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As a Southerner and native of the Shenandoah Valley, I offer reflections on the Civil War-era South… and sometimes a little more. But… expect the unexpected
Browsing All Posts filed under »Visualizing History«
The horrors of war, the media, and our detachment
I follow a Facebook page called We Are the Mighty (a page geared toward veterans and military members) and this morning, an article appeared there which gave me reason to pause a little longer than normal. Titled “24 photos that show the honor and loyalty of the Marine Corps” (I would provide the link but it keeps […]
The Haunted House that wasn’t – Richmond Dispatch staff and their own “In Search Of” (1852)
October 4, 2016 by Robert Moore
Why not? It’s October, after all… I’m not quite sure if both James A. Corwardin (Proprietor of the Daily Dispatch) and Hugh R. Pleasants (Editor) took part, but, in September 1852, some of the staff (apparently) of the Daily Dispatch decided to visit a haunted house in Richmond, and report their findings (in the issue […]
On Thomas Nast’s 176th Birthday
September 27, 2016 by Robert Moore
It’s his art and the way he could say so much in it, with so few words. That’s why I take time to remember Thomas Nast on his 176th birthday… and the fact that Facebook reminded me that, for whatever reason that compelled me at the time, I paid tribute to him on his birthday, back in […]
“I’ve got through crying long ago” – a refugee from the Shenandoah
September 13, 2016 by Robert Moore
A few months ago, I came across an old sketch on Ebay showing a woman and her children above the title “Flight from the Shenandoah Valley”. Wanting to know the source, I found it in the Pictorial Book of Anecdotes and Incidents of the War of the Rebellion, by Richard Miller Devens (1824-1900). While there […]
Cdr. S.W. LeCompte, Sir Walter Scott, and a sailor’s book
March 19, 2016 by Robert Moore
As I’ve demonstrated several times before in other posts… finding a rare book is great, but finding the story of the original owner of the rare book is even better. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to land a first edition (American) copy of Sir Walter Scott’s Lady of the Lake. Published by T.B. […]
Wars… and wishing those buildings could talk
March 12, 2016 by Robert Moore
Seeing a Facebook friend’s post, today, of all that remained of an ancestral home… a hearth and chimney… I felt compelled to post one of my own. While I can’t say for sure if it is the remains of an “ancestral” homestead, it is located in Nicholson Hollow. If not an ancestral homestead, it’s likely a place […]
The future of historical content delivery?
January 25, 2016 by Robert Moore
Since I’ve officially (as of Thursday night) launched on my next great adventure in academia, as a PhD student in Writing and Rhetoric, I’ve decided it might be a good idea to begin a spin-off blog. Even if you don’t necessarily “geek out” over “writing as process”, rhetoric, Augmented Reality, or all that stuff… you […]
Back to college… at 50?
December 5, 2015 by Robert Moore
As I mentioned earlier this fall, back in September I enrolled in a college course to test the waters to see if the time (mostly, if I had the time) was right to take the plunge back into academia. Though I only made my way through one course (finishing up this week), I did find […]
Where ya been, and where ya goin’?
September 26, 2015 by Robert Moore
As the last two years have shown, it isn’t unusual for this blog to go silent for a while, but the most recent round of silence came rather unexpectedly in mid-August. For the past month and a half I’ve dealt with a serious health issue in the family, a major veterinary issue (ongoing), returned to […]
Civil War Monuments and the beauty of their flexibility in interpretation
July 15, 2015 by Robert Moore
There’s been lots discussed lately about the need to keep Civil War monuments standing, and I wholeheartedly agree. Despite what some say, they should not come down. They serve a purpose, and there are unique qualities in each… not only from an art perspective, but also for the fact that some provide interpretation (or make […]
The Confederate Flag… what some people seem to fail to realize
July 13, 2015 by Robert Moore
I’m going to go off topic for just a bit… Still sitting back, watching all that’s taking place… Anyway, I drove down a long country back road in the Shenandoah Valley yesterday. It’s not unusual to see an occasional Confederate flag… not at all. Before mid-June, you’d zip past it in a car and might not […]
Consider, for example, an unwelcome army on your doorstep…
July 2, 2015 by Robert Moore
Think about it. When was the last time your government threatened to deploy the military of your government to your neck of the woods. Of course, I’m not talking about a simple military exercise, but a full-blown deployment set on silencing what appeared to be… for better or worse, whether you were in agreement with it […]
A walk at “Tuleyries”
December 28, 2014 by Robert Moore
Earlier today, circumstances were such that I had an opportunity to catch a glimpse at a sunrise. Granted, it was overcast, but watching the dawning of a new day can still be pleasant enough. My destination… the Virginia Arboretum (aka, Blandy Experimental Farm). Why? For one, it’s free… and open, literally, from dawn to dusk. […]
Reflections on D-Day’s 70th
June 6, 2014 by Robert Moore
