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These articles originally appeared in The Smithsonian
Resident Associates Civil War E-Mail Newsletter. They are listed
in order of appearance, beginning with the most recent article.
To subscribe to the newsletter, send an e-mail to
listserv@sivm.si.edu and type SUBSCRIBE CW-AT-SI in the body
of the message.
Back
by Popular Demand - Civil War Holiday Traditions North
and South
It
hasn't escaped the attention of many that the traditions
associated with holiday celebrations in the United States
today began during the Civil War. Without
a doubt, it was the loneliness and insecurities of war that
prompted citizens and soldiers alike to re-create the solace
and comfort of the homes they left behind.
Book
Review: Manhunt, by James L. Swanson
Regardless of what some may think, it is important that history
be preserved, whether in the form of museum artifacts or in
our literature. James Swanson has taken the latter direction
and delivered a marvelous work of historical writing with Manhunt.
A
Just and Lasting Peace
1862 was the second summer of a war that most thought would
last just a few months. As the casualties mounted from the
battles at Wilson's Creek, Bull Run, Shiloh, and Fort Donelson,
it was clear this war would be long. A plan was needed to ensure
that the Americans killed in it would be honored with the dignified
burials they deserved.
Protecting
Mount Vernon During the Civil War
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association gained possession
of Mount Vernon on February 22, 1860, at a time when sectionalism
threatened the union and cast a pall over the nation. Despite
the tense political climate, Ann Pamela Cunningham and her secretary,
Miss Sarah Tracy of New York, moved in to begin the process
of preservation.
Smithsonian
Features Civil War Images from National Museum of Health &
Medicine
A new exhibit at the world famous Smithsonian National Museum
of American History, The Price of Freedom: Americans at
War, features 44 images of Civil War soldiers. The images
are on loan from a much-lesser known museum, the National Museum
of Health and Medicine on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical
Center in Washington DC.
Homeland
Security, 1865
The Treasury Guards was a regiment of male employees of the
Department of the Treasury, formed into a militia during the
Civil War, to be available to assist in the defense of Washington.
The Treasury Guards, with other departmental units, were called
up to protect Federal buildings in July 1864 when Confederate
General Jubal Early threatened to invade Washington.
Civil
War Guide to Montgomery County, Maryland
In 1860, Montgomery County had a population of 18,322, including
some 5,500 slaves and 1,500 free blacks. Maryland would remain
a slave holding state until the Maryland Constitution of 1864
outlawed slavery on November 1, 1864.
America's
Game!
Baseball has deep roots in Washington, DC. Edmund F. French,
a clerk in the Treasury Department, compiled the organizational
charter of the Washington National Base-ball Club in 1859.
Parallel
Portraits
The photographs produced by Mathew Brady’s studio are
the best known and most reproduced images of the Civil War.
But, there is another Civil War photographer who remains almost
unrecognized and all but forgotten.
"Man
of Mark," Solomon G. Brown
In the latter part of the 19th Century, Reverend William J.
Simmons compiled a book of biographies of prominent African
Americans.Among the least known of these "Men of Mark:
Eminent, Progressive and Rising," is Solomon G. Brown.
The
All-American Christmas--isn't
Many of the traditions associated with Christmas celebrations
in the United States today are related to the Civil War experience.
By re-establishing familiar European traditions and creating
some new ones, citizens and soldiers alike found solace from
the loneliness, insecurities, and heartbreak of war.
Mr.
Lincoln Goes to Gettysburg
When President Abraham Lincoln learned of the Union victories
at Vicksburg and Gettysburg in July 1863, he told the celebratory
crowd gathered at the Executive Mansion that it was providential
that this occurred around the nation's birthday.
Discussion
in the Round
Think of Civil War Round Tables and you can probably name quite
a few. If asked to name the oldest ones then you might guess
Chicago (1940), Milwaukee (1947), and Atlanta (1948). But, did
you know the United Kingdom has one of the oldest Round Tables?
The American Civil War Round Table (ACWRT-UK) was formed in
1953 as the “Confederate Research Club” by a small
group of friends with a common interest in the American Civil
War.
