Previous works on Confederate brigadier general Harry T. Hays's First Louisiana Brigade -- better known as the "Louisiana Tigers" -- have tended to focus on just one day of the Tigers' service -- their role in attacking East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863 -- and have touched only lightly on the brigade's role at the Second Battle of Winchester, an important prelude to Gettysburg. In this commanding study, Scott L. Mingus, Sr., offers the first significant detailed exploration of the Louisiana Tigers during the entirety of the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign. Mingus begins by providing a sweeping history of the Louisiana Tigers; their predecessors, Wheat's Tigers; the organizational structure and leadership of the brigade in 1863; and the personnel that made up its ranks. Covering the Tigers' movements and battle actions in depth, he then turns to the brigade's march into the Shenandoah Valley and the Tigers' key role in defeating the Federal army at the Second Battle of Winchester. Combining soldiers' reminiscences with contemporary civilian accounts, Mingus breaks new ground by detailing the Tigers' march into Pennsylvania, their first trip to Gettysburg in the week before the battle, their two-day occupation of York, Pennsylvania -- the largest northern town to fall to the Confederate army -- and their march back to Gettysburg. He offers the first full-scale discussion of the Tigers' interaction with the local population during their invasion of Pennsylvania and includes detailed accounts of the citizens' reactions to the Tigers -- many not published since appearing in local newspapers over a century ago. Mingus explores the Tigers' actions on the first two days of the Battle of Gettysburg and meticulously recounts their famed assault on East Cemetery Hill, one of the pivotal moments of the battle. He closes with the Tigers' withdrawal from Gettysburg and their retreat into Virginia. Appendices include an order of battle for East Cemetery Hill, a recap of the weather during the entire Gettysburg Campaign, a day-by-day chronology of the Tigers' movements and campsites, and the text of the official reports from General Hays for Second Winchester and Gettysburg. Comprehensive and engaging, Mingus's exhaustive work constitutes the definitive account of General Hays's remarkable brigade during the critical summer of 1863.

The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863

History

Scott Mingus

Americas

LSU Press

One of the most strategically important parts of the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign today is virtually unknown to the modern battlefield tramper. In late June, Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon led a vital expedition through south-central Pennsylvania with a goal of seizing the mile-long Colombia-Wrightsville Bridge over the Susquehanna River. Along the way, Gordon had to deal with hastily recruited and barely trained state emergency militia whose mission was to delay the Rebels for as long as possible and then deny them the use of the river crossing. This book offers the most detailed examination of the Gordon’s mission. Chapters include a treatise on the first fighting at Gettysburg (a series of skirmishes on June 26), the subsequent cavalry raid on Hanover Junction, Gordon’s triumphal Sunday parade through York, and the skirmish at Wrightsville that doomed the Gordon expedition to failure. The book includes several detailed driving tours and a complete order of battle for both Gordon’s Georgians and the Pennsylvanians who opposed them.

Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863

Ironclad Publishing

Appreciation of what Civil War participants experienced cannot be fully realized by studying just the mechanical movements of armies about the battlefield. The influences which create emotional bonds between us, today, and those in the past are human interest stories. Human interest stories allow us to understand their hardships and deprivations. They connect and endear us in ways we can relate to the participants. They instill in us respect by their commitment to duty and they amaze us with tales of lighter, sometimes humorous, moments amidst tragic circumstances. Scott Mingus has woven together an extraordinary collection of human interest stories covering the Gettysburg campaign as witnessed by the soldiers and civilians. Taken from primary sources, including, diaries, pension records, historical collections, official records, as well as newspapers, journals, and books, this work presents a unique blend of stories arranged in chronological order to enhance the reader's experience. Here is just a sampling of such stories: "An unusual group of volunteers responded in Harrisburg to Governor Curtin's plea. Capt. Charles C. Carson and a company of 17 men, the youngest being 68 years old, came forward and presented themselves for military service. Each senior citizen was a veteran of the War of 1812, and they wanted to again serve their state and country in a time of need. A color bearer proudly carried an historic relic, a highly tattered battle flag that had once been borne at the Battle of Trenton by Pennsylvanians serving under George Washington." ** "In one case,some members of the 3rd Michigan found that the most threatening enemy was not the Confederates they were pursuing. The Wolverines, hungry for some honey, raided some beehives in a nearby garden, initially driving off the bees. However, as the men reached the hives, the bees counterattacked en masse, repeatedly stinging the men as they struggled to get away from the prolonged assault. An amused onlooker, Color Sgt. Daniel Crotty, later wrote that the slashing and darting bees made some men 'turn such somersaulting on the ground as to put to shame a lot of Japanese acrobat performers in a circus ring.' The soldiers made an inglorious retreat, their swollen heads and faces now resembling huge mortar shells." ** "A massive thunderstorm on the evening of July 4 drenched the armies, creating untold misery and torture for the thousands of wounded that still dotted the fields and woods surrounding Gettysburg. Creeks and streams, already swollen from days of rain before the Battle of Gettysburg, swiftly overflowed their banks,and flash floods claimed the lives of scores of unfortunate wounded men. The hospital of Clark's Battery was in a field near Rock Creek east of Taneytown Road. The attendants and orderlies frantically worked to move the injured soldiers to higher ground. However, the water rose so quickly that not all could be moved. Artilleryman Dick Price held himself up above the torrent with his elbows draped over the branch of a dogwood tree. The lower extremities of both arms had been amputated, so Price's agony must have been excruciating. Still, he held his composure...Price would soon die from complications resulting from his wounds. He is buried in the National Cemetery.

