This Mighty Scourge

It seems every state that was a stakeholder in the Civil War has made announcements regarding sesquicentennial activities.  Wisconsin is taking it seriously.  They have appointed historian and author, Lance Herdegen, as chairman of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission.  Herdegen authored the widely acclaimed book, “Those Damned Black Hats: The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign.”  As an avid student of the Iron Brigade, I thoroughly enjoyed his book which was published by Savas Beatie, LLC in September 2008.  Congratulations to Lance – I’m sure he will make Wisconsin proud.  You can read Savas Beatie’s press release by clicking on the following link.

Savas Beatie Author Named Chairman of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission

Mark Davies recently emailed me about a list of top books on war that he has compiled.  He has included books on Gettysburg and the Civil War.  There were a couple of surprises on the list, but for most part they are all top-notch.  Check out his list: 100 Best Books on War.

Savas Beatie, LLC has released a new video trailer on Charlie Knight’s recently released book, “Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market and the Opening of the Shenandoah Campaign, May 1864.”  To watch the video click on the following link.

Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market -video trailer

I interviewed Charlie in May.  To listen to the interview, and read my review on “Valley Thunder,” click on the following link.

Mike’s interview with Charlie Knight

If you have not purchased this book, I highly recommend it.  It is one of the best battle narratives recently released.

Today, the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission held a hearing on the proposed casino in Gettysburg.  The fight is definitely not over and the Civil War Preservation Trust needs your support to fight this abomination.  There is no reason to build this casino adjacent to one of the most hallowed pieces of ground in the United States.  There are several other cities competing to have this casino – let it go anywhere but Gettysburg.

The following linked video, “Our Gettysburg Legacy,” was played during today’s hearing.  Many famous celebrities volunteered their time to make the video.  Please click on the link and watch the video.  If you are able to donate to the Civil War Preservation Trust for this campaign, click HERE.  United, we can win – Divided we WILL lose.  God Bless the USA.

“Our Gettysburg Legacy” featuring Ken Burns, Matthew Broderick, Sam Waterston, Stephen Lang, David McCullough and others.

Amazing!  What were they thinking?  The Gettysburg Battlefield Protection Association has come out in favor of the the proposed Mason-Dixon Resort casino.  This is without a doubt the craziest position a battlefield protection group could take.  Check out Eric Wittenberg’s recent post on this news item – then go to the Civil War Preservation Trust and donate some money to help fight the proposed casino.

Eric’s Article: The GBPA Sells Its Soul to the Devil

“Suddenly a great bank of white smoke pushes upward from behind the wall. Another and another – a dozen roll up before the thunder of the explosions and the humming of the missiles themselves come bounding through clouds of dust into our covert, knocking over here and there a man and causing a temporary distraction, a passing thought of self.” (i)

~Ambrose Bierce describing the start of an artillery engagement ~

(i) Bierce, Ambrose, Shadows of Blue & Gray: The Civil War Writings of Ambrose Bierce, published in 2002 by Forge, Pg. 74.

Today marks the start of the Battle of Second Manassas.  Fought on the same ground as the opening battle of the Civil War, thirteen months earlier, Second Manassas was a sanguinary battle.  To read more about the battle check out the article I wrote last year:

Battle of Second Manassas – The Fields Again Turn Red

The United States Military Academy at West Point is steeped in tradition.  Originally established as headquarters for General George Washington in 1779 it was quickly recognized as a strategic position for the Colonial Army as it provided a commanding view of the Hudson River.  Fortress West Point would never be captured by the British.

As the oldest continuously occupied military post in America, West Point has seen its share of famous officers walk its halls.  President Thomas Jefferson would sign legislation in 1802 establishing the United States Military Academy.  Many of the most able general officers of the Civil War would graduate from the academy including Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Thomas J. Jackson and William T. Sherman.

Often referred to as Post Cemetery, West Point Cemetery graces the Hudson River Highlands.  Beautiful views of the Hudson River can be seen from the rolling grounds.  Established in 1817, West Point Cemetery is the final resting place for over 8,000 soldiers and family members.  Within the confines of the cemetery are soldiers from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War and both World Wars.

I had the opportunity to visit West Point Cemetery several weeks ago.  For someone with an interest in Civil War U.S. Army officers a visit to this cemetery is amazing.  Many of the Civil War officers are buried in Section 26.  The graves are nearly on top of each other with John Buford and George Sykes buried within feet of each other.  The weather for my visit was a beautiful, but incredibly hot.  With an intense sunshine back-lighting much of the cemetery, it was a challenge for me to get quality pictures.  I wished I had brought my stronger flash as I could have used flash fill to improve some of the shots.  To view my photo essay on West Point Cemetery click on the following link:

Mike’s West Point Cemetery Photo Essay at Flickr

OK.  I admit it.  I am always enthralled by a conspiracy theory.  I am also a Stonewall Jackson student four generations removed from one of the most venerated of  Confederate commanders.  I recently came upon the linked article about Jackson’s famous missing arm and was immediately intrigued by the possibility that I might learn the location of this most famous “arm without a body.”  I will not give you the details of the articles, but encourage you to read more.

