Civil War: "Burgs" Quiz | U.S. Civil War

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A Confederate "angel" named Kirkland gave wounded Federals water. Later, after being trapped there until the night of the 14th, they saw the aurora borealis, in the sky. Where was this?

Answer: Fredericksburg

Richard Rowland Kirkland was "The Angel of Marye's Heights". The night of December 14-15, 1862 "The Northern Lights" lit up the night sky a rare thing that far south. Of the 12,700 Union dead and wounded at Fredericksburg most were laid in front of the stone wall at the foot of the heights.

2. George Sears Greene held his position against Ed Johnson, even though he was under-strength because his men were sent off to help reinforce Sickles, who had moved his men out in front of their intended position. Where was this?

Answer: Gettysburg

Even though they were outnumbered, Greene's men held onto Culp's Hill, fighting off several Rebel assaults. Sickles, who had moved his men out into the Peach Orchard and Wheat Field forming the "Sickles Salient" later claimed that his actions that day saved the army. Still others say he would have been court martialed if he wouldn't have lost a leg at the battle.

3. After drawing straws to see who would lead the charge, Leadlie lost and was in a bomb proof drinking rum with Ferrero, when their men charged into the great Crater. Where?

Answer: Petersburg

When the men who were to attack the Crater went in they were not suppose to go into the Crater but up along the sides of it, and when they went in no one even thought to take in ladders. One Southerner said it was just like shooting fish in a barrel. Leadlie and Ferrero were drummed out of the service; and Burnside was put on leave for the rest of the war because it was his idea to draw the straws.

4. At this place of peace, the 6th Mississippi came a-calling early in the morning. Later that evening Sherman found Grant beneath a large tree and said, "We've had the devil's own day", to which Grant replied "Lick-em tomorrow though." And he did this where?

Answer: Pittsburg Landing

Shiloh is a Hebrew word meaning place of peace. The next day, April 7, 1862 Grant pushed the Southern Army back over the same ground that they had fought and won on the day before, leaving the Union holding the field, and the Confederates retreating towards Corinth.

5. A Light Division dressed in blue got there just in the nick of time to save the Confederate right. John Brown Gordon, defended "Bloody Lane", and the Dunker Church are all part of this bloodiest day. Where was it?

Answer: Sharpsburg

September 17, 1862 is the bloodiest day in the history of the United States military. A.P. Hill, and his Light Division had made a forced march to Sharpsburg from Harper's Ferry. He had his men put on blue uniforms that they had just captured there. The ruse worked in that it confused the Federals for a time, and gave him time to sweep back the Union line to the infamous "Burnside's Bridge" on the creek.

6. John Burns and Jennie Wade were civilians: one fought and one died at the battle that included "the highwater mark" of the Confederacy. Where?

Answer: Gettysburg

Young Jenny Wade was the only civilian killed at Gettysburg. When he heard that the Rebels were coming, John Burns picked up his old flintlock musket and headed for the sound of gunfire. At the point over the low stone-fence where the massed Confederate offensive known as, "Pickett's Charge" crested.

The spot where Armistead was shot with his hand upon Cushing's cannon, later to die, would for ever more be, "the highwater mark of the Confederacy."

7. Pemberton from Pennsylvania, thought that he could get better terms if he surrendered this "Burg" on the Fourth of July?

Answer: Vicksburg

The city of Vicksburg did not celebrate the Fourth of July for the next eighty plus years. As they came out of Vicksburg the surrendering Rebels were given rations by Grant's men. After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson days later, Lincoln proclaimed, "The father of waters again runs unvexed to the sea."

8. "God has been very kind to us, this day" were the words of "Stonewall" Jackson as he looked over the death and destruction in the East and West Woods and in the Cornfield. Where was this?

Answer: Sharpsburg

The battle opened on the Confederate left at 5:30 a.m., and by 10:00 a.m. 13,000 men had fallen. Jackson was said to have been eating a peach when he made this statement to an aide.

9. The battle of New Market Heights, saw U.S.C.T. win more Medals of Honor than in any other action during the war. The Crater, and the place where the 13-inch seacoast mortar got its express nickname from, were part of this long siege?

Answer: Petersburg

The battle of Fort Harrison was one of the assaults that were to be failures during the siege of Petersburg. The 13-inch mortar "The Petersburg Express", or "The Dictator" was mounted on a railcar to get it closer to its targets. 8,000 pounds of powder were put in the Crater before it was detonated.

10. Towards the end of Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, where was "the Black Knight of the Confederacy" shot and killed in a rearguard action?

Answer: Harrisonburg

Turner Ashby, the commander of Jackson's cavalry, was shot on June 6, 1862 during a screening action to protect Jackson's men as Ewell tried to get his men dug in for the last battles of the campaign. Ashby was the first to use horse artillery with effect during the war.

11. Where did Confederates across the Rappahannock laugh and put up signs that said, "Burnside, stuck in the mud"?

Answer: Fredericksburg

Shortly after the debacle at Fredericksburg, Burnside was going to flank Lee with a march that due to time of year and weather was destined to failure before it started. And much to the delight of the rebels watching, it got stuck in the mud!

12. "Oh, those men, those men over there, oh, those men, those men over there, those men!" was repeated over and over again by a General at his headquarters in Falmouth, after this battle on December 13, 1862.

Answer: Fredericksburg

After seeing the death and destruction that his wayward plans had caused, Burnside was said to have just kept shaking his head and repeating this statement. When Burnside took over for McClellan he said he would display a fighting spirit that McClellan had not.

In his farewell to his troops McClellan said, "Treat General Burnside with the same respect that you have treated me with, and everything will be OK."

13. "The Tigress" was the name of Grant's steamboat headquarters, which he had to use to get to which battle?

Answer: Pittsburg Landing

On the morning of Apiril 6, 1862 Grant was at Savannah, Tennessee, when the battle started; so when he heard the sound of guns coming from that direction, he had to steam to the battle at Pittsburg Landing on the Tigress. By the time he arrived there were many men cowaring at the river.

14. Stonewall Jackson was born in this town that by the end of the war was in West Virginia.

Answer: Clarksburg

One can only wonder whether - if West Virginia had been a state before the war - Jackson would have gone with his state and remained loyal to it, and the Union.

15. Where was "Old Jack's" cavalry commander, Turner Ashby, mortally wounded?

Answer: Harrisonburg

In a rearguard action before the last major fighting of Jackson's Valley Campaign, in an effort to get more time for Ewells men to get dug in. Before the war Ashby would attend medievil contests of horsemenship and won many gaining him the nickname "The Black Knight of the Confederacy."

Source: Author ricbatcheller

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Civil War: "Burgs" Trivia Quiz

I will list events and people. You name the 'Burg' it happened in.

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