Author Archives: Meg Groeling

About Meg Groeling

CW Historian

Meet Mike Maxwell—Researcher Extraordinaire! (pt. 5)

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Mike Maxwell and I met on one of the darkest corners of the web—the Emerging Civil War blog. Many of you will recognize his name from the “Reply” section. Luckily for me—and for Abraham—Mr. Maxwell was as fascinated by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Websites & Blogs, Personalities, Primary Sources | Tagged , | 9 Comments

And Then What Happened?: Abraham After 1863 (pt.4)

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Wait just a moment! A letter from P. T. Barnum? Really? And no discussion? Have no fear. Two topics need to be looked at in depth before the subject of Abraham is exhausted, and one of them is Barnum’s letter. … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilian, Leadership--Federal, Personalities, Slavery | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Things That Go BUMP in the Parlor: Spiritualism, Lincoln, and a Happy Hallowe’en

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Meg Groeling

The tall, thin man with the sad face folded himself into an uncomfortable Italianate armchair in the Red Room of the Executive Mansion. “So this is our ‘little Nettie’ is it, that we have heard so much about? Well, how … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Leadership--Federal, Lincoln, Personalities, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abraham’s Fifteen Minutes of Fame (pt. 3)

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Enslaved Abraham became Free Abraham in a matter of seconds. His body arched over the line from the Confederate 3rd Louisiana Redan to the Union 81st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. As the men in blue helped him to his feet, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Civilian, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Federal, Medical, Newspapers, Personalities, Sieges, Slavery, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Who Was Abraham? (pt. 2)

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Before the war, there was an enslaved man called Abraham. His last name was unknown. Here is what is known: The black man known as Abraham was between 18-25 years old at the time of the Siege of Vicksburg. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Leadership--Federal, Newspapers, Personalities, Slavery, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Little Justice Here, Folks! (pt. 1)

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Meg Groeling

On February 6 of this year, I wrote a blog post about Abraham, a formerly enslaved person who was “blown to freedom” at Vicksburg. I found something very compelling about this man. He is young, seems to be relatively healthy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Civilian, Internet, Websites & Blogs, Personalities, Primary Sources, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Angel or Elf: Bronson Alcott and the Secret Six Plot to Assist John Brown

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Meg Groeling

“Surely dear father, some good angel or elf dropped a talisman in your cradle that gave you force to walk thro life in quaint sunshine while others groped in the dark… “ –Louisa May Alcott to her father November 28, … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilian, Memory, Personalities, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Do We Still Care About the Civil War: Meg Groeling

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Meg Groeling

  The cover story of the newest issue of Civil War Times asks, “Do we still care about the Civil War?” ECW is pleased to partner with Civil War Times to extend the conversation here on the blog. Do we … Continue reading →

Posted in Personalities, Slavery, Ties to the War | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Book Review: Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Kevin Levin, a historian, educator, and blogger based in Boston, has waded into this argument keyboard blazing. The first three chapters discuss in depth the definition of a “camp slave.” When a slave-owning family sent one of their men to … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Book Review, Books & Authors, Leadership--Confederate, Monuments, Photography, Primary Sources, Sesquicentennial, Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Book Review: “Gettysburg: Kids Who Did the Impossible”

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Meg Groeling

All I can think of is “What fun to do this book!” Gettysburg: Kids Who Did the Impossible is a children’s book featuring two reasonably adorable children and several other reenactors who have combined forces to tell the stories of the young … Continue reading →

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