Civil War News, 2020
12 issues published in 2020, with 306 articles indexed here.
Covers
All 113 Issues →
December 2020Vol. 46, No. 12 · 20 articles
November 2020Vol. 46, No. 11 · 55 articles
October 2020Vol. 46, No. 10 · 22 articles
September 2020Vol. 46, No. 9 · 19 articles
August 2020Vol. 46, No. 8 · 20 articles
July 2020Vol. 46, No. 7 · 26 articles
June 2020Vol. 46, No. 6 · 22 articles
May 2020Vol. 46, No. 5 · 26 articles
April 2020Vol. 46, No. 4 · 21 articles
March 2020Vol. 46, No. 3 · 29 articles
February 2020Vol. 46, No. 2 · 23 articles
January 2020Vol. 46, No. 1 · 23 articles
Articles from 2020
306 indexed
“Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman…”
During the Civil War President Lincoln put the nation’s capital under military rule (martial law), fearing that otherwise crime and sedition would flourish. The o…
Wedding Rings
While the wearing of wedding rings by married women has been traced back to ancient times, it is only in the latter part of the last century that more than a smal…
Uniform of a Stonewall Brigade soldier killed at First Manassas
The history associated with this uniform starts generations before it was made. For our purposes here, we will begin with Captain Fielden Hale of eighteenth centu…
The Letter
In 1978, my mother returned from Charleston with a white shoe box tied with a string. On the cover, two words were written in large letters: “FOR DAVID.” Having f…
The Ball Repeating Carbine
As the American Civil War ground into its third year of combat, the ever conservative Ordnance Department began actively looking for metallic cartridge carbine de…
Slow Pete The Knoxville Campaign – Part II
“Every day of delay added to the strength of the enemy’s breastworks” – C.S. Col. Edward Porter Alexander After the November 16, 1863, Battle of Campbell’s Statio…
Rousing Rendition of an Abolitionist Legend
The Good Lord Bird is a new Showtime mini-series centered on the life of John Brown, told through the eyes of Little Onion (Henry Shackleford), a young black man…
Newspaper Navigator
Sheridan’s Victory Map. https://news-navigator.labs. loc.gov/prepackaged/1861_ photos.zip https://news-navigator.labs. loc.gov/prepackaged/1861_illustrations.zip…
Never-Before Seen Scrapbook Sheds New Light—Provides Valuable Insights
In the heated days following the fall of Fort Sumter and President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 troops, northern governors raced to declare their full support and pr…
More on Buckshot
This column follows up on Joe Bilby’s mentioning buck shot at Gettysburg (October CWN) so we decided to provide some additional outstanding details. This article…
Letters to the Editor — December 2020
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: In regard to secession, let it be known that Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island all joined the voluntary Union of sovereign states with th…
John Brown
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. Currier and Ives published tw…
History’s First Draft – The Maryland Campaign as it Happened
How fast did the news travel? How accurate were the reports in the press? What did Northern readers know during the middle of September 1862, as Lee’s forces marc…
Emerging Civil War — December 2020
From the Editor “No period of American history makes greater demands on the historian than that of the Civil War,” historian C. Vann Woodward wrote in his introdu…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - H
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - H H as in...December 1. Confederate submarine 2. US Navy vessel sunk by #1 3. Admiral Farragut’s flagship 4. Mississippi Union supply ba…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust – Turning 25
On December 11, 1862, after a weeklong delay in receiving needed pontoon bridges to cross the Rappahannock River, Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside ordered…
Book Reviews — December 2020
Lincoln: The Silent Abolitionist Aroused Lincoln and the American Founding. By Lucas E. Morel. Notes, bibliography, index, Southern Illinois University Press, siu…
American Battlefield Trust — December 2020
The American Battlefield Trust is proud to announce publication of our newest book, Battle Maps of the Civil War: The Western Theater, now available from Knox Boo…
A Tribute to Edwin C. Bearss: Champion of West Virginia Battlefields
Edwin Cole Bearss, legendary battlefield guide and preservationist, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, and decorated Marine veteran of World W…
A Look at a Popular Magazine’s Civil War Weapons Stories
As the editor of GUNS Magazine, sponsor of this abundantly illustrated publication, notes, “Guns tell stories, and those associated with the Wild West surely have…
Wayne Wolf’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Wayne Wolf’s Top Ten Civil War Books While every historian may choose different volumes as their favorites depending on their specific interests, I feel the follo…
Watching Gettysburg
Watching Gettysburg by Carl L. Sell, Jr. Nineteen-year-old George Humerick stood on the northeast corner of the Emmitsburg, Md., town square for three hours on Ju…
Trust Secures Multifaceted History at Brown’s Ferry
Trust Secures Multifaceted History at Brown’s Ferry With a history that stretches back to before the founding of the City of Chattanooga, a nine-acre property nea…
Trust Pursues 49 Crucial Acres at Gettysburg
Trust Pursues 49 Crucial Acres at Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg has been studied time and time again, but each new preservation victory adds context to that…
Tim Prince’s Top Ten Civil War Books
of chuckled and said to myself, “sure, it will be easy to whittle a list of hundreds of books down to ten….” As a full-time dealer in Civil War and related period…
Thomas J. Ryan’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Thomas J. Ryan’s Top Ten Civil War Books Because of my long experience and interest in the gathering and application of intelligence during wartime, a number of m…
Stephanie Hagiwara’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Stephanie Hagiwara’s Top Ten Civil War Books It would be challenging for me to decide which of the many Civil War books I have read are my favorites. Instead, I a…
Sarah Kay Bierle’s Top Ten Civil War Books
are a few suggested books for delving a little deeper into the stories and experiences of people who experienced the Civil War or who have helped preserve memorie…
Salvatore Cilella’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Salvatore Cilella’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James McPherson, (Oxford University Press, 1988). Anyone interested in…
Ronald S. Coddington’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Ronald S. Coddington’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. Four Years in Secessia by Junius Henri Browne. O.D. Case and Company, 1865. A war correspondent for the New York…
Robert M. Browning Jr.’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Robert M. Browning Jr.’s Top Ten Civil War Books In Alphabetical Order: 1. Why the South Lost the Civil War by Richard E. Beringer, Herman Hattaway, Archer Jones,…
Richard Blumberg’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Richard Blumberg’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. Attack and Die: Civil War Tactics and the Southern Heritage by Grady McWhinney and Perry Jamieson. University of Ala…
Publishers Note:
We have heard from many of you that since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the current state of civil unrest that many cities across our nation are experiencing, ther…
Pivotal Property at the Heart of Franklin Battlefield Preserved
