TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Civil War Collections at Fold3.com

by Brett Schulte on February 10, 2012 · 0 comments

Fold3.com: A Great Resource for Civil War Research

I have been using the incredible resources at Fold3.com for just over a year now. I decided to join after reading a newspaper article describing how a South Carolina soldier helped comfort a mortally wounded Northern officer. I immediately had questions. I knew the name of the doomed Union officer’s father, Halsey R. Wing. I knew the name of the South Carolinian who had comforted him in his last hours, George S. Baker of the 25th South Carolina. I decided to research this story and see what I could find. Most paths continued to be blocked until I kept coming back to Fold3.com. I joined up and was able to identify the Union officer as Lieutenant Edgar M. Wing of the 118th New York. I am still working slowly on that story for an article at The Siege of Petersburg Online, and it will appear at some point in the future.

Once I joined, I immediately found many more items which would prove useful at TOCWOC at my Siege of Petersburg site. Here are just a few of the Civil War collections available at Fold3.com:

The Confederate Compiled Service Records (CSRs for short): These records contain card abstracts of entries relating to each soldier as found in original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, Union prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, and inspection reports. They may also contain the originals of any papers relating solely to a particular soldier. Browse by military unit, then name of soldier, or use the search box related to this title.

Civil War Maps: Civil War maps from the collections of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Library of Virginia. Among the reconnaissance, sketch, and theater-of-war maps are the detailed battle maps made by Major Jedediah Hotchkiss for Generals Lee and Jackson, General Sherman’s Southern military campaigns, and maps taken from diaries, scrapbooks, and manuscripts. Explore over 2,000 images to gain insights into the histories of battles, campaigns, and regions.

1860 United States Census: Browse the 1860 US census by state, county, and civil division. This particular census is especially helpful in researching the Civil War era and the soldiers who fought in the imminent conflict. Information about each member of a household as of June 1, 1860, includes age, race, occupation, real and personal estate values, birth place, if married within the year, and if a person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict. Relationships are not detailed until the 1880 census.

There are many more items which I haven’t used yet which will eventually prove useful to me as well. If you blog about the Civil War or run a Civil War site, Fold3.com is an extremely useful resource.

I am currently working my way through the First Offensive Order of Battle (June 15-18, 1864) and Second Offensive Order of Battle (June 21-24, 1864) for the Siege of Petersburg. One of the items which has come up again and again is who exactly commanded various Confederate regiments, batteries, and even brigades in June and July 1864. A future post at TOCWOC will cover in detail how I’m trying to answer this question using the Confederate Compiled Service Records at Fold3.com. Look for that in the near future.

Note: At the time of this article I am not a Fold3.com affiliate. I am merely a subscriber to the site and have found it to be extremely useful to me in my Civil War research. No perks or benefits were offered for writing this article and my opinions are offered freely and honestly.

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Civil War Book Acquisitions: January 2012

by Brett Schulte on February 8, 2012 · 0 comments

Civil War Book Acquisitions: January 2012

Title: Virginia at War, 1865
Author: Davis, William C. (ed) & Robertson, James I., Jr. (ed)
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN-13: 978-0-8131-3468
Price: $40.00 (Hardcover); $31.50 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: As expected, this last book in the Virginia at War series spends a lot less time on the battlefield and a lot more time exploring the war’s effects on soldiers, civilians, and the South as a whole. There are some intriguing essays in this volume and I’m sure anyone interested in the Eastern Theater will find more than enough here to justify a purchase.

Publisher Site Info:

Virginia at War, 1865 closely examines the end of the Civil War in the Old Dominion, delivering a striking depiction of a state ravaged by violence and destruction. In the final volume of the Virginia at War series, editors William C. Davis and James I. Robertson Jr. have once again assembled an impressive collection of essays covering topics that include land operations, women and families, wartime economy, music and entertainment, the demobilization of Lee’s army, and the war’s aftermath. The volume ends with the final installment of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire’s popular and important Diary of a Southern Refugee during the War. Like the previous four volumes in the series, Virginia at War, 1865 provides valuable insights into the devastating effects of the war on citizens across the state.

***

Title: No Freedom Shrieker: The Civil War Letters of Union Soldier Charles Freeman Biddlecom
Author: Aldridge, Katherine M. (ed) & Biddlecom, Charles
Publisher: Paramount Market Publishing
ISBN-13: 078-0-9830436-7-6
Price: $24.95 (Paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: Read the publisher information below and it will become obvious why I accepted this book for review. Charles Biddlecom was heavily involved in the Siege of Petersburg, and in glancing through the book he doesn’t have any huge gaps in his letters. For this reason, you have the rare occurrence of a soldier who lived through the killing fields of the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg whose letters or diary gives readers a look at the action as a whole. Biddlecom’s letters are exactly the type of first person account I’m looking for regarding the battles around Petersburg. I’m new to this publisher but I want to make sure to give this book a full review so it gets some of the publicity it deserves. It will be interesting to see how or even if Biddlecom’s views of the war change in the crucible of combat. Also notice the extremely reasonably priced Kindle version which is available for under $10.

