Author Archives: stephendavis

“Old Rock” Benning’s Georgia Brigade at Gettysburg and Those Three Northern Guns Captured on July 2

Posted on July 2, 2019 by stephendavis

Forty years ago, as a doctoral graduate student at Emory University, I received invitation to write about several Confederate generals for The Dictionary of Georgia Biography (2 vols., Athens, 1983). One of those whom I chose was Henry Lewis Benning, … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Leadership--Confederate | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The “Crime” at Pickett’s Mill

Posted on May 27, 2019 by stephendavis

…and we have to pass over the dead Yanks of the battle field of yesterday; and here I beheld that which I cannot describe; and which I hope never to see again, dead men meet the eye in every direction, … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Campaigns, Emerging Civil War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ballad of Black Bess

Posted on April 24, 2019 by stephendavis

[Editor’s Note: With all that’s happening about Confederate monuments these days, it’s all right to remember a time when monuments to Confederate heroes became a source of humor.] Robert E. Lee had Traveller and Stonewall Jackson his Little Sorrel. Bedford … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War in Pop Culture, Memory, Monuments | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

In the Critic’s Corner: Scholarly Interest in Confederate Nationalism

Posted on March 21, 2019 by stephendavis

As part of our series with Civil War News, ECW is pleased to spotlight the work of our very own Steve Davis, a regular (and voluminous) contributor to the paper. Steve also gave us a peek at his work back in April … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Emerging Civil War, Memory | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Twain, the War and Life on the Mississippi

Posted on January 4, 2019 by stephendavis

For Civil War News I recently wrote a piece on how Ulysses S. Grant managed to finish his Personal Memoirs just before his death in 1885. My article proved so long that CWN Publisher Jack Melton split it for two … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War in Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Civil War News‘s November Annual “Book Issue”

Posted on November 8, 2018 by stephendavis

I happen to be Book Review Editor for Civil War News, the nation’s monthly newspaper for enthusiasts. For our November issue I helped CWN Publisher Jack Melton plan some nifty features for the issue. 

Posted in Books & Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Congressman Wheeler Speaks in the House on Causes of the War

Posted on April 30, 2018 by stephendavis

Jack Melton, publisher of Civil War News, often talks with me about little-known sources and items in Civil War history. Recently he pointed me to one such: a speech by Joseph Wheeler, later Confederate major general, then U. S. Representative … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Newspapers, Politics, Reconstruction, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Peek into the “Critic’s Corner” in Civil War News

Posted on April 10, 2018 by stephendavis

SHAG-A-DOO-LA. Those of us who write about the Civil War for fun (rarely for profit) get our ideas from any number of sources. One never knows when or how some inspiration will occur. Driving to the store recently, I heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Emerging Civil War, Newspapers | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Presidential Review That Didn’t Go Very Well

Posted on January 18, 2018 by stephendavis

ECWer Stephen Davis of Cumming, Georgia, is finishing up his book on the generalship of John B. Hood, which will be published later this year by Savas Beatie. From it Steve draws the following story: During the war President Jefferson … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Leadership--Confederate, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did You Hear It?

Posted on January 15, 2018 by stephendavis

Today (Monday, January 15) on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, I heard Princeton professor Eddie Glaude Jr. comment on “a culture war Donald Trump is waging as if he was Sherman marching through the South.” Here In Georgia, we have heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Emerging Civil War, Memory, Ties to the War | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments