Civil War News, 2022
12 issues published in 2022, with 233 articles indexed here.
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All 113 Issues →
December 2022Vol. 48, No. 12 · 17 articles
November 2022Vol. 48, No. 11 · 21 articles
October 2022Vol. 48, No. 10 · 21 articles
September 2022Vol. 48, No. 9 · 24 articles
August 2022Vol. 48, No. 8 · 23 articles
July 2022Vol. 48, No. 7 · 10 articles
June 2022Vol. 48, No. 6 · 21 articles
May 2022Vol. 48, No. 5 · 18 articles
April 2022Vol. 48, No. 4 · 19 articles
March 2022Vol. 48, No. 3 · 21 articles
February 2022Vol. 48, No. 2 · 18 articles
January 2022Vol. 48, No. 1 · 20 articles
Articles from 2022
233 indexed
USS Jamestown Served U.S. Navy for More Than Six Decades
by Bob Ruegsegger Long before the sloop of war USS Jamestown saw Civil War service with the Atlantic Blockading Squadron, the three masted ship-rigged warship had…
Through the Lens — December 2022
Battle of Port Royal Sound – Part II “A deep-mouthed rifled gun from Hilton Head on our left belched forth its welcome to the ‘hospitable graves’ of South Carolin…
The Salmon P. Chase Papers: Journals
Each book includes a detailed index. Reminder: search WorldCat to locate a printed copy in a local library: https://www.worldcat.org. In addition, the Library of…
Take a Hand in Protecting 128 Acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown
Advocates Needed to Shore Up Vicksburg Vicksburg National Military Park continues to languish; flooding and massive landslides nearly three years ago rendered up…
New Stories for Summersville's Civil War Trails Sites!
The Summersville, W.V., Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) completed a project to update the two Civil War Trails sites in Nicholas County. These sites are netw…
More on J.C. Van Duzer
More on J.C. Van Duzer Last month’s column told the story of J.C. Van Duzer, the telegraph superintendent who got crosswise with Grant during the Mississippi Cent…
Jackson at Harper's Ferry in 1861
Jackson at Harper’s Ferry in 1861 Reprinted in its entirety from the original article.
Events Section — December 2022
Reenactment commemorating the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Olustee. More than 1,500 living historians will give presentations of both civilian and military…
Emerging Civil War — December 2022
From the Editor Mount Rainier floated above the clouds like an impossible mirage. It appeared in my window so suddenly, so completely, that I gasped—literally. My…
Cornbread
Cornbread “The food we get on the road is sufficient, and good enough to sustain life; it consists of pork or bacon and bread made from Indian corn.” – Lt. Col. A…
Coach Vince Dooley: An Appreciation
Coach Vince Dooley: An Appreciation by Stephen Davis Legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley passed away on October 28. He was ninety years of…
Children and War
Children and War The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. Throughout t…
CVBT 2022 Annual Conference
CVBT 2022 Annual Conference For three days, September 30 through October 1, the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust presented its 25th annul conference. The theme…
Book Reviews — December 2022
A Powerful Look at Confederate Veterans’ Homeward Journeys Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant…
Bennett Young's Vermont Raid
Bennett Young’s Vermont Raid One of the most daring exploits of the Civil War—and there were plenty—was the raid by a score of Confederate soldiers on a Vermont t…
A Gettysburg Hero's Shameful End
by Joseph Wilson Remembering our deceased soldiers on Memorial Day is a long-held tradition across the country. By placing flowers or a flag on a grave we acknowl…
110th OVI Dominates the N-SSA 146th Nationals
by Bruce Miller The North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) held its 146th National Competition October 5 through 9, 2022. Member units competed in livefire matc…
“The Delay in Operations Has Been Unavoidable”
by Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf Letters of Civil War soldiers frequently speculate on how the war is going. They are most valuable in that they give the viewpoi…
To colorize or not to colorize?
