The Front Line
Our communal blog featuring the latest in Civil War news, research, analysis, and events from a network of historians
Published: 8/22/22
Extra Voices: A Thirst For Battle
Read the powerful firsthand quotes on the thirst for battle that gripped many Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
Published: 8/15/22
Major Knipe Winging a Secessionist
Discover the remarkable incident involving Major Knipe during the Civil War, featured in Harper's Weekly on July 20, 1861.
Published: 7/22/22
Quick Picks: First Bull Run Books
Looking for First Bull Run books? Check out our list of must-read titles to deepen your knowledge of this historic battle.
Published: 7/11/22
Extra Voices: Salt Pork
Delve into insightful quotes on salt pork from Civil War soldiers, highlighting its significance in military rations.
Published: 6/21/22
The Five Best Books on Lincoln and His Commanders
Abraham Lincoln was not a military man, yet in March 1861 he became commander in chief of forces that would soon face the task of suppressing an 11-state rebellion. Other...
Published: 6/14/22
Grand Opening of American Civil War Museum’s Robins Theater
Celebrate the American Civil War Museum's Robin Theater grand opening. Find out what to expect from the new facility and film.
Published: 6/13/22
Ticks in Camp
Discover the challenges of dealing with ticks in camp as documented by a young officer in the 57th New York Infantry during the Civil War.
Published: 6/3/22
Eyewitness to Cold Harbor
Read Colonel Theodore Lyman's eyewitness letter about brutal Battle of Cold Harbor, fought in June 1864.
Published: 5/23/22
Quick Picks: Civil War Photography Books
Library of Congress A Civil War photographer and his tent. Looking for good books on Civil War photography? We asked Ronald S. Coddington, author and publisher of Military Images magazine,...
Published: 4/28/22
The Books That Built Me: Brian Matthew Jordan
SHAWNA SHERRELL Brian Matthew Jordan I suppose you could say that I started researching my recently published book, Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War, when I was...
Published: 4/4/22
Braxton Bragg at McLemore’s Cove
Library of Congress General Braxton Bragg The art of command remains an elusive and complex concept for historians of the Civil War, and debates about command decisions and methods hold...
Published: 3/29/22
Voices From the Army of Northern Virginia, Part 3
A Life of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1876) General Robert E. Lee rides among his troops during the Battle of Gettysburg. Several European journalists and military officers wrote about their...
Published: 3/21/22
Extra Voices: Mother Bickerdyke
Read the poignant quotes about Mother Bickerdyke that illustrate her role as a revolutionary nurse in the Civil War.
Published: 2/28/22
The Five Best Books on Civil War Memory
Library of Congress Union and Confederate veterans shake hands at the reunion to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. In his 1948 novel Intruder in the Dust,...
Published: 1/18/22
Essential Reading on the Peninsula Campaign
anne s.k. brown military collection George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac on the move during the Peninsula Campaign In the spring and early summer of 1862, Union general George B....
Published: 1/13/22
Word-clouding the Emancipation Proclamation
Discover the significant terms in the Emancipation Proclamation through our word cloud, highlighting Lincoln's powerful message.
Published: 12/17/21
Extra Voices: War’s Grisly Toll
First-person quotes from Union and Confederate soldiers on the grisly impact of Civil War Combat.
Published: 12/6/21
The Best Civil War Books of 2021
A roundup of the best Civil War history books published in 2021.