Patriot Paradox

The above images provide a small glimpse into the chaos of the battlefield and what soldiers endured as they fought for our nation’s identity. The first offers an idea of just how the bullets swarmed during some of these colossal conflicts. These malformed pieces of lead are minnie balls found on the Petersburg battlefield that collided mid-air.
Read the rest of this entry »

The grave site of Judith Henry in front of her newly reconstructed home on Henry House Hill on the Manassas Battlefield. Judith was in her mid eighties when, during the battle of first Manassas, a Union shell tore off most of her foot. She died shortly there after.
Read the rest of this entry »

According to the current Cashtown Inn website, this witness to the events of 1863 was “Built circa 1797. The Cashtown Inn served as the first stagecoach stop west of Gettysburg.

During the Gettysburg campaign of 1863, the Inn served as Confederate headquarters for General A.P. Hill.”
Read the rest of this entry »

As we head towards the Thanksgiving weekend, and the biggest shopping day of the year on Black Friday, would you like to skip all the craziness of the mall, and get some special military-themed gifts from the comfort of your easy chair?

I’ve gone through Amazon.com and created a shopping list of specially-selected military-themed gifts that would be perfect for that military member or family on your shopping list. There are a number of categories, Read the rest of this entry »

One of the earliest monuments erected to the men who sacrificed during the American Civil War. Union veterans placed this monument on the fields of Manassas / Bull Run in 1865. The inscription reads simply, “In Memory of the Patriots who fell at Bull Run July 21 1861”. This view shows a portion on the monument as seen through one of the windows of the Judith Henry house.
Read the rest of this entry »

Old Simon, the massive forty-four foot seven inch, 250-ton center statue in the Antietam National Cemetery, honors the individual soldiers who died during this dreadful conflict. Dedicated September 17, 1880, this monument officially bears the name “The Private Soldier”. He forever stands watch over the 4,776 Union soldiers buried on these grounds while he faces North, towards home.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Deep in the woods along the ridge of Maryland’s South Mountain rests this monument to the men of North Carolina who gave their lives during the Confederate’s first campaign into the north. Dedicated only 3 years ago, it highlights the darker sides of war often painted over by a preferred romanticism. The inscription reads:
Read the rest of this entry »

During a recent visit to Sharpsburg, I discovered a heavy, thick fog which lent an eerie feeling to the battlefield, as if the smoke of battle lingered still.
Read the rest of this entry »

St. Peter’s Catholic Church
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
St. Peter’s Church, erected in 1833, still stands on a ridge in beautiful Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The townspoeple carved the steps leading up to the church directly out of the hillside, composed almost entirely of shale. Despite Harpers Ferry changing hands nearly 14 times during the Civil War, the church survived the bombardments that damaged many of the structures throughout the rest of the town and served as a hospital for the casualties of both sides.
Read the rest of this entry »