The ongoing debate whether to colorize photography or not will continue long after this article was published. Using artificial intelligence, computer software ca…
Through the Lens — November 2022
and magazines, both for this expedition and to supply the general wants of the service.” The expedition grew into the largest Federal amphibious operation since t…
The Warrior, The Savior, and The Humorist at the Governor John Woods Mansion
by Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to – Western Theater – On August 13, last, the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County, Ill., held a most…
The Salmon P. Chase Papers: Journals
The Salmon P. Chase Papers: Journals “I have neglected to write not because I have had nothing to record, but because I thought I could not spare the time require…
The Mine Run Campaign
The Mine Run Campaign by Terry Rensel Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee expected the Union Army to move along the axis of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, as the…
The Federal Eagle on U.S. Lock Plates
The Federal Eagle on U.S. Lock Plates A question that is sometimes asked about the Civil War rifles and muskets made at the National Armories is why the Federal E…
Skirmish in the Streets Of Smithfield
SMITHFIELD, Va.—In August a new Civil War Trails sign was installed along Main Street in front of the Isle of Wight County Museum in downtown Smithfield. It was t…
Orlando Poe: Civil War engineer, Generals' aide, to Lighthouse builder
by Joan Wenner, J.D. As was said by a gunboat captain to Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, “Battles are won by two qualities, the ability to endure and a…
James I. Robertson's “The War in Words”
by Stephen Davis James Irvin “Bud” Robertson (1930-–2019) was known across the land to Civil War enthusiasts in the same league as Ed Bearss and maybe a few other…
How the Charleston Mercury Gave Stonewall His Nickname
by Stephen Davis Newspapers, as the saying goes, write the first draft of history. Such was the case of the Charleston Mercury’s reporting on the battle of Manass…
Happy Birthday Mathew Brady – 200 Years
Happy Birthday Mathew Brady – 200 Years by Cliff Krainik On a bright, beautifully clear Indian summer afternoon about a hundred invited guests attended the unveil…
Events Section — November 2022
Before making plans to attend any event contact the event host. Nov. 5, Virginia. Seminar & Tour
Emerging Civil War — November 2022
From the Editor “The past is never dead,” William Faulkner wrote. “It’s not even past.” That’s true of the Civil War in particular. It’s one of the truest things…
De Bow's Review
De Bow’s Review When James Dunwoody Brownson De Bow started publishing The Commercial Review of the South and West in New Orleans in 1846, he intended it as a jou…
Civil War News Book Reviewer's Top Picks for Western Theater Books
Stephen Davis’ Top Ten Favorite Western Theater Books
Bureaucratic Infighting
“I must have a safe conduct from the War Department or Grant will shoot me.” – J.C. Van Duzer In late fall 1862, in the first of several efforts to take Vicksburg…
Book Reviews — November 2022
An Essential Collection of Union Veterans’ Writings Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil…
Augustus Tholey, Civil War lithographer
Augustus Tholey, Civil War lithographer The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artis…
American Battlefield Trust — November 2022
XII Corps, as well as North Carolina and Arkansas troops. Since 1991, the Trust has secured 11 properties on the Antietam Battlefield, a total of 463 acres of hal…
44th Annual Southeastern Civil War and Antique Gun Show
44th Annual Southeastern Civil War and Antique Gun Show MARIETTA, GA—The North Georgia Relic Hunters Association was able to hold its 44th Annual Southeastern Civ…
“We Can Defeat Them at Any Point”
“Headquarters, Department of the Shenandoah New Market, VA May 2, 1862 By Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf In early May 1862, General Nathaniel P. Banks exuded opti…
“Carleton”
Editor’s note: With this piece we begin a new series in Civil War News, “Clippings from the Past”: excerpts from Civil War newspapers, articles about them and pro…
York Underground RR Museum Dedicates New Casteel Statue
York Underground RR Museum Dedicates New Casteel Statue by Leon Reed Sculptor Gary Casteel, best known for Gettysburg’s James Longstreet statue, watched with prid…
The Sad Fate of Captured Union Sailors
The Sad Fate of Captured Union Sailors by Joseph Wilson Few Union sailors serving aboard ship gave much thought to being captured. Boys enlisted in the U.S. Navy…
The Library of Congress Collection — October 2022
The Union infantry sergeant (far left) is looking over five men in his company. All are wearing 4 button sack coats and Model 1858 dress hats (also known as Harde…
The Battle of the Wilderness – Grant & Lee: Emotions of the Mantle of Command
The Battle of the Wilderness – Grant & Lee: Emotions of the Mantle of Command by Peter R. Kolakowski In the lead up to the Battle of the Wilderness that occurred…
Savas Beatie Authors/Readers Gather at Gettysburg
by Leon Reed Special to Civil War News For the second straight year, Savas Beatie authors and readers met in Gettysburg for three days of battlefield tours, bookt…
One Grand and Imposing Monument
One Grand and Imposing Monument In 1890, just over a quarter century after two great battles were fought in northwest Georgia and adjacent areas of Tennessee, the…
National Archives Civil War Cartographic Ship Plans
Work continues at the National Archives to digitize additional records from the American Civil War. A peek inside the Cartographic Research Room – https://www.arc…
Modest Merit
by Stephen Davis Ed. note: Steve Davis’ new book, The Atlanta Daily Intelligencer Covers the Civil War, is now out (University of Tennessee Press). Here is an art…
McCormick CWI Offers New Interpretive Program & Shares Findings
New Interpretive Program Debuts at Fort Collier Earlier this year Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute (MCWI) forged a partnership with the Fort…
Lige White at Gettysburg
by Carl Sell Jr. While Major General Jeb Stuart led most the Confederate cavalry around the Union Army on his way north in June 1863, Lieutenant Colonel Elijah V.…
Fort Hamilton, Currier & Ives, 1860
Well before the war began, Currier and Ives were capturing, in many colorful lithographs, the natural environment, buildings, bridges, parks and particularly the…
Events — October 2022
The North-South Skirmish Association 146th National Competition near Winchester. Over 3,000 uniformed competitors in 200 member units compete in live-fire matches…
Emerging Civil War — October 2022
From the Editor: ECW was pleased this year to honor the American Battlefield Trust with our Award for Service in Civil War Public History. From our earliest days,…
Emerging Civil War Series Spotlight
About the Book: The stakes for George Gordon Meade could not have been higher. After his stunning victory at Gettysburg in July 1863, the Union commander spent th…
Emerging Civil War Honors the American Battlefield Trust for Service in Civil War Public History
Emerging Civil War (ECW) is pleased to honor the American Battlefield Trust as the recipient of this year’s Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Publ…
Elmira Prison Camp May 1864
Elmira Prison Camp Shootings at Union Civil War prison camps like Elmira were not unusual. Conditions at Elmira were overcrowded and the usual targets were unarme…
Carrying the War North John Hunt Morgan’s 1863 Raid – Part III
of the approaching 14th Ky. were killed or wounded by the Spencer Guards. The surprised Confederates rapidly retreated, then the 7th Ky. Cavalry attacked the Indi…
Book Reviews — October 2022
Old Glory at the Crossroads 1861–1865: The Original and Complete Tribune Newspapers Civil War Centennial Comic Strip. By Rick Fletcher and Athena Robbins, compile…
American Battlefield Trust — October 2022
The Trust Endeavors to Protect 52 Acres in Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi As the Trust contends with a growing range of threats and skyrocketing prices, it is…
“Defending Against Jackson’s Chancellorsville Flank Attack”
“Defending Against Jackson’s Chancellorsville Flank Attack” Since 1996, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust has worked diligently to acquire properties associated…
USS Iron Age Search for Clone CSS Tacony
by Joan Wenner, J.D. Historians note that the Confederate Navy demonstrated very well how an inferior naval force could hold off a vastly superior one. One exampl…
U.S. Model 1842 Rifled Musket
delivered 2,225 arms into store during fiscal year 1845 (July 1, 1844 to June 30, 1845). The M1842 muskets remained in production until 1855, with
The Library of Congress Collection — September 2022
CO LLEC T I O N Two African American boys, barefoot, and wearing ragged clothing.
