Tag Archives: David Bell Birney

Under Fire: The 17th Maine in “the immediate presence of death”

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Chris Mackowski

On the evening of December 12, 1862, Pvt. John Haley of the 17th Maine huddled around “the very smallest” of fires and tried to keep quiet. The regiment had moved into a reserve position along the Rappahannock River near the … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Regiments | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

About Phil Kearny on the Anniversary of His Death

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

Today is the anniversary of the death of Maj. Gen. Phil Kearny, killed at Chantilly in the wake of Second Bull Run. Not too long ago, I came across a fantastic character sketch of Kearny by John Haley, a private … Continue reading →

Posted in Personalities, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

If Meade Had Been Captured at Myers Hill…

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Chris Mackowski

One of the best things about being a Civil War historian is having a couple beers and refighting the Civil War. What follows is a rough translation of a conversation Dan Davis and I had on Oct. 31 as we … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments