First up, author Nate Levin sent me a copy of his Carrie Chapman Catt: A Life of Leadership. Catt was a woman’s rights and suffrage advocate in the late 1890s and early 1900s. This is a short presentation and looks to be written so that I might consider assigning it to my high school students. We’ll see!

Osprey Publishing sent me several samples of their “Men-at-Arms” publications, in particular The Confederate Army 1861-65, volumes 5&6, and Trenton and Princeton, 1776-77 Washington Crosses the Delaware. Once again, these might be very handy in my classroom for book projects. I think too often we send students to the computer lab to perform webquests, when they need more instructional focused reading.

McFarland has been very active recently and I have several titles to share, first up is Roy Z. Chamlee, Jr.’s Lincoln’s Assassins: A Complete Account of their Capture, Trial, and Punishment. I have to admit I do not know much about this 2 volume set. I have doubts it will compare to Lincoln’s Assassins: Their Trial and Execution by James L. Swanson and Daniel Weinberg, but I plan and reading it and giving it a chance. I can tell you Swanson’s book is a helluvalot cheaper! This is a reprint in paperback of the hardcover original from 1990.

Gen. Fitz-John Porter was accused of disobedience during the Battle of Second Manasses. A new book covers this controversial event, Fitz-John Porter, Scapegoat of Second Manassas, by Donald R. Jermann. Union commander Major General John Pope blamed the loss on charismatic and popular Major General Fitz-John Porter, whom he charged with disobedience of orders and shameful conduct before the enemy. A court-martial found him guilty. But was Porter really guilty or did he save the country from an even greater disaster? This book addresses the question of Porter’s guilt or innocence, examining the trial and its aftereffects from several perspectives. [From the book.] The book looks well researched and at just shy of 300 pages very readable.

I also have John F. Schmutz, The Battle of the Crater: A Complete History and also Stephen R. Bradley: Letters of a Revolutionary War Patriot and Vermont Senator, (ed. Dorr Bradley Carpenter) both of which I plan on reviewing.

And finally, the one that I will read first, War Memory and Popular Culture: Essays of Remembrance and Commemoration, edited by Michael Keren and Holger H. Herwig .

They mixed samples of the 1918 influenza strain with modern seasonal flu viruses to find the three genes and said their study might help in the development of new flu drugs.

The discovery, published in Tuesday’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could also point to mutations that might turn ordinary flu into a dangerous pandemic strain.

Read more…

$19.95; On Sale: 10/7/2008;
Formats: E-Book | Audio | Hardcover; Available E-Book Formats: Adobe eBook Reader | Gemstar eBook | Microsoft Reader | MobiPocket | Palm Reader | Sony

This is a wonderful book that I was surprised to receive from the review pool of books I receive. (Usually, I receive an email or something and on this one I do not recall such a correspondence. Though I almost did not look through the book, I am glad I did!)

Right off the bat, you get a sense for the quality of the book. Remini’s first chapter “Discovery and Settlement of the New World” is vivid, powerful, entertaining, and of course “concise.” Some very good narrative that might help me as a teacher quickly and concisely cover the early and formative years of our history seeing that we are allowed just days to teach it!

From our “emergence” as a nation to Jacksonian America, the Civil War, Manifest Destiny, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the Cold War, Civil Rights (well done by the way), and the Conservative revolution. But not just the same type of recent history, this book is a tribute to fair and balanced history. Remini’s United States history is truly an accomplishment, he has a natural talent for prose and his scholarship is solid.

From the promotion for the book: “Offering an abbreviated, accessible, and lively narrative history of the United States, this erudite volume contains the essential facts about the discovery, settlement, growth, and development of the American nation and its institutions. Robert V. Remini explores the arrival and migration of Native Americans throughout the Western Hemisphere and their achievements; the discovery of the New World by Europeans and the establishment of colonies by the Spanish, French, English, and Dutch; the causes of the American Revolution; the founding of a republic under the Constitution; the formation of political parties; the War of 1812 and the resulting economic and cultural changes; the democratic impetus during the Jacksonian era; westward expansion and the Mexican War; the struggle over slavery, which led to the Civil War; Reconstruction and the rise of big business; the emergence of the United States as a world power; the descent into the Great Depression; the global conflicts of the twentieth century; the rise of conservatism; and the outbreak of terrorism here and abroad.”

100 Awesome Blogs for History Junkies
By Jessica Merritt

If you’re a history junkie, you surely know by now that the Internet is a great tool for finding information. But did you know that blogs are some of the most useful resources out there? Here you’ll find blogs about periods in history, genealogy, war, and lots more.

Periods

Read about specific periods, like the Victorian era and the American Revolution on these history blogs.

1. Cardinal Wolsey’s Today in History: Read Cardinal Wolsey’s blog for thoughts on Tudor, medieval, and early-modern history.
2. Victorian Times: Victorian Times highlights fashion and dresses in Civil War, Dickens, and Victorian style.
3. Boston 1775: Read about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts on this blog.
4. The Victorian Peeper: On the Victorian Peeper blog, you’ll read about nineteenth century Britain.
5. Edwardian Promenade: This blog covers the Edwardian period, from about 1880 to 1914.
6. The Victorian Era: Here you’ll read about fun facts from the 19th century.

Art

These blogs highlight the history of fine art.

7. Dracula vs. Einstein: This graphic design blog takes its inspiration from art history.
8. Ponder & Dream: Ponder & Dream is all about graphic designs inspired from military history.
9. Shorpy: This “100-year-old photo blog” highlights history in high resolution.
10. The Philatelic Database: This blog offers a look at stamp archives.
11. Food History: Learn about holiday customs and classic recipes on this foodie history blog.
12. Cycling Art: This blog explores the history of cycling through art.
13. Prima la Musica: Check out this blog to get the official word from Mozart.

War

Read these blogs if you’re interested in the Civil War, soldiers, and World Wars.

14. Civil War History: Read Civil War History to learn about the Civil War, as well as new developments in Civil War history.
15. Out of battle: Read anecdotes and articles about the first World War, specifically the 8th Battalion, AIF.
16. Military History Blog: The Military History Blog blogs about the battlefield.
17. Civil War Memory: Read what a high school history teacher and Civil War historian has to say.
18. Old Virginia Blog: Richard Williams, Jr.’s blog is all about the Civil War.
19. WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier: Read Harry Lamin’s letters from the first World War, posted exactly 90 years after they were written.
20. Australian War Memorial: Learn about official records, animals in war, aircraft, and lots more in this Australian war blog.
21. World War II History Blog: In this blog you’ll find news, photographs, “today in history,” and more.
22. Frontier Battles: Frontier Battles is all about wars for and against empire in America from 1607 to 1815.
23. Blog 4 History: Read about American and Civil War history on this blog about the American experience.
24. American Civil War Stories: Revisit the stories of the American Civil War in this blog.
25. 9th Btn Y & L War Diaries: Read the official war diary of the 9th Battalion of the York and Lancaster regiment.
26. What Passing Bells: This blog follows three different families through the first World War.
27. TOCWOC: The Order of Civial War Obsessively Compulsed is a blog about the civil war written by informed amateurs.

To read more…

How many economic “panics” have been a direct result of bad practices by big banking? Let’s see: the Panic of 1873 and the Panic of 1907 come to mind (have to admit not sure if the reasons were “bad practices”), and others come to mind (1857) but were they a direct result of big banking? In 1857 banks put a lot of speculation into businesses that started to fail, but were these practices irresponsible? Most likely they were ill-advised and the product of greed.
Looking through Wiki, I see that in 1873 things got so bad that fires sprang up in cities without the means to deal with them, and so they burnt uncontrollably. Coal could not be delivered to Trains, and transportation networks failed in some parts of the country. The U.S. Army was fighting the Apaches on foot (horses were breaking down and without replacements). Wagons hand to be pulled by hand, cargo filled trains and ships sat unloaded, and deliveries of basic things like food came virtually to a halt. There are those who might argue that if we do not do something about our energy supply, maybe, we see similar things in 5 years, maybe sooner?

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Don’t look now, but there is a possibility of a new Cuban Missile Crisis with Russian apparently planning to fly long-range bombers to Cuba on a regular basis. “If they did I think we should stand strong and indicate that is something that crosses a threshold, crosses a red line for the United States of America,” said General Norton Schwartz, nominated to be the air force’s chief of staff.

Finally, the New York Times is in serious trouble as it was recently reported that their second-quarter earnings fell 82 percent from the year-ago, dropping its net income to $21.1 million.

This is what I know: his name is probably Edward (Bigelow?) and was a member of the Union Civil War Regular Army (13th Army Corps, 4th Division, 2nd Brigade). He wrote this letter to his his mother, Sarah Bigelow, Lakeville, Livingston County, New York. He recorded his location as Carrollton, Louisiana, Sep 19 1863, with original postal cover, postmarked New Orleans LA, Sep 21 1863.

[contents read in-part]

…You have no idea of the pleasure we soldier boys receive from reading letters from those who are near and dear to us at home. Complaints are often made that we do not write often enough, yet the folks at home seem to forget that we are as anxious to har from them as they are from us … I am far down in Dixie in the vicinity of New Orleans. The weather has been hot, very hot for a long time, but night before last the wind shifted into the NW and it has been cool and pleasant since. Last night we almost shivered under a single blanket and a good many complained of cold toes in the morning. The wind is cool today, but the sun shines warm. In fact, the days are bound to be warm in this climate, though the nights are quite cool. We have a good breeze … every day either from the Gulf [of Mexico] or Lake Ponchartrain. Wm. P and I went to the city of New Orleans a few days since and from thence to Lake Ponchartrain, and looked out for the first time a far as the eye could reach on the surface of the salt water. The water is clear, almost as crystal, and anything moving … can be seen for some distance beneath the surface. Some of the boys have seen alligators while there, but [I] did not happen to see any. Such creatures are quite numerous in these parts, especially in the swamps and along the water courses. In N. Orleans almost every shoe store will have an alligator’s hide hanging in the door. They make boots of whem, which are said to be very durable and will never wet through. New Orleans is remarkable for its cleanliness, the streets are kept in the neatest order, more so than any northern city I have ever been in. The inhabitants are a mixed up mess, being German, French, Spanish, Irish, English and all shades of Negroes, as well as some Chinese. You can hear all kinds of languages and see all kinds and classes of people … At the ship landing all kinds of floating craft from a skiff up to a mammoth steamship, a man of war, vessels of different nations are at the wharves, presenting a somewhat novel sight to one who has always lived inland, and far from seaports. I suppose we will not remain here a great while. The most of our Army Corps have left and gone to Brashear City [LA] and I presume we will soon follow … We thought when we first came here we were bound for Mobile, but we now begin to think our destination [is] Texas and we have about made up our minds for a hard old tramp, and I presume we will have a good deal of bushwacking to do, as that seems to be the favorite mode of fighting among the Texans. Anything and anywhere to help put down this wicked rebellion and I hope the day is not far distant when peace will be restored to this unhappy country. I have seen and experienced enough of the horrors of war, but rather than yield or abandon this war for a dishonorable peace, I am willing to experience more for the sake of Country and the maintenance of our free institutions. I hope yet to be spared to see the end of this war and return home and enjoy once again the privileges of society and the pleasures of meeting friends, bothers, sisters, father and mother around the old hearth stone, where I spent my childhood days … I would be glad to see you all and sit down with you all for a social chat and, by way of variety, take a good old fashioned farmer’s dinner … Well, I must bring this letter to a close. This is Saturday evening, tomorrow is the Sabbath. Whether it will be a Sabbath to us I cannot tell … The Captain and I started for church last Sabbath and visited five churches before we found one where the preaching was in English and we could understand … I am well and in good spirits … The health of the camp is tolerable good … I hope to hear from you again soon and the letter will probably find me somewhere in the southern country … [signed] Edward.

A great letter, an interesting letter, and a mystery I need to solve.

There are the following potential soldiers who could have written this letter at this time and from this location:

Bigelow, Edward E., 29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry
Bigelow, Edward E., 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry
Bigelow, Edward E., 77th Regiment, Illinois Infantry

Why no New York regiments? That was strange. As a matter of fact, no “Bigelow” for any New York regiment serving in the 13th Army Corps. So, this means the spelling is incorrect or…. well he did not join a NY regiment. Ugh. The frustration of a Civil War letter rescue operation….