Tag Archives: Suffolk
Lost Opportunities in the Army of the Potomac—A Pair of Examples
Army management is a complicated skill in which the personality and temperament of commanders influence the inner workings and culture of the organization. The Union had no army which was as political, and influenced by outside politics, as its primary … Continue reading
The Siege of Suffolk (part two)
(Part two of two. Click here for part one.) The action at Suffolk was one of those side operations of which there were dozens during the war in all theaters. Unfortunately, this engagement has been overshadowed by that at Chancellorsville, … Continue reading
Sheldon Appleby Among the Archives
I have known Sheldon Appleby, my great-great-great grandfather, only through his handwriting—and only that through a single letter handwritten from February 1863, and only that through a photocopy of a photocopy. The great aunt who’d given me a copy of … Continue reading
“And now I am going to tell you what I think about soldiering”
From my ancestor, Sheldon S. Appleby—the letter that began my hunt earlier this week for information about a Civil War ancestor I didn’t know I had. Suffolk, V.A. Feb. 6th 1863 Dear Father and Mother,