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

Colecraft Industries

Scott Mingus presents another insightful, rich collection of human interest stories, this one surrounding the Maryland campaign of September 1862. Although each mini-story stands by itself as a fascinating anecdote, the author places them in context, chronologically, to give the reader a deeper understanding of what went on during this historic event. It's as if we are placed in the event and able to look around and see what is happening from the perspective and experiences of soldiers and civilians alike. This work, in four chapters, covers the actions leading up to the battle of Antietam and follows through to the aftermath of America's bloodiest day. Sources for each story are included to allow the reader/researcher to explore this subject even further. It also offers an "easy read" for those who might not otherwise be interested studying the details characteristic of historic narratives. Here are just a few samples: As one regiment was preparing for a second assault on an enemy position, the men had to pass through a piece of ground littered with the dead and dying from the unsuccessful prior attack. Although they were not yet under hostile fire, one soldier suddenly staggered amid the dead and dying, for he, to his sudden shock, had noted the body of his father, who belonged to a different regiment. Nearby lay a wounded man who knew both the father and son. He pointed to the still corpse and then upwards to the sky, and solemnly intoned, "It is well with him." Perhaps comforted by the thought that his father was now in Paradise, the young soldier regained his composure, fixed his bayonet, and rejoined the advance. After the battle, he returned and helped bury his father. As the fighting intensified around the Lower Bridge, the raucous racket of battle frightened a large sow and her litter. She raced directly towards the stunned Ninth New Hampshire, leaping over corpses that were in her way. She charged through a gap in a rail fence and then tried to run through the narrow opening between the legs of a soldier. He collapsed onto the back of the frightened hog, which carried him, screaming in terror, to the rear. As a section of the Rockbridge Artillery galloped by General Lee, an artilleryman, black with the grime and powder of a long day's fight, stopped for a moment to salute the commanding general, who returned the greeting without recognizing his admirer. It was eighteen-year-old Robert E. Lee, Jr., the general's youngest son, whose countenance and appearance masked his identity. After a brief personal exchange, young Lee raced ahead to rejoin his battery. The Nineteenth Maine Infantry was camped nearby on Bolivar Heights. This regiment "had the largest men in it that I ever saw," according to artilleryman Tom Aldrich. However, apparently their brains did not match their brawn. The Maine boys marched to the top of the heights and stacked arms near mealtime. During the fall of Harper's Ferry two weeks before, a battery of 20 lb. Parrott Rifles had occupied that position, and several discarded shells were still lying about. Without checking to see if the rounds were still live, several Maine lumberjacks soon used the shells to construct a fireplace to set their frying pans on. Soon they had a nice fire started and began preparing their food. The heat soon set off some of the shells, with fierce explosions ringing the air.

Human Interest Stories from Antietam

This volume provides another series of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories to enrich the readers' understanding of this historic event - beyond the tactics familiar to many students of the battle. The descriptive incidents in this work detail the terror and suffering encountered by civilians and soldiers alike, as well as provide tales of lighter moments. These anecdotes humanize the participants and infuse a greater appreciation of their struggles. This carefully selected collection is presented in chronological order and immerses the reader into the unfolding drama of events. Here are some examples: South of Gettysburg, over 90,000 Federal soldiers marched towards an encounter with Robert E. Lee's oft-victorious Confederate army. However, the Yankees' morale was high, and northern Maryland residents eagerly supported the Union cause. For many soldiers, the road to Gettysburg passed through the small seminary town of Emmitsburg. One infantryman later recalled, "Small flags waved and dipped from the tower of the old Lutheran Church, used as a signal station by the army. Bearers of dispatches and squads of cavalry dashed madly through the town. The long roll of drums and the blood-stirring bugle calls filled the air; the fields were alive with soldiers. To the untrained eye, it looked like a great mob. ** As one Union brigade was marching through a town, the drum corps struck up lively music. The colonel noticed that one drummer boy was not beating his drum. He asked his adjutant to find out why the boy was not playing. Riding up to the musicians, the adjutant, with a deep frown on his face, shouted at the boy, "The colonel wants to know why you are not beating your drum?" In a whisper loud enough to be enjoyed some distance down the line, the culprit replied, "Tell the colonel that I can't beat my drum now. I have two live turkeys in my drum-and one of them is for the colonel!"

So much has been written about soldiers in battle but little has been said about the effects of the Civil War on non-combatants. Scott Mingus and Jim McLure have now added another volume to their acclaimed Civil War Voices from York County, PA. This second volume, Echoing Still: More Voices from York, County, Pa. adds many more accounts from the perspectives of the citizens of that area. Using oral histories, letters, diaries, and newspapers accounts to tell the story, this well-researched title provides fascinating details of daily life of the citizenry and also includes observations by the invaders. The authors include insightful descriptions of how York County citizens viewed national events and the Civil War's impact on them regarding their friends, relatives, and neighbors fighting on the battlefront. Mingus and McClure explain the importance of York County as a major hub in transporting troops, caring for wounded in the huge York hospital facility, and the generosity of its citizenry in helping to ease the misery of thousands of unfortunates. The authors immerse readers into this historic event by unfolding accounts in chronologic order. Tension slowly builds as the stories unfold, rumors spread as the armies pass into Pennsylvania, and climaxes into full-blown terror when the invaders arrive at the doorsteps of the locals. Echoing Still: More Voices from York, County, Pa. adds a needed dimension in understanding what occurs beyond the battlefield and what influence a roving enemy army has when it collides with the civilian population.

Echoing Still: More Civil War Voices from York County, Pa.

James McClure

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Scott Mingus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Scott Mingus

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Scott Mingus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863

Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

Human Interest Stories from Antietam

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

Echoing Still: More Civil War Voices from York County, Pa.