I never forget for a second that I get to "live the dream": I write and talk about the Civil War every day, and for some reason, people pay attention. It is a privilege. I also get to support emerging voices in the field, and I get to teach and encourage young writers in the classroom. I am thankful for the time to write, the opportunity to travel, the satisfaction of mentoring, and perhaps, most of all, the sweet relief of being home with my family. I am thankful for wife, my kids, and my granddaughters, who all provide me with the battery juice to keep going, and I'm thankful for a dean who supports my efforts.

As a community of historians, we all have a lot to be thankful for. To celebrate Thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to share with you those things that we're thankful for.

-- Chris Mackowski, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief

Neil Chatelain is thankful for his wife Brittany, an uncompromising supporter of his research and writing.

Among the many things Kevin C. Donovan is thankful for is the health of his spouse, Martha, after a scare this summer, and the recent addition to the family of a wonderful daughter-in-law, Lexi, newly married to our son John.

Pat Kelly-Fischer is grateful for the archivists who have made so many resources accessible online; it makes a world of difference for those of us studying the Civil War while living out West. Go, Steelers!

Joshua Frye is thankful for his family and to Emerging Civil War, its readers, supporters and the staff for the chance to live out his lifelong dream of pursing his career in history. This year has been one of the best of his entire life.

Jon-Erik Gilot is thankful for his wife and daughters, who were so gracious with his nearly twenty lectures and talks in 2024. He's also thankful for his new dog, Chance, who showed up at Jon-Erik's office door on Halloween and has become the light of his family!

Phillip Greenwalt is thankful for the opportunity to go on a detail this year and expand the history and knowledge of the War of 1812 with larger audiences around the Chesapeake Bay region. This included sharing the history of the Star-Spangled Banner and the Battle of Baltimore with current military members and even officers of the Brazilian military. "I was able to utilize the skills learned as an intern at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Military Park when I witnessed staff rides being conducted by some household names in the history and NPS world. To come full circle was pretty cool and thankful to have been given such an awesome opportunity."

Dwight Hughes is thankful for the beautiful fall we just had with lots of color and fine weather. Our Japanese maple is still holding its bright maroon leaves. The little gray juncos, i.e. "snowbirds," and bluebirds are back at the deck feeders, as are always the squirrels and raccoons. We are looking forward to the holidays and counting our blessings, among which are our friends, colleagues, and readers at ECW.

Francis Jastrzembski said the wonderful thing about writing, researching, and studying history is not only the thrill of learning about and uncovering long-forgotten events and people but also the chance to share them with others and the connections you make along the way. I’m grateful to ECW for providing a space to do this.

Brian D Kowell is thankful for health, family, and friends, especially for my new ECW friends.

Robert "Rob" Orrison is thankful for the friendships that he has made over the years with fellow historians who share the same passions for studying and sharing Civil War history.

Kevin Pawlak is thankful for the opportunities ECW has given me and to be able to work alongside great colleagues at ECW.

Dave Powell said, "This year, having lost some close friends and seen others struggle with health, I am thankful that my wife and I remain fit, allowing me to pursue my interests still unhindered. I can walk the fields of our nation's hallowed sites, travel easily, and pore over the writings of those who have come before. I am also thankful that my wife never hesitates to support my interests." 

Darren Rawlings is thankful for the opportunity that he had to follow in the footsteps of London Branch Founder John Davis with his good friend Gina Denham and visit the site of the USS Tulip Disaster.

Aaron Stoyak I'm thankful for the time, health, and ability to visit friends and family and that they enjoy those blessings as well. 

Brian Swartz is thankful for another year spent with his family and friends and researching and writing about Maine's involvement in the Civil War. Recent reader contacts are opening new research "rabbit holes" that he looks forward to exploring in 2025!

Jonathan Tracey is particularly thankful this year for a season of rest, for the professionals that work on public lands, and the researchers looking for new ways to look at the past.

Tim Talbott is tremendously thankful for all of the dedicated folks in the Civil War history community (both public history and academic history) who give enormous amounts of time, physical and mental energy, and financial resources to further the public's awareness and understanding of the Civil War era. 

Emerging Civil War is pleased to welcome another member.

Kevin C. Donovan, Esq., a retired lawyer originally from Delaware

County, Pennsylvania, is the former head of the New Jersey Employment & Labor Law practice of a national law firm. Kevin graduated with a B.A. in History from St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia) and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Since assuming the status of a “recovering lawyer,” Kevin has focused on his passion for the Civil War, with an eye to topics reflecting the intersection of the War and the Law. Kevin’s interest in the Civil War initially was cultivated by his father, who loved American History and hoped his son ultimately would become a history teacher.

