Category Archives: Virginia

Slaves in the American Revolution

Introduction Despite what the founding fathers said or wrote, the “new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” began as a slave society.  This unhappy fact has left an indelible imprint on … Continue reading

Posted in American Frontier, American Indians, Antebellum Period, British Canada, British Colonies, British Generals, Colonial America, Feuds & Rivalries, History, Indenture & Slavery, New England, New York, North Carolina, Old Florida, Revolution, South Carolina, Spies & such, Virginia | 4 Comments

The Backcountry

But first, some geography We will be talking about Virginia — sometimes referred to as the Old Dominion because Virginia was the first English colony and the dominion of English kings and queens.  We will also be speaking about the … Continue reading

Posted in American Frontier, American Indians, British Colonies, Colonial America, Corruption, Georgia, History, Indenture & Slavery, Indian War, Massacres, Mountain Men, New France, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Pioneers, Politicians, South Carolina, Virginia | 2 Comments

Battle of the Wilderness (1864)

Background It is possible to argue that the seeds of the American Civil War were planted before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution.  Fourteen signers of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves.  The founding fathers’ goal was to … Continue reading

Posted in American Military, Civil War, Confederate States, Feuds & Rivalries, History, Virginia | 2 Comments

Civil War Christmas

Shown right, Christmas Eve is an illustration by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly, January 3, 1863. Introduction There is no worse time to be a soldier than the dead of winter.  Young men, older than their years, so far from … Continue reading

Posted in American Military, Civil War, History, Pennsylvania, Uncategorized, Virginia | 4 Comments

Virginia Rangers

General Orders No. 30 War Department, Adjutant, and Inspector General’s Office Richmond, April 28, 1862 The following acts having passed both houses of Congress were duly approved by the president and are now published for the information of the army … Continue reading

Posted in American Military, Civil War, History, Partisan Rangers, Virginia | 11 Comments