Columns
Published: 11/13/25
“Contrabands”
Learn the origin of the term "contraband," a word popularly associated with the masses of enslaved people who sought freedom in Union lines.
Published: 8/19/25
“Wide Awakes”
A look at the origin of the term "Wide Awakes," the name adopted by a group of Abraham Lincoln suporters during the election of 1860.
Published: 8/19/25
Surviving Pickett’s Charge
The ferocity of Pickett's Charge changed the soldiers who fought in it, including Union officer Henry Abbott and Confederate officer Henry Owen.
Published: 5/28/25
“Juneteenth”
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in America. Historian Tracy Barnett explores the origins of the term.
Published: 5/28/25
The Re-creation of Thomas J. Jackson
A look at the historical accuracy of director Ron Maxwell's 2013 movie "Gods and Generals"—in particular the portrayal of Stonewall Jackson.
Published: 3/18/25
The Imagined Emancipationist
Harry Turtledove's "The Guns of the South" cast Robert E. Lee as a victor whose allies turn out to be otherworldly
Published: 3/18/25
Failure at Fredericksburg
Union general William B. Franklin and the perils of indecision and delay at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Published: 12/12/24
“Shebang”
The rise of a popular term used to describe certain wartime accommodations
Published: 12/12/24
The Guns at Chickamauga
John Mendenhall, Thomas Crittenden, and a Fateful Decision
Published: 10/2/24
“Johnny Cake”
A look at the Civil War era foodstuff popularly known as a "Johnny Cake."
Published: 10/2/24
A Burdensome Decision
A look at the difficult decision Colonel Lewis Johnson of the 44th U.S. Colored Troops faced at Dalton, Georgia.
Published: 8/2/24
“Scalawag”
A look at the term “scalawag,” a word used during the Civil War to describe undesirable creatures that took on another meaning during Reconstruction.
Published: 8/2/24
Plotting “Journey to Shiloh”
Matthew Christopher Hulbert writes about the history (or lack thereof) behind the 1968 movie "Journey to Shiloh."
Published: 3/18/24
The Centennial & The Twilight Zone
A look at how the Civil War was portrayed in Rod Serling's hit TV show
Published: 3/18/24
An Unwilling Abolitionist
Joseph D. Hatfield and emancipation's effects within the Union army
Published: 12/1/23
“Postal Currency” and “Postage Stamps”
A look at the emergence and use of “Postal Currency” and “Postage Stamps” during the American Civil War.
Published: 12/1/23
John Bell Hood and Indecision Along the Tennessee River
A look at the fateful decisions made by Confederate general John Bell Hood during his campaign into Tennessee in 1864.
Published: 6/7/23
Teaching the Battle of Chickamauga
Historian Andrew Bledsoe on how to help students understand the complexity and experience of Civil War combat through battlefield excursions.