Stephen Davis Wins Awards
their 70th Season— Stephen Davis Wins Awards Celebrating Civil War Round Table of New York
Philadelphia’s Cooper Volunteer Saloon Revisited
Philadelphia’s Cooper Volunteer Saloon Revisited The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker…
Mark Twain and the War (I) Sam Clemens, Confederate Deserter
Mark Twain and the War (I) Sam Clemens, Confederate Deserter “Twain in his later years was more Westerner and New Englander than Southerner, so that his work does…
Mackowski Receives Outstanding Service Award from American Battlefield Trust
Mackowski Receives Outstanding Service Award from American Battlefield Trust ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y—Dr. Chris Mackowski, professor of journalism and mass communicat…
In de Land ob Cotton: Dan Emmett’s Famous Song
by Stephen Davis I’m trying to remember where I read some observer’s only half-jestful comment about the difference between “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and…
Events — September 2022
Oct. 15th & 16th at 8437 Valley Pike in Middletown, Va. See cavalry, artillery, and infantry soldiers in action and in camp. Battle scenarios, music, symposium, a…
Emerging Civil War — September 2022
From the Editor Symposium season is upon us at Emerging Civil War; this is always a great time of year to get together with members of the extended ECW family and…
Emerging Civil War Series Spotlight
Determined to Stand and Fight: The Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864 by Ryan Quint. Savas Beatie, 2017.
Deo Vindice
Deo Vindice When I interviewed Scott Thompson for last month’s column, I saw, among the numerous items decorating his office walls, an image of the Great Seal of…
Confederate Uprising on the SS Maple Leaf
by Joe Wilson Fifty Confederate officers marched out of a Union prison in New Orleans on June 2, 1863, and boarded the SS Cahawba waiting in the harbor. A jovial…
Confederate Fort Names Change proposal
Confederate Fort Names Change proposal On May 24 the commission to consider renaming installations currently named after Confederates released its initial report.…
Civil War News
We are so delighted to announce our new and improved website. We have been recently working hard to populate it with exciting information for our subscribers. Civ…
Chronicling America Maps and Visualizations
In previous installments of this column, researchers have read about various Civil Warera newspapers now digitized and available via different websites. One of th…
Chattanooga Antique Militaria & Americana Show & Sale
Chattanooga Antique Militaria & Americana Show & Sale Annual event better than ever!
Champagne Dreams John Hunt Morgan’s 1863 Raid – Part II
Champagne Dreams John Hunt Morgan’s 1863 Raid – Part II “A street fight is one of the most desperate modes of warfare known to a soldier. The advantage is strongl…
Book Reviews — September 2022
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship. Contact email: BookRev…
American Battlefield Trust
American Battlefield Trust “Relentlessly” Seeks to Save 170 Acres Tied to the Civil War’s Western Theater The American Battlefield Trust is currently working to p…
A 40-horse wagon train pulls Jackson’s engines to Staunton
by Carl Sell Jr. The February issue of the Civil War News included a story about Colonel Thomas Jackson’s spring 1861 raid on the B&O Railroad that resulted in en…
9th Annual U. S. Grant Symposium in St. Louis
by Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to the -Western Theater-
1863–1864 Saw Russian Squadrons and Fancy Balls in America
1863–1864 Saw Russian Squadrons and Fancy Balls in America by Ivan Agyeyev and Yuriy Kirpichoff The American Civil War broke out 160 years ago. The Russians were…
“It is amazing what people can collect.”
