Jim Martin
Not meant to impugn!
Sat Mar 31 12:15:53 2001



Dear Hayes,

I had a couple of purposes in offering this account of the origin of the name "yellow-hammers" for the 41st on the message board, but neither of them was, in any way, meant to impugn the reputation of this hard-fought and brave unit whose war record at Stones River, Chickamauga, the Knoxville Campaign, Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg is unexcelled.

I have been re-reading a number of books I read in my youth. My perspective, interest and experiences are different today than they were when I was a teenager and I find that I enjoy the soldier's personal accounts much more today than I did when I was younger. I've just finished a re-reading of "Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade", which I highly recommend to anyone who has not read it. The excerpt from this book was something I came across in the latter stages of the book and since it's the only written account I know of for the origin of the name "yellow-hammers", I thought I'd put it on the message board. As to the accuracy of the story, who can tell? Certainly it is deserving of scrutiny, as it is being provided secondhand, from a Missouri soldier whose source is a Kentuckian. I'd like to read a period-Alabamians account before I reached any conclusions.

My second and more subtle purpose was to demonstrate how an account regarding an Alabama unit can appear in an unusual source. I doubt many Alabama history researchers and/or writers would would go to a Missouri soldier's personal narrative to find source material. These enticing little tidbits from unusual sources are one of the things I personally enjoy most about WBTS reading and research.

As you know, I have a specific interest and family connection with the 5th Alabama Battalion (Van de Graaf's) that was a part of Archer's Brigade in the ANV. After Gettysburg this little battalion became the permanent provost guard of the III Corps, ANV. As such, there are limited references to their battle participation from the battle of the Wilderness to Appomattox. In an account of the actions of Gregg's Texas Brigade at the Wilderness, I found a reference to the 5th Alabama Battalion. If you'll remember, Gregg's Texans were the men credited with the shout "Lee to the rear!" when the general attempted to personally lead a counter-attack at the Wilderness. Gregg's men stopped Hancock's breakthrough and drove back the Union lines. In this account, the writer states that the 5th Alabama Battalion went in with the men of Gregg's Brigade "yelling and screaming". This participation of an Alabama unit in this counter-attack I found of great interest and an enhancement to my historical knowledge of this unit.

Perhaps, as an activity for the well-read members of this board, we might encourage others to catalog these "hard to find" sources and share them for the benefit of all.

Jim

• Reputation as best drilled brigade. — Hayes Lowe, Sat Mar 31 13:19
• Other Sources — Bryan Howerton, Sat Mar 31 12:30
• Another unlikely source... — Hayes Lowe, Sat Mar 31 13:12