HOW TORNADOES AND SEVERE WEATHER AFFECTED THE NORTH AND SOUTH DURING THE CIVIL WAR

Timothy W. TroutmanNWS Huntsville, AL

Mark A. RoseNWS Nashville, TN

INTRODUCTION

That the Civil War’s geographical scope was so large made it inevitable that significant weather would affect the four-year war effort in some way.

The authors have culled the Internet and history books researching weather events that directly and indirectly impacted the war effort.

As far as tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are concerned, there is appreciable documentation.

Several meteorological events (not just tornadoes) had a direct impact on the war effort, in that the outcomes of battles were affected, army camps were affected, and soldiers were killed or wounded while in a duty status.

Many other weather events may have affected the war effort in more indirect ways. Tornadoes, wind storms & floods caused damage to crops, telegraph lines & transportation and may have impacted a war which demanded a tremendous amount of such resources.

CIVIL WAR TORNADO STATISTICS

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1861 1862 1863 1864 186505

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Documented TornadoesAffected War EffortAffected Troops

170 Documented tornado candidates 32 events affected troops41 events affected war effort

FEDERAL NEWSPAPERS AND USE OF PREVIOUS WASHINGTON D.C. TORNADO EVENT OF AUGUST 24 1814

• Numerous northern newspapers in May-July 1861 before and following first battle of Bull Run published negative P.R. that stated “the British soldiers that captured and burned portions of Washington city were struck by a frightful tornado that immediately swept over the city, destroying buildings and property, burying several soldiers in the ruins. The British soldiers immediately withdrew from the city that evening”.

• It is believed that the northern papers were circulating this old newspaper article in an effort to scare the Confederates ,who were just south of the capital in far northern Virginia during the summer of 1861, that if they attempted to attack Washington, that the same calamity would befall them.

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1861 TORNADO AND WIND DAMAGE HIGHLIGHTSOTHER TORNADO EVENTS OF REFERENCE• June 21 1861- Hamilton County, Ohio- At the Union camp Dennison- “Tents

and cantonments were blown down by a tornado and large hail occurred, but no injuries ”. Courtesy of Daily Ohio Statesman

• June 22 1861-Camp Jones near Richmond, Virginia- “Just before day this morning, we had a most unexpected and terrific tornado, capsizing some of our tents. No injuries.” Courtesy of Columbus, Georgia Daily Enquirer

• 5 pm July 8 1861- “A small tornado occurred at Camp Mady, Banks of the Anacostia near Washington, D.C., blowing down some tents at the Union camp there with no injuries” Courtesy of New York Herald

• 10 pm-July 8 1861- “Tornado blew down tents at the Union camp at Birds Point, in Mississippi county, Missouri with no injuries”. Courtesy of Cleveland Leader

• Early morning, July 9 1861- Alexander County, Illinois- Cairo, Illinois area- Union camp Defiance tornado occurred. Tornado hit the camp and St. Charles hotel at Cairo, where Union soldiers were sleeping, heavily damaging roof of hotel and nearby camp, with minor injuries occurring” Courtesy of New York Herald

5Tent camp at Camp Defiance, Cairo, Illinois

ISLAND NO. 10 CAMPAIGN, LATE MARCH-APRIL 1862, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI-WEST TENNESSEE-SOUTHWEST KENTUCKY

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Island No. 10

Tornado track

All Images Courtesy of book “CampfiresAnd Battlefields”, Roositer Johnson

ISLAND NO. 10 TORNADO AFFECTING BOTH SIDES EARLY ON APRIL 2 1862• Up to three tornadoes occurred early on April 2nd. One

tornado hurled several trees to the ground at Point Pleasant, Missouri, killing three Union soldiers , Lieut. J.V. Moore and two privates of Company H, Seventh Illinois cavalry and Captain Webster and several others were wounded. Two confederate soldiers of 1st Alabama regiment at Island No. 10 were also killed.

• The same tornado moved across the northern end of Mississippi river, damaging two troop transports of the Union army, the Pike and Swallow and also a couple of Confederate transports in the New Madrid, Missouri river bend.

7All Images Courtesy of book “CampfiresAnd Battlefields”, Roositer Johnson

ISLAND NO. 10 TORNADO AFFECTING BOTH SIDES EARLY ON APRIL 2 1862

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•During same time period, early in morning on April 2nd, Colonel George Roberts led assault on rebel batteries at Island No. 10, spiking six rebel cannons.•The tornado played a positive role for the Union assault, resulting in weakening the confederate defenses at Island No. 10, leading to the eventual surrender of 6,000 soldiers, 3 generals and opening up the Mississippi river to just above Memphis by April 17th , 1862

All Images Courtesy of book “CampfiresAnd Battlefields”, Roositer Johnson

ISLAND NO. 10 TORNADO AFFECTING BOTH SIDES EARLY ON APRIL 2 1862

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• This tornado demolished the wooden barracks at Bird’s Point, Missouri and Fort Holt; killed five people in Cairo and tore the roofs off of thirty houses in Paducah, KY. The steamer Illinois lost both chimneys, upper cabin, resulting in five fatalities, and the steamer Philadelphia sank one mile below Bird’s Point, MO, drowning three men due to the tornado. Five other men drowned after being blown overboard at the levee while on other transports and three others died on steamer Universe.

• 21 total deaths

Tornado track

Fort Holt, KY

Paducah, KY

BATTLE OF CHANTILLY, VIRGINIASEPTEMBER 1, 1862

Final battle of the Second Manassas Campaign

Thunderstorm occurred around 5 p.m. and in battle through 6 pm

Rain soaked the ammunition which made necessary the use of bayonets.

Union Major General Philip Kearney

BATTLE OF CHANTILLY, VIRGINIASEPTEMBER 1, 1862

Union Major General Philip Kearney mistakenly rode into Confederate lines and was killed.

More than 2,000 men fell in ninety minutes during battle.

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Union soldiers retreating following defeat toward Washington D.C. defenses

Chantilly, VA battle map

Painting of Kearney’s mistake

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1862 SUMMARY OF TORNADOES AFFECTING TROOPS IN FIELD• Evening of March 4 1862- Limestone County, AL-Near Athens, AL-Confederate 19 th Tennessee

Regiment affected by tornado that blew all of their tents down and snapped off trees. No injuries reported. Courtesy of book by W.J. Worsham, Storm in the woods-Chapter 5 of The Old 19th Tennessee Regiment, C.S.A. June 1861-April 1865

• A TERRIBLE STORM -- KILLED AND INJURED BY LIGHTNING. May 31 1862 Tornado hit Confederate Camp at New Bridge, Virginia near Richmond, Virginia- Several soldiers affected

New-Bridge, Sunday, June 1 -- 6 P. M.Yesterday afternoon we were visited by a terrible storm, doing considerable damage to our camps, and, I regret to say, causing a loss of life.The gallant Forty-fourth Regiment, just returned from the battle of Hanover Court-house, had one man killed and four badly injured in their camp by lightning. Their names are as follows:Killed:Quartermaster-Sergeant HENRY HOWLETT.Injured:Sergeant-Major WEBBER.Sergeant GODFREY.Sergeant WILLARD.Private JACOB DEANS.Trees were blown down injuring many of our soldiers by their falls, and tents were prostrated. in several of the camps there have been lives lost. Two houses and a barn were struck by lightning in the vicinity of New-Bridge. The tornado lasted about three hours, and was accompanied by heavy peals of thunder and rain. The roads are again in a frightful condition. Any movement, therefore, for the present, is almost impossible.

The New York Times New York 1862-06-05

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May 21 1862- Wheeling, West Virginia- Tornado struck the steamer Mariner, bound with troops. The captain, mateAnd pilot were somewhat injured, but no deaths occurred. The hull of the steamer was saved. Courtesy of the Cass County RepublicanAugust 18 1862-Orange County Virginia Tornado- Several trees snapped and Captain Christopher Krepps and 160 men and horses all struck by lightning during storm- 2 severely injured and 5 horses killed by lightning. Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Chronicle

MISSISSIPPISPRING, 1863

Tornado struck Vicksburg on the night of March 30. Falling trees killed six confederate soldiers and injured 14.

Two days later, on April 1, four soldiers of the 47th Indiana infantry were killed in a tornado near Greenville.

(The infamous Siege of Vicksburg would begin less than two months later.)

Greenville MS

1863 TORNADO EVENT-SUMMARY OF OTHER EVENT AFFECTING SOLDIERSMarch 7 1863-Bedford County, near Shelbyville, Tennessee- “A

tornado made a track through the woods beyond Shelbyville, and right through the town, and we could follow its course for miles where it had blown down the timber. Confederate regiment of Confederate Army of Tennessee, was in path of the tornado that devastated Shelbyville and some hid in an old depot shed. Soldier Berry Morgan was hit by a brick and killed as the shed was destroyed. Many others in our regiment were wounded.” Courtesy of Colonel Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War.

