Young Joel Allan Battle ... his story and his photo

[jarednichols]

I wanted to share the image of Joel Allan Battle and his story. I think its a great picture of a young college student right before the Civil War proudly showing his Fraternal badge on his vest, Attached is a picture of a modern Beta Badge, the Badge that Battle is wearing did not have the black enamel or the center stone, it was gold with the same Greek writing on the front and the three stars in echelon but the tell tale design (outline) remains unchanged.

his story follows below

"Brotherly Love Amidst Civil War: Joel Allan Battle and Beta Theta Pi

The Civil War caused the greatest crisis in the history of Beta Theta Pi. Before the war ended, more than half of all Betas by 1861 were combatants—split almost equally between the Union and the Confederate armies. Founder Ryan was a Union officer, while Duncan and Gordon served the Confederacy. The War spawned several stories which demonstrated the strength of Beta brotherhood and the character of her members.

The 100th name of the original roll of Alpha Chapter belongs to Joel Allan Battle who came to Miami University in 1855 from his home in Lavergne, Tennessee to obtain an education at the institution which had gained the reputation as the Yale of the West. Young Battle soon befriended John Calvin Lewis whom Battle recruited into Beta Theta Pi. The last time Lewis saw Allan was shortly before his graduation in 1860. When the war broke out Allan joined his father Colonel Joel Battle of the 20th Tennessee regiment to fight for the cause. Lewis became a Captain in the 41st Illinois Regiment and other Miami friends named Ross and Chamberlain joined the 31st Indiana.

In early April, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston led the Army of Tennessee north from Corinth to attack Grant's forces at dawn near Shiloh Church, starting the first great bloody conflict of the war. Young Allan Battle, his arm still in the sling, fought until he was killed in this charge to retake the former position. The next morning his body was found by his Beta brother Lewis and his friends.

Lewis and his comrades buried Allan under the shade of an oak tree and smoothed out the ground to conceal the grave and prevent it from being disturbed. They marked the oak tree but when they returned years later the oak trees had been cut and the battlefield was so changed that they were unable to locate the grave site.

And so today if you go to Shiloh, beside the Visitor Center built near Pittsburg Landing at the site of Grant's Headquarters, you will find the Union Cemetery with the Union dead buried in neat rows with white tombstones identifying virtually all of the men interred there. And when you tour the battlefield, you will come upon several Confederate burial trenches containing all of the unidentified Southern dead in mass graves - all except one that is. That one is young Joel Allan Battle, who lies in his own special secret burial place on the field of bloody Shiloh, probably not far from the Bloody Pond, where he was laid to rest by his Beta Brother-- his Beta Brother in blue."

~kai~
Jared Nichols
West Virginia 03'
Beta Psi #1852

[jarednichols]

Re: Young Joel Allan Battle ... his story and his photo

I think i found a closer looking Badge to the one Joel Allen Battle is wearing in the above photo, it is a solid gold badge with the distinctive sheild, the three stars, greek letters Beta Theta Pi and a crescent shape. The badge that I originally posted is the modern Beta Badge, the one below is from the 1850s (man I wish i had a copy, with me, of the book "Son of the Stars")


~kai~
Jared Nichols
West Virginia 03'
Beta Psi #1852

[Garrett Silliman]

Re: Young Joel Allan Battle ... his story and his photo

Jared,

That is great stuff - thanks for posting.

Garrett Silliman
Beta Kappa Phi (formerly Alpha Lambda Chapter - College of Wooster)

[Utley]

Re: Young Joel Allan Battle ... his story and his photo

Jared,

Thanks for the picture and info. That's very interesting. LaVergne is right over the hill a ways....to tell the truth I didn't even know that it was known as LaVernge during the CW days. It's right in between Nashville and Murfreesboro, near Smyrna. I wonder if Mr. Battle knew ol' Sam Davis since he was from the same area? Their museum has some NICE uniform pieces and original items, so if you're ever in the area be sure to stop by.

[jarednichols]

Re: Young Joel Allan Battle ... his story and his photo

The fraternity just published a more in depth account of Joel Allen Battle the following is from the Beta Theta Pi website.

The 95th name on the roll of Alpha chapter is Joel Allan Battle who came to Miami University from his home in Lavergne, Tenn. Young Battle soon befriended John Calvin Lewis whom he recruited into Beta Theta Pi. Together they would write a classic story about brotherhood.

Lewis remembered it this way: “Allan Battle was a man of mark in his years at Miami. Of good standing, but not first in class work, his great love for historical and political affairs gave him prominence, and his ever ready eloquence made him a leader in the hall of debate.

“About Dec. 1, 1860, shortly after Lincoln’s election to the presidency, I was at the rooms of Allan Battle and his wife in Cincinnati where he was studying law. Our conversation was almost entirely on the possibility of war. It naturally appeared that. . . all the slave-holding states would be in sympathy with the Southern side. Allan Battle apprehended that this sympathy would affect the action of Tennesse, and I well recall his bitter regret at the situation and what it meant for himself.

“If war broke out, (he said) he could not fight against the flag, nor against the people of his birthplace, and would probably go abroad in hopes that the struggle would be brief. Shortly after, I left for Illinois and never again saw Joel Allan Battle alive.”

Allan’s father, the colonel of the 20th Tennessee Regiment, asked his son to return to Tennessee and fight for the cause. Lewis was a captain in the 41st Illinois Regiment; two other Miami classmates, Ross and Chamberlain, joined the 31st Indiana. The 41st Illinois and the 31st Indiana were part of Grant’s Army which sought control of the Tennessee River.

In early April, the Army of Tennessee embarked north from Corinth to attack Grant’s for-ces at dawn near Shiloh Church, starting the first great bloody engagement of the war. The Southern advance initially routed the Union forces, which regrouped and met the Confederates near the Bloody Pond, an area of the heaviest fighting known as the “Hornet’s Nest.”

Ultimately, the Union troops were pushed back, almost into the Tennessee River near Grant’s headquarters. That night, Grant was reinforced and fueled a counterattack the next morning. The Southern troops were first pushed back but then counterattacked. Young Joel, his left arm in a sling from an earlier wound, fought until he was killed in this charge to retake the former position.

Lewis continued his story: “I became captain of a company in the 41st Illinois on April 5, 1862, the day before the Battle of Shiloh began. After the battle, we were in camp, the dreadful relics of the great battle were all about us for miles. On both sides there were some 9,000 dead to bury and 15,000 wounded to care for. Later that day, Ross called to me, asking that I come at once to his tent.

“In passing to his tent, I noticed on the grass a body wrapped in a Confederate blanket. When I asked Ross if it was anyone he knew, he replied that it was Allan Battle’s body. Unfolding the blanket, I recognized the face, thinner . . . and placid as if asleep. We found two ball marks in the right breast; apparently death had been merciful and instant.

“The burial of Allan Battle was near our camp and in the shade of an oak tree. In arranging his clothing, I bared the left shoulder and found a healing wound, and its condition would have excused a less determined man from the battle in which his life was lost. I believe no more brave and noble soul left his body on that bloody field.”

Lewis and his comrades smoothed the ground to conceal the grave and prevent it from being disturbed. Today, if you visit Shiloh, Tenn., the Union Cemetery is beside the Visitor Center. Union dead are buried in neat rows, names on white tombstones.

When you tour the battlefield, you will come upon several Confederate burial trenches containing the unidentified Southern dead in mass graves — except for one, young Joel Allan Battle, who lies in his own secret burial place on the field of bloody Shiloh, not far from the Bloody Pond, where he was laid to rest by his brothers — his Beta brothers in blue.