2017 ECW Symposium Admission
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Tag Archives: Sixth Corps
The Wedge to Split the Confederacy
Sneak preview of my presentation at the Emerging Civil War Symposium later this summer. Click on the map for a larger version.
Like Sheep
The use of cliché is prevalent in Civil War combat narratives. Every attacking force, by their description, always had to charge through “a hail of grape and canister.” This was repeated ad nauseam regardless of whether or not there was … Continue reading
Recollections from a New York Cavalryman
May 29, 1864 was a day of consolidation for the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. Each side maneuvered into positions facing each other along Totopotomoy Creek. There was also little rest for the tired troopers … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Civil War Events, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Federal, Memory
Tagged 9th New York Cavalry, Ambrose Burnside, George McClellan, Hanovertown, New Castle Ferry, Newel Cheney, Pamunkey River, Second Corps, Sixth Corps
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Calling on Charlie
Every Memorial Day weekend I make the short pilgrimage to Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg to pay my respects at the grave of Captain Charles Carroll Morey, 2nd Vermont Infantry. Reading Charlie’s correspondence with his family during the war … Continue reading
Palmetto Sentinels
The spring rainfall has covered the central Virginia forests with a lush vegetation that unfortunately obscures many of the physical features that define a battlefield. In attempt to restore some of these viewsheds, I undertook a recent project to clear some … Continue reading
A General Remembered: Lew Wallace after the Battle of Monocacy
A guest post by Ryan Quint, part three of a series. After his defeat at the Battle of Monocacy, Major General Lew Wallace retreated back towards Baltimore. His force, badly outnumbered by Confederate troops under the command of Lieutenant General … Continue reading
Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Leadership--Federal
Tagged 6th Corps, Battle of Fort Stevens, Battle of Monocacy, Ben-Hur, Edward O. C. Ord, Fort Stevens, Henry Halleck, Horatio G. Wright, Lew Wallace, Lincoln Assassination, Montgomery Meigs, Shiloh, Sixth Corps, Ulysses S. Grant
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A Leg for Anse to Walk On
Despite all the horrors of Civil War combat, many soldiers feared a visit to a place even more loathsome than the battlefront—the field hospital. Given adequate time, a skilled doctor could perform complicated surgery to extract bullets or repair damage, but … Continue reading
Posted in Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Medical
Tagged 121st New York, Anson Ryder, Petersburg, Sixth Corps, The Breakthrough, Walt Whitman
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The Federal Charge at Rappahannock Station, 150 Years Ago
On the evening of November 7, 1863, two Union brigades commanded by Colonels Peter C. Ellmaker and Emory Upton seized Confederate rifle pits on the Rappahannock River protecting the vital crossing of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Their success eliminated … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Emerging Civil War
Tagged Emory Upton, George G. Meade, Rappahannock Station, Robert E. Lee, Sixth Corps
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The Tasmanian Devil of the Western Front
Military history is full of examples of individuals tending to exaggerate their influence on the outcome of an engagement. One needs to look no further than Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain or Philip H. Sheridan at Petersburg to see such evidence. But … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Sieges
Tagged 126th Ohio, Fort Stedman, Fort Welch, Francis Cordrey, Horatio G. Wright, Petersburg, Sixth Corps
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“Uncle John” — R.I.P.
The monument to “Uncle John” Sedgwick, who was killed by a sharpshooter on May 9, 1864–149 years ago today at the Battle of Spotsylvania. “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance,” Sedgwick said just before taking a bullet below … Continue reading
