Late Spring 1864: Grant wanted to take the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. He had been trying to slip around the Rebels, but the wily Lee kept blocking him. Now Grant made a wide swing to flank the Rebels and seize Cold Harbor. Not a real town, Cold Harbor was just an intersection of roads, ten miles […]
“We felt it was murder, not war…” Read More »
Lieutenant Alexander Douglas could it no longer. The cries stirred him to action. Douglas had been born on Christmas Day of 1833 in South Carolina, a land that was first settled by the English in 1670. Early Americans battled Redcoats there in the Revolutionary War, and later, in 1865, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman burned two
Mercy at Gettysburg Read More »
Union General McClellan had just come into some key intelligence. Now he thought he had Robert E. Lee right where he wanted him, in enemy territory with his forces divided: “Here is a piece of paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home.” What was that piece of
Clash at Sharpsburg Read More »
A lot of folks tell us what the Civil War was all about. Professors and reporters and “very important” people tell us. And with what conviction they tell us! But I rarely hear from the scholars about why the man in uniform was fighting. Seems the soldier is simply forgotten. Sure, we hear “what the war was
“All were American soldiers…” Read More »
The 1st Kentucky Brigade is also known as the Orphan Brigade. Six different Kentucky Regiments were in this brigade. (Confederate Brigades were composed of two to six regiments.) Some Kentucky regiments used flags with a upright Latin/Christian cross on them. The most prominent are the blue flags with large red Latin crosses adorned by 13 white
Flags of the Kentucky Orphan Brigade Read More »
The Civil War produced many fine shooters, and some made their way into sharpshooter units. Champion marksman Hiram Berdan of New York raised a Union sharpshooter unit. To qualify, volunteers had to put ten shots in a circle of 10 inches from 200 yards. Berdan’s Sharpshooters wore green uniforms, like the reenactor above. Sharp’s rifles, used by the
Civil War Sharpshooters Read More »
Marcellus Pointer became a member of the Mississippi State Militia before the Civil War. Upon his completion, he joined the Confederate Army and was involved in several skirmishes and battles. He even became a prisoner but was able to escape by shooting a guard. He was wounded in 1865 and surrendered later that year, subsequently
A Proud Confederate to His Dying Day Read More »
This article basically summarizes, in great detail, an event that happened on a cloudy day for a military service. Also included in this article is a description of a sculptor that as present during this event. This event took place in the year 1914, and also describes history of certain military personnel. Key Takeaways: Ezekiel
Sculpting the Cause Read More »
When the battle wasn’t raging, Yankee and Rebel soldiers were known to get along with each other. Confederate Private Sam Watkins tells a story about a Sunday after the Battle of Chickamauga. He came and his buddies came to relieve some sentries on the Tennessee River. There was a Union outpost on the opposite riverbank.
If you have spent much time reading here, you probably know Private Sam Watkins of Company H, First Tennessee Infantry. Sam had a keen eye for nonsense, and his tales were often told with humor. He saw things as the man on the firing line, from the bottom of the totem pole. In his words:“Ah!
The Civil War Private Read More »
