The Georgian 450 – Holding Off 12 Thousand Men at Antietam Under the Brash General Robert Toombs
Impossible Odds The ability of 450 resolute Georgians to stave off 12,500 Federals, preventing them from crossing Antietam Creek for several crucial hours, has to…
Aggressive Tactics at 2nd Bull Run Led to Pope’s Defeat
In late August 1862, thirteen months after the first Battle of Bull Run, the Union army was poised for a rematch against the Confederates in…
1st Texas At Antietam – 80% Losses and Their Unique Flag on America’s Costliest Day
This is the first in a series of posts, as guest blogger Justin Martin counts down to the September 17 anniversary of Antietam, still America’s…
Fierce and Colorful – Zouave Regiments in the Civil War
The Zouaves originally came as part of the French Army linked to French North Africa, which served between 1830 and 1962. Their uniform and tactics…
The Stonewall Brigade: More Than the Man
The Confederate left flank was on the verge of complete collapse at the First Battle of Manassas, and General Barnard Bee was struggling to instill…
Claiming Deseret: The Utah War
Throughout the nineteenth century the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons, struggled to find a home for themselves. Eventually,…
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…