Civil War News, 2019
12 issues published in 2019, with 292 articles indexed here.
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All 113 Issues →
December 2019Vol. 45, No. 12 · 27 articles
November 2019Vol. 45, No. 11 · 18 articles
October 2019Vol. 45, No. 10 · 30 articles
September 2019Vol. 45, No. 9 · 28 articles
August 2019Vol. 45, No. 8 · 28 articles
July 2019Vol. 45, No. 7 · 9 articles
June 2019Vol. 45, No. 6 · 23 articles
May 2019Vol. 45, No. 5 · 23 articles
April 2019Vol. 45, No. 4 · 25 articles
March 2019Vol. 45, No. 3 · 26 articles
February 2019Vol. 45, No. 2 · 28 articles
January 2019Vol. 45, No. 1 · 27 articles
Articles from 2019
292 indexed
“Co. Aytch”
Private Watkins saw the elephant at Shiloh, followed Bragg to Perryville, and was slightly wounded at Murfreesboro. He suffered through the rout at Missionary Rid…
The Battle of Stones River or Murfreesboro December 31, 1862 – January 3, 1863
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. Early in th…
The Battle of Arkansas Post: Target of Opportunity
In 1861, the small town of Arkansas Post, also known as Post of Arkansas, would become an integral part of the Civil War defense of Arkansas. That same year, the…
Searching the National Archives Online
Recently, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) introduced the ability to conduct Optical Character Recognition (OCR) searches on their new port…
Richmond Chapel Was Dedicated to the Memory of the Confederate War Dead
The Confederate Memorial Chapel near the intersection of Boulevard and Grove Avenue stands where it served indigent and disabled Confederate veterans for more tha…
Remington’s “Old Model” 1861 Navy Revolver
In 1857, the firm of E. Remington & Sons introduced their first percussion revolver. Since the founding of the firm in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington, the company ha…
Perspectives on Antietam
After his victory at the second battle fought at Manassas, Lee led his men across the Potomac. Lincoln, dissatisfied with Pope, turned again to McClellan, who pur…
New Gettysburg Campaign Study Receives Prestigious Award
CANFIELD, Ohio—The Mahoning Valley Civil War Round Table has awarded its 2019 Hugh G. Earnhart Civil War Scholarship Award to Thomas J. Ryan and Richard R. Schaus…
Mounted
Answers found on page 46. Stephen Davis, our Book Review Editor, asks if there’s a book out there that’s a Federal counterpart to J. D. R. Hawkins’ work, cited on…
In Memoriam: James I. “Bud” Robertson Jr.
History is the greatest teacher you will ever have,” James I. “Bud” Robertson Jr. often told his students. If history is the greatest teacher, many of them might…
Highlights from the Rock Island Auction Company’s Sept. 6-8, 2019 Premier Auction
LOT1195-Very Scarce Documented Historic Civil War Berdan Sharpshooters Sharps New Model 1859 Rifle with Double Set Triggers and Bayonet. SOLD: $25,875 This is an…
Highlights From Recent Auctions
Poulin’s October 18-21, 2019 Firearm Auction generated nearly $5.5 Million in sales for Their consignors - Their largest to date! Below are some highlights from t…
Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va.—At its September 11 program, the Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table marked 40 years of educational meetings. Pictured, left to right, are th…
Forrest Fight Continues in Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—The legal clash over the Forrest Equestrian Statue in Memphis stretches on, as the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Forrest Family Descendants…
Family’s Home-style Cleaning Method Restores Civil War Veteran’s Headstone
It was hard enough just getting to the gravesite, but reading the headstone was an even bigger challenge. Private James Farthing, who served in both the Thirty-Ei…
Excellence at the N-SSA 140th Nationals
Over the 69-year history of the North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA), there have been many great championship units. Without a doubt, the greatest of the 21st…
Emerging Civil War — December 2019
Whenever I invoke George Santayana in front of a Civil War group, I get a lot of “Amens.” “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,” Santayana said…
Colonel Mann & European Matches
At the outbreak of the Civil War, William d’Alton Mann joined the 1st Michigan Cavalry, where his charisma won him election as a captain, even though he had no pr…
Civil War Events — December 2019
Dec. 31, Pennsylvania. Annual General Meade Birthday Celebration Before making plans to attend any event contact the event host. Deadlines for Advertising, Editor…
Cherry Bounce
So as the Yankees say after every defeat, I retired in good order...Alas, I am a woman approaching forty, and the offering proved to be a bottle of cherry bounce.…
Book Reviews — December 2019
The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War. By Aaron SheehanDean. Notes, illustrations, index, 465 pp., 2018. Harvard University Press, www.hup.…
Behind the Scenes at Shenandoah 1864
Most reenactors don’t think too much about how a reenactment is put together. They pay their registration and show up at the event site and expect water, sanitary…
Augusta CWRT
In September I presented at the regular meeting of the Augusta Civil War Round Table, an incredibly well-run organization. Their success provides a great example…
Arkansas Foot Races
You will soon hear of one of the damnedest fights or foot races that had taken place lately.” – U.S. Gen. James G. Blunt After losing the March 7-8, 1862, Battle…
American Battlefield Trust Announces Members of Inaugural Youth Leadership Team
Ten teens from across the country will spend the next year advocating for historic preservation nationally and in their own communities. WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Amer…
157th Battle Reenactment of Gettysburg is a Go!
