Herman Melville’s Poem Shiloh: A Requiem
The April 6-7, 1862 Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee was by far the costliest battle in terms of casualties up to that point in the year old Civil War. Each side suffered over 1700...
Tagged: tennessee
General Ulysses S. Grant’s Report on the Battle and Capture of Fort Donelson
From the beginning of the Civil War, both sides recognized the importance of controlling the major rivers in the western theatre of operations. The Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers, and others, were vital...
The Assault of the 13th United States Colored Troops (USCT) at the Battle of Nashville December 1864
On December 15th, 1864, Major General George Thomas’ U.S. troops attacked General John Bell Hood’s Confederate lines south of Nashville, Tennessee. After a disastrous and costly battle at Franklin, Tennessee, Hood opted to continue...
Herman Melville’s Poem “Chattanooga” is a Reflection on the Battle of Missionary Ridge
In 1866, writer Herman Melville published a book of poetry on the just completed Civil War called “Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War”. Melville’s Civil War poems paid tribute to the bravery of the...
The 9th Illinois Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh
The 9th Illinois Infantry began the Civil War as a three months’ enlistment unit in April 1861. Upon the expiration of that term, it was reestablished as a unit for a three year enlistment....
Corporal William Todd of the 79th New York Highlanders Recalls the Confederate Assault on Fort Sanders at Knoxville, Tennessee, November 1863
In the fall of 1863, U.S. forces from Major General Ambrose Burnsides’ Army of the Ohio (portions of the 9th and 23rd Corps) occupied Knoxville, Tennessee. While Burnside was occupying and fortifying that city,...
The Gunboats USS Lexington and USS Tyler at the Battle of Shiloh
One of the keys to winning the western theater of the Civil War was gaining control of the larger rivers in the region, including the Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers. These vital waterways...
Colonel Thomas J. Harrison’s Report on His Cavalry Brigade’s Action on Christmas Day, 1864.
December 25th, 1864 would be the last Christmas of the Civil War. The Army of the Potomac was locked in operations against the Army of Northern Virginia around Petersburg, Virginian, as it had been...