Civil War News, 2018
12 issues published in 2018, with 316 articles indexed here.
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December 2018Vol. 44, No. 12 · 26 articles
November 2018Vol. 44, No. 11 · 34 articles
October 2018Vol. 44, No. 10 · 24 articles
September 2018Vol. 44, No. 9 · 22 articles
August 2018Vol. 44, No. 8 · 27 articles
July 2018Vol. 44, No. 7 · 24 articles
June 2018Vol. 44, No. 6 · 28 articles
May 2018Vol. 44, No. 5 · 24 articles
April 2018Vol. 44, No. 4 · 24 articles
March 2018Vol. 44, No. 3 · 29 articles
February 2018Vol. 44, No. 2 · 24 articles
January 2018Vol. 44, No. 1 · 30 articles
Articles from 2018
316 indexedUnion Veterans Honored Fallen Foe at Balls Bluff
The story behind a lone marker honoring a Confederate soldier at Balls Bluff Regional Park on the Potomac River near Leesburg, Va., stands in honored contrast to…
The U.S. Model 1851 Cadet Musket
In May 1851, the United States Ordnance Department authorized the manufacture of 2,000 percussion cadet muskets. The production of these muskets was necessary to…
The Civil War Returns to Sidney, Ohio
Sidney, Ohio’s, Civil War Living History Weekend returned to the community’s 220 acre Tawawa Park the weekend of Sept. 15-16. The heavily wooded park, complete wi…
The Burning Bridge
“I thought my time had come and that I passed the balls only to perish miserably on that burning bridge” – W.W. Sullivan C.S.A. On Dec. 11, 1862, U.S. Gen John Fo…
The Atlanta Ponder House Story
Most of us interested in Civil War history have seen the famous Ponder House picture taken, just outside Atlanta, along the outer fortification line at the southe…
Roman Numerals and Reproduction Bayonets
A question came up about the roman numerals that are sometimes found on the bottom of a Civil War-era musket barrel, as well as on other parts assemblies. They ar…
Revaluating a Confederate Sword
William Albaugh III is universally recognized as the father of Confederate sword collecting. His research and writings in the nineteen fifties and sixties present…
Otto Botticher: Soldier, Artist
This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, the goals of the print maker or arti…
Mr. Reader Revealed, Enfield YouTube, and Enfield Fouling Problems
I have more information on the “mysterious Mr. Reader,” who, as I related in my October column, in 1859 allegedly invented the ultimate weapon that we had never h…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Iowa and Vermont
Nearing the end of our yearlong examination of the MOLLUS Papers, five states remain, along with their respective collections. This month, accounts from the Iowa…
Letters to the Editor — December 2018
TO THE EDITOR: Thank you so much for the great article “Ed Bearss Chooses His Favorite Civil War Books” in the November Civil War News Book Issue. I had the pleas…
John L. Porter Designed First Confederate Ironclad Warship
Naval Constructor John Luke Porter did all that he could during his lifetime to make it clear that he was primarily responsible for transforming the charred hulk…
Joe Bilby Presented the New Jersey Historical Commission’s Richard J. Hughes Award
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.—Civil War News Columnist Joe Bilby was selected to receive the New Jersey Historical Commission’s Richard J. Hughes Award for his significa…
Ironclad Revolution Exhibit Offers Unique View of Civil War Naval History
When the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia fought the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, it essentially marked the beginning of the end of the era of…
Iron and Wood, Cloth and Paper: Naval Museum Displays It All
In 2001 the Confederate Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga., was relocated, renamed, and refocused on a broader mission. Since then the National Civil War Naval Museum…
Hatcher’s Meeting with Lincoln
At six-feet-five, Clinton Hatcher certainly stood out in a crowd in 1861. His red hair helped make him a topic of conversation for all who saw him, including the…
Grant and Twain: The Story of a Friendship that Changed America
Recently I pulled from my bookshelf Ulysses S. Grant’s two-volume Personal Memoirs, which I bought in a very early edition published by the Charles L. Webster Com…
Foreigners
This month’s trivia questions are based on the seminal works of Prof. Ella Lonn (1879–1962), Foreigners in the Confederacy (1940) and Foreigners in the Union Army…
Family Fun at the N-SSA 138th Nationals
The very first match of the shooting sports organization that would become the NorthSouth Skirmish Association, Inc. (known as the N-SSA) was shot in May 1950. Th…
Emerging Civil War — December 2018
From the Editor On September 14, Hurricane Florence lumbered in from the Atlantic just east of Wilmington, N.C. Once a powerful Category 4 storm, it weakened to a…
Civil War Events — December 2018
Come celebrate the Christmas of yesteryear amid period decorations, seasonal histories, and holiday discounts in the museum’s gift shop. Regular tour admission pr…
Book Reviews — December 2018
Irregular Warfare in Appalachia Kirk’s Civil War Raids Along the Blue Ridge. By Michael C. Hardy. Appendix, notes, index, 189 pp., 2018. The History Press, www.hi…
Battlefield Recovers from Hurricane
NEW BERN, N.C.—Hurricane Florence battered New Bern in September and while a large tree hit the roof of the Visitors Center and dozens of trees were down on the b…
Battle of Richmond Kentucky Reenactment
RICHMOND, Ky.—Clear weather and a bright evening moon welcomed about 300 participants to the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, annual reenactment held on the ground o…
Appraisals
Question: Why should someone hire an appraiser to evaluate or authenticate Civil War memorabilia? What does an appraisal of a Civil War relic entail? What laws ap…
After the Storm in Harpers Ferry
Responding to reports received about the capture of the U.S. Arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Va., Lt. Israel Green, USMC, stationed at the Marine Barracks in Washington…
Wayne Wolf’s Top Five Must-Read Book Choices
Such Troops As These; The Genius and Leadership of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. By Bevin Alexander. The Berkeley Publishing Group, maps, index, notes, 2…
The Union Bookshelf
The Union Bookshelf Publisher’s note: In this issue we have printed the names of the 200 book titles selected by the late Richard Barksdale Harwell for his In Tal…
The Emerging Civil War Series: Telling the Story of America’s Defining Event
By Chris Mackowski Editor-in-Chief, Emerging Civil War There’s an old saying about one door closing and another opening. We writers sometimes like to put a writer…
Second Annual CWRT Congress
Second Annual CWRT Congress Increasing membership. Raising money. Connecting with the public. Attracting interesting speakers. Improving advisory and governing bo…
New Tennessee Veterans Place of Honor adjoins Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Park
