The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 1/26/26
A Crab Warship
An 1864 letter to "The Scientific American" outlines a fantastical idea for a new kind of Civil War warship.
Published: 1/19/26
The Colonel Who Defied a General
A look at the bold performance of Colonel Francis Heath, 19th Maine Infantry, at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Published: 1/5/26
A Grave in Her Garden
The story of North Carolinian Sarah R. Johnston, who nursed ailing Union POWs at Salisbury Prison in the face of social backlash.
Published: 12/29/25
The Dog of the Regiment
Read the poem "The Dog of the Regiment," which tells the tale of a loyal dog adopted by a Union sergeant in the midst of the Civil War.
Published: 12/22/25
Impractical Packages from Home
In 1862, a Wisconsin newspaper poked fun at people who sent impractical care packages to family and friends in the Union army.
Published: 12/15/25
A Costly Silence
How the military decisions made during a number of Civil War battles were critically influenced by the presence of acoustic shadows.
Published: 12/8/25
A Zouave at Fredericksburg
Experience the Battle of Fredericksburg through the eyes of a soldier in the 5th New York Infantry (Duryea's Zouaves).
Published: 12/2/25
Régis de Trobriand at Gettysburg
A reevaluation of French-born Union officer Régis de Trobriand's performance in the fight for the Wheatfield at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Published: 11/24/25
Extra Voices: Being Wounded
Read first-person quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about their reactions to being wounded on the Civil War battlefield.
Published: 11/17/25
Irish Connections
The author's trip to Ireland reveals the country's myriad connections to participants in the American Civil War.
Published: 11/3/25
The Future of Public History
Rich Condon ponders the future of public history in today's environment of division and anti-intellectualism.
Published: 10/27/25
An Unnamed Hero Revealed
Learn about the historic clash between USS Sassacus and CSS Albemarle, featuring the heroism of Union sailor James M. Hobby.
Published: 10/20/25
Sir Richard Francis Burton’s American Adventure
A look at British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton's 1860 tour of the U.S.—including the West—as the country hurtled toward civil war.
Published: 10/13/25
Extra Voices: Fraternizing with the Enemy
Read quotes from Union and Confederate soldiers about the times they interacted with their opponents when not in active combat.
Published: 10/6/25
Under the “Damn the Torpedoes” Surface
A look at the origins of the monument to Admiral David G. Farragut in New York City's Madison Square Park.
Published: 9/29/25
Soldiers Love Coffee
Army of the Potomac surgeon J. Theodore Calhoun on how much Union soldiers loved—and came to depend upon—coffee.
Published: 9/22/25
A Civil War Tank
Learn about Indiana inventor Albert E. Redstone's proposed "Land Monitor," a Civil War tank that never was.
Published: 9/15/25
A Fistful of Lincoln
A look at how and why we value and interpret physical objects and documents associated with President Abraham Lincoln.