First Person Civil War Podcast

At the Siege of Port Hudson, which began in May 1863, SGM George N. Carpenter and the 8th Vermont manned the trenches north of the town. The Army of the Gulf was working in conjunction with the MG Grant’s siege of Vicksburg to the North. Much rode on the success of these sieges. Vicksburg and Port Hudson were the last two Confederate fortresses on the Mississippi River. If the Army of the Gulf could quickly take the town, they could march to Vicksburg and reinforce Grant. On 27 May, SGT Carpenter and the rest of the Army began their assault.Sources used for this episode:Carpenter, George N. History of the Eight Regiment Vermont Volunteers. 1861-1865. Press of Deland & Barta, 1886. https://archive.org/details/historyofeighthr01carp/page/n8/mode/1up.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 26, pt. 1: Reports. Government Printing Press, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077743049&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Bentonville, 19 March 1865, SGT Walter A. Clark of the 63rd Georgia and the Army of Tennessee advanced against the Left Wing of MG William T. Sherman’s Army. Though outnumbered when the Union Army was combined, General Joseph E. Johnston wanted to negate this by sending his Army of the South against one Wing at a time. After breaking the first line which consisted of the XIV Corps, SGT Clark and the 63rd Georgia continued their advance and met elements of the XX Corps which had just reformed after a retreat. Sources used for this episode:Clark, Walter A. Under the Stars and Bars: or, Memoirs of Four Years Serving with the Ogelthorpes of Augusta, Georgia. Chronicle Printing Company, 1900. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t5fb59b55&seq=7.Davis, George B. Perry, Leslie J. Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 47, pt. 1: Reports. Government Printing Office, 1895. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077725947&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of South Mountain, on the evening of 14 September 1862, PVT Phillip Cheek and the 6th Wisconsin advanced upon Turner’s Gap, one of three passes at South Mountain. Alongside the 19th Indiana, 2nd and 7th Wisconsin Infantries, the men of BG John Gibbon’s 4th Brigade met heavy resistance from COL Alfred H. Colquitt’s Brigade of Georgians and Alabamians but steadily advanced up the slope to within a close range where both sides poured volleys into each other. Despite running low on ammunition, PVT Cheek and the rest of his Brigade held their ground until the Confederates retreated that night.Observing the advance upon Turner’s Gap from his headquarters, MG McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac remarked to MG Hooker, the I Corps commander, about the fighting spirit of the men that, “They must be made of iron.” From that day, PVT Phillip Cheek and the men assigned to BG Gibbon became known as the Iron Brigade.Sources used for this episode:Cheek, Philip and Pointon, Mair. History of the Sauk County Riflemen, Known as Company “A,” Sixth Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry, 1861 – 1865. Democrat Printing Company, 1909. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu01504851&seq=11.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 19, pt: 1 Reports. Government Printing Office, 1887. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609610&view=1up&seq=3.Wisconsin Historical Society. “The Origin of the Famous Iron Brigade’s Name.” Accessed 18 March 2026. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS3518.

At the Battle of Cedar Mountain, 9 August 1862, PVT Worsham and the 21st Virginia formed the right flank of Garnett’s brigade in a wooded area along the Orange and Culpeper Road. Perfectly position for flanking fire upon advancing Union Regiments to the south and east, Garnett’s Brigade was itself flanked, and PVT Worsham witnessed what he called a “Hell Spot” as his Brigade was overrun and the woods became scene to intense hand to hand fighting. Sources used for this episode:Worsham, John H. One of Jackson’s Foot Cavalry; His Experience and What He Saw During the War 1861-1865. Including a History of “Company F,” Richmond, Va., 21st Regiment Virginia Infantry, Second Brigade, Jackson’s Division, Second Corps, A. N. VA. Neale Publishing Company, 1912. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t32240t06&seq=11&view=1up.King, Horatio C. Cedar Mountain. 1902. https://archive.org/details/cedarmountain00king/mode/1up.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 12, pt. 2: Reports. Government Printing Office, 1885. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728222&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Five Forks, 1 April 1865, PVT Joseph J. Sutton and the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry, advanced through the battlefield of the day before at Dinwiddie Courthouse only to find the Confederate Cavalry and Infantry have retreated to their fortified positions at Five Forks. After several hours of preparation and waiting for the V Corps to march into position, the Union Cavalry and Infantry began their attack. Though initially dismounted, the 2nd West Virginia remounted and rode further west, where they faced Confederate Cavalry belonging to MG Fitz Hugh Lee, after the skirmishing died down, both sides drew sabers.Sources used for this episode:Sutton, Joseph J. History of the Second Regiment West Virginia Cavalry Volunteers, During the war of the Rebellion. Portsmouth, 1892. https://archive.org/details/historyofsecondr00sutt/page/n8/mode/1up.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 46, pt. 1: Reports, sec 1. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575332&view=1up&seq=3.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 46, pt. 1: Reports, sec. 2. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575340&view=1up&seq=7.

At the Sacking of Lawrence, 21 May 1856, SGT Robert H. Williams of the Mounted Rangers, Atchison’s Border Ruffians, rode into the Free-State town of Lawrence during a time that is known as Bleeding Kansas. The Pro-Slavery Ruffians assembled in response to the Pro-Slavery Sherrif being shot in the town. These men were tasked with making several arrests of known Free-Staters, but also to destroy the Free State Hotel and the printing presses that supported Free-State efforts within the Kansas Territory.Sources used for this episode:Williams, Robert H. With the Border Ruffians: Memoirs of the Far West, 1852-1868. John Murray, 1908. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015010551615&seq=11.May, Andy. Blood & Honor: The People of Bleeding Kansas. American Freedom Publications LLC, 2019.

