Blooding the Regiment: An Account of the 22d Wisconsin's Long and Difficult Apprenticeship

Blooding the Regiment is the meticulously-researched narrative of a Union regiment that was hampered by in-fighting and politicking that led to its capture in the early stages of its service in the western theatre of the American Civil War. Conflicts in the officer's corps of the regiment were ultimately overcome when it was purged of its dissenters and unity of command was achieved. The troubled group fully overcame its divisions near the end of the war at the battle of Resaca, where it was crystallized into a steadfast, reliable fighting unit. The narrative brings together diverse sources including official military records, the private letters of many of the regiment's soldiers, newspaper articles of the time, and existing historical research to give a complete, vibrant picture of what life may have actually been like for the 22d Wisconsin regiment at each stage of its long and difficult development. Drawing upon his own extensive experience as an officer in the U.S. army, Groves sheds a uniquely intimate light on the events in the narrative, bringing a wealth of historical facts into a vivid and accurate picture. The work is equally valuable as a historical study, a critique of military strategy, and simply as an entertaining read for lovers of good storytelling.