An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
When a quiet morning along the Potomac suddenly broke into a sharp, unexpected fight near Falling Waters, the resulting engagement helped determine the opening moves of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley. The Shenandoah Valley lies between the Appalachians and Blue Ridge Mountains, its fertile soil shaped by the twin branches of the Shenandoah…
Continue reading ➞ Holding the Line at Hoke’s Run: Jackson’s First Test in the Shenandoah Valley
Two previously unexplored skirmishes conducted during Robert Patterson's short-lived campaign in the lower Shenandoah Valley have recently come to my attention. One, near Martinsburg on July 11, 1861, resulted in the death of private Isaac Sly of the 28th New York Infantry Regiment. The other occurred near Bunker Hill on July 15, 1861. Unfortunately, information…
Welcome to version 1.4 of the Spirit of ’61 Battlelog. Developed over several months, this release includes strategic overviews for all regions and sub-regions, a detailed bibliography, and a version-control page. It is now 68 pages and over 32,000 words. Here is a detailed list of all changes in this version: Updated Action at Carter’s…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_-ygaZqJ6I I recently stumbled upon this amateur video taken at a reenactment of the July 11, 1861 Battle of Rich Mountain in what is today Randolph County, West Virginia. The video features an interview with Phyllis Baxter of the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation and some of the reenactors, as well as footage of the skirmish.…
Continue reading ➞ The Battle of Rich Mountain, Part 1 (1999 Reenactment Video)
Dr. Lucas Wilder is an adjunct professor at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, and he runs one of the best Civil War channels on YouTube: History Gone Wilder. One highlight is his animated maps. What they lack in graphic design, they make up for in attention to detail. He posted the following video on the…
Continue reading ➞ History Gone Wilder: The Battle of Big Bethel
When a brief Civil War skirmish near Alexandria left two men dead, its aftermath sparked outrage on both sides. A Virginia woman’s diary captured the moment in gut-wrenching detail. Before sunrise on the morning of Sunday, June 30, 1861, a brief but deadly clash unfolded just southwest of Alexandria, Virginia, where Confederate scouts encountered Union…
Continue reading ➞ Account of the Action at Pike’s Creek in the Diary of Anne S. Frobel
BLUF: All 36 battle pages have undergone comprehensive structural updates to improve readability and organization. These enhancements include a table of contents and a standardized layout across all pages. Over the past few weeks, we have been steadily updating all 36 battle pages in this encyclopedia. You may have already noticed some of these changes,…
On July 17, 1861, as Union forces advanced on Fairfax Court House, Col. Robert E. Rodes' 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment engaged in a fierce skirmish at Farr's Crossroads, delaying Col. Dixon S. Miles' division long enough to secure a safe Confederate withdrawal behind Bull Run. While Brig. Gen. Milledge Bonham's retreat from Fairfax was widely…
Continue reading ➞ Holding the Line: Robert Rodes’ Stand at Farr’s Crossroads
While several early skirmishes and clashes claim the title of first land battle of the Civil War, only one engagement truly meets all the criteria of a traditional battle—discover which one and why it stands apart. The claim of being the site of the first land battle of the American Civil War presents a study…
Continue reading ➞ What was the First Land Battle of the Civil War?
Stories of Appalachia is an interesting podcast started in 2015. Hosts Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins discuss a variety of topics, including history and folklore from across the Eastern United States Appalachian region. A few weeks ago, they posted an episode about the Battle of Philippi. The action took place on June 3, 1861 and…
Continue reading ➞ Stories of Appalachia: Philippi, West Virginia
Spirit of '61 