Abraham
Lincoln
Do you know about Abraham Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln was a very
generous person. He was against slavery. People didn’t
like him because of that. I think that Abraham Lincoln is my
hero. Abraham Lincoln was my hero because he stopped slavery.
I think that slavery was wrong because people shouldn’t
judge other people by the color of their skin.
Old
Soldiers Never Die . . .
We were there as volunteers, to help the elderly visitors maneuver
the shuttles, the tourist sites, and the subway system. Many
of us volunteered because we knew this was an historic occasion.
And, those of us familiar with the Civil War, were struck by
the similarities between the World War II Greatest Generation
Reunion held this Memorial Day on the National Mall in Washington
DC, and the 1913 Gettysburg Civil War 50 Year Reunion, held
just 90 miles away and more than 90 years ago.
Escape
of an Assassin
In the fall of 1864, the popular actor John Wilkes Booth arrived
in Southern Maryland, a haven for Confederate sympathizers,
with letters of introduction from exiled Confederates in Canada
and a scheme to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. Booth soon
gathered recruits to assist him. Whether the Confederate high
command in Richmond, Virginia, sanctioned the plan or Booth
retaliated on his own for what he perceived as Lincoln's harsh
wartime policies is unclear. By April 1865, however, Booth had
abandoned the kidnap plot in favor of assassination.
Study
Tour Review – The Civil War in West Virginia
The wrong side! I was on the wrong side at the Vienna Metro.
Racing to the other side of the station, I found a knot of people,
but no bus yet—I hadn’t missed it! The bus was late.
It had engine trouble on the way, but the clever driver fixed
it. So west we went on Route 66 to Winchester, Virginia for
my first Civil War campaign with Ed Bearss.
Special
Delivery – The Story of Henry “Box” Brown
In Frederick Douglass’ My Bondage and My Freedom, he
never reveals how he escaped from his last master, Hugh Auld.
“How I got away—in what direction I traveled—whether
by land or by water; whether with or without assistance—must,
for reasons already mentioned, remain unexplained.” Those
reasons? “Had not Henry Box Brown and his friends attracted
slaveholding attention to the manner of his escape, we might
have had a thousand Box Browns per annum." Douglass was
wrong, as there could only be one Henry “Box” Brown.
The
Other Families of Arlington House
The Arlington House/Robert E. Lee Memorial was originally known
as the Custis-Lee Mansion: Custis, because it was built by Martha
Washington’s grandson George Washington Parke Custis;
Lee, because it was later inherited by General Robert E. Lee’s
wife, Mary Custis Lee, Martha’s great-granddaughter and
GWP Custis’ only surviving child.
Book Review
-- Surviving the Confederacy: Rebellion, Ruin, and Recovery--Roger
and Sara Pryor During the Civil War, by John C. Waugh
What would it be like to live in the midst of war: To have
your house in the path of a moving army -- two moving armies?
How do you live day-to-day, trying to protect, feed and clothe
your children? Or, trying to earn a living while not knowing
when the horrors will end, or if they ever will?
Portrait
of a Patriot – My Ancestor, Isaac Bowman
I found out that
more than 160 of my relatives fought in the Civil War, and this
is only one branch of my family tree. But one who stands out
is Isaac Bowman. He needs to be appreciated for what he did.
The
1860's -- When Men Were Men and They Played Baseball in Washington
For a city
that doesn't have a team of its own, it's hard to believe there
was a time when baseball held sway in the District of Columbia,
played regularly on the lawn right in front of the President's
House. Of course,
the story of baseball didn't start here, but it was the soldiers
stationed in Washington DC during the Civil War that propelled
the sport into the National Pastime we know today.
The
Smithsonian During the Civil War
When the Civil War
erupted in April 1861, the Smithsonian Institution itself was
vulnerable. Located between the Capitol Building and the White
House, the institution was not immune from the forces threatening
to turn the city of Washington into an armed camp.
Both the Smithsonian and Joseph Henry, its first Secretary,
somehow persevered.
