Soon after the formation of the Confederate States of America, the new government chose a national seal and motto: Deo Vindice: “God Will Vindicate” The seal features George Washington on horseback, pictured in his uniform of the Revolution securing American independence. Washington is surrounded with a wreath, made of some of the main agricultural products […]
More Americans died in The Civil War than any other conflict. In fact, it took half of all Americans lost in all our wars. Most of it was fought on Confederate territory. It was a brutal conflict, yet many a man fought from beginning to end. Soldiers had little tolerance for the opinions of […]
Private Sam Watkins of Company H, 1st Tennessee Regiment chronicled his experiences in his writings “Co. Aytch.” It is considered to be one of the greatest memoirs ever written by a soldier of the field. He captures the experience of the common private soldier, from the hardships of camp life and battlefields, the camaraderie of […]
The Confederate Army had a number of soldiers who were Scottish or had Scottish ancestry. Some of the Scottish units formed included the “Scotch Guards” from Alabama, the “Scotch Tigers” of North Carolina and the “Montgomery Highlanders” of Virginia. We will cover more about the Scots and their contribution to the Confederate cause in a […]
Winbush said his grandfather believed he was defending his home state of Tennessee from “Yankee” invaders, not fighting to preserve slavery. His final wish, Winbush said, was that he be buried in his Confederate uniform. This pride has been embraced by Winbush, who joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans nearly three decades ago. In one […]
The Southern Confederate soldier was a tough character, and one of the finest warriors to ever take the field of battle in any army, in any war. The cause for which he fought and died has been harshly judged. But from the Confederate point of view, the harsh conditions and suffering were as noble as […]
Why would an innocent and good looking, blond haired, blue eyed, 21 year old Confederate man, weighing barely 100 pounds, be called “the most dangerous man in Arkansas?” The exploits of Howell A. “Doc” Rayburn are a legacy of fact and legend. Doc was a Civil War guerrilla chieftain who operated in the area […]
Martin Van Buren Bates was a normal baby born to normal parents in Letcher County, Kentucky, in 1837. But he was not destined to be “normal” for long. At the age seven he started a tremendous growth spurt. By the time he was thirteen, he had grown to a height of over 6 feet, and […]
No other Confederate officer had the mystique of John Singleton Mosby, a talented and heroic cavalry officer. He was an unlikely hero. As a sickly child Mosby was often bullied, but he learned to fight back at an early age. When the Civil War began, Mosby opposed secession, but decided to leave his law practice […]
Animals of all kinds were part of the Civil War and very valuable in their working roles and on the battlefield. Horses, mules, donkeys, and even camels accompanied the troops during campaigns. In modern warfare, dogs are often seen on duty, helping their human comrades in and around the battlefield. It was not uncommon for […]
No battle of the war saw more troops on the field than the Battle of Fredericksburg. Although greatly outnumbered, Lee’s army was ready for the fight. Union artillery pounded Fredericksburg for over two hours, the first time a commander ordered a large-scale city bombardment during the war. Fires broke out, buildings fell to the ground, […]
A question to those who have called for the ban on this historic flag: Is your revulsion to this flag well founded? Here are three questions and answers that may challenge what you think you know. If you believe you have a well formed, rational reason for despising the Confederate flag with its red white […]
