The 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry
From Gettysburg to Appomattox
by Britt Charles Isenberg
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Hailing from the south-central region of the state, the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry was forged during the Gettysburg Campaign in the third summer of the Civil War. Its charismatic officers included William H. Boyd and Oliver B. Knowles, who had honed their fighting prowess earlier in the war against fearsome Confederate tacticians John Mosby and John Imboden. The regiment's war record was dynamic and arduous, including service under Meade and Grant at Cold Harbor as infantry and making the last charge at Appomattox Court House as cavalry. After the war, veterans continued to honor their comrades, and two monuments were erected at Gettysburg to commemorate the regiment's proud service. Author Britt Charles Isenberg chronicles the gritty history of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry.
Fort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Even though Fernandina was tucked away in the far southern reaches of the Confederacy, Fort Clinch had been abandoned to Federal forces by March 1862. It proved a boon to the Union war effort, and the island became a haven for runaway slaves, with many joining the Federal army. The military occupation of this vital seaport helped end the war, and the Reconstruction period that followed bore witness to Union and Confederate veterans working together to bring Fernandina into a golden era of prosperity. Author and local historian Frank A. Ofeldt III captures the vital and under-told story of Amelia Island during the Civil War.
The Pennsylvania Wilds and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The Call of Service and the Trial of War From abolitionists to copperheads, from patriotic volunteer soldiers to deserters, the Pennsylvania Wilds lived up to its adventurous name during the Civil War era. The region not only joined the front lines, but also played its part in the abolition of slavery. Including an extensive Underground Railroad system, many defied the Federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 to help those desperate to be free pass through the region on their way to Canada. The Wilds had average citizens and heroes alike volunteer for service including women who were not nurses but acted as nurses and those who remained on the home-front. Author Kathy Meyers presents stories of how the war came to the Pennsylvania Wilds and how the people of the Wilds responded.
Lansing and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
When war erupted between North and South, the capital of Michigan was ready to serve. The population of Lansing in 1860 was only three thousand, but by the spring of 1865, over five hundred men from the Capital City had enlisted to fight. These citizen-
Litchfield County and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Union victory in the Civil War was far from guaranteed. The Northern war effort depended upon local communities to raise the troops and supplies needed for the battlefield. The history of Litchfield County highlights the challenges Northern communities faced. Armed confrontation erupted over the flying of secession flags. Supporting the war effort provided women with skills and experiences that would aid in the suffrage movement. Scandal swirled around the local army medical examiner. Family and friends actively supported their loved ones as they transformed from civilians to soldiers. Author Peter C. Vermilyea uses first-hand accounts-many never published before-to investigate these events and show how the process of preparing for war created a lasting bond between a community and its soldiers.
Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas
Jayhawkers And Red Legs
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
A Tumultuous Time in Kansas
Both before and during the American Civil War, ragtag groups of Kansas militants patrolled the Kansas-Missouri border. Known as "Jayhawkers" and later "Red Legs," they raided anyone they believed sympathetic to secession. For many in the state, these irregular warriors were heroes fighting for a Free Kansas and preservation of the Union; for their victims, these men were little more than opportunistic thieves. James Montgomery teamed up with Harriet Tubman to lead the Combahee River Raid, an audacious mission in South Carolina that liberated more than 750 slaves. George H. Hoyt, who once defended famed abolitionist John Brown, became a leader of a contentious group of pro-Union partisans known as the "Red Legs." Authors Paul A. Thomas and Matt M. Matthews seek to answer the question of who these men were.
Richard Gatlin and the Confederate Defense of Eastern North Carolina
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
After the Confederate shelling of Fort Sumter in April 1861, North Carolina took steps toward war. Governor John Ellis commandeered Federal forts, raised regiments and enlisted the aid of Mexican War hero and Kinston native Richard C. Gatlin. Under the new Confederacy, Gatlin commanded the Confederate Department of North Carolina as a brigadier general. He was charged with the defense of the Tar Heel State, and his failure to prevent the Union takeover of the coast has been lost in the annals of Civil War history. Join author and historian James L. Gaddis Jr. for an overlooked yet harrowing tale of power, politics, tragedy and war.
A History of Andersonville Prison Monuments
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
In April 1865, the nation learned of the atrocities and horrors of the Southern prison camp at Andersonville, Georgia. An army expedition and Clara Barton identified the graves of the thirteen thousand who perished there and established the Andersonville National Cemetery. In the 1890s, veterans and the Woman's Relief Corps, wanting to ensure the nation never forgot the tragedy, began preserving the site. The former prisoners expressed in granite their sorrow and gratitude to those who died or survived the prison camp. Join author and historian Stacy W. Reaves as she recounts the horrendous conditions of the prison and the tremendous efforts to memorialize the men within.
Morris Island and the Civil War
Strategy And Influence
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
From Charleston's doorstep, Morris Island held a critical position in the Civil War. It was first used by Confederates to assist in the bombardment of Fort Sumter and later became the scene of an epic struggle to prevent Union forces from gaining control. After the battle, the roles reversed, and Union forces used the site to bombard Fort Sumter and Charleston. Hundreds lost their lives, and both sides expended a vast amount of war capital for what appeared to be little value. Confederates greatly underestimated how events at Morris Island played into the hands of the Civil War's master strategist, Abraham Lincoln. Author C. Russell Horres Jr. offers the complete story of Morris Island in the War Between the States.
Oswego County and the Civil War
They Answered The Call
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Although far from the fighting, the residents of Oswego County were forever changed by the Civil War. One of the few regions that never forced a draft, thousands of men volunteered, motivated by patriotism, abolitionism or a yearning for adventure. Neither they nor their families were ever the same, and local author Natalie Joy Woodall relates their diverse experiences. William Adriance enlisted twice, despite suffering from rheumatism, marrying and starting a family during the war. Otis Mason Miner and his brother enlisted shortly after Fort Sumter surrendered, and in later years, Otis and his wife became pillars of their community. Many others made the ultimate sacrifice or suffered from wounds--seen and unseen--for the rest of their lives. Discover the fascinating stories of survival and sacrifice from Oswego County and the Civil War.
Brooklyn and the Civil War
by E. A. 'Bud' Livingston
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
While Manhattan was the site of many important Civil War events, Brooklyn also played an important part in the war. Henry Ward Beecher "auctioned off" slaves at the Plymouth Church, raising the money to free them. Walt Whitman reported news of the war in a Brooklyn paper and wrote some of his most famous works. At the same time, Brooklyn both grappled with and embraced unique challenges, from the arrival of new immigrants to the formation of one of the nation's first baseball teams. Local historian Bud Livingston crafts the portrait of Brooklyn in transition--shaped by the Civil War while also leaving its own mark on the course of the terrible conflict.
Williamstown, Vermont, in the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Though it was far from the front lines of the War Between the States, Williamstown, Vermont, made undeniable contributions to the victory of the United States Army. The proud sons of Patriots fell on the fields of Gettysburg, Antietam and Shiloh, and many gallant soldiers were lost in lesser-known skirmishes. These men fought for honor, for country and at times for money. Many men made the ultimate sacrifice, and others who returned home bore the scars of battle for the rest of their lives. With the support of the Williamstown Historical Society, author Paul Zeller honors the Williamstown soldiers and ordinary citizens who fought to preserve the Union and presents their incredible stories of adventure and bravery.
Framingham's Civil War Hero
The Life Of General George H. Gordon
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
George Henry Gordon, who moved to Framingham, Massachusetts, at the age of five, attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where his attitudes toward the country were shaped alongside classmates George McClellan, Thomas �Stonewall� Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant. Gordon went on to hold political and military offices in the North, and as a general in the Union army, he led his troops against Jackson in the Valley Campaign, at Antietam and at the Siege of Charleston. Join historian Frederic A. Wallace as he recounts the largely untold story of General George H. Gordon, Framingham�s favorite son, with personal diary entries and letters that reveal a man of integrity and honor whose actions displayed an outright love for his country.