The Monocacy
Aqueduct
The Monocacy Aqueduct, located 42 miles north of the District
of Columbia, was originally part of the plan to connect the
eastern seaboard to the National Road and the western states.
Alternately famous as an engineering marvel, a Civil War target,
and currently a "disintegrating" structure, it is
destined to become appreciated as an engineering marvel once
again when it is restored to its original beauty.
Book Review
-- They Fought Like Demons, Women Soldiers in the Civil
War, by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook.
A few articles back we talked about why modern women study
the Civil War. For their new book, authors DeAnne Blanton and
Lauren Cook spent ten years researching at the National Archives
to tell us about Civil War women soldiers--why they fought,
who they were, and why we never heard about them before.
A
Biography of Charles Ellet, Jr.
An article written especially for the Smithsonian Associates
Civil War E-Mail Newsletter. Our last issue's trivia question
drew a response from Charles Ellet, Jr.'s great-great granddaughter,
Jeannette Cabell Coley. She generously offered to provide this
feature article to talk about her famous relative's contribution
to her family's heritage; United States history; and, the world
of Civil Engineering.
Why
Women Study the Civil War
For the most part, the events of the Civil War center on the
decisions and actions of men. So why are so many contemporary
women becoming reenactors, writers and readers of Civil War
texts, or otherwise enthusiasts of the American Civil War? Guest
writer Meg Galante-DeAngelis shares her thoughts about what
brings history, the Civil War, and women together.
Six
Degrees of Separation--Or Less
It's hard to imagine, but the Civil War and events surrounding
it are part of our country's very recent history. These events,
and relatives of those directly involved, still make the evening
news, keeping their stories alive and fresh in our collective
memories.
Biography
-- Albert Pike: Hero or Scoundrel?
Albert Pike is the only Confederate Civil War general to have
an outdoor statue in the District of Columbia. In this short
biography learn how, like so many of us, he fits both descriptions
perfectly!
"We
Finally Got It Right," But We Were Wrong
Did we do the right thing by awarding the Congressional Medal
of Honor to Andrew Jackson Smith--137 years too late? Or, is
"justice delayed" really "justice denied"?
Book
Review -- Blood On the Moon, the Assassination of Abraham
Lincoln, by Edward Steers. Jr.
You just thought you knew who killed Abraham Lincoln. This
new book, combining past research with a scientific eye, provides
a new and enlightened answer to the question of not just "Who
did it," but, "Who was responsible."
Smithsonian
Seminar Review -- Ten At Gettysburg
Smithsonian Associates Civil War E-Mail Newsletter subscriber
Antigoni Ladd offers this review of Craig L. Symonds' seminar
in which he shared stories of the ten individuals at Gettysburg
whose decisions made the difference.
Christmas
North and South
Did you know that most of the Christmas traditions in the
United States today come from the Civil War era? What did Americans
do before that? Learn about the traditions handed down to us
from 150 years ago. See how Civil War soldiers and families
celebrated and decorated during wartime.
"It
takes me about three weeks to write an impromptu speech."
That's how Samuel Clemens felt about public speaking, a task
that most of the population fears more than neighborhood crime,
identity theft, or male-patterned baldness. But, did you know
that even Abraham Lincoln refused to speak in public unless
he had prepared and practiced in advance?
Book
Review – Love and Valor, The Intimate Civil War Letters
Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner
How can a nation cope when faced with war, deprivation and
uncertainty? We can learn by looking at the heroes of the past
as well as those in the present.
As
American As ... Income Tax
As a new nation, the United States was no different than any
other--their first responsibility was to figure out a way to
pay for itself, especially when a war is going on. The history
of taxes in America began with George Washington and continues.
Read how "four score and seven years" later Mr. Lincoln
and some of his successors tried to provide for the people without
prevailing upon them, too much, anyway.
The
Civil War History Around Us -- The Defenses of Washington
At the beginning of the Civil War Washington was open and
vulnerable to Confederate attack--but not for long. Learn how
the United States Army Corps of Engineers moved quickly to encircle
the capital with an intricate defense system, making Washington
D.C. the most fortified city on earth.
