America's Civil War

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The battle of Gettysburg, one might posit, was a story in search of a film. Filmmaker Ron Maxwell heard the call, and his epic film "Gettysburg" was the fruit.

Experiencing America's Civil War through its material culture ... generations later. Men -- and women -- pursue the war's history and adventure but leave the brutality home.

America's journalists took to the Civil War's battlefields en masse, but found the task of reporting the war more complex than they imagined. For years I took on the role. 

The story through reports, reminiscences, and photos (and some illustrations) of how the world commemorated the Civil War's sesquicentennial.

The Irish had a reputation for pugnaciousness, and courage. They brought those talents to America, where they fought for both sides.

History books, battlefield preservation, family history, slavery, film -- the Civil War embodies the American legend.