By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A Curious ladies and young boys lined the streets of Richmond on the morning of July 15, 1862, eager to catch a glimpse of Stonewall Jackson’s veterans as their columns marched through the city. Over the preceding months, the Richmond newspapers had breathlessly described the exploits of these men …
The Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg – Part Four: The Fate of the Flags
By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia, Co A Note: The following is the final part of a four-part series on the actions of the Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg. Previous installments covered the initial skirmishing around Wolf’s Hill, the fight for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge, and the July 3 assaults on Culp’s Hill. For all the attention placed during …
The Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg – Part Three: Maelstrom on Culp’s Hill
By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia Co. A Note: The following is part three of a four-part series on the actions of the Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg. Previous installments covered the initial skirmishing around Wolf’s Hill and the action on Brinkerhoff’s Ridge on July 2. A final epilogue will address the fate of the brigade’s flags …
The Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg – Part Two: Clash on Brinkerhoff’s Ridge
By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia Co. A Note: The following is part two of a four-part series on the actions of the Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg. The previous installment covered the initial skirmishing around Wolf’s Hill, the subsequent installment will address the July 3 attacks on Culp’s Hill, and a final epilogue will address the …
The Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg – Part One: In the Shadow of Wolf’s Hill
By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia Co. A Note: The following is part one of a four-part series on the actions of the Stonewall Brigade at Gettysburg. Subsequent installments will cover the fight for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and the July 3 attacks on Culp’s Hill, while a final epilogue will address the fate of the brigade’s flags …
The Interrupted Studies of Lt. Arthur Markell
By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia Co. A History, including that of the Civil War, has a tendency to focus on the extremes of human behavior. Battle histories are filled with accounts of heroes leading the charge and cowards shirking in the rear. Often lost, however, are the stories of those who just wanted to get …
Muster Roll of Company D, Fourth Virginia Infantry
The following muster roll of the the Fourth Virginia Infantry, Company D “The Smyth Blues”, was written by a former member of the company, John Samuel Apperson, for the ‘Times-Dispatch’ on June 4, 1905. It was published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 34, pages 359-362. It is presented here with minimal edits. …
Equipage of the Stonewall Brigade
The following is excerpted from Fredrick Todd’s classic reference work, American Military Equipage, 1851-1872, Volume II – State Forces, Chapter 56 – Virginia. Todd does not detail the specific sources behind each datapoint he presents, but his work draws heavily on the annual reports of the Adjutant General of Virginia, as well as the expertise of …
Practical Tips for Improving the Authenticity of Reenacting Rations
By Austin Williams, 5th VA, Co. A We spend hundreds of dollars on the best available reproductions of Confederate uniforms and equipment. We spend hours pouring over period manuals to ensure our drill is precise down to the smallest detail. And then, when it is time to eat… out comes the modern food from concealed …
Battles of the Stonewall Brigade
The following list of battles in which the Stonewall Brigade fought was published in the ‘Rockingham Register’ on November 10, 1895. It was published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 23, pages 56-57. It is presented here with minimal edits, although it omits some engagements, such as Fort Stedman, and includes some in which …