Civil War Traveler and Blogger
The below letter was written by Charles Clarence Miller (1843-1912), Gates, Monroe county, New York. In the 1860 US Census, 16 year-old Charles was enumerated in his parents household in Gates where he attended school and worked as a farm laborer. 140th NY depicted at Saunders Field In August 1862, he enlisted with Company D… Continue reading A Thanksgiving Letter Home
Nothing is every cut and dry. No issue can ever be labeled in direct, easy terms. There's a little shade of gray in every conflict. The deeper I delve into Civil War history, the more that becomes VERY apparent, especially on the controversial issue of slavery. While we can read about the views and platforms… Continue reading Personal Politics
Formed in the summer of 1862 for three years of service, the 16th Maine Infantry Regiment had a number of officers with previous experience as well as many eager recruits. Some joined just to be part of the war effort and others were drawn by the bounties offered for service. The 16th Maine fought at… Continue reading A Soldier at Laurel Hill
I have always liked a saying that I heard in a documentary once that the life of a pirate consisted of long period of absolute tedium and boredom, punctuated by intense moments of danger and excitement. The same can be said for soldiers of the Civil War (or any war for that matter). What did… Continue reading What Did They Write About? – Civil War Letters
Below is a transcribed letter from a soldier in the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H. After mustering August, the author of this letter, Hugh Quinn Adams, he and the rest of his company traveled through Maryland and into Virginia, settling north of the Rappahannock after the battle of Fredericksburg. Their first major engagement came the… Continue reading A Chancellorsville Letter
Veterans on both sides of the Civil War who were present for duty at Chancellorsville on May 3rd, 1863, described it as the ultimate slaughter. In some accounts, they call it the worst fighting of the entire war. Cavalry officer J.E.B Stuart was personally appointed by the wounded Thomas Stonewall Jackson to take command of… Continue reading Compassion and Chaos at Chancellorsville
A year and a half before Ambrose Burnside was in command of the entire Army of the Potomac, he was Colonel of the Second Brigade under Colonel David Hunter in the Second Division at the first battle of Manassas. The brigade consisted of the 71st New York, 2nd New Hampshire, 1st Rhode Island, and 2nd… Continue reading Rhode Island to the Rear
Continuing in January’s dedication to the Battle of Shiloh, I thought it’d be important to give some direct soldier accounts from both the Union and the Confederate side. So much of history is told in facts and dates, but the first-hand stories are sometimes overlooked. What we forget is that the first-hand stories are where… Continue reading A Soldier’s Story: Battle of Shiloh
Belle on the Battlefield 