March 1861: Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated
150 Years Ago in the Civil War Late in the morning of March 4th, 1861, President elect Abraham Lincoln left Willard’s Hotel in Washington DC, boarded a carriage, and departed for the Capitol. He was...
Iron Brigader Blog
Admiral Farragut Passes the Port Hudson Batteries March 14, 1863
By the winter of 1863, Union forces controlled the Mississippi River with the exception of the approximately 110 miles between the Confederate strongholds of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Port Hudson, Louisiana. Between these two points,...
Lincoln Document in National Archives Altered; Wal-Mart Cancels Store Near Wilderness Battlefield: Civil War in the News January 2011
Two items related to the Civil War were in the news in late January 2011. Here’s a brief summary of these events The National Archives in Washington D.C. announced January 24th that historian Thomas...
Lieutenant Adam Slemmer Refuses to Surrender Fort Pickens
While the Federal garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was awaiting reinforcement or evacuation in the winter and spring of 1861, a similar drama was playing out in Pensacola, Florida. Three forts provided...
Post Office Will Issue Civil War Commemorative Stamps
Not to be outdone by the U.S. Mint and its offering of Civil War commemorative quarters, the U.S. Postal Service will issue two Civil War commemorative stamps per year from 2011 through 2015. The...
U.S. Mint to Release Gettysburg and Vicksburg Quarters in 2011
As part of the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program, the United States Mint will release quarters honoring Gettysburg National Military Park and Vicksburg National Military Park in 2011. The Gettysburg Quarter will be released ...
More States Secede, Confederate Government Formed: January and February 1861
January and February 1861 in the Civil War As the new year began, several southern states began seizing federal military installations as a precaution while the issue of secession was considered. Arsenals were seized in...
Booth DNA Testing, Decoded Message From Vicksburg, and Secession Ball in Charleston
Civil War in the News December 2010 Three events attracted the attention of the media as the year drew to a close. Booth Descendants Approve Exhumation of Edwin Booth for DNA Testing After assassinating...