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Tag Archives: Petersburg Campaign
“My Responsibility For These Men”: A Leadership Letter from Petersburg
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain has received criticism in recent decades for some of his writings which have been questioned for accuracy, purpose, and perspective. As a professor, educator, and gifted writer, Chamberlain seemed to seek a refuge in post-war writings – … Continue reading
A Petersburg Picket’s Letter
Primary source research is a grinding ordeal but a necessary one for a group of historians whose mantra is to provide fresh perspectives on America’s defining event. It is a rewarding task, too, when you land on a juicy quote … Continue reading
Vermont Brigade at the Petersburg Breakthrough
April 2, 2019 marked the 154th anniversary of the last day of fighting around Petersburg, Virginia. My research has largely focused on the breakthrough assault by the Sixth Corps southwest of the city during the early morning. I have devoted … Continue reading
Posted in Battles
Tagged cartography, Lane's Brigade, Petersburg Breakthrough, Petersburg Campaign, Vermont Brigade
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Reams Station Trail Map
Tomorrow marks the 154th anniversary of the Battle of Reams Station. The Union Fifth Corps cut the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad on August 18, 1864, and Confederate counteroffensives failed to drive them off the position. While Gouverneur Warren’s men built … Continue reading
A.P. Hill’s Death Wish?: The Problem with Using Quotes
Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill rode to his death during the immediate aftermath of the April 2, 1865 breakthrough at Petersburg. Hill sought to meet Major General Henry Heth at the division commander’s Pickrell house headquarters. Instead he encountered Pennsylvania … Continue reading
Petersburg, the most researched battle of late?
The Petersburg Battlefields Foundation hosted its first stakeholders meeting yesterday to present its strategic plan to potential partners. As the organization’s tourism chair, I planned to spotlight a few new Petersburg publications to illustrate how scholarship on the campaign has … Continue reading
Stolen Pie, but a Bigger Prize for Sergeant Young at Petersburg
Today is the favorite holiday for math teachers. March Fourteenth (3-14) represents the first three numbers in the mathematical constant pi. I’ve been using pi (3.14159…) a lot more than I had anticipated as a historian. Each time I rescale … Continue reading
Celebrate the Expected Capture of Richmond with a New Stove!
I found this humorous newspaper article while searching through historic Vermont newspapers. Burlington entrepreneur J.B. Wardell hoped to cash in on the public’s joy at what he anticipated to be the end of the Civil War by attaching that jubilation … Continue reading
Identifying “Courier Kirkpatrick” on A.P. Hill’s Last Ride
Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill was killed in the aftermath of the successful Union attack near Petersburg on the morning of April 2, 1865. Sergeant George Washington Tucker, Jr., the general’s chief of couriers, was the only Confederate present at … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Leadership--Confederate, Newspapers, Primary Sources
Tagged A.P. Hill, ancestry.com, Breakthrough at Petersburg, couriers, Death of A.P. Hill, Fold3.com, John W. Mauk, Newspapers.com, Petersburg Campaign, Southern Historical Society Papers, William B. Kirkpatrick
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“Shoot and Be Damned”: Lawrence Berry at Fort Gregg
For a few early afternoon hours on April 2, 1865, three hundred Mississippi infantrymen and a pair of gun crews from the Washington Artillery of New Orleans clung to Fort Gregg as they held back two full XXIV Corps divisions. … Continue reading
