Student Links
This page contains a selection of links that pertain to the course. Each entry lists the submitter's name, the site name linked to the site, and a brief description of the site. The list will be expanding throughout the term. You can also use this page to add a link.
Eric Patterson on Thu Jul 19 15:03:03 2001 wrote:
Lesser Known Historical Excerpts Relevant to the War for Southern Independence
This site contains excerpts from history that reveal that the war between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America was not a battle of good versus evil, or even a true civil war. The South did not intend to take control of the United States government, but to peacefully form their own sovereign nation. The facts reveal the shallow, one-sided, sound-bite "history" and stereotypes of the Antebellum South, the Confederacy, and the War that most of us have been taught.
Tim Harrison on Tue Apr 24 21:22:44 2001 wrote:
The American Civil War - The Struggle to Preserve the Union
The site comprises a look at the causes, characters, and history of the American Civil War, and includes an examination of the causes, biographies of Northern and Southern leaders, a short history of battlefield parks, and photographs.
Brian Mandell on Sun Feb 18 22:15:22 2001 wrote:
HouseDivided.com
Intended as a "collection of existing internet content" related to the civil war, this site also attempts to "extend some focus and coverage" to the Western theater of the war, which the editor feels has long been neglected by many historians.
Overall, this is an exhaustive resource encompassing many different aspects of the war. Factual information is catalogued first by side - Union or Confederacy - and then is further subdivided into the categories of Generals, Battles, Maps and Images to make browsing simple.
In addition, the site makes a respectable attempt at covering less military-oriented topics, and in "The Country, the World," one can explore the roles of slavery, women, medicine, and money during the war. Coverage of world events of the Civil War Period is expected soon.
The Dissertations section is a collection of short analytical pieces. They are written both
by the editor and by anonymous visitors to the website, however, and so many interpretations might in fact be unsubstantiated opinion rather than carefully constructed argument or accepted fact.
The site also encourages visitors to share their ideas in a discussion forum, and holds interactive quiz competitions.
Alexis Vagianos on Sun Feb 18 15:04:43 2001 wrote:
Jews in the Civil War
In my high school United States history class, my teacher mentioned the prominent role of Judah P. Benjamin in Jefferson Davis’ Cabinet. This information prompted me to search the web for information on Jewish-American involvement in the Civil War. I was shocked to find a site devoted to this topic alone.
"Jews in the Civil War" is part of the site "Jewish-American History on the Web." The larger site is developed and maintained by L.M. Berkowitz of Southfield, MI. He has dedicated the site to nineteenth century Jewish-American history. There is little information provided regarding the webmaster’s motivations for posting this website. A link provided to learn more about Mr. Berkowitz leads to a copy of his resume which only describes the chronological history and technical specifics of the website. This information causes me to have less confidence in the information provided on the site because Mr. Berkowitz does not appear to have any background as an historian.
"Jews in the Civil War" is divided into two sections: Union and Confederate documents. In each column there are links to primary and secondary sources. The primary sources are often memoirs while the secondary sources range from book excerpts to essays submitted by historians and interested readers. The sources discuss the personality of soldiers, the role of Judaism, the capacities in which Jewish-Americans participated outside of fighting and the role of anti-Semitism.
The site also provides a Jewish genealogy website. The database was originally compiled by Simon Wolf, a nineteenth century Jewish activist who in 1895 collected the names of over 7,000 Jewish American soldiers and published them in The American-Jew as Patriot, Soldier and Citizen. The webmaster of “Jews in the Civil War” downloaded all of this information onto the website so that visitors can search for information on a soldier’s rank, state, regiment. In some cases other information is provided regarding the wounds a soldier received and/or cause of death. Visitors with information on soldiers not included in the database may submit it to the webmaster to be included. This database is a fascinating resource for Jewish-Americans and others alike.
Jewish-Americans interested in their history and role in the United States would find this site very interesting. But other Americans with an interest in history would also find the site fascinating. As the webmaster points out, the Civil War is “one of the very few conflicts in modern times in which Jews faced one another across the battle lines.” In light of this, the website does a very good job representing both sides of the war and providing interested visitors with links to more information.
I was skeptical about the information provided on the site at first because of the webmaster’s background and the dearth of information provided about the inception of the site. But a link on “Jewish-American History on the Web” led to awards and recognition that the site has received and this gave me more confidence in the information provided. Among other recognition, “Jews in the Civil War” is mentioned as one of the top one hundred sites in the book The Civil War on the Web: A Guide to the Very Best Sites, by William G. Thomas and Alice E. Carter. The book is praised by Civil War authorities such as James McPherson and Gabor Boritt, the New York Times the Civil War Times and others. The site is a Civil War Interactive five-start site and is also recommended by The History Channel and received a Britannica Internet Guide Award. All of this praise gave me increased confidence in the information I was reading on the site.
For primary sources and information on other print sources available, “Jews in the Civil War” is a dependable and accomplished website. The secondary sources, especially the editorial pieces, may not be as useful because of the lack of information on most author’s qualifications. But the secondary sources could still be useful for differing opinions on how contemporary Jews, and others, view the events of the Civil War. That the site is easy to navigate and interesting to view only helps the site attract visitors. I would recommend this site to everyone who has an interest in the Civil War because the involvement of Jewish-Americans is often overlooked and after visiting this site, I believe it should not be because of the active role they played.
C. Courtland Gilbert on Sat Feb 17 19:39:11 2001 wrote:
This Week In The Civil War
This web-page was initially created in the form of a newsletter by Don Cartmell Jr. in September and October of 1997. By December of 1997, the newsletter had been converted into a web-page. The web-pages creator, Don Cartmell Jr., has a masters degree in Information Science and a minor in Political Science. He presently works as a head librarian. The web-site primarily serves as a record of events and important details for each week and/or specific day of the war. The web-page is updated on a week-to-week basis as it corresponds to that week during a specific year in the war. For example, when the web-page was introduced in 1997, each week in 1997 corresponded to a week in 1861. As 1998 came around, the weekly time-line eventually corresponded to events in 1862. The information on the web-site is seemingly very accurate. Each day on the weekly timeline includes details about events and activities that occurred across the country. Much of the information is in the form of direct quotations and source materials from participants and generals. In addition, activities and skirmishes for each day are noted, no matter how obscure.
The web-site also provides a number of other features including a search function, chat room, mailing list, references and bibliographies. One can also view a number of different battle maps that show troop placements for a number of engagements and skirmishes. The site features other random news from around the country, which might not be considered important war headlines, but nonetheless is interesting to the individual. Finally, the web-site provides a feature that organizes the Medal of Honor recipients of the Civil War in chronological order. Each notation includes a brief description of the action that prompted each award.
Although, this web-site might not be valuable source for scholarly research, it does provide the casual observer with a wealth of interesting and painstakingly researched information. In support of this, this easily navigated site has won numerous awards for excellence as a web site, including officially being recommended by the History Channel.
Michael Golden on Fri Feb 16 23:40:06 2001 wrote:
Gettysburg Battle Simulation Demo
Excerpt from the game manual:
"1863: Gettysburg faithfully recreates the Battle of Gettysburg, the pivotal point of the Civil War. You direct the marches, issue orders to cavalry, infantry, and artillery to engage the enemy, entrench in key positions, and bombard strongholds. You can choose to play General Meade (Union) or General Lee (Confederate), and you can choose to play against the computer, or against the historical record of the actual battle. 1863: Gettysburg takes into account all the variables that affect the outcome of a battle--terrain, morale, stamina, ammunition, aim, and more. The program is historically accurate, so factors that hindered soldiers in the 1860s, such as poor communication or slow-moving artillery, are reflected in play.
All the actual brigades that fought at the Battle of Gettysburg are present in 1863: Gettysburg. There were 118 brigades at the battle. Sixty-six fought for the Union and 52 for the Confederacy. This time, however, you are the supreme commander of the troops, and get to order troops to march, engage, disengage, entrench, etc. Your objective is to see if you can fight the battle better than the real commanders did. If you play the Confederate side, see if you can win--Lee could not. If you fight for the Union side, see if you can preserve more lives than Meade did while still holding the position. Your performance will be reviewed at the end!"
This web site allows you to download a demo version of Gettysburg: 1863. I thought this site was interesting because the game allows you not only to learn about the history of the war and the battle (there are historical documents in the game like the Gettysburg address and you can follow the battle step by step with your troops) but to also get a feel for what war in general was like for the soldiers and the commanders. While studying the history of wars, it is often easy to criticize the tactics and strategy used, but this game allows you to see why the commanders might have made the decisions they did and how the conditions the officers and soldiers were under influenced their actions.
Samantha Berdinka on Fri Feb 16 17:02:36 2001 wrote:
AmericanCivilWar.com
This site is a comprehensive site on the American Civil War. The site includes information such as timelines, state battle maps, aplphabetic battle lists, colored troops, women in the war, battle statistics, a picture album, and Civil War documents. Since the range of information is quite broad it is also general. It is an objective site providing unbiased information on both the north and the south. None of the information goes into significant detail which may be the site's one weakness.
I could not find who launched the site, nor who maintains it. However, the History Channel recommends the site giving it significant legitimacy in my opinion. Anyone studying the American Civil War, from Jr. High through college can benefit from accessing this site.
meghann ganey on Fri Feb 16 13:54:04 2001 wrote:
People and Events: John Brown 1800-1859
Although abolitionist John Brown lived and died before the first shot of the American Civil War was even fired, his efforts at Harpers Ferry had an enormous impact on how the rest of the country viewed the slavery issue. This website, which is primarily biographical, describes the life of John Brown and his motives for the attack on Harper's Ferry on October 16, 1859.
This particular website is part of a resource collection called Africans in America, and is sponsored by the PBS corporation. The collection is organized into 4 parts, each hilighting the attributes of blacks at different periods in early American history. The websites pertaining to John Brown and his raid on Harperr's Ferry are found in the fourth of these categories entitled "Judgement Day", which pays tribute to the efforts of abolition from 1831 through 1865. PBS has been a longstanding sponsor and provider of educational resources throughtout its tenure in the media, and as a result, i trust this site's legitimacy.
The site appears to stick to the facts as it tells the John Brown story. However, it includes quotations from Frederick Douglass and Henry David Thoreau praising his character and justifying his actions, thereby demonstrating the respect Brown had earned from other ablitionists of his time. I have no problem with this, because i agree with what the quotations are trying to prove, but others might consider it biased to a point. It identifies John Brown as "a man of action--a man who would not be deterred from his mission of abolishing slavery". The site explains that being raised in a very religious and abolitionist family himself, Brown traveled all throughout the country spreading his anti-slavery ideals and working for its many causes. The site offers a list of his involvement in abolitionist efforts, which reveals his conviction for the overall movement, well before he had any idea on raiding Harper's Ferry.
The site tells that Brown tried to lead his own war on slavery. I think his militant effort was a very symbolic precursor of what was to come in the Civil War. In 1855, he moved to Kansas, where he began to organize antislavery guerillas for attack in the Kansas/Missouri area. His fighting continued until he moved to Virginia and raised enough funds to organize an army of 21 men with the hope of raiding the arsenal of Harper's Ferry and empowering slaves with the weapons. However, they were captured and Brown was hanged for treason. For such an event to spark a northern following of militant abolitionism says a lot about how war became such a reality for the north. I think that because of the incident at Harper's Ferry, more and more northerners began to believe that war was the only way to deal with the problem. The links to other parts of Africans in America that this website provides explores this idea further, and do a good job of covering different perspectives on the incident and it's relevance to the Civil War as a war about slavery.
