Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson is one of the most famous military men in history. He came from tough stock. His great-grandfather was born in England, but fought against the British in the American Revolution. Jackson graduated from West Point in 1846, was a hero in the Mexican American War, and taught at the Virginia

The legendary Terry’s Texas Rangers is named for the man who formed the unit, Benjamin Franklin Terry. The group’s official name was the 8th Texas Cavalry.  Every man who joined had to bring a shotgun or rifle, Colt revolver, and a Bowie knife (this was Texas, after all). They pinned a five-pointed star, the one

The Federals from the start of the Civil War wanted to defeat the Confederacy by blocking access to southern ports for supplies and exporting cotton for revenue. In response, the Confederacy began building a fleet of ships “clothed in iron panels” to make them resistant to enemy cannon fire. These “ ironclads”, also armed with

Most of the Civil War battles happened in states other than Florida. Of the 16,000 Floridians who fought, all but about 2,000 joined the Confederate ranks. Those who didn’t want to fight for either side, hid out in the woods and swamps to avoid being drafted. Nearly 5,000 Floridian soldiers were killed during the war.

After secession the new Confederate States of America had to build an identity all its own. A symbol of secession, the Bonnie Blue Flag, pictured above, was the first but unofficial flag of the CSA. It was also time to reject the national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” and other songs like “Hail Columbia,” and

The Rebel Yell – What did it sound like? It’s been over 150 years since the Civil War ended, and the Rebel Yell is always a curious topic of conversation. No one really knows what it sounded like, since there are no audio recordings of actual battles. But it’s the stuff legends are made of,

Jesse James was one of America’s most notorious outlaws. He hailed from the rough and tumble state of Missouri, the twelfth state to join the Confederacy. The region he came from was known as little Dixie because Southerners had settled there. You could say that Jesse’s role model for some of his behavior may have

There was one day of battle during the Civil War that stands out at the bloodiest day of all. It happened on September 7, 1862. The North called it the Battle of Antietum, the South called it  it the Battle of Sharpsburg. The Texans had just been through months of fierce fighting at Seven Pines,