An Unknown Soldier from Company A, 19th Iowa kept a diary of his time in the Union Army from September to December 1862. It was discovered after the Battle of Prairie Grove, 7 December 1862, somewhere along the advance or retreat of the 19th Iowa as they faced a Brigade of Arkansans. The Unknown Soldier of the 19th Iowa is unique in that all we have of him is his diary, which was found missing its cover and the first few pages. With no other mention of a name, we may never know who he truly was, but the diary still has a story to tell.Sources for this episode:Unknown. The Diary of an Unknown Soldier: September 5, 1862 to December 7, 1862. Found on a Battlefield. Edited by Elia Vaught. Press-Argus Printing Company, 1959. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858046452367&seq=1. Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 22, pt. 1: Reports. Government Printing Office, 1888. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699704&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Atlanta, 22 July 1864, CPT Charles W. Wills and the 103rd Illinois occupied recently vacated Confederate trenches, and believed the way was open to seize the city. As they got to work “turning the trenches” the Illinoisans heard tremendous firing on the left flank and rear of the Army of the Tennessee. As CPT Wills listened, he spotted a line of grey troops emerge from the woodline behind them. Sources used for this episode:Kellogg, Mary E. Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Including a Day by Day Record of Sherman's March to the Sea; Letters and Diary of the Late Charles W. Wills. Globe Printing Company, 1906. https://archive.org/details/armylifeofillino00willilli/page/n4/mode/1up.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., and Kirkely, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 38, pt. 3: Reports. Government Printing Office, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077722993&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Cross Keys, 8 June 1862, PVT William A. McClendon and the 15th Alabama posted in front of the Confederate left flank and narrowly escaped being cut off from the rest of the Army. After marching at the double quick across the battlefield, the Alabamians rejoined their brigade on the right flank and assisted in repulsing the first Union advance. The 15th Alabama then turned to the attack. Sources used for this episode: McClendon, William A. Recollections of War Times, By An old Veteran While under Stonewall Jackson and Lieutenant General James Longstreet. How I Got In, and How I Got Out. The Paragon Press, 1909.  https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t1sf30q64&seq=9.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, vol. 12, pt: 1: Reports. Government Printing Press, 1885. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077725921&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Malvern Hill, 1 July 1862, the Union V Corps, reinforced by formations from across the Army of the Potomac, used massed artillery and infantry support against successive waves of Confederate assaults upon their line. Held in reserve and sustaining casualties from Confederate artillery, SGT Bennett and the 22nd Massachusetts relieved the 62nd Pennsylvania’s position in line after expending all of its ammunition. The men from Massachusetts would now face the final assault of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Seven Days Battles.Sources used for this episode:Bennett, Edwin C. Musket and Sword, or The Camp, March, and Firing Line in the Army of the Potomac. Coburn Publishing Co., 1900. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044019374651&seq=15. Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 11, pt. 2: Reports. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730152&view=1up&seq=3.

While at Andersonville Prison Camp, Father Henry Clavreul, a Catholic Priest, ministered to the Union Soldiers captured on battlefields across the south. From 15 July to 20 August 1864, Father Clavreul and one other Priest, were the only religious men with authorization to enter the overcrowded camp to render aid. He lasted only 36 days among the sick and dying before he came down with an illness that forced him to depart the camp for Savannah.Sources for this episode:Clavreul, Henry. Diary of Rev. H. Clavreul. With Names of the Dying Federal Soldiers to Whom he Ministered at Andersonville, Ga., During July and August 1864, edited by George Robbins. The Connecticut Association of Ex-Prisoners of War, 1910. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu54239966&seq=5.Ainsworth Fred C. and Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 2, vol. 7. Government Printing Office, 1899. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575266&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Mill Springs, 19 January 1862, SGT McMurray and the 20th Tennessee marched through the night in a persistent rain to attack a Union Division encamped approximately 10 miles to the north. Armed with flintlock muskets, SGT McMurray and the Tennesseans formed on the right flank of the Confederate battle line and were soon flanked by a brigade with men from their own state: the 1st and 2nd Tennessee (Union) Regiments.McMurray, William J. History of the Twentieth Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. The Publication Committee, 1904. https://archive.org/details/histtwenttennreg00mcmurich/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 7. Government Printing Office, 1882. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609545&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Antietam, beginning at approximately 5:30a.m. on 17 September 1862, a Cornfield owned by the Miller Family became the scene of intense fighting. By about 9a.m., after a series of attacks and counterattacks the mangled Cornfield was in possession of the Union and greatly contributed to the single bloodiest day in United States History. Elements of the Union I and XII Corps which advanced from the north:MAJ Rufus R. Dawes, 6th WisconsinCPT John B. Callis, 7th WisconsinBG Marsena R. Patrick, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, I CorpsCPL Edmund R. Brown, Co. C, 27th Indiana Vied for possession of the Cornfield against elements of Jackson’s and Longstreet’s Wings:LTC Phillip A. Work, 1st TexasLTC Hamilton A Brown, 1st North CarolinaCOL Alfred H. Colquit, Commander of Rains’ Brigade Dawes, Rufus R. Service with the 6th Wisconsin Volunteers. E. R. Alderman & Sons, 1890. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/fk87h1f59q&seq=11.Work, Phillip A. “No. 253. Report of Lieut. Col. P. A. Work, First Texas Infantry, of the battle of Sharpsburg.” In The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 19, pt. 1: Reports, edited by Rover N. Scott and Henry M. Lazelle. Government Printing Office, 1887. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609610&view=1up&seq=3.Callis, John A. “No. 26. Reports of Capt. John B. Callis, Seventh Wisconsin Infantry, of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam.” In The War of the Rebellion.Patrick, Marsena R. “No. 19. Reports of Brig. Gen. Marsena R. Patrick, U.S. Army, commanding Third Brigade, of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam.” In The War of the Rebellion.Brown, Hamilton A. “First Regiment.” In Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina, In the Great War 1861-’65. E. M. Uzzell, Printer And Binder, 1901. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/histories-of-the-several-regiments-and-battalions-from-north-carolina-in-the-great-war-1861-65-v.1/3931258?item=3931271.Colquit, Alfred H. “No. 304. Reports of Col. A. H. Colquit, Sixth Georgia Infantry, commanding brigade, of the battles of Boonsborough and Sharpsburg.” In The War of the Rebellion.Brown, Edmund R. The Twenty-Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 – 1865. First Division 12th and 20th Corps. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t57d33f2n&seq=7.

