https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>enHistoryCopyright Chris Moweryhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/88f3b1371c215fb2c49797f0a7763c66.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:53:20 +0000Chris MoweryChris Moweryvloggingthroughhistory@gmail.comStories of the Civil War is a narrative‑driven history podcast that brings the tumult, tragedy, and triumph of America’s defining conflict to life—one human‑scale story at a time. Hosted by historian‑researcher Chris Mowery, each episode blends...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>falseepisodicSupport the podcast!https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wilderness-grant-s-overland-campaign-part-1--72131210Stories of the Civil War, listeners are transported to the dense, burning thickets of Virginia to explore the harrowing Battle of the Wilderness during the opening days of the Overland Campaign. The narrative contrasts the desperate, starving condition of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia with the overwhelming might of the Union forces, now guided by the relentless, mathematically driven strategic vision of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Listeners are taken through the chaotic, close-quarters combat where artillery was rendered useless, troops fought blindly through blinding smoke, and Confederate General James Longstreet tragically fell to friendly fire in an eerie echo of Stonewall Jackson's fate on the exact same ground. Ultimately, the episode culminates in a moral transformation for the Army of the Potomac, highlighting Grant's unprecedented decision to march south to continue the attack instead of retreating, forever changing the conflict into a grueling war of attrition.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72131210Sat, 23 May 2026 15:00:02 +0000Chris MoweryIn this gripping episode of Stories of the Civil War, listeners are transported to the dense, burning thickets of Virginia to explore the harrowing Battle of the Wilderness during the opening days of the Overland Campaign. The narrative contrasts the...Stories of the Civil War, listeners are transported to the dense, burning thickets of Virginia to explore the harrowing Battle of the Wilderness during the opening days of the Overland Campaign. The narrative contrasts the desperate, starving condition of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia with the overwhelming might of the Union forces, now guided by the relentless, mathematically driven strategic vision of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Listeners are taken through the chaotic, close-quarters combat where artillery was rendered useless, troops fought blindly through blinding smoke, and Confederate General James Longstreet tragically fell to friendly fire in an eerie echo of Stonewall Jackson's fate on the exact same ground. Ultimately, the episode culminates in a moral transformation for the Army of the Potomac, highlighting Grant's unprecedented decision to march south to continue the attack instead of retreating, forever changing the conflict into a grueling war of attrition.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2927falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/shattering-the-stonewall-the-mixed-legacy-of-thomas-j-jackson--71750408Stories of the Civil War, host Chris Mowery peels back the layers of myth built up over the decades to examine the real Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. For generations, Lost Cause ideology has painted Jackson as an infallible, flawless military genius and a saintly martyr. But does the actual historical record fully support the legend?
This episode takes a balanced, objective view of Jackson's generalship, moving past the romanticized history to examine his actual performance. We explore his undeniable tactical triumphs, including the brilliant use of mobility and geography during his legendary Shenandoah Valley Campaign. However, we also shine a necessary light on his glaring weaknesses and structural failures.
Join us as we examine the other side of his command: his disastrous, lethargic performance during the Seven Days Battles, his near-fatal tactical blunders and negligent defensive planning at Fredericksburg, and the deeply toxic, hostile relationships he fostered with capable subordinate generals like A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell.
Step beyond the marble monument to discover the eccentric, deeply flawed, and complex man who wore the Confederate gray.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71750408Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:04:07 +0000Chris MoweryIn this episode of Stories of the Civil War, host Chris Mowery peels back the layers of myth built up over the decades to examine the real Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. For generations, Lost Cause ideology has painted Jackson as an infallible,...Stories of the Civil War, host Chris Mowery peels back the layers of myth built up over the decades to examine the real Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. For generations, Lost Cause ideology has painted Jackson as an infallible, flawless military genius and a saintly martyr. But does the actual historical record fully support the legend?
This episode takes a balanced, objective view of Jackson's generalship, moving past the romanticized history to examine his actual performance. We explore his undeniable tactical triumphs, including the brilliant use of mobility and geography during his legendary Shenandoah Valley Campaign. However, we also shine a necessary light on his glaring weaknesses and structural failures.
Join us as we examine the other side of his command: his disastrous, lethargic performance during the Seven Days Battles, his near-fatal tactical blunders and negligent defensive planning at Fredericksburg, and the deeply toxic, hostile relationships he fostered with capable subordinate generals like A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell.
Step beyond the marble monument to discover the eccentric, deeply flawed, and complex man who wore the Confederate gray.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2869falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-christian-general-oliver-otis-howard--71188582

