Defining Victory in the Summer of 1864
At a Monterey conference, historian Brooks Simpson explained how public perception shaped the Union’s summer 1864 campaign, when General Grant coordinated multiple armies despite heavy casualties. The talk highlighted Lincoln’s unwavering strategic goal—preserving the United States and ending slavery—which allowed the Union to endure setbacks and eventually secure victories at Atlanta and in the Shenandoah Valley. Simpson drew a parallel to today’s U.S.–Iran confrontation, noting the absence of a clear, communicated definition of victory. The piece argues that without such strategic clarity, public support erodes and policymakers struggle to justify sacrifices.
No Confederacy of Bots Here
The post curates a handful of high‑quality Civil War videos and books to cut through the flood of AI‑generated content online. It highlights Camp Nelson, where 10,000 Black Union soldiers trained and were later attacked, and notes a research team...
Next Up For the Civil War Memory Book Club: Heather Cox Richardson
In this episode of the Civil War Memory Book Club, the hosts and participants discuss Margaret Crichton's 2005 book *The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg's Forgotten History*, which applies "new military history" by focusing on civilians, enslaved people, immigrants, and women...
This May Be It For the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Virginia
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation this week that ends the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s (UDC) tax‑exempt status. The move follows a separate bill eliminating specialty license plates for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and comes amid broader efforts...
The Other Side of the Battlefield
Kevin Levin’s latest Substack post spotlights Margaret Creighton’s book *The Colors of Courage*, which reframes the Battle of Gettysburg by centering civilians, women, children, Black residents, and immigrant soldiers. The post notes Gettysburg’s pre‑battle population of roughly 2,400 and describes...
You Read. I Write. Let's Talk About What Comes Next.
The author of the Substack newsletter *Civil War Memory* asks free readers why they haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription. After two decades of publishing five to seven posts a week, the writer explains that additional subscribers would fund more...
Exploring Lincoln and the "Heroic Legend": A Conversation With Kenneth W. Noe
In this interview, Civil War historian Kenneth W. Noe discusses his new book, *Abraham Lincoln and the Heroic Legend*, which interrogates the mythic portrayal of Lincoln as a flawless commander‑in‑chief. Noe traces how his research, sparked by questions raised after...