U.S. Civil War

As we have seen, Chamberlain's account of the fighting on Little Round Top has some major flaws. Does this prove his critics right? Was Chamberlain nothing more than a self-made hero? The fourth and final article in our series has the answer.

Sep 18, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

With all the conflicting accounts of the fighting on Little Round Top, how can we know what really happened? In Part III of our series on Chamberlain, we attempt a reconstruction of the famous charge as it might have taken place.

Sep 4, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Chamberlain's account of the fighting on Little Round Top was at odds with those of other participants. In Part II of our series we look at the major areas of disagreement.

Aug 21, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

For more than a decade, few names from the Civil War have commanded as much attention, and respect, as that of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, vaunted commander of the 20th Maine on Little Round Top at Gettysburg. To many he is nothing less than a hero of legendary status. But there are those who believe that Chamberlain is little more than a fraud; a false hero of his own making. Are they right? Join us as we plunge in to this simmering controversy.

Aug 7, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

April 1861 had seen the beginning of the war, while the next three Aprils bore witness to numerous memorable events. Perhaps it was only fitting then that the last April of the war would not only continue this trend, but also become one of the most extraordinary 30-day periods in all of American history.

Jun 12, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Still more noteworthy events were to take place in April of 1864. Included among these was a highly controversial attack on a Union fort, the passage of a radically altered constitutional amendment, a new phrase for U.S. coins, and the tragic death of a president's son.

May 22, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

The third April of the war would witness the start of two major campaigns that would have far-reaching implications. It would also see an ugly riot in one of the national capitals, a highly controversial tax, and the approval of a bill authorizing the admission of the only state ever created out of another state.

May 8, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

In many respects, April 1862 was a watershed month in the Civil War. This vital month witnessed the war's first battle on a scale that would become distressingly common before long, as well as other important events.

Apr 24, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Few months witnessed as much history during the country's historic Civil War as did the month of April between 1861 and 1865. In this series, we will take a look at some of the events, many famous and some not so famous, that took place during the month of April in America's bloodiest war.

Apr 10, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Peabody's important decision had given the Army of the Tennessee a fighting chance. As a result, the army remained intact at the end of the first day, and would eventually win the battle. Yet history has all but forgotten the man who's actions set this series of events in motion.

Jan 16, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Peabody's morning patrol had alerted the Union army to the pending Confederate attack. The result was a battle that may have been quite different without that early warning. But Peabody would not live to see the outcome.

Jan 2, 2005 - Perry Cuskey

Despite numerous warning signs, most of the Union army at Pittsburg Landing remained unaware of any danger. Unable to convince his division commander that an attack was all but imminent, Peabody chose to act on his own.

Dec 19, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

The Union army camped at Pittsburg Landing was filled with confidence - which soon crossed the line to overconfidence. By early April, despite numerous warning signs, few within the army were aware of the danger about to hit.

Dec 5, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

Peabody would see his first serious actions of the war at Lexington, Missouri, in September 1861, where he was wounded twice. He also revealed a temper that fall that nearly got him into hot water on two different occasions.

Nov 21, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

Peabody would spend most of the 1850's in Missouri, helping to build railroads. With the coming of the war in 1861 he would join the Union ranks, and would see his first action before the end of the year.

Nov 7, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

In April of 1862, an all-out Confederate attack caught a Union army camped along the Tennessee River by complete surprise. Or so the history books tell us. In reality, the surprise was not quite as complete as tradition holds. The main reason for this small but vital difference was a little-known brigade commander from Massachusetts by the name of Everett Peabody.

Oct 24, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

In the middle of another rancorous election year, it might serve us to remember what can happen when we focus too much on differences and overlook similarities. Especially one that stares us right in the face.

Aug 29, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

I've heard it said that any day is a good day at a Civil War park. No argument here. And certain times of day are the best of all. But no matter the time or the day or the park you choose, the best thing you can do is simply to get going.

