The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 9/27/19
A Hair-Raising Incident at Shiloh
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated History of the Civil War, published in 1895, contained a broad collection of sketches that had appeared during the conflict in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. One of...
Published: 9/23/19
A Triple Bereavement at Cairo
Learn about the valuable work of 40-year-old Civil War nurse Mary Livermore in a scene from her memoir of the conflict.
Published: 9/20/19
Rock of Chickamauga
Library of Congress Major General George H. Thomas, the “Rock of Chickamauga” In the American Iliad, the Civil War’s chief victors are well known: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and...
Published: 8/25/19
Extra Voices: Clara Barton, The Angel of the Battlefield
Read first person quotes by and about famed Civil War nurse Clara Barton.
Published: 8/14/19
Mutiny in the Army
Read a firsthand account of the mutiny among disgruntled soldiers in the 79th New York Infantry in the summer of 1861.
Published: 7/26/19
“My Little ‘Rebel’ Heart Was on Fire”
Uncover the incredible life of Belle Boyd, a teenage girl turned Confederate spy. Read an excerpt from her autobiography regarding a traumatic event that led her into this role.
Published: 7/26/19
History as Imagination
Library of Congress Harriet Tubman, as she appeared in the late 1860s Anyone who has spent considerable time in research libraries or logging onto digital archives knows what it feels...
Published: 6/14/19
Extra Dossier: J.E.B. Stuart
Library of Congress Major General J.E.B. Stuart We recently asked a panel of Civil War historians a series of questions about Major General James Ewell Brown “J.E.B.” Stuart—a way of...
Published: 6/4/19
The Best Civil War Movies of All Time
Alamy A scene from the movie “Cold Mountain” For our recent newsstand-only special issue The Civil War Almanac, we asked a number of Civil War historians for their opinions on...
Published: 5/17/19
A Bright Future
Ronald S. Coddington Collection Captain Thomas Bartlett Griffith This Union officer sporting stylish spectacles with tinted glass and a second pair of lenses is Captain Thomas Bartlett Griffith, a prosperous...
Published: 4/29/19
Emerging Scholars Speakers
The American Civil War Museum The new American Civil War Museum, scheduled to open on May 4, 2019 As proud sponsors of the American Civil War Museum’s upcoming Emerging Scholars...
Published: 3/22/19
Map Quest
Jimell Greene Scott Roland stands on a corner of the fabled Gettysburg electric map in its new home in Hanover, Pennsylvania. It was a sight that stopped traffic: a 10,000-pound...
Published: 3/4/19
Extra Voices: Avid Readers
Library of Congress A Union soldier holds reading material in camp In the Voices section of the Spring 2019 issue of The Civil War Monitor we highlighted first-person quotes about...
Published: 2/18/19
Announcing Emerging Scholars Program Speakers
The American Civil War Museum The new American Civil War Museum, scheduled to open in May 2019 The Civil War Monitor is proud to sponsor The American Civil War Museum’s...
Published: 2/15/19
A Menu of Historic Proportions
On March 6, 1865, two days after he delivered his second inaugural address to a massive crowd gathered on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, Abraham Lincoln hosted a “Presidential...
Published: 12/31/18
New Year’s Eve in Camp
War Letters of William Thompson Lusk (1911) William Thompson Lusk, 79th New York Infantry On New Year’s Eve 1862, 24-year-old William Thompson Lusk, a captain in the 79th New York...
Published: 12/17/18
Emancipation on Stage
Aaron Flacke Ron Orbach (left) plays Major General Benjamin Butler and Cornelius Davidson portrays Shepard Mallory, an enslaved man who has taken refuge in Union-held Fortress Monroe, in “Ben Butler,”...
Published: 12/9/18
The Best Civil War Books of 2018
The Books & Authors section of our Winter 2018 issue contains our annual roundup of the year’s best Civil War titles. As usual, we enlisted the help of a handful...