Tag Archives: Peninsula Campaign

American Battlefield Trust Preserves the Heart of Williamsburg’s Civil War Battlefield

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Emerging Civil War

The American Battlefield Trust has had quite a December so far! First they announced a campaign to preserve an incredibly important tract at the heart of the Gaines’s Mill and Cold Harbor battlefields. Then they declared victory on a piece … Continue reading →

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Philip Cook

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Phill Greenwalt

“Tales From the Tombstone“ On one website chronicling the history of Georgia, the opening sentence to the biography of Brigadier General Philip Cook read simply: “Perhaps the most remarkable feat of this Madison County lawyer was his rise in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battles, Common Soldier, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Confederate, Memory, Monuments | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Joe and the Illini: The Unclear Origins of Two “Fighting” Nicknames

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Edward S. Alexander

Every few years my alma mater, the University of Illinois, renews the discussion of renaming its sports teams and creating a new mascot. In 2007 the school retired Chief Illiniwek and the trademarked Chief logo in an attempt to distance … Continue reading →

Posted in Memory, Newspapers, Personalities, Ties to the War | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Geneseo Gunner on the Virginia Peninsula

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Edward S. Alexander

I have had difficulty connecting my hometown to the Virginia battlefields I primarily research. Geneseo, Illinois sent its fair share of soldiers to the western theater but had no formal units in the east. While researching a blog article two … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Common Soldier, Newspapers, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Richmond Reports on General Stuart’s Ride Around McClellan

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

One of our editors was poking around Newspapers.com the other evening and stumbled across announcements of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart’s famous (or infamous) ride around McClelland during the Peninsula Campaign. Occurring between June 12 and 15, 1862, the ride gathered … Continue reading →

Posted in Cavalry, Material Culture, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hanover Court House: McClellan’s High Tide on the Peninsula

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Doug Crenshaw

(Part of a chapter from an upcoming book on the Peninsula Campaign) In late May 1862, Union General George McClellan advanced his massive army to the outskirts of Richmond. On his far right, he ordered Fitz John Porter, commander of … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Campaigns | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Sink Before Surrender: The CSS Virginia Gets Underway

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

In the dawn of that fateful Saturday, March 8, 1862, the CSS Virginia lay alongside the Gosport Shipyard quay on the west bank of the Elizabeth River across from Norfolk, Virginia, and just upriver from Hampton Roads. The storm passed … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Emerging Civil War, Navies | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Question of the Week: 4/15-4/21/19

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

It’s historic anniversary season for McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign… So which battle or skirmish on the Virginia Peninsula was most significant and important between March and June 1862? Why? Let’s leave the Seven Days Battles for another discussion…

Posted in Battles, Campaigns, Question of the Week | Tagged , | 15 Comments

A Winter’s Day Walk

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Doug Crenshaw

One cold January morning fellow ECW/ERW authors Bert Dunkerly, Mark Wilcox, and I experienced a real treat when J. Michael Moore gave us a personal tour. Michael is employed by Newport News as the Historian and Curator of Lee Hall … Continue reading →

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Robert Dickey: Killer Turned Soldier

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Ryan Quint

Henry St. Clair flew off the porch of Henry Bicksler’s tavern and shouted into the evening air, “God damn your soul, Bob Dickey, what did you hit me for?” Onlookers watched as Robert Dickey turned to face his accuser, and … Continue reading →

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