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Category Archives: Civilian
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
Mrs. Gordon Rallies The Troops In Winchester?
General John B. Gordon had much on his mind on September 19, 1864. The Yankees fought tenaciously, driving back his troops. His friend, General Rodes, had been carried off the battlefield mortally wounded, and Gordon blamed himself for not having … Continue reading
“The Batteries On Each Side Ceased Firing”: Civilians In Antietam’s Cross Fire
While the Confederate and Union artillery guns dueled during the morning hours of September 17, 1862, their shells flew over the farm land and homes of local civilians. Long before the Sharpsburg area became a battlefield, it was quiet community … Continue reading
Posted in Artillery, Battles, Civilian
Tagged artillery, Battle of Antietam, civilians, Henry Jackson Hunt, John Pelham
2 Comments
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
1 Comment
The Tale of a Troublesome Harp, According to Henry K. Douglas
I’ve got a broken string on my harp. Not a big deal. I’ll get it changed and hopefully in tune before choir practice tomorrow. And how is this related to history? Well…I’ve a story for you. About broken harp strings. … Continue reading
Posted in Civilian
Tagged Civil War music, Colonel Harry Gilmore, harp, Henry Kyd Douglas
2 Comments
Book Review: “Gettysburg: Kids Who Did the Impossible”
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
“Ms. Yulee…asked me if I could conceal a very valuable trunk…”
On the night of April 14, 1865 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Confederate Captain Micajah H. Clark with assistance packed into ambulances and wagons Confederate Government archives, baggage of Confederate officials, and $35,000 in currency. Their goal was to secrete these … Continue reading
Surviving Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence
August 21 marked the 156th anniversary of Missouri guerrilla chieftain William C. Quantrill’s infamous Raid on Lawrence, Kansas – one of the bloodiest and most significant irregular attacks against civilians during the American Civil War. A center of abolition and … Continue reading
Posted in Civilian, Trans-Mississippi
Tagged Kansas, Missouri, Raid on Lawrence, William Quantrill
1 Comment
“They Call This War a Cloud Over the Land”
Politically, one might think that climate and weather have only become a topic of interest lately. After all, 19th-century science was not very reliable, and a person could not control the weather. Everyone knew that. But could a war affect … Continue reading
Posted in Books & Authors, Civilian
Tagged Lincoln, stars and planets, Ulysses S. Grant, Walt Whitman, weather
4 Comments
He Wrote What? Health and Weight in Civil War Letters
“You stated that you had been weighed, what is your weight?”[i] asked Private Walter Dunn in a letter to his fiancée. It’s a little shocking to modern readers! There are a few questions that are usually considered taboo to ask … Continue reading
