Author Archives: David T. Dixon

The Iron Brigade of the Cumberland at Chickamauga (Part Two of Two)

Posted on September 19, 2021 by David T. Dixon

The anonymous author of the pamphlet Willich at Chickamauga continues with the resumption of the battle on September 20, 1863: What a glorious morning ushers in this Sunday, Sept. 20th, 1863, and shines as fair a sun as ever gladdened this hemisphere. … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Emerging Civil War, Immigrants, Leadership--Federal, Primary Sources, Western Theater | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Iron Brigade of the Cumberland at Chickamauga (Part One of Two)

Posted on September 18, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Few moments in the life of a historian compare with uncovering fresh primary sources. Fortunately, I have experienced this thrill on numerous occasions. Small rewards for thousands of hours spent squinting at period handwriting in archives and attics across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Immigrants, Leadership--Federal, Primary Sources, Western Theater | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Fallen Leaders: General Max Weber at Antietam

Posted on August 7, 2021 by David T. Dixon

One late spring day in 2013 a farmer plowing his field in Martin County, Minnesota noticed a small white porcelain object poking out of a furrow. He stopped the tractor, climbed down, and retrieved the curious artifact, which was slightly … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigrants, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: Soldier Parrott

Posted on July 29, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Soldier Parrott: The Incredible Story of America’s First Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient By J. North Conway Lyons Press, 2021 $28.95 hardcover Reviewed by David T. Dixon The daring theft of a locomotive on the Western and Atlantic Railroad in … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Common Soldier | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Thaddeus Stevens: Civil War Revolutionary, Fighter for Social Justice

Posted on July 6, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Thaddeus Stevens: Civil War Revolutionary, Fighter for Social Justice By Bruce Levine Simon & Schuster, 2021 $28.00 hardcover Reviewed by David T. Dixon Bundled in blankets and borne aloft in a chair by two young men, Thaddeus Stevens entered the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

The “Immortal” General Sherman

Posted on June 24, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Several weeks ago, my wife and I made our escape from pandemic prison, driving four and a half hours to Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada. Sequoia offers visitors rugged natural beauty and quiet contemplation; a proper place … Continue reading →

Posted in Memory | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Book Review: The Last Slave Ships: New York and the End of the Middle Passage

Posted on June 4, 2021 by David T. Dixon

The Last Slave Ships: New York and the End of the Middle Passage By John Harris Yale University Press, 2020, $30.00 hardcover Reviewed by David T. Dixon A large crowd gathered in the yard of a New York City jail … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Raising the Regiment: Die Neuner

Posted on May 25, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Cincinnati’s German American community responded to the news of the surrender of Ft. Sumter and President Lincoln’s call for troops with unbridled enthusiasm. Handbills posted the evening of April 14, 1861 on the wall at Turner Hall on Walnut Street … Continue reading →

Posted in 160th Anniversary, Regiments | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Radical Gettysburg Address

Posted on May 18, 2021 by David T. Dixon

President Abraham Lincoln’s two-minute remarks during the dedication of the Soldiers’ Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863 may be the most heralded words ever delivered in the English language. For nearly 160 years, the legacy and mythology surrounding that … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership--Federal, Lincoln, Politics, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Hidden Gem of a Civil War Diary

Posted on March 23, 2021 by David T. Dixon

Several weeks ago, I was contacted by a member of a large Midwestern Civil War round table following my Zoom presentation. “I am in possession of an original diary of a First Lieutenant of Company G, 21st Illinois who was … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Primary Sources | 4 Comments