Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 26, 2011

(Part  32 of an ongoing series on the Battle of Gettysburg).  Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg.  This post will present the plaque recognizing the men who served in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry.  By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read.  Following the plaque is a list of the men who have thus far been identified as eligible for inclusion in this Civil War Research Project who, it is believed, served for a time in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry .  Not all the names may appear on the Pennsylvania Memorial plaques.  If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg – or it could mean that the soldier was erroneous included in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry list.  There could also be errors on the plaque.  Readers are invited to submit comments about any names appearing below, or on the plaque, especially if they believe the soldier was from the Lykens Valley area and should be included in this study.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Men from the Lykens Valley area who probably served in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry :

Emanuel Cable —- John Thompson

Information for this post was taken from the files of the Civil War Research Project.  A separate digital file is kept on each of the above-named men.  Information is sought on any men from the Lykens Valley area who were soldiers or sailors during the Civil War.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on 61st Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 25, 2011

(Part 4 of 4).  In 1883,Clarence Clough Buel, the Assistant Editor of The Century Magazine, proposed a series of articles which would present differing points of view on the Civil War.  Buel’s plan included the eventual publication of the articles in book form.  In 1887 and 1888, the four volume work was first published.

A re-publication of the four volume work was completed in by Castle Books of Secaucus, New Jersey.  There is no re-publication date on the Castle Books edition.  This re-publication is relatively inexpensive and generally available through book sellers on the web.  Some of the volumes are also available in various digital formats, including “pdf” and formats designed for digital book readers.

Today’s post focuses on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  Retreat with Honor, Volume IV, of “The Century War Series” – being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers based upon “The Century War Series,” edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel, of the editorial staff of The Century Magazine.

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CONTENTS  OF VOLUME IV

CHARLESTON:  Opposing Land Forces at Charleston, p. 74.

OLUSTEE.

OPERATIONS AFTER GETTYSBURG.

THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN:  Opposing Forces at the Beginning of Grant’s Campaign Against Richmond, p. 179; Opposing Forces at Cold Harbor, p. 185.

ATLANTA:  Opposing Forces in the Atlanta Campaign, p. 284.

FINAL OPERATIONS IN ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI:  Opposing Forces in the Red River Campaign, p. 367; Opposing Forces in Arkansas, p. 368.

MOBILE AND THE GULF:  Opposing Forces at Mobile, p. 400.

CAVALRY OPERATIONS ON THE TENNESSEE LINE.

HOOD’S INVASION OF TENNESSEE:  Opposing Forces at Nashville, December 15-16, 1864, p. 472.

UP AND DOWN THE SHENANDOAH:  Opposing Forces at New Marker, Va., May 15, 1864, p. 491;  Opposing Forces in the Lynchburg Expedition, p. 492;  Opposing Forces at ath Monocacy, Md., p. 499; Opposing Forces at Cedar Creek, p. 530.

PETERSBURG:  Opposing Forces at Petersburg and Richmond, p. 590.

THE CONFEDERATE CRUISERS.

THE CONFEDERATE RAM ALBEMARLE.

THE CAPTURE OF FORT FISHER:  Opposing Forces at Fort Fisher, N.C., p. 661.

SHERMAN’S MARCH THROUGH THE CONFEDERACY:  Opposing Forces in the Campaign of the Carolinas, p. 696.

FROM THE JAMES TO APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE.

THE FALL OF RICHMOND:  Opposing Forces in the Appomattox Campaign, p. 748.

CLOSING OPERATIONS:  Opposing Forces in Wilson’s Raid, March 22 – April 20, 1865, p. 759.

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PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENTAL REFERENCES IN VOLUME IV

1st Pennsylvania Artillery:  Batteries F & G:  Ricketts, p. 157.

2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery:  p. 561.

1st Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 239.

2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 239.

4th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 239.

5th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 533.

6th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 193, p. 234, p. 236, p. 239.

8th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Trevilian Station, p. 239.

9th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Tennessee, p. 413.

