Inside the Army of the Potomac: The Civil War Experience of Captain Francis Adams Donaldson

by J. Gregory Acken

Overview

At the outbreak of war, twenty-year-old Francis Adams Donaldson enlisted in the 1st California Regiment (later known as the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers) of the famous Philadelphia Brigade of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac. He fought at Ball’s Bluff (where he was captured) and participated in the Peninsula Campaign until he was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks.
Upon his recovery, Donaldson reluctantly accepted promotion to a captaincy I the Corn Exchange Regiment (also known as the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers), which served throughout its existence in the V Corps. In his new position, Donaldson participated in all the major campaigns and battles in the East through late 1863, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, and Mine Run.
Although Donaldson made no secret of his distaste for writing he consistently sent home some of his letters filled as many as fifty pages of writing paper. Nearly all of his letter were written in camp of while on active campaign, imparting a freshness and immediacy that is rarely seen. His comments on fellow soldiers—be they lowly privates of major generals—were pointed and unvarnished. In addition to writing ably and including his combat experience, Donaldson also revealed much about the seldom-mentioned factors of army life—the internal feuding, the backbiting, and the politicking that coursed through many Civil War regiments.
For more than 125 years, Donaldson’s letters have lain virtually untouched in the Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia. J. Gregory Acken has painstakingly edited these remarkable collection, making these never-before-published letters available for the first time. Their detail and honesty will astonish and enthrall anyone who has ever taken an interest in the Civil War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811766395
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	09/15/2017
Series:	Stackpole Classics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	512
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

A graduate of Villanova University, J. Gregory Acken is past president of the Old baldy Civil War Round Table of Philadelphia and currently serves on the board of governors of The Civil War Library and Museum. He resides in Middletown, New Jersey, with his wife, Regina, and son Brian.

Table of Contents

Foreword Edwin C. Bearss ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Ball's Bluff, Captivity and Return 19

September 28, 1861-March 20, 1862

Chapter 2 Yorktown and Fair Oaks 53

March 24-June 8, 1862

Chapter 3 Antietam and Shepherdstown 101

August 27-October 28, 1862

Chapter 4 Fredericksburg 155

October 30-December 15, 1862

Chapter 5 The Mud March and Winter Quarters 195

December 26, 1862-April 23, 1863

Chapter 6 Chancellorsville 225

April 27-June 9, 1863

Chapter 7 Gettysburg 279

June 10-July 18, 1863

Chapter 8 Boredom and Idleness 317

July 17-October 9, 1863

Chapter 9 Bristoe Station 357

October 10-November 3, 1863

Chapter 10 Rappahannock Station and Mine Run 381

November 9-December 3, 1863

Chapter 11 Confrontation, Dismissal, and Exoneration 409

December 4, 1863-March 3, 1864

Epilogue 437

Notes 441

Bibliography 484

Index 490

Editorial Reviews

The Donaldson Civil War correspondence is arguably the most interesting and perceptive that is has been my fortune to read in more than 40 years. Unlike most Civil War collections, steeped as they are in the morality of the Victorian era, the Donaldson letters reveal much about the Civil War soldier that is not a part of the popular literature.” – Edwin C. Bearss, historian Emeritus, National park Service

Edwin C. Bearss

These letter are among the fullest, most detailed, and most incisive of any I have read—and believe me, I have read many collections. The descriptions of various battles are fuller than in any collection of letter or diaries I have read.” – James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

James M. McPherson

This is one of the finest solider accounts of the Army of the Potomac that I have ever read. It is filled with the sort of personal vignette that brings those long-dead soldiers to life….I think it will become a classic.” – Brian Pohanka, Civil War author, lecturer, and historian

Brian Pohanka