TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Informed Amateurs Blog the American Civil War

TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog header image 4

Gone With The Wind—Or Are They?

August 4th, 2020 · No Comments

A look at the people who buy all those statues people have been tearing down. The leaders of Newton Falls have declared their town a “sanctuary city” for unwanted statuary. “History is a big part of this community’s identity – you can still dig up arrowheads in the fields – and we have acres of […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War Memory

Tags:
· , ,

Even Shorter Takes

June 26th, 2017 · 3 Comments

Indiana University Press is having a sale, which includes their Civil War books. Definitely worth a look. We’ve heard a lot about removing statues and even references to American slave owners. Apparently even figures like Sam Houston are under the gun, even though Houston opposed secession and refused to have anything to do with the […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War Individuals · Civil War Memory · Social History

Tags:
· , , ,

D. S. Freeman’s 4 Vol. Robert E. Lee Biography FREE Online

July 15th, 2014 · 5 Comments

The internet can be indescribably awesome sometimes.  This is one of those times.  A recent thread posted at the Civil War Talk message board informed readers that Douglas Southall Freeman’s classic four volume biography of Robert E. Lee is online in its entirety, free, indexed, and searchable.  All 4 volumes.  All 2421 pages.  Simply amazing. […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War Books · Civil War Individuals · Civil War on the Web · Civil War Research

Tags:
· , ,

Did Lee Endorse Hood as an Army Commander in July 1864?

December 10th, 2013 · 17 Comments

After the recent kerfluffle over a review of Sam Hood’s new book John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General (also available via Kindle), I decided to read it myself and review it carefully.  That review will be the subject of a different blog post. Today, I want to discuss the […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War Book Publishers · Civil War Books · Civil War Books - Authors · Civil War Books - New · Civil War Books - Now Reading · In The Review Queue

Tags:
· , , , , ,

Best Books on the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg: December 13, 1862

December 13th, 2012 · No Comments

Best Books on the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg: December 13, 1862 While I typically create “best Civil War books on…” posts for the 150th anniversary of major (and sometimes not so major) battles, I usually come up with brand new things to say about them.  In this case I’ll mostly be letting my prior […]

[Read more →]



Categories: 150 Years Ago in the Civil War · Best Civil War Books · Civil War Book Publishers · Civil War Book Reviews · Civil War Books · Civil War Books - Authors · Eastern Theater · Military History · Strategy & Tactics

Tags:
· , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Civil War Book Review: Lee and His Generals: Essays in Honor of T. Harry Williams

July 18th, 2012 · 2 Comments

Hewitt, Lawrence Lee (ed).  Schott, Thomas E. (ed).  Lee and His Generals: Essays in Honor of T. Harry Williams (The University of Tennessee Press, June 15, 2012). 368 pages, illustrations, maps, bibliography, endnotes by essay, index. ISBN: 978-1-57233-850-0 $45.95 (Hardcover). Who was Robert E. Lee’s worst corps commander during the Civil War?  How has Robert […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War Book Publishers · Civil War Book Reviews · Civil War Books · Civil War Books - Authors · Civil War Books - New · Civil War Books - Now Reading · Civil War Individuals · Civil War Memory · Generals

Tags:
· , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did Lee Tell Ewell To Halt on July 1 at Gettysburg?

February 26th, 2012 · 11 Comments

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately looking through old issues of the National Tribune, THE Union veterans’ paper after the Civil War.  My main goal is to find articles pertaining to the Siege of Petersburg, but I’ve found a lot of other fascinating things, and I’ve only reached early 1882.  The paper was […]

[Read more →]



Categories: Civil War on the Web · Civil War Research · Controversies of a Campaign · Eastern Theater · Military History

Tags:
· , , , , ,