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Inside the Army of the Potomac
About this book
At the outbreak of war, twenty-year-old Francis Adams Donaldson enlisted in the 1st California Regiment (later known as the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers) of the famous Philadelphia Brigade of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac. He fought at Ball’s Bluff (where he was captured) and participated in the Peninsula Campaign until he was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks.
Upon his recovery, Donaldson reluctantly accepted promotion to a captaincy I the Corn Exchange Regiment (also known as the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers), which served throughout its existence in the V Corps. In his new position, Donaldson participated in all the major campaigns and battles in the East through late 1863, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, and Mine Run.
Although Donaldson made no secret of his distaste for writing he consistently sent home some of his letters filled as many as fifty pages of writing paper. Nearly all of his letter were written in camp of while on active campaign, imparting a freshness and immediacy that is rarely seen. His comments on fellow soldiers—be they lowly privates of major generals—were pointed and unvarnished. In addition to writing ably and including his combat experience, Donaldson also revealed much about the seldom-mentioned factors of army life—the internal feuding, the backbiting, and the politicking that coursed through many Civil War regiments.
For more than 125 years, Donaldson’s letters have lain virtually untouched in the Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia. J. Gregory Acken has painstakingly edited these remarkable collection, making these never-before-published letters available for the first time. Their detail and honesty will astonish and enthrall anyone who has ever taken an interest in the Civil War.
Upon his recovery, Donaldson reluctantly accepted promotion to a captaincy I the Corn Exchange Regiment (also known as the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers), which served throughout its existence in the V Corps. In his new position, Donaldson participated in all the major campaigns and battles in the East through late 1863, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, and Mine Run.
Although Donaldson made no secret of his distaste for writing he consistently sent home some of his letters filled as many as fifty pages of writing paper. Nearly all of his letter were written in camp of while on active campaign, imparting a freshness and immediacy that is rarely seen. His comments on fellow soldiers—be they lowly privates of major generals—were pointed and unvarnished. In addition to writing ably and including his combat experience, Donaldson also revealed much about the seldom-mentioned factors of army life—the internal feuding, the backbiting, and the politicking that coursed through many Civil War regiments.
For more than 125 years, Donaldson’s letters have lain virtually untouched in the Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia. J. Gregory Acken has painstakingly edited these remarkable collection, making these never-before-published letters available for the first time. Their detail and honesty will astonish and enthrall anyone who has ever taken an interest in the Civil War.
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Yes, you can access Inside the Army of the Potomac by J. Gregory Acken in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & American Civil War History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Ball’s Bluff, Captivity and Return September 28, 1861–March 20, 1862
- Chapter 2 Yorktown and Fair Oaks March 24–June 8, 1862
- Chapter 3 Antietam and Shepherdstown August 27–October 28, 1862
- Chapter 4 Fredericksburg October 30–December 15, 1862
- Chapter 5 The Mud March and Winter Quarters December 26, 1862–April 23, 1863
- Chapter 6 Chancellorsville April 27–June 9, 1863
- Chapter 7 Gettysburg June 10–July 18, 1863
- Chapter 8 Boredom and Idleness July 17–October 9, 1863
- Chapter 9 Bristoe Station October 10–November 3, 1863
- Chapter 10 Rappahannock Station and Mine Run November 9–December 3, 1863
- Chapter 11 Confrontation, Dismissal, and Exoneration December 4, 1863–March 3, 1864
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Bibliography