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Category Archives: Sieges
Noah Trudeau Explains Lincoln’s Greatest Journey
Recently I chatted with award-winning author Noah Andre Trudeau, who has written several well-regarded books on the Civil War in 1864 and 1865. We discussed his next book, Lincoln’s Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days That Changed a Presidency, March 24 – … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Book Review, Books & Authors, Leadership--Federal, Lincoln, Personalities, Reconstruction, Sieges, Slavery
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Appomattox Campaign, Breakthrough at Petersburg, City Point, David Dixon Porter, Fall of Petersburg, Fall of Richmond, General William T. Sherman, Grant, Julia Grant, Lincoln in Richmond, Mary Todd Lincoln, Noah Andre Trudeau, Savas Beatie
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The Stakes of Vicksburg
On April 30, and May 1, 1863, Union Major General U.S. Grant crossed his Army of the Tennessee over the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg. He then cut loose from his supply sources and plunged inland to surround the city … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battles, Campaigns, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Sieges, Ties to the War, Western Theater
Tagged Army of the Tennessee, British Army, Earl Van Dorn, Guadalcanal, Imphal, India, Japan, Japanese Army, Kohima, Pea Ridge, Samuel Curtis, Siege of Vicksburg, U.S. Marines, Ulysses S. Grant, Vicksburg, Vicksburg Campaign, William Slim
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The Ghosts of Crimea Before Richmond
When judging Civil War leaders, we sometimes look at them in isolation of a period or event, forgetting that they always act in accordance with the sum of their knowledge and experience to date. But remembering what has gone before … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battles, Campaigns, Leadership--Federal, Personalities, Sieges
Tagged Army of the Potomac, British Army, cavalry, Crimea, Crimean War, Delafield Commission, French Army, George B. McClellan, George McClellan, Peninsula Campaign, Richmond, Sevastopol, Seven Days Battles, Yorktown
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Saved by His Pocket Diary: Sergeant Francis McMillen at the Jones Farm
In a small leather bound journal, Francis McMillen daily jotted down notes while hunkered down in the Petersburg trenches during the last year of the war. He mixed frequent updates on the weather with sarcastic commentary on the boring routine … Continue reading
Postscript to the Charlie Gould Story
By most accounts, Captain Charles Gilbert Gould was the first VI Corps soldier to reach the Confederate earthworks on the morning of April 2, 1865. His desperate encounter in hand-to-hand combat with Brig. Gen. James H. Lane’s Tar Heels was … Continue reading
Posted in Common Soldier, Sieges, Weapons
Tagged Breakthrough at Petersburg, Captain Charles Gould, inventions, Patent Office
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From Raymond to Vicksburg: In the Footsteps of an Illinois Battery
A few weeks ago I was looking through the pictures that I took on the Western Tour Chris Mackowski, his daughter Steph and I did in May. As I progressed through the pictures of the Raymond battlefield and at Vicksburg, … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Civil War Events, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Monuments, Sieges, Western Theater
Tagged 1st Illinois Artillery, Army of the Tennessee, Battery D, Battle of Raymond, Battle of Shiloh, Captain Henry Rogers, Fort Donelson, James McPherson, John Bell Hood, John Logan, Jonesboro, Kennesaw Mountain, North Georgia Campaign, Siege of Corinth, Siege of Vicksburg, XVII Corps
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Separate Roads to Petersburg: The Fractured Federal High Command, April 1865
Ever have a dispute with someone turn so ugly that you don’t want to even share the same road? From all appearances, that may have been the case on April 2, 1865 with the damaged relationship between Lt. Gen. Ulysses … Continue reading
“A Mosquito Fighting an Elephant”: A Carolinian’s Recollection of the Breakthrough
I found it challenging while writing Dawn of Victory to not slant my narrative too largely toward the Federals. This was largely the result of a paucity in material from the southern perspective. Many Confederate officers did not see the purpose in … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Newspapers, Sieges
Tagged Dawn of Victory, Fort Gregg, McGowan's Brigade, Siege of Petersburg, The Breakthrough, Tudor Hall
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“Little Billy’s” Big Mausoleum
Another installment in the “Tales From the Tombstone” series. Although never a physically imposing man, William Mahone, left a lasting impact on 19th century Virginia, as a civilian, military officer, and politician. In one way or another, all these pursuits … Continue reading
Sunset on the Father of Waters
A view of the Mississippi from the bluffs at Vicksburg. This picture was taken from Battery Benton, which was manned by elements of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery and the 34th Iowa Infantry late in the Siege of Vicksburg. The Battery derived its name from its … Continue reading
