Written By: Donald McConnell & Gustav Person In March 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant had been promoted and brought east to command all the Union armies and, ultimately, to win the Civil War. His main opponents were General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. What became known as the Overland …
By Ephriam D. Dickson III Deputy Chief, Field Museums Branch, U.S. Army Center of Military History In the wee hours of the morning of April 1, 1864, a steamer known as the Maple Leaf was quietly moving up the St. Johns River in northern Florida, about twelve miles south of Jacksonville. Built in 1850, this …
In its 140-plus year history, thousands of soldiers have proudly worn the insignia of the 4th Engineers and staunchly upheld the battalion’s motto, Volens et Potens (Willing and Able). The origins of the 4th Engineer Battalion date back to 31 December 1861 when the Army organized several new and existing engineer companies into a provisional engineer battalion …
I became interested in the 29th New York Infantry Regiment about two years ago when in the process of tracing my family roots, I “found” a second cousin, once removed, in the small town of Koerbecke, Germany, not far from where I was born. From her, I learned that my great-granduncle, Antonius Rokus, had …
During the early years of the Civil War, the Union cavalry was often outclassed by Confederate troopers. Rebel cavalrymen became legendary for their exploits against federal horsemen, often riding circles around them and routing them on numerous occasions. Eventually, through the implementation of improved organization, training, weaponry, and leadership, Union troopers began to match the …
Henry Halleck was born in Westernville, New York, on 16 January 1815. He was educated at Hudson Academy, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union College. He then graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1839 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. Halleck delivered a series of lectures which were eventually published under the title …
George McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 3 December 1826. He attended college preparatory schools, and briefly attended the University of Pennsylvania before he accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy. In the Mexican War he served as an engineer for Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. After the war, he taught at West Point until 1851. McClellan …
John Coalter Bates was born in St. Charles County, Missouri on 26 August 1842 and attended Washington University in St. Louis. At the opening of the Civil War, Bates was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 11th Infantry. He fought with the 11th Infantry in the Army of the Potomac and saw action at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. …
Nelson Appleton Miles was born near Westminster, Massachusetts, on 8 August 1839. He received a rudimentary military education from a former French officer and then joined a company of volunteers in 1861. He was commissioned as a captain and served on General Oliver O. Howard’s staff. Miles was wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks; …
John McAllister Schofield was born in Gerry, New York on 29 September 1831. He attended the United States Military Academy and was commissioned in the artillery in 1853. Schofield was promoted to first lieutenant in 1855 and then taught natural philosophy and experimental philosophy at the Military Academy from 1855 to 1860. In 1857, he married Harriet Bartlett. In 1860, he left West …
The Army Historical Foundation is the designated official fundraising organization for the National Museum of the United States Army.
We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We seek to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American Soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals.
