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Here is another tale of Private Sam Watkins, Company H, 1st Tennessee:“It was Christmas. John Barleycorn was general-in-chief. Our generals, and colonels, and captains, had kissed John a little too often…. We marched plumb into the Yankee lines, with their flags flying.”“I called Lieutenant-Colonel Frierson’s attention to the Yankees, and he remarked, “Well, I don’t

Of all the soldiers who served the 43rd Mississippi Infantry, few were as famous as one who never carried a rifle. His name was Old Douglas, and he was a camel. He marched with the regiment through two years of war, carried its band’s instruments, terrified its horses, and was mourned by the whole command

American cavalry has a long and proud tradition.  These troops trained to fight on horseback were used effectively in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the War with Mexico. The Civil War saw a significant change, with Cavalry heavily used as Mounted Infantry.  They were soldiers who used their horses for maneuvers and moving

“I am sure that it was the grandest charge that was ever seen by mortal man.” Those are the words of Union Colonel Worthen, whose men at Gettysburg tried to stand against the Mississippi brigade commanded by General Barksdale.  Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and there are many tales of the

Johann Heros von Borcke was a lieutenant in the 2nd Brandenburg Regiment of Dragoons of the Prussian Army when news arrived of the beginning of the American Civil War. He managed to get released from his unit, and crossed the Atlantic to the island of Bermuda. From there he managed to get onto a Rebel

Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson is one of the most famous military men in history. He came from tough stock. His great-grandfather was born in England, but fought against the British in the American Revolution. Jackson graduated from West Point in 1846, was a hero in the Mexican American War, and taught at the Virginia

The legendary Terry’s Texas Rangers is named for the man who formed the unit, Benjamin Franklin Terry. The group’s official name was the 8th Texas Cavalry.  Every man who joined had to bring a shotgun or rifle, Colt revolver, and a Bowie knife (this was Texas, after all). They pinned a five-pointed star, the one

The Federals from the start of the Civil War wanted to defeat the Confederacy by blocking access to southern ports for supplies and exporting cotton for revenue. In response, the Confederacy began building a fleet of ships “clothed in iron panels” to make them resistant to enemy cannon fire. These “ ironclads”, also armed with

Most of the Civil War battles happened in states other than Florida. Of the 16,000 Floridians who fought, all but about 2,000 joined the Confederate ranks. Those who didn’t want to fight for either side, hid out in the woods and swamps to avoid being drafted. Nearly 5,000 Floridian soldiers were killed during the war.