Dark Memories After Antietam
By Scott Valentine “Soldier’s Heart” was one term used in the 19th century to describe a mental health condition known today as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Other terms were
Tag: union
At Stones River, A Sword Lost and Found
By Ronald S. Coddington In the maelstrom of fighting at Stones River on the last day of 1862, dense clouds of gun smoke hung like a pall over the bloody
Hat Stand
A bearded Union infantryman with a furrowed brow uses the bayonet of his Prussian Model 1809 Potsdam musket as a convenient hat stand. Three letters attached to the flat part
Courage at New Market Heights
Brave. Aggressive. Fearless. Uncompromising. A writer once used these words to describe Milton Holland – leadership qualities that came into play when he and his regiment, the 5th U.S. Colored
Love Found and Lost
By Kevin D. Canberg In 1861, happenstance brought together young Carrie Deppen and her soldier love, George W. Ladd. And, 154 years later, a chance discovery has reunited them. On
Armed to the Teeth? The Use of Prop Weapons in Civil War Studio Photography
By Katelyn Brown Few people would dispute the accepted fact that battlefield photographers of the Civil War sometimes included props—even human beings—in their photographs. Alexander Gardner famously moved corpses in
Following the Torn and Bloodstained Colors: John Michener’s Civil War Odyssey
By Dan Clendaniel When he enlisted into the Union army, Lt. John E. Michener could not have imagined that his first armed encounter would occur in his Pennsylvania hometown.
Hagerstown’s Durable Man: A Marylander’s half century of military service spanned four wars
By Stephen R. Bockmiller Few veterans are known to have served in any uniformed role in the Civil War and World War I. Among this limited cadre is George Leonard
Mistaken Identity? Early Use of Photographic Evidence in Two Court-Martial Case for Desertion
By Elena Colón-Marrero State identification cards did not exist in 19th-century America. As a consequence, proving a person’s identity could require creativity and innovation. Two court-martial cases that arose at
“I Had Rather Die With the Boys Than Live With the Rebs”
Amidst the roar of battle at Trevilian Station, Va., on June 11, 1864, 1st Lt. Noble Delance Preston lay in a plowed field bleeding profusely. Only seconds earlier, he and