The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 2/26/21
Letters Home: Correspondence from Men at War
Frank Leslie’s illustrated Newspaper Union soldiers take a moment to write home on the hurricane deck of the U.S. transport North Star while on campaign in the Gulf of Mexico...
Published: 12/28/20
Goodbye to All That
Library of Congress Lieutenant Robert Pryor James, Co. E, 20th North Carolina Infantry This will be my final column for the “American Iliad” series, a project I undertook five years...
Published: 12/21/20
Extra Voices: Coffee
USAHEC A coffee cup used during the Civil War In the Voices section of the Winter 2020 issue of The Civil War Monitor we highlighted quotes by Union and Confederate...
Published: 12/7/20
The Best Civil War Books of 2020
The Books & Authors section of our Winter 2020 issue contains our annual roundup of the year’s best Civil War titles. As usual, we enlisted the help of a handful...
Published: 11/17/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 7
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...Published: 11/11/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 6
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...Published: 11/3/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 5
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...Published: 10/27/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 4
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...
Published: 10/23/20
The Five Best Books on the Confederate Homefront
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper In a New Orleans cemetery in 1863, a woman and her daughters adorn the graves of loved ones killed during the war. For decades, books about...Published: 10/20/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 3
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...Published: 10/13/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 2
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...Published: 10/6/20
“The Good Lord Bird”: Episode 1
On October 4, 2020, The Good Lord Bird, a 7-part miniseries about the life of abolitionist John Brown—based on the award-winning novel of the same name by James McBride—premiered on...
Published: 10/2/20
Agenda: October 2020 Events
Looking for a Civil War event—virtual or in person—to attend in September? Below are some very good options to keep you busy. Book Talk with Neil P. Chatelain: Defending the...
Published: 9/28/20
Quote for the Day: Autumn is Coming
“We were forced to breathe dust freely, but through the clouds which rose wherever the regiment moved we caught refreshing views of stately homesteads, blushing orchards, and autumn-tinted landscapes. We...
Published: 9/21/20
The Five Best Books on the African-American Civil War Experience
Library of Congress This image of an unidentified African-American soldier, his wife, and their two daughters was made between 1863 and 1865. In the midst of current events, people are...
Published: 9/18/20
Interview: Historical Tours in the Time of COVID-19
Wikipedia Soldiers’ National Monument in Gettysburg National Military Park We recently asked Richard Blackmon, director of Historic America Tours, a few questions about the challenges of conducting historical tours in...
Published: 9/7/20
Agenda: September 2020 Events
acwm.org White House of the Confederacy Looking for a Civil War event—virtual or in person—to attend in September? Below are some very good options to keep you busy. White House...
Published: 9/4/20
A Man of Sorrows
Library of Congress Abraham Lincoln in 1860 Abraham lincoln had a great reputation for humor. He cracked jokes constantly—often painfully bad ones, as when he said after examining a model...