Ellis Spear

author

Ellis Spear

1834–1917

Best known for his service with the 20th Maine during the Civil War, he later turned his firsthand experience into vivid historical writing. His memoirs stand out for their clear, practical voice and close-up view of army life.

2 Audiobooks

The hoe cake of Appomattox

The hoe cake of Appomattox

by Ellis Spear

The Story of the Raising and Organization of a Regiment of Volunteers in 1862 Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the District of Columbia, War Papers 46

The Story of the Raising and Organization of a Regiment of Volunteers in 1862 Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the District of Columbia, War Papers 46

by Ellis Spear

About the author

Born in Warren, Maine, in 1834, Ellis Spear graduated from Bowdoin College in 1858 and worked as a teacher before the Civil War. He served in the Union Army with the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry, rising through the ranks and becoming closely associated with some of the war’s most famous campaigns.

After the war, Spear also worked in public service, including as a United States commissioner. As a writer, he is remembered for The Civil War Recollections of General Ellis Spear and other pieces drawn from his own experience, valued for their directness and attention to what he actually saw rather than legend.

He died in 1917, but his work remains useful to readers who want a grounded, personal window into the Civil War and the people who fought it.