Articles
Published: 8/8/24
The Teenagers’ War
In June 1863, Captain Jacob Roemer’s Battery L, 2nd New York Light Artillery, was dispatched to take part in Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi. On the way west,...
Published: 8/8/24
Killing the Enemy
“[W]e had fun picking them off. We might have taken them all prisoners, but we wasn’t in for that. We killed every one of them; even a wounded man could...
Published: 5/14/24
The Man Who Broke The Klan
The Klan had spread to almost all of the former Confederacy, but no place was more firmly in its grip than York County, South Carolina. Unusually for a professional soldier, Merrill combined forcefulness with an acute sociological eye.
Published: 5/14/24
The Draper Raid of June 1864
Draper’s conduct did come into question, and his men’s behavior on the march through the Northern Neck has been the subject of controversy ever since.
Published: 7/2/24
Homecomings
“We are so glad to have Jimmy safe at home, but oh, what a different homecoming from what we anticipated when he enlisted. No feasting. No rejoicing. Only sadness and...
Published: 8/7/24
The Fate of Charleston
THE RAPID RISE AND PRECIPITOUS FALL OF THE BIRTHPLACE OF SECESSION
Published: 6/14/24
A Close Call Close to Home
“This was a desperate conflict,” remembered one veteran of the 11th Tennessee Infantry about the fighting at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864. The 11th and the rest of its...
Published: 5/14/24
Partners in War
AT THE OUTBREAK of the Civil War, high-ranking Union and Confederate officers were, on average, a decade older than the men in the ranks. And while those younger troops were...
Published: 5/20/24
Three Days in Gettysburg
Of the many Civil War sites located across the country, one consistently stands out as most popular: Gettysburg. The site of the epic three-day battle between Union and Confederate forces...
Published: 8/7/24
Haven & Horror
WHERE DO YOU GO when you visit the Gettysburg battlefield? Little Round Top? Devil’s Den? The scene of Pickett’s Charge, or some other recognized site? Three lesser-known stops have priority...
Published: 8/7/24
Boy Soldiers
ONE IN 10 UNION SOLDIERS WAS UNDERAGE WHEN THEY ENLISTED. THEIR PRESENCE DISRUPTED FAMILIES, CREATED CHAOS—AND HELPED WIN THE WAR.
Published: 8/7/24
Front Face!
AT THE OUTBREAK of the Civil War, publishers in the North hurried to capitalize on the burst of pro-Union sentiment by creating stationery and envelopes (or covers) decorated with patriotic...
Published: 8/7/24
Essential Reading on Chancellorsville
SOMETIMES A BATTLE begets book upon book. Gettysburg? Rent a truck before you go shopping. There might be more books on Gettysburg than there were soldiers in Pickett’s Charge. Antietam...
Published: 8/7/24
One Lucky Soldier Spared
THE ARTIFACT: Sergeant Francis McMillen’s sword belt plate CONDITION: Other than the spent minie ball lodged in its upper right corner, the plate is in generally good condition. DETAILS: In...
Published: 8/7/24
Q&A with Erik Larson
"I was particularly interested in the human traits of the various actors that helped drive the crisis, namely hubris, ambition, ego, false honor, and the need on the part of some characters for personal affirmation."
Published: 8/7/24
Three Days in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia NAMED AFTER: LOCALITY IN ENGLAND ALONG THE THAMES RIVER INCORPORATED: 1742 ELEVATION: 213 FEET POPULATION: 229,395 (2022)
Published: 6/20/24
A Captured Weapon Freed
IN 1894, IN BATH, MAINE, a package arrived whose sender hoped it would find a former Union army officer with Civil War service. Inside was a sword engraved “Presented to...
Published: 8/7/24
Thaddeus Lowe’s Balloon Inflation Wagons
The wagons that generated the hydrogen gas Thaddeus Lowe used to inflate his observation balloons sit on the Mall near the unfinished U.S. Capitol—possibly during a demonstration for President Abraham...