Pivotal Property at the Heart of Franklin Battlefield Preserved Key to park connectivity, public access, and Civil War education, a two-acre tract of land near do…
Pelham’s Corner & Latimer’s Knoll: Artillery Positions To Visit, Stories To Tell
by Sarah Kay Bierle “Let’s see, the artillery was… there.” Finding artillery positions is one of my hobbies when I’m working on a battlefield. Look for great high…
Paul Taylor’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Paul Taylor’s Top Ten Civil War Books Picking ten favorite Civil War books out of hundreds or even thousands is no easy task. Here are ten that are not necessaril…
Noah F. Crawford’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Noah F. Crawford’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War by James M. McPherson. Oxford University Press, 1997. One of…
My Most Favorite Book Read in 2020
My Most Favorite Book Read in 2020 The Enduring Civil War: Reflections on the Great American Crisis, by Gary W. Gallagher. Louisiana State University Press, (2020…
More acreage added to Franklin Battlefield
More acreage added to Franklin Battlefield by Gregory L. Wade FRANKLIN, Tenn.—Just months after “reclaiming” a critical battlefield acre near the center of the No…
Meg Groeling’ Top Favorite Civil War Books
Meg Groeling’ Top Favorite Civil War Books When the request for a list of “favorite books” came to those who review for CWN, I thought here was an excellent, if u…
Marc Ramsey’s Favorite Books
Marc Ramsey’s Favorite Books I have been reading books on the American Civil War since I was 10 years old, when my Aunt Connie gave me my first one for Christmas,…
Letters to the Editor — November 2020
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: I spent some time reviewing the results of the Civil War News Facebook poll taken over three questions relating to treason. In one response,…
Leon Reed’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Leon Reed’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. 1861: The Civil War Awakening by Adam Goodheart. Knopf, 2011. Considering that there are probably more books on the fightin…
LeMat Revolver
LeMat Revolver Dear John: My dad was born in 1943 and he found this relic LeMat revolver as a child. He found it in a clump of dirt behind a store in Verona, Miss…
Jonathan W. White’s Top Ten Civil War Kids Books
Jonathan W. White’s Top Ten Civil War Kids Books Many of us wish that Americans, especially young Americans, knew more, and cared more, about American history. On…
Jonathan A. Noyalas’ Top Ten Civil War Books
Jonathan A. Noyalas’ Top Ten Civil War Books From the age of five, when I toted a copy of Bruce Catton’s 630 page Picture History of the Civil War to Mrs. Pyzowsk…
John Michael Priest’s Top Ten Civil War Books
John Michael Priest’s Top Ten Civil War Books (in no particular order) 1. The Bachelder Papers, 3 vols, edited by David L, and Audrey J. Ladd. Savas Beatie, 2020.…
John D. Fowler’s Top Ten Civil War Books
John D. Fowler’s Top Ten Civil War Books Choosing the top ten books in Civil War historiography is a daunting task. Well over 50,000 books have been published on…
John Coski’s Top Ten Civil War Books
John Coski’s Top Ten Civil War Books (listed by date of publication) 1. The Scouts of Stonewall by Joseph A. Altsheler. Appleton, 1914. Volume 3 of Altsheler’s 8-…
Joe Bilby’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Joe Bilby’s Top Ten Civil War Books The following is a list of my current favorite American Civil War books. There are some classics here, as well as more recent…
Joan Wenner’s Top Five Civil War Books
Company, New York, 1965. Terrible Swift Sword, Volume Two, The Centennial History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton. Doubleday & Company, New York, 1963. The Comin…
Imported European Muskets for the South
Imported European Muskets for the South The most common smoothbore percussion musket in Confederate hands was most likely a U.S. 1816/22 converted from flint some…
History and Preservation Community Mourns: The Loss of Legendary Historian
Edwin C. Bearss is seen at his desk at his home in Virginia. Buddy Secor / American Battlefield Trust. WASHINGTON, D.C.— Legendary military historian and preserva…
Harold Holzer’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Harold Holzer’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson. Oxford University Press, 1988. Judicious, authoritative, b…
Gould Hagler’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Gould Hagler’s Top Ten Civil War Books Some 100,000 books have been written on the much-studied American Civil War. My top ten? How can I decide, even from the ti…
Gordon Jones’ Top Ten Civil War Books
in the order I first encountered them from childhood to present. 1. The Golden Book of the Civil War by Bruce Catton and Charles Flato. American Heritage Publishi…
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. One of the more…
For 158th Anniversary, Preservation of 278 Acres Celebrated at Shepherdstown
For 158th Anniversary, Preservation of 278 Acres Celebrated at Shepherdstown In September, as history enthusiasts remembered the 158th anniversary of the Maryland…
Eric J. Wittenberg’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Eric J. Wittenberg’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War text by Bruce Catton and the coolest maps ever. American He…
Emerging Civil War — November 2020
From the Editor On June 16, 1858, Republicans meeting in Springfield, Ill., nominated Abraham Lincoln as their candidate for the U.S. Senate. Slavery overshadowed…
Ed Bearss’ All Time Favorite Civil War Books
By Dorothy Partridge Special Correspondent to (Originally published in the November 2018 issue of Civil War News.) Edwin Cole Bearss was the Chief Historian Emeri…
Digitized U.S. Patents
Search results from National Archives. Patent: “To secure the exclusive right of a thing to a person; as to patent an invention or an original work to the author;…
Craig Barry’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Craig Barry’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. The Rifled Musket by Claud E. Fuller. Stackpole, 1959. Claud E. Fuller had a great collection of U.S. military long arms…
Clifford Roberts’ Top Ten Civil War Books
Clifford Roberts’ Top Ten Civil War Books These lists are personal by nature. 1. With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln Stephen B. Oates. Harper & R…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - G
G as in...November 1. The stolen train engine involved in the Great Locomotive Chase 2. U.S. Navy vessel with railroad iron plating 3. This brigadier held Culp’s…
Chris Mackowski’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Chris Mackowski’s Top Ten Civil War Books The entries on my list are list appear in alphabetical order by author’s last name. 1. The Civil War: A Narrative by She…
Chris Kolakowski’s Top Five Civil War Books
1. The American Heritage Book of the Civil War by Bruce Catton. American Heritage Publishing Co., 1960. A classic, and for many people, myself included, their int…
Chris E. Fonvielle Jr.’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Chris E. Fonvielle Jr.’s Top Ten Civil War Books Jack Melton’s request to list my top ten favorite Civil War books is the most challenging assignment since writin…
Charles H. Bogart’s Top Ten Civil War Books
Charles H. Bogart’s Top Ten Civil War Books My main interest in the Civil War centers around naval operations. I do not care if the action takes place on the high…
CWN Contributors Top Ten Favorite Civil War Books
We asked our contributors to submit their top ten favorite Civil War books of all time. We removed paragraph breaks to allow for more content in this expanded Civ…
C. Michael Harrington’s Top Ten Civil War Books