The overall presentation of the information is very basic, which makes it easy to understand. The compilation of materials within the entire PBS collection could be very valuable to anyone looking to understand more about the relation to abolitionists in early American history.
Casey Lozar on Fri Feb 16 13:04:12 2001 wrote:
A Very Bloody Affair
Because I know little to nothing about Shiloh and its importance in the American Civil War, I chose to locate a website that would explain, in detail, the Battle of Shiloh. This web-page thoroughly reenacts the two day Battle of Shiloh. It explains General Grant’s and the Union’s overconfidence, which eventually led to a surprise attack totaling 13,000 dead Union soldiers. It also illuminates the significance of General Grant’s reinforcements on the second day, which in return gave the Union an important but costly victory. On the Confederate side, the author describes the South’s secret surprise and the effect that the Union’s reinforcements had on the second day at Shiloh. The author’s main point was that the Battle of Shiloh “changed all preconceived notions that the Civil War would be short-lived.”
This particular website is hosted by Geocities.com but is written and maintained by Lee Bruce, a student at Mississippi State University. I could not find the reasoning behind Lee Bruce’s development of this web-page but it is obvious that he has put adequate research into this web-page. The information that the author presents is, as I would guess, very accurate and extremely organized and well-written. Because of it’s factual dates and names and the lengthened analysis of the Battle of Shiloh I would put complete confidence in the information given in Lee Bruce’s site. I believe that the author was quite successful in producing this particular website.
The site, “A Very Bloody Affair,” is basically a summary of the Battle of Shiloh. One may elucidate the battle down to the hour or order but Lee Bruce shortened the battle as a whole entity. He included a few leaders’ orders and was more general by explaining the part of the days, not the specific time of the days. What is important is he emphasized the most vital features of the battle. All in all, I think that the author wrote a scholarly overview of the Battle of Shiloh. Because Lee Bruce’s summary is so concise and easy to read, anyone would benefit from his web-page. The web-page is perfect for someone who has no background or knows very little of the Battle of Shiloh and it’s importance.
The site’s strength lies in the detail of each side’s mindset during this particular time in the Civil War. During this time (April 6 and 7, 1862) the Union felt that an attack would not be in the direct future. General Grant demonstrates this attitude when he says, "I have scarcely the faintest idea of attack." But the Confederates, under commander Albert S. Johnston, were ready to fight and can be seen in Johnston’s quote, “I would fight them if they were a million." The only weakness that I can point out is where the author discovered the exact information for to write this web-page. All in all, I would recommend this site to anyone looking to understand what happened at Shiloh, in April 1862, and it’s significance in relation to the American Civil War.
Jorge Miranda on Fri Feb 16 09:31:19 2001 wrote:
Boys in the Civil War!
The webpage that I have chosen is no more than just a single page on the Internet. This fact is actually a part of my larger frustration in trying to gather information and find a website. The page does not have any interactive links or a full menu with different options of where to go. The single page is part of a larger website called "Home of the American Civil War" and is maintained by someone named Shotgun. He calls himself "a Southerner by birth and a Rebel by choice." Shotgun is not a historian or Civil War re-enactor but just so many who is really into the Civil War and created the website in order to "provide information to Civil War enthusiasts that is not readily available elsewhere on the Internet." In my case, it worked. I think the information is credible to a certain extent. He says that he thankful to others on the Internet for sending him so much information as his site has grown over the years. I don't necessarily think everything has been checked for factual accuracy but the information that I am concentrating doesn't seem biased. One could probably concentrate on his site as a whole, which seems to have every little scrap of Civil War history imaginable. But my interest was much smaller and more particular.
When I first began searching I was looking for particular information about children who fought in the Civil War. I remember learning in high school (or maybe it was even middle school) about how there were a large number of children under 18 who fought in the Civil War. I expected to find more information after searching the Internet but all I kept coming upon was this single webpage on this larger amateur website. Maybe this means that the figures put forward on this page are not accurate or that it really isn't as significant as it seems. Nonetheless, it does seem to come from a reputable source. He sites a book written by Burke Davis entitled "The Civil War, Strange and Fascinating Facts."
The site puts forward that more than 2 million Federal soldiers were 21 or under; that more than 1 million were 18 or under; that about 800,000 were 17 or under; that about 200,000 were 16 or under; that about 100,000 were 15 or under; that 300 were 13 or under and that 25 were 10 or under. The page then goes on to describe in a little more detail some actual boys who fought and what their careers were like. Now, some of the problems with these numbers are that it concentrates almost entirely on the North. He admits that the number of Southern boys is much smaller. Is this just a problem with the research or was the Union more of a haven for children under 18? Also, the "over 2 million federal soldiers" figure is just shy of the 2.1 million total Federal soldiers discussed in class. Unless he means to assert that the Union was completely under 21, this page is obviously operating from a different set of statistics.
However, it doesn't seem possible that all of this could just be made up or falsified. If the facts are even slightly true, I think it says a lot about the soldiers who actually fought in the war (at least for the North) and can probably tell us more about their intentions and why they fought. Imagine if over a million of the Federal soldiers were younger then almost all Dartmouth students. I think it's at least a topic that merits closer attention and considering how little information is out there (at least on the internet), it's not easy information to come by.
Emily E Horrell on Fri Feb 16 08:24:26 2001 wrote:
The Battle of Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House, VA is the site where Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Virginia to U. S. Grant on April 9, 1865. This web page is just a very small portion of a larger site, Shotgun's American Civil War Home Page (http://www.civilwarhome.com). This larger site is divided up into fifteen catagories, on topics ranging from Civil War Medicine to the Confederate States of America to Naval War. By choosing froma succession of menues I was led to this page, named "The Battle of Appomattox Court House." Once again this page consists of a menu which leads to the next level of the web site. I chose to link to this level because the next and final level consists of eyewitness accounts, transcripts of official documents between General Lee and General Grant, and excerpts of articles and books written about the battle and surrender at Appomattox. I felt that these pages made more sense when read against eachother, so decided to link to the page that introduces them as a collection. The visitor can choose to read about the fateful meeting of Lee and Grant through the eyes of Horace Porter, a Brevet Brigadier General in Grant's army, or spend time reading Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's account of the surrendering of arms by the Confederate soldiers, or read the texts of the messages between Grant and Lee during April 7th, 8th, and 9th as they arranged a meeting to discuss surrender.
The site as a whole, starting at the entry level of Shotgun's Civil War Home Page, was built and is maintained by a man who identifies himself as "Shotgun" and who claims to be nothing more than a longtime soldier in the US Army with a high interest in the Civil War. He is, as he calls himself, "a Southerner by birth and a Rebel by choice. As I read and study, I pull for Lee, Jackson and Longstreet. As I live, I thank Grant, Lincoln, and Democracy." His mission, which I think he has achieved, is to be a source for Civil War information that he could not easily find elsewhere on the internet. This site is a wonderful help to those who want to find first-hand accounts of what happened at Appomattox Court House, and who like to be given just the documents with little to no introduction present to provide a slant on the reading.
Although the name "Shotgun" does not immediately fill me with confidence, the way this site has been put together, and the kind of information it provides makes me feel that it is very credible. There are no mentions of a specific angle on the War, and in fact, there are not even any of Shotgun's personal writings or opinions anywhere but on the "Civil War Home" intro page and in the section clearly marked as "Shotgun's Opinions." The information on the Appomattox page contains practically no introductions, just a mention of the author of a particular work followed by the text itself and possibly a photo or two. These authors are either eyewitnesses, participants, historians, or sources such as the "Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War." This, combined with the shear scope of the overall site, gives me a high level of confidence in the information found there.
My highest compliment and greatest complaint on this site are one and the same: the lack of comprehensive introductions. For a visitor who does not already know that Appomattox was the place where Lee surrendered to Grant in April 1865, the site might be a little confusing as this key information is not mentioned in any of the brief descriptions of the available sources, nor in the introductions of most of those sources as the reader moves into the next level of the site. However, the sources are given as either entire texts or entire chapters of a larger work, making such introductions unnecessary to a reader who is willing to scan an article to learn about the background. This is something that I found to be somewhat refreshing. This is a site that gives the visitor a lot of information, and allows each visitor to run that information through his or her own filter, deciding for him or herself what parts of sometimes quite long articles are relevant.
Dave Williams on Fri Feb 16 03:13:18 2001 wrote:
Civil War Action in the Shenandoah Valley
This site was compiled by author-to-be Hal Sharpe of Edinburg, Virginia. It is basically a connection of links, and a few original pages, that deal with battles and military actions in the Shenandoah Valley. It also contains links to walking tour sites, and lets not forget the "Virginia Historic Roadside Signs in the Shenandoah Valley," "The Edinburg Mill" or "Shenandoah Mills and and Millers" links. Though titled "Civil War Action," this page contains as much content dealing with historic landmarks and walking tours. It also contains links to a variety of museums, tour companies, first sources, and other sites dealing with the Valley.
Although it is hard to piece together Hal Sharpe's credentials, the links he includes seem respectable. They include The Library of Congress, the University of Verginia, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (whatever that is!).
This site could be a could resource, especially if you plan to visit the Shenandoah Valley, explore the many historic mills, and/or go on a walking tour. There also are many good links that show you diaries, letters, detailed descriptions and analyses of battles, and much other good information. However, it is difficult to sort through the many links. The same information could lilely be found easier on other sites. But if you're interested in the mills, you need this site.
Chris Curran '03 on Fri Feb 16 01:45:30 2001 wrote:
Events & Causes of the War of Northern Agression
This web site, produced by the Southern Civil War Society, is notable for the attention it gives to States Rights as a compelling justification for war. It is a well-reasoned and comprehensive history of the war, which highlights reasons other than slavery for secession, while never denying that slavery did play a role in the conflict. The ability to focus on State’s Rights from a Southern perspective while maintaining historical accuracy makes for an effective site.
Because the victors write the history of any event, I believe there is a tendency to mitigate the reasoned arguments for Southern secession and war. I chose this site because it presents a more complex history. History of the war can sometimes be reduced to a simplistic "abolition versus slavery" argument and so the justness of the Northern cause is made obvious. But while the war was precipitated by numerous insufficient compromises over slavery and eventually (with the Emancipation Proclamation) became about slavery, it began with a dispute over States Rights in which supremacy of the Northern argument was far less clear.
The greatest strength of the site is the section on Southern justifications for secession and the constitutional arguments upon which they were based. I would recommend this to anyone interested in studying the extensive reasons why war erupted. Given the statistic that fewer than 10% of Southerners owned slaves, it is sometimes difficult to understand why they fought. This site answers the question with a litany of credible arguments. Another strength is the way in which the site disavows hate groups that have tried to co-opt the States Rights argument. The major weakness is a paucity of links to other sites, particularly ones with a more Northern slant.
The organization of this site is effective and easy to follow. Links allow you to jump easily to a number of historical events. Quotations from key historical figures are plentiful. While citations are not numerous enough to call it scholarly, it is still convincing and worth visiting for an alternative perspective on the war.
