Columns
Published: 7/10/20
The Greatest Bards: Part 2
When I was 12 I found a mass market paperback of Bruce Catton’s A Stillness at Appomattox, and it yanked me so deep into the world of the Civil War...
Published: 6/1/20
Skedaddle
To skedaddle is to make not just a chaotic but an almost comic retreat. It was first used at the beginning of the Civil War.
Published: 5/18/20
The Greatest Bards: Part 1
Asked to name the writer whose work had the greatest influence on their early love for the Civil War, most lay students of the conflict would offer one of two...
Published: 3/7/20
History in the Digital Age
Historian and educator Kevin Levin takes a look at how historians are engaging scholars, enthusiasts, and the public in the digital age.
Published: 1/21/20
Grant and Lee at Appomattox
Understanding the mythic importance of the event that represents the end of the Confederacy
Published: 1/11/20
Badge Quest
Follow one man’s journey to become a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg.
Published: 9/20/19
Rock of Chickamauga
A look at the origins of Union major general George H. Thomas' well-earned sobriquet "Rock of Chickamauga."
Published: 8/19/19
Recollections of a Military Staff Ride
A look at how staff rides transform Civil War battlefields into living classrooms.
Published: 7/26/19
History as Imagination
Harriet Tubman helped free hundreds of slaves during the Combahee River Raid, an event documented in "The Tubman Command" by Elizabeth Cobbs.
Published: 7/1/19
The Impact of the Lost Order
Did the discovery of Confederate Special Orders No. 191 in September 1862 indeed provide Union forces with a decisive advantage?
Published: 5/1/19
The Great Emancipator
Ask most Americans who freed the slaves and they will respond, “Lincoln.” Yet Lincoln himself would have been the first to disagree.
Published: 3/22/19
Map Quest
After a restoration project spearheaded by Scott Roland, the fabled electric Gettysburg map now resides in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
Published: 12/17/18
Emancipation on Stage
Megan Kate Nelson discusses the play Ben Butler by playwright Richard Strand and staged by Portland Stage.
Published: 12/1/18
Monitor vs. Merrimack
Understanding the enduring allure of the duel between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (Merrimack) at Hampton Roads.
Published: 10/12/18
Jackson the Magician
Historian Mark Grimsley on understanding the myth surrounding Thomas J. Jackson, the man known as "Stonewall."
Published: 9/24/18
Varina
Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier turns his attention to the Confederacy's first lady in his new Civil War novel, "Varina."
Published: 8/4/17
Gettysburg: The Army’s Living Classroom
Discover how Gettysburg staff rides provide insights into leadership and battlefield analysis for Army personnel and cadets.
Published: 5/1/13
When Texas Came to Gettysburg
The Texas Brigade arrived at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. It played a fierce role in the battle's second and third days, suffering devastating casualties.