Five things you didn’t know about the Civil War

It would take you longer than the Civil War lasted to read even a fraction of the 60,000-plus books written on it. Nevertheless, the average American’s understanding of the war remains unimpressive. To celebrate our pending blog-aversary, here’s five facts that surprised us as we read up: 1. It was way longer than you think. …

Fun fact No. 6

Italian statesman, military genius and world-trotting General Giuseppe Garibaldi was offered a generalship in the Union Army, but the US declined to meet his conditions for employment. He had two demands, as outlined by an American diplomat in contact with him: He [Garibaldi] said that the only way in which he could render service, as …

Fun Fact No. 5

The one-armed Union general who was  tasked with overseeing the welfare of former slaves after the Civil War is the same man to whom Chief Joseph surrendered in his famous "I will fight no more forever" speech. General Oliver Otis Howard was known for his piety, won the Medal of Honor, and headed the Freedman's …

Fun Fact No. 3

The first governor of a US state to be removed from office by impeachment went down for fighting the Ku Klux Klan. William Holden of North Carolina, a Republican, raised a militia to crack down on the Klan after members murdered a state senator, but he did not have the legal authority to declare martial …