GETTYSBURG, Penn.—Who is Dustin Heisey? Born in the historic town of Maytown, Penn., Dustin is a United States Army veteran, having served eight years, including…
140th N-SSA Nationals
A competitor swiftly loads his Smith carbine during the carbine match on Authentically uniformed Confederate skirmishers load and fire at breakable Saturday morni…
These People Are All My Neighbors
These People Are All My Neighbors “[The Militia] dread the jeers and sneers which they must encounter from the Army more than they do the bullets of the Yankees.”…
Porter Alexander’s Critique of the Seven Days
Porter Alexander’s Critique of the Seven Days “I think that one defect in Gen. Jackson’s character as a soldier was his religious belief.”—E. Porter Alexander Las…
Pete & Julia Brown Receive the American Battlefield Trust’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Pete & Julia Brown Receive the American Battlefield Trust’s Lifetime Achievement Award Former Marine and wife pioneered battlefield visitation with HistoryAmerica…
Our Contributors – Books on Their Cart
Our Contributors – Books on Their Cart This idea spawned from CWN columnist Michael Shaffer, who wrote that Stephen Davis’ new book on the Atlanta Campaign was on…
Ohio in the War: Her Statesman, Generals, and Soldiers
Book cover. Agate: 1: a hard stone, sometimes referred to as a bloodstone; 2: pseudonym under which Whitelaw Reid wrote of various battles during the American Civ…
Notable Books of a Nautical Nature
When presented with the opportunity to write about books, one quickly realizes that new books are being published weekly dealing with the American Civil War, our…
New Gun Digest & Veteran Arms
often falling into the pit of nostalgia. One example of that nostalgia stimulation is Gun Digest, the annual firearms publication continuously in print since 1946…
George McClellan – November 1, 1861
George McClellan – November 1, 1861 The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print…
Events Section — November 2019
Hotel Gettysburg, 1 Lincoln Square. Room left of front desk. Friday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Free Admission – Civil War and More: books; Sullivan…
English Cartridge Box
English Cartridge Box A number of the first imported English “accoutrement kits” to arrive in Savannah, Ga., in 1861 were from A. Ross & Co. The equipment was pur…
Emerging Civil War — November 2019
From the Editor I’ve been doing some extra reading lately about Ambrose Burnside. Like the man who proceeded him and the man who succeeded him as commander of the…
Descendants Steal Spotlight at Civil War Talk
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.— Ben Trittipoe and Marti Hall Sell stole the show at a recent Civil War program about historic houses and Civil War activity along the Blue Ri…
Confederate Biography, A to Z
Confederate Biography, A to Z For this issue, publisher Jack Melton asked some of our regular columnists, “What’s on your rolling tray?” The idea came from Michae…
City of Philadelphia Home Guard M1816 Percussion Conversion Musket
City of Philadelphia Home Guard M1816 Percussion Conversion Musket With the April 12, 1861, firing on Fort Sumter and the subsequent outbreak of hostilities that…
CWN Recognizes the Following Subscribers for their Military Service
Recognizes the Following Subscribers for their Military Service Ted Alexander USMC, Sergeant I Corps, Helicopter Support Vietnam (1969-1971) David Armstrong US Ar…
Bookish
D. John J. Pullen E. Frank E. Vandiver F. Albert Castel G. Bruce Catton H. John J. Hennessy I. James I. Robertson, Jr. J. John D. Billings Answers found on page 4…
Book Reviews — November 2019
Saving the American Experiment New Perspectives on the Civil War. Edited by Gary Gallagher and Elizabeth Varon. Illustrations, notes, index, bibliography, 260 pp.…
2nd North Carolina Cavalry KIA Identified Cavalry Sword
Richmond, Virginia’s Boyle & Gamble manufactory produced this enlisted cavalry sword in early 1862. (All photos OldSouthAntiques.com) By Shannon Pritchard The cav…
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now”
Some of us old-timers can remember Judy Collins’ hit, “Both Sides Now” (1968), in which she sings of gazing at clouds in the sky. Well, that’s what George Barnard…
“Grant and Twain: The Men and the Memoirs” Plays in Quincy, Illinois
“Grant and Twain: The Men and the Memoirs” Plays in Quincy, Illinois By Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to the -Western TheaterThe 300 people in t…
Why I Support the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust
By Bradley M. Gottfried, Ph.D. I prepare detailed map atlases of Civil War campaigns—six are in print and a couple are on the way. I visit battlefields multiple t…
The North Georgia Relic Hunters 41st Annual Show
The North Georgia Relic Hunters 41st Annual Show MARIETTA, Ga.—The North Georgia Relic Hunters recently sponsored its 41st Annual Southeastern Civil War and Antiq…
Tale of Two Eagles
Tale of Two Eagles By Michael Pikunas The morning of November 12, 1861, the youthful Federal soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry were not overjoy…
Small Talk-Trivia — October 2019
Atlanta Campaign 1. Who was the Union army commander killed in the battle fought east of Atlanta on July 22, 1864? 2. Who was Johnston’s and Hood’s cavalry comman…
Sharpshooter Duels, Buffalo Arms and Wild Bill’s Firearms Heritage
Garry Yee, author of Sharpshooters 1750–1900: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story, a book that has become an instant classic and go-to source on the subject, has a n…
Prang and Company: Sheridan’s Ride October 19, 1864
Prang and Company: Sheridan’s Ride October 19, 1864 The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importa…
News Briefs — October 2019
A. Wilson Greene Receives Houston Civil War Round Table’s “Frank E. Vandiver Award of Merit” HOUSTON, Texas—May 16. Continuing a 37-year tradition, the Houston Ci…
Native New Yorker Survived Pickett’s Charge – with the 11th Virginia Infantry!
Native New Yorker Survived Pickett’s Charge – with the 11th Virginia Infantry! By Joe Bordonaro Visitors to Fairfield Cemetery in Spencerport, N.Y., may be surpri…
L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace
Edward Porter Alexander Edward Porter Alexander was a military professional, a keen observer, a thoughtful analyst, and a gifted writer. All these traits make his…
Life and Reminiscences of General Wm. T. Sherman: By Distinguished Men of His Time.
Life and Reminiscences of General Wm. T. Sherman: By Distinguished Men of His Time. “To you is dedicated this memorial volume of your honored and much-loved leade…
Hurricane Dorian
This issue was finished early due to hurricane Dorian. The coasts of Florida to South Carolina were under a hurricane watch and were ordered to evacuate. I apolog…
George Barnard’s Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaigns
George Barnard’s Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaigns By Stephen Davis Special to Civil War News
Fort Jefferson Gun Conservation—General Rodman's Cannon
Fort Jefferson Gun Conservation—General Rodman's Cannon By Joan Wenner, J.D. Historical records note some in the Northern leadership had seen the Civil War as a l…
Events Section — October 2019
Welcoming ceremony: 12:15 p.m. Ride departure: 1 p.m. Open to all interested riders. Rain or shine. Registration $10. For information, www.gbpa.org and www.abatep…
Emerging Civil War — October 2019
are just renditions of a previously made map and do not include the locations and troop movements actually mentioned in the text.
Emerging Civil War Presents Annual Awards
Emerging Civil War Presents Annual Awards Emerging Civil War presented its 2019 ECW Awards at its annual Symposium earlier this month in Spotsylvania, Virginia. A…
David vs. Goliath
“It [was] my right, if not my duty, to act the part of a belligerent.” – C.S. Lt. William T. Glassell On September 7, 1863, the Federals captured Morris Island, C…
Critic’s Corner — October 2019
A Legacy of Valor: The Memoirs and Letters of Captain Henry Newton Comey, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry. Edited by Lyman Richard Comey. University of Tennessee Press…
Confederate Purchased British Brunswick Rifle
Confederate Purchased British Brunswick Rifle In 1836, the British military officially adopted the percussion cap to replace flint as the ignition system for smal…
Confederate 2nd Model LeMat Revolver
By Shannon Pritchard The LeMat “grapeshot” revolver was a highly prized sidearm among Confederate officers. Developed in 1856 by Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orlea…
Chasing the Gray Ghost
Chasing the Gray Ghost By Don Hakenson and Chuck Mauro Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby spent the last two and half years of the Civil War conducting guerilla co…
Charleston’s First Memorial Day: Forgotten No More
Charleston’s First Memorial Day: Forgotten No More By Stephen Davis Special to Civil War News History, if you’ll pardon a digression, can be like a rock ‘n’ roll…
Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Announces Ted Alexander’s Retirement and Successor Eric Wittenberg
Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Announces Ted Alexander’s Retirement and Successor Eric Wittenberg Ted Alexander, retired chief historian at Antietam Nati…
California Beer
California Beer In 1864, during Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” his invading army lived on the bounty of the farmlands they marched across. For every story of subsi…
Book Reviews — October 2019
Contact Stephen Davis, Civil War News Book Review Editor. Email: [email protected].
