Confederate territory included areas of the Five Civilized Tribes of Native Americans. Tribal members joined the conflict. The Cherokee Mounted rifles fought out west, ultimately coming under the command of one of their own, Stand Watie (shown here). Watie’s birth name was Tak-er-taw-ker, meaning “Stands Firm.” He combined parts of his own Cherokee name with that […]
Cherokee Confederate Soldiers Read Post »
Above you can see Thomas Bates of the 6th Texas Infantry, holding a Bowie knife and revolver. Texans played a key role at Antietam on September 17th, 1862: the bloodiest single day in American military history. The morning thundered as the armies of Robert E. Lee and McClellan clashed, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Fights raged back
Antietam: Bloodiest Day in American Military History Read Post »
It may be of interest to read words from letters written home by Confederate soldiers during Christmas. The first is a letter by Henry Kyd Douglas, who was being held at Johnson’s Island Prison in Ohio. Henry had been with Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg, where he was injured and the captured. In a Christmas 1863
Civil War Confederate Christmas Letters Read Post »
Private Valerius Giles had picket duty on Christmas day, 1861. A member of the 4th Texas Regiment, Giles “had a splendid view of the river for two or three miles in each direction.” Across the river was a Union brigade from New York. The day was bitterly cold, with snow “gently and silently falling, deepening
A Christmas Visitation to a Confederate Sentinel Read Post »
It was the winter of 1862, and the little Virginia town of Warrenton – a village, really – was in the hands of the Yankees. But the people of Warrenton were trying to make the best of it as Christmas approached. One of the women living there was the wife of a Confederate General. He was
A Confederate Christmas Present Story Read Post »
If you have been following this search then you know that in Part II the evidence began to point to a lone star on a blue field as being the Confederate flag of Alabama at secession. In this final segment we will see what this flag actually looked like. The turbulent times of 1860-1861 called
Alabama’s Confederate Flag: Part III Read Post »
The general wisdom among scholars is that Alabama did not have an official state flag during the Civil War. Consequently, modern authorities simply don’t recognize the people of Alabama as having had a flag symbolizing their state. Insert the sound of my sigh here. It is hard to imagine a fiercely independent and proud
Search for Alabama’s Civil War Flag: Part I Read Post »
Confederate batteries opened fire. The first shots missed their target, but gunners soon established the range and shells began bursting on the ramparts of Fort Sumter. Soon the stronghold was ringed with fire and smoke, geysers of stone, brick and mortar flying skyward. This was the scene in Charleston harbor in the early hours of
Civil War Flags of Fort Sumter Read Post »
It was 4:30 in the afternoon of July 2nd, 1863. General Hood shouted, “Fix bayonets, my brave Texans. Forward and take those heights.” This was the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and Hood’s Texas Brigade was part of a large Confederate attack. Lt. Colonel Work, of Hood’s 1st Texas Regiment, pointed to his
Devil’s Den and the Texas Scout Read Post »
When we hear “Color Guard” today, we think of ceremonies, not battle. True, a color guard is today responsible for a unit’s colors, their flag. They care for it and ensure its proper display. In that sense the word “guard” still applies. But in the Civil War, guarding the flag meant a lot more. These
Color Guard of the Southern Cross: The Men Who Carried the Confederate Battle Flag Read Post »
