Tag Archives: Army of the Cumberland

Chattanooga: More Than Just Another Victory for Grant

In the late summer and early days of fall of 1863, it seemed that all eyes were on the small railroad town of Chattanooga, TN. The disastrous defeat at Chickamauga and the huge casualties it reaped turned what had nearly … Continue reading

Posted in Battles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Battle of Shelbyville

Today, we are pleased to welcome back guest author Sean Michael Chick One of the most dramatic and decisive cavalry clashes of the American Civil War occurred at Shelbyville on Sunday, June 27, 1863. John A. Wyeth of 4th Alabama … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Cavalry, Civil War Events, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Chris Kolakowski: Leadership Makes the Difference on New Year’s Eve 1862

We’re two months away from the Fourth Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge (Aug. 4-6). We’ve asked each of our speakers to share with us a story related to the topic they’ll be presenting as part of our … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Symposium | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Civil War in Paradise

In mid-January I spent a long weekend in Key West. I enjoyed the food, music, and atmosphere of a truly great town, and also saw some of the place’s interesting historic sites.  What really surprised me was the Civil War … Continue reading

Posted in Antebellum South, Battlefields & Historic Places, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Monuments, Navies, Ties to the War, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“Not written in letters of blood.”

Edwin M. Stanton to Major General William S. Rosecrans, July 7, 1863: “We have just received official information that Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant on the 4th of July. Lee’s army overthrown; Grant victorious. You and your noble army now … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Campaigns, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Federal, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Staff Work 101

George Patton famously said that “an army is a team.” Often, this statement is taken in terms of commanders and units working together, but there is another essential element that makes an army (or any headquarters) work: the command staff.

Posted in Armies, Arms & Armaments, Battles, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Medical, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Franklin 150th: “I never saw the dead lay near so thick.”

It was a near-run thing—John M. Schofield’s Federals steadily marching down the Columbia Pike towards Franklin through the night of Nov. 29 while sitting close to their camp fires were the Confederates of John B. Hood. The two former West … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Arms & Armaments, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Cavalry, Emerging Civil War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Western Federal

Today, we are pleased to welcome guest author Jim Taub. As Joseph Polley, a sergeant of the 4th Texas Infantry, moved through the dense Georgia underbrush, the sounds and smells of battle overwhelmed his senses. The cracking of musketry and … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Common Soldier, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Civil War Echoes: Douglas MacArthur and the Return to the Philippines

70 years ago today, General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte, fulfilling his famous pledge to return to the Philippines. The photo of him at that moment (shown here, center, with his staff) is one of the iconic images of … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Emerging Civil War, Memory, Ties to the War | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Sharp Fight: The Battle of Farmington

On the morning of October 7, 1863, the Confederates of Henry B. Davidson’s cavalry division awoke to the urgent sounds of rifle and carbine fire. Davidson’s men were camped along the south bank of the Duck River, just a few … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment