A Melancholy Affair at the Weldon Railroad: The Vermont Brigade, June 23, 1864
by David F. Cross
BTC’s Take: This is a great micro-history of the June 23, 1864 action near the Jerusalem Plank Road between the Union Sixth Corps and William Mahone’s Division from the Confederate Third Corps. Over 400 men of the Union Vermont Brigade were gobbled up on the skirmish line late in the day, and the vast majority were imprisoned at Andersonville. Not many returned home after the war. Cross sets the stage, telling the how and why of the Vermonters’ predicament. He goes on to cover the experiences of these men while imprisoned and finishes off with an assessment of what went wrong and who was to blame for the “melancholy affair” between the Weldon Railroad and the Jerusalem Plank Road during Grant’s Second offensive against Petersburg. Those looking to understand this little written about battle will want to own A Melancholy Affair.
Book Summary/Review:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Notes:
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Publisher Info:
Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 1-57249-332-1
Publisher: White Mane Books
Release Date: 2003
Pages: 267
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