“It is amazing what people can collect.” The walls in Scott Thompson’s office are decorated with an assemblage of Civil War memorabilia, scores of items that Scot…
Wheeling, W.V., Receives New Civil War Trails Signs
Wheeling, W.V., Receives New Civil War Trails Signs Last month three new Civil War Trails signs were installed in Wheeling. This effort was the result of a contin…
Weather Hot, Competition Hotter
WINCHESTER, Va.—While temperatures soared into the 90’s, the North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) held its 145th National Competition May 18 through 22, 2022.…
Twenty-Seventh Annual Lincoln Forum To Focus On “Lincoln In The White House”
Jon Meacham Two presidential historians familiar to millions as both best-selling authors and cable news commentators, Jon Meacham and John Avlon, will be among t…
The Library of Congress Collection
These young ladies are wearing a style of clothing common to girls and young teens. Their dresses open at the back rather than the front; their necklines are some…
The Fredericksburg National Cemetery
The Fredericksburg National Cemetery by Terry Rensel In the eighteen months between December 1862 and May 1864, four major battles, Fredericksburg; Chancellorsvil…
The Civil War Monument in Vanceburg, Kentucky
by Charles H. Bogart The city of Vanceburg, Ky., is located in northeast Kentucky on the Ohio River. The city is the county seat of Lewis County. In 1884, the cit…
The Bayonet as a Weapon
The Bayonet as a Weapon “On the Civil War battlefield, the bayonet turned out to be a relic, responsible for few battlefield wounds. Though there were many mass c…
Spotlight on the Emerging Civil War Series
Editor’s Note: Civil War News is pleased to begin a new monthly series highlighting books in the Emerging Civil War Series (ECWS) published by Savas Beatie, LLC.…
Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Self-Made Man
by Bob Ruegsegger When Sarah Emma Edmonds was seventeen years old, she ran away from her Fredericton home in New Brunswick, Canada. Emma’s father had wanted to ma…
Not On The 4th of July John Hunt Morgan’s 1863 Raid – Part I
Not On The 4th of July John Hunt Morgan’s 1863 Raid – Part I “It seemed as if so small a band as ours had been stationed there [Tebb’s Bend, Ky.] as a bait … If C…
Mathew Brady Photographs of Civil War-Era Personalities and Scenes
Brady search page. Mathew Brady: the man behind the men behind the lenses! During the Civil War Era, Mathew Brady, the preeminent photographer in the United State…
Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor from North Carolina Department of Transportation There were some mistakes in the article on the Kinston Bypass and its impact on the core are…
Houston Civil War Round Table’s “Frank E. Vandiver Award of Merit” Presented to Dr. Timothy B. Smith
HOUSTON, TX, June 13, 2022—Continuing a 40-year tradition, the Houston Civil War Round Table (HCWRT) has awarded Timothy B. Smith the Frank E. Vandiver Award of M…
Emerging Civil War — August 2022
From the Editor I am an ambitious tourist. For instance, earlier this month, I had the chance to spend a day in Memphis, Tennessee. I mapped out an aggressive sch…
Cooper Saloon: Philadelphia
Cooper Saloon: Philadelphia The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. L…
Civil War Impressionists Association Offers Visitors a Plethora of Historical Impressions
by Bob Ruegsegger The Civil War Impressionists Association’s shared immersion in Civil War research and studies has inspired individual portrayals of a host of pr…
Civil War Events
44th Annual Southeastern Civil War & Antique Gun Show in Marietta at the Cobb County Civic Center hosted by the North Georgia Relic Hunters Association. Cobb Coun…
Book Reviews — August 2022
The Fourth of July and the 1876 Centennial exhibition Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civi…
American Battlefield Trust — August 2022
An effort that has helped define the American Battlefield Trust as a top-tier force in battlefield preservation, the largest private battlefield purchase in Ameri…
Albert Castel: An Appreciation
Albert Castel: An Appreciation Quick! Name a prominent historian of the Western theater! If you didn’t think of the late Albert Castel, you’ve been drinking too m…
A Lost Diary Finished by Both Finder and Loser. And Both Survived
This amazing story is about a lost diary that turned into competing reports about Gettysburg, a capture that brought an enforced tour of Confederate Prisons, an e…
49th Annual Gettysburg Civil War Collector’s Show
Eager collectors explore a vast array of rare Civil War memorabilia on the first morning of the show. by Eric Champigny GETTYSBURG, Penn.—The 49th Annual Gettysbu…
“I should have kept the matter a secret.”
In late April 1906 a Jesuit priest from Chicago wrapped up a lecture tour with an engagement in Springfield, Ill. From there, on April 28, he boarded a train for…
Vicksburg
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. We have written about Alfred…
Ulysses S. Grant’s Revolvers Bring $5.17M at Auction
ROCK ISLAND, ILL.—A significant pair of revolvers presented to Civil War general and 18th president Ulysses S. Grant sold May 13, 2022, at Rock Island Auction Com…
Publisher’s Note:
This year’s annual Gettysburg Edition and July Civil War News was mailed in the same polybag. We decided to upgrade the Gettysburg Edition by producing it as a bo…
No One Can Tell What Would Happen In War
“Who can write the history of a battle whose eyes are immovably fastened upon a central figure of transcendingly absorbing interest—the dead body of an oldest bor…
Milestone Documents
Milestone Documents homepage. Earlier this year, the National Archives assembled a collection of their most requested items into a gathering entitled Milestone Do…
Memoirs and First Hand Accounts
As a group most Civil War collectors and history buffs enjoy doing research to improve their understanding of 1860s material culture. One challenge with historica…
Events — July 2022
