Monthly Archives: January 2026

The Last Man to Die in the American Civil War

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Ron Franklin

Who Is John Jefferson Williams? Although you may never have heard it before, the name John Jefferson Williams has a unique significance in American history. It’s not because he was a great military leader—Williams served as a private in the … Continue reading →

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The Fall of Richmond in the American Civil War: The Inside Story

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Ron Franklin

Weitzel’s Order Announcing the Occupation of Richmond Headquarters Detachment Army of the James, Richmond, Va., April 3, 1865. Major-General Godfrey Weitzel, commanding detachment of the Army of the James, announces the occupation of the city of Richmond by the Armies … Continue reading →

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Why Frederick Douglass Despised, Then Loved Abraham Lincoln

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Ron Franklin

The Friendship of Lincoln and Douglass When Mary Todd Lincoln was gathering her belongings to leave the White House after the death of her husband, she decided to give his favorite walking cane to a man she knew the martyred … Continue reading →

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Why Abraham Lincoln Refused to Respect Jefferson Davis

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Ron Franklin

Was the Confederacy a New Nation? History records that Jefferson Davis was the first president of the Confederate States of America. But there was one man who never conceded to Davis the dignity of that title. That man was Abraham … Continue reading →

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When Confederates Saluted Ulysses S. Grant Instead of Shooting Him

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Ron Franklin

In the movie How The West Was Won, there’s a scene set during the Civil War. A disillusioned Union private (played by George Peppard) and a similarly disillusioned Confederate soldier (Russ Tamblyn) befriend one another during the battle of Shiloh, … Continue reading →

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How Ulysses S. Grant Overcame Depression and Addiction to Win the Civil War

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Ron Franklin

A Military Hero the Army Didn’t Want At the start of the Civil War, Ulysses Grant had great credentials to be given an important military assignment. He had graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 1843, … Continue reading →

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1863 Secret Message From Civil War Siege of Vicksburg Decoded in 2009

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Ron Franklin

A Secret Message to a Desperate General In the summer of 1863, in the midst of the American Civil War, Confederate General John C. Pemberton was under extreme pressure. His army of almost 30,000 men was besieged in Vicksburg, Mississippi … Continue reading →

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Civil War Sharpshooters: How Col. Hiram Berdan Created an Elite Union Force

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Ron Franklin

The Riflemen At the time of the Civil War, the U. S. military had no officially designated elite units such as the Navy Seals or Army Green Berets that are so celebrated today. But there was one branch of the … Continue reading →

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Civilians in the Siege of Vicksburg: Living in Caves, Eating Rats

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Ron Franklin

Vicksburg, Mississippi, situated on a high bluff that allowed the big guns placed there by the Confederates to interdict Union navigation of the Mississippi River, was considered by both North and South as a major key to victory in the … Continue reading →

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Ulysses S. Grant vs Robert E. Lee on Slavery

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Ron Franklin

Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant Meet On April 9, 1865, two men sat down together in the parlor of Wilmer McLean’s house at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. The older of the two, impeccably dressed in his finest uniform, … Continue reading →

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