TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Author: Fred Ray

  • Are We In Rebellion Yet?

    Anyone looking for a laugh today (or an example of hyperbole) should check Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s pronouncements today—that the Republicans are “in rebellion” for not supporting President Obama’s jobs bill, just like the Confederacy. President Obama tends to idealize — and rightfully so  — Abraham Lincoln, who looked at states in rebellion and he […]

  • “Page Perfect” OR Available

    The Historical Archive has what they are calling a “page perfect” version of the Official Record, which comes on two DVDs. The gold standard reference series for Civil War enthusiasts is the 128 volume The War of the Rebellion a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. It is the most […]

  • Cherokees, Slavery, and Masters

    There’s a legal battle brewing in Oklahoma about the tribal status of the descendants of the former slaves of the Cherokee. As it stands now they are getting the boot and Great White Father is not happy about it. The dispute stems from the fact that some wealthy Cherokee owned black slaves who worked on […]

  • A Feast of Colts

    One of the most significant collections of CW-era Colts is up on the block, and worth a look for anyone interested in period weapons. Many of these firearms disappear into collections where they are seldom if ever seen. Field & Stream magazine has a a nice slide show with commentary on each gun and the […]

  • Some Old Guns

    Rock Island Auctions has some Civil War guns up for their September auction. As usual I can’t afford any of them but it’s nice to look. Of particular interest are: A contract Henry rifle for the 1st D.C. Cavalry. This rifle is one of approximately 1000 Henry rifles purchased by the Ordnance Department in late […]

  • Around The Web

    First we had Vance the governor, now it’s Vance the play. For a man who’s been dead 117 years, Zebulon Vance continues to cast a long shadow on Western North Carolina. The Civil War hero and lawmaker’s name is all over the place, on a big monument in downtown Asheville, at his old home place […]

  • The Volcanic Carbine

    I mentioned Volcanic arms in an earlier post about Smith & Wesson. Although probably not many were used in the war, the Volcanic is very important in firearms history. Take a look at this Volcanic carbine—it’s the same basic design as the Henry and the later Winchesters. Loaded with the anemic .41 cal. “rocket ball”, […]