Browsing All Posts filed under »historical memory«

Who was free black Isaac Dunn?

May 8, 2013 by

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There are certain things that sit there… in my mind… unanswered in my quest to understand better my ancestors and the people around them… and this is one of them. He appears but once, as far as I can tell, in the census records. Isaac Dunn was listed, on September 6, 1860, as residing with […]

Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Civil War

April 11, 2013 by

2

While the recent Brad Paisley/L.L. Cool J song raises a fuss in several corridors, I feel it’s being blown out of proportion. I’ve already commented in posts by Kevin Levin and Richard Williams, regarding some of my thoughts. For some reason (probably because of Richard’s remark regarding Nashville), it also made me reflect on a song with which […]

Easter then is not Easter today

March 31, 2013 by

7

I spent a little time going through both the Spirit of Jefferson and the Virginia Free Press and Farmer’s Repository looking for what might be found regarding Easter in the mid-19th century lower Valley. I didn’t go through all of the papers, but did hit about a dozen years between 1842 and 1858, looking at the […]

An evening with “Bud” Robertson, part 1

March 29, 2013 by

21

As I mentioned in my hasty post from just over 12 hours ago, I had the opportunity last night, to listen to Dr. James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jr., at the Hagerstown CWRT. In that distinctive south-central Piedmont Virginia accent, he engaged the audience with quick glimpses of stories from his latest work, The Untold Civil War. His objectives […]

Don’t ignore that which is contrary…

March 25, 2013 by

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It’s interesting… the more I dig (historical research), the more I find examples to the contrary. “To the contrary of what?”… one might ask. Is it… the “norm”… whether that be a long-standing norm, or one that is acceptable at a particular time (trending)? There are times in which I hear arguments made, yet know […]

Another perspective on Emancipation Day

January 1, 2013 by

10

It didn’t dawn on me until I read a post on Facebook… Yes, I know it’s the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and I’ve been keenly aware of that since midnight. Some see the document and its reach as meaningless, but those who do so seem to look at it more from the surface… […]

A larger project in the works

October 25, 2012 by

5

Obviously, I’ve not been writing a great deal over the past few weeks. For one, I’ve been struggling with a bout of writer’s block. On top of that I’m battling with content… what I want to put in a blog, and what I want to put in a book. Yup, a book is in the […]

What’s in the bag?

September 28, 2012 by

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Things… … inanimate things. But, it’s not things in general that I’m considering here. No. Rather, it’s things having been bought, that we walk away with when leaving historical places… and… it’s historical things that we can buy. What is the purpose of these things? As I grow older, I see them differently than I once […]

Our National Parks

August 20, 2012 by

7

A story hit today that is painful to read… the National Park Service is set to get the ax once again. Now, this really isn’t a surprise, because many have seen the writing on the wall for quite some time, but to see it in print is a painful reminder. The strange part of this […]

Prewar Harpers Ferry in art… and some thoughts

August 7, 2012 by

5

A little something different this evening… While I have my fair share of Troiani battle scenes on my walls, I’m finding myself more drawn to pre-Civil War art these days. It might be that the bigger draw is the humanity… that calm in years before the storm. Sure, they had their own problems, even in […]

Von Steinwehr comes to Luray

July 26, 2012 by

6

Still present in the Shenandoah Valley, Union forces (I can’t help but keep bringing up that Jackson had not cleared the Valley with the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic) made their presence all-the-more known 150 years ago, over the next few weeks. On July 21, a force (brigade strength) probed toward Luray, and, by […]

What manner of tolerance? – Southern citizens vs. soldiers… blue AND gray

July 10, 2012 by

0

There’s something that really strikes me when looking at Southern Claims Commission applications, and that is… how much one can take, and still adhere to the sentiments held prior to situations that can try one’s level of tolerance. Just as an example, among Southern Unionists… they are loyal (or profess to be so, after the fact, when applying for […]

O.K., strike Washington-Lincoln Day… what about JUST “Lincoln Day” in Virginia?