Jul 4, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

It's always best to start at the beginning. Which for us is the visitors center. And don't forget that reading material when you head out into the park.

Jun 20, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

The time of year you visit a battlefield park can make a difference in more ways than one. And how are you going to carry everything when you go for a hike through the park?

Jun 6, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

Whether you plan on visiting a National Park Service site or a smaller state or local-run park, information about your destination is usually as close as your nearest computer.

May 23, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

When you start making summer vacation plans this year, why not include a visit to one or more war-related sites along the way? This article series will try to give you a few ideas to help you get started in planning a Civil War visit.

May 9, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

In the final part of the series on Liberia House, guest-author Eileen Murphy tells us about the post-war history of the property, and brings us up to date on the ongoing preservation efforts.

Mar 28, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

While the last living witness to the American Civil War passed on many years ago, there are still silent witnesses among us from that era with a story to tell. Such is the case with Liberia House, a witness to some largely overlooked history and a survivor of two major battles near Manassas, Virginia. Please join us as guest-author Eileen Murphy relates the history behind this stately old Virginia manor.

Mar 14, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

You might consider yourself a history buff, an avocational historian, or something else; but when you set out to learn something about history, you become a student of history.

Feb 8, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

Have you ever been called a "Civil War buff"? Or maybe a "history buff"? Do you think of yourself that way? I don't. Hold on while I drag my soap box over here, and I'll tell you why...

Jan 25, 2004 - Perry Cuskey

Following his surprising move against the state capital, Lyon's crusade against Jackson and the Missouri State Guard had gone well. In early August, far from St. Louis and threatened by a stronger opponent, Lyon would come up with one final, deadly surprise.

Dec 22, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

The clash in St. Louis following Camp Jackson left Missouri in an uproar. But Lyon's bold move had also temporarily wrecked Governor Jackson's plans for a quick secession of his state. As both sides scrambled to gain the upper hand, the future of Missouri hung in the balance.

Dec 7, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Lyon's decision to capture the camp of the Missouri State Guard would rank as one of the most controversial of his life. It would also lead to a terrible tragedy.

Nov 23, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Lyon immersed himself in the struggle for the St. Louis arsenal soon after his arrival. His powerful ally of Frank Blair would prove crucial in gaining for Lyon the rank of general, and gaining for Governor Jackson a very large headache.

Nov 9, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Lyon was transferred from Kansas to Missouri in early 1861, during the height of the secession crisis. In many ways, his new assignment was the equivilent of raising a lightning rod in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Oct 19, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Lyon would spend most of the 1850's in Kansas, honing his ability to infuriate other people. Years after his death, the man who may have been Lyon's closest friend wrote a scathing description of the officer with which many people would have agreed.

Oct 5, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Lyon would see action in the Mexican War in the late 1840's, followed by several years of service in California. The future West Coast state would also be the scene for an incredible act of barbarism, brought about by Lyon's volcanic temper and twisted sense of justice.

Sep 21, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

The volcanic temper he had inherited from his father, along with a deep sense of self-righteousness, would quickly land Nathaniel Lyon in trouble as a new army officer. In the years between West Point and the Mexican War, Lyon would also reach an important decision regarding his personal life.

Aug 31, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

For a time one of the most controversial figures of the American Civil War, Nathaniel Lyon today is virtually forgotten. But his impact on the war in Missouri would live on long after Lyon himself was no longer on the scene. Join us as we take a look at one Civil War's most eccentric personalities.

Aug 17, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Speculation as to the cause of the explosion has long been a subject of debate among students of the Sultana disaster. In the final article in this series, author Curtis Payne gives his own point of view on the question of accident or sabotage.

Jun 28, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Was a faulty boiler the cause of the Sultana explosion in April of 1865? Or was it, as some people still believe, an act of sabotage instead?

Jun 14, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

In the early morning hours of April 27th, 1865, the greatest maritime disaster in American history took place on the Mississippi River. Despite a loss of life exceeding even the Titanic disaster, few people today know about it. Guest-author Curtis Payne tells us about this often overlooked tragedy.

May 31, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Initially viewed with a healthy dose of skeptisicsm by Union soldiers and officers alike, before their service came to an end the U.S. Volunteers had acquired the kind of reputation of which any soldier could be proud - that they could be counted on to do their duty.

May 4, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

The spring of 1865 witnessed the end of the Civil War, and the mustering out of numerous regiments of Union troops. It also marked a beginning for the final two regiments of Galvanized Yankees, including two of the most unusual companies ever to don Yankee Blue.

Apr 20, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

The performance of the first three regiments of ex-Confederate prisoners had gone far in changing opinions among skeptical Union commanders on the frontier. This would eventually lead to the recruitment of three more regiments, starting with what may have been the least fortunate of all – the Fourth United States Volunteers.

Apr 6, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Simmering tension on the western frontier would quickly boil over as a result of the infamous Sand Creek Massacre in November of 1864. Among those caught up in the resulting violence were the Galvanized Yankees, fresh from Union prison camps back east. The question was, how would these former Confederate soldiers respond?

Mar 23, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

For the former Confederates who had volunteered to serve the Union, harsh conditions as well as the possibility of a slow, painful death had been ever present while in prison. This fact undoubtedly played a role for many of those who did volunteer. As they would soon discover however, an escape from prison did not always mean an escape from equally harsh conditions or even death.

Mar 8, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

Despite widespread interest in the American Civil War, much that happened during those four chaotic years remains outside the main historical spotlight. Such is the case with the little-known story of 6,000 Confederate prisoners, who in 1864 exchanged Rebel Gray for Yankee Blue and vowed to serve the cause they had once vowed to oppose.

Feb 22, 2003 - Perry Cuskey

In the final installment of this article, we see Lee's army retreat across the Potomac after surviving the bloodshed of Antietam, and look at the mystery surrounding Lee's Lost Order

Dec 22, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

The discovery of Lee's Lost Order had been a marvelous stroke of luck for McClellan. A stroke of luck he was working hard to throw away. Meanwhile, Lee begins to realize that his army is in great danger, and he soon finds himself choosing between retreat and combat.

Dec 15, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In Part III of this series, we see the reason for Lee's decision to divide his army as outlined in Special Order #191, and the unexpected danger in which this placed the Confederates.

Dec 7, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In Part II of this article, we take a look at the important psychological role of George McClellan's personality, and set the stage for the loss of Lee's important order during his campaign into Maryland.

Nov 30, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In September of 1862, an obscure field of clover in western Maryland became the unexpected site of one of the most important events of the Civil War. All without a single shot being fired. Join us as we examine the impact of the most famous misplaced document in American history.

Nov 23, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In the final installment of 'the finger of fate,' we see how close Ulysses S. Grant may have come to death on April 6th, 1862 at Shiloh.

Oct 26, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

What would a study of history be without a little speculation now and then? In this article, we take a look at how two of the thousands of bullets fired during the battle of Shiloh may have altered the course of the Civil War. See if you agree.

Oct 20, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

The final installment on East and West examines the significance of the Trans-Mississippi, and answers the question of which theater ranks as the most important of the war.

Sep 14, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In Part III of the article on East and West, we look at how the fighting in the East furthered the cause of the Confederacy while the fighting in the West furthered the cause of the Union.

Sep 7, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

In Part II of the series on East and West, we define the primary goal of both the Union and the Confederacy, and begin to relate those respective goals to the course of the war in the respective theaters.

Aug 31, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

While Yanks, Rebs, and other students of the Civil War continue to argue about North and South, a number of them also argue over two other directions - East and West. In this article, we will look at the controversy over which major theater of war ranks as the most important, and try to come up with an answer.

Aug 25, 2002 - Perry Cuskey

Probably no other era of American history has held our continuing interest to the same extent as the Civil War. In this article, we take a look at a few of the reasons why this may be so.

Jul 17, 2002 - Perry Cuskey