Brother Against Brother: An UnCivil War
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This page is in honor of our ancestors who left home and comfort to take up arms during the War of the Rebellion. The Civil War has often been referred to as a war of brother against brother and father against son. No other state serves as a better example of this than what would later become West Virginia, where there was relatively equal support for the northern and southern causes. Often families were split down the middle over their beliefs on the war. There are many instances of divided loyalties and even of individuals fighting for both sides.
My gg-grandmother Mary Forqurean, and her brothers, from the Kanawha Valley of Virginia were good examples of this. These brave men fought on both sides...brother against brother...defending their families and their way of life. By the war's end those who survived returned home, weary from the horror and gore of the battle. President Lincoln had promised to care for those who had borne the burden of the war; however, there was little political pressure to see that these promises were kept after his assassination.
Men who had fought together and survived were left with memories difficult to face. As the winds of war quieted and the smoke and smell of burnt black powder of battle faded, the memories were replaced with their personal rain of tears.
During the Civil War there were three types of soldiers: militia, volunteers, and the regular army. The military units of the North were of various types. These included artillery, cavalry, and infantry. Heavy artillery would be found in forts or as siege guns, and sometimes on rail cars. Field artillery was more mobile; smaller caliber howitzers could even be carried on horseback. Cavalry weapons were the sword, carbine or pistol. Infantry was heavy or light, with the light infantry more quickly mobile than the heavy infantry. Sharpshooters were considered as infantry, although more specialized. Most units, with the exception of regular US Army units, were associated with the state from which they were organized.
The basic record of a soldier is in the regimental book and in the company book. Units that have regimental books (and company books) in the National Archives are found at www.archives.gov/genealogy/military/civil-war/. These records can include a regimental order book, company order books, a regimental descriptive book, company descriptive books, consolidated morning reports by company, a regimental 'letters sent' book, and miscellaneous books.
For additional reading about the Civil War, see:
The Civil War Home Page
Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients
Civil War Battle Summaries by Campaign
The Music of the American Civil War
The National Archives: Civil War Records
New England Civil War Museum/Thomas J. O'Connell Library
The Grand Army of the Republic
The War Generations
Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates
Atrocities of the Civil War
Civil War Photos: Special Collections
Jefferson Davis' Inaugural Address as Provisional President of the Confederacy
The Confederate Research Room at Lineages
Sandusky County, Ohio Civil War Soldiers
Time Line of the American Civil War
The History Place - U.S. Civil War: 1861-1865
This Day in Civil War History
View the 'Maple Leaf' Shipwreck under excavation
Civil War Resources
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You are listening to: Battle Cry of Freedom, by George F. Root [1820-1895]
Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys,
We'll rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom,
We will rally from the hillside,
We'll gather from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
CHORUS:
The Union forever,
Hurrah! boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitors,
Up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys,
Rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
We are springing to the call
Of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
And we'll fill our vacant ranks with
A million free men more,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.--CHORUS
We will welcome to our numbers
The loyal, true and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
And although they may be poor,
Not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.--CHORUS
So we're springing to the call
From the East and from the West,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
And we'll hurl the rebel crew
From the land that we love best,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.--CHORUS
This midi file was sequenced by Benjamin Tubb, and is used with his permission.
You may visit his web site at: PD Music
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