At the Battle of Chickamauga, 18 – 20 September 1863, the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War, LTC Bishop and the 2nd Minnesota face CPL Carter and the 27th Mississippi in vicinity of the Reed’s Bridge Road on 19 September. As the reserve for the XIV Corps on 20 September, they plug a hole in the line made by LTC Ray and the 60th North Carolina’s Division around noon. After the Army of the Cumberland is split in two by LTG Longstreet’s Corps, LTC Bishop and the 2nd Minnesota rush to Horseshoe Ridge where they hold the line against repeated Confederate assaults which include CPT Bailey and the 58th North Carolina.Sources used for this episode:Bishop, Judson W. The Story of a Regiment; Being a Narrative of the Service of the Second Regiment, Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War of 1861 – 1865. St. Paul, 1890. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t59c75p89&seq=9.Sykes, E. T. ed. “Walthall’s Brigade; A Cursory Sketch, With Personal Experiences of Walthall’s Brigade, Army of Tennessee C.S.A., 1862 – 1865.” in Publications in the Mississippi Historical Society. Centenary Ser., Vol. 1. edited by Dunbar Rowland. Jackson: Mississippi Historical Society, 1916. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433081900411&seq=9.CPT Bailey, Isaac H. “Additional Sketch Fifty-Eighth Regiment.” in Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, vol. 3, edited by Walter Clark. Raliegh: E. M. Uzzell, 1901. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/histories-of-the-several-regiments-and-battalions-from-north-carolina-in-the-great-war-1861-65-v.3/3931256?item=3931512.LTC Ray, James M. “Sixtieth Regiment.” in Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, vol. 3, edited by Walter Clark. Raliegh: E. M. Uzzell, 1901. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/histories-of-the-several-regiments-and-battalions-from-north-carolina-in-the-great-war-1861-65-v.3/3931256?item=3931512.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, 1 July 1863, CPT Frederick Otto Baron von Fritsch and the 68th New York face PVT George Washington Nichols and the 61st Georgia north of the town of Gettysburg along Rock Creek and what would soon be known as Barlow’s Knoll. The 68th New York retreated with the rest of the XI Corps and reformed south of the town on Cemetery Hill. On 2the evening of July, CPT Neill W. Ray and the 6th North Carolina advance upon CPT Fritsch, the 68th New York and their entire division on the eastern face of Cemetery Hill. The North Carolinians see initial success but have to face the Union counterattack.Sources used for this episode:Butts, Joseph T. A Gallant Captain of the Civil War: Being the Record of the Extraordinary Adventures of Frederick Otto Baron von Fritsch. New York: F. Tennyson Neely, 1902. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t86h50k2h&seq=11.Nichols, George W. A Soldier’s Story of His Regiment (61st Georgia): and Incidentally of the Lawton-Gordon-Evans Brigade. Jesup, 1898. https://archive.org/details/01494987.3402.emory.edu/page/n1/mode/2up.CPT Ray, Neill W. “Sixth Regiment.” In Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, vol. 1, edited by Walter Clark. Raliegh: E. M. Uzzell, 1901. https://www.carolana.com/NC/Civil_War/Histories_of_the_Several_Regiments_and_Battalions_from_NC_in_the_Great_War_Volume_I_Walter_Clark_1901.pdf.

At the Battle of Brandy Station, 9 June 1863, SGT Edward P. Tobie of the 1st Maine Cavalry in the Left Wing of the Cavalry Corps attempt a double envelopment of MG J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry Division. After crossing the Rappahannock River and riding for several miles, SGT Tobie and the 1st Maine Cavalry formed with their brigade and charged upon Fleetwood Hill, the site of MG Stuart’s Headquarters.Sources used for this episode:Tobie, Edward P. History of the First Maine Cavalry, 1861-1865. Boston: Emery & Hughes, 1887. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002002965516&seq=11.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 27, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699761&view=1up&seq=3.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 27, pt. 2: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728255&view=1up&seq=3.