Publisher Site Info:

Among the piles of obsolete farm and household implements, haystacks, dust, and debris abandoned in her historic barn, Katie Aldridge discovered a box containing the Civil War letters of Charles Freeman Biddlecom. Painstakingly transcribing and lightly editing more than 100 letters written by the soldier to his wife during his service, Ms. Aldridge resurrected the voice of the Civil War combat soldier. The tone and character of “Charlie’s” detailed accounts of the war compelled Ms. Aldridge to find out more.

From letters written throughout Grant’s Overland Campaign and the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, the reader gains an insider’s view of the war: fear, hunger, sickness, longing, and concern for those left behind as well as detailed insights about the political climate. Writing from the perspective shaped in an Upstate New York community closely linked to the abolitionist cause, woman’s suffrage, and the Quaker philosophy, the reader will learn how Charlie’s background shaped his actions and view of the war.

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Title: “Fear Was Not in Him”: The Civil War Letters of Major General Francis C. Barlow, U.S.A.
Author: Samito, Christian G. (ed) & Barlow, Francis C.
Publisher: Fordham University Press
ISBN-10: 0-8232-2324-8
Price: $22.00 (Paperback);
TOCWOC’s Take: Francis C. Barlow commanded the First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac early in the Siege of Petersburg before taking a long leave of absence from July 1864 to April 1865. Resuming division command (in a different division), Barlow played a role at the Battle of Sayler’s Creek on April 6, 1865 during the Appomattox Campaign. I picked up this paperback version of his Civil War letters in the hopes of learning more about his experiences in the short amount of time he was at Petersburg.

Publisher Site Info:

N/A. This book was published in 2006.

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Title: The Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters: A Civil War History and Roster
Author: Ellis, Alden C., Jr.
Publisher: McFarland & Company
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-6489-0
Price: $40.00 (Paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: McFarland produces a lot of unit histories of widely varying quality. A quick glance through this one seems to indicate a lot of research went into it, including full rosters of these two companies of sharpshooters. Typically these sharpshooters were attached to Massachusetts regiments early in the Siege of Petersburg before mustering out in the fall of 1864. Note the very reasonably priced Kindle edition which ultimately makes more sense unless you have an affinity for these units.

Publisher Site Info:

Named for Massachusetts governor John Albion Andrew–who prevented these two companies from joining the nationalized Berdan’s sharp-shooters so that their families could continue to receive state aid–the Andrew Sharpshooters often transferred from unit to unit as the need for their unique, long-range shooting skills changed.

This first chronicle of the Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters details their day-to-day activities and their courageous service at Seven Pines, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and numerous other Civil War battles. Thorough historical and genealogical information on every man who served in the unit completes this study of these significant but overlooked foot soldiers.

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Title: “Bully for the Band!”: The Civil War Letters and Diary of Four Brothers in the 10th Vermont Infantry Band: Charles George, Herbert George, Jere George and Osman George
Author: Davis, James G. (ed)
Publisher: McFarland & Company
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-6686-3
Price: $49.95 (Paperback); $39.96 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: This unsolicited review copy looks interesting at first glance. Four brothers were all in the 10th Vermont’s band and at least a few of them survived to the Petersburg campaign. The high price is going to prevent most people from picking this one up unless you are interested in the musical aspects of the war or the 10th Vermont.

Publisher Site Info:

About the Book
From the commanding call of the bugle at reveille to combat instructions (such as “fix bayonets”) to reassuring songs around the campfire at night, music was an integral part of the Civil War soldier’s experience. This volume presents the Civil War writings of Charles, Herbert, Jeremiah and Osman George, four brothers from the town of Newbury, Vermont, who played in the 10th Vermont Infantry regimental band. Their letters and a diary describe the life of an enlisted musician, including forming a band, rehearsals and repertory, performances for officers, troops, and civilians–and battlefield stretcher-bearer duties. Despite the hardships they suffered, including the loss of one brother, their writings (supported by detailed scene-setting narratives by editor Davis) reveal the Georges’ fraternal bond that sustained them emotionally and ensured they would continue to serve their comrades in battle.

About the Author
James A. Davis is a professor of musicology and chair of the Music History Area at the State University of New York, Fredonia. His articles have appeared in American Music, The Journal of Military History, North & South, and the Journal of Band Research.

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Civil War Book Review: The Battle of First Bull Run: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide

by Brett Schulte on February 6, 2012 · 0 comments

Hines, Blaikie. The Battle of First Bull Run Manassas Campaign – July 16-22, 1861: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide. (American Patriot Press, 2011). 224 pages, over 500 photos and illustrations, 82 maps, bibliography, index. ISBN: 978-1-61364-129-3 $39.50 (Oversized Paperback).

Battle atlases are some of my favorite Civil War books. Well done maps which accentuate text can cause a well-written book to become a classic. Well done atlases are invaluable to those wishing to go battlefield stomping. In The Battle of First Bull Run…An Illustrated Atlas and Guide, author and First Bull Run aficionado Blaikie Hines has created an over sized battlefield atlas to guide those wishing to see the battlefield first hand. In addition, the book in its own way synthesizes modern historians’ views on this often confusing first battle of the Civil War.