I recall, years ago, asking my grandfather to document his WW2 service in the Navy, and one of the things that stuck out… not only to myself, but clearly to him… was where he was on June 6, 1944. Though he wasn’t off the coast of Normandy, he was on a convoy in the Red […]
Tracking down those whose eyes glimpsed the pages of my SLMs
January 21, 2014 by Robert Moore
It’s a good, casual, snowy day topic… and actually, I’ve been giving it some thought for a couple of days. Since late last summer, I’ve been collecting (among other literary journals from the early 19th century) copies of the Southern Literary Messenger. I’m not one of those “no price is too high” kinda guys, but […]
Some shots from yesterday’s Loudoun Heights Sesqui Event
January 12, 2014 by Robert Moore
I greatly enjoyed the chance, yesterday, to be part of the Loudoun Heights 150th commemorative event. It was nice to speak about my perspective, as a relative of two of Cole’s men… and I was glad to share the experience with one other descendant (friend, Mark Dudrow) of one of Cole’s men (Abraham Dern), who […]
Waiting for picket duty… Loudoun Heights
January 9, 2014 by Robert Moore
Today, I’m thinking about seven troopers from Co. B, of Major Henry Cole’s 1st Potomac Home Brigade (Maryland) Cavalry… James Draper Moore, Walter Scott Myers, John Newcomber, Isaiah Nicewander, Abraham L. Sossey, George W. Weaver, and David Hamilton Wolf. Six of these men were waiting to go on picket duty, on this day, 150 year […]
A manifestation of Scott’s reflections, in the Valley
September 4, 2013 by Robert Moore
I need to jump off this line of discussion about Sir Walter Scott in order to get to other topics pertaining to life in the early to mid 19th century Shenandoah Valley, but, I need to offer this post, and perhaps one other piece first. There’s a good deal about Scott’s influence on the 19th […]
Rolling the clock back just a little further
July 12, 2013 by Robert Moore
Alright, let’s depart the Sesqui train just for a bit. Forget “150 years ago” for the moment. Let’s think something more along the lines of… 212 years. Let’s even be specific… November 10, 1801. So far, this year (1801), John Marshall was appointed US chief justice; the electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr […]
White House Farm and the death of Capt. Summers
July 7, 2013 by Robert Moore
Just the other day, I was driving in search of a location which has significance in relation to the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. I found it, and then (being who I am) ventured… or strayed… along the old Charles Town Pike, toward Summit Point and Charles Town. I think my curiosity proved rewarding, as I […]
The future of Civil War history… yet another angle
April 24, 2013 by Robert Moore
Harry’s doing some interesting stuff over in his blog. If you haven’t seen it already, there are two polls… here, and here. Chime-in if you haven’t already done so. Now, that said… I’ve had something on my mind for several weeks. I keep meaning to write something about it, but I’m not quite sure how […]
Unionism: Stacking the Valley against the rest of Virginia
March 4, 2013 by Robert Moore
The following is the result of tallying raw figures (for the entire Commonwealth of Virginia) from Fold3. I simply added the total number of claims that appear in their approved & barred/disallowed categories for Virginia and West Virginia. Sixty-three Virginia counties and nine West Virginia counties are represented in the approved claims. Meanwhile, all ninety-five […]
Visualizing the Valley’s Unionism
February 20, 2013 by Robert Moore
With an interest in seeing Southern Unionism from a different perspective, I’ve been tinkering with data a bit. The following pie charts are just some examples of the ways in which I’m reviewing some of the data I’ve compiled. Each illustrates the different levels of completeness for the various counties of the Shenandoah Valley. Comparing […]
The future of Civil War history entails ___ (fill-in the blank)
January 14, 2013 by Robert Moore
History is an interesting field. There are a wide variety of practitioners, some on the “inside”, some on the “outside”, and some, to some degree, with one foot in both (some overlapping occasionally, and some on a regular basis). But, the inside/outside thing is a matter of perspective. People work in certain circles, and from within […]
Jackson’s gone
December 6, 2012 by Robert Moore
Some might expect to see this title this coming May. Others might get what I’m saying, realizing that I’m referring to Jackson leaving the Valley, 150 years ago last month. As things were I just wasn’t able to post within the Sesqui envelope, in conjunction with the actual dates… but it was on my mind […]
What’s in the bag?
September 28, 2012 by Robert Moore
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 […]
Nobody really cares (NOT!): Sesqui 150, “Live” @ Antietam
September 17, 2012 by Robert Moore
On my drive toward Antietam this morning, I wondered how many would actually be there (here) so early in the morning. Upon closing-in on the park entrance, I noticed the increased traffic. Making the left turn and rounding the corner… the Visitor’s Center parking lot was closed… already full. I continued past the Dunker Church […]
Hurrah, for Thomas Walter! A Sesqui reflection.
September 15, 2012 by Robert Moore
I had hoped to have this posted on the anniversary of the event, but six days later… can’t be too bad with a “live” blog post from the actual site! So… 150 years ago, six days ago… Thomas Walter saved what is one of the most attractive features of the old C&O Canal… the Monocacy […]
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