tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36357162958520479382024-03-13T10:39:57.639-07:00Battlefield WanderingsOne of my hobbies is walking battlefields and that will probably be the major source of posts. Plus I will post about other things that spark my interest, from oddities found while researching to observations on the war.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.comBlogger779125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-18361353077825805542015-07-20T14:15:00.001-07:002015-07-20T14:15:45.339-07:00my return, and moveI'm getting my feet wet again at blogging. I used to have two blogs, Battlefield Wanderings and the Battle of Shiloh. I've now merged the two into one. Partly to have it all centralized but also because I had a rough time getting the original Battlefield Wanderings site to cooperate properly. Please update (or add again) your favorites to follow the blog at battleshiloh.blogspot.<br />
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I've had a few trips since this blog went dark that I'll be adding over the coming months; Vicksburg, Seattle, and Illinois, as well as adding some older trips in as well. Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-58270936220364932462015-07-20T13:41:00.000-07:002015-07-20T13:41:52.679-07:00Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale review<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale: The Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863. </span></i><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">By William Lee White. Illustrated, photos, maps, orders of battle, 192 pp., 2013, Savas Beatie, </span></span><a href="http://www.savasbeatie.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.savasbeatie.com</span></span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, $12.95 softcover.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> There has never been a better time to a Western theater enthusiast. There will always be more books on Gettysburg than on any other battle but in recent years the pure volume of books on Western theater battles has steadily increased. The latest offering in this theater comes from a Chickamauga park ranger, and local, William Lee White. This is an excellent book that walks the fine line between being a general overview but gives enough detail for a more knowledgeable audience. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The book’s format is that in each chapter White explains a phase of the battle then has a driving tour that takes you to that spot. Although many of the photos are small there are period and modern photos are on nearly every page to help show the terrain, monuments or the commanders involved. I read it from the comfort of my home a thousand miles from Chickamauga but felt that the directions were easy to follow. Also having been to Chickamauga many times the directions and modern photos helped jog my memory of what is at each tour stop. If you read the book while on the battlefield it would only enhance the experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I’m tempted to compare it to the other Chickamauga tour guide, the War College Version, <i>Guide to the Battle of Chickamauga</i>, written by Matt Spruill roughly 16 years ago. The main difference between the two is that Spruill’s version uses the primary sources, mainly the official reports from the commanders to explain the battle while White’s version is a narrative account he distilled from the primary and secondary sources. White’s book is probably an easier read but Spruill’s puts you in the commanders’ shoes more as they make their decisions. I don’t think I could pick owning just one. For someone just entering the study of Chickamauga though White’s book is a more accessible read. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I also enjoyed the appendices, especially the one of the civilians who lived on the battlefield at the time. They are always mentioned in battle histories but for some of them this was the most detail I’ve previously seen, at least in one short chapter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The one complaint I do have with <i>Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale</i> is that the driving tour stays within the national park. There is a wealth of other sites outside the park but the book does not take you to those. For the times it discusses actions outside the park it would not have been difficult to take the visitor there. This is a relatively minor complaint though for an overall great book.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-64055727733191117552013-11-15T05:17:00.000-07:002013-11-15T05:17:06.415-07:00march to Raymond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Day one of the trip ended with us oin the Grand Gulf area. The next morning instead of back tracking all the way down to Grand Gulf to follow the army to Raymond we took a more direct route and meet up with the army halfway there, near Old Auburn. Then we followed the army on its march toward the battle of Raymond. Its a nice drive with state historical markers peppered along the way. Here are just a few.</div>
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From this spot a portion of the XIII Corps moved north along the road on the left and secured Whitaker's Ford, helping to secure Grant's left flank.</div>
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When Grant reached here on May 12 the bridge was burning. Union cavalry then fought with Confederate cavalry under Wirt Adams and by 11 AM had secured a bridgehead over Fourteenmile Creek and could then move forward.<br />
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Not far from the bridge is the Dillon Farm. Grant spent the evening of the 12th here and learned of the battle earlier that day at Raymond. He changed his plans here and decided to go to Jackson instead of his earlier plan of a more march more to the north.<br />
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Nearby is the family cemetery.<br />
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And next to the cemetery is the Natchez Trace. Although it feels remote the Dillon Farm was near the intersection of two pretty important roads.<br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-43972178453000343472013-11-11T05:00:00.000-07:002013-11-11T05:00:15.566-07:00Port Gibson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a little problem at Port Gibson. We got turned around and a bit lost. Then once we did find out the right roads we were discourged by the locals on driving down to the Shaifer House as they were worried about the coming rain. In retrospect the rain wasn't bad and we probably could have made it but better safe than sorry.</div>
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The thing these pictures do not do justice to is just how rough the country is. Deep ravines and roads along the spines of the high ground. You get a good impression of how hard it would be coordinate a battle when you can't move anywhere near line of sight.</div>
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In the town of Port Gibson was this nice Confederate monument. Grant reportedly called the town too beautiful to burn. I think though that he wanted the town as a supply base and didn't want it as a burned out ruin. We tend to forget but Grant wasn't really living off the land during this portion of the Vicksburg campaign. He had a long wagon train that was following him.<br />
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This was a common scene as we'd pile out of cars near a marker. We'd all take our pictures, then discuss where we were in the battle, and how it fit into the larger picture of what was happening.<br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-34056598972693865832013-11-07T05:02:00.002-07:002013-11-07T05:02:30.231-07:00Windsor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
According to some brochures the Windsor Ruins is one of the most photographed places in Mississippi. We did our part to keep it among the top.</div>
