The American Civil War ended not with a bang, or a whimper, but with something in between. It was not a decisive battle, a Waterloo, as such, that drew the war to a close, but rather the culmination of defeats that brought the weakened Confederacy to its knees, making it impossible to continue either [...]

The name “Kentucky” comes from the Cherokee – it means “dark and bloody ground.” At no time in the state’s history was this name more apt than during the Civil War. A hotly contested border state, Kentucky’s ground was dark and bloody indeed from military battles and skirmishes that took place throughout the [...]

The Civil War was the defining moment in the lives of most Americans who lived during that era. The influence of that period in their lives influenced the remaining years of their lives.
It is no wonder then, that many of those who lived through the war collected their stories, reminisces, and other anecdotes into [...]

Infantry regiments were the first line of defense on the Civil War battlefield for most of the war. Although modern military weapons and tactics – such as repeating rifles and trench warfare – that lessened the reliance on infantry regiments grew in importance toward the end of the war, infantry men, who fought on [...]

The Civil War began in South Carolina. As the first state to vote to secede from the Union, South Carolina in effect set off the chain of events that led to the Civil War. It was only fitting then, that the first and last major actions of the Civil War would happen in [...]

North Carolina’s secession from the Union was reluctant at best. While the state had overwhelmingly supported pro-slavery candidates in elections leading up to the secession crisis, when it came to the matter of seceding from the Union, North Carolina hedged, not leaving the Union until after Virginia, the bellweather state for much of the [...]

One of the most recognizable components of the Civil War soldier’s uniform to the modern observer is the hat; whether it’s the tall, brimmed hat associated with officers, the slouch cap of the private, or the exotic fez associated with the Zouave regiments, the hats worn by those who fought in the Civil War are [...]

No one was shocked when the nascent Confederate States of America made the decision to locate their capitol in Richmond, Virginia. Virginia’s storied history gave her an importance both to the Union and to the Confederacy; as far as the South was concerned, Virginia was the figurehead of the South, and thusly it was [...]

One of the most recognizable names of the American Civil War, the Battle of Bull Run was one of the first major battles of the Civil War. However, there were actually two battles of Bull Run; the first took place in 1861, the second in 1862.
The first Battle of Bull Run was fought on [...]

What’s the difference between an admiral and a general? What’s the difference between an enlisted and a commissioned officer? If you’ve ever found yourself confused when military rank when reading about the Civil War, then you are not alone – the intricacies of military rank, especially as they apply to as many different [...]