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Mosby's Men Confronted a Union Chaplain. It Did Not Go Well.

Life on the Civil War Research Trail

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On June 8, 1863, Chaplain John Seage of the 4th Michigan Infantry set out on horseback from Fredericksburg, Va., to Washington, D.C. He carried thousands of dollars in cash, and other valuables, for families back in Michigan. Along the way he encountered Mosby's Rangers.

Life on the Civil War Research Trail is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

Learn more about the 4th Michigan Infantry: https://4thmichigan.wordpress.com/

The program is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images for this series are sourced from private collectors who have contributed to Military Images magazine, public collections in the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Archives, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many other repositories. For questions about sources, please contact militaryimages@gmail.com.

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20 Comments

@SgtJo 3 days ago

Wonderful selection to share with us, thank you Ron. It's amazing to me, how deeply thoughtful and eloquent people were during this time in our history. Not like reading tweets!

@Larre-z4t 3 days ago

An outstanding historical account of this remarkable Chaplain and family. It was proper and fitting that he was finally given relief. Thanks .

@kdiddleheimer3120 4 days ago (edited)

That letter was beyond moving. Chaplain Seage spelled it out to Gov. Blair exactly what war was like for him (Seage) and his son, Watson. Following these horrific injuries, all incurred because of devotion to duty, the Chaplain and his son can't get rightful compensation. His anger, although conveyed tactfully, was completely justified.

@GretchenCanfield-p8n 3 days ago

Never thought about a chaplain’s service in terms of a congregation - he was caring for his flock and their families. What a determined and brave man!

@poodleguiderpeyes7388 3 days ago

Talk about Yankee bravery! Thanks Ron for tellling the story.

@DarylSauerwald 3 days ago

My son is an award-winning military historian. I shall direct
him to this story.

@roberthess3939 2 days ago

Thank you, Ron. This was a very moving tale. This side of heaven, no one will ever know the sacrifices these soldiers paid to help keep our nation united. Best to you.

@insidethecourtmedina 2 days ago

As always, I really enjoyed watching this video clip. Thank you, Ron, for sharing.

@lonnieclemens8028 2 days ago

Thank you for sharing this video.

@darrellborland119 4 days ago (edited)

Good morning Ron, and all. Quite a gripping story you have told. Thank you, who come here, and a good Monday's greeting. PS: Having read Ron's narrative concerning Mosby, I still find it amazing that he was not hanged, as Grant intervened, thus assured Mosby's future. A lot of "generosity" had to be extended, after the Civil War, on both sides.

@CCM2361- 3 days ago

Great episode, thanks for sharing that!

@mirrorblue100 2 days ago

beautifully written and well read

@christophercorner9526 2 days ago

Great story of the tribulations of chaplins. Thank you. five thumbs up.

@botman6000 4 days ago

It's very difficult for me to conceive that a letter like this needs to be written to the governor of Michigan in the first place. Those were different times. Thank you, Ron!

@jamesmazzoni5063 3 days ago

Thanks Ron!

@MalzoneFan 3 days ago

Listening to the inventory of the injuries received by Chaplain Seage and his son, all I can say is they were two tough hombres to have survived at all.

@dennisclapp7527 3 days ago (edited)

Thank you Ron. One of my Great Great Grandfathers was captured at the Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs and spent the winter in a covered wooden bridge over the Pearl River. He was "paroled" and returned to Ohio and reelisted. His Ohio regiment was at Galveston when the war ended. I inherited his musket. He had stamped his name, Bishop Asbury Harriss, in the stock. He also named his youngest son, Ulysses Grant Harriss. He was given to tell tall tales of which we know that at least some of them were true.

@genericusernameforme 1 day ago

What a fascinating story.

@rickmo-w6b 1 day ago

Thank you for the great content and for showing everyone how hard and tough life used to be - WE all have it so easy, today, in the 21st and almost 1/2 century - because of their suffering(s).

;-]

REALLY!!!