Emerging Civil War

The poet and the president—two of the most famous men of their age. Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Historian Richard Smith joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast from Concord, Massachusetts, to talk about the meeting of the two orator/writers. Plus, we'll learn about the many other Civil War connections to one of America's most literary communities.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Sean Michael Chick, author of "A Grand Opening Squandered," talks about the battle of Petersburg. The battle, one of the bloodiest of the war, often gets lumped in with the nine-month siege, but Sean argues that it deserves closer attention than it has traditionally received.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

What did the Royal Army and Navy look like at the time of the American Civil War? If they had joined the war, what kind of impact would they have been able to make? Mike Somerville and Dr. Christopher Brice discuss the context surrounding one of the most-asked "What if" questions of the Civil War.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Sarah Kay Bierle returns to the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about her new biography, "Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the Civil War."This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Meet Sam Flowers, the newest member of Emerging Civil War. He joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast for a wide-ranging discussion that includes troops from North Carolina, Civil War statues in the U.S. Capitol, the Overland Campaign, the X-Men (yes, that's right!), and more.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Derrick Brown, operations manager of Bentonville State Historic Site, joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about his book about the history of the battlefield, "Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site."This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Dr. Phil Payne, chair of the history department at St. Bonaventure University, invited Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski to team teach a course on the Civil War for the Spring 2025 semester. In this episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast, they talk about their experience together in the classroom. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Rob Orrison from ECW's sister-site, Emerging Revolutionary War, joins the ECW Podcast to talk about the start of the America 250 celebration in Lexington and Concord. Rob recaps ECW's round-the-clock coverage and talks about the events that sparked the American Revolution. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

An army fights on its stomach. Historian Michael C. Hardy joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to explain the ins and outs of feeding the Confederacy's most prominent army, how that differed from other armies, and how those challenges changed over time.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to start planning your trip today.

"Digging all night and fighting all day"—that's how one participant described the 1865 siege of Spanish Fort just outside Mobile, Alabama. We'll talk with Paul Brueske, author of a book about the siege.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to start planning your trip today.

The second of a two-part conversation with living historians Thomas Jessee and Curt Fields, who portray R.E. Lee and U.S. Grant and respectively. They'll walk us through the experiences of both generals on the road to Appomattox Court House. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠ ⁠to start planning your trip today.

The first of a two-part conversation with living historians Curt Fields and Thomas Jessee, who portray U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee, respectively. They'll discuss their insights about Grant and Lee and their own work at portraying the two generals.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ ⁠to start planning your trip today.

Everything the Confederates did in the West after the fall of Fort Donelson was an attempt to reverse the results of Donelson. Join historian Greg Biggs for a look at the strategic situation before and after.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

What can two regiments tell us about cowardice in the Civil War? Join Dr. Lesley Gordon for a discussion about her new book Dread Danger and a look into the experiences of the 11th New York and the 2nd Texas.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Dr. Jennifer Murray is the incoming director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd University. She joins us to talk about her plans for her new job, her background at Gettysburg, and her upcoming biography of Union General George Gordon Meade.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

It's Women's History Month, and we kick things off with Anna Kulcsar, education specialist at Bentonville Historic Site, who talks with Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski about plans for the 160th anniversary of the battle. Anna also shares her favorite stories from Bentonville, as well as the story of her own journey as a public historian.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski and Neil Chatelain talk about Fort Pickens in Pensacola, where the Civil War ALMOST started. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Dr. Robert K. D. Colby joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about slave trading in the Civil War and his recent book, “Unholy Traffic.”This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Gerry Prokopowicz, host of Civil War Talk Radio, brings his smooth radio voice to the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about his 20+ years of interviewing some of the top luminaries in the field. Prokopowicz began podcasting in 2004--before "podcasting" was even a thing!This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure atcivilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Join Emerging Civil War's Kevin Donovan at the intersection of Civil War history and law. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Bob Neufeld has narrated a number of Emerging Civil War books. His latest is "A Tempest of Iron and Lead: Spotsylvania Court House, May 8–21, 1864" by Chris Mackowski. Go behind the scenes with Bob as he talks about the art of audiobook narration. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

The Tattooed Historian, John Heckman, discusses "The 1864 Project," a podcast series he spearheaded for Civil War Monitor magazine looking at the many complicated events of 1864.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today. And you can check out The 1864 project online at Civil War Monitor.

What were the biggest events of 1865? As we enter the 160th anniversary year, Emerging Civil War asked historians Chris Kolakowski, Ryan Quint, and Angela Zombeck to share their thoughts on the year of decision.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Emerging Civil War's Tonya McQuade visited Missouri to promote her recent book, A State Divided, and while there, had the chance to explore the legacy of some of the state's most notorious guerrilla actions. Learn about the war in Andrew County; Centralia; and Lawrence, Kansas.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

The battle of Stones River saw the highest percentage of casualties in any major battle of the Civil War. Author Dan Masters joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about his new Stones River campaign study, "Hell by the Acre." This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

We asked some of Emerging Civil War's contributors to share some of their favorite holiday-related stories from the Civil War era. Join us around ECW's "digital fireplace" for tales from the front line and the homefront. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by  Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at  civilwartrails.org  to start planning your trip today.

