The Archive
All Articles
Every article indexed from the pages of Civil War News — 2551 of them across113 issues, 2016 to 2026. Each one opens the full text on civilwarnews.com.
A Week in 1862 with Stuart’s Cavalry Covering Lee’s Flank
On Sept. 5, 1862, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia began crossing the Potomac River at White’s Ford, Edward’s and Noland’s Ferries. Frederick native Colonel Bradle…
“The Troops Are All in Very High Spirits”
Civil War soldiers’ letters are still being discovered, 150 years after the conflict ended. Letters from Florida soldiers are especially rare, given the state’s s…
Wanted: Eighteen-Foot-Tall Men
“To capture Richmond would be grand, but to capture Charleston would be glorious.” – Soldier, 11th Maine In 1862, the walls of Fort Pulaski, Ga., crumbled under t…
The Gatling Gun
When I was a little kid, walking up Broadway in New York City with my father and best friend Ron, I saw something in a store window on lower Broadway that made me…
Previously Unknown Map Showing Engagement’s Aftermath Amounts to ‘Rosetta Stone” for Battle of Antietam
Without a doubt, the battlefield at Antietam, site of the September 17, 1862, clash that still represents the bloodiest day in American history, is hallowed groun…
Perspectives on Sharpsburg, Phase One
In previous columns we viewed the Battle of Antietam from the perspective of Federal officers whose troops contended with their Confederate enemies throughout the…
Merrill Altered Virginia Manufactory Rifles
By an act of the Virginia legislature, the Virginia Manufactory of Arms was established in 1797. The goal of this armory, located along the James River in Richmon…
Letters to the Editor — August 2020
TO THE EDITOR: I was struck by the lead article in your June issue: Fact or Fiction? Black Confederates. I’ve seen this matter discussed in a wide variety of venu…
In Memoriam
In Memoriam The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals.…
From The Editor: On Monuments and the Silent Majority
From The Editor: On Monuments and the Silent Majority On June 22, in the dead of night, the Confederate soldier monument in Greenville, N.C., came down. It offend…
Fishing Creek Confederacy in Pennsylvania 1864
It was early May and I planned a trout fishing trip to the Bloomsburg, Penn., area to do some trout fishing in upper Columbia County. My wife Nancy, also my outdo…
Emerging Civil War — August 2020
From the Editor In the preservation world, we like to tout “win-win” situations. For example, when the May 1 battlefield at Chancellorsville was preserved, preser…
Dime Novels
During the war, soldiers loved to read, especially during the downtime in camp. Newspapers, letters from home (the favorite of most), the Bible, and various dime…
Civil War Publication Survey
Published with permission from Mike Movius, President, CWRT Congress, www.cwrtcongress.org. This survey was conceived as more of an informational instrument than…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - F
Fort that kept Wilmington, N.C., open for blockade runners “That Devil” who said “get there first with the most men” Battle where Cleburn fell He led a cavalry ch…
Chesapeake Monument Commemorates Jackson Greys
In the old Pleasant Grove Baptist Churchyard on St. Brides Road West, a rough granite obelisk commemorates formation of the Jackson Greys on July 11, 1861. The Gr…
Book Reviews — August 2020
Technology and Humanity in the Civil War: An Illustrated Journey Confederate Soldiers in the American Civil War. By Mark Hughes. Illustrated, appendices, index, 1…
American Battlefield Trust — August 2020
Despite ongoing restrictions on visiting battlefield parks and other sites in many states, the American Battlefield Trust has continued to protect additional hall…
A Passion for Civil War History, Artifacts and Preservation
Growing up in the town of Fredericksburg, Va., having forebears with military service, and my own and varied experiences led me to take the challenge of service o…
A Few Thoughts on the U.S. Model 1841 Percussion Rifle
The decision to abandon flintlocks and start producing percussion rifles and muskets led to a new military rifle design in 1841. The so-called U.S. M1841 rifle wa…
A Candid Interview with Garry Adelman, American Battlefield Trust’s Chief Historian
If anyone in the Civil War community sets the bar for excitement and enthusiasm, it’s Garry Adelman. Garry is the chief historian for the American Battlefield Tru…
“Killed in Battle September 17th”
“Killed in Battle September 17th” by Shannon Pritchard The most common accoutrement waist belt in the Confederate army was a standard belt that utilized a plain b…
“Give Them Fredericksburg”: The 20th Massachusetts at Gettysburg
“Give Them Fredericksburg”: The 20th Massachusetts at Gettysburg by Sarah Kay Bierle “The moment I saw them, I knew we should give them Fredericksburg,” declared…
Wiley Sword Collection at Pamplin Park
Wiley Sword, regarded as an esteemed scholar, respected as a gentleman, and known for authoring many Civil War books, also collected period documents and letters.…