Summer 2026
Vol. 16, No. 2
In the cover story of our Summer 2026 issue, Civil War historians weigh in on how the American Revolution influenced and inspired both the Union and the Confederacy. Plus, learn how the destruction wrought by the Battle of Gettysburg fueled an impassioned and, at times, macabre wartime industry.
Features
Features
Relic-Hunters, Sightseers, and Ghouls
A look at how the destruction wrought by the Battle of Gettysburg fueled an impassioned and at times macabre wartime industry.Salvo
Voices
Before the Storm
Read the words of Union and Confederate soldiers on how they felt when on the verge of battle.
Preservation
Manassas Data Center Fight Marches On
The fight against a data center complex approved for land alongside Manassas National Battlefield Park might be headed to Virginia’s supreme court.
Travels
A Visit to Charleston
You have a fine summer’s day to visit Charleston, South Carolina, taking in Civil War history—but you’ve been to Fort Sumter. What to do?
Faces of War
A Soldier in the Texas Brigade
John Wesley Duren was one of the Navarro Rifles, a militia that mustered into Confederate service as Company I of the 4th Texas Infantry.
Figures
The Coehorn Mortar
A look at the small, smoothbore Coehorn mortar used to lob fuse-detonated explosive shells at fortified enemy troops during the Civil War.
Cost of War
J.E.B. Stuart’s Gold Pocket Watch
Learn about a gold pocket watch once owned by Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart that earned well at auction.
In Focus
Nashville Outer Lines
A look at one of two highly detailed images showing the outer of two Union defensive lines at Nashville taken by photographer Jacob Coonley.Columns
Observatory
The Outlaw Josey Wales Turns 50
A look back at "The Outlaw Josey Wales," a movie that informed many Americans’ views of Civil War guerrilla warfare, on its 50th anniversary.
Crossroads
The Art of Uncertainty
A raid by Benjamin Grierson and his horsemen proved that Union cavalry, long dismissed as inferior to its southern counterpart, could strike deep behind enemy lines and survive.Books & Authors
Books & Authors
Five (or so) Books for Getting Started with Abraham Lincoln
Author Christian McWhirter offers some of his picks for books on Abraham Lincoln for anyone who's getting started with their research.
Books & Authors
Q&A with Kevin M. Levin
Boston-based historian and educator Kevin M. Levin answers questions about his favorite books and reading habits.Odds & Ends
Editorial
Abe & George
Editorial thoughts and reflections on the cover story of the Summer 2026 issue of The Civil War Monitor.