Betcha haven’t seen this one!
Betcha haven’t seen this one! By Stephen Davis Special to Civil War News Quick! What’s this view—a photograph taken by one of the Civil War’s most prominent camer…
Allstadt’s Corner, important to John Brown’s Raid, donated to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Allstadt’s Corner, important to John Brown’s Raid, donated to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park 13-acre site also played major roles the 1862 Battle of Harpe…
155th Anniversaries of the Crater and Weldon Railroad
155th Anniversaries of the Crater and Weldon Railroad Petersburg National Battlefield observes the 155th Anniversaries of the Battles of the Crater and Weldon Rai…
“Best Little Book on Barnard”
Historical Publications LLC of Charleston, S.C., is proud to announce publication of its newThe paperback, Significant Atlanta 100 Campaign Civil War Photographs:…
The United States Christian Commission and it’s Coffee Wagons!
Professor Veritas had the pleasure of having coffee from the United States Christian Commission coffee wagon and interviewing Chaplain Alan Farley. The Professor…
The Preservation of Land and Memory: Remembering an Oberlin alum and rising star in the Union army
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The great American editor, Maxwell Perkins, wrote to his colleague Ernest Hemingway in 1932, “Is there any chance you will be here in October? [F…
The Oldenburg “Cyclops” – The “One Eyed” Musket of the Civil War
The American Civil War provided an opportunity for European arsenals to divest themselves of a wide array of obsolete and unwanted small arms in a very short peri…
Richard Houston Receives American Battlefield Trust’s 2019 Teacher of the Year Award
RALEIGH, N.C.—On July 13, the American Battlefield Trust named Richard Houston, a history teacher at Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich, Mass., the recipient…
R.E. Lee Statue
The truly fantastic monumental Alexander Phimster Proctor equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee was sold June 5, 2019, by FSO Auctions in an online sale that generat…
Our First Sale
Every author wishes to remember his first book sale. Ours came in Savannah, Ga., on July 17. Jack, Peggy, and I met at Wiley’s Championship Barbecue, slightly sou…
New Monument to the 1st Maine Cavalry Dedicated at Mount Defiance Historic Park in Middleburg, Virginia
From June 17-21, 1863, a series of three battles were fought to screen the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s advance toward the Maryland and Pennsylvania. G…
Mobile, Alabama
1. Mobile was founded in 1711 by settlers from what European country? 2. This fort, at the tip of a peninsula on the eastern side of the entrance to Mobile Bay, w…
Major Giles B. Cooke: Grand Old Man of Virginia
Douglas Southall Freeman, renowned Richmond newspaper editor and revered biographer of General Robert E. Lee, described Major Giles Buckner Cooke as the “Grand Ol…
Letters to the Editor — September 2019
A Thank You Dear Mrs. Melton, You may very well be quite busy, but I wanted to take the liberty of catching a moment of your time to express my gratitude for your…
Kurz and Allison, Printmakers Antietam
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. During the…
Impacted Ordnance Found in Historic Bushong Farmhouse
This year as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Bushong Farm, the oldest structure on the farm, the 1818 House, underwent exterior renovations that inc…
Glory Redivivus
Readers of my “Hollywood History” column last month may have wondered why I didn’t mention Glory (1989) in my brief listing of memorable Civil War movies. Well, i…
Gettysburg 156th Anniversary Reenactment Held July 5, 6 & 7 at Gettysburg Movie Site
GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The weather can be hot, humid, and rainy in Gettysburg during July and this year’s Gettysburg Reenactment experienced all those weather elements…
Events Section — September 2019
Historic Daniel Lady Farm, 1008 Hanover St. Gettysburg, Pa. Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. In honor of its 60th Anniversary, the Gettysburg…
Emerging Civil War — September 2019
As I write this, we’re heading into the home stretch in advance of our Sixth Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge (Aug. 2-4, 2019). In a way, th…
Crossing the Hooch without a Hitch
After being repulsed at Kennesaw Mountain, Sherman reverted to his tried-and-true tactic of maneuvering to his right, threatening Johnston’s communications and fo…
Critic’s Corner — September 2019
So they’re talking about removing the seventh U.S. president from the twenty-dollar-bill because he was a slaveowner. What about taking the face of the eighteenth…
Civil War News Military Recognition
For the November issue, we will recognize subscribers who are currently in the military and those who have served their country. Please send in your name, branch…
Chattanooga Civil War & Artifact Show & Sale News
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—It is rare that an event in only its second year makes a significant impact in the world of Civil War shows, but this annual event has the maki…
Carbine Folklore at Gettysburg
During the Civil War Centennial, when historians were less aware of historical firearms, it was commonly believed that Brigadier General John Buford’s horse soldi…
Breakfast
In his Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson wrote of the ideal democratic republic as a society of self-sufficient agrarians. His plantation estate Mo…
Book Reviews — September 2019
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,…
Betcha haven’t seen this one!
