The American Civil War (1861-1865)

The sesquicentennial is upon us. We need to talk more about the Civil War.

Civil War Philly Sesquicentennial Parade and Review (April 16, 2011)

by Scott Manning April 18, 2011

On April 16, 2011, a series of groups put together the Civil War Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Parade and Review. The event was meant to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Philadelphia’s answering of President Lincoln’s call for volunteers to put down the rebellion in the South after the surrender of Fort Sumter. There were marching bands, [...]

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Philly Mayor Nutter’s Civil War Speech (April 16, 2011)

by Scott Manning April 17, 2011

The following is a video and transcript of Mayor Michael Nutter’s Speech at the Civil War Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Parade and Review on April 16, 2011. He gave this speech to a group re-enactors and onlookers in front of The Union League building on Broad Street. I apologize for the shaky camera and poor sound quality [...]

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Battlefield Tip: Customize Your Maps

by Scott Manning April 13, 2011

Those I drag to battlefields will recall my continuous map checks, which start off with me yelling “Map Check!” each time we get out of the car. I unfold my Trailhead Graphics map and throw it on the hood. From there, I talk about where we were, where we are, and what happened on the [...]

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Keegan on McPherson; McPherson on Keegan

by Scott Manning March 30, 2011

British military historian John Keegan and Civil War historian James McPherson are two very prolific writers who may not be tied at the hip, but certainly overlap in some arenas. Back in 1995, Keegan, like others, heaped praise upon McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom: Not until 1988 did an American historian, James McPherson, succeed in [...]

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Battlefield Tip: Bring Photos

by Scott Manning March 15, 2011

Last summer, I needed an extra set of visuals for friends, as I dragged them to Gettysburg, mentioned 20 different names they never heard before, and then spent the rest of the trip reminding them why each name was important. Civil War enthusiasts tend to know many of the generals down to the corps level, [...]

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You Find Graves of Colored Troops in the Darndest Places

by Scott Manning March 4, 2011

Last November, my wife and I toured the Chalmette Battlefield outside of New Orleans. To the east of the battlefield is the Chalmette National Cemetery. Established in 1864, the bodies of 15,000 troops from the American Revolution to the Vietnam War rest there. Nearly half of these remain unknown. The site is typical of most [...]

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Great Civil War Map? Or Greatest Civil War Map?

by Scott Manning March 3, 2011

A few years ago, I came into possession of National Geographic’s Battles of the Civil War Wall Map. For trying to encapsulate the campaigns of the entire war on a 36″ x 23″ canvas, it does an amazing job. Dots cover the map, helping to provide some concept of how the battles were numerous and [...]

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Book Review: These Honored Dead: How The Story Of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory

by Scott Manning February 25, 2011

Desjardin, Thomas A. These Honored Dead: How The Story Of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory. New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. 288 pages. Thomas A. Desjardin’s These Honored Dead is a decent introduction to some of the popular myths that have spawned and lingered from Gettysburg since the battle occurred. The popularized version of Gettysburg from [...]

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Busted Grant-Lee Casualties Chart in Civil War Times

by Scott Manning February 23, 2011

Bonekemper III, Edward H. “The Butcher’s Bill.” Civil War Times L, no. 2 (April 2011): 36-43. In the latest Civil War Times, Edward H. Bonekemper III presents compelling argument about how Lee, not Grant, deserves nickname “butcher.” Putting the argument aside, Bonekemper’s figures are wrong. This is probably due to poor editing, but it is [...]

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The Confederacy Lost the Civil War? A Canadian Perspective

by Scott Manning February 22, 2011

During one of my seven trips to Gettysburg last year, I had the pleasure of taking a coworker and his Canadian girlfriend. During the two and half hour drive to the battlefield, I took the opportunity to probe what they knew about the war, its causes, and the Gettysburg campaign. I started with the Canadian [...]

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