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War of the Rebellion 1861-1865
Four Fowler Sons Go to War for their Country
"With malice toward none; with charity for all;
with firmness in the right,
as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we are in;
to bind up the nation's wounds;
to care for him who shall have borne the battle,
and for his widow, and his orphan--
to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting
peace,
among ourselves,
and with all nations."
--Abraham Lincoln, 2nd Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
All four Fowler sons from western Virginia, volunteered for
service in the Union Army and fought with the regiments of their new home state, Wisconsin.
The western counties of Virginia refused to leave the Union.
West Virginia fought with the North and Virginia fought with the South, brother against brother. Their homeland
of Virginia was divided, as was our nation.
Over 620,000 soldiers died in the Civil War. With the number of Americans today,
that would equal over 5 million lives lost.
CLICK HERE to read the story of the Fowler sons on the first days they left Wisconsin with the Sauk County Riflemen, who became
the Iron Brigade. This account was published in the local paper.
Richard J. Fowler
First Son
Born Nov 1, 1836
Enlisted Oct 23, 1861
Celebrated his 25th Birthday during first week of service
Private
Company D
11th Infantry
Richland County Plowboys
Discharged May 1862
Wounded, Disability
Richard was the oldest of the Fowler sons. He joined the Richland
County Plowboys, the 11th Wisconsin Regiment, Company D, on October 23, 1861, the 3rd son to volunteer for the war.
11TH INFANTRY: The 11th regiment was attached to the second brigade,
under Gen. Hovey, in Gen. Steel's command, and under orders to proceed south, passed through Missouri to Arkansas.
COMPANY D: was organized in September, 1861, and first went into
camp at camp Randall, where the men were mustered into the service of the United States, with Jesse S. Miller, as captain.
Organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in October 18, 1861. Ordered
to St. Louis, Mo., November 19, thence to Sulphur Springs and duty there and by detachments along Iron Mountain Railroad until
March, 1862. Attached to Dept.of Missouri to March, 1862. Ordered to Pilot Knob, Mo., March 12, 1862, thence moved to
Reeve's Station, Black River, March 23-27, and to White River April 19.
District of Southeast Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, May, 1862. 1st Brigade,
1st Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Dept.of Missouri, to July, 1862.
March to Batesville, Ark., thence to Helena, Ark., May 25-July 13.
It's first engagement, of any note, was at Bayou Cache, July 7, 1862, when companies
D, G, H, and I, held in check a vastly superior force of rebels, until the arrival of reinforcements...
Richard was wounded and sent
home by May, 1862, so there must have been fighting by the 11th, prior to July 1862.
Allison J. Fowler
2nd Son
Born Dec 12, 1838
Enlisted May 10, 1861 with brother Jim
Age 22
6th Regiment
Company A
Sauk County Riflemen
Veteran, Corporal, Sergeant
Wounded: South Mountain, Gettysburg and Weldon R.R. , VA
Killed in Action: Feb 6, 1865, Hatcher's Run
The Richmond / Petersburg Campaign of Jan-Mar 1865
The Battle of Hatcher's Run
Buried in VA, location to be found and honored.
Searching for the story of the 6th Wisconsin, Company A,
we discovered that Allison served with the Iron Brigade of the Army of
the Potomic, so named because "they stand like iron" in the face of fear.
"Under command of Col. Rufus. R. Dawes, The Iron Brigade "won merited
distinction at Gettysburg."
"No more famous unit fought at Gettysburg than the Iron Brigade of the
Army of the Potomac."
More about the Iron Brigade to come...
Click to see Link to Allison at Hatcher's Run and commendation in: A Full Blown Yankee of the Iron Brigade, Service with the
6th Wisconsin volunteers by Rufus R. Dawes, 1890
Allison's record of service
follows:
Organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wis., and mustered in July 16, 1861.
Left State for Washington, D. C., July 28. At Harrisburg, Pa., till August 3, then moved to Washington. Attached to King's
Brigade, McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the
Potomac, to April, 1862. 3rd Brigade, King's Division, Dept.
of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 4th Brigade,
1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, to March, 1864.
1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to September, 1864.
1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.-Camp
on Meridian Hill and duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862.
Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-16. Advance to Falmouth April 9-19. Duty at
Falmouth and Fredericksburg till August McDowell's advance on Richmond March 25-29.
Clicking on underlined place names will take you to a record of the battle.
