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Author Archives: Chris Mackowski
Thanksgiving, 150 years ago
“Thanksgiving day, when the fat turkey is served in state,” said Theodore Lyman, a member of Gen. George Gordon Meade’s staff. “And this [was the day] appointed for our flank move on Orange Court House….” One hundred and fifty years … Continue reading
The Maps of The Bristoe Station and Mine Run Campaigns
For people looking at Civil War “headliners,” the span between Gettysburg in July of ’63 and the Wilderness in May of ’64 seems like a vast, empty gulf. A lot went on during that timespan, of course, although, for a … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Book Review, Books & Authors
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Gary Gallagher, ECW, and the Wild West of Civil War Blogging (part one)
I’ve had two experiences recently that have given me pause to consider the relationship between history and blogging—and, by extension, that’s given me the opportunity to reflect on our specific mission here at Emerging Civil War. The first was a … Continue reading
Cut Them Some Slack: It’s not the rangers’ fault they have to turn visitors away
The Friday afternoon drizzle that started midway through Pennsylvania turned to a steady rainfall by the time I hit Maryland. Across the Mason-Dixon line and across the Potomac, the rain continued to fall. Autumn should have been in full blaze … Continue reading
No NPS? No Problem!—North Anna Battlefield Park
Day Four in a series coinciding with the federal government shutdown Oft-overlooked, in the history books and by battlefielders, is the North Anna battlefield—scene of one of the biggest Civil War battles that never happened. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, … Continue reading
Autumn Guard
They’re nearly ubiquitous across the north: Civil War soldiers standing vigil in the town square or the city cemetery. I came across this one, with the autumn amber splayed across the sky behind him, in Allegany, NY, the small college … Continue reading
Posted in Common Soldier, Monuments
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No NPS? No Problem!—Other Places You Can Go to Get Your Civil War Battlefield Fix
Prelude to a series My high school history teacher was notoriously passionate about the Civil War. He’d stand at the front of the room amidst a cloud of chalk dust, the blackboard behind him covered with names like “McClellan” and … Continue reading
Prepping for a “Bloody Autumn” in the Shenandoah
Back home in northwestern Pennsylvania, the mountains have begun to calico, but here in the Shenandoah Valley, everything still overflows with green. The early autumn sun bathes it all in a soft glow. The corn is high. The harvest is … Continue reading
Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Books & Authors, Emerging Civil War Series
Tagged '64 Valley Campaign, 1864 Valley Campaign, Bloody Autumn, Bloody Autumn The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, Daniel Davis, George Armstrong Custer, George Custer, Phillip Greenwalt, Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields, Spiker's Hill, Tom's Brook
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Post-Chickamauga: Bragg vs. Forrest?
If the stories are to be believed, Nathan Bedford Forrest was one of the most quotable characters of the Civil War. One of the best lines attributed to him came following the battle of Chickamauga. Although Braxton Bragg had (finally) … Continue reading
Chickamauga: The Cost
Sgt. John Ingraham is the only soldier known to still be buried on the battlefield. Before the war, Ingraham worked as a farm hand for the Reed family, which owned a little farm along Chickamauga Creek. Orphaned at an early … Continue reading
Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Books & Authors, Campaigns, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War Series, Personalities, Sesquicentennial, Western Theater
Tagged Alexander's Bridge, Battle of Chickamauga, Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale, Bushwhacking-photography, Chickamauga, John Ingraham, John Turchin, Lee White
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