Quick! What’s this view—a photograph taken by one of the Civil War’s most prominent cameramen? Chances are that you’ve seen a slightly different view of this same…
American Battlefield Trust — September 2019
As hundreds of American Battlefield Trust members and staff prepared to gather in Lexington, Ky., for our Annual Conference in May, I was delighted to learn that…
Accessing the Official Records Online
Circling back to March 2016, and the focus of the first installment of this column, this month we update readers on an additional online tool for searching the Of…
A Delaying Action
“the rebels are coming in bunches.” – U.S. Cpt. Heber S. Thompson By September 1863, U.S. Gen. William Rosecrans’s Army of the Cumberland had driven C.S. Gen. Bra…
“If Farragut had only been here…”
Blockade duty during the Civil war usually proved to be deadly dull… weeks of boredom, punctuated by moments of pure excitement. The following, recently discovere…
Young Skirmishers Join the Fun at N-SSA 139th Nationals
The North-South Skirmish Association prides itself on its motto of “History, Competition and Camaraderie.” One of the many ways the Association does this is throu…
William and Stiles Hinson at Fussell’s Mill
During the spring of 1864, in the continuing effort to bolster the Richmond, Va., defenses, five veteran companies of cavalry were brought up from South Carolina…
Walking in Footsteps of the 69th New York State Militia
Like many of you, I have always been interested in where my family walked during the Civil War. This past May, the well-known private tour guide and Bull Run hist…
The Soldiers’ Journal
Shifting her focus from the hospitals, where she worked as a nurse tending to wounded and ill Federal soldiers, Amy Morris Bradley began publishing The Soldiers’…
The Scholarship of Confederate Nationalism
In January 1862 a Georgian serving in Virginia wrote home about the sunny prospects for the Southern Confederacy. “I have no more idea that the Yankees will whip…
The Lincoln Funeral Train Commemorated
A single shot from a derringer, at 10:15 pm on April 14, 1865, was all it took to transform the end-of-the-war celebration in Washington, D.C., into shocked anger…
The Battle of Champion Hill
HINDS COUNTY, Miss.— On May 16, 1863, following the Union capture of Jackson, Miss., Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s 32,000 advancing Union soldiers met 22,000 Confe…
The Artillery Fuze
“The Ordnance Department of the Confederate States has accomplished immense results of which the people are almost wholly ignorant…From the Richmond Arsenal and t…
Spanish “Enfield” Rifles in the American Civil War
During the latter part of the 1850s, the Spanish military adopted a family of .577 caliber, percussion ignition, muzzleloading long arms based on the British Patt…
Sometimes Readers Send Us Research Questions….
Publisher’s note: From time to time one of our regular columnists receives an e-mail from a reader who writes, “Hey, I liked your recent article, and it prompts m…
Hollywood History
Disney’s movie The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) was based on the Andrews railroad raid in Georgia in 1862. John Ford’s The Horse Soldiers (1959) was based on Ben…
Henry G. Heidebrink
Recently Kent Masterson Brown, President of the Lexington, Ky., Civil War Roundtable challenged the membership to write an article about their Civil War relative…
Going Paperless
An errant tee shot from the Atlanta Country Club’s 13th hole will transport the ball a century and a half back in time. The ball will fly out of bounds, out of th…
Globe Tavern or Weldon Railroad, August 1864
This column highlights prints from the Civil War, discusses their meaning, and most importantly, details what the print maker or artist was trying to achieve. Lik…
Gettysburg Trivia
Who sent this note to Pickett, “The 18 guns have been driven off. For God’s sake come on quick or we cannot support you. Ammunition nearly out”? 2. Who was the on…
General’s Presentation Sword
I received a phone call from the owner of a presentation sword given to General Alpheus Williams just prior to 2018 hurricane that threatened the South Carolina c…
GBPA’s 46th Annual Gettysburg Civil War Collector’s Show
GETTYSBURG, Penn.— The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association held its 46th Annual Gettysburg Civil War Collector’s Show on June 29-30 at the Allstar Exp…
From The Lowcountry — August 2019
Peggy and I attended the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association’s 46th annual Civil War Show the last weekend of June. Thank you to everyone who came by…
Eye in the Sky
“A hawk hovering above a chicken yard could not have caused more commotion than did my balloons when they appeared before Yorktown, [Va.].” – Professor Thaddeus L…
Exploding Walkers, .31 caliber mold and Rebel Henrys
I know a guy who uses a reproduction Colt. 44 caliber Walker six gun for plinking and wild hog hunting. The gun has performed reliably for him over a number of ye…
Events Section — August 2019
Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. We strive to add all events submitted to us but do not guarantee that your e…
Emerging Civil War — August 2019
On June 16, 1885, as the dying Ulysses S. Grant made his way northward toward his rendezvous with destiny atop Mt. McGregor in upstate NY, he rode in a private tr…
Confederate Statue Rededicated at a New Location
WHITE’S FERRY, MD—The three-year-old controversy over a Confederate soldier statue in Rockville, Md., has been resolved, with each side gaining at least part of w…
Civil War News Military Recognition
For the November issue, we will recognize subscribers that are currently in the military and those that have served their country. Please send in your name, branc…
Book Reviews — August 2019
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,…
Betcha haven’t seen this one!
Francis Trevelyan Miller’s Photographic Views of the Civil War (1911), vol. 3, p. 135; Lamont Buchanan, A Pictorial History of the Confederacy (1951), p. 243; Wil…
American Battlefield Trust Honors Battlefield Preservation Champions at Annual Conference
American Battlefield Trust Honors Battlefield Preservation Champions at Annual Conference National nonprofit recognizes outstanding leaders dedicated to preservin…
Tweaking Clio’s Nose: Ward Moore’s Bring the Jubilee
I think I learned the word funky from Rockford (James Garner) back in the ‘70s. Well, something definitely funky is going on when one reads the first sentence of…
The U.S. M1858 Cadet Rifle Musket
The U.S. M1858 Cadet Rifle Musket The topic of this article was recently suggested by one of my customers. I appreciate the suggestion and welcome them from the r…
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post Beginning print in 1821 out of Philadelphia, on the same press Benjamin Franklin used to rollout his The Pennsylvania Gazette in 1728, t…
Sharpshooters
Sharpshooters While there are serious and legitimate disputed interpretations and reinterpretations of history, the past, especially in the popular view, has prod…
Mississippi was in our hands
Mississippi was in our hands In May 1862, seven weeks after Shiloh, the Confederates were compelled to evacuate Corinth, Miss. Four months later they tried to tak…
Haversack
Haversack As soon as we had stacked arms, I left for the city to replenish my haversack, which had become rather flat…On entering town I passed by the abandoned C…
Emerging Civil War — July 2019
From the Editor To the east, a full moon is about to lift itself above the horizon. Already, the thin cloud cover glows with pregnant light, signaling an imminent…
Artillery Hauls
Artillery Hauls Quick! What was the largest single-event capture of enemy artillery pieces in the entire Civil War? The answer may surprise you…. Here, based on m…
42nd Annual Ohio Civil War Show Continues to Keep History Alive
MANSFIELD, Ohio—Guests were very pleased and commented about the many rare displays and memorabilia on display; “ I’ve never seen so many rifles and weapons at on…
USS Keystone State in the Civil War
USS Keystone State in the Civil War By Joan Wenner, J.D. “Everything is Ours Now” …Union soldier to North Carolinian who pleaded to save her Family Bible Toward t…
The “Raphael” Revolver
The “Raphael” Revolver It is interesting to note that the three most advanced, self-contained metallic cartridge handguns to see use during the American Civil War…
The Confederate Roll of Honor: Not quite a medal or a badge, but…
The Confederate Roll of Honor: Not quite a medal or a badge, but… Publisher’s note: Last month Steve Davis reported on a Confederate Medal of Honor recently besto…
The CVBT and me
The CVBT and me By Robert Lee Hodge Is there any chance you will be here in October?—Scott [Fitzgerald] and I have got a grand tour of the Virginia battlefields p…
