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Author Archives: Chris Mackowski
General Grant, R.I.P.
Ulysses S. Grant died on this date, at 8:03 a.m.. back in 1885.
ECW Weekender: In the Footsteps of Nullification with John C. Calhoun
Many historians have traced the roots of the Civil War back to the Nullification Crisis of 1832, triggered by South Carolina’s Ordinance of Nullification. The ordinance contended that a state had a right to ignore a Federal law if it … Continue reading
John Tyler: The Brief Civil War Career of Virginia’s Elder Statesman
The grave of James Monroe sits in a cage on the crown of a knoll in Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery. The ornate metalwork that holds him in looks like an oversized birdcage, although whether it’s to keep grave robbers from plundering Monroe’s sarcophagus … Continue reading
Posted in Antebellum South, Leadership--Confederate, Personalities, Politics
Tagged Hollywood Cemetery, James Monroe, John Tyler, secession
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The Presidents’ War
I’ve been spending time with an interesting and highly readable book by Chris DeRose called The Presidents’ War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War that Divided Them. These days, former presidents tend to keep their noses out of the … Continue reading
Calhoun in Charleston
Posted in Antebellum South, Battlefields & Historic Places, Photography, Ties to the War
Tagged Charleston, John C. Calhoun
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Wade Hampton in Charleston
I’ve just returned from a week in Charleston, South Carolina, where my wife and I spent out honeymoon. It’s tough to vacation in the Cradle of Secession without wanting to totally geek-out on Civil War history—yet I promised Jenny I’d … Continue reading
Sun Over Fairview
I caught the sun over Fairview today as I was doing a little battlefielding at Chancellorsville. . . .
Review: “Stonewall Goes West” by R. E. Thomas
R. E. Thomas’s novel Stonewall Goes West has enough red flags flying high above it that I should have steered clear a mile away: it is self published, it is alternative history, it is based on a highly improbable “what … Continue reading
The Siege of Petersburg: The 1st Maine Heavies
During the Spotsylvania sesquicentennial, I called particular attention to the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, which saw its first major combat of the war at the battle of Harris Farm on May 19. Members of the unit called Harris Farm their … Continue reading
Posted in Battles
Tagged 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, Fort Stedman, Harris Farm, Petersburg
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My Call to Arms: A Look Back at My Overland Campaign
What no one ever tells you about being an author is that it mostly involves schlepping a lot of books from place to place. Sure, there’s some writing involved (and, oh, if only I had time to do more!), but … Continue reading
Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War Events, Emerging Civil War Series
Tagged Becky Cumins, Bert Dunkerly, Bloody Angle, Bucktails, CVC, Daniel Davis, David Ruth, Don Pfanz, Edward Alexander, Frank O'Reilly, Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria, Hurricane from the Heavens, Jackson Shrine, Lake of the Woods, Last Days of Stonewall Jackson, Manassas Museum, No Turning Back, North Anna River, Phillip Greenwalt, Spotsylvania, Stevenson Ridge, Stonewall Jackson, Virginia Military Institute, VMI, wilderness
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