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: 3/9/18
The Eisenhower Farm during the Battle of Gettysburg
Discover the history of Eisenhower Farm during Gettysburg, where President Eisenhower envisioned a tranquil life after military service.
Published: 2/23/18
The West’s Missing War
When I sat down to watch the new Netflix miniseries Godless, a Western set in 1885 New Mexico, I was curious to see whether any Civil War veterans would show...
Published: 2/2/18
A Story from the Trenches
Read Union surgeon John Gardner Perry's letter detailing a tragic incident involving a young lieutenant at Petersburg.
Published: 1/19/18
Close Calls at Beaver Dam Creek
Discover the historical significance of the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek through the personal letter of Private Oliver Willcox Norton.
Published: 1/12/18
Extra Voices: Dog Days of Summer
Read first-person quotes from Union and Confederate soldiers about the intense heat and discomfort that accompanied summer campaigning.
Published: 12/15/17
Civil War Cabbage Stew
Library of Congress Cooking in the Union camp at City Point, Virginia Looking for a hearty meal to help fend off winter’s cold? Try this Civil War-era recipe for cabbage...
Published: 12/1/17
The History Seeker
Archivist Renee Savits and the chance job that spawned a remarkable Civil War collection
Published: 11/17/17
Extra Voices: Hunger Pangs
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War In the Voices section of the Winter 2017 issue of The Civil War Monitor we highlighted first-person quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers...
Published: 11/10/17
The Best Civil War Books of All Time
What are the best Civil War history books ever published? We asked five top historians to give us their picks.
Published: 11/3/17
Then and Now
USAHEC Nurse Annie Bell tends to wounded soldiers after the Battle of Nashville. Many injured troops, North and South, would become addicted to opiates. Hidden among the many headlines about...
Published: 10/20/17
A Ball’s Bluff Letter
Uncover the events of the Battle of Ball's Bluff through Captain Caspar Crowinshield's letter of to his mother.
Published: 9/23/17
Extra Voices: Sounds of War
Library of Congress Alfred R. Waud’s depiction of the Battle of Fredericksburg In the Voices department of our summer 2014 issue (Vol. 4, No. 2) we featured soldiers’ quotes that...
Published: 9/15/17
The Search for Orville Wheelock
The Boys in White Julia Wheelock One hundred fifty-five years ago this month, 28-year-old Michigan resident Julia Wheelock learned that her brother, Orville, a soldier in the 8th Michigan Infantry,...
Published: 9/8/17
Robert E. Lee, Confederate Memorials, and the Burden of the Past
By Cville dog – Own work, Wikimedia Commons The Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park On August 13, a statue of Robert E. Lee took center stage in...
Published: 8/25/17
The Civil War as a Home Invasion
Spoiler Alert: This article, which appears in the Fall 2017 issue of The Civil War Monitor, will discuss major plot points in the 2017 film The Beguiled. The Beguiled may...
Published: 8/11/17
A Bad Day on the March
Wisconsin Historical Society Surgeon Alfred Lewis Castleman, 5th Wisconsin Infantry After it was thwarted in its attempt to capture Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign in the summer of 1862, the...
Published: 8/4/17
Gettysburg: The Army’s Living Classroom
Discover how Gettysburg staff rides provide insights into leadership and battlefield analysis for Army personnel and cadets.
Published: 7/28/17
Extra Dossier: Grant
Library of Congress General Ulysses S. Grant In 2014, we asked a panel of leading Civil War historians a series of questions about General Ulysses S. Grant—a way of assessing...