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The 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
In the long and bloody narrative of the American Civil War, countless regiments gave everything for their cause. But few are remembered as fondly, or as fiercely, as the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, a regiment distinguished by its discipline, its combat...
Vivandieres: Women on the Front Lines of the Civil War
When people study the American Civil War, they often focus on soldiers, generals, and major battles. This focus leaves out a group of individuals who played a direct and practical role in army life. Among them were the vivandieres, women who lived and worked with...
Necco Wafers: A Sweet Connection to Civil War History
Have you ever wondered how a simple candy can be tied to history? Recently, my daughter surprised me with a pack of NECCO wafers, and it got me thinking about their fascinating past, including their connection to the Civil War! In 1847, English immigrant Oliver Chase...
The 54th Massachusetts Monument
Honoring Heroes: The 54th Massachusetts and the Monument That Tells Their Story If you ever visit Boston, you might see a beautiful bronze monument right across from the Massachusetts State House. It shows rows of determined soldiers marching off to war, led by a...
Celebrating Juneteenth: Teaching Freedom Through History and Primary Sources
Today, June 19th, marks a profound and pivotal moment in American history: Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, U.S. Army Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, marking the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and...
The Death of Elmer Ellsworth
The Death of Elmer Ellsworth: A Union Martyr and the First Casualty on Virginia Soil On This Day – May 24, 1861 In the early days of the Civil War, long before the nation had fully grasped the scale of the conflict to come, the death of one young Union officer sent...
Thanksgiving at a Civil War Hospital
Thanksgiving during the Civil War wasn’t the extravagant feast we know today. But in 1864, even soldiers recovering in hospitals like Jarvis General in Baltimore experienced the comfort of a holiday meal. The Jarvis U.S. General Hospital was a military hospital...
The Death of Stonewall Jackson
On May 10, 1863, the 39-year-old Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, one of the South's most fearless generals, passes away from pneumonia, one week after he was unintentionally shot by his own troops during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. Jackson frightened...