The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians and authors
Published: 7/1/26
The Weather Gods’ Finale
A detailed look at what the weather was like in the wake of the Battle of Gettysburg—and how it affected the wounded who recovered nearby.
Published: 6/29/26
Extra Voices: Before the Storm
Firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about their thoughts and feelings when on the verge of entering battle.
Published: 6/22/26
Captain Strong’s Adventure
Discover the story of Captain William E. Strong's death-defying adventure during the Civil War, as told by Harper's Weekly.
Published: 6/15/26
Price for Freedom
On a brisk January 19, 1864, First Sergeant Abram J. Price of the 6th Ohio Infantry escaped from the Danville Prisons in southern Virginia. He had been captured at the...
Published: 6/9/26
Eyewitness to Brandy Station
A Confederate cavalryman details his participation in the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America.
Published: 6/1/26
Porter’s Ruse
In 1863, Union acting rear admiral David Dixon Porter devised a masquerade that saved a captured ironclad from Confederate service.
Published: 5/18/26
The Great Emancipator in Spain
A look at the interracial, freedom-fighting military unit of Americans that fought in the Spanish Civil War under the name of the country's Great Emancipator.
Published: 5/4/26
Mother’s Medicine
A look at how and why milk punch was a key tool in the therapeutic arsenal of trailblazing nurse Mary Ann “Mother” Bickerdyke.
Published: 4/27/26
Grant’s Valuable Lesson
How an early war incident in Missouri helped shape the future general-in-chief of the Union armies
Published: 4/20/26
Drowning the Anaconda
How a string of mild hurricane seasons during the Civil War aided the Union navy's blockading operations.
Published: 4/13/26
The Women of Fort Sumter
How the families of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter experienced the struggle for Charleston Harbor in the months preceding the Civil War.
Published: 4/6/26
Lincoln’s Drive for Self-Improvement
A look at how Abraham Lincoln's educational journey—fueled by a thirst for knowledge—never ceased.
Published: 3/30/26
Extra Voices: Faith in the Fight
Union and Confederate soldiers quotes about the importance of religious faith in helping them navigate the challenges of war.
Published: 3/23/26
Beyond Shallow Glory
Was “Rosser’s Raid” in West Virginia in January 1865 really an example of the Confederacy’s bravery and brilliance?
Published: 3/9/26
Voices at Triune
Exploring the remnants of a once-vital chain of Union defenses at Triune, Tennessee.
Published: 3/2/26
Ironclad Men
Bulletproof vests during the Civil War were less popular and effective than their manufacturers—and supporters in the press—had envisioned.
Published: 2/23/26
Introducing Fugitive Federals
Historians Lorien Foote and Andrew Fialka on the launch of a new Civil War Monitor digital history column about escaped Union POWs.
Published: 2/16/26
The Soldier’s Ailment
Union surgeon J. Theodore Calhoun's thoughts on the prevalence, causes, and ideal treatment of nostalgia—or homesickness—in the Union army.