Williamsburg flaunts its colonial heritage, and rightly so–it served as the capital of the Virginia Colony between 1699 and 1780. But after the state government moved to Richmond in 1780, the old colonial capital fell into decay. Civil War came to its doorsteps in 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign, in which General George […]
Neither the North nor the South had much of a navy before the Civil War. But at the war’s outbreak, both sides realized the strategic importance of the sea, to cut off supply routes, control rivers, and support land operations. One of the greatest developments? The ironclad ship, which could fend off explosive shells capable […]
Robert E. Lee was a new commander in June 1862, when he looked out on Chickahominy River with the expectation that Confederate troops would be arriving to help bring the rest of his army across the river to face the Army of the Potomac–the largest army ever to assemble in North America, poised to take […]
Fanatical abolitionist. Rebel. Martyr. Lunatic. Criminal. People view John Brown in different ways, but one thing is sure: His place was written into history at the dawn of the Civil War, during his brazen attack on the US armory at Harper’s Ferry. Here are some of the places that tell the life story of this […]
The largest Confederate state east of the Mississippi, Georgia reigned during the Civil War as the crossroads of the South. Thanks to Gone With the Wind and other popular references, Sherman’s March to the Sea is a familiar event, but the deep-seeded military, social, political, and economic aspects of the war in Georgia—as important as […]
“Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!” may be one of the Civil War’s most famous battle cries, but there’s much more to the story of the Mobile Campaign of 1864–1865. Defiant Mobile remained elusive to General Grant, and he wanted it. Finally, the time had come. Historian Mike Bunn, who leads the upcoming tour, “The […]
January kicks off BGES’s 26th year, with thirty-six tours offered –more than any year before! We caught up with Len Riedel, BGES’ busy Executive Director, to touch base as he launches the new season. BGES Blog: There are 36 tours slated for 2019—the most ever. Wow! What’s different this year? Len: Recently a longstanding tour […]
Originally from Maryland, Aaron Palmer graduated from the U.S. Military Academy as a Field Artillery Officer in 2008. He was wounded in action the following year when serving as the Fire Support Officer in Able Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. The following 2.5 years he spent recovering at Walter Reed National Military […]
Of the three “southern sisters”—Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington—the city of Savannah is the most authentic. Its historic buildings and design, set around a series of squares, makes this a delightful walk filled with Civil War history. Find a parking place along Bay Street and begin your tour at City Hall. City Hall (2 E. Bay […]
Len Riedel is the tirelessly working Executive Director of the Blue and Gray Education Society. He is the architect of the BGES’ diverse programming and of considerable preservation accomplishments in the nonprofit community. As the BGES heads into its 25th year, we asked this hardworking Civil War devotee a few things about where the organization […]
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