Category Archives: Armies

Battle of Bristoe Station: A New Era in the Army of the Potomac

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Kevin Pawlak

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara wrote in Killer Angels of the Army of the Potomac on the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg: it was the “last of the great volunteer armies, for the draft is beginning that summer in … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Common Soldiers Writing Song: “Oh, How Do You Like The Army?”

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Sarah Kay Bierle

I’ve been reading through some Civil War songs and poetry, looking for something suitable for Women’s History Month that I haven’t shared before. Though I’ve found some splendid pieces, they are rather sad and fully of sensibility and 19th Century … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Common Soldier | Tagged | 3 Comments

Wisconsin’s King Veterans Home

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Chris Kolakowski

On February 24 I visited the King Veterans Home, site of a second location of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. The plaque giving its founding and history might be of interest to our readers.

Posted in Armies, On Location | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Pope’s “Headquarters in the Saddle.” Sort of…

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Kevin Pawlak

“Headquarters in the Saddle.” For a man that uttered many phrases that often make him the main course of mockery for Civil War historians, John Pope’s infamous dateline certainly receives its fair share of jokes. It did too in 1862. … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Campaigns, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

December 20, 1861: The Battle of Dranesville and the Confederate Battle Flag’s Debut

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Ryan Quint

On a chilly morning, four regiments of Confederate infantry started off from their camps near Centreville, Virginia. They accompanied a battery of four cannon, 150 cavalry troopers, somewhere between 200-400 wagons, and were led by Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. The … Continue reading →

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Marching to Fredericksburg via New Market

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Sarah Kay Bierle

On one of my research trips to New Market when I was working on Call Out The Cadets, I made the trek to the top of New Market gap in Massanutten Mountian in the Shenandoah Valley. Modern Route 211 crosses … Continue reading →

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Jerilyn James Lee and Why the Civil War Still Matters

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Meg Groeling

A pretty lady walked quietly in the cemetery where her grandparents and great-grandparents are buried. As she looked at the dates on the markers: I realized from the dates on my great grandmother’s grave that she was born in 1859 … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Civil War Events, Common Soldier, Internet, Websites & Blogs, National Park Service, Preservation, Slavery, USCT | 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

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

“Overflowing with patriotic love for the Old Dominion and old rye whiskey…”: Western Virginia Militia Witness the Execution of John Brown

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Jon-Erik Gilot

Situated more than 200 miles and some fourteen hours by rail from Harpers Ferry, Wheeling, Virginia would seem far removed from the cataclysmic events of October 1859. Yet John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry shook Wheeling – one of the … Continue reading →

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