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http://www.amazon.com/Experience-Brigade-brigades-American-ebook/dp/B00CQZM4H4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369164132&sr=1-1

Interesting read, I'm sure HBMC will be astonished to find a book that gets my stamp of approval, but this one does.

I love that kind of thing. I'm fortunate enough to have letters, along with pictures, from a great uncle covering about three years of the Civil War.

Ooo this looks fun.

I've recently had a big interest in the ACW 15mm wargaming, so I'm currently looking for literature to read.

Also, Lee sucks.

Off the top of my head there were two Irish BDE's.....one south and one north....they did one fight against each other...Charlotteville(?)...shown in "Gods and Generals"....Both BDE's will not take to the field against each other after that. So basically Southern Irish BDE was move to another theater of war.....that NCOPD class was like 11 years ago,,,was a good class...

Fredricksburg, is the battle you're referring to I believe. I love God's and General's, one of my favourite movies, with Stonewall Jackson from the film being my most favourite character so far. Loved that stuff.

Thanks Ratbarf for the correction

 Jihadin wrote:
Thanks Ratbarf for the correction

I bet there's some stuff in this one that you probably wouldn't hear in that class. The Navy I know leaves out the part about Taffy 3 where command decided to abandon the survivors in the water for days following the battle until someone disobeyed orders and saved as many men as the ship could carry.

I love Colonel Heenan.

One of the items is a note petitioning General Meagher to use his influence to have the charges against Heenan dropped so that he could lead his men in the coming battle (Fredricksburg). He had been arrested following an incident where, having been issued insufficient rations for the men before leaving for the front, Heenan and the regimental chaplain decided to steal food from farms along the way to supplement the supplies. Already having a poor reputation as a drunk and a thief, when Heenan was caught one of the officers who caught him took the time to chastise him, pointing out that he was such a degenerate and a bad influence and otherwise poor officer that he even had his chaplain 'coveting his neighbor's goods'. (In this case in the form of several sacks of turnips which were found on the chaplain's horse).

Heenan's response to this was to take a bite out of the turnip he was holding.

One of the items is a note petitioning General Meagher to use his influence to have the charges against Heenan dropped so that he could lead his men in the coming battle (Fredricksburg). He had been arrested following an incident where, having been issued insufficient rations for the men before leaving for the front, Heenan and the regimental chaplain decided to steal food from farms along the way to supplement the supplies. Already having a poor reputation as a drunk and a thief, when Heenan was caught one of the officers who caught him took the time to chastise him, pointing out that he was such a degenerate and a bad influence and otherwise poor officer that he even had his chaplain 'coveting his neighbor's goods'. (In this case in the form of several sacks of turnips which were found on the chaplain's horse).

Heenan's response to this was to take a bite out of the turnip he was holding.

This man needs his own movie.

 MrDwhitey wrote:
Ooo this looks fun.

I've recently had a big interest in the ACW 15mm wargaming, so I'm currently looking for literature to read.

Also, Lee sucks.

The two Bruce Catton trilogies are classics:

Mr. Lincoln's Army, Glory Road, and A Stillness at Appomattox cover the Army of the Potomac.
The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and, Never Call Retreat, cover the war as a whole.

Fletcher Pratt did a nice one-volume popular history -- Ordeal by Fire -- which has good maps. Probably OOP

Obviously there is a huge literature on ACW. The above are very readable but might be thought old-fashioned compared to modern scholarship.

History by the letters and interviews of the participants can work very well to give you a feel for the period. (E.g. Death in the Grey Wastes, about the battle of Jutland.)

For technical analysis it is hard to beat the West Point Military Academy mapbook and history, edited by Thomas Griess.

OT -- what rules are you using for 15mm ACW? I am refurbishing my 15mm Union army for Stars N Bars and Fire & Fury.

Great book and one I will look into. Can I hijack this thread and post another book about wars in America, specifically this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/With-Zeal-Bayonets-Only-Commanders/dp/0806141522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369213715&sr=8-1&keywords=with+zeal+and+bayonet

It's a modern revisionism about the British Army (and its Loyalist allies) during the revolution. It turns a lot of old ideas on their head, and it packed with contemporary sources. It highlights how the hard learned lessons of the French and Indian wars were incorporated into army before the Revolution kicked off. It seems that the British didn't just march around in close formation whilst the militia men picked them off. As an example, if the British had been able to use their cavalry more effectively (terrain hampered them) then they probably would have beaten the Americans, as there were many an example of Americans fleeing the field to fight another day, but a cavalry pursuit would have chased them down. Damn that woodland terrain! Well worth a look if you're into that kind of thing. Should have mentioned that it shows how the Americans adapted to the initial British successes and turned the tide.

 Jihadin wrote:
Off the top of my head there were two Irish BDE's.....one south and one north....they did one fight against each other...Charlotteville(?)...shown in "Gods and Generals"....Both BDE's will not take to the field against each other after that. So basically Southern Irish BDE was move to another theater of war.....that NCOPD class was like 11 years ago,,,was a good class...

Are you thinking of Chencellorsville?

 Kilkrazy wrote:

 MrDwhitey wrote:
Ooo this looks fun.

I've recently had a big interest in the ACW 15mm wargaming, so I'm currently looking for literature to read.

Also, Lee sucks.

The two Bruce Catton trilogies are classics:

Mr. Lincoln's Army, Glory Road, and A Stillness at Appomattox cover the Army of the Potomac.
The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and, Never Call Retreat, cover the war as a whole.

Fletcher Pratt did a nice one-volume popular history -- Ordeal by Fire -- which has good maps. Probably OOP

Obviously there is a huge literature on ACW. The above are very readable but might be thought old-fashioned compared to modern scholarship.

History by the letters and interviews of the participants can work very well to give you a feel for the period. (E.g. Death in the Grey Wastes, about the battle of Jutland.)

For technical analysis it is hard to beat the West Point Military Academy mapbook and history, edited by Thomas Griess.

OT -- what rules are you using for 15mm ACW? I am refurbishing my 15mm Union army for Stars N Bars and Fire & Fury.

Nice list!

At the moment we're planning to try the Peter Pig rules, but my friend has found some other rules he has yet to spring on me.

 LordofHats wrote:

This man needs his own movie.

Sadly, Heenan was one of the first casualties at Fredricksburg, when a shot from an artillery piece tore Sergeant Marley's head off and exploded among the officers. Wounded, he was carried from the field. The Lt Col (and Heenan's Son-in-law) StClair Mulholland took command, only to be badly wounded in turn. Heenan then, his wounds dressed, returned to the field (though not to command) to aid in the withdrawal, helping get the wounded off the field, and personally recovered the unit's colors. By he end of the battle, the regiment was commanded by a lt (almost all the officers having been killed or wounded), taking 43% casualties (including one of the Landis brothers).

Consolidated (by order of the War Department) to a four company battalion after the battle. Heenan was given an honorable discharge, as an officer who's rank exceeded his command, and Mulholland (once he recovered from his wounds) took a temporary demotion to Major to retain command of the unit.

Sadly, Heenan was one of the first casualties at Fredricksburg, when a shot from an artillery piece tore Sergeant Marley's head off and exploded among the officers. Wounded, he was carried from the field. The Lt Col (and Heenan's Son-in-law) StClair Mulholland took command, only to be badly wounded in turn. Heenan then, his wounds dressed, returned to the field (though not to command) to aid in the withdrawal, helping get the wounded off the field, and personally recovered the unit's colors. By he end of the battle, the regiment was commanded by a lt (almost all the officers having been killed or wounded), taking 43% casualties (including one of the Landis brothers).

We'll call the film Glory 2 and market it as a spinoff

Seriously though that's crowning moment of awesome right there.

 LordofHats wrote:

Sadly, Heenan was one of the first casualties at Fredricksburg, when a shot from an artillery piece tore Sergeant Marley's head off and exploded among the officers. Wounded, he was carried from the field. The Lt Col (and Heenan's Son-in-law) StClair Mulholland took command, only to be badly wounded in turn. Heenan then, his wounds dressed, returned to the field (though not to command) to aid in the withdrawal, helping get the wounded off the field, and personally recovered the unit's colors. By he end of the battle, the regiment was commanded by a lt (almost all the officers having been killed or wounded), taking 43% casualties (including one of the Landis brothers).

We'll call the film Glory 2 and market it as a spinoff

Seriously though that's crowning moment of awesome right there.

It should be pointed out that Heenan got the flag off Quinlan, who had taken it from the color bearer, who had been shot something like 7 times. Quinlan had literally rolled down the hill holding the flag to his chest, as the flag staff had been blown to kindling. Teed (the seventh or eighth CO in about a half an hour.) was in command at this point and starts hustling everyone back across the pontoon bridges while Heenan helped with the wounded.

We are in the middle of the 150th anniversary of the ACW, aren't we? Have I done my sums right?

 Kilkrazy wrote:
We are in the middle of the 150th anniversary of the ACW, aren't we? Have I done my sums right?

IIRC yes, it's the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg this year.

Yes, my local newspaper published a bunch of letters from Civil War soldiers from the area in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial.

Also, Fredericksburg was a clusterfeth.

Gettysburg had one of the best soundtracks.