This Week in Blogs is composed by News Editor Laurie Chambliss every week based on blog content as of that morning.

  "Army of Tennessee" needs to move downstairs to the regular list, but we are pressed for time this week and unable to do the fiddling required. A story about a cane owned by J. C. Breckinridge during his days in the US Senate, and its fate after it was left behind at the outbreak of the Rebellion, is recounted. Little Newt is mentioned in another letter home by his relative Newton Davis ("Big Newt") and his need for a new pair of pants is noted. Go. Read.

48th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry

Ranger Hoptak tackles the question of whether a historian--in particular one who is employed as a park ranger, presenting the story of a battle and a war on a daily basis to visitors--can be objective in the telling. Is it inevitable that one will "take sides" based on either one's place of origin, or emotional attachment to the cause being fought for or against? Will the listener perceive, for instance, a criticism of Gen. Lee's decisions on battle strategy as motivated by Yankee sympathies? It is an ongoing challenge, as is the attempt to keep one's home office clean and organized. A helpful message is found in a basket.

Abraham Lincoln Blog

 Geoff presents a picture of a new promotional device for Illinois tourism featuring the visage of the Great Emancipator, which will amuse some, offend others, and remind us all that even the best politicians are sometimes full of hot air. A note apologizes for the infrequent posting lately, caused by the oncoming of spring and resultant need for yard and garden work, attendance at sporting events, as well as an uptick in the computer-geek business. We are assured the slowdown is temporary and the blog will continue to march into the future.

Battlefield Wanderings

Nick continues through the exploration of the monuments of Shiloh, with focus this week on those of three states of the upper Midwest. The Michigan monument is located on the site of the low point suffered by men of that state, being the place at the edge of Cloud Field where the men of Ross' Battery were captured by the enemy. The Wisconsin monument is discussed and depicted with even more loving detail than usual, it being a subject Nick has studied carefully. The unique "stump monument" noting the burial place of a member of the 14th Wisconsin is depicted and its story told, along with a particular section of the National Cemetery which makes a memorial out of simple grave markers.

behind AotW (Antietam on the Web)

Brian has no new posts this week, so if you missed it you should catch up with the tale of "Horatio Gibson and the Flying Artillery."

Blood, Tears and Glory

James this week looks at how the Confederacy would have seen their prospects for survival at this time of year in 1862. On the one hand George McClellan was boasting of his "victory" on the Peninsula, but what really happened was that Gen. Johnston had withdrawn his forces from Yorktown without a fight. The road to Richmond would have to go through his army at some point. Out west Gen. Halleck might be moving slowly on Corinth but move he continued to do. Gen. Beauregard was going to have to make a decision soon, and he would take the same course as Johnston had. On a brighter note, a little known fellow named T. J. Jackson was having some success in the Shenandoah Valley. Battles could be lost on the edges but to lose the eastern breadbasket would be disaster.

Bull Runnings

Harry has an early report from his reading of General Lee’s Army: From Victory to Collapse from Joseph Glatthaar, and it is a classic of praising with faint damns. The pace of reading is "glacial," the footnote system annoying in style and difficult to analyze as to sources, and a report of Zoaves wearing red pants at Bull Run is insufficiently debunked. And this is all in the first four chapters. On the other hand he notes that it  contains a terrific amount of material on Lee and is entirely worth the effort. A letter from Patrick O'Rourke to his brother is published in full for perhaps the first time in history. This is based on a transcript and the location of the original is unknown, and it is not mentioned in the files at Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Civil War Books & Authors

Drew takes a long look at a short book, Gerald W. Thomas' Divided Allegiances: Bertie County during the Civil War. This micro-history looks at both the prewar and wartime experiences of a particular piece of North Carolina. Also explored is Le Roy Fitch: The Civil War Career of a Union River Gunboat Commander by Myron J. Smith, Jr. a look at one example of a still under-studied aspect of the war, the river fighting in the West; and Three Days in the Shenandoah: Stonewall Jackson at Front Royal and Winchester by Gary Ecelbarger. A wrapup of recent prizes and awards is also presented.

