Who was the Common Soldier in the American Civil War?

The average soldier was a white, native-born, single, protestant, male farmer between about 18 and 38 years of age. He stood about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 145 pounds. The tallest recorded being Captain David Van Buskirk (pictured right) of the 27th Indiana Infantry who stood 6’10″ and 1/2 inches tall. Union soldiers were known as “Billy Yank” while their Confederate counterparts were called “Johnny Reb.” The… Read More »

Words Used During The American Civil War

With the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and renewed interest in our ancestors who either fought or were affected by this destructive war, it is a good opportunity to learn as much as possible relating to this time period. One aspect you may or will come across is the terminology used by people 150 years ago. You may have letters from an ancestor who served in the Union… Read More »

Ireland remembers JFK, but forgets the Irish in the American Civil War

The Irish contribution to the American Civil War is simultaneously virtually unknown and grossly and dismissively exaggerated in Ireland. That the American Civil War involved a large number of Irish people and had a huge impact on the million or so post-famine Irish immigrants in America is barely acknowledged. Nearly as bad is the off-handed way some talk about the war as being an almost entirely Irish affair. Such ignorance… Read More »

Cathay Williams, AKA William Cathay, American Civil War soldier

Cathay Williams (1844 – 1892), a.k.a. William Cathay, was the first known African American woman to enlist in the United States Army, and the only black woman documented to serve in the US army in the 19th century. Born a slave in Independence, Missouri in 1844, Cathay worked as a house servant on a nearby plantation on the outskirts of Jefferson City. While I was a small girl my master… Read More »

Falsifying the American Civil War: Doris Kearns Goodwin at Gettysburg

Last week, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Gettysburg to commemorate a pivotal battle in the American Civil War. In July 1863, fundamental questions of democratic rights and the socio-economic foundations of society were being fought out on the plains of Pennsylvania. At the anniversary ceremonies 150 years later, those in attendance evinced a deep desire to discuss the significance of the Civil War and the essential questions that… Read More »

No honor in the American Civil War

On July 1st, 1863, Alfred Iverson ordered his brigade of North Carolinians across an open field. The soldiers marched in tight formation until Union riflemen suddenly rose from behind a stone wall and opened fire. Five hundred rebels fell dead or wounded “on a line as straight as a dress parade,” Iverson reported. “They nobly fought and died without a man running to the rear. No greater gallantry and heroism… Read More »

The African-American roots and Civil War origins of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is meant to be the day the nation honors its war dead. For many Americans, it has also become a day to throw barbecues and beach parties, for blockbuster movies to open, and for students to prepare for graduation and prom season; all signaling the unofficial start of summer. But few Americans are aware of the holiday’s roots in the Civil War’s aftermath, and of the heavy influence… Read More »

John Stuart Mill on Slavery, the Confederacy, and the American Civil War

Here is Mill on the argument that slavery was not the real cause of the war: There is a theory in England, believed perhaps by some, half believed by many more, which is only consistent with original ignorance, or complete subsequent forgetfulness, of all the antecedents of the contest. There are people who tell us that, on the side of the North, the question is not one of Slavery at… Read More »

Irish in the American Civil War: The Story of Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore

Irishman Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore served as a musician and stretcher-bearer in the 24th Massachusetts Infantry during the American Civil War. His incredible post-army musical career includes penning When Johnny Comes Marching Home and performing some of the biggest musical shows ever seen, along the way becoming one of the icons of nineteenth century America. Gilmore expert Jarlath MacNamara brings us his remarkable story in the latest Guest Post on the site. Patrick… Read More »

Last »