C. Michael Harrington’s Top Ten Civil War Books 1. Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War by Richard Taylor. D. Appleton & Company,…
Book Reviews — November 2020
How Republican Junior Officers Won the Army of the Potomac’s Internal Political War A Republic in the Ranks: Loyalty and Dissent in the Army of the Potomac. By Za…
Between the Lines
Between the Lines Of all the many cruelties of war, one scene that evokes the most pity is, perhaps, the image of wounded men trapped between the lines, suffering…
Ballard’s Civil War Military Carbines
Ballard’s Civil War Military Carbines The Ballard Carbine was a breechloading, single shot metallic cartridge firearm invented by Charles H. Ballard of Worcester,…
A Race In The Mud Knoxville Campaign – Part I
A Race In The Mud Knoxville Campaign – Part I “On several occasions during the war [Jefferson Davis] came to the relief of the Union army by means of his superior…
Video Series Commemorates Historic Fairfax County, Virginia, Battle
FAIRFAX, Va.—One of the more significant but oft forgotten events in the American Civil War took place Sept. 1, 1862 near Chantilly, Va., in what is remembered lo…
The Story of Buck and Ball and a Note on Gettysburg
While the term “buck and ball” is often used when describing smoothbore musket ammunition in the Civil War, the use of such ammunition was not unique to that conf…
The Eagle’s Nest
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. Once the wa…
Terry’s Patent Carbines
The Terry’s Patent Carbine, produced by the Birmingham firm of Calisher & Terry, as well as some other Birmingham contractors, was one of the more unique and inno…
Secession – As it was in 1860
While a discussion of the legality of Southern secession may not be a politically correct topic today, any historians examining the issue of secession must use th…
Perspectives on Sharpsburg – Phase Three: The Final Crisis
The savage back-and-forth struggle at the north and center ground to a halt by early afternoon. On the right, Confederate numbers were much reduced as troops were…
News Briefs — October 2020
Licensed Battlefield Guides Raise Alarm of Major Threat to Gettysburg Monuments GETTYSBURG, Pa.—The Licensed Battlefield Guides at Gettysburg are raising the alar…
More on Rations: Nutritional Deficiencies
What the Yankees don’t kill will die of disease or return home with a broken constitution… – Letter from William Hardy to his wife Sally, October 9, 1861. It requ…
Longtime Lieutenant David Duncan to Replace Lighthizer as American Battlefield Trust President
Following a unanimous vote by the organization’s Board of Trustees, longtime chief development officer David N. Duncan has been named the new president of the Ame…
Lincoln Forum to Host “Zoom Symposium” in November, Then Return to Gettysburg For In-Person Forum in May 2021
The Lincoln Forum, compelled to postpone its 25th annual symposium at Gettysburg because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced it will host a oneday, live sympo…
Letters to the Editor — October 2020
We wish to thank Publisher Jack Melton for permitting us to share the Civil War News column by Editor Lawrence E. Babits, which offers a sober caution about the g…
Letter to Lincoln
Homepage for Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Readers may recall two previous articles (May and June of 2017) in this column dealing with The Collected…
How Far? A New Perspective on the Battle of Spotsylvania
When I was eighteen and in basic training, we had a road march of 12-15 miles one day. Although I don’t walk those distances these days, I still remember and appr…
Emerging Civil War — October 2020
What are you doing these days to take care of yourself? The coronavirus pandemic has of course forced all of us to adopt new habits to protect our health, but I’m…
Emerging Civil War Honors Jack W. Melton Jr. of Civil War News with Stevenson Award
Emerging Civil War is pleased to honor Jack Melton with its Brig. Gen. Thomas Greely Stevenson Award for 2020. Melton and his wife, Peggy, own and publish Civil W…
Civil War News Facebook Poll
The following three questions were posted on the Civil War News Facebook page. Currently, the media narrative is to call the Confederate generals traitors, theref…
Civil War Correspondents Memorial Has Become Writer’s Legacy
Civil War newspaper correspondent George Alfred Townsend’s once pretentious mountain estate is now embraced by Gathland State Park at Crampton’s Gap in the South…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - F
F F as in Fort, a second go around for the letter F 1. This fort defended the last open Atlantic blockade runner’s port 2. Fort where Grant got his nickname of “U…
Book Reviews — October 2020
Only 582 Came Home The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. By Eric R. Faust. Illustrated, notes, appendices, index, bibliography, 2020, McFarland an…
American Battlefield Trust — October 2020
The newest members of the American Battlefield Trust’s Youth Leadership Team (YLT) are ready to engage classmates, neighbors, and local decision makers by taking…
A Question of Treason?
It has been quoted that treason; the only offense defined by the Constitution, can be difficult to prove and is rarely prosecuted against U.S. citizens, although…
A Glorious Charge: Armstrong’s Raid – Part 2
fought the Federals near Bolivar, Tenn., as part of his raid into west Tennessee. Both sides believed they won the skirmish and both sides considered the quarterm…
“My Home, My Battlefield, My Passion”
Entering the thick forest of the Wilderness, I carefully negotiate the underbrush as the sharp tree limbs seem to intentionally assault my face and arms. It is ov…
William Wells, Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient
Brigadier- and Brevet MajorGeneral William Wells was born in Waterbury, Vermont, Dec. 14, 1837. He enlisted as a private in Company C, First Regiment Vermont Cava…
What Robert E. Lee Means to Me
One of my favorite historical characters lived during the War Between the States. His name was Robert Edward Lee and he was born on January 19, 1807. Although mos…
War Horses
The horse was the backbone of the war effort, especially for the Confederate side. They carried generals and moved artillery and ambulances. One general ordered t…
Virginia Center for Civil War Studies Civil War Sources
Civil War Sources page at Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, currently operating under the guidance of Paul Quigley…
Ulysses S. Grant: Migraine and Drunkenness – A Reconciliation
Introduction Allegations of drunkenness followed Ulysses S. Grant from his 1854 posting at Fort Humboldt in the Pacific Northwest to this day. There is a dissonan…
Stunning Identified CS Regulation Artillery Frock Coat
The coat is finely tailored of the best English wool, and faced with fiery red broadcloth. What makes this artillery captain’s frock stand apart from all others i…
Research Press Journal
I have mentioned Research Press Journal in this column before. It is a British publication, but there is a lot to learn in its pages for Americans, especially bec…
Perspectives on Sharpsburg, Phase Two
Stern necessity bade us be satisfied with simply holding our ground. – Col. Risden Bennett At the end of last month’s column we left the Confederates at the north…
Letters to the Editor — September 2020
TO THE EDITOR: Just wanted to send you a quick note to say “thank you” for your recent editorial in the August CWN. You hit the nail right on the head about monum…
John Walch’s 12-Shot Navy Revolver
In the March 2020 CWN, we looked at John Walch’s superimposed load, 10-shot pocket revolver; a gun that almost bankrupted Oliver Winchester and the New Haven Arms…
How Constructive was Grant’s Reconstruction?
