Because the Mississippi River formed much of Louisiana’s eastern border, control of vital ports became a strategic factor for both Union and Confederate forces. Once Civil War was declared, the Union’s objective in Louisiana was to gain control of the Mississippi River, forcing Confederate troops to defend Louisiana and prevent Federal troops from dividing the … Read more
Salisbury Pick up a free taped guided tour and other information at the visitor center, 204 Innes St. For Salisbury and Rowan County information, call 800-332-2343. Confederate States Military Prison Site and Salisbury National Cemetery 202 Government Road, Salisbury NC 28144 Civil War Trails sign 224 E Bank St, Salisbury 704-636-2661 (cemetery) The Confederate government … Read more
This gracious city’s antebellum prosperity suffered during much of the Civil War as exports of rice and cotton were curtailed by a Union blockade. Savannah fell to Gen. William T. Sherman just before Christmas 1864 following his famous “March to the Sea.” It was from here Sherman telegraphed Lincoln, presenting him “as a Christmas gift, … Read more
When Virginia seceded, the Federal government in Washington D.C. found itself virtually surrounded by a hostile foreign country. Abraham Lincoln moved swiftly to occupy a comfort zone around his capital. Farther away from Washington, however, Union control was less certain. Confederate John Singleton Mosby was a feared raider of Union patrols and supply lines. Citizen … Read more
Compared to the big set-piece battles elsewhere, the events that unfolded in the western part of North Carolina might seem small. But some of the meanest, most interesting and most personal stories of the war are coming into focus through the Civil War Trails program here. Tales told in the novel Cold Mountain are brought … Read more
“I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game.” — Abraham Lincoln Being the birthplace of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, Kentucky seemed destined to occupy a strange and dangerous place in the Civil War. Both sides treated Kentucky with kid gloves after the shots were fired at … Read more
Texas citizens voted overwhelmingly to secede in February 1861, against the wishes of Gov. Sam Houston, who was forced from office. Many of the U.S. troops stationed in Texas at the time, including Robert E. Lee, ultimately decided to cast their lot with the Confederacy as well. Its vast cotton and sugar plantations, its trade … Read more
Corinth Located at the junction of two critically important railroads, the Memphis and Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio, Corinth was a military prize from the early days of the war. The Union campaign in early April 1862 that was halted momentarily by the Battle of Shiloh (at Pittsburg Landing) was aimed at Corinth. Following … Read more
Winchester and area Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Orientation Center • Located in the Winchester visitor center, 1400 S Pleasant Valley Road, Winchester VA 22601 • 877-871-1326 Exhibits, a short film, maps and other material orient visitors to the wealth of Civil War-related resources in the area. Visitor center open daily 9 am–5 pm. … Read more
Honey Springs Battlefield • 1863 Honey Springs Battlefield Road, • Checotah OK 74426-6301 • 918-473-5572 Three thousand Union soldiers, marching out from Fort Gibson, engaged the Confederate stronghold at Honey Springs on the Texas Road July 17, 1863. The Confederates had been troubling the tenuous Union supply line from Kansas and threatening to concentrate and … Read more