ECW Explores the Legacy of David Blight’s Race and Reunion
Prologue to a series Ten years ago, scholar David Blight published Race & Reunion, a game-changing book that challenged the way the Civil War has been remembered. Blight contended that competing memories warred with each other in the decades that followed Appomattox, and ultimately, the version of the war that survives today gives short shrift […]
Read more...Stonewall Jackson House Under New Management
A surprising bit of news out of Lexington, Virginia this week: The Virginia Military Institute has finished the process of acquiring the Stonewall Jackson House. The Jackson House, and the adjoining Davidson-Tucker House, which has been used as administrative offices, have been run by the private Stonewall Jackson Foundation. “[D]ifficulties brought on my uncertain museum […]
Read more...The United States Colored Troops: Fighting for Freedom (part two)
Last week, I wrote about black soldiers who fought on both sides of the war, and I also offered a brief history of the United States Colored Troops. Now let me discuss a few of the battles where the USCT fought. Most famous is the Battle of Fort Wagner—depicted in the movie Glory—where the 54th […]
Read more...Fire Along Boatswain Creek: Reflections on the Battle of Gaines Mill
Traveling for an extended Columbus Day weekend vacation, I had the opportunity to make an early-morning stop at the Gaines Mill battlefield. Much to my delight, I found upon arrival that I had the entire battlefield to myself. After reading the signs near the Watt House, I grabbed my coffee and cigar and set out […]
Read more...Emerging Civil War Welcomes Kathleen Logothetis
We are excited to add Kathleen Logothetis as a full-time author to the site. Kathleen, has written two excellent articles thus far and we are looking forward to many more. Thanks Katie for joining all of us in this endeavor. Biography: Kathleen Logothetis is currently a Masters student at West Virginia University focusing on Civil […]
Read more...Behind the Scenes of a Publishing House with Savas Beatie
Recently we were able to have a short conversation with the publishing house Savas Beatie. They are an up-and-coming force in the world of Civil War and Military History publishing. As authors, we receive many questions about how the publishing world works—why are subjects chosen, who chooses them, etc…. Below is a short interview that will […]
Read more...“If Jackson hadn’t gotten shot”: Why There’s No Point in Refighting Gettysburg
“That old house witnessed the downfall of the Southern Confederacy,” said former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George after visiting the Stonewall Jackson Shrine in 1923. “No doubt the history of America would have to be rewritten has ‘Stonewall’ Jackson lived.” The most common assumption, of course, is that if Stonewall Jackson hadn’t gotten shot […]
Read more...Author James Morgan and the Battle of Ball’s Bluff
Prelude to a series I had the opportunity over the weekend to spend some time at the Ball’s Bluff battlefield with author James Morgan, whose excellent book Little Short of Boats provides the first clear study of the battle. Jim clears up a lot of historical misinterpretations about the battle and places Ball’s Bluff in […]
Read more...Gone But Not Forgotten
We see a lot of quirky things in our Civil War travels. Today, at Union Cemetery in Leesburg, Virginia, we saw this: the grave of Cadet Charles R. Norris, son of John and Hannah S. Norris, born May 12, 1844, killed in battle at Manassas Junction, July 21, 1861. He was, according to his gravestone, […]
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