General Grant’s leadership style was unique because of his military and political experience. His two terms as president covered the last eight years of the Radic…
Give Them Cold Steel Armstrong’s Raid – Part I
“It is reported that a rebel force of 6,000 cavalry have been sent to attack our lines. Keep a sharp lookout.” – U.S. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant On Aug. 14, 1862, C.S.…
Fort Sanders
The long summer of 1863 was marked in the eastern theater by Meade’s inability to crush Lee after Gettysburg. All summer long and into the fall, the two armies pu…
Emerging Civil War — September 2020
My car’s thermometer reads 76 degrees when I set off into the woods. The Chancellorsville History Trail leaves the parking lot across from the visitor center and…
Chattanooga Antique Militaria & Americana Show News
On July 25 & 26 one of the first shows during Covid-19 was held. In a year when so many things have gone wrong, something finally went right: the American Digger…
Book Reviews — September 2020
Indian Nations: Civil War within a Civil War Caught in the Maelstrom: The Indian Nations in the Civil War, 1861–1865. By Clint Crowe. Bibliography, footnotes, pho…
American Battlefield Trust — September 2020
Although many events and activities that typically mark the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg went digital in 2020, there was at least one tangible and perm…
A Week in 1862 with Stuart’s Cavalry Covering Lee’s Flank
On Sept. 5, 1862, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia began crossing the Potomac River at White’s Ford, Edward’s and Noland’s Ferries. Frederick native Colonel Bradle…
“The Troops Are All in Very High Spirits”
Civil War soldiers’ letters are still being discovered, 150 years after the conflict ended. Letters from Florida soldiers are especially rare, given the state’s s…
Wanted: Eighteen-Foot-Tall Men
“To capture Richmond would be grand, but to capture Charleston would be glorious.” – Soldier, 11th Maine In 1862, the walls of Fort Pulaski, Ga., crumbled under t…
The Gatling Gun
When I was a little kid, walking up Broadway in New York City with my father and best friend Ron, I saw something in a store window on lower Broadway that made me…
Previously Unknown Map Showing Engagement’s Aftermath Amounts to ‘Rosetta Stone” for Battle of Antietam
Without a doubt, the battlefield at Antietam, site of the September 17, 1862, clash that still represents the bloodiest day in American history, is hallowed groun…
Perspectives on Sharpsburg, Phase One
In previous columns we viewed the Battle of Antietam from the perspective of Federal officers whose troops contended with their Confederate enemies throughout the…
Merrill Altered Virginia Manufactory Rifles
By an act of the Virginia legislature, the Virginia Manufactory of Arms was established in 1797. The goal of this armory, located along the James River in Richmon…
Letters to the Editor — August 2020
TO THE EDITOR: I was struck by the lead article in your June issue: Fact or Fiction? Black Confederates. I’ve seen this matter discussed in a wide variety of venu…
In Memoriam
In Memoriam The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals.…
From The Editor: On Monuments and the Silent Majority
From The Editor: On Monuments and the Silent Majority On June 22, in the dead of night, the Confederate soldier monument in Greenville, N.C., came down. It offend…
Fishing Creek Confederacy in Pennsylvania 1864
It was early May and I planned a trout fishing trip to the Bloomsburg, Penn., area to do some trout fishing in upper Columbia County. My wife Nancy, also my outdo…
Emerging Civil War — August 2020
From the Editor In the preservation world, we like to tout “win-win” situations. For example, when the May 1 battlefield at Chancellorsville was preserved, preser…
Dime Novels
During the war, soldiers loved to read, especially during the downtime in camp. Newspapers, letters from home (the favorite of most), the Bible, and various dime…
Civil War Publication Survey
Published with permission from Mike Movius, President, CWRT Congress, www.cwrtcongress.org. This survey was conceived as more of an informational instrument than…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - F
Fort that kept Wilmington, N.C., open for blockade runners “That Devil” who said “get there first with the most men” Battle where Cleburn fell He led a cavalry ch…
Chesapeake Monument Commemorates Jackson Greys
In the old Pleasant Grove Baptist Churchyard on St. Brides Road West, a rough granite obelisk commemorates formation of the Jackson Greys on July 11, 1861. The Gr…
Book Reviews — August 2020
Technology and Humanity in the Civil War: An Illustrated Journey Confederate Soldiers in the American Civil War. By Mark Hughes. Illustrated, appendices, index, 1…
American Battlefield Trust — August 2020
Despite ongoing restrictions on visiting battlefield parks and other sites in many states, the American Battlefield Trust has continued to protect additional hall…
A Passion for Civil War History, Artifacts and Preservation
Growing up in the town of Fredericksburg, Va., having forebears with military service, and my own and varied experiences led me to take the challenge of service o…
A Few Thoughts on the U.S. Model 1841 Percussion Rifle
The decision to abandon flintlocks and start producing percussion rifles and muskets led to a new military rifle design in 1841. The so-called U.S. M1841 rifle wa…
A Candid Interview with Garry Adelman, American Battlefield Trust’s Chief Historian
If anyone in the Civil War community sets the bar for excitement and enthusiasm, it’s Garry Adelman. Garry is the chief historian for the American Battlefield Tru…
“Killed in Battle September 17th”
“Killed in Battle September 17th” by Shannon Pritchard The most common accoutrement waist belt in the Confederate army was a standard belt that utilized a plain b…
“Give Them Fredericksburg”: The 20th Massachusetts at Gettysburg
“Give Them Fredericksburg”: The 20th Massachusetts at Gettysburg by Sarah Kay Bierle “The moment I saw them, I knew we should give them Fredericksburg,” declared…
Wiley Sword Collection at Pamplin Park
Wiley Sword, regarded as an esteemed scholar, respected as a gentleman, and known for authoring many Civil War books, also collected period documents and letters.…
West Point
West Point The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals.…
USS Monitor’s Dahlgren Guns Continue Undergoing Conservation at Monitor Center
Continue Undergoing Conservation at Monitor Center by Bob Ruegsegger The USS Monitor’s two XIinch Dahlgren shell guns continue to undergo conservation at the Batt…
Thirty Minutes of Bloody Excitement
Thirty Minutes of Bloody Excitement Personal Accounts of Two Officers Who Faced Each Other From Opposite Sides of a Great Battlefield by Roger Semplak and Marc Ra…
The Study’s Of Gettysburg
The Study’s Of Gettysburg by Mike Shovlin In this current time period of watching how individuals react to the change of their lifestyles, jobs and lack of basic…
Southern Dead at Gettysburg
Southern Dead at Gettysburg by Sue Boardman The Gettysburg National Cemetery is an important part of any visitor’s experience on the battlefield. It is sobering t…
Some thoughts on the Henry
Some thoughts on the Henry In the years following the Civil War, a lot of folklore regarding small arms became part of the American story. One of these tales, reg…
Pandemic affects history profession in multitude of ways
Pandemic affects history profession in multitude of ways by Chris Mackowski Canceled talks, postponed tours, lost book sales, closed facilities, Civil War histori…
Ohio Private at Gettysburg Receives Medal of Honor
