Introducing the Project
The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War is now upon us. To mark this event, I wanted to do something to further my knowledge of the war as a whole – not just the study of specific battles or biographies, but a way to look at the war day-by-day, as it unfolded. And that’s what I mean to do.
Every day I will be posting a brief account (700 – 1000 words) of what transpired 150 years ago to the day. It’s one thing to look at a specific battle that spanned a day or two, or even a campaign that took place over a few weeks in a very specific area. But it’s quite another thing to be able to study what was happening throughout all theaters of the war on any given date.
I really hope that I can follow through. It’s a long commitment – November 6, 2010 through May 2015. There are kids that haven’t even graduated high school yet that will be through with college by the time this is over.
Regardless of its immensity, I am really, really excited to start this. As I’ve been working on this, looking at the days preceding the firing upon Sumter, the days of the first land battles and everything leading up to the Battle of Bull Run and how it all fits smoothly together, I’m realizing that I need to understand the Civil War as a whole, rather than a handful of battles here and there.
So this blog isn’t just me telling you a bunch of stuff about the Civil War. This blog is me exploring what happened 150 years ago to the day and hopefully finding out how one nation can tear itself in two and so quickly devolve to bloodshed.
While giving the facts, I also want it to be interesting, readable, personable. Time will tell if I can accomplish any of this.
And lastly, I invite you to read along. Feel free to offer further information, advice, happenings I’ve overlooked and kind criticism.
Thanks!
Eric
eric (at) littleblackstar (dot) com
Darla Vincent on 
George from NJ on 
Dave Boyes on 
Sir:
Thank you for such an informative blog. As a amateur Civil War historian (VERY AMATEURISH!!!), I am consistently looking for more information to quench this thirst I have for knowledge of the great battle amongst our countrymen.
The research you provide here is a welcome resource to me.
Thank you again, and God Bless You!
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Marble, Sr.
dear sir-excellent idea -i myself have been relearning the war as it unfolds-i plan to be present at all the maor events and some lesser ones as well as personal favorites durring the next five years-in fact ive already started-harpers ferry raid last oct,browns hanging last dec 2,feb 27th i was outside the cooper union in nyc for the anniversary of linc speech-in may i went to the site of the wigwam in chicago and the next day in springfield[the 18th when linc got the nomination-next was june 23rd at location of front street theater were dems finnally split the party,in fact i checked out three sites in one day ,monument square[constitutional party celebrates on may 9th,site of maryland insitute where breckinridge was nominated on june 28th]its impossibl to be on exact date for evrything so i get as close as possible,anyway with leap years everything is at least 28 days off [i think] -for linc election i wanted to go back to springfield but coundnt,instead i found your site on this date -my next ‘ journey’ will find me in columbia sc on dec 17th to see the 1st baptist church and to see the original ordnance of secession-on the 20th ill be in charlston to see the site of institute hall [i will knock out a few sites in those four days pertaining to secession in georgia and south carolina-anyway if your interested i can tell you about my trips after the fact about what was going on- i plan to write a book when im finished which will end in liverpool were the css shenadoah will end the saga of the confederacy,i hope to see why the war happenned and what people still think today ,i also planned a blog but dont think i will do that,any way drop me a line and sucess to you and yours-kevin a. kearns
Very cool. Glad I found you early into your project. It will be fun to follow your blog through the next few years.
Very cool idea. Can’t wait to see how this all ends. The late, great lull in activities has caused us to forget how important these issues are even today. History is given us to remember, not forget. Thanks for providing this insightful way of looking back.
Thanks so much for doing this site, and I wish you the best of luck. Assuming all goes well and that other things in life don’t grab your attention and time, I hope you can manage to continue your efforts well after 2015 to help provide the same quality of day-to-day accounts of that sequel to the Civil War that we typically call Reconstruction. No big deal to add twelve more years to your four year project, right?
Hopefully I’ll be able to stay on target here. I’m fairly doubtful that I’ll continue on through Reconstruction. But you’re more than welcome to keep it going.
-Eric
I’ve got you on my Favorites.
I haven’t figured out how to do an RSS feed, though.
Hi there! Thanks! The RSS feed is linked in the banner (it’s sort of hidden, I’ll work on that). Also here is the link: http://civilwardailygazette.com/feed/
I am part of a website called CivilWarWiki, which is based off of the same program that runs Wikipedia. We are focused exclusively on the Civil War: the causes, issues, battles, and so on.
Anyone here is more than welcome to come to the site, register, and add content.
