Terror
A Ku Klux member, disguised to conceal his identity and intimidate citizens, stands against a backdrop painting of a tranquil scene. The gun he carries adds to his menacing look.
Recent Stories
Divided Maryland: Portraits and personal stories from the Jonathan Beasley Collection
60,000 Fought for the Union. President Abraham Lincoln celebrated Maryland’s adherence to the United States in his December 1861 Annual Message to Congress. Referencing pro-secession riots in Baltimore and other
King’s Knight to King 7: Investigating connections between Confederate agent Caleb Huse, President Jefferson Davis and the Ames Company
By Ron Maness, featuring images from the author’s collection During a chess match, moving a knight to confront the opposing king in its initial position (King 8) can result in
Origins of Invalid Detachments and Invalid Corps: A series of War Department general orders trace the evolution of the Invalid Corps, March-June 1863
By Bret Schweinfurth, with images and documents from the author’s collection “We have nothing to do,” Richard H. Thornton wrote home to his folks in early 1863 from McDougall Hospital at
Brooklyn Honors the Boys In Blue: A history of the Brooklyn Service Medal
By Richard Leisenring Jr., with images and artifacts from the author’s collection With the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army in April 1865, many Union volunteers from Brooklyn, N.Y,
For the Sporting Man: A concise history of mail order erotica in the Civil War
By Elizabeth A. Topping, with images and ephemera from the author’s collection Mail call never failed to break the monotony of camp life and stirred anticipation among men and officers
Uniform of the First Light Infantry of Providence
By Ron Field The expense of full dress and fatigue uniforms required by many antebellum militia companies largely limited their membership to men from the upper classes of American society.
The Caribbean Plantation Backdrop
By Adam Ochs Fleischer The backdrop featured in this installment is noteworthy because the content of the scene is compelling and subject to interpretation. Usually, backdrops of the era are
“Daughter of the Regiment”
By Melissa A. Winn While 19th century social conventions constrained many American women to the homefront or hospitals during the Civil War, French immigrant Marie Tepe would not be obliged.
Wounded at Fort Wagner, Death after Bermuda Hundred
About half an hour after the 54th Massachusetts Infantry and the rest of Brig. Gen. George Strong’s Brigade charged Fort Wagner, another Union brigade joined the offense. Commanded by Col.