Blog 4 History: American & Civil War History

I am proud to present my contribution to the Top Ten Books on the Battle of Gettysburg.

1) Those Damned Black Hats: The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign, By Lance J. Herdegen (2008) - This is currently my favorite book on the battle as I really love regimental studies and this is an exceptional one dealing with the Iron Brigade’s presence at Gettysburg. Superbly written and as always a Herdengen touch to it that makes it so readable.

2) The Killer Angels, By Michael Sharra (1974) - has to be on any list. It was my first introduction to the Civil War in High School.

3) The Gettysburg Nobody Knows, By Gabor S. Boritt, ed. (1999) - one of the more interesting books on the battle and one that I refer to often.

4) Gettysburg: The Second Day, By Harry Pfanz (1998) - This was, of course, a monumental work and as John Hoptak noted a “landmark” book that has to be on the shelf of every Civil War enthusiast. He also covers a little about my ancestor, Charles H. Weygant of the 124th NY.

5) Pickett’s Charge in History and Memory, By Carol Reardon (1997) - a fascinating book on the battle’s most controversial and important event.

6) The First Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership, By Gary W. Gallagher, ed., (1992) - One of my favorite books including numerous essays that are informative and important.

7) Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, By Noah Andre Trudeau (2003) - a bit difficult to follow at times, but overall I really liked Trudeau’s writing style.

8 ) Gettysburg, By Stephen W. Sears (2004) - his reading style is very accessible. I thought he handled Meade and Lee fairly, but really this book is a favorite as I enjoy his writing style. Gettysburg books can be very convoluted as it was indeed a massive battle.

9) Lincoln at Gettysburg, By Garry Willis (1992) - it seems appropriate to have Lincoln’s Address in here somewhere as it plays an important part in the memory of the battle and it helped to establish some meaning for the place beyond the controversy of whether or not the battle was thee turning point.

10) Gettysburg: July 1, By David G. Martin (2003)

I’ve been asked to contribute to a Top 10 books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg in celebration of the upcoming anniversary. Though I am honored to have been asked to contribute, I feel somewhat unqualified compared to the other accomplished historians. However, I will do my best! Here are the details as described by Brett on his site:

• July 1, 2009: The 78th Edition of the History Carnival goes live at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.
• July 1, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event officially gets underway with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Eric Wittenberg of Rantings of a Civil War Historian, Drew Wagenhoffer of Civil War Books and Authors, and John Hoptak of The 48th Pennsylvania Infantry/Civil War Musings
• July 2, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event continues with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings, Craig Swain of To the Sound of the Guns, and Nick Kurtz of Battlefield Wanderings
• July 3, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event winds to a conclusion with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Chris Wehner of Blog 4 History and Brett Schulte of TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog. A final blog entry here at TOCWOC will tabulate the results and create a combined top 10 list for all of the Civil War bloggers participating. A permanent page which will contain links to each blog entry and the final results has already been established and is only waiting for the posts to go live prior to being completed.
• July 4, 2009: A free book giveaway will occur to celebrate America’s independence from Great Britain. Stay tuned for further details on the morning of July 4!

Kevin and Richard have a couple of posts concerning the popular Grant topic of his drinking and whether or not he was a drunk?  Kevin is currently reading a new manuscript from UNC on Grant titled U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth, written by Joan Waugh. (Interestingly, I wonder if they want Kevin discussing any part of this manuscript in public at all? Apparently they must not mind.) In this manuscript, apparently, Waugh tackles the “myth” of Grant being a Drunkard. Kevin writes, “Anyone familiar with recent Grant studies already knows that the evidence against Grant is weak or inconclusive.”

Richard takes “recent” historiography and Kevin to task suggesting that all we are doing is cleaning the records of Northern heroes while continuing to dismantle Southern ones like Lee. I am simplifying the debate here so read Richard’s post linked above.

I think Richard makes a valid point. However, I have done a little reading on Grant and I have to agree with recent historiography and say that I don’t think there is a lot there. Did Grant drink on occasion? Yes. But to start getting into was he a drunk? debate requires clear evidence of constant drunkenness on Grant’s part and there simply is none that I am aware of. This kind of splitting hairs is what we complain about with those who debate whether or not the flying of the Confederate flag is offensive, a debate I don’t take sides on for the same reason; it’s all about personal points of view (ideology) and not history.

Has there been a specific study that has dealt with how Union soldiers’ opinions concerning things like slavery, emancipation, ect., change as they transitioned from their homeland and descended South and witnessed, firsthand, the nature of slavery?

Additionally, how did their experiences going South, entering Rebeldom, change their point of view on Negro soldiers, and everything else that was involved in race issues, if at all? For example, here are some quotes from various soldiers from Indiana:

“Mother said she was afraid I would turn to an Abolitionist. If I had been one at home, I have seen enough to make me a Negro hater since I came here.” (Frankfort, Ky., Oct. 15, 1861)

“I suppose you hear plenty of talk about the free negroes I don’t know how the folks like it nor don’t kear [sic] if it will only bring the war to an end any sooner….We are in war and anything to beat the south.” (Jan. 8, 1863, Ft. Barnard, Va.)

