Sutton
and the Civil War Sesquicentennial
This article first appeared in Sutton Life Magazine in May, 2012.
This article first appeared in Sutton Life Magazine in May, 2012.
There
will be a new and exciting addition to Sutton’s annual Dugout Days this summer.
The First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry, a Civil War reenactment group from Omaha
and Lincoln will be in camp north of the park replicating camp life and will
engage in two skirmishes demonstrating tactics and maneuvers.
The 1st Nebraska Volunteer Infantry - coming to Sutton |
The
Civil War Sesquicentennial (150 year anniversary) has been underway for a year.
The war began in April of 1861 and lasted until April of 1865. Although Nebraska
did not became a state until 1867 and Sutton was settled in 1871, Nebraska and
Sutton settlers played a big part in the war.
The
reenactment group chose their name in honor of the Nebraska Territory’s 1st
Nebraska Infantry Regiment. This regiment was mustered into service in Omaha under
the command of Colonel John M. Thayer immediately after the beginning of
hostilities. The unit was only half formed when it boarded the river steamer
“West Wind” bound for battlefields in the south in late July, 1861.
The
rest of the regiment caught up weeks later and the Nebraska 1st was
assigned to scout in Missouri and Arkansas engaging in several skirmishes. In
February, 1862 the unit saw its first of two major battles at Fort Donelson,
Tennessee followed by the Battle of Shiloh a couple of months later.
It
was at Fort Donelson that the 1st Nebraska Infantry earned its
reputation as a superior fighting force. Nebraska history buffs need only a bit
of imagination, some revisionist history, a dash of reductionism and pride to
claim that the 1st Nebraska Infantry’s performance at Donelson was
the turning point in the defeat of the Confederacy. (How’s that again?)
Follow
me here: The front at the beginning of the Civil War stretched from the
Atlantic west to the Mississippi Valley and even into Texas and New Mexico. A
long front like that favors a smaller army willing to operate as an insurgency
force striking quickly and fading away then moving on to strike again forcing
the larger force to spread out and defend large territories. The larger force
will be unable to bring its strength to bear in any decisive manner. The
Confederacy was very successful in the early stages of the war especially in
the West. The Battle at Fort Donelson became a critical battle in the war.
The
Confederate Army was carrying the day when at one point the focus of the battle
came to the 1st Nebraska Infantry. In the words of Battalion
Commander General Lew Wallace (later author of the novel “Ben Hur”) writing of
the Nebraskans,
“They met the storm, no man flinching,
and their fire was terrible. To say they did well is not enough. Their conduct
was splendid. They alone repelled the charge.”
The
1st Nebraska Infantry “repelled the charge” turning the tide of the
Battle of Fort Donelson in the Union’s favor. That battle was the turning point
of the war in the West leading shortly to General Grant’s win at Shiloh and the
Union Army’s control of the Mississippi Valley. The defeat of the Confederate
Army in the West enabled the Union to concentrate forces in the East where
their greater numbers, superior transportation system and industrial strength
wore down the Rebels. See what I mean?
Of
course, other advocates may point to other critical turning points but
Nebraska’s claim is credible, supportable and we’re going to go with it.
But
what was Sutton’s contribution to the Civil War? There wasn’t much here on the
banks of School Creek at the time. Well, many, if not most of the early Sutton
settlers were Civil War vets. And a particular Sutton dentist gave us our next
story. Dr. Howe learned about 1896 that the War Department was honoring him
with a medal – The Medal of Honor.
Orion
P. Howe was 12 years old when he and his younger brother Lyston joined the 55th
Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment as musicians where their father William
was the regimental band leader. Subsequent events suggest that the job
description for musician probably included the phrase, “…and other duties as
assigned.” For on May 19, 1863, Howe’s unit was surrounded by Confederate
forces at Vicksburg and running out of ammunition. He put down his drum.
Howe
and others volunteered to sneak through the enemy lines to find General W. T.
Sherman and request more ammunition. But Howe’s commander, Colonel Malmborg
apparently ordered the wrong caliber of ammunition so Howe and more volunteers
agreed to finish the assignment – accounts are somewhat vague here. On the
second run the others were all killed or otherwise taken out of action and only the severely wounded Orion made
it through to Gen. Sherman.
Col. Malmborg and Pvt. Orion P. Howe |
Orion
P. Howe’s Medal of Honor citation reads,
“A drummer boy, 14 years of age, and
severely wounded and exposed to heavy fire from the enemy, he persistently
remained upon the field of battle until he reported to Gen W. T. Sherman the
necessity of supplying cartridges for the use of troops under command of
Colonel Malmborg.”
Howe’s
further distinction, not surprisingly, is being the Medal of Honor recipient
who was the youngest at the time of the action that earned the award.
Dr.
Howe had moved his dentistry practice to Clay Center, Kansas by 1900 and in
1920 he was a 71 year old retired widower in Jefferson County, Colorado. Orion
Perseus Howe died on January 27, 1930 and is buried in the Springfield National
Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.
Author
G. Clifton Wisler wrote a novel “The Drummer Boy of Vicksburg” based on the story
of young Orion. There will be a copy in the Sutton Library by the time you read
this.
The
list of Sutton’s founders and early settlers is filled with the names of Civil
War vets: Clark, Gray, Walton, LeHew, Lewis, Corey, Dinsmore, Stewart,
Wittenberg, Merrill, Meyer, Longstreth and many more. Our cemetery is dotted
with emblems from veterans of that war including two Confederate soldiers.
The
addition of a Civil War enactment during Dugout Days adds a major entertainment
event, a chance to recognize the 150th anniversary of that war and
to remember those in Nebraska and Sutton’s past who served with distinction in
that war, especially Corporal (and Dr.) Orion P. Howe. I wouldn’t be surprised
to see some young fellow making an ammo run in our reenactment this summer.
This
article first appeared in the May, 2012 issue of Sutton Life Magazine. For more
information about this local Sutton publication contact Jarod Griess at neighborhoodlife@yahoo.com or
402-773-4203.
Youngsters, MEDAL OF HONOR is a big deal. |