The Battle of Shiloh, 1862--Henry Morton Stanley

[Gay Mathis]

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/shiloh.htm
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The Battle of Shiloh, 1862


Excerpt:

Henry Morton Stanley earned fame in 1872 for his discovery of Dr. David Livingstone in the interior of Africa (see Stanley Finds Livingstone, 1872). Ten years earlier, the 21-year-old Stanley had enlisted in the Confederate Army and on April 6, 1862 he found himself preparing for battle at Shiloh. He later described that day and we join his story as his unit readies itself for the fight:
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Gay

[ole]

Wasn't it Stanley (or am I thinking of someone else) who changed sides shortly after Shiloh? Interesting account, by the way; a little less flowery than Bierce's, but compelling.

ole

[Gay Mathis]

Ole, these websites say he switched sides as you are correctly thinking:

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http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hstanley.htm

"After the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Stanley joined the Confererate Army, but later he enlisted in the Union Army."
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http://www.squidoo.com/henrymortonstanley

"As an immigrant Stanley joined the Confederate Army but later, when seeing the tides were turning, Henry Stanley switched sides and joined the Union Army until the end of the war. It was his contacts in the Union Army that later brought Stanley to a stable career in journalism."
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Gay

[ole]

Googling him, I see that he switched sides, deserted shortly thereafter, joined the Navy and deserted from that, as well. Not exactly a patriot of any color.

ole

[Gay Mathis]

Ole, that is the truth..Didn't know he deserted after switching sides..Maybe, at least, he was at Shiloh...

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Gay

[ole]

Seems that Sam Clemens was also a reb for a short while. Or am I thinking of Stanley?

ole

[Gay Mathis]

"Mark Twain House"--Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain--1835-1910

http://www.marktwainhouse.org/theman/bio.shtml
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Excerpt:

"Sam joined a volunteer Confederate unit called the Marion Rangers, but he quit after just two weeks"

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Gay

[Gay Mathis]

Ole, also read this part--"Samuel and the Civil War - Less Than Heroic"..Scroll down the page..

http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1045.html
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Gay

[ole]

Read the whole link with much relish. Thanks everso for providing it.

I can empathize with Sam's bravery. Had I been there at the time, Colorado or California would certainly have become irresistably attractive.

ole