Writing two Civil War blogs, here and here, even though I have ample material for both, means I spend a fair amount of time reading about the war and wandering the various sites/blogs available. While some people have a tendency to see the war in simplistic good vs evil terms, its actual complexities can be breathtaking.
Such as this site by an independent historian on the history of Northern slavery and the enduring legal restrictions on freed slaves there during the North’s supposed war to free the slaves. Another good one is this author’s blog on his new book about the somewhat-obscure 1st Georgia Regiment. But for sheer irony you can’t beat the tale of Confederate Gen. Gordon who invaded Pennsylvania before Gettysburg and wound up forming his soldiers in a bucket brigade to save a Yankee town from a fire.
By all means. This is a Brady photo. Appears to be a regiment. But which one? One thing’s for sure, it’s not only today’s reenactors who are porky. There are several here, among the officers, including the fellow on the right with the star on his top hat (and his belly preceding him) and also the guy (the commander?) in front of the line, who has the same build.
Lovely old (very old) photo of the Monitor taken sometime after its fight with the Merrimack/Virginia in Hampton Roads in 1862. Latest 
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 