In 2025, we focused heavily on the Potomac Front and completed narratives for all military actions during this time period. We added four new battle pages, bringing the total to 39. This number is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.
In addition to the 165th anniversaries coming up, I would like to go back and refresh old battle narratives that haven’t been updated in a long time. When I first started this project, most of the write ups were just summaries with little background. Some of these include:
- Engagement at Gloucester Point
- Engagement at Sewell’s Point
- Engagement at Pig Point
- Action at Philippi
- Battle of Bellington/Laurel Hill
- Battle of Rich Mountain
- Battle of Corrick’s Ford
For the 165th anniversary series, I plan to focus on events not covered five years ago. I started this project in 2021 to coincide with the 160th anniversaries, but my knowledge on the subject has expanded significantly since then. Some more obscure events will be touched on, like meetings with President Lincoln during the secession crisis, Pawnee Sunday, and the Weston gold heist.
I’m also looking forward to continuing to expand our Patreon and Substack. A major goal is to raise enough money to file for 501(c)(3) status. That will enable us to apply for grants and greatly expand the content of this digital encyclopedia. I hope to one day be able to erect signage or in some other way contribute to preserving early Civil War sites in Virginia and West Virginia.
Spirit of '61 