Friends
and Collaborators Lost in History
An intellectual collaboration between two unlikely friends
is rediscovered in a Nazi Germany bunker. Look here to learn
and who, what, where, and why.
Biography
-- Mary Ann Hall, 19th Century Entrepreneur
During the Civil War, life in the District of Columbia was
filled with many hardships. However, life may have been a bit
easier for this young woman, who had a little imagination and
a lot of entrepreneurial spirit.
Book
Review -- Young Heroes of Gettysburg, by William Thomas
Venner
Read this book review about how a group of teenage soldiers
and nurses survived the Battle of Gettysburg. Submitted by our
own reviewer-at-large, ten year old Sean Earner of McLean, Virginia.
Biography
-- Washington Augustus Roebling -- Civil War Engineer and Professional
Civil Engineer
In honor of Engineers' Week, we discuss the life of the famous
bridge builder and Civil War hero--and his wife Emily Roebling,
sister of General G.K. Warren of Gettysburg fame.
Book Review
-- Lincoln on God and Country, by Gordon Leidner
A new look at Lincoln viewed from the perspective of the issues
which were most important to him as president. These are the
same issues most important to all of us: the nation's founders,
preserving the American way of life, law and politics, the meaning
of freedom, faith and duty.
Book
Review -- Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion-The Final
Battles of the Petersburg Campaign, by A. Wilson Greene
General Montgomery Meigs said early in the war, "One
good battle and the back of the rebellion is broken." But
it wasn't until April 2, 1865 that the backbreaking battle occurred.
Will Greene describes in spine-chilling detail how the outcome
of a single day might have changed the world forever.
Book
Review -- Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers, by James
Gannon
When researching his Irish ancestors, James Gannon found that
his great grandfather and uncle were part of the 25,000 Irish
immigrants who settled in New Orleans and fought for the Confederates.
Book Review
-- The Civil War in Depth, Volume II - History in 3-D,
by Bob Zeller
The concept of 3-D photography didn't get its start with 1950's
era horror movies, but began in the 1850's. Thousands of Civil
War era photo originals were made as stereographs designed to
be viewed in 3-D. Read more about this fascinating aspect of
photography and how this technology brought the war from the
field and into the parlors of America.
John
F. Hartranft: Pennsylvania General and Governor
The little known Pennsylvania Union Civil War General John
Frederick Hartranft was born in 1830. After graduating college
with a degree in Civil Engineering, he married Sallie Sebring
in 1854. Hartranft began studying law and was admitted to the
bar. He was also active in the local militia, fire company,
and Masons. As the Civil War approached, Hartranft was one of
those up-and-coming young men who would soon be leading their
neighbors into battle.
Book Review
-- The Antietam Campaign, edited by Gary W. Gallagher
The Antietam Campaign is a collection of ten groundbreaking
essays providing fresh perspectives on the events at Antietam.
Written by today's ten most renowned Civil War scholars, these
essays explore a wide range of issues including the campaign,
the battle, and the peripheral events that impacted the outcome.
It Pays
to Listen
How did ordinary, everyday civil servant Richard Lyons become
a hero? By not following orders, by disobeying his boss, and
by working overtime! Learn how this lone federal employee discovered
and saved from demolition an abandoned downtown Washington DC
building--a building which 130 years previously had been the
home of Clara Barton.
Play Review
- Reunion--A Musical Epic in Miniature--A play by Jack
Kyrieleison and Ron Holgate, presented at Ford's Theatre
Local producer and writer Jack Kyrieleison teamed with Ron
Holgate to produce a play about the Civil War that entertains,
educates and enlightens. An after production interview provides
insights into the play and the location--Ford's Theatre--is
it really haunted?
Smithsonian
Seminar Review - The Critical Role of Women in the Civil
War, presented by Edward C. Smith and reviewed by Sara
Bartlett
Performer and Civil War re-enactor Sara Bartlett reviews an
evening at the Smithsonian when she attended this seminar. Read
her comments on Edward C. Smith's interpretation of women's
role during the Civil War.