I am greatly enjoying reading this day by day and want to thank you for the research and effort you are putting into it. It is a very interesting way to learn of the day to day progress of the conflict. It is difficult to realize that slavery was such an accepted way of life for so much of our country. Reading elsewhere I am becoming more aware of the impact of the opening of the West in the years preceding the Civil War and the conflicts over whether they would be slave or free states being the precursor to the Civil War. Even little known President Millard Fillmore (1850 – 1853) played a role.
Thanks so much!
And I completely agree about the opening of the West. There’s a couple of books I recently read about it. Driven West; Andrew Jackson’s Trail of Tears to the Civil War by A.J. Langguth as well as The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War by Leonard L. Richards. Both are great.
Thanks!
-Eric
Thanks. I am writing a biography of Elmer Ellsworth, so please check out my blog. This is a serious endeavor and I appreciate comments.
This is very cool. I have been doing the same thing myself, except not so ambitious. Yours is much better. Eric, what do you do for a living that enables you to spend so much time on it, daily?
Thanks so much! Are you blogging as well?
I’ve found the trick to finding time to do this is to start work at 5am and work till 1pm (I’m a screenprinter). After I get off work, I research/write. I try to cut myself off at 4pm to eat.
I am having problems with your amazon wish list. I buy used books for my research, and have saved a bundle of money doing this. I was going to send you some books, as I found them used (one was even a penny!) but because these come from a variety of vendors, I couldn’t send them. I have no address, and I am sure that the last thing you want to do is make that bit of information public!
So, I suggest you look at the used book option, and maybe set up something on PayPal to collect donations. I am not kidding here–I had 3 of them on your list for less than $15. That amount seems cheesy to put in an account, but if it would have brought you what you want, then I am all for it.
Wow! Thank you so much, Meg. It’s really really appreciated. You should still be able to send them via Amazon, I know that a few other folks have (though I don’t know the ins and outs of it).
As for the PayPal idea, I’m a step ahead. Scrolling up and on the right, you’ll see a PayPal button that says “Donate.” Seeing it now, I should probably make it a bit clearer as to what it is. (I’ll do that shortly).
No amount is too cheesy for me. Honestly every little bit helps and is wildly appreciated.
Thank you so much!
-Eric
What a wonderful idea…. Although currently in FL, home is now w/my man who was raised about a mile from Stonewall Jackson Shrine in Guinea Station, VA. His cousin runs the White Oak Museum in Stafford, VA where so many of the Union encampments were located prior to the what we consider the 1st Battle of Fredericksburg.
This period has always fascinated me, and although I know a great deal, am always willing to learn more. I am a firm believer that history teaches us much to learn from…….and if we want to move forward, we have to look back at times.
If I had to pick my dream house, it would be the Stonewall Jackson Shrine. I’ve been there twice and fell completely in love with it. I’m not sure why. It’s not very large, there’s no wrap around porch and it’s not really very different than any other small house from that era. But something about the house just captured me.
There are some places that are just more magical than others. I know it sounds weird, but something remains of the past in old places, and in some it is stronger than it is in others. Or maybe it is just the historian that is particularly sensitive to the resonances of the past.
Ohh I’d hate to think it was anything more than ascetics. Maybe, at its deepest, it was the feng shui or something. It is an oddly shaped house, but not bizarre. I am certain that it’s got nothing to do with Jackson himself, I’ve been to his Lexington house, and, while nice, it’s just not the same.
Anyway, if I ever strike it rich enough to do things like build a house, it will be like that one. Perhaps with a wrap around porch, just for kicks.
Eric,
I’m enjoying your 150th today blog very much. Thanks for making the effort.
I’ve written a screenplay (true story about the Civil War) that I’m shopping around Hollywood now.
Thanks so much for your detailed reports and your exhausting commitment. I will be checking back often. I have started a blog that I will use to review the war in Kentucky and cover the anniversary events this year and beyond. I appreciate your attention to events in our neck of the woods.
You have taken on a big task. I admire you and appreciate your work. Thanks so much!
Great Blog! Wish I would have found it two years ago. I live in a suburb of Nashville, TN and am looking forward to next years accounts of CS General John B. Hood’s last ditch effort to take back Tennessee in the Fall of 1864!
Something to consider for your upcoming 1862 Shiloh entry: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/02/04/civil_war_baseball_a_ball_used_by_soldiers_before_fighting_at_shiloh.html
Makes me wonder if baseball would have become the ‘national’ pastime without the Civil War.
I had five East Tennessee ancestors in the Mississippi Campaign. Thank you so much for your site!
Well done Eric! I discovered your site from my cousin and will forward to other enthusiasts.