By Gregory L. Wade PARKER’S CROSSROADS, Tenn.—A new acre Tennessee veterans cemetery situated on the greater Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield has been officially o…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Michigan and Massachusetts
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Michigan and Massachusetts Covering only two volumes of the MOLLUS Papers, 50-51, t…
Meg Groeling’s Favorite Civil War Books
Meg Groeling 1861: The Civil War Awakening By Adam Goodheart (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011), ISBN-13: 978-1-4000-32198, 496 pp. $28.95. Hardcover. When I read…
Letters to the Editor — November 2018
TO THE EDITOR: In the September Civil War News on page 3, top left photo the caption reads “The Union Army enlisted Irish immigrants almost as soon as they arrive…
Juneteenth
Juneteenth By Gould Hagler Is Galveston in Texas, or Outer Mongolia? Last June I encountered a few newspaper articles on the Juneteenth holiday. One piece was in…
Jonathan Noyalas’ Top Ten Favorite Civil War Books
Jonathan A. Noyalas Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War. By Brian Matthew Jordan. 2014. Liveright Publishing. Having spent the better part…
John Michael Priest’s Top Civil War Book Picks
John Michael Priest The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Vol. I: South Mountain. By Ezra A. Carman. Edited and annotated by Thomas G. Clemens. Maps, footnotes…
Jeffry Wert’s Top Civil War Books
Jeffry D. Wert Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander. Edited by Gary W. Gallagher. Notes, index, 664 pp., 19…
History of the Richard Barksdale Harwell Award
History of the Richard Barksdale Harwell Award By Gould Hagler Every year for three decades the Atlanta Civil War Round Table has presented the Richard Barksdale…
Harwell’s In Tall Cotton
Harwell’s In Tall Cotton By Roger Semplak and Marc Ramsey For every reader of Civil War history there is always the challenge, upon completion of a good book, of…
Harwell’s 200
Harwell’s 200 Book Review Editor’s note: in the March 2018 issue of our newspaper, we wrote of Richard Barksdale Harwell’s In Tall Cotton: The 200 Most Important…
George W. Morse Carbine Cartridge Belt
George W. Morse Carbine Cartridge Belt By Shannon Pritchard George Morse invented a brass framed breech loading .50 caliber carbine and eventually settled in to m…
Garry Adelman’s Selected Civil War Photography Books
Garry Adelman From the time technology allowed for the mass-production of half-tone photographs, publishers have offered Civil War photography books. Miller’s Pho…
From Cooke’s Books to Krick’s Licks
From Cooke’s Books to Krick’s Licks By Stephen Davis Book Review Editor’s note: I wish here to pay respect to the memory of my good friend of many years, Bob Mahe…
Eric J. Wittenberg’s Top Civil War Book Picks
Eric J. Wittenberg John J. Hennessy, Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993). This may very well be the…
Ed Bearss Chooses His Favorite Civil War Books
By Dorothy Partridge Special Corespondent to Edwin Cole Bearss is the Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service. He has remarked on his favorite Civil…
ECW’s Chris Mackowski Favorite Civil War Books
Chris Mackowski In alphabetical order: The Civil War: A Narrative (1958) by Shelby Foote— Historians take issue with Foote’s storytelling, but as he admitted, he…
Confederate Soldier with P-56 Enfield Rifle
Confederate Soldier with P-56 Enfield Rifle Here is an image of a Confederate soldier, well outfitted with what appears to be a matching jacket and trousers for h…
Classic Books on Civil War Firearms
Classic Books on Civil War Firearms Since November is the Civil War News annual book review issue, publisher Jack Melton suggested that I nominate some classic Ci…
Civil War History Comes to Life in Genesee Country Village
Civil War History Comes to Life in Genesee Country Village By Joseph Bordonaro Imagine, if you will, traveling back in time to 1862. You find yourself in a small…
Civil War Events — November 2018
Olde Colony Civil War Round Table’s annual Jubilee Dinner at the Chateau located at 48 Bay Road, Norton, Mass. The featured speaker will be Tom Clemens PhD, histo…
Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain
Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, the…
Capturing Old Sherman
Capturing Old Sherman “The government pays me to fight not surrender.” – U.S. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman On Sunday, Oct. 11, 1863, U.S. Gen. William T. Sherman…
Boyle & Gamble Knife
Boyle & Gamble Knife Dear John: I was hoping to get an appraisal, an opinion, or a reference. If this is an authentic object, I was very curious about the lipped…
Books and Libraries in Camp and Battle
Books and Libraries in Camp and Battle We know what we read (or would like to read), but what did Civil War soldiers read? To get at the answers, I turned to Davi…
Bookish
Bookish Two decades ago, I wrote an essay for a book edited by Steven E. Woodworth, The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and Research (Greenwood Press…
Book Reviews — November 2018
How Officers’ Decisions Shaped a Key Battle Decisions at Stones River: The Sixteen Critical Decisions That Defined the Battle. By Matt and Lee Spruill. Photograph…
Antique Bowie Knife Association Show in Ohio
Antique Bowie Knife Association Show in Ohio By John Sexton, ABKA-life member - co-author of Confederate Bowie Knives The Antique Bowie Knife Association (ABKA) h…
An Identified Civil War Period Shotgun
An Identified Civil War Period Shotgun It is the history of a given weapon that captures the passion of most antique arms collectors. Some collectors are fixated…
A Special Exchange
A Special Exchange The young Georgian enlisted as a private in Co. D, 15th Georgia Infantry six days before the First Battle of Manassas. Two months later he tran…
Who Shot General Mansfield? A Civil War Historian’s Search for Answers
The 10th Maine Regiment of Volunteers crossed a plowed field as they shifted their column to a line of battle on Sept. 17, 1862. Some soldiers fell from heavy fir…
What is Halsey Worth? The Sale and Resale of a Connecticut Civil War Soldier’s Legacy
When he died at the hands of a Confederate sharpshooter on the picket line at Bermuda Hundred, Va., on June 17, 1864, Private Halsey M. Bartlett of East Killingly…
USS Monitor Dahlgren Gun Conservation Continues
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—The Mariners’ Museum & Park’s much-acclaimed Monitor Center is the official repository of artifacts from the famous ironclad since retrieval of…
Two More Louisville Statues Are Exiled
On August 8, 2018, Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fisher announced that two more politically incorrect statues would be removed from the streets of Louisville to an…
The New York Times and Its Use of Gatling Guns During the Draft Riots: Fact or Fiction?
