Memory Grafters and Monuments That Matter
Francis Wadhams Davenport, dressed in an off-the-shoulder dress and with hands crossed, stares directly into the camera in a circa 1860 tintype. Her husband, George, sits next to her, his
Recent Stories
The Well-Dressed Militiaman: More than a ‘Shirt-collar and a pair of Spurs’
The first interest in determining the accurate appearance of historic uniforms may have occurred in the 1850s.* In that decade, a historian attempted to debunk the notion that militia companies
For Life and Lone Star Honor: A Texan at Gettysburg
By Miranda Dean Along the rocky slopes west of Gettysburg, Benjamin Asbury Campbell drew his last breathe on July 3, 1863. The 21-year-old Texan, a dashing figure with cascading, honey-blond
Always a Collector: Images from the Mike Werner Collection
If you have walked the aisles of any of the major Civil War shows over the years, chances are you’ve passed Mike Werner and his wife, Yvonne. Werner, a fourth
Sons of Virginia
An estimated 155,000 Virginia men served in the Confederate army, a remarkable 89 percent of eligible volunteers. Here are some of their portraits and personal narratives. Teenaged Trooper According to
Drink Up, Pard!
These Virginia heavy artillerymen attack a bottle of wine, as evidenced by the two generously filled drinking glasses. Theories for exactly what they celebrated abound: The Confederacy, joining the army,
Merrill Carbine Leads to a Soldier’s Identification
By Kurt Luther In this edition of Photo Sleuth, we present another of our most compelling reader-submitted stories. This submission comes from Frederick Gaede. An author of countless articles for
Scouling Brows, Old Abe’s Gardin and Mr. Big Gun
By Daniel R. Glenn The men of the 14th New York Infantry lay on the ground near Gaines’ Mill, Va., on June 27, 1862, unsure of what to expect. Suddenly,
The Uniform That Demoralized a Regiment
This Brooklynite in the 14th Regiment, New York State Militia, is dressed in a newly designed uniform that had unexpected consequences. A brigade inspector reported on Oct. 18, 1858: “This
Backbone and Lifeblood, or Reflections on Our 200th Issue
On a brutally cold winter’s day this past December, I traipsed the battlefield of Ball’s Bluff for the first time. As I trekked down the trail along the edge of