Thoughts On History
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
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was born January 8th, in Putnam County, New York. He was named for a prominent local political figure and industrialist. He entered West Point in 1846, at the age of sixteen. In 1850, he graduated with the very impressive rank of second in his class of 44. He received a assignment as … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – Gouverneur K. Warren
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
John Alexander Logan was born in southern Illinois in 1826, a section of the state populated by immigrants from the South. a Democratic Party stronghold in the state. The region was nicknamed “Egypt” by farmers from northern Illinois who came there to purchase grain following a devastating winter in 1832. His formal schooling consisted of … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – John A. “Black Jack” Logan
James A. Walker seemed born to fight, and indeed, he was a very combative individual. He was born on August 27th, 1832, in Augusta County, Virginia, near Mount Meridian. He attended private schools for his early education, and eventually went to the Virginia Military Institute. He was popular with his classmates, and did well academically. … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – Stonewall Jim
John Gibbon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in April 1827. When he was ten years old, his family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from West Point in 1847, and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd US Artillery. After the Mexican War, Gibbon served in southern Florida, and later taught … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – John Gibbon, Leader of the Iron Brigade
Horatio Gouverneur Wright was born in Connecticut in 1820. At the age of 14, he entered a military academy that would later become Norwich University. He entered West Point in 1837, graduating in 1841; his classmates included Josiah Gorgas, future Confederate ordnance chief, John F. Reynolds, Nathaniel Lyon, Don Carlos Buell, Israel B. Richardson, Abraham … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – Horatio Wright, Hero of Cedar Creek
Born in Kingston, New York, in 1828, George H. Sharpe was a lawyer, Republican politician, soldier, and most importantly, spymaster and intelligence pioneer. He graduated from Rutgers in 1847 at the age of 19, giving the salutary address in Latin. He passed the bar in 1849, but then spent time traveling and studying in Europe … Continue reading Forgotten Leaders of the American Civil War – George H. Sharpe, Spymaster
The opening clash in the Second Battle of Manassas erupted on August 28th. Brigadier General Rufus King’s division of Federal troops was marching along the Warrenton Turnpike, bound for Centreville, where Union Maj. Gen. John Pope, commanding officer of the Army of Virginia, believed Stonewall Jackson’s Confederate II Corps, representing nearly half of Lee’s total … Continue reading The Battle of Brawner’s Farm — Stonewall vs the Iron Brigade
Breck O'Donnell 
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