One fascinating tidbit of Civil War lore maintains that New York Times publisher Henry J. Raymond obtained three recently-invented “mitrailleuses,” a new type of…
The Defender of Cincinnati
Colonels, I knew, were becoming generals every day, but I had yet to hear of generals dropping back into colonels. – U.S. Gen. Lew Wallace On Sept. 3, 1861, Lewis…
Silver Linings: The Beauregard Monument Time Capsule
I suppose if there could said to have been anything positive regarding the recent removal of the Beauregard monument just outside New Orleans City Park (May 2018)…
Our Heroes and Our Flags
This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, the goals of the print maker or arti…
News Briefs — October 2018
Maine Monument Effort Continues at 3rd Winchester The ongoing effort to establish a permanent monument to Maine’s Civil War soldiers who fought in 1864 Shenandoah…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Wisconsin
Badger State produced more than 140 papers, including accounts from the Eastern and Western Theaters, the Trans-Mississippi, and a spattering of naval reports. St…
Letters to the Editor — October 2018
TO THE EDITOR: After reading Meg Groeling’s review of Richard Hurley’s book California and the Civil War in the August Civil War News all I could do was echo Meg’…
Kent Masterson Brown’s The Confederacy’s First Battle Flag
“It is upon the back of a true giant in Civil War vexillological inquiry, Howie Madaus, that this book has been written.” So Kent Masterson Brown begins The Confe…
Hiram Berdan’s Special Order Sharps Rifles
For the collector of arms related to sharpshooting during the American Civil War, the ultimate acquisition is certainly an original Confederate Whitworth rifle, c…
Gettysburg Redux and the Mysterious Mr. Reader
I am writing this in August, just after returning from a family trip to Gettysburg. Living in New Jersey, I am fortunate enough to be a little over three hours (p…
General Grant’s Favorite Cigars
Recently, while sitting around the campfire at Stones River Battlefield Park between programs, somebody raised an interesting question about what brand of cigars…
Emerging Civil War — October 2018
As I-26 rolled south from Johnson City through the eastern mountains of Tennessee, I marveled at the green expanses unfolding around me. My last trip along this s…
Cornelia Hancock, a Civil War Nurse
“I was the first woman who reached the Second Corps after the three days fight of Gettysburg. I was in that corps all day not another woman within 1/2 mile... wom…
Civil War Events — October 2018
The Brice’s Crossroads Attack from the Civil War’s Western Theatre will be a reenactment of the Mississippi battle in June of 1864 when a contingent of Confederat…
Boyle & Gamble (NCO) Sword
Mr. Sexton, I own two antique swords that were passed down to me from my father, and I presume that he received them from his father. I first remember them in our…
Book Reviews — October 2018
Restoring Women’s Antislavery Fiction Her Voice Will be on the Side of the Right: Gender and Power in Women’s Antebellum Antislavery Fiction. By Holly M. Kent. No…
Antietam
Antietam 1. The commander of the Union XII Corps who was mortally wounded in the battle was Maj. Gen. Joseph K. F. _____. 2. The bridge over Antietam Creek on the…
A “Flying Dutchman” Writes Home
While the largely-German XI Corps gained a reputation (whether deserved or not) as the “Flying Dutchman” after being routed at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, th…
A Civil War Show is Born
“Wow!” “Outstanding!” “You’ve hit a home run with this one!” “I love the show hall!” “I love this show!” All the above were actual comments from exhibitors and vi…
A Battlefield and Much, Much More
For many years I attended an annual conference in Washington. For a few of those trips I left early with some friends and spent a weekend touring battlefields bef…
Virgil Carrington Jones’ Ranger Mosby (1944)
“How long have you had that book?” My son asked me that question as we sat in the Atlanta airport, waiting to board our flight. I was showing him Virgil Carringto…
The Last Confederate Battle Flag
R. L. T. Beale was Lt. Colonel of the 9th Virginia Cavalry from May 1862 until he was promoted to Colonel in October 1862. He writes in his “History of the 9th Va…
Stonewall Jackson’s Legacy Still Embraced at Ellwood
Ellwood was built by William Jones circa 1790 on 5,000 acres. It was, and still is, a quiet farm. Only two families have owned Ellwood in its 200-year plus histor…
Sixth Corps March Commemoration, June 27–July 2
The movements of the Sixth Corps on July 2, 1863, are such to challenge the admiration of mankind. Its majestic tread on the battle-field, at the supreme moment,…
Rain Can’t Dampen N-SSA 137th National Competition
It doesn’t “take a village” to put on a North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) National Competition. However, it does require about 150 people and a lot of hard…
News Briefs — September 2018
Due to numerous requests from dealers and attendees, the Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show has been moved back to it’s original date of November 17 & 18 a…
Never Be Afraid
Never Be Afraid “The Rebel bullet that can kill me has not yet been molded.” – U.S. Gen. Philip Kearny On September 1, 1862, both sides were exhausted and sloggin…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Commandery published several papers over the years, and their resultant work serves as the focus of this month’s overview. Spanning 1887-…
Manners
Manners The true aim of politeness is to make those with whom you associate as well satisfied with themselves as possible. ...it does whatever it can to accommoda…
Gettysburg 155th Anniversary an Event To Remember!
With everything that is going on in the world, and more specifically, that of Civil War reenacting, the hobby sorely needed a significant event under its belt. Th…
French Percussion Muskets in the U.S. Civil War
Most collectors of Civil War infantry arms are very aware of the huge numbers of U.S. Model 1816/22/28 flintlock muskets that saw combat use during the American C…
First, Farthest, Last?