Visit our new website at CivilWarNews.com and it will take you to HistoricalPublicationsLLC.com. The calendar is online and an updated before the print issue. To…
Emerging Civil War — July 2022
May offers a wealth of riches for any student of the Civil War. The weather finally got good enough for campaigning, which unfortunately meant new seasons of slau…
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War
Douglas Southall Freeman deemed it one of “the basic reference works” on the war.1 Ralph Newman and E. B. Long included it the same way in their “Basic Civil War…
Ulysses S. Grant Association Annual Meeting At the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library
by Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to The – Western Theater – The Ulysses S. Grant Association held its annual meeting March 3-5, 2022, at the Uly…
Trotter Knapsack
Trotter Knapsack Another common Confederate type knapsack was an imported version from Britain called the English pattern of 1854, or “Trotter pack,” an example o…
Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: The Last of a Four-Part Series
Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: The Last of a FourPart Series “If they are not punished in this world, God will surely punish them in the world to come.” – Ca…
The Home Front
The Home Front The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. Along with the…
The Atlanta Intelligencer Covers the War
by Stephen Davis The study of Civil War journalism has come a long way in the last few decades. That’s especially true regarding Confederate newspapers. Fifty yea…
Spotsylvania’s Laurel Hill Battlefield
south of Todd’s Tavern, early on May 8, they soon began encountering more Rebel cavalry and Anderson’s rapidly arriving infantry, who were directed into defensive…
Pearce Museum Civil War Collection
the museum produced a fourvolume set containing many of the letters from their collection. Covering the Eastern, Western, and Trans-Mississippi Theaters of war, r…
Ohio Civil War, WWI & II Show MEGA Historical Event
MANSFIELD, Ohio— Bursting with Civil War, WWI, and WWII enthusiasts for a weekend packed with so much to see, two days were needed to enjoy all the special featur…
New Perspectives on the Atlanta Campaign and General John Bell Hood
by Stephen Davis The Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War is over, and the country’s cultural conversation has moved on to other things. But for us armchair…
New Antietam Institute Holds Spring Symposium
A new Antietam Institute, formed by a group of local historians and guides less than a year ago, held its first spring symposium on April 23 at Shepherd’s Spring…
National Register Battlefield Threatened by North Carolina Highway Interchange
KINSTON, N.C.—The Wyse Fork Battlefield, Kinston, N.C., some 4,000 acres of historically significant landscape is now threatened by a proposed construction projec…
Henry Timrod, Confederate Poet
Henry Timrod, Confederate Poet “Timrod could not carry a musket for the land he loved, but he did something better and far more valuable. He filled a part which f…
Hancock Was Superb Battle of Williamsburg – Part II
Revolution War, reported, “Our Revolutionary sires did not suffer more at Valley Forge than did our army at Yorktown and in the retreat from it. Notwithstanding t…
Events — June 2022
Located between Richmond and Williamsburg on the James River, scenic Fort Pocahontas is the site of the May 24, 1864, action in which United States Colored Troops…
Emerging Civil War — June 2022
I’ve often wondered what went through the minds of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee as they slugged it out for the first time in the Wilderness in May 1864. Fro…
Coming Soon: Beyond the Battle A Gettysburg Experience Like Never Before
ADAMS COUNTY, Penn.— Imagine millions of rare Gettysburg artifacts, letters, diaries, photographs, records, battlefield relics, and souvenirs, all at dire risk of…
Claudius Crozet
VMI’s First President and his Blue Ridge Tunnel Today by Joan Wenner, J.D. Claude “Claudius” Crozet was born in 1789 near Lyons, France, and educated as an engine…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – Y as in... June
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – Y as in... June 1. J.E.B. Stuart mortally wounded here 2. Confederates reused 1781 British fortifications at this town in 1862 3. USN tu…
Book Reviews — June 2022
Choctaw Confederates: The American Civil War in Indian Country. By Fay A. Yarbrough. Bibliography, index, notes, maps, 280 pp., University of North Carolina Press…
Battery Wagner: Engineers to the Rescue
by Joseph F. Wilson In the fading sunset, the Yankee soldiers waited for the order to charge across the beach and attack the Confederate stronghold on the shores…
American Battlefield Trust — June 2022
Portrait of Ed Bearss, 2017. (Buddy Secor) The Bearss family invites the public to attend a celebration of the life of Edwin C. Bearss, to be held in Gettysburg,…
“A Moving Mass of Blue Coats” Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: Part Three of a Four-Part Series
“A Moving Mass of Blue Coats” Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: Part Three of a FourPart Series Last month, after traversing the state of Georgia with the Right…
The Tragic Order of Major John D. Barry
The Tragic Order of Major John D. Barry “The trees and bushes were all cut to peses [pieces] with balls and grap[e] shot.” – Letter home from Pvt. Thornton Sexton…
The Library of Congress Collection — May 2022
“CIRCULAR. | HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, March 21, 1863. For the purpose of ready recognition of corps and divisions in this army, and to prevent injustice…
The Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery and Gravestone Project
It began innocently enough with a conversation between a sailor and a Marine. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Two wizened old vets looking for yet one mo…
Satterlee Hospital Philadelphia
One of the more common Civil War prints available to students of the war shows a Union hospital or camp. Entrepreneurial lithographers, such as Charles Magnus, pr…