Ohio Private at Gettysburg Receives Medal of Honor by Joan Wenner, J.D. Ohio soldiers were said to have fought well at Gettysburg. Included with monuments to the…
News Briefs — July 2020
most recent book, Inglorious Passages: Noncombat Deaths in the American Civil War, has also drawn acclaim. In addition, Dr. Wills has authored articles and book r…
Lincoln vs. McClellan, 1864
Lincoln vs. McClellan, 1864 According to the Franklin Repository, Chambersburg’s Republican newspaper, the presidential contest in 1864 presented a clear choice t…
Letters to the Editor — July 2020
TO THE EDITOR: Joe Bilby and his “Black Powder; White Smoke” column continues to be my first read with each new issue. He always manages to come up with interesti…
July 6, 1863 Clashes at Hagerstown and Williamsport Chronicled
July 6, 1863 Clashes at Hagerstown and Williamsport Chronicled by Carl L. Sell Jr. Not enough has been written about it, but the Civil War cavalry activities in a…
Isaac Hollis & Sons (formerly Hollis & Sheath)
Isaac Hollis & Sons (formerly Hollis & Sheath) The English Gun Trade has families that overlap and intertwine over the course of the decades, and in some cases ce…
In Memoriam to Homer “Mac” McArthur Cole
In Memoriam to Homer “Mac” McArthur Cole “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” – Stonewall Jackson’s last words. On May 11, 2020, H…
Gettysburg Tourism: 50% Open
Gettysburg Tourism: 50% Open by Leon Reed The reopening of Gettysburg will be a welcome change for merchants, unemployed workers, and people wanting to visit, but…
Gettysburg Foundation Appoints Five New Members to Board of Directors and New Chair of the Board
GETTYSBURG, Pa.—At its May meeting, the Gettysburg Foundation Board of Directors welcomed five new Directors, honored three Directors with emeritus status, and ap…
From The Lowcountry — July 2020
This year we did not publish a separate Gettysburg section due to the cancellation of all of the events in Gettysburg and the COVID-19 impact on the town. Instead…
Everything Looks Bright for Us
Mary Louise Thompson Head Qrs. 2nd Division, 23rd A. C. Camp near Mosely Hall, N.C.2 April 1st, 1865 Long after I had written you my usual daily letter last night…
Emerging Civil War — July 2020
America’s defining event. Thank YOU for getting us this far. Here’s to the many more stories that lie ahead for all of us. — Chris Mackowski, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chie…
Confederate Cook & Brother Rifles
The Confederate long arms produced by the firm of Cook & Brother are some of the best made and most sought after guns produced in the South during the American Ci…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - E
1. General Lee’s bald, “bad old man” 2. John B. Hood first led the Texas Brigade in this 1862 Virginia battle 3. The other name for the Battle of Pea Ridge 4. The…
Book Reviews — July 2020
Gettysburg Guides’ Book Offers Focused, Thorough Narrative of Peach Orchard Fight Gettysburg’s Peach Orchard: Longstreet, Sickles, and the Bloody Fight for the “C…
Amid The Shriek Of Death
Amid The Shriek Of Death “Ah!” said I to a friend, “how is it possible you live here?” “After one is accustomed to the change,” she answered, “we do not mind it;…
“We few we precious few, we band of brothers” Maryland Confederate Soldiers by the Numbers
For the last forty years I have been a serious student of Maryland’s Civil War history with equal enthusiasm for both the state’s Union and Confederate soldiers.…
“Smoking My Troubles Away”
William Byrns (1838–75) of Burr Oak, Mi., enlisted as a fifer in Company B, 1st Michigan Infantry, during 1861. He was promoted in August 1861 to 2nd lieutenant,…
‘The Gunboat Commodore’ – US Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote
“He had a megaphone and he kept popping in and out of the pilothouse on St. Louis, shouting instructions to his captains.” St. Louis was struck 59 times, drifted…
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Announced Awards for Employee and Team of the Year for 2019
Park makes history with special honors during a virtual awards ceremony REPUBLIC, Mo.—Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield paid tribute recently to employees who d…
To The Editor:
Thanks for the review of the long overdue history of the 39th Battalion Virginia Cavalry. I am familiar with the role the 39th played especially during the Gettys…
The Volunteers in Defence (sic) of the Government Against Usurpation
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. Allegorical…
The Mysterious “Manton” U.S. Model 1861 Rifle Musket
During the American Civil War, the U.S. government entered into contracts with more than two dozen firms to produce the U.S. Model 1861 and Model 1861 “Special Mo…
The Devil On A Run
“Any army marching tonight must be made up of a set of damned fools.” – Confederate Officer On April 17, 1861, the Richmond, Va. Convention passed an Ordinance of…
Portraying Mary Todd Lincoln – America’s First, First Lady
As a young girl growing up in Lexington, Ky., Mary Ann Todd dreamed of living in the Executive Mansion—the White House. She was vivacious, welleducated, and ambit…
Kearny Selects Some Sharpshooters & the Intelligent Whale Moves
New Jersey sent two brigades to Virginia in 1861. The first was a four regiment militia brigade enlisted for 90-days service; the second the official “First New J…
Identified Confederate Knapsack
In my nearly forty years of collecting the Confederacy, this is the best knapsack I have ever owned. The knapsack itself is great, but the Confederate soldier’s p…
How Schuylkill County Filled Its Draft Quota
On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln called for 75,000 militia to subdue an insurrection by “combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of…
Griswold Revolver added to Database
Question: Earlier this evening I read your excellent article in Arms Heritage, Vol. 9, Issue 3. I have what I believe to be a Griswold revolver that was passed do…
Fold3: Civil War Stories
Researching ancestors who fought in the American Civil War just got more engaging with the launch of ‘Civil War Stories’ from Fold3. While the service requires a…
Fact or Fiction? Black Confederates
This article deals with a very inflammatory topic, that has been the subject of great debate, but attempts to present some source cited documentary evidence and i…
Emerging Civil War — June 2020
From The Editor Route 1A from Brewer runs through Holden, past the Lucerne Inn with its golf course and gorgeous overlook, and into long stretches of pine forests…
Covid-19
Due to the spread of Covid-19, Civil War News has made the tough decision to temporarily suspend the free Calendar Events section until gathering bans have been l…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - D
1. Standard naval gun at start of Civil War 2. John Hunt Morgan’s second in command who also commanded President Davis’ escort during flight from Richmond through…
Central Virginia Battlefields Trust — June 2020
Chris Mackowski serves on CVBT’s Board of Directors. 1. Why is Central Virginia battlefield preservation important to you? Preservation in general is important to…
Book Reviews — June 2020
Lincoln’s Multiple Personal Tragedies to the Terrible Carnage of the Civil War The Black Heavens: Abraham Lincoln and Death. By Brian R. Dirck. Notes, Bibliograph…
American Battlefield Trust News
Even as we adjust to working remotely rather than in the field, the American Battlefield Trust continues to rack up major preservation victories, most recently an…
A Few Thoughts on Rations
The accomplishments of the Confederate forces during the Civil War, especially the continued success of the Army of Northern Virginia, are particularly noteworthy…
The Last Soldier of Atlantic County, N.J.
