Americans for Battlefield Preservation

08/18/2022

This week's :
Which Union General, prodded by Lincoln, moved his 90,000-man Union Army of the Potomac northward towards Gettysburg?

Last week's answer was the Maryland campaign! After the Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Manassas, Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia moved north through the Shenandoah Valley to resupply his army and damage Northern morale. On September 17, Lee and George B. McClellan clashed in the Battle of Antietam, costliest single day of fighting in American history.

Shoutout to Christopher Jenkins for being our first commentor to place a correct answer down in the comments!!

08/09/2022

This week’s : Winslow Homer’s “Prisoners From the Front”

While Winslow Homer did not serve as a regular in the Union Army, his job as an artist-correspondent for one of the Civil War’s most popular newspapers, “Harper’s Weekly,” certainly put him into dangerous situations that were mostly reserved for fighting soldiers. During his 20-year illustrative career, Homer saw battle as a civilian twice. One of these visits, in May of 1864, helped him produce his most famous work “Prisoners from the Front.”

The work is in reference to Brig. Gen. Francis Channing Barlow’s capture of Confederate soldiers and their officers at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The symbolism in the piece is supposed to represent the vast ideological rift between the North and the South, as can be specifically seen in the soldiers' contrasting postures and the physical space that separates them.

Crafted two years after the end of the war, the painting was showcased in the 1866 annual exhibition of New York’s National Academy of Design — as well as the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Both exhibits brought Homer critical acclaim and helped to solidify his career as an illustrator.

08/04/2022

This week's :
Which campaign did Robert E. Lee start after the Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Manassas?

We didn't have any answers from last week, but we're hoping to get some this week!! Please let us know what you think the answer is down in the comments below.

07/26/2022

This week’s : John Trumbull’s “The Battle of Bunker’s Hill”

John Trumbull was a famous American painter whose greatest works all revolved around the Revolutionary War, so much so that he is commonly referred to as “The painter of the Revolution.” What many consider to be his most famous achievement is titled “Declaration of Independence,” which can be found on the back of any two-dollar bill or in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. In contrast, “The Battle of Bunker’s Hill” is certainly not as well known. If you pointed it out, most people probably couldn’t tell you who painted it or what event the painting highlights in its smoky hues. Even so, the painting is extremely important to his early career, as he was able to sell the engraving rights and make a considerable amount of money from an early form of subscription release.

The artwork highlights the last of three British attacks upon a redoubt that was built upon Breed’s Hill. It was there that the British were finally able to break the colonists’ line and seize victory. The work specifically acts as a dedication to the lost life of Founding Father Joseph Warren. Trumbull wanted to touch upon the war’s conflict of brother fighting brother, as the piece shows one British Major John Small stopping one of his fellow soldiers from bayonetting a mortally wounded Warren, who had served with Small during the French and Indian War.

To find out more about the Battle of Bunker Hill, be sure to check out the American Battlefield Trust’s link below.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/bunker-hill#:~:text=Massachusetts%20%7C%20Jun%2017%2C%201775,colonies%20was%20no%20longer%20possible.

07/12/2022

"This week’s : Emanuel Leutze’s ""Washington Crossing the Delaware""

Americans of all ages and backgrounds can quickly recognize the famous iconography of George Washington surrounded by icy, dark waters, standing tall and proud on a Trenton-bound rowboat. Ironically, despite being one of the most easily recognizable pieces in American history, it is a painting that was designed, imagined and born in post-revolutionary Germany.

While Emanuel Leutze eventually became an American immigrant, in 1849 he lived in Düsseldorf working as a social and financial aid for American tourists. Inspired by Europe’s Revolutions of 1848, Leutze began work on his most recognizable piece. He set out with a goal to create a painting that could help influence and spread liberal ideas within Europe based on American idealism. Due to this, the oil canvas is meant to be seen as allegorical rather than literal. This provides an explanation as to why historical inaccuracies are present in the frame. If George Washington had stood in his rowboat all the way to Trenton, then the boat would have most likely capsized.

By 1850, the first copy of ""Washington Crossing the Delaware"" was complete. It was almost destroyed in a studio fire that occurred later that year. Despite being saved, the original would be lost due to an Allied bombing raid that occurred in 1942. Luckily, a second replica was commissioned by Adolphe Goupil, and this would end up being the same enormous copy that can be currently found on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

If you are more curious about the battle which inspired this grand piece of art, the American Battlefield Trust has created a great video on the subject which you can find below.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/videos/washingtons-crossing

04/23/2022

Corinth Battlefield

This week's : Corinth Battlefield

The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, part of Shiloh National Military Park, explains the key role of Corinth in the Civil War's Western Theater. The 15,000 square-foot facility features interactive exhibits, a multimedia presentation on the Battle of Shiloh and a video on the Battle of Corinth. A Contraband Camp exhibit and a National Cemetery are also nearby.

After the Battle of Iuka in September of 1862, Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Confederate Army of the West marched to Ripley, Miss., where it joined Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn’s Army of West Tennessee. Van Dorn took command of the combined force numbering about 22,000 men. The Confederates marched southeast toward Corinth, hoping to recapture it and then sweep into Middle Tennessee. About 23,000 Union forces under Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans erected strong fortifications around the town. Van Dorn arrived on October 3 and began to encircle the Union forces. But with heat, fatigue and water shortages, Van Dorn cancelled any further operations that day and strongly believed he could finish the Federal off the following day. Meanwhile, Rosecrans took this time to regroup and prepared for the next day of battle.

As the Confederates moved forward the next morning, Union artillery swept the field, causing heavy casualties. But the Rebels continued on. They stormed Battery Powell and closed on Battery Robinett, where desperate hand-to-hand fighting ensued. A few Confederates fought their way into Corinth, but the Federals quickly drove them out. The Federals continued on, recapturing Battery Powell and forcing Van Dorn into a retreat. There was no Union pursuit of the Confederate forces after the battle.

The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, part of Shiloh National Military Park, explains the key role of Corinth in the Civil War's western theater. The 15...

04/22/2022

Robert E. Lee

in 1861, Robert E. Lee accepted a general’s commission in the newly formed Confederate Army. His acceptance came shortly after Virginia’s secession from the Union a few days prior. Lee’s first engagement of the Civil War occurred at Cheat Mountain, Va. (now West Virginia) on September 11, 1861. It was a Union victory, but Lee’s reputation withstood the public criticism that followed. He served as military advisor to Jefferson Davis until June 1862, when he was given command of the wounded Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's embattled army on the Virginia peninsula. Lee went on to rename the army the “Army of Northern Virginia” — which carried the name until the war’s end.

Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was an American and Confederate soldier, best known as a commander of the Confederate States Army. General Lee was born to Revolutionary War hero, Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, in Stratford Hall, Virginia, and seemed destined for military gr...

04/16/2022

Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park - Ohio History Connection

This week's : Buffington Island Battlefield

The Buffington Island Battlefield was host to one of two Civil War battles in Ohio — two future U.S. presidents, William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes, even fought there! It sits next to the Ohio River, a half-mile downstream from the town of Portland, Ohio, and three miles upstream from Ravenswood, West Virginia. Today visitors can visit the 4-acre Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park to learn more about the battle and see the spot where Maj. Daniel McCook was mortally wounded during the battle, marked by a plaque.

In the wake of Confederate losses at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan led 2,000 men on a 13-day, General Bragg-approved raid through Ohio. Bragg had one condition: Don’t cross north of the Ohio River. But hoping to escape Kentucky unscathed, Morgan defiantly looked to cross the ford at Buffington Island on the Ohio River. To Morgan’s dismay, the location became the site of the July 1863 battle that pitted Morgan’s 1,700 men against 3,000 Union artillery, infantry and cavalry, plus U.S. Navy gunboats. In total, 1,025 Confederates were captured and 150 Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded. While Morgan and his remaining forces escaped, they were quickly pursued. Eight days later, they officially surrendered outside of Salineville, Ohio, bringing an end to the nearly three and a half week-long raid across the Ohio River Valley. Learn more at https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/battle-buffington-island.

Hoping to fend off large-scale residential development, the American Battlefield Trust is currently working to save 117 acres on the battlefield!

Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park - a 4-acre memorial park - is the site of the only significant Civil War battle on Ohio soil.

04/05/2022

Fort Ann Battlefield

This week's : Fort Ann Battlefield

Situated in the mountains of Washington County, New York, Fort Ann is located along the historic route linking French and English colonies in North America. Fort Ann was an important outpost both before and during the Revolutionary War. During the 19th Century, the Champlain Canal and the Delaware & Hudson Railroad companies also came to the town. Today, Fort Ann retains much of its small town character with a number of historic sites and structures within its borders.

During the summer of 1777, the British were in the midst of their Saratoga Campaign, a plan to subdue the Patriot rebels in New York. They made their way through New England, defeating rebel armies and capturing forts. After British General John Burgoyne overtook Fort Ticonderoga on July 6, he forced the Continental troops to retreat and reconvene in a defensive perimeter near Fort Ann. The British then set their sights on capturing the fort. Though the Patriots outnumbered British forces, the British were successful in deceiving the Patriot defenders. Thinking the British were gaining reinforcements, the Patriots retreated into Fort Ann. Yet, low on supplies and ammunition, Fort Ann ultimately was abandoned and Patriot forces retreated to nearby Fort Edward. Though a British victory, the Patriots slowed down Burgoyne’s advance through New York, leading to the American victory at Saratoga.

Situated in the mountains of Washington County, New York, Fort Ann is located along the historic route linking French and English colonies in North America...

03/23/2022

Cool Spring Battlefield

This week's : Cool Springs Battlefield

Since 2013, Shenandoah University has been engaged in the preservation and protection of land along the Shenandoah River integral to the July 18, 1864, Battle of Cool Spring. Under their stewardship and preservation efforts of the American Battlefield Trust, 195 acres, now known as the Shenandoah River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield, is an outdoor classroom for the university and public.

On July 17, 1864, Union cavalry following Jubal Early’s Confederate forces passed through Snickers Gap and attempted to cross the Shenandoah River at Castleman’s Ferry. The next morning, the vanguard of the Union infantry moved through the gap. Union forces under Col. Joseph Thoburn moved downstream to cross the river. Early’s three nearby infantry divisions moved to defend the fords and block Union forces from crossing. In the afternoon, the Confederates attacked and shattered Thoburn’s right flank on the Cool Spring Farm. Thoburn's men made a stand behind a stone wall at the river’s edge and repelled three attacks until darkness enabled them to withdraw. The battle delayed the Union pursuit of Early into the Valley for several days.

Since 2013, Shenandoah University has been engaged in the preservation and protection of land along the Shenandoah River integral to the July 18, 1864, Battle...

03/17/2022

The Irish Brigade

During the Civil War, more than 150,000 Irishmen joined the Union Army. Some were U.S. citizens, but many were newly arrived immigrants from Ireland. The Irish chose to fight for many reasons — from newfound loyalty for America to the hopes of halting anti-Irish discrimination. Individuals like Thomas Meagher, who took command of the Irish Brigade in 1862, hoped that fighting in the Civil War would lead to Irish veterans returning to Ireland to fight the English.

Upon the outbreak of the war, three all-Irish units were raised in New York — the 63rd, 69th and 88th New York Infantry Regiments made up the initial “Irish Brigade.” In 1862, two more Irish units, the 116th Pennsylvania and the 28th Massachusetts Infantry Regiments, were added to the Irish Brigade. The brigade fought in notable engagements from 1862 to 1863 — at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg.

Compared to other brigades in the Army of the Potomac, casualties in the Irish Brigade were heavily disproportionate. An estimated 600 men were killed at Antietam, 545 were killed or wounded at Fredericksburg, and 320 of the remaining 530 Irish Brigade soldiers were killed at Gettysburg. The Irish Brigade was disbanded in 1864, though Irishmen continued to serve in various units for the rest of the war. There was consensus on both sides of the conflict that the Irish were some of the fiercest, bravest and toughest soldiers to fight in the war.

More than 150,000 Irishmen, most of whom were recent immigrants and many of whom were not yet U.S. citizens, joined the Union Army during the Civil War. Some

03/14/2022

Ball's Bluff Battlefield

This week's : Ball’s Bluff Battlefield

Nestled inside a Leesburg residential development along the Potomac River in scenic Loudoun County, the Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park is an important stop for historians, hikers, and Civil War enthusiasts. Recently restored, a variety of hiking trails, interpretive markers and a small cemetery make visiting Ball's Bluff a can't-miss experience.

