A strange sort of nostalgia for the Civil War sprang up almost as soon as the war was over. Traveling circuses and other attractions began displaying artifacts associated with the war almost immediately; however, these public displays were only a part of the nation’s desire to memorialize the war. The Victorian tendency towards [...]

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Mark Twain
Statistics are notoriously unreliable, and in no instance are statistics more unreliable than those that exist about the Civil War. Historians often quibble about statistics that exist regarding the Civil War, and it’s no wonder – while records were kept during the [...]

The American Civil War changed almost every aspect of life for both soldiers and civilians. Both Union and Confederate states experienced inflation and shortages of goods. The way that people paid for items changed, as well.
One of the first effects of the war that civilians both North and South felt was the absence [...]

As one of if not the most important event in American history, the Civil War has inspired its share of art and literature; from paintings to songs, the Civil War has been captured in every artistic form.
Novels about the Civil War have proven to be some of the most popular in American fiction. A [...]

During the Civil War, awarding medals to soldiers who had distinguished themselves in service to their country was a practice of both the U.S. government and the Confederate government.
The Congressional Medal of Honor was established during the Civil War by order of President Abraham Lincoln, who signed into law on July 12, 1862 a measure [...]

The battle of Gettysburg began not on July 1, 1863, but in May of 1863. Gettysburg was the culmination of General Robert E. Lee’s campaign to take Pennsylvania, a crushing blow to the Union, but it was a campaign that not only failed, but also nearly destroyed Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia.
Confederate [...]

Poetry flourished as one of the arts during the 19th century, particularly during the sentimental Victorian era. Newspapers and magazines dedicated hundreds of inches of space - sometimes in one issue - to poetry. While some of these poems were written by authors who are still well known today, such as Henry Wadsworth [...]

Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis would seem to have little in common; one a self-made man if there ever was one, the other a son of privilege, one a staunch supporter of slavery, the other a vocal opponent of slavery.
Yet Lincoln and Davis had similarities and commonalities, some insignificant, some notable, and some ultimately [...]

It was a thinly veiled deception during the winter of secession in 1861 that the Southern states who were leaving the Union were leaving to protect states’ rights. The truth, which everyone knew, was that slavery was the reason - the South was determined to protect the institution at all costs.
While the election of [...]

Civil war makes for interesting bedfellows. With warring factions often former friends, colleagues neighbors, or both, the potential for spying is increased dramatically.
During the Civil War era in the U.S., spying was rampant, and it was no wonder; important cities like Washington D.C., not to mention border states like Kentucky, Missouri, and [...]