Operations against Jackson June
2-11. Reconnoissance to Orange Court House July 24-27. Reconnoissance to Frederick's Hail Station and Spottsylvania Court
House August 5-8. Thornburg's Mills (or Massaponax Church) August 5-6. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the
Rappahannock August 21-23. Action at Gainesville August 28. Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30; Chantilly , September 1 (Reserve). Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of South Mountain , Md., September 14; Antietam, September 16-17. At Sharpsburg till October 30. Advance to Falmouth, Va., October
30-November 22. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. At Belle Plain till April 27.
Expedition to Heathville February 12-14. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek April
29-May 2. Fitzhugh's Crossing April 29-30. Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg , Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap. Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of
the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Haymarket October 19. Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May
4-June 15, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness , May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12 Spottsylvania Court House , May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 23. On line of the Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor , June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg, June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Weldon Railroad , August 18-21, 1864. Boydton Road , Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865.
We honor Allison Fowler and all the brave soldiers of both sides who have
given their lives for freedom.
After Allison was killed, the 6th Wisconsin Iron Brigade went on to serve
through the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox and the end of the Civil War.
Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Lewis Farm , near Gravelly Run, March 29. Boydton and White Oak Roads March 30-31. Five Forks , April 1. Fall of Petersburg , April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Courthouse, April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D. C., May. Grand
Review May 23. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 17. Mustered out July 2, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 16 Officers and 228 Enlisted men killed and mortally
wounded and 1 Officer and 112 Enlisted men by disease. Total 357.
Read excerpts from a book written by a history professor who
lives near where Allison fought in the battle of Wilderness.
In honor of Allison Fowler, the Story of Hatchers Run:
Other Names: Dabneys Mill, Rowanty Creek, Armstrongs Mill, Vaughan Road
Dates: February 5-7, 1865
Principal Commanders:Commanders:
Maj. Gen. A.A. Humphreys and Maj. Gen. G.K. Warren [US];
Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon [CS]
Forces Engaged: 48,352 total (US 34,517; CS 13,835)
Estimated Casualties:2,700 total
On February 5, Bvt. Brig. Gen. David Greggs cavalry division rode out to the Boydton
Plank Road via Ream's Station and Dinwiddie Court House in an attempt to intercept Confederate supply trains. Maj. Gen.
G.K. Warren with the V Corps crossed Hatchers Run and took up a blocking position on the Vaughan Road to prevent interference
with Greggs operations. Two divisions of the II Corps under Maj. Gen. A.A. Humphreys shifted west to near Armstrongs
Mill to cover Warrens right flank. Late in the day, Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon attempted to turn Humphreys right flank
near the mill but was repulsed. During the night, the Federals were reinforced by two divisions. On February 6,
Gregg returned to Gravelly Run on the Vaughan Road from his unsuccessful raid and was attacked by elements of Brig. Gen. John
Pegrams Confederate division. Warren pushed forward a reconnaissance in the vicinity of Dabneys Mill and was attacked
by Pegrams and Maj. Gen. William Mahones divisions. Pegram was killed in the action. Although the Union advance
was stopped, the Federals extended their siegeworks to the Vaughan Road crossing of Hatchers Run.
Result: Union gained ground.
Among the 2700 dead in Virginia, were the Brig. General of the Confederate division and Allison J.
Fowler.
Click here to read more about Allison Fowler....
James B. "Jim" Fowler
3rd Son
Born Nov 8, 1840
Enlisted May 10, 1861 with brother, Allison
6th Regiment
Company A
Sauk County Riflemen
Age 22, Celebrated 23rd Birthday during first week of service.
Private
Discharged May 2, 1862, disability
Residence: Kingston
Re-enlisted Nov, 4, 1863 to May 5, 1865
Served with brother, Burgess
17th Regiment
H Company
Sargeant
Second Lieutenant
Residence: Baraboo
James and younger brother, Allison, signed up together on the same day
for the 6th Wisconsin Volunteers, Infantry, Company A. They were among the first in the Union to serve and left
home for the war together, within a few weeks of the Governor's call to arms.
By the winter of 1861, 6 months later, James had "contracted
rheumatism and became so ill he had to be discharged". Many of the men in the Wisconsin 6th were sent home with
grave illness that first year. Allison went on alone. Two years later, James re-enlisted in the Wisconsin
17th Regiment, Company H, and fought beside his younger brother, Burgess. That shows us what kind
of man he was.
On May 5, 1865, James was promoted to Second Lieutenant and fought
those final battles with Burgess, through Atlanta and on to the sea that ended with the surrender of the Confederate
Army. His record of service will follow with Burgess.