At the First Battle of Bull Run, PVT Casler and the 33rd Virginia formed on the left flank of BG Thomas J. Jackson’s all Virginia 1st Brigade on Henry Hill. The Virginians stood like a Stonewall through several Union advances. During this time, PVT Casler and the 33rd Virginia charged and captured a Union Battery that unlimbered too close them but eventually returned to the line on Henry Hill. The Virginians became the anchor of the Confederate line, which brough in enough fresh troops to defeat the Union Army in their front. By the end of the battle, BG Thomas J. Jackson and the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th  and 33rd Virginia Regiments as well as the Rockbridge Artillery were cemented in American Military History as Stonewall Jackson and the Stonewall Brigade.Sources used for this episode:Casler, John O. Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade. 2nd ed. Girard: Appeal Publishing Company, 1906. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044012920278&seq=15.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 2. Washington: Government Printing Press, 1880. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730186&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Missionary Ridge, 25 November 1863, 1LT Charles T. Clark and the 125th Ohio advanced in the Second Line of their brigade in what was intended to be the seizure of Confederate Rifle Pits at the base of the ridge. Once completing this, the Ohioans rallied with the rest of their Division and joined in the spontaneous charge of the Army of the Cumberland up the face of Missionary Ridge.Sources used for this episode:Clark, Charles T. Opdyke Tigers 125th O.V.I. A History of the Regiment and of the Campaigns and Battles of the Army of the Cumberland. Columbus: Spahr & Glenn, 1895. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t8qc07r7f&seq=9.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 31, pt: 2: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077700270&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Globe Tavern, 21 August 1864, SGT William V. Izlar and the 25th South Carolina advanced alongside the rest of Hagood’s Brigade against what was perceived to be an open flank of the Union V Corps, but in reality occupied by BG Lysander Cutler’s 4th Division.Sources used for this episode:Izlar, William V. A Sketch of the War Record of the Edisto Rifles, 1861-1865. Columbia: The State Company, 1914. https://www.loc.gov/item/19014528/.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 42, pt: 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1893. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077725905&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Yellow Tavern, 11 May 1864, MAJ James H. Kidd, commander of the 6th Michigan Cavalry faced the Confederate Cavalry under MG J.E.B. Stuart. After a fight that lasted several hours, MG Sheridan, commander of the Union Cavalry Corps, ordered his men to charge.Sources used for this episode:Kidd, James H. Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer’s Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Civil War. Ionia: Sentinel Printing Company, 1908. https://www.loc.gov/item/09002245/.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records on the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 36, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924097311744&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, 10 August 1861, SGT William H. Tunnard and the 3rd Louisiana advanced north against an artillery battery which opened upon them only to run into a Battalion of US Infantry. After being repulsed, the regiment hastened south to face a Union Brigade marching from the south.Sources used for this episode:Tunnard, William H. A Southern Record. The History of the Third Regiment Louisiana Infantry. Baton Rouge, 1866. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t8kd1r57h&seq=9.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 3. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1881. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079597021&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Secessionville, PVT Herbert W. Beecher and the 1st Connecticut Light Artillery Battery supported the advance of the 2nd Division upon the Tower Battery on James Island with their 4x 14-inch James Rifles. Though the Confederate Artillery mostly focused on the several infantry advances upon the Tower Battery, they eventually dueled with the men from Connecticut.Sources used for this episode:Beecher, Herbert W. History of the First Light Battery Connecticut Volunteers, 1861-1865. Personal Records and Reminiscences. The Story of the Battery from its Organization to the Present Time. New York: A. T. De La Mare PTG. And Pub. Co., LTD, 1901. https://archive.org/details/historyoffirstli01beec/page/n11/mode/2up.Scott. Robert, N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 14. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1885. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924080782182&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Champion Hill, 16 May 1863, CPL Ephraim M. Anderson and the 2nd Missouri (Confederate) rush north along with their entire division to bolster the Confederate left flank which was crumbling under an advance by the Union Army of the Tennessee. After forming in line of battle, the Missourians charged and successfully routed this first Union line, and advanced toward Champion Hill where a second Union line formed.Sources used for episode:Anderson, Ephraim M. Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade. St. Louis: Times Printing Co., 1868. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/658505066/ephraim-m-anderson-civil-war-stories.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 24, pt. 2: Reports. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077723033&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Cold Harbor, 3 June 1864, PVT Martin A. Haynes and the 2nd New Hampshire, just days from the expiration of their enlistments, advanced into what would become one of the great debacles of the Civil War as the XVIII, VI and II Corps suffered heavy casualties during their failed advance upon Confederate fortifications. Sources used for this episode: Haynes, Martin A. A History of the Second Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, In the War of the Rebellion. Lakeport, 1896. https://www.loc.gov/item/02001828/. Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 36, pt: 1 – Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924097311744&view=1up&seq=3/ Haynes, Martin A. History of the Second Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers: Its Campaigns, Marches and Battles. Manchester: Charles F. Livingston, 1865. https://archive.org/details/03435198.3268.emory.edu.

At the Battle of Cherbourg, 19 June 1864, Seaman Magee aboard the USS Kearsarge spotted the CSS Alabama, commanded by CPT Semmes as it departed the safety of Cherbourg Harbor to do battle in the English Channel. While both sloops-of-war were almost evenly matched in terms of cannon, the USS Kearsarge also had an armored hull, which became a deciding factor in the coming engagement.Sources used for this episode:Bradlee, Francis B. C. The Kearsarge-Alabama Battle. The Story as told to the writer by James Magee of Marblehead, Seaman on the Kearsarge. Salem: Essex Institute, 1921. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t2c82qw8g&seq=11&view=1up.Semmes, Raphael. Memoirs of a Service Afloat, During the War Between the States. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co., 1869. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/34827/pg34827-images.html. Rush, Richard. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Washington: Government Printing Press, 1896. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924051350829&view=1up&seq=9.17 Medals of Honor issued to the crew of the USS Kearsarge. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/lists/civil-war-uss-kearsarge-recipients.

