The Bloody 85th: The Letters of Milton McJunkin, a Western Pennsylvania Soldier in the Civil War

by Patrick Schroeder and Richard Sauers

Book Overview

The letters of Milton McJunkin are unique and insightful in several ways. His regiment, the 85th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and its wartime service was atypical of the majority of Civil War... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889246131
• ISBN13: 9781889246130
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: Patrick A. Schroeder Publications: Civil War
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

MILTON E. MCJUNKIN - A HONORABLE CIVIL WAR SOLDIER, WHO WAS A MAN OF COURAGE!

I saw this book on a bookstore shelf, and the picture of the handsome, civil war soldier, named Milton McJunkin, on the cover of the book, it caught my eye! And then I realized that the book had personal letters, and drawings of Milton's that he had written about his life as a soldier during the civil war. I was hooked, I had to have this book! This book is also a great civil war study and reference tool. Milton's letters gave me such a unique, real, outlook on what he went through as a soldier. He was a young and handsome 24 year old farmer, who lived near the village of Bentleyville, in west Pike Run Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, who volunteered for the 85th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. That organization had the distinction of serving in both the Army of the Potomac, and the Army of the James. Milton's letters provide a different view of the war, Milton and his comrades served their time around Washington, and saw action on the Peninsula at Williamsburg, and Seven Pines (Fair Oaks)! And they also participated in expeditions to Suffolk, Virgina, and to Goldsboro, North Carolina. This regiment being a veteran one, provided outstanding help and support, for General John G. Foster's force, Creating a diversion in favor of the General Burnside of Virginia. The 85th saw fighing at White Hall, Kinston, and outside of Goldsboro. Then they boarded steamers at Moorehead City, then proceeded to South Carolina, to spend more than a year in operations against the city of Charleston, they were in a one week siege against Fort Wagner on Morris Island. They were also part of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign; the siege of Richmond, and Petersburg; and the battle of Deep Bottom. My favorite things that Milton mentions in his letters, is how excited he was to be a soldier, and how he spoke of his mother, and family, and how he wanted them to give him a update about a horse on their farm, And how he hoped one day, to marry in the first part of May! Milton loved to receive letters and food boxes from home, and he would beg and ask his family to write more letters, and send more food boxes! His family must have loved him very much, to have saved and kept all his written letters; for it has enabled us hundreds of years later, to be able to read his precious and very special letters!( Milton with his handsome self, and his letters moved me, and touched my heart!) Milton said that it felt good to see people come to cheer them as they marched into town! I loved the part where he stood on top of the captiol, and said that he could see as far as the eye could see! Milton mentions in one of his letters, that he walked over part of a battleground, and he said that it was a hard sight to see men torn, and mangled. In Milton's letters you see him as a young eager soldier full of excitement, to a weary veteran of war! In his letters Milton made me feel what he felt, and made me see what he saw! Milton I believe was a good and strong, and caring