Blood-Stained Scabbard
Life on the Civil War Research Trail
•
14m
John Alfred Koltes, a German immigrant who had served in the Mexican War and later as a Marine, became colonel of the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War. By all accounts a brave leader, he stepped up to lead a charge and paid with his life. Here's the story.
Up Next in Life on the Civil War Research Trail
-
Chickamauga: “The Earth Trembled with...
What was it like to come within an inch of a musket ball in battle? Chaplain William W. Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry happened to be riding with the surgeon of his regiment in an area active with sharpshooters during the Battle of Chickamauga.
-
“The Blood-Stained Monster Must Die.”
Some of the most literate writers in the Civil War served as army chaplains, those men of faith who tended to flocks of soldier boys far away from home. One of them, William Wallace Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry, wrote a book about his experiences published in 1865. Here's a sample.
-
Pipe in Cap, a First Defender Goes to...
Following the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Washington, D.C. was surrounded by pro-secession Baltimoreans to its north and Virginians on the verge of leaving the Union along part of its border. Union-loyal regiments rushed to the capital to defend the federal government and its new president, Abrah...