Diana Bellonby '04 on Fri Feb 16 01:19:17 2001 wrote:
The Generals of Gettysburg: The Leaders of America's Greatest Battle
Larry Tagg established this web site as an online resource to present information excerpted from his book (which carries the same title). A visitor can judge the site’s historical accuracy with considerable confidence because the information provided is obtained from a well researched published work. Furthermore, the author properly cites the sources he used by supplying a bibliography at the bottom of each page.
Focusing on all of the sixty-nine Confederate and Union generals embroiled in the Battle of Gettysburg, this site provides a very detailed biographical description of each general, along with a specific explanation of his involvement in the battle. Tagg is eloquent and thorough in his personal outlines, including key background facts, interesting anecdotes, and an in-depth analysis of the physical appearance and general perception of each man. For example, when describing Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick, Tagg notes that "he sported huge, stringy sand-colored sideburns, had bandy legs that gave him a rolling gait, and spoke in a shrill voice…a member of Meade's staff wrote in his diary that it was hard to look at Kilpatrick without laughing." At the top of each link, Tagg gives the name of the particular division over which the general commanded, followed by the number of men and guns it contained. Also, in the sections devoted to each general’s association with the battle (entitled "At Gettysburg"), he includes exact times of day as well as intricate details of the general’s fighting positions, attack orders, and final executions.
In searching for my web site, I hoped to find one devoted to General Kilpatrick because he stationed his headquarters at my family’s Virginia farm during the battles of Brandy Station and The Wilderness. When I came upon this site, I was pleased with the exhaustive nature of its descriptions, as I gleaned much knowledge of Kilpatrick’s legend. However, I found it disappointing that there was not a single picture on the site. Numerous photographs of Kilpatrick - even one of him on our farm - surfaced from much less informative sites.
The only main weakness of Tagg’s web site is that it fails to include portraits of the generals and lacks any strong visual component. Overall, his devotion to the histories of these Civil War leaders is impressively thorough, objective and engagingly written. I would recommend it to anyone hoping to learn a great deal about these revolutionary figures and the infamous Battle of Gettysburg.
Rishi Kapur on Fri Feb 16 01:16:48 2001 wrote:
Confederate Irregular Warfare 1861-1865: Partisan Ranger Units and Guerilla Commands
This site provides a broad overview of Confederate guerilla warfare, as it relates to both the Partisan Ranger Units and independent, unrecognized guerilla commands "outside the corps". It features the origins of guerilla warfare, chronicles units by state, discusses the criticism of guerillas, and details the legality surrounding the Partisan Ranger Units. In class, our exposure to guerillas was limited to developments in Missouri. Surprisingly enough, guerilla activity ran rampant and was an instrumental part of the Confederate war effort, aside from normal battle tactics. Many historians consider unconventional warfare to be overlooked, with little emphasis being placed on its contribution to the outcome of a war. "There is a deplorable lack of writing" on the issue. Also included are links to relevant websites, which relay further information on the operations of specific guerilla units.
Guerilla warfare was mainly intended to menace enemy flanks, cut off communication lines, and thieve supplies and munitions. The Arkansas Partisan Ranger Unit's mission states, "their duty will be to cut off federal pickets, scouts, foraging parties, and trains, and to kill pilots and others on gunboats and transports, attacking them day and night, and using the greatest vigor in their movements". Although the Partisan Units were accorded similar treatment as Confederate regulars, the majority of guerillas acted on their own, devoid of any sort of military status. If captured, they faced greater risk than soldiers and were not afforded recognition as POWs. This aspect of guerilla warfare marks an important transition between chivalric and modern war, a prevalent theme we talked about during class. The elimination of rules in this arena and civilian involvement are two turning points towards modern war.
Overall, the site is well balanced, devoting appropriate attention to the benefits and drawbacks of guerilla warfare. I would recommend this site as a launching pad to those interested in researching battles which occurred on the periphery of main theaters, mainly behind enemy lines. It does an excellent job of giving at least some credit to these unsung war heroes. One crucial shortcoming of the site is the web master's location. He lives in Europe, far from the battlegrounds and other valuable historical tools which would greatly aid his research.
Pablo De la Huerta on Fri Feb 16 01:14:48 2001 wrote:
Confederate Submarine C.S.S. H.L. Hunley
This is a website dedicated to the recently-raised CSS H.L. Hunley, the first submarine in history to see combat in war. While this is not an especially sophisticated site in terms of the details it provides or the language that it uses, the information it provides is very interesting, if for no other reason than that the Hunley has been something of an enigma to Civil War buffs. For over 130 years, since its sinking in 1864 until the wreck was discovered in 1995, little was known about the sub. The little that was known in fact was based on witness accounts and a Conrad Chapman painting; there are no photographs or blueprints of the Confederate vessel.
CSSHunley.com is maintained by the CharelstonIllustrated.com, a “Historic District Architectural Map” that contains historical and sightseeing information about Charleston, SC, where the Hunley was sunk during its first engagement in combat. The Hunley site is divided into several sections, including a history of its development and participation in the war, a brief description of the Union blockade of the Confederacy, a gallery of artists’ renderings of the sub, a description of the Hunley’s novel torpedoes, and a description of the Hunley mechanical workings. It’s pretty interesting to consider that the sub was operated completely by manpower—a crew of 9 men powering a crankshaft, cramped inside the hull of the craft. The crew used a series of snorkels that could be raised to the surface to allow for breathing, though it is debatable whether these pipes actually worked as they were intended. Also interesting on the site is a feature on the evolution of the Confederate flag—and that the Confederate Naval Jack, which we consider the emblem of the Confederacy, was actually not a national flag, but rather a flag flown on the bow of a ship.
I found this site very informative, though it was because I knew next to nothing about the Hunley to begin with. As mentioned above, there is not a great deal of sophistication in the site and its approach is very simple. However, it does a good job of describing the information it does have, though it could do a better job of establishing what information is simply not known rather than just ignoring some basic questions. For instance, it does not mention how deep the sub was able to submerge. Nor does it address its speed, the amount of time it could spend underwater, or the damage that its torpedoes could inflict. It is not clear whether this data is simply not known right now or whether it has just been neglected.
CSSHunley.com is definitely an enlightening site, but really only by default. It does not have much competition in cyberspace and it is pretty much the best we can do right now with the information that is available. I suspect, however, that in the coming months there will be additional web pages dedicated to this submarine as archaeologists learn more and more about the Hunley and make the information available. CSSHunley.com does a very competent job with the information it has and the site is very easy to use and attractive in its setup. The goal of the site is strictly educational. Its pro-Confederacy leanings are subtle enough to ignore and are not pertinent to the Hunley information it presents. The most glaring of these occurs in the section describing the Union blockade, where the Civil War is described as “the War for Southern Independence, that is ;-)”. (Again the level of sophistication is not exactly of the highest level.) Make no mistake, this site is very cool. It provides some basic information about a prototype war machine that was ahead of its time by 50 years. Yes, it is shallow, but the Hunley is fascinating. The history of it is interesting, even though its role in the war was minimal. We can’t really ask for more from a CSS Hunley website right now. Hopefully in a few months there will be some new developments.
David A. Powell '03 on Fri Feb 16 01:02:44 2001 wrote:
CSS H.L. Hunley
The Union blockade of Southern ports had a dramatic effect on the economy of the South. The Confederate Government’s inability to protect their shipping led many private investors to attempt their own solutions. One such venture was the CSS H.L. Hunley. On February 17th, 1864, the Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship, but was then lost the same night. The Charleston Illustrated, a group dedicated to providing information about historic Charleston, has created a very good site to provide “a resource for information, pictures, drawings, and diagrams of the recently recovered civil war era submarine.”
One of the major difficulties in discussing the Hunley is providing accurate information. For more than 130 years the only information about the ship came from personal accounts and a single painting by Conrad Chapman. Then, in 1995, the wreck of the Hunley was discovered. This site provides detailed technical information about the Hunley gained from the wreckage, as well as a collection of stories from before its disappearance. The site is well organized and makes effective use of graphics.
Many people have a tendency to underestimate the technology that went into designing the Hunley. The portion of this website dedicated to the engineering of the submarine provides quite a bit of insight into one of the many military advances of the Civil War. The site also contains a large section on the history of the Hunley. It provides information about the creation of the submarine as well as information about the many mishaps that befell the Hunley before February 14th. The site also does a good job reconstructing the events surrounding the ships last mission, her encounter with the Housatonic.
The Hunley is important for a number of reasons. It, like the increased use of sharpshooters during the later years of the war, depicts the increasing cruelty of the war. Also, the Hunley is a good example of the increased emphasis on technology in warfare. While the Hunley may not have played an important role in the course of the war, it is one more example of the changing nature of warfare.
Kristen Sramek on Fri Feb 16 00:24:41 2001 wrote:
Ulysses S. Grant Homepage
This comprehensive site is a helpful source of detailed information on every aspect of General Ulysses S. Grant from his childhood experiences to his years as president during the Reconstruction. If someone is interested in finding out information on any issue dealing with Grant - private, public, military, policitcal, etc.- this site is almost sure to provide that. The author, Candace Scott, is also the owner of a civil war virtual archives webring, but other than that, there is no further background information provided. In my opinion, this doesn't detract from the quality of the site.
The site is organized and user-friendly. It is formated into a detailed outline with seperate categories that make navigating within the site simple. There are also seperate sections of interest including: Interviews, Rare Photos, and Student Info (full of condensed facts and FAQ's). One of it's greatest features is a handy search engine that directly leads to relevant information provided by the site and/or links to any outside information on a selected topic. The site search engine is a great time saver for finding specific information without having to browse the whole homepage.
One of the site's stregnths is it's plentitude of pictures and interviews provided for almost every topic on Grant. There are rare photos (Grant form the age of 17 when he's enrolled at West Point to pictures of his original death mask) and interviews, (some have never been published), that give the navigator an inside view of the general. There is even a section of his doodles and paintings (yes, Grant could be considered a decent artist!). You can also browse through some of Grant's diary entries and letters. One thing I was disappointed by were the photo albums in the the "Battles" category. Although the site is updated frequently, none of those links worked for me.
A good feature of the site is it's overview of the controversial issues surrounding the general. The author deals with many of the charges against Grant, including drinking, anti-semitism, his reputation as a "butcher" of his troops, and his wife's ownership of slaves. These issues are explained thoroughly and the author validates her viewpoint with many outside sources. The overwhelming consensus on the site is that none of the charges against Grant come close to the truth (though some of his anti-semitic comments are documented). The introductory sentence on the site summarizes it's overwhelmingly positive opinion of Grant - "The Ulysses S. Grant Homepage illuminates a figure profoundly misunderstood in history and in popular culture."
The author's approach in creating this site, which is centered around exerpts and quotations from Grant's contemporaries, is both a stregnth and a weakness. On one hand, all the outside opinions of and references to Grant verify the author's accuracy of information. However, the lack of critical opinion and the author's constant effort to portray Grant in a positive light tend to make the site seem a bit biased. This aside, I would reccomend this site because it is an extremely helpful and detailed guide on the life and work of Ulysses S. Grant.