11th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Petersburg, p. 533.

13th Pennsylvania Cavalry: Trevilian Station, p. 239.

16th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Trevilian Station, p. 239.

17th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Trevilian Station, p. 239.

26th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Bloody Angle, p. 176.

54th Pennsylvania Infantry:  New Market, p. 489.

95th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Spotsylvania, p. 171.

96th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Spotsylvania, p. 171.

100th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Petersburg, p. 579, p. 581, p. 583, p. 588, p. 589 note.

115th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Bloody Angle, p. 176.

200th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Petersburg, p. 585-9.

205th Pennsylvania Infantry: p. 585 note, p. 588-9.

207th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Petersburg, p. 585, p. 588-9.

208th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Petersburg, p. 585, p. 587-9.

209th Pennsylvania Infantry: Petersburg, p. 585-7, p. 589.

211th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Petersburg, p. 585 note, p. 588-9.

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An example of a picture from Volume IV is shown below:

Click on picture to enlarge.

This line drawing shows the camp of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Kilpatrick’s Division, on the Union left, between the Rappahannock River and the Rapidan (February or March, 1864), from a photograph. The photograph from which this drawing was made was previously posted here in discussing the ten volume set on the photographic history of the Civil War.  It is shown again for comparison with the line drawing.

Click on picture to enlarge.

It is probably better said that the drawing is “based on a photograph” rather than being an attempt at an exact copy of a photograph.  The actual photograph, from the Library of Congress web site is also shown here.

Click on picture to enlarge.

According to the Library of Congress web site, the photograph is of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry in winter quarters at or near Brandy Station, Virginia, and was taken some time between December 1863 and April 1864.

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Volume IV can be read on-line at the Internet Archive.  Click here.  It is also generally available from new/used book sellers.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Retreat with Honor
Tags: Regiments

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 24, 2011

(Part 3 of 4).  In 1883,Clarence Clough Buel, the Assistant Editor of The Century Magazine, proposed a series of articles which would present differing points of view on the Civil War.  Buel’s plan included the eventual publication of the articles in book form.  In 1887 and 1888, the four volume work was first published.

A re-publication of the four volume work was completed in by Castle Books of Secaucus, New Jersey.  There is no re-publication date on the Castle Books edition.  This re-publication is relatively inexpensive and generally available through book sellers on the web.  Some of the volumes are also available in various digital formats, including “pdf” and formats designed for digital book readers.

Today’s post focuses on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  The Tide Shifts, Volume III, of “The Century War Series” – being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers based upon “The Century War Series,” edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel, of the editorial staff of The Century Magazine.

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CONTENTS  OF VOLUME III

THE PERRYVILLE CAMPAIGN:  Opposing Forces at Perryville, Ky, p. 29; Opposing Forces at Cumberland Gap, p. 69.

BURNSIDE AT FREDERICKSBURG:  Opposing Forces at Fredericksburg, p., 143.

CHANCELLORSVILLE:  Opposing Forces in the Chancellorsville Campaign,  p. 233.

GETTYSBURG:  Opposing Forces at Gettysburg, Pa, p. 434.

THE VICKSBURG YEAR:  Opposing Forces in Arkansas, p. 459; Opposing Forces at Chickasaw Bluffs (or First Vicksburg), Miss., p. 471; Opposing Forces in the Vicksburg Campaign, p. 546.

PORT HUDSON:  Opposing Forces at Port Hudson, La., p. 598.

MURFREESBORO:  Opposing Forces at Stone’s River, Tenn., 610.

CHICKAMAUGA:  Opposing Forces at Chickamauga, Ga., p. 672.

CHATTANOOGA:  Opposing Forces in the Chattanooga Campaign, p. 727;  Opposing Forces at Knoxville, p. 751.

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PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENTAL REFERENCES IN VOLUME III

1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Battery A: Simpson, p. 141.  Battery B:  Cooper, p. 141, p. 278.  Batteries F & G:  Rickets, p. 312.  Battery G:  Amsden, p. 141.

