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Category Archives: Western Theater
On Location: The Site of Leonidas Polk’s Death
On June 14, 1864, Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk was inspecting Federal movements from atop Pine Mountain when Federal artillery opened fire on him. I went On Location, on the anniversary of Polk’s death, to the spot where he was … Continue reading
The Gettysburg Campaign Begins
By the time the Gettysburg campaign began 154 years ago tomorrow, Robert E. Lee, vaunted commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, had been preparing his army for weeks. Lee had much to do. Following the army’s victory at Chancellorsville … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Books & Authors, Campaigns, Cavalry, Civil War Trails, Common Soldier, ECW Weekender, Emerging Civil War Series, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Memory, Monuments, Personalities, Western Theater
Tagged A.P. Hill, Battle of Brandy Station, Brandy Station Virginia, cavalry, Culpeper, Culpeper Court House, Culpeper Virginia, General Joseph Hooker, Gettysburg Campaign, James Longstreet, Richard S. Ewell, Robert E. Lee, The Last Road North: A Guide to the Gettysburg Campaign
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The Other Rock of Chickamauga?
One of the joys of research is turning an unexpected corner to find out something new. That happens every so often, and when it does, I always get a little buzz of excitement. Most recently, that buzz came when I … Continue reading
Preservation Success at Champion Hill Battlefield
Earlier this month, the Civil War Trust, along with the National Park Foundation and HTR Foundation joined together to announce the protection of a portion of the Champion Hill battlefield, the largest battle of the Vicksburg Campaign. The announcement comes … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Civil War Events, Common Soldier, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Material Culture, Memory, Monuments, National Park Service, Preservation, Sieges, Western Theater
Tagged battlefield preservation, Champion Hill, Civil War Trust, HTR Foundation, National Park Foundation, Preservation
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The Great Naval Leaders
On May 10 I lectured about the Battle of Midway to Old Dominion University’s Institute of Learning in Retirement. Over the course of a wonderful discussion, I assessed one of the U.S. commanders, Raymond Spruance, as “one of the greatest … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership--Federal, Navies, Personalities, Ties to the War, Trans-Mississippi, Western Theater
Tagged Admiral David G. Farragut, Battle of Lake Erie, Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of Perryville, David Dixon Porter, David Farragut, David Porter, Fall of New Orleans, Fort Fisher, George Dewey, Lake Erie, Manila, Midway, Mobile Bay, Okinawa, Oliver Hazard Perry, Perryville, Philippine Sea, Raymond Spruance, Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, Red River Campaign, U.S. Grant, U.S. Navy, Vicksburg Campaign, War of 1812, World War II
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Seward’s Folly at 150
150 years ago yesterday, the United States concluded the treaty transferring Alaska from Russia to the United States. On April 9 (the second anniversary of Appomattox), the Senate ratified the deal.
William McKinley and Poland’s Riverside Cemetery
We welcome back to the blog guest Gordy Morgan. Mr. Morgan, a native of the Mahoning Valley in northeastern Ohio, was inspired by the recent ECW Weekender: William McKinley by blogger and author Dan Welch, also a native of the area. … Continue reading
Delaying the Army of the Tennessee: Evander Law and the Battle of Bentonville
We are now in the middle of the 152nd Anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville, fought from March 19 to March 21, 1865. During the three day battle, Confederate forces under Gen. Joseph Johnston engaged Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Cavalry, Civil War Events, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Personalities, Western Theater
Tagged Army of Northern Virginia, Battle of Averasboro, Battle of Bentonville, Evander Law, Joseph Johnston, Wade Hampton, William T. Sherman
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The Second City
The Civil War defined America – that statement is heard often in many quarters. We use that phrase in ECW’s tagline. Many effects from that conflict are quite visible in today’s America, while others are not as apparent at first … Continue reading
Posted in Civilian, Economics, Ties to the War, Trans-Mississippi, Western Theater
Tagged Chicago, Erie Canal, Fall of New Orleans, Great Lakes, Interstate Highway Act, Interstate highways, Island No. 10, louisville, Mississippi River, New Orleans, New York, New York Central, New York City, railroads, St. Lawrence River, St. Louis, trucking in the US, Vicksburg Campaign, westward expansion
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Robert E. Lee and John B. Hood: A Complicated Relationship
Robert E. Lee didn’t want John Bell Hood promoted to command a Confederate army, but once Hood had been, Lee didn’t want him to fail. Possible evidence hinges on a little-known command decision made by Lee and the War Department … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership--Confederate, Western Theater
Tagged Army of Tennessee, Art Bergeron, Confederate high command, Jack Davis, James Seddon, Jefferson Davis, John Bell Hood, Joseph E. Johnston, Martin Luther Smith, Robert E. Lee, Robert H. Chilton, Stephen Presstman, The Confederate General
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