My Brave Boys: To War With Colonel Cross and the Fighting Fifth

by Mike Pride, Mark Travis

Two thousand regiments fought in Union armies during the Civil War. None -- not one -- suffered more deaths in battle than the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers. At the center of this regiment's searing experience is Colonel Edward Cross, a journalist and adventurer who infused the Fifth with his formidable personality. Concord Monitor editors Mike Pride and Mark Travis spent eight years digging for the story of Cross and his men in letters, diaries, memoirs, official records, and newspaper accounts. The result is a military history unfolded in human terms, as the men themselves experienced it.

As Walter Holden, a longtime student of the Fifth, writes in his foreword: The reader will see how an outstanding regiment was formed and outfitted, how the men camped and marched, how they reacted to battle. Here are the deft personal touches that bring events to life. Here are the heroics but also the gripes and backbiting, the conflicts between leaders and the subjugation of the individual for the success of the group. This is a book for any Civil War buff or student of history, but it will be of particular interest in the state that produced this extraordinary regiment long ago.

Genres: Civil War, Military History

357 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[noreast_bookreviewsnh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Brave Boys: To war with Colonel Cross and the Fighting Fifth by Mike Pride and Mark Travis
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The best unit history and biography of the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers and their battle tested Colonel Edward Cross from Lancaster, NH. The Fifth New Hampshire was known as “the fighting fifth” and deservedly so; the regiment would claim the highest amount of combat casualties during the civil war. Serving from October 1861 until the wars end, the 5th NH saw heavy fighting during the peninsula campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg (where Colonel Cross would be Killed in action). The unit was never the same after the death of Colonel Cross and after Gettysburg they only had about 150 of the original 1100 men left in the regiment and had to be reinforced with new recruits from NH to continue through the wars end.

This book draws from dozens of soldiers letters, official records and Colonel Cross’s personal correspondence. It does a beautiful job of weaving these sources together to create a highly readable and engaging narrative. Colonel Cross is a bombastic, unapologetic war democrat who was entirely against abolition and equality of the races, but was a staunch supporter of preserving the union, like many of the volunteers across the country. His political views and democratic affiliation kept him from advancing through the ranks and he was repeatedly passed over form promotion to Brigadier General. Although Colonel Cross was unable to silence his own political views, he was an excellent fighter, extremely courageous, and excelled at leading men into battle. He was held in high regard by General Winfield Scott Hancock who repeatedly pushed for Cross’s promotion.

For those with any interest in the Civil War, this one is a must read !

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done unit history with a decent balance of action, background, and analysis.

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and easy to read account of the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers and their battles during the American Civil War. The book follows the men and their commander, Colonel Edward Cross, from the start of the war till their final battle at Gettysburg and after till the end of the war. This is a good story and I am sure any reader who enjoys a good read on the Civil War will enjoy this book.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Civil war, NH history, more about Gettysburg....whats not to like!