More Book Reviews!We have three new Book Reviews:The Battle of the Crater: A Complete History A Wisconsin Yankee in Confederate Bayou CountryPosted on Tuesday May 26, 2009 2:09 pm Mutiny At Fort Jackson: The Untold Story of the Fall of New OrleansBook Review by David Poremba. The story of the fall of New Orleans in May of 1862 has been not much more of a Civil War footnote, overshadowed by the Vicksburg campaign occurring the following year – with the exception perhaps, of the attention given to General Benjamin "Beast" Butler... Read Review.Posted on Friday May 08, 2009 4:29 pm WANTED: A Gettysburg Conference Reporter!Soldier Studies has a pass to this summer's "Annual Conference 2009 The Fields of Gettysburg" during June 4 - June 7, 2009. We need someone who lives in or near Gettysburg to attend. We would prefer a historian or a graduate student of history, but at this late time would consider other options as well. You will get access to all the events and tours. We need this person to take pictures and write a 1500-2000 word story on their experience at the Conference. For more information please email me: cwehner@soldierstudies.org. Posted on Saturday May 02, 2009 4:20 pm BOOK REVIEW: Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomasby David Poremba In this delightful romp through Civil War generals’, politicians and modern historians reputations, Benson Bobrick marches to the front rank the life of General George H. Thomas, whom he claims is the greatest Civil War general, better even than Robert E. To Read Review Click Here Posted on Saturday February 28, 2009 6:55 pm Union - Troops Furnished and DeathsWe've added a new section to our database, a Union - Troops Furnished and Deaths chart that will also create some interactive sections for classroom activities. Click Here to see the chart.Posted on Sunday February 15, 2009 5:48 pm Historian makes a case for first-ever volunteer for Lincoln's Union Army "Dedicated to Aaron Greenwald and his comrades, who near this spot shortly after 10 a.m. on April 15, 1861, were the first Union Civil War volunteers in the nation."
So reads a historical marker near the corner of Ferry and Main in Anoka. The message is clear, but it still begs the question: Who, exactly, was Aaron Greenwald and how certain are we that he was the first Union Army volunteer?
While it's not a matter of dispute that the 1st Minnesota regiment was, indeed, the Union Army's first volunteer unit, it’s less clear who was the first to enlist in that groundbreaking regiment, according to Vickie Wendel, a program manager for the Anoka County Historical Society.
Wendel knows the history inside and out. In August 1996, she wrote about it in an article for the Civil War Times.
Based on information from Wendel’s article, and from a recent phone conversation with her, here is how Aaron Greenwald got his name in the history books:
In April 1861, when rebels fired on Fort Sumter, S.C., Minnesota Gov. Alexander Ramsey happened to be in Washington, D.C. As a result, Ramsey was among the first to find out that the country was finally at war.
President Abraham Lincoln would soon ask for 75,000 federal troops to quash the rebellion. But before Lincoln could sound the call, Ramsey beat him to the punch: he immediately promised Secretary of War Simon Cameron that he would raise 1,000 Minnesota troops for the Union cause.
Making good on his promise, the governor fired off a telegram to attorney Willis Gorman, who would play a role in recruiting soldiers for the U.S. Army.
A former Minnesota governor, Gorman was listening to court proceedings in the Shuler Building at Ferry and Main in Anoka when he got the message, which was delivered by wire to St. Paul and by horseback from St. Paul to Anoka.
To read more...
Posted on Thursday January 01, 2009 4:12 pm Battle of Shiloh: A.H. MecklinA.H. Mecklin's letter about the Battle of Shiloh is one of the more poignant and visceral correspondences capturing the terror of battle. As a Private in the 15th Mississippi, Augustus had a front row seat to the smashing success of the first day's attack, and the crushing defeat that followed. Here's a sample from the letter: For the first time in my life, I heard the whistle of bullets. We took shelter behind the tents & some wagons & a pile of corn & returned the fire of the enemy with spirit. The bullets whistle around my ear. I was near the front & firing. lay down to load soon men were falling on all sides. Two in Co. E just in front of me fell dead shot through the brain. On my left in our own Co., W. Wilson, W. Thompson & Ben. Stewart. Bro. Geo. & James Boskins were wounded. I fired until my gun got so foul that I could not get my ball down. Taking a short stick that lay near, I drove the ball down. For an interesting dicohtomy Read this for another Perspective...Posted on Friday December 12, 2008 7:26 pm » News Archive |
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Your database will be quite valuable to researchers. 