Jaime Velez '03 on Fri Feb 16 00:15:27 2001 wrote:
The Justification of Abraham Lincoln's Extension of Executive Powers
This web-site provides an analysis of Abraham Lincoln and the expansion of Presidential powers during the American Civil War, through the use of speeches and writings of the time. This web-site describes the political climate facing the American people during the Antebellum period, elaborates on Lincoln’s actions while in office, and examines the everlasting mark which Lincoln has left not only on American politics, but also the American People. While the writer is biased, showing clearly a support of Lincoln’s actions during his tenure as the President of the Union, it is interesting to study Lincoln’s arguments with this intention in mind. The Author does a good job of applying primary and secondary sources to support her argument, and provides a beneficial overview of the events and political tactics that Lincoln used in order to save a divided Nation. The Author also writes about the responsibilities, ideals, and justifications for the actions of Lincoln that were inherent in the Constitution. Probably the most attractive feature of this web-site, is the extensive bibliography that students could refer to for references if he or she were to tackle such a debatable topic as "Lincoln and the expansion of Presidential Power." I find it somewhat amusing that this web-site comes from an International Baccalaureate Essay from George Mason High School. (Another web-site that might also be interesting in contrast to this positive view of Lincoln and his intentions is: http://www.mises.org/fullstory.asp?control=607&FS=Lincoln%27s+Economic+Legacy)
Katie Brown '03 on Fri Feb 16 00:07:10 2001 wrote:
Sherman's March to the Sea
In this website, the University of Georgia provides access to maps, letters, field orders and diary entries of General Sherman and his officers, along with an article from Emory University analyzing Sherman's march. This site is part of a larger site out of the University of Georgia entitled "The Civil War in Georgia," which provides access to Georgia's articles of secession and Georgia's Civil War Constitution, along with information about the infamous Confederate prison Andersonville, and many other topics of interest.
I believe that the abundance of primary sources available from this site is it's greatest strength, since all that we know of history is based on the sources of those who experienced it. In Sherman's field orders and his letters to General Grant, the planning and specificity needed to conduct such a campaign is evident, and I find it very interesting to actually read Sherman's analysis of the campaign from his letters. I also think it's valuable to have the letters and diaries of other officers and soldiers beneath Sherman, along with some
Confederates, available to understand how this campaign affected them. I find another strength of this site to be its connection with many other valuable websites, including many with maps and photographs that really make the war more realistic and more human. However, I think the main weakness of this site is its plainness, and while this does not take away from its scholarly value, it is not very aesthetically pleasing and may not catch a reader's interest as easily. It is clear that anyone would benefit from visiting this website and broadening their knowledge of Sherman and his campaign through Georgia.
Kristina Guarino on Thu Feb 15 23:38:33 2001 wrote:
CJ's Civil War Home Page
In looking for websites pertaining to conscription during the Civil War, I stumbled upon this site. Despite the terribly uninteresting homepage that you will initially encounter, which gives only the family history of the lady who posted the site, as well as the history of the 13th West Virginia Infantry of which her Great Great Grandfather was a member, I urge you not to be deterred from exploring what I believe to be a truly wonderful and enlightening site. It was constructed by Cindi Jo Staats and unfortunately, it is uncertain what Cindi’s qualifications for posting such a site are. As a result, it is important that we don’t take any of the information displayed on her website to be an absolute truth without first doing some investigation of our own.
There are certain links attached to this site, however, which are indisputably full of facts and don’t require any investigation on our part. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address can be accessed through this site, as can his Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th and 14th Amendments, a chronological list of the Civil War battles where there was at least one casualty suffered, a map of the Union and the Confederate states, illustrations of the flags of the war, and each seceded state’s Ordinance of Secession. One thing that Cindi does make note of, in order to offer the information on her website some credibility, is that in publishing the chronological list of Civil War battles, she used figures taken from official records compiled in the years immediately following the war. Thus, in many cases, later research has since modified these figures and as she notes, her site doesn’t account for these changes. Aside from the indisputable truths of legal documents and the like that are attached to her site, there are other aspects of her site that are closely aligned with materials discussed in class. For instance, the figures she cites in her discussion of the Union draft and the Confederate draft are identical to those which Professor Culbert cited in lecture. I believe this serves to help prove that her site is a credible one. In addition, her site provides 25 biographies of prominent figures associated with spy tactics during the war, as well as 18 biographies pertaining to people in the field of medicine during the war. These biographies are virtually identical to those which you will find in any encyclopedia. Thus, I believe that they offer further credibility to the information posted on this site.
Though it is uncertain how "scholarly" her site actually is, she displays it as such. She asserts no personal opinions and relies strictly on the facts of the matter to help her readers grasp the true scope of the war. If her "facts" do prove to be credible her site then provides a wealth of information for the novice and Civil War buff alike, and it is provided in a very simplistic manner.
The greatest strength of her site is that it is extremely navigable. The fact that every page included in her site has the same 18 links at the bottom of it, which when blue, indicate that you haven’t yet visited that link, and when green, serve to remind you that you have already been there. Though it may seem like a minor, insignificant detail, it makes it extremely easy to maneuver through her site!
In exploring this site, I especially urge you to pay close attention to the "Prison Index" link. It is remarkable! It’s photographs, alarming statistics and vivid portrayals of a prisoner of war’s life are not only enlightening, but they make a visit to this site worthwhile. Learning of a prisoner’s diet of tainted, diarrhea- and scurvy- causing food, their conditions of filth, starvation, disease, poor sanitation, lack of adequate clothing, exposure to the elements and the brutal treatment imposed on them by the guards, will give you a whole new perspective of the war.
Michael de Guzman on Thu Feb 15 23:31:51 2001 wrote:
Stonewall Jackson
This site is an excellent resource for studying "Stonewall" Jackson. The site is part of the Virginia Military Institute’s web site. The site’s main selling point is the wealth of original letters (and sections of letters) from Jackson to his family, friends and fellow soldiers. The creators of the site try to keep the information unbiased, strictly historical and original. However, it is important to note that the site was created and is maintained by VMI, a southern military school, where Jackson taught. Despite this obvious bias, the site succeeds reasonably well in remaining neutral. For instance, when introducing some documents about Jackson’s teaching the site reads, "Unfortunately, Major Jackson, as he was known at VMI, was a mediocre teacher--although highly intelligent, he could not convey the concepts to students." Don’t be fooled though, Jackson is a southern hero and VMI is a southern school.
People who might be interested in this site would be anyone looking to find original thoughts and quotes from Jackson. The wealth of original sources is very impressive. The site is also well organized. It appeared to me to have been designed by a scholar because of it’s organization and matter of fact, unbiased listing of letters.
I am impressed by this site. It has a lot of interesting information about Jackson and is easy to navigate. In addition to which, the site has a link to another part of the VMI web site. This site is similarly designed, but instead deals with the Civil War overall, not just Stonewall. The fact that the site was posted by VMI does not overshadow the site’s value.
Joe Calandrelli on Thu Feb 15 23:27:22 2001 wrote:
Civil War Biographies
This website contains approximately 100 biographies of major Civil War personalities. The site contains biographies for many different kinds of personalities, including famous and some not so famous generals, nurses, presidents, and common soldiers. It is very unbiased in providing biographies pretty evenly for both Union and Confederate personalities. My personal favorite is the one of Stonewall Jackson because, throughout class, we have constantly heard how great of a general he is. This site's biography states how great of a general he was and how important he was to the South, but it also gives some of his shortcomings which I think is important for everyone to learn.
This site was created by an ex-military man nicknamed
"Shotgun" who lives in Virginia. A self-proclaimed Rebel by heart, he also states that he respects what the Union did in forming this great and beautiful country. Although not a scholarly article because it is posted by an amateur man doing sole research, this information about "Shotgun" increased my confidence in the site because he gave me the impression that he was wholly patriotic and would aim at providing real and factual information and would avoid putting any personal biases on the site.
I think this site has accomplished what it set out to do. "Shotgun"'s major idea was to establish a website that would help aid in any research assignment on the Civil War. Not only are his biographies good beginning research tools, but his daily e-mails help in providing additional research facilities. This site is aimed at helping any student, at any level, who is trying to gain quick, factual, background information on a personality in the Civil War.
One weakness that this site has is that each biography does not go into real depth about each person. This would not be a good site for a person looking for a lot of in depth information about one person. Another weakness is that, although I don't believe the author is biased, as the sole author, he has complete control over what information can be put into each biography. This can lead to a very framed perception of each biography. On the other hand, it has many strengths as well. For one, it does a great job in covering both Union and Confederate personalities. This fact, combined with a seemingly equal coverage of each man, gives light to the opinion that this site is very unbiased. In addition, the site does a great job covering a wide range of people with constant updates from the webmaster. This continual update is critical as new information pours in or he considers criticism more deeply. Overall, this is a great site for not only research purposes, but also for entertainment. It is a great site to research people who one might never have researched on a regular basis.
Kwabena Akowuah on Thu Feb 15 23:23:09 2001 wrote:
The Steubing Letters: The Civil War Letters of W.J. and Nancy Steubing
I chose this site because too many times when we think of the American Civil War we automatically think of great battles and grand generals. This site, however, deals with one individual and his life during the Civil war.
The site contains letters of correspondence between a Confederate soldier and his wife. It not only enables us to learn a little about a soldier's life, it also gives us glimpse at the often overlooked life on the homefront. The letters show some of the hardships faced on the homefront while a large proportion of the men of working age were off at war. Steubing happens to be a soldier in the Confederate army, but I feel that it is fair to say his story would be comparable with that of soldiers fighting for either the North or the South.
The scholarly research behind this site is unknown. The only information about sources given on the site is that it was "presented by Carl Reed" and that the letters were made available by the "Shirley E. Russel family" (presumably a descendent). Despite the lack of academic verification, it is clear that a good amount of work has gone into the site. Visitors are provided with images of the original letters, the text of the original message typed out and a version of the letter in more contemporary English. The site also provides its visitors with a map showing many of the places referred to in the couple's letters.
Although the Civil War was won by great armies and led by grand generals, we can not forget that thousands of individuals made up those armies. Each individual had their own story and these stories helped to shape our nation.
Note: The site often has problems loading, but if you're patient enough it will work eventually.
Jennifer Mygatt '04 on Thu Feb 15 22:47:43 2001 wrote:
Insects, Disease and History
This website, maintained by Drs. Gary L. Miller and Robert Patterson, takes a thorough look at the ways in which various insects have affected world history. One of the current feature articles is entitled "Historical Natural History: Insects and the Civil War." Written by Dr. Miller, an enthusiastic entomologist, this article examines the effects of flies, maggots, biting flies, mosquitoes, lice, bees and other small offensive winged creatures on the everyday lives and health of both the Northern and Southern armies. Miller explains how each insect affected the armies to different degrees, depending on their location and the degree to which commanding officers maintained decent levels of sanitation in the army camps.
This website provides a window into the day-to-day routines of Union and Confederate soldiers, often drawing visceral reactions from its readers. Accounts of killer flea attacks, swarming flies eliminating any need for alarm clocks, and contests to find the greatest number of worms in a day’s ration, although unpleasant, enable the reader to understand that soldiers often dealt with the myriad insect-related discomforts through humor! The quotes Miller compiles resonate more realistically than most other historical analyses I have read. This piece contains none of the stereotypical dry monotony for which history has so frequently been criticized: it’s a captivating read.
At the same time, Miller explains the numerous medical affects of insects on the soldiers, from diseases carried by insects, such as malaria, to illnesses transmitted by insects, like diahhrea, to insects primarily responsible for plaguing discomforts, such as head lice and fleas. By looking at army camps from an entomological vantage point, Miller effectively ties sanitation to health to daily comforts (or lack thereof).