But the key spark came when, as a grade school student, Kevin found Bruce Catton’s Army of the Potomac Trilogy in his small Catholic school’s new library (located in an old house). Hundreds of Civil War books/magazines and literally dozens of trips to Gettysburg later, Kevin’s passion endures. The opportunity to work in the field of employment law, at least some of which Kevin came to realize has roots in Reconstruction Era legislation, further whetted his appetite for combining love of the Civil War with the Law. In retirement Kevin looks forward to honoring his father’s desire for his son to become, in at least some small measure, a teacher of history.

Kevin is active in the Roanoke (VA) Civil War Round Table, spearheading its marketing activities, and has spoken to multiple groups on the topic “The Court Martial of Fitz John Porter: Fair or Fixed?” He expects to set some type of long-distance speaking tour record by giving that same talk while spreading the word about ECW to the American Civil War Round Table of the United Kingdom in June 2025, an idea originally prompted by Chris Mackowski’s podcast interview of that group’s leaders.

Kevin is a UVa, Penn State, Phillies and Eagles fan. Kevin and his Virginia-born spouse Martha Loving (nee Nase) now reside in Martha’s childhood house in Roanoke, VA with their two cats, Thurston Howell III and Ulysses S. Grant (successor to Mosby the cat). They have two children, John and Virginia, and four grand cats.

You can find his latest articles and read more about Kevin and our other ECW members on the website contributor pages.

While on a family visit to Philadelphia recently, Dwight Hughes toured the nearby Brandywine Art Museum in Chadds Ford not expecting to encounter Civil War art. "Viewing a wonderful exhibit of early 20th Century illustrators including N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Norman Rockwell, I was stunned when suddenly confronted by a huge oil painting by N.C. Wyeth entitled "The Bloody Angle," the most powerful piece of combat art I have seen. It moved me particularly since I had recently been there on the Spotsylvania battlefield as Chris Mackowski painted a masterful word picture of what happened there. I'll post about it soon." 

Appearing on November 14 at the Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Round Table in Brunswick, Maine, Brian Swartz presented a highly illustrated PowerPoint program titled "Louisiana's Lost Love: The Saga of Cyrus Hamlin." The program introduced Cyrus Hamlin (second son of Vice President Hannibal Hamlin) and his wife, Sarah. They were deeply in love when Cyrus took her to Louisiana, where he recruited a black regiment at Baton Rouge.



Tim Talbott staffed an information table for the Battle of New Market Heights Memorial and Education Association at Richmond National Battlefield's November 2 event highlighting the historic occasion when some of the Black soldiers in the 5th United States Colored Infantry voted in the 1864 presidential election while stationed near Fort Harrison. Tim also presented "Gobbled Up: Taking Prisoners of War during the Petersburg Campaign" to the Powhatan Civil War Roundtable on November 21.

Shrouded Veterans

From political persecution to the disease that ravaged his regiment, Col. George W. Neely's struggles extended beyond the battlefield.

Find out more about Neely’s brief but meaningful service during the war by clicking here.

December

4: Dave Powell, “Tullahoma Campaign,” St. Louis Civil War Round Table 

11: Kevin Pawlak, “Never Such a Campaign: The Battle of Second Manassas,” Jersey Shore CWRT

12: Bert Dunkerly, “Stones River,” Cape Fear Civil War Round Table, Wilmington, NC

15:  Dwight Hughes, “The Sailor and the Soldier at Vicksburg: Unprecedented Joint Operations,” Miami Civil War Round Table Book Club, Miami, FL (Virtual)

17: Bert Dunkerly, “Battle of Stones River,” Williamsburg CWRT, Williamsburg, VA

18: Neil P. Chatelain, “Treasure and Empire in the Civil War,” Tallahassee History Roundtable (Virtual)

January



15: Chris Mackowski, “A Tempest of Iron and Lead: Spotsylvania Court House,” Phil Kearny Civil War Roundtable (virtual)

16: Bert Dunkerly, “Arnold’s Raid on Richmond,” Wilton House Museum, Richmond, VA

20: Chris Mackowski, “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson,” Holland Land Office Museum, Batavia, NY

21: Bert Dunkerly,” Civil War Railroads,” LA CWRT, Los Angeles, CA (Zoom)