Robert G. H. Kean’s Inside the Confederate Government (1957)
“An essential Confederate narrative,” David Detzer calls Robert Kean’s wartime diary. He judges it as “a good companion with that of the war clerk John B. Jones.”…
Miracle at the Battle of First Kernstown
“If You Can Save His Life, You Can Have Him” – She Did! Darkness, despair, and searing pain enveloped wounded Captain James Vance of the ThirtySeventh Virginia In…
Fort Donelson Observes 160th Anniversary
Fort Donelson, located on the Cumberland River at Dover, Tenn., was the site of a battle remembered on its 160th anniversary by a series of tours, talks, a book s…
Follow Me! Battle of Williamsburg Part I
Follow Me! Battle of Williamsburg Part I “Never in my life was I so mortified, never so excited, never so mad. It had at any rate the good effect of making me for…
Events — May 2022
Zurko Promotions presents The National Civil War Collectors Fall Show and Sale which will be held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester, Wheaton, I…
Emerging Civil War — May 2022
For all sorts of reasons, I have a militant aversion to banning books. As a writer, a former journalist, and someone who teaches in a School of Communication, I’m…
Classic Show Makes A Come Back
TIMONIUM, Md.—After two years of cancellations due to Covid restrictions, the wellknown Baltimore Antique Arms Show held its 66th show March 19 & 20, 2022. Sponso…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – X as in... May
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – X as in... May 1. The other 1864 corps in Army of the Tennessee during Sherman’s March 2. The other name for Forrest’s victory at Guntow…
Book Reviews — May 2022
Abraham Lincoln, Color-Blind Host A House Built by Slaves: African American Visitors to the Lincoln White House. By Jonathan W. White. Illustrated, index, 251 pp.…
Bissonnet Cavalry Officer’s Sword
by Shannon Pritchard This beautiful Confederate cavalry officer’s sword is signed by the artist near the ricasso where an elegant script inside a scroll reads: “L…
Atlanta: Then & Now
Atlanta: Then & Now Folks often ask about locations of the various battles for Atlanta in 1864 and where this hallowed ground resides amid today’s sprawl of a maj…
American Battlefield Trust — May 2022
Four Generals, Four Battlefields and One Great Opportunity to Save 311 Acres! The Trust is currently working to preserve 311 acres across four different Civil War…
A Remarkable Tale: The U.S. Sanitary Commission
by Joseph F. Wilson The echo of musket fire and shrieking artillery shells ceased. All was quiet on the battlefield except for the groans and cries of the wounded…
Women’s History Month at Weston Manor
Civil War Trails, Inc. has teamed up with the Historic Hopewell Foundation, Inc., and the City of Hopewell, Va., to launch a new Civil War Trails sign at Weston M…
Wilmer McLean’s Civil War
The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. The McLean family’s home in V…
We Are Not Here For Plunder
“It looks like fate, twice Texas makes me a rebel.” – C.S. Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston In March 1862, U.S. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s “Army of the Tennessee,” was pr…
Ulysses S. Grant’s Birth Weight
Ulysses S. Grant’s early life is not well known. The accepted narrative regarding his birth weight was penned by Albert Deane Richardson as a gigantic ten- and th…
Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: “Forage of every kind in superabundance” Part Two of a Four-Part Series
Readers of last month’s column marched with the Army of the Tennessee from Atlanta to the Oconee River, about halfway on its journey to Savannah. Maj. Gen. O.O. H…
The Importance of Reputation
To be introduced by someone meant they were vouching for your character, which also put that person’s own reputation at risk. For this reason, the formalities of…
The Civil War, Tariffs, and Baltic Trade
In Copenhagen, behind the double steel doors of special room No. 11, Danish National Archives, there are 60 meters of shelving containing 700 logs of the Sound To…
Sherman, Wade Hampton and the Hanged Man
After spending more than a month in Savannah, on Feb. 1, 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman led his army of 60,000 veterans into South Carolina, with the in…
Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute Celebrates Completion of Two Projects
Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute (MCWI) prides itself on creating opportunities for students in Civil War Era Studies to engage in research a…
Historic Burger & Brother D-guard Bowie Knife
This knife is extraordinary for several reasons. First, it has the “BURGER & BROTHERS RICHMOND VA.” maker’s mark stamped into the blade. Second, it is a pattern h…
General Benjamin Prentiss’ Capture at the Battle of Shiloh
Shiloh Battle Field. / Gen'l Prentiss is standing on the spot where he was captured at 5.30 P.M., April 6, 1862. Union veterans identified as Col. J.S. Cavender,…
Emerging Civil War — April 2022
I was pleased to open the March 2022 issue of Civil War News to see a review by Joe Truglio of our ECW 10th Anniversary book The Summer of ’63: Vicksburg and Tull…
Civil War Events
fought and bivouacked. There are three nights of activities and two days of tours. Friday we will be visiting by charter bus Elm Springs, St. John’s Church and po…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – W as in... April
1. He commanded the USS Kearsage in its fight with CSS Alabama 2. Virginia Governor led an infantry brigade and surrendered at Appomattox 3. Breechloading cannon…
Brothers in Arms: The Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection
In February 2022, the Library of Congress released the Gladstone Afro-American Collection; https://crowd.loc. gov/campaigns/gladstone/. This source contains “… co…
Book Reviews — April 2022
Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and Reviewed by Wayne L. Wolf scholarsh…
Atlanta’s Wartime Newspapers