On November 2, 2019, the Col. Louis R. Francine Camp #7, Department of N.J., Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, placed and dedicated a “Last Soldier” marker…
The Land Tells the Story
It’s a quiet location, tucked back from the busy road. A place where—with a little imagination—it’s evening in May 1863 and two generals are meeting for their fin…
The COVID-19 Economic Impact: a Trade Show Promoter's Perspective
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs....' is the opening line of the immortal poem 'If' by Rudyard Kipling. Published in 1910 and still…
The 44th Battle of Olustee Reenactment at Olustee State Park, Florida
One of the bloodiest but least known battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Olustee (also known as the Battle of Ocean Pond), Florida, was fought on Feb. 20, 186…
Stirring Up Dry Bones
The fact is the Government is getting to regard the Monitor in pretty much the same light as an over careful housewife regards her ancient china set – too valuabl…
Smithsonian Institute: Open Access Images
Public Domain: “The realm embracing property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriatio…
Scarce George Custer Related ID Pin
Question: I have a badge for the Battle of Cedar Creek. What was the intended audience for this badge? The general public or soldiers in the cavalry unit? I don’t…
Our Generals in the Field
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. Our subject…
Martial Colt Navy Revolvers
In 1850, Samuel Colt introduced what would become his most successful large frame percussion revolver, a revolver that would be second only to his incredibly succ…
Lost Yankee Gold in Pennsylvania 1863
Legend has it that sometime in the latter part of June 1863, a pair of Union supply wagons departed Wheeling, W.Va., entered the state of Pennsylvania loaded with…
Long Island Divers Find Wreck of Raider CSS Tallahassee's Biggest Prize
It was late in the Civil War, but Captain John Taylor Wood had a plan that might not change the course of the conflict for the South but could at least improve Co…
Letters to the Editor — May 2020
While I appreciate the praise from Thomas Ryan in the April edition of the Civil War News, the expansion goes a bit farther than I intended in the article. I am a…
Judson Kilpatrick, Pioneer Tactician
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick has been accounted an irresponsible scoundrel, or worse, not only by historians but by his fellow soldiers, who dubbed him “KillCavalry” du…
Jackson Commands Union Artillerymen at Port Republic
Port Republic is a small hamlet located in the Shenandoah Valley’s Rockingham County. It is nestled between the North River and the South River, where the two mee…
General Orders No. 78
The Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office in Richmond, Va., issued General Orders No. 78, dated Oct. 28, 1862. It read as follows: “The following is published a…
From The Lowcountry — May 2020
Historical Publications LLC (Civil War News and The Artilleryman Magazine) wants to keep you informed of our commitment to providing you with information about ho…
Emerging Civil War — May 2020
From the Editor As I sat down to write this month’s column, my daughter called me. She’d just finished up with a doctor’s appointment, and she wanted to give me a…
Civil War Trails Expands in Hardy County, W.Va.
Civil War Trails, Inc. has teamed up with the Hardy County Convention & Visitors Bureau (HCCVB) and the South Fork General Store to bring the popular program to P…
Civil War Events — May 2020
Due to the spread of Covid-19, Civil War News has made the tough decision to temporarily suspend the free Calendar Events section until gathering bans have been l…
Civil War Era Abolitionist, Orator, and Recruiter Resurrected
Frederick Douglass “dropped dead in the hallway of his residence” on Anacostia Heights in Washington, D.C., on the evening of February 20, 1895. Douglass’ death w…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - C
1. Confederates fortified this Mississippi town, then evacuated it, then attacked to get it back in 1862 2. Maine officer hero on Little Round Top 3. Irish born g…
Brunswick Civil War Round Table A standing ovation at Hatch Auditorium
Union Generals William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant received a standing ovation from a near capacity audience of 597 following their performance at the T…
Boyle, Gamble & MacFee Belt and Plate
There are no maker marked Confederate made belt buckles, but there are a rare few buckles whose makers are known. So how are the few whose maker is known, identif…
Book Reviews — May 2020
Diary of a Confederate Artillerist The Spirits of Bad Men Made Perfect: The Life and Diary of Confederate Artillerist William Ellis Jones. By Constance Hall Jones…
American Battlefield Trust — May 2020
Given the unprecedented impact of the Coronavirus, the American Battlefield Trust made the decision to postpone and reschedule its public events through the end o…
A Revolutionary War
As the war was prolonged, it inevitably accomplished a revolutionary change in the status and outlook of the colored folk who comprised about an eighth of the pop…
The Strange Case of John Forney
Early last year two “This and That” columns peeked into the Valley of the Shadow archive to see the different ways newspapers in Staunton, Va., and Chambersburg,…
The Parker-Hale Enfield
While the history of the American Civil War is an area of great interest to hobby participants there is also a historical piece to the reenactment hobby itself da…
Richmond Burning
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. To every Ci…
Patriotism and Necessity: The Use of Homespun in the Southern U.S. during the American Civil War, 1860–1865
Written by Annette Bethke, based on the research of Vicki Betts “Ackworth [sic], Ga., June 9, 1864 Editors Chicago Tribune: The accompanying song is from a letter…
News Briefs — April 2020
Kearny Statue In Peril It seems popular opinion today is to rid this country of all things Confederate. Now, however, there are many in the New Jersey State Senat…
Meet Mike Greenfield: CVBT’s Lands Manager
Mike Greenfield volunteers as Lands Manager for Central Virginia Battlefields Trust after a career with the National Park Service. Over the last couple of months,…
Letters to the Editor — April 2020
To The Editor: Regarding the article entitled Stuart shields retreat from Gettysburg by Carl Sell Jr. which I found both enjoyable and enlightening, I would like…
Into the Valley of Death: Lt. Horatio D. Yeager and the 153rd Pennsylvania at Gettysburg
By Daniel Glenn It was a crisp day in September 1889 when a procession of Union veterans and assorted spectators ascended a small incline called Blocher’s Knoll o…
Identified Knife / Fork Combination
Dear John: I am writing seeking assistance about how to discover the value of a Civil War era folding knife. I have included some photos of the knife and the hist…
Gettysburg Foundation Plans to Renovate the Rupp House
by Elle Lamboy Gettysburg Foundation As the American Civil War creeps further into the corners of our history, there is an increasing concern that its significanc…
From The Lowcountry — April 2020
If you are publisher or author and want to submit your book for review, please email [email protected] to make sure that your publication meets the eli…
Former U.S. Congressmen Henry Shaw Was Killed in Civil War Combat
Colonel Henry Marchmore Shaw had the dubious distinction of being one of the few former congressmen killed in combat during the Civil War. Henry Shaw was born in…
Emerging Civil War — April 2020
Chris Mackowski From the Editor Even in the summer, with plenty of green around and the fields sown, the Slaughter Pen Farm at Fredericksburg can feel like a wide…
Digitized Civil War Maps at the National Archives
Roads the Army of the Tennessee took while approaching Atlanta. In January this year, the National Archives announced release of digitized maps from US File Unit…
Confederate Purchased British Pattern 1856 Cavalry Carbines
The best possible description of the British Pattern 1856 cavalry carbine is that it was a compromise; a carbine that no one wanted, and yet was the only logical…
Civil War Events — April 2020
The General Barton Stovall History & Heritage Association will be holding their 19th annual Congress in Cartersville, Georgia. The event features two days of batt…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - B
Civil War Alphabet Quiz - B 1. This Mississippi general led his brigade through Union lines at Gettysburg but was slain. 2. This Union general invented a series o…
Book Reviews — April 2020
Getting to know the Troup Artillery Sons of Tom Cobb: Troup Artillery, Athens, Georgia. By William Sidney Smedlund. Maps, illustrations, appendices, bibliography,…
American Battlefield Trust In The News
The American Battlefield Trust has no shortage of exciting programs on the horizon for this spring! Whether you are looking for volunteer opportunities, partnersh…
A Terrible Blunder
“… You had better get away from here quick. The Texans are whipping our men in the canyon like hell, have driven them nearly through the canyon and pretty soon wi…
3rd NC Cavalry—North-South Skirmish Association
The companies of this regiment were in the field as early as August 1861. They served on independent duty as scouts and pickets from the Cape Fear River in North…
![“I have it Verry [sic] Nice Here”](/article-images/cwn-2020-march/cwn-2020-march-i-have-it-verry-sic-nice-here-01.jpg)
“I have it Verry [sic] Nice Here”
John Seth Smith (1829–1922) joined Company B, 5th New York Cavalry in August 1862. Promoted to corporal, he was discharged April 25, 1864, due to a gunshot wound…
Winter Camp: 37th Massachusetts
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. The 37th Ma…
The Walch Pocket Revolver— The Gun That Almost Put Oliver Winchester Out of the Gun Business!
