After discovering several blatant examples of persons and/or institutions mirroring old and out-dated versions of the American Civil War Homepage (one dating back to November 1995!) or literally cutting and pasting the introductory paragraphs describing the Civil War page and its opening design (Lincoln image and motto, "Fellow Citizens, We Cannot Escape History") and offering it as an original creation, I've decided to add the legally unnecessary but perhaps useful reminder that web pages are publications and enjoy the same copyright protection as do traditional ink-on-paper publications found in book, magazine or newspaper formats.

I continue to welcome and encourage people to link to the American Civil War Homepage -- indeed, the entire purpose of the page (in my words) is to gather "together in one place hypertext links to the most useful identified electronic files about the American Civil War". That was and remains the goal of this project. But hey, people, let's give credit where credit is due. Aside from misleading some people by viewing out-of-date material, the practice of mirroring without permission is just plain bad manners and is probably a violation of the law. Using my words and passing them off as your own creation (you know who you are) is intellectually dishonest and theft -- pure and simple.

"Caveat Lector" -- my balderized Latin for, "let the reader beware." The only true version of the American Civil War Homepage can be found at