The Civil War Monitor
@cwmonitor.bsky.social
A quarterly magazine featuring originally researched & richly illustrated articles on all aspects of America's greatest conflict.
Learn more at our website: www.civilwarmonitor.com
Learn more at our website: www.civilwarmonitor.com
In the latest installment of her "Unhidden History" column, Zethyn McKinley writes about the mystery surrounding the death and final resting place of former CSA president Jefferson Davis. Read it here: www.civilwarmonitor.com/the-case-of-...
The Case of the Two Graves
Unraveling the mystery surrounding the death and final resting place of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis.
www.civilwarmonitor.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:33 PM
In the latest installment of her "Unhidden History" column, Zethyn McKinley writes about the mystery surrounding the death and final resting place of former CSA president Jefferson Davis. Read it here: www.civilwarmonitor.com/the-case-of-...
William Sherman was born in Lancaster, OH, #otd in 1820. The West Point grad began the conflict in command of a brigade; by war's end, he had succeeded U.S. Grant in command of the war's western theater and overseen devastatingly successful campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas.
February 8, 2026 at 12:56 PM
William Sherman was born in Lancaster, OH, #otd in 1820. The West Point grad began the conflict in command of a brigade; by war's end, he had succeeded U.S. Grant in command of the war's western theater and overseen devastatingly successful campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas.
Union gunboats commanded by Andrew H. Foote bombarded Confederate Fort Henry on the Tennessee River into submission #otd in 1862. The surrender opened the river to Union traffic and set the stage for U.S. Grant's successful advance upon Fort Donelson 12 miles distant.
February 6, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Union gunboats commanded by Andrew H. Foote bombarded Confederate Fort Henry on the Tennessee River into submission #otd in 1862. The surrender opened the river to Union traffic and set the stage for U.S. Grant's successful advance upon Fort Donelson 12 miles distant.
"John Brown in New York: The Man, His Family, and the Adirondack Landscape" by Sandra Weber is "an excellent and engaging book that students of John Brown will want on their bookshelf," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/yr59uwzj
John Brown in New York (2025)
A detailed review of "John Brown in New York: The Man, His Family, and the Adirondack Landscape" by Sandra Weber.
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February 4, 2026 at 2:09 PM
"John Brown in New York: The Man, His Family, and the Adirondack Landscape" by Sandra Weber is "an excellent and engaging book that students of John Brown will want on their bookshelf," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/yr59uwzj
During the Civil War, The Scientific American highlighted inventors’ proposed creations in its pages—some more practical than others—that promised (or over-promised) improvements in the lives and effectiveness of Union soldiers. View some of them here: tinyurl.com/vsz76acp
Civil War Inventions
A look at a variety of proposed wartime inventions—some more practical than others—highlighted in the pages of The Scientific American.
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February 2, 2026 at 2:41 PM
During the Civil War, The Scientific American highlighted inventors’ proposed creations in its pages—some more practical than others—that promised (or over-promised) improvements in the lives and effectiveness of Union soldiers. View some of them here: tinyurl.com/vsz76acp
The ironclad warship USS Monitor launched at Greenpoint, NY, #otd in 1862. Its low profile and large cylindrical gun turret initially earned it the derisive nickname "cheesebox on a raft," yet the innovative vessel quickly helped usher in a new era in naval warfare.
January 30, 2026 at 1:12 PM
The ironclad warship USS Monitor launched at Greenpoint, NY, #otd in 1862. Its low profile and large cylindrical gun turret initially earned it the derisive nickname "cheesebox on a raft," yet the innovative vessel quickly helped usher in a new era in naval warfare.
"Union Soldiers of Southwestern Illinois" by John J. Dunphy "is valuable for providing readers with insights into some the lesser-known residents of a region best known for pro-Confederate fealties," writes Riley Sullivan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/5n6fa2m6
Union Soldiers of Southwestern Illinois (2024)
A detailed review of "Union Soldiers of Southwestern Illinois" by John J. Dunphy.
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January 28, 2026 at 1:53 PM
"Union Soldiers of Southwestern Illinois" by John J. Dunphy "is valuable for providing readers with insights into some the lesser-known residents of a region best known for pro-Confederate fealties," writes Riley Sullivan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/5n6fa2m6
"In shape it is like a turtle, covered with a thick shell or armor, and armed with a sharp stylet or prow." So wrote a Pennsylvania man to The Scientific American in 1864 about his plans for a crab-like warship. Read his entire (failed) pitch here: tinyurl.com/3589rdy2
A Crab Warship
An 1864 letter to "The Scientific American" outlines a fantastical idea for a new kind of Civil War warship.
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January 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM
"In shape it is like a turtle, covered with a thick shell or armor, and armed with a sharp stylet or prow." So wrote a Pennsylvania man to The Scientific American in 1864 about his plans for a crab-like warship. Read his entire (failed) pitch here: tinyurl.com/3589rdy2
“The Girl in the Middle: A Recovered History of the American West” by Martha A. Sandweiss “is a model of historical detective work,” writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/4uecpnun
The Girl in the Middle (2025)
A detailed review of "The Girl in the Middle: A Recovered History of the American West" by Martha A. Sandweiss.
tinyurl.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:49 PM
“The Girl in the Middle: A Recovered History of the American West” by Martha A. Sandweiss “is a model of historical detective work,” writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/4uecpnun
In our latest digital history column, Larry Korczyk examines the bold performance of Colonel Francis Heath, 19th Maine Infantry, at the Battle of Gettysburg. Read it here: bit.ly/4pPqUcO
The Colonel Who Defied a General
A look at the bold performance of Colonel Francis Heath, 19th Maine Infantry, at the Battle of Gettysburg.
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January 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
In our latest digital history column, Larry Korczyk examines the bold performance of Colonel Francis Heath, 19th Maine Infantry, at the Battle of Gettysburg. Read it here: bit.ly/4pPqUcO
Edwin M. Stanton was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of War by the Senate #otd in 1862, succeeding Simon Cameron in the position. Stanton would become a key figure in the Lincoln administration, reorganizing the War Department to manage the massive Union war effort.
January 15, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Edwin M. Stanton was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of War by the Senate #otd in 1862, succeeding Simon Cameron in the position. Stanton would become a key figure in the Lincoln administration, reorganizing the War Department to manage the massive Union war effort.
"The Republican House Divided" by Tim Galsworthy joins a "growing shelf of books assessing how Americans contested the Civil War’s memory and legacy in the late twentieth century," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: bit.ly/4sGaA0G
The Republican House Divided (2025)
A detailed review of "The Republican House Divided: Civil War Memory, Civil Rights, and the Transformation of the GOP" by Tim Galsworthy.
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January 14, 2026 at 1:23 PM
"The Republican House Divided" by Tim Galsworthy joins a "growing shelf of books assessing how Americans contested the Civil War’s memory and legacy in the late twentieth century," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: bit.ly/4sGaA0G
In the third installment of our “Odd Civil War Photos” series, we highlight more strange and offbeat images made during the conflict. View them here: tinyurl.com/477uhc8w
Odd Civil War Photos, Pt. 3
Discover more strange and offbeat images from the Civil War in this installment of the "Odd Civil War Photos" series. Part 3 is here!
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January 12, 2026 at 2:51 PM
In the third installment of our “Odd Civil War Photos” series, we highlight more strange and offbeat images made during the conflict. View them here: tinyurl.com/477uhc8w
James Longstreet was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina, #otd in 1821. After graduating from West Point in 1842, he served in the U.S. Army until 1861, when he resigned his commission to join the Confederate military, in which he rose to the rank of lieutenant general.
January 8, 2026 at 1:51 PM
James Longstreet was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina, #otd in 1821. After graduating from West Point in 1842, he served in the U.S. Army until 1861, when he resigned his commission to join the Confederate military, in which he rose to the rank of lieutenant general.
"David Davis: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge" by Raymond J. McKoski is an "interesting and informative biography," writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/mr4xkz7k @illinoispress.bsky.social
David Davis (2025)
A detailed review of "David Davis: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge" by Raymond J. McKoski.
tinyurl.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:33 PM
"David Davis: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge" by Raymond J. McKoski is an "interesting and informative biography," writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/mr4xkz7k @illinoispress.bsky.social
In our latest digital history column, Megan VanGorder writes about Sarah R. Johnston, a southern woman who aided Union POWs at Salisbury Prison in the face of severe social backlash. Read it here: tinyurl.com/yc2faedx
A Grave in Her Garden
The story of North Carolinian Sarah R. Johnston, who nursed ailing Union POWs at Salisbury Prison in the face of social backlash.
tinyurl.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:50 PM
In our latest digital history column, Megan VanGorder writes about Sarah R. Johnston, a southern woman who aided Union POWs at Salisbury Prison in the face of severe social backlash. Read it here: tinyurl.com/yc2faedx
The Battle of Stones River concluded #otd in 1863. Braxton Bragg's Confederates attacked enemy positions east of the river but Union artillery inflicted heavy losses; Bragg withdrew the following day. Over 30% of all troops engaged were killed, wounded, or captured/missing.
January 2, 2026 at 2:42 PM
The Battle of Stones River concluded #otd in 1863. Braxton Bragg's Confederates attacked enemy positions east of the river but Union artillery inflicted heavy losses; Bragg withdrew the following day. Over 30% of all troops engaged were killed, wounded, or captured/missing.
