Oklahoma (Indian Territory) – Confederate Military Activity Civil War

Civil War came early in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Disputes within the Cherokee Nation, which had been “removed” from the tribe’s Eastern land in the 1830s, fractured the tribe into warring factions well before 1860. Other tribes also were suffering from internal friction. Slavery was not an issue, however, since many prosperous Indian families on … Read more

Louisiana Civil War – New Orleans

As the largest city in the Confederacy and the southern gateway on the Mississippi River, New Orleans became an early Union target. After days of heavy bombardment in April 1862, a Union flotilla under Capt. David Farragut passed the Confederate-held forts at the mouth of the Mississippi and steamed toward the city. New Orleans officials, … Read more

Louisiana – Civil War

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

Western North Carolina – More Civil War Sites

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

Civil War – Explore Kentucky

“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

Civil War Texas – Touring Texas’s Varied Civil War Sites

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

Oklahoma (Indian Territory) – Civil War Battlefields

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

Florida – Civil War Sites in Olustee, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Key West

Florida Civil War Heritage Trail More than 200 Civil War-related battlefields, sites and museums are listed in an 80-page guidebook created by the Florida Division of Historical Resources. Olustee Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park • 5815 Battlefield Trail Road, Olustee FL 32072 • (Located on US 90 a short distance south of I-10, 15 miles … Read more

East Tennessee – Chattanooga and Area

Located just north of the Georgia border on the banks of the Tennessee River, Chattanooga was a major prize for both sides almost from the beginning of the war in Tennessee. Its railroads provided links to all points in the Confederacy and were the key to any Union invasion of Georgia. After many false starts, … Read more