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Burgess Fowler
4th Son
Born Nov 30, 1844
Enlisted Jan 18, 1864. Mustered out, July 14, 1865
Age 19
17th Regiment
Company H
Private
Review of Biography from Richland County book:
He went to Vicksburg, Miss.; came home on veteran furlough with the regiment;
returned to the army in March, 1864; was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee; was in all the battles in which the 17th army
corps was engaged --- Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, siege of Atlanta, Lovejoy station, march to the sea, through South
and North Carolina to Washington in May, 1865; to Louisville, Ky., in June, 1865; sent from Louisville, Ky., to Madison to
be discharged, in July, 1865; arrived at home Aug., 5, 1865, and remained there until twenty-six years old."
As soon as he was old enough, Burgess volunteered for the 17th, Company
H, on January 18, 1864, at age 19. He joined his brother, James, who had re-enlisted into the 17th after
recovering for 2 years from wounds received fighting with Allison and the Wisconsin 6th in the first winter of the war.
When Burgess arrived to join James in Vicksburg, Mississippi, here
is the path our grandfather and his brother marched together....
Moved to Vicksburg October 9 and duty there till March, 1864. Veterans
on furlough March 8-April 21. Moved to Cairo, Ill., April 21-22, thence moved to Clifton, Tenn., May 4, and march to Ackworth,
Ga., via Huntsville and Decatur, Ala., and Rome, Ga., May 5-June 8.
Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign June 8 to September 8. Operations about Marietta
and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Brush Mountain June 15. Assault on Kenesaw June 27.
Burgess and James would face this battle together in the Campaign to
Atlanta---the Battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia. They would be two men in 100,000 Union soldiers against 50,000
Confederate soldiers.
On the morning of June 27, Sherman sent his troops forward after an artillery
bombardment. At first, they made some headway overrunning Confederate pickets south of the Burnt Hickory Road, but attacking
an enemy that was dug in was futile. The fighting ended by noon, and Sherman suffered high casualties. Result(s): Confederate
victory
67,000 soldiers died on Kenesaw Mountain.
National Battlefield Park: http://www.nps.gov/kemo/index.htm
| First National Confederate Flag of Virginia |
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| Flew over Kenasaw Mountain |
The motto on this flag reads, Either with it or upon it.
Did James and Burgess fight
against this flag of their homeland, Virginia ?
"The flags were always with them, on the drill field, march and in battle. Carried
in the very center of the regiment in line of battle, it was the movement of the flags more than the commands of the officers
(often lost in the din) that directed the men. The banners served to lead a charge of rally a broken regiment. It was not
by chance that soldiers would single out enemy colorbearers for careful aim. If the flags advanced, so did the battle line; if the flags fell back, so did the
men."-- Lance J. Herdegen, Carroll College Institute for Civil War Studies
"...we learned to love the stars and stripes, all of the stars, all of the stripes
-- everything about the dear old flag of our regiment; our flag, wherever it might be. There was a thrill whenever we saw
it; it was a great part of us when the war ended."--Jerome Watrous, 4 years in the 6th Wisconsin
Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Howell's Ferry July 5. Chattahoochie River July
5-17. Leggett's or Bald Hill July 20-21. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atanta July 22-August 25. Ezra Chapel July 28. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood
in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December
10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Pocotaligo, S. C., January 14. Barker's Mills, Whippy Swamp, February
1. Salkehatchie Swamp February 2-5. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February
12-13. Columbia February 16-17. Battle of Bentonville, N. C., March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh
April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D. C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville,
Ky., June, and there mustered out July 14, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 41 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded
and 228 Enlisted men by disease. Total 269. Lives lost.
Burgess and James fought side by side on Confederate land for the preservation
of a union of states, the united states. Uncle Charlie said that 3 Fowler brothers came to America at the same
time. One settled in New England, one in Virginia and one in a southern state. Could these terrible battles
in Mississippi, Georgia and the Carolinas be where they fought, brother against brother...?
Burgess and James were together
through the final campaigns that resulted in the surrender of the Confederate Army after the Battle of Bentonville.
On July 14, 1865, the two brothers were mustered out and returned home together. With heavy hearts, leaving Allison
behind.
For the story of our Fowler son, we are grateful to the National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html
And to the Civil War for 5th Graders: http://www.radford.edu/~sbisset/civilwar.htm
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MYSTERY CHALLENGE:
Did Fowler sons fight
for both the Union and the Confederacy, brother against brother. Is it true?
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STATES THAT SUCCEEDED FROM THE UNION:
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
North
Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
STATE THAT WERE DIVIDED ?
The Western counties of Virginia refused to secede from the Union.
Brother against brother....
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