Features
Custer and the End of Innocence
In little more than a decade, George Armstrong Custer—the “Boy General of the Golden Lock”—went from Civil War darling to Little Bighorn pariah. What went wrong?
By Glenn W. LaFantasie
Black Men in Blue
A series of images highlights the story of the African-American volunteers collectively known as the Union army’s “Sable Arm.”
By Ronald S. Coddington
Hard Times Are Common Now
Ulysses S. Grant’s determination to push the Confederates from East Tennessee during the winter of 1863-1864 resulted in a sharp—and largely forgotten—fight on the frozen ground outside the small town of Dandridge.
By Steven H. Newton
Faded Glory
As the rest of America moved on, the struggles of “old soldiers” became an uncomfortable reminder of the enduring costs of war.
By James Marten
Departments
Editorial: Thanks … and a Contest
Dispatches: Letters to the Editor
Salvo: Facts, Figures & Items of Interest
Travels: A Visit to Richmond
Voices: Christmas 1861
Primer: Getting to Know Civil War Canteens
Preservation: Gaines’ Mill in the Crosshairs
Figures: Civil War Mortality Reconsidered
In Focus: Lee the Devil
Casualties of War: General Earl Van Dorn
Battlefield Echoes: Civilians and the Boundaries of War
Books & Authors:
The Year in Civil War Books
Parting Shot: Winterizing Houses, Civil War-style