I have gone back and am re-reading three personal accounts of the Civil War by members of the 10th Massachusetts (Charles Harvey Brewster), 2nd Rhode Island (Elijah Hunt Rhodes) and 37th Massachusetts (Mason Whiting Tyler). All of these units were members of the 6th Corps while wintered at Brandy Station in 1863-64. One unit was camped at Beauregard (37th Mass), another at Ratrie (2nd Rhode Island based on an ID tag found by Jimmy Spalding) and I believe the 10th Massachusetts was also at Ratrie. When reading these memoirs, it is uncanny how these three units were linked.....Elijah Hunt Rhodes talks about the 37th Mass being their "sister unit" and escorting the 37th Mass to the train station in Washington DC when they were mustered out in July 1865. Charles Harvey Brewster talks about playing many baseball games during the spring of 1864 against both the 2nd Rhode Island and the 37th Mass......all of these units were probably camped within one-quarter to one-half mile of each other

Also, their description of their camps is amazing and to me, brings the areas we hunt alive while I am hunting them during DIVs. If you are interested, here are the books titles:

Recollections of the Civil War by Mason Whiting Tyler (1840-1907) (37th Massachusetts Volunteers)

When this Cruel War is Over by Charles Harvey Brewster (10th Massachusetts Volunteers)

All for the Union by Elijah Hunt Rhodes (2nd Rhode Island Volunteers)

Thanks for reading!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2019 12:47PM by mahone.

Awesome. It’s more realistic when you read I formation like that.
Is there a pdf of this reading material?

There is one on line: Recollections of the Civil War by Mason Whiting Tyler (1840-1907) (37th Massachusetts Volunteers)

Here is the address https://archive.org/details/recollectionsofc01tyle/page/n8

I believe you may have to purchase the other two books to read them:

When this Cruel War is Over by Charles Harvey Brewster (10th Massachusetts Volunteers)

All for the Union by Elijah Hunt Rhodes (2nd Rhode Island Volunteers)

r/Randy

nice that you can read it online ...

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Eric Champigny

Thanks for these references.

Very nice always looking for good reads

Thanks for sharing.

I bought All for the union and Recollections. Am currently over half-way through Recollections.Great read.Thanks again.

by Elijah Hunt Rhodes is one of my favorites! He talks about leaving camp at Brandy Station (located on Ratrie Farm) and riding over to "Auburn" to have dinner with John Minor Botts (who was a Unionist). You can see "Auburn" from Rte 29 between Brandy Station and Culpeper exits (on the right, going south) and from Beauregard Farms...... At the time, John Minor Botts owned much of the property that some of the 3rd Corps and much of the 6th Corps of the Army of the Potomac camped on near Brandy Station, VA during the winter of 1863-64.

The details mentioned in his writings,from river crossings and no. of miles marched per day,make their experiences
so clear in my imagination.Bringing up maps of specific areas like Spotsylvania and Parkersburg while I'm reading
helps me imagine the battles.When he mentions details like Orange Plank rd and Brock rd. I get an idea of the exact areas
these battles took place.Reading these books helps give the relics we find so much more meaning.

Chris That so awesome ... I have ordered a couple books ... not any of the ones you are reading ... but I,m gonna order em ... also it would be awesome for me to get some audio books and listen to em on the way down to DIV ... and I hear ya .. I,m the same when out in those fields just imagining ... Skirmishes Battles .... or even just an encampment site ... Gotta love it .. I think I have watched Gettysburg the movie 3 times of late ... then there has been a 3 part special on the American Hero's Channel ... Blood on the Battlefields ... a series ... But the reading must be more in-depth ... Ill see ya in a couple months



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2019 09:09PM by Dumpsite Digger.

Finished













Finished "Recollections".Now on to All for the Union...





















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Chris - The book you finished by Mason Whiting Tyler of the 37th Massachusetts Volunteers is a special one for me too. I have hunted the 37th Mass Vol camp at Brandy Station (on Beauregard Farm), and found an ID tag in the camp from Albert H. Kellogg, Co.F., 37th Mass Vol. He was a drummer boy. Tyler mentions Albert in his book which makes it even more special to me. Albert survived the war, moved to NY, got married and had three daughters and two sons. What was sad is his oldest son died in the Spanish-American War and his youngest son dies in WWI..........

Randy,that is incredible. An ID badge would be an "over the top" item for me.
And finding one from someone you've read about would be a real treat.

Chris

Since Jimmy Spalding found an ID tag from the 2nd RI at Ratrie a few DIVs back, I can now envision Elijah Hunt Rhodes sitting in his tent writing some of his letters home in that vicinity of where the ID tag was found. Pretty cool.

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"The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable solider on earth." Stonewall Jackson
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2019 09:16AM by kydiggin.

I'll bet you do (LoL)!

Awesome and Interested , Thanks