The Civil War Monitor

18/07/2025

in 1863, Union troops, headed by the African-American 54th MA, attacked Fort Wagner, SC. While the assault failed, the men of the 54th were subsequently praised for their valor. View images that help tell the story of the engagement here: http://bit.ly/3WrgVyX.

Discover the story of the 54th Massachusetts at Fort Wagner, a pivotal moment in the acceptance of black troops during the Civil War.

17/07/2025

"The Pathfinder and the President: John C. Frémont, Abraham Lincoln, and the Battle for Emancipation" by John Bicknell "employs a wide cast of characters...to offer a fresh narrative on a familiar topic," writes Christopher Phillips. Read more here:

A detailed review of "The Pathfinder and the President: John C. Frémont, Abraham Lincoln, and the Battle for Emancipation" by John Bicknell.

16/07/2025

Confederate envoy John Slidell met with French emperor Napoleon III in 1862 to discuss potential foreign aid and recognition of the Confederacy. Napoleon III ultimately declined, in part citing the potential for a war with the United States.

15/07/2025

In the latest episode of our podcast "Civil War Curious," Court Carney discusses why Nathan Bedford Forrest wasn't held accountable for the massacre of black soldiers at the Battle of Fort Pillow. Sponsored by American Battlefield Trust & Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - National Organization. Listen here: https://www.civilwarmonitor.com/podcast/episode-6-forrest-and-fort-pillow/

14/07/2025

Fighting at Tupelo, MS, began in 1864 as Union forces succeeded in keeping Confederates—primarily those commanded by Nathan Bedford Forrest—from disrupting William T. Sherman’s TN supply train line during his ongoing push toward Atlanta.

13/07/2025

Riots in New York City broke out in 1863 in response to the enforcement of the new federal military draft in the city. We compiled contemporary illustrations of the unprecedented violence and its consequences. View them here:

Learns about the New York City draft riots that erupted in mid-July 1863 through illustrations published in various newspapers at the time.

09/07/2025

“1861: The Lost Peace” by Jay Winik “comes across as a pronouncement, ex cathedra, rather than a persuasive narrative,” writes Daniel W. Crofts. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/46132g7

A review of Jay Winik's "1861: The Lost Peace," a study of the interval between the 1860 presidential election and the start of the Civil War.

08/07/2025

In the latest episode of our podcast “Civil War Curious,” historian Eric Michael Burke answers questions about Civil War soldiers and the weapons they used. Sponsored by our friends at American Battlefield Trust. Listen here: https://www.civilwarmonitor.com/podcast/episode-5-soldiering-and-weaponry/

07/07/2025

In our latest digital history column, Scott Hippensteel offers a science-based examination of claims that dead bodies carpeted the ground and bullets flew thick as hail on Civil War battlefields. Read it here:

A science-based examination of claims that dead bodies carpeted the ground and bullets flew thick as hail on Civil War battlefields.

04/07/2025

Happy ! Shown here: The 4th Minnesota Infantry is depicted entering Vicksburg, the strategically vital city on the Mississippi River that fell to Union forces in 1863, in a painting by Francis Millet.

03/07/2025

The Battle of Gettysburg concluded 162 years ago. Some years later, artist Edwin Forbes, who had been present to sketch the epic engagement as it unfolded, produced a number of oil paintings based on his wartime work. Shown here is his depiction of the fighting for Culp’s Hill on the morning of July 3, 1863. View more of Forbes’ Gettysburg paintings here: civilwarmonitor.com/gettysburg-in-color/

At the Battle of Gettysburg, artist Edwin Forbes was an eyewitness to history. Later, he created these watercolors based on the sketches he had made as the epic engagement unfolded.

02/07/2025

“Faith of the Fathers: The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War” by Robert J. Miller offers “an expansive overview of an overlooked topic,” writes Danny Brennan. Read more about it here:

A detailed review of "Faith of the Fathers: The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War" by Robert J. Miller.