By the time you read this, you’ll know whether you ended up on Santa’s nice list or naughty list. If you scored a spot on the nice list, perhaps you’re reading some new Civil War books by your favorite authors or you’re appreciating a new-but-really-old relic someone left under your tree.
My Civil War gift came not from Kris Kringle but Meg Groeling, who could be Santa’s stand-in except she has purple hair and no beard. But she does have a big heart—as big as Santa’s—and every year she finds the most thoughtful gifts. This year, she sent me a lovely hand-crafted Christmas ornament: a four-inch-tall Stonewall Jackson figurine, complete with stern expression and piercing blue eyes, ready to brighten my Christmas tree. He’s in full dress uniform, with a shiny sword by his side (not rusted into its scabbard as it was at Cedar Mountain). And best of all, he has both arms.
“There stands Jackson like a Christmas ornament!” I told Meg when I called to thank her. What else could I say? She knows me! At a time when Jackson has come down from some prominent locations, he was going up on my Christmas tree. I could not have been more delighted.
Meanwhile for those of you who ended up on Santa’s naughty list, no doubt some of you might be looking for a recount or vowing to fight it all the way to the North Pole. My suggestion would be to make a donation to support battlefield preservation and then drop a hint to the elves. Hopefully the extra effort will greases the skids on Santa’s sleigh for you a little. No promises, but I know the preservation groups will thank you.
In all seriousness, though, I hope you had some fun over the holidays. These pandemic times have been tough on all of us, so the chance to find some levity is vital. I think that’s especially true, too, because we study a pretty grim subject. The war was no laughing matter. That’s all the more reason to be sure we stay in touch with our happiness and humanity.
On behalf of all us here are Emerging Civil War, I wish you all the best for a happy, safe, healthy, and successful New Year.
— Chris Mackowski, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Emerging Civil War
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Early Bird Symposium Tickets Available Through 12/31! |
You only have a few more days to secure the early bird rate on tickets for the Seventh Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium. Get your tickets now for $155, because starting January 1, 2021, the regular ticket price of $175 goes into effect. After COVID forced us to go virtual in 2020, many attendees opted to carry over their tickets to 2021, so ticket quantities are limited. Get yours today!
This year's symposium will be held August 6 - 8, 2021, and will focus on "Fallen Leaders." Our keynote speaker will be Gordon Rhea, and our Sunday tour, by Greg Mertz, will focus on the wounding of James Longstreet at the Battle of the Wilderness. Find out more info and order tickets here.
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Sarah Kay Bierle took a Sunday drive to Lexington, Virginia, earlier this month to see the changes on the parade field and leave some Christmas holly for the fallen cadets from the Battle of New Market. (see photo)
Bert Dunkerly and Doug Crenshaw look forward to the release of their Emerging Civil War Series book Embattled Capital, which is a guidebook to Civil War sites in and around Richmond. The book will included newly preserved battlefield land, an updated list of historic sites and museums, cemeteries, monuments (they're not all gone), prison and hospital sites, resources for research, and more.
Bert and Doug have also been using the cold winter days to get out and explore battlefields. With the foliage gone it is a great chance to find earthworks and study the terrain.
Doug has also finished the manuscript for a book (along with Drew Gruber) on the 1862 Peninsula Campaign for the Emerging Civil War Series, and he is hard at work on a non-ECWS study of the Confederate command during the Seven Days battles.
Dwight Hughes's essay "Riverine Warfare" has been published in the online Essential Civil War Curriculum of The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. The executive director termed it "excellent material on riverine warfare." You can read it here. The academic reviewer commented: “It's a very nicely written and well organized piece, and I especially liked the coverage of the challenges confronting the freshwater operations, as well as the early construction of gunboats.” Dwight is beginning work on a new ECW Series volume on this topic.
Frank Jastrzembski has a new column beginning in the January 2021 issue of America’s Civil War magazine called, “Final Bivouac.” The first installment kicked off in the January 2021 issue. The column will be featuring Civil War graves in the U.S. and abroad.