On the evening of 24 February 1863, the expedition that captured the USS Indianola involved a Confederate force of four ships: CSS Queen of the West, CSS Webb, CSS Batey and CSS Grand Era, the latter two being support vessels only. MAJ Joseph L. Brent commander of the expedition, caught up with the USS Indianola as it steamed up the Mississippi river to rendezvous with MG Grants army. Though outmatched in terms of firepower, the Queen of the West and the Webb steamed ahead, intent on ramming their Union foe.Sources used for this episode:Brent, Joseph Lancaster. The Lugo Case; Capture of the Ironclad, Indianola. New Orleans: Searcy and Pfaff, LTD, 1926. https://www.loc.gov/item/54050193/.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 11, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1884. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609560&view=1up&seq=3.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 24, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699738&view=1up&seq=3.Fold3. “US, Civil War Service Records (CMSR) Confederate – Officers, 1861-1865, Joseph L. Brent.” Accessed November 16, 2024. https://www.fold3.com/image/65655299/brent-joseph-l-page-4-us-civil-war-service-records-cmsr-confederate-officers-1861-1865.“Death of Gen. Brent.” Times-Democrat, November 28, 1905. https://www.newspapers.com/image/165685451.

At the Second Battle of Charleston Harbor, July – September 1863, CH Denison and the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery supported the X Army Corps as it occupied Morris Island at the mouth of the Harbor and assaulted Fort Wagner in July. In the wake of these failed assaults, BG Gillmore, the Union Army commander, ordered the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery and several other units to dig gun emplacements for siege artillery. On 17 August, the Rhode Islanders fired the first shots of a bombardment that eventually reduced Fort Sumter to rubble.Sources used for this episode: Denison, Frederick. Shot and Shell: The Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment in the Rebellion, 1861-1865. Providence: J. A. & R. A. Reid, 1879. https://www.loc.gov/item/07038069/. Denison, Frederick. A Chaplain’s Experience in the Union Army. Providence: Providence Historical Society, 1893. https://archive.org/details/05590038.3497.emory.edu/page/n3/mode/2up. Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederates Armies. ser. 1, vol. 28, pt. 1: Reports. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699779&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of New Market, 15 May 1864, Cadet Captain Frank Preston and the Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute, as an infantry battalion, marched north from Lexington to the town of New Market Virginia, where they joined the Confederate Army under MG Breckenridge. Initially placed in a reserve linethey advanced across the muddy fields north of New Market. After a failed Union Advance, CPT Preston and the VMI Cadets filled a gap between two regiments. Now in the front rank, they prepared to charge across a muddy field north of the Bushong House. Picture Credit of CPT Frank Preston to Historic Smithfield at www.historicsmithfield.org. Sources used for this episode: V.M.I New Market Cadet. The Battle of New Market and The Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute May 15, 1864. 1914. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101065096610&seq=3. Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 37, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728289&view=1up&seq=5. “College of William and Mary.” Norfolk Virginian, September 4, 1869. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604908452/. “Death of An Esteemed Gentleman.” Norfolk Virginian, November 22, 1869. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604914261/.

At the Battle of the Wilderness, 5-7 May 1864, 2LT Camille Baquet and the 1st New Jersey marched to the aid of the V Corps which discovered the Confederate 2nd Corps along the Orange Turnpike. The thick vegetation of the Wilderness meant the Jerseymen fought blind, unable to see the Confederate lines in front of them or in some cases the lines of adjacent Union regiments.Sources used for this episode:Camille, Baquet. History of the First Brigade, New Jersey Volunteers, from 1861 to 1865. Trenton: MacCrellish & Quigley, State Printers, 1910. https://www.loc.gov/item/13009241/.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 36, pt: 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Press, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924097311744&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Action at Mount Zion Church, 6 July 1864, PVT John W. Munson and the 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion, or Mosby’s Rangers, intercepted a Union Cavalry detachment that had perused them for three days after their successful raid of the Army Garrison at Point of Rocks Maryland. Mosby’s Rangers specialized in disrupting lines of supply and communication but were more than capable of fighting in the open when the occasion required.Sources used for this episode:Munson, John W. Reminiscences of a Mosby Guerrilla. New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1906. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t48p5vn20&seq=13.Scott, Robert N. War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 25, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730244&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Second Battle of Corinth, 3-4 October 1862, CPT William H. Chamberlin and the 81st Ohio alongside the entire 2nd Division are driven from their first position but manage to rally around a White House. After holding the line for the rest of the day, the Ohioans march with their division further east and face another day of hard fighting on 4 October around Battery Powell. Sources used for this episode:Chamberlin, William H. History of the Eighty-First Regiment Ohio Infantry Volunteers: During the War of the Rebellion. Cincinnati: Gazette steam Printing House, 1865. https://www.loc.gov/item/02015233/.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser 1, vol. 17, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1886. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728248&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Williamsburg, 5 May 1862, the 2nd Florida engaged two Union regiments southeast of the town. COL Ward, the 2nd Florida’s commander, was killed in action and the regiment was forced to retreat to a second position. Once the lines stabilized, 1LT Fleming joined a party to recover COL Ward’s body, but was himself wounded. Brought to the town of Williamsburg by his brother and several volunteers, 1LT Fleming was not evacuated as the Confederates retreated from the town and he was captured the next day.Sources used for this episode:Fleming, Charles S. Memoir of Capt. C. Seton Fleming, of the Second Florida Infantry, C.S.A. Jacksonville: Times-Union Publishing House, 1884. https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu%3A96836#page/1/mode/2up.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 11, pt. 1. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1884. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609560&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Pea Ridge, on the morning of 7 March 1862, an advance Cavalry and Artillery force which included CPL Dysart and the 3rd Iowa Cavalry witnessed some of the first shots of the battle as three artillery pieces fired into the Confederate Right Wing as it marched along the Ford Road toward Elkhorn Tavern. A “running cavalry fight” ensued, but the Union force was routed, and CPL Dysart made for Union lines forming south of him.Sources used for this episode:Dysart, Henry M. Civil War Diary: Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 1862. https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atestcwd_22746_2_1.Scott, Robert N. The Wart of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 8. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1883. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079893719&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Dallas, 28 May 1864, 2LT Lot D. Young and the 4th Kentucky as part of the Orphan Brigade advanced upon a heavily entrenched Union Army. What was intended to be a three-brigade advance was cancelled by the division commander, but the Orphan Brigade and the Floridians to their south, never received the order.Sources used for this episode:Young, Lot D. Reminiscences of a Soldiers of the Orphan Brigade. Paris Kentucky, 1918. https://www.loc.gov/item/42011058/.Davis, George, B. Perry, Leslie J. and Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 38, pt. 3: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077722993&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Third Battle of Winchester, 19 September 1864, 1LT Lemuel A. Abbott and the 10th Vermont, form as part of a two Corps advance upon the first Confederate position east of the town of Winchester Virginia. By virtue of rugged terrain and a fierce cannonade, the assaulting force fractures and 1LT Abbott’s Brigade faces the Confederates alone.Sources used for this episode:Abbott, Lemuel A. Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary 1864. Burlington: Free Press Printing Co. Printers, Binders, Stationers, 1908. https://www.loc.gov/item/08034279/.Davis, George B. Perry, Leslie J. and Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 43, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1893. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924080776929&view=1up&seq=3.

