Tag Archives: East Carolina University

“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

Saved by His Pocket Diary: Sergeant Francis McMillen at the Jones Farm

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Edward S. Alexander

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 →

Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Sieges | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments