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This series has seriously got swept under the rug! It’s time for a new episode, and today’s is on Cold Harbor! I hope you enjoy!  1| Fickle Federals. The command of Col. Elisha Strong Kellogg couldn’t decide what they thought of him. One moment, they would be complaining he was too strict, and the next, they would be pooling their resources to get him a better horse! Col. Kellogg’s first and last fight would be the opening day of Cold Harbor. 2| Bloodiest? Many battles of the War Between the States claim some sort of “Bloodiest” title, and Cold Harbor (May 31st-June 12th, 1864) is no exception. Its claim to fame is in have the bloodiest single hour of the entire war. Nearly 7,000 federal troops fell in that space, most, it is claimed, within 10 minutes! (Source: HistoryNet) 3| A New Weapon. While some might not think of it as such, the spade was the real weapon of the Battle of Cold Harbor. The Confederates spent hours digging trenches that stood chest-deep, with head logs to shield their heads, leaving a slit for them to fire from. The federals never stood a chance. 4| Go Back! My favorite story from Cold Harbor is that of a flag bearer in the Union army. He boldly marched forward, zoned in on the Confederate lines, heedless of the fact that he was the only man left from his company advancing; the others had fallen in the fight. Southern troops ceased fire and shouted for him to turn around, unwilling to knowingly shoot an unarmed man. When he realized he was alone, he calmly stood at attention, saluted smartly to his enemies, did an about-face, and withdrew. The Confederates honored him with a Rebel Yell and thunderous applause. 5| Victory No Matter the Cost. Grant didn’t care about wasting time getting ready. He threw tired, travel-weary men straight into the fight at Cold Harbor and ordered a multitude of deadly charges on their fortified works, reminiscent of the Federals’ foolish charges at Fredericksburg and the Confederates’ at Pickett’s Charge. 6| The Only Union Successes. Grant only had two victories over the battle of Cold Harbor. Confederate troops lost ground the first day, and on the second day of fighting, they lost nearly 200 men prisoner to General Francis Barlow. Confederate losses stood at 788 killed, 3, 376 wounded, and 1,123 missing or captured for a total of 5,287 men. Federal Casualty rates were much higher, with 1,845 killed, 9,077 wounded, and 1,816 missing or captured for a total of 12,738. 7| Wrong Guys! Lines were so tangled during this particular campaign (the Overland Campaign) that multiple times during the fighting, officers of one side could successfully, though unintentionally, give orders to men of the opposite side and be obeyed! And because of several visibility issues, one Confederate officer watered his horse very close to a group of federal soldiers who paid him no heed! 8| What’s in a Name? Cold Harbor was named after a tavern in the area that wouldn’t serve hot meals. It was neither cold nor anywhere near the water. 9| A New Nickname. Following multiple senseless and fruitless charges, Grant was no longer touted as Unconditional Surrender Grant, but Butcher Grant. 10| Stubborn as a Mule. Grant waited for days to officially admit defeat on the field by calling for an official truce. He didn’t want to accept yet another failure to his superior on the field, Robert E. Lee. His pride cost many disabled wounded their lives. And as usual, here is an excerpt from my Series from the Battle of Cold Harbor! From Chapter 22 "Cold Harbor" Jordan surveyed the ingenious trenches built during the day of silence. They were deep enough to conceal most of a soldier’s body. Forked branches anchored into the mounds to hold a “head log,” gave the Confederate forces full protection. The Union troops wouldn’t have time to aim between the headspace. That night it rained cats and dogs. Jordan cramped together with his fellow soldiers in small tents, tried to keep dry. The longer the war lasted, the tinier the replacement tents got. Economizing, some called it. From the next tent came fiddle music, slow and gentle. Jordan frowned as he drifted back to sleep, hearing the last verse in his mind… We’ve been fighting today on the old campground. Many are lying near. Some are dead, some are dying. Many are in tears. Many are the hearts that are weary tonight, Wishing for the war to cease. Many are the hearts looking for the right, To see the dawn of peace. Dying tonight, dying tonight. Dying on the old campground. ««««1864«««« June 3rd, 1864 Confederate Encampment Cold Harbor, Va. June 3rd was hot and muggy. Southern soldiers shed their coats and jackets, opting to fight in their shirt sleeves. Richard checked the line of men. They leaned up against their trenches, rifles ready and fingers on the trigger. “They’re coming,” Burdy whispered to him. Richard nodded, squinting at the regimental colors. “There are enough men here, put your unit farther down the line,” an officer shouted to Richard. The men in Richard’s rag-tag unit hurried down the line, loading their pistols and checking their sabers as they went. The flank was the weakest link in the Confederate lines. Union Gen. Francis Barlow[1] knew this and decided this would be the perfect place to advance his military career. He organized his men and ordered the attack. No sooner had the 32:7 Boys arrived than Federals raced out of the woods. Burdy took a step back, stunned at the sudden appearance of the enemy, shouting like banshees. “Get back!” Titus ordered, pushing the boy behind him. It was a battle like Burdy had never seen before. He stood rooted to the ground, blinking in disbelief. The Union soldiers seemed like beasts rather than humans to the lad. They beat Confederate soldiers to the ground with their rifles, then using the bayonet to finish the job. Some were taken prisoner. [1] Overly ambitious, Francis Channing Barlow was young, but eager. He started out as a lieutenant and made his way up to Brevet Major General. And to find out more, you'll have to buy the book! :)
That’s it for now! God Bless! Ryana Lynn Jude 22 Happy July, and welcome to our fifth missions spotlight! Chile is July’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! It’s been so much fun for me, reviewing all these countries I learned about in Spanish 2! So without further ado, let’s take off!  Country: The República de Chile
Continent: South America Population: 18.73 Million (2018) Capital: Santiago Largest City: Santiago Motto: Por la Razón o la Fuerza (By Right or Might) National Anthem: “Puro, Chile es Tu Cielo Azulado” (How Pure, Chile, is Your Blue Sky) Current Leader: Sebastian Piñera Language: Spanish Bordering Countries: Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Religions: Catholic (45%); Protestant and Baptist (18%); Unaffiliated (32%); Other (5%). Approximately 77% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible. Animals of Interest: Culpeo (fox-like creature), Chilean flamingo, Hippocamelus (a type of llama looking deer), Rheas (a large bird), Kodkod (a member of the cat family), and Southern River Otter, just to give a sample! Famous Foods: Paste de Chocl0 (corn casserole with meat stuffing), Cazuela (beef, chicken, corn, rice, and potato stew), Completo (a jumbo hot dog with Mayonaise, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and Sauerkraut!), Porotos Granados (Bean stew with mashed corn, onions, pumpkin, garlic, tomato, and basil), Sopaipillas (Pumpkin fritters), and Chorlillana (sliced beef with fries, eggs {scrabbled or fried} and fried onions). Fun Facts: The world’s largest swimming pool is in Chile! The Chilean Andes mountains have some of the largest active volcanos! Chile is home to the world’s oldest mummy! Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!) Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Chilean people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve! Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Chile! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement! Have a blessed week! Ryana Lynn Jude 22 Hey Y’all, and welcome to this month’s History post! It’s so exciting to be getting back to this series finally! Per usual, I will give my disclaimer. I am by no means a history/military expert. The posts are a sampling of information on a select topic, gathering information in one place that I wish I hadn’t had to hunt and peck for…or that I wish I’d known before writing on the subject! These posts are currently focusing on the ranks of soldiers from the War Between the states. You can view the previous Episode here, and the first episode here. You may access all of them by going to my Archives Page and scrolling down to History>The War Between the States. These posts are non-biased and apply to both armies. There, with that out of the way, let’s get cracking!  The Major According to the North Carolina Museum of History, “A major was third in command of an infantry, cavalry, or artillery regiment and assisted the colonel in administrative and combat duties. In battle, an infantry major led the regimental attack, positioning himself at the front with the color guard. If the colonel and the lieutenant colonel were killed or wounded, the major took command of the regiment.”
(Source:https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/civil-war-army-organization-and-rank) The duties required of a Major are not as numerous as those above or below him, so to some, this may seem like he gets a smooth ride. We can be sure that was not the case, however. The Major was to the Colonel, what the Second Lieutenant is to the Captain, so he not only needed to be familiar with his duties but that of the Colonel as well in the event the Colonel was incapacitated. And as with the Lieutenant, the Major is the right hand to the Colonel. Majors were generally entrusted with a command of more than one company, but less than a regiment. It could vary, but usually, two companies made up his command. The Major rarely gave commands of his own on the field, unless the Colonel was injured or killed. His job was to convey orders from the colonel and to assist in troop alignments on the field. …And aside from some lengthy descriptions on how he is to take over for the colonel and how he could be court-martialed, I couldn’t find very much information on Majors 😊 While it doesn’t look like much, being an assistant to a Colonel is a full-time job. Once I get together the information about the Colonel’s duties, I’m sure we will see even more clearly just how much the Major did. That’s all I have for you today! Sorry this post is so short, but hopefully, we will make up for it next time! Have a blessed day! Ryana Lynn Jude 22 Happy 1st of June, and welcome to our fourth missions spotlight! Colombia is June’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! Having friends that serve there makes this post even more exciting to me! So, let’s go! But before we do... Congratulations to Ribbon Ash for Winning the Giveaway! I will be emailing you your prize shortly!  Country: Spanish Republica de Colombia Continent: South America Population: 50,882,291 Capital: Bogota Largest City: Bogota Motto: Libertad y Orden (Liberty and Order) National Anthem: “Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia” (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia) Current Leader: Ivan Duque Marquez Language: Spanish Bordering Countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Religions: Catholic (79%); Pentecostalism (6%); Mainline Protestant (2%); other Protestant and Baptist (6%); Other Religion (2%); Unspecified (5%). Approximately 90% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible. Animals of Interest: Blue-Billed Curassow (bird), Multicolored Tanager (bird), Pink River Dolphin, Cotton-Top Tamarin (monkey!), Orinoco Crocodile, 89’98 Butterfly, Jaguar, Capybara (a large rodent), and Poison Dart Frogs, just to give a sample! Famous Foods: Bandeja Paisa (grilled steak, fried pork rind, chorizo sausage on a bed of white rice and beans, topped with a fried egg), Arepas (flatbread made of cornbread, served with butter or cheese), Fritanga (grilled chicken, beef, and pork, and fried plantain), Bunuelos (ball-shaped fritters, made with white cheese), Empanadas (a pastry filled with beef, chicken or cheese, rice, and coriander), Patacones (deep-fried plantain pancakes), Pandebono (bread made of cornflour, cheese, and eggs), Sancocho (a stew of meat, plantain, cassava root, coriander, sweetcorn, and potatoes), Cholado Colombiano (crushed ice, fresh fruit, condensed milk, shredded coconut, and blackberry syrup). Fun Facts: In Colombia, a typical breakfast drink is hot chocolate with cheese! Colombia is the only country in South America that has two coastlines, the Caribbean and Pacific! One/third of Colombia is made up of the Amazon Rainforest! Every day at 6 am and 6 pm, radios are required to play the National Anthem! The colors of the flag stand for bloodshed in the War for Independence (red), the riches of the country (yellow) and liberty and sovereignty (blue)! Missionaries: Aaron and Aubrie Vance! (bemagnified.org) This sweet family of 6 came to our church for our Missions Conference, and shortly after that, we took them on for support. They were expecting their 2nd daughter at the time. We got to spend a good deal of time together, and I was so excited to have Brother Vance help us out on our bus route on Sunday Morning. Being fluent in Spanish, my kiddos just loved him! Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Colombian people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve! Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Colombia! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement! Have a blessed week! Ryana Lynn Jude 22
Here we are, the last day of the tour! What a ride it has been, just like the writing process for this story! So today, I thought I would share some things that almost happened in this book, but were cut or altered through the editing process! Let's Hop In!
Originally...
|| Alvin and Jeremy were captured at Cold Harbor! In a random accident that leaves Alvin blind, the two are captured by the Federal Army and packed off to Camp Douglas in Chicago. This didn't end up working in the story, unfortunately for the facts I wanted to use, fortunately for Alvin and Jeremy ;) || Burdy was wounded at Cold Harbor! This battle was going to be an emotion driven focal point of the story, but again, it just did fit and ramped up the action so early in the story, there was no way I could top that climax and keep people reading. || Seth went into shock at the Crater. When you read the book, I think you will agree that the way it turned out worked out better ;) || Mrs. Mason was expecting! While I haven't ruled this out entirely for a character in book 5, originally, Mrs. Mason was down with morning sickness during the summer months. It just wasn't working, so out it came. || Andersonville was center stage of it's own plot line! I have long desired to tell the story of Andersonville, a prison that is at the center of some hot controversy. Armed with a documentary put together by respected historians, personal research and eye-witness accounts, I was prepared to set the record straight. But, this book was way too long, it was difficult to tie this line in with the rest of the book and overall, I had way too much to share about other things. So that will have to be a story for another day. || Someone joined the military. In fact two unrelated somebodies. But because of spoilers, I cannot divulge who :) And now...for the Title reveal of book 5! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** The Battlefield is Silent
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Ryana Lynn
Christian. American. Southern. Author. Subscribe for Blog Updates and a Free Short Story!
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