At the First Battle of Collierville, 11 October 1863, 1LT Dinkins and the 18th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion form in the center of an attacking Confederate force that possessed five times the men against a fort and ammunition depot held by approximately 500 men at Collierville Tennessee along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. The Confederates send a flag of truce and asked for surrender. Under orders from his superior, COL Anthony, commander of the 66th Indiana which garrisoned the fort, rejected their terms.EPISODE PRODUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT: New Episodes will now come out every other week. Meaning 24 July is the next publish date.Sources used for this episode:Dinkins, James. 1861 to 1865, by An Old Johnnie. Personal Recollections and Experiences in the Confederate Army. Cincinnati, The Robert Clarke Company, 1897. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t15m62x4z&seq=11.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 30, pt. II, Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699878&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, 3LT Rogers and the 47th North Carolina on 1 July advance through a wood line into an open field. As they march toward McPherson’s Ridge, a line of infantry appears on its crest, CPL Strong and the 121st Pennsylvania, and unleash a withering fire upon the North Carolinians. On 3 July, following the largest artillery barrage of the war, 3LT Rogers and the 47th North Carolina march in the front rank of a three-division assault known as Pickett’s Charge. After enduring Union Artillery, they approach the stone wall on cemetery ridge and in front of them is 1LT Seville and the 1st Delaware. Sources used for this episode.Rogers, J. Rowan. “Additional Sketch Forty-Seventh Regiment.” Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-'65. Written by members of the respective commands, vol. 3, edited by Walter Clark, 103-09. Goldsboro: Nash Brothers Book and Job Printers, 1901. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433081797668&seq=11&q1=%22forty-seventh%22&view=1up.Strong, William W. History of the 121st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, By the Survivors Association. An Account from the Ranks. Philadelphia: Burk & McFetridge Co., 1893. https://www.loc.gov/item/02016606/.Seville, William P. History of the First Regiment, Delaware Volunteers, From the Commencement of the "Three Months' Service" to the Final Muster-Out at the Close of the Rebellion. Wilmington: The Historical Society of Delaware, 1884. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002040669989&seq=7&view=1up.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 27, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699761&view=1up&seq=3.Scott, OR. Ser. 1, vol. 27, pt. 2: Reports. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728255&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle Thompson’s Station, 5 March 1863, CPL McBride and the 33rd Indiana, alongside their reinforced brigade meet MG Earl Van Dorn’s Cavalry while conducting a reconnaissance from Brentwood TN toward Spring Hill. Sources used for this episode: McBride, John W. History of the Thirty-Third Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry During the Four Years of Civil War From Sept. 16, 1861 to July 21, 1865. Indianapolis: WM. B. Burford, 1900. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx2nfa&seq=9.  Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 23, pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699720&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Battle of Ringgold Gap, PVT William E. Bevens and the 1st Arkansas are ordered to the top of White Oak Mountain, just north of the gap, to repel advancing Union Regiments and give the retreating Army of Tennessee time to reach Dalton Georgia. Sources used for this episode: Bevens, William E. Reminiscences of a Private Company “G” First Arkansas Regiment Infantry May, 1861 to 1865. 1912. https://www.loc.gov/item/81180866/. Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 31, pt. 2: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077700270&view=1up&seq=3. Ancestry. “1850 United States Federal Census for Richard P. Barnett.” Accessed June 14, 2024. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/17055449:8054?tid=&pid=&queryId=6386c11b-7a14-4f36-adf2-eb81b216abbf&_phsrc=Agc18&_phstart=successSource. Fold3. “John Barnett.” Accessed June 14, 2024. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/663318301/john-barnett-civil-war-stories/facts. Fold3. “Richard Barnett.” Accessed June 14, 2024. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/663920022/richard-barnett-civil-war-stories/facts.

At the Battle of Glendale, the evening of 30 June 1862, SGT Charles Augustus Fuller and the 61st New York advance at the head of their brigade north of the Long Bridge Road. As night descends on their position, an unfamiliar voice asks the 61st New York to identify themselves. Sources used for this episode: Fuller, Charles A. Personal Recollections of the War of 1861 as Private, Sergeant and Lieutenant in the Sixty-First Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. Sherburne: News Job Printing House, 1906. https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.personalrecollec00full/?st=slideshow#slide-9. Scott, Robert N. The War of The Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 11, pt 2 Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1884. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730152&view=1up&seq=3. “Consolidation of Regiments. Organization of the Sixty-First New York Volunteers.” New York Herald, October 29, 1861. Chronicling America, Library of Congress. “The Army of the Potomac: Our Camp Correspondence.” New York Herald. November 19, 1861. Chronicling America, Library of Congress. “Charles A. Fuller” New York Herald. October 28, 1916. Newspapers.com.

At the Battle of Peach Tree Creek on 20 July 1864, COL James Cooper Nisbet and the 66th Georgia, participate in an echelon assault upon the Army of the Cumberland. After being repulsed, COL Nisbet reforms his command and advances again in support of a separate Confederate Brigade.Sources used for this episode:Nisbet, James C. Four Years on the Firing Line. Chattanooga: The Imperial Press, 1914. https://www.loc.gov/item/14008722/.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 38, pt. 1 Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077722977&view=1up&seq=3.“Capt. Nisbet’s Regiment.” Confederate Union, March 24, 1863. https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn85034083/1863-03-24/ed-1/seq-3/.

At the Battle of First Manassas, also known as First Bull Run, CPT William W. Goldsborough and the 1st Maryland meet PVT Bicknell and the 5th Maine on the battlefield at Chinn Ridge late in the afternoon of 21 July 1861.Sources used for this episode:Goldsborough, William W. The Maryland Line in the Confederate States Army. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Company, 1869. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/58632/pg58632-images.html.Bicknell, George W. History of the Fifth Regiment Maine Volunteers, Comprising Brief Descriptions of its Marches, Engagements, and General Services from the Date of its Muster In, June 24, 1861, to the Time of its Muster Out, July 27, 1864. Portland: Hall L. Davis, 1871. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044050533173&seq=7.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 2. Washington: Government printing Office, 1880. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730186&view=1up&seq=3.

At the Siege of Vicksburg, 1SG Marshall and the 83rd Ohio participated in two separate assaults upon the Confederate works and conducted siege operations that culminated in the 4 July 1863 surrender of the city.Sources used for this episode:Marshall, Thomas B. History of the Eighty-Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, The Greyhound Regiment. Cincinnati: The Eighty-Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry Association, 1912. https://www.loc.gov/item/13020149/.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 24, Pt. 1. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077699738&view=1up&seq=3.Scott, Robert N. OR. Ser. 1, Vol. 24, Pt. 2. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077723033&view=1up&seq=3.

Captured at the Battle of Wyse Fork, 8 Mar 1865, PVT Ernul was transported to Point Lookout Maryland and stayed there until paroled in June 1865.Sources used for this episode:Ernul, J. B. Life of a Confederate Soldier in a Federal Prison. Vanceboro, 1914. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft4pk1qn30&seq=3.Ainsworth, Fred C. and Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 2, Vol. 8. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575233&view=1up&seq=3.Point Lookout Maryland. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/pga/02500/02593u.tif.

At the Battle of Fredericksburg, 11 December 1862, 2LT John G.B. Adams and the 19th Massachusetts, alongside the 7th Michigan, conduct the first opposed river crossing and urban warfare of the Civil War. On 13 December, 2LT John G.B. Adams earned the Medal of Honor during the assault on Marye’s Heights.Sources used for this episode:Adams, John G.B. Reminiscences of the Nineteenth Massachusetts Regiment. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Company, 1899. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t0ft8sn43&seq=9.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies . Ser. 1, Vol. 21. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1888. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077723017&view=1up&seq=3. American Battlefield Trust. “The Battle of Fredericksburg.” Accessed April 25, 2024. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/fredericksburg.

At the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads, PVT John Milton Hubbard and the 7th Tennessee Cavalry, as part of MG Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry Corps, advanced against a numerically superior Union force on 10 June 1864.Union Cavalry held the cross roads before the Confederates arrived and during that morning dismounted cavalry squared off against each other. Armed with Colt Navy Revolvers, PVT Hubbard and the 7th Tennessee Cavalry charged the lines of the 3rd and 4th Iowa Cavalry Regiments several times east of Brice’s Cross Roads.Union Infantry eventually relieved the cavalry and PVT Hubbard and the 7th Tennessee now faced the 81st Illinois who had just forced marched about four miles into position. With cannon and bugles acting as the signal, the Confederates charged the physically exhausted Union Infantry at the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads.Sources used for this episode:Hubbard, John Milton. Notes of a Private. Souvenir ed. St. Louis: Nixon-Jones Printing Co., 1911. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49466/pg49466-images.html.Davis, George B. Perry, Leslie J. Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 39, Pt. 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1892. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728297&view=1up&seq=3.“John Milton Hubbard, Pioneer Teacher, Dies: Confederate Veteran and Author Was 91 Years of Age.” Commercial Appeal, April 3, 1923. Newspapers.com.

