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Summer 2024
Vol. 14, No. 2
One in 10 Union soldiers was underage when they enlisted. In the cover story of our Summer 2024 edition, read how their presence disrupted families, created chaos, and helped win the war. Also, we take a look at the fate of Charleston, the birthplace of secession, and how the National Homestead of Gettysburg went from a national story of promise and goodwill to closing amid allegations of abuse and financial misdeeds.
Features
The Fate of Charleston
The Rapid Rise and Precipitous Fall of the Birthplace of Secession
Homestead
Haven & Horror
A look at the National Homestead at Gettysburg, an orphanage that opened to great fanfare but closed a decade later amid allegations of abuse and financial misdeeds.Salvo
Voices
Killing the Enemy
A sampling of first-person quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers on their feelings about killing the enemy.
Faces of War
A Captured Weapon Freed
A photograph of Confederate soldier Charles Stephen Prescott Hill sheds light on the story of a captured sword.
Travels
Three Days in Richmond
A Richmond local maps out a suggested 3-day trip to the historic city.
Preservation
Schooling Kids in Wartime History
A look at the American Battlefield Trust's History Field Trip Grant Program.
Cost of War
Sergeant Francis McMillen’s Sword Belt Plate
A look at the bullet-struck sword belt plate of Union soldier Francis McMillen.
In Focus
Thaddeus Lowe’s Balloon Inflation Wagons
A photograph helps tell the story of Thaddeus Lowe's hydrogen gas reconnaissance balloons.Columns
Fighting Words
“Scalawag”
A look at the term “scalawag,” a word used during the Civil War to describe undesirable creatures that took on another meaning during Reconstruction.
Observatory
Plotting “Journey to Shiloh”
Matthew Christopher Hulbert writes about the history (or lack thereof) behind the 1968 movie "Journey to Shiloh."Books & Authors
Essential Reading on Chancellorsville
Historian John Hennessy on his top five books about the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Q&A with Erik Larson
Author Erik Larson discusses his book "The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War."Odds & Ends
Editorial
The Teenagers’ War
A consideration of the vast number of underage soldiers who served in the Union and Confederate armies.
Dispatches
Summer 2024 | Dispatches
Letters to the editor published in the Summer 2024 issue.