Smithsonian
Seminar and Book Review - How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil
War, by Edward H. Bonekemper III
Attorney, author, and lecturer Edward H. Bonekemper III gives
us today's perspective of Robert E. Lee, and what if he knew
then what we know now...
Book Review
- Everyday Life During the Civil War, by Michael J.
Varhola
Don't miss this tell all(!) book about American life in the
mid-19th Century. Author Michael J. Varhola gives us a fascinating
peek at ordinary life during an extraordinary time in our history.
Smithsonian
Seminar Review - The Real Stonewall Jackson, presented
by James I. Robertson, Jr.
A respected and renown professor and historian, James I. (Bud)
Robertson spent over ten years researching and uncovering previously
unknown materials on the life of Thomas Jackson. He gives us
the ultimate biography of the ultimate Confederate general and
hero known as "Stonewall".
Smithsonian
Seminar Review --Homelands and Waterways: The American Journey
of the Bond Family 1846-1926, by Adele Logan Alexander
Author and ProfessorAdele Logan Alexander pieces together
her own family story beginning with the birth of her grandfather
in England in 1846, to the death of her grandmother, an ex-slave,
in 1926. This story is intricately woven into, as well as connects
with, the social history of a growing and changing America as
it moves toward the 21st Century.
Book Review--Don't
Shoot That Boy! Abraham Lincoln and Military Justice, by
Thomas P. Lowry, M.D.
Author Thomas P. Lowry searched 80,000 court martial records
found in the National Archives in order to determine if Lincoln
was as tender-hearted and merciful to military transgressors
as legend would have us believe. During this research, Lowry
and his wife also discovered hundreds of signed documents and
notes in Lincoln's hand, previously unknown to historians.
Only in America?
Read about Horace King, a man who rose from desperate poverty
to become a famous engineer, builder, and businessman.
The Spring
of 1863--A Call to Arms by William W. Layton
The use of African American soldiers during the Civil War
was an opportunity for them to prove their bravery and fight
for their new freedom. The most renowned of these troops was
the 54th Massachusetts, who were famous long before Hollywood
discovered their story in the movie version, Glory.
Book Review
-- A Clearing in the Distance--Frederick Law Olmsted and
America in the Nineteenth Century, by Witold Rybczynski
The Civil War was more than generals, politicians and battles.
Read about Frederick Law Olmsted's impact on the Civil War,
and his more lasting impact on the landscape of America.
Book
Review -- Gettysburg's Unknown Soldier, The Life, Death,
and Celebrity of Amos Humiston
Author Mark Dunkelman looks at war, greed, and basic human
instincts in his study of a 19th Century media event.
Book Review
-- His Name is Still Mudd
Independent scholar Dr. Edward Steers, Jr. debunks the myth
that Dr. Samuel Mudd was an innocent victim in the Lincoln Conspiracy
Trial.
Smithsonian
Tour Review -- The Civil War Enshrined in the Nation's Capital
Read a review of a tour conducted by one of our most renown
Civil War/African American history scholars, Dr. Edward Smith.
The review includes pictures of many of the sites we visited.
Book
Review -- A Guide to Civil War Sites in Maryland, Blue and
Gray in a Border State
Read about the history found right in our own back yards (if
you happen to live in Maryland, that is), in this entertaining
book by Susan Cooke Soderberg.
Why Did
Women Fight in the Civil War?
During the Civil War, many men were deserting or paying bounties
to substitutes--why did some women willingly enlist and fight?
Passover
in a Civil War Camp
This essay tells about how, amidst the misery and suffering
brought on by the Civil War, some soldiers were able to use
their ingenuity to preserve and celebrate a religious tradition.
Smithsonian
Tour Review -- Clara Barton: New Discoveries and Historic
Sites, with Gary Scott
This tour covers the historic locations associated with Clara
Barton's life in the Washington area during the Civil War. It
also includes a newly discovered building where Barton conducted
her post-Civil War search for missing soldiers.
Book
Review -- Lincoln: The Road to War
Lincoln scholar, columnist, and political commentator Frank
van der Linden tells why he believes the Civil War was avoidable
and what Abraham Lincoln should have done about it.
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