Author Archives: Chris Mackowski

Losing Touch with the Words of Lincoln’s Greatness

Posted on March 4, 2015

Abraham Lincoln’s best-known words, delivered on a November afternoon at the new Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, laid out a call to action at a specific moment in the American Civil War. Attendees at the dedication, he said, must rededicate themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War Events, Leadership--Federal, Memory, Monuments | 7 Comments

The Civil War: Regional, Regimental and Personal Experiences

Posted on March 3, 2015

We don’t normally post information here about academic conferences, but this one is a little different (and I have a vested interest in it!). On August 1st, 2015, St. Bonaventure University—the institution where I teach—will host a conference on the Civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War Events, Civilian, Common Soldier | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Some Context from Donelson for the 150th’s Surrender Season

Posted on February 19, 2015

With the Sesquicentennial’s surrender season nearly upon us, this week presents a good opportunity for us to give upcoming events some context—for it was this week in 1862 that Ulysses S. Grant accepted the surrender of Confederates defending Fort Donelson. … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership--Federal, Sesquicentennial | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Exploring Jericho Mills

Posted on February 10, 2015

It feels more like late March than late January as we walk across the field at Jericho Mills. The sky is as open and clear as the ground we’re walking across. Dried cow patties dot the field like landmines, and barbed wire … Continue reading →

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Campaigns, Preservation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Weight of a Year

Posted on February 5, 2015

Working on the layout for Bert Dunkerly’s upcoming To the Bitter End, I was searching for a photo of President Lincoln from 1865. As I sorted through the Library of Congress’s stash, I came across a pair of photos taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Emerging Civil War Series, Leadership--Federal, Personalities, Photography | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Question of the Week: February 2, 2015

Posted on February 2, 2015

Saturday, January 31 marked the 150th anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth would grant former slaves citizenship and give them the right to vote. I have called the Thirteenth Amendment “arguably the … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week, Slavery | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Question of the Week: January 26, 2015

Posted on January 26, 2015

I’m sure I’m not the only person who got the Civil War Sesquicentennial tumbler set for Christmas. The set contains glasses with four Confederates (Davis, Lee, Jackson, and Stuart) and four Federals (Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, and McClellan). 

Posted in Holidays, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Memory, Personalities, Ties to the War | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Stonewall’s Birthday

Posted on January 21, 2015

I hear the sound of furniture sliding across the living room carpet, but it stops in time for my daughter to hear my footsteps coming down the hallway from the kitchen. “Don’t come in yet!” Steph pleads. “What are you … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Memory, Ties to the War | Tagged , | 4 Comments

“What If Jackson had Survived His Wounding?”

Posted on January 21, 2015

I get the question all the time: “What if Stonewall Jackson hadn’t been shot?” When people ask that question, what they really want to know is “What would he have done at Gettysburg?” My answer is always “He would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership--Confederate, Medical, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Happy Stonewall’s Birthday

Posted on January 21, 2015
Posted in Leadership--Confederate, Photography | Tagged , , | Leave a comment