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Upton's Regulars: The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War
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Upton's Regulars: The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War
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Overview
Led for much of the war by the legendary Emory Upton, the 121st deployed nearly 1,900 men into battle, from over 1,000 at call-up to the 330 who were finally mustered out of its war-depleted unit. Its soldiers participated in 25 major engagements, from Antietam to Sailor’s Creek, won six Medals of Honor, took several battle flags, led the charge at Spotsylvania, and captured Custis Lee at Sailor’s Creek. Cilella now tells their story, viewing the war through upstate New Yorkers’ eyes not only to depict three grueling years of fighting but also to reveal their distinctive attitudes regarding slavery, war goals, politics, and the families they left behind.
Cilella mines the letters, diaries, memoirs, and speeches of more than 120 soldiers and officers to weave a compelling narrative that traces the 121st from enlistment through the horrors of battle and back to civilian life. Their words vividly recount the experience of combat, but also rail against Washington bureaucrats and commanding generals. Many were upset with those who suggested that Emancipation was the war’s primary cause, declaring their fight to be for the Union rather than freed slaves, but they also scorned any Northerners who sympathized with the South.
Cilella also features compelling portraits of the regiment’s three commanders: original recruiter Richard Franchot; West Pointer Upton, by whose name the 121st came to be known; and Otsego County native Egbert Olcott. Readers will especially gain new insights into the charismatic Upton, who took command at the age of 23, was a fearless leader on the field of battle, and became one of the army’s most admired regimental leaders, clearly marking him out for future accomplishments.
As dire as the war became, especially in the summer of 1864, Upton’s Regulars repeatedly told their families they would do it all again and would sooner die in battle than shirk their responsibility to the Union. This regimental history stands as a testament to that dedication—and as an unvarnished look at the harsh realities of war.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780700616459 |
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Publisher: | University Press of Kansas |
Publication date: | 06/18/2009 |
Series: | Modern War Studies |
Pages: | 600 |
Product dimensions: | 6.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.80(d) |
About the Author
Salvatore G. Cilella Jr. is president and CEO of the Atlanta Historical Society.
Table of Contents
Preface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
1. Congressman Franchot Recruits a Regiment
2. “The Nursery of Soldiers”: The Men and Boys from Herkimer and Otsego Counties
3. Stumbling into War
4. Emory Upton Takes Command
5. Desertion, Disarray, and Despair: Winter 1862-1863
6. Burnside, Mud, and Hooker
7. Chancellorsville and Salem Church
8. After Gettysburg: Becoming Abolitionists, June to October 1863
9. To Rappahannock Station
10. Winter Quarters, December 15, 1863, to May 4, 1864
11. Grant’s Overland Campaign, May to June 1864
12, To Washington and the Valley
13. Return to Petersburg, December 1864 to April 1863
14. Lee Surrenders and the War Ends
15. Touching Elbows: The Regimental Association
16. Shaping the Memory: Writing the History
Epilogue: The Survivors of Time
Acronyms
Notes
Bibliography
Index