I was thrilled to hear recently
that Civil War Talks: Further Reminiscences of George S. Bernard and His Fellow
Veterans will be published soon in paperback from University Press of
Virginia. This was my first book project
– and I was lucky to work with my co-editors John Selby and John Horn. It is a source rich in little-known battle
and campaign accounts and has been cited often since its initial publication in
2012.
The volume is a detailed, extensive
collection of firsthand accounts covering the major military campaigns in
Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Most of these reminiscences have remained
obscure and, until now, have been largely unknown. They appear in the form of
speeches and letters gathered by Petersburg veteran George S. Bernard covering
many battles and campaigns, including Seven Pines, Malvern Hill as well as the
Maryland, Gettysburg, Overland, Petersburg, and Appomattox Campaigns. Bernard,
a political ally of and personal lawyer for William Mahone, solicited several
battle accounts from the former Confederate general, including descriptions of
Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Weldon Railroad, Burgess Mill, and the Appomattox
Campaign.
"The release of a second volume of heretofore unpublished primary sources by Bernard serves both a scholarly and a nonprofessional audience. This superbly edited collection will become an essential volume on Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia." - Peter S. Carmichael, Gettysburg College, author of The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion
Contents
List of Maps
Preface
Introduction
1. Norfolk, 1861-1862: Petersburg’s
Sons Go To War 1
“Reminiscences
of Norfolk, May-June 1861,” by George S. Bernard
George S.
Bernard War Narrative: June 14, 1861-May 8, 1862
2. The Richmond Campaign of 1862 -
“War
Recollections: From Drewry’s Bluff to Seven Pines,” by George S. Bernard
Statement
of Alexander W. Archer
Statement
of John E. Crow
Statement
of George J. Rogers
Statement
of E. Leslie Spence
Statement
of William Mahone
Statement
of Thomas P. Pollard
Statement
of William E. Cameron
Addenda:
Statement of J. Willcox Brown
Statement
of Cullen A. Battle
“From
Seven Pines to Malvern Hill--Battles of French’s Farm, June 25, 1862, and
Frazier’s Farm, June 30, 1862,” by George S. Bernard
Statement
of E. Leslie Spence
“Malvern
Hill: Graphic Pen Pictures of this Historic Battle,” by George S. Bernard
Addenda:
William Mahone’s Account of Malvern Hill
Statement
by Philip F. Brown
3. The Maryland Campaign, 1862
“Reminiscences
of the Maryland Campaign of 1862,” by John T. Parham
4. The Gettysburg Campaign and
Afterward
“The
Gettysburg Campaign: The Narrative of a Private Soldier in the Confederate
Army, Taken from His Diary and Note Book,” by George S. Bernard
From
Fredericksburg to the Valley of Virginia
Down the
Valley and across the Potomac into Maryland
In
Pennsylvania
The
Battle of Gettysburg
The
Retreat
“The
Gettysburg Campaign,” by William E. Cameron
George S.
Bernard War Narrative: July 1863 -February 1864
5. Life in the Army
“Life in
the Army--The Private Soldier’s Spirit,” by James A. Walker
6. The Overland Campaign
“A
Trooper’s Reminiscences: Wilderness to Yellow Tavern,” by B. B. Vaughan
“Confederate
Cavalry at Spotsylvania,” by George J. Hundley
George S.
Bernard War Diary: March 24, 1864 -June 13, 1864
7. The Petersburg Campaign: Initial
Battles
“Battle
of the 9th of June,” by Prof. Wm. N. Carr
“The
Defense of Petersburg,” by W. H. Hood
George S.
Bernard War Diary: June 14, 1864 -August 16, 1864
“Tablet
to the Heroes of the Crater,” Memorial Address (1911) by George S. Bernard
8. The Battles for the Weldon
Railroad
“The
Weldon Railroad Fight: Gen. Mahone’s Brilliant Move,” by George S. Bernard
Statement
of William Mahone
Official
Report of Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren
Statement
of David Weisiger
Statement
of Hugh R. Smith
Statement
of William C. Smith
Statement
of William H. Stewart
Statement
of V. D. Groner
Statement
of W. A. S. Taylor
Statement
of Griffin F. Edwards
Statement
of Thomas P. Pollard
Statement
of Sylvester J. Roberts
Statement
of Dr. W. V. White
Addendum:
Statement of Major Ro. R. Henry
9. The Petersburg Campaign: August
27, 1864 -March 21, 1865, including the Battle of Burgess Mill
George S.
Bernard War Diary: August 27, 1864 -October 10, 1864
“Fort
Harrison: The Most Destructive Single Shot, September 29, 1864,” by Cornelius
Tacitus Allen
“War
Recollections: A Celebrated Engagement,” by George S. Bernard
Statement
of John R. Turner
Statement
of William Mahone
Statement
of Thos. Emmet Richardson
Statement
of Thomas P. Pollard
George S.
Bernard War Diary: November 9, 1864 -March 21, 1864
10. The Petersburg Campaign:
Miscellaneous Accounts
“Of the
Siege of Petersburg: Some Interesting Recollections of an Officer of Bradford’s
Battery,” by Lieut. P. C. Hoy
Addendum:
Statement of Jas. P. Jackson
“The
Confederate Scout, The Bold Expedition Recalled,” by William E. Cameron
“Artillery
Experiences at Petersburg and Elsewhere,” by Joseph W. Eggleston
“Near the
Enemy’s Lines: Life in Dinwiddie Co. in the Vicinity of the Opposing Armies
during the Last Years of the War,” by Capt. Jno. C. Griffin
Addendum:
Statement of G. Adolphus Boisseau
11. The Fall of Petersburg
“A Deadly
Assault: The Attack upon Fort Stedman on Friday, March 25, 1865, described by
an Eye-Witness,” by J. Campbell Kemp
“Battle
of Fort Stedman: A Federal Soldiers Account,” by Milton A. Embick
“Cockade
City’s Surrender, Delivered to the Federals,” by J. P. Williamson
Addendum:
Statement of William E. Morrison
“A War
Reminiscence,” by C. W. Maynard
“Interesting
Facts Connected with the Occupation of the City by the Federals following the
Evacuation in April, 1865,” by G. W. Camp
12. The Appomattox Campaign
Bernard’s
Biographical Sketch of William Mahone
“What I
Saw and Heard during the Closing Days of the Army of Northern Virginia,” by
General Wm. Mahone
“Some
Recollections of Service by One Who Claims to Have Been the Youngest
Confederate Who Surrendered at Appomattox,” by Walter M. Jones
Excerpts
from George S. Bernard’s Diary, 1865-1866