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Windsor was a big plantation at the time of the battle of Port Gibson. It wasn't involved in the fighting but served as a field hospital. These pictures don't do it justice for its size and beauty. There is a marker that shows what it would have looked like but all that's left is these columns.</div>
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The lady at the chamber of commerce told us that this tree was here at the time of the battle and is where the amputated limbs were piled up. No idea if its true but took a picture of the witness tree just to be safe.<br />
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I got a new camera before the trip so I played with the zoom function a bit. This was a good playground for that.<br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-28905404248726824532013-11-01T04:10:00.001-07:002013-11-01T04:10:27.662-07:00Grand Gulf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After Milliken's Bend we went south to pick up the battles as Grant crossed the River. Our order was slightly different, and I'll explain it in a later post but here is Grand Gulf where there was a naval battle as Grant attempted to cross here. Too much resistance so he knew he needed to find a different crossing point. There is a great park there and its not part of the NPS so there actually was helpful staff on site and a museum to tour. Great group of people, and they were very happy to see us.</div>
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There is a trail down to the river where you can get some idea of the bend in the River that was there in 1863 but of course the River has changed course so its not quite accurate anymore. </div>
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Up near the museum is Fort Wade. There are a variety of markers up here describing the action.<br />
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And one can see the remains of the ammunition magazine that the Confederates blew up once they realized they would have to abandon the post.<br />
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Just a gun emplacement but gives some idea of the connecting works associated with the fort.<br />
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Then you can also drive over to Fort Cobun, which was right where the big turn of the River was, where the term Grand Gulf came from. Of course the trees are tall and thick so its hard to get a good view of the water, which is no longer part of the main channel but is where it once was.<br />
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Through the trees there is some view of the water but is a bit tough to see.<br />
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<br />
The road down to the River had this great sign showing how deep the worst floods were. Had my dad stand over there for some perspective.<br />
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<br />
And detail of the sign. The stretch from 1922 to 1937 was rough with four floods over 52 feet. Then of course the government comes in and channels the River to what we know today. Now the water is managed, but floods still do happen.<br />
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<br />
This mill is behind the museum, I put it in here just because I liked the shot.<br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-8163192793485837092013-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:002013-10-28T20:50:00.413-07:00Milliken's Bend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After Grant's Canal we pushed on to another largely forgotten area, Milliken's Bend. Along the way we saw a marker for the Duckport Canal, which was more part of the efforts to get past Vicksburg than a desire for the Mississippi River to cut Vicksburg out.</div>
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<br />
Then there was a marker for the Dalkeith Plantation that was along the bayou. The marker says the house is still standing but we talked to a local who said the house is long gone.<br />
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<br />
And then some markers for the battle of Milliken's Bend. The actual battlefield has been wiped away by the River. We knew that going in but it was still interesting to be in the area where it happened. We did go up on the levee in hopes we might have a view of the River but some trees blocked our view.<br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-82762807172704622802013-10-24T20:44:00.002-07:002013-10-24T20:44:53.925-07:00Grant's Canal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our first stop on the tour was Grant's Canal. Since my last (and only) visit to Vicksburg in 2000 there appears to be some changes. For one thing there are more markers than I remember. The first trip was pre-digital camera so I didn't take pictures of every marker and monument like I do now so I can't be 100% sure but there seem to be more markers now.</div>
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Of course this monument is new since then. Its to the 9th Conneticut and has some amazing modern techniques being used. Most of my pictures of it turned out kinda poorly because it is so reflective, you see all of the group gathered around the monument but a few shots did turn out.</div>
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<br />
And the highlight, I guess, is seeing Grant's Canal. Or rather the depression that is left. Its kinda humbling to think of all the hard work and effort that went into digging the canal, only to have it become rather useless almost immediately, and then to be little more than a ditch today. If there were no markers here I wonder what people would think the depression was. An old road bed perhaps? <br />
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<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-46576648065272107692013-10-20T21:33:00.001-07:002013-10-20T21:33:10.244-07:00NPS closureAs mentioned in the opening of this series we made our trip at the same time as the government shutdown. This meant we were kept away from our prime reason for the visit. If we had been going to otherbattlefields this would have been a huge deal. For vicksburg though this may have worked to our benefit. Most of the sites of the campaign are not national. So we were able to devote extra time to Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, Raymond, Champion Hill and Chickasaw Bayou. <div><br></div><div>If there is one take away from the trip it is that Raymond is a real jewel. I'd never been there before and knew there was an active Friends of organization but I didn't know how much good they had done. We were all very impressed. I don't know what the next step is for that organization but I'm anxious to see what they do next</div><div><br></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-66125224591705769142013-10-16T20:33:00.001-07:002013-10-16T20:33:39.611-07:00VicksburgI recently returned from my first major battlefield trip in a long time. The Rocky Mountain Civil War round table does a study group nearly every year and this year everything aligned for me to go. <div><br></div><div>It just so happened that we went at the same time as the government shutdown so we couldn't tour the national park like we had planned. All in all though we didn't really miss the national park. We still had a great tour focusing on things outside the park. My dad and I stayed an extra day to visit Shiloh and not going into the national park led us to some really great things. I'll post more later, and with pictures but wanted to give this brief introduction to the series, plus try out the new mobile blogging feature on my phone</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-29716065249505212952013-05-30T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-30T04:00:05.019-07:00The Petersburg Campaign: Volume 1 by Edwin C. Bearss
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The Petersburg Campaign: Volume 1: The
