Talk:23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion/GA1

GA Review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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Reviewer: Hog Farm (talk · contribs) 17:16, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

I'll review this over the weekend. I actually just started reading Davis's book on New Market last night. Hog Farm _Talk 17:16, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

@Hog Farm: Whoa! That was fast. I usually have to wait for months for a review. Glad to have someone who knows what they are talking about looking at it—thank you very much. BTW, I never could find a usable picture of Clarence Derrick. TwoScars (talk) 19:15, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

@Kges1901: - I've noticed that your userpage indicates that your library has access to several of the VA CSA unit histories - does that include the one for this unit listed in the further reading? Hog Farm _Talk 20:09, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

• Yes. The unit history probably can also be obtained by interlibrary loan. Kges1901 (talk) 22:25, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

• That source could obviously be very useful, especially for the War's end section and for why Major Blessing was in the hospital. It is hard to find, and I have seen prices of $70 to $99. TwoScars (talk) 16:28, 13 May 2023 (UTC)

• I wouldn't consider that source necessary for this GA review, although it would be for A class or FA. Unfortunately, the university library I interlibrary loan stuff through is about to go on summer term, so I don't think I'd be able to ILL a copy until August or September at the earliest. Hog Farm _Talk 00:28, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

• "Do not confuse this battalion with the 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment that fought mostly in eastern Virginia as part of the Army of Northern Virginia." - I think this is better done with a standard hatnote

Changed to hatnote. TwoScars (talk) 15:52, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

• I think Droop Mountain needs a sentence or two of background. It's unclear why exactly Averell was needing to get through this specific spot to get to Lewisburg

Added more info on Averell's objective and the impact. TwoScars (talk) 16:51, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

• Davis's book on New Market, p. 195, gives the battalion a size of 579 at New Market, and p. 200 lists the battalion's casualties as 3 killed and 21 wounded. pp. 125-129 of Davis mentions the battalion helping to repulse a Federal cavalry charge led by General Stahel, and per p. 138 it was part of a flank attack against the 54th Pa. I can provide full bibliographic details for Davis if you'd like to include any of this.

Will add the info. I have those pages and the biblio. TwoScars (talk) 15:52, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

Added biblio, will add info later. TwoScars (talk) 16:51, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

Added info including casualties, unit size, repelling Stahel, and the flanking. TwoScars (talk) 19:43, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

Will be back today or tomorrow to hopefully finish the rest of the review. Hog Farm _Talk 00:28, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

• I'm a bit unsure about the Lynchburg coverage - there's multiple paragraphs here providing a summary of the battle but very little about what Derrick's battalion did

I'll see if I can dig up anything. They were 500 men out of 14,000, so most sources discuss Early and Breckinridge—but nothing on smaller units. The map showing Patton's position is all I could find earlier. TwoScars (talk) 17:22, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

Used "cite map" to mention positions of Patton's Brigade (that included Derrick's Battalion). TwoScars (talk) 20:26, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

• " including a fatal shot to the chest that would eventually be fatal." - needs rephrased somehow to remove the duplication of "fatal"

Dropped the first "fatal". TwoScars (talk) 16:55, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

• Any clue what the battalion did at Cedar Creek?

No info on Cedar Creek. They were decimated by then and being temporarily led by a captain. I will see if I can find anything, but I am not hopeful. TwoScars (talk) 17:22, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

Added "Located on the Confederate right near the Valley Pike, Wharton and Brigadier General John Pegram's divisions were driven back in a Union counterattack that used artillery and cavalry." after the sentence that says they were part of Wharton's Division. Used Lewis as source. TwoScars (talk) 20:26, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

(Maybe) more to come later. Hog Farm _Talk 20:47, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

• Image licensing is IMO good enough for GA, although there'd probably be some licensing tweaks asked at FAC or ACR

Did not like making a map for Kernstown II, but the battalion had an important role in the Confederate victory. TwoScars (talk) 17:22, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

• Sources look good enough for GA, but 35th Star Publishing would probably need to be defended at a higher assessment level

Terry Lowry is a historian with the West Virginia Department of Culture and History. He has access to all sorts of hard–to–find letters, photos, newspaper articles, and reports. His books are full of information with citations, but not well organized. One of them does not even have an index. In many cases, he is the only author for obscure WV battles. TwoScars (talk) 16:55, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

• I checked my copies of Lewis's Guns of Cedar Creek and Wert's From Winchester to Cedar Creek and didn't see anything for this unit.

Overall, looks to be in good shape for GA. Hog Farm _Talk 01:11, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

That is all I have unless you find something more. TwoScars (talk) 20:27, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

I think this is probably fine for GA status (sorry about providing the wrong casualty line from Davis - I was getting the 23rd and 26th battalions mixed up). I don't think it's at A-class standard quite yet, but passing for GA. Good work. Hog Farm _Talk 03:10, 16 May 2023 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.