Life Magazine Archive of Civil War Photos

Google recently opend up the Life magazine archives of photographs, many never published in Life. It's searchable. The photos are large and good quality, and cover all variety of subjects. Portraits, landscapes,citiscapes, battle shots. Soldiers, Sailors, Workers, Officers.
Here's tiny sample:

Brig. Gen. William H. Lytle, who was killed in Civil War during Battle at Chickamauga.Location:US Date taken:1863

Soldier holding tattered flag of the Eighth PA Infantry, during Civil War.
Location:US Date taken: 1864

Mary Tippee, aka Tebe Vivandere, woman w. Collis Zouaves during Civil War, wearing medals as she poses. Location: Gettysburg, PA, US Date taken: 1863

Photographer: Charles J. Isaac G. Tyson

Head over and took a look:

http://images.google.com/images?q=1860s+US+Civil+War+source:life

Thunder From a Clear Sky

Thunder From a Clear Sky: Stovepipe Johnson’s Raid on Newburgh, Indiana

Om December 6 the LCWRT will welcome Raymond Mulesky for the very first time. Ray Mulesky was born and raised in the bustling suburbs of Long Island, New York. He graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and took the opportunity to move to the Midwest in the 1980’s. Ray has since immersed himself in the fascinating Civil War history of Indiana and Kentucky.
Ray is a member of the Southwestern Indiana Civil War Round Table and specializes in the roles played by Indiana and Kentucky in the Civil War. He is now known as one of the nation’s experts on the 1862 Confederate Raid on Newburgh, Indiana, and is author of the 2006 release, Thunder from a Clear Sky: Stovepipe Johnson’s Confederate Raid on Newburgh, Indiana.
Ray is also co-author of the just released Kentuckians in Gray: Confederate Generals and Field Officers of the Bluegrass State. He is now working on his third book, tentatively titled, Your Son ‘til Death: The Civil War Letters of a Hoosier Volunteer. Ray lives in Evansville, Indiana, with his wife and son.

Available at amazon.com: Thunder from a Clear Sky

On July 18, 1862, an Indiana town of nearly 1,300 citizens, including almost 100 convalescing Union soldiers, was captured by a bold Confederate icon commanding only twenty-seven Kentucky rebels. The Confederate commander's name was Adam Rankin Johnson and the event was the first Confederate raid north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the American Civil War.
In this story of deception, betrayal, murder, and revenge, Adam Rankin Johnson - Kentucky legend, Texas hero, Confederate raider - conducts a traveling recruiting campaign through the hills of western Kentucky in the summer of 1862. Johnson's crowning effort, his foray onto Northern soil at Newburgh, has the unintended consequence of waking the sleeping giant.

November 2008 Quiz Answers:

1. What full general was disgruntled because he thought his U.S. Army rank should have transferred to the Confederate army, thus making him the senior general instead of the fourth in seniority?

Virginia born Joseph Eggleston Johnston.

2. What civilian was the first female casualty of all-out battle?

Mrs. Judith Henry, hit by a shell on July 21, 1861 at the battle of First Manassas or Bull Run.

3.What state provided the Union army with only about five hundred fighting men, who served in the Second Massachusetts?

California

4. What was the longest uninterrupted campaign of the entire Civil War conflict?

The Petersburg, Virginia, campaign, June 15, 1864 --- April 3, 1865.

5. What was the "white gold" the Confederate leaders hoped to use as a diplomatic bargaining tool with European Governments?

Cotton, but supplies from Egypt, India and Brazil soon replaced that from the Deep South in foreign markets.


December 2008 Quiz:

1. What small girl is generally credited with having persuaded Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard?
2. What Mexican War general and future president made futile objections to his daughter's marriage to Jefferson Davis?

3. After the election of 1864, the membership of what political group jumped by 70 percent?

4. What holder of high office was described by HARPER'S WEEKLY in December 1861 as being honest and shrewd but not a great leader?

5. What West Pointer, 21st of 39 in the class of 1843, was a better than passable artist, specializing in horses?

James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jr.: The Road to War: Reason vs Emotion

The Road to War: Reason vs Emotion
We are happy to have back our longtime friend and life member of our Round Table, James I. ‘Bud’ Robertson, Jr. with us for our on Sunday, Nov. 16. He is without question one of the preeminent Civil War scholars and lecturers of our time. On so many occasions in the past he has edified our group with his lively and humorous talks.

