Seeing the War

Zack

First Sergeant
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Location
Los Angeles, California
Which units east and west would you say are most representative of the experience of fighting in that theater? Which units could be said to have seen it all and done it all? From Bull Run (or earlier) to Appomattox in the East and Belmont (or earlier) to Bennett Place in the West.

Choose from regiments in the Army of the Potomac, Army of Northern Virginia, Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, Army of Tennessee, etc. Or if there is a particular individual such as an officer who happened to get around that works too.
 
In the east, the 38th Georgia was literally everywhere except 1st Manassas. 8th Ohio was also everywhere except Appomattox, even though when the 8th Ohio was mustered out after Cold Harbor a large number of the men went on fighting in the 4th Ohio. As far as the west goes, I'm not sure.
 
If you include the career of the 90 day men of the 69th New York State Militia along with the 69th New York Volunteers of The Irish Brigade (and they are basically one and the same people minus the nearly 200 they lose at First Bull Run) then the only major eastern battle they sit out is Chancellorsville where they are in reserve. I imagine they were not too unhappy to do so.
 
Which units east and west would you say are most representative of the experience of fighting in that theater? Which units could be said to have seen it all and done it all? From Bull Run (or earlier) to Appomattox in the East and Belmont (or earlier) to Bennett Place in the West.

Choose from regiments in the Army of the Potomac, Army of Northern Virginia, Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, Army of Tennessee, etc. Or if there is a particular individual such as an officer who happened to get around that works too.
2nd Rhode Island saw almost ever major battle with AoP.
Leftyhunter
 
What about the 1st Vermont Brigade? It seems they saw very limited action, with the exceptions of Williamsburg, Savage's Station, and as part of the VI Corps action at Chancellorsville, until the Overland Campaign. They then saw extremely hard service through to the end of the war. Is that accurate?
 
What about the 1st Vermont Brigade? It seems they saw very limited action, with the exceptions of Williamsburg, Savage's Station, and as part of the VI Corps action at Chancellorsville, until the Overland Campaign.
The First Vermont Brigade also participated in the Battle of Dam No.1 on the Warwick River (Newport News) April 16, 1862 and, as part of the Sixth Corps, in the Battle of Crampton's Gap (South Mountain) on September 14, 1862.

I can recommend as a pretty good resource George Grenville Benedict's Vermont in the Civil War: A History of the Part Taken by the ..., Volume 1 https://books.google.com/books?id=hKCZAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=vermont+in+the+civil+war+the+part&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7u-LWwvvgAhURMd8KHQ4CC9IQ6AEwAHoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=vermont in the civil war the part&f=false
 
Which units east and west would you say are most representative of the experience of fighting in that theater? Which units could be said to have seen it all and done it all? From Bull Run (or earlier) to Appomattox in the East and Belmont (or earlier) to Bennett Place in the West.

Choose from regiments in the Army of the Potomac, Army of Northern Virginia, Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, Army of Tennessee, etc. Or if there is a particular individual such as an officer who happened to get around that works too.
The Confederate Or
Which units east and west would you say are most representative of the experience of fighting in that theater? Which units could be said to have seen it all and done it all? From Bull Run (or earlier) to Appomattox in the East and Belmont (or earlier) to Bennett Place in the West.

Choose from regiments in the Army of the Potomac, Army of Northern Virginia, Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, Army of Tennessee, etc. Or if there is a particular individual such as an officer who happened to get around that works too.
Have you checked out Dyer's Compendium which is free and online?Dyer's Compendium lists every Union and Confederate regiment and all their actions.
The Missouri Confederate Cockerels Brigade ( sp?) saw extensive service in the West and suffered heavy loss.
The 6th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Union saw extensive combat in the AoC before they disbanded in 1864.
Leftyhunter
 
Hard to say, since I think more units in those armies fought through nearly every major campaign than not, especially Confederate units, as they usually served throughout the war while many Federal regiments mustered out mid-war after their term of service came to an end. But if I had to narrow it down to just a few....

The 1st Louisiana Brigade (Taylor's/Hays') played an instrumental role in Jackson's Valley Campaign and a few regiments that comprised the brigade were at First Manassas. They then served throughout every major campaign with the ANV til Appomattox (including the 1864 Valley Campaign), were always in the middle of the action and suffered heavy losses. But I think so many other brigades in Lee's army could also apply.

I haven't read about as many units in the AoP but, while not at First Manassas, the 20th Indiana was a prestigious regiment, though overlooked today. It was in the thick of just about every major campaign with the army from the Seven Days onward, with the exception of Antietam, IIRC.

In the Western Theater, Cockrell's Missouri Brigade was everywhere and was one of, if not THE best CS brigade in the theater. It was organized in early 1862 from Missouri State Guardsmen who volunteered for Confederate service - veterans of many of the early actions in Missouri like Wilson's Creek, Lexington, etc. They then went on to fight at Pea Ridge, were transported east of the Mississippi and fought at Iuka & Corinth, Vicksburg campaign & siege, then joined the AoT and fought in the Atlanta Campaign, Allatoona Pass, and were decimated at Franklin. The remnants went on to defend Fort Blakely, where overrun and captured. Also, the 1st Missouri Infantry was at Shiloh and later joined the Missouri Brigade in late 1862.

As for Federal regiments in the Western Theater, the 36th Illinois in the Army of the Cumberland had a pretty impressive record. It was at Pea Ridge, then at Perryville, Stones River and on through every major battle with the IV Corps, often in the middle of the action and always fought well.
 
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