Samuel Gibbs French: a Northern-Born Confederate General
In a recent post, we talked about Parmenas T. Turnley, a Southerner who served the Union in the Civil War and a graduate of West Point’s famous class of 1846. He wrote a memoir...
Iron Brigader Blog
Dr. Jonathan Letterman’s Report on the Union Army Medical Corps at Gettysburg
Dr. Jonathan Letterman was the Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg. At the time, Letterman had only been in his position for a year...
Captain James Hall’s Report On the Action of the 2nd Maine Battery At Gettysburg
One of the first Union artillery units in action at Gettysburg on July 1st, 1863 was the six gun Battery B of the 2nd Maine Light Artillery, under the command of Captain James A....
Union Victories at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson; Assault on Fort Wagner: July 1863
July 1863 in the Civil War The Union Armies chalked up significant victories as three major campaigns concluded in July 1863. These overshadowed several other smaller, but still significant events in this pivotal...
The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama
Update 3/6/2019: The restored and refurbished Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama is now on exhibit in its new home, The Atlanta History Center at 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in the Buckhead area of...
Lt. Col. Rufus Dawes Describes the Fighting of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry at Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg began on the morning of July 1st, 1863 when Brigadier General John Buford’s cavalry engaged Major General Henry Heth’s Confederates outside the northwest corner of the town. Buford’s objective was...
Parmenas Taylor Turnley: West Point Class of 1846
Parmenas Taylor Turnley was a graduate of the West Point Class of 1846, many of whom fought in the Mexican War but would later serve on opposite sides in the American Civil War. About...
Lee Moves North; Sieges of Vicksburg and Port Hudson Continue: June 1863
June 1863 in the Civil War After an eventful May, major campaigns were underway in both the East and West as spring turned into summer. Gettysburg Campaign Begins After scoring major victories in Virginia...