The latest issue of the Air Force Journal of Indo-Pacific Studies is out, featuring Chris Kolakowski’s case study on air transport in India-Burma 1944. You can read it here.
Civil War News printed a nice review of Maine At War, Vol. 1 by ECW friend Brian Swartz. Reviewer John Michael Priest called “this fascinating book” “easy to read. . . . As a researcher, this volume is packed with primary sources, making it a treasure trove of new material to explore.” Brian has a biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain coming out in the ECW Series in 2021.
The same issue of Civil War News also featured a positive review of Seceding from Secession: The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West Virginia co-authored by ECW alum Eric Wittenberg. Reviewer Wayne Wolf “highly recommended” the book “for its readability, inclusion of primary source documents, and relevance to contemporary America’s secessionist ideas that are still being proposed.”
On December 8, Cecily Nelson Zander published an Op-Ed in The Washington Post: “Trump’s threat to veto a key defense bill isn’t likely to work. Here’s why.” You can read that here. She also appeared on the Kenosha, WI, Civil War Museum’s Hardtack and Coffee chat talking about the Grand Review, available here.
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10 Questions . . . with Bert Dunkerly |
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Robert “Bert” Dunkerly is a historian at Richmond National Battlefield Park and author of a slew of books not only on the Civil War but the Revolutionary War, as well. You can read his full bio here.
As a public historian, what has been your biggest challenge in the age of COVID?
Like everyone, I miss interacting with the public: giving tours and doing informal talks, etc. Perhaps the thing I miss most are conferences, in-person training, and the networking and learning that occurs there—like the ECW Symposium.
What is a positive thing for your work that you’ve seen come out of the pandemic?
I've learned a lot of new technology! How to film videos, use equipment and software, etc. I think digital programming will be a permanent fixture at my park, and others, long after we go back to normal.
You have a new ECW book coming out in January. Can you tell us about it?
I teamed up with Doug Crenshaw to produce a guide to Civil War sites in Richmond, called Embattled Capital. This includes the most up-to-date information on sites to visit. For example, newly preserved land at the battlefield sites; historic markers and monuments; and new museums that didn't exist even a few years ago. We tried to organize it logically so you can read up on battlefields, cemeteries, museums, famous people etc. Through the book, we show the importance of Richmond (industry, government, infrastructure, etc.) and highlight the best way to get the most out of a visit.
You also have a new ERW book you’ve been working on. Fill us in!
Yes! I love the Revolution, as well. The book is about lesser-known battles and campsites in New Jersey. Having worked at Morristown a few years ago, I came to appreciate the importance of the war in the Garden State. I really think if you want to understand the Revolution you have to look at New Jersey. It is a microcosm of the whole war: large battles, raids, naval actions, supply and logistics, the home front, loyalists, etc. My goal is to show the evolution of the war and the growth of the Continental army, and encourage visitation to some lesser-known but fascinating sites.
What do you like about working back and forth between centuries?
I love the variety. I truly enjoy the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries equally. The weapons and tactics are different, the scale of the battles are different, how armies march and maneuver changes. Studying each allows one to appreciate the challenges faced by commanders and common soldiers.
Lightning Round (short answers with a one-sentence explanation)
Favorite primary source?
Confederate Veteran Magazine
Favorite Civil War-related monument?
Confederate Memorial Monument at Shiloh. The symbolism is very powerful.
Favorite unsung hero of the Civil War era?
Don't really have one
What’s a bucket-list Civil War site you’ve not yet visited?
Picacho Pass, Arizona. Someday....
Favorite ECWS book that’s not one of your own?
To Hazzard All: A Guide to the 1862 Maryland Campaign
Thanks for interviewing me!
