The 150th anniversaries of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address have passed, and their flags have been folded. But the observance of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War continues in 2014. With more than a year to go before peace would arrive, 1864 dawned with more battles and more division. Gov. Horatio Seymour… continue
In 1861, as talk of secession escalated before Fort Sumter, Bull Run and Gettysburg, southerners had to make a decision about the U.S. flag. Would they continue to honor it as a symbol of their unity, or would they toss it to the ground in order to raise a Confederate banner? In Virginia, one of… continue
Perhaps the most famous march composed by John Philip Sousa, the celebrated March King, is “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” a tribute to the American flag. One of the least-known aspects of the tune is that it originated on Christmas Day in a mysterious fashion. Sousa’s childhood during the Civil War was marked by marches… continue
By James Breig In 1863, 150 years ago, the midpoint of the Civil War brought the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address – and a Thanksgiving proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. Although written by his Secretary of State, the document went out as “by the President of the United States of America,” who invited “my fellow… continue
By James Breig Fifty years ago, at 1:48 p.m. on an autumn Friday, the American flag atop the White House was lowered to half-staff, where it would remain for a month. Millions of Americans can tell you why – and precisely where they were around noon that day: Nov. 22, 1963. It was a Friday of… continue