A Confederate Soldier in the Civil War

Samuel Kim

US History 1

Dr. Lenny
Research Paper

A Confederate Soldier in the Civil War

        His name was (First Sergeant) Jonathan Fitzhugh. Like most confederate soldiers, he had a home and a wife. His children consisted of two boys and one baby girl. Coming from a moderate background, He owned a lot of slaves and few indentured servants, not as much as a prominent landowner in the south would have but nevertheless had a working force under him. Before the war happened Jonathan settled around North Carolina. His farm was located at a nice piece of land, about nine acres filled with plenty of trees and a small brook to the northeast of his land. As farmer, he toiled away with his slaves and produced an adequate income for his family. His wife, Michelle Fitzhugh, took care of William, Matthew and little Abigail. His thirty five slaves worked on the plantation and were provided with adequate care. Michelle helped provided education to her children by teaching them the basics of arithmetic, language, manners, and other important things that would be used during their lifetimes. Jonathan had gotten a degree on law and worked at the bar for many years. After his father died and left the land to his name, Jonathan brought his whole family from Virginia to North Carolina. There he obtained his workforce through other will his uncle left him and started to work the land for many years. As a white man owning property, Jonathan would partake in various activities with his old friends. Many a fall, he would go hunting deer and other game with a band of his friends and cousins. Many a winter, he would invite many neighbors and close acquaintances to feast on his bountiful harvest. Many travelers would say that Jonathan Fitzhugh was the perfect example of a Southern gentleman and his wife, a Classic Southern Belle. Every Sunday, His family by a horse drawn carriage, went to the local Presbyterian church. The pastor would say that the Fitzhugh family would have to be the most devoted family he ever preached to. Jonathan Fitzhugh loved to smoke pot cigars and often sat on his patio, listening to the slaves sing their native songs and drink cider that one of his indentured servant, Maria, would bring. Unlike other slaveholders, Jonathan had a close relationship with all working under him. The slaves on the neighboring plantations would be very jealous at the standard of living the slaves and servants working under Jonathan. Of course, the indentured servants were treated way better than the slaves working out in the field but everyone working under Jonathan was very happy with their own lifestyle. Jonathan, born and raised in the South, had a very strong belief in State’s rights. He had a honorary place in politics, becoming step-in governor of North Carolina twice, and Honorary Mayor in his town. As the Election came closer, the Running candidates entered the town where Jonathan resided. Senator Lincoln, in the eyes of Jonathan and most other Southerners, was a tall gangly man with the typical fast Northern speech. He found the tall senator’s words do little to move his standing on the issue of state’s rights. John C. Breckinridge did no better but he was the southern representative and Jonathan hoped to God that some would make him into a puppet leader. John Bell barely made any progress either as he wanted peace between the two sides, nothing else. Stephen Douglas fell into the same category as Lincoln and Breckinridge. When the time came for the election to come around, he automatically choose John C. Breckinridge. Seeing that the election did not went the way he wanted to go, he pressed the secession throughout the legislature of North Carolina. North Carolina seceded in May 20th 1861, and prepared to wage war with the rest of the seceded states.