3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery:  Battery H:  Rank, p. 400.  Light Batteries C & F:  Thompson, p. 304.  26th Pennsylvania Infantry (Battery):  Stevens, p. 630.

1st Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 397.

3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 397, p. 398.

7th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 37 note.

8th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 177, p. 183, p. 185.  Gettysburg Campaign, p. 397, p. 429.

17th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Chancellorsville, p. 177, p. 179, p. 180 note.  Gettysburg: p. 274 note.

18th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Gettysburg, p. 393.

23rd Pennsylvania Infantry:  Chancellorsville Campaign, p. 228.

29th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Chancellorsville, p. 168 cut.  Gettysburg, p. 371 cut.

61st Pennsylvania Infantry:  Chancellorsville, p. 227.

69th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 391.

71st Pennsylvania Infantry (called 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry):  Gettysburg, p. 391.

72nd Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 387, p. 390, p. 391.

79th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Perryville, p. 58 note.

82nd Pennsylvania Infantry:  Chancellorsville Campaign, p. 227.

88th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 391.

91st Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 315.

106th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 391.

153rd Pennsylvania Infantry:  Chancellorsville, p. 198.

155th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gettysburg, p. 315.

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Two examples of pictures from Volume III follow:

Click on picture to enlarge.

The first example is of the cavalry charge of Col. Elon Farnsworth, previously reported in the post on Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick.  The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry took part in the charge.

The second example is of a portrait of Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth who led the charge.  Both Farnsworth and his horse were killed.

Attempts to locate the original photograph from which the engraving was made have not been successful to date.  The only on-line portaits of Farnsworth are of him in his military uniform as shown below:

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This volume is the most difficult to locate in digital format, probably because of the popularity of the study of the Battle of Gettysburg which consumes a great part of the book.  It was also the most difficult to locate in hardcover-print format.  Persistence in searching should result in finding a copy.

Tomorrow, the final part of this series will be reviewed:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  Retreat with Honor, Volume IV.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Tide Shifts
Tags: Regiments

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 23, 2011

(Part 2 of 4).  In 1883, Clarence Clough Buel, the Assistant Editor of The Century Magazine, proposed a series of articles which would present differing points of view on the Civil War.  Buel’s plan included the eventual publication of the articles in book form.  In 1887 and 1888, the four volume work was first published.

Today’s post focuses on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  The Struggle Intensifies, Volume II, of “The Century War Series” – being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers based upon “The Century War Series,” edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel, of the editorial staff of The Century Magazine.

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CONTENTS  OF VOLUME II

FORT PULASKI.

THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS:  The Opposing Forces in the Operations at New Orleans, La., p. 73.

OPERATIONS IN THE FAR SOUTH-WEST.

EVENTS OF 1861-2.

McCLELLAN BEFORE RICHMOND:  The Opposing Forces at Williamsburg, Va., p. 200;  Opposing Forces at Seven Pines, p. 218.

THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY IN ’62:  The Opposing Forces in the Valley Campaigns, p. 299.

THE SEVEN DAYS FIGHTING:  The Opposing Forces in the Seven Days’ Battles, p. 313.

LEE’S CAMPAIGN AGAINST POPE:  The Opposing Forces at Cedar (Slaughter) Mountain, Va., p. 495;  The Opposing Forces at the Second Bull Run, p. 497.

LEE’S INVASION OF MARYLAND:  The Opposing Forces in the Maryland Campaign, p. 598;  The Opposing Forces at Harper’s Ferry, Va., p. 618.

IUKA AND CORINTH:  The Opposing Forces at Iuka, Miss., p. 736;  The Opposing Forces at Corinth, p. 759.

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PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENTAL REFERENCES IN VOLUME II

1st Pennsylvania Artillery, Battery A:  Easton, p. 334.  Battery B: Cooper, p. 334, p. 397, p. 569.  Battery C:  McCarthy, p. 435.  Battery E:  Miller, p. 435.  Battery G:  Kerns, p. 334, p. 397.   Battery H:  Brady, p. 245.

