This is an index to Ron Franklin’s Civil War articles online
Feature Articles
1863 Confederate Civil War Newspaper Prediction: The US In 1963
In 1863 the Richmond Daily Dispatch assured its readers that European powers wouldn’t let the South lose the Civil War, because in 100 years a reunited America would be the most powerful nation on earth.
Civil War Sharpshooters: Col. Hiram Berdan’s Creation
In the Civil War, Col. Hiram Berdan’s Sharpshooters were an elite corps in the Union army. Even the Confederates recognized their effectiveness.
Civilians In The Siege Of Vicksburg: Living In Caves, Eating Rats
Confederate civilians trapped in Vicksburg during General Ulysses Grant’s 1863 Vicksburg campaign dug caves to avoid the shelling, and were reduced to eating dogs, cats, and rats.
Father Abraham: Lincoln’s Letters of Counsel to His Generals
How Abraham Lincoln mentored his generals in the Civil War through the letters he sent them.
General George G. Meade: Hero Of Gettysburg or Goat?
Did General George Gordon Meade, Union commander at Gettysburg, miss a golden opportunity to end the Civil War in 1863 by failing to cut off Robert E. Lee’s retreat?
Henry Box Brown – The Slave Who Mailed Himself To Freedom
Henry “Box” Brown escaped from slavery in Richmond, Virginia by hiding himself inside an express package and sending the box as freight to Philadelphia.
How Abraham Lincoln Fired General John C. Fremont
John Charles Fremont was a great explorer but a poor Civil War general. His attempts to evade being replaced required Lincoln to take extraordinary measures to fire him.
How African Americans Lost Their Gettysburg Address
On its way to the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate army under Robert E. Lee terrorized black citizens by attempting to capture and transport them south into slavery.
How Ulysses S. Grant Rose From Store Clerk to General
When the Civil War began, U. S. Grant was a store clerk who was unwanted by the army he had left under a cloud. But once given a chance, he would eventually rise to command the entire army.
Mary Elizabeth Bowser: Union Spy In The Confederate White House
Mary Elizabeth Bowser operated as a Union spy in the household of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Never caught, she was one of the most productive Union operatives of the Civil War.
Queen Victoria’s Black Princess
Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an orphaned African princess given as a gift to Queen Victoria by the King of Dahomey. Victoria became Sarah’s godmother, and received her into the royal extended family.
Robert Smalls: A Civil War Hero’s Fight for Racial Equality
Robert Smalls’ capture of a Confederate ship made him a Civil War hero. But during Reconstruction, he fought just as heroically for equal rights for African Americans.
How Robert Smalls seized a ship to escape from slavery to freedom
During the American Civil War Robert Smalls became a national hero by capturing a Confederate ship and using it to carry himself and other slaves to freedom.
Samuel Upham: The Counterfeiter Who Helped Win The Civil War
Samuel Upham ran a perfectly legal counterfeiting business during the Civil War that helped destroy the value of Confederate money, and hastened the collapse of the Southern economy.
The Fall Of Vicksburg: Turning Point Of The Civil War
The Civil War Battle Of Vicksburg gave the North a great strategic advantage, and brought US Grant to the top among Union generals, positioning him to finally win the war.
What Confederates Said Caused the Civil War
States rights or slavery? What Confederates themselves said were the grievances that caused the South to secede from the Union, making the Civil War inevitable.
When William Tecumseh Sherman Was Loved in the South
Before the Civil War, William T. Sherman helped found the military academy that became Louisiana State University. He was still loved by Confederate former students even as they fought against him.
Why Abraham Lincoln Refused To Respect Jefferson Davis
Why Abraham Lincoln, as President of the United States, denied any recognition to Jefferson Davis as the Confederate States president.
Why Frederick Douglass Despised, then Loved Abraham Lincoln
To abolition activist Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln’s commitment to ending slavery seemed weak and vacillating. But after the two men met, Douglass grew to appreciate Lincoln’s true merit.
Incidents of the Civil War
150 Years After the Battle, Vicksburg Celebrates the 4th of July
1863 Coded Message to Vicksburg Confederate Commander Deciphered
Battle of Vicksburg Facts: The Newspaper Printed on Wallpaper
Children of Civil War Vets Still Alive, One Receiving Pension
Civil War Siege of Vicksburg Forces Civilians To Hide In Caves
How General Rosecrans’ Temper Lost the Battle of Chickamauga
How Lee’s army captured and enslaved blacks at Gettysburg – A Civil War Tidbit
Jefferson Davis Loses His Plantation in the Battle of Vicksburg
Jefferson Davis Wanted to Invade the North Long Before Gettysburg
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