Civil War. Union Col. Elmer Ellsworth’s death on May 24, 1861, in Alexandria, Va., was one of the flash points of the start of the Civil War. Ellsworth, the first Union officer to be killed in the war, was shot by innkeeper James Jackson after Ellsworth removed a Confederate flag from atop the Marshall House hotel. Jackson, in turn, was killed  by one of Ellsworth’s men. Both guns used in this widely publicized event are in the Armed Forces History collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center. Images of Ellsworth, Jackson and the weapons can be seen on CivilWar@Smithsonian, a Web site dedicated to examining the Civil War through images and objects in the collections of the Smithsonian. Its holdings include portraits of Civil War leaders, stamps, uniforms, letters and a wealth of other items related to soldiering, weapons, navies, and slavery and abolition. A timeline and resource list enhance this informative site.
—www.civilwar.si.edu/home.html

Art podcasts. Wish you could attend the series of fascinating artists’ talks held regularly at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden? Want to know more about an artwork you’ve seen or heard about? The Hirshhorn is now offering on its Internet home page free podcast downloads of interviews with artists whose works are featured at the museum. Hirshhorn podcasts will play on any digital music player or computer. Listen to conversations with artists and lectures about works on view or take audio walk-throughs of the Hirshhorn for a deeper understanding of the art and artists of our time. Podcasts currently available include “Sugimoto’s Vision,” a lecture by renowned art historian Michael Fried about the “new” art photography of Hiroshi Sugimoto, and a video podcast of the creation of “Zobop,” a new floor installation by Jim Lambie.
—www.hirshhorn.si.edu/programs/podcast.html