Set Your Phaser on Shut Up

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

In the spirit of lightheartedness I offer for your amusement this Civil War edition of the old comedy program, Mr. Show. The Civil War is constantly and will probably always be turning up in comedic ways. In this episode, Civil War reenactors fight it out with other living history enthusiasts (and living future enthusiasts too).

Enjoy -

Keith

Joan Waugh on Grant the Drunk

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

And Happy Sunday morning to you all. And since it is Sunday morning, I presume that many of you joined friends and/or family last night to partake in an adult beverage or two. Yours truly is indeed a fan of revelry - that which includes an occasional cocktail con mis amigos. If you should ever find yourself at a place called Mercantile on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, try "El Diablo." This is one mighty fine drink.

As usual, pretty much everything I do gets me thinking about some sort of Civil War subject. And this morning I am thinking about the rumors of Ulysses S. Grant's excessive drinking. Accusations of drunkenness dogged Grant throughout his military and political career. Popular culture has not let him off the hook either - today, alongside his even less flattering sobriquet "the Butcher," he is still referred to by some disdainfully as Grant the Drunk.

Well then...it is true that Grant took a taste from time to time? It is true that he may have fallen on his ass more than once? Without question. But a drunk? Dare we judge him in such callously simplistic terms? I mean "drunk" just plain lacks complexity - and Grant was a complex fellow...with flaws (just like you and me compadres....so quit judging and get used to it).

Thanks to the conveniences of modern technology and Youtube, I am going to turn to the expert on the subject. UCLA professor Joan Waugh knows the story on Grant so I will let her do the talking.

Peace,

Keith

I'd love to be a Civil War buff...What do you have to do to be a buff?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

This is a repost of one I wrote some months ago...I was sorting through some things and thought it would be good for a light-hearted Saturday morning - so there you have it.

Jerry Seinfeld? Keith Hernandez? What do they have to do with the Civil War? Well...in a very popular episode of Seinfeld - you know the one...where Jerry sort of gets a man-crush on Keith Hernandez...there is a little dialog between Jerry and George that comes close to my corner of the world. It goes like this:

JERRY: You know who that is? That's

GEORGE: Keith Hernandez? The baseball player?

JERRY: Yeah, that's him.

GEORGE: Are you sure?

JERRY: Positive.

GEORGE: Wow, Keith Hernandez. He's such a great player.

JERRY: Yeah, he's a real smart guy too. He's a Civil War buff.

GEORGE: I'd love to be a Civil War buff. ... What do you have to do to be a buff?

JERRY: So Biff wants to be a buff? ... Well sleeping less than 18 hours a day
would be a start.

Yes...Jerry's right about that. Being a buff is hard work. You need an encyclopedic knowledge of every commander (at least down to the regiment level) and of course...you need to know the battles cold. I have to say...I love it when popular culture and Civil War history intersect. I'll bet you a buck that book sales on the Civil War picked up a bit after this show aired.

But Hernandez aside, lots of academics (not all, mind you, but lots) sort of look down on buffs. They think of them as all "drums and bugles" and no substance. They (it is suggested) don't delve into issues...they don't read all the important scholarship...they dismiss complexity.

I say lighten up a little. Civil War buffs keep interest in this historical period alive. Buffs do buy books, they watch TV shows about history and yes indeed...they (thankfully) follow my Tweets, they watch my Youtube videos, and they comment on my Facebook posts.

I love buffs. Without them, I might not have an audience at all (or at least a much smaller one). So, Mr. Hernandez - I salute you and all like you who find the Civil War fascinating above all else. We are one and the same. If you ever want to talk - just hit me up.

Peace,

Keith (scholar/buff)

What if what if what if (the Stonewall Jackson Post)

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

And...happy Friday everyone!!

Now as you all know, I get questions daily via Facebook, Youtube, and especially Twitter. This one comes up frequently enough to merit an entire post. And guess what - I am as thrilled as hell about it because it gives me a chance to pitch in on counterfactual history.

So here you go - I am sure you have heard it too: "What if Stonewall Jackson had lived to fight at Gettysburg?"

Oh boy. Well, I guess I should start with just a little background. Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was known to Lee and all across the Confederacy as a fighter. He was ballsy, tough, and quite often outmaneuvered and out fought his better supplied and manned opponents. 2nd Manassas? Kicked ass. The Valley campaign of 1862? Kicked ass. Fredericksburg? Kicked ass. Chancellorsville? Kicked ass. See what I mean...except there was one little problem.

After Stonewall's 2nd corps, ANV effectively routed the Union 11th corps at Chancellorsville, some dumb asses from North Carolina accidentally shot him and he subsequently died a few days later. Bummer for the Rebs. They lost one of their best guys.