We'll explore how religious fervor, military ambition, and paternalistic humanitarianism shaped Howard's extraordinary and highly unusual life. We trace his journey through the ranks of the Union Army, detailing his catastrophic battlefield injury at Fair Oaks, his controversial and humiliating tactical failures at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and his eventual redemption operating under General William T. Sherman in the Western Theater


Beyond the battlefield, we examine Howard's monumental and conflicting post-war legacy:

The Freedmen's Bureau: Learn about his tenure as the first and only commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, where he championed civil rights and established thousands of schools for newly freed African Americans, ultimately helping to found Howard University.



The Indian Wars: We confront the tragic irony of his later military career, where the former abolitionist led a brutal, relentless campaign to drive Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce from their ancestral homelands in the Pacific Northwest.


Educational Legacy: Discover his final educational pursuits, including his instrumental role in founding Lincoln Memorial University to serve the impoverished populations of Appalachia.


Join me as we unpack the sweeping narrative of a man who embodied both the highest ideals and the darkest hypocrisies of the American experiment.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71188582Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:34:06 +0000Chris MoweryIn this episode, we take a deep dive into the life of one of the nineteenth century's most contradictory figures: Major General Oliver Otis Howard.  Known to the press and public as "The Christian General" and mockingly referred to by his own troops...

We'll explore how religious fervor, military ambition, and paternalistic humanitarianism shaped Howard's extraordinary and highly unusual life. We trace his journey through the ranks of the Union Army, detailing his catastrophic battlefield injury at Fair Oaks, his controversial and humiliating tactical failures at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and his eventual redemption operating under General William T. Sherman in the Western Theater


Beyond the battlefield, we examine Howard's monumental and conflicting post-war legacy:

The Freedmen's Bureau: Learn about his tenure as the first and only commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, where he championed civil rights and established thousands of schools for newly freed African Americans, ultimately helping to found Howard University.



The Indian Wars: We confront the tragic irony of his later military career, where the former abolitionist led a brutal, relentless campaign to drive Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce from their ancestral homelands in the Pacific Northwest.


Educational Legacy: Discover his final educational pursuits, including his instrumental role in founding Lincoln Memorial University to serve the impoverished populations of Appalachia.


Join me as we unpack the sweeping narrative of a man who embodied both the highest ideals and the darkest hypocrisies of the American experiment.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2536falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stuck-in-the-mud-burnside-the-generals-revolt-and-the-army-of-the-potomac-s-darkest-winter--69383468
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69383468Sat, 10 Jan 2026 19:39:45 +0000Chris MoweryJanuary 1863: the Union war effort in the East is wobbling like a cannon on a wagon axle—and then it starts to rain. In the bleak aftermath of Fredericksburg, Ambrose Burnside gambles on a smart flanking move to restore momentum and morale. For a few...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1697falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/river-of-blood-the-battle-of-stones-river--69260812
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69260812Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:27:52 +0000Chris MoweryIn the freezing rain of late December 1862, the United States wasn’t marching toward “inevitable” Union victory—it was teetering on the edge of political and military collapse. With Fredericksburg still bleeding, Union fortunes sagging in the West,...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2065falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rock-the-hammer-and-the-ice-the-complete-story-of-nashville-1864--69079331Stories of the Civil War chronicles the brutal and decisive Battle of Nashville in December 1864, which effectively ended the war in the West.

