An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
The Battle of Big Bethel (or Great Bethel) was fought on Monday, June 10, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Peirce and Confederate forces commanded by Col. John B. Magruder and Col. Daniel Harvey Hill in what is today Hampton, Virginia. It was among the American Civil War’s first pitched battles. Until…
Continue reading ➞ Topographical Sketch of the Battle of Bethel, June 10th 1861
Occurring on Friday, July 5, 1861, the Skirmish at Smith's Farm was significant because Louisianan Lt. Col. Charles Dreux became the first field grade Confederate officer killed during the Civil War. Yet few people, even Civil War historians, have ever heard of it. Sometimes inaccurately called Young's Mill, I refer to it as Smith's Farm…
Continue reading ➞ Illuminating the Skirmish at Smith’s Farm
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?
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
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…
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…
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
If you search for any mention of a Civil War skirmish in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1861 in the usual sources, you won't find it. In fact, any information about Buckhannon prior to George McClellan's occupation on June 30-July 1st is in short supply. There are a few references to a brief Confederate expedition to…
When sources are lacking, historians attempt to fill in the blanks, but we can use deduction to arrive at the most likely answer. The 9th Battalion Virginia Infantry, otherwise known as Hansbrough's Battalion, was a small unit consisting of four companies led by Lt. Col. George W. Hansbrough. It formed shortly after the Action at…
Following the Union occupation of Philippi, Virginia in early June 1861, a black soldier was accused of shooting down an elderly man in cold blood. Who was he, and how did he end up in the Union army so early in the war? A few days ago, we wrote about James Humbles, a freeman of…
Spirit of '61 