Sarah, Lizzie, and Lida

Last week I was working an educational program and I had the opportunity to tell one of my favorite local stories from the Civil War - the story of the Waterford News. Little did I know that it would lead me down another research rabbit hole. I've mentioned the paper before, but for those unfamiliar …

Blood on the Snow- Cole vs Mosby on Loudoun Heights

In the wake of their defeat at Five Points the survivors of Cole's Cavalry returned to their winter encampment on Loudoun Heights to lick their wounds. The first few days were tense. One trooper later recalled how "For a time the men were cautions and never undressed at night. Then arms were kept always within …

Captain Hunter’s New Year’s Ordeal

Last time around we looked at the terrible New Year's surprise that John Mosby and his men unleashed on the Union troopers under Captain Albert Hunter. Of the approximately 60 men of Cole's Cavalry that set out from Harper's Ferry on December 30 more than half were now prisoners of war. Hunter himself was captured …

A New Year’s Day Disaster

Confession time. I really don't like New Year's as a holiday.  I've always been more comfortable looking back in time than looking forward to the future. Maybe it's the post-holiday hangover, or some sort of fear of the unknown, or knowing that I'm one year older. I'm never in the mood to celebrate the passage of time. …

A tale of two brothers?

As any historian knows, there's a lot of detective work that goes into piecing together the past. We scour letters and census forms and diaries like they're a crime scene. We try to understand the M.O. of our historical actors, examining their backgrounds and their world views. With enough evidence we can feel confident in …

Dispatch from the Field: Heaton’s Crossroads and Cool Spring Battlefield

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday! As we move closer to Christmas and New Year's I may be taking a little longer to get posts up. This time of year it's nice to step back from the Civil War - as much as I love writing about it - and spend more time …