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Tag Archives: Sixth Corps
Upton’s Attack at Spotsylvania: Modern Trail Map
I can safely speak for the Virginia cabal of Emerging Civil War that we are big fans of Emory Upton. An influential military tactician, he is probably best known for his assault on the western face of the mule shoe … Continue reading
“Boys like me should have been at home with their mothers”: Private William Perry at the Wilderness
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
The Night March into Fredericksburg, May 2-3, 1863
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
McClellan’s Brother
The official reports from the Sixth Corps are woefully incomplete for the 1864 Overland Campaign. Many officers waited until the fall to write and by then the entire organization had seen significant change, eliminating any chance for full reports. After … Continue reading
Dinner with Charles Gould and Horatio Wright
I am always amazed at the amount of source material that is out there for historians who are willing to mine the depths of the treasure troves at our disposal. I had keyword searched “Fort Welch” on Newspapers.com in hopes … Continue reading
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 B. 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