Trail and tale of Jackson’s Arm, Part 3: apologies to conspiracy theorists

In conjunction with Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday many books were published on our sixteenth United States President.  In January 2009, Random House released one of the best books of the busy year, “A. Lincoln: A Biography.”  Written by renowned Lincoln historian, Ronald C. White, Jr., it would become the flagship of the many Lincoln works published during his bicentennial.  I purchased this book the day it was released.  Unfortunately, with so many other books in my review queue, I did not read “A. Lincoln” until recently.  I regret this decision as it is one of the best single volume biographies I have read on Abraham Lincoln – worthy to be mentioned alongside David Herbert Donald’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography, “Lincoln.”  Prior to writing “A. Lincoln,” White published “The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words” which is to this date one of my favorite books on the subject.

In speaking with Mr. White, I learned that he wanted to write a book that focused much attention on the young Lincoln.  Lincoln, growing up on the western frontier, would not have it easy.  With little formal education he would become the epitome of a “self made” man, proving that a person can do anything he sets his mind to.  During the first three chapters, White develops Lincoln and leads the reader through his formative years which would inevitably shape him into the man he became: frontiersman, inventor, lawyer, husband, father and the President of the United States.

Later, in chapters four through nine, White details Lincoln’s entrance into politics, his election to the Illinois State Legislature and his single term as a United States Representative.  Additionally, the author provides a great deal of insight into Lincoln’s rise as a rural attorney.  It is fascinating to read about Lincoln’s travels of the huge Eighth Judicial Circuit where he would argue cases in front of judges, juries and attorneys, many of which would have a prominent role in his future successes.

Any analysis of Lincoln’s life would not be complete without a thorough understanding of Lincoln’s time in Springfield, Illinois.  The author provides a thorough analysis of this period of time in chapters ten and eleven.  While he was no longer serving as an elected legislator, Lincoln would continue to campaign for the Republican Party, make speeches on various issues and grow his law practice.  While in Springfield, Lincoln would meet Mary Todd.  Todd, from a wealthy slave owning family in Kentucky, was very different from Lincoln, the self educated “rail-splitter.”  The two would present quite a dichotomy but would ultimately marry after a short lived breakup.  White explores their relationship and the impact Mary had on Lincoln in both private and public life.

Lincoln would once again enter the national scene after two events shook the Republican Party: the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the March 1857 Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott case.  In chapters eleven to thirteen White highlights Lincoln’s return to the national stage and his two failed attempts to win a Senate seat.  White provides a portrait of Lincoln attempting to understand the changing national events and how they impacted the freedom provided by the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  Running for the Senate in 1856, Lincoln passionately spoke to the people about the ramifications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and how it nullified the Missouri Compromise - essentially making slavery legal in any state that voters decided to allow it.  While not an abolitionist, Lincoln was in favor of restricting the expansion of slavery into any of the western territories seeking statehood, a position he believed would lead to its ultimate extinction.  The author provides an adroit analysis of the Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 and how they increased his stature in national politics.

Chapters fourteen through sixteen cover Lincoln’s decision to run for President, his able handling of his network of supporters, winning the Republican nomination and managing the campaign for his election.  While Lincoln followed the long held tradition of not campaigning for himself, he expertly pulled the levers behind the scenes.  He would be elected President on November 6, 1860, in a hotly contested four way race.  White details Lincoln’s inauguration, including his First Inaugural Address, in chapter seventeen.  His story telling is superb as he walks the reader through the tough times Lincoln encountered as he prepared to be inaugurated.  Continuing his tradition of “dissecting” Lincoln’s words, established in “The Eloquent President,” the author provides the reader with an enlightened understanding of the process Lincoln used when writing speeches.  I found this to be extremely interesting as I continue to increase my understanding of Lincoln.

White writes of Lincoln as Commander-In-Chief in chapter eighteen.  As you follow the author, you learn how Lincoln became more engaged in managing the Federal forces and how he handled his generals.  He continues to tell the story of Lincoln managing the Civil War in chapters nineteen and twenty detailing how Lincoln handled the terrible losses his Federal forces would sustain – especially in the Eastern Theater.  With fortunes turning against the fight for “Union,” Lincoln prepared what he called a “war measure” – the Emancipation Proclamation.  White details Lincoln’s struggles with this single act in chapter nineteen.

Chapters twenty to twenty-three continue to analyze Lincoln’s managing of the war effort and his enemies in the “front and rear.”  White provides a significant amount of detail in discussing the political climate that existed during Lincoln’s first term – a climate that would provide the “enemies in his rear” – the Radical Republicans and the Copperhead Democrats – plenty of ammunition.  By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation he upset the Radical Republicans, as the measure did not go far enough, and gave the Copperheads additional reasons to criticize him as his war aim had changed from saving the Union to freeing the slaves.