For decades, the phrase “First, Farthest, and Last” has encapsulated North Carolina’s role in the Civil War. Tar Heels proudly proclaim that they were the First a…
Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage
Our questions this month are inspired by the late Webb Garrison’s Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage (Nashville, 2001), which he thoughtfully dedicated “to the next…
Emerging Civil War — September 2018
From the Editor If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times: Young people today don’t know American history very well. They don’t appreciate why it’s imp…
Determined Ladies Persevere
Determined Ladies Persevere “Bank failures are becoming as common and plentiful as pig tracks in the road. Some dozen or more were reported in one day recently.”…
Civil War Events — September 2018
Follow the trail of President Lincoln’s assassin from Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. to his death near Port Royal, Virginia. Relax and enjoy the history and s…
C. Chapman Carbine
Mr. Sexton: We are in possession of, and know this is, a very rare C. Chapman Civil War era 24 inch carbine with the # 14 in several places. It is in good to very…
Brandy Station the ‘Ideal Place’ for Event
CULPEPER COUNTY, Va.— Our group of reenactors aspired to recreate the sights, sounds, and smells when the 8th Virginia Infantry prepared to march north in June 18…
Book Reviews — September 2018
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship. Contact Stephen Davis,…
Battle of Franklin Carter Hill Park: New Acquisition to Battle of Franklin Carter Hill Park Acreage
FRANKLIN, Tenn.—Another key piece of battle ground from the November 1864 Battle of Franklin landscape will be acquired thanks to the fund raising efforts by of F…
Antietam in 1937, A Last Pass at Multiple Cylinders, Charlie Hahn
Bolt Action Rifles at Antietam? So, the Battle of Antietam was a testing ground for bolt action repeating rifles forty years before they were adopted by the U.S.…
A Confederate Cavalry Shotgun
When the Confederacy was threatened with invasion by Federal forces in 1861, so many volunteers flocked to her standards that many were turned away for lack of ar…
“The Sting of the Mosquito Fleets”
This is not meant to be a technical article on the sometimes overlooked contributions of a virtual class of quick, shallowdraft “Mosquito Fleets” utilized by both…
We Will Burn First
“If he [C.S. Gen. Richard Page] understands military science, he ought now to surrender at once.” – NY Times, Aug 24, 1864 By August 1864, the Federal blockade ha…
Veteran Reenactors Still Bring History to Life at Endview Plantation
For more than 25 years, reenactors and living historians have gathered at Endview Plantation in Newport News to bring history to life through battle reenactments…
Unprecedented Excavation of Surgeon Pit at Manassas National Battlefield Park Shows the Aftermath of Battle
While working on a utility project in Manassas National Battlefield Park in 2014, the National Park Service stumbled upon something remarkable: a battlefield surg…
The Civil War Trivia Quiz Book
A delightful surprise while I was recently in Baton Rouge was when a member of the Baton Rouge Civil War Round Table gave me as a gift William Terdoslavich’s The…
The Civil War Rifles of J. Henry & Son
The gunmaking firm of J. Henry & Son was established by William Henry in Lancaster, Penn., prior to the French & Indian War. During that era, Henry produced arms…
Stonewall Jackson – America’s Most Uncelebrated Humorist
“You may be whatever you resolve to be” are the inspirational words inscribed over the Stonewall Jackson Arch at the entrance to the Virginia Military Institute b…
Richard Barksdale Harwell’s The Union Reader
“Though historians’ interpretations of the war have changed from generation to generation, shifting according to the emphasis of an outstanding historian or accor…
Perspectives on Second Manassas
After a severe struggle the enemy gave way in great confusion on the left of the pike, and by direction of the general commanding I moved forward with this divisi…
News Briefs — August 2018
The Civil War courts-martial databases will be in new hands. The Index Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit is the aegis under which Beverly and Tom Lowry read and…
More Revolver Notes and the oval “NJ” Buckle
Two More Revolver Cylinder Stories Bear with me as I add another couple of footnotes to the extra cylinders versus multiple revolvers story. Yes, I know, I am bea…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Rhode Island
Rhode Island, although never forming a commandery like her sister Northern states, emulated them in creating the Rhode Island Soldiers and Sailors Historical Soci…
Legendary Historian Edwin C. Bearss Recognized For Lifetime Achievements By American Battlefield Trust
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Edwin Cole Bearss, chief historian emeritus of the National Park Service, was presented the American Battlefield Trust’s inaugural Lifetime Ach…
Historians of the Western Theater Annual Conference
Membership in the organization remains open to scholars with an active and productive record in research and publication related to the Civil War’s Western Theate…
General Grant
This occasional column will highlight prints from the Civil War. It will discuss their meaning and most importantly, what the print maker or artist was trying to…
GBPA’s 45th Annual Artifact and Collectibles Show
GETTYSBURG, Penn.—With temperatures outside knocking at the century mark, Civil War enthusiasts were inside hoping to score come cool deals at the 45th Annual Art…
From The Lowcountry — August 2018
Time spent in Gettysburg is always fun and last week our trip did not disappoint. We would like to give a special thanks to Loring and Jean Shultz, owners of the…
Field Repairs: A Battlefield Account
The question came up as to what (if any) repairs a Civil War soldier would be able to perform should his rifle or musket become “degraded”—meaning broken or damag…
Etowah Iron Works D-Guard Bowie Knife
This is the most finely finished, beautiful, historically storied, admired and desired, of all Confederate knives. Only eight are known to exist, with nearly half…
Emerging Civil War — August 2018
From the Editor What obligation do we have to those who have given “the last full measure of devotion” on our behalf? I had the opportunity twice last month to gi…
Crossroads to Gettysburg
The bar was raised at this year’s reenactment and living history at historic Allaire Village in Farmingdale, N.J. Starting out as a very small event several years…
Cook & Brothers Carbine
Dear John: We are not sure of the value of it. We have looked them up online and have seen them anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000. Having said that, we know it is n…
Civil War Events — August 2018
While serving with the Army of the Potomac, artist Charles Wellington Reed recorded his observations and experiences of the Civil War through 700+ illustrations.…
Captain Morton’s Frock Coat
The youngest captain in the Confederate forces, John W. Morton (1842–1914) served as Chief of Artillery under General Nathan Bedford Forrest in the Army of Tennes…
Book Reviews — August 2018
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship. Contact Stephen Davis,…
American Battlefield Trust Reaches Historic Milestone: 50,000 Acres Of Hallowed Ground Saved!
WASHINGTON, D.C.—With its acquisition of 13 acres at Cedar Creek in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, the American Battlefield Trust has reached a histori…
A Connecticut Artillerist Writes Home from Petersburg
It is always exciting when historians unearth new letters, diaries, or manuscripts that add a bit of personal commentary to an historical event. Four letters, wri…
“Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?”
“Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858) Speaking of “John,” here are ten of them from the W…
“Marching into Dixie”
This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, the goals of the print maker or arti…
Tourism to Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site creates over $54 Million in Economic Benefits
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C.—A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 950,700 visitors to Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Histor…
The Calcium Light Infantry Sharpshooters
The newspapers were full of war news, from assurances the army was recovering its morale following the Bull Run debacle to stories of local men joining up for the…
The Baton Rouge Civil War Symposium
Some in the Civil War community these days bemoan a alleged decline of interest in our pastime. To which we say, humbug. Latest evidence for me was the recent, ve…
Salt Pork
“November 27, 1863: Cold, disagreeable day…we are issued salt pork again.” – Civil War diary of Capt. James Penfield, 5th NY Cavalry The high water mark for salt…
Preservation Group Forms American Battlefield Trust
The Civil War Trust, a national nonprofit preservation group recognized for its success in saving battlefield land, has formed the American Battlefield Trust, a n…
Perspectives on Second Bull Run
I presume the enemy will not let us be quiet here. They have a large force in front of us, and are evidently determined to break through Pope and drive us out of…
North-South Skirmish Association’s 137th National Competition
The North-South Skirmish Association held its 137th National Competition May 18-20, at Fort Shenandoah near Winchester, Va. Member units competed in live-fire mat…
News Briefs — July 2018
Vermont Legislature backs GBPA Letterman Preservation Drive GETTYSBURG, Penn.— The Vermont House of Representatives and Senate have formally adopted a resolution…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Nebraska & Minnesota
This month, our series on providing index content from the MOLLUS Papers continues, with the information found in the Nebraska and Minnesota volumes, 25-31. Remin…
Listen to the Alabamians
Publisher’s Note: When we decided to devote “Fact or Fiction” to the origin of Stonewall’s nickname, we contacted John Hennessy, former historian at Manassas Nati…
How Did General Barnard Bee Give Jackson the Nickname of “Stonewall”?