Tennessee Hero Confederate Brigadier General John Adams
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Confederate brigadier general John Adams refused to leave his men despite his own critical injuries and died at the Battle of Franklin. Until recently, his service was rarely acknowledged. During his remarkable military career, he traversed the country from Tennessee to New York, Mexico to Maryland and then to California. Adams trained and rode alongside some of the most celebrated commanders of the Confederate army, but his greatest feat remains his unwavering devotion to his men and the Confederate cause in his home state of Tennessee. Bryan W. Lane follows Adams's rise in the military ranks until his inevitable fall at one of the most important battles of the Civil War.
The Little Rock Arsenal Crisis
On the Precipice of the American Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Before shots rang out on a distant South Carolina shore, talk of secession occurred throughout the antebellum United States. These talks grew to a fervent yell in Little Rock, Arkansas. On the eve of a statewide election to determine a secession convention, pro-secession militia descended on Little Rock in February 1861. They closed in around the Federally controlled arsenal in the hopes of seizing the weapons stores. A standoff began between the Federal troops and secessionists, with the citizens of Little Rock caught in the middle. The ensuing political debate set the stage for Southern secession, and the arsenal weapons became integral to the Confederate cause. Join author David Sesser in an exploration of the fascinating political drama and prelude to the bloodiest war in American history.
Bennington and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The people of Bennington often refer to the American Revolution as "our war," as it was the site of the decisive Battle of Bennington. Yet more than one thousand Bennington boys fought in the Civil War, and residents on the homefront played their parts to support the United States, too. All the machinery used to produce gunpowder and nearly all the horseshoes for the United States Army were manufactured in Bennington, and a Bennington native was instrumental in the building of the USS "Monitor. "Mrs. Jefferson Davis visited friends in Bennington shortly after the war, and two Medal of Honor winners lived here as well. In this book, historian Bill Morgan unveils the important ways that Bennington helped preserve the United States during the Civil War.
New Hampshire and the Civil War
Voices From The Granite State
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The Granite State has a remarkable record of service during the Civil War. It supplied a total of 10,657 recruits for the infantry, cavalry and field artillery divisions in 1861, with the majority of these first recruits enlisting for three years of service. Historian Bruce Heald lets the soldiers and sailors tell their stories in their own words by weaving together the letters to those left behind--families in Portsmouth and Nashua and sweethearts in Concord and Manchester. Heald includes brief introductions to each volunteer regiment, accounts of more than one hundred personal letters and an in-depth look at camp life. This book offers a personal and intimate connection with New Hampshire during the War Between the States through the voices of its heroic sons.
Wisconsin At Antietam
The Badger State's Sacrifice On America's Bloodiest Day
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history, and Wisconsin played a vital role. The Second, Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin Regiments served in the Iron Brigade, one of the most respected infantries in the Federal army, and fighting by their side in Maryland was the Third Wisconsin. The mettle of the Badger State was sorely tested and proven on South Mountain and on the bloody Miller's Cornfield. The Third alone lost more than half its men to death or injury, and the Iron Brigade, too, suffered extraordinary losses. Yet Wisconsin's sacrifices at Antietam rebuffed the Confederate incursion into Northern territory and enabled the Emancipation Proclamation. Civil War historian Cal Schoonover sheds new light on the exploits of Wisconsin soldiers in this turning point to secure the Union.
New Brunswick and the Civil War
The Brunswick Boys In The Great Rebellion
by Joanne Hamilton Rajoppi
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
At the beginning of the Civil War, New Brunswick was positioned at the transportation and manufacturing hub of New Jersey. Many of the city's young men exchanged manufacturing equipment for rifles, and those whom they left behind witnessed the war through letters from their sons, brothers and husbands. Patriotism, a longing to earn more money and adventure lured these "Brunswick Boys"--close friends and co-workers--to enlist. Their recollections offer insights into everyday life in New Jersey during the war--New Brunswick's factory system, education and medicine. These letters also reveal their struggles to survive amid battles and close encounters with death that so many soldiers faced, as well as their difficult transition back to civilian life. Local author Joanne Hamilton Rajoppi presents the fascinating stories of New Brunswick and the Civil War, gleaned from the letters of those who experienced it.
