Major Gen. John Brown Gordon scattered anecdotes about religion in the Confederate army throughout his postwar recollections. He shared how it inspired the men, prompted numerous revivals, and built a culture of victory based on divine providence. Here's his words.

George Washington Tucker Jr., trusted aide and courier to Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, rode with his commander through a dangerous area on April 2, 1865. They strayed into enemy territory, and Hill paid the ultimate price. Here's Tucker's recollection of what happened.

John Watson Mauk did not like to talk about the events that led to his shooting and killing Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill on April 2, 1865. But the corporal in the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry told the story at least twice. Here's his version of events.

On October 3, 1889, at the dedication of Maine monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield, Maj. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain delivered a well-remembered address with the knowledge, experience, and character of one able to speak with authority. Here's a portion of his speech.

Corporal William H. Boyd stood in the front ranks of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry during the first day's fight at Gettysburg. Wounded and left behind, he tied off his wounded leg with a tourniquet made of a stick and suspender. A Confederate stole his canteen. Here's the rest of the story.

How did prisoners of war cope with being held against their will? What mechanisms did they develop to endure confinement, uncertainty, pain, and cruelty? Chaplain Louis Napoléon Boudrye of the 5th New York Cavalry, captured after Gettysburg and held at Libby, shares his story.

Following the Battle of Gaines' Miil, a new batch of POWs that arrived at Libby Prison in the Confederate capital. They included one of the nation's best known songwriters and entertainers, Marshall S. Pike. His soothing voice and songs were so good that his captors were not eager to parole him. ...

As George Washington Quimby stood in a perilous position at Fredericksburg, encouraging his men in the 4th Vermont Infantry to stay low, an enemy sharpshooter took aim and fired his weapon. The bullet whizzed across the ground on its way to destiny. This is the story of Quimby's life, service, an...

Major Gen. George H. Thomas believed in staying in his lane as a military commander. Like fellow general William T. Sherman, he had no political ambition, making it clear that he would refuse any nomination to office. He even refused gifts in recognition of his battlefield victories. Here's the s...

In his 1904 memoirs, Confederate Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon looked back on what caused the Civil War. The former Georgia governor and U.S. senator, helped undermine Reconstruction, and championed the fight against civil rights. Here's his thoughts.

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Chamberlin of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry suffered two wounds during the war. An abolitionist and college graduate, he survived his injuries and went on to become a prolific writer, including this poetic tribute to the citizen soldiers who fought to end slavery.

From his quarters at Libby Prison, Chaplain Louis Napoléon Boudrye of the 5th New York Cavalry recounted his journey from Gettysburg to Richmond and the characters he met along the way, including JEB Stuart. Here's Boudrye's story.

During a lull in the fighting on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Bucktails of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry were both humored and inspired by the old man wearing a blue swallowtail coat and carrying a musket. This account is from one who was there—Lt. Col. Thomas Chamberlin.

One of the ingredients in Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's recipe for success in the Western Theater was cooperation and coordination with the navy. In a letter to a friend, he mentioned how clever and fearless they were, and mentioned Lt. Cmdr. Seth Ledyard Phelps by name. Here's the story.

First Sgt. John V. Miller of the 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry led his company at Gettysburg after all the officers had been hit. A quarter-century after the battle, at a reunion in Gettysburg, he remembered the fallen. Here's his address.

Every general has a champion who celebrates a soldier's life and deeds. Major Gen. George Henry Thomas, the Virginia-born West Pointer remembered as the Rock of Chickamauga, had his champion in Thomas Budd Van Horne, an army chaplain who wrote Thomas's biography. Here's Van Horne's recollection.

On July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg, Asst. Surg. James Fulton of the 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry found himself on an odyssey as he tried to find the makeshift hospital for his division's wounded, and to navigate the lack of food and presence of Confederates. Here's Fulton's story, based on his diary.

If you've visited Gettysburg in recent years, you've found a visitor center, guided tours, museums, hotels, restaurants, and just about everything a modern traveler could want.

Now, travel back to June 1867. What was it like? War correspondent George Alfred Townsend, who used the pen name "Gath,...

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson has become so much a part of Civil War legend that it can be difficult to see the man behind the monument. One of his fellow generals, John Brown Gordon, explored “The secret of his wonderful power” and “The secret of Jackson’s character.”

Sergeant David A. Barnett of the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry participated in the second and third days' fighting at Gettysburg, and lived to write home about it. In a letter to his cousin Robert, Barnett recalls the battle and pokes fun at the "fireside generals" who criticized the Army of the Pot...

There days before the Battle of Gettysburg, Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon and his brigade marched into York, Pa., in the vanguard of Confederate invasion forces. Covered in powdery dust from the turnpikes, their presence frightened townspeople. Here's the story, in Gordon's words.

One of the best known artworks about the Civil War is the oil painting depicting generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson conferring before the Battle of Chancellorsville. What are they talking about and what did they say? Two postwar accounts, one by Lee, provide insights.

Becoming familiar with a general's personality traits can help us to better understand how he commanded troops in combat. One of the more unique characters in the Confederate military leadership was Richard S. Ewell, who was described by fellow general John B. Gordon.

Up until the Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865, Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan was more brute than brains, observed the war correspondent George Alfred "Gath" Townsend. But in this engagement, Gath notes, Sheridan proved he could also be a master strategist.