The article is well-written, ordered and concise, containing enough anecdotes to be thorough but not superfluous. Although the rest of the website does not deal with the Civil War, I am definitely interested in exploring some of the other time periods it focuses on. Viewing history in terms of bugs is certainly a fresh and entertaining view point, bringing the reader closer to understanding the workings of general society instead of the actions of famous key players.
Leah M. Wright '03 on Thu Feb 15 22:45:32 2001 wrote:
The United States Colored Troops of Franklin Country, Pennsylvania
Men of Color is an aesthetically and intellectually pleasing website devoted to examining and recounting the stories and experiences of The United States Colored Troops of Franklin Country, Pennsylvania. The site, created by four history students from the University of Virginia, attempts to look at the troops "not in terms of the men who led, but in terms of the men who fought." In other words, this website is dedicated to looking at the Black troops, and only the Black troops, that fought in the Civil War. The site attempts to do this in several ways. To start, this website uses the "purpose" of the Valley of the Shadow website as a guide (i.e. to chronicle the experience of men who fought). The site also uses a visual compass in order to demonstrate the purpose. The compass shows the Black men of Franklin Country (and all Black soldiers) were in colored troops all over the country- North, South, East and West. In addition, the compass serves as a divider, breaking the website into sections: the introduction, the Pre War Years (1859-63), the War Years (1863-65) and the Post War Years (1865-90) and the conclusion. (Colored troops did not enlist in the army until mid-1863, which is why the timeline uses the year 1863 as the centerpiece.) The time line sections includes things like, census reports, regiment histories, photos, in depth analysis, links, and much more.
Overall, the site presents itself very well. It is concise, competent and direct. In addition to all of that, it tackled the subject of Black troops from a new angle. It sticks to its purpose; the entire website is devoted to the Black soldiers of Franklin Country and beyond. It also provides many links to different examples of the topic in question so that the reader can further explore. For example, under regiment histories, the viewer can click on a number of links and read more about the regiment in question. The image sections are particularly impressive and effective. There are pages of picture links that can be clicked on to better see the photographs, drawings and cartoons of Black troops during the Civil War. In some ways, these pictures tell the soldiers’ stories better than words do. However, the site is not without its faults. While it does have pages upon pages of evidence and uses primary sources remarkably well, the analysis is uneven at times. On some pages the analysis of the experiences is stellar and top quality. On other pages, the writing relies on only one or two lines of text with little/no explanation and only provides a sole link to one source. Yet, this is a rare occurrence and the overall credibility and reliability of the site is not clouded by it. The information appeared to be factual (to my knowledge) and genuinely concerned with the topic at hand.
I would highly recommend this site to anyone who was interested in learning more about the specific experience of Black troops in the American Civil War. This is especially relevant to the topics our history class has been studying (as demonstrated through the recent viewing of the movie Glory). While some of the documentation is limited to the men of Franklin Country, a lot of the information goes above and beyond that scale and provides the viewer with a excellent look at the Black soldiers’ experience. As mentioned, the website was created by history students at UVA and was modeled after the Valley of the Shadow Website. Thus, my confidence in the site was somewhat comforted for in all appearances it was a credible, scholarly site dedicating to exploring a fascinating topic.
Robert Walther on Thu Feb 15 22:28:10 2001 wrote:
The Civil War Artillery Page
This site provides information about an aspect of the Civil War we have not discussed in great detail. We learned in class that this was one of the first modern wars other than the Crimean War, and the technological advancement was not lost on the weaponry and artillery used in through out the conflict. Chuck Ten Brink created this site up in order to inform the reader about the hardware used, and it is part of the Civil War Virtual Archives. His descriptions include all forms of artillery; light, heavy, land, and naval. In addition, he details the method of use for each instrument, which provides a clear picture of how a battlefield was organized and the strategy employed. That is, he discusses who was in charge of each piece of equipment and the mechanical aspects of that weapon. Mr. Brink also gives brief biographies of Civil War tacticians who showed a certain level of mastery with the weaponry at their disposal. While this topic may seem very dry and clear-cut, Mr. Brink adds to the site with relevant quotations that indicate the importance of specific pieces of artillery as well as interesting and descriptive illustrations. He also provided relevant links and a dictionary for terms that may be foreign to the reader. Indeed, the site is very informative and accomplishes its task. As for its credibility, I cannot stress enough how accurate this site is. To this end, it received over ten awards from various Civil War related web sites and from William G. Thomas and Alice E. Carter’s book The Civil War on the Web: A Guide to the Very Best Sites. Also, I have studied a great deal about the armament of both sides in the war on my own, and I found that the site was very accurate.
I think anyone who wanted to understand how the war was waged on the battlefield from a strategic standpoint must also understand what tools were being used at in this period. To learn this I find that this site is more than helpful and provides a good overview of the technology. Again, this site is very impressive and has very few faults. The only advice I could give would be to include a brief overview of the events that led up to these innovations and to the conflict so as to provide a framework for his site. However, this is quite minor. The massive size of this site could be daunting to the average reader, but Brink is masterful when it comes to making it accessible to any person who has an interest in the weaponry used in the Civil War. While this could be considered the best part of his site, I would contend it really is the quality and sheer quantity of information to be found on this site. Really, this should be included on the syllabus.
Rachel Antal 03 on Thu Feb 15 22:28:05 2001 wrote:
Rhea County Girls' Company
This site tells the story of the Rhea County Spartans, a group of females who decided to become "sidesaddle" soldiers out of "boredom" and a desire to aid the Confederacy in its quest for independence. Because they couldn't enlist in the Confederate army, they desided to create their own army. These women, members of prominent local families, gave themselves ranks of 1st Lieutenant, Sargeant, and Private.
At first, it seems that their activities included visiting sweethearts and relatives in nearby camps, and giving them food and clothing. However, when the Union took over Rhea County in 1863, this changed. According to the website, it seems that they held secret meetings and must have done "at least a small amount of spying" because Captain Walker of the Union army granted them the status of Confederate irregulars and arrested 16 of them in 1865. The article then goes on to tell of their horrible journey to Chattanooga and their release by General Steedman. Apparently the Spartans disbanded shortly thereafter, the women returned to their traditional roles and were all but forgotten. It is interesting to think that such an army could have existed.
While this is published in an on-line journal that appears to have editors and reviews, there are no footnotes in the entire article, and thus no way to check up on what the author is saying. Moreover, without proof behind the assertion that these women must have done some spying, it appears that this could have simply been a form of a Girls Club that engaged in frivolous activities and was simply seen by Captain Walker as something more than it actually was, instead of an organized effort at spying and information gathering. Moreover, by leaving the reader with the impression that these women simply faded into the background when the war was over - women who had shown a defiant spark of independence - the author makes the account seem all the more incredible and unbelievable.
I would like to believe that this company did engage in spying and did contribute to the war, however, the author does little to convince the reader that this company was more than a Girl's Club that simply wanted to remain in contact with their loved ones. If these women did spy for the Confederacy and aided the war effort, they deserve recognition for conciously deciding to go against the societal norms; they would not have done so out of mere boredom. This site is interesting, as it shows how the author's of websites can present their point of view as fact without real substantiation of their claims. Moreover, it seems to oversimplify the role of these women in the war, passing this group off as girlish foolishness rather than a concerted effort.
Ash Solar on Thu Feb 15 21:43:37 2001 wrote:
The History Place- A Chronology of the Civil War
Here’s a site with award-winning credibility and scholarly accuracy that provides a thorough chronology of the war, beginning with the election of Abraham Lincoln and ending with the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. As is the case with most history courses, it is often easy become so caught up in the intricacies of the specific happenings that one forgets the exact context in which they happen. The chronology provided on this site offers an opportunity to take a step back and see the big picture. Covering the majority of the main events, the website provides a brief statement about what happened on each given day and often offers photographs of the key persons, sites, and even documents such as Lincoln’s handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address. The website allows its visitors to successfully and concisely grasp the events of the Civil War as well as enjoy many photographs and visual aids to further their enrichment. Along with providing a few links to other Civil War websites and various other chronologies for other periods in American History, it also offers opportunities to buy books for further study and a link to a very in-depth chronology of Abraham Lincoln’s life, tracing his heritage back to 1637.
With regards to the creators of the site, The History Place describes itself as a “private, independent, Internet-only publication based in the Boston area that is not affiliated with any political group or organization.” This being said, they pride themselves on their fact-based, unbiased approach to the information as well the special care given to accuracy. Moreover, they have over twenty links to educational organizations and publications awarding them for providing one of the most efficient, accurate, and well-presented sites available to the public. As for strengths and weaknesses of the site, these are very much based on the needs of the visitor. For example, if one is just looking for a brief overview, then this site will be perfect. However, if one is looking for in-depth information on specific events they might find this site lacking, a problem that could have been alleviated with more links off of the major people, place, and events.
David Smutek on Thu Feb 15 20:41:35 2001 wrote:
The War for States Rights: Aftermath and Reconstruction
The website civilwar.bluegrass.net is an excellent resource for Civil War information, despite the fact the site was created by an ardent Confederate. He is not afraid to trumpet the fact that he considers himself a Confederate, but at the same time, he maintains that his treatment of the material will be evenhanded, "truthful, and accurate". In addition, he goes to great lengths to distance himself from any description as a "racist, skinhead, hate-monger, or any of the the other labels usually associated with those who dispute the distorted Yankee version of history." The author provides information on pretty much every aspect of the war, from spies, to battles, to POW's, to medical care, to the weapons used in the war.
The section that particularly interested me was the page labeled "Aftermath & Reconstruction". Though we hear much about the actions of individuals both before and during the war, we never really get a sense of what happened to them after the war ended. For example, most people aren't aware that the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, was captured by Federal troops on May 10, 1865. He was imprisoned at Fort Monroe in Virginia for 720 days in conditions that were atrocious. In spite of the terrible conditions, it is interesting to see the spirit of reconciliaition at the end of the Civil War (indicated by the fact that a "treasonous criminal" was only imprisoned for 2 years).
This spirit of reconciliation is also seen when the author details the Amnesty Proclamations that were passed after the War. Many declarations were passed, each succeeding one another with wider amnesty among ex-Confederate soldiers and politicians. Eventually on Christmas Day 1865, Andrew Johnson gave an uncoditional pardon to all participants in the war except "high-ranking military and civil officials." However, this amnesty was broadened even more in 1872 when Congress passed a bill allowing nearly all Confederate leaders to once again hold public office.
The reconciliation that the government offered towards ex-Confederates may suprise many, as we've always heard of the losers of military conflicts being tried and executed. However, when you look at the ultimate mission of the Civil War, to reunite the Union, it is obvious that such reconciliation was neccessary to ease tensions between the former warring regions.
Patrick Olsen '02 on Thu Feb 15 20:35:48 2001 wrote:
Treasurenet.com
One of the many defining characteristics of the civil war is that it was one of the first wars to be recorded through photography. Although photographs alone may not be sufficient for us to understand the major causes, controversy, and effects of the war, they allow us to truly look into the past at many of the topics that we study. Through primary and secondary literary sources we can understand the important aspects of the war and its effects on civilian and military life, but photographs give us the true detail and realization of those effects. They allow us to see the actual soldiers and civilians that lived through the war, or died from of it. There are no pictures of actual battles because photography technology had not evolved far enough to allow photographers to capture motion in their images, so the photographs in this site contain aspects of the war other than the gruesome battles that took place.
