Kurz & Allison Part X: Late 1864

 While General Grant and the Army of the Potomac were still stuck at Petersburg, the Union scored various victories in late 1864 that hastened the end of the Confederacy and ensured Abraham Lincoln's reelection as President. Naturally Union veteran Louis Kurz would feature some of these victories in his lithographs, two from Union General Phil Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign and two from Confederate John Bell Hood's ill-devised Tennessee offensive.

Battle of Opequan or Winchester

The title for this lithograph is somewhat misleading. Opequan is in fact spelled Opequon and this is the Third Battle of Winchester. To be fair to Kurz this is the largest Winchester battle of the war (Winchester changed hands at least 72 times). This was a major battle of the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. General Jubal Early and his Confederates had been running rampant, even approaching Washington D.C. itself. Newly arrived the aggressive Sheridan was determined to end his run. On September 19 he assailed the Confederates along Opequon Creek. The Federals broke through, only to be repulsed by canister fire. General Wesley Merrit's cavalry brigade got into the Confederate rear and after confused fighting Early withdrew to Fisher's Hill, the site of the next battle. This started a string of defeats for the Confederates in the Valley.

Kurz & Allison Part IV: Late 1862

Surprisingly, Louis Kurz skipped battles from the summer of 1862, even though this period included the ascent of Robert E. Lee as head of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Perhaps as a former Union soldier living in a Northern city, Kurz felt no special need or pressure to present such moments as the Second Battle of Bull Run. This part of the series covers the battles of late 1862.

Battle of Antietam

After scoring a series of victories over the summer, Lee attempted an invasion of the North in hopes of riding his momentum to a decisive victory. However his army was severely understrength and once the Union Army under General George McClellan marched in force against him, he found himself desperately holding off waves of Federal attacks near Antietam Creek (outside Sharpsburg, Maryland) on September 17. The battle was tactically indecisive, but saw the end of his first northern invasion. It is bloodiest single day of combat in American history. Many also credit it with strengthening Lincoln’s political hand so that he could deliver the Emancipation Proclamation.

Kurz & Allison Part III: Early 1862

In part three of this series I look at five Louis Kurz lithographs depicting battles from the first few months of 1862. The emphasis appears to be on Union victories, which is no surprise given Kurz’s background and Chicago location.

Battle of Fort Donelson

Fort Donelson was one of the two forts guarding access the Tennessee River. Since the navy was unable to ground it into submission as it did Fort Henry, General Ulysses S. Grant had to start siege operations. The heaviest fighting came when the Confederates attempted to break out. They actually had a chance to escape, but their trio of incompetent commanders passed on it. The fort surrendered on February 16 and the Union now had a major invasion route into the South.