TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Some time ago I did a post on the origin of the word “sharpshooter” – that it came into the English language by way of the German mercenary riflemen hired by the British crown in the late 18th Century. A couple of commenters, however, took issue with that analysis and insisted that it came from […]

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Since we’ve had some comments on the War of 1812 I thought I’d take the opportunity to post an excerpt from my sharpshooter book on the US Rifle Regiment—one of the few first-class US units. Virtually the only book on this important and nearly forgotten unit is John Fredricksen’s Green Coats and Glory: The United […]

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John Swansburg takes a marathon Civil War tour from Vicksburg to Gettysburg and wonders if he can become an expert that way. The answer is “no” but it’s still a fun read. Gettysburg on Segways? Over the course of this road trip, my companions and I have found ourselves drawn to certain figures, and we’ve […]

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The phrase “son of a gun” originated during the Civil War when a woman was struck by a bullet that had passed through the scrotum of a soldier. The sperm on the bullet penetrated her ovaries and impregnated her. True or false? Take the military myth quiz and see how you do (I got nine […]

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