"David Davis: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge" by Raymond J. McKoski is an "interesting and informative biography," writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/mr4xkz7k @illinoispress.bsky.social

In our latest digital history column, Megan VanGorder writes about Sarah R. Johnston, a southern woman who aided Union POWs at Salisbury Prison in the face of severe social backlash. Read it here: tinyurl.com/yc2faedx

The Battle of Stones River concluded #otd in 1863. Braxton Bragg's Confederates attacked enemy positions east of the river but Union artillery inflicted heavy losses; Bragg withdrew the following day. Over 30% of all troops engaged were killed, wounded, or captured/missing.

The Emancipation Proclamation—which declared "all persons held as slaves” in the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free”—took effect #otd in 1863. Its enactment moved artists to salute the document, its effects & President Lincoln. View examples here: bit.ly/3RG6ALT

"I would try and be sentimental in view of New Year’s Eve, but that could hardly be looked for in a man that eats onions." So wrote Union officer William Lusk in a letter home on Dec. 31, 1862. Read his entire thoughts on the turn of the New Year here: tinyurl.com/zn7ev6d5

In "Union Guerrillas of Civil War Kansas: Jayhawkers and Red Legs," authors Paul A. Thomas and Matt M. Matthews "provide a balanced perspective on their protagonists," writes Riley Sullivan. Read more about the book here: civilwarmonitor.com/union-guerrillas-of-civil-war-kansas-2025/

In June 1864, Harper’s Weekly published an unattributed poem about a dog taken in by a Union sergeant. The story would have rung true with countless Civil War soldiers who had “adopted” personal or regimental pets during the conflict. Read it here: tinyurl.com/4fhh3edh

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the day. Shown here: Thomas Nast’s depiction of Santa Claus distributing presents to soldiers at a Union army camp, published in Harper’s Weekly in January 1863. #MerryChristmas

"The Devil’s Own Purgatory: The United States Mississippi River Squadron in the Civil War" by Robert Gudmestad "merits a wide readership and the many accolades it is sure to receive," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read why he thinks so here: tinyurl.com/4nadefx5

In 1862, a Wisconsin newspaper published an article titled “What to Send to Soldiers," a sarcastic piece that poked fun at people who were reportedly shipping impractical items to friends and loved ones the front. Read it here: tinyurl.com/53t7934z

Still holiday shopping? Consider a 1-year gift subscription—print, digital, or All Access—to the Monitor for the history enthusiast on your list. Your recipient will get an email announcing the gift on the date you choose. Order here: civilwarmonitor.com/subscribe/

#otd in 1860, members of a secession convention in South Carolina—who had gathered in the wake of Abraham Lincoln's election as president—declared the state's withdrawal from the U.S. This Charleston Mercury broadside, published the same day, spread the momentous news.

"The Second Manassas Campaign" edited by Caroline E. Janney and Kathryn J. Shively is a collection of "nine splendid essays" on a "chronically understudied" campaign, writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/5n6nvt44 @uncpress.bsky.social

In the latest installment of his "Science and War" digital history column, Scott Hippensteel writes about acoustic shadows and the impact they had on Civil War battlefields. Read it here: tinyurl.com/ywpccs2s

"War Fought and Felt: The Emotional Motivations of Confederate Soldiers" by Joshua R. Shiver "raises new areas and new questions for historians to explore," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/ebay337t @lsupress.bsky.social

The Army of the Potomac suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862. Shortly afterward, a New York soldier who survived the fight unscathed wrote about his experiences in a detailed letter to his parents. Read it here: tinyurl.com/ydzvw2ed

What were the best Civil War history books published in 2025? We asked a panel of historians for their picks and published the results in our Winter issue. Read them here: tinyurl.com/yp7fac2u @uncpress.bsky.social @aaknopf.bsky.social @oxunipress.bsky.social

"The 1st Michigan Colored Regiment: Free Men Who Fought Slavery" by Maurice Imhoff is "an accessible account of Michigan’s only African American regiment," writes Greyson Bettendorf. Read more about it here: bit.ly/3Y6n9nO

In our latest digital history column, West Point Cadet Matthew Clifford uses new evidence and modern technology to re-evaluate French-born Union officer Régis de Trobriand’s performance in the fight for the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. Read it here: tinyurl.com/mzfhzsbz

James Longstreet's Confederates attacked Ambrose Burnside's Federals outside Knoxville at Fort Sanders #otd in 1863. The lopsided Union victory (Confederates suffered some 800 casualties to the opponent's 20) prompted Longstreet to end his brief siege of the city.

Happy #Thanksgiving! If your eyes are bigger than your stomach today, know you’re not alone. Even Civil War soldiers were prone to overindulging on the big day, as evidenced by this 1864 Harper’s Weekly cartoon titled “Bellycose appearance of our brave boys after Thanksgiving.”

"Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Davis, Johnston, Hood and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864" by Dennis B. Conklin II is "a readable and historiographically informed military history," writes Robert L. Glaze. Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/uaaz5r3c

In the Voices department of our current (Winter '25) issue we highlight quotes from Union and Confederate soldiers about being wounded in battle. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room to include all that we found. Read those that just missed the cut here: tinyurl.com/r2retymw

"The National Tribune Remembers the Atlanta Campaign," edited by Stephen Davis, is a book "students of Atlanta or Civil War memory will want to add...to their bookshelves," writes Brian Matthew Jordan. Read more about it here: bit.ly/3JW2RKv

#otd in 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the best-known orations in American history, the Gettysburg Address. We created a word cloud of the brief but carefully crafted speech; more frequently he used a word, the larger it appears. View it here: bit.ly/3K7W00u

In the latest installment of his "Tales from the Road" column, John Banks writes of his recent trip to Ireland, where he found myriad connections to men who fought on both sides in the Civil War. Read it here: bit.ly/4r1PKIg

The digital version of our Winter '25 issue is now live for subscribers to read at our website: bit.ly/3JJ3U0f. Not yet a subscriber? Fix that here: bit.ly/4aERspr. #civilwarhistory #twitterstorians #history #americancivilwar

"Exporting Reconstruction: Ulysses S. Grant and a New Empire of Liberty" by Ryan P. Semmes is "part of a growing body of scholarship that broadens the study of Reconstruction beyond the U.S. South," writes Evan C. Rothera. Read more about it here: bit.ly/4nV1f1B @uscpress.bsky.social

We'd like to thank all who have served in our country's armed forces on this #VeteransDay. Shown here: Union vets strike up a tune at the 50th Battle of Gettysburg reunion in 1913.

In advance of Veterans Day, we assembled a variety of photos of former Union and Confederate soldiers as they appeared in the decades after the conflict. View them here: bit.ly/3LSay4J

In the Season 1 finale of our podcast "Civil War Breakthroughs," historian David Hochfelder discusses the vital and often unseen role of the telegraph during the Civil War. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans (suvcw.org). Listen here: bit.ly/47HM59Q

"Lee Besieged: Grant’s Second Petersburg Offensive, June 18-July 1, 1864" by John Horn provides "much of interest" for those interested in an overview of this important operation, writes Keith Altavilla. Read more about it here: bit.ly/49DVGkl

It's election day in a handful of states. What was voting like during the Civil War? We compiled illustrations that shed light on the process—on the homefront and in the army—during the vital 1864 presidential election. View them here: bit.ly/3JkYXKW

What's the future hold for public historians? In our latest digital history column, Rich Condon reflects on where things stand—and the challenges going forward—for those on the front lines of historical interpretation. Read it here: bit.ly/4qGcyNA @richcondon.bsky.social

Happy #Halloween! This spooky Harper's Weekly illustration from May 1862 shows Confederate president Jefferson Davis being driven "in the direction of the Last Ditch" by his enthusiastic "new coachman," a skeleton.

In the latest episode of our podcast "Civil War Breakthroughs," historian Jennifer Raab discusses the power and importance of Civil War photography, including how the camera shaped how we remember the war today. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans (suvcw.org). Listen here: tinyurl.com/4r8e8ynf

"As Wolves Upon a Sheep Fold: The Civil War Letters of Ohio Surgeon William S. Newton," ed. by Aaron D. Purcell, offers a "valuable narrative of a family man navigating the challenges and opportunities posed by the U.S. Civil War." Read more about it here: tinyurl.com/5t44dsr3

On May 5, 1864, USS Sassacus was one of several Union ships to engage the Confederate ironclad ram Albermarle off the coast of North Carolina. Read the heroic story of James M. Hobby, one of the Union sailors engaged that day, here: tinyurl.com/435kbywn

In the latest episode of our podcast "Civil War Breakthroughs," historian Scott Huffard talks about how railroads became the engine of the war, transforming everything from logistics to troop movements. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans (suvcw.org). Listen here: tinyurl.com/ym4cpu6c

"From Ironclads to Admiral: John Lorimer Worden and Naval Leadership" by John V. Quarstein and Robert L. Worden gives "one of the war’s most famed naval officers...the biography that he deserves," writes Neil P. Chatelain. Read more here: tinyurl.com/3ctzzksb

After the decisive Union defeat at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, fought #otd 164 years ago, Massachusetts officer Richard Derby wrote home about his harrowing experiences. Read his letters here: bit.ly/4hgleFB

In our latest digital history column, Cecily Zander writes about British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton's 1860 tour of the U.S. as the country hurtled toward civil war. Read it here: bit.ly/3JfYERh

In the latest episode of our podcast "Civil War Breakthroughs," historian Nathan Madison talks about the crucial role played by northern and southern industries during the conflict. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans (suvcw.org). Listen here: bit.ly/4hhIeof

"Hero of Fort Sumter: The Extraordinary Life of Robert Anderson" by Wesley Moody offers "a cradle-to-grave account of Anderson’s life and career" that readers "will certainly enjoy," writes Evan C. Rothera. Learn more here: bit.ly/4nc6xFr

A.P. Hill's Confederates engaged Gouverneur Warren's II Corps at Bristoe Station, VA, #otd in 1863. Hill's men suffered nearly three times as many casualties as his opponents in the Union victory. Shown here: a wartime sketch of a Union field hospital after the battle.

In the Voices section of our Fall 2025 issue we highlighted quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the times they interacted with their opponents when not in active combat. Read those we didn't have room for here: bit.ly/4nOvGqZ

In the latest episode of our podcast "Civil War Breakthroughs," historian Gordon Calhoun discusses the pioneering developments in naval warfare that occurred during the conflict. Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans (suvcw.org). Listen here: bit.ly/3WtbTRB

"Litchfield County and the Civil War" by Peter C. Vermilyea "supplies a complex yet engaging account of a northern regiment and its community," writes Sabrina L. As’ous. Read more here: bit.ly/4h1zylB

In the latest installment of her "Unhidden History" column, Zethyn McKinley looks at the origins of the monument to Admiral David G. Farragut in New York's Madison Square Park. Read it here: bit.ly/4pXps9A

#otd in 1864, Union forces turned back a Confederate attack at Allatoona Pass, GA, the first major engagement of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Shown here is artist Thure de Thulstrup's depiction of the fighting.