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Category Archives: Leadership–Federal
What if John Reynolds had not been killed at Gettysburg?
John Reynolds’s unexpected death on July 1, 1863, in the opening hours of America’s most famous battle, has elevated him to near-mythic stature. His fans are tantalized by the possibilities his survival might have offered (no less so than Stonewall … Continue reading
Tardy Daniel Sickles and the First Slow Steps Toward Controversy
When people think of Dan Sickles at Gettysburg, the first thing that comes to mind is his ill-fated move toward the Peach Orchard on July 2. Ordered to hold a position that extended the Union line south from Cemetery Hill … Continue reading
Posted in Campaigns, Leadership--Federal, Personalities
Tagged Abner Doubleday, Army of the Potomac, Dan Sickles, Daniel Sickles, George Gordon Meade, George Meade, Gettysburg Campaign, Henry Slocum, Historicus, John Reynolds, Meade-Sickles Controversy, Oliver Otis Howard, peach orchard, Pipe Creek
20 Comments
An Alarming “Good Morning”
On June 28, 1863, General George Gordon Meade woke to find officers around his cot. At that early morning hour, he assumed he was under arrest. That army politics had finally caught up with him. Instead, the news was possibly … Continue reading
Southerners Have Fun with McClellan’s “Change of Base”
At the end of the day, June 27, 1862, George McClellan knew he had been whipped. Fitz John Porter’s V Corps had been fiercely attacked. Its center had broken and Porter’s troops retreated, leaving behind twenty-two guns.1 Porter was north … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership--Federal, Lincoln
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Allan Nevins, Brian Burton, change of base, Chickahominy, Edmund Ruffin, Edward Pollard, Ethan Rafuse, Fitz John Porter, Gaines Mill, George B. McClellan, Harrison's Landing, James River, Little Mac, Louis Goldsborough, Seven Days Battles, V Corps, White House Landing, Young Napoleon
3 Comments
Question of the Week: 6/13-6/19/2022
After being wounded at the battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, Dan Sickles never returned to corps command, although he tried. On October 16, he presented himself to Meade and asked to be restored to command of the III … Continue reading
The Battle of Memphis and Its Fallen Federal Leader
One of the most consequential battles of the war—and one of the shortest—took place on June 6, 1862: the battle of Memphis. Federals suffered only a single casualty, Col. Charles Ellet, Jr., the man most responsible for the victory in … Continue reading
Posted in 160th Anniversary, Battles, Civilian, Leadership--Federal, Navies
Tagged Battle of Memphis, Charles Ellet, Edwin Stanton, Fallen Leaders, Flag Officer Charles H. Davis, Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, George Gorham, Gideon Welles, Henry Halleck, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Memphis, Mississippi River, Montgomery Meigs, Philadelphia, Queen of the West, ram fleet
8 Comments
A Cold Harbor Sketch Says It All
Arthur McClellan, younger brother of the famous general, served on the staff for both John Sedgwick and Horatio Wright. I had previously expressed hope that his unpublished 1864 diary could fill in some of the major gaps in the Sixth … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Leadership--Federal, Primary Sources
Tagged Arthur McClellan, Cold Harbor, Horatio G. Wright, Overland Campaign, Sixth Corps
3 Comments
Book Review: Cedar Mountain to Antietam, A Civil War Campaign History of the Union XII Corps, July – September 1862
If one is familiar with a Savas Beatie publication, the reader understands a few prerequisites. The book will be well-researched and include historical analysis that enhances and expands ones knowledge base into another aspect of America’s military past. Author … Continue reading
A Newly Uncovered Letter in the Most Ungentlemanly Porter-Miller Exchange
Anyone who has read their fair share of Civil War correspondence knows it is often very cordial, even when notes are exchanged between officers on opposing sides. However, occasionally it devolves into arguments akin to modern-day social media rants, especially … Continue reading
Echoes of Reconstruction: Grant’s Bicentennial and His Changing Assessment
ECW is pleased to welcome back Patrick Young, author of The Reconstruction Era blog Last month’s commemorations of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Ulysses S. Grant helped to place the general and president in the perspectives of the various decades … Continue reading