Literature

Grand Army of the Republic

Battle of Ball’s Bluff

The Civil War Battle of Ball’s Bluff was fought in Loudoun County, Virginia on October 21, 1861.   Though a minor battle and loss for the Union, it had some long-lasting effects on the war and some interesting historical connections.   

Phoebe Pember

Birth of Phoebe Pember

Phoebe Yates Levy Pember was born on August 18, 1823, in Charleston, South Carolina. During the Civil War, she directed the care and dietary needs of over 15,000 soldiers at Richmond’s Chimborazo, one of the CSA’s largest hospitals. She later recounted her experiences in her memoir, A Southern Woman’s Story.

Thoreau

Birth of Henry David Thoreau

Naturalist, author, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau valued simple living, nature and the importance of protesting injustice through civil disobedience. As one of America’s most famous transcendentalists, his works have influenced some of the greatest leaders in modern history.