The end of June 1862 found the Union general George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac at the end of a week-long retreat during the Seven Days battles, having finally taken up a strong position on Malvern Hill near the James River. Several lines of infantry were arranged along the hill’s slope, with numerous batteries of artillery positioned behind them with a clear view of any approaching Rebels. McClellan’s position seemed nearly impregnable, but Gen. Robert E. Lee believed one more attack on July 1 would destroy the exhausted Union Army.Read the rest here.
Col. Eugene Waggaman’s 10th Louisiana was one regiment that participated in the dramatic charge. Waggaman was a deeply religious and popular officer who commanded a motley crew of soldiers. Most of his men were from New Orleans, and they reflected that city’s cosmopolitan makeup: one company had recruits from 15 foreign countries and another was made up almost entirely of Greeks and Italians. Because many of Waggaman’s men could not speak English, the regiment used French drill commands exclusively. It was motley in other ways as well: the men of the 10th Louisiana were constant camp discipline problems and helped create the notorious reputation of the famed and feared Louisiana Tigers. It would also see its share of hard service: of the regiment’s 845 members, 205 would not survive the Civil War.
I found the post script about the events of 2004-05 both sad and moving.
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