This site (Treasurenet.com) has many photographs that directly relate to both major and minor topics we are covering in class, as well as some miscellaneous aspects that often go unnoticed. Photographs of the highest ranking army officers for both the Confederacy and the Union can put faces to the names that we’ve been discussing. In the link to "South Carolina," a photograph of the destruction at Fort Sumter caused by the Confederate attack shows why the fort had to be abandoned. The image of the skeletons of buildings in Charleston is also a graphic reminder of the devastation to civilian life caused by the war.
The quality of medical care, one of the major wartime issues we discussed, is well displayed in some of the pictures of the "hospitals tents" that consist of wounded men gathered around a small tent awaiting care. One picture shows amputation surgery taking place outside on a table with soldiers gathered around to watch and help: a clear indication of the lack of medical hygiene.
There are several photographs of the enlisted men. They show men from a range of age groups, including some that look like they were boys at the time. Under the link for "women," a photograph seems to show a woman who dressed up as men in order to enlist.
Several photographs show two strange aspects of naval warfare. The first aspect involves the submarines and torpedo boats used by both the Confederate and Union navies. The other is naval warfare on the Mississippi River. Several pictures show warships are clearly only for river use. I thought this was interesting because pictures of river warships are must less prominent than pictures of the larger ocean-going warships such as those sold to the confederacy by British ship builders.
Overall, this site let’s us visualize some of the well-studied aspects of the war and shows us some of the more obscure details that invoke our curiosity.
Matt Muffelman '03 on Thu Feb 15 20:09:10 2001 wrote:
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
Having grandparents that lived ten minutes from this battle site, and having visited the mountain multiple times, I always took this battle for granted. It was just another battle in what seemed like a boring war to a ten year old. It wasn't until I went there this Christmas break that I took to heart what actually happened. This was almost an end to Sherman's march on Atlanta. While the Confederates did stop the Union forces only miles from Atlanta, Sherman was still able to forge on and achieve his objective.
This website offers a relatively short, but in-depth overview of this seemingly insignificant battle. The site was made by Randy Golden, under the auspices of Golden Ink, which holds the copyright for all information on the sight. The sight does not contain alot of links to other information on the Civil War, it focuses on the history of northern Georgia. The site illustrates how difficult transfering food was, as we talked about in class, and even shows that even in time of war, most soldiers had a sense of decency to the other sides. The sight seemes to support the Confederacy, showing Sherman's inhuman acts in parallel to the Confederates willingness to aid wounded Union soldiers off the battle field.
Michael Gault on Thu Feb 15 20:03:41 2001 wrote:
Ferguson's Mountain Cavalry
This website is dedicated to the Confederate guerilla war effort in the western states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It specifically focuses on Champ Ferguson’s independent cavalry and his efforts to support the Confederate campaign on the western front. It provides a brief history of the events which led to the creation of his independent unit which brutally tore apart Union forces.
The site also takes a personal look into Ferguson’s life and what led to the extreme brutality by which he fought. It describes how he was forced to enlist in the Confederate Army, how Unionists oppressed and sought vengeance upon him due to the “codes of the mountains,” and how this molded him into a guerilla and a union killer .
The author of this site does an excellent job maintaining his page and documents his information very well. He does a thorough job providing background of this aspect of the war and provides quotations, maps, and different mediums to effectively illustrate the war efforts of Ferguson and his troops. All information is cited and properly documented within the site, and he provides more links for us to read more about the guerilla war support from not only Confederates, but for the Union as well.
Eric Ristow '01 on Thu Feb 15 19:13:09 2001 wrote:
Georgia and the Civil War
As a transfer student from the University of Georgia, I went to the university's database to find what sort of information they had on Georgia's involvement in the Civil War. The site I found contains information on virtually every aspect of Georgia's involvement in the Civil War. The webpage shows UGA's extensive collections of primary documents: maps from the Civil War era, an 1861 copy of the Ordinance of Seccession printed on silk, and countless photographs, letters, and diaries. The page also provides general historical information pertaining to Georgia, including causes of seccession, Sherman's march to Savannah, and important battles fought throughout the state. While this site is not the most aesthetically pleasing, the massive amount of information it provides is organized in an easily accessible manner.
Despite the university's own extensive collection, the webpage also provides links, concerning Georgia's involvement in the Civil War, to many other amateur and professional sites. Though the links to other universities and institutions are in tact, a good number of links to amateur pages are either inaccesible or outdated. This not only frustrates websurfers, but also shows that this site is poorly maintained, especially for a government institute at such a major university. In spite of these inconvienences, the site does depict an accurate, objective view of Gerogia's participation in the war, through its primary and general documentation.
Julie Hasson '02 on Thu Feb 15 17:18:30 2001 wrote:
The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
This website was put up and is maintained by the University of Virginia and it's authors, Edward Ayers and William Thomas. It is the Civil War part of the University's Valley of the Shadow Project which highlights two communities in the Civil War: Augusta County, GA, and Franklin County, PA. I live in Franklin County, PA, close to both Gettysburg and Antietam, so I have grown up playing on the battlefields, going on various tours, and even participating in a few re-enactments as some of my friends' parents are reenacters. Because of the this vicinity to Civil War history, I thought this site was particularly interesting.
The site is divided into eight sections: newspapers, letters, dossiers, reference, projects, official records, battle maps, and images. The Letters section contains letters, diaries, narratives, and memoirs of Augusta and Franklin residents that give the reader a glimpse into their thought, feelings, and the nature of their daily lives. The newspapers section contain Augusta and Franklin Co. newspapers which contain the local, national, and international news of the time. This gives a sense of how party politics affected news and the local readers. A dossier is an information file on a soldier. This section allows you to search for a particular soldier from these counties, search by birthplace, occupation, age, or by battle. For soldiers with files who also have letters or photographs on this site, the site links you to these pages. The official records section contain selctions which concern the activities and reports of the units from Augusta County and Franklin County and reports of military activities in those two counties. The projects section contains websites related to topics in the Valley project, done by University of Virginia students. One of the most interesting sections of the site is the battle maps section. This section has three map archives: the Civil War maps from the Official Atlas Records, a set of three dimensional, geographically accurate maps of battlefields and regions, and battlefield movies of virtual reality worlds, rendered in CosmoWorlds TM. These movies may take a little time to load, but they provide an animated view of the battle unfolding over time, which is fascinating.
The site is very organized, easy to navigate, and quick. It provides a lot of information and primary resources regarding residents and regiments of these two counties. Not only does it contain academic information and offical records, but it also gives insight into the human aspect of living during the Civil War though the letters, diaries, and photographs. It would benefit anyone wanting detailed information on a Northern or Southern regiment or interested in fascinating battle maps.
Matt Duval '02 on Thu Feb 15 16:47:32 2001 wrote:
Army of the Cumberland and George H. Thomas source page
This website takes an exhaustive look at the battles and generals of the Army of the Cumberland, which was involved in some of the most important battles in the Western Department. The western conflict is often ignored in preference to the more European style of conflict in Virginia, but was no less critical to eventual Union victory.
The site includes the battle reports and deployments of the armies at Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga, as well as several other battles the Army of the Cumberland participated in. Also included are detailed maps of the Western theatre of war, and the sites of every battle, as well the correspondences between the generals.
The site takes a very positive view of General Thomas, depicting him as a consumately professional soldier, with no patience for politics. It also takes a very negative look at Grant and Sherman, especially with regard to their roles at the Battle of Chattanooga.
The site is well-designed and maintained, and is very thorough in its approach, with numerous commentaries, annotated versions of some reports, pictures of the generals, and biographies of the key figures.
Kyle Weber 02 on Thu Feb 15 16:11:21 2001 wrote:
American Civil War Documents
This is a comprehensive site that is a collection of various documents that had a significant impact on the war. This web page is rather large and because of this I want to focus on the section at the bottom entitled "Tables." The information at this site appears to be very credible for two reasons. First, all the speeches and documents are compiled by history professor John C. Willis of the University of the South (popularly known as Swanee). Second, it appears to be the sight where Professor Culbert obtained the Sullivan Ballou letter. Because of this fact I was initially reluctant to post this site, however I found a great deal of information very interesting.
Being the math dork that I am, I found the statistical information in the "Tables" section to be extremely interesting. This is a section of links containing relevant statistical information about the war. For example, one table notes the correlation between date of succession and 1860 black population. Although I initially attributed the order of succession simply to the geographical location of particular states, this table indicates that the black population also had a significant impact. This trend is easily notable in the states of South Carolina and Mississippi states that aren't the furthest south but states that succeeded first and second respectively. This information would prove extremely useful in the argument that the Civil War was fought primarily over slavery.
Other tables note the discrepancy between urban and rural population between the Union and Confederacy, statistics on the election of 1860, and the distribution of slave owners by the size of slave holdings. All of the statistics at this site give students an understanding of the driving forces behind the initial conflict that are essential in understanding the war.
Carrie O'Neil on Thu Feb 15 12:27:34 2001 wrote:
To the Limits of the Soul's Ideal: Major General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
This page is a tribute to Major General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, by Civil War buff Pat Finnegan. This site chronicles not only Chamberlain's involvement in the Civil War, but also his childhood and post-war years. The events of Chamberlain's life are described in great detail and care. The text is coupled with photographs and commentary from the author's personal trip to visit the important places in Chamberlain's life. Many of the photographs include a beaming Finnegan in front of such places as Little Round Top and the Bowdoin College Chapel. The text is enhanced by numerous quotations from the general on everything from his childhood antics to his wartime decisions. Oftentimes the author's own admiration for the general becomes clear as she emphasizes the high moral character behind Chamberlain's actions and words. For example, she applauds his treatment of the 120 men from the old 2nd Maine regiment who had mutinied and refused to do military duty. It was because of Chamberlain's calm demeanor and ability to reason that all but 6 of the men joined his 20th Maine regiment.
One could say that a lot of love has gone into this site. I found the text to be accurate and impressively thorough. The author's investment in understanding and sharing the life of Joshua Chamberlain is well intentioned and comprehensible. Chamberlain was a consummate Union leader, exemplifying the ideals and morals that made this the last "gentleman's war." I would recommend this site to anyone who wants a detailed look into the life of an inspirational Civil War hero.
Catharine Muscat '02 on Thu Feb 15 11:34:36 2001 wrote:
Civil War Battlefield Medicine
This site lends insight to the development of medical science and administration over the course of the Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy as well as of the Union. While the site's creator is not a professional historian, she is a student at Baldwin Wallace College, and developed the web page as part of a term project.
The site devotes considerable attention to rectifying the image of Civil War surgeons as butchers who carelessly hacked off limbs out of pure expediency or even laziness. Instead, the author emphasizes the unique environment of the battlefield and the exigencies therein, as well as the fact that through most of the war medical science was unable to cope well with the problem of infection, so that cutting off an infectious limb was actually superior to allowing it to remain.
The site also includes information on the role of dentistry and dental care in the Union and Confederate armies. Advances were made in this field as well, such as the development of an interdental splint made of vulcanized india rubber that revolutionized the treatment of fractured jawbones. While the Union only employed dentists as yet another breed of surgeon, the Confederacy actually conscripted a Dental Corps in January of 1864.
The site is not exhaustive, yet it provides a decent survey of major breakthroughs related to medicine and the medical community, such as General McClellan's order to organize an ambulance corps. It also discusses efforts by surgeons and medical personnel to gain exemption from Prisoner of War status, demonstrating how steps were being taken to recognize and treat the medical community as non-combatants.
