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Today in University of Alabama history
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:09 pm
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:09 pm
In April 1865, the Civil War was approaching its end as battalions of Union troops scoured the deep South with virtually no Confederate resistance - Brig. Gen. James Wilson was on orders to destroy an arsenal in Selma, Alabama (one of the few remaining Confederate strongholds).
Pictured: Brig. Gen. James Wilson
On March 31st, General Wilson dispatched a 1,500 soldier unit - led by John T. Croxton - on orders to burn the Roupes Valley Ironworks at Tannehill and Bibb Naval Furnace. On April 4th, the units flanked the University Of Alabama, then a military school. Despite a call to arms by the student cadet corps, almost the entirety of Alabama's campus was torched (exempting, notably, the President's mansion and Gorgas house).
Pictured: Patriot, Alabama burner Brig. Gen. James T. Croxton
Pictured: Alabama's quad in 1859, six years before being burned at the hands of a small group of Union soldiers.
The forces that inevitably destroyed Alabama from the ground up were largely composed of members from the Army of the Cumberland, one of the principal Union armies and major player in the Civil War. Notably, the Army of the Cumberland was originally known as the Army of the Ohio until Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans assumed command of the Department of the Cumberland and changed the name of the combined entity to the Army of the Cumberland.
Pictured: Army of the Ohio (Army of the Cumberland) engaged in an unknown battle.
Pictured: The Army of The Ohio destroying Alabama
After the almost total destruction of the campus, Alabama shut down for six years, finally reopening in 1871. In 1880, Congress granted the university 40,000 acres of coal land in partial compensation for $250,000 in war damages.
Pictured: Gorgas house, one of the few remaining structures after the destruction of April 4th, 1865.
Pictured: Part of the Alabama student cadets corps, ten years following the end of the Civil War.
Pictured: Brig. Gen. James Wilson
On March 31st, General Wilson dispatched a 1,500 soldier unit - led by John T. Croxton - on orders to burn the Roupes Valley Ironworks at Tannehill and Bibb Naval Furnace. On April 4th, the units flanked the University Of Alabama, then a military school. Despite a call to arms by the student cadet corps, almost the entirety of Alabama's campus was torched (exempting, notably, the President's mansion and Gorgas house).
Pictured: Patriot, Alabama burner Brig. Gen. James T. Croxton
Pictured: Alabama's quad in 1859, six years before being burned at the hands of a small group of Union soldiers.
The forces that inevitably destroyed Alabama from the ground up were largely composed of members from the Army of the Cumberland, one of the principal Union armies and major player in the Civil War. Notably, the Army of the Cumberland was originally known as the Army of the Ohio until Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans assumed command of the Department of the Cumberland and changed the name of the combined entity to the Army of the Cumberland.
Pictured: Army of the Ohio (Army of the Cumberland) engaged in an unknown battle.
Pictured: The Army of The Ohio destroying Alabama
After the almost total destruction of the campus, Alabama shut down for six years, finally reopening in 1871. In 1880, Congress granted the university 40,000 acres of coal land in partial compensation for $250,000 in war damages.
Pictured: Gorgas house, one of the few remaining structures after the destruction of April 4th, 1865.
Pictured: Part of the Alabama student cadets corps, ten years following the end of the Civil War.
This post was edited on 4/4/15 at 2:11 pm
11
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:10 pm to LandofDixie
I have but one upvote to give.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:10 pm to LandofDixie
Um....
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:11 pm to LandofDixie
I didn't read all this shite... But have an upvote
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:11 pm to Chaos_Actual
You didn't even upvote it 
Needless to say, way too much effort for a relatively small return. Got to respect the context in the way you used it though.
Needless to say, way too much effort for a relatively small return. Got to respect the context in the way you used it though.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:15 pm to LandofDixie
The last picture of minstrels is pretty cool.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:18 pm to LandofDixie
Not bad.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:45 pm to LandofDixie
The only buildings that survived the burning:
Old Observatory (Frederick R. Maxwell Hall)
President's Mansion
Little Round House
Gorgas House
Old Observatory (Frederick R. Maxwell Hall)
President's Mansion
Little Round House
Gorgas House
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:47 pm to pvilleguru
Is that last one by Beta and ATO, across from BDS?
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:51 pm to LandofDixie
The reason the University of Alabama was burned down.
quote:
The University of Alabama, located about a mile from downtown, had converted to a military form of governance in 1860. After Alabama seceded from the Union the following year, it became the “West Point of the South,” supplying the Confederacy with 7 generals, 25 colonels, 14 lieutenant colonels, 21 majors, 125 captains, 273 staff and other commissioned officers and 294 private soldiers.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 2:56 pm to BallstotheWesleyWall
quote:No, It's near Gorgas Library.
Is that last one by Beta and ATO, across from BDS?
Posted on 4/4/15 at 3:10 pm to pvilleguru
Good. They were traitors.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 3:16 pm to Serraneaux
Also, VMI is the West Point of the South.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 3:24 pm to LandofDixie
Obviously, I cannot up vote. But goddamn I respect this.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 4:02 pm to Serraneaux
The Citadel is the West Point of the South
Posted on 4/4/15 at 4:55 pm to thatthang
Fair. Civil War history is an interest of mine, and after learning about the Army of Ohio largely being the ones that burned down UA, I just had to. The campus has some history, for sure.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 4:57 pm to Serraneaux
quote:
Good. They were traitors.
Have a downvote.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 5:06 pm to LandofDixie
I feel like I gave you this idea and you had to look on our team board to find it.
Posted on 4/4/15 at 5:13 pm to LandofDixie
Sooooo what you're saying is that East, Tennessee Unionists helped burn the University of Alabama.
And people question our rivalry....
And people question our rivalry....
Posted on 4/4/15 at 5:26 pm to Prof
They should thank us that we didn't destroy everything.
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