On the evening of October 20, 1861, Union army commander George B. McClellan ordered Gen. Charles Stone to send a scouting party across the Potomac River to identify the positions of Confederate Col. Nathan Evans’ troops near Leesburg. During the night, the Union scouting party mistook a tree line for a Confederate camp. The following morning, Union troops under Col. Charles Devens crossed the Potomac River to attack the supposed “camp”. Though a Confederate camp was not discovered, Colonel Devens did stumble upon a company of Mississippi infantry and a skirmish began. Union reinforcements arrived slowly by four small boats across the Potomac. The Confederates used this delay to their advantage — and when Union Col. Edward Baker was killed, the Union attack crumbled. Union troops were driven over the bluff and into the Potomac, where many drowned — hundreds surrendered rather than risk escape into the river.

Nestled inside a Leesburg residential development along the Potomac River in scenic Loudoun County, the Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park is an important...

03/10/2022

The Draft

The United States first instituted military conscription during the Civil War. Both sides of the conflict had mandatory drafts, with the Confederacy being the first to institute this in 1862. A year later, the Union established the draft. In the North, all males from the ages of 20 to 45 were required to register in the draft, while in the South the starting age was 18 and the range of age expanded as the war progressed and the availability of manpower dwindled.

On both sides, conscription was unpopular with the public. In the North, the poor were vulnerable to the draft while the rich were either able to pay their way out of service or pay someone else to serve in their stead. Protests and riots erupted over the practice. The New York City Draft Riot of 1863, probably the most famous example, was made up of thousands of working-class men – predominantly poor, Irish immigrants – who attacked military and government buildings, those who stood in their path (soldiers and police officers) and Black citizens across the city for three days. After the arrival of more than 4,000 federal troops, the riots finally ceased by midnight on July 16.

Conscription is the mandatory enlistment in a country’s armed forces, and is sometimes referred to as “the draft.” The origins of military conscription date

03/03/2022

First Kernstown Battlefield

The Kernstown Battlefield Association owns and operates the Kernstown Battlefield on the 1854 Pritchard-Grim Farm 3 miles south of downtown Wi******er, Virginia. The 350-acre battlefield park has walking trails, plus a small museum and visitor's center inside the Pritchard Farmhouse. Two battles were fought here, First Kernstown in March 1862 and Second Kernstown in July 1864.

The Kernstown Battlefield Association owns and operates the Kernstown Battlefield on the 1854 Pritchard-Grim Farm 3 miles south of downtown Wi******er, Virginia...

02/17/2022

Fort Pulaski Battlefield

This week's : Fort Pulaski Battlefield

Fort Pulaski, built between 1829 and 1847, was placed near the mouth of the Savannah River to block upriver access to the City of Savannah. Brick and masonry fortifications such as Pulaski, called "third system" forts, were considered invincible, but new technology of rifled artillery soon changed that conception. To shut down blockade running traffic from coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the Union army and navy mounted an expedition in November, 1861, to occupy the area surrounding Savannah. Tybee Island, opposite Fort Pulaski, was occupied in late November, and other coastal areas in the vicinity over the next three months.

On February 19, 1862, Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Sherman ordered Captain Quincy A. Gillmore, an engineer officer, to take charge of a siege force — to bombard and capture the fort. Gillmore placed artillery on Tybee Island — southeast of the fort — and began the bombardment on April 10, after the garrison commander refused to surrender. Within hours, Gillmore’s rifled artillery breached the southeast scarp of the fort, and he continued to exploit the breach. Some of Union shells began to damage the traverse, shielding the magazine in the northwest bastion. Surrendered on April 11, Fort Pulaski was a landmark experiment in the history of military science and invention.

Located on Cockspur Island near the end of U.S. Route 80, Fort Pulaski National Monument preserves one of the few surviving "third system" brick and mortar coastal forts of the early 19th century. Artillery displays and soldier barracks are inside the fort. Outside, you’ll find a bookstore, visitor center and several walking trails.