He has written and edited over 20 books and countless articles and reviews. His latest book is a collection of essays co-edited with William C. Davis, Virginia at War, 1863. Among his other books are The Stonewall Brigade, General A. P. Hill, Soldiers Blue and Gray, Civil War Sites in Virginia, and of course his award winning Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend. A list of his accomplishments and awards would fill several newsletters! He appears regularly in Civil War programs on the History Channel and he also served as chief historical consultant for the movie Gods and Generals.

Dr. Robertson is currently Alumni Distinguished Professor in history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Since our founding, Bud Robertson has been one of our favorite speakers and has visited us frequently since the early 1960’s. We look forward to hearing Dr. Robertson at what promises to be a very special evening.

2009 Field Trip: Chancellorsville April 15-19

We will be going to Virginia April 2009 to study the Campaign and Battle of Chancellorsville! National Park historian Greg Mertz will be our tour guide. The dates for this trip are April 15-19 so mark your calendars now. We will be studying the entire campaign including cavalry raids, Second Fredericksburg, Salem Church, and all related Stonewall Jackson sites.

Chris Kolakowski, PBPA Director, Resigns

The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association (PBPA), a non-profit organization charged with preserving and interpreting Kentucky’s largest Civil War battleground, announced October 9th that Chris Kolakowski, its Executive Director, will be stepping down on 22 October. Since Chris has become a member and friend of our Round Table, this is particularly sad news. Chris is leaving the PBPA to become Chief Curator of the National Museum of the U.S. Army Reserve, located at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He will run the museum and assist the Army Reserve Historian with Army historical officers’ training and military staff rides.

Chris Kolakowski became the PBPA’s Executive Director in November 2005. Since that time Perryville has preserved 152 acres of additional battlefield land, hosted the 2006 National Civil War Reenactment, and embarked upon a variety of preservation, restoration, and interpretation projects at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site and on Merchant’s Row. In 2007 the PBPA won the Sixth Annual Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award, marking the organization as an elite preservation group in the United States.

"It has been a tremendous three years, and we have accomplished a lot. Perryville is now a nationally recognized historic site, and the PBPA has developed into a national-level preservation organization. Without our key partners on the local, state, and national levels, we would not have been able to accomplish all we have done. The crack PBPA staff has been a real asset, and I cannot say enough about our Board of Directors, and Chairman Don Kelly. There are some truly great people in the community who have been a pleasure to work with, too many to list. I look forward to hearing more successes from Perryville in the future," said Kolakowski.


November 2008 Quiz:

1. What full general was disgruntled because he thought his U.S. Army rank should have transferred to the Confederate army, thus making him the senior general instead of the fourth in seniority?

2. What civilian was the first female casualty of all-out battle?

3. What state provided the Union army with only about five hundred fighting men, who served in the Second Massachusetts?

4. What was the longest uninterrupted campaign of the entire Civil War conflict?

5. What was the "white gold" the Confederate leaders hoped to use as a diplomatic bargaining tool with European Governments?

Trek to Wildcat Mountain, Part Two

Part Two. After exploring Hoosier Knob, we broke for lunch at the Gazebo. The weather continued to be prefct all day, warming up nicely for the afternoon walk along Infantry Ridge. One of the treats of Wildcat Mountain is that the park area also encompasses portions of the original Wilderness Road, the route through the Apapalachians into Kentucky for Boone, Harrod and so many others who came after. This is a new trail, so new the interpretive signs written by Chris Kolakowski aren't installed yet. Having seen Union infantry trenches (some of the earliest of the Civil War) and signs of Confederate burials on the Hoosier Knob trail, on this portion of the trail we visited artillery placements and 2 Union soldiers gravesites. The soldiers' identites are known today, but were lost at the time and both are now buried in unkwown graves at Crab Orchard. The heights of the Rockcastle Hills were stunning and indicative of the difficult terrain.

Chris did a great job of interpreting not only the troop movements, but also showing us the effect the difficult terrain had on the action, as well as the logistical significance of the location, and the part this small battle played in the larger scheme of the battle for KY.

After a productive afternoon, we adjourned to the gazebo with members of the Camp Wildcat Battelfield Preservation Assoc. for a social hour and the traditional post tour cigar for them that smokes 'em.