Eastern Front Battles June-August 1864.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> By Edwin C. Bearss
with Bryce A. Suderow. Photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 456 pp., 2012,
Savas Beatie, </span><a href="http://www.savasbeatie.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.savasbeatie.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$34.95.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the
title suggests this book covers the early fighting around Petersburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically the battles covered are the
first two assaults on Petersburg in min-June, the battle of the Jerusalem Plank
Road near the end of June, then The Crater a month later, followed in
mid-August by the battle of Weldon Railroad and the second battle of Ream’s
Station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As is pointed out in the text
although it is commonly referred to as the siege of Petersburg the city was
never isolated like a typical siege does, so calling it the Petersburg Campaign
is more accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
explained in the introduction the bulk of the book was completed by Edwin
Bearss when he worked on troop movement maps for Petersburg<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the 1960s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With few exceptions these stayed in-park manuscripts seen by mainly park
personnel and researchers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decades later
Bryce Suderow came across the unpublished manuscripts in the park’s archives
and contacted Bearss about having them published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suderow then updated and edited Bearss’
manuscripts and in the process created a two volume set on the Petersburg
campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is unclear how much Suderow
edited but he begins each chapter with a short introduction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
anyone who has had any experience with Bearss, through his tours, appearances
on historical television shows or his many books, knows the man is a font of
knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not surprising then
that this volume offers a ton of information and will be heavily referenced by
Petersburg historians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact serious
Petersburg historians have already been referencing this information in its
original unpublished manuscript form, now a much wider audience of scholars
with an interest on Petersburg have access to this wonderful collection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My only
complaint is that since the book had its genesis in troop movement maps made
for the park service in the 1960s it would have been nice to have some of those
maps printed here, or provide the collection on a CD-ROM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some very nice maps in the book so
that tempers that disappointment significantly, however it still would have
been nice to have those original troop movements maps to refer to as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I would
definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the Petersburg
campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-65616059691210178382013-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-28T04:00:10.624-07:00The Maps of Antietam by Bradley M. Gottfried
<br />
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The Maps of Antietam: An Atlas of the Antietam
(Sharpsburg) Campaign, Including the Battle of South Mountain, September 2-20,
1862. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">By Bradley M. Gottfried. Maps, notes, bibliography,
index, 360 pp., 2012, Savas Beatie, </span><a href="http://www.savasbeatie.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.savasbeatie.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$39.95.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Civil
War readers tend to like maps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
usually complain we cannot get enough of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is not the case with Maps of Antietam, the newest release in Savas
Beatie’s "Maps of ... "series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bradley Gottfried has given us another amazing volume of maps to
complement his earlier Eastern Theater contributions, First Bull Run and
Gettysburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There should be enough maps
here to satisfy the most devoted student of the battle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
basic concept for each book in the series is that the right page has a full
page map depicting a snippet of the battle or campaign while the facing page
has text explaining the actions covered on the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the earlier volumes this book is in a
large format (7X10) so the maps are nice and big and there is quite a bit of
text accompanying each map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The text is
extensive enough, and footnoted, that one would have a good understanding of
the battle if they simply read the text and never referred to the maps, but the
incredible maps is what sets this book apart from other battle histories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course one of the benefits of this book is
paring it with a more detailed history of the battle so that one always has a
great map at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
particular volume, Maps of Antietam, covers the three weeks of actions after
the battle of Ox Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting on
September 2 1862 the two armies begins preparations for the next campaign, the
Confederates deciding on crossing the Potomac while the Union withdraws closer
to Washington to lick its wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is nearly a map per day as the armies begin maneuvering in Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is then followed by nearly three dozen
maps for the battles on South Mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then there is 10 maps detailing the capture of Harper’s Ferry before
another section leads the armies to Sharpsburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The battle itself comprises nearly 60 maps, some of them covering as
little as 15 minutes of combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally
there are seven maps covering the forgotten action at Shepherdstown to close
out the campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
interesting feature of the book is a short interview with the author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before and
while there is no earth shattering news here it is interesting to get a peek at
the historian’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also liked that
the pages seem thicker than a normal book, if it was weatherproof I’m sure that
would be listed prominently so I’m sure this is just to make the book a bit
more durable for trips to the battlefield or the constant use it should see as
one studies the battle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is
truly a must have book for anyone studying the battle of Antietam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good maps are always integral to a good
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the detailed battle
histories often offer up many good maps none of them offer up maps this good
and in this quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this is not
simply a collection of maps as Gottfried has also written a good history of the
battle himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-77950387356702524912013-05-22T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-22T04:00:05.654-07:00The Battle of Pea Ridge by James R. Knight
<br />
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<em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Battle of Pea Ridge: The Civil War Fight for the Ozarks. By James R. Knight.