Join us as we explore the "Paralysis of Ice" that gripped Middle Tennessee and the desperate circumstances of the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General John Bell Hood, fresh from the catastrophic loss at Franklin.
Inside this episode:

• The Telegram War: Discover how Major General George H. Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga," defied Ulysses S. Grant's relentless orders to attack, waiting for the ice to melt before launching his master plan.
• The Battle for Honor: Hear the story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), former slaves fighting on the soil where they were enslaved, who proved their valor at Granbury’s Lunette and Peach Orchard Hill, suffering the highest casualties of any regiment in the battle.
• The Collapse: Witness the Union's "Grand Wheel" maneuver and the final, crushing assault on the Confederate left at Shy's Hill. The episode details the death of Colonel William M. Shy and the total disintegration of Hood's army.
• The Retreat: Follow the heartbreaking, barefoot march of the shattered Confederate army south into the dead of winter, leaving bloody footprints in the snow.

This is the complete, visceral story of the death of one army and the vindication of another, told through diaries, letters, and the voices of the soldiers and civilians on the front lines.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69079331Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:31:46 +0000Chris MoweryThis Extended Special Edition of Stories of the Civil War chronicles the brutal and decisive Battle of Nashville in December 1864, which effectively ended the war in the West. Join us as we explore the "Paralysis of Ice" that gripped Middle Tennessee...Stories of the Civil War chronicles the brutal and decisive Battle of Nashville in December 1864, which effectively ended the war in the West.

Join us as we explore the "Paralysis of Ice" that gripped Middle Tennessee and the desperate circumstances of the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General John Bell Hood, fresh from the catastrophic loss at Franklin.
Inside this episode:

• The Telegram War: Discover how Major General George H. Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga," defied Ulysses S. Grant's relentless orders to attack, waiting for the ice to melt before launching his master plan.
• The Battle for Honor: Hear the story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), former slaves fighting on the soil where they were enslaved, who proved their valor at Granbury’s Lunette and Peach Orchard Hill, suffering the highest casualties of any regiment in the battle.
• The Collapse: Witness the Union's "Grand Wheel" maneuver and the final, crushing assault on the Confederate left at Shy's Hill. The episode details the death of Colonel William M. Shy and the total disintegration of Hood's army.
• The Retreat: Follow the heartbreaking, barefoot march of the shattered Confederate army south into the dead of winter, leaving bloody footprints in the snow.

This is the complete, visceral story of the death of one army and the vindication of another, told through diaries, letters, and the voices of the soldiers and civilians on the front lines.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2455falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-professor-s-war-james-garfield-s-unlikely-rise-to-major-general--68466063
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68466063Fri, 07 Nov 2025 19:34:30 +0000Chris MoweryHe 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1362falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-forgotten-tragedy-the-allegheny-arsenal-explosion--68315550 
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68315550Tue, 28 Oct 2025 18:14:17 +0000Chris MoweryOn 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... 
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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1350falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-great-locomotive-chase-a-mission-that-led-to-the-first-medals-of-honor--68081456
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68081456Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:56:54 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1677falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-thunderbolt-crosses-the-ohio-morgan-s-great-raid-of-1863--68002996
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/68002996Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:04:22 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1448falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fighting-mccooks-ohio-s-civil-war-dynasty--67705070
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67705070Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:36:29 +0000Chris MoweryFifteen 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.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1395falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/patrick-cleburne-the-stonewall-of-the-west--67217247
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67217247Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:58:17 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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,"...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2401falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/salt-and-fire-the-second-saltville-raid-saltville-raids-part-2--66902255
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66902255Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:34:27 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2079falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-saltville-massacre-saltville-raids-part-1--66855210
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>storiesofthecivilwar.podbean.com/82ab0316-c7e3-32b8-a5de-504624403132Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:16:43 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>2030false3fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mercy-under-fire-the-angel-of-marye-s-heights--66855214
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>storiesofthecivilwar.podbean.com/4d06f7d5-6297-3d09-8ced-78330e07a7afSat, 28 Jun 2025 18:54:24 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1801false2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-jack-logan-the-union-s-best-political-general--66855211
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>storiesofthecivilwar.podbean.com/9ebf23f5-0dcc-3e1f-a5bb-c848d5282296Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:56:50 +0000Chris MoweryIn 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...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-the-civil-war--6675279/support.]]>1605false1full