In the concluding chapters, twenty-four to twenty-six, White covers the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s reelection, the Second Inaugural Address and Lincoln’s assassination.  White is at his best when he analyzes Lincoln’s speeches.  Here he analyzes his Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural.  As the author suggests, both of these speeches demonstrate Lincoln’s changing position on God and the Almighty’s control over events in the United States – especially His will that the war continue.  The Second Inaugural is perhaps Lincoln’s best speech.  With the Civil War winding down he uses it as a platform to speak to the people about healing and reuniting as one country.  The author considers this Lincoln’s best speech and he makes a wonderful case for that in dissecting Lincoln’s words.  White finishes his book with a stirring narrative on Lincoln’s assassination and how it martyred him, grieved the people and negatively impacted Reconstruction.

I recommend “A. Lincoln: A Biography” to all of my readers and listeners.  It is well researched, meticulously written and enjoyable to read.  Whether you are a Lincoln expert, or casual reader, I’m sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

I had the opportunity to interview Mr. White on August 11, 2010.  The following interview provides a revealing glimpse into the author’s research methodology and a historian’s understanding of his favorite subject: Abraham Lincoln.  The interview is separated into smaller parts so you can listen to it at your leisure.  Enjoy!

Details about “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
Written by: Ronald C. White, Jr.
Paperback: 816 pages
Publisher: Random House
Date of First Edition: May 4, 2010
ISBN-10: 0812975707

Ronald C. White, Jr. Interview – 14 Parts
“A. Lincoln: A Biography”
Interview Date: August 11, 2010
Total Time: 1 hour 29 minutes 55 seconds

Part 1:

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Time: 6:33
Contents: Welcome and introductions | About Ron and his interest in Abraham Lincoln | Why write about Abraham Lincoln? | Ron’s focus on the “young” Abraham Lincoln | New material used in “A. Lincoln: A Biography”

Part 2:

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Time: 5:17
Contents: Ron’s research methodology and the difficulties encountered when researching “A. Lincoln” | The Lincoln collection at the Huntington Library | Traveling Indiana and Illinois to “walk in Lincoln’s footsteps”

Part 3:

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Time: 6:23
Contents: A discussion on Lincoln’s early life in Kentucky and Indiana | Lincoln’s formative years and the losses of the women in his life | Lincoln’s life in New Salem, Illinois | Coming of age and Lincoln’s election to the Illinois legislature

Part 4:

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Time: 5:20
Contents: A discussion on Lincoln’s lack of formal education | Lincoln as a self made man | Lincoln hones his speaking skills | Learning through memorization | A discussion on teaching history in the 21^st century

Part 5:

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Time: 5:51
Contents: Lincoln’s accomplishments in the Illinois legislature and as a lawyer | Lincoln’s capacity to put himself in the “shoes of other people” | Lincoln’s relationship with Mary Todd

Part 6:

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Time: 7:48
Contents: A discussion on Lincoln’s single term in the U.S. House of Representatives and his “Spot Resolutions” | Lincoln returns to Springfield believing he is finished with elected office | Lincoln returns to his law firm but continues to follow politics | The Kansas-Nebraska Act and Lincoln’s opposition to it | Lincoln’s evolving thoughts on the Declaration of Independence

Part 7:

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Time: 6:15
Contents: Lincoln takes on Douglas over the Kansas-Nebraska Act | A “tool” to rid the nation of its greatest evil | Lincoln’s 1854 Senate candidacy | The Dred Scott decision and Lincoln’s run for Stephen Douglas’ Senate seat | The Lincoln-Douglas debates and Lincoln’s rise in national stature

Part 8:

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Time: 4:39
Contents: A discussion on Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech | Lincoln as a leader in the new Republican Party | Lincoln uses research to craft his speeches

Part 9:

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Time: 8:02
Contents: Lincoln elected the sixteenth President of the United States | A discussion on Lincoln during the great Secession Winter | Lincoln remains removed from Washington City but continues to closely follow the events of the secession crisis | A discussion on Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

Part 10:

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Time: 8:02
Contents: Lincoln faces his first crisis with the need to resupply Fort Sumter | Lincoln takes charge of the situation | The fall of Fort Sumter | Did Lincoln believe his actions to resupply Fort Sumter would cause the Confederate government to attack first? | Lincoln’s hands-on approach to managing military matters | Lincoln takes responsibility for the defeat at First Bull Run and starts his search for a general that can win

Part 11:

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Time: 8:03
Contents: Lincoln challenges McClellan’s Urbanna Plan | Lincoln sustains his generals after defeats | A discussion on Lincoln’s executive management style dealing with his military commanders | Lincoln’s enemy in the rear: Radical Republicans and Copperhead Democrats | Lincoln’s necessary war measure: The Emancipation Proclamation

Part 12:

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Time: 7:56
Contents: Federal victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the changing fortunes of the Federal war efforts | A discussion on the Gettysburg Address | Lincoln’s changing views on God | Bloodshed during the summer of 1864 jeopardizes Lincoln’s reelection bid | A discussion on Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address – perhaps his best speech ever? | The role of God in the war and America’s sin: slavery

Part 13:

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Time: 6:02
Contents: The close of the Civil War and Lincoln’s desire to “let them down easy” | Lincoln’s assassination and his legacy | How did Lincoln’s death impact one of his primary second term priorities: reconstruction

Part 14:

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Time: 3:44
Contents: Future projects and books that Ron is working on | Wrap up and closing