Tag Archives: 65th New York Infantry

“Boys like me should have been at home with their mothers”: Private William Perry at the Wilderness

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Edward S. Alexander

William Wallace Perry did not stand an imposing figure on a battlefield like his namesake. The fourteen year old barely fit into the uniform he was assigned. It is unclear how the youngster managed to escape detection when he joined … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Night March into Fredericksburg, May 2-3, 1863

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Edward S. Alexander

The orders made no sense. Their recipient lacked the creativity to make them work. The Union army dawdled as its commanders traded confused messages, while Lee and Jackson struck their masterpiece victory. To explain why Joseph Hooker’s Chancellorsville campaign failed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Campaigns, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment