Trivia with SAR

[St Albans Raid]

"In 1875, ten years after the death of her husband, her last surviving child, Robert, had her tried by a jury to determine if she was insane. She had been under a doctor's care almost continually for a year and a half, had reported to that doctor and others information that made it appear she was suffering hallucinations, and otherwise said and did irrational things. She had $56,000 in government bonds sewed into pockets of her petticoat and walked about Chicago with them. - See more at: http://www.historynet.com/mary-todd-lincoln#sthash.mnekcdKe.dpuf

Thanks for the info. It's very interesting.

 

[St Albans Raid]

Poor Colonel Christian was subject to one of the worst pieces of Union Propaganda during the war. Do you know what that was?

I have not found this info. I looked for Civil war propaganda, sites about Colonel Christian and have turned up nothing. Please do tell the info as I am in suspense.

 

[St Albans Raid]

It begins this evening? Was there an announcement?

Announced today! Let the fun begin!!

 

[St Albans Raid]

Franz Sigel's

Wasn't Franz a politician more than a soldier? A political appointment? Not sure the best way to state that.

 

[St Albans Raid]

Bear with us (Colin helps me with questions as he has more time to read than I do) as we get used to it. Colin & I chat about the questions all the time. We've really been quizzing each other for some time and then we found CWT and we got on just about daily to check the Trivia. Now we get on a couple times a day--we are hooked!

 

[theoldman]

Announced today! Let the fun begin!!

Congratulations SAR!! I posted that on the announcement page but want to make sure you get it. Yahooo!!!!

 

[St Albans Raid]

Congratulations SAR!! I posted that on the announcement page but want to make sure you get it. Yahooo!!!!

Thanks

 

[Drew]

I have not found this info. I looked for Civil war propaganda, sites about Colonel Christian and have turned up nothing. Please do tell the info as I am in suspense.

There was an anonymously sourced letter placed in Northern newspapers, attributed to Colonel Christian, that discussed the "taking of Negroes" during the Gettysburg Campaign. Probably worth its own thread.

 

[Drew]

Wasn't Franz a politician more than a soldier? A political appointment? Not sure the best way to state that.

Sigel was trained and educated as a soldier in Germany before he emigrated to the U.S. He had fairly significant military experience there and for that reason was commissioned in the U.S. Army during the war. He was very popular with German immigrants but his record was mixed as a General. There's a book at the top of my reading list about the Battle of Carthage, MO, in which he was overwhelmed numerically but is said to have organized a mighty effective rear guard retreat. I'll have to read it and get back to you.

Sigel was very successful at the Battle of Pea Ridge, also. There's no doubt a ton of politics in his legacy, maybe @Pat Young can help explain all that. Ultimately, he was outmaneuvered and defeated in the Shenandoah Valley by a smaller Confederate force. The latter was of course led by Stonewall Jackson, so Sigel is in pretty good company there.

 

[Pat Young]

Sigel was trained and educated as a soldier in Germany before he emigrated to the U.S. He had fairly significant military experience there and for that reason was commissioned in the U.S. Army during the war. He was very popular with German immigrants but his record was mixed as a General. There's a book at the top of my reading list about the Battle of Carthage, MO, in which he was overwhelmed numerically but is said to have organized a mighty effective rear guard retreat. I'll have to read it and get back to you.

Sigel was very successful at the Battle of Pea Ridge, also. There's no doubt a ton of politics in his legacy, maybe @Pat Young can help explain all that. Ultimately, he was outmaneuvered and defeated in the Shenandoah Valley by a smaller Confederate force. The latter was of course led by Stonewall Jackson, so Sigel is in pretty good company there.

Calling Sigel a "Political General" is a bit off. He had a good military education, had served as an officer in Europe, and had commanded a revolutionary force in 1848. He had about as much military experience as many West Pointers.

Politics did not make him an officer, but it did propel him to higher levels of command than he was likely qualified for. The German-language press continued to laud him, even after he made serious mistakes. This forced the Lincoln administration to find him commands appropriate less to his abilities than to the importance of the German immigrant contribution to the war effort, which was substantial.