Tag Archives: First Bull Run

The U.S. Marines of 1861

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Chris Kolakowski

The American Battlefield Trust Conference this year was to have featured a tour of mine about the Marine Battalion at the First Battle of Manassas. It has been postponed until 2021. In the meantime, I wanted to share some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battles, Leadership--Federal, Navies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Question of the Week: 7/22-7/28/19

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

Union General McDowell had protested that his troops were “green,” but others pressured him to fight before the 90-day enlistments expired. In your opinion, should the First Battle of Bull Run have been fought or delayed?

Posted in Battles | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Preservation News: The Stone Bridge Project at Manassas National Battlefield

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Emerging Civil War

Today is the anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run, and it’s a great time to highlight some preservation work completed earlier this year on an important landmark on Manassas National Battlefield. The Stone Bridge spans the Bull Run … Continue reading →

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Home Run Derby Star Captain “Jack” Wildey–Part 1

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Meg Groeling

When John Hay and George Nicolay drove their rented buggy over to Camp Lincoln to say hello to their friend Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, they found him wearing his “blouzy red shirt” and enjoying that New York favorite: Base Ball. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War in Pop Culture, Common Soldier, Holidays, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fortress Washington, Part II

Posted on February 16, 2018 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author Steve T. Phan to continue his discussion of Fortress Washington. You can find his first post here. In the late afternoon of July 21, 1861, Captain Barton S. Alexander, U.S. Army Engineers, described … Continue reading →

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The Origins of Fortress Washington

Posted on October 28, 2017 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcomes guest author Steve T. Phan By 1865, Washington D.C. was surrounded. On the high hills, long ridges, and flat plateaus that encircled the capital of the United States was an elaborate system of fortifications. Now, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Leadership--Federal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

How a Man Feels in Battle

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Edward S. Alexander

“How a man feels when in battle is a question that our volunteers have doubtless frequently asked themselves,” wrote a columnist for the Philadelphia North American early in the war. Many on the home front undoubtedly shared that curiosity. The newspaperman published his account of meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Newspapers | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Every Free, Able-bodied White Male Citizen: Two Examples of Militia Readiness in Antebellum America Part III                    

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Meg Groeling

Also in 1859, young Elmer Ellsworth became captain of a moribund militia company, the National Guard Cadets of Chicago, Illinois. Ellsworth had developed a statewide reputation as a drillmaster, and agreed to take on the challenge of rebuilding this group … Continue reading →

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Every Free, Able-bodied White Male Citizen: Two Examples of Militia readiness in Antebellum America Part II

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Meg Groeling

Volunteer militias became popular in all areas of the country, but only two will be considered here: the Black Horse Cavalry from Fauquier County, Virginia, and the U. S. Zouave Cadets, from Chicago, Illinois. These militia companies each had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Battles, Civilian, Common Soldier, Leadership--Confederate, Memory, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments