OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Letter from Lt. Col. Robert McAllister, 1st New Jersey Infantry, to his friend.
The Dug Spring Engagement
Detachments of opposing forces clash in southwestern Missouri, foreshadowing a larger fight in the near future.
A Region Distracted with Civil Commotion
165 YEARS AGO: Political turmoil and military maneuvering continue in the bitterly divided state of Missouri.
Military Life in Its Most Depressing Form
165 YEARS AGO: News of the previous day’s Confederate victory at Bull Run prompts celebrations in the South and depression in the North. An influential New York publisher writes a desperate letter to President Lincoln asking him to consider seeking peace with the South.
We Would Fight a Little First
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Confederate forces cross the Rio Grande and confront Federals at Fort Fillmore in their effort to conquer the New Mexico Territory.
Admirable Self-Denial
165 YEARS AGO TODAY: The young, promising General George B. McClellan takes command of the demoralized Federal forces that had been defeated at Bull Run.
From Robert McAllister, 1st New Jersey
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Letter from Lt. Col. Robert McAllister, 1st New Jersey Infantry, to his friend.