[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous Harper’s Weekly thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3975717/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Filling Cartridges – 1-2
Mr. Davis and Mr. Russell – 1, 3
The Battle of Boonville – 1, 3
The Leaders of the Nation – 1-2
The Lounger – 3-4
Humors of the Day – 4
Domestic Intelligence – 4-5
The Darlings Come Out to See the Volunteers Drilled – 5
Foreign News – 5
The Eleventh Indiana Regiment of Zouaves, Colonel L. Wallace – 6-8, 25
Scenes about Camp – 9-10
Hagerstown, Maryland, with M’Mullen’s Rangers in the Foreground – 11
Major Knipe Winging a Secessionist – 12, 25
View of Hagerstown-Philadelphia Rangers – 13-14
The North as Painted by the South: Or, Cuttings from the Rebel Newspapers Illustrated – 13
Harper’s Ferry – 14-15
The Navy-Yard at Brooklyn, New York, June, 1861 – 16, 25
Reading the War Bulletins in Broadway, New York – 17
Virginia Mountaineers – 17-18
The Pirates – 19, 25
Balloon View of the Seat of War – 20
Major-General Patterson– 21
Speaker Grow – 21, 25
Military Occupation of Monument Square, Baltimore, Md., by United States Artillery, by Order of Major-General Banks – 22
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Ch LIV-LV – 23-24
Alstyne White – 24-25
Inside/Outside – 26

[Homer_J_Simpson]

With Lincoln in the White House: Letters, Memoranda, and Other Writings of John G. Nicolay, 1860-1865, edited by Michael Burlingame

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan: Selected Correspondence 1860-1865, edited by Stephen W. Spears

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from July 16 (reply #29)

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3975717/posts#29

James Lee McDonough, William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country, A Life

[Homer_J_Simpson]

2

All for the Union: The Civil War Diary and Letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, edited by Robert Hunt Rhodes

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Company Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show: A Memoir of the Civil War, by Sam R. Watkins

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Thomas Kilby Smith to Elizabeth Budd Smith, July 20, 1861 (“The city is in great excitement and filled with rumors from the seat of war. We have nothing yet however that is at all reliable. I suppose there will be some fighting today or to-morrow.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/thomas-kilby-smith-to-elizabeth-budd_16.html

Captain Charles Russell Lowell to Anna Jackson Lowell, July 20, 1861 (“I am “located” (or “ stationed” I believe is the proper word now) in what is called the Western Reserve: a glorious place to recruit it must have been two months ago.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/11/captain-charles-russell-lowell-to-anna.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: July 20, 1861 (Mr. Jones speculates about future Confederate administrations, should the government continue.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/04/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-july-20.html

Diary of Judith W. McGuire: July 20, 1861 (“The fight on Thursday lasted several hours; our loss was fifteen killed, about forty wounded; in all about eighty to eighty-five missing.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/12/diary-of-judith-w-mcguire-july-20-1861.html

[M Kehoe]

Good morning Professor.

In your class regarding WWII a few years ago the NYT (and local papers) published the names of the KIA.

Since I’ve seen a few names KIA in the Times, I can’t read Harper’s close enough to see any of the articles. Illustrations, headlines and titles I can expand.

Anyway, how does the population gain knowledge of their kin? I know the Army routine now, but what happened back then?

Did the Atlanta Journal Constitution and NYT (others) list the dead? And how long would it take?

5.56mm

[Homer_J_Simpson]

A couple days late, here's the July 18 situation map from the West Point Civil War Atlas.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from May 24 (reply #35, second excerpt).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3960175/posts#35

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from June 29. (reply #3)

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3971894/posts#3

David Herbert Donald, Lincoln

[Homer_J_Simpson]

With Lincoln in the White House: Letters, Memoranda, and Other Writings of John G. Nicolay, 1860-1865, edited by Michael Burlingame

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from June 20 (reply #18).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3967980/posts#18

William J. Cooper, Jr., Jefferson Davis, American

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan: Selected Correspondence 1860-1865, edited by Stephen W. Spears

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued July 17 (reply #35).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3975717/posts#35

Douglas Southall Freeman, Lee, an abridgement by Richard Harwell

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

All for the Union: The Civil War Diary and Letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, edited by Robert Hunt Rhodes

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Company Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show: A Memoir of the Civil War, by Sam R. Watkins

[Homer_J_Simpson]

William Cullen Bryant to John M. Forbes, August 21, 1861 (Evening Post publisher thinks War Secretary Cameron should be replaced.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/12/william-cullen-bryant-to-john-m-forbes.html

Charles Eliot Norton to James Russell Lowell, July 21, 1861 (Folks in Newport RI are anxious about news from Virginia)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/12/charles-eliot-norton-to-james-russell.html

Major Rutherford B. Hayes to Sardis Birchard, July 21, 1861 (Hayes is at Columbus, taking a break from army life.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/07/major-rutherford-b-hayes-to-sardis_26.html

Captain Charles Russell Lowell to Charles Elliott Perkins, July 21, 1861 (Lowell’s recruiting trip continues.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/11/captain-charles-russell-lowell-to.html

John Lothrop Motley to Mary Benjamin Motley, July 21, 1861 (“Perhaps before this letter is posted, two days hence, something definite may have occurred in the neighborhood of Manassas.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/03/john-lothrop-motley-to-mary-benjamin_29.html

Diary of William Howard Russell: July 21, 1861 (Russell’s lengthy account of the battle.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/12/diary-of-william-howard-russell-july-21.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: July 21, 1861 (“The President left the city this morning for Manassas, and we look for a battle immediately.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/04/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-july-21.html

Diary of Judith W. McGuire: Sunday, July 21, 1861 (“Perhaps there was no one present [at church] who had not some near relative at Manassas, and the impression was universal that they were then fighting.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/12/diary-of-judith-w-mcguire-sunday-july.html

Charlotte Cross Wigfall to Louise Wigfall, July 21, 1861 (“No news except that Gen. Johnston has joined Beauregard with a large force. A part of his troops are left still at Winchester, but the greater part are with him.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/07/charlotte-cross-wigfall-to-louise_18.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from July 16 (reply #26).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3975717/posts#26

Bruce Catton, The Coming Fury

Continued from July 20 (reply #5)

James Lee McDonough, William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country, A Life

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thank you for this well-done report, Homer. The book excerpts and sequential battle maps are very illuminating. I'll be following closely henceforth.

Twenty years ago I read Shelby Foote's three-volume history. Will you be using it, too?