Located on Cockspur Island near the end of U. S. Route 80, Fort Pulaski National Monument preserves one of the few surviving "third system" brick and mortar...

02/13/2022

Fort Donelson Battlefield

in 1862, the Battle of Fort Donelson was initiated.

Following the fall of Fort Henry to the Federals on February 6, 1862, thousands of Confederates hurried to reinforce the mightier Fort Donelson, a key gateway to the Confederacy located 10 miles away on the Cumberland River.

On February 13, Brig. Gen. John McClernand — an officer under Ulysses S. Grant — sparked the fight when he unsuccessfully attempted to capture an enemy battery along the fort’s outer works.

Concluding on February 16, the battle was a Union victory. The capture of Tennessee’s forts Henry and Donelson were major victories for Grant, as he received a promotion to major general for his success in the Western Theater. He even earned the nom de guerre “Unconditional Surrender Grant.”

The Fort Donelson National Battlefield, located along the banks of the Cumberland River, is a great place to visit. The park has a 6-mile trail with 11 stops. ...

02/11/2022

The Pratt Street Riot - Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (U.S. National Park Service)

The first drop of blood was not shed on the battlefield of Bull Run, but in the streets of Baltimore, Md. After Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion, troops from the north flooded south to Washington, D.C. The movement of these volunteers was mainly done by locomotive — with Baltimore being the largest train hub before Washington.

On April 19, 1865, men of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry disembarked from President Street Station and marched down Pratt Street to board a second train at Camden Station that proceeded to the final destination of Washington. During this march, a large crowd of pro-southern sympathizers harassed the soldiers. While some were armed with weapons, many of the crowd picked up stones and pavers from the street and threw the material at the soldiers. It is unknown which side it came from, but a shot rang out — upon hearing, nervous officers gave the order to fire on the crowd. A disgruntled crowd roared in response, unleashing further violence. Some degree of order was restored when Baltimore police arrived and separated rioters and soldiers. The police ultimately escorted the 6th Massachusetts to Camden Station.

Due to the violent clash, eight rioters, one bystander, and three soldiers were killed, plus 24 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians wounded. This event became known as the Pratt Street Riot of 1861. After, militia was sent to Baltimore to prevent any more potential violence.

The state song “Maryland, my Maryland” was written about the Pratt Street Riot. Today, you can visit Baltimore and trace the events of the Riot — and other sites connected to the city’s Civil War history!

Background Following the secession of the southern States and the bombardment of Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 men to be raised from the militia of the states in order to put down the rebellion. These troops were to be transported to Washington, D.C. so that they might pro...

02/09/2022

High Bridge Battlefield

This week's : High Bridge Battlefield

After withdrawing from Petersburg, Gen. Robert E. Lee traveled west along the Appomattox River while being pursued by Federal troops mercilessly. On April 6, 1865, the remnants of the Army of Northern Virginia arrived in Cumberland County, Va., but the food and supplies that they desperately needed were waiting at Farmville, across the Appomattox. To get there, Lee looked to the 2,500-foot long, 130-foot tall High Bridge, which carried the South Side Railroad over the river. At the same crossing was a smaller bridge. Lt. Gen James Longstreet dispatched 1,200 cavalrymen under Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Rosser to hold the bridges. A 900-man Federal force of infantry and cavalry arrived first and set about destroying the Confederates’ access.

Both forces engaged, with the Confederates nearly destroying or capturing the entire Union force. Lee’s army was able to use the crossing and make it to the rations waiting at Farmville. Elements of the Union Second Corps arrived the next day, to find Longstreet’s rear guard attempting to destroy the bridge. Federal forces were able to save the bridge from destruction and crossed over the Appomattox — allowing the Union army to catch up to Lee at Farmville.

Today, the trail at the High Bridge Trail State Park is 31 miles long and suited for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. The park’s centerpiece is the majestic High Bridge itself, more than 2,500 feet long and 130 feet above the Appomattox River. Access the bridge via the trail from River Road in Farmville (Cumberland County) or Camp Paradise Road in Rice (Prince Edward County). The piers of the original Civil War bridge remain standing!

Today, the trail at the High Bridge Trail State Park is 31 miles long and ideally suited for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. The park’s centerpiece is...