3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery:  p. 161.  Battery D:  Durell, p. 633.  Battery E: Knap, p. 310.

3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 429-432.

4th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 430, p. 433.

6th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 319, cut p. 322, p. 340, p. 430, , p. 557.

8th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  p. 430, p. 432-433, p. 435.

11th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Seven Days, p. 432.

12th Pennsylvania Cavalry:  Manaassas, p. 504 note.

11th Pennsylvania Infantry (Reserves):  Gaines’s Mill, p. 342 note; p. 364 note.

13th Pennsylvania Infantry (Reserves): Harrisonburg, p. 294; South Mountain, p. 572.

23rd Pennsylvania Infantry: Seven Pines, p. 223.

27th Pennsylvania Infantry: Shenandoah, p. 292 note.

49th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Golding’s Farm, p. 369.

51st Pennsylvania Infantry:  Antietan, p. 652 note.

56th Pennsylvania Infantry:  2nd Bull Run, p. 269 note.

63rd Pennsylvania Infantry:  Seven Days, p. 431.

69th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Savage’s Station, p. 374.

71st Pennsylvania Infantry (1st Pennsylvania Cavalry):  Balls Bluff, p. 126, p. 128.  Savage’s Station, p. 374.

95th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Crampton’s Gap, p. 594.

96th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Gaines’s Mill, p. 355.

118th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Antietam, p. 641 note.

An example of one of the pictures from this volume is shown below:

Click on picture to enlarge.

The picture caption reads:  Rush’s Lancers – The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry.  From a sketch made in 1862.

Volume II is available as a free download from Google Books.  Click here.  It is also generally available through new/used book sellers.

In the next two days, one volume per day will be reviewed.  Tomorrow:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Tide Shifts, Volume III.  Wednesday:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  Retreat with Honor, Volume IV.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Struggle Intensifies
Tags: Regiments

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 22, 2011

(Part 1 of 4).  In 1883, Clarence Clough Buel, the Assistant Editor of The Century Magazine, proposed a series of articles which would present differing points of view on the Civil War.  Buel’s plan included the eventual publication of the articles in book form.  In 1887 and 1888, the four volume work was first published.

From the Preface to the four volume set:

With the main purpose in its origin of interesting veterans in their own memories and of instructing the generation which has grown up since the War for the Union, the “Century War Series,” through peculiar circumstances, has exerted an influence in bringing about a better understanding between the soldiers who were opposed in that conflict…. Many commanders and subordinates have here contributed to the history of the heroic deeds of which they were a part….  For the most part, each side has confined controversy to its own ranks, and both have emphasized the benefit as well as the glory of the issue.  Coincident with progress of the series… may be noted a marked increase in the number of fraternal meetings between Union and Confederate veterans, enforcing the conviction that the nation is restored in spirit as in fact, and that each side is contributing its share to the new heritage of manhood and peace.

A re-publication of the four volume work was completed by Castle Books of Secaucus, New Jersey.  There is no re-publication date on the Castle Books edition.  This re-publication is relatively inexpensive and generally available through book sellers on the web.  Some of the volumes are also available in various digital formats, including “pdf” and formats designed for digital book readers.

When the books were originally published they were highly praised because they provided first-hand accounts of the war by men who had actually been present at the events they were describing. Thus they are considered primary source material on the war, even though, for the most part, the articles contained therein were written about twenty years after the war was over.  The writers include generals and privates as well as ordinary citizens who took part in the war.  These articles have been widely quoted and utilized, including by well-known Civil War historian Bruce Catton, and the four-volume set appears in the bibliography of most scholarly works on the war.

The books contain excellent engravings and maps, the portraits and scenes being engraved from original photographs taken at the time of the Civil War and now in the collection of the Library of Congress. Samples of those drawings and pictures are reproduced in this post as part of the review of each volume.

