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Following-up on my passing mention of Rockingham County, Virginia’s delegates to the Virginia Secession Convention in this post the other day, I thought it might be of interest to readers to know a little more about one of those delegates. As the obituary from the New York Times indicates, John Francis Lewis was openly opposed […]
April 21, 2010 by Robert Moore
It just continues to get worse. As Kevin pointed out in a post yesterday, the S.C.V. camp in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County placed a proclamation in the Harrisonburg Daily New Record. Rockingham isn’t my home county, but I do have ancestry (including one third great grandfather in Co. A of the 58th Virginia Militia, and several cousins […]
April 17, 2010 by Robert Moore
“The War Between the States was fought for the same reasons that the tea party movement today is voicing their opinion. And that is that you have large government that’s not listening to the people, there’s going to be heavy taxation,” Fayard said Monday from his home in Duck Hill, Miss. “And the primary cause […]
April 16, 2010 by Craig Swain
I should have predicted this last week. As the debate over Governor McDonnell’s statement continues, someone would cite General Sherman’s March to the Sea or through the Carolinas out of context. And we have at least one from Mike Church: Yes, only “Confederates-took up arms against their fellow Americans.” Gee, what does that make the men of […]
April 14, 2010 by Robert Moore
Last night, when I was thinking about developing a post about how [many] Confederate celebrationists have essentially made things worse for themselves for not having acknowledged different historical facts in their efforts to “honor” the Confederate soldier, this was posted by Brooks Simpson. What a fine example of how these celebrationists have gone down the […]
April 13, 2010 by Robert Moore
While CNN and others challenge the idea of Virginia’s proclamation for Confederate History Month, I think it’s a fine time to point out that many in the media are doing an equal amount of injustice to history as those who want to take Confederate history down the “Moonlight and Magnolias” path. It’s really sad, but […]
April 11, 2010 by Robert Moore
Once again, while reading today’s post by Kevin, I’m compelled to write something longer than a comment to the post. Specifically, there was a comment at Richard Williams’ blog that was reflective of one contemporary person’s opinion of what April 9, 1865 meant to “all of us who love the South.” Well, to be frank, […]
April 7, 2010 by Robert Moore
In the wake of posting about the annual proclamation for Confederate History Month in Virginia yesterday, I have some additional thoughts. First, were Virginians in the Civil War era, by default, Confederates? Absolutely not. Were those who lived throughout the South at the time of the war, by default, Confederates? No. So, why do people […]
April 6, 2010 by Robert Moore
Keying off of both Kevin Levin’s and Brooks Simpson’s posts on Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proclamation (an annual proclamation from the Governor’s office for a number of years back) about Confederate History Month (this year’s is actually modified slightly from last year’s proclamation), I felt the need to toss in a few comments of my […]
April 1, 2010 by Robert Moore
It’s funny, but Civil War Memory is a double-edged sword. Being a Southerner, I’m used to the heavy dose of Lost Cause mythology, and several years ago, I finally came to the point where I could start to distinguish between myth and reality when it comes to the history of Southern Confederates in the war. […]
January 8, 2010 by Robert Moore
The deeper I get into the history of events in central and western Maryland, the more I am convinced that the “despot’s heel” argument really holds little weight. Not only is the state song out of date, it never really reflected the Civil War era opinion of the state as a whole. What prompted today’s […]
January 6, 2010 by Robert Moore
Yes, it’s still active. Until today, I haven’t posted anything in months, but reader activity has been on and off, and, when there are comments, the discussion has proven enjoyable. What I like most is hearing from those who are descended from Southern Unionists and “can handle the truth.” It’s really refreshing. True, I get […]
December 18, 2009 by Robert Moore
I’m somewhat embarrassed by it, but until late this past summer, I didn’t realize that Maryland took action to free slaves in the state… and yes, this happened before the end of the Civil War. I’ve been looking into this a bit more and mostly following the flow of thoughts and events through the wartime […]
September 30, 2009 by Robert Moore
Some are aware of my latest efforts in developing a unit history for Cole’s Cavalry, so I thought I’d occasionally share samplings of some findings. One of the things that strikes me about some of the Marylanders in the unit is the way that they considered themselves Southerners… and most really were since the majority of men […]
September 2, 2009 by Robert Moore
Joseph Richards was born in 1833 (the third of seven children) to Aquilla and “Millie” Keyser Richards. Aquilla was of Welsh descent (the family having entered Pennsylvania in the late 1600s/early 1700s), while Millie was of German and English ancestry. In the 1850 census, after the death of his father, Aquilla (ca. 1804-ca. 1849), Joseph, […]
August 31, 2009 by Robert Moore
July 1, 2009 by Robert Moore
Reading a comment in another blog today, I can’t help but lay-out the facts surrounding Virginia’s seizing of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in April 1861. The question is, was it really a “legal” action from the perspective of the (then) Virginia government? The fact of the matter is that the plans to seize the US Arsenal in […]
June 13, 2009 by Robert Moore
It’s rare, but certainly not impossible… there are times when the sentiments of a Civil War ancestor are clearly expressed in letters, diaries, and other wartime documents. For the most part, however, I’d argue that we rarely know the reasons for which our Confederate ancestors were serving. That’s why I find it rather bold of someone when they […]
June 9, 2009 by Robert Moore
Noting today’s post on Kevin’s blog about the recently raised Confederate flag (yes, another huge one) in Tennessee and a few comments made by H.K. Edgerton. I thought I’d bring up a point that appears to have been totally and completely ignored in Edgerton’s comment. He said… “This is a southern flag. You can’t attack this […]
May 21, 2009 by Robert Moore
I think there is something that is missed in all of these discussions about blacks in “service” roles with the Confederate army. Let me be more clear. We know there were some in the muster rolls of units, and to spare me the rants of those who completely fail to understand where I am coming […]
April 29, 2009 by Robert Moore
Some may recall that I mentioned Henry “Dad” Brown in Harry’s Bull Runnings Blog, but I cannot emphasize enough that Brown’s story is actually a reflection of but one element of the “many Souths,” and in fact, the many perspectives of Southern free blacks during the Civil War (again, a part of the reason why […]
April 20, 2009 by Robert Moore
I’m thinking through this, but let’s give something some thought… I wonder if looking at the war as a sectional crisis has presented a problem (especially in terms of “historical memory”) in not only defining the people within those sections but understanding just how complex the history of the war really is. The geographical borders laid […]
April 20, 2009 by Robert Moore
On Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to visit the American Civil War Center, and, as one who is in search of how Southern Unionists are represented in reflections of the Civil War, I began my walk-through anticipating what I might find. While an interesting and different way to present the history of the war […]
April 23, 2010 by Robert Moore
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