Snuff
Snuff “Most of the Southern women chew tobacco or ‘dip snuff’ as they call it.”– Thomas P. Nanzig, From Shiloh to Surrender with the 18th Wisconsin The differing…
News Briefs — June 2019
CANFIELD, Ohio—On April 8, 2019, renowned historian and author A. Wilson Greene was honored as the first recipient of the Hugh G. Earnhart Civil War Scholarship A…
Match The Number With The Letter
Match The Number With The Letter Numbers 1. Bohemian Brigade 2. Quaker gun 3. Shoddy 4. Invalid Corps 5. Marye’s Heights 6. Whistling Dick 7. Corduroy road 8. Fre…
Lincoln Forum Announces Roster For 2019 Symposium: “The Leader. The War. The Legacy: Lincoln At 210”
Lincoln Forum Announces Roster For 2019 Symposium: “The Leader. The War. The Legacy: Lincoln At 210” Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss to Deliver November…
Kristina Heister acting superintendent at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site
GETTYSBURG, Penn.— Kristina Heister has arrived as the acting superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. She will…
Identified 1st Regiment Virginia Volunteers Cross-Belt-Plate
Identified 1st Regiment Virginia Volunteers Cross-Belt-Plate By Shannon Pritchard In 1851, the Virginia legislature made an attempt at forming regiments of volunt…
George Washington and the Impending Crisis
This column highlights prints from the Civil War, discusses their meaning, and most importantly, details what the print maker or artist was trying to achieve. If…
General Sherman Never Gets Drunk (The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge –Part 2)
General Sherman Never Gets Drunk (The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge –Part 2) “Well, Mac, you have missed the opportunity of your life.” – William T. Sherman The firs…
General Court-Martial Proceedings
From the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion By Joan Wenner, J.D. She has a special interest in Civil War Courts Martials and Courts of Inquiry. The Cour…
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper A name without a face, a battlefield absent terrain features, or accounts of pivotal events, all created confusion when readi…
Fort Monroe National Monument Hosts Garrison Life Living History Event
Fort Monroe National Monument Hosts Garrison Life Living History Event By Bob Ruegsegger Scores of living historians and reenactors from New York to Georgia, asse…
Events Section — June 2019
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…
Emerging Civil War — June 2019
Since remarrying five years ago, I’ve lived on the edge of the Chancellorsville battlefield but continued to teach at St. Bonaventure University. Online classes h…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust 2019 Annual Conference
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust 2019 Annual Conference By Tom Van Winkle The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust held their 22nd Annual Conference April 5th t…
Center for the Study of the Civil War Era
Center for the Study of the Civil War Era The chocolate chips have become a tradition. As the bus rolled homeward, south on Interstate 75 from the northwest Georg…
Book Reviews — June 2019
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,…
Allen Tate’s Stonewall Jackson: The Good Soldier (1928)
Most readers wishing to bone up on Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, or check on a specific fact about his life, will probably turn first to James I. Robert…
A Rifle-Musket, A New Mold and a Caution
A Rifle-Musket, A New Mold and a Caution My Favorite Firearm If I were asked to choose my favorite firearm among the many I own, there is no doubt I would instant…
154th Anniversary of Lee’s Surrender at Appomattox
154th Anniversary of Lee’s Surrender at Appomattox By Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to – Eastern Theater – The 154th anniversary of the surrende…
“A Note On Privateers”
April issue’s “Through the Lens” including some discussion on legitimate privateers versus high seas robbers was surely very interesting to many readers. Not all…
We’ll Eat Your Mules Up (The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge – Part 1)
“The U.S. have the means of collecting two great armies— here & in Virginia. Our government thinks they can raise but one, that of course in Virginia.” – C.S. Gen…
The SCV Confederate Medal of Honor
On February 23, Col. Hume R. Feild (1834–1921) became the sixty-fourth veteran of the War Between the States to be bestowed the Confederate Medal of Honor. The mo…
The French Perrin Revolver
It is interesting to note that the three most advanced self-contained, metallic cartridge revolvers to see use during the American Civil War were all French desig…
The First of May 1865 or Genl. Moving Day in Richmond, Va.
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…
The Civil War is Alive Today (A Story about Adele Miller)
The United States recently completed a four year cycle commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil. This seems like long ago, particularly to Americ…
The Atlanta Papers (cont.)
This month, we conclude our exploration into Sydney C. Kerksis’s The Atlanta Papers; a collection of Federal accounts from the Atlanta Campaign. Paper No. 25, ‘Wi…
Tea and Tea Substitutes
“If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.” The joke in the heading about tea and coffee was credited to Abrah…
Redesignation of Fort Sumter National Monument
CHARLESTON, S.C.—The National Park Service announces the redesignation of Fort Sumter National Monument to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.…
Perspectives on Murfreesboro
How absurd to suppose that the ever-vigilant McCook, always on the alert, should permit any troops under his command to be surprised! How absurd to suppose that t…
Lieutenant Colonel George A. Martin’s Regulation Frock Coat
This frock is well known to have come from the Bill Turner Collection. When he owned it, he also owned Lieutenant Colonel George Martin’s Virginia officer’s belt…
Good Weather Brought Big Crowds to Baltimore
TIMONIUM, Md.—The 65th anniversary of the Maryland Arms Collectors Association Show was held at the State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Md., on March 16 & 17, 2019. This…
From The Lowcountry — May 2019
We always look forward to the warm Summer weather and the many historic places to visit and shows to attend. On the weekend of May 4th and 5th, we will be attendi…
Federal City Brass Band Brings Added Dimension to Military Through the Ages
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. – Plato For decades visitors have flocked to Military Thr…
Events Section — May 2019
Zurko Promotions presents The National Civil War Collectors Spring Show and Sale which will be held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. Hours: 9 a.m. to…
Eras Gone Bullet Molds, Repro Catalogs & A Business Merger
One of the most interesting historical small arms related businesses I have come across in some time is Eras Gone Bullet Molds. Company founder Mark Hubbs wanted…
Emerging Civil War — May 2019
Twenty-one years ago, when she was four years old, my daughter Stephanie fell in love with Stonewall Jackson after a chance meeting on the plains of Manassas. See…
Critic’s Corner — May 2019
I find it interesting that arguably the most famous combat brigades in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate Army of Tennessee hailed from…
Chancellorsville
It’s May and time to think about Robert E. Lee’s historic victory. My questions and answers come from Stephen W. Sears’ Chancellorsville (Boston, 1996). 1. The Un…
Chambersburg Raid Scouts
(This story contains updated information about Hugh Logan, one of Jeb Stuart’s scouts for the October 1862 Chambersburg Raid that refutes a newspaper account of h…
Book Reviews — May 2019
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 Hampton Roads Commemorated at Mariners’ Museum’s Monitor Center
The 157th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads was commemorated at the Mariners’ Museum’s Monitor Center on March 9th. Reenactors, interpreters, lecturers,…
An Engineer to His Lady
During the Civil War, naval engineer George P. Hunt (1837–87) wrote numerous letters to his fiancé, Cordelia Eames (1833– 1900).1 The English-born Hunt entered th…
‘The Battle of Atlanta’ Cyclorama Opens After Four Year Restoration
ATLANTA, Ga.—On Feb. 22, 2019, the Atlanta History Center opened The Battle of Atlanta cyclorama after a four-year, $35.8 million relocation and restoration proje…
Women’s History Month Offers Opportunity to Spotlight Rising Star in Civil War Public History
More than 2,500 miles separate Sarah Kay Bierle from some of the most significant battlefields on the East Coast. That distance might scare some less-enthusiastic…
What’s In A Name?