The Last Days of the Confederacy in Northeast Georgia
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
In 1861, northeast Georgians were the driving force into secession and war. In 1865, Confederate president Jefferson Davis, his government collapsing and himself a wanted man, brought the reality of the war to the region's doorstep. Governor Joseph Brown, U.S. senator Robert Toombs and the politically influential Howell Cobb of Athens and his brother Thomas R.R. Cobb all fought passionately for Southern independence. The region epitomized the reasons for which the South waged and supported the war, yet it was spared the destruction seen in other places. Even Sherman's Union army touched only the region's fringes. Author Ray Chandler brings to light the final act of the Confederacy in the Peach State's northeast and the lasting impact it had on Georgians.
Washington County, Virginia, in the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The citizens of Washington County, Virginia gave up their sons and daughters to the Confederate cause of the Civil War. Contributing six Confederate generals as well as Union officers, the region is emblematic of communities throughout the nation that sacrificed during the war. Though the sounds of cannon fire and gunshots were only heard at a distance, Washington County was the breadbasket for Confederate armies. From the fields surrounding Abingdon to the coveted salt works in Saltville, Union Generals were constantly eyeing the region, resulting in the Saltville Massacre and the burning of Abingdon's famous courthouse. Historian Michael Shaffer gives a detailed narrative of Washington County during the Civil War, painting vivid images of heroism on and off the battlefield.
Newburyport and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The smoke of cannon fire and the sound of rifles were not seen or heard in Newburyport, Massachusetts during the Civil War yet it was an all too familiar experience for many of its inhabitants. Local author William Hallett describes in thrilling detail the lives and deeds of those from the Clipper City that served both Union and Confederate causes. From the abolitionist preaching of William Lloyd Garrison to the heroism of Albert W. Bartlett, with naval warfare, including the construction of the U.S.S. Marblehead, and political intrigue in between, Newburyport left its mark on the Civil War. With stories of valor both on the battlefield and the home front, Hallett presents the history and legacy of Newburyport in Civil War.
Civil War Eufaula
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Told here for the first time is the compelling story of the Bluff City during the Civil War. Historian and preservationist Mike Bunn takes you from the pivotal role Eufaula played in Alabama's secession and early enthusiasm for the Confederate cause to its aborted attempt to become the state's capital and its ultimate capture by Union forces, chronicling the effects of the conflict on Eufaulans along the way. "Civil War Eufaula "draws on a wide range of firsthand individual perspectives, including those of husbands and wives, political leaders, businessmen, journalists, soldiers, students and slaves, to produce a mosaic of observations on shared experiences. Together, they communicate what it was like to live in this riverside trading town during a prolonged and cataclysmic war. It is the story of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
The Civil War in Washington County Virginia
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The citizens of Washington County, Virginia gave up their sons and daughters to the Confederate cause of the Civil War. Contributing six Confederate generals as well as Union officers, the region is emblematic of communities throughout the nation that sacrificed during the war. Though the sounds of cannon fire and gunshots were only heard at a distance, Washington County was the breadbasket for Confederate armies. From the fields surrounding Abingdon to the coveted salt works in Saltville, Union Generals were constantly eyeing the region, resulting in the Saltville Massacre and the burning of Abingdon's famous courthouse. Historian Michael Shaffer gives a detailed narrative of Washington County during the Civil War, painting vivid images of heroism on and off the battlefield.
