Tag: Ulysses S. Grant

Posted on

John Walsh Wins 2025 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award

We are delighted to share wonderful news from the Army Historical Foundation.

On behalf of the Foundation, Matthew Seelinger recently informed us that John Walsh’s feature, “Donelson,” has been selected as the winner of the 2025 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award for Journals and Magazines.

John’s article explores the pivotal Union victory at Fort Donelson in February 1862, a campaign that reshaped the Civil War in its first year and propelled Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant onto the national stage. Through careful research and compelling storytelling, John illuminates why this early victory proved to be one of the conflict’s defining turning points.

This honor follows an extraordinary showing for Military Images. Earlier this year, we announced that four stories from the magazine had been named finalists for the 2025 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards:

  • “Fort Donelson: Early Turning Point of the Civil War,” by John Walsh (Winner)
  • “‘Died at Gettysburg’: No Prouder Epitaph Need Any Man Covet,” by Charles T. Joyce
  • “On Quinby’s Watch,” by Ronald S. Coddington
  • “Bonds of Loyalty: Forged in Mexico, 1847—Tested in Texas, 1864,” by Ronald S. Coddington

To have four finalists in a single year was an honor in itself. To see one of those stories selected as the overall winner makes the recognition even more meaningful.

Presented annually by the Army Historical Foundation, the Distinguished Writing Awards recognize excellence in historical scholarship and storytelling that deepens understanding of the history of the U.S. Army. We are grateful to the Foundation and its judges for this recognition.

Since 1979, Military Images has pursued a simple mission: to showcase, interpret, and preserve Civil War portrait photography while pairing original images with thoroughly researched narratives that bring the people behind the photographs to life. Honors such as this affirm the value of that mission and the exceptional work of the historians and writers who contribute to the magazine.

Please join us in congratulating John Walsh on this well-deserved achievement—and in celebrating all of this year’s finalists, whose work reflects the high standard of scholarship and storytelling that defines Military Images.

Read the press release from the AHF.

Posted on

4 Military Images Stories Named Finalists for 2025 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards

Delighted to share that four stories from Military Images magazine have been named finalists for the 2025 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards:

“Fort Donelson: Early turning point of the Civil War,” by John Walsh
The Union victory at Fort Donelson in February 1862 reshaped the war in its first year and propelled Ulysses S. Grant to national prominence. Read.

“‘Died at Gettysburg’: No Prouder Epitaph Need Any Man Covet,” by Charles T. Joyce
A moving exploration of the life and legacy of Davids, a Philadelphia aristocrat whose sacrifice at Gettysburg resonated through family memory and history. Read.

“On Quinby’s Watch,” by Ronald S. Coddington
Colorado Lt. Ira Quinby, a Signal Corps officer at the 1864 Battle of Westport, helped direct movements that checked Price’s Raid—often called the Gettysburg of the West. Read.

“Bonds of Loyalty: Forged in Mexico, 1847 — Tested in Texas, 1864,” by Ronald S. Coddington
Two Indiana soldiers who served together in the Mexican War found themselves on opposite sides fifteen years later during the Civil War—a powerful story of divided loyalties. Read.

Presented annually by the Army Historical Foundation, the Distinguished Writing Awards recognize excellence in historical scholarship and storytelling that deepens understanding of the U.S. Army’s past.

Final scores are due from the judges on July 1, with winners to be announced shortly thereafter.

We are proud to see Military Images so strongly represented among this year’s finalists. Since 1979, our mission has been to showcase, interpret, and preserve Civil War portrait photography—pairing compelling original images with research-driven narratives that bring the past to life. These nominations reflect that commitment.

Congratulations to our authors, and our thanks to the Army Historical Foundation for this meaningful recognition.

Posted on

New Special Issue Tells the Fort Donelson Story Through Photos and Stories of Those Who Were There

A new special issue from Military Images and John Walsh brings the story of Fort Donelson to life through powerful portraits and firsthand accounts.

Originally published as the cover story in our Winter 2025 issue, this 20-page presentation by John Walsh—founder of Fort Donelson Relics and a lifelong student of the Western Theater—offers a deeply informed and personal look at one of the Civil War’s pivotal early victories.

As Walsh writes, the Union triumph in February 1862 “broke the back of the secession serpent.” The fall of the fort triggered the surrender of 14,600 Confederates, opened vital rivers, and led to the loss of Nashville—while elevating a little-known general, Ulysses S. Grant, to national prominence with his demand for unconditional surrender.

From the twin blows at Fort Henry and Donelson—supported by the ironclads of Andrew H. Foote—to the engagement of more than 40,000 soldiers, this issue captures the human dimension of the campaign through the faces and stories of those who were there.

Walsh, who lives near Fort Donelson National Battlefield, has spent decades preserving relics and advancing understanding of the soldiers who fought on this ground. His work reflects a commitment to responsible collecting, historical research, and battlefield preservation.

Founded in 1979, Military Images is dedicated to showcasing, interpreting, and preserving Civil War portrait photography—and the stories behind the faces.

Get your copy for $10 plus shipping at shopmilitaryimages.com.