Two Union generals were named for this famous explorer who “discovered” the New World in 1492. 2. Another Northern general bore the name (in Latinized version) of…
Three Swords Discovered
In 1972, my wife and I purchased our first home from a very nice elderly couple. They were moving into a retirement facility and taking very little with them. The…
The German Made Model 1861 Springfield
Of all the imported arms utilized by the U.S. government during the American Civil War, the Suhl Contract Model 1861 Rifle Musket is probably one of the most desi…
The Atlanta Papers (cont.)
This month, we march on with our look into Sydney C. Kerksis’s The Atlanta Papers; a collection of Federal accounts from the Atlanta Campaign. Major W.H. Chamberl…
Stuart Scouts for Ride Around McClellan
This is the first of two articles about Jeb Stuart’s local scouts who led his large cavalry force during rides around Major General George McClellan’s Union army…
Steal My Dog I Steal Your Cat
“I little thought, when I faced the storm of bullets at Edwards’ Ferry, [Va.] and escaped a soldier’s death upon the field, that it was only to be left by my coun…
Rescuing Old Joe
Whoever weds himself to the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next. — William Inge Few realize that Florida was so committed to The War Betwee…
Reenactment History, Dixie Gun Works Catalog
In my December column, I wrote about the confusion at the Civil War Centennial reenactment of the Battle of Antietam. In doing so I ventured an opinion that that…
Perspectives on Stones River
The muzzles of a hundred cannon belched forth fire, shot, and shell, and the earth and air were tremulous with the terrific vibration. – Brig. Gen. Richard W. Joh…
Passing on a Passion for the Past
Scattered throughout communities across the United States are small groups of dedicated individuals who strive to preserve our nation’s history. One such is the L…
National Civil War Memorial Gains Local Support
Sculptor Gary Casteel has been advocating development of a National Civil War Memorial for two decades. He feels he may be closer to the project’s go-ahead than e…
Lincoln and his Generals
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…
Letters to the Editor — April 2019
I enjoy the Civil War News and find it most informative. The piece on Hiram Roosa’s collection was especially timely, as I had been asked to give a book report in…
Improvements for the Reproduction U.S. Model 1861
“Gettysburg, Penn. July 3, 1863. We went out and picked up Springfields and left our Enfields. Nearly everyone did so.”– Diary of William Livermore, 20th Maine In…
Fort Donelson Anniversary Programs
The battle at Fort Donelson was an early turning point in the US Civil War that took place in mid-February 1862, right around St. Valentine’s Day. General Grant r…
Events Section — April 2019
Walt Whitman’s enormous contribution to the Civil War will be the focus of this power point presentation. For three years Whitman tirelessly tended to the sick, w…
Emerging Civil War — April 2019
Years ago, as a young writer in Goddard College’s M.F.A. program, I had a classmate who dreamed of one day being able to walk through her home with stacks of her…
Correction
In the March issue we neglected to give credit for four photographs published with the “This and That” column. The photos were provided by the Stone Mountain Memo…
Clippings from the Past
This article, “Atlanta and Nashville,” is in the Augusta Constitutionalist of February 5, 1865. It is signed “G. W. Y.” On the 7th the paper issued a correction,…
CS Marked Raking Spurs
The original pair of brass raking spurs featured here are, to the trained eye, easily recognized as Confederate. The raking style spur (rowels sideways) is a dist…
Book Reviews — April 2019
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,…
Bill Arp, So Called
Fifty years ago, a writer for the Atlanta Constitution admitted that she did not know much about a regular columnist who had written for the paper in the late 180…
Aboard the Ironclad Ram Arkansas with Naval Surgeon H.W. Macrae Washington
His earthly remains are interred near the moss-covered brick wall that marks the inner burial ground surrounding Ware Church in Gloucester County, Va. Encircled b…
“Transcends the Bounds of Sober Belief”: American Photography before the Civil War
We have seen the views taken in Paris by the “Daguerreotype” and have no hesitation in avowing that they are the most remarkable objects of curiosity and admirati…
University Chancellor Announces Resignation
University Chancellor Announces Resignation Stephen Davis (M.A., UNC-CH,1973) Chancellor Carol L. Folt of the University of North Carolina announced on January 14…
Union Generals in the Western Theater
Union Generals in the Western Theater 1. Who sent the following message to the Confederate commander at Fort Donelson: “I propose to move immediately upon your wo…
The Gibbs Patent Carbine
The Gibbs Patent Carbine With all of the trials and tribulations experienced during the life of the Gibbs Carbine, it is a story might best be entitled The Carbin…
The Atlanta Papers (cont.)
