Category Archives: Holidays

The Persistence of the Mardi Gras Spirit in Civil War New Orleans

Posted on February 16, 2021 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author Neil P. Chatelain… Nothing embodies New Orleans more than Mardi Gras. Crowds throng parades, balls, and costumed parties, marking final celebrations before the Catholic season of Lent. Organizations host parades, customizing throws of … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Holidays | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Effects of Pepper

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Chris Mackowski

Today is Stonewall Jackson’s birthday. He would be 197 years old were he still with us. My daughter, when she was young, was a huge Stonewall Jackson groupie. She could roll off information about him the way a serious baseball … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Personalities | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – From The Archives

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Emerging Civil War

We hope you’ve had a safe and relaxed holiday weekend. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here are a few posts from previous years with ties to the Civil War: Civil War, Civil Rights, and Thoughts on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Weekly Whitman: The Sounds of Winter

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Meg Groeling

Union and Confederate soldiers spent three winters in service during the years 1861-65. Whether it was winter merriment in New Orleans or, more commonly, bivouacked among the snowdrifts of the South, it was cold and strange for men who had … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Holidays | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Weekly Whitman: Not Such a Merry Christmas

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Meg Groeling

Walt Whitman’s mother raised a couple of very unusual sons. One was Walt, of course—the other was George Washington Whitman, Walt’s little brother. As soon as the war began and he could get his effects in order, George volunteered for … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Holidays, Personalities | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Gen. Sherman Sends Christmas Greetings to His Children

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Derek Maxfield

During a break from the scourge of war, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman penned a Christmas letter to his daughter Maria, whom he affectionately calls “Minnie.” The general and his army were in occupation of Savannah, Georgia, after a long march … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

I Heard The Bells – An ECW Tradition Continues

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Emerging Civil War

In 2011 Meg Groeling posted an article about Henry W. Longfellow’s poem I Hear The Bells on Christmas Day and it quickly became an ECW classic which we enjoy featuring every December 25th. This year especially we hope you take … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays | Tagged | 1 Comment

Holiday Greetings from Emerging Civil War

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Emerging Civil War

Wishing all our readers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Stay safe and enjoy your “winter quarters” and home-cooked feasts this year. We’ll see you on the blog and at the battlefields in the coming days and new year.

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Happy Christmas Eve to You from ECW

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Emerging Civil War

It’s Christmas Eve. At Emerging Civil War, we’re all settling in with our families and friends for a cozy evening. The Christmas tree is lit. The carols are playing. The Yule log is in the fireplace. As you spend time … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Opossum for Christmas Dinner?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Arthur J. Robinson of Company E, 33rd Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers, had a unique Christmas Dinner in 1863, and in 1913 the veteran published his account in verse form. When he wrote the account, only two veterans survived from the eight … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Holidays | Tagged , , | 1 Comment