Category Archives: American Civil War

Abraham Lincoln and the Leg Cases

Abraham Lincoln had very little military knowledge when he became Commander-in-Chief. Lincoln’s Military Experience… …was next to nothing in 1861 when he became President. Thirty years earlier, as a young man, he volunteered with some New Salem fellows to fight … Continue reading

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A Fierce Glory: A Book Review

In recent years, there has been a welcome addition to the world of history writing: narrative history, i.e. Making history “readable” without jeopardizing the factual. Author Justin Martin has chosen to write A FIERCE GLORY: Antietam – The Desperate Battle … Continue reading

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Andrew Johnson and Strong Drink

Just about everyone knows of Andrew Johnson’s embarrassing inauguration as Vice President The Embarrassing Inauguration But for those who don’t, the gist of it is… Republican President Lincoln had specifically requested Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate in 1864 … Continue reading

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President Grant and the Grant-Pops

Most historians concur that Ulysses S. Grant’s parents were a little eccentric. Grant and His Parents Jesse Root Grant (1794-1873), the father, was born in Pennsylvania and transplanted to Ohio, where he married and raised a family. He was self-educated … Continue reading

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Col. Elmer Ellsworth, The Lincolns’ Favorite

Few Lincoln favorites were as beloved by the entire Lincoln family as Elmer Ellsworth. The Young Militia Colonel Ephriam Elmer Ellsworth (1837-61) was a poor New York fellow with long bootstraps. Blessed with a charismatic personality, solid brains, and an … Continue reading

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Julia Grant: Sleeping With the General

This is Julia’s story. She saw it first hand. General Grant’s One-Two Punch For twenty years, General Ulysses S. Grant had been at the pinnacle: victorious Union General, the Hero of Appomattox, two-term POTUS and world traveler, hosted by kings … Continue reading

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Tad Lincoln and The Doll Jack

All kids need toys.  Tad: A Child With Problems Tad was the Lincolns’ fourth and last child born after a grueling two-day labor. He was born with a cleft palate, a not-uncommon malformation in the mouth routinely corrected in infancy … Continue reading

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Johnson, Grant and the Big Parade

Mid-March through Mid-May, 1865 were fraught with events March 1865 With General Ulysses Grant squeezing the Rebel Army even tighter in Petersburg, VA, and General William Sherman marching his vast army up the eastern coast, everyone knew that the end … Continue reading

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General Grant’s Greatest Lesson

Fear is a natural reaction in the face of danger, or stress or the unknown. Or all of it. USG: Reinstatement The surrender of Fort Sumter in April 1861 changed everything for West Point trained Ulysses S. Grant. President Lincoln … Continue reading

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Grant and Buckner: Three Conversations

U.S. Grant and S.B. Buckner were cadets at West Point. Cadets Grant and Buckner Ulysses S. Grant, class of 1843, and Simon Bolivar Buckner, class of 1844, were both midwesterners of middle-class standing both financially and academically. West Point classes … Continue reading

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