In Gone With the Wind, when fretful Atlantans learned that newspapers in the city were printing names of soldiers killed and wounded at Gettysburg, they flocked t…
American Battlefield Trust — April 2022
The Future Looks Bright for the Pending Culpeper Battlefields State Park Long hoped for by residents and preservationists, the creation of a new Culpeper Battlefi…
158th Anniversary – Battle of the Wilderness
Most who study the American Civil War must admit to having a particular battle that interests them most. Whether it be due to an ancestor who fought in it, or tha…
William Sartain’s Civil War
William Sartain’s Civil War The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. P…
Virginia Governor Youngkin Calls for Creation of Culpeper Battlefields State Park
American Battlefield Trust applauds Governor’s request to create a historic and recreational park in the heart of Virginia’s Piedmont region. RICHMOND, Va.—The Am…
Twenty Days in the Life of a Common Soldier
by Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf Alonso Corydon Stevens (1837–1917) of Muscatine, Iowa, spent three years in the 10th Iowa Infantry.1 An ardent believer in the i…
Tracing Sherman’s March to the Sea: “Charred and Black as Yankee Hearts”
Sherman embarked upon his March to the Sea on November 15, 1864, taking with him on his southeastward journey two corps from the Army of the Cumberland (re-christ…
The Unjust Hanging of Captain Henry Wirz
by Joseph F. Wilson When the trapdoor opened, Confederate Capt. Henry Wirz dropped to his death at the end of a rope. The sacrificial lamb marched to the gallows…
The Papers of Andrew Johnson
Our nation’s seventeenth president, Andrew Johnson, rose to the chief executive position upon the assignation of President Abraham Lincoln. Thanks to the efforts…
The 27th Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale
DALTON, Ga.—The show held January 29th and 30th at the Dalton Convention Center kicked off the 2022 season for Mike Kent and MK Shows amid great expectations for…
Smith Run and Second Fredericksburg
Smith Run and Second Fredericksburg by Terry Rensel Having been repulsed at Salem Church, and now cut off from retreating back through Fredericksburg, the Union V…
Robbins & Lawrence Windsor, Vermont
Robbins & Lawrence Windsor, Vermont U.S. Model 1841 rifles were produced by the Harpers Ferry Armory, but also let on contact with private contractors Eli Whitney…
Las Vegas Antique Arms Show News and Gallery
LAS VEGAS, Nevada— January 21-23. Due to COVID, this long running show was not held in 2021. It is back and in living color, lots of energy and well represented w…
John S. Mosby on Slavery and the Civil War
Letter from John S. Mosby to Samuel Chapman, 1907 “Washington, D.C., June 4, 1907. Dear Sam: I suppose you are now back in Staunton. I wrote you about my disgust…
I Shall Never Forsake My Guns
I Shall Never Forsake My Guns Battle of Valverde, N.M. – Part II “Boys, you’ve come too far from home hunting a fight to lose. You must win tomorrow, or die on th…
Four Years in Rebel Capitals
Four Years in Rebel Capitals It’s not often that one catches Douglas Southall Freeman in an error, even a slight one. In The South to Posterity (1939), Dr. Freema…
Events — March 2022
Sponsored by the Maryland Arms Collectors Association. With over 1,000 tables of the finest in collectable rifles, revolvers (pre-1898) and sporting shot guns, th…
Emerging Civil War — March 2022
During the Sesquicentennial, one major theme the National Park Service touted was “From Civil War to Civil Rights.” It seemed an odd choice at the time, designed…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – V as in... March
Copperhead leader Jackson’s most famous campaign Battle that slowed invasion of New Mexico Official name for ironclad that fought the Monitor Union Brigade comman…
Book Reviews — March 2022
The Record of Murders and Outrages: Racial Violence and Truth at the Dawn of Reconstruction. By William A. Blair. 4 tables, notes, index, 173 pp., 2021. The Unive…
American Digger 2022 Lowcountry Show Better Than Ever
American Digger 2022 Lowcountry Show Better Than Ever MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C.— The annual Lowcountry Antique Militaria & Americana Show has been an annual tradition…
American Battlefield Trust — March 2022
the Confederate capital at Richmond from the southeast, with the Battle of Williamsburg as the first pitched battle of this offensive. On May 5, 1862, members of…
A Hot Fight at Cool Spring
by Carl Sell Jr. Perhaps the coolest thing about the Cool Spring Battlefield is its location. Now owned by Shenandoah University, this Civil War battlefield is lo…
A Girl’s Captured Expression
Poignant image of a young girl is wearing a plaid dress, gilt jewelry and silk ribbons. She holds a framed photograph of possibly her father in uniform with a sab…
Two Mules For Valverde
U.S. Col. Edward R.S. Canby had been monitoring Sibley’s advance from Fort Craig. Before the War, the pair had served together in Utah and New Mexico. Both men kn…
The Lieutenant Hugh Mckee Memorial Rededication
The Lieutenant Hugh Mckee Memorial Rededication by Charles H. Bogart Very few historians know that the U.S. Navy’s Far East Squadron fought a land engagement with…
More on Iuka: Why Did Rosecrans Fight Alone?
In last month’s column we reviewed some interesting aspects of the Battle of Iuka. We analyzed specifically Grant’s false charges that Brig. Gen. William S. Rosec…
Kibler Knapsacks
Kibler Knapsacks The image of a soldier with a thick blanket roll or “horse collar” slung diagonally across his mid-section is practically a universal representat…
Jackson’s 1861 Railroad Caper Was More Than A Myth!
by Carl L. Sell Jr. Imagine capturing, destroying, and moving train engines and cars along a 44-mile stretch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Maryland and Virg…
In Their Footsteps
by Frank Niederwerfer In 1891 and 1892 veterans of the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry returned to a quiet place on the Rapidan River in Virginia, called Stru…
Franklin, Tenn. The Largest Civil War Show Under One Roof!
