Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

In 1861, approximately 1000 men from Massachusetts answered the call from their country and marched off to war to keep the Union together. The Twelfth Massachusetts fought in just about every major battle in the Eastern Theater of Operations against Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. The 12th Mass suffered more than any regiment, but continued to demonstrate their honor and bravery right up to when they were pulled off the front lines in 1864. This book details the exploits of these men who were led by two citizen soldiers, Fletcher Webster, son of Daniel Webster, was killed in his first action, way before he could show his mettle, and James L. Bates, who took up the mantle of leadership and led the regiment to glory the rest of the war.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from History Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers Massachusetts: Webster Regiment At the annual re-union of the survivors of the Twelfth (Webster) Regiment in August, 1879, it was voted to have a full and complete history of the regiment written. To that end an Historical Committee was chosen, consisting of five members of the Association; and the duty of selecting an historian was delegated to it.Subsequently the committee made choice of the undersigned. For the honor conferred upon me I heartily thank my comrades, although I think that their choice might have been better placed. There are many in the regiment more competent to perform the duty than myself; yet I can say, however, that I believe there is no one more earnestly desirous that the story of the great trials, hardships, and almost unexampled heroism of those three eventful years from 1861 to '64 shall be told to the public of to-day and succeeding generations. Neither is there one more anxious that justice be done to each and every member of the regiment. In commencing my work, I issued a circular, asking the assistance of comrades, and also calling for diaries, memoranda, and material of any kind, from which to construct my story. To all who responded to these circulars, or who have in any manner rendered me assistance, I take this opportunity to express my hearty thanks. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. THE FIBST TEAK'S DUTY. 1861. rpHE regiment pitched tents on the Maryland side of July 27. _l the Potomac River, about a mile from Harper's Ferry; and, being assigned to Abercrombie's brigade of Banks's division, the camp was named in honor of the division commander. The twin regiments, Second Massachusetts and Third Wisconsin, greeted our arrival; and, after detailing portions of Companies B and D to guard a building at division headquarters, --filled with ammunition, -- the remainder of the Twelfth was, with the Thirtyfourth New York, assigned to guard-duty along the Potomac. July 28. During the night the regiment struck tents and awaited orders. Fifteen extra rounds of ammunition were issued to each man. At daylight pitched tents again. July 29. In the afternoon Companies B and H were sent to Maryland Heights on scout-duty, where they met the Third Wisconsin building an observatory. At night Doubleday's battery and several infantry regiments camped beside the Twelfth. July 30. Regimental drill, the rest of the day being spent in fixing up tents and camp. The three months'regiments were steadily marching home again, and three years' regiments continually arriving. July 3i. Hot weather. Gen. Banks was expected to visit the camp for inspection, but failed to put in an appearance. Rained at nightfall. Aug. i. Rain and shine. The Fifth Connecticut arrived, and camped near by. Aug. 2. A man was drummed out of camp. 1861 Aug. 4. Sunday. Chaplain Clark preached from text, No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. The band played Old Hundred, all who could joining in singing. Fernando d'Argome, a drummer in the band, was accidentally wounded by a pistol-ball, which, glancing on a tree, lodged in his neck. A...

“The best battlefield first-person compilation I have read . . . Here it all is—the tactics, the movement, the truth about warfare.” —The Civil War Times In Antietam: The Soldiers’ Battle, historian John Michael Priest tells this brutal tale of slaughter from an entirely new point of view: that of the common enlisted man. Concentrating on the days of actual battle—September 16, 17, and 18, 1862—Priest vividly brings to life the fear, the horror, and the profound courage that soldiers displayed, from the first Federal cavalry probe of the Confederate lines to the last skirmish on the streets of Sharpsburg. Antietam is not a book about generals and their grand strategies, but rather concerns men such as the Pennsylvanian corporal who lied to receive the Medal of Honor; the Virginian who lay unattended on the battlefield through most of the second day of fighting, his arm shattered from a Union artillery shell; the Confederate surgeon who wrote to the sweetheart he left behind enemy lines in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that he had seen so much death and suffering that his “head had whitened and my very soul turned to stone.” Besides being a gripping tale charged with the immediacy of firsthand accounts of the fighting, Antietam also dispels many misconceptions long held by historians and Civil War buffs alike. Seventy-two detailed maps—which describe the battle in the hourly and quarter-hourly formats established by the Cope Maps of 1904—together with rarely-seen photographs and his own intimate knowledge of the Antietam terrain, allow Priest to offer a substantially new interpretation of what actually happened.

A detailed history of the Confederate retreat after the Battle of Gettysburg and the Union effort to destroy the enemy during the American Civil War. The three-day Battle of Gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a battered Southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich historiographic legacy. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly every aspect of the battle, but One Continuous Fight is the first detailed military history of Lee’s retreat and the Union effort to destroy the wounded Army of Northern Virginia. Against steep odds and encumbered with thousands of casualties, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee’s post-battle task was to successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander George G. Meade’s equally difficult assignment was to intercept the effort and destroy his enemy. The responsibility for defending the exposed Southern columns belonged to cavalry chieftain James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart. If Stuart fumbled his famous ride north to Gettysburg, his generalship during the retreat more than redeemed his flagging reputation. The long retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major engagements, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro, and Falling Waters. President Abraham Lincoln was thankful for the early July battlefield victory, but disappointed that General Meade was unable to surround and crush the Confederates before they found safety on the far side of the Potomac. Exactly what Meade did to try to intercept the fleeing Confederates, and how the Southerners managed to defend their army and ponderous 17-mile long wagon train of wounded until crossing into western Virginia on the early morning of July 14, is the subject of this study. One Continuous Fight draws upon a massive array of documents, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, and published primary and secondary sources. These long ignored foundational sources allow the authors, each widely known for their expertise in Civil War cavalry operations, to carefully describe each engagement. The result is a rich and comprehensive study loaded with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern and Northern cavalry, and fresh insights on every engagement, large and small, fought during the retreat. The retreat from Gettysburg was so punctuated with fighting that a soldier felt compelled to describe it as “One Continuous Fight.” Until now, few students fully realized the accuracy of that description. Complete with 18 original maps, dozens of photos, and a complete driving tour with GPS coordinates of the army’s retreat and the route of the wagon train of wounded, One Continuous Fight is an essential book for every student of the American Civil War in general, and for the student of Gettysburg in particular.

The second volume in Gordon C. Rhea's peerless five-book series on the Civil War's 1864 Overland Campaign abounds with Rhea's signature detail, innovative analysis, and riveting prose. Here Rhea examines the maneuvers and battles from May 7, 1864, when Grant left the Wilderness, through May 12, when his attempt to break Lee's line by frontal assault reached a chilling climax at what is now called the Bloody Angle. Drawing exhaustively upon previously untapped materials, Rhea challenges conventional wisdom about this violent clash of titans to construct the ultimate account of Grant and Lee at Spotsylvania.