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The men who composed the small remnants of Rebel commands brought together in an effort to stop Sherman's Savannah and Carolinas campaign realized the futility of their assignment; they knew that without help from other quarters Confederate…

This conviction that they fought for their homes and women gave many Confederate soldiers remarkable staying power in the face of adversity. "My dear be a brave woman to the last," wrote a Shenandoah Valley farmer serving in the 10th Cavalry to his…

U.S. racial imperialism, at the turn of the century, targeted Filipinos and other peoples of color throughout the world whom white Americans considered barbaric and thus incapable of self-government. Within the borders of the United States,…

Mountain Unionists are brutally murdered in the Shelton Laurell area of the NOrth Carolina Mountains. Among the victims was a 13 year old boy. The Unionists were accused of raiding a nearby town and stealing basic necessities as well as raiding a…

A major problem that faced both armies during the Civil war was desertion. As the conflict dragged on into a protracted war of attrition, the loss of men through absenteeism struck hardest at the South. Before the end of 1861 it had become a problem…

Recognizing the importance of Wilmington, Union blockaders sought to prevent ships from reaching the port since the summer of 1861, though to no avail. The first Federal ship, the Daylight, arrived in July 1861. This tiny vessel was soon disabled,…

“Fort Fisher was the strongest fort in the South,” proclaimed the New York Tribune. “Now for the first time is a really formidable earthwork carried by a direct assault, and in a military view, therefore, the storming of Fort Fisher…