January 29, 2012 by

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I really didn’t want this to go to a point-counterpoint discussion (as there is a growing number of blogs bringing this to our attention; most recently, Brooks Simpson’s “Battlin’ Bloggers” post), but I’ve got some additional thoughts. Yes, last week, I expressed my thoughts that I like the idea (and that hasn’t changed) of recognizing […]

Confederates, Southern Unionists, and… The Waltons?!

October 23, 2011 by

6

To be clear… I’ve always been a fan of the Waltons… though I prefer the first three seasons over the rest. Not only was it based largely on the writings of a Virginian, but also focused on a fictional Virginia family under the shadow of the Blue Ridge (albeit, on the eastern side). I still […]

What historical period dominates the (interpretive) landscape, and which are sorely absent?

October 15, 2011 by

13

As I drive nearly the entire stretch of the Shenandoah Valley (excepting the West Virginia counties of Berkeley and Jefferson), at least four days a week, I pass various sites of interests. Few, actually, are marked with any indication of their stories… though I’m aware of the stories for most of them. I suspect many […]

Columbus Day… reconsidered…

October 10, 2011 by

5

While I’m grateful to have the day off, I really have to wonder when Columbus Day will become passe. I mean, after all, look at 1) why Columbus Day was started in the first place, and 2) what we’ve discovered in historical research that may question why we celebrate the day at all. I know […]

The South and her contributions to the US military since the American Civil War

October 9, 2011 by

5

I have no doubt that the South has, through the years since the American Civil War, contributed significant numbers to the ranks of the US military… and has much to be proud of, for her contributions. But, when it comes down to a break-down of numbers… has the South contributed more than the geographic area […]

Trainmen…

September 12, 2011 by

10

This past week, my grandfather, a “trainman” of, apparently, 25 (give or take) years, would have been 108… and it got me to thinking how incredibly cool it is that the railroad has played into my family history, since, perhaps, as early as the late 1860s.  I know, I know, I’m jumping the track (hey, […]

Off the “warpath”, and on the river

July 17, 2011 by

2

This morning being the way it is today (almost early September-like), I find my mind in other places than working toward the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run, or focusing on some aspect of war, whether that be the Civil War or the First World War. Rather, I’m in the mindset, today, of the Valley before […]

All is not as it may first appear… the poetess and her work

May 1, 2011 by

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Cornelia Jane Mathews Jordan is an excellent example of one of the many paths that sprung forth from basic Southern Unionism. While one piece of her work reflects a strong affection to the Union and the flag, her opinions were not concrete, and were greatly influenced by her affiliations and the situations that she encountered, during the course of the war. ...[ Read more...]

The Long Shadow of Lee Reaches… the Navy?

April 24, 2011 by

4

At yesterday’s Civil War at Sea Symposium, our host called the audience’s attention to this recruiting poster: So Robert, you’re the naval expert here…. what’s up with this? It is a World War II era recruiting poster.  Our host pointed out the poster lacks any official US government attributes or stamps, normally seen on Navy […]

Reflections and parallels

April 2, 2011 by

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As I sat down to enjoy my morning coffee, I began thinking, again, of what I’ve been thinking about all week. With each anti-secession post, I can’t help but reflect on my third great-grandfather, John Shuler (who, incidentally, was the same age, in 1861, as I am now… just a casual observation… no more) who, […]

Tracing President Lincoln’s Thoughts on Slavery

March 29, 2011 by

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I meant to post this last month, but just now getting around to it. Eric Foner on Lincoln and slavery… to include abolition, emancipation, colonization, & etc. Very worthwhile stuff when considering some of the discussions within the blogosphere in the last few months. From NPR… http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=133372512&m=133783285&t=audio *Especially interesting when we consider those who try […]

Were Virginia’s Confederate Reserves a smokescreen of deception?

March 23, 2011 by

2

I’m really jumping the gun here, because I should be holding this story in reserve (sure, why not… pun intended) until 2014… marking the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Virginia’s Confederate reserve units. Still, I brought it up the other day (in “WYSIWYG Confederates?”) , so I figured that I would pick-up from where […]

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