TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Category: Strategy & Tactics

  • The Ewell Option

    We have a tendency to view history as if through a rear view mirror, looking back along the path taken and framing what happened by how it turned out.  Since we know that in May and June of 1862 General Thomas Stonewall Jackson led a famous campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, the events leading up […]

  • Best Books on the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg: December 13, 1862

    Best Books on the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg: December 13, 1862 While I typically create “best Civil War books on…” posts for the 150th anniversary of major (and sometimes not so major) battles, I usually come up with brand new things to say about them.  In this case I’ll mostly be letting my prior […]

  • First reactions to “The Chattanooga Campaign”

    This week I was excited to get my hands on The Chattanooga Campaign, a collection of essays released by Southern Illinois University Press on August 27, 2012.    Since writing back in May about Walker’s division at Chattanooga, I have wanted to blog some more about the fighting at the north end of Missionary Ridge.  […]

  • Shock Troops on Kindle!

    It’s done, finally. I have had Shock Troops of the Confederacy ported over to Kindle format and it’s now ready for download at only $9.99. It’s a big download but I and my conversion guy spent considerable time seeing that everything made the transition correctly. In spite of what you may hear, it’s not a […]

  • Review: The Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters: A Civil War History and Roster

    The Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters: A Civil War History and Roster by Alden C. Ellis, Jr. Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-6489-0 Ebook ISBN: 978-0-7864-8820-9 76 photos, glossary, notes, bibliography, index 276pp. softcover (7 x 10) 2012 $40.00 Alden Ellis’ book covers the history and organization of two Massachusetts sharpshooter companies, the so-called Andrews Sharpshooters, named for the state’s […]

  • Guns of the Second Iowa & Hackleman’s Brigade

    Some time ago I put up a post asking about the rifles carried by the Second Iowa, and now I finally have an answer thanks to Bill Adams, who kindly looked it up for the Corinth battle. 52nd Illinois – Enfield Rifle .577 cal. 2nd Iowa – M1842 rifled musket .69 cal. 7th Iowa – […]

  • William Holden at Corinth

    I have posted two of Iowa soldier William Holden letters before, one at the end of the war and one from Atlanta. This one is a detailed description of the Second Battle of Corinth fought on October 3-4, 1862 at Corinth, MS between the Confederates under generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price, and the […]