If I remember correctly, the 1st MD (Confederate) had a big dog as a mascot. Poor guy got killed in their attack on Culp's ...   Sat Oct 15th, 2011 12:46 pm

In my opinion the best NPS movie out there is the Antietam one. Its a couple years old now, but still a great intro ...   Fri Oct 14th, 2011 12:04 pm

Perhaps I should clarify... Stonewall Jackson was unquestionably a superb Confederate general. However, according to the historical record he was also man with a ...   Sat Oct 8th, 2011 03:09 pm

Feel better soon! ...   Sat Oct 8th, 2011 12:21 pm

Nice picture. I always thought that this ought to be called Thomas Jackson's Steroid memorial! It's a great example of how historical memory ...   Thu Oct 6th, 2011 06:11 pm

I like to think of it as a month's pay for a Private! Mark ...   Thu Sep 29th, 2011 11:18 pm

The Maximillian Regime in Mexico probably would have been more than happy to reoccupy some of the more wealthy areas of the south-west if the ...   Tue Sep 27th, 2011 06:56 pm

I think it was everyone's MO... Jackson was just better at actually accomplishing it! ...   Tue Sep 27th, 2011 12:50 pm

Welcome! I lived in El Paso against my will for the last couple years. I hope you are living in a more hospitable ...   Tue Sep 27th, 2011 01:17 am

The silver and gold deposits in New Mexico might have prolonged the war, but I don't think it would have made a strategic difference. ...   Mon Sep 26th, 2011 11:28 pm

I think that sgtredleg pretty much has it right. Lee couldn't pull off his tactical offensives because his subordinates were not up to it. ...   Fri Sep 23rd, 2011 01:27 pm

I'm going to go with the Army of the James. It had the deck stacked against it from the start and did about as ...   Thu Sep 22nd, 2011 02:35 pm

I would just add two to your list Tim. They were a lot more polarizing then than they are now. Benjamin Butler and ...   Thu Sep 15th, 2011 02:15 pm

I think you are right. Early's brigade pretty much held up a whole Union division on the Confederate right flank singlehandedly (of course, he ...   Tue Sep 13th, 2011 02:03 pm

I agree with your assessment Hellcat: movies need villains, but history is rarely black and white. The same company is working on a ...   Fri Sep 9th, 2011 11:50 am

I thought the movie was very well done. One of the best Civil War era movies out there. My one concern was that ...   Thu Sep 8th, 2011 11:07 am

I was at a Jeff Shaara book signing once and he said that his father wrote himself into "The Killer Angels" with the Kilrain character. Mark ...   Sun Sep 4th, 2011 04:24 pm

I was there about six years ago. It was a nice little museum. Definitely worth the visit if you are in the area! Mark ...   Sun Sep 4th, 2011 04:13 pm

TD, all that is correct, but I'm just not sure who else could have taken over. I just can't see Ewell staying in command ...   Sat Aug 27th, 2011 03:03 pm

First off, yes, after Davis came to the belated conclusion that Bragg had to go after the Missionary Ridge disaster Lee recommended Johnson as a ...   Sat Aug 27th, 2011 12:44 pm

I think Lee did say something like that in regards to the ANV, however, my estimate was based on Hill's report that he had 3,300 ...   Tue Aug 23rd, 2011 01:24 am

Over Lee? Preposterous! Forrest was tactically and strategically sound when it came to cavalry, but I really doubt he understood the combined arms ...   Mon Aug 22nd, 2011 05:52 pm

sgtredleg... that must have been when they are just starting out... not enough stragglers yet! I remember reading somewhere that about 1/3 of the ...   Fri Aug 19th, 2011 07:00 pm

Can't say I was at the reenactment... it has been many moons since I did any reenacting, but I'm glad it was a good event ...   Tue Aug 16th, 2011 05:43 pm

Yeah, I see what you mean... defining "independent command" is a bit spotty. Thanks for the clarification. Mark ...   Mon Aug 15th, 2011 12:27 pm

Old Blu, I got to disagree, not with your assessment of Jackson's performance during the battle, but with your suggestion that Old Jack never had ...   Sun Aug 14th, 2011 10:02 pm

Hellcat, yes, I was looking at that section, but I don't think NCOs promoted to LT had to go to West Point. If you ...   Thu Aug 11th, 2011 02:39 pm

During the early national period, the US Army adopted the European practice of allowing some cadets into the officer corps. The rank of cadet ...   Wed Aug 10th, 2011 09:54 pm

The book, "Rebel Private Front and Rear" by William Fletcher (Co F, 5th TX) is probably the most accessible first hand account by a Texas ...   Mon Aug 8th, 2011 11:24 am

Fedreb, just wanted to let you know I got the art book from amazon. Thanks for the heads up about it. It looks ...   Thu Aug 4th, 2011 08:23 pm

There are two battles that they do get the credit they deserve I think... they were widely acknowledged to have saved Jackson's hide at Cedar ...   Sun Jul 31st, 2011 03:05 pm

Captain Crow wrote: I think in understanding their lives we begin to understand ourselves. Well put Captain Crow Mark ...   Sat Jul 30th, 2011 06:32 pm

Thanks for the heads up Fedreb! I found it on Amazon... looks great! Mark ...   Fri Jul 29th, 2011 10:26 pm

Hank, do you know if anyone ever put a book together of Waud's sketches? I've looked for one before, but never found one. ...   Fri Jul 29th, 2011 02:59 pm

Good morning everyone! So what is your favorite piece of Civil War artwork in any medium? Since I asked, I'll share first. ...   Wed Jul 27th, 2011 12:35 pm

According to the Berdan's Sharpshooters' regimental history the test established by founder Hiram Berdan and accepted by the war department was for no man to ...   Mon Jul 25th, 2011 02:28 pm

As likely as not it was a stray bullet. Was it a possible shot at over 500 yards? Yes, under ideal conditions, however, ...   Sun Jul 24th, 2011 11:47 am

you might also look into a shelter half. You can make a nice lean to out of it if you don't have a battle ...   Sat Jul 23rd, 2011 02:05 pm

I think you are pretty much correct Hellcat. According to the Timelife Echos of Glory series the James shells had a lead sabot: ...   Thu Jul 21st, 2011 12:13 pm

Hank, thanks for posting the context. All my books are still packed up from the move at the moment. Pender, after reading the ...   Sat Jul 16th, 2011 01:30 am