Note: As of 9/19/2026, this outdated version of the Battlelog has been retired. You will no longer be able to download it. Great news, Civil War buffs! After long hours of work, we are ready to release our newest publication: the Spirit of '61 Battlelog! This compendium combines our articles on 34 military actions in…
Author: Michael Kleen
Michael Kleen is an author, raconteur, and occasional traveler. He has a M.A. in History and M.S. in Education. He enjoys studying military history, folklore, and philosophy.
Where was Billy Davis on the Morning of July 8, 1861?
William "Billy" Davis was born in 1838 on a farm in Franklin Township, Johnson County, Indiana. At the outbreak of the Civil War, on April 18, 1861 at the age of 23, he enlisted for three months in Company H, 7th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. He served in that unit throughout its entire campaign in northwestern…
Continue reading ➞ Where was Billy Davis on the Morning of July 8, 1861?
Revised Map of Laurel Hill Battle
Daily Commercial (Cincinnati) 18 July 1861 The Battle of Belington (Laurel Hill) was fought from Sunday, July 7 to Thursday, July 11, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris and Confederate forces commanded by Brig. Gen. Robert S. Garnett in what is today Barbour County, West Virginia. It involved around 8,000…
Three New Issues of Harper’s Weekly Added
Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization was published in New York City from 1857 to 1916. Though imperfect, as most print media was in the late nineteenth century, Harper’s Weekly records the important events of America’s Civil War. It contains many wonderful illustrations that give modern readers a glimpse into that critical period’s military and…
Continue reading ➞ Three New Issues of Harper’s Weekly Added
New Photos Added!
It's said "a photo is worth a thousand words", which is why this encyclopedia has made every effort to include photographs of places and things relating to early Civil War Virginia. It's one thing to read about a battle, another to actually see the terrain where it took place. Statues and grave markers remind us…
New Issues of Harper’s Weekly Added
No April Fool's joke--We have added new high-quality scans of Harper’s Weekly news magazine from July and August 1861! Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization was published in New York City from 1857 to 1916. Though imperfect, as most print media was in the late nineteenth century, Harper's Weekly is a record of the important…
How Do You Know if a Source is Reliable?
For the past two weeks or so, I have been doing a deep dive into Buckhannon and Upshur County, West Virginia's role in the early Civil War, delving into a variety of sources to figure out what happened during those crucial months of April-July 1861. Discovering new primary sources on Lt. Col. Jonathan McGee Heck's…
43rd Annual FRHA Relic Show in Fredericksburg, VA
Yesterday saw a respectable turnout for the 43rd Annual Relic Show in Fredericksburg, Virginia, brought to you by the Fredericksburg Relic Hunters Association. It was held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles #4123 and featured a variety of vendors, focusing mainly on the American Civil War, though there were a few other items related to…
Continue reading ➞ 43rd Annual FRHA Relic Show in Fredericksburg, VA
Brass Bugle: Issue 3 – March 2024
Welcome to issue #3 of the Brass Bugle, Spirit of ‘61’s monthly newsletter. The American Civil War was truly a war of brother against brother, and no state experienced that more profoundly than Virginia. As the nation tore apart in the spring of 1861, Virginians were forced to pick a side: stand with their state,…
New Issues of Frank Leslie’s and Harper’s Added
Fans of Civil War-Era newspapers rejoice - we have added new high-quality scans of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and Harper's Weekly from July 1861. Something about these old news magazines really catches my interest. Whether it is the dramatic reporting, or the beautiful but often imaginative illustrations, it's a window into the past. This month,…
Continue reading ➞ New Issues of Frank Leslie’s and Harper’s Added
