The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 5/13/24
A Hospital Steward’s Story
During the Siege of Port Hudson in 1863—part of the Union military’s attempt to seize control of the Mississippi River—James Kendall Hosmer, a soldier in the 52nd Massachusetts Infantry,...
Published: 4/29/24
What Is Public History?
What is public history? What makes it “public?” How is it different from the history concentration in a school catalog? What sets public historians apart from academics? These are all...
Published: 4/22/24
War Poems of “Howard Glyndon”
In 1864, 25-year-old Maryland native Laura Catherine Redden published her first book of poetry, Idyls of Battle, and Poems of the Rebellion. Redden, who had lost her hearing at age...
Published: 4/15/24
The Myth of the Civil War Sniper
What do Union generals John Reynolds, William Sanders, Stephen Weed, and John Sedgwick have in common? According to traditional historiography, each man was killed by a sharpshooter who targeted him,...
Published: 4/8/24
Extra Voices: Losing Comrades
In the Voices section of our Winter 2023 issue we highlighted quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the loss of a comrade. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room to include all that we found. Below are those that just missed the cut.
Published: 2/16/24
Jefferson Davis’ Inaugural Address
At 1 p.m. on February 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama. Davis, 52, who had served as U.S. secretary...
Published: 1/8/24
Extra Voices: Doldrums of War
In the Voices section of our Fall 2023 issue we highlighted quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the long stretches of inactivity and boredom they regularly faced. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room to include all that we found. Below are those that just missed the cut.
Published: 12/11/23
The Best Civil War Books of 2023
The Books & Authors section of our Winter 2023 issue contains our annual roundup of the year’s best Civil War titles. As usual, we’ve enlisted a handful of Civil War...
Published: 10/30/23
The Books That Built Me: John Hennessy
The contruction of my historiographical self began on a rainy afternoon in fifth grade. There was no chance for outdoor romping, or venturing through the deluge to a friend’s house...
Published: 10/6/23
Lincoln Prize Lecture 2023
On October 26, 2023, The American Civil War Museum (ACWM), in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History, will host its first annual Lincoln Prize Lecture, where guests will...
Published: 9/25/23
Voices From the Army of Northern Virginia, Part 8
DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University Soldiers of the Texas Brigade Putting this series together has been enjoyable but also frustrating. None of the retrospective literature created by soldiers in the...
Published: 8/25/23
Voices From the Army of Northern Virginia, Part 7
A LIFE OF GEN. ROBERT E. LEE (1876) In a postwar illustration, Robert E. Lee is depicted leading his men at Gettysburg. Three books containing Robert E. Lee’s testimony provide...
Published: 7/25/23
The Five Best Books on the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley
Library of Congress “Sheridan’s Final Charge at Winchester” by Thure de Thulstrup For the past two decades I have been fortunate to live in the place I research and write...
Published: 7/10/23
Changing Times—And Names—at U.S. Military Bases
As an employee of the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense, I must support the official policies of these organizations, so what I write below represents my own personal...
Published: 6/30/23
Extra Voices: Trench Life
Library of Congress In the Voices section of our Summer 2023 issue we highlighted quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about life in the trenches. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room...
Published: 6/23/23
The Top Five Civil War Biographies
Library of Congress It may seem a cliche to preface my Top Five articles with the disclaimer that the subject cannot possibly be done justice by so few recommendations. Then...
Published: 4/1/23
April-Fool’s Day
On March 30, 1861, Harper’s Weekly published the following image to mark April Fool’s Day. An accompanying article reads in part: We publish on the preceding page a picture of...
Published: 3/31/23
Voices From the Army of Northern Virginia, Part 6
This installment in the series focuses on the top leadership of the cavalry. The three titles include the correspondence of James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart, by far the most important...