On February 8, 1859, John Walch of New York City received United States Patent #22,905 for a somewhat unique revolver that fired superimposed loads from its cylin…
The UCV Library of the Southern Cause
Of the more than 50 national reunions held by the United Confederate Veterans, the 6th Reunion in Richmond, Va., during the summer of 1896, may have been one of t…
Soldiering On
participated in another revolution: Ferdinand Burdell served in the Confederate army. After the war Ferdinand composed a brief account of his military service, a…
Shepherdstown Battlefield added to the Civil War Trails program
Civil War Trails, Inc. has teamed with Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association to add their site to the popular program. The new sign is located along…
Sharpshooter Rifle
Dear John, My question is “Is there a fee for your appraisal/authentication services?” I am the great great grandson of Pvt. Ira Lunt. He fought with Company D, 2…
New Dixie Catalog, Instructing the “Stupids” & Multiple Loading
If you were a black powder fan back in the 1930s into the early 1950s, you were pretty much on your own. You had to either find a shootable original gun or go to…
Myth: Thousands of enslaved and free African American soldiers fought for the Confederacy
This column is a slightly-updated reprint of a short blog post written for the American Civil War Museum’s website in 2017. For several decades, the question of w…
Letters to the Editor — March 2020
To The Editor: Regarding the article entitled Stuart shields retreat from Gettysburg by Carl Sell Jr. which I found both enjoyable and enlightening, I would like…
John Henry Myer: Pursued by War
When war threatened civilians directly, they had three essential choices: stay, temporarily flee, or permanently relocate. Circumstances sometimes dictated which…
Gettysburg 157th GAC
The Patriots of the Civil War Association, which had announced a 157th Gettysburg Reenactment on July 3, 4, and 5, 2020, has canceled the reenactment due to unfor…
Gettysburg 157th
Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. The event will be held on the GBPA’s 146-acre Daniel Lady Farm located on Hanover Road with a large reenactment field bordering…
Garry Adelman Speaks to the Atlanta Civil War Round Table
From the first shots in Charleston Harbor to the massive salutes that signaled the Civil War’s end, artillery played a crucial role throughout the conflict; the “…
GBPA’s Daniel Lady Farm will Host the 2020 Battle of Gettysburg as Planned
The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association (GBPA. org) reaffirms that they will be hosting and managing the 2020 Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. It wil…
From The Lowcountry — March 2020
We’ve had a few columns and letters about Blacks serving in the Confederate Army recently. If you have specific knowledge of a Black man who was duly enlisted and…
Emerging Civil War — March 2020
War still matter?” with a bit more urgency. If nothing else, Civil War News list shows us that we live amidst an abundance of readable riches. Chris Mackowski, Ph…
Editor’s Comments
page 104, gives two examples, mentioning a black color bearer and his brother in the 14th Tennessee as well as a black drummer in the 18th Virginia during the mas…
Corn
Major T.H. Blacknall in an article titled “Corn” (Confederate Veteran Magazine, Vol. 26, April 1918) noted the following: “During the war I commanded the 1st Arka…
Confederate Imprints
Imprint: “…an indelible distinguishing effect or influence;” is one definition Webster offers. Duke University defines Confederate Imprints as: “… items printed i…
Civil War Events — March 2020
Join us for a lecture on South Mountain Communities during the Civil War, at the Shippensburg Historical Society, 52 W. King St., Shippensburg. 10 a.m. Free, dona…
Carrie Sheads House
Carrie Sheads is truly an icon of American History. Twenty-seven years old at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, Caroline (Carrie) S. Sheads was the principal…
Book Reviews — March 2020
A Look at Secession as a Global Movement in the Antebellum Era Liberty and SlaveryEuropean Separatists, Southern Secession and the American Civil War. By Niels Ei…
Black Confederates: Truth and Legend
The Civil War was a fiery prism at the center of American society. Every life entered the prism at its own angle and was refracted in its own way The lives of Sou…
American Digger Lowcountry Civil War & Artifact Show
MT. PLEASANT, SC—January 4-5, 2020. The artifact show season kicked off once again with the American Digger Lowcountry Show, featuring exhibitors and dealers from…
American Battlefield Trust — March 2020
The American Battlefield Trust, the nation’s premier battlefield preservation organization, marked another year of leadership in the fields of historic land conse…
A Dramatic Leap The Battle of Glorieta Pass – Part 1
“Boys, I’m the worst enemy you have” – C.S. Gen. Henry Sibley, departing from Ft. Union After the 1846–1848 MexicanAmerican War, the United States stretched from…
25th Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale
DALTON, Ga.—The 25th Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale went off without a hitch on February 1 and 2 at the Dalton Convention Center in Dalton, Ga. The we…
1st Georgia, Oglethorpe Light Infantry Presentation Sword
Thirty-three year old Methodist preacher, James Osgood Andrew Clarke, enlisted in the Georgia Volunteers, on March 16, 1861, as Captain of the Oglethorpe Light In…
“Hold My Horse” Review
Humor is notably lacking in most movies and videos pertaining to the Civil War. In part, of course, that is due to the extremely serious nature of that conflict.…
Tools for Searching the National Archives Online (Part II)
In the December 2019 installment of this column, readers learned of the recent online enhancement offering Optical Character Recognition (OCR) searches of the var…
The Grand Review
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. On the gree…
Stuart Shields Retreat From Gettysburg
Major General Jeb Stuart knew exactly where he was going when he headed south from Gettysburg early in the morning of July 5, 1863. His cavalry forces had been or…
Spencer Ammo, Williamsburg Gun Making, & Reproduction Stadia
Buffalo Arms is currently selling loaded obsolete black powder cartridge rifle ammunition. One caliber of interest to Civil War shooters is the 56-50 Spencer roun…
Selective demolition of modern additions at the historic Warfield house
GETTYSBURG, Penn.— Selective demolition work has begun at the historic Warfield house near the intersection of Millerstown Road and West Confederate Avenue. Contr…
Reenactors Raise Funds for Old Bedford Village
Sixty Civil War-era reenactors brought Old Bedford Village, in south-central Pennsylvania, to life on the weekend of August 30-Sept. 1, 2019, in an effort to rais…
Perspectives on Antietam Phase Three – Burnside’s Bridge
In December and January we observed, through the eyes of several Federal officers, the carnage in the first two phases of the Battle of Antietam, on the north and…
Neither Fish nor Fowl: The U.S. Model 1855 Pistol Carbine
The U.S. Model 1855 Pistol Carbine was a classic example of the pre-Civil War United States Ordnance Department’s inability to be forward thinkers and look at cur…
My Journey with Central Virginia Battlefields Trust
I first became interested in Civil War battlefield preservation when I met Clark B. “Bud” Hall in 1989 when he came to speak to our local Civil War Roundtable her…
Lincoln Forum Presents 2019 Achievement Awards to: Michael Beschloss, Sidney Blumenthal, and the ‘Looking For Lincoln’ Heritage Coalition
GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The Lincoln Forum has presented its three annual achievement awards. The 2019 honorees are leading presidential historian Michael Beschloss, Lin…
Kinsley Leadership Center Opens at the Historic Spangler Farm & Field Hospital Site
On Friday afternoon, October 4, the Gettysburg Foundation hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Kinsley Leadership Center. It is housed in the renovated fa…
Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable Annual Distinguished Book Award
The Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable is pleased to announce that its annual award for the best book published on the Gettysburg Campaign in 2018 goes to Robert J.…
From The Lowcountry — February 2020
We have decided to retire the official position of Book Review Editor of Civil War News beginning with the March 2020 issue. Dr. Larry Babits will continue to edi…
Franklin’s Middle Tennessee Civil War Show
FRANKLIN, Tenn.—The 33rd Annual Middle Tennessee Civil War Show is now in the history books and it was a great one according to Show Promoter Mike Kent of MK Show…
Franklin Middle Tennessee Show Photos
Allen Wandling, Proprietor of Mid West Civil War Relics, stands in the center with his two sons, Michael and Matthew Wandling.