After the Confederation was created, Jonathan joined the 34th Cavalry regiment. His son William also joined as well. His choice of weapon was a saber, and a rifled musket.(Arms,Weapons, and Ammunition: Army Ordnance) The first five months stationed at Fort Javer Kleinn were very monotone.(A Soldier’s Life) Even with his status, Jonathan prefered to work his way up the ranks, just his father before him. William followed suit as he joined the 79th infantry regiment. Both regiments stationed at the Fort continued to train for war by following a set of schedules each day. Slowly but surely, the Cavalry and Infantry Unit transformed into professional regiments. After the fall of Fort Sumter, the 34th Cavalry was moved to the town of Manassas for a unofficial skirmish that turned out to be the First Battle of Manassas or known to the North as the Battle of Bull Run. The 79th Infantry did not see any action during the Battle of Manassas but was transported to the far west regions. Later near to the end, around the Battle of Shiloh, Jonathan would learn that his first son would be taken accidentally by bushwhackers around the Kentucky area.(Rifles for Watie, Pgs 10-13, Keith) At the Battle of Manassas was where he got promoted to Corporal. His regiment leader fell after getting stabbed by Union bayonets and so naturally the position of leadership went straight to him as he was the only one with previous training with the army. As soon as the Corporal died, Stonewall Jackson made his iconic stand boldly creating a fervor of battle throughout the Confederate lines, thus pushing the Unions out of Manassas.(Thomas Jackson) Jonathan caught in the fervor of battle,  charged head first leading his regiment.  The fighting lasted for hours and many confused soldiers created a mass of blue and gray. When the smoke cleared around the battlefield, the Confederates appeared to be the winner. After the First Battle of Bull Run, the 34th Cavalry was transported to the port Wilmington. The 34th Cavalry did not see any action until the Battle of Shiloh. Under the command of a capable general, the 34th cavalry charged into the battlefield. The 34th Cavalry inflicted heavy damage as it tore through Union lines and ripped apart artillery squadrons. The sheer terror inflicted by the cavalry regiment was enough for the Union line to break and force them to retreat. After hours of what seemed to be confused fighting the Union fell back on April the 6th. The confederate line did not pursue because the men on their side was exhausted and pretty worn out. On April the 7th, the Confederate lines pushed until a new wave of fresh Union soldiers lead by Maj. Gen. Buell joined up with another of Grant’s forces and pushed back the Confederate line. The unexpected reinforcements forced the shocked soldiers to retreat. During the retreat of the Confederate line, almost all of the 34th cavalry regiment was decimated, leaving about ten cavalry members and four horses left that were ready to serve the Confederacy. When the news of his son’s death reached his ears. Jonathan nearly lost the will to fight for the Confederacy. Many would have lost it when news of their own son being killed by their own comrades would make anyone lose their patriotism and stop fighting. However, Jonathan did not back down and continued to fight for the Confederacy. Since the 34th Cavalry regiment was destroyed, the remaining survivors was put into the reserve 59th Cavalry regiment of North Carolina. The regiment was stationed at Fort Williams near the Kentucky border. There the 59th Cavalry trained other upcoming dragoons to use sabers, rifles and pistols. Life for the 59th got extremely monotonous, teaching youngsters how to perform a backhand saber slash and fire a rifle while traveling at high speeds. During this time Jonathan started to write to his wife and his two remaining kids back at home. As the first round of letters were passed, He found out that most of his slaves had ran off to Union lines and his indentured servants also finished their contracts, leaving Michelle and the children to tend to the farm land by themselves. Another round of letters came, presenting even more bad news. Michelle stated that few of the regiments at Fort Javer Kleinn raided ⅓ of the land and razed the cream of the crop. She had to start paying the Sergeant major on duty to relieve the crops from being raided. Jonathan was instantly furious and wrote a complaint to the Maj. Gen. located near the area of Fort Javer Kleinn and other surrounding forts to stop taking from any other Confederate farms. A reply from the Maj. Gen. Days later did not help any matter. Jonathan was training a few of the newest recruits when he received word to move to Richmond for a special attack on Union soil. So the 59th Cavalry unit rode their way to Richmond where they were sent behind enemy lines. A few hours in enemy territory, they came across a Union cavalry unit. They exchanged a few blows. After the intense skirmish the Union sent a scout north toward Washington D.C. Jonathan seeing that the scout was heading with haste, sent a scout to warn Robert E. Lee about the small skirmish. Robert E. Lee, upon hearing this, gathered his troops to meet the Union forces at Gettysburg. The first of confederate troops were fighting against the dwindling Union defenses at McPherson ridge. The amassing Confederate troops forced all of the Union line to back to Cemetery Ridge. Even though the Ridge provided excellent defense, the General forced the Confederates to charge and overtake the Union line. Robert E. Lee thought he could take over the hill as the Union was still trying to settle in for defending the Capital. Jonathan took the reins of his regiment and charged with the infantry. Jonathan successfully completed five charges, inflicting heavy damage to any Union regiment struggling to reach Cemetery Ridge. After sustaining a lot of damage, the 59th cavalry regiment fell back and stood behind the confederate lines, watching as Pickett’s charge happen and seeing the fall of the Confederate pride as the Union defenders ripped apart the Confederate chargers. After the three intense days of warfare, Jonathan received a promotion to First Sergeant in Cavalry. Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address, which really hit Jonathan in the heart. At this point into the war, many Confederates including Jonathan thought that the war wasn’t worth fighting any more. A few more years later, Jonathan while patrolling a river side was taken hostage by Union soldiers. He sent a letter to his wife explaining his absences after he escaped but was recaptured and put under surveillance. For many years, he would go under the conditions of a Union prison camp and survive until the end of the war. After the surrender of the Appomattox, Jonathan was released to be free. He took a carriage with some of his neighbors. Arriving at the doorstep of his now mangled house, he lost hope with his comrades again. His wife Michelle stood at a slave’s house with Matthew and Abigail. He ran to meet them. Matthew and Abigail ran to finally meet their father after four years of long absence. Michelle, to him, still retained that southern flare she cultivated at Ole Miss. He ran to his wife gave her a hug and watched as the Sun set in Dixie.