Showing results for "George B. McClellan"
Meade: “A Great Deal Too Much Fuss”
On the afternoon of July 7, 1863, George Gordon Meade arrived in Frederick, Maryland, as his army marched in pursuit of the retreating Army of Northern Virginia. Word of his major victory at Gettysburg had already circulated widely, and Meade found, to his surprise, the people of Frederick making a huge-to-do over him. To escape, […]
Read more...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 I had previously expressed hope that his unpublished 1864 diary could fill in some of the major gaps in the Sixth Corps’ reporting of the Overland campaign. As part of a larger digitization of George B. […]
Read more...On The March: Magruder’s Deception on the Peninsula
Though usually the means of moving from Point A to Point B and perhaps determining a campaign or battle by speed, marching also became a tool for deception. Especially in April 1862 on the Virginia Peninsula. Confederate General John Bankhead Magruder—known for his lavish and somewhat eccentric lifestyle —reigned on the Virginia Peninsula and had […]
Read more...On The March Through Some Civil War Lyrics
A quick survey of the music and lyrics in Irwin Silber’s book Songs of the Civil War reveals some interesting details about “marching” in Civil War culture. The following notes are not intended to be a comprehensive study, but rather a reflection of the attitudes and sentiments around marching as reflected in the lyrics of […]
Read more...Week In Review: March 27-April 3, 2022
Sunday, March 27: In the evening, Chris Mackowski posted photos from Rocky Face Ridge. Monday, March 28: Question of the Week discussed the colonels who never made general. Kevin Pawlak re-examined what Robert E. Lee thought of George B. McClellan. Tuesday, March 29: Meg Groeling shared about cats and war, comparing the Union army of […]
Read more...A Taste of Vicksburg – The Story of the Jam Jar
Tucked away in the collection’s storage at the University of West Florida’s Historic Trust is a simple artifact with a greater history than meets the eye. A brown stoneware jar, about eight inches tall and four inches in diameter, its exterior polished with a raised band around the middle. The story of the jar is […]
Read more...Col. John McLane of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at Gaines Mill
In 1859 John W. McLane formed and commanded a mostly ceremonial militia unit in Erie, Pennsylvania, known as the Wayne Guard. When war broke out in April of 1861, McLane, now a colonel, put out a call for volunteers. Within days twelve hundred men had volunteered. Pennsylvania Governor Andrew G. Curtin accepted into service ten […]
Read more...The Most Frightened Man and the Ironclads
One hundred and sixty years ago yesterday, March 8, 1862, a frustrated commander in chief convened another council of war to prod Major General George B. McClellan into action. McClellan proposed to transport the Army of the Potomac down the Chesapeake and up the Rappahannock River to the Virginia town of Urbanna, outflank Confederate forces […]
Read more...The “Emerging Civil War Series” Series: To Hazard All
I have always enjoyed tour guides. They’re a useful tool for Civil War historians. I can read it from the comfort of my home and use it later when visiting the sites of a Civil War battle and/or campaign. It was a real pleasure for me to be able to co-author To Hazard All: A Guide […]
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