The Atlanta Papers cover and spine. Continuing the dig into Sydney C. Kerksis’s The Atlanta Papers, this month’s column contains additional Federal accounts from…
Private Alfred Rigby’s Diary Focuses on Cedar Creek
Private Alfred Rigby’s Diary Focuses on Cedar Creek By Carl L. Sell, Jr. After a week at sea, with its usual sickness, and another spent marching and riding the r…
Old Lube New Again, Pedersoli Whitworth Gear, NJ Rifle Musket
Old Lube New Again, Pedersoli Whitworth Gear, NJ Rifle Musket Beeswax Returns In my December 2018 column, I wrote about problems British troops had during the Sep…
North Carolina Oval Belt Plate
North Carolina Oval Belt Plate By Shannon Pritchard The North Carolina “NC” oval waist belt plate is one of the very rarest and most desirable of the Confederate…
Murder In Arkansas: The Killing of Major Lauchlan Maclean
In rare instances, the Compiled Service Record (CSR) of a Civil War soldier contains little gems of history. The CSR of Robert Clifton Wood includes one such gem,…
Local Virginia Grass Roots Preservation Group Begins 23rd Year of Saving Battlefields
Local Virginia Grass Roots Preservation Group Begins 23rd Year of Saving Battlefields With the advent of the Civil War by the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April…
Lincoln Forum Announces New Annual Book Prize To Honor Best Lincoln Book of the Year
The Lincoln Forum has created a new $1,000 prize to honor the year’s best book on Abraham Lincoln—or a distinguished work in which Lincoln is a central figure. Th…
Library of Congress Civil War Photographs
Library of Congress Civil War Photographs I have been currently involved in writing captions for an absolutely fabulous group of Civil War photographs owned by th…
Letters to the Editor — March 2019
Letter to the Editor: I enjoyed Leon Reed’s article “New York State Militia/Hiram Roosa’s Collection.” Since my family was involved in the New York State Militia…
Lee and his Generals
Lee and his Generals This occasional column highlights prints from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, what the print maker or artist…
It Was My Fight
It Was My Fight “Yanks, if you know what is best for you, you had better make a blue streak toward sunset.” – C.S. Capt., 26th N.C. On Aug. 21, 1864, U.S. Gen. Ul…
General Meade’s Birthday Celebrated!
General Meade’s Birthday Celebrated! PHILADELPHIA, Penn.—On Dec. 31, 2018, General Gordon S. Meade’s 203rd birthday was celebrated at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Phil…
Florence Fleming
Florence Fleming An interesting topic came up on one of the Civil War internet forums about whether a particular musket followed the soldier to whom it was issued…
Events Section — March 2019
Col. W.P. Rogers, SCV Camp #321 will be held at the Crossroads Museum. Located at 2800 S. Harper Road exit on Hwy 45, just 1 mile south of Hwy 72 in Corinth, Miss…
Emerging Civil War — March 2019
From the Editor One of the things I love most about public libraries is that they’re usually a far cry from the stereotypical temples of silence that we all think…
Eccentric Southern Belle Was an Incredible Union Spy
Eccentric Southern Belle Was an Incredible Union Spy By Bob Ruegsegger Elizabeth Van Lew’s neighbors thought she was crazy, and Van Lew did everything she could t…
Dalton Civil War Show Continues to Win Accolades
DALTON, Ga.—While a polar vortex threatened north Georgia early in the week, skies cleared and temperatures rose to almost balmy levels just in time for the 24th…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust
WASHINGTON, D.C.—“We are trying to save land in Virginia where boys from Rochester fought, and in some cases were captured, wounded, or killed,” said Tom Van Wink…
Book Reviews — March 2019
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 Digger Lowcountry Civil War & Artifact Show
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.— Once again, the 2019 Civil War show season opened the first week in January with the 25th Annual Low Country event, which has been sponsored…
A Texan Writes Home
A Texan Writes Home Irenus Watson Landingham was born in Alabama in 1839. His family moved to the vicinity of Houston, Texas, before the war. Landingham enlisted…
A High-Level Job
A High-Level Job Wes Freeman’s career has been marked by great variety. The Vietnam veteran did a 10-year stint with the DeKalb County, Ga., Sheriff’s Department,…
Winter Quarters 1862–1863
Winter Quarters 1862–1863 This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War. It discusses their meaning and most importantly, the goals…
Wilson’s Patent Breechloading Rifle – Part 2
Wilson’s Patent Breechloading Rifle – Part 2 Last month we looked at the background and evolution of Thomas Wilson’s Breechloading Rifle. This month we will look…
Walt Whitman in the Civil War
Walt Whitman in the Civil War By Joseph F. Wilson In Pfaff’s dimly lit beer cellar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Walt Whitman sipped his beer trying despe…
UNC Trustees Told to Create New Plan for “Silent Sam”
On December 14, the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors rejected a proposal from University trustees at Chapel Hill to move the Confederate sol…
The Atlanta Papers
Working to offset a deficit in published material on the Atlanta Campaign of 1864, former U.S. Army officer Sydney C. Kerksis compiled The Atlanta Papers, which M…
Retaliation, Reprisal, and Retribution
Retaliation, Reprisal, and Retribution How the people are to live this winter God only knows. Valley Spirit, Chambersburg, Penn., August 31, 1864 Their will be su…
Preservation of Major Phillip Preston Johnston’s Uniform
Preservation of Major Phillip Preston Johnston’s Uniform By Jessica Hack Major Phillip Preston Johnston (1840–1925) was a Confederate Army veteran who served in t…
Polish Ceremony Honors Heros von Borcke, Prussian Cavalryman who Fought for the South
Polish Ceremony Honors Heros von Borcke, Prussian Cavalryman who Fought for the South By Piotr “Smednir” Narloch, sergeant, 14th La. Regt. (Polish Brigade) and Ma…
New York State Militia/Hiram Roosa’s Collection
New York State Militia/Hiram Roosa’s Collection By Leon Reed So, when did the Civil War “start?” Well, when I taught U.S. History, the Virginia Standard of Learni…
Musical History
Musical History 1. Even before my father’s fathers They called us rebels Burned our cornfields And left our cities leveled I can still see the eyes Of those blue…
McElroy Sword
McElroy Sword Dear John: I acquired the following sword from a 77 year old gentleman who said the sword originally belonged to his great, great grandfather who wa…
Let Them Rest
In the summer of 2017 a friend sent me an email with a link to an NBC news show in which Confederate monuments were discussed. A journalist, Joy Reid, stated that…
Leech & Co. Bowie Knife
Leech & Co. Bowie Knife By Shannon Pritchard The beautiful clip point Bowie knife shown here is pure Confederate. The maker of this ultra-rare Bowie knife is the…
Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table makes Donation to Harpers Ferry Park Association
Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table makes Donation to Harpers Ferry Park Association
Harold Holzer Elected Chairman Of Lincoln Forum; Group Names Frank J. Williams Chairman Emeritus
Harold Holzer Elected Chairman Of Lincoln Forum; Group Names Frank J. Williams Chairman Emeritus GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The advisory board and some 300 attendees at th…
Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable Announces its Distinguished Book Award
Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable Announces its Distinguished Book Award GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable is pleased to announce that its Disti…
Emerging Civil War — February 2019
From the Editor I sit by the multi-colored lights of our family Christmas tree as I write this, but I’m thinking of soldiers here in Fredericksburg who, 156 years…
Ed Wenschhof Jr. Acting Superintendent at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site
Ed Wenschhof Jr. Acting Superintendent at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site GETTYSBURG, Penn.—Ed Wenschhof Jr. has arrived a…
Did the Federal Government Pay Pensions to Ex-Confederate Soldiers?
