TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Category: Civil War News

  • Juneteenth, Slavery and (lack of) Forgiveness

    Cross posted at Touch The Elbow In an issue last week, buried in Section B of the Charleston Post and Courier was an article about Juneteenth, specifically that it looks very good that SC will soon be recognizing it – just not as a holiday. In previous posts at Touch The Elbow (here and here) […]

  • Cautiously Back

    As I’m sure most people reading this blog figured out, the posts started fast and furious and then died down almost as quickly as it began. I hope to continue posting here on a greatly reduced basis. I take full responsibility and blame for letting the posts falter and then stop. A blog always needs […]

  • Hunt for Lincoln’s Assassin

    At 3 p.m. Eastern time on Oct. 15, the National Geographic Channel will re-air “The Hunt For Lincoln’s Assassin”. This little flick means a lot to me, since I was fortunate enough to appear on camera. The documentary, which originally aired in April of this year, spotlights Everton Conger, the man whose biography I have […]

  • The Sound of the Guns

    I am heading out to Winchester tomorrow morning to begin preparations for the North-South Skirmish Association’s 116th National Skirmish, which will be held October 3-7. For those of you unfamiliar with the N-SSA, we shoot live ammunition in Civil War military arms ranging all the way from revolvers to cannon. Twice a year, the third […]

  • Our disappearing rural landscape

    Every day as I drive around south-central Pennsylvania and also during occasional trips into Maryland and Northern Virginia on business, I am reminded at how much of this area’s once beautiful pastoral countryside is being swallowed up by new housing developments. The area around York and Gettysburg just a decade ago still had some faint […]

  • Short Takes

    Just back from a long drive to Petersburg and back for their sharpshooter weekend. Not much chance to take photos. I’m off tomorrow for CWRT presentations in Pensacola and Panama City. Some items of interest in the September issue of Civil War News (not online, unfortunately). One article (“Projectiles Destroyed After Civil War Injury”) gives […]

  • Jack Coggins

    I was sorry to learn of the death of artist Jack Coggins in January at age 94. His family put up a web site about him that gives the details of his life and work. Although Coggins is best known as a maritime painter, he had many other interests besides. As a kid in high […]