Soldiers
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Published: 5/28/25
Rufus Dawes’ Civil War
The Civil War story of Union officer Rufus Dawes of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry, one of the regiment of the famed Iron Brigade.
Published: 5/26/25
The Waste of War
Explore the physical and emotional toll of the Civil War through the powerful poem "April 30, 1864" by Charles G. Halpine.
Published: 5/5/25
Smoothbore vs. Rifled Muskets
A look at the military philosophy of Colonel George Willard, whose advocacy for the use of the smoothbore (not rifled) musket in battle flew in the face of contemporary thinking.
Published: 4/28/25
Extra Voices: Please Write!
Read comments from Union and Confederate soldiers about their intense desire to receive news from family and friends back home.
Published: 4/7/25
Killed at Shiloh
Read a moving letter to the parents of a Union soldier killed at Shiloh that the "Dead-letter Office" tried to see delivered properly.
Published: 3/18/25
Please Write!
First-person quotes from Union and Confederate soldiers about their deep desire to receive letters from home.
Published: 3/18/25
A Boy Soldier
The story of 15-year-old Jimmy Bateman's relentless pursuit to join the Union army in 1861.
Published: 3/10/25
A Lesser-Known Gettysburg Hero
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.
Published: 1/13/25
Extra Voices: Narrow Escapes
Read first-hand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the close calls they and their comrades had in combat during the Civil War.
Published: 1/2/25
Narrow Escapes
A sampling of first-person quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the close calls they had in combat.
Published: 1/1/25
An Eventful New Year
Explore a letter from a Union officer that documents an Emancipation Day celebration in New Bern, North Carolina, on New Year's Day, 1865.
Published: 12/16/24
How a Man Feels in Battle
How did men experience combat during the Civil War? A Union veteran of the Battle of Bull Run offers his thoughts.
Published: 12/9/24
At Fredericksburg
A poignant poem from Harper's Weekly tells the story of two Union comrades facing the horrors of the Battle of Fredericksburg.
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Published: 11/25/24
Civil War Punishments
Discover the various methods used to discipline soldiers during the Civil War.
Published: 10/28/24
Death of a Loyal Brother
Read the poignant letters of a Byron B. Wilson, a Union soldier in the 4th Vermont Infantry, to his sister during the Civil War.
Published: 10/20/24
Eyewitness to Ball’s Bluff
Discover first-hand accounts of the Battle of Ball's Bluff through the letters of Richard C. Derby, a Union soldier in the 15th Massachusetts Infantry.
Published: 10/2/24
A Package from Home
A captivating photograph of Union officers opening a package from home.
Published: 10/2/24
Accidental Deaths
A sampling of first-person quotes about accidental deaths during the Civil War.
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