For a web page that's purpose is to discuss the medical revolution during the Civil War, the absence of an account of women as nurses, diet managers, and surgeons is conspicuous. Civil War medicine not only affected science, medical administration, and the rules of war, but it also provided an outlet for women that challenged Victorian gender norms.
Jason Kelly on Thu Feb 15 09:17:15 2001 wrote:
Treasurenet.com-Historical Images
Treasurenet.com ™ is actually a website dedicated to providing internet access to treasure hunting equipment and information. However, the site’s author, Marc Austin, maintains a "historical photographs" section that contains links to hundreds of Civil War images.
The site provides absolutely no information about Mr. Austin, other than that he is a native of Bellevue, Washington. Readers are told that, in addition to the creative efforts of Mr. Austin, the money of several commercial retailers has also been poured into the site. With such shady roots, it would be sensible to question the accuracy and validity of the information furnished by the site. Since, however, we are examining only photographs, primary artifacts, such concerns are mitigated. Aside from occasional body arranging performed by photographers during the Civil War, each of the photographs provides a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the lives and faces of those who participated in the War. The URL of each of the pictures indicates the National Archives and Records Administration (www.nara.gov) furnishes the images.
The page is divided into three main categories: American West, Civil War, and Civil War Images by State. Each category contains several links to small galleries of photographs that pertain to a stated theme. The Civil War category, for example, contains links such as "Army Life" and "Prisons and Prisoners." Image-seekers can also search for specific photographs directly by entering keywords into the site's search engine.
Each photograph has a distinct database number, a preliminary "thumbnail" photograph, and a "more information" link abutting a "high resolution image" link. The "more information" link leads the viewer to a page that indicates the location where the photograph was taken, the date, and the photographer. The "high resolution image" link opens a second browser window that contains a remarkably sharp, gigantic digital reproduction of the photograph. The detail is impressive relative to other online photo galleries.
Everyone will benefit from viewing this site. Memoirs, letters, and scholarly interpretations on the web force readers to filter information to accurately reconstruct Civil War reality. The opportunity to closely scrutinize the high-resolution images of the war is invaluable to ascertaining a sense of what the Civil War truly was like.
Jayson Criddle on Thu Feb 15 00:41:42 2001 wrote:
Sherman's March Through South Carolina
This site is posted by a Confederate reenactor from South Carolina. While obviously not a scholar (as can be seen from the many grammar and spelling mistakes), the author of the site seems to have done a lot of research into Sherman's march through South Carolina. It is clear that the author is a major Civil War buff and spent a lot of time working on the site. The information included in the site seems to be pretty reliable. Most of it is based on authenticated records from both armies, including missives between the opposing generals, government officials, and civilians. The author states that "the goal of this site is to give as unbiased a view of General Sherman's march through South Carolina, especially the military actions that took place." He does a very good job of providing an unbiased account of the campaign. Despite being a South Carolinian, the author of the site is very pro-Sherman, especially when comparing Sherman to other Union generals (for example: Unlike his colleagues in the Army of the Potomac and other Union armies, who would foolishly attack enemy works, General William Tecumeh Sherman used the strategic turning movement like clockwork). In a way, it almost seems as if the author is trying to use Sherman's success as a tool to aggrandize South Carolina by showing that the Carolina campaign was one of the best of the war.
I was particularly impressed by the sheer amount of detail and information in the site. The South Carolina campaign lasted less than three months (from Jan to March 1865) and included no "major" engagements, yet the site contains close to 20 divisions, many with 5-10 subdivisions. The site covers every aspect of the campaign, from its effect on civilians to detailed accounts of engagements and casualties to the weather of South Carolina at the time. There are many first hand accounts of events included in the site, both civilian and military. The site also has detailed biographies of many of the commanding officers of the opposing forces.
This is a good site for anyone who wants to know more about Sherman's campaign through South Carolina. It also gives personal accounts of the effects of "total" warfare, the sort for which Sherman was famous. The information in the site is detailed and, in most cases, well documented. One of the biggest strengths of the site is that it is very interactive. It has a message board for discussing topics relating to Sherman and the SC campaign. One of the more interesting interactive options was the "Descendent's Page." On this page the author posts contributors to the website who are descended from a veteran of the campaign, both Federal and Confederate, along with their ancestor's name and unit. He also allows visitors to post stories of their ancestors in the campaign on this page. It adds a very personal touch to the site. While the "home-cooked" style of the site is its main weakness, compared to professional, scholarly sites, this aspect is also one of it's biggest strengths and makes the site a little more interesting to visit.
Brad Leneis '03 on Thu Feb 15 00:04:21 2001 wrote:
Civil War Music
Picture yourself as a soldier in the Civil War. You spend the vast majority of your time marching from place to place or setting up camp. You carry your world on your back. What will you do to pass the hours between dusk and dawn?
Many soldiers answered this question with a song. This website documents the music of the civil war. It contains the lyrics of songs sung by northern and southern soldiers and a library of downloadable fife music. A page on the history of civil war music explains the importance of different types of instruments; for instance, fife music helped keep soldiers in step during battle as it's high pitch would resonate above the noise of weapons, while certain bugle calls relayed orders to attack or retreat down the line. The site fails to adress the issue of instruments carried by the common soldiers for their own entertainment. A collection of photographs from the period shows what the instruments looked like and how northern and southern muscicians differed.
This site interests me because it shows a slice of life of individual soldiers. Most of the men in a given regiment hailed from the same state or county, and the songs they sung give an idea of the differences between locals during the time period. By hearing the songs, seeing the faces, and reading the lyrics, we can place ourselves in the conflict, placing one foot in front of the other time and time again.
Sara Strassenreiter '04 on Wed Feb 14 15:18:06 2001 wrote:
Abraham Lincoln Assassination
"The last day he lived was the happiest of his life," Mary Todd Lincoln.
This site is dedicated to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Although its creator, Roger Norton, is not a professional historian, he did teach American History for 28 years. The site comprehensively covers the events that surround the assassination. The site includes a multitude of artifacts relating to the assassination. These artifacts include photographs, excerpts from John Wilkes Booth's diary, quotations, various conspiracy theories, a transcript of the 1865 conspiracy trial, and a report of Lincoln's autopsy.
Included in the site are photographs of the conspirator’s execution. Mary Surrat, Lewis Paine, George Atzerodt and David Herold were convicted as accomplices to Booth's assassination of President Lincoln. The site includes a gruesome photograph of the hanging of these four individuals. The execution has added historical significance because Mary Surrat was the first woman to be executed in the history of the United States. There are also photographs of Ford's Theatre, Lincoln's chair at Ford's Theatre, and the gun with which Booth shot Lincoln and the knife with which he stabbed Henry Rathbone.
Roger Norton also includes various quotations related to the assassination. One quotation in particular is quite eerie. It was a comment Lincoln made to his bodyguard William Crook on April 14, 1865. Lincoln stated, "Crook, do you know I believe there are men who want to take my life? And I have no doubt they will do it...I know no one could do it and escape alive. But if it is to be done, it is impossible to prevent." Another quotation that is interesting is a comment made by John Wilkes Booth. He stated that, "Our country owes all her troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment."
Although it is interesting, Norton's link to the various conspiracy theories, feeds into a desire for the mysterious. Theories include the following: that Andrew Johnson was involved with Booth, that Lincoln's assassination was the result of a Confederate plot, and even more bizarre, that the Roman Catholic Church was involved in the assassination.
A summary of Lincoln’s assassination is quite helpful for high school students and individuals who possess little knowledge of the event. A report of Lincoln’s autopsy, however, is unnecessary to include.
Timothy Cahill '03 on Wed Feb 14 01:11:26 2001 wrote:
Spies, Raiders & Partisans
This site includes brief descriptions of notable efforts at espionage during the Civil War. This index of stories is a subsection of a broader series of web pages at civilwar.bluegrass.net, titled "The War for States' Rights." The author, in his introduction to the site, proclaims, "I am a Confederate all the way to the bone," and he asserts that: "Those who have actually studied history... know that the War For State's (sic) Rights was not about slavery... but about where... laws and regulations should come from." He does, however, claim that his site will include an evenhanded treatment of the war. In the series of spy stories, this claim holds up surprisingly well. Union raiders and detectives are, in fact, described with as much overblown gusto as the Confederates. The author’s most apparent weakness is not a pro-Confederate agenda, but his tendency to infuse the descriptions with romanticized and sensationalist touches.
The episodes frequently include details that appear more anecdotal than historical. One example is the tale of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a white Union spy who disguised herself as a black male slave. There is a description of an incident in which Edmonds nearly has her identity revealed, and it includes direct quotations of those present without attributing any source for this information. This is particularly suspicious considering that the events occurred behind enemy lines among slave laborers, a setting unlikely to have featured anyone accurately recording such particulars.
Nonetheless, the site is not without value. Some of the stories are truly fascinating, and make for a quick and entertaining read. Furthermore, at least two of the stories are included in the index of links listed on the Louisiana State University’s United States Civil War Center web site, lending them some measure of credibility. The most useful function of this site for a student of the Civil War is to spark interest in one or more of these tales of espionage and thereby inspire deeper analytical research into the facts behind the story.
Matt Davis on Wed Feb 14 00:16:04 2001 wrote:
Battle of Gettysburg
This site gives a very in depth analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg, and is also very accurate in the recording of the facts. It offers a good summary of what happened on each day of the battle with highlights of the most important battles within the battle, along with events that led up to the conflict at Gettysburg. The site also offers several articles, with some by Eric Wittneberg, author of at least six books on the Civil War including one solely on Gettysburg, which focus on some aspect of the battle. There is a page containing several photos of modern day Gettysburg, some being taken during one of the reenactments. This also offers a list of the regiments involved in the battle and some have links to the home page of the regiment, some of which I found very interesting.
This site is a subgroup of militaryhistoryonline.com and although I couldn’t get some of the links to come up, some links can be accessed through the homepage. This has a section on the Civil War where information is found of several other key battles of the war. Overall I found the site to be extremely informative and interesting and it is presented in a very easy to follow fashion. Also, be sure to check out the message board, there are many comments from people who obviously take this battle very seriously and sometimes get offended if their views are challenged.
Dallas Alexander '02 on Tue Feb 13 22:29:38 2001 wrote:
The U.S. Civil War Center: Index of Civil War Information
This is a site sanctioned by Louisiana State University. The United States Civil War Center was designated by Congress as a facilitator of the Sesquicentennial Commemoration (2011-2015) of the American Civil War. It has a handy addendum by the Vanguard University of Southern California for evaluating internet resources. The site's mission is: to promote the study of the Civil War from the perspectives of all professions, occupations and academic disciplines. The USCWC encourages and nurtures explorations into new subject areas, methodologies, and approaches which complement traditional historical examinations of the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras, from both Northern and Southern perspectives. Aside by it's accreditation through LSU and the designation by Congress, the site's goal is to locate, index, and make available all appropriate private and public data on the Internet regarding the Civil War.
The site has categorized links of Civil War information from subjects of Abolition and Slavery, Agriculture, Archaeology, and Architecture to Units/Brigades, Weapons and Artillery, Women, and Writers and Literature of the Period. The site goes further and categorizes primary source documentation diaries, letters, and speeches, many of which have been read for this class, and more which haven't. Each link, highlighting every major aspect (and some not so major aspects) of the war is comprehensive and provides, basically any information you could want about the Civil War.
