“Pass Those Colors Over to Me”
There came a moment during the fight at Five Forks when federal Sgt. Robert Shipley ran across a rebel color bearer from the 9th Virginia Infantry. The Confederate, with banner
Recent Stories
Civil War Daguerreotypes: Last of photography’s celebrated first format
By Ronald S. Coddington This portrait of a Confederate soldier sits squarely between two unique periods in history. On one side, his likeness recalls the whirlwind of patriotic fervor following
Fateful Final Lesson: A schoolteacher-soldier’s journey to Andersonville
By Earvin Lee Joyner, Jr. The peaceful, serene landscape of the National Cemetery at Andersonville belies the suffering that occurred there some 150 years ago. Visitors to the Georgia site
“The Parents of 5 ‘Ragged’ Rebs”
When Kentuckians Elizabeth Taylor Nelson and John Rowzee Green married in 1839, they could never have imagined that five of their 13 children would become Confederate soldiers. They included 1st
Taxing the Sun: The revolution to repeal and replace the stamp act on photos
By Richard Leisenring Jr. When hostilities commenced in 1861, the U.S. government believed it would be a short decisive war. But by the end of the year, and with debt
The Linns of Lookout: The enterprising brothers behind a legendary photograph gallery
By Dr. Anthony Hodges As the initial rays of sunlight on the morning of Nov. 25, 1863, broke over the mountains east of Chattanooga, nearly everyone around the Tennessee city,
The Great American Civil War Cigar Gallery
Two young patriots, one wearing a military cap and the other with a Union pin attached to the placket of his shirt, enjoy fine cigars with red-tinted ash. Inscriptions in
Antietam Album
Introduced by John Banks On nearly every step upon a Civil War battlefield, history, tragedy and spirits tug hard on the imagination. But perhaps none more so than at Antietam.
Overworked, Undermanned and Indispensable: Hospital stewards in the Civil War
By William T. Campbell, Ed.D, RN A range of medical staff and support workers performed a critical function on both sides of the American Civil War, servicing general hospitals and
Rescuing Joe Parsons: A researcher’s unexpected journey to connect a face to a mythic tale
By Alison Renner Had I been there, Aug. 8, 1861, the day Joseph Parsons joined the Union army, I might have bartered for his place. I might’ve pleaded with him