Showing results for "Appomattox"
Thoughts on Appomattox (part three)
One of the dearly held tenets of the Lost Cause is that Southerners didn’t lose because they were outfought. Rather, Ulysses S. Grant only won because he had more soldiers and so overwhelmed the Confederates. Isn’t that the point?
Read more...Thoughts on Appomattox (part two)
“It’s a sad day in Civil War history,” my friend Frank said to me yesterday. It was April 9. “Depends on whose side you were on,” I said with the hint of a chuckle—but Frank looked like he was ready to go to a funeral. “Well I’m south of the Mason Dixon,” he said, as […]
Read more...Thoughts on Appomattox (part one)
One of the images that hangs high over Ulysses S. Grant’s sepulcher is an image of a handshake. It’s an idealized painting of Grant and Lee at Appomattox, sealing their deal. A handshake was a man’s word. It’s the way good men did business. The handshake serves as a perfect metaphor for reunion: two men, […]
Read more...“It seemed a cruel fate for one so deserving to share in his country’s joy”: The Death of Hiram Clark at Appomattox
The Civil War in Virginia was in its closing moments. As Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia tried its last desperate attempts to break through the ever-tightening Federal cordon, the last men died.
Read more...Closing Lee’s Western Door: The Battle of Appomattox Station
The evacuation of Farmville and subsequent fight at Cumberland Church continued to force Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia west. By the morning of April 8, Lee’s next objective was Appomattox Station, where he hoped to obtain critical supplies for his men. It was also crucial for Lee to reach the station first if […]
Read more...Visiting Pamplin Park on the Road to Appomattox
For anyone following Lee’s retreat and Grant’s pursuit this week, be sure to start your run at Pamplin Park, where Federal troops first broke the Confederate line. While the anniversary of the breakthrough was April 2, it’s worth a stop at Pamplin to get a true understanding of the story. With the anniversary a couple […]
Read more...Charting John Pegram’s Final Day, February 6, 1865
Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author Nigel Lambert… The death of Brig. Gen. John Pegram around Dabney’s Mill on February 6 is arguably the best-known feature of the Hatcher’s Run battle. As the most senior soldier killed at the battle, his demise was particularly poignant. Three weeks earlier, he had married the well-known Southern […]
Read more...Symposium Spotlight: Daniel T. Davis
Welcome back to a new installment of our 2024 Emerging Civil War Symposium Spotlight as we continue announcing the speaker list! This week we feature Daniel T. Davis. Dan Davis has worked as a seasonal historian at Appomattox National Historical Site and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has authored or co-authored numerous books […]
Read more...War in the Western Theater
The Emerging Civil War 10th Anniversary Series: War in the Western Theater: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War Savas Beatie, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-61121-596-0 eISBN: 978-1-954547-13-1 Specs: 10 maps, 100 images, 312 pp. Click here to order *** About the Book Often relegated to a backseat by action in the […]
Read more...
