Experimental Accouterment: Colonel Mann’s Forgotten Innovation
By Frederick C. Gaede and Paul D. Johnson During the Civil War, thousands of soldiers suffered from debilitating injuries not caused by enemy fire, but by their own equipment. The
Recent Stories
“I Set Forth in the December Twilight”
By Melissa A. Winn Long before Little Women became a beloved classic, Louisa May Alcott emerged as a young woman of principle and passion, shaped by poverty, reformist ideals, and
Triplets? Third Cousins? Thoughts on Three Similar Camp Scene Backdrops
By Buck Zaidel, with images from the author’s collection As a collector of Connecticut Civil War images, I am well aware of the artistic painted canvas camp scene backdrop seen
“Better Men Were Never Better Led”
By Scott Valentine Many a Northern man did not answer the call to join the Union army in 1861. One of them, Samuel Augustus Duncan, continued teaching students at Dartmouth
Civil War Portraits: Union and Confederate Soldiers, a Sailor, and an Indiana Quartermaster at Point Lookout
Western campaigners, one wearing an identification badge and another with a cigar, posed in Kentucky towards the war’s end. A U.S. sailor of Asian heritage posed for his likeness in
Ready for His First Fight
Armed with a Bowie knife in one hand and single-shot pistol hanging from a holster on his hip, this Southron wears a crisp wool jacket and shows off his tinware:
Summer 2025 Issue Highlights
Cover stories surface in different ways. When the reveal themselves, it is unexpected and joyful. The image and story that leads are Summer 2025 issue is no exception. I was
The Enduring Emotional Power of Civil War Portrait Photographs
I’ve heard from a number of you about the cover story in our last issue, “Wounded Warriors.” The gist of the comments: Seeing soldiers and sailors with amputated limbs brought
How Many Miles Did Army of the Potomac Regiments March to Gettysburg?
During the three-week lead-up to the Battle of Gettysburg, the Army of the Potomac made a sustained series of forced marches with only occasional breaks as they raced from various
New Books: Catholic Chaplains, Weather Gods
Priests Who Delivered Faith and Hope Attendees at recent Civil War collector shows may have encountered an enthusiastic, engaging man dressed in the clothing of a Civil War chaplain. Within