"The Best General of the Civil War"--a bold statement by any measure. Author Conrad Bibens joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about his assertion. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

"Horse around" with Emerging Civil War's Brian Kowell, who talks about the animals that served as the engines of the armies. From beasts of burden to beloved companions, horses and mules provided invaluable service in the Civil War.   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Explore the Mexican War experiences of Civil War generals with Emerging Civil War's Cecily Nelson Zander, Sean Chick, Frank Jasztrembski, and Chris Mackowski. Cecily and Sean contributed essays to a new collection from LSU Press, "The Mexican-American War Experiences of Twelve Civil War Generals" edited by Timothy D. Johnson. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

The Battle of Franklin remains one of the most controversial, misunderstood, and romanticized battles of the Civil War. In this episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast, host Chris Mackowski spends some time armchair-generalling the battle with Joe Ricci, historian at the Battle of Franklin Trust, and Lee White, author of the Emerging Civil War Series book Let Us Die Like Men: The Battle of Franklin. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today. Learn more about the Battle of Franklin Trust at boft.org.

The acquisition of a new piece of property at the heart of the Franklin battlefield in November continues the rehabilitation of a field once given up as “lost.” Eric Jacobson, CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast for a discussion about one of the greatest success stories of the modern battlefield preservation movement. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today. Learn more about the Battle of Franklin Trust at ⁠boft.org⁠.

Who were the Lead Mine Men? Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski talks with Thomas Mack about the men who blew the hole in 3rd Louisiana Redan at Vicksburg and then threw themselves into the breach: the "enduring 45th Illinois Infantry."  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

William T. Sherman has been reviled and beloved over the past 160 years as one of the most polarizing and magnetic figures of the American Civil War. Join Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski, Cecily Nelson Zander, Derek Maxfield, and Dave Powell as they ponder the question, "Is William T. Sherman overrated?"  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

ECW Contributing Editor Zack Fry joins Chris Mackowski for a discussion about the Election of 1864. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Darin Weeks and Mare Fincher--the Civil War Breakfast Club--chat with Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski about their "barstool" approach to Civil War history and their goal of getting people pumped up to learn more. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Michael Gorra, author of The Saddest Words: William Faulkner's Civil War, talks about the impact of the conflict on one of America's greatest writers—and how Faulkner, in turn, helps us better understand the conflict. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Join Emerging Civil War for a discussion about the role of podcasters in the Civil War community, moderated by ECW Editor-in-Chief Chris Mackowski. On the panel: • Jim Hessler of The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast. Jim is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg. • Kevin Levin of Civil War Memory. • Darren Rawlings of The American Civil War and U.K. History Podcast. Darren is ECW's Social Media Manager. • Joe Ricci of Home Brew History. Joe is historian at the Battle of Franklin Trust. • Cecily Zander, ECW's chief historian. The conversation was inspired by a September article in The Atlantic by Arash Azizi, "The Dangerous Rise of the Podcast Historians."

Set sail with Neil Chatelain and Dwight Hughes as they discuss one of the Civil War's most successful—and controversial—naval figures, Admiral David Dixon Porter. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Hop across "the Pond" for a look at how folks in the U.K. view the American Civil War. Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski chats with Mike Somerville and Greg Bayne of the American Civil War Roundtable of the United Kingdom about the roundtable, its members, and the discussions they have about the American Civil War.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today. For more information on the American Civil War Roundtable (U.K.), visit https://www.acwrt.org.uk/.

Historian Jonathan White, vice president of the Lincoln Forum, joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about his two latest books, which offer two very different views of Lincoln—one for older audience and one for younger (and younger at heart).  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Guest host Darren Rawlings chats with Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski about Chris's new book, "A Tempest of Iron and Lead: Spotsylvania Court House, 1864."  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

For the anniversary of the September 1862 battle of Antietam, Emerging Civil War has assembled a panel of historians from the Antietam Institute to play "armchair general." Mike Froning, Jim Rosebrock, and ECW's own Kevin Pawlak join host Chris Mackowski to challenge some of the biggest questions, assumptions, and bits of conventional wisdom about the 1862 Maryland Campaign.   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.  For more on the Antietam Institute, visit https://antietaminstitute.org/.

The 2nd South Carolina String Band might be in retirement, but they "ain't (quite) dead yet." Join Emerging Civil War's Chris Mackowski for an exclusive chat with members of the band in advance of a benefit concert they have coming up in November. Joe Ewers, Fred Ewers, and David Goss share war stories from the band's fabled 30-year history.   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.  For more on the 2nd South Carolina String Band, visit their YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/ @2ndSouthCarolinaStringBand .

Timothy B. Smith chats about his fifth (and final) volume in his sweeping operational history of the Vicksburg Campaign: Grant's inland campaign from Port Gibson to Raymond to Jackson to Champion Hill to the Big Black River. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

As the Civil War raged, a Civil War erupted within the Abolitionist movement, as well. What were their ultimate aims and how should the movement achieve them? Historian Frank J. Cirillo joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast for a conversation about his book, "The Abolitionist Civil War: Immediatists and the Struggle to Transform the Union."   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Dr. Gordon Jones of the Atlanta History Center is the 2024 recipient of the Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Public History. We spend some time chatting with him about his long career, including his work with the Atlanta Cyclorama. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠civilwartrails.org⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Ed Lowe discusses James Longstreet's ill-starred time at command in east Tennessee in the winter of 1863–64. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Scott Hartwig's "I Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign" is the recipient of the 2024 Emerging Civil War Book Award. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about the book, the battle, and the leaders who brought the armies to the banks of Antietam Creek. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Terry Johnston, editor of The Civil War Monitor, joins the Emerging Civil War Podcast for a conversation about magazine publishing and being a voice for Civil War public history. This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Explore the Civil War in deeply divided Missouri through a new collection of family letters published by Emerging Civil War's Tonya McQuade.   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.

Disinformation is not just a pressing concern for us today, but it impacts our ability to understand history clearly. Join Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, author of "Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories: An Infodemiologist's Guide to the Truth," and ECW Chief Historian Dr. Cecily Nelson Zander for a discussion about disinformation and history.   This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.