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The hard-fighting 11th Michigan Volunteer Infantry was recruited from sparsely settled southwest Michigan shortly after the Civil War broke out. Mainly composed of young farmers and tradesmen, the regiment rapidly evolved into one of the Army of the Cumberland's elite combat units, tenaciously fighting its way through some of the war's bloodiest engagements.
This book--featuring a complete unit roster--chronicles the regiment through the words of the veterans, tracing their development from a rabble of idealists into a fine-tuned fighting machine that executed successful bayonet charges against superior numbers. The narrative continues into the postwar period, discussing the ex-soldiers' careers through Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. Photographs, maps, illustrations and a statistical analysis round out the work.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
1.¿"Stars and stripes unfurled": April-November 1861
2.¿"An enemy to be feared": November 1861-April 1862
3.¿"Covered in dust instead of glory": April-December 1862
4.¿"Two huge serpents": December 1862-January 1863
5.¿"Perfectly careless": January-September 1863
6.¿"We fought like tigers": September 1863
7.¿"The enemy fled like a flock of sheep": September 1863-May 1864
8.¿"Sick and tired of fighting": May-October 1864
Epilogue
Appendix A: A POW Poem
Appendix B: The 11th Michigan by the Numbers
Appendix C: Unit Roster
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Eric R. Faust has written three books about the exploits of Michigan troops during the Civil War. He lives in Palo Alto, California.
Summary
The hard-fighting 11th Michigan Volunteer Infantry was recruited from sparsely settled southwest Michigan shortly after the Civil War broke out. This book - featuring a complete unit roster - tells the story of the regiment through the words of the veterans, tracing their development from a rabble of idealists into a fine-tuned fighting machine.
