On April 9, 1865, just hours after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant and for all practical purposes ended the Civil War, the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment charged across a hellish field of abatis, snarled debris, and ravines loaded with landmines. Their target was Fort Blakely, Alabama. A needless assault (20,000 against less than 2,000) that took only minutes to complete, cost the Eleventh Wisconsin 61 casualties,…

Christmas was often a time of reflection for Civil War soldiers as their hearts and minds fixated on past and more joyous times. In spirit of the Holiday we here at Soldier Studies wanted to share with you some touching letters dealing with Christmas. Samuel J. Bradlee took pen in hand on Christmas Day (1864) and wrote home to his beloved wife, “Just four short years ago tonight you and…

(Note: title originally read: “Contraband of War” but was removed) Albert O. Marshall soldiered in the 33rd Illinois Infantry and served primarily along the Trans-Mississippi region from Missouri to Louisiana. In his journal (published in 1883) that he kept during the war, Marshall wrote the following comments concerning one of their early encounters with Negroes while in the South: “That these poor frightened negroes, who all their lives had been…

[originally posted in the Soldier Studies article database on November 29th, 2009] By Chris Wehner On February 11, 1862, Oliver Wilcox Norton took his pen in hand to write a letter to his dear cousin. The meandering letter exposed a question that was nagging him, hindering his writing. He then revealed his trepidation, stating, “What shall I write”? He continued: “It seems to the soldier when he takes up the…

The Uncivil War: Irregular Warfare in the Upper South, 1861 – 1865 (2004), by Robert R. Mackey, is a scholarly study that sought to establish a proper context for the irregular war that the South attempted to fight, but ultimately lost. (This also explains why they could not continue the guerrilla war after Lee surrendered.) It is Mackey’s contention that historian’s treatment of the irregular war that took place has…

Mississippi Squadron Flagship Tempest Near Rodney May 2,1865 Sirs, The following are the vessels assigned to the 5th district: Benton, Avenger, Forest Rose, Mound City, Argosa (or Alexandria), Gamage, Oriole, Romero, Naumkeg and tug Fenn.It is desirable that the vessels should keep their lights lowered and under cover with a good look out by each ready to expose them instantly if necessary. Show no other lights from any part of…

The Valiant Soldier: The Civil War & Frontier Diary of W. Henry Oettiker. (2013) — This book reveals W. Henry Oettiker a young Wisconsin farmer who left the wheat fields of the Wisconsin frontier and traveled 10,000 miles all through his Civil War journey. The diary takes up Oettiker’s experiences during the last stages of the Civil War to his enlistment and service on the Great Plains and western frontier….