TOPIC: Wilder’s Lightning Brigade
Colonel John Wilder was among the most forward-thinking and aggressive Union brigade commanders. His men, the hardy farmer-outdoorsmen who became rugged soldiers and determined fighters, were a vital component of the brigade’s battlefield success. Col Wilder recognized the shortcomings of the Union Army’s ability to thwart a vastly superior Confederate Cavalry and was disappointed that current battlefield tactics were obsolete with the more modern weapons of the day. He took the initiative to create his own style of fighting. First, he procured the Spencer 7-shot Repeating Rifle and incorporated new tactics to maximize its effects. Then he obtained horses for his brigade to give them speed and maneuverability. His horse soldiers were highly mobile and able to move rapidly from point to point, but they deployed and fought as infantry – with one very important difference – their breechloading Spencers enabled them to fight prone, or from behind cover, without undue exposure in loading compared to the typical soldier with the standard percussion muzzleloading rifle. This combination of excellent leadership, supremely confident and capable soldiers, superior firepower, speed and maneuverability, and creative tactics gave Wilder’s Lightning Brigade an enormous advantage over their conventionally armed and tactically outmoded opponents.
SPEAKER: Scott Diezman
Scott was born in Nelsonville, Ohio and grew up in New Lexington. He has been a Civil War enthusiast since childhood. This enthusiasm was bolstered upon discovery of his great-great grandfather’s service in the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (a Regiment from Athens, OH) and he has since focused his research on the Army of the Cumberland.
Scott retired after 20 years of service as a Lt Col in the United States Air Force where he was a satellite engineer/program manager for multiple space systems and served a tour of duty in Iraq during Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. After his military retirement, Scott served for a decade as the Subject Matter Expert on Space-based Intelligence Systems to the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment at the Pentagon. He currently serves as Satellite Engineer and Program Management Advisor at the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly, VA.
As part of building his military leadership skills, Scott studied various leaders throughout history and one of his favorite leaders is Col John Wilder. Wilder’s ability to innovate and adapt to evolving warfare resulted in battlefield success and changed the way we fight wars.
In his spare time, Scott provides Civil War presentations to multiple Civil War Round Tables, schools, and history day events. He also leads tours of the Chickamauga Battlefield and Chattanooga area.
He and his wife, Susan, reside in Centreville, VA where he spends time conducting research at the National Archives in Washington D.C. Scott collaborated with multiple well-known historians and Civil War authors to create this presentation that tells the story of the evolution of Col Wilder’s Brigade into valiant heroes on the battlefields of Tennessee and Georgia. His account honors these brave soldiers and ensures that their incredible story is not forgotten.