Memorial Day: Remembering Jacob Bruner
This Memorial Day, I have chosen to honor Civil War soldier Jacob Bruner, one of the hundreds of men who died at Milliken’s Bend on June 7, 1863. Bruner was 29 years old when he enlisted in the 68th Ohio more »
Category Archives: Primary sources
Plantations of Milliken’s Bend
I recently discovered on the National Archives website a small set of extremely detailed maps of the area of Milliken’s Bend and the Mississippi River. These are invaluable for learning more about the precise locations of Milliken’s Bend, and the more »
John Gordon, veteran and freedman
John Gordon’s complete pension file – now available online! Nearly 300 pages!
Continue reading →Spectacular Eyewitness Image of Milliken’s Bend
One of the last acts of David Batey was to sketch this spectacular image of the fighting at Milliken’s Bend, and send it home to his family. Batey was a private in Company C, 17th Texas Infantry (Allan’s regiment) more »
Outrages and Murders, Louisiana, 1868
Freedom for the slaves was short-lived. Hundreds of whites in Louisiana would see to that. Just as assertively, former slaves continued to fight for justice and secure their hard-won rights, often losing their lives in the struggle. Racial violence was more »