TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Month: March 2013

  • How to Quickly Get Updated on Civil War Blog Topics of Your Choice

    Editor’s Note: This post has been repurposed from an earlier one at The Siege of Petersburg Online.  Though the links are to SOPO, the same idea applies here at TOCWOC.  Follow along on topics you are interested in by using this simple trick. Are You Interested in a Specific Civil War Topic?  A Lot of […]

  • From the Engineer Depot – Battle of the Zouaves

    On September 18, 1861 roughly 850 men were mustered in as the 50th New York Infantry (later 50th NY engineers) and ordered to Washington without arms. The trip to the capital began with train ride to New York City. Arriving there on the 21st they were marched to the Battery where they made camp. Their […]

  • Civil War Book Review: Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg: The Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field, July 2 -3, 1863

    Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg: The Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field, July 2 -3, 1863 by Eric J. Wittenberg Product Details Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Savas Beatie (February 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1611210941 ISBN-13: 978-1611210941 The publisher of the 2002 edition allowed this well received book to go out of print.  This […]

  • “I like a camp, and long for a war”

    In a comment on my previous post [Rattling the Saber], “Let Us Have Peace” suggested I explore further what made the 1859 encampment of the Massachusetts militia different than other militia events. As I see it, the 1859 encampment was significant for its size and its publicity. My theory is that the man at the […]

  • From the Engineer Depot – The James River Bridge debate

    Bridging the James River was a monumental task and its successful completion led to much disagreement over who was responsible for it. Both the Regular Battalion and the volunteers sought to claim the bulk of the work. LTC Spaulding, reporting for the volunteers, claims that he arrived at 8:00 a.m. on June 14, 1864 to […]

  • March 2013 Civil War Book Notes

    Those that can’t write, Review! March 2013 James W. Durney ***********************************************************   Scheduled to be in the stores Look for Alex Mendoza’s Chickamauga 1863: Rebel Breakthrough. This is one of the “Bright Lights” of the western ACW historians and authors. Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg by Tom Huntington is an […]

  • 150 Years Ago, March 1863

    150 Years Ago March 1863 For armies that move by the muscles of men, horses or mules, weather is everything.  The standard six horse/mule army wagons carry 1,100 to 1,700 pounds.   Large loads on good dry roads, less off road or in bad weather.  An army’s location determines much of its’ activities.  Hooker and Lee, […]