Author Archives: Chris Mackowski

Reading and Re-Reading Some Civil War Fiction

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

I recently reviewed Ralph Peters’ newest Civil War novel, Darkness at Chancellorsville, for Civil War Monitor (you can read that review here). It was an enjoyable read by an author with a gift for capturing the essence of a character … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Books & Authors, Civil War in Pop Culture, Engaging the Civil War Series | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cold Furnace

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

It snowed today in central Virginia, so I took a few minutes away from my desk to enjoy some time on the Chancellorsville battlefield. What a beautiful day!

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Maine at War December 2019

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

Here’s what our friend Brian Swartz was up to in December at his blog, Maine at War:

Posted in Internet, Websites & Blogs, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sam Watkins on the Romney Campaign

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

While Sam Watkins is best known as one of the most readable chroniclers of the war in the Western Theater, most folks forget his unit served with Stonewall Jackson during the last months of 1861 and into 1862. In the … Continue reading →

Posted in Campaigns, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The New Year, 1863 and 1865

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Chris Mackowski

“A new year dawns…” wrote John Haley, a private in the 17th Maine, on January 1, 1865: Hope and fear mingle—hope the war will soon end; fear that however soon it ends, I might not live to see it. These … Continue reading →

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December 2019 ECW Newsletter

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

Happy holidays and ho, ho, ho! ECW’s December 2019 newsletter is now available. If you didn’t get it yet, you can find it here. In this issue:

Posted in Emerging Civil War | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Site Maintenance at ECW

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

Just a heads up that we’re doing some site maintenance. Things on the front-end should be okay, but if you experience any glitches, we apologize. We’ve had some trouble with our subscribers list the past few days, so we’re trying … Continue reading →

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Filling in the Back Issues

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

I recently helped my university, St. Bonaventure, acquire a huge collection of back issues of Civil War News. “We have a strong interest in public history in Bonaventure’s history program, and Civil War News is an excellent example of that … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War Events, Civil War in Pop Culture, Memory, Ties to the War | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sketch of the Siege of Fredericksburg

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

View of Fredericksburg from Falmouth, VA, on the north bank of the Rappahannock River.  

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Opening the Mine Run Campaign at Germanna Ford and Creating a History of Our Own

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

Everything was brown: the barren trees, the fallen leaves, the river itself as it pushed between the high banks on either side. Even the crushed gravel of the path was somehow brown as it wound down the hillside from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Campaigns, Memory | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments