Civil War

President Biden presents the Medal of Honor to Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of Pvt. George D. Wilson in the East Room at the White House in Washington, on Wednesday. The medals posthumously honor two U.S. Army privates who were part of a daring Union Army contingent that stole a Confederate train during the Civil War. U.S. Army Pvts. Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson were captured by Confederates and executed by hanging. At left is Gerald Taylor, the great-great-nephew of Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach.

History

2 Union soldiers awarded Medal of Honor for Confederate train hijacking

The Associated Press

President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to two Union soldiers who stole a locomotive in Confederate territory and drove it north while destroying railroad tracks and telegraph lines.

Erik Larson On The Dawn Of The Civil War

In The Demon of Unrest, author Erik Larson chronicles the five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the start of the Civil War, drawing parallels to today's political climate. Also, David Bianculli reviews the FX/Hulu spy thriller series The Veil, starring Elisabeth Moss.

Retired Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg stands in front of the newly named Gregg-Adams Club at the former Fort Lee, Virginia in April 2023. The club was off limits to Gregg and other Black Soldiers when he became an officer in 1950. Gregg now shares the new name of Fort Gregg-Adams with Lt. Col. Charity Adams, who commanded a postal unit during World War II.<br/>

Military & Veterans' Issues

With the last of nine base renamings, the Army helps cast aside the myth of the Confederacy

Jay Price

Historians said the renamings – like the removal of many Confederate statues in recent years – are part of a more accurate understanding of the Confederacy.

Arts & Culture

Unsung Civil War spy story inspires Heggie's opera, 'Intelligence'

Barry Brake

Eight years ago, composer Jake Heggie was attending an event at the Smithsonian Institute when a docent walked up to him and said, “I have a great idea for your next opera.” Now, the opera is here, and it's about two women—one white, one Black—who created a spy ring to smuggle Confederate secrets to the White House.

Education

Juneteenth weekend in SA includes festival, parade, and appearance by the Grandmother of Juneteenth

Brian Kirkpatrick

89-year-old Opal Lee speaks at True Vision Church at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Texas

Texas Matters: A Monumental Debate And Songs Of SA's Westside

David Martin Davies

On Monday, State Senator Brandon Creighton rose on the Senate floor to present his bill SB 1663. He is proposing a stringent process for the removal or…

Arts & Culture

Treue Der Union Monument Represents An Incredible Cost For Comfort

Jack Morgan

Just up Interstate 10, about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, stands a monument in a small town that's unlike any monument in Texas. A bell tolls from…

Government/Politics

Texas Matters: Politics In The Classroom & Sam Houston's Final Days

David Martin Davies

On this episode of "Texas Matters," we look at:Politics in the classroomSam Houston’s Last Days (12:06)Politics In The ClassroomThe State Board of…

"Underground Airlines," by Ben H. Winters. (Courtesy of Little, Brown and Company)

Novel Posits An Alternative Reality Where the Civil War Never Happened

Author Ben H. Winters' best-selling 2016 novel "Underground Airlines" is set in present day, but in an America where Abraham Lincoln never took office and slavery is legal in four states.

A statue to Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard is the third post-Civil War monument to come down in New Orleans. The bronze statue was taken down from its previous spot at the entrance to City Park just after 3 a.m. local time Wednesday.

One More To Go: New Orleans Takes Down Civil War General's Statue

Bill Chappell

Early Wednesday, a bronze statue of Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was taken down in New Orleans. A statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee is next on the list of monuments to be removed.