Illustrated, photos, maps, notes, appendices, index, 160 pp., 2012, History
Press, </span></span></em><a href="http://www.historypress.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.historypress.net</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">, $19.99 softcover.</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If one is looking for a good short
history of Pea Ridge this is the book to pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is part of History Press’ sesquicentennial series, the goal of which
seems to be to offer well written and illustrated short books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">They are very good at what they intend to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If instead you desire a detailed
history of the battle, this is not for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Knight’s
book on Pea Ridge is no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
peppered with great looking maps and plenty of pictures of leaders and modern
views of the battlefield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in a
short book Knight does a good job of providing the proper background on how the
armies got here, gives a good amount of details of the fighting so that it does
not seem overly generalized and then finishes up by placing the battle in its
context in the war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
slight drawback is that there is not a bibliography to easily see how varied
the author’s selections were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But from
reading through the end notes one can see that he relied heavily on the
Official Records and Shea and Hess’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pea
Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West</i>, admitting in the preface that he
used Shea and Hess as the backbone of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a book with these space constraints it is expected so it is only a minor
drawback to an otherwise fine book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is
a good little book on Pea Ridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has
great maps and is a quick read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’re new to studying Pea Ridge this book would be a great entry point and
will certainly inspire you to learn more about this pivotal battle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-5968280443390186912013-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-20T04:00:00.398-07:00Kentucky's Civil War Battlefields by Randy Bishop
<br />
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Kentucky's Civil War Battlefields: A Guide to Their
History and Preservation. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">By Randy Bishop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 400
pp., 2012, Pelican, </span><a href="http://www.pelicanpub.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.pelicanpub.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$25.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is hard to study battles without
visiting the battlefields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of
us a thousand miles away this means making the most of our infrequent trips to
the South and relying on detailed books to fill in the gaps for places we have
not yet been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Randy Bishop has provided
an excellent resource in this respect for the main battles of Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He has examined the thirteen battles
that the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission deemed as having some significance
to the outcome of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This includes
well known battles such as Perryville, Richmond, Mill Springs and Wild Cat
Mountain, plus other smaller engagements such as Ivy Mountain, Sacramento and
Paducah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As makes sense when dealing
with a border state three-fourths of the book covers actions through the fall
of 1862 with the final part being raids by Morgan and Forrrest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The general outline of each chapter
is a history of the battle followed by information of what one will see there,
a map which typically includes some modern touring information along with the
troop movements and some pictures, of both personalities and the battlefield
itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
thought the histories of the battles were fairly detailed, some of them require
a book of their own to explain the battle but Bishop does an admirable job in
the space he has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite part
though was the section in each chapter explaining what one will find there
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases there is not much
to see, such as Ivy Mountain, but in others, like Perryville, there is quite a
bit preserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite ways
to study a battle is to visit the site and this book will be extremely helpful
in that respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop even lists phone
numbers of places to visit, though I would personally confirm tour info online
before I visited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I would
recommend this book to anyone interested in Kentucky’s battles, either to learn
about them individually or with plans to visit them as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will probably spark an interest to read
more on a battle and make a visit there soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-82911874847608853592013-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-16T04:00:13.271-07:00From Western Deserts to Carolina Swamps edited by John P. Wilson
<br />
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<em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From
Western Deserts to Carolina Swamps: A Civil War Soldier’s Journals and Letters
Home. Edited b</span></span></em><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">y
John P. Wilson</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">. Photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index,
280 pp., 2012, University of New Mexico, </span><a href="http://www.unmpress.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.unmpress.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$?? hardcover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the Civil War began Lewis Roe
was serving in the Western territories in the 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> US Infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eventually found his way to Fort Craig
where he offers a great first hand account of the battle of Valverde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After finishing his service out west he
enlisted in the 50<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Illinois in February 1864 in time to join it
for the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea and then through the
Carolinas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Editor John Wilson has done a superb
job of mixing Roe’s writings with his own and at times adding in Roe’s post war
reminisces to the narrative to fill in the gaps between the diaries and letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wilson also adds some brief notes at the end
of chapters that come from a soldier who would have experienced something
similar to Roe, whether that be someone else from the regiment or corps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
diary entries tend to focus on movements, weather and food, offering a picture
of life as a soldier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there is a
battle or something important to report the letters provide a bit more detail
than the diary entries do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are a ton of books that focus
on Sherman’s 1864-5 campaigns, from general histories to soldiers’
reminiscences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing about Roe’s
service in those campaigns will be especially shocking or noteworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an interesting diary just that his
