“The Soul of Grant’s Cabinet is Gone”
General and Secretary of War John Aaron Rawlins lost his battle against consumption late in the afternoon of Sept. 6, 1869. His death struggle played out in a bed at
Tag: union army
Jenny the Drummer Boy
Drummer boy Johann Christoph Julius Langbein’s nickname “Jenny” traces back to his 1861 enlistment in the 9th New York Infantry, popularly known as Hawkins’ Zouaves. One writer noted that the
Back to Libby: In 1864, Capt. Matt Boyd successfully made the Great Escape from Libby Prison. In 1889, he returned to deal with his demons.
By Ronald S. Coddington, with images and artifacts from the Craig and Carol Wofford Collection Matt Boyd embodied the essence of a frontline commander. Whatever dangers his men faced, so
Forever Peace: A former Confederate gives a miniature of the Appomattox surrender table to Ulysses S. Grant
By Ronald S. Coddington Ulysses S. Grant arrived to a hero’s welcome in Philadelphia on Dec. 16, 1879. The retired general who had led the U.S. Army to victory in
The Military Backdrop of the Moore Brothers in Hartford, Conn.
By Adam Ochs Fleischer This column is the first to investigate a backdrop used in Connecticut during the Civil War. Despite its small size, the “Nutmegger” state made a significant
“I Wear My Own Clothes”
By Melissa A. Winn Dr. Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman who has ever received the Medal of Honor. With more than 3,500 awarded for acts of valor, it’s
In the Bowels of Hell at Antietam
By Scott Valentine When William Estes Hacker regained consciousness after a bullet knocked him off his feet at Antietam, he became aware of the appalling human carnage around him. The
Union Soldiers from Wisconsin, Connecticut and Elsewhere
The pressing need for volunteers to fill the depleted ranks of the Union army had not waned by the summer of 1864. In Milwaukee, recruiters organized Wisconsin’s 43rd infantry regiment
Three Confederate Prisoners at Gettysburg: Exploring a theory that they were nurses who signed the Oath of Allegiance
By Paul Russinoff The three Confederate prisoners immortalized by Mathew Brady’s team at Gettysburg in July 1863 stands among the most compelling, evocative images of the Civil War. Exactly who
Captured Freedom: Sleuthing an image of Union officers that escaped from prison and the guides who helped them to safety
By Steve Procko A text message from fellow Civil War enthusiast Sam Houston with a photograph of 12 ragged men appeared in the middle of our conversation about the chaotic
