Shrouded Veterans – Remembering the People of the Past

In my studies, I have the amazing opportunity to learn about extraordinary efforts and projects carried out by other historians. Whether that project is writing a book, preserving a battlefield, or creating more awareness about our country's past, I enjoy seeing their progress and rooting for them on the sidelines. One such project has become…

The Humor in Hell – Bloody Angle, May 12th 1864

“War is hell”, as William Tecumseh Sherman so poignantly put it. This battle series about the Battle of Spotsylvania illustrated that so well. Though there were worse battles before it (Antietam and Gettysburg), the fighting at the Bloody Angle left an undeniable impression on the survivors. Studying history is not for the faint hearted. Especially…

“Infernal Engines of War” – Spotsylvania, May 9th, 1864

On the night of May 8th, 1864, the Army of the Potomac and Army of Northern Virginia found themselves once more in a stalemate. Union General Gouverneur Warren’s V Corps and General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps bloodied themselves against the unified forces of Confederate General Richard Anderson, the new commander of the First Corps, and…

Longstreet’s Wounding – Wilderness May 6th 1864

In the afternoon of May 6th, 1864, James Longstreet of the First Corps had launched a devastating flanking maneuver upon the Federal left from an unfinished railroad cut in the Wilderness. Led by one of his staff officers, four Confederate brigades poured into Winfield Scott Hancock’s II Corps and forced them back to their earthworks…

White Haven – U.S. Grant’s Home in Illinois

Since we're about to talk about how one of the most famous Civil War Union generals completely upended the eastern theater in 1864, I thought it'd be prudent to share a live video broadcast from earlier in March. In light of the Corona virus, many national parks and museums made efforts to bring history education…

Lincoln Asks for Grant

While I don't know what movie or documentary this is from, I like it. Though it's highly dramatized, it does hold a few poignant quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant. As we begin to dive into the Battle of the Wilderness and the Overland Campaign, I thought it'd be nice to share this before…

From Clerk to Colonel – The Nelson Miles Story

Call it odd, but whenever I read about Civil War battles and come across a peculiar case where a soldier, officer, or civilian was supposed to die from a fatal wound and then lived, I tend to pay a little closer attention to that human interest story. One such case comes from a Union colonel…

“The Last Meeting” – Jackson and Lee Immortalized in Art

Perhaps one of the most famous paintings of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson is one that is about 50% historically inaccurate, but 100% inspiring to most historians and Southerners. Of course, I’m referring to the masterpiece titled “The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson”. Painted by Everett B. D. Julio in 1869, it was originally titled “The…

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson – The Man and Myth

I would be remiss if I chose to talk about the battle of Chancellorsville without some spotlight shined on one of the most pivotal moments of Civil War history. Of course, I’m referring to the wounding of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Whatever your opinions of Stonewall may be, any historian cannot deny that his wounding…

Ambrose Burnside and the Mud March

Morale was not looking good for the Union Army in the winter of 1862/83. Burnside’s failed attempt to cross the Rappahannock and the disaster upon Maryes Heights gave little hope to the folks back home – and in Washington. Even though Burnside’s debacle had nearly destroyed his reputation as a capable leader, he wanted to…