At the base of the Rockcastle Hills

On the Trail to Hoosier Knob

Chris on the Wilderness Road

End of the Infantry Ridge Trail

Social hour at the Gazebo

Chris Kolakowski and LCWRT Member John Davis enjoy a post tour cigar

For more information on Camp Wildcat and the Battle of Wildcat Mountain:

USDA Forest Service, London Distrct, 761 South Laurel Drive, London KY 40744, phone: 606-864-4163

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/districts/london/wildcat.shtml

http://www.kycivilwar.org/modules/smartpartner/partner.php?id=3
Mr. James Cass, Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation P.O. Box 1510 London, KY 40743

LCWRT Fall Field Trip: The Battle of Wildcat Mountain

Part one of two parts:

Date: Oct. 26, 2008
Place - Camp Wildcat, outside London Ky
Guide: Chri Kolakowski
Hosts: Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation, Jim Cass President

After a beautiful early morning drive though Kentucky countryside to the seemingly remote location of Camp Wildcat, located not a far drive from I75, a small but devoted roup of LCWRT members met at the Laurel Home Guard Reservation, the site of CSA Gen. Felix Zollicoffer's camp. After a consult and then debriefing on the October 1861 situation in KY by our guide, the inimitable Chris Kolakwoski, the group drove up the mountain where we were joined by additional LCWRT members and Jim Cass and the hospitable folks of the Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation who had coffee and refreshments ready and waiting.


It was a grand day, the weather was perfect and Chris took us with several of our new cohorts on a fantatstic tour of the Hoosier Knob, plus the new trail of Infantry Ridge. So new the interpretive signs weren't up yet and we were the first group to take the walk. Chris filled us in on this small but important early Civil War battle, covering not only the imprtance of the first Union victory in KY, but also explaining the importance of the Wilderness Road and it's access to Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville, and even Cincinnati and beyond.

Laurel Home Guard Reservation at the foot of Wildcat Mountain

Morning Consultation

Chris Kolakowski gets us started

On the Way to Hoosier Knob

LCWRT members on the trail again

Double Honor: The Story of John and William Black

The Louisville Civil War Round Table will welcome speaker Dave Hinze to our October meeting. Dave is a freelance tour guide and author focusing on the early portion of our country’s history. His company, Stars & Stripes Events, arranges tours for individuals and groups throughout the country featuring tours from the French & Indian War through Truman’s presidency. The co-author of The Battle of Carthage: Border War in Southwest Missouri,, July 5, 1861 and of additional numerous articles Dave also delivers several speeches a year to groups across the country. A retired American history teacher of 32 years Hinze no longer inflicts himself upon America’s teenagers. He remains busy at their blueberry farm and numerous other activities.

His tropic: Double Honor: The Story of John & William Black

There are only five sets of brothers to win The Congressional Medal of Honor in our Civil War. The Black brothers, from Danville, IL, are the only siblings to earn their medals west of the Mississippi River at the Battles of Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Officers in the 37th Illinois, or the Fremont Rifles, the brothers became frustrated away from the main theaters of combat yet when tested on the battlefield they were determined to lead above and beyond the call of duty. The Black’s story is an amazing chronicle of the fighting in the Trans-Mississippi featuring gritty combat leadership with their exploits painted in blood.

On amazon.com: The Battle of Carthage: Border War in Southwest Missouri

Fall Field Trip to Camp Wildcat Set for Sunday, October 26

The LCWRT annual Fall Field trip will be to Camp Wildcat on Sunday, October 26. Chris Kolakowski will be our guide and will lead us up Wildcat Mountain to learn about the battle that took place there October 21, 1861. We will meet at the foot of Wildcat Mountain and walk the battlefield in about 4 hours. This will be one of our more active walking tours!

2009 Field Trip: Chancellorsville April 15-19

The LCWRT Spring Trip will be to Virginia in April 2009 to study the Campaign and Battle of Chancellorsville! National Park historian Greg Mertz will be the tour guide. The dates for this trip are April 15-19 so mark your calendars now. We will be studying the entire campaign including cavalry raids, Second Fredericksburg, Salem Church, and all related Stonewall Jackson sites.

Gettysburg Heroes with Glenn LaFantasie

Glenn W. La Fantasie addresses the Louisville Civil War Round Table, Sept. 12, 2008

Last evening's opening meeting of the 2008 - 2009 season was a winner, with Glenn LaFantasie's excellent and engaging presentation Gettysburg and Its Many Heroes, focusing on James Longstreet, Frank Haskell, William C. Oates, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Dr. LaFantasie used the Bruce Catton quote "feeling the echoes" as a recurring theme to emphasize the importance of walking the grounds of Gettysburg in order to appreciate the actions and sacrifices made there. He made his new book Gettysburg Heroes, Perfect Soldiers, Hallowed Ground ( Indiana University Press, 2008) available to LCWRT members at a great price, and graciously autographed copies.

