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Author Archives: Sarah Kay Bierle
Was it really Chancellorsville? Exploring Details in The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane is a work of classic fiction, exploring universal themes of humanity, violence, war, and the growth of courage. One of the brilliant things about the story is the lack of details—meaning that … Continue reading
“We Made A Charge”: The 17th Mississippi Infantry at Ball’s Bluff
It was a battle that wasn’t really supposed to happen, and one combat that is often overlooked, though it had notable effects in 1861. A Union reconnaissance mission gone wrong launched the Battle of Ball’s Bluff on October 21, 1861, … Continue reading
Posted in 160th Anniversary, Battles
Tagged 160th Anniversary, 17th mississippi, Battle of Ball's Bluff, Robert A. Moore
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Fallen at Cedar Creek: Charles Russell Lowell, Jr.
On October 15, 1864, Colonel Charles Russell Lowell Jr. wrote to his wife from the camp of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry near Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley: “I’ve only ten minutes to write to you; I was out all … Continue reading
Under Fire: “The Yanks on Top of the Hill North of the Creek Saw Us and Began Shooting Cannon at Us”
Over the past weekend, I’ve been reading the newly released book Rebel Correspondent, transcribed and annotated by Steve Procko. The highlight of the book is the post-war reminiscences of Private Arba F. Shaw who served in the 4th Georgia Cavalry. … Continue reading
Posted in Cavalry, Common Soldier
Tagged 4th Georgia Cavalry, First-Experiences-Under-Fire, Under-Fire
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ECW Weekender: Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park
A few weekends ago I need an escape where trees, water, and history could be found. With the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Ball’s Bluff coming up and since the 20th Massachusetts accidentally became my regiment of the year … Continue reading
Posted in 160th Anniversary, ECW Weekender
Tagged 160th Anniversary, Ball's Bluff, ECW Weekender, Weekender
2 Comments
Under Fire: “You Did Not Wear The Marks Of The Muddy Trenches”
In May 1901, veterans of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery journeyed to Central Virginia, returning to the battleground at Harris Farm, north of Spotsylvania Court House. Thirty-seven years early these men had come under battle fire for the first time, … Continue reading
Under Fire: “Till My Heart Sickens and War Is Not Glorious” — John Pelham at First Manassas
It had been three months since John Pelham of Alabama left West Point Military Academy under the cover of darkness and began his circuitous journey into the heart of the newly formed Confederacy. His months of waiting, asking for advice, … Continue reading
Under Fire: The Regiment & The Youth
Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage has been recognized for it’s descriptions of battle and human responses. While working on this new series, I wanted to look at the chapters where the regiment and Henry Fleming (the main character) … Continue reading
Posted in Common Soldier
Tagged First-Experiences-Under-Fire, Red Badge of Courage, Under-Fire
6 Comments
Under Fire: “A Scene of Consternation and Confusion” according to Sam Watkins
On July 21, 1861, Sam Watkins of “Co. Aytch” in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment sat on a train “a hundred miles” from the fight along Bull Run Creek near Manassas. In fact, the locomotive pulled his regiment into Manassas … Continue reading