“They [sic] is two or three Negro Regts here. They make good Soldiers and save the white soldiers a good deal of hard work. They make a fine appearance on drill. I am in for the Black Soldier. I say bring them on.” (Joseph Hollis, Folly Island, S.C., Sept. 9, 1863)

“Though I live in the negro country, I haven’t changed my opinion of them, only strengthened it. They are not good for anything, unless driven to work, so you don’t need to be afraid that I will fall in love with them, though it is the case with many soldiers.” (Winchester, Tenn., Nov. 6, 1863)

“I seen a new part of the ‘Elephant’ today viz. a squad of Negro soldiers drilling. They did a great deal better than many white troops I have seen with the same opportunities.” (Tullahoma, Tenn., May 31, 1864, p. 142)

“Nearly all the guards along the road are Negroes. They are fine looking soldiers. They always turn out at a present arms when the train passes. Their accouterments and guns are as bright as they can be, and the broad smile that marks their countenances attest their like of the change from Chattels to U.S. soldiers.” (Louisville, Ky., Sept. 17, 1864)

“Up to the time we landed I had not noticed any negro troops, but after we left Akins landing I saw nothing else…They flocked out to see us as we passed, and I never saw a blacker set of Negroes in my life. They beat the ‘Ace of Spades.’” (March 10, 1865)

With these quotes being from different soldiers it’s not possible to measure how they were impacted as they moved South and saw things such as slavery, Southern Women, Southern society, ect., and how that real life, face-to-face exposure impacted them.

If I took 100 or so soldiers and followed their evolution in thinking as they went South, that might make from interesting findings, would it not?

Oh, and if someone has done this please point me in that direction….

Center design of the 6th U.S. Colored Troops regimental flag. The top motto reads, “Freedom for all”. From the Library of Congress Collection.

Very interesting recordings it sounds like are being released by the Nixon Presidential Library. As the movie Frost/Nixon identified, Nixon was a complex man. It stands to reason that we don’t really learn about a President until many years after their leaving office. It will be interesting how our most contemporary Presidents will be judged in years to come: Obama, Bush W., Clinton, Bush H., ect. In these tapes Nixon discusses Roe V. Wade, Equal Rights, and getting more women involved in politics, sort of:

Nixon is heard on a muffled tape recording telling his special counsel that abortion is necessary in some cases - including instances of multiracial pregnancy.

Speaking to Charles Colson after the January 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, the president said: “I admit, there are times when abortions are necessary, I know that.” He gave “a black and a white” as an example.

“Or rape,” Colson offered. “Or rape,” Nixon agreed.

The records show Nixon seemingly resigned to the likelihood of South Vietnam’s eventual collapse even as he strong-armed its president, Nguyen Van Thieu, to accept a settlement that would extricate the U.S. from the massively unpopular war.

He told his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, he’d do anything to get Thieu to accede, “cut off his head if necessary.”

Nixon historian Luke A. Nichter said the circumstances surrounding Nixon’s acceptance of a flawed peace-deal will probably be what scholars note from the latest disclosures.

“Producing the Vietnam peace agreement took the administration to the emotional brink,” he said. “At the very moment of triumph after finally ending combat operations in Southeast Asia, that process caused deep and lasting fissures among the top ranks in the White House.”

To read more…

…when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratified it. The 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution consisted of: 26 Episcopalians, 11 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 2 Quakers and 1 Deist - Dr. Franklin, who called for prayer during the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787: “I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning.” The Journal of the U.S. House of Representatives, March 27, 1854, recorded the unanimous vote of the 33rd Congress to print Congressman James Meacham’s report, which stated: “At the adoption of the Constitution, we believe every State - certainly 10 of the 13 - provided as regularly for the support of the Church as for the support of the Government…Down to the Revolution, every colony did sustain religion in some form. It was deemed peculiarly proper that the religion of liberty should be upheld by a free people.” Congressman Meacham concluded: “Had the people, during the Revolution, had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle.”

Looks and sounds like a very Christian Nation at least for a while after its founding…

I have been taking notes from a great book that I have decided will be (along with my A.P. textbook) the cornerstone of my teaching of the American Colonial period in my Advanced Placement class. Alan Taylor’s book American Colonies: The Settling of North America (The Penguin History of the United States, Volume1) (Hist of the USA) is in my opinion exceptional. He goes into sufficient detail, intertwines interesting tidbits and details, but most important is even keel and straightforward for the most part. For example, when Taylor discusses something controversial like pre-1492 Indian population, he talks about the “low-counters” and “high-counters” and discusses how scholarship on the topic has evolved and then comes to a very scholarly opinion. Very good!

The book is broken up into parts, first he starts with some pre-Colombian information and then moves into the first encounters with Europeans. He finishes with the establishment of America and its pre-Empire beginnings. The narrative is engaging and most importantly a lot of great material and well researched. I highly recommend it!