History Forum / War History / US Civil War / September 2003

QUERY : "Circular 31" discharges
Have run across references to end-of-war discharges granted in
accordance of "Circular 31."   I believe the Circular concerns
discharges granted to wounded or furloughed soldiers who were not

I just moved into new home built 2 miles south of Middleway WV.  It's on 4
acres and is located next to a foundation of a very old farm house.  After all
this rain, I have been finding miniballs in the back yard just laying on top of
the ground.  I also have a 300 ft ditch running ...

When President-elect Abraham Lincoln was travelling to Washington
in 1861, Allen Pinkerton came to him with a lurid warning.
According to Pinkerton, there was a secret society of violent
secessionists in Baltimore called the "Blood Tubs", and they

Have just finished McPhearson's Battle Cry of Freedom and was greatly moved.
Could anyone recommend a single volume work covering the post-war era of
reconstruction?
Robert Stevens

I was recently told about a kind of "gentlemen's agreement" during the
American Civil War to abstain as much as possile from shooting
officers of both sides.
I am wondering: Is this true? Any information will be greatly

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36034&item=2192133006
click above here to see a picture.....
Can anyone please identify this ? Is this an Officers Civil War Confederate
Button, or an enlisted Man's?

On April 2, 1863 four hundred and eighty-four Confederate prisoners
left Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis, Mo. for City Point, Va. to be
exchanged.  My G-G-G-grandfather was in that group, and that was the
last any modern-day decendants know of his whereabouts.  How can I go

Barnes and Noble at many locations have a limited number of copies of Bob
Zeller's The Civil War in Depth, the first of his two books on the 3D Photo
History of the War.  They are priced at $7.98 in the local store.

Anyone have some good links for information and research purposes on
the Battle of Harpers Ferry, and Stonewall's capture of the union
troops?  Am doing detailed research for a possible book, any help
would be appreciated.

As you've noticed, nothing is getting posted on the newsgroup.
Your articles are reaching us, we are approving them, but they do not
then make it to the newsgroup.
We are working on the problem.

I know the Sherman issue almost instantly polarizes a group. Most
people seem to feel the march through Georgia either: 1) shortened the
war, and property that could contribute to the CSA war effort in any
way was fair game, or 2) he was a merciless fiend who violated the

I am looking for a historical reference to correct what appears to be
an error in a Chickamauga wargame (board game) simulation that I own.
The game re-creates the Battle of Chickamauga and has a scenario for
new players that assumes the 1st day's battle is complete and

Last week the newsgroup go hit by the worst outage in its' history.
The various virii and worms knocked out one of the links in the path
that articles follow to be posted.
The moderators have devised a "work around", and as far as we know