experiences do not differ greatly from the other diaries already published that
cover this campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However one area
Roe did see quite unique service was in the Western territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best parts of the book are the
portions dealing with the battle of Valverde partly because of the clarity of
the writing but also because this fills an under reported part of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I highly
recommend this book because it offers a varied view of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something in there to interest a
Western theater enthusiast as well as a Western territory enthusiast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Western territory writings are not only
interesting, but they also help fill a neglected area of Civil War study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-51453331793186285462013-05-14T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-14T04:00:16.154-07:00Leaving Home in Dark Blue: Chronicling Ohio's Civil War Experience by Curt Brown
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<em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leaving Home in Dark
Blue: Chronicling Ohio's Civil War Experience through Primary Sources & Literature.</span></span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">
By Curt Brown. Illustrated, photos, 264 pp., 2012, University of Akron, </span><a href="http://www.uakron.edu/uapress"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.uakron.edu/uapress</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$19.95 softcover. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leaving Home in Dark Blue is a
treasure trove of primary source material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Curt Brown has compiled roughly 20 different primary sources for each
year of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These sources span the
breadth of style from artwork, poems, sheet music to narratives and diary
entries, of course with the overriding theme that all the events happened to
citizens and soldiers from Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
source is introduced by a short paragraph from Brown setting the context and
reason for its inclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All theaters
are covered and people from all walks of life are represented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Battles are discussed but it is far
from the focus here, the focus is more on how average people dealt with the
war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the more fascinating
articles to me were the ones connected to the home front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example is the excerpt “Where O Where is
My Joe?” from the story “Ellen,” which was published in Atlantic Monthly during
the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The editor says the story is
based on fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the story Ellen goes
into West Virginia looking for her brother Joe, whose regiment is somewhere
nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen and Joe are the only ones
left in their family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her search she
is mistaken for a spy, treated roughly and jailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She eventually gets out only to find that his
regiment is much farther into the state and so no message can reach him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The narrator says she never found out what
happened to Ellen or Joe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sad story
but one that did happen and was likely repeated in many other situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus it was interesting to read a
fictionalization that average citizens around the country would have read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Reminiscences from prisoners also
appears quite heavily throughout the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One that particularly tugs at the heartstrings is a simple letter from a
group of Ohio soldiers in Andersonville to their governor asking him to do
something, anything, to help their situation; including the line, “We have
stood by the nation in its peril, and now will not our State and government
sympathize with its suffering and dying defenders! Will it not lend us a
helping hand in our hour of misery and extreme destitution!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously there was more involved here than
the governor could control but he had to feel moved to do something after
receiving such a letter from his soldiers, plus knowing even a fraction of the
horrors they were suffering in Andersonville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I thoroughly enjoyed this book and
would recommend it for anyone who wants to see varied views of the home front
and how soldiers dealt with the war away from the battlefield.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-63800320363546056542013-05-08T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-11T20:57:50.104-07:00Tenth Minnesota Volunteers by Michael A. Eggleston
<br />
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<em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Tenth Minnesota
Volunteers, 1862-1865: A History of Action in the Sioux Uprising and the Civil
War, with a Regimental Roster.</span></span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> By Michael A. Eggleston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photos, maps, appendices, notes,
bibliography, index, 238 pp., 2012, McFarland, </span><a href="http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.mcfarlandpub.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$40 softcover.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While there have been a few recent
books on the Sioux uprising of 1862 there is still plenty of room for a new
effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael Eggleston has done an
admirable job at filling this gap with this book on the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Minnesota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Minnesota was not fully formed when the uprising began but some of its members
would fight with the 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Minnesota during this time of panic in
Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next summer the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Minnesota would be involved in a punitive expedition into the Dakotas to deal
with the Sioux.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The numbers of
casualties was not too much but it offered the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Minnesota its
first taste of combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the
summer they would be sent south to do the job they had volunteered for,
fighting Confederates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First they helped defeat Forrest at
Tupelo in July 1864, though their part in the battle was small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they next found themselves chasing after
Price in Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t catch up
to him but infantry chasing cavalry never realistically had a chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The regiment’s biggest test though was soon
approaching as they were transferred back to Tennessee in time for the battle
of Nashville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the second day they
lost 68 killed and wounded out of 301 engaged, including its lieutenant colonel
officer wounded and major killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
their war was not done as they were again transferred, this time to the Gulf
coast to be part of the Mobile campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were part of the attack on Spanish Fort and arrived at Fort Blakely
a little too late to take part in that charge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A superb roster of the regiment
appears in the appendices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
appendices also contain a significant amount of extra information on the Sioux
