The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 5/20/24
Remembering a Pennsylvanian Who Fell at the Battle of Wauhatchie
Discover the story of Lieutenant Edward Ratchford Geary at the Civil War's Battle of Wauhatchie in southeast Tennessee.
Published: 5/13/24
A Hospital Steward’s Story
Read Union soldier James Kendall Hosmer's account of the "soul-touching" time he spent as a hospital steward aboard the steamship "Iberville" in 1863.
Published: 4/29/24
What Is Public History?
Explore the distinction between public history and academic history and the impact of public historians in interpreting our collective heritage.
Published: 4/25/24
“The Impending Crisis”
Learn about the American Civil War Museum's new exhibition, "The Impending Crisis: How Slavery Caused the Civil War," in an interview with Rob Havers.
Published: 4/22/24
War Poems of “Howard Glyndon”
Read samples of Maryland native Laura Catherine Redden's Civil War poetry, which she published under the pseudonym Howard Glyndon.
Published: 4/15/24
The Myth of the Civil War Sniper
How deadly were Civil War snipers? A scientist-historian argues they weren't nearly as deadly as popular histories have made them out to be.
Published: 4/8/24
Extra Voices: Losing Comrades
Read firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the loss of a comrade during the Civil War.
Published: 4/1/24
Lincoln’s Imagined West
An exploration of Abraham Lincoln's thoughts on westward expansion—and their legacy.
Published: 2/16/24
Jefferson Davis’ Inaugural Address
Read the address Jefferson Davis delivered on February 18, 1861, when he was inaugurated as president of the Confederate States of America.
Published: 1/8/24
Extra Voices: Doldrums of War
Read quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the long stretches of inactivity and boredom they regularly faced.
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
Uncover the story behind U.S. base military base names and their relevance in the context of contemporary values and policies.
Published: 6/30/23
Extra Voices: Trench Life
Uncover the harsh truths of trench life as described by Union and Confederate soldiers in their own words.