One major criticism of the series is that there appears to be an attempt on the part of some of the contributors, particularly those on the Southern side, to provide an after-the-fact, re-constructed history of the war – justifying actions on a different basis than decisions were made during war time.  Another criticism is that the first three volumes contain no index; a combined index appears in Volume IV.  Finally, there are a number of errors and the “errata” pages which appear at the beginning of each volume need to be consulted, making the task of verifying information all that more difficult than had the series been properly edited in the first place.  These shortcomings are not enough to take away from the overall effort and achievement of The Century Magazine in conceiving and producing the four volumes.  No other work of the late nineteenth century provides such a comprehensive view of the Civil War from as many perspectives as does this series.

Today’s post focuses on Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  The Opening Battles, Volume I, of “The Century War Series” – being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers based upon “The Century War Series,” edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel, of the editorial staff of The Century Magazine.

This review is divided into four parts.  First, an overview of the Table of Contents of this volume will be presented.  Included in the Table of Contents overview will be the page number where the organization of the opposing armies appears for the specific battle or campaign described in that section. In previous posts on this blog it was pointed out that knowing which Pennsylvania regiments participated in which battles and in which parts of the army taking part in the battle, was essential to understanding what role the individual soldier played in the battle.  These “organization” lists provide not only the names of the regiments, but also the commanding officers – down to the rank of Captain of the individual regiment.  Within each section of the table of contents, there could be as many as fifteen articles – too many to describe in this post.  Consulting the actual book is a must.

The second section of the review lists the Pennsylvania regimental references from the Index.  It has to be noted that these references pertain to the text of the articles and do not note the Pennsylvania regiments that are named in the “organization of the opposing army” articles that are described above.  The index also does not cover the many maps that appear throughout the four volumes.

The third section of the review portrays some sample pictures from each volume.  An effort has been made to provide a variety of types of pictures – line drawings as well as engravings made from photographs – to show the quality of the material presented.

Finally, some effort is made to tell of the availability of the individual volume. 

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CONTENTS  OF VOLUME I

FORT SUMTER.

ORGANIZING FOR THE CONFLICT.

FIRST OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIA.

FIRESIDE AND FIELD OF BATTLE.

CAMPAIGN OF THE FIRST BULL RUN:  The Opposing Armies at the First Bull Run, p. 194.

WILSON’S CREEK, LEXINGTON, AND PEA RIDGE:  The Opposing Forces at Wilson’s Creek, Mo., p. 306;  The Opposing Forces at Pea Ridge, p. 337.

BELMONT AND FORT HENRY.

MILL SPRINGS, THE BIG SANDY, AND FORT DONELSON:  The Opposing Forces at Fort Donelson, Tenn., p. 429.

THE RIVER GUN-BOATS FROM FORT DONELSON TO NEW MADRID:  The Opposing Forces at New Madrid (Island Number Ten), Fort Pillow, and Memphin, p. 463.

SHILOH:  The Opposing Forces at Shiloh, p. 537.

NAVAL PREPARATIONS.

COAST OPERATIONS IN THE CAROLINAS:  The Opposing Forces at Roanoke Island and New Berne, North Carolina, p. 670;  The Opposing Forces at Port Royal, p. 691.

MONITOR AND MERRIMAC.

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PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENTAL REFERENCES IN VOLUME I

27th Pennsylvania Infantry:  Mobbed in Baltimore, p. 151.

51st Pennsylvania Infantry:  Roanoke Island, p. 643.  New Berne, p. 648-9.  South Mills, p. 654.

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An example of a picture from Volume I follows:

Click on picture to enlarge.

The picture is a generic example of the type of artwork include in this series.  It shows a troop train at an unnamed railroad station as it heads off to the war – a scene undoubtedly repeated at hundreds of local sites throughout the north and south.

Volume I is generally available through new/used book sellers.

In the next three days, one volume per day will be reviewed.  Tomorrow:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  The Struggle Intensifies, Volume II.  Tuesday:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Tide Shifts, Volume III.  Wednesday:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War:  Retreat with Honor, Volume IV.

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Tags: Railroad, Regiments