Buell, Major General Don Carlos (1818-1898). Commanded the Union Army of the Ohio. His army supplied the badly needed reinforcements at the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, sometimes called the Battle of Shiloh. After a fierce but inconclusive encounter with the Confederates under Gen. Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Perryville in October 1862, Buell was severely criticized and relieved of his command.

Carrick’s Ford (or Corrick’s Ford). On July 13, 1861, after the Union victory at Cheat Mountain, Gen. Thomas Morris (leader of Bierce’s Indiana Brigade) chased the retreating army of Gen. Robert S. Garnett. Garnett was shot and killed at the ford, and, without proper leadership, his soldiers fled.

Cheat Mountain. The Cheat Mountain Campaign was a five-day campaign in September 1861 in Virginia. Gen. Robert E. Lee’s forces mounted an attack against Union troops led by J. J. Reynolds. Bad weather and rugged terrain thwarted Lee’s success.

Chickahominy Valley. From a few miles north of Richmond, Virginia, the Chickahominy River flows southeast until it empties into the James River. In May 1862 the Chickahominy River became an important factor in the defense of Richmond because heavy spring rains had made the normally slow river a torrent and difficult to cross. The swollen river effectively bisected the two wings of McClellan’s army that was closing in on the city.

Chickamauga. The Battle of Chickamauga Creek, Tennessee, was fought on September 19-20, 1863. It was one of the bloodiest engagements of the war, without a clear victory for either side. Confederate General Bragg forced Union General Rosencrans’s army to retreat, but Union General Thomas stood his ground and prevented a decisive victory for the Confederates. Confederate losses numbered more than 18,000 killed, wounded, or captured; the Union lost more than 16,000.

Corinth. Confederate General Johnston began concentrating his forces at Corinth, Mississippi, where he hoped to take the offensive and destroy General Grant’s Army of the Tennessee. The Confederate engagement at Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh) was successful until Johnston was killed. A delay in the fighting enabled Union reinforcements to bolster Grant’s army. With the arrival of Buell’s Army of the Ohio, the Confederates, who had made military gains, were forced to march back to Corinth.

Gaines’s Mill. The Battle of Gaines’s Mill was part of the “Seven Days’ Battle” in Virginia, as part of the unsuccessful effort of the Union army to take Richmond. On June 27, 1862, Gen. Fitz John Porter, commanding around 35,000 troops, held off a Confederate force of about 55,000 men. The Battle of Gaines’s Mill was the last of the battles to be fought on the north side of the Chickahominy River.

Grant, General Ulysses S. (1822-1885). After his successful campaigns in Tennessee, President Lincoln made Grant commander in chief of the Union armies. Grant led the Army of the Potomac against Gen. Robert E. Lee that eventually led to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. As one can tell from his comments in these stories and elsewhere, Bierce did not regard Grant very highly and believed him to be too intent on self-promotion.

Greenbrier River. A river in western Virginia and the scene of a minor engagement at which Bierce was present on October 3, 1861. Union Gen. Joseph Reynolds failed to outflank Confederate Gen. Henry Jackson, and both sides withdrew.

Halleck, Major General Henry Wager (1815-1872). Union general. In July 1862 he was appointed general in chief of the United States armies. In preparation for the battle that eventually took place at Pittsburg Landing, Halleck ordered General Grant to advance up the Tennessee River and to await the arrival of General Buell’s Army of the Ohio from Nashville.

Hazen, General William B. (1830-1887). Union officer who led the 19th Brigade of the Army of Ohio at Shiloh. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862 and served at that rank in the Battles of Stone’s River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, and others. He was promoted to major general in December 1864. Bierce personally admired Hazen and served on his personal staff for a time.

Hood, General John Bell (1831-1879). Confederate general and commander of the Army of Tennessee. His aggressive tactics resulted in early military successes but he was decisively defeated by Union Gen. George Thomas at Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1864.

Kennesaw Mountain. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, occurred on June 27, 1864. It was a defensive victory for the Confederates because Sherman’s forces could not break General Johnston’s lines and because Union casualties were far greater than those of the Confederates. Sherman lost some 3,000 men (killed or wounded) with nothing to show for it. The engagement delayed but did not prevent his march through Georgia.

Missionary Ridge. A mountain ridge in Georgia and Tennessee, where, against orders, Union Generals George Thomas and Philip Sheridan ascended the ridge and defeated Confederate forces led by Gen. Braxton Bragg on November 25, 1863. As a result, Bragg’s army was forced to re treat deep into Georgia.

Nashville. The Battle of Nashville was a decisive battle on December 15-16, 1864, in which Union General George Henry Thomas succeeded in driving Confederate General John Bell Hood back from his position outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Philippi. Site in western Virginia of a surprise attack of a Confederate encampment on June 3, 1861.

Pickett, General George Edward (1825-1875). Served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War. At the start of the American Civil War in 1861 he joined the Confederate forces and was commissioned a colonel; he soon rose to the rank of major general. He is best known for his bold but unsuccessful charge on July 3, 1863 (“Pickett’s Charge”), during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Port Royal. Port Royal Ferry, South Carolina, is near Hilton Head and about 70 miles south of Charleston. On January 1, 1861, Federal troops attacked Port Royal Ferry. The attacking force included four gunboats, a ferry boat, and four large launches, each carrying twelve-pound howitzer cannons.

Resaca. The Battle of Resaca, Georgia, occurred May 13-14, 1864. As part of Sherman’s march to the sea, this was the first major battle in his advance to Atlanta.

Rich Mountain. On July 11, 1861, Gen. William Rosencrans overran the Confederate-held Rich Mountain, helping to secure western Virginia for the Union.

Sheridan, General Philip (1831-1888). Rose from captain at the beginning of the war to major general by 1864. He commanded the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Shenandoah in his drive through the Shenandoah Valley. He effectively cut off Gen. Robert E. Lee’s retreat from Appomattox, thus forcing Lee’s surrender to Grant on April 9, 1865.

Sherman, General William Tecumseh (1820-1891). Served under General Grant at Shiloh and later replaced Grant (after Grant became commander of the Union armies) as Commander of the Union Army in the West. Known for his devastating “march to the sea” through Georgia.

Shiloh. Site of the Battle at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, on April 6-7, 1862. It was a very costly battle on both sides. The Confederates lost some 13,000 men, the Union more than 10,000. Under the command of Gen. Albert Johnston, the Confederates attacked Grant’s army. Johnston was killed in the conflict, and his successor, Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard, ordered the fighting suspended a few hours later. With the arrival of General Buell’s forces by steamboat, the Union was able to attack the next day, and the Confederates withdrew to Corinth, Mississippi.

Stone’s River. The Battle of Stone’s River, Dec. 31, 1862-Jan. 2, 1863, sometimes called the “Battle of Murfreesboro,” was a particularly fierce battle between Union and Confederate armies over Nashville’s supply lines at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Union Maj. Gen. William Rosencrans and Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg fought to a stalemate, resulting in more than 20,000 casualties.

Thomas, General George Henry (1816-1870). Popularly referred to as “Pap Thomas.” A Union general, also known as “The Rock of Chickamauga,” because, at the Battle of Chickamauga, his army withstood a Confederate charge and prevented a rout of Union troops. Thomas was instrumental in several other battles, including Stone’s River, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge.