Battles
Published: 5/1/12
Revising, Refreshing, Evolving Battlefield Interpretation
As a youngster, I visited Shiloh National Military Park on a number of occasions. Given my fondness for artillery, it should be no surprise that the “Ruggles Battery” tour stop...
Published: 4/7/12
Voice from the Past: “Victory is Sufficiently Complete…Victory is Lost”
Our sesquicentennial celebration of the Battle of Shiloh continues with an excerpt from Confederate Colonel S.H. Lockett’s account of the battle printed in Battles and Leaders. It recalls how quickly...
Published: 4/7/12
Voice from the Past: “Those Savage Yells, And The Sight of Thousands of Racing Figures Coming Towards Them”
We close our Shiloh sesquicentennial celebration with Henry Morton Stanley’s recollection of the battle and the effectiveness of the legendary rebel yell. After a steady exchange of musketry, which lasted...
Published: 3/8/12
Voice from the Past: “Great God What a Scene is Presented”
Good Afternoon! We conclude our sesquicentennial tribute of the Battle of Pea Ridge with another Voice from the Past. Good Afternoon! We conclude our sesquicentennial tribute of the Battle of...
Published: 3/8/12
Voice from the Past: “Nothing to Remind me of The Treacherous Days in March of ’62”
Good Morning! The sesquicentennial of the Battle of Pea Ridge continues today. As such, we bring you a special Voice from the Past: Asa Payne’s—of Company E, 3rd Missouri Infantry,...
Published: 2/23/12
Black Soldiers and the Bloody Battle of Milliken’s Bend
Part of the Vicksburg Campaign, the Battle at Milliken’s Bend occured on June 7, 1863 and included hand-to-hand combat between Confederate troops and a newly formed “African Brigade.” The following...
Published: 2/11/12
The Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Fort Donelson
Today marks the beginning of the Battle of Fort Donelson’s sesquicentennial—February 11-16, 1862. After capturing Fort Henry on February 6th, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant advanced towards Fort Donelson. Five...
Published: 2/7/12
The Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Roanoke Island
February 7th and 8th mark the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Roanoke Island. A lesser known battle, Roanoke Island was part of Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside’s North Carolina Expedition...
Published: 2/6/12
The Battle of Fort Henry Sesquicentennial
The Union Gun-Boats Advancing Up the Tennessee River to the Attack of Fort Henry Today marks the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Fort Henry—a Confederate earthern fort on the Tennessee...
Published: 2/6/12
Voice from the Past: “The 6th Dawned Mild and Cheering”
The following is Rear Admiral Henry Walke’s recollection of the Battle of Fort Henry. …Heavy rains had been falling, and the river had risen rapidly to an unusual height; the...
Published: 2/6/12
Voice from the Past: “We Had Held Out for Over Two”
The following is Captain Jesse Taylor’s recollection of the Confederate defense of Fort Henry on February 6, 1862. …Arriving at the fort, I was convinced by a glance at its...
Published: 12/20/11
Voices from the Past: The Battle of Dranesville
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Dranesville, Virginia. While a small encounter by modern standards, at the time—December 1861—the battle made headlines and captured civilian attention. The...
Published: 11/11/11
Honoring our Veterans…Then & Now
The Civil War Monitor editors would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all of the veterans and active duty personnel of our armed services. We salute you! To...
Published: 11/7/11
The Confederate Perspective: “Port Royal…has been taken by the enemy’s fleet”
“Port Royal, on the coast of South Carolina, has been taken by the enemy’s fleet. We had no casemated batteries. Here the Yankees will intrench themselves, and cannot be dislodged....
Published: 11/7/11
Voices from the Past: “Sagacious Military Conjecture”
Wilder Dwight was a Lieutenant Colonel inthe 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Prior to dying September 19, 1862 from wounds at the Battle of Antietam, Dwight wrote some conjectures about...
Published: 11/7/11
Voices from the Past: “The Gratifying Duty”
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Port Royal—one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War. The United States Navy fleet and the United States...
Published: 10/31/11
Voices from the Past – Out of That Silence Rose New Sounds More Appalling Still
The Battle of Fredericksburg (December 11-15, 1862) was a decisive loss for the Union army, crippling northern morale. The chilling quote below derives from Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s description...
Published: 10/21/11
Ball’s Bluff Remembered
One hundred fifty years ago today, on October 21, 1861, Union troops suffered a humiliating defeat in what would come to be known as the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. After...