The Civil War in Fairfax County
Civilians and Soldiers
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
In his latest book, The Civil War in Fairfax County: Civilians and Soldiers, Charles Mauro has given voice to the heretofore silent majority of the participants in the Civil War: the civilians. This overdue study examines the full spectrum of men, women, slaves and freedmen who lived in Fairfax County, Virginia, during this chaotic, uncertain period. Drawn from the files of the Southern Claims Commission, Mauro recounts the stories the civilians told the Commission after the war to document their losses, lives and living conditions. The citizens of Fairfax County found themselves occupying front row seats at the most horrific show that this country has ever seen. Because of its position just across the Potomac River on the doorstep of the city of Washington, Fairfax County was heavily targeted by the Confederate army and defended with equal determination by the Union army. Fairfax was the first county in the South that the Union army invaded, and the last it occupied as soldiers were mustered out of service after the Grand Review. The Civil War in Fairfax County contains stories of the devastation that both armies brought upon the civilians and their property, as well as the daily strife caused by a war that pitted neighbor against neighbor and family members against themselves. It gives an important, fascinating and unprecedented look into the everyday lives of the civilians who lived through the most tumultuous four years in American history, in a county that was occupied by both the Confederate and Union armies throughout the entire Civil War.
Andover In The Civil War
The Spirit and Sacrifice of a New England Town
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
They departed Boston in August 1861 to a cheering crowd and the tune of "John Brown's Body." Though some of these Andover soldiers would not "see the elephant" until two years later, more than a quarter of them would never return to their beloved hometown. Drawing on journals, letters, and newspaper articles, Andover in the Civil War chronicles the journey of these brave men and brings to life the efforts of those who remained on the homefront. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps were just two Andover citizens who threw themselves wholeheartedly into the Union cause. Lesser known but equally impressive was Robert Rollins, who migrated to Andover in 1863 and enlisted in the North's first all-black regiment. Historian Joan Silva Patrakis introduces many more patriotic characters and moving stories from this "Hill, Mill and Till" town during the bloodiest years of America's history.
Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
In the last months of the American Civil War, the upper Texas coast became a hive of blockade running. Though Texas was often considered an isolated backwater in the conflict, the Union's pervasive and systematic seizure of Southern ports left Galveston as one of the only strongholds of foreign imports in the anemic supply chain to embattled Confederate forces. Long, fast steamships ran in and out of the city's port almost every week, bound to and from Cuba. Join author Andrew W. Hall as he explores the story of Texas's Civil War blockade runners--a story of daring, of desperation and, in many cases, of patriotism turning coat to profiteering.
Civil War Pittsburgh
Forge of the Union
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
On Christmas Day 1860, the "Daily Pittsburgh Gazette"announced that more than one hundred cannons from the nearby U.S. Arsenal were to be shipped south. Fiercely loyal to the Union, Pittsburghers halted the movement of the artillery, which would have been seized by secessionist sympathizers. Over the course of the Civil War, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County provided both troops and equipment--including heavy artillery--in disproportionately large numbers. While no major battles were fought nearby, local soldiers and civilians sacrificed and suffered--the Allegheny Arsenal explosion in September 1862 left seventy-eight dead and was the worst civilian disaster of the war. Thousands dug trenches and joined militia companies to defend their city as others worked to support the wounded soldiers. Reporter Len Barcousky draws on the next-day reporting of the predecessors of the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "to craft a gripping and insightful view of the Steel City during the Civil War.
Guerrilla Hunters in Civil War Missouri
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The guerrillas who terrorized Missouri during the Civil War were colorful men whose daring and vicious deeds brought them a celebrity never enjoyed by the Federal soldiers who hunted them. Many books have been written about William Quantrill, "Bloody Bill" Anderson, George Todd, Tom Livingston and other noted guerrillas. You have probably not heard of George Wolz, Aaron Caton, John Durnell, Thomas Holston or Ludwick St. John. They served in Union cavalry regiments in Missouri, where neither side showed mercy to defeated foes. They are just five of the anonymous thousands who, in the end, defeated the guerrillas and have been forgotten with the passage of time. This is their story.
