Author: Fred Ray
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The 1854 Lorenz Jaegerstutzen rifle
Most students of Civil War weapons have heard of the Austrian Lorenz rifle. Sometimes called the “Austrian Enfield,” it ranked third in numbers issued to troops on both sides during the conflict, and was the second most common imported rifle after the British Enfield. The biggest users seem to have been the Army of Tennessee […]
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Short Takes
What do you do when you don’t have any Confederates to protest? You obviously make do with what you have. Two in the crosshairs are Teddy Roosevelt and of course Christopher Columbus. “For too long, they have generated harm and offense as expressions of white supremacy,” reads the petition, in a city which “preaches tolerance […]
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Review: Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War: Colt, Sharps, Spencer, and Whitworth by Martin Pegler
Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War: Colt, Sharps, Spencer, and Whitworth By Martin Pegler Illustrated by Johnny Shumate, Alan Gilliland Publication Date: 24 Aug 2017 80 pages ISBN 9781472815910 $20 Martin Pegler is a prolific chronicler on military sniping, perhaps best known for his 2004 book Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military […]
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I Feeel Good! (About Raiding Harpers Ferry)
Lots of bad news all over these days, but I did get a laugh out of this one. The Associated Press had to issue a correction last month after a story suggested that legendary 20th Century musician James Brown, and not fiery abolitionist John Brown, led a raid on Harpers Ferry just before the Civil […]
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Ron Chernow on on U.S. Grant
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow discusses his biography on Ulysses S. Grant, with a focus on the 18th president’s final years and the writing of his memoirs. Saw part of this the other night and it’s worth watching to learn more about Grant.