Confederate Secret Weapon – Mapmaker Jedediah Hotchkiss
Jedediah Hotchkiss’s migration to the Shenandoah Valley in 1847 at age 19 proved to be more fortuitous than he could imagine. His long exploratory treks…
Best Union Generals Not Named “Grant” and “Sherman” – We Picked 3
Very generally speaking, most American Civil War professors, informal historians, and novices can easily tick off a list of well-known and talented Confederate generals. The…
Rock of Chickamagua – General Thomas Covered for “Old Rosy”
Famous for his victories in the Western Theatre, Major General William S. Rosecrans became the subject of public criticism after he suffered a resounding defeat…
Ironclads and Huge Cannons: Union Attack on Fort Donelson
After the successful siege of Fort Henry by Federal troops on February 6th, 1862, the Confederate forces hurried back to the neighboring Fort Donelson which…
The Hemp Bale Battle – Ingenious Idea Won the Siege of Lexington
The Missouri State Guard (MSG) had just been put together some months prior to the Lexington battle that shook the small town of Lexington for…
Final Days of the Civil War: Battle of Fort Blakely, Alabama
In an attempt to force their way into the last Confederate stronghold in Mobile, Alabama, the Federals launched two separate assaults on the Spanish and…
Are We Erasing History?
Many have borrowed philosopher George Santayana’s famous phrase: “Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it,” but in our current political climate, some…
Attack on Mexico City Prepared Beauregard for Defense of Petersburg
Before his time defending Petersburg from Union forces, Rebel General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard learned how to command, strategize, and organize armies during the Mexican-American War.…
Manassas Civil War Weekend Abandons “Civil War”
One of the longest-running and most famous Civil War weekends will no longer be held in its current form. The Manassas Museum has decided that…
31 US Presidents Have Served In the Military
Well over 50 percent of the men who’ve served as president of the United States have also seen service in the military – in war,…
More Than a Weekend Warrior – Guarding the Guard’s History
Ohio native Josh Mann, a Sergeant First Class in the state’s National Guard, comes by his passion for all things Army honestly. His father was…
A Hard Dose of Reality for North and South – 1st Battle of Bull Run
Merriment rang out in the streets of Washington on July 16, 1861 as Gen. Irvin McDowell’s army, 35,000 strong, marched out to begin the campaign…