Mobile Under Siege
Surviving the Union Blockade
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
On August 5, 1864, the Civil War arrived at Mobile's doorstep. The Union navy blockaded Mobile Bay and the city for eight months. Confederate general Dabney Maury fought to protect the city and its citizens who refused to leave, such as Octavia LeVert and Augusta Evans. Union admiral Farragut and General Canby slowly starved the city, knowing that the fall of Mobile could end the war. Author Paula Webb details the experiences of the ordeal and the defeat of a Confederate city that echoed through the entire country.
Northborough in the Civil War
Citizen Soldiering and Sacrifice
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
A small town in the center of Massachusetts seems an unlikely place for altering the tide of war and public opinion, but the town of Northborough played just such a role. Slavery had already sparked the War Between the States, but abolition was not the majority view. Abolitionists on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line gave their lives for change, perhaps nowhere more passionately than in Northborough. More than half of the town's best and brightest joined the fray, and this vigorous anti-slavery activity demands attention: were towns like Northborough - welcoming of abolitionists and strongly involved in the fight - instrumental in changing the outcome via an emancipation that had to be proclaimed mid-war?
Mainers in the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Too far north, the great state of Maine did not witness any Civil War battles. However, Mainers contributed to the war in many important ways. From the mainland to the islands, soldiers bravely fought to preserve the United States in all major battles. Men like General Joshua Chamberlain, a hero of Little Round Top, proudly returned home to serve as governor. Maine native Hannibal Hamlin served as Abraham Lincoln's first vice president. And Maine's strong women sacrificed and struggled to maintain their communities and support the men who had left to fight. Author Harry Gratwick diligently documents the stories of these Mainers, who preserved "The Way Life Should Be" for Maine and the entire United States.
Notre Dame And The Civil War
Marching Onward to Victory
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
While many institutions of higher education made great sacrifices during the Civil War, few can boast of the dedication and effort made by the University of Notre Dame. For four years, Notre Dame gave freely of its faculty and students as soldiers, sent its Holy Cross priests to the camps and battlefields as chaplains and dispatched its sisters to the hospitals as nurses. Though far from the battlefields, the war was ever-present on campus, as Notre Dame witnessed fisticuffs among the student body, provided a home to the children of a famous general, responded to political harassment and tried to keep at least some of its community from the fray. At war's end, a proud Notre Dame welcomed back several bona fide war heroes and became home to a unique veterans' organization.
Unionists In Virginia
Politics, Secession and Their Plan to Prevent Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Whether the Civil War was preventable is a debate that began shortly after Appomattox and continues today. But even earlier, in 1861, a group of Union-loyal Virginians--led by George Summers, John Brown Baldwin, John Janney and Jubal Early--felt war was avoidable. In the statewide election for delegates to the Secession Convention that same spring, the Unionists defeated the Southern Rights Democrats with a huge majority of the votes across the state. These heroic men unsuccessfully negotiated with Secretary of State William Henry Seward to prevent the national tragedy that would ensue. Author and historian Lawrence M. Denton traces this remarkable story of Virginians working against all odds in a failed attempt to save a nation from war.
Kentucky Civil War Lexington
Bluegrass Breeding Ground of Power
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Although no great Civil War battles were fought in Lexington, Kentucky, the city afforded some of the greatest military and political leaders on each side. It produced the Honorable Henry Clay, whose efforts postponed the war by at least a decade. The city touched the lives of both Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln, whose wife, Mary Todd, spent her early years there. This breeding ground of power molded the careers and characters of men like John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan. Authors Josh Leet and Karen Leet introduce the men and women of Lexington who shaped United States history and whose lives were forever changed by the war that shook the nation.
Bennington And The Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The people of Bennington often refer to the American Revolution as "our war," as it was the site of the decisive Battle of Bennington. Yet more than one thousand Bennington boys fought in the Civil War, and residents on the homefront played their parts to support the United States, too. All the machinery used to produce gunpowder and nearly all the horseshoes for the United States Army were manufactured in Bennington. A Bennington native was instrumental in the building of the USS "Monitor". Mrs. Jefferson Davis visited friends in Bennington shortly after the war, and two Medal of Honor winners lived here, as well. In this book, historian Bill Morgan unveils the important ways that Bennington helped preserve the United States during the Civil War.
Confederates in Montana Territory
In the Shadow of Price's Army
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Confederate veterans flocked to the Montana Territory at the end of the Civil War. Seeking new opportunities after enduring the hardships of war, these men and their families made a lasting impact on the region. Their presence was marked across the territory in places like Confederate Gulch and Virginia City. Now meet the fascinating characters who came to Big Sky country after the war, including guerrillas who fought with William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson, as well as cavalrymen who rode with Confederate legends General Nathan Bedford Forrest and Colonel John S. Mosby. Author and historian Ken Robison recounts where these soldiers came from, why they fought for the South, what drew them to the Montana Territory and how they helped shape the region.
Watauga County, North Carolina in the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Some say that Watauga County's name comes from a word meaning "beautiful waters," yet during the Civil War, events in this rugged western North Carolina region were far from beautiful. Hundreds of the county's sons left to fight gloriously for the Confederacy. This left the area open to hordes of plundering rogues from East Tennessee, including George W. Kirk's notorious band of thieves. While no large-scale battles took place there, Boone was the scene of the beginning of Stoneman's 1865 raid. The infamous Keith and Malinda Blalock called Watauga County home, leading escaped POWs and dissidents from Blowing Rock to Banner Elk. The four brutal years of conflict, followed by the more brutal Reconstruction, changed the county forever. Join Civil War historian Michael C. Hardy as he reveals Watauga County's Civil War sacrifices and heroism, both on and off the battlefield.
On This Day In West Virginia Civil War History
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
West Virginia is the only state formed by seceding from a Confederate state. And its connections to the Civil War run deep. One day at a time, award-winning historian Michael Graham presents intriguing, event-driven anecdotes and history related to the state. On July 11, 1861, a Union force attacked 1,300 Confederate troops camped at Rich Mountain in a renowned battle. Confederate guerrillas raided Hacker's Creek on June 12, 1864. Find little-known facts about the Battles of Droop Mountain, Carnifex Ferry, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown and a whole host of others. Read a story one day or month at a time. Celebrate an entire year of Civil War history in the Mountain State.
Potter's Raid through South Carolina
The Final Days of the Confederacy
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
In April 1865, Richmond had fallen, and the Confederacy was dying. Robert E. Lee had surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia. Joseph Johnston was in North Carolina negotiating the surrender of his army to William T. Sherman. But in South Carolina, General Edward Potter was leading 2,500 Union soldiers, including the famed African American regiment the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, through the state's interior, intent on destroying the railroads and equipment. This is the story of Potter's Raid. Using rare and nearly forgotten accounts, historian Tom Elmore has compiled the story of this often-overlooked campaign that featured the last shots of the Civil War in the state that started it.
Arkansas Civil War Heritage
A Legacy of Honor
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The American Civil War shaped the course of the country's history and its national identity. This is no less true for the state of Arkansas. Throughout the Natural State, people have paid homage and remembrance to those who fought and what was fought for in memorial celebrations and rituals. The memory of the war has been kept alive by reunions and preservationists, continuing to shape the way the War Between the States affects Arkansas and its people. Historian W. Stuart Towns expertly tells the story of Arkansas's Civil War heritage through its rituals of memorial, commemoration and celebration that continue today.
Civil War Winchester
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The Confederacy's lynchpin in the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester was the most disputed town of the Civil War. As control shifted between North and South over seventy-five times, civilians coped with skirmishes in the streets, wracking disease and makeshift hospitals in their homes and churches. Out of this turmoil emerged heroes such as "Angel of the Battlefield" Tillie Russell, doctor turned soldier John Henry S. Funk and courageous mother and nurse Cornelia McDonald. Historian Jerry W. Holsworth uses diaries and letters to reveal an intimate portrait of this war torn community the celebrated Stonewall Brigade and the many occupations, as well as the indomitable women who inspired legend.