Charge! Civil War Wargaming & News

Scott has just one post this week, but it notes the publication and mailing of the latest issue of Charge! and the marking of the fifth anniversary of said publication. It is, he says, the most popular Civil War-only magazine currently in print. Details of the contents are given, including an interview with John Hill, winner of the Charles Roberts Award and author of the rules for the well known game "Johnny Reb."

Chronicles of the American Civil War

Mike's diarists seem almost equally grumpy despite being on opposite sides of the war. The Rebel War Clerk, who has been noting the increasing shortage of food in Richmond for months now, is horrified to hear that Gen. Butler has cut the Danville Road, the main rail line supplying said provisions to the city. He is also said to have captured a place called Beaver Dam and seized the bacon Gen. Lee had sent there for safekeeping. The thought that Gen. Lee could have perhaps made a mistake of this magnitude is nearly as disturbing as hunger. US Navy Secretary Welles on the other hand is contending with intrigue on all sides. The name of "H. Winter Davis" keeps popping up repeatedly on matters as separate as an irate book being written by a recently-sacked admiral and the sudden unavailability of a hall in which a large political meeting had been scheduled to be held.

Civil War Bookshelf

Dmitri casts an even-more-jaundiced-than-usual eye at the "roving museum" promoting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, IL. The tractor-trailer is visiting Colorado and the newspaper coverage of the event is explored, and museum director Rick Beard (who we must note was actually seen on TV last week, at least if one gets Chicago station WGN in one's cable package) is castigated. The second part of the interview with Russell Bonds discusses his latest book Stealing The General and how it has been received by train fans and Civil War enthusiasts, groups which do not appear to have much overlap, as well as his future plans. Gideon Welles, whose diary is a staple of Mike's "Chronicles" blog, makes a guest appearance here with quotes about various machinations and misdeeds of Lincoln's cabinet members. This suggests that "Team of Rivals" may be far more correct in the "Rivals" part than in the "Team".

CivilWarCavalry.com

Eric has a brief epilogue to his  "Things I Wish I Knew Then But Know Now" series on Civil War book writing, as well as a cross-post from writing partner JD's blog on the same topic. A planned trip to a conference at Little Big Horn is cancelled. The major announcement of the week is the commencement of a new website supporting and promoting the sale of the latest book by the two (actually three, although if Mike wanted to get mentioned more he should probably get a blog). One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 is the name, the publication date is in about two weeks, and further details can be found at the site.

Civil War History

Daniel notes only that he is compiling a list of updates to his Civil War links page, so if yours is not on his and you would like it to be, drop him a note to that effect. The post from last week on the impact music has on the viewer's experience of a Civil War movie is attracting an unusual number of comments, so you might want to check these out and perhaps leave one of your own.

Civil War Literature

Craig devotes most of the week's posts to a detailed look at the poem known as "The Picket Guard," and the song known as "All Quiet Along the Potomac." The first element explored, logically enough, is the question of who wrote the work. This is not as easily settled as one might think as there are two claimants, one a Northern woman and the other a Confederate officer. The claim of the latter is not enhanced by the fact that he also claimed at one point to have written the lyrics to "Maryland, My Maryland," still the official state song and quite provably written by James Ryder Randall. The song became popular in both North and South, albeit with minor revisions depending on section. Another poem is offered which reads almost like prose, the story of a girl who met John Wilkes Booth as a teenager and loved him for all of her life despite his misdeeds.

Civil War Medicine (& Writing)

Jim returns with several posts this week. He recounts his adventures with his first talk to a Civil War Round Table on the topic of, and in support of sales of, his latest book Lincoln's Labels. This leads to an example of another kind of "Lincoln Label," in this case the tendencies of companies to slap his name and picture on packages of products he never laid eyes on, since they were created long after his death. A tin of "tea" which claimed medicinal properties is the example here, doing double duty given Jim's interest in patent medicines. A commendation for good work is issued to fellow blogger Dmitri, for the Russell Bonds interview among other posts.

Civil War Memory

Kevin spends much time with William Mahone in this week's posts. First noted is a story about an attempt by a Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter to purchase the boyhood home of the Confederate general, which they hope to both preserve and use as a meeting place. A look is taken at some parts of his postwar political career with the almost-forgotten Readjuster Party, a body whose work Kevin is endeavoring to restore to public awareness. Mahone appears again as the subject of Kevin's first paper which was submitted to the "peer review" process, a harrowing experience which he recounts as his contribution to Eric's "Things I wish I knew then" columns. A patriotic cover, or postal envelope, is used to illustrate the conflict between Virginians of the tidewater and that portion today known as "West Virginia." Clicking on the envelope will expand it to enable easy reading of the caption to the illustration.

Civil War Navy, et al.,

Andrew spends some more time with the artillery reenactors, this time attending a class to obtain certification with the National Civil War Artillery Association. While he just completed a similar course of study to get National Park Service certification in the same subject, it seems the NPS and NCWA have slightly different procedures and rules for things. A long post explains why further posting this week may be light, since he is busy in Raleigh conducting the North Carolina History Bowl competition for students in the eighth grade. The preliminary contests are held at historic sites around the state, and the final competition is co-sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy at their headquarters.

CivilWarriors.net

Brooks gives us an Part II of his recent travel adventure, this one about the Boston leg of the excursion. The purpose, he thought, was to give a 10 minute talk on public perceptions of the Grant administration. This turned out not to be the case and a longer presentation had to be whipped up, under duress and the influence of illness blamed on the US Senate cafeteria. A question from the audience at the end enabled him to defend Grant against at least one of the misdeeds commonly blamed on him--the Credit Mobilier scandal if you want to google it--which not only took place during the Johnson administration but by members of Congress, not the executive branch. Mark brings us the schedule of some Civil War related webcasts taking place May 17 which are free and open to the public but require advance registration. He also presents an item about a TV show called "Antebellum Island Survivor" which should be read carefully and checked as to source.

Civil War Women

Maggie tells this week of Mary Morris Husband, a nurse who had the interesting sideline of providing legal services to her patients. The granddaughter of Robert Morris, Revolutionary War financier and Declaration of Independence signer, she was married to a wealthy Philadelphian and could easily have done nothing more than sit on the sidelines and cheer on the soldiers in a ladylike manner. Instead she plunged into nursing work at the very start of the war, as did both her sons who enlisted in the army. Indeed, she was with the forces on the Peninsula during what became known as the Seven Days battle, when men were dropping from malaria faster than from enemy bullets. Her younger son was among the sick and she struggled valiantly to save him along with the others. (He survived the illness.) After falling ill herself at Gettysburg she returned home to recuperate for a time, when she started a campaign to obtain pardons for young soldiers who had been sentenced by courts-martial to death for minor infractions. She compiled her defenses so thoroughly that after the first few, Lincoln essentially took her word for the rest of them. She then returned to nursing work for the remainder of the war. She was never paid a cent for any of her wartime labors.

Note: The blogs listed above this point were reviewed on Wednesday (May 14) and those below on Thursday (May 15) 

Crossed Sabers

Don has a nice Fiddler's Green post which reminds us that all horse soldiers get to go there after they die, not just officers and famous cavalrymen. Martin Armstrong's story is brought to us thanks to a reader who found his obituary in an obscure source and passed it along. He survived wounding and came back, survived capture and prison, but the privations of captivity weakened him enough that he was unable to fight off the typhoid fever that killed him after being exchanged. He was just a guy whose mom wanted him to become a preacher but who became a teacher instead. Another post continues to follow the 6th Cavalry through their activities of May 1862.

Draw the Sword

Jenny has a longer than usual post on the monument of the 143rd Pennsylvania, to tell the story of the figure depicted thereon. The regiment was among those who fought the Confederate advance on Gettysburg on Day 1 of the battle, and British observer Col. Fremantle recorded that during that retreat a Yankee color bearer had turned and shaken his fist at the advancing Confederates, after which gesture he was shot dead. The 143rd's color bearer Sgt. Benjamin Crippin, fit the description and his action is depicted on the monument. A longer piece on the 143rd is promised for next month. Other monuments noted this week include the 2nd NY Cavalry and the large memorial on East Cavalry Field known both as the Gregg Cavalry Shaft Monument and simply as the Cavalry Field Monument.

Hoofbeats and Cold Steel

JD brings news of the official launch of the website concerning the book "One Continuous Fight," a joint production of JD, Eric Wittenberg and Mike Nugent. As at Eric's blog above, links are provided. The post inspired by Eric's "Things I Know Now That I Wish I Knew Then" concerning lessons learned over time in the Civil War writing and publishing business covers the vital topic of criticism and coping with it. Distinctions are made among the various sorts of critics, from those who have honest disagreements on such things as sources or interpretations to those who are simply contrarians. He even gives a plug to his publisher's blog, which has a view of the subject from that point of view.

Lincoln Studies

Samuel didn't find grading final exams challenging enough, so he decided to redesign the whole "Lincoln Studies" site. There are some individual links that aren't done yet he says, but the overall look is quite clean and pleasant to look at. A number of posts center around a poem, Vachel Lindsay's "Lincoln Walks at Midnight," and various other works of art inspired by it. Also explored is the topic of Lincoln on stage and in movies, from the Raymond Massey portrayal in "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" to the upcoming Spielberg production of Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals."

Michigan Civil War Blog

Jack is finding an increasing number of mentions of Michigan and the Civil War in sources all over the place, and provides a list of recent stories with links. A long synopsis of an old movie called "Dark Command" notes both the lingering fame of many of the cast members and its connection to the Civil War, taking place as it does in the "Bleeding Kansas" era and having a (heavily fictionalized) William Quantrill (spelled  "Cantrell" in the movie)  as a lead character. A Round Table presentation on the mine tunnel which led to the Battle of the Crater notes the amazing engineering feat involved. A new book by actor Gene Hackman on a Civil War subject is now on the shelves. 

North Carolina and the Civil War

Michael has several more photos this week of the gravestones of a number of Confederate soldiers, from an assortment of regiments. He's been spending a lot of time in cemeteries lately as Confederate Memorial Day is observed on different days in different places, and he's been in attendance at quite a few of them. The earliest date noted here was May 8 and there are still more scheduled through the 18th. A call is put out for participants, particularly those who have cannon, will travel, at an event in Monroe NC to honor "Weary Cleburn." It is scheduled for July 18 and in addition to cannon, musicians and those with period attire available are implored to sign up. 

Of Battlefields and Bibliophiles

David continues the tale of the recent conference in Atlanta with many pictures of places where important events in the campaign and battle took place. Unfortunately the casual visitor might mistake these photos for pictures of gas stations, McMansions, traffic and other intrusions of modern life. By contrast it is noted that the field where the Battle of Hastings took place in the year 1066 is preserved and completely un-intruded-upon by anything that has gone on in the intervening 900-plus years. A private tour of the Southern Museum, focusing on the centerpiece of its collection the locomotive known as The General, sounds like it was one of those once in a lifetime dream events. A list of the most important elements of tours like this includes a good bus and good speakers, but at the top of the Must Do column is to provide good food.

 One Man's Rebellion Record

Rob having looked last week at "Five Books You Should Have" on the topic of the Lincoln assassination, he provides this week a look at the one book you Really Ought To Skip on the subject. Part of this is a somewhat reworked version of a review of the offending work he wrote back when he first read it, with the intention of explaining to a friend why he was so very angry about a book on such a long-ago event. Gresham's Law (not to be confused with Godwin's Law) is invoked to explain some of the anger, since any sales of a bad history book soaks up money that could be spent on other, worthier works. This is the longest post he's ever made to the blog, Rob says, but the greatest part of it requires hitting the "Read More" button.

Pinstripe Press Blog

Michael sends his final, or at least latest, revised version of the book on the Civil War churches of Fredericksburg to the NPS for, it is hoped, a nod of approval. Thanks are given to said NPS readers for earlier critical readings which resulted in a better final product. Eric and JD's musings on the challenges of the historical-writing trade are noted as well, with appreciation. The anniversary of the death of Stonewall Jackson is noted, and the use of Southern and Confederate stereotypes in political reporting is deplored. A recent bout of premature midlife crisis is dealt with by looking back on a lifetime of interest in the Civil War and battlefield visits reaching back to the age of six.

The Old Virginia Blog

Richard points us to a site he recommends for its coverage of a Civil War action called Hunter's Raid. Another post takes a long look at the town of Waynesboro, its participation in the Civil War, and its contribution to modern studies of the war insofar as it was Richard's home town. The town now supports the Waynesboro Historic Museum, pictured, and has worked to preserve other historic sites including the scene of the Battle of Waynesboro.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Mike is also continuing to pursue the topic of John Wilkes Booth, and this week posts a complete article (unlinked that we could see, alas) from an "Inquirer" which we suspect is the one in Philadelphia. The specific discussion is about the longstanding theory that Booth was not the man who died in the tobacco barn that day in 1865, but rather that he got away and lived a long and quiet life under one or more other names. There is now a small campaign in progress to try to settle the matter by comparing DNA with that of modern people who claim to be his decendants. DNA of Booth himself is held at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, and that of his brother Edwin Booth can be found at a New York actor's club called the Players.

My Year of Living Rangerously

Mannie spent much of last weekend in a state of fever and delirium, laid low if not quite yet in the grave by another of RhinoVirus Elementary's most famous products. He passes the non-blogging hours entertaining thoughts of how much fun a lesson in Funny Jokes To Play On Mom and Dad, and we hope that he has by now returned to his senses. Recent heavy rains have put Antietam Creek up to where it is threatening to come out of its bed and into those of local residents, as Owl once said to Pooh. Even the local serpent life has to take refuge under the rim of the edge of the bridge wall to get some relief, although they can't escape from Mannie's camera surveillance.

Teaching the Civil War With Technology

Jim manages to combine his special topic with that matter it's almost impossible to escape from today. Since everyone is wrapped up with the current presidential election campaign, he shows how the interest can be transferred to how such events were carried on in Lincoln's time. The link is to the website of Harpers magazine, which now offers online editions of its coverage of every election back to, you guessed it, 1860. Of particular interest are the political cartoons, some of which not only put the vitriol of today in proper perspective but offer artistic merit far beyond anything at all that our later degenerate times can produce.

 TOCWOC

Brett has a long Odds 'n' Ends piece covering a wide range of subjects, including a story of a man who was nearly killed engaging in a role-playing game called "Gettysburg." Help finding out which exact game this was is solicited, as the news article was incomplete in this detail. Fred Ray has an absolutely-must-read piece on the history of the community, usually town-based, militia organizations of the pre-Civil War years. These had been very active in the early years of white settlement as defense against Indian attacks. As this threat receded in the mid-century the miltias became social clubs in both North and South, only to return to more military emphasis after John Brown's Harpers Ferry raid caused public alarm. Many other posts here this week, all highly recommended.

 Touch the Elbow

Tom has a number of posts this week about a member of the 18th Massachusetts who keeps attracting the attention of people who should, by rights, have no interest whatever in this obscure soldier who died at Bull Run. Last year a reader wrote in saying he had just purchased some items once owned by William Manchester, the soldier in question. This week another letter comes in from another reader, who many years ago at the age of 14 happened to see his gravestone when cutting through the cemetery at Taunton, MA. Now in the National Guard and on duty at Arlington National Cemetery, he continues to find himself interested in the life of a man he knows only through his headstone. "Don's Law of the Dead" is cited, to note that "Sometimes we chase the dead, other times they chase us."

Wig-Wags

Rene provides a useful link to something called the "Fact Sheet: American Wars" which represents a fascinating collection of data gathered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The items listed include the last Civil War veteran to die, the last Confederate widow to die, and great slabs of other facts and statistics. The latest "Phrase of the Day" to be discussed in both history, execution and impact is the "Flying Column." As the saying has it, amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.

With Sword and Pen

Paul has a poll running this week, asking whether readers care in their own personal bookbuying whether the copy they are picking up is a first edition, in reasonable condition and affordable, or down to "doesn't matter at all." He is asked to provide a review for a recently released work called 1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See, a much-promoted new work by author Bruce Chadwick, and he obliges, and shows us the results. He offers an advance warning that he does not consider the word "review" to be synonymous with "hype" so this may be presumed to be the warts-and-all truth.