Category Archives: Holidays

The Legacy of John A. Logan

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Emerging Civil War

by Hannah Roesch Tucked behind a white picket fence in the heart of Murphysboro, Illinois, sits a museum dedicated to one of the most colorful generals of the Civil War, John A. Logan. Since 1989 The General John A. Logan … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Personalities, Politics, Reconstruction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

An Eagle Cake on the Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Kevin Pawlak

John S. Mosby It has been a few years since I posted the story below but it still resonates every year with me because of the incredible feat the women of Point of Rocks, Maryland, accomplished: creating a 25 foot … Continue reading →

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

Weekly Whitman: The 4th of July

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Meg Groeling

All of us at ECW, and Walt Whitman, wish our readers a glorious 4th. “Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us.” Walt Whitman

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“Dear Papa…I wonder how you still can be so good to me”

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Josiah Gardner Abbott (b. 1814) had a busy professional life as one of Massachusetts most successful attorneys and a regular civil servant in the offices of county judge, state representative, and state senator, but he made time to influence the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilian, Common Soldier, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saving History Saturday: A New Federal Holiday

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Sarah Kay Bierle

This is an angle of “saving history” that I don’t think we’ve covered in this blog column before… In case you haven’t seen the news, as of Thursday, June 17, 2021, the United States has a new federal holiday: Juneteenth. … Continue reading →

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Echoes of Reconstruction: An Immigrant Defender of Black Freedom

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Emerging Civil War

ECW is pleased to welcome back Patrick Young, author of The Reconstruction Era blog June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and no American military conflict was more impacted by immigrants than the American Civil War. Roughly a quarter of the United States forces … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Holidays, Reconstruction, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

“For an Affectionate Mother like Yourself”

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Cadet Beverly Standard (called “Jack” by his peers) wrote a delightful collection of letters to his widowed mother from Virginia Military Institute during 1863-1864. (I’ve written about them in detail here.) In April 1864, he wrote a letter which follows … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When Was Easter During The American Civil War?

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Easter moves around on the calendar—on different Sundays in spring each year. So when was the religious holiday during the years of the American Civil War? March 31, 1861 April 20, 1862 April 5, 1863 March 27, 1864 April 16, … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Newspapers | Tagged , | 2 Comments

John Breckinridge’s Unforgettable Get-Away!

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Newspaper transcriptions are amazing projects. These advertisements are believed to have appeared in The Richmond Joker on April 1, 1865…. It’s April 1865 the final days of the Confederacy. Let’s just acknowledge it. You’re going to have some choices in … Continue reading →

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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