that kind of a welcome was unusual in South Carolina. It was an additional evidence of danger. In the farther edge of the town the enemy was in the line of battle. After the accidental shot, the officers quickly formed the regiment to charge back again to the brigade, the rebels having formed a line in our rear.

"Every man in the regiment appeared to be conscious that the only way to get out was to assault the rebel line and cut a hole in it. We rode forward to the charge. The rebels awaited our approach until within close range, when they demanded a halt and surrender, and were answered by every man in the regiment pumping into them the eight Spenser bullets in his trusty repeating rifle. It was a desperate charge, and the men fought face to face and hand to hand.

"Now the brigade bugle sounded the charge and with a yell the 9th Ohio and the 9th Michigan charged into the town of Aiken, recapturing a great many of the boys who had been held prisoners. We were five miles from camp where the balance of the division lay behind their rail barracks. The rebels of Aiken came thundering down upon our four little regiments, and the five miles back to camp was a battle field all the way!"

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Private D.B. Morgan of the 5th Georgia Cavalry, gives a Confederate account of the battle:

"General Wheeler was trying to entrap Kilpatrick and capture his whole force. This ruse, no doubt, would have worked well but for the extra enthusiasm of an Alabama regiment who opened fire and thus precipitated a general engagement. Our regiment had just been issued sabers with wooden scabbards, which were awkwardly attached to our saddles. I was mounted on a very fine mule. We charged the enemy through scrub oak forest and an open peach orchard through the village, driving them back. It was an all-day fight.

"As we halted in one of the charges, my mule was shot from under me, the ball passing immediately under my left leg and entering the poor creature's heart. With an unearthly yell, she bounded into the air and in falling, caught me half dismounted, with my left leg under her body. The soft plowed ground on which I fell prevented its being broken."

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The Rev. John Henry Cornish of St. Thaddeau Church (a church we drive by all the time, built in 1842) would write:

"Several shells came whizzing by us from a battery on Railroad Avenue. Two shells went through the house at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Laurens Street (our main downtown street). One struck in the yard of the old parsonage. The enemy came nearly to the street passing the west end of the Aiken Hotel (we were just in the hotel a week ago). The bugles sounded a charge. It is marvelous what a different aspect was thrown over the scene in an instant. The horses started and came tearing down Richland Street, the men rising in their stirrups, with their pistols in their hands, yelling and screaming, each one looking as if he could devour a dozen Yankees. The enemy was driven back. Five of our wounded were brought to my house where the surgeons attended to them. Two of the killed were taken to the St. Thaddeus church yard, where they were put in coffins and buried."

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The Union troops skirmished with Wheeler for the rest of the day and the following day, February 12. Kilpatrick sent out a flag of truce that evening to exchange and recover the dead and wounded. On February 13, Kilpatrick moved out of Aiken to rejoin Sherman in the march towards Columbia (which was ultimately devastated).

Twenty Union soldiers lie buried in the First Baptist Church graveyard (we drive by on our way downtown), while two Tennessee cavalrymen lie in the St. Thaddeus graveyard. It is presumed that the rest of the Confederate dead were shipped to their homes.

Wheeler was hailed as savior by the citizens of Aiken and the Governor of South Carolina. If not defended against, Kilpatrick would have undoubtedly destroyed Aiken.

Battles Fought on Southern Soil

In closing this blog album about the Battle of Aiken, I guess I would have to say that some in South Carolina, and maybe throughout the South, are still lamenting over the Civil War. Course the following words from William Tecumseh Sherman as he rested his trooops in Savannah didn't encourage feelings of unity or endearing sentiments:

"When I go through South Carolina, it will be one of the most horrible things in the history of the world. The devil himself couldn't restrain my men in that state."

Taps for the Lost

A bugler played a sad rendition of taps on the battlefield in honor of all the dead and a respectful silence fell across the area. The battle was over and it appeared that the Union soldiers had won, something we'd heard didn't happen.

