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Author Archives: Kevin Pawlak
“Now I suppose you would like me to describe a battle”: Henry Lyon Writes of His Feelings in Battle
Whether it was the summer of 1862, 1863, or 1864, early July is the climax of military campaigns in all three of those deadly summers. Soldier descriptions of what the experience of participating in a battle was abound in Civil … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Emerging Civil War, Primary Sources
Tagged battle, Battle of Fair Oaks
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An Equine Casualty on the Road to Gettysburg
The citizens of the Loudoun Valley awoke on Sunday morning, June 21, 1863, not to the sound of church bells. Instead, the thunder of cannon ripped through the region as the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia sought to … Continue reading
June 17: The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry at Aldie
Every regiment that served in the Civil War had one day that exemplified the rest of their wartime service. For the men of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, June 17 was their day. In particular, it was June 17, 1863. That … Continue reading
Friendly Rivalries at the Brandy Station Grand Review
Rivalries between military branches are well-known (Army vs. Navy, anyone?). Throughout the Civil War, jabs between infantrymen and cavalrymen of the same armies can be found in letters, diaries, and postwar accounts of soldiers. On June 8, 1863, at the … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Cavalry, Personalities
Tagged Brandy Station, Fitzhugh Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, John Bell Hood, rivalry, Robert E. Lee
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“Dress Upon the Colors!”: The 8th New York Heavy Artillery at the Battle of Cold Harbor
Early on the morning of June 3, 1864, a light mist moistened both armies bunched in their respective earthworks. Private Nelson Armstrong of the 8th New York Heavy Artillery peered above his trench and stared across the open field in … Continue reading
Posted in Battles
Tagged 8th New York Heavy Artillery, Battle of Cold Harbor, Peter Porter
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“As glorious a death as a man can die”: Col. Guilford Bailey at the Battle of Seven Pines
Silas Casey’s Federals huddled behind their breastworks constituting the division’s main line of defense and listened to the growing cacophony of musketry and artillery to their front. For nearly two hours, they heard Confederate attacks slam against Casey’s front line … Continue reading
Music on the Spotsylvania Earthworks
By May 11, Ulysses S. Grant’s Virginia campaign had been underway for one week. The men of both armies went through the blazing inferno of the Wilderness only to find themselves now huddled behind substantial earthworks ringing the landscape around … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Campaigns, Emerging Civil War
Tagged Atlanta Campaign, bands, music, Nearer My God to Thee, Overland Campaign, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Titanic
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Firing the First Shot: George James Begins the Civil War
His watch in hand, Capt. George James followed the seconds tick towards 4:30 a.m. He had a deadline to meet. It was one he surely was not going to miss. No doubt, the weight of the moment rested heavily on … Continue reading
Indian Aid: Ely Parker and the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia
Four months before giving birth to her son Ely, expecting mother Elizabeth Johnson Parker (Gaontguttwus to the Tonawanda Seneca tribe) awoke one night after experiencing a dream. Her mind’s vision showed a rainbow broken in two. The bottom of one … Continue reading
