Blog
Published: 12/16/24
How a Man Feels in Battle
In its October 12, 1861, issue, The Scientific American reprinted a brief article that had recently appeared in the Philadelphia newspaper North American. In it, an editor at the North...
Published: 12/11/24
Between Extremes (2024)
Jack Furniss's welcome book shows how loyal state governments defined the purposes of the Civil War when calling upon their citizens to sacrifice for the Union cause.
Published: 12/9/24
At Fredericksburg
In its February 7, 1863, issue, Harper’s Weekly published the following poem. Titled “At Fredericksburg” and published under the byline “L.C.M.,” the poem tells a poignant tale of two Union...
Published: 12/4/24
Reckoning with the Devil (2024)
"Reckoning with the Devil" distinguishes itself as the most informative and comprehensive account of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s life and legacy to date.
Published: 12/2/24
Discovering Munfordville
Plagued by my god-awful wanderlust, I pack my 8-ounce drone and head north from Nashville to Hart County, Kentucky. I figure it’s high time for a first visit to the...
Published: 11/27/24
“Digging All Night and Fighting All Day” (2024)
“Digging All Night and Fighting All Day” is a fantastic look at one of the Civil War’s final campaigns, demonstrating federal prowess, Confederate resolve, the intricacies of interservice cooperation, and the complexities of how wars end.
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Published: 11/25/24
Civil War Punishments
Discover the various methods used to discipline soldiers during the Civil War.
Published: 11/20/24
Plants in the Civil War (2024)
Plants in the Civil War is a helpful book, highlighting the ways in which the botanical world provided for humans’ needs during times of peace and during times of war.
Published: 11/18/24
A Helping Hand
The Civil War saw many advances in devices to aid amputees, including the practical tool known as a “knork.”
Published: 11/13/24
Gettysburg in Color, Vol. 2 (2024)
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, "Gettysburg in Color" is a handsome and visually stunning volume.
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Published: 11/11/24
Civil War Veterans, Part 1
Over 3 million men served as soldiers or sailors during the Civil War; well over 2 million of them survived the ordeal to return home. As they adjusted to civilian...
Published: 11/6/24
The Civil War Diary of Emma Mordecai (2024)
Emma Mordecai’s diary is a valuable addition to southern women’s history, to Confederate history, and to Jewish history that will prove rewarding to general readers and researchers alike.
Published: 11/4/24
Lincoln and Yosemite
In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt paid his first visit to the Yosemite Valley of California, with John Muir as his guide. For three days the president and the naturalist explored a...
Published: 10/30/24
Young Abolitionists (2024)
"Young Abolitionists" succeeds in highlighting a dramatically understudied facet of both the history of childhood and the history of reform and abolitionism.
Published: 10/28/24
Death of a Loyal Brother
In September 1861, Byron B. Wilson, 24, enlisted as a private in Company H of the newly forming 4th Vermont Infantry. Over the time of his service, Wilson wrote home...
Published: 10/23/24
Yankees in the Hill City (2024)
"Yankees in the Hill City" straddles the line between a local history of Lynchburg and a micro history of a prisoner of war camp.
Published: 10/21/24
To Dig or Not To Dig
What do the battlegrounds at Gettysburg, Kennesaw Mountain, and Murfreesboro have in common? From a tactical perspective, large portions of these fighting fields resisted digging, prohibiting entrenching as a defensive...
Published: 10/20/24
Eyewitness to Ball’s Bluff
On October 21, 1861, Union forces suffered a decisive and disheartening defeat at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. What had begun as an intended raid against Confederates occupying the Virginia...