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, Preface , Like Israel Richardson I am the sum total of my lifetime experiences. As a history fan, I came across the vague story of a seemingly down-to-earth, but aggressive, fighting general who sacrificed his life for his country at the Battle of Antietam. Although Richardson’s exploits during the first year of the war were very important to the cause he fought for, personally, he has become just a footnote in the multitude of writings concerning our American Civil War. Living near his last home and final resting place of Pontiac, Michigan, I was fortunate to discover old, forgotten sources enabling me to piece together his career and to set forth his story in a way that will help us understand why Israel Richardson turned out to be the man he was. In another perspective, I tried to focus not just on Richardson’s deeds but also on the leadership styles of other officers who, while serving with the man as friends and comrades, directly affected the development of Richardson’s own manner of leadership from the beginning of his army life as a cadet to the end of his service as a major general. My theory that President Lincoln might have considered Richardson as a possible candidate to replace George B. McClellan can be debated by Civil War scholars much more distinguished than I. The notion surfaced several times in my research of postwar writings of soldiers of all ranks connected with Richardson, and probably had its roots in the comments of Captain Charles S. Draper, Richardson’s aide-de-camp, who was also wounded at Antietam and shared a bed in the same room. He was the only witness present when the president visited Richardson to pay his respects after the battle. If I accomplished anything with this book, I would hope that history will look more favorably on this old soldier and give him a greater recognition for his actions and service to the nation. In the beginning my goal was to research enough information to publish an article in one of the military’s professional development journals or a Civil War history magazine. But over the course of several years, my search became a sort of detective hunt in which one source led to another. My service as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Benning led me to microfilmed personnel ix returns of U.S. Army Infantry regiments dating back to the 1840s. This interesting source shows how closely some of the most senior opposing commanders during the Civil War worked together on a daily basis within a regiment, and often within the same company, during their Old Army careers. Fort Leavenworth was an excellent source of materials describing the dif- ficulties faced by Richardson in the days following the Mexican War. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was very helpful in supplying records of Richardson ’s early years. I was constantly amazed at the historical connections I uncovered between the army of Richardson’s day and our army today. I am sure that Israel Richardson would be satisfied to know that the disciplined regulars of Company E, U.S. 3rd Infantry Regiment, which he commanded in arguably his most gallant act, charging up the steep hill of Cerro Gordo, still performs its duty today, guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. In personal character, these two armies, separated in time by more than 150 years, are not far apart. My friend Thomas Lane and I worked together to transcribe close to one hundred personal letters written by Richardson that spanned his whole career in the army, from his days as a cadet at West Point to his last prophetic letter as a major general to his wife three days before his mortal wounding. These private letters, held for many years by Mr. Lane’s grandfather, D. Duffy Lane, are a historical treasure that enables the reader to draw out the honest, unpretentious character of the man and help make his past come alive. The letters are also a confirmation of descriptions noted by officers and men who served at his side throughout his army career. Also included with these letters was a one-hundred-page manuscript, titled “Twelve Years Service in the U. S. Army.” Richardson probably began this project in the late 1850s, after his resignation from the army. The Civil War interrupted...

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