Via Robert
Winter months often gave the Union and Confederate armies a respite
from the fighting that occurs in the spring and summer. In 1864, a
particularly harsh winter achieved what warring armies and pontificating
politicians couldn't provide. Other than a few skirmishes and
occasional cavalry raids, most of the major fighting came to a stop.
When an army traveled by foot or horse, winter could often bring a war
to a standstill. In 1864, that was the case. Large camps were
established in both the eastern and western theaters. Muddy roads that
were all but impassable and harsh weather stopped most military
operations.
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My great grandfather and great uncle were in the 53rd.
The Great Snowball Battle of Rappahannock Academy, February 25, 1863
Two back-to-back snowstorms in February of 1863 provided the ammunition
for a friendly snowball battle amongst rival divisions of Confederate
troops near Fredericksburg, Virginia. On February 19, eight inches of
snow fell on the region. Two days later, nine inches of snow fell. On
February 25, sunny skies and mild temperatures softened the deep snow
cover, providing ideal conditions for making snowballs.
During this time, the Confederate Army was camped near Fredericksburg.
Some of the Divisions of the army had been reorganized, which had
created friendly rivalries between the Confederate brigades and
regiments. This helped spark a huge snowball battle near Rappahannock
Academy in which approximately 10,000 Confederate soldiers participated.
One soldier who participated in the snowball battle described it as one
of the most memorable combats of the war.”
The battle started on the morning of February 25, 1863, when General Hoke’s North Carolina soldiers marched towards Colonel Stiles’ camp of Georgians,
with the intent of capturing the camp using only snowballs. The
attacking force, composed of infantry, cavalry and skirmishers, moved in
swiftly. Battle lines formed and the fight began with “severe pelting”
of snowballs. Reinforcements arrived from all sides to assist the
brigade under attack. Even the employees of the commissary joined the
snowball battle. Soon, the attacking soldiers were pushed back.
Hoke’s beaten soldiers retreated back to their camp. Colonel Stiles then
held a Council of War on how best to attack the retreating force. He
decided to organize his men and march directly into their camp, with
snowballs in hand. When Stile’s forces finally arrived in Hoke’s camp,
they were quite surprised to find that their adversaries had rallied and
filled their haversacks to the top with snowballs. This allowed Hoke’s
soldiers to provide an endless barrage of snowballs “without the need to
reload.” The attacking force was quickly overwhelmed and many of their
soldiers were captured and “whitewashed” with snow. The snowball battle
came to an end and both brigades settled back into their respective
camps. The captured prisoners were quickly paroled and returned to their
camp, to much heckling from fellow soldiers. It was noted that General
Stonewall Jackson had witnessed the snowball battle. One soldier
remarked that he had wished Jackson and staff had joined the fight so he
could have thrown a snowball at “the old faded uniforms.”
The weather turned mild and rainy in the following days. Other snowball
battles were documented during the Civil War – including a snowball
fight at Dalton, Georgia – but The Snowball Battle of Rappahannock
Academy was unique in size, strategy and ample snow cover. The depth of
the snow cover on the day of the battle was documented in a soldier’s
diary to be 12 inches.
estimates that the only time the car was ever washed was before
delivery. Accordingly, the car is in absolute show room condition,
except for a layer of dust.
