The Geezer of Gettysburg

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

For the last few weeks, in addition to transcribing the wartime letters of Henry Allen, I have developed something of an obsession with reading about the Battle of Gettysburg. Oh sure, I understand and can discuss most major Civil War battles with some of the best historians in the field, but I have never really delved deep into the nitty-gritty of any one particular scrap. And this I have now set out to do...since Gettysburg is my favorite place to visit, discuss, write about, and analyze - I figured I would go after that one. Yeah...I have plenty of books to choose from - just to get started.

Battles usually come with their own set of legends, and in this case Gettysburg is no different. Being a memory guy, I love legends and all that comes with them. So I will start off my (sure to be many) series of posts about the battle by having a quick look at the battle's most famous civilian: John Burns.  Many who visit the battlefield today learn about Burns, who along with Jennie Wade (the only civilian killed in the battle), number among the civilian notables in what could easily be called the Gettysburg express tourist package.

I just finished reading Harry Pfanz's Gettysburg: The First Day and he included a handy index that tells the Burns story, just in case you have never had the pleasure of hearing it from a hit-and-run Gettysburg tour guide. Burns was well in to his 70s and claimed to be a veteran of the war of 1812. He was, shall we say, incensed by the Rebel invasion of his native state and decided to do something about it - he grabbed his Enfield and went out to meet the advancing foe.

Around noon he arrived at the position of the 150th Pennsylvania near the McPherson farm. Burns discussed fighting alongside the Keystone regiment with the regiment's major and colonel and was eventually given permission - although he was advised to go to the nearby McPherson Woods where he would find shelter from the sun and Rebel bullets.

There he met up with the members of the 7th Wisconsin where he impressed the regiment's colonel by dropping a mounted Confederate with a rifle handed him by the officer. But that's not all. From there he moved on down the line and joined the 24th Michigan - near the eastern edge of the woods. There he was wounded three times.

The Burns legend has grown over time - is it true that he fought in all the places he claimed (or that others claimed)? Did he really kill the Rebel horseman? It is hard to say with certainty - but he did fight on McPherson Ridge and he was wounded.

Burns died in 1872 and is buried next to his wife in Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery. If you are ever there - stop by a pay your respects to one ballsy Yankee. And try to remember this little anecdote. It's stories like this that will impress your friends at parties - that is...it will if you hang out with people who are impressed by these types of things.

And by the way - I posted a picture of the Burns monument on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter promising to give a shout out to the first person who could correctly identify the man. I had a couple of simultaneous winners - so hats off to Scott and Eric and an honorable mention to Coni who thought it might be Johnny Appleseed!

Peace,
Keith

Civil Warriors Round Table: A Debriefing

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Those of you who check in regularly to the Speaking Engagements tab will be fully aware that last night I spoke to the Civil Warriors Round Table in the West San Fernando Valley. The topic was Robert E. Lee in the postwar years.  I gave a short talk on Lee's sense of duty, what he did during the years immediately following the war and more importantly, what he didn't do. The talk was followed by a raucous discussion on Lee, Virginia, loyalty, treason, and we even talked about his generalship at Gettysburg for a minute. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it seems that those in attendance did as well. Mission accomplished.

I will take a second today and stress that everyone with more than a passing interest in the Civil War should attend a local Round Table. These are great venues for some heated debate/discussion...as we all know, there is always plenty to talk about. And as we did last night, you will generally hear a wide range of opinion. It's a good thing. If we all thought the same thing...life would be pretty boring.

A I would also like to thank novelist David H. Jones - he stopped by last night and brought me a copy of his latest book, Two Brothers: One North, One South. David has given a number of presentations nationwide on the experiences of the Prentiss brothers, the 6th Regiment of Maryland Infantry and the final stage of the Petersburg Campaign in the American Civil War. During three years of research for “Two Brothers: One North, One South”, he ventured into the swamps of Dinwiddie County, Virginia to rediscover the lost location where a pivotal event in the book took place. I look forward to reading Two Brothers and reviewing it right here at Cosmic America!

Thanks again Civil Warriors for a great discussion - I'll see you next month!

Keith

The Return of Henry A. Allen

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

A long time ago, I embarked on a little side project that concerned a Confederate Soldier named Henry A. Allen. I came across his papers at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia back in grad school - his wartime letters had no direct bearing on my research but I thought they were interesting so I made copies and tucked them away for a later date.

Allen was a captain in the 9th Virginia Infantry Regiment and was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg. He spent the remainder of the war in northern prisons - where he wrote his wife, Sarah, on a regular basis...explaining the goings on of prison life and sending her instructions as to how best conduct their household while he was away.  Long after the war Allen joined a veterans' organization called the Immortal 600. Now, the 600 were some angry ex-Rebs, which is what drew me to Allen in the first place. What happened to him during the war and behind enemy lines that brought out the animosities later in life?

My plan was to present the letters in unedited form online - to make them available to the public. I made a good start until the letters dated after June, 1864 went missing from my files. You can see the letters dated before that by clicking HERE. Well, after relocating Cosmic America HQ this last month, the 1864-65 letters have resurfaced. Thus the project continues! Stay tuned to find out what happens to Allen as the months turn in to years. You might just find a few surprises!

