History Outreach
Program for Educators
(HOPE)

Local History Education Resources provided by the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society
Introduction  Early Statehood  Civil War  Women  African-Americans  Native Americans  Places  Books 

Civil War In Madison County

Text Resources

• Incidents of the War: the Civil War Journal of Mary Jane Chadick by Nancy M. Rohr, 2005


• Early History of Huntsville, Alabama by Edward Chambers Betts, 1916


• Alabama Civil War Newspapers - Madison County newspapers from the Civil War era, viewable through the Alabama Department of Archives and History


• North Alabama Civil War Generals: 13 Wore Gray, the Rest Blue, A selection of essays from the authors of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table, 2015

Historic Places

• Huntsville Depot & Museum - The Huntsville Depot was completed in 1850 and remains one of the only standing antebellum train depots in the country. During the Civil War it was used by both the Union and Confederate armies for various purposes, including a prison on the top floor.

Other Digital Resources

• Browse Alabama Civil War Newspapers through the Alabama State Archives.


• Browse Alabama History Education Materials on the Civil War through the Alabama State Archives.


• The Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table studies the history of the Civil War and holds regular meetings and public programs in Huntsville for anyone who would like to learn more about the Civil War.


• Streight's Raid and The Making of a Confederate Heroine - Video - Keith S. Hebert discusses Union Colonel Abel Streight's 1863 raid through north Alabama, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest's pursuit of his forces, and 16-year-old Emma Sansom's timely intervention.


• Southern Music of the Civil War Era - Video - The importance of music "in the field" is emphasized by the 33rd Alabama Campfire Players.

Audio Resources

Huntsville's Olde Towne Brass performs in the manner of Early American and Civil War bands, playing original Civil War Music on actual Civil War Over-The-Shoulder (OTS) Brass Horns.

• Dixie & Bonnie Blue Flag (2:19)



• Bethany (Nearer My God to Thee) (1:36)



• Be Kind to the Loved Ones at Home (2:25)



• Quickstep: Old Joe Hooker (1:43)



• Thou Art Gone From My Gaze (2:01)



• Home Again (2:00)



• Carry Me Back (To Old Virginia's Shore) (1:52)

A series of brief audio recordings by Nancy Rohr, a local historian, author and storyteller whose familiar voice tells stories about life in early Huntsville, the residents of historic homes and local heroines of the Civil War.

• Early Civil War Years in Madison County (03:42)



• The Civil War's End in Madison County (03:31)



• Mary Lewis (03:30)



• Introduction to the Heroines of the Civil War in Madison County (4:07)



• Mary Jane Chadick: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (3:54)



• Suzanna Clay: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (2:39)



• Virginia Clay: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (4:13)



• Mary Johnston: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (2:49)



• Mary Lewis: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (6:37)



• Willie Clay Recollection: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (6:11)



• They Also Served: Heroines of the Civil War in Madison County (3:27)



• Octavia Otey: Heroine of the Civil War in Madison County (3:28)



• The Wharton Sisters: Heroines of the Civil War in Madison County (3:49)



• Enslaved Women: Heroines of the Civil War in Madison County (5:05)



• Conclusion to the Heroines of the Civil War in Madison County (1:12)



• John Williams Walker & 413 McClung Ave. (4:25)