Evidently, as explained by a very astute little boy standing in front of us whose father was one of the Confederate soldiers who had "died" a few feet away, this was Part 1 of the battle when the Yankees won. Part 2 would be tomorrow and then, oh glory, the men in gray would win this Battle of Aiken and push Sherman's men back to Columbia, thereby saving Aiken and Augusta from total destruction.

So the battle was over and although we wanted to stay and browse the souvenir shops and listen to the folk music once more, we were frozen and wet, so we left the Battle of Aiken site with a bit more of an understanding of the old sentiments down here.

Casualties on Both Sides

As the bodies began to fall on the front lines, it became apparent that we were re-living an event in history that had previously meant nothing to us. Since our lives hadn't been affected, the realization that these battles actually took place in towns and villages like Aiken became more vivid in our minds.

The following chilling message is from Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, the Union Brigadier, to William Tecumseh Sherman on February 8, 1865:

"General: I will encamp to night at Williston and de-stroy some track; February 9 (will be) at or before Windsor, and the following day make demonstrations toward Augusta. Will, if prudent, destroy Government property at Aiken, and as much railroad as possible and return to Windsor. I will be prudent, bold, but not rash."

After that message was sent, Kilpatrick crossed into what is now Aiken County, engaged with Major General Joe Wheeler's Cavalry and The Battle of Aiken began.

A Challenge

We thought this photo was a classic - one on one - Confederate vs. Union.

We Had "Front Row Seats"

Much of this battle was fought right in front of us - no more than 20 yards away, if that.

Get Ready, Aim, Fire!

It was interesting to watch the little boys attending this event with their families. Almost all of them had toy shotguns and were "shooting" the bad guys - the Yankees! It seemed there was no middle ground here - clearly the Confederates were the good guys. I wondered how the Civil War was really being explained to these children. Seemed likely they were being told it was an unfair war brought on by greedy Northern Yankees.

A Rebel Charge

A Smokey Battlefield

I should point out that the battlefield filled up with heavy smoke after several volleys of cannon fire on both sides just as it would have during the real battle. Soldiers were fighting blind in many cases, as shown in our photos as well.

The Confederate Soldiers Regroup

Bob got some great shots during this 45-minute, very well executed battle - the cannons and shotguns were firing blanks, but the deafening sounds, vibrationing ground, fire and smoke were very real. Because February 12, 1865 could have been a cold, miserable day like February 25, 2006, we got a very clear idea of what conditions might have been like for soldiers on both sides of the battlefield that day 141 years ago.

The Battle of Aiken is On

Here

Come

the

Yankees!

Exploding Confederate Cannons

One of Many Cannons

The Cannon's Roar

Anticipation was building as we heard cannon's thunder in the distance and saw huge clouds of smoke in the sky - it was getting colder and the rain was relentless too. Let's get this battle going, we thought!

The next few photos are of the preparation for the battle itself.

Confederate Emblems Everywhere

There were Confederate emblems everywhere: hats, flags, umbrellas, t-shirts, jackets, purses, scarves, ponchos, you name it. Here Bob posed by a Confederate flag at the campsite.

An Old Confederate Soldier

We thought this gentlemen was particularly interesting. His uniform looked 141 years old!

A Confederate Camp Meeting

Confederate Soldiers

The next few photos are ones we took as we walked around the grounds before the actual battle re-enactment took place.

Sons of Confederate Veterans of 1896

I met an attractive, well-dressed, southern gentlemen (who was not in costume) as we left the songfest who was a member of the organization called the Sons of Confederate Veterans, that sponsored the Battle of Aiken each year. He was a walking history book, which many Southerners seem to be, particularly about the Civil War. His philosophy was that the Civil War was started, among other things, because Southerners were selling their crops to Britain for $3 a pound vs. the $1 a pound paid by the North. He said it was just a matter of commerce and good sense to do business with England, but the North objected.

He also mentioned that during Reconstruction, the Southern property owners were taxed so highly by the "Yankees, er - I mean the Reconstruction government", that most people who hadn't already lost everything, did so then because they had no means to pay the taxes. He said the south didn't really begin to recover from the war until the 20's and 30's. He felt that history skewed the entire event.

Well, as Northerners, this was all news to us. Or should I say, we'd never thought about it. To us, growing up in Iowa and Nebraska, the Civil War was just another event in American history for which we had to learn names and dates. We thought the Civil War was fought primarily to abolish slavery. However, it appears to a great many Southerners that was just a convenient excuse.

He also mentioned that this event couldn't be sponsored by any local, county or state government - it wouldn't be politically correct, he said. Some people might not understand.

Read the Lyrics of the Song

We soon got into the spirit of things, though, and I would have loved to have been all decked out in a hoop skirt with oodles of frothy petticoats, black leather high-button shoes, and a dainty felt hat with a feather perched over my eye! But it was pouring rain and practicality ruled, at least for me. After viewing a lot of interesting souvenir tents with an abundance of Confederate flags, hats and other memorabilia, we happened upon a tent filled with music.

A group called the "Un-Reconstructed" were playing a fiddle, mandolin, penny whistle, banjo, guitar, base, harmonica and a "jaw harp". They were singing some catchy tunes, but one got our attention. It was a little ditty called "I'm A Good Ol' Rebel". The lyrics were: "I hates the Yankee nation and everything they do, I hates the Declaration of Independence, too. I hates the glorious Union, Tis drippin' with our blood, I hates the stripped banner, I fought it all I could!"

I thought these lyrics were pretty funny and openly smiled as they played. But I began to notice that the crowd around me were not smiling. In fact, most of these people were taking this song pretty seriously. So since we hadn't heard anyone else who spoke like us (ah, no Southern accent) we concluded that Yankees were in the minority here, or more likely, we were the only Yankees around, so we quietly listened without comment, and subdued the smiles. This was all done tongue-in-cheek - well, at least we think so, ha!

Women in the Camp

Not only were there hundreds of men dressed in Confederate Army uniforms, but there were many women who were in hoop-skirted dresses, shawls, capes and be-ribboned hats. In some of the souvenir tents, women's clothing was being sold right down to the details of pantaloons and high-button shoes. And many people who were dressed this way, also dressed their children in what appeared to be authentic Civil War garb. We felt like we were at a huge costume party, but no one told us to wear a costume!

An Actual Confederate Camp

When we arrived, we discovered dozens and dozens of tents set up in three areas. In the first area the tents contained concessions, food and drinks. In the next area the tents contained Civil War and Confederate Army souvenirs, clothing, books, artifacts, jewelry, weapons and antiques. In a separate area the tents were reproductions of actual Confederate camps. This area was occupied by hundreds of people wearing what appeared to be authentic Confederate Army uniforms and gear, with a few uniformed Union Army personnel thrown in for good measure.

What a Miserable Day

We awoke the first morning of the Battle of Aiken to a steady rain and temperatures in the low 50's. But we had looked forward to this event for weeks and weren't going to miss it over a bit of rain (albeit the 3rd straight Saturday of rain). We bundled up, put on our hiking boots, got our umbrellas and set off in the SUV. The literature suggested you allow an hour to park and get in as last year there were 10,000-15,000 in attendance. There weren't the crowds we expected, probably due to the weather, but we were fine with that - fewer people meant better viewing. (We found out later there were 2000 people in attendance with us.)

Bob and Marti Are Off to the Battle of Aiken

THE BATTLE OF AIKEN,

SOUTH CAROLINA

We learned about the re-enactment of the 1865 Civil War battle in Aiken, South Carolina one afternoon while visiting the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Since the original battle was fought by appoximately 6000 Union and Confederate soldiers on horseback and on foot in front of what is now the First Baptist Church on Richland Avenue near downtown Aiken, we found the whole idea to be fascinating, and enthusiastically purchased two tickets for the weekend of February 25 and 26, 2006.