Episode 6: The Telegraph
Civil War Breakthroughs
Historian David Hochfelder discusses the vital and often unseen role of the telegraph during the Civil War.
A New Look at America’s Greatest Conflict
Current Issue
The Military Education of Abraham Lincoln
Vol. 15, No. 3
He was one of the country’s greatest wartime presidents. But Lincoln’s early days as commander in chief were anything but smooth.
Recent Posts
Lee Besieged (2025)
Book Reviews
John Horn’s “Lee Besieged” is a focused account of Grant’s Second Offensive at Petersburg.
The Future of Public History
The Front Line
Rich Condon ponders the future of public history in today’s environment of division and anti-intellectualism.
Episode 5: Photography
Civil War Breakthroughs
Jennifer Raab on the power and importance of Civil War photography, including how the camera shaped how we remember the war today.
As Wolves Upon a Sheep Fold (2023)
Book Reviews
“As Wolves Upon a Sheep Fold” delivers the story of a practical, ordinary citizen swept up in national drama.
An Unnamed Hero Revealed
Firsthand Accounts
Learn about the historic clash between USS Sassacus and CSS Albemarle, featuring the heroism of Union sailor James M. Hobby.
Featured Posts
Civil War Curious Trailer
Civil War Curious
We’re excited to announce that Civil War Curious, the Monitor’s latest podcast series in which expert historians answer your Civil War questions, is launching soon. Listen to the trailer for more.
A Civil War Baseball
Articles
A look at a baseball used by soldiers of the 17th New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry that sold at auction for $41,825 in February 2014.
A Lesser-Known Gettysburg Hero
Battles
Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Infantry earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg. So too did his regiment’s color sergeant, Andrew Jackson Tozier.
The Civil War’s Epidemics
Featured
Why was the Civil War was the United States’ deadliest conflict? Historian Jonathan S. Jones offers his take.
McClellan’s Culture of Command
Commanders
Discover the strategic choices of George McClellan’s command during the Civil War and how they shaped the outcome of significant battles.
A Hospital Steward’s Story
Featured
Read Union soldier James Kendall Hosmer’s account of the “soul-touching” time he spent as a hospital steward aboard the steamship “Iberville” in 1863.