The Civil War Monitor

Latest Episodes:

The United States Sanitary Commission Oct 15, 2026

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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 second season, The Medical Renaissance, we'll explore how modern medicine took root during the Civil War.

On this episode, we're joined by Judith Giesberg, the Robert M. Birmingham Chair in the Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University and the author of a number of books, including Civil War Sisterhood: The U.S. Sanitary Commission and Women's Politics in Transition (2006). She talks about the impact the United States Sanitary Commission had in its efforts to support healthy practices in the Union army during the Civil War.

Wartime Nursing Oct 08, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Jane Schultz, a professor of English and director of Literature at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis and the author of Women at the Front: Hospital Workers in Civil War America (2004). She talks about the motivations and experiences of the women who volunteered as nurses during the Civil War.

The Evolution of Military Medicine Oct 01, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Lindsay Rae Smith Privette, an associate professor of history at Anderson University and author of The Surgeon’s Battle: How Medicine Won the Vicksburg Campaign and Changed the Civil War (2025). She talks about the wartime evolution in military surgeons' training, knowledge, and practices.

Introducing Civil War Breakthroughs Season 2 Sep 24, 2026

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On the front lines, doctors fought to contain lethal disease alongside battlefield wounds. In field hospitals, volunteer nurses and a new citizen commission helped develop an improved standard of care. And on the home front, returning veterans faced the long aftermath of unseen trauma and addiction.

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 podcast that explores how the inventions, ideas, and innovations of the era defined a new kind of conflict. In our second season, The Medical Renaissance, host John Heckman explores how modern medicine took root during the conflict. Expert guests help him delve into the role of women as nurses; the massive influence of the Sanitary Commission; the significance of miasma theory; the battle against "invisible wounds"; the postwar opioid crisis; and how a devastating conflict ultimately ushered in the dawn of modern healthcare.

Season 2 of Civil War Breakthroughs premieres October 1. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I hope you'll join us.

Why Did the Civil War Happen? May 26, 2026

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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 Allen C. Guelzo, a professor of humanities at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. A three-time winner of the prestigious Lincoln Prize, his books include Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America (2004); Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction (2012); and Gettysburg: The Last Invasion (2014). He discusses the various causes behind the outbreak of the American Civil War.

Grant and Lee’s Postwar Relationship May 19, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Joan Waugh, professor emeritus of history at UCLA and the author of a number of works on the Civil War era, including U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth (2009), The Memory of the Civil War in American Culture (2004), and, with Gary W. Gallagher, The American War (2023). She discusses the post–Civil War relationship between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, as well as whether former Union and Confederate military leaders got along after the conflict.

Soldier Life May 12, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Aaron Sheehan-Dean, the Fred C. Frey Professor of Southern Studies at Louisiana State University and the author or editor of a number of books on the Civil War era, including The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War and, most recently, Fighting With the Past: How Seventeenth-Century History Shaped the American Civil War. He answers questions relating to Civil War soldier life, from the ways in which troops spent their down time to how they navigated the hospital system when sick or wounded.

Soldier Training May 05, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Aaron Sheehan-Dean, the Fred C. Frey Professor of Southern Studies at Louisiana State University and the author or editor of a number of books on the Civil War era, including The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War and, most recently, Fighting With the Past: How Seventeenth-Century History Shaped the American Civil War. He answers several questions pertaining to the training that Union and Confederate soldiers received during the Civil War.

Chancellorsville Apr 28, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Virginia. He is the author or editor of a number of books on the Civil War, most recently The Enduring Civil War: Reflections on the Great American Crisis, and has recently finished writing a history of the Battle of Chancellorsville. He discusses how the Confederate flank attack at Chancellorsville was able to succeed, as well as which of the opposing commanders—Joseph Hooker or Robert E. Lee—was more responsible for the battle’s ultimate outcome.

Gettysburg Battlefield Guides Apr 21, 2026

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On this episode, we're joined by Garry Adelman, the chief historian at the American Battlefield Trust, the vice president of the Center for Civil War Photography, and, since 1995, a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg. He discusses his role as a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide, including what it takes to become one and the questions he’s most frequently asked by visitors.

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