The Emancipation Proclamation—which declared "all persons held as slaves” in the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free”—took effect #otd in 1863. Its enactment moved artists to salute the document, its effects & President Lincoln. View examples here: bit.ly/3RG6ALT
The Emancipation Proclamation
Discover the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation in the fight for freedom during the Civil War, as told through historical artwork.
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January 1, 2026 at 2:45 PM
The Emancipation Proclamation—which declared "all persons held as slaves” in the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free”—took effect #otd in 1863. Its enactment moved artists to salute the document, its effects & President Lincoln. View examples here: bit.ly/3RG6ALT
"I would try and be sentimental in view of New Year’s Eve, but that could hardly be looked for in a man that eats onions." So wrote Union officer William Lusk in a letter home on Dec. 31, 1862. Read his entire thoughts on the turn of the New Year here: tinyurl.com/zn7ev6d5
New Year's Eve in Camp
Read the poignant reflections of Union officer William Thompson Lusk in a letter to his sister written on New Year's Eve 1862.
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December 31, 2025 at 2:03 PM
"I would try and be sentimental in view of New Year’s Eve, but that could hardly be looked for in a man that eats onions." So wrote Union officer William Lusk in a letter home on Dec. 31, 1862. Read his entire thoughts on the turn of the New Year here: tinyurl.com/zn7ev6d5
In "Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas: Jayhawkers and Red Legs," authors Paul A. Thomas and Matt M. Matthews "provide a balanced perspective on their protagonists," writes Riley Sullivan. Read more about the book here: civilwarmonitor.com/union-guerrillas-of-civil-war-kansas-2025/
Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas (2025)
A detailed review of "Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas: Jayhawkers and Red Legs" by Paul A. Thomas and Matt M. Matthews.
civilwarmonitor.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
In "Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas: Jayhawkers and Red Legs," authors Paul A. Thomas and Matt M. Matthews "provide a balanced perspective on their protagonists," writes Riley Sullivan. Read more about the book here: civilwarmonitor.com/union-guerrillas-of-civil-war-kansas-2025/
In June 1864, Harper’s Weekly published an unattributed poem about a dog taken in by a Union sergeant. The story would have rung true with countless Civil War soldiers who had “adopted” personal or regimental pets during the conflict. Read it here: tinyurl.com/4fhh3edh
The Dog of the Regiment
Read the poem "The Dog of the Regiment," which tells the tale of a loyal dog adopted by a Union sergeant in the midst of the Civil War.
tinyurl.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
In June 1864, Harper’s Weekly published an unattributed poem about a dog taken in by a Union sergeant. The story would have rung true with countless Civil War soldiers who had “adopted” personal or regimental pets during the conflict. Read it here: tinyurl.com/4fhh3edh
A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the day. Shown here: Thomas Nast’s depiction of Santa Claus distributing presents to soldiers at a Union army camp, published in Harper’s Weekly in January 1863. #MerryChristmas
December 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the day. Shown here: Thomas Nast’s depiction of Santa Claus distributing presents to soldiers at a Union army camp, published in Harper’s Weekly in January 1863. #MerryChristmas
"The Devil’s Own Purgatory: The United States Mississippi River Squadron in the Civil War" by Robert Gudmestad "merits a wide readership and the many accolades it is sure to receive," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read why he thinks so here: tinyurl.com/4nadefx5
The Devil's Own Purgatory (2025)
A detailed review of "The Devil’s Own Purgatory: The United States Mississippi River Squadron in the Civil War" by Robert Gudmestad.
tinyurl.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
"The Devil’s Own Purgatory: The United States Mississippi River Squadron in the Civil War" by Robert Gudmestad "merits a wide readership and the many accolades it is sure to receive," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read why he thinks so here: tinyurl.com/4nadefx5
In 1862, a Wisconsin newspaper published an article titled “What to Send to Soldiers," a sarcastic piece that poked fun at people who were reportedly shipping impractical items to friends and loved ones the front. Read it here: tinyurl.com/53t7934z
Impractical Packages from Home
In 1862, a Wisconsin newspaper poked fun at people who sent impractical care packages to family and friends in the Union army.
tinyurl.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:17 PM
In 1862, a Wisconsin newspaper published an article titled “What to Send to Soldiers," a sarcastic piece that poked fun at people who were reportedly shipping impractical items to friends and loved ones the front. Read it here: tinyurl.com/53t7934z
Still holiday shopping? Consider a 1-year gift subscription—print, digital, or All Access—to the Monitor for the history enthusiast on your list. Your recipient will get an email announcing the gift on the date you choose. Order here: civilwarmonitor.com/subscribe/
December 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Still holiday shopping? Consider a 1-year gift subscription—print, digital, or All Access—to the Monitor for the history enthusiast on your list. Your recipient will get an email announcing the gift on the date you choose. Order here: civilwarmonitor.com/subscribe/