So good ole Robert E. Lee decided to reorganize the 2nd corps in to two new corps, the 2nd - under the command of Richard S. Ewell and the 3rd - under the command of A. P. Hill.

Fast forward to July 1, 1863. Elements of Ewell's 2nd corps beat the shit out of the Union 1st and 11th corps at Gettysburg - pushing them through the town and up the heights (Cemetery Hill) just south of town. Lee's orders to Ewell: Take the heights if practicable.

Well, apparently Ewell didn't think it was practicable because he did not take the heights (or even attempt to) and the Union wound up holding the high ground - a fact that would prove very advantageous for the Union later on.

Many armchair generals across the land have since insisted that if Stonewall had been in command on that day - those heights would have been taken - thus insuring Confederate victory at Gettysburg and quite possibly the war itself. Poor old Richard S. Ewell. That is one hell of a historical burden to have hanging over you.

But here's the thing (counterfactual rant begins now). We have NO WAY of knowing what would have happened. NO WAY. PERIOD. Jackson could have done a number of things, maybe he would have taken the hill. Could he have held it? Who knows? Hell - maybe he would have been killed, or had dysentery, or fallen off his horse, or anything at all. The point here is that counterfactual history gets us absolutely nowhere. There were an infinite number of possibilities that day with the people who actually fought in the battle. One of them happened. Let's focus on that and give the "what ifs" a break.

Now there are a few historians around (Mark Grimsley and others) who have postulated some sort of counterfactual "theory" that they suggest will actually shed light on what could have really happened given another set of circumstances.

Nonsense. Attaching a bunch of academic claptrap to the musings and suppositions of what boils down to fantasy has even less utility than the simple "what if" questions over beer, peanuts, and Youtube.

At any rate - if you want to talk about Gettysburg, I am all yours. But let's stick to what actually happened - not what could have.

Peace,

Keith

Cosmic America Speaks - The Civil Warriors Round Table Debriefing

[caption id="attachment_780" align="alignleft" width="290" caption="A pic I snapped with my Iphone right before my talk - they had no idea what was coming their way! "][/caption]

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

As those of you who follow this blog now know very well...this last year has been pretty hectic. Lots of writing, lots of tweeting, and a move across the country. Which means, I have not been doing much in the way of speaking...something that I love to do.

Well, I am happy to say - I am back in the mix. Last night I was honored to speak to the Civil Warriors Round Table in LA's  West San Fernando Valley.

First off, I would like to thank the group for having me. It is nice to feel wanted :)

Second, I would like to say that this is one of the best groups I have ever encountered. While the Civil Warriors number few - relatively - they are a raucous bunch...and very knowledgeable. It was a real joy to speak with them for an hour and a half. The question and answer section was about as fun as anyone could hope for at a Civil War meeting.

I discussed the ways Union veterans commemorated their cause - the issues at stake and their insistence that their cause be remembered. The talk, entitled The View From the North, Reconciliation and the Union Cause - went over very well indeed. And the heated discussion that followed made me happy to be a historian.

I managed to get a few plugs in for the blog and other social media tools for historians - so maybe there will be just a smidge of increased activity here at Cosmic America.

Thanks again Civil Warriors - I am looking forward to our next meeting!

Peace,

Keith

PS - a special thanks to Dave, president of the Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table - who made it all the way from Michigan! It was great to have you!!

The Gettysburg Tour

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

There is something special about being led around the Gettysburg Battle field by someone who knows what they are talking about I have had the pleasure of seeing the battlefield with some of the best. I have joined Gary Gallagher, Joan Waugh, Matt Gallman, and Glenn LaFantasie, just to name a few, on this field of epic battle.

If you do not happen to run into one of these acclaimed historians while visiting, I suggest checking in to some of the licensed tour guides that work for the NPS.  I "liberated" the video from Youtube of Gary Kross giving his two cents on the Pickett-Pettigrew assault - he seems like he knows what he is doing. And I highly recommend Wayne Motts. I do not agree with everything he says - but you might...and at any rate - he is top notch when it comes to talking about the battle.

I'll be there in June and July for the CWI Conference reporting back with up to the minute updates on the battlefield and in the meeting hall. SO stay tuned - there will all kinds of virtual tours coming your way!

Peace,

Keith

A Speaking Engagement Plug - Civil Warriors Round Table, Wednesday March 9

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I have mentioned this once or twice already but I thought I would get one last plug in before the speaking engagement. If you live or will be in the Los Angeles area (the west San Fernando Valley, specifically) this Wednesday, March 9th, come on out to the Civil Warriors Round Table.

I'll be going over my thoughts on Union veterans and what they talked about when they commemorated their cause(s). Spoiler alert: they had a lot to say about slavery and treason.

The talk will go off at 7:00 PM sharp - for location info click HERE. There will be a lively discussion to follow.

Hope to see you there!

Peace,

Keith