Franklin, Tenn. The Largest Civil War Show Under One Roof! FRANKLIN, Tenn.—”It’s great to be back in Franklin” was the battle cry as hundreds of dealers, collecto…
Franklin County, Penn. Joins Civil War Trail Program
Franklin County, Penn. Joins Civil War Trail Program Earlier in December, a new Civil War Trails sign was installed in the Chambersburg Square. The sign, located…
Florida Presentation E.J. Johnston Officer’s Sword
Overall view of the E.J. Johnston officer’s sword and scabbard presented to A.J.T. Wright. All photographs courtesy OldSouthAntiques.com. by Shannon Pritchard Thi…
Events — February 2022
The 157th Anniversary of one of the last Confederate victories of the Civil War. Experience history coming alive during a weekend of battles, demonstrations, tour…
Emerging Civil War — February 2022
From the Editor Just before Christmas, my family had a COVID scare that threw the holiday into tumult. Plans were canceled. Travel was suspended. Family members s…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – U as in... February
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – U as in... February 1. Postwar tactician who led May 12, 1864, charge at Spotsylvania 2. Union vessel captured and burned at New Bern by…
Camp Stanton, Charles County, Maryland, added to the Civil War Trails program
Camp Stanton, Charles County, Maryland, added to the Civil War Trails program In December 2021, a new Civil War Trails sign was installed at Serenity Farm near Be…
Bull’s Run
Bull’s Run The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist’s goals. No student of the…
Book Reviews — February 2022
Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army After Appomattox. By Caroline E. Janney. Photos, maps, notes, Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with…
Billy Yank & Johnny Reb Letters
While researching the American Civil War, one of the brightest windows to the past resides in soldier letters. Many sources exist, allowing researchers to mine th…
Back in Business
Back in Business by Paul T. Scott In the mid-nineteenth century, Fredericksburg, Virginia, was a thriving town with much commerce and industry. My great-great-gra…
American Battlefield Trust — February 2022
Help the Trust Save 48 Acres at Two Virginia Battlefields The American Battlefield Trust is currently working to preserve 48 acres at two Civil War battlefields i…
Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute Celebrating Publication Anniversary & Partnership
When I came to Shenandoah University in January 2017 as director of the McCormick Civil War Institute (MCWI), I believed there was a glaring need for an annual pu…
Quincy (Illinois) Civil War Symposium III
Quincy (Illinois) Civil War Symposium III by Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to -Western TheaterThe third annual Quincy Civil War Symposium was he…
Moving On and Thank You
Moving On and Thank You I would like to thank everyone who has read the articles I have written for Civil War News over the last few years. I have enjoyed the wri…
Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships
List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801–1947. NARA Navy log web page. Ahoy researchers! Last month, this column featured The…
Lincoln Forum's 26th Annual Symposium
by Leon Reed Special Correspondent to Nearly 300 Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts gathered in the days preceding Dedication Day at Gettysburg’s Wyndham Hotel for…
Glorious Victories April 3 and 9, 1865
Glorious Victories April 3 and 9, 1865 The Graphic War highlights prints and printmakers from the Civil War discussing their meaning and the print maker or artist…
Florence’s Civil War Legacy and National Cemetery
by Bob Ruegsegger Florence National Cemetery in Florence, S.C., embraces the remains of more than 2,700 Civil War era soldiers, almost exclusively Union prisoners…
Events — January 2022
The Ohio Civil War & WWI/II Show will be held in Mansfield, OH. This Mansfield military collectors show is held at Richland County Fairgrounds. All federal, state…
Emerging Civil War — January 2022
From the Editor Most of us, I know, tend to think of summer as “campaign season” for Civil War battles. The roads finally dried up enough for the armies to move a…
Crossing Hell On Ice
Crossing Hell On Ice “By pondering our plans and maps, Great General George has got the gaps, But we, who watched this sleepy war, We got the gaps long, long, bef…
Colonel Edward Prince Marker Dedication
QUINCY, Illinois—A solemn dedication ceremony was held in Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Ill., Saturday afternoon, October 9, to dedicate a memorial plaque at the g…
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – T as in... January
Civil War Alphabet Quiz – T as in... January 1. US General from Virginia known as “Old Slow Trot” and Rock of “Chickamauga” 2. CS ironclad captured at Mobile Bay…
Central Virginia Battlefield Trust 25th Anniversary Celebration
Central Virginia Battlefield Trust 25th Anniversary Celebration September 2021 marked CVBT’s 25th year of preserving endangered battlefields in central Virginia.…
Book Reviews — January 2022
the lucrative smuggling trade; hampering the arrival of needed supplies that the South could not produce internally thus adding to inflation; and, creating a sens…
Battle of Stones River Reenactment a Success
by Gregory L. Wade Approximately 2,000 reenactors from across the country gathered outside Lebanon, Tenn., for a reenactment of the New Year’s Eve 1862, and Janua…
American Battlefield Trust — January 2022
Trust Seeks to Save 239 Virginia Acres Connected to Two Civil War “Taverns” The American Battlefield Trust is currently working to preserve 239 acres at two Virgi…
Admiral Stephen B. Luce – from Civil War to Naval War College
by Joan Wenner, J.D. Recent inductions into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., included a man with Civil War service. Stephen B. Luce navigated t…
A Prequel, or Grant vs. Grant
A Prequel, or Grant vs. Grant In 2019 I wrote a column in Civil War News about the October 1862 Battle of Corinth. My focus was on Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and…
A Few Thoughts on Colt Revolvers
A Few Thoughts on Colt Revolvers I have spoken of the rapid improvements made in arms... Revolvers were no exception and Colt’s revolver which monopolized the fie…
40th Annual Central Virginia Military Antique Show
40th Annual Central Virginia Military Antique Show HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia—The 40th annual Central Virginia Military Antique Show was held on November 13, 2021,…