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Author Archives: Kevin Pawlak
Ancestors of Two Twentieth-Century Hollywood Influences Clash in Antietam’s Cornfield
Some of the most popular movies portraying the Civil War appeared on the big screen in the era before and during the centennial anniversary of the conflict. Two of those films include Gone with the Wind (1939), based on Margaret … Continue reading
ECW Weekender: Newby’s Crossroads
It is well-known where and how Dangerfield Newby’s life ended. But it is less known where his life began. In the countryside of Rappahannock County, Virginia, Dangerfield Newby was born to a white father and enslaved mother around 1820. The … Continue reading
Posted in ECW Weekender, Slavery
Tagged Dangerfield Newby, Harriett Newby, John-Brown-160, John-Browns-Raid-160
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Arming Virginia: Henry Wise’s Attempts to Prevent Another John Brown’s Raid
The word of John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry struck the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond, Virginia like a thunderbolt. Immediately, the lanky Henry Wise sprang into action. He called on the state’s militia to help suppress the uprising before journeying … Continue reading
Posted in Antebellum South, Civilian, Personalities, Politics, Slavery
Tagged Henry Wise, John Brown, John-Browns-Raid-160, militia, Shepherdstown
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The Reason for Harpers Ferry and Why John Brown Raided It
While working as a ranger at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, I often began my tours about the United States Armory with this simple question to visitors: “Why are you here today?” Common answers included vacation, an interest in history, … Continue reading
Dangerfield Newby and John Brown’s Raid
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry was planned to be a small beginning to a large outcome. Twenty-one men–twenty-two counting Brown himself–planned to seize the Federal armory and arsenal in the town and ignite a war against slavery that, they … Continue reading
Do We Still Care About the Civil War: Kevin Pawlak
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. The above … Continue reading
Writing “Antietam National Battlefield” for the Images of America Series
157 years ago, photographers Alexander Gardner and James Gibson first exposed their camera’s lens to the Antietam battlefield. The scene was still raw–Union soldiers and their campfires behind the Army of the Potomac’s lines. Once the Confederate army vacated its … Continue reading
Antietam Eve: September 16, 1862
Each of the approximately 100,000 soldiers bivouacked in the fields and woodlots around Sharpsburg, Maryland and along Antietam Creek knew what the morrow would bring. With the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac having been in … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Campaigns, Civilian, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Primary Sources
Tagged Battle of Antietam, Maryland Campaign
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Gen. Jackson and Mr. Hyde: Which Account of Stonewall Jackson at Harpers Ferry is the Correct One?
On the morning of September 15, 1862, Stonewall Jackson had just completed a profound military achievement. Three separate columns all nominally under his command converged on a single point–Harpers Ferry–nearly simultaneously. They ensnared the Federal garrison positioned around the town … Continue reading
The Fall of Fort Henry and the Changing of Confederate Strategy
Fort Donelson has “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. It has an early morning Confederate attack, a breakout by Nathan Bedford Forrest and, in short, the stuff that makes good history. But from this outsider’s perspective looking in on the Western Theater, I … Continue reading
