Union Personalities

When the Civil War broke out, a cast of colorful characters flocked to the banners. Some were former officers in the regular U.S. Army, but others were politicians or politically-connected citizens with no military experience. Their flaws and eccentricities would be severely tested in the first months of combat. Some would rise to prominence, while others would skulk away in disgrace. Some would give their lives, never seeing the war’s end. The following are just a few of the personalities that fought for the Union in Virginia in 1861.