Engineer’s Solution to Disaster: Dam the Red River, Full Speed Ahead
Joseph Bailey built bulwarks to trap water, then let loose the rising flood and saved the Union fleet
Manassas: How This Southern City Came To Be More Than a Battlefield
Destroyed in the war, isolated Virginia rail junction was rebuilt in a spirit of reconciliation
Swindling Sociopath: Alexander “Sandy” Keith
Alexander Keith, The unofficial “Confederate consul” in Nova Scotia, was a mass-murdering crook.
How the Civil War was Boom Time for the News Business
Changes in technology and lust for battle information led to the birth of modern American journalism.
Worthy Successor
Southerners were sure J.E.B. Stuart’s death was catastrophic. At Haw’s Shop, Wade Hampton rekindled their optimism
Pint-Sized Heroes
Young Civil War drummers weren’t there just for show. They played a vital role for both armies.
Hidden Heroes: Captain Sally
Life of wealth, privilege didn’t keep one ‘angel’ from giving all for the wounded
From the Crossroads: Prized Land
Making Gettysburg the shrine it is today required a true team effort, with the input of veterans from both sides
Conversation Piece: Military Honors
John A. Rawlins served as Ulysses S. Grant’s chief of staff throughout the war and Grant referred to him as his most “indispensable” officer.
A ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Discovery
A dusty attic chamber and dogged research yielded a remarkable relic—the long-lost sword carried by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw.
10 Questions: Flight and Fight
For many former slaves, the battle for freedom did not end with Union victory in the Civil War
Discord: A bitter feud between Generals John Gibbon and Joshua Owen
A bitter feud between Generals John Gibbon and Joshua Owen, opposites in every regard, roiled the Army of the Potomac during the war. One would pay a dear price.
Hidden Heroes: News on the Run J.R. McClanahan and ‘The Moving Appeal’
America’s history has been frequently marked by contentious relations between the government and the press.
Trailside: Freedom’s Harbor
The Civil War-era contributions of African Americans from Maryland’s coastline helped shape a new nation
‘My Soul Is Vexed Within Me So’
The rise and fall of Martin Delany, the U.S. Army’s visionary first black officer.