Emerging Civil War — February 2020
by Constance Hall Jones. This month, we direct our “10 Questions” to Connie. You can read more about the book and Connie here: https://emergingcivilwar.com/2019/1…
Civil War Events — February 2020
St. only. There will be a lunch for the participants at 12 p.m. After the parade participants are invited to return to the Union League for refreshments and enter…
Civil War Books Published in 2019
Civil War News decided to reach out to the publishers we know and confirm with them the Civil Warrelated books they’ve published during the 2019 calendar year. Th…
Brass Bands
“I don’t believe we can have an army without music,” – General Robert E. Lee to Colonel John R. Lane Commander of the 26th NC Regt., prior to the Battle of the Wi…
Book Reviews — February 2020
Unsung Civil War Heroines Gunpowder on Their Skirts: Military Heroines for the Blue and Gray. By Stephanie H. Ford. Bibliography, index, notes, glossary, photogra…
A Civil War Battlefield Monument in North Dakota The Whitestone Hill Battlefield Monument
The period of the American Civil War, 1861–1866, saw not only Federal and Confederate troops battling each other but also saw Federal and Confederate forces fight…
A Bigger Chunk Than We Could Chaw (Battle of Chickasaw Bayou part 2)
“We will lose 5,000 men before we take Vicksburg, and may as well lose them here as anywhere else.” – U.S. Gen. William T. Sherman At the onset of the Battle of C…
Violet Bank Museum Scheduled for Restoration
Situated high above Petersburg on the north bank of the Appomattox River, the Violet Bank Museum in Colonial Heights offers a commanding view of the historic down…
Under a Cloud
Can you name them from the clues below? 1. This Union major general, brought from the west after having captured Island No. 10 and New Madrid, oversaw the defeat…
Tools for Searching the National Archives Online
Tools for Searching the National Archives Online Last month in this column, readers learned of the recent online enhancement offering Optical Character Recognitio…
This Ball Is At An End (Battle of Chickasaw Bayou part 1)
Better come out here, I hears a boat a coming. … I hears it say, choo, choo, pat, pat, pat.” – little negro girl On the evening of Dec. 24, 1862, telegraph operat…
The Yacht Rebecca
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and most importantly, the print maker or artist’s goals. When is a C…
The Sage of White Oak, Virginia is Gone
D.P. Newton, the well-known Stafford County, Va., Civil War relic conservator, passed on October 8. He was 66. His museum, The White Oak Museum, despite its unass…
Reminiscences of Fort Sumter and Moultrie in 1860-’61
Reminiscences of Fort Sumter and Moultrie in 1860-’61 By Abner Doubleday (1876) The summer of 1860 found me stationed at the head-quarters of the First United Sta…
Remembrance Day, 2019, Gettysburg
President Lincoln was wrong about the first part, but very much correct about the second part of this famous phrase from his magnificent “Gettysburg Address.” On…
Perspectives on Antietam Phase Two – The Sunken Road
Last time we reviewed the accounts of two Federal officers who described their actions and observations in the first phase of the Battle of Antietam in the fields…
National Treasure
As an unfortunate side effect of time, the War of 1812 is a conflict known to many in name alone. Its dates, battles, ships, and the brave men who fought on both…
Moore and Harris
A P53 (Pattern 1853) Enfield long rifle was recently purchased by a comrade who had questions about its history. It is an interesting piece. It looks like the TOW…
Lincoln Forum Has Largest Attendance And Most First-Timers Ever
Over 350 Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts gathered from November 16-18 at Gettysburg’s Wyndham Hotel for the 24th annual Lincoln Forum Symposium. It was the best-…
Gettysburg Remembrance Day 2019
Publisher’s Note: We asked Steve Reilly to send in an additional article to cover the Gettysburg Remembrance Day for another viewpoint. By Steve Reilly On Novembe…
Fort Fisher, North Carolina: The Gibraltar of the South
General Robert E. Lee’s telegram to military authorities in North Carolina in late 1864 expressed a sense of urgency. “If Wilmington falls, I cannot maintain my a…
Emerging Civil War — January 2020
Chris Mackowski From the Editor My childhood smelled of chocolate. I grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in the 1970s. Although my childhood was not without its cha…
Confederate Purchased Bar on Band Enfield Rifles
On January 25, 1856, one of the first, and most important, long arms to be derived from the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket was officially approved for use in t…
Classy Handguns and Stars Over New Jersey
Pietta USA, which now owns EMF and is probably the dominant reproduction revolver source, has introduced a new “Deluxe Grande Californian” model revolver. The han…
Civil War Events — January 2020
Program will focus on the Jan. 13-15, 1865 campaign to capture the fort. Battle reenactments and live artillery fire demonstrations with Fort Fisher cannons. Desc…
Captured 2nd National Battle Flag
The flag of the Confederacy rose and fell in only four years. It rose over a prosperous, peaceful nation whose mothers sent their husbands and sons to die, if nee…
Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show has Increased Attendance
RICHMOND, Va.—The Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show held in Richmond, Va., is one of the oldest collector shows in the country, having just celebrated its…
Book Reviews — January 2020
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 Mill Springs Final Reenactment
NANCY, Ky.—The 1862 Battle of Mill Springs 2019 Reenactment was held on a crisp early November weekend along the rolling terrain on the actual battle ground, like…
American Battlefield Trust — January 2020
For more than 20 years, you and I have been part of something exceptional – a movement to build a legacy that will last forever. Since the first day I stepped int…