155 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln went to the Great Western Railroad Station in Springfield, Illinois, not far from his home. He was the President-elect of the United States, and it was time for him to make the journey to Washington City. As he stood in the depot, he saw the faces of his friends and neighbors in the huge crowd that had gathered to see him off. Before he boarded the train, he spoke these words:

"My friends---No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe every thing. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being, who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him, who can go with me, and remain with you and be every where for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell."

Since the time I was 2 years and 10 months old and in the presence of Lincoln’s tomb, I’ve spent an enormous amount of time reading, visiting, researching, talking and writing about the American Civil War. In honor of this unique period of time and the people who lived during it, I started The Civil War Project (TCWP) in April 2011, in time for the 150th anniversary.

Within less than a month after TCWP was launched, I was plunged into countless health issues that would plague me the entire duration of the 150th anniversary. While I made several attempts to catch up, revamp, etc., my health never improved enough to where I could truly have the website I had envisioned for so long.

I’m still dealing with health issues, but I’m hopeful that in the very near future I will finally get some answers that will lead me to an improved quality of life. I have many things that I want to accomplish in my life – I’m not done yet, not by a long shot.

One thing that is most dear to me is this website. The people I was writing about, and want to continue to writing about, deserve more than what I was able to give them these last four years. 150 years is a good “mark” in time to remember, but in reality we should all give this war, and the people who lived during this time, more than just our attention during symbolic or “key” anniversary years.

Starting April 2016, TCWP will relaunch into what I had always envisioned. I have always believed that the best way to learn about this complex war is to look at it from a daily perspective, and that is the format I will utilize here. For my Twitter followers, I plan on using hashtag #CW155 (and I hope that many of my fellow Internet writers & researchers will do so as well).

What should you expect?

• A daily blog that gives you a perspective of a wide variety of people over the course of time
• Biographies on people that TCWP is following in the daily blogs
• Information on historical sites all around the country that need support and are eager to educate the masses, including video spotlights by TCWP
• An occasional review on books, TV shows and movies related to the Civil War
• Is there something you would like to see? Email me at [email protected]!

I want to thank the thousands of people who have visited this site in the last four years, and the countless questions, thank yous, and comments of support I have received. Though the experience these last four years was not what I had envisioned, I have been extremely uplifted by the interest in this topic. It’s not just about battles and dates; it really is about the people, and how the war transformed each and every person, for better or for worse. This period in history has certainly transformed me, and I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to write about such a diverse and complex group of people that inspire and drive me every day.

– Carrie S., Creator/Author of The Civil War Project (TCWP)