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TORNADOES OF 1864 THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTED TROOPS ON BOTH SIDES

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• 4 PM May 2 1864- Warrenton Junction Virginia tornado-Courtesy of Sabres and Spurs-First Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry in the Civil War- 1861-1865-Army of the Potomac-By Reverend Frederic Denison- Chaplain- Affected Union troops camped there-downed tents and injured several Union soldiers• 5 PM- May 2, 1864- tornado one mile south of Culpepper, Virginia- Affected Union soldiers camp there, downing about all tents. Courtesy of Historic Records of the Fifth New York Cavalry-First Ira Harris Guard- 1861-1865 & Sixth New York Cavalry-Second Ira Harris Guard-1861-1865 • July 11 1864- Brattleboro, Vermont, (Bennington County, Vermont)- Tornado struck location and downed tents and destroyed a church. One soldier was injured as he held onto tent as it was blown away. Courtesy of Burlington Free Press • August 10 1864 Allegany County Maryland Tornado-Killed Rebel soldier as a tornado struck a hospital, blowing down a temporary frame structure, used as a government hospital, killing a private of the fifth Virginia regiment, named Keitchfield, and wounding several others. Courtesy of the Alleganian Newspaper• August 26 1864-Tornado hit train with many wounded Union soldiers at Bacon Creek, Hart County, KY- one soldier further seriously wounded, but no deaths although train cars were demolished. Courtesy of Boston Daily Advertiser

OTHER 1864 TORNADO EVENTS

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• August 27 1864 Charleston County South Carolina Tornado-One Confederate soldier killed on James Island-On James’ Island, the observatory was blown down; a tree was also blown across a tent, killing one man and wounding three others. Courtesy of the Daily Southcarolinian

Rebel entrenchments on James Island, South Carolina. Photo sketched by Mr. J.P. Hoffman, courtesy of Son of the South, Copyright 2003-2013.

JOHNSON’S ISLAND, ERIE COUNTY OHIO TORNADO OF SEPTEMBER 23 1864

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Johnson’s Island Confederate PrisonerOf War Camp Map -Along Lake Erie, Erie County,Ohio- Courtesy Ohio Humanities Council

Johnson’s Island Confederate PrisonerOf War Camp Drawing -Along Lake Erie, Erie County, Ohio- Courtesy Ohio Humanities Council

• September 23 1864-Erie County, Ohio-Johnson Island Confederate soldier

prisoner of war camp-tornado struck buildings, injuring several rebel and Union soldiers; injuring numerous confederate prisoners-when tornado struck prisoners ran out of barracks toward the outer walls and were shot at by at least 50 guards, resulting in numerous wounding of prisoners. Courtesy of Fayetteville North Carolina Observer

ABEMARLE SOUND WATERSPOUT OF AUGUST 1864 AND AUBURN, ALABAMA TORNADO

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Abemarle Sound, NC Waterspout-Threatened Federal Fleet near shore-No Injuries-Drawing Courtesy of Grazulis, 1991

•December 28 1864-Auburn, Alabama tornado- Amidst such a scene of destruction it is wonderful that only four persons were killed in Auburn. One of them was Lieut. James Barnet, a gallant officer and a true, good man. He was recovering from wounds received in battle, and gone with his family to spend the night at his father’s house.-- He was crushed in the ruins, and “no sound can wake him in glory again.” Courtesy of the Yorkville Enquirer.

1865 TORNADOES THROUGH APRIL 9TH • March 16 1865 Dinwiddie County Virginia tornado- Union

Soldiers killed and wounded by tornado hitting camp- “Thursday night a severe storm prevailed at the front, which blew down tents, uprooted trees, &c. A number of men of the 37th Wisconsin regiment were killed and wounded by the falling trees. “ Courtesy of Evening Star, Washington, D.C.

• March 23 1865- Near Petersburg, VA and near Fort Stedman“On Wednesday we had a perfect tornado; several trees in rear of our camp were blown down, and near the front line there is a path of prostrate trees, some 200 yards wide….The caissons remain in our regular camp, and I stay there too, keeping one officer at the fort. “ Courtesy of History of the 5th Massachusetts Battery, 1861-1865

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