Victoria McGrane '02 on Tue Feb 13 20:46:45 2001 wrote:
Hearts at Home:Southern Women and the Civil War
This site represents the "virtual" version of a 1997 exhibit put together by the University of Virginia Special Collections library. Designed to portray Southern women during the Civil War, the site provides a range of primary historical documents, each of which are accompanied by a short commentary. Most of the documents are letters and diaries, but the exhibit also includes pictures, photographs, and other paraphernalia. The exhibit is divided into 13 categories, which range from "Petticoats on Pedestals" (the idealization of white southern women by their society) to southern women’s roles during the war to their views on slavery and emancipation.
I found the site to be comprehensive and informative. It does an excellent job, for the most part, of providing an accurate, objective view of its subject matter. The reliance on primary sources and the fact that it is maintained by UVA made me feel confident of its authority and historical accuracy, and I would call it scholarly for these reasons. Some of the commentary did lean toward the sentimental or overdone side. The inscription to a handkerchief, for example, described it as perhaps having been "used during the war to dry tears or wave goodbye to departing soldiers." But the documents, which can be clicked on for a first-hand view, stand on their own and let the visitor glean for herself what life was like for a typical southern woman at the time.
The site was also easy to move around, with the documents divided under clear subject headings and presented in an interestingly enough manner. Unlike some of the other Civil War sites, this one is relatively small and self-contained, providing no other links, but this is not necessarily a weakness. I would recommend this site to the whole class, for it nicely compliments the reading we have done on northern women during the war. It also provides a interesting insight into the homefront situation of the Confederacy.
Katie Lyndon on Tue Feb 13 16:15:48 2001 wrote:
The History Channel.com, Civil War Site
The History Channel.Com has a very useful, interesting, and well put together site on the Civil War. The main page contains an article written by James McPherson, the author of our text: What They Fought For, 1861-1865. McPherson cites his own book, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Era of the Civil War (1988), as well as the work of other notable historians. Union and Confederate sentiments seem equally represented, and although at times he seems to sympathize with the Unionists, McPherson offers a fairly unbiased view of the events. As McPherson touches on most of the same subjects that we have studied and provides a comprehensive overview of the war, I would recommend this site as a study aide or research tool for students taking History 12.
The main article is easy to read and is divided into three sections. In "Causes and Results," McPherson claims the expansion of slavery was the main cause of the Civil War. He discusses the increasing polarization of the North and South during the period leading up to the war, citing events and using quotations as evidence for his argument. The section concludes with the observation that although the war was a great trauma, "it was also a great triumph of nationalism and freedom," which resolved the question of slavery and reaffirmed the strength republican government. The remaining two sections, "Strategies and Tactics" and "Foreign Relations," discuss the strategic goals of each section in obtaining victories on the battlefield and the diplomatic front.
Furthermore, there is a list of links at the end of each of these three sections. The links cover all the major events and participants in the conflict and lead to pages with still more links (an invaluable research tool!). Some of the links include Bleeding Kansas, The Crittenden Compromise, The Kansas-Nebraska Act, Secession, Emancipation, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and others. Finally, this site is only one part of the HistoryChannel.Com, which provides information on events for any specific day during the Civil War and allows one to search for any historial subject. Moreover, it provides links for further research to sites related to your search, or sites such as Biography.com and HistoryTravel.com, which focus on famous people and places in history. What more could you want!?
Ryan Beible on Tue Feb 13 15:50:05 2001 wrote:
Weapons of the Civil War
Anyone interested in the weapons used on both sides during the Civil War must see this website. It begins with an overview of "the first modern war", where the creator of the website attributes the enormous number of casualties in part to the newly developed guns and artillery that were more lethal and accurate than weapons used in previous wars. By scrolling down the page, the reader sees almost 25 types of guns from revolvers to the machine gun originally built for the Confederacy. Each type of weapon is accompanied by a picture and detailed description that includes facts about when and for who it debuted, as well as information on the ammunition it used.
There is also a link to descriptions and pictures of another 20 or so types of artillery used in the war. Here it has graphics of the three types of artillery, guns, howitzers, and mortars, and it shows the trajectory that distinguishes one from the others. At the bottom of the page it also shows a great picture of the canister. One of the war's most deadly rounds, it consists of sawdust and musket balls packed in a brass can.
Overall, the website includes nearly fifty destructive weapons that killed hundreds of thousands of men in the war. After seeing the weapons that soldiers faced in the war, I have greater respect for those who sacrificed their lives for their country. Anyone else who visits this site will have a much greater appreciation also.
Mark Cuccaro on Tue Feb 13 01:51:56 2001 wrote:
The Battle of Antietam on the Web
This site has everything you could possibly want to know about the battle of Antietam. It was created by an individual, Brian R. Downey, who, in an introduction to the site, seems to pride himself on not being a professional historian. Nevertheless, it is a very impressive-looking and comprehensive piece of work, and (as far as I know) factually sound. The original essays written on the war by him seem scholarly and thoughtful; I am reasonably confident he knows what he’s talking about. There are some first-rate maps of the soldiers movements, and the military history of the battle is described in excruciating detail. Dozens and dozens of bios are available on the site for significant (and not so significant) participants on both sides. There is a huge collection of primary documents, including correspondences between various figures and even the official post-battle reports of the leading officers (which aren’t as interesting as you’d think). There are a number of good links to other sites, and a large number of text recommendations. Overall, this site would be useful to anyone writing about Antietam, but the level of specificity would repel anyone else but the most ardent Civil War buff.
Melissa Mangan '01 on Mon Feb 12 22:05:13 2001 wrote:
Civil War Photographs
This site provides access to 1,100 Civil War photographs, most of which come from the collections of Mathew Brady and the James Wadsworth family (although the work of 20+ photographers is represented.) The collection includes scenes of battle preparations, the aftermath of battles, portraits of officers and politicians, as well as less famous war scenes, such as pictures of the armies' camps and lodgings.
This site is maintained by the Library of Congress, with its express purpose being to "make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations" and "to offer broad public access to a wide range of historical and cultural documents as a contribution to education and lifelong learning." It also includes the disclaimer: "The Library of Congress presents these documents as part of the record of the past. These primary historical documents reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times." Although perhaps not a "scholarly" source, I would trust this site because it functions mainly as an index of primary sources--and while there may be some bias in the selection of the photographs, the Union and Confederacy seem to be equally represented, and the presentation tries to be objective. Adding to its credibility are links to articles discussing the photographers' potential biases and ways they might have manipulated their photographs, as well as explanations of the process of taking photographs at the time.
I found this site to be comprehensive and easily navigable: pictures can be accessed by links in a detailed time line, by browsing a subject index, or by searching for a key word. The site also includes biographies of the Civil War photographers and links to other Civil War history sites.
I find pictures and photographs fascinating because they provide me with a a clear and often less romanticized mental image of history than do Hollywood recreations or my own imaginings. I'd recommend this site to anyone looking for a "visual aid" to help them understand the context of the Civil War.
Greg Buth on Mon Feb 12 20:22:43 2001 wrote:
The American Civil War Homepage
This is a very comprehensive site devoted to providing numerous links to over 700 sites about the Civil War. The author (George H. Hoemann) originally posted the site for a class at the University of Tennessee in 1994, and it has continued to grow ever since. The site is linked to an incredible amount of sites, disabling any person from reviewing all the material it tries to make available. However, the sites it provides links to are very good. For example, I followed the Fort Sumnter link and found myself at the same page provided for our benefit by Professor Culbert.
It breaks the site into only 12 separate categories, making it somewhat difficult to find more precise topics regarding the War. Thus, I think the sites greatest assest is also its biggest downfall. The 700 links are great, but that is alot of links to sift through if you are trying to find something specific about the War.
It is the type of site you definitely use as a "homepage" for the Civil War. You can basically find all the information you need if you start here. Additionally, the site has won numerous awards for its use an an educational tool, so expect the links provided to be reliable.
Be careful though, when you orignally open the web page you will be greeted with rather loud gun shots.
Mark Kissling 02 on Mon Feb 12 18:49:50 2001 wrote:
Michigan in the Civil War
As a proud citizen of the state of Michigan, I directed my website focus toward my home state's participation in the Civil War. This webpage is devoted to the thousands of men and women who altered their lives in order to promote the Union's cause (there is no documentation of any Michiganders taking up arms for the Confederacy). The site is posted by the Bentley Historical Library, which is a part of the Michigan Historical Collections at the University of Michigan. It serves as an online, updated guide to the library's Civil War documents collection (an original guide was compiled by Ida Brown, and printed on behalf of the Library in 1977).
While the site lacks a historiorgraphical analysis of the Civil War, it provides a voluminous amount of primary documentation; summaries of personal letters, documents, and diaries. Based on these holdings from the library, a brief biography is written up on every person that kept these written records. The site also has several indexes (names, regiments, battles, portraits) listing the Michigan participants.
Although this site might not exhibit appeal to people from outside of Michigan, it does offer the personal motivations of infantrymen, transcribed on the battlefield, expressed through communications to family and friends. As a Michigander, I was able to look for evidence of soldiers from my hometown of Lansing.
Janet Saint Germain '02 on Sun Feb 11 21:10:00 2001 wrote:
The United Daughters of the Confederacy
This website romanticizes the Confederacy and its soldiers in terms of their patriotism and bravery. Its goal is "keeping alive the sacred principles for which Southern men and boys fought so bravely". However, they never mention what exactly these principles were. The website refers to the Civil War as "The War Between the States" and explains, "The term Civil War is misleading and inexact. The war was not a class struggle, but a sectional combat, having its roots in such complex political, economic, social, and psychological elements that it is difficult for historians to agree on its basic causes."
The site completely avoids any mention of slavery at all, even though its emblem is a giant cotton boll with the words, "Love, Live, Pray, Think, and Dare."
This organization is a patriotic social club which women can join for a fee once they have provided the documentation to prove that they are indeed descendants of Confederate soldiers who fought "honorably". (They do not specify whether "honorable" soldiers included slaves and freed blacks fighting for the Confederacy.) The website has links to libraries of Confederate archives, scholarships and Confederate memorials that the society endows, and a link to the United Children of the Confederacy. One can also research his or her own Confederate ancestors at the site for $20. This organization is devoted to interpreting history in a way that demonstrates, in the words of its founder Caroline Merriwether Goodlett, "that unswerving devotion to principle which has made the Confederate Soldier the most majestic figure in the pages of history."
Joe McKnight '01 on Thu Feb 8 12:20:47 2001 wrote:
General Longstreet
This web-page about General James Longstreet gives a much more personal impression of the man and his aura. General Lee on Longstreet: "the iron endurance of General Longstreet is most extraordinary; he seems to require neither food nor sleep."
This webpage offers information on a wealth of angles, stemming from Longstreet. It has a biography listing of his major combat moments and wars, pictures, lineage to his family members living and dead, portraits, etc.
There are links from this web-page to other web-pages. And it is definitely a web-page which implies support for the Confederacy (at least, in remembrance). I think that support for the Confederacy has become slightly taboo, so looking at alternative perspectives is always enlightening.
I think this web-page would be interesting, and helpful, to anyone who was going to, or already did, watch the movie Gettysburg.
There are great quotes from General Longstreet. And there is an e-mail address at which one might inquire for more information than what is on the page, or to inquire of sources. There is a picture of General Longstreet's grandson too!
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