The next step is to edit this collection for publication, which means a few more trips to the archives. Allen was from Portsmouth, Virginia - and strangely...after years of living in the Old Dominion, I never made it there. I suppose a visit is in order.

Peace,

Keith

"A Yankee Metrosexual with Purple Sunglasses"

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

It turns out that Cosmic America has readers from all walks of life, who hold dear all kinds of world views. I discovered this morning that the author of the blog Occidental Dissent has a few issues with yours truly. For those of you not familiar with this blog - its mission seems to be 1) The preservation of western race and culture  against what the author terms a "black run Amerika" and 2) A dedication to a neo-Confederate opposition to anything resembling Yankeedom.

First things first - thanks OD for helping  spread the Cosmic America message - I have a sneaking suspicion that your readers will disagree with me but hey, you never know. For your readers, I just wanted to provide a little biographical information to set the record straight about this whole "Yankee" thing.

I was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1967. My ancestors were from northern Alabama (Lawrence County) and fought for the Confederacy with the 16th Alabama Infantry and the 27th Georgia Infantry. I moved to California in the 1970s. So - I am not what most people would consider a Yankee, but thanks anyway for the compliment. Oh, and yes...I do sometimes wear purple sunglasses and yes...I have been to Compton many times but have never had my ass kicked.

For my readers, I would like to direct you to the comment section of of the OD post. Wow!! This is quite a display of anger. These guys sort of leave the "Heritage not Hate" groups behind - a loooong way behind. For the record, I have spoken with a lot of people in the Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Confederate reenactors, and other heritage groups who are appalled by this sort of racist agenda coupled with twenty-first century support for the Confederate cause. I wind up disagreeing with the SCV members on just about everything else, but most (not all...but most) agree that carrying forward virulent racist hatred is a bad idea.

Peace and well wishes (to all)

Keith

21st Century Technology on a Civil War Battlefield

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I never go anywhere without my iPhone. I love it. I really do. I shoot all my videos with it, take all my pictures, post to my blogs, Tweet, and post Facebook updates. And I can't wait for the next one to come out. If the iPhone 5 outdoes the 4 - I will be stoked.

But until then, this little black device is my favorite thing. And now....you can get Civil War battlefield apps for free! Not all battles have one, mind you - but Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg are all currently available through the app store.

These are really handy tools - if you download all the info straight to your iPhone, you don't have to worry about reception when you are on the field. There are maps, videos, interpretive segments, even trivia games.

I could have really used this the last time my wife and I got hopelessly lost at Manassas. Really - it was embarrassing...I mean, I am supposed to be a Civil War historian and I got lost!

Oh well, next time I will be armed with my Manassas app and will find my way around perfectly well.

Peace,

Keith

What is Your First Memory of a Historical Event?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Brooks Simpson over at Crossroads posted an inquiry the other day that stimulated a lot of discussion. Along the lines of a "where were you when..." sort of question, he recalled the news of President Kennedy's assassination and noted that this was his first memory of historical significance. His post inspired me to roll that notion over in my mind for a minute.

So today I step away from the Civil War in historical memory and throw in my personal memory of some - shall we say - more recent history. The date was August 8, 1974 - I was only seven but I remember clearly as if it were yesterday....Nixon addressing the nation and resigning the presidency, effective the following day at noon. What I remember most were not the details of the scandal leading up to this broadcast, but simply the term "Watergate" and how it had been dominating the media for what seemed like (to a seven-year-old) forever. What I do remember is venting my frustration to my grandmother, the person with whom I usually watched television, explaining (in an Alabama accent that I have long since lost) that "Watergate was the only thing on TV anymore." She, a Nixon supporter, had to agree.

In those days, my favorite shows were Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and The Wonderful World of Disney. I had had enough of Watergate, especially when it preempted my programs. These days, I do not own a TV.

So....tell me, what is your first memory of a historical event?

Peace,

Keith

Civil Warriors Round Table: A Debriefing

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

As you all know by now, one of my favorite things to do is attend local talks on the Civil War - and yes...these take place in the Los Angeles area all the time. Last night I hauled my cookies (Coni joined me - for her first Civil War round table) all the way out to the West Valley for the Civil Warriors Round Table - a small and friendly gathering that takes place at a deli once a month. Attendance was a little lighter than usual, but that mattered little  - we got a taste of a artillerist's life in the Army of the Tennessee...as told by said artillerist's grandson, David E. Wall.

Wall's talk, "Always in the Middle of Battle: Edward Kiniry and the 1st Illinois Light Artillery," followed his ancestor throughout the western theatre of war - from Forts Henry and Donelson to Atlanta and finally North Carolina. Following the talk, I asked Wall about Kiniry's position on politics and slavery - I found his wartime lack of interest for such matters intriguing - I am wondering if he just didn't record his opinions. I did turn out that after the war Kiniry (a person of Irish descent originally from Manhattan, mind you) tended to promote some degree of racial tolerance. One could assume that the war had made a difference on Kiniry's worldview. At least that is what Wall implied.

Next month, I will be speaking to this group about Robert E. Lee in the years following Appomattox...his public conciliation, his private reflection, his sense of duty, and Lee in public memory. It should be a rousing talk - hope to see you there!

Peace,

Keith