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July 1-3, 1863 The Battle of Gettysburg was 1 of the bloodiest battles in all of the Civil War.  Here are some interesting things to know about the Commander General Lee and the Headquarters… #1: During the Battle of Gettysburg, both Union & Confederate Commanders made their headquarters at the homes of widows. Gen. George […]

  Which flags have Confederate history in them? And which state flags are up for attack next?    When the Arkansas flag was adopted in 1913 it had three stars in the center, representing the countries to which it belonged before statehood. In 1923, a fourth star was added to symbolize that Arkansas had been

Union General Garrard’s cavalry had occupied Roswell, Georgia.   The tiny town had two cotton mills that manufactured sheets, canvas and rope. But they also made grey-colored cloth used for Confederate uniforms.   The men off to war, women and young girls were doing the mill work.   A Frenchman had temporary ownership of one

“When you charge, yell like furies!”   That’s the order Stonewall Jackson gave his men at the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run to the Yankees out there).   Many a Federal learned to dread that sound. Shouting during a charge was as old as war, but the Southern Boys in Gray created their own

Sherman was confident of a quick and easy victory. He had forced General Hood back, at the Battle of Kolb’s Farm north of Atlanta.   The Union General was only a couple of dozen miles from Atlanta, sure that the Rebels were now stretched too thin to resist him.   At eight in the morning

If you are a regular reader you know I like history as seen through the eyes of the men who lived it.   David Johnston was 15 when Virginia’s debate on secession began. But he was 16 and a Confederate soldier when the first shots were fired on Virginia soil. You can see him in

Major John Harman (above) was described as a “man of strong convictions and uncompromising in his beliefs, caring little for the opinion of others.”   A good summary, but I would add he was short-tempered and his language turned the air blue.   Harman had been many things before the Civil War: butcher, farmer, and

It happened just south of Nashville, right in the middle of Tennessee. The Rebels called it the Second Battle of Murfreesboro. The Federals called it the Battle of Stones River.   (The Union Army frequently named battles after rivers and creeks that played a role in the fighting. Confederates generally used the names of nearby

  Late Spring 1864: Grant wanted to take the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.  He had been trying to slip around the Rebels, but the wily Lee kept blocking him.   Now Grant made a wide swing to flank the Rebels and seize Cold Harbor.   Not a real town, Cold Harbor was just an