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Author Archives: Edward S. Alexander
McClellan’s Brother
The official reports from the Sixth Corps are woefully incomplete for the 1864 Overland Campaign. Many officers waited until the fall to write and by then the entire organization had seen significant change, eliminating any chance for full reports. After … Continue reading
Fort Harrison Trail Map
One hundred and fifty four years ago, Union soldiers clambered over the earthen walls of Richmond’s outer defense line. The Army of the James succeeding in capturing Fort Harrison but suffered heavy losses in the assault, particularly among its leadership. … Continue reading
Modern Development at Rappahannock Station
Earlier this week, Chris Mackowski highlighted the new housing development on the November 7, 1863 Rappahannock Station battlefield. Preservationists over the last decade attempted to draw attention to this possibility but could not rally enough cooperation and interest. I overlaid … Continue reading
Reams Station Trail Map
Tomorrow marks the 154th anniversary of the Battle of Reams Station. The Union Fifth Corps cut the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad on August 18, 1864, and Confederate counteroffensives failed to drive them off the position. While Gouverneur Warren’s men built … Continue reading
The Superhuman Henry Recor at the Petersburg Breakthrough
I have yet to find a Civil War story as compelling and consequential as that of Captain Charles G. Gould, the first Sixth Corps soldier to breach the Confederate lines on the morning of April 2, 1865. Union soldiers from … Continue reading
A.P. Hill’s Death Wish?: The Problem with Using Quotes
Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill rode to his death during the immediate aftermath of the April 2, 1865 breakthrough at Petersburg. Hill sought to meet Major General Henry Heth at the division commander’s Pickrell house headquarters. Instead he encountered Pennsylvania … Continue reading
“What Shall Be Done with the Slave?” The 9th Illinois Cavalry and Practical Emancipation
I am frequently sidetracked when scanning through historic newspapers on a quest for specific information. What can I say, the headlines are still doing their job. Such was the case while digitally flipping through August 1862 issues of the Chicago … Continue reading
ECW Weekender: Cold Harbor Battlefield Park
Many visitors to the Cold Harbor battlefield expect to see the infamous ground of the failed Union assault on June 3, 1864. Unfortunately much of that land is publicly inaccessibly, though the National Park Service interprets a portion where the … Continue reading
Petersburg, the most researched battle of late?
The Petersburg Battlefields Foundation hosted its first stakeholders meeting yesterday to present its strategic plan to potential partners. As the organization’s tourism chair, I planned to spotlight a few new Petersburg publications to illustrate how scholarship on the campaign has … Continue reading
Race Outta Richmond: Meadow Bridge Battle Map
This past weekend I tried following the path of the Union cavalry raid on Richmond during the Overland Campaign. I forgot that the Richmond Raceway was hosting the Toyota Owners 400 Nascar race and found myself stuck in traffic on … Continue reading
