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…
American Hero Turned Traitor – Benedict Arnold
In history, Benedict Arnold is a controversial American figure, and is popularly remembered for his treachery, both to his nation and–more personally–to George Washington. However,…
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…
Ancient Map Shifted the Balance of World Power
In the early 16th century, European nations sought out information collected and recorded on nautical maps. This made coastlines, harbors, and rivers into resources, and these…
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…
Badgers Unearth Medieval Anglo-Saxon Warrior Burial Site
A United States military veteran discovered the shallow grave of a sixth-century Saxon soldier at Salisbury Plain in England, not too far from Stonehenge. Buried with…
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…