Category Archives: American Civil War

Ulysses S. Grant: The Locket Story

  When Ulysses S. Grant met Julia Dent, it was love at first sight. Grant Meets Dent Young Lt. Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), recently graduated from West Point, was a frequent guest at the Dent home for several weeks before … Continue reading

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Civil War Medicine: Dr. Letterman’s System Evolves

Dr. Jonathan Letterman had devised, implemented and had gained success with a well-trained ambulance corps.  Then he turned his attention to medical practices itself. Civil War Doctors and their Equipment By 1860s, medical practice in America had barely evolved since … Continue reading

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The Dying General: Grant’s Final Campaign

   Ulysses S. Grant was unquestionably a great and able general, but he was no businessman. The General’s Last Hurrah When Ulysses S. Grant retired from two terms as President of the United States in early 1877, he was the … Continue reading

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VP Hannibal Hamlin, Coast Guard Private

Hannibal Hamlin was Vice President during Abraham Lincoln’s first term. He was a decent man, lost to history. Vice President Hamlin, The Background Hannibal Hamlin, from Maine, was a likeable and respected attorney, a pleasant but far from stellar United … Continue reading

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Dr. Jonathan Letterman and Civil War Medicine

Evacuating the wounded from the battlefield could take days at the start of the American Civil War. The Letterman System Dr. Jonathan Letterman (1824-72) was an army surgeon who came from a distinguished medical family. During the 1850s, he was … Continue reading

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Mary Lincoln: The Tragedy of Time

A thought. Mary spent seventeen years as the Widow Lincoln. Mary Lincoln: Choices of Tragedy Millions of words have been spent on Mary Lincoln, her various tragedies, her various ailments and the peculiarities of her personality and disposition in general. … Continue reading

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“Prince” John Magruder: Confederate Showman

John B. Magruder was the Confederacy’s master showman whose tactics have gone down in history as the best flim-flam of the Civil War. John Bankhead Magruder: Virginia Soldier John Bankhead Magruder (1807-1871) was Virginia born and raised, University of Virginia … Continue reading

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Mary Lincoln’s Tablecloth: A Metaphor

In an apt metaphor, Mary brought the tablecloth and the good dishes to the Lincoln table.     Mary Lincoln is unquestionably a divisive figure. She was divisive in her own time, and nearly two centuries later, remains so. People either … Continue reading

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General Grant Saves General Lee

On April 9, 1865, Ulysses S. Grant became the most popular man in America. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House Civil War Victory: The Euphoria The news was instantaneously carried by telegraph wire across the country – North … Continue reading

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The Sons of Varina Davis

One of the little-known tragedies of Varina Davis’ life was that she survived all four of her sons. Samuel Emery Davis (1852-54) Forty-four year old Jefferson Davis and his twenty-six year old wife Varina had been married for seven years. … Continue reading

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