uprising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Included are copies of the
treaties that were broken, a history of the trials and subsequent executions as
well as Lincoln’s report to Congress on the whole incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While this is not the best book on
the Sioux uprising it certainly helps fill in some holes in an area that tends
to get forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The individual battle
histories are pretty generalized with not too much detail given so they might
only appeal to someone with an interest in the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Minnesota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall though I think this is a worthwhile
book primarily because of its coverage of the Sioux uprising and subsequent
1863 punitive expedition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-6499200719218095852013-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-11T20:57:50.108-07:00Letters Home to Sarah edited by Kevin Alderson and Patsy Alderson
<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Letters Home to Sarah: The Civil War Letters of
Guy C. Taylor, 36<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> Wisconsin Volunteers. </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Edited by Kevin Alderson and
Patsy Alderson. Photos, maps, appendix, notes, bibliography, index, 328 pp.,
2012, University of Wisconsin Press, </span><a href="http://www.uwpress.wisc.edu/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: #0066cc;">www.uwpress.wisc.edu</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, $26.95 hardcover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Like many collections of letters <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Letters Home to Sarah</i> is light on
battlefield narratives but heavy on how soldiers actually lived the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 36<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Wisconsin was created in
the early spring of 1864 and while the regiment as a whole did see some combat
before reaching Petersburg Guy Taylor was not one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that he was sick for much of his
early service and spent nearly his first three months in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d eventually join the ranks but then be
assigned to duty with a doctor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since he missed most of the combat
his regiment was engaged in his letters instead cover the daily life of a
soldier far away from his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
discuss how to run the family farm, what she should tell people who ask why he
enlisted, things she should send to him in Virginia and of course the common
soldier lament of not receiving enough letters from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it seemed that they were missing
letters from each other they quickly started to number them so each would know
when one was missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also was
important because Taylor used the mail to send his wife home part of his
earnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An example of how personal life was
more important than the war going around him is that on April 12 1865 Taylor
writes his wife to let her know about Lee’s surrender and its just quickly
mentioned at the beginning of the letter before he talks about how they are
being fed and that he has not heard a gun fired since the surrender and thinks
he’ll be home by July</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A few days later he related a
humorous tale of how he visited a local family and bought one of their
chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some other soldiers arrived
expecting to steal the chickens but he liked the old man of the house so he
told the soldiers they had to buy the chickens, that he was placed as guard
over the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the soldiers paid for
the chickens but were not too happy about the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He figured they had stolen enough chickens
that they could afford to pay for some now too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Taylor was clearly an intelligent
soldier as his letters are quite interesting and lengthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spelling leaves a bit to be desired
however it is still possible to understand it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would recommend this to anyone interested in a soldier’s life during
the Petersburg campaign.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-64915172467305354052013-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:002013-05-11T20:57:50.106-07:00Battle of Carthage by Kenneth Burchett
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<em><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Battle of Carthage, Missouri: First Trans-Mississippi Conflict of the Civil
War. </span></span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">By Kenneth E. Burchett. Photos, maps, appendix, notes,
bibliography, index, 240 pp., 2013, McFarland, </span><a href="http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">www.mcfarlandpub.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">,
$35 softcover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kenneth
Burchett has done a good job of bringing more attention to one of the war’s
first battles, the battle of Carthage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a minor battle it may not need many book length treatments but the
battle now has its second modern book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While it does not supplant that book,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> David Hinze and Karen Farnham's <i>The
Battle of Carthage: Border War in Southwest Missouri, July 5, 1861, </i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">as
the premier book it complements it well and expands our knowledge of the battle
a bit more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly any Western theater
student has room for both books on the shelf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
way Burchett’s book succeeds is that he focuses on southwestern Missouri rather
than give an overall description of the state at the beginning of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another aspect I found particularly
interesting was his description of figuring out how many casualties there
were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no muster rolls for the
Missouri State Guard troops from this time frame so most reporting of
Confederate causalities comes from eyewitness accounts and not hard numbers
gained through muster rolls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does not
give a number he thinks is correct, instead offers up all the conflicting
tallies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does seem to suggest the
figure is around 75 killed and wounded per side, numbers that would be dwarfed
by many battles to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carthage’s
significance though is in its place in the timeline of war, an early Confederate
victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
only problem I had with this book was its lack of maps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact there is only one map, a period piece
prepared for General Sweeny’s official report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a very nice map but I personally like many more maps, showing
troop movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a major
drawback but it can be overlooked because of the clear writing of the
battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not disregard this book
simply for its lack of maps, just be prepared to flip back and forth to the one
good map or print your own map off the internet to supplement the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall I would recommend this book because
of what it adds to our understanding of the battle and southwest Missouri at
the beginning of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it had been
