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Winter 2025
Vol. 15, No. 4
Our Winter 2025 issue includes a young Virginian’s remarkable firsthand account of the Confederate victory at Second Manassas. Plus, historians choose their top Civil War celebrities, and we take a look at one of USS Monitor inventor John Ericsson’s unsuccessful wartime designs.
Features
The Headliners
Who were the Civil War’s biggest celebrities? We asked a group of historians and ranked their top 20 picks in order of popularity.
Ericsson’s Other Folly
John Ericsson is best remembered for the ironclad USS Monitor, initially dubbed Ericsson's Folly. He proved detractors wrong then, but not all of his designs succeeded.Salvo
Voices
Being Wounded
Read the firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers on the subject of being wounded in battle.
Preservation
The Fights Go On
Updates on the American Battlefield Trust's recent legal victories to save hallowed ground at the Wilderness and Manassas battlefields.
Faces of War
Wartime Zelig
A look at a wartime photo of Union soldier George Warren Dresser, who had a remarkable Civil War military career.
Figures
The Cavalry Saber
Facts and figures associated with Civil War cavalry sabers, in particular the Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber, the type most commonly used by Union and Confederate soldiers.
Cost of War
Milligan’s Army Camp Kettle
A look at John C. Milligan's patented army mess kettle by which Union soldiers could transport “the necessary utensils for camp use."
In Focus
Marking the Dead
Among the scenes recorded by photographers in Richmond after the Confederate capital fell in 1865 was a poignant view of Oakwood Cemetery.Columns
Fighting Words
“Contrabands”
Learn the origin of the term "contraband," a word popularly associated with the masses of enslaved people who sought freedom in Union lines.
Crossroads
Confusion on the Cumberland
A look at how ineptitude and poor decisions among Confederate leaders led to the downfall of Fort Donelson in 1862.Books & Authors
Books & Authors
The Best Civil War Books of 2025
What were the best Civil War history books published in 2025? A panel of historians offers their picks.Odds & Ends
Editorial
The Face of Battle
Editorial thoughts on the cover story of the Winter 2025 issue of The Civil War Monitor.