Seneca County and the Civil War
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Though hundreds of miles away from the death and destruction of the battlefield, Seneca County, New York, contributed more than its share for the preservation of the Union. Many brave men left home to fight, suffering hardships and casualties. John Hoster was captured in 1864 and held at the infamous Andersonville prison camp, and his journal has provided invaluable insight into what soldiers held there endured. At home, Seneca farmers fed Lincoln's hungry army, and the legend of the Scythe Tree is a reminder of those who never returned from battle. After the war, Waterloo's celebration in remembrance of fallen soldiers was mimicked around the country, and Waterloo is recognized as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Local historian Walter Gable recounts the remarkable story of Seneca County during the Civil War.
Forrest's Fighting Preacher
David Campbell Kelley of Tennessee
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Every leader needs a trusted confidant. For Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the Civil War's greatest military minds, that man was David Campbell Kelley. Kelley began adulthood in the clergy, serving for two years as a missionary in China and returning home just a year before the Civil War. He then raised a company of cavalry from his family's large congregation that became part of Forrest's original regiment. Kelley quickly became Forrest's second in command, assisting in some of his most daring engagements, offering support in key decisions and serving as his unofficial chaplain. Following the war, Kelley returned to preaching, helped establish Vanderbilt University and launched a campaign for governor of Tennessee. Now, for the first time, author Michael R. Bradley brings Kelley's dynamic life to the fore.
Brooklyn and the Civil War
by E. A. 'Bud' Livingston
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
While Manhattan was the site of many important Civil War events, Brooklyn also played an important part in the war. Henry Ward Beecher "auctioned off" slaves at the Plymouth Church, raising the money to free them. Walt Whitman reported news of the war in a Brooklyn paper and wrote some of his most famous works. At the same time, Brooklyn both grappled with and embraced unique challenges, from the arrival of new immigrants to the formation of one of the nation's first baseball teams. Local historian Bud Livingston crafts the portrait of Brooklyn in transition--shaped by the Civil War while also leaving its own mark on the course of the terrible conflict.
Cape Cod and the Civil War
The Raised Right Arm
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
Far from the glistening waters and gray-shingled villages of Cape Cod were the bloody front lines of the American Civil War. During this era, Cape Cod recruiting officers often urged soldiers to "raise the right arm of the old Bay State." Learn about the Cape's first casualty of war, Philander Crowell Jr. of Yarmouth, who was a member of the First Massachusetts Regiment; discover how local fishermen made money both by catching fish and by enlisting in the army; and read about the four bloody battles that caused considerable loss for Cape Codders. Join author and historian Stauffer Miller as he chronicles the untold and riveting history of Cape Cod and the Civil War.
Silver Spring and the Civil War
by Robert E. Oshel, Ph. D.
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
On July 11, 1864, some residents cheered and others watched in horror as Confederate troops spread across the fields and orchards of Silver Spring, Maryland. Many fled to the capital while General Jubal Early's troops ransacked their property. The estate of Lincoln's postmaster general, Montgomery Blair, was burned, and his father's home was used by Early as headquarters from which to launch an attack on Washington's defenses. Yet the first Civil War casualty in Silver Spring came well before Early's raid, when Union soldiers killed a prominent local farmer in 1862. This was life in the shadow of the Federal City. Drawing on contemporary accounts and memoirs, Dr. Robert E. Oshel tells the story of Silver Spring over the tumultuous course of the Civil War.
No Holier Spot Of Ground
Confederate Monuments & Cemeteries of South Carolina
Part of the Civil War (Various) series
The monuments of South Carolina bear on their weathered faces and cracked tablets a history of honor and of memory embodied in stone. Whether revealing the lost graves of Southern sons, unveiling the history of the only national cemetery to inter Confederate soldiers alongside the Union fallen during wartime or recording the simple obelisks that reach for heaven throughout the Palmetto State, this volume is a story of remembrance and of mourning. Kristina Dunn Johnson, curator of history with the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, shares with us the powerful stories of memory and acceptance that are the legacy of the Confederacy, as varied as those who lie beneath the Southern soil.