150 Years Ago Today: Sherman Captures Atlanta

Hitting the Confederacy where it hurt.

Letters From Cold Harbor

Grant and Lee correspond with each other on the battlefield.

150 Years Ago Lincoln Gave the Gettysburg Address ... and One Reporter Hated It

Here's the text of the famous address ... and the tale of the reporter who hated it.

The Blue and the Gray ... Now In Color!

Get an eyeful of these lovely colorized Civil War-era photos!

The Battle of Gettysburg: A Timeline

Do take a look at this neat timeline and map by Smithsonian magazine.  This year was the 150th anniversary of this pivotal battle of the Civil War.

Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs (and Kittens and Bunnies and Ducks) of War!

While I can't say much for Buzzfeed's (in)ability to spell the word "soldiers," I'll happily link to its charming collection of mostly vintage photos.  #11 made me do a double take.  Hey, that puppy looks kind of weird ...

A Little Historical Perspective on July 4

Nerd News: A Professor Ponders Cinco de Mayo

Not a Mexican import after all?

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

Oh, PUH-LEEZ!  By the way, I'm sure we'll be hearing all sorts of whining and dipstick comments by politicians in the days and months ahead until November 2012, so note the new blog tags.  Also, I cannot believe the sheer scope of the "poor me, it's soooooo hard" undergrad-esque whinging coming persistently from the White House.  If you didn't want that job, you wouldn't have that job, so don't come crying to me about how hard that job is now that you've got it (and are plainly angling to keep it).  Man up already.  Geez.

Nerd Notes: A History Prof Ponders Ken Burns and the Civil War

Read the entire thing.

History: Firing on Fort Sumter 150 Years Ago

The Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, began at 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861 -- and so the American Civil War began in earnest. 

The BiblioFiles: Sun Tzu at Gettysburg

For Dignified Rant and all my gentle readers who appreciate military history, here is another book for your to-read list -- "Sun Tzu at Gettysburg: Ancient Military Wisdom in the Modern World" by Bevin Alexander (forthcoming from Norton).  Now check out a fascinating interview with the author.  If you've never read Sun Tzu's Art of War, I tell you to do so immediately!

Nerd News: Decoding a Civil War-Era Message

Now that is cool.

Watch This on DVD: "Glory" (1989)

I stumbled across this review recently, and I do have to say, if you've never seen "Glory," you really must.  It is, in a nutshell, one of the best movies ever made about the American Civil War (and about race relations in the US history as seen through individuals).  The cast is excellent throughout, though I would be remiss if I did not point out Denzel Washington's outstanding performance that won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.  Holding a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Glory" runs 122 minutes and is rated R for some graphic battlefield violence.