Civil War Archives - Task & Purpose

By Haley Britzky Jan 6, 2021

History

The last known widow of a Civil War soldier has died at 101

The two were married in 1936.

By Paul Szoldra Oct 14, 2020

News

The secret history of Confederate post names the Army never wanted you to see

The contemporary debate around base names largely focuses on 10 Army installations in the southern United States, though Army leaders...

By Joseph Cress, The Sentinel, Carlisle, Pa. Oct 2, 2020

History

How a Civil War soldier who disobeyed orders earned the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg

Miller charged into the rebel flank, a move that ultimately helped the Union Army win the battle.

By James Clark Aug 25, 2020

Entertainment

New graphic novel celebrates the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor

One of the first women to earn a medical degree in the United States and the only to ever be...

By Jeff Schogol Jul 19, 2020

News

Trump says bases named for Confederates won’t be renamed: ‘I don’t care what the military says’

'I don’t care what the military says. I’m supposed to make the decision.'

By Jeff Schogol Jul 17, 2020

News

DoD effectively bans Confederate flags from military installations

The U.S. military has now banned the Confederate flag from military installations without specifically mentioning the flag in its new...

By Jeff Schogol Jul 9, 2020

News

10 Army bases are named for Confederate officers who committed ‘treason,’ joint chiefs chairman says

"Those officers turned their backs on their oath"

By Blake Stilwell, Military.com Jun 19, 2020

History

How the US military helped create the Juneteenth holiday

"Juneteenth" was celebrated as a holiday — a second independence day — for former slaves

By Jeff Schogol May 26, 2020

News

Pentagon spokesman clashes with New York Times over editorial criticizing bases named after Confederates

To be fair, Appomattox was only 155 years ago.

By Richard Gardiner, The Conversation May 23, 2020

History

The forgotten history of Memorial Day

Although not known by many today, the early evolution of the Memorial Day holiday was a manifestation of Abraham Lincoln’s...

By Jeff Schogol Apr 23, 2020

News

Marine commandant explains why he banned Confederate symbols at Corps installations

"This symbol has shown it has the power to inflame feelings of division. I cannot have division inside our Corps."

By Task & Purpose Mar 3, 2020

History

Infantry Evolution Army Marines From Rome to Rifles v3

In this video, we discover the cultural changes that played an unseen hand in the development of warfare. Did you...

By Haley Britzky and Jeff Schogol Feb 28, 2020

Analysis

The Army doesn’t plan on renaming 10 installations named for Confederate leaders

Just in case you were wondering

By Jeff Schogol Feb 27, 2020

News

Marine commandant banishes Confederate symbols from all Corps installations

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger has ordered all Confederate paraphernalia to be removed from Marine Corps installations, his spokesman...

By Lisa Vernon Sparks, Daily Press Aug 6, 2019

History

Confederate president’s name stripped from iron archway at Fort Monroe

The Fort Monroe Authority on Friday removed the letters that spelled "Jefferson Davis Memorial Park" from an iron archway that...

By James Clark Jun 28, 2019

Entertainment

‘Glory’ and the first black soldiers to fight in the Union Army are returning to theaters after 30 years

The bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment cemented a legacy that endures to this day, and serves as a...

By Reuters Staff Apr 24, 2019

News

ISIS and the Taliban are battling it out for a slice of eastern Afghanistan

Afghan Taliban insurgents are battling fighters loyal to Islamic State over control of territory in eastern Afghanistan in some of...

By Emily Whalen Oct 18, 2018

The Long March

How Likely Is A New American Civil War? Surprising Lessons From Lebanon’s Conflict

What is the likelihood of civil war in the United States? Few Americans ask me this question, despite the fact...

By James Clark Sep 5, 2018

Mandatory Fun

There’s A Theme Park About That Time The Union Tried To Use Dinosaurs To Win The Civil War

After a long weekend day drinking, floundering in swimming holes, and inner tubing in rivers — in between visiting the...

By Tom Ricks Aug 29, 2018

The Long March

The Civil War’s Latest Casualty: This Reenactor Who Shot Himself With A Minie Ball

Editor’s note: The Long March will be closed for inventory the month of August. We regret any inconvenience this causes...

By Tom Ricks Aug 27, 2018

The Long March

Is The US Headed For A Soft Civil War? A Political Scientist’s Worries

Editor’s note: The Long March will be closed for inventory the month of August. We regret any inconvenience this causes...

By Tom Ricks Jul 17, 2018

The Long March

Things We Didn’t Know, From Elvis Presley To Civil War Porn And Paul Revere

The Civil War “created an unprecedented demand for erotica,” according to a book review in the July issue of the...

By Jeff Schogol Jul 10, 2018

Military Tech

From Spencer Rifles to M-16s: A History Of The Weapons US Troops Wield In War

The U.S. military has stood perpetually accused of not fielding new weapons to troops fast enough since at least the...

By Jeff Schogol Jul 5, 2018

Analysis

5 Times HQ Really Tried To Screw Over Frontline Troops

There are times that make you wonder which side the brass is on. As Homer made clear in The Iliad,...

By Jared Keller Jun 28, 2018

Bullet Points

Nearly A Third Of Americans Believe A Second Civil War Is On The Horizon

A new poll confirms that a significant number of Americans have the health of the Union on their mind. A national...

Civil War

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Featured in Civil War

The last known widow of a Civil War soldier has died at 101

The secret history of Confederate post names the Army never wanted you to see

How a Civil War soldier who disobeyed orders earned the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg

New graphic novel celebrates the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor

Trump says bases named for Confederates won’t be renamed: ‘I don’t care what the military says’

DoD effectively bans Confederate flags from military installations

10 Army bases are named for Confederate officers who committed ‘treason,’ joint chiefs chairman says

How the US military helped create the Juneteenth holiday

Pentagon spokesman clashes with New York Times over editorial criticizing bases named after Confederates

The forgotten history of Memorial Day

Marine commandant explains why he banned Confederate symbols at Corps installations

Infantry Evolution Army Marines From Rome to Rifles v3

The Army doesn’t plan on renaming 10 installations named for Confederate leaders

Marine commandant banishes Confederate symbols from all Corps installations

Confederate president’s name stripped from iron archway at Fort Monroe

‘Glory’ and the first black soldiers to fight in the Union Army are returning to theaters after 30 years

ISIS and the Taliban are battling it out for a slice of eastern Afghanistan

How Likely Is A New American Civil War? Surprising Lessons From Lebanon’s Conflict

There’s A Theme Park About That Time The Union Tried To Use Dinosaurs To Win The Civil War

The Civil War’s Latest Casualty: This Reenactor Who Shot Himself With A Minie Ball

Is The US Headed For A Soft Civil War? A Political Scientist’s Worries

Things We Didn’t Know, From Elvis Presley To Civil War Porn And Paul Revere

From Spencer Rifles to M-16s: A History Of The Weapons US Troops Wield In War

5 Times HQ Really Tried To Screw Over Frontline Troops

Nearly A Third Of Americans Believe A Second Civil War Is On The Horizon