Illinois Faces of the Civil War
Introduced by Austin Sundstrom and featuring portraits from the image collecting community Illinois is often overlooked when it comes to contributions during the Civil War. The state possessed two important
Category: 2022 Autumn
Birthplace of the American Zouave: How Elmer Ellsworth spread Zouave mania through Illinois and the rest of America
By Ron Field During the summer of 1860, the United States Zouave Cadets toured 19 major cities and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Led by law student Elmer
Beddo’s Bravery: A profile in courage of an 11th Illinois Infantry volunteer at Shiloh
By Ronald S. Coddington, featuring artifacts from the Paul Denver Collection Eighty infantrymen blackened with gunsmoke and dirt, soaked in sweat and spattered with blood huddled at Shiloh on Sunday
Hannibal’s Freedom: A man enslaved in South Carolina and Illinois’ First Scotch Regiment
By Ronald S. Coddington The war came to Camden on a winter’s day in 1865. For weeks, The Camden Confederate and other South Carolina newspapers reported the steady advance of
Women Photographers of Illinois
By Henry A. Pomerantz The Civil War ushered in an extraordinary boom for photographers. These entrepreneurial artists utilized their unique skills to capitalize on business opportunities presented by the rapid
Q&A with Will Eichler: Getting a History Fix Behind and In Front of the Camera
Will Eichler approaches his work in the film industry with a keen eye and steady hand, and driven by a passion for storytelling. Before he embarked on a career that
The Dimick Rifle and “the Regiment of the West”
By Ronald S. Coddington Americans followed the sport of target shooting with rapt attention in the 19th century. One of the most memorable matches occurred in Covington, Ky., in April
The Cavalry and Cannon Backdrop
By Adam Ochs Fleischer In this installment, we move to the Western Theater of the war to examine a backdrop used at Camp Hendershott in Davenport, Iowa, and likely in
Running Away to Join the Magnificent Eleventh
By Scott Valentine Charles Augustus Oliver ran away from home to join the army in the summer of 1862. The 17-year-old son of a patriotic New Jersey family slipped away
Unidentified Civil War Soldiers from Virginia, Mississippi and New York
The Virginia seal on the belt buckle of this soldier leaves no doubt about his state affiliation. The blade of his sword appears to be a Model 1840-foot officer type.