TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

  • Review: Trading With The Enemy: The Covert Economy During the Civil War

    Trading with the Enemy The Covert Economy During the American Civil War Philip Leigh Westholme Publishing 2014 248 pages 6 x 9 hardback 20 b/w illus., map $26.00 My post on “Bagdad, Back Door to the Confederacy” garnered a comment from author Philip Leigh about other trading arrangements, especially those between the United States and […]

  • POLL: Best Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia?

    Which brigade was the best brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia? So, which brigade deserves that title?  I’m keeping the definition of “best” purposefully vague.  Use the criteria which you think define “best” to make one, and only one vote below.  I’ve got an agenda here, I’ll freely admit.  I want to see what […]

  • Civil War Book Review: The Battle of First Deep Bottom

    Editor’s Note: This review first appeared yesterday at The Siege of Petersburg Online and has been cross-posted here. Price, James S. The Battle of First Deep Bottom. (The History Press: September 2014). 160 pages, illustrations, over 35 images, 3 maps, notes, bibliography, index. ISBN: 978-1-60949-541-1 $19.99 (Paperback). Benjamin F. Naylor of the 183rd Pennsylvania asked, […]

  • “New” Thomas Clingman Official Report: Battle of Petersburg: June 16-18, 1864

    Every so often in my Siege of Petersburg research I run into something which might be a bit of a “find.”  I recently obtained page images of the 1873-1874 newspaper version of “Our Living and Our Dead,” a New Bern, North Carolina newspaper edited by Stephen D. Pool.  On page 2 of the March 18, […]

  • Richmond Redeemed (2nd Edition): SmartLayers Edition

    Richard Sommers’ massive Richmond Redeemed, about the Fifth Offensive at the Siege of Petersburg, is getting a 2nd Edition courtesy of publisher Savas Beatie.  In addition to the print copy, a “SmartLayers” e-book edition is also getting produced.  Check out the YouTube video demonstration below as well as the Savas Beate press release: Savas Beatie […]

  • Bagdad – Back Door to the Confederacy

    In my reply to Spengler I noted the difficulties of making a land link with Mexico to supply the Confederacy. After doing a bit more research I found that there really was a land link, although subject to all the difficulties I mentioned. When the Union blockade went into effect Southern cotton became both scarce […]

  • Sharpshooter Shorts

    Couple of short sharpshooter items. First from Berry Benson, South Carolina sharpshooter and scout; To each brigade in Jackson’s corps, – and also, I believe, in all of the corps of Lee’s army – was attached a body of sharpshooters; men picked from their regiments, not merely for skill in marksmanship, but also as best […]

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