Author Archives: Rich & Tracy Y

Civil War Podcast, Episode 65

MAYHEM IN MISSOURI (Part the Second)

In which we continue our look at the mayhem that broke out in Missouri at the start of the Civil War. In this episode, we cover the ‘Battle of Carthage,’ and set the stage for the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History by Louis S. Gerteis.

“Making a case for the national importance of Civil War military campaigns in Missouri, Louis Gerteis portrays the operations of Union and Confederate armies in vivid detail. Although Missouri was notable for the intensity of its guerrilla warfare, this book demonstrates that conventional armies largely determined developments in the state, forming the anchor of Union control in the trans-Mississippi theater.” ~ James M. McPherson

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 64

MAYHEM IN MISSOURI (Part the First)

In which we look at the mayhem that broke out in the important border state of Missouri at the start of the Civil War.

Our book recommendation for this episode is actually a magazine article in a back issue of North & South magazine. Volume 2 #5 (June, 1999) of North & South has an article titled “Don’t Yield an Inch! The Story of the Missouri State Guard” by William Garrett Piston & Thomas P. Sweeney.

Listen to Episode 64 to find out about our

March Madness T-shirt Giveaway!

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 63

EX PARTE MERRYMAN

In which we discuss Chief Justice Roger Taney’s dramatic challenge to Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of “the great writ of liberty” (habeas corpus).

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Body of John Merryman: Abraham Lincoln and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus by Brian McGinty.

“An original, comprehensive, and well-written narrative about the first constitutional crisis pitting Abraham Lincoln against Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. Anyone interested in American history, the Constitution, and the Civil War will be anxious to read this excellent book.” ~ Frank J. Williams, former Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and founding chair of The Lincoln Forum

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 62

CIVIL WAR MEDICINE (Part the Second)

In which we continue our discussion of medical issues affecting Civil War soldiers. In this episode, we look at what happened to a soldier after he was wounded on the battlefield.

Our book recommendation for this episode is actually an article in the January 2009 issue of America’s Civil War. That article is titled “Life Is Better Than Limb” and posits that wartime amputations, while extreme, saved thousands of lives and helped spur the development of modern prosthetics.

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 61

CIVIL WAR MEDICINE (Part the First)

In which we look at some medical aspects of the Civil War. In this episode, we focus on diseases, which killed many many more Civil War soldiers than did wounds.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine by Glenna R. Schroeder-Lein.

“Disease and medical practices during the American Civil War have been the subject of important scholarship in recent years. This encyclopedia is an invaluable reference work for consultation by those who are interested in these questions. Clear, concise, accurate, its entries are readily accessible to the lay reader. I wish it had been available when I wrote my books on the war.” ~ James McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 60

CONFEDERATE FLAGS

In which we take a quick look at the story behind the famous Confederate battle flag, as well as the history behind the Confederacy’s three national flags.

The Confederacy’s first national flag, the so-called “Stars and Bars” (March, 1861-April, 1863)

South Carolina Secession Flag

St. Andrews Cross Flag (Scotland)

Confederate Battle Flag, also known as the “Southern Cross” (November, 1861)

The Confederacy’s second national flag, the so-called “Stainless Banner” (May, 1863-February, 1865)

The Confederacy’s third national flag (March-April, 1865)

Our book recommendation for this episode is The New York Times’ Disunion: Modern Historians Revisit and Reconsider the Civil War from Lincoln’s Election to the Emancipation Proclamation, edited by Ted Widmer.

“In Disunion, some of the country’s finest historians take us through the first two years of the Civil War. Their lively, readable essays offer striking insights into both Americans’ immediate experiences and the vast social changes unleashed by the conflict.” ~ Eric Foner

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 59

FIRST MANASSAS (Part the Eighth)

In which we conclude our discussion of the First Battle of Manassas (July 21, 1861), looking at the Federal army’s retreat and the failure of the Confederates to pursue, and then we offer some final thoughts on the war’s first major battle.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in the East: Struggle, Stalemate, and Victory by Brooks D. Simpson.

“Informative, solidly researched, well-written, and unfailingly interesting, The Civil War in the East will further solidify Brooks Simpson’s place as one of this generation’s outstanding scholars of the Civil War.” ~ Ethan S. Rafuse

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 58

FIRST MANASSAS (Part the Seventh)

In which we continue with our discussion of the First Battle of Manassas (July 21, 1861), looking at the fight for Henry Hill, and then we move over to the action at Chinn Ridge.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Battle at Bull Run: A History of the First Major Campaign of the Civil War by William C. Davis.

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 57

FIRST MANASSAS (Part the Sixth)

In which we continue with our discussion of the First Battle of Manassas (July 21, 1861), looking at the start of the pivotal fight for Henry Hill. Plus, we see how Stonewall Jackson got his famous nickname.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend by James I. Robertson, Jr.

“Few military figures in American history have been more written about than Jackson, but Robertson, through diligent research, uncovers a great deal of fresh material about the general’s public and private life. he shapes that material into an engrossing, detailed narrative that is the indispensable first place to turn for anyone interested in the great Confederate general.” ~ Gary W. Gallagher

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Civil War Podcast, Episode 56

FIRST MANASSAS (Part the Fifth)

In which we continue with our discussion of the First Battle of Manassas (July 21, 1861), looking at how McDowell failed to maintain the initiative after he seized Matthews Hill, and as a result the Confederates had time to forge a defensive line on Henry Hill.

Our book recommendation for this episode is a back issue of Blue & Gray magazine. Blue & Gray, Volume 27 #5 was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas.

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