“The past is never dead,” William Faulkner wrote. “It’s not even past.”

That’s true of the Civil War in particular. And it’s one of the truest things you might say about being a Buffalo Bills fan.

Like every other fan in any sport, we Bills fans feel the everyday mix of hopefulness and nervousness about how our team will do in the next game. These days, I admit, there’s more reason to be hopeful than not (despite last weekend's loss to the Dolphins), but for decades, every bit of hope was always laced with pessimism: don’t get your hopes up too much. Sometimes, there was even just a sad resignation that, eh, we’re probably not going to do so well.

And yet we still watch the games. We still show up in subzero white-out conditions. We still eat our wings and drink our beer and smash our tables.

The last few seasons have been a lot brighter, fortunately, and this year, expectations for the team have been sky high—like, “Super Bowl favorites to start the season” high. Tension in western New York has been thicker than the blue cheese we eat with our wings. How would the team rebound after its heartbreaking overtime loss in the playoffs last year? Would quarterback Josh Allen continue his remarkable development as one of the league’s premier talents? What sort of talent would surround him?

That’s pressure enough for any team. But for the Bills—and for Bills fans—it’s not just about this year. It’s never just about this year. This is a fan base that has, for more than a generation, lived with the legacy of four straight Super Bowl losses. Bills fans carry those losses in our hearts, and those losses are heavy. Say “Wide right”—a reference to a last-second game-losing kick in the first of those Super Bowl disappointments—and most of us still hang our heads in sorrow. Some of us still weep.

“To be a Buffalo sports fan is to know pain,” my brother once said.

• Flash back to January 2000 “Music City Miracle,” when the Bills took a 16-15 lead over the Tennessee Titans in a Wild Card game with 16 seconds left, only to have the Titans pull off an incredible kickoff return to win the game.

• Flash back to the needless quarterback controversy between Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie from 1998–2000.

• Flash back to the disgrace of one of our all-time greats—one of the game’s all-time greats—O. J. Simpson.

• Flash back to the early 2000s and into the mid-2010s, when the Bills went sixteen years without a playoff appearance—the longest drought of any team among all four of America’s major professional sports leagues. Indeed, as my two older children grew up, I worried that teaching them to love the Bills might be considered a form of abuse and someone would report me to Child Protective Services.

I even saw an obituary a couple years ago where the deceased asked for six Bills to be pallbearers at his gravesite “so they can let me down one last time.”

Bills fans have had to carry all of this. Our past isn’t past. It’s with us. For the past few years, the Bills have been consistently fun to watch again, which has been a wonderful change of pace. But that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten.

And now I understand just how personal Faulkner’s quote really is.

— Chris Mackowski, Ph.D.

Editor in Chief

Sarah Kay Bierle slipped and broke part of her left foot in August, forcing her to travel battlefields and historic sites on crutches. The list of places visited with crutches in use includes: Saratoga Battlefield, Fort Ticonderoga, Grant's Cottage, Brawner Farm (Second Manassas), Fredericksburg, Appomattox Court House, and Antietam. She is happy to report that the foot injury is nearly healed, and she hopes to get back to moderate hiking this autumn. 

Neil Chatelain is getting back into the swing of things with the commencement of the new school year. He also had a blast speaking about his book Defending the Arteries of Rebellion with the Miami Civil War Round Table on September 15 and with Seattle's Civil War Legacy on September 22.

Sean Chick’s ECW Series book Dreams of Victory: General P.G.T. Beauregard in the Civil War received a glowing review from HistoryNet. Reviewer Richard Holloway said, “I highly recommend this volume as a super introduction the Louisiana’s Creole general, and I hope Chick gives us a lengthier version of this biography in the future. It is good for beginners and seasoned historians as well, often citing obscure facts in Beauregard’s career.” Read the full review here.

Dwight Hughes attended the 55th reunion for the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1967 at Annapolis. Watched the midshipmen march in review, attended a (mild) party, and saw a football game (we lost). Talks on the USS Monitor with the SCV Princess Anne Camp in Virginia Beach and via Zoom with Military History Club, St. Louis, MO. 

Frank Jastrzembski continues his work with Shrouded Veterans. From Frank: “A veteran headstone was recently placed at Colonel Leonard Douglas Hay Currie’s unmarked grave at Ventnor Cemetery on the Isle of Wight. On September 24, 1862, Currie was appointed colonel of the 133rd New York Infantry. He was shot in each arm during the assault on Port Hudson, Louisiana. After recovering from his wounds, Currie returned to the regiment and rose to brigade command.” Read more here.

Chris Kolakowski was interviewed on September 20 for the Packaged Tourist Show about the Maryland Campaign and the fall of 1862. Listen here. In October, he will appear again to talk about the Kentucky Campaign. 

