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CONFEDERATE
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF BELGIUM |
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NEXT MEETING |
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Saturday May 10, 2025 at 9.45 AM |
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Excursion organized by Dominique De Cleer
to Mons. The capital of the province of Hainaut, Mons is a
city rich in history dating back to the 7th century. A few
centuries earlier, the Belgian Nervian tribe had settled
there, and a Roman garrison had been established. Over the
centuries, Mons fell under Spanish rule (1515-1713),
Austrian rule (1713-1795), French rule (1795-1815), and
Dutch rule (1815-1830). |
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On August 23, 1914, the British Expeditionary Force,
80,000 men strong, occupied a defensive position along the
Mons-Condé Canal. Opposing them, the German 1st Army, with
twice the numbers, bombarded the British positions and
sought to seize the canal bridges. At 9 a.m., four German
battalions attempted to capture the Nimy bridge, defended
by a single company of the Royal Fusiliers. Advancing in
tight ranks, the German soldiers were shot down like
rabbits by the Tommies. By 2 a.m. the next day, the
British troops withdrew along the Valenciennes-Maubeuge
axis. |
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On September 2, 1944, the U.S. 3rd Armored Division,
Spearhead, entered the city of Mons, making it the first
to be liberated. From September 2 to 6, the fighting in
the Mons Pocket resulted in 3,500 German casualties, while
the American forces lost only 89 men. The GIs took 25,000
prisoners, including four generals. |
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The programme of the day will include a visit to the
George Lawrence Price Memorial, the Mons Memorial Museum,
the Doudou Museum and the St-Symphorien Military Cemetery. |
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The price of the excursion is
50 €. More details on the French page of this website or
upon request. Reservation a must
before May 2 at the latest
by email to d.decleer@scarlet.be or tel. at
0475/77 34 60.
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Saturday June 14, 2025 from 11.30 AM |
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As in previous editions, the CHAB barbecue will take place
at the club house of the Hoegaarden hockey club. This
year, Hubert Leroy and Dominique
De Cleer will prepare aMexican menu.
Margarita – Tortilla con carne – Enchilada con pollo –
Salad, tomatoes, Jalapeños – Mangu pudding – Coffee/Tea.
Price of the meal (drinks not included): CHAB
members: €35 – non-members: €45. Please register
with our secretary Dominique De Cleer by email at
d.decleer@scarlet.be or by tel. at 0475/77 34 60, and pay
the amount of your meal to account BE90 3100 9059 2632
with the mention CHAB Dinner, before
June 4 at the
latest. |
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NASHVILLE NIGHT PATROL |
FIRST TEXAS AT MANASSAS |
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After escaping General Grant’s encirclement of
Fort Donelson, Lt. Colonel Forrest led his men
on a snowy two-day 75-mile trek to Nashville.
Rain and warmer temperatures had melted much
of the snow as Forrest arrived in Nashville,
and reported to General Floyd, who was then
commanding the city. Word had spread through
the populace that Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
had fallen to Union forces. And with news of
the approach of US General Buell’s army, a
great panic spread throughout the city like a
wildfire. A witness later wrote, "A reign
of terror and confusion ensued, the like of
which was never witnessed in Nashville."
Government officials and citizens fled the
chaotic scene. Violent plundering mobs were
stealing anything of value, attacking anyone
who resisted. General Floyd authorized Forrest
to take command of the city. Immediately
Forrest sent a company of men to secure the
public commissary. Forrest then rode with his
troops directly into the plundering mob. Those
who refused to disperse were met with sabers
on their heads and shoulders. One of the
drunken ring leaders of the degenerates,
charged at Forrest. The man was quickly
knocked unconscious by the butt of Forrest’s
revolver like a sack of potatoes. The man’s
followers realized their situation had changed
and reluctantly dispersed. Forrest and his
cavalry moved throughout the city restoring
some semblance of order. For a week, Forrest’s
next task was to try and save as much military
equipment and supplies as possible. Every
available wagon, horse, or mule left in
Nashville was used to remove valuable stores
to the depot of the Tennessee and Alabama
Railroad. Large quantities of military
supplies from the Confederate quartermaster’s
department, including hundreds of wagonloads
of meat were saved by Forrest and his
soldiers. The exodus from the city continued
for days with men riding on the top of
railroad cars packed with women and children.
At night, Forrest and his men patrolled the
streets of Nashville, protecting those still
remaining in the city. When Buell’s Union army
reached the outskirts of Nashville, Forrest
and forty of his men were still looking after
the transport of supplies. Being the last to
leave, Forrest finally headed to Murfreesboro.
The Federals entered the city of Nashville on
February 25th, which became the first captured
Confederate Capital of the war. The city would
be occupied by Union forces until 1867. But
the Union army had not heard the last from
Nathan Bedford Forrest.
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© All copyrights reserved
by John Paul Strain Historical Art
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General Robert E.
Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia
invaded Maryland in September 1862 with the
intentions of changing the focus of battle
away from the South and into the Federal’s
own backyard. Victories there could lead to
the capture of Washington, D.C. and the
start of negotiations to end the war.
General Lee found good ground to defend in
southern Maryland near Antietam Creek and
ordered his Army of Northern Virginia to
converge there. The location was about a
mile east of the little town of Sharpsburg.
The Antietam Creek winds through the
countryside and was swift and deep,
crossable only at three stone bridges,
making the position defensible from enemy
flanking maneuvers. On September the 15th
with Federal forces closing in from the
east, Lee positioned his men near the creek
and waited for McClellan to arrive. On the
afternoon of 16th, the Army of the Potomac
arrived and engagements soon began,
continuing until the evening. But this clash
between the two armies was just the
beginning of what would become the deadliest
one-day battle in American military history.
Scattered rain showers and anxiety kept many
men from sleeping during the night. Clouds
lingered at first light as cannon fire
erupted before sunrise. General Hood’s Texas
Brigade began to fix breakfast as the epic
Battle of Antietam began when Hooker’s Union
corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee’s
far left flank against the Texans. The Texas
Brigade quickly fell into formation emerging
from the West Woods near the Dunker Church
and were ordered forward across the Miller
cornfield in a counterattack. The moment the
1st Texas stepped into the husks of corn
they received cannon fire from Battery C of
the 5th US Artillery, posted atop the ridge
overlooking the Cornfield from the north.
Undeterred the Texans pushed deeper into the
corn cornfield in a line of battle as men in
the ranks now fell from musket fire. A
soldier from the 4th Texas Regiment would
later write “When we reached the top of
the hill, (it)was the hottest place I ever
saw on this earth or want to see
hereafter. There were shot, shells, and
Minie balls sweeping the face of the earth;
legs, arms, and other parts of human bodies
were flying in the air like straw in a
whirlwind. The dogs of war were loose, and
havoc was their cry.” Despite the fire
it seemed the Lone Star soldiers were
unstoppable in their charge through the
cornfield, driving Federal units before
them. However, in their excitement, the 1st
Texas had moved ahead from the line of
battle chasing after the fleeing enemy,
moving farther and farther from their
appointed post next to the 18th Georgia.
Lieutenant Colonel Work and his officers had
lost control of the 1st regiment. In his
account published in the Official Records,
Colonel Work explained that “[a]s soon
as the regiment became engaged with the
enemy in the cornfield, it became impossible
to restrain the men, and they rushed
forward, pressing the enemy…” General Hood
would later comment that the 1st Texas had
“slipped the bridle and got away from the
command.” As the 1st Texas reached the
end of the corn field, suddenly rising from
an unseen prone position, Meade’s 12th
Pennsylvania Reserves poured a solid wall of
fire into the advancing Texans, followed by
another volley from the awaiting 11th
Reserves, and then another from the 9th
Reserves. The result was devastating. Those
Texans still standing tried to hold their
position. In just a few minutes eight men
were killed holding the regimental
colors. Each time a color bearer was shot to
the ground another Texan would pick up their
flag. But soon the men retreated from the
unrelenting firestorm leaving their Texas
battle flag underneath the body of its last
bearer. Eventually all of Hood’s Brigade
were forced to withdraw. Only 56 soldiers of
the 226 men of the 1st Texas Regiment who
marched into the Miller’s cornfield
survived. The unit suffered over 82%
casualties on that field, more than any
other regiment North or South, during the
entire war. The Texas battle flag carried
that day was eventually returned to the
State of Texas in 1909, and hung with honor
in the Texas State Capitol building until
the 1920's. Despite these tremendous losses
at Antietam, the men of the 1st Texas would
fight on at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg,
Chickamauga, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold
Harbor, and the Petersburg siege. They would
become known as “The Ragged Old First”.
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© All copyrights reserved
by John Paul Strain Historical Art
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For information or online orders: |
www.johnpaulstrain.com |
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