Thoughts On History
Partly out of idle curiosity, I was going through the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, the main primary source for the Civil War in terms of official reports and correspondence.. Particularly, I was going through correspondence in early 1864, curious to see some of the process of Ulysses S. Grant planning and … Continue reading Grant, Sigel, and Ord: The Valley and West Virginia, 1864
The Battle of Westport was the largest engagement west of the Mississippi River in the Civil War, sometimes referred to as the “Gettysburg of the West”. In September, Sterling Price had launched an invasion of Missouri. All his units were mounted, as the infantry units intended to support him had been sent elsewhere, turning … Continue reading The Gettysburg of the West
Recent events prove that the country at large, and especially people in the South, need to have a serious conversation about the origins and nature of the Confederate States of America. Those who fly the flag, put it on their bumper stickers, support the presence of the CSA flag in front of state capitals, most … Continue reading Heritage and Hate
The eastern theatre, primarily focused on Virginia, tends to get the most popular and scholarly attention when talking about the American Civil War. In large part this is because of the drama of Robert E. Lee’s repeated against-the-odds victories over the Army of the Potomac before George Meade took command. The commanders Lee defeated tend … Continue reading Union Strategy in Virginia
Stonewall Jackson’s flank attack is hailed as the deciding moment of the battle of Chancellorsville, a blow which set the stage for the Confederate victory, and which represented Lee and Jackson at their finest. Perhaps, but it also represented Jackson’s continuing mediocre abilities as a tactician. The march did not maintain absolute secrecy; Union III … Continue reading Longstreet and Jackson in the Wilderness
The relationship between Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln is often summed up by the apocryphal story of Lincoln saying “I can’t spare this man; he fights” after the battle of Shiloh. But while Union commander Henry Halleck, Grant’s superior, sidelined Grant after Shiloh, probably for his own ambition, Halleck also shielded Grant from a … Continue reading The Myth of the Free Hand
Breck O'Donnell 
You must be logged in to post a comment.