full of maps it would be a must have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-42233090175593058382013-04-28T21:09:00.001-07:002013-04-28T21:09:24.078-07:00I'm backI'm done with the MBA program so I'll be returning to a blogging schedule of some sort. I have some book reviews to add, plus some stuff from battlefield trips, old and new. Besides completing my MBA the other big news to add since we all last talked was that this past August we welcomed our third child into the family and our first daughter, Caroline Jolee. I'm hoping to post on here twice a week but we'll set our early goal as once a week until I get my blogging feet back under me.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-56119831071569948002011-11-02T12:01:00.003-07:002011-11-02T12:12:01.441-07:00HiatusI hate to admit it but I think the blog has come to a halt. It was always tough to find time for it with all the other activities of life, but now I've added going back to school to the list so there is even less time for non-essentials.<br /><br />So I'll keep the blog visible for those who want to see some of the research, travels and book reviews, but realistically I don't think I'll be able to blog much anymore. I still review books for Civil War News and will post those reviews here as well, but that is also an area I'll be cutting back on.<br /><br />Maybe when I'm done with my MBA in 18 months I'll be able to restart the blog, but I can make no promises there. I'd love to use my MBA in a history related field so maybe that will eventually become a good topic for the blog.<br /><br />Goodbye for now, I hope to be around again, maybe at the end of the MBA program or maybe sooner. I'll still be around reading others' blogs and keeping up on what's new, just won't have the time to be an active contributor here.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-21299191065017783052011-09-29T09:41:00.000-07:002011-09-29T09:41:00.132-07:00Higginsville, MissouriTo get to the battle of Lexington you practically have to pass through Higginsville, site of Confederate Memorial state park. This is the site of the Confederate Veterans home. From 1891 to 1950 Confederate veterans could live here and be taken care of. When there were enough veterans living here they had a working farm with dairy. Now it is a serene location with a Confederate cemetery, a chapel and some fishing ponds.<br /><br />This has to be one of the simplest monuments I've ever seen, a plaque on a large boulder.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joGAnKFiMa4/TmEHpmWPNBI/AAAAAAAAFg8/fxVG6ThHhnc/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803818949162002" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joGAnKFiMa4/TmEHpmWPNBI/AAAAAAAAFg8/fxVG6ThHhnc/s400/DSCF0004.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lvoaWCbTyyY/TmEHqNkgISI/AAAAAAAAFhE/WKbEpBz0OAk/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803829477974306" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lvoaWCbTyyY/TmEHqNkgISI/AAAAAAAAFhE/WKbEpBz0OAk/s400/DSCF0006.JPG" /></a><br />In the cemetery though is this impressive monument. <br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxQNWTTkQMM/TmEHqfr4eLI/AAAAAAAAFhM/4SWc_OBNi84/s1600/DSCF0007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803834340767922" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxQNWTTkQMM/TmEHqfr4eLI/AAAAAAAAFhM/4SWc_OBNi84/s400/DSCF0007.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div>I was there a few days after a state wide flap about the Confederate flag and at that time the prevailing idea with the state park system was that they were not going to fly any flag here. It is appropriate for a Confederate flag to fly over Confederate graves but such common sense was not being followed then. Maybe eventually things smoothed over.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNklFLj5sIM/TmEHq3CPw6I/AAAAAAAAFhU/JA6geld2CQs/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803840608584610" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNklFLj5sIM/TmEHq3CPw6I/AAAAAAAAFhU/JA6geld2CQs/s400/DSCF0008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--hjq3_QM7as/TmEHrNV5j1I/AAAAAAAAFhc/Bt6M2PblI70/s1600/DSCF0014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803846596595538" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--hjq3_QM7as/TmEHrNV5j1I/AAAAAAAAFhc/Bt6M2PblI70/s400/DSCF0014.JPG" /></a><br />Here is the final veteran who lived here.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LpHjMY2RHkU/TmEHxtCjWlI/AAAAAAAAFhk/RvS4UxlpT_4/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803958184598098" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LpHjMY2RHkU/TmEHxtCjWlI/AAAAAAAAFhk/RvS4UxlpT_4/s400/DSCF0009.JPG" /></a><br />This grave actually has some of Quantrill's bones. I met a worker near the chapel who said they thought it was his arm. I don't know if there was any proof there or just a guess. If you search on find a grave you'll see that Quantrill's body was buried in Kentucky, dug up for the family (just to view), then spirited off to Ohio (where he was born), but somehow the skull and other bones made their way to Kansas. The skull eventually went to Ohio and the other bones were buried in Higginsville. A very strange story.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpVDrMr6Xng/TmEHx6h0qRI/AAAAAAAAFhs/8zpxh24T3jk/s1600/DSCF0038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647803961805416722" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpVDrMr6Xng/TmEHx6h0qRI/AAAAAAAAFhs/8zpxh24T3jk/s400/DSCF0038.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p>If you had a Confederate relative who lived in Missouri after the war they may have ended up living here at one time. On the park's <a href="http://mostateparks.com/page/54952/general-information">website</a> is a link to a list of applicants to the home, including their regimental info. You didn't need to have served in a Missouri unit, just have served in a Confederate unit and now being elderly in Missouri.</p>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-50289312476033832092011-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:002011-09-27T09:44:00.772-07:00Battle of LexingtonThe Battle of Lexington in western Missouri is a nice park to visit. Its a state park that's not too far from Kansas City. Both times I've visited the park it was because I was in Kansas City for something else. <br /><br />At the time the battle itself was a pretty big deal but quickly faded as larger battles came along. In September 1861 Sterling Price led his army into Missouri hoping to reclaim the state for the Confederacy. The town of Lexington on the Missouri River had Confederate sympathies and was garrisoned by a Union brigade. One of the key features of the battle was Anderson House, which has been preserved as part of the park and can be toured. The fighting swirled back and forth to hold the house, primarily because it offered a protected position for infantry fire against the main Union position at the top of the hill.<br /><br />The other memorable aspect of the battle is that on the third day the Confederates formed a moving defensive position by rolling large hemp bales towards the Union position at the top of the hill. Bit by bit they moved along until close enough to charge the main lines. They weren't able to capture the Union lines there but it was obvious to their commander, Colonel James Mulligan, that their capture was only a matter of time. The Union was surrounded and running low on supplies, particularly water. So they surrendered. The Union lost about 160 of its nearly 3000 men while Confederate losses were only 100 of its 7000 man force. <br /><br />Price's victory did not amount to too much as Fremont made a big push to drive Price out of Missouri. The weight of numbers forced Price to retreat to southwest Missouri and the Union then regained control of the Missouri River.<br /><br />Here is a nice modern monument just outside of the visitor's center.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQodl6_AA88/TmEIGKg_ubI/AAAAAAAAFh0/qPOJeZg-_jY/s1600/DSCF0018.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804309694298546" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQodl6_AA88/TmEIGKg_ubI/AAAAAAAAFh0/qPOJeZg-_jY/s400/DSCF0018.