Publisher’s note: We start with this issue an occasional column, “Fact or Fiction,” on legends of the Civil War. Some of them, as we all know, can be proven as fa…
George R. Stewart’s Pickett’s Charge and General Richard Brooke Garnett
You might remember Dolly Parton’s quip that she was country before Elvis was king, and Little Richard was a queen. Well, George R. Stewart’s Pickett’s Charge: A M…
From The Lowcountry — July 2018
Your July issue contains the 24th Annual Gettysburg section. Please note that it is not a separate section, but rather it is included in the paper so it remains i…
Emerging Civil War — July 2018
One thing I love most about doing Facebook LIVE events for Emerging Civil War is the interactivity with viewers. As they watch, many people type in questions and…
Don’t Give An Inch!
“Little Round top, crowned with artillery, resembled a volcano in eruption” – C.S. Col. W.F. Perry, 44th Ala. Inf. On July 2, 1863, about 3 p.m., U.S. Gen. Gouver…
Confederate Keen, Walker & Co. Breechloading Carbine
Last month we took a look at the Confederate muzzle loading carbines produced by Bilharz, Hall & Company. This month we will look at another Confederate carbine p…
Collection of Unusual Artifacts
Dear John: I just went up to get the chest from my father made by my Great-Grandfather. My Great Grandmother first showed these to me in the 1950’s. They moved to…
Civil War Events — July 2018
A major annual fundraiser for the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, the show is expected to again feature more than 200 vendors and better than 300…
Book Reviews — July 2018
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship. Contact Stephen Davis,…
Battlefields Foundation Announces Preservation Victory at Clinedinst-Crim Property on the New Market Battlefield
NEW MARKET, Va.—One of the most iconic parts of the New Market Battlefield is now forever preserved. On Friday, May 25, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundat…
22nd Annual Grant Days! Celebration Observes 196th Birthday of General/President Grant
The U.S. Grant Boyhood Home Association in Georgetown, Ohio, celebrated the hometown hero’s 196th birthday in grand fashion during their annual Grant Days! Celebr…
2018 Association of Lincoln Presenters
FREEPORT, Ill.—May 19–22. Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, and Abraham Lincoln, ad infinitum, met for a weekend of humor (LOTS of humor), histor…
Victory Celebrations
Victory Celebrations 1. After he received the report from Brig. Gen. Ulysses Grant that he had captured an important Confederate fort in Tennessee, Maj. Gen. Henr…
Thoughts on Conrad Wise Chapman and the 156th Shiloh Anniversary
Shiloh National Military Park does not have annual events as a general rule, so when they do schedule a large scale anniversary event, it draws a serious level of…
The Library of Congress Collection — June 2018
Hand colored half-plate ambrotype of an unidentified boy in Union zouave uniform with drum. Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (Library of Con…
The Civil War Trust Receives 2018 Friend Of History Award from The Organization Of American Historians
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— During its annual meeting in Sacramento, California, the Organization of American Historians (OAH) presented the Civil War Trust with their pre…
Stephen Recker Named the Edwin C. Bearss Award Recipient
CHAMBERSBURG, Penn.— Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours announced Stephen Recker as the third recipient of the Edwin C. Bearss Award during the Bearss Sympos…
Scaring Lincoln
“We have five times as many generals here as we want, but are greatly in need of privates. Anyone volunteering in that capacity will be thankfully received.” – U.…
Research Press Journal, Revolver Myths & a Whitworth Story
I would like to take a moment to recommend a rather unique publication, the Research Press Journal. The Journal, published in Britain, and accessible in digitized…
Prize-Winning Authors Saunders, Blight, and Ayers Highlight November’s Lincoln Forum XXIII
Two popular and distinguished Lincoln Prize laureates, 2002 honoree David W. Blight and this year’s winner, Edward L. Ayers—plus the much-discussed Man Booker Pri…
Not Ready to Quit
I had heard some cannonading over about Slocum’s head of column, and supposed it to indicate about the same measure of opposition by Hardee’s troops and Hampton’s…
Neshaminy 2018 Reenactment Canceled
BENSALEM, Penn.—The Board of Directors of the Neshaminy Living History Association has canceled the 2018 Neshaminy Reenactment. The news was quite a surprise to t…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS)
MOLLUS Papers book cover. Judging from the kind response from you, our readers, this series on the MOLLUS Papers, seemingly, has generated much interest. This wri…
Men’s Shirts
The shirt, whether Union or Confederate, after shoes and head gear, the most often overlooked aspect of men’s garments necessary for an improved Civil War living…
Major General Bryan Grimes Slouch Hat
North Carolinian Bryan Grimes began his career with the 4th North Carolina Infantry and saw about as much war as any man in the Army of Northern Virginia. Though…
Lincoln Legens
Lincoln Legens Lincoln As I Knew Him: Gossip, Tributes and Revelations from His Best Friends and Worst Enemies. Edited by Harold Holzer. Algonquin Books of Chapel…
Letters of General Nathaniel McLean from March 1865
Nathaniel Collins McLean was born to Supreme Court Justice John McLean and his wife, Rebecca (Edwards) McLean, in Warren County, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 1815. He earned…
Grant Presidential Library News
STARKVILLE, Miss.—At the recent annual meeting of the Mississippi Historical Society in Jackson, a curator of an outstanding Civil War museum, a leader in the liv…
Former POWs Shared Their Experiences
“As the wounded died, we stacked them in a corner” Former POWs shared their experiences during events at Andersonville National Historic Site. ANDERSONVILLE, Ga.—…
Family Sword Identified – A Froelich Sword
Question: I have in my family a sword and rifle that belonged to my husband’s great-grandfather and came directly from the family homestead of Phillip H. Keck, Mo…
Exploring Civil War History: The Sunken Road Walking Trail at Fredericksburg
During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Confederate line of battle stretched for miles along the west side of the Rappahannock River. More than 172,000 troops we…
Civil War Preservation Ball Exceeds $100k Landmark
GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The 15th annual Civil War Preservation Ball held March 10 put the total amount of money raised for the Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Project…
Civil War Memorial Event Honoring Captain (Brevet Colonel) Myer Asch
On Sunday, April 22, the culmination of an over twenty-year quest to find the grave of Philadelphian Myer Asch who served in the Civil War came to an end. It ende…
Civil War Events — June 2018
Before making plans to attend any event contact the event host. Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. We strive to…
Cautionary Tale
With the reenactment season already underway, a word of safety based on recent experience is offered. The manual of arms was created to ensure efficiency and safe…
Briscoe Ranson Slouch Hat Conservation
Recently I had the opportunity to conserve a well-known and documented Confederate slouch hat belonging to Briscoe B. Ranson, of Company B 12th Va. Cavalry. He wa…
Book Reviews — June 2018
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship. Contact Stephen Davis,…
Bilharz Carbine
The American Civil War found the newly formed Confederate States of America sadly lacking in the industrial might necessary to prosecute a war. With the bulk of t…
Appomattox 153rd Anniversary was a Success!