Chris Mackowski was interviewed for Josh Hatcher’s Manlihood ManCast podcast about manhood, fatherhood, and his passion for the Civil War. (This was not an academic oriented talk about “masculinity.”) Listen here.

Kevin Pawlak received the Ezra A. Carman Distinguished Scholarship Award from the Antietam Licensed Battlefield Guide Association. The Carman Award” is awarded annually to a guide who has provided outstanding scholarship and exceptional contributions in the field that enhances the study of the Maryland Campaign. This guide epitomizes the spirit of Ezra A. Carman and honors their contributions to excellence in historical research and writing.” In the photo, above, Kevin (left) accepts the award from Chief Guide Chris Vincent. 

Appearing at the September 12 meeting of the Brewer (Maine) Historical Society, Brian Swartz presented a program about Joshua L. Chamberlain and his wartime experiences. The program was based on the Emerging Civil War Series book Passing Through the Fire: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War. The evening wrapped up with attendees enjoying an appropriately decorated birthday cake while celebrating Chamberlain's 184th birthday.

The latest book in the Emerging Civil War 10th Anniversary Series is now out from Savas Beatie: Civil War Monuments and Memory. Co-edited by Jon Tracey and Chris Mackowski, the book features 40 pieces with 25 different authors, including a foreword by sculptor Michael Kraus and a cover photo by Chris Heisey. There are big-picture analyses as well as microhistories. Most pieces are adapted from blog posts or other ECW media—updated and footnoted—although the book includes some original pieces, as well.

“Monuments are something in the common discourse now, although I'd argue that they never really left as a discussion topic from the 1860s to now,” Tracey says, “and I think we created a volume that adds worthwhile value to the historiography. It can be a touchy subject, but each of our authors backed up their arguments and research with thought as well as primary sources. Through that, they pushed back against mythmaking and revealed important aspects of the past and how it relates to our present.”

To order, visit savasbeatie.com.

We’ve been highlighting the folks who serve as ECW’s staff. As an all-volunteer organization, their work is vital to our collective success. This month, we direct our Five Questions to Eric Cole, who serves on our social media team. (In the photo, Eric and his daughter, Emma.)

How do you define social media?

I define social media as powerful too that lets people keep up to date with friends and current events. At its worst, people exchange vitriol. I like to believe ECW social media is about as neutral and academic as you can get in that range.

What do you do as part of ECW's social media team?

I am the assistant social media manager for ECW, under the great leadership of Paige Gibbons-Backus. I run the social media pages 2 days a week, and we often help each other with other days when we need an extra hand. Thank you, Cicely and Paige, for making such a gifted team.

What got you involved in social media in the first place? 

Doing a self audit, I created a myspace page about 15 years ago and a Facebook page about 12 years ago. Starting about 7 years ago, I started helping run Facebook groups about the Civil War. With the help of some distinguished civil war authors, I grew that group, Shelby Foote & The American Civil War, from 6k people to over 54k now.

Do you have a particular social media channel that's your favorite to use? 

Facebook is my favorite, followed by Instagram and Twitter. I believe the more social media platforms the better the reach for folks who may be interested in what we have to share about the Civil War. 

What advice would you give to someone who might feel a little intimidated by "social media"?

The advice I would give to someone who feels intimidated by social media is to just jump in doing something you thoroughly enjoy. It makes all the hard work feel like fun, and in no time, you'll be a natural. Also, look at what works for pages and groups that share your space and emulate what they're doing!

Bonus question: You give tours at the site of the Union prison camp in Elmira, New York. If people want to stop by to see the site, what do you recommend?

Yes, I volunteer at Elmira Civil War Prison Camp. We’re closed for the season now, but you can find out about making a tour by reservation by contacting the group’s Facebook page

On the Emerging Civil War Podcast in September:

·     Kevin Pawlak and Dan Welch discussed the period between Second Manassas and Antietam, covering “Pope, Porter, and Politics.”

·     Sarah and Susan Bierle talked about an ECW project in support of this year’s Wreaths Across America at Winchester National Cemetery

·     Dan Welch takes on the guest-hosting duties to talk with Chris Mackowski about his new book on the battle of Jackson, Mississippi

Check out the Emerging Civil War podcast on places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

You can also subscribe to our podcast through Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/emergingcivilwar), where we are now also offering exclusive bonus content for subscribers. That’s just $3.99/month, and proceeds go toward defraying the production costs of the podcast.

On the ECW YouTube page, September offered us

·     A stop at the 54th Massachusetts’s monument along Boston Common (click here)

·     A stop along Branch Avenue at Antietam for the final Confederate attack of the battle (click here)

The ECW YouTube page also featured video versions of our podcast interviews on “Pope, Porter, and Politics,” Wreaths Across America, and (coming Sept. 30) the Battle of Jackson.

Please don’t forget to like and subscribe! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.