Blaikie Hines is rather new to the Civil War Battle of First Bull Run, having visited it first in 2003. With that said, he has studied the Civil War most of his life, and his background as a fine artist and fine arts conservator helped him in the creation of this book. Over the intervening years the author has become an avid student of First Bull Run, visiting the battlefield many times and becoming very familiar with the various trains of thought on exactly what happened along the banks of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

The Battle of First Bull Run is an over sized paperback in a coffee table format. The book consists mainly of photos, illustrations, and maps, with the accompanying text sticking to the basics and tying it all together. If you’re curious as to what some of the profuse number of illustrations look like, I encourage you to visit the publisher’s site and click on the sample pages at the right of the screen. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in terms of giving prospective readers such a large taste of what the book is like.

As with all atlases, the maps are the meat of the book. I’m pleased to be able to share with readers two of those maps. The author Blaikie Hines has graciously allowed me to reproduce these two maps in their entirety. The first covers the approach of the Union flanking march across Sudley Ford, led by Burnside’s Brigade of Hunter’s Division:

Sudley Ford – Morning of July 21, 1861

BLAIKIE HINES AERIAL MAP SUDLEY page 101 500x485 Civil War Book Review: <i>The Battle of First Bull Run: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide</i>

BLAIKIE HINES - AERIAL MAP SUDLEY page 101. This map is used with written permission by the author and may not be reproduced without his written consent.

The second is Hines’ rendering of the famous stand of Stonewall Jackson’s Brigade on Henry Hill at the critical moment in the battle.

Henry House Hill – Climax of the First Battle of Manassas

BLAIKIE HINES AERIAL HENRY HILL page 175 475x500 Civil War Book Review: <i>The Battle of First Bull Run: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide</i>

BLAIKIE HINES - AERIAL HENRY HILL page 175. This map is used with written permission by the author and may not be reproduced without his written consent.

As you can see, the maps are modern day aerial views of the battlefield with troop positions and movements superimposed. They help readers walking the battlefield get their bearings and better understand just where the Union and Confederate troops were in relation to modern landmarks located there. Places names are rendered in a striking yellow for ease of reading, with the Union and Confederate units in the familiar blue and red, respectively. Unit names are white. Battlefield trails are marked in purple, yet another way to identify exactly where on the ground units were in relation to your position on the trail. The only major downsides to the modern day aerial views are that the maps lack elevation detail and the ways in which the land has changed since 1861.

Readers are probably wondering how this book differs from Savas Beatie’s The Maps of First Bull Run. First, although both books go into great detail and contain dozens of maps, this book uses modern day aerial views as the map base, while the Savas book uses maps based on the ground as it was on July 21, 1861. I actually enjoy this since each book’s focus is slightly different. Hines’ book is more for the battlefield stomper, while The Maps of First Bull Run is better for the wargamer or stay at home historian. It was a bit curious that a book designed to be taken to the battlefield was produced in only a paperback version. The wear and tear of a battlefield hike means a paperback is just not going to hold up all that well. This book also focuses solely on First Bull run and the small engagements preceding the battle. The Savas Beatie book also covers the Union debacle at Ball’s Bluff. Hines’ book contains more illustrations and photos, while Brad Gottfried’s effort focuses solely on the maps and accompanying text. Taken together these two books actually complement each other very well, a fact I’m sure will please fans of First Bull Run. Get them both since they bring slightly different advantages to the table.

While Blaikie Hines’ new Bull Run battlefield atlas does not break any new ground in terms of interpretation, a fact the author freely admits, it DOES offer readers and battlefield stompers a whole new presentation on the battle. This over sized book is profusely illustrated and, as expected in an atlas, packed full of maps down to the regimental and battery level. For what the book offers, it is reasonably priced at $39.50, though a hardcover edition would have been nice as an additional offering. Fans of First Manassas will want to own this book, even if they already have a copy of The Maps of First Bull Run.

UPDATE: It looks like Drew Wagenhoffer reviewed this one last night. Good timing!

This book was provided gratis for the purposes of this review.

The links to the product reviewed in this article are affiliate links. If you buy this product after clicking one of my links, I’ll make a small amount of money. The possibility of earning something from the affiliate link has not influenced the objectivity of the review and my opinions are honestly offered.

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February 2012 Civil War Book Notes

by James Durney February 3, 2012

Those that can’t write, Review! February 2012 James W. Durney *********************************************************** My “To Read” List Between the Holidays, a new PC, stomach flu, the new King book and real life my “to read” list has gotten out of hand. I am reducing it a little more each day but as of this writing it is: [...]

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Indian Sharpshooters at Olustee?

by Fred Ray February 2, 2012

Fought just west of Jacksonville on February 20, 1864, Olustee was another one of those pull-it-out-by-the-skin-of-the-teeth Confederate victories that staved off defeat just a little longer. I recently came into possession of a letter by a member of a New York regiment about the battle, where he describes Confederate Indians shooting white officers leading back [...]

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