Despite snow (twice) and plummeting temperatures all day Saturday, the 153rd celebration at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park was a success with a t…
41st Annual Ohio Civil War & Artillery Show. A Booming Success!
Thirteen cannon fired during the event and is always a crowd pleaser. The Annual Ohio Civil War Show just celebrated its 41st year, and what a show it was; ”the l…
Wounded at Peachtree Creek
A very readable and reliable narrative by a member of the 15th Texas Cavalry who saw much service in the Western theater; the volume deserves more attention than…
Who Burned the Confederate Privateer Judah?
The USS Colorado, recommissioned on June 3, 1861, sailed from Boston Harbor two weeks later as part of Commodore William Mervine’s task force. Its orders were to…
Virginia Preservation Organizations and Civil War Trust Save Unique Civil War Site In Culpeper County
Foundation, state agency, and national nonprofit work together to protect Hansbrough’s Ridge, an unparalleled historic and natural treasure in Virginia’s pictures…
Virginia Park Preserves Sailor’s Creek Battlefield
The deeds of American soldiers who fought in the Civil War are commemorated at National Battlefields, National Military Parks, National Battlefield Parks, Nationa…
Tubman’s Raiders
“Pass the Bearer, Harriet Tubman, to Beaufort [S.C.] and back to this place, and wherever she wishes to go, and give her free passage at all times.” – U.S. Gen. D…
The President Addresses Congress
On May 2, 1864, President Jefferson Davis spoke to the opening session of the Second Confederate Congress. He addressed a number of issues facing the country, sav…
The Library of Congress Collection — May 2018
United States Military Academy cadets. Photographed by Andrew J. Russell, probably at West Point, sometime between 1861 and 1865. Most of the general officers fro…
St. Luke’s Church in Isle of Wight County Offers Civil War Weekend
For over three centuries, St. Luke’s Church in Isle of Wight County near Smithfield, Va., has been a religious beacon in Southeastern Virginia. Stained-glass wind…
Roundtable News — May 2018
CHICAGO, Ill.—Professor Larry Hewitt engaged The Chicago Civil War Round Table at its 769th Regular Meeting on Feb. 23, 2018, on Confederate General Richard Heron…
Revolvers and Revolvers
One thing I neglected to mention in my Civil War revolver rant last month is that yes (and I have mentioned it in the past), there was one branch of service that…
RB Barrel Mark
There was a recent discussion on one of the Civil War forums about a Birmingham manufactured (Tower marked) Pattern 1853 (P53) with the initials RB marked on the…
PhotoShopping: 19th Century Style Part II
This occasional column highlights prints from the Civil War. It will discuss their meaning and most importantly, what the print maker or artist was trying to achi…
New Battle at Bentonville?
RALEIGH, N.C—In August of 2017, an online commenter inquired of the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of N.C. Press, “When does the commission plan on re…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS)
As a refresher from last month, the first two volumes of the Broadfoot 1990s reprint set, unnumbered, consist of ‘Biographical Sketches of Contributors,’ and ‘Com…
Letters To The Editor
TO THE EDITOR: Hi Jack, My thanks to you and your staff for sending me several copies of the April 2018 Civil War News featuring the Kettle Creek Preservation sto…
Huge Crowd Proves Americans Still Love Their Antique Weapons
Representatives from the NRA and Fort Ligonier, including “General George Washington,” with the Washington-Lafayette Pistols. (Becky Ashway) The 64th anniversary…
Confederate “Double Barreled” Guns
Rarely does a military artifact provide a concrete identification to where and when it was used, and a direct tie to the regiment that used it during the course o…
Confederate Necessities are the Mother of Invention
Front of the M1851 sword belt plate with applied silver wreath. The belt plate shown here is common; it is a Model 1851 U.S. Sword Belt Plate. What is uncommon an…
Confederate Cannoneers, Infantry, & Cavalry Can a Clad: The Sinking of the Ironclad USS Eastport
During the spring of 1864, Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and his counterpart U.S. Navy Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter traveled in tandem northward up Louisi…
Civil War Events May – July
Before making plans to attend any event contact the event host. Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. We strive to…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust Preserves Significant Spotsylvania Battlefield Land
May 7, 1864, after intense fighting in the Wilderness, both Generals Lee and Grant faced each other, neither having accomplished their goals. Grant failed to dest…
Book Reviews — May 2018
Suppliers to the Confederacy Volume Three: British and European Imported Quartermaster Goods, Artillery and Other Ordnance. By Craig L. Barry & David C. Burt. Ill…
6th NC Belt Buckle
Dear Mr. Sexton: I recently recovered a “6th Inf / NC. S.T.” Belt Plate in Forsyth County, N.C., Feb. 20, 2018. I would like to know more about this relic and wha…
15th Annual Civil War Preservation Ball
HARRISBURG, Pa.—The 15th Annual Civil War Preservation Ball was held in the rotunda of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg on Saturday, March 10. The…
Women in War: The Role of Women in America’s Wars
Born in Massachusetts in 1821, Clara Harlowe Barton was the youngest of five children. Barton supplemented her early education with practical experience, working…
The Pattern 1851 Minié Rifle in Confederate Service
The Pattern 1851 Minié Rifle is one of the least often encountered of all general issue British military percussion long arms. The gun was the first rifled percus…
The Lincoln Group of New York Confers its “Award of Achievement”
NEW YORK, N.Y.—The Lincoln Group of New York, an organization dedicated to studying the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, has conferred its 2017 Award of Achieve…
Six-gun Shooting and Historical Myths
Loading and Firing the Cap and Ball Six-gun The open framed Colt Army and Navy models were the most popular percussion revolvers used in the Civil War. Although t…
Rarest of the Rare – South Carolina Sword Belt Plate
The style of officer’s waist belt shown here has a very unusual history. South Carolina adopted the Palmetto state seal and motto “ANIMUS OPIBUSQUE PARATI” (prepa…
Pristine Battlefield Preserved by State of Georgia
This brigade, in two lines, was then pushed forward to attack the enemy, the other troops not moving. After skirmishing about 800 yards, the front line came upon…
PhotoShopping: 19th Century Style
This occasional column highlights prints from the Civil War. It will discuss their meaning and most importantly, what the print maker or artist was trying to achi…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS)
What eventually grew to number the second most extensive organization for Federal veterans (behind the larger Grand Army of the Republic), the Loyal Legion traced…
McDonough and Jones’ War So Terrible
In the late 1980s, the literature of the Atlanta Campaign was adolescent indeed. Richard McMurry had written a short account of the campaign for a National Park S…
Letters To The Editor
TO THE EDITOR: Needless to say, I very much enjoy Civil War News. I subscribe to a number of publications, many of which I put to the side upon their delivery. No…
Killed by Mosby’s Guerillas
The inscription on the young Union cavalryman’s grave reads “Killed by Mosby’s Guerillas.” He is buried near his home town of Littlestown, Penn., just a few miles…
Gum Blanket
We drew some new clothing today and I got a poncho. We got our gum blankets just in time as it rained all day. Civil War Diary of Alexander G. Downing, 11th Iowa…
Great Grandfather’s Civil War Sword
Dear John Sexton: It was a pleasure talking to you on Friday. I appreciate all of your guidance on my Great Grandfather Robert F. Mitchell’s CSA Civil War sword.…