On the preservation front, due to the generosity of our members, the LCWRT was able to raise $115 for the 2008 - 2009 Preservation Grant in our first fundraisng effort of the year.

Bryan Winlsow, President of the LCWRT, announced this year's Fall Field Trip will be Wildcat Mountain , near London. KY on Oct. 26. The field trip guide will be Chris Kolakowski who assured participants they will need their hiking boots and walking shoes.

John Davis, LCWRT Past President & Christopher Kolakowski, Chris Kolakowski, left, executive director of the Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association and LCWRT member socialize before dinner.

For more information on the Louisville Civil War Round Table, its membership, meetings and preservation grant, please visit our home page at LCWRT .

The New Season Begins: Gettysburg in September

To kickoff our new season, we welcome Glenn W. LaFantasie to our September 12 meeting. He will present Gettysburg and Its Many Heroes.

The Civil War generation saw its world in ways startlingly different from our own. In his upcoming talk, "Gettysburg Heroes, Glenn W. LaFantasie will focus on the lives and experiences of several key personalities who gained fame during the war and after. The battle of Gettysburg is the thread that ties these Civil War lives together. His presentation will explore the human drama of the war and show how a diverse group of individuals—including James Longstreet, Frank A. Haskell, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and William C. Oates endured or succumbed to the war and, willingly or unwillingly, influenced its outcome. At the same time, his talk will demonstrate how the war shaped the lives of these individuals, putting them through ordeals they never dreamed they would face or survive. His presentation is based on his most recent book, Gettysburg Heroes: Perfect Soldiers, Hallowed Ground, published by Indiana University Press.

Glenn received his Ph.D. in History from Brown University, and is the Richard Frockt Family Professor of Civil War History and the Director of the Center for the Study of the Civil War in the West at Western Kentucky University. He is the author of Twilight at Little Round Top (Wiley, 2005) and Gettysburg Requiem: The Life and Lost Causes of Confederate Colonel William C. Oates (Oxford University Press, 2006). His most recent book, Gettysburg Heroes: Perfect Soldiers, Hallowed Ground (Indiana University Press, 2008), is a collection of previously published essays on the Civil War’s most famous battle. He has previously taught at the University of Rhode Island, Gettysburg College, and the University of Maine at Farmington. His next book will examine the working partnership between Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

You can find Glenn's books on Amazon.com:

Gettysburg Heros: Perfect Soldiers, Hallowed Ground

Gettysburg Requiem: The Life and Lost Causes of Confederate Colonel William C. Oates

Twilight at Little Round Top

Artillery Position at Gettysburg, courtesy LCWRT Member John Davis

Announcing our 2009 LCWRT Field Trip: Chancellorsville April 15-19

We will be going to Virginia April 2009 to study the Campaign and Battle of Chancellorsville! National Park historian Greg Mertz will be our tour guide. The dates for this trip are April 15-19 so mark your calendars now. We will be studying the entire campaign including cavalry raids, Second Fredericksburg, Salem Church, and all related Stonewall Jackson sites.

For more information on the Louisville Civil War Round Table, its membership, meetings and preservation grant, please visit our home page at LCWRT .

Inaugural Posting

Welcome to the Inuagural post of Louisville Civil War Round Table Blog.

Our purpose is to study all aspects of the American Civil War and to promote the interchange of knowledge about it. Our members’ interests in the War between the States are varied and their knowledge ranges from elementary to expert.

Our activities include nine dinner meetings per year (September—May), a one-day Fall field trip, and a five-day Spring field trip. Our dinner meetings feature a speaker who discusses a Civil War topic. Our organization also makes an annual contribution to a Civil War preservation project.

Visit this space to keep up with our meetings, speakers and field trips. This season's speakers have been announced and will include: Glenn LaFantasie, David Hinze, Bud Robertson, David Mulesky, Greg Biggs, Jim Ogden, Frank Williams, and Rick Hatcher.

As to the field trips? More will be revealed in the coming months.

For more information on the Louisville Civil War Round Table, its membership, meetings and preservation grant, please visit our home page at LCWRT .

LCWRT members at beautiful Harper's Ferry with author and National Park Historian Dennis Frye