TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Category: Military History

  • Short Takes

    The city of Harrisburg, PA, held a Civil War Grand Review Saturday to honor Black soldiers in the Civil War. The event itself is a re-enactment of a similar review held in the fall of 1865 for Colored regiments that were unable to participate in the Grand Review in Washington. Hari Jones, curator of the […]

  • Short Takes

    Body armor has been around since Neolithic times and made somewhat of a revival in the Civil War. However it was never officially sanctioned and was mostly discarded both for its weight and because it left its wearer open to implications of cowardice. Modern soldiers wear quite a lot of it, but as in the […]

  • Short Takes

    The Wisconsin Historical Society looks at election chicanery in 1864 when the Republicans, like the Democrats today, faced a stunning defeat. They did, however, have an ace to play, the military vote. Since they controlled the Legislature, Republicans passed a bill in September that enabled soldiers to vote while serving in the field, and authorized […]

  • Short Takes

    After 235 years the US Army has dropped bayonet training from its basic training curriculum. The bayonet has been very much a part of military history since its introduction in the 17th century as a replacement for the pike. Early “plug” models simply fit into the muzzle, making it impossible to fire the gun. The […]

  • Late 19thC Infantry Attack

    I came across this illustration of an infantry attack in the late 19th Century, specifically in 1892 at the famous British Army School of Musketry at Hythe. Established early in the century the school served to “train the trainers” of the army in rifle shooting, and you can see from the inset the various types […]

  • Short Takes

    The militia is gathering here in NC. No, it’s not those weird guys in camo, it’s a group reenacting the historic North Carolina militia. The Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site is hosting the annual fall militia encampment Saturday and Sunday. The event, which has happened in one form or another at the site […]

  • One Union Regiment

    The infantry regiment is the basic building block of Civil War armies.  This unit is administrator, trainer, supply point, responsible for discipline and medical service.  The regiment is home for the majority of soldiers for their entire service.  Mission assignments go to regiments, who are responsible to garrison, escort, protect or hunt down whatever the […]