Equal pay or no pay at all
In this letter, Col. E. N. Hallowell—who took command of the 54th Massachusetts after Col. Robert G. Shaw was killed—declined the state’s offer to make up the...
Explosive Projectiles
Drawing from B. B. Hotchkiss’s patent for “Explosive Projectiles,” May 6, 1862
Eyewitness report
Col. E.N. Hallowell wrote this account of the battle of Fort Wagner almost four months after the attack. He highlighted the fall of the 54th’s commanding officer,...
Former roommates clash
Confederate President Jefferson Davis had a difficult relationship with his former West Point roommate, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, commander of the Department and Army...
Fort Sumter has fallen
This telegram notified Secretary of War Simon Cameron of the outcome of the battle that began the Civil War in earnest. It was sent by Maj. Robert Anderson, commander...
George Henry Thomas
A pro-union Virginian, many southerners considered Major General Thomas a traitor for fighting against the South. His family turned his portrait to the wall, burned...
Highest ranking officer to resign
Joseph E. Johnston resigned his commission in the United States Army on April 22, 1861. Johnston was the highest ranking Army officer to resign and join the Confederacy.