From The Lowcountry
You may have noticed that this April Civil War News issue looks a little different than the paper you have been receiving over the past several months. We have de…
E-words
1. What is the large exotic animal whose “sight” was commonly used by green Civil War soldiers to describe their first combat experience? 2. “To many of the Confe…
Civil War Trust’s Path to Preservation
The Civil War Trust and our members have saved 48,000 acres in 24 states! From the Civil War Trust In the three defining wars of America’s first century, women ha…
Civil War Events April – June
Before making plans to attend any event contact the event host. Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. We strive to…
Caring For Your Antique Textiles
I asked Jack Melton recently what he thought his readers might want to hear about from me. He suggested that I write an article about things that collectors can d…
Bronze Soldier Still Stands to Honor Local Heroes
A solitary bronze soldier stands—his feet anchored to a marble column—22 feet above the ground in the courthouse square in Lexington, N.C. This warrior is no minu…
Book Reviews — April 2018
The Great Valley’s Civil War The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America. By Edward L. Ayers. Maps, photos, notes, index, 64…
Battlefields Foundation Announces Preservation Victory at New Market Battlefield
NEW MARKET, Va.—The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation announced the preservation of 13.5 acres of core battlefield at New Market—the first step of a multi…
An Unlucky Horseshoe: Second Reams Station
In late August 1864, the siege of Petersburg, Va., was well into its second month. Federal General Ulysses S. Grant was trying to put more pressure on the Confede…
A Southerner’s Perspective on Sherman’s March
In 1897, Englishman Arnold Toynbee was pondering his country’s Diamond Jubilee, a celebration of England’s wealth and international power under Queen Victoria. “T…
A Fair Trial
“Tell Capt. Jeffers that is not the way to Richmond.” – Lt. J.T. Wood, CSS Virginia, to an officer in the pilothouse of the departing USS Monitor Fear permeated t…
White House Of The Confederacy Bicentennial Programs Focus On 200 Years Of History, Preservation
RICHMOND, Va.—The White House of the Confederacy observes its bicentennial in 2018. Throughout the year, programs and activities will focus on the structure’s ric…
Unknown Soldier’s Grave at Kennesaw Mountain NBP
MARIETTA, Ga.—The only Union Soldier still on duty at Kennesaw National Battlefield Park has a Christmas wreath on his grave. Members of the Kennesaw Mountain Cam…
The National Tribune Civil War Index
A reviewer stated, in 1881, “The Tribune will be a power for its cause.” This praise centered on The National Tribune, which began as a monthly publication in Oct…
The Confederate Museum in Charleston, South Carolina
The Confederate Museum sits above the city market at 188 Meeting Street in historic downtown Charleston. In 1894 the Charleston Chapter, Daughters of the Confeder…
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…
American Digger Lowcountry Civil War & Artifact Show
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.— Jan. 6-7. It was against all odds: A snow and ice storm coupled with sub-freezing temperatures turned the city of Charleston and nearby Moun…
Whitney’s “Enfield” Rifle Muskets
Last month we discussed the American-made Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket contract that was the downfall of the Robbins & Lawrence firearms manufacturing compan…
Waco Belt Buckle
Dear Chris, It was a pleasure talking to you on the phone and I will not mention the digging site you just found in Texas. The plethora of objects you sent photos…
U.S. Army Company Musket Firing 1859-1861
From the fall of 1859 to early winter 1861, U.S. Army posts in Texas and New Mexico were inspected by Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnson and Col. Joseph K. F. Mansfield.…
To Catch a Snake
“That was a torpedo, sir! It has blown a hole in her hull under the boilers, and the water is within three inches of her fires.” – USS Montauk Chief Engineer Bloc…
The Slaughter Pen Farm Reenactment in Fredericksburg
The Slaughter Pen. The name is a stark reminder of what took place on this 208-acre, level piece of land a short distance south of Fredericksburg, Va. With little…
The Devilish Lieutenant Bierce
BRIDE, n. A woman with a fine prospect of happiness behind her. INFIDEL, n. In New York, one who does not believe in the Christian religion; in Constantinople, on…
The Confederate ‘Wizard of the Saddle’ Loses His Statue in Memphis
Robert E. Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Jefferson Davis served as the Confederacy’s only president. Thomas J. Jackson earned the distinctive nickna…
Small Talk — February 2018
1. What actor played Gen. Robert E. Lee in Ted Turner’s Civil War film, Gettysburg (1993, Ronald Maxwell, director)? 2. Who played General Lee in Turner’s subsequ…
Perspectives on Bull Run
Every reader of Civil War News knows about the July 21, 1861, battle on the banks of Bull Run, thirty miles or so from Washington City, the first large-scale batt…
Lincoln Forum Leadership To Change After 24 Years, As Frank Williams Announces Retirement From Chairmanship
Forum’s Teacher and Student Scholarship Programs To be Re-Named in Honor of Frank and Virginia Williams December 1—After nearly a quarter century of consistent le…
Letters To The Editor
Addition to the article “Save Camp Letterman” in the Jan. 2018 issue on page 5. Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association (GBPA) is working with two develop…
Hot Chocolate
February 22nd 1863. Sabbath, a severe rain with wind and consequently quite dreary without. Lay in tent all day, not going out but once and then to make some choc…
Grant’s Special Order 126 at Petersburg, Nov. 12, 1864
Ulysses S. Grant suffered from a controversial reputation before, during, and after his service as perhaps the best general of the Union Army during the American…
Gary Casteel Opens Sculpture Gallery in Gettysburg
The commercial area along Gettysburg’s Baltimore St. near the national cemetery entrance will soon be graced with the opening of the National Civil War Memorial g…
From The Lowcountry
Mark Twain once wrote of the Bible that it “has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and a wealth of obscenity; and upward…
Civil War Maps: An Annotated List of Maps and Atlases in the Library of Congress
This month, continuing our look at various Civil War map sources, we dive into a helpful printed resource, which serves as a great compliment to using the Library…
Civil War Events Feb. – April
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…
Cathey and Waddey Awarded Robertson Prize
WOODBRIDGE, N.J.—M. Todd Cathey and Gary W. Waddey have been selected as the winners of the 2016 Dr. James I. Robertson Jr. Literary Prize for Confederate History…
Bullet Ridded Battle of Franklin Structure Restoration Celebrated
FRANKLIN, Tenn.—A small frame building central to the fighting at the Battle of Franklin has been preserved after a fundraising effort by the Battle of Franklin T…
Book Reviews — February 2018
Seeking Love in the Civil War Practical Strangers: The Courtship Correspondence of Nathaniel Dawson and Elodie Todd, Sister of Mary Todd Lincoln. Edited by Stephe…
Battlefields Mean Business
Every spring, summer, and fall, families and individuals flock to America’s best-known battlefields, lured by great stories, momentous deeds, and breathtaking lan…
An Early Defense of Hood’s Georgia and Tennessee Campaigns
A month after his army had been routed in mid-December 1864 at Nashville, Gen. John B. Hood was at Tupelo, Miss., with his remaining troops. His superior, Gen. P.…
Accepting Submissions for Edwin C. Bearss Award
CHAMBERSBURG, Penn.— Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is now accepting applications for the 2018 Edwin C. Bearss Award. Given annually, this award supports…
A French Breechloading Carbine in the Confederacy?
My friend Skip Riddle, who lives in North Carolina and has a special interest in all aspects of the battle of New Bern, sends me firearm related newspaper excerpt…
U.S. 1861 Clean-out Screw
More black powder muskets have been ruined by neglect than all other reasons combined. Cleaning and oiling your musket is necessary to both preserve it and to con…
There Are Two Sides To The Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Story
The Small Talk quiz in the November issue of Civil War News brought up once again the confusing story of the “poor country doctor who was sent to prison in 1865,…
The “Windsor” Enfield
In 1853, the British Board of Ordnance adopted a revolutionary new reduced caliber, rifled long arm for general issue to the British military. While still a muzzl…
Spiller & Burr
Dear John: I found the gun on Facebook Market Place. I went and met the guy at Waffle House in Oxford, Ala. We took the gun inside Waffle House to look at it. I o…
Small Talk — January 2018
Prominent figures in the war said and wrote lots, and some of their statements have become famous quotations. Or, at least, the figures themselves have become fam…
Save Camp Letterman
When Gen. Robert E. Lee left Gettysburg on July 4, 1863, with the Army of Northern Virginia, he was forced to leave soldiers who were too severely wounded to be m…
Richmond Civil War Show & Sale News
RICHMOND, Va.—The 37th Annual Capital of the Confederacy Show, sponsored by the Central Virginia Civil War Collectors Association and Mike Kent & Associates, was…
Reenactment to Support Fort Branch
HAMILTON, N.C.—A recent Civil War News article reported on damage that Fort Branch, Hamilton, N.C., has suffered largely as a result of riverine erosion. Other ca…
Pedersoli Products, Color Casehardening, Sharpshooters, Whitworths
A Youtube video of interest to black powder shooters, particularly those of an “originalist” bent, would be the demonstration of Pedersoli’s new “Gibbs Short Rang…
N.C. Town Remembers Potter’s Raid
With Pitt County’s proximity to Federal controlled areas of Eastern North Carolina, it experienced numerous encounters and clashes between the warring factions in…
Longstreet Society Seminar: The Valley Forge of the Civil War
In most annals of the war, Longstreet moved east after failing to take Fort Sanders, thereby driving Burnside’s army out of Knoxville, Tenn. The narratives say Lo…
Lincoln Scholar Harold Holzer’s Oration at the 154th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address
Some three score and seven miles from this spot—in Washington—stands a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Not that one; another one: Thomas Ball’s statue of Lincoln as a…
Lincoln Forum Presents Achievement Awards
Annual Lincoln Forum Achievement Awards To Ron Chernow, Friends Of Lincoln Collection Of Indiana GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The Lincoln Forum has presented its coveted ann…
Letters To The Editor
TO THE EDITOR: Earlier this year, I sent in a Letter to the Editor offering some constructive criticism of the content of Civil War News. I must say that your Nov…
Harvard Senior’s Death at Antietam: ‘Known But to be Loved’
On the morning of the bloodiest day of the Civil War, in a battle in which more than 130 soldiers in his 13th Massachusetts would become casualties, Samuel Shelto…
Gettysburg’s Remembrance Day Parade
Wet, but without a incident in spite of threats! Photo collage by Charlie J. Bury Jr.
Garry Adelman Honored With Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Award in Massachusetts
The Civil War Roundtable of Central Massachusetts sponsored Garry Adelman for the 2017 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Award, presented by the CWRTCM and Boston Roundta…
Franklin Civil War Show & Sale Huge Success!
FRANKLIN, Tenn.—The 31st Annual Middle Tennessee Civil War Show (also known as The Franklin Show) scored big again this year to cement its reputation as the natio…
Fort Sumter–Fort Moultrie Adopt-A-Cannon Celebration
CHARLESTON, S.C.—On Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, a celebration was held at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor to recognize a major gift of $200,000 to preserve six of the…
First Annual Symposium on the War
Saturday, February 3, 2018 During the Dalton Civil War Show NW GA Trade Center, Dalton, Georgia Mike Kent Shows’ popular Dalton Civil War Show draws thousands of…
Fighting Was Our Business
“I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game” – Abraham Lincoln At the start of the Civil War, Kentucky declared its neutrality. By Sept…
Evacuating the Stockade and the Asylum
I am at a loss to know where to send the prisoners from Florence. In one direction the enemy are in the way. In the other the question of supplies presents an ins…
Dancing the Night Away at the Gettysburg Hotel
GETTYSBURG, Penn.— Many people believe that spirits of slain soldiers visit the place of their wounding or death, and the town of Gettysburg, Penn., has a cottage…
Confederate Map Collection Now Online
In the May 2016 installment of this article, we explored the Atlas to the Official Records. The National Archives, in October 2017, released 121 Confederate maps…
Civil War Photography – Discoveries and Explorations
CHARLESTON, S.C.—The Civil War provided a number of “firsts” in American History. These include the war being the first extensively photographed. Of note are the…
Civil War Events — January 2018
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…
CWRT Congress
Can sharing information and ideas among Civil War Round Tables make them better, stronger, and more successful? That was the topic of the first Civil War Round Ta…
Book Reviews — January 2018
An Unconventional Way to Discover Gettysburg Discovering Gettysburg: An Unconventional Introduction to the Greatest Little Town in America and the Monumental Batt…
Artillery Placed on the Franklin Battlefield
FRANKLIN, Tenn.—Three replica artillery pieces were dedicated on the Franklin Battlefield over the Veterans Day weekend after the local preservation group, Frankl…
A Conversation with Grady McWhiney
For many in the Civil War community, Grady McWhiney is a familiar name. Longtime university professor, author of numerous books and articles, Dr. McWhiney had est…