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We asked Savannah Rose, who does the layout for our Emerging Civil War and Emerging Revolutionary War Series, to talk a little about what her work entails. By day, Savannah works as a park guide at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
by Savannah Rose
I design and create the layout of books for the Emerging Revolutionary War and Emerging Civil War Series, working behind the scenes to help produce books for fellow book lovers and history enthusiasts. Typically, I receive a large folder that contains the entire manuscript, photographs, and captions, and it’s my job to piece it together to create a book. I use Adobe InDesign to put the pieces of the puzzle together and create an appealing-looking layout for readers. There are elements of each ERW and ECW book that remains the same, helping to create a unified theme between the books; however, each one is different and has a unique look to it.
The creation and design of the book layout was a part of the writing and publishing process that I had never paid attention to before working on it myself. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several authors in the creation of their books and have enjoyed reading the manuscripts as I put the layout together.
What I like most about designing book layouts is the sense of putting together a puzzle, fitting the text and images onto a page in a way that is both appealing and functional. There is a sense of accomplishment when a layout comes together and looks amazing—and then it’s on to the next. Books have always been a major influence in my life, and I’ve had the best time playing a role in the creation of them, especially ones for fellow historians and history enthusiasts.
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Have you been following the ECW YouTube page? You can check it out here. Or, go to YouTube and search “Emerging Civil War.” December was an especially busy month!
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Dave Powell talked with us about his new book Impulse for Victory: Ulysses S. Grant at Chattanooga.
- We did a video tour of Civil War & More bookshop in Mechanicsburg, PA with owner Jim Schmick. Jim not only offered some great ideas for Civil War-related Christmas gifts, he told tales of the Confederate presence on the outskirts of Harrisburg during the Gettysburg campaign.
- The Adams County Historical Society announced plans for a new Exhibit, Research, and Education Center in Gettysburg. Executive Director Andrew Dalton gave us a sneak peek.
- Doug Crenshaw showed off a couple spots at Gaines’s Mill.
- Days later, the American Battlefield Trust announced a major preservation initiative there. We spoke with the Trust’s Chief Historian, Garry Adelman, as well as Doug, author of the ECWS book Richmond Shall Not Be Given Up! The Seven Days’ Battles, and Bert Dunkerly, an ECW historian who works at Richmond National Battlefield.
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The Trust also announced a huge victory at Stones River. We featured an interview with ECW’s Stones River experts: ECW Chief Historian Chris Kolakowski, author of The Stones River and Tullahoma Campaigns: This Army Does Not Retreat, and Bert Dunkerly and Caroline Davis, co-authors of a forthcoming book on Stones River for the ECW Series. The round-robin discussion offered an overview of the battle and provided context about the Trust’s newly preserved property, which sits along the road to McFadden Farm (pictured above).
And while you're there, please don't forget to "like" and "share" our videos!
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Emerging Revolutionary War News |
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By Phill Greenwalt
On December 14, ERW historians Mark Maloy (pictured) and Rob Orrison visited Mount Vernon on the anniversary of the death of George Washington. A video is on our Facebook site about that day and a walking tour of the grounds.
On December 26, 1776, Washington pulled off a stunning surprise assault against a Hessian outpost at Trenton that was one of the turning points of the war. He would follow this up with a victory at Princeton early in 1777. One of the first Emerging Revolutionary War Series publications, Victory or Death by historian Mark Maloy, sums up this crucial campaign. There will also be another installment of "Rev War Revelry" on December 27 about these "Ten Crucial Days." Click onto our Facebook or blog for the line-up of historians and posts leading up to the Sunday night historian happy hour.
While on the blog or Facebook page, check out the newest event, Emerging Revolutionary War's first annual bus tour that will take place November 12 through November 14, 2021: "Victory or Death: Battles of Trenton and Princeton Bust Tour with Emerging Revolutionary War.” The $150 fee includes a Friday night lecture, all-day tour on Saturday (and includes lunch and transportation), and a half-day tour on Sunday (transportation included). Although lodging is not included, a block of rooms have been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Princeton-Conference Center. Hope to see you there!
As a reminder ERW now has a YouTube page where you can re-watch all the "Rev War Revelries" from 2020. In addition to the posts on our blog, we hope the YouTube page will help provide that fix for all your Revolutionary War-era history.
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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa,
and Happy New Year from Emerging Civil War!
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