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Drummer Boy
Drummer boys go back hundreds of years. They were used in the Revolutionary War, but are most famous for their role in the Civil War. If you were too young to enlist as a soldier, you could join the army Read more
News
MOVIE: 1917
History teachers are probably aware that we have a rare WWI movie now showing in theaters across the country. It has been heavily promoted and recently won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. It certainly will get Academy Awards recognition. Read more
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Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam – Interesting Facts Most history books use the Northern names for the battles because the victors write the history books. Many Civil War battles had a Northern name and a Southern name. Northerners tended to name battlefields Read more
Anecdote
CUTTING THE GORDIAN KNOT
Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom in Asia Minor called Gordium. It was ruled by a wise king, but when he died he had no son to replace him. The people were without a leader so they Read more
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The Lost Order
Sometimes luck changes history. In Sept., 1862, coming off a big victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North for the first time. He hoped to win Read more
Anecdote
AFRAID OF HIS SHADOW
The teenage Alexander once accompanied his father Philip on a horse-buying expedition. There was one magnificent stallion that Philip was interested in, but none of his expert horsemen could stay on the horse. Each was bucked off as soon as Read more
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Civil War Bummers
Bummers were soldiers in Sherman’s army during its March to the Sea and march through South Carolina. The term most likely originated with the German word “bummler” which meant an idler or scoundrel. Sherman’s soldiers adopted it as a means Read more
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Rall’s Note
In December, 1776 the Continental Army was coming off a series of bad defeats. It had lost New York City and retreated across New Jersey to seek refuge in Pennsylvania. The army barely got across the Delaware River with the Read more
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Horse-Drawn Artillery
This is a picture of horse-drawn artillery. This type of mobile artillery was developed during the Thirty Years’ War by the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus. In the Civil War, a unit consisted of the cannon on two wheels and Read more