During the American Civil War over 620,000 people were casualties (and probably a lot more) with 504 dying every day. For the soldier, two out of every three would die of disease. The average soldier quickly discovered that one of the worst places to be sent were the field hospitals. William C. Haynes of the 11th Kansas wrote in February of 1863 wrote about the toll of war with regard…

Did Abe Lincoln sport a beard for the majority of his life? Why the funky beards and sideburns during the Civil War? Did the term “sideburns” some from old General Burnside and his notorious facial hair? Did the term “Hooker” for ladies of the evening really come from General Hooker’s allowing of women to follow his baggage train? I don’t know if any or all of these questions are (or…

The impact of the weather on the Civil War soldier has not been properly addressed, notes Dr. Kathryn Shively Meier in an excellent article in the latest issue of the Journal of the Civil War Era. Meier’s piece, “No Place for the Sick.” Nature’s War on Civil War Soldiers Mental and Physical Health in the 1862 Peninsula and Shenandoah Valley Campaigns, addresses the impact of weather and the environment on…