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30xYR5KqObM/TmEIGvCqDdI/AAAAAAAAFh8/swuKh-hLcb0/s1600/DSCF0019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804319499161042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30xYR5KqObM/TmEIGvCqDdI/AAAAAAAAFh8/swuKh-hLcb0/s400/DSCF0019.JPG" /></a><br />The previously mentioned Anderson House. The damage in the walls would have come from the Union lines. In this picture its best seen on the second floor on the far left.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jtyxWGexP0/TmEIG4BkoKI/AAAAAAAAFiE/crOjXpSKtmY/s1600/DSCF0020.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804321910530210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jtyxWGexP0/TmEIG4BkoKI/AAAAAAAAFiE/crOjXpSKtmY/s400/DSCF0020.JPG" /></a><br />Here is a close up view showing some of the damage.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amplAMX0Ojk/TmEIHRNP4UI/AAAAAAAAFiM/l_Saeb-fFcs/s1600/DSCF0021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804328670388546" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amplAMX0Ojk/TmEIHRNP4UI/AAAAAAAAFiM/l_Saeb-fFcs/s400/DSCF0021.JPG" /></a><br />Now we're on top of the hill looking at the Union entrenchments. There is a nice walking trail around the loop of entrenchments.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qKGBP_raNrs/TmEIH-JgmSI/AAAAAAAAFiU/KIZ1O69b4Qo/s1600/DSCF0024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804340734302498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qKGBP_raNrs/TmEIH-JgmSI/AAAAAAAAFiU/KIZ1O69b4Qo/s400/DSCF0024.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804598272884210" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nHsR_ysJq-U/TmEIW9jfffI/AAAAAAAAFik/8Vnh3lFWsrg/s400/DSCF0030.JPG" /> <br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here you can barely see the Missouri River. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804587776384290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oljsAwsQR8o/TmEIWWc7nSI/AAAAAAAAFic/VOm6ocyOl2g/s400/DSCF0025.JPG" /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The self guided tour does not have informational plaques at each stop. Instead it has numbered posts and you need the brochure from the visitor's center. While that is a fine way to do tours hopefully one day when they have more money they will put informational posts up instead. This marker was reached without going through the visitor's center so some people might be missing out on the history of the spot. I do not have my sheet available but believe this spot was used as a description of the Confederate attack coming up the relatively steep slope.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804599137297010" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Z88AJ4clak/TmEIXAxlYnI/AAAAAAAAFis/_wqRSiOopkU/s400/DSCF0027.JPG" /><br />A small graveyard on the edge of the Union trenches.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPjbBpMTGLo/TmEIX2u-2yI/AAAAAAAAFi0/KXyFniCPFTM/s1600/DSCF0028.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804613621898018" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPjbBpMTGLo/TmEIX2u-2yI/AAAAAAAAFi0/KXyFniCPFTM/s400/DSCF0028.JPG" /></a><br />Though from this headstone it is more likely that the soldiers were reburied in the closest national cemetery.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvvE9ynn7pg/TmEIYHGEaaI/AAAAAAAAFi8/WAOtsF_UceU/s1600/DSCF0029.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647804618013698466" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvvE9ynn7pg/TmEIYHGEaaI/AAAAAAAAFi8/WAOtsF_UceU/s400/DSCF0029.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-12832421780981397242011-09-16T09:14:00.002-07:002011-09-16T09:14:00.102-07:00Cleburne's final resting placePatrick Cleburne was initially buried at St. John's Episcopal Church near Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. He has commented on the beauty of the place just days before his death at Franklin. After 6 years though it was decided that he should be moved to his adopted hometown of Helena, Arkansas. <br /><br />He now has a very nice monument that lists some of his better battles. His old headstone was also moved at the time. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3JCaJT_d54Y/TmEBkFJiqmI/AAAAAAAAFeU/Wy0gUmH0Xw8/s1600/Tenn5114.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647797127068428898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3JCaJT_d54Y/TmEBkFJiqmI/AAAAAAAAFeU/Wy0gUmH0Xw8/s400/Tenn5114.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KsnVycnCc0/TmEBkWZ4MvI/AAAAAAAAFec/J_fzmemclCA/s1600/Tenn5113.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647797131700351730" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KsnVycnCc0/TmEBkWZ4MvI/AAAAAAAAFec/J_fzmemclCA/s400/Tenn5113.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ckphgxS5i3w/TmEBk8F32jI/AAAAAAAAFek/reLv1olnh3Y/s1600/Tenn5109.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647797141816990258" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ckphgxS5i3w/TmEBk8F32jI/AAAAAAAAFek/reLv1olnh3Y/s400/Tenn5109.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InvXNFPrbIQ/TmEBUw-CaJI/AAAAAAAAFeM/BM_cESYv330/s1600/Tenn5110.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796863953430674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InvXNFPrbIQ/TmEBUw-CaJI/AAAAAAAAFeM/BM_cESYv330/s400/Tenn5110.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86TEUYokwvg/TmEBle2aqXI/AAAAAAAAFes/3KEYoLKJcVU/s1600/Tenn5108.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647797151147403634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86TEUYokwvg/TmEBle2aqXI/AAAAAAAAFes/3KEYoLKJcVU/s400/Tenn5108.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HmG1ebYwaPM/TmEBUSyjXoI/AAAAAAAAFeE/sHXmmvnQM9E/s1600/Tenn5111.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796855852195458" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HmG1ebYwaPM/TmEBUSyjXoI/AAAAAAAAFeE/sHXmmvnQM9E/s400/Tenn5111.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywywf1alJwM/TmEBULVyIHI/AAAAAAAAFd8/XZTJb0dJG-k/s1600/Tenn5112.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796853852479602" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ywywf1alJwM/TmEBULVyIHI/AAAAAAAAFd8/XZTJb0dJG-k/s400/Tenn5112.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3635716295852047938.post-21356562856721889382011-09-14T09:12:00.001-07:002011-09-14T09:12:00.199-07:00Helena cemetery - General Hindman<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8EbNwrf9cek/TmEAyZ7Y0sI/AAAAAAAAFd0/fo5Yx3PyHAs/s1600/Tenn5122.JPG"></a>The other general from Helena of some importance was Major General Thomas Hindman. He was a captain in the Mexican War, served in Congress on the eve of the Civil War and as a general throughout the war. <br /><br />He was a friend of Cleburne and the two got into many politically motivated brawls in Helena before the war. Hindman's enemies would start a fight with him and Cleburne would often be there to defend his friend.<br /><br />Hindman saw service at Shiloh, Prairie Grove, Chickamauga and through the Atlanta campign. After the war he fled to Mexico but returned in 1867. On September 27, 1868 he was assassinated, most likely from an old political grudge but the murderer was never caught. He lived 8 hours after he was shot during which time he forgave all his old enemies including whoever had just shot him.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E0_iN1E9wZs/TmEAx8pxtPI/AAAAAAAAFds/UIUWsoDd6zk/s1600/Tenn5102.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796265794254066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E0_iN1E9wZs/TmEAx8pxtPI/AAAAAAAAFds/UIUWsoDd6zk/s400/Tenn5102.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDqLluHUWcQ/TmEAxVQQRJI/AAAAAAAAFdk/MwxyOgzqQbY/s1600/Tenn5104.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796255218222226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDqLluHUWcQ/TmEAxVQQRJI/AAAAAAAAFdk/MwxyOgzqQbY/s400/Tenn5104.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s8Enfbrgvvg/TmEAxH-TL3I/AAAAAAAAFdc/Vk4R2QzLLWE/s1600/Tenn5101.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647796251653255026" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s8Enfbrgvvg/TmEAxH-TL3I/AAAAAAAAFdc/Vk4R2QzLLWE/s400/Tenn5101.JPG" /></a></div></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528725361910007225noreply@blogger.com0