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.
The Civil War Letters of James Andrew James
During the Civil War Private James A. James wrote numerous letters home to his family, describing life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee. A collection of these…
Rare Surviving Richmond Sharp’s Ammunition Crate
The green waterproof paint on this Richmond Arsenal ammunition chest shows a lot of wear, but has not peeled or faded. The Richmond Arsenal’s white stenciled info…
Perspectives on Manassas
Last month we examined the First Battle of Bull Run from the point of view of five Federal officers who commanded brigades in the first major battle of the Civil…
One Mile of James River and 181 Acres Protected at River’s Bend
RICHMOND, Va.—The path of the James River takes many twists and turns along its 348mile journey from the Allegheny Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay yet only one pl…
Old Nicknames
1. “As soon as they saw his high forehead and large, popping eyes, they christened him ‘Old Brains.’” Who was this major general who became the Union army’s chief…
National Park Service names Tracy Stakely as Fort Sumter National Monument Superintendent
ATLANTA, Ga.—On Jan. 12, National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin announced the selection of J. Tracy Stakely as superintendent of Fort…
NC Cavalry “long range guns,” Southern Starrs & Colt Sales
We are back at the battle of New Bern again. Another interesting newspaper clipping arrived from my North Carolina friend Skip Riddle. First lieutenant William A.…
Lindsay’s “Double Musket”
On October 9, 1860, John Parker Lindsay of New York City received U.S. Patent #30,332 for “improvement in locks for firearms.” The patent covered a unique, superi…
Letters To The Editor
TO THE EDITOR: Harold Holzer’s oration on the 154th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address (January 2018 CWN issue) was timely and informative. His focus on the up…
Laurel Hill: It’s All About the Past
It was a sunny fall day, cool and crisp. Ambling along an unfamiliar trail, each turn brought interesting changes of scenery, soulful sculptures and monuments bef…
Inverted Belt Buckle
“Those (Confederates) wearing our army belts did so with the “U.S.” upside down…” Henry Tisdale, 35th Mass. Inf. One of the questions that comes up fairly often o…
I Fights Mit Sigel
“A charge of infantry like that last closing scene has never been made on this continent.” – U.S. Gen. Samuel Curtis Missouri began the War as a slave state torn…
Harwell’s In Tall Cotton
“Confederate history has survived its eras of apology, of brag and bombast, of pietistic biography, of de-bunking, of reappraisal and revisionism,” Richard Barksd…
Gone but not Forgotten
In the late summer and fall of 1864, the American Civil War was entering its final phases. To those fighting the war, the outcome was still anything but certain.…
God Bless the Compilers But Who Was N. A. Strait?
Every serious student of the Civil War begins to accumulate reference works, by purchase, borrowing, or by sitting in the library. The voluminous Official Records…
Flag Rotation at the New Jersey State Museum
When the boss wants your office, you move. What is true in private enterprise is equally true in state government. Hence, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie…
First Annual CWN Symposium
As a special feature of Mike Kent’s popular Civil War Show held February 3-4 in Dalton, Ga., Civil War News sponsored a half-day seminar. Four Civil War scholars—…
Dying 108th N.Y. soldier: ‘Tell Charlie I tried to do my duty’
In the spring of 1864, the hard fighting 108th New York struggled to replenish its ranks after brutal battles at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and G…
Dalton’s Civil War Show Draws A Record Crowd
DALTON, Ga.—Awesome! The only word that can be used to describe the 2018 Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale held February 3 & 4, at the Dalton Trade Center in Da…
Colt Army Revolvers
By John Sexton Colt Army Revolvers A reunion of a pair of presentation Colt Army Revolvers just recently brought back together James Julia Auctions sold SN 112018…
Civil War Events March – May
Before making plans to attend an event contact the event host. Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. Email to: ads…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust organizes an Annual Youth Day
FREDERICKSBURG, Va.— While many of their peers slept in, a group of 20 students decided to wake up early and brave freezing temperatures to help preserve a local…
Bull Run Civil War Round Table’s 25th Anniversary Commemorative Publication Wins Award
On November 11, the Fairfax County (Va.) History Commission presented the Mary Fehringer Achievement Award to the Bull Run Civil War Round Table (BRCWRT) for its…
Book Reviews — March 2018
Collecting Gettysburg Relics—A Patriot’s Legacy J. Howard Wert’s Gettysburg: A Collection of Relics from the Civil War Battle. By Bruce E. Mowday and G. Craig Cab…