Did the Federal Government Pay Pensions to Ex-Confederate Soldiers? By Stephen Davis Special to Civil War News Even to this day, the U.S. government will provide…
Civil War Events — February 2019
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…
Book Reviews — February 2019
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 McDowell Battlefield
Battlefields Foundation Announces Preservation Victory at McDowell Battlefield Property Includes Site Where Neighbor Fought Neighbor During Battle in the Mountain…
Antietam Centennial, Sharpshooter Info & Whitworth Ammo Specs
Antietam Centennial, Sharpshooter Info & Whitworth Ammo Specs Antietam 100th As most readers of this column know, I have been acquiring original news photos of tw…
A as in …
A as in … 1. This Maryland-born leader was the first Army of Northern Virginia general captured after Robert E. Lee took command (hint July 1, 1863) 2. These two…
A Texan Writes Home
A Texan Writes Home Many of us are practicing scholars and writers, even if we’re “amateur” ones—strictly defined by the academicians as not earning our financial…
A Tale of Two Forts
A Tale of Two Forts “It is a strange situation. The Federal Government, afraid to speak, and unable to act, is leaving its soldiers to do as they please.” – Willi…
A Navy Man Writes on the Fall of New Orleans
A Navy Man Writes on the Fall of New Orleans By Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf Dr. Aaron Shimer Oberly (1837–1918) studied medicine at Yale University. He was app…
A Few Thoughts On Canteens
A Few Thoughts On Canteens One of the basic needs for human survival is water. You can survive longer without virtually anything else except air. Although essenti…
“…dead, dead, dead.”
“…dead, dead, dead.” By Thomas P. Lowry When this author was an Air Force doctor, he received many patients from all over the world by “Air Evac.” This miracle of…
“The Bugle Was to Blame”
“The Bugle Was to Blame” By Stephen Davis Special to Civil War News Years after the war Union veterans reminisced and wrote about the battle of Pickett’s Mill, Ga…
“Fall Farm Skirmish” a Successful Harvest for GBPA
Capping a 2018 season that saw a reduction in the number and size of reenactments generally, the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association successfully buck…
“A Want of Vigilance” – The Battle of Bristoe Station, Oct. 14, 1863
“A Want of Vigilance” – The Battle of Bristoe Station, Oct. 14, 1863 By Joe Bordonaro Following the bloodiest battle of the Civil War—Gettysburg— General Lee’s Ar…
Wilson’s Patent Breechloading Rifle – Part 1
Wilson’s Patent Breechloading Rifle – Part 1 The Wilson Patent Breech Loading Rifle is one of the rarest and most sophisticated of the small arms imported by the…
The “Virginia Model” Rifle Musket
The “Virginia Model” Rifle Musket The State of Virginia Armory Commission developed a rifle musket design for manufacture at the Richmond Armory some months befor…
The Valley Project: Delving into the Online Archive
The Valley Project: Delving into the Online Archive In December 2017, Ed Ayers spoke to the Atlanta Civil War Round Table on the subject of “War and Reconstructio…
The Bombardment and Capture of Fort Fisher, N.C. Jany. 15th 1865
The Bombardment and Capture of Fort Fisher, N.C. Jany. 15th 1865 This occasional column highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their mean…
Remembrance Day Weekend in Gettysburg
Remembrance Day Weekend in Gettysburg By Steve Reilly I had been a very active member in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War for over thirty years, but ne…
More on Bullet Lube & Weapons for Reenactments and Shooting
In response to my last column on British ammunition problems in India during the Sepoy Rebellion, my friend Bill Adams added that, “They were still using the old…
Miscellany
1. What battle in Tennessee became notorious as a “massacre” of African American Union troops? 2. This Union cavalry officer led a raid toward Richmond in the win…
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Pennsylvania, California, and Oregon
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS) – Pennsylvania, California, and Oregon This month, we close our review of the MOLLUS…
Lincoln Forum Presents Annual Achievement Awards
Lincoln Forum Presents Annual Achievement Awards GETTYSBURG, Penn.—On November 18, The Lincoln Forum presented its annual Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievem…
Letters to the Editor — January 2019
TO THE EDITOR: I have just visited, in company of my host Michael Harrington, President of the Houston Civil War Round Table, the Museum of Southern History in Ho…
High School Students Help Rehabilitate Part of Chancellorsville Battlefield
High School Students Help Rehabilitate Part of Chancellorsville Battlefield CHANCELLORSVILLE, Va.—Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) held is fifth annual…
Grant and Twain: The Story of a Friendship that Changed America (conclusion)
Grant and Twain: The Story of a Friendship that Changed America (conclusion) Book Review Editor’s note: in our last month’s column, General Grant had been enticed…
Fathers and Sons
Fathers and Sons “My son is a rebel! – I defend him not!” – U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden Both the North and South wanted Kentucky on their side. Situated betwe…
Events Section — January 2019
Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Museum & Library Civil War related History presentation at 1:30 p.m. Civil War Concert by the 28th Pennsylvania Regimental Bra…
Emerging Civil War — January 2019
are grateful for you and for all you do. — Chris Mackowski Editor-in-Chief Edward Alexander: I’m thankful for organizations and individuals that have embraced dig…
Caveat Emptor
Caveat Emptor I appreciate all the positive responses from last month’s column and have been asked for more examples of fake items in market. There are expert dea…
CVBT’s Acquisition of Myer’s Hill
CVBT’s Acquisition of Myer’s Hill By Thomas Van Winkle President, Central Battlefields Trust While the 1864 battle of Spotsylvania Court House is best known for t…
Book Reviews — January 2019
Ideas of Citizenship Change in the Crucible of the Civil War Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significa…
Ball Supports Gettysburg National Military Park Preservation
Ball Supports Gettysburg National Military Park Preservation GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The 30th Annual National Civil War Ball was held at the Gettysburg Eisenhower Hotel…
Appreciating the Legacy of General James Longstreet
By Thomas H. Rasmussen The Longstreet Society The Longstreet Society, headquartered in the LongstreetPiedmont Hotel, Gainesville, Ga., works to promote greater un…
A Quaker Goes to War
By Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf Northern Quakers faced a moral dilemma. They were anti-slavery and pro-Union, to be sure, but their faith dictated that they pla…
5th Virginia Cavalry Slouch Hat
5th Virginia Cavalry Slouch Hat By Shannon Pritchard When students of history envision a Virginia cavalier galloping along behind the dashing Jeb Stuart, this is…
2018 Ends on a High Note
The Williamson County Ag Expo Park is a great venue for the show, featuring 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. (Jack Melton) RICHMOND, Va. and FRANKL…