Every great museum needs a wooden leg
The Illinois State Military Museum is dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of military artifacts associated with Illinois. The museum is located in Springfield. Its mission is to conserve the…
Today in military history: Siege of Knoxville begins
On Nov. 17, 1863, Confederate General James Longstreet laid siege to the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. In the fall of 1863, Union Major General Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville where a…
Today in military history: Lincoln relieves McClellan of command
On Nov. 5, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln removed General George B. McClellan from command of the Army of the Potomac. General McClellan was given control of the Army of the…
Why the South was actually fearful of President Lincoln’s assassination
When John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, he was acting in support of the South, of slavery, and his fervent belief that Lincoln was out…
Today in military history: Battle of Antietam
On Sep. 17, 1862, Confederate rebels and Union troops fought the Battle of Antietam. President Abraham Lincoln charged Major General George B. McClellan with the defense of Washington D.C. against…
The contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets when he was shot
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. with a .44-caliber single-shot derringer pistol to the back of the head. While Booth fled on horseback, the president was rushed to a boarding…
Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. President to hold a patent
The President of the United States is quite a title to hold. Great Americans have held the office since George Washington founded the nation. To stand out in this lineage…
Abraham Lincoln challenged US troops to this strength test
Of all the things our 16th President is remembered for these days, his uncanny strength is often overlooked. During his days on the American frontier, he was
On April 14, 1865, five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse and effectively ended the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John… While most would assume that America’s bloodiest day came in one of the larger conflicts, like World War I or II, the U.S. lost more troops on Sep. 17, 1862, when Union troops found the plans for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s ongoing invasion of Maryland. …Today in military history: Abraham Lincoln is shot
The bloodiest day in U.S. military history