John Alfred Koltes, a German immigrant who had served in the Mexican War and later as a Marine, became colonel of the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War. By all accounts a brave leader, he stepped up to lead a charge and paid with his life. Here's the story.

What was it like to come within an inch of a musket ball in battle? Chaplain William W. Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry happened to be riding with the surgeon of his regiment in an area active with sharpshooters during the Battle of Chickamauga.

Daz is joined by author, historian, & Co-Founder of Emerging Civil War, Chris Mackowski, to discuss The Battle of the Wilderness.

The Battle of the Wilderness occurred in May 1864 and was the first engagement in a series of conflicts between Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, known as the Over...

Following the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Washington, D.C. was surrounded by pro-secession Baltimoreans to its north and Virginians on the verge of leaving the Union along part of its border. Union-loyal regiments rushed to the capital to defend the federal government and its new president, Abrah...

The mention of Civil War Richmond usually brings to mind photographs of charred buildings of the commercial heart of the city set afire by Confederate soldiers during the evacuation of the army and government. Here's another view of the Confederate capital—in 1861.

Some of the most literate writers in the Civil War served as army chaplains, those men of faith who tended to flocks of soldier boys far away from home. One of them, William Wallace Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry, wrote a book about his experiences published in 1865. Here's a sample.

In this solo episode of Trails of History, Sander takes an in-depth look at Operation Market Garden, exploring the ambitious plan, the challenges on the ground, and the key decisions that turned one of World War II’s boldest operations into one of its most debated failures.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, Bushrod Washington James traveled from his home in Philadelphia to care for some of the many thousands of wounded soldiers. Here's the story of his travels and deeds.

On April 10-11, 1862, Union artillery bombarded Fort Pulaski with targeted fire that ended with the surrender of its garrison 30 hours later and largely closing the port of Savannah, Ga. Quartermaster Sgt. Aaron H. Ingraham of the 49th New York Infantry witnesses the event, and wrote home about it.