Stoned in the Ranks – Drug and alcohol abuse nothing new in military culture

“Substance abuse in the service is a centuries old phenomenon.” AN OUTRIGHT ban on drinking alcohol in combat seems to have had little impact on American soldiers’ consumption of booze, according to an article last week…

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Black in Grey — Did Some African Americans Really Fight For the Confederacy? Historians Say No

“Some say it was a statistically insignificant handful, others maintain that it must have been ‘thousands.’“ BY THE END of the U.S. Civil War, there were approximately 180,000 African Americans fighting for the Union. This…

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How Early Photographers Captured History’s First Images of War

“The equipment was still sensitive and it took several moments for a successful exposure. That didn’t keep early war photographers from trying.” MATTHEW BRADY, the celebrated 19th century photographer, captured more than 10,000 images the…

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“Avast, Y’all!” — Confederate Pirates of the Civil War

“The Southern leadership dusted off a tried and tested strategy Americans had used to in both the Revolution and the War of 1812 to stand up to the Royal Navy. They turned to privateers.” WHEN…

Continue Reading... “Avast, Y’all!” — Confederate Pirates of the Civil War