"A Broken Regiment" Topic

"When the Civil War began, tens of thousands of eager volunteers, young and old, joined the Union and Confederate armies. Most had little concept of war and many believed it would be a glorious, grand adventure. The majority of Americans, North and South alike, thought the war would be over rather quickly, in their respective favor, of course. No one was prepared for the massive bloodshed that would claim the lives of more than 700,000 soldiers, plus countless civilians. After the war, many veterans were justifiably proud of their war record. For the men of one regiment, the 16th Connecticut, those memories were clouded by a rather inauspicious military record. Their regiment broke in its first battle at Antietam and the majority of the terrified soldiers raced for the rear, causing other regiments to also break and withdraw. Their colonel proved to be controversial and several other key leaders were below average, at best, as military tacticians and as leaders of men. Later, the remaining boys from the Nut Meg State were captured en masse and most ended up in the infamous Andersonville prison, where many of them died of disease and undernourishment. There would be no triumphant marches in front of adoring crowds after going home; no stirring speeches from grateful politicians and civic officials; no medals of honor; and very little mention in the press, other than locally.

Lesley J. Gordon, a professor of history at Akron University in northeastern Ohio, has spent years studying the service record of the 16th Connecticut and the pension records and post-war lives of the survivors, as well as the communities they represented. She has crafted a compelling narrative that is unbiased and balanced in its coverage of the beleaguered regiment, both the good and the bad aspects of their ill-fated time as soldiers in "Mr. Lincoln's army." This book examines the effects of their actions, including charges of cowardice and unsoldierly conduct in the face of the enemy from other regiments that were forced from the field at Antietam as a result of the 16th Connecticut's failure to hold their ground…."
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Amicalement
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