Category: Western Theater
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Riot at Grand Junction
In 1861, Grand Junction, Tennessee (my home town) was of great importance to the Confederacy and a target for the Union. Although a small place, it was the intersection of two railroads making it a transportation hub for troops, supplies, etc. The Confederacy placed a supply depot there. When the fighting started in Virginia during […]
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“A.J. Smith’s Veterans” or was it non-veterans?
Recently, while reading about the 1864 Red River campaign, a few things written about the detachment from the Army of the Tennessee commanded by General A.J. Smith left me scratching my head. The first thing that caught my eye was a statement by Craig Symonds in Lincoln and His Admirals wherein Symonds calls Smith’s men […]
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The Confederate Defense of Resaca – May 9, 1864
In a pair of recent posts I wrote about the movement of the Army of the Tennessee through Snake Creek Gap to Resaca on May 9th 1864. Let’s take a look at the other side — who was defending Resaca that day? The Official Records make no mention of this, but in his book ‘Four […]
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Further thoughts on the move through Snake Creek Gap
In a previous post I wrote about the impact of movement on the organization and strength of a force and used the advance of the Army of the Tennessee through Snake Creek Gap and to Resaca Georgia on May 9, 1864 as an example. There is another aspect of that movement I wish to explore. […]
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Take Your Damn Quote Back To Ohio!
We recently passed the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh which prompts me to discuss a quotation which bothers me. Anyone who has read a modern book on Shiloh has probably seen some variation on “Take your damned regiment back to Ohio. There is no enemy closer than Corinth.” Allegedly this statement was the […]
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Experts Pick the Best Civil War Books on Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing)
Editor’s Note: Today seemed to be an especially appropriate time to revisit and update the Top 7 Shiloh Books post I compiled back in 2009. In that post, Shiloh students at the Shiloh Discussion Group ranked their top 7 Shiloh books, with a first place vote garnering 7 points and a 7th place vote briging […]
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William Holden, Second Iowa
I have some letters from William Holden, a soldier with the Second Iowa. An ardent abolitionist who lived in Ottumwa, the 22-year-old Holden signed up at the beginning of the conflict and stayed on until the end, re-enlisting in December, 1863. Serving in the Western armies, he fought in almost all the major battles of […]