How did the civilians and soldiers who lived through Sherman’s March view its impact years later? How central was music to the lives of Union and Confederate soldiers? And what is the real story behind Ulysses S. Grant’s supposed drinking problem?

I’m Terry Johnston, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Civil War Monitor. The American Civil War is a period of our history that we’re still trying to fully understand. Even with everything that's been written, there are still plenty of questions that deserve a closer look—from the personal character of its leaders to the way the war is portrayed in popular culture.

Welcome back to Civil War Curious, the podcast where we ask expert historians to help us navigate the complexities of the conflict. In our second season, we’ll be discussing a number of subjects, including the long-lasting impact of Sherman’s March to the Sea, the importance of music in the armies, and the truth about Grant’s relationship with alcohol. We’ll also take a look at the movie Gettysburg to see what it got right and where it took some creative liberties.

Civil War Curious Season 2 premieres soon. I hope you’ll join us.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by David Hochfelder, an associate professor of history at the University at Albany and author of The Telegraph in America: 1832-1920. He talks about the vital and often unseen role of the telegraph during the Civil War.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by Jennifer Raab, an associate professor in the Department of the History of Art at Yale University and author of Relics of War: The History of a Photograph. She talks about the power and importance of Civil War photography, including how the camera captured a brutal reality and shaped how we remember the war today.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by  Scott Huffard, a professor of history at Lees-McRae College and author of Engines of Redemption: Railroads and the Reconstruction of Capitalism in the New South. He talks about how railroads became the engine of the Civil War, transforming everything from logistics to troop movements.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by Nathan Madison, a historian, researcher, documentary producer/consultant, and author of Tredegar Iron Works: Richmond’s Foundry on the James. He talks about the crucial role played by northern and southern industries during the conflict, with a focus on how Richmond’s Tredegar Iron Works fueled the Confederate war effort.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by Gordon Calhoun, a historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C. He talks about  the pioneering developments in naval warfare that occurred during the Civil War, from the rise of ironclads to the birth of the submarine.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

Civil War Breakthroughs is a podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the Civil War era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age.

On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan Noyalas, professor of history and director of the McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University. He talks about the significance and impact of several key advances in Civil War era ammunition.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

A new network of wires and tracks changed the way a war was fought. On the seas, the age of sail gave way to the age of iron and steam. And on the home front, the camera transformed the way a nation saw conflict.

I’m Terry Johnston, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Civil War Monitor. The Civil War is a story of courage and conflict, but it is also the story of a nation that underwent profound and lasting change. While much has been written about the battles and leaders, we believe the pivotal innovations of the era are just as important.

Welcome to Civil War Breakthroughs, a new podcast series that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the era defined a new kind of conflict. In our first season, The Technological War, we'll explore the technologies and concepts that brought the conflict into the modern age. We’ll delve into the role of railroads as the engine of the war; the telegraph’s revolution of battlefield communication; the rise of the ironclad and submarine; the critical role played by industry; and the power of photography in shaping public opinion.

Civil War Breakthroughs premieres October 2. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I hope you'll join us.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

The American Civil War remains one of the most pivotal and complex periods in our history. While much has been written, countless fascinating questions still spark our curiosity. In our podcast Civil War Curious, we enlist expert historians to answer your lingering questions about the conflict.

On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan S. Jones, an assistant professor of history at James Madison University whose scholarship investigates the aftershocks of the Civil War in American society, culture, and medicine. His first book, Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America's First Opioid Crisis, is forthcoming from the University of North Carolina Press. He discusses the causes and prevalence of postwar drug addiction among Union and Confederate veterans.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.

The American Civil War remains one of the most pivotal and complex periods in our history. While much has been written, countless fascinating questions still spark our curiosity. In our podcast Civil War Curious, we enlist expert historians to answer your lingering questions about the conflict.

On this episode, we're joined by Kevin M. Levin, a historian and educator based in Boston. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Civil War, including Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth (UNC Press, 2019). He discusses the nature of black men's service in the Confederate military during the Civil War.

©2026 by The Civil War Monitor. All rights reserved.