He was the classic "political general" who was supposed to fail—a 29-year-old college president and lay preacher with zero military experience. But James A. Garfield defied every stereotype. In just two years, he went from a raw colonel studying tactics by candlelight to one of the Union's most effective leaders. This episode charts his meteoric rise: from the icy victory at Middle Creek, won with a brilliant psychological ploy, to his daring journey commandeering a river steamer to feed his starving men. We'll uncover his role as the strategic "brains" of the brilliant Tullahoma Campaign and climax with his defining moment of raw courage—the legendary ride at Chickamauga. After the Union army was shattered and his commander fled the field, Garfield rode alone under a hail of bullets to find the last standing remnants of the army and coin the immortal nickname, "The Rock of Chickamauga"

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On September 17, 1862, as the nation reeled from the slaughter at the Battle of Antietam, a different kind of battle unfolded on the home front. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a series of catastrophic explosions ripped through the Allegheny Arsenal, the industrial heart of the Union war effort. The blast killed 78 people, most of whom were young women and girls, in what remains the single worst civilian disaster of the American Civil War.  
 
This episode tells the forgotten story of the Allegheny Arsenal tragedy. While the nation’s attention was consumed by the news from Antietam, the horrific events in Pittsburgh were relegated to the back pages and quickly faded from public memory. We delve into the lives of the female workers—many of them teenage daughters of immigrant families—who toiled in hazardous conditions to produce the ammunition that armed the Union army. We investigate the chain of negligence that led to the disaster, from spilled gunpowder on a newly laid stone road to ignored warnings from the workers themselves. Through harrowing eyewitness accounts, this episode reconstructs the "horrid shower" of fire and debris that rained down on the city and honors the victims whose stories were silenced by the thunder of war

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In the spring of 1862, a team of Union spies went deep behind Confederate lines with an audacious plan: steal a locomotive, destroy a vital railway, and cripple the Southern war effort. What followed was the Great Locomotive Chase, a nearly 90-mile pursuit that pitted daring saboteurs against a relentlessly determined train conductor. This is the story of the Andrews Raid—a mission that failed in every objective but became an iconic legend of the Civil War, leading to the first awards of the Medal of Honor and inspiring one of the greatest silent films ever made

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In the desperate summer of 1863, with the Confederacy facing defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan—the "Thunderbolt of the Confederacy"—was ordered to create a diversion in Kentucky. But Morgan had a grander, more reckless plan. Defying direct orders, he led over 2,000 cavalrymen across the Ohio River on a thousand-mile raid through Indiana and Ohio, seeking to bring the terror of war directly to the Northern home front. This episode tells the story of that legendary ride: a tale of audacious plunder, widespread panic, a relentless Union pursuit, and the spectacular, strategically bankrupt failure that became known as Morgan's Great Raid.

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Fifteen men. Two families. One war. The McCooks of Ohio—known as “The Fighting McCooks”—sent fathers and sons alike to the Civil War, where their courage and sacrifice became legend. This is their story of duty, loss, and legacy.

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In this episode, we explore the fascinating life of Confederate General Patrick Cleburne, whose story stretches from the green hills of Ireland to the blood-soaked battlefields of Tennessee. Known affectionately as the "Stonewall of the West," Cleburne rose from immigrant pharmacist to one of the Confederacy's most respected and feared commanders. Through vivid storytelling, we retrace his incredible journey—his courageous leadership at Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Ringgold Gap, his bold yet controversial proposal to arm enslaved men, and his tragic final moments at the Battle of Franklin. Join us as we examine the complexity of a general who defied convention, inspired fierce loyalty, and ultimately gave his life for the cause he adopted. Whether you're a seasoned history enthusiast or new to Civil War stories, Patrick Cleburne's life offers a profound glimpse into courage, conviction, and the difficult choices made amid America's deadliest conflict.

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In this gripping second episode of The Saltville Raid, we follow General George Stoneman’s relentless cavalry raid through snowbound Appalachia in December 1864. With brutal efficiency and poetic devastation, Union forces descend upon the Confederate saltworks at Saltville, Virginia—obliterating the South’s last critical supply of salt. Told with immersive detail and haunting firsthand accounts, this episode captures the raid’s tactical brilliance and human cost. From midnight cannonades to courtroom reckonings, witness how one valley’s destruction helped starve a rebellion—and stirred questions that echo long after the smoke cleared.

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In this powerful episode of Stories of the Civil War, host Chris Mowery guides listeners into the heart of a brutal and often overlooked campaign—the Saltville Raid of 1864. What began as a strategic push to cripple the Confederacy’s vital saltworks spiraled into a desperate mountain battle and one of the war’s darkest atrocities. From the high-stakes Union assault led by “Butcher” Burbridge to the grim aftermath known as the Saltville Massacre—where wounded Black cavalrymen were murdered after the fighting ended—this episode blends vivid storytelling, genealogical insight, and firsthand accounts to reveal how a humble mineral became a matter of life, death, and legacy in the war’s final winter. Saltville was more than a target—it was a symbol of survival. And what happened there still echoes through the ridges of Appalachia.

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In December 1862, amidst one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, a young Confederate sergeant named Richard Rowland Kirkland stepped beyond the protection of his lines to bring water and comfort to wounded Union soldiers. Known as the "Angel of Marye’s Heights," Kirkland’s remarkable act of compassion became a symbol of humanity amidst brutal conflict. In this episode, Chris Mowery takes you onto the frozen battlefield of Fredericksburg to meet the man behind the legend. Together, we’ll explore eyewitness accounts, separate historical fact from myth, and discuss why Kirkland’s story still resonates deeply today.

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In this episode of Stories of the Civil War, host Chris Mowery traces the astonishing journey of John Alexander Logan—from fiery Illinois congressman and staunch anti-abolitionist to one of the Union’s most fearless generals and the founder of what we now know as Memorial Day. Follow Logan as he sheds the title “Dirty-Work Logan” earned from enforcing fugitive slave laws, and earns the nickname “Black Jack” on the battlefield. From the blood-soaked fields of Fort Donelson and the flaming rail depots of Jackson to the siege of Vicksburg and the decisive campaign for Atlanta, Logan leads with ferocity, fire, and a black-plumed hat. But this is more than a story of military triumphs. It’s about transformation. Wounded in battle and weathered by war, Logan returns not just as a hero, but as a changed man—one who uses his voice in the U.S. Senate to fight for veterans, advocate for Black soldiers, and help consecrate the national ritual of remembrance. This is the story of how a polarizing political figure became a unifying symbol of memory, honor, and reconciliation. A tale of courage not just on the battlefield—but in the chambers of conscience.

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