At the Battle of Shiloh, on the morning of 6 April 1862, CPL Leader Stillwell and the 61st Illinois heard the first shots of the battle off to their right and managed to form alongside their brigade and the 6th Division before a brigade of Alabamans and Louisianan's emerged from the woodline and engage them just south of their camp.The Illinoisans engaged the advancing Confederates, but were eventually pushed out of their camps and retreated to a Union line held by BG W.H.L. Wallace's Second Division. This line became the focal point of several Confederate assaults, and thereafter was known as the Hornet's Nest.For the rest of the morning into the afternoon, CPL Stillwell and the 61st Illinois fought in the Hornet's Nest and the Peach Orchard, as well as provided support to a battery of artillery.Sources used for this episodeStillwell, Leander. The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War 1861-1865. 2nd ed. Kansas City: Franklin Hudson Publishing Company, 1920. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044051051464&seq=9.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1884. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730160&view=1up&seq=3.“61st Illinois Infantry Regiment History: Adjutant General’s Report.” Accessed 16 April, 2024. https://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/civilwar/history/061.html.

At the Battle of Cedar Creek, the morning of 19 October 1864, Corporal Preston L. Ledford and the 14th North Carolina participated in a surprise attack upon the Army of West Virginia, also known as the VIII Corps. Thanks to a dense fog, the Confederate Army of the Valley surprised the Union Soldiers in their camp. COL Rutherford B. Hayes, commander the Second Division VIII Corps, and future 19th President of the United States, managed to form his division in line of battle before CPL Ledford and the attacking force routed them.Despite the fog, the Union XIX and VI Corps, just north of the VIII Corps, formed in line and engaged the Confederates. But CPL Ledford, the 14th North Carolina and the rest of the attacking force flanked the XIX Corps, forcing both Union formations to retreat to a location about 1 mile away.The Union Army of the Shenandoah managed to reform in the late morning, check the Confederate afternoon advance, and push the Army of the Valley off the field.Sources used for this episode:Ledford, Preston L. Reminiscences of the Civil War 1861-1865. Thomasville: News Printing House, 1909. https://www.loc.gov/item/09027417/.Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., Kirkley, Joseph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1893. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924080776929&view=1up&seq=3.“Prof. P.L. Ledford Dies in Thomasville.” Dispatch, May 29, 1922. Newspapers.com.

At the Third Battle of Petersburg, 2 April 1865, 1LT William Hewitt and the 12th West Virginia were tasked with assaulting Fort Gregg, immediately following The Army of the Potomac's VI Corps assault and breakthrough against Confederate positions around Hatcher's Run.The first assault upon Fort Gregg was unsuccessful, and 1LT Hewitt and the 12th West Virginia were tasked with supporting the second attempt to capture it. The Regiment advanced about 500 yards to Fort Gregg and engaged the Confederates, mostly North Carolinians from BG James Lane's Brigade. After several color bearers were killed or wounded, 1LT Curtis rescued the Regimental Colors which had fallen into the fort, alongside two other color bearers: CPL Apple and PVT McCauslin. The West Virginian's were the first regiment to plant their colors in Fort Gregg, and PVT Reeder captured a flag from one of the North Carolina regiments.For their actions during the assault on Fort Gregg, 1LT Curtis, CPL Apple, PVT McCauslin and PVT Reeder all received the Medal of Honor.Sources used for this episode:Hewitt, William. History of the Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry: The Part It Took in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865. Twelfth West Virginia Infantry Association: 1892. https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.historyoftwelfth00hewi/?sp=13&st=image&r=-1.456,-0.012,3.911,1.887,0.Lane, James H. “Defense of Fort Gregg Official Report.” Southern Historical Society Papers (January 1877): 19-28. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t3b00gx51&seq=1.Davies, George B. Perry, Leslie J. and Kirkley, Joesph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 46, Pt. 1, Sec. 2. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1894. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575340&view=1up&seq=7.Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “Josiah M. Curtis.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/josiah-m-curtis.Ibid. “Andrew O. Apple.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/andrew-o-apple.Ibid. “Joseph McCauslin.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/joseph-mccauslin.Ibid. “Charles A. Reeder.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/charles-a-reeder.

At the Battle of Galveston, 1 January 1863, LT Robert M. Franklin and the Texas Sailors, Artillerymen, Cavalrymen and Infantrymen aboard the Cottonclad C.S. Bayou City, with three other ships participated in a combined attack on Union Forces by both land and sea upon Galveston Texas. LT Franklin and his fellow Texans strapped bales of cotton to the C.S. Bayou City and the C.S. Neptune for added protection as they faced the numerically superior Union Navy around Galveston.With the C.S. Bayou City in the lead, the two Cottonclads attempted to board the USS Harriet Lane. In their first attempt to board the Union vessel, the Bayou City temporally lost steering and the Neptune became so damaged that it ran ashore to stop from sinking. On its second attempt, LT Franklin and the Texans aboard C.S. Bayou City successfully boarded and captured the USS Harriet Lane.Sources used for this episode:Franklin, Robert M. Battle of Galveston January 1st, 1863. Washington: Congressional Library, 1911. https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.battleofgalvesto00fran/?sp=1&st=slideshow#slide-3.Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 9. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1883. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609552&view=1up&seq=3.IBID. Ser. 1, Vol. 15. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609586&view=1up&seq=3.“Aged Galvestonian Claimed by Death. Judge R.M. Franklin is Honored by Confederate Comrades.” Galveston Daily News, February 22, 1923. Newspapers.com.