What Civil War Book Most Influenced You?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I speak often about the many Civil War books that I have found compelling over the years. Of course, there is Bruce Catton's body of work - my introduction to Civil War history, and David Blight's Race and Reunion - the very best book I have ever read that I disagree with. I keep these books on my short list for a variety of reasons.

But if there is one book that most influenced my thinking - at least when it comes to Confederate nationalism, Confederate identity, and how the Confederate States of America finally succumbed to defeat, I would have to give the nod to Gary W. Gallagher's Confederate War.

Before I thoroughly engaged this book, I considered Confederate defeat in terms of internal divisions. Popular national support (or lack thereof - for a multitude of reasons), popular connections to the institution of slavery, and the disconnect between civilian and military leadership all seemed problematic enough to suggest that maybe...just maybe the Rebels did themselves in.

Gallagher's book did not change my mind on the spot - but it got me thinking about the Confederate cause and how the Confederate people persevered for four years despite these things. Further investigation convinced me that the Rebels had internal troubles to spare, but were profoundly committed to independence and a slave-holding republic and were willing to sacrifice nearly everything to get it. You don't need to take my word for it - just read the book...have a look at the evidence in comparison to other works discussing Confederate defeat (Robinson's Bitter Fruits of Bondage would be a good start) and decide for yourself.

And in case you were wondering about my current thoughts on Confederate defeat - I am going to have to go with George Pickett: I am pretty sure the Union army had something to do with it.

Peace,

Keith

Best Civil War Hike Ever

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

As many of you know, I am an avid runner and hiker. In less than two weeks, I'll be running the LA Marathon for the second time - I expect to destroy last year's time. As far as hiking goes, I never miss a chance to explore as much of a Civil War site as possible on foot. Sometimes this involves some pretty strenuous hiking - and I get to enjoy two of my passions at once. Huzzah!

My favorite Civil War hike? Maryland Heights at Harpers Ferry. It's a little over 5 miles to the top and back and it can get steep in places. There are plenty of interpretive signs along the way leading you through the military history of the area. You can also find traces of fortifications - breastworks and gun emplacements dot the scene...as well as ammunition pits and powder magazines, and you will find the remains of a fort at the summit.

But what's more - the views are spectacular. The summit's main attraction is an overlook of Harpers Ferry and the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Well worth the price of admission, so to speak.

So - that's my plug for nature loving Civil War peeps - next time you find yourself driving near Harpers Ferry - do yourself a favor and head up the summit.

Peace,

Keith

The Future of Civil War Era Studies - A Response to Stephen Berry's Top Ten List

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I recently read an intriguing article in the Journal of the Civil War Era by historian Stephen Berry of the University of Georgia. Berry accounts for the quieting of hotly debated big issues that have dominated Civil War studies for the last several decades. Slavery - we can pretty much agree on that. Where the war was won and lost - well, maybe. The modernity of the South - sure. Self-emancipation - of course, so long as you give at least some credit to the Union army. Confederate internal divisions - yes there were some, but again...the Union army, remember? So, with "many of these old debates quiescent," Berry asks, "where does that leave us; where do we go from here?" Berry then proceeds to offer his top ten list of where we are actually going from here. I will not trouble to list them here - you can read them for yourself.

I will, however, offer a few notes of my own. Berry's list strikes me as only an ever-so-slight adjustment to what Civil War historians have been up to for, well, as long as there have been Civil War historians. If Berry is right, then we are not really going anywhere, not breaking new ground, not keeping up with the times. If anything, we would only be adjusting an existing format to conform to current trends in scholarship. Yes, trends like environmental history and transnationalism will certainly begin to dominate Civil War studies programs. The focus away from microhistory to the larger sweep of events will undoubtedly prevail, for the time being anyway.

And such scholarship is well and good - but as projected, these movements in Civil War Studies reflect the tendency of many scholars to encapsulate themselves within the hallowed halls of academia. Berry's concern with how new studies will fit with the existing tenure system, how they will be funded and received by the NEH and other organizations, and whether or not we are killing the war our fathers built suggests that same old system of Civil War Era studies is merely getting a fresh coat of paint.

But with certainty...and in very short order, Civil War Era studies will no longer be defined by the same old system. I would not imply that the discipline is inexorably sinking and that Berry is simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. But I would say that there have been profound changes in how we read, research, teach, and absorb - even feel, see, and hear Civil War history. And I would also argue that Civil War Era studies is steadily moving away from the confines of the university and in to the hands of an informed public. Berry touches on this - but only with the delicate touch of someone who does not wish to stir things up too much. After all - tenure is quite possibly at stake.

Case in point: number four on the list, "It Is No Longer 'Cute' To Be A Luddite," accents the development of Digital Humanities 2.0. A move beyond the simple storage of information (the 1.0 version) and the necessity of digital skills and technical savvy. Berry notes that the whole system must either "reboot itself or get the boot." As clever as that statement is, Berry's preoccupation with dissertators' technical skills misses the the crux of how digital humanities is entirely restructuring the discourse between teacher, student, and the public. Single-author monographs will not simply be yielding space to Internet collaborations, they will be engaging them. And Internet collaborators will be (and are quickly becoming) a wide cross section of individuals of all stripes and walks of life - many well versed in Civil War history - points Berry fails to note.

There is little "future" in the forum article – albeit innovative points of focus, Berry's top ten list nevertheless appears to be offering conscious constructions to fit the current mold of academic scholarship. Are Civil War scholars in essence sharpening a pencil we already have - remaining content to speak an esoteric language and move about in areas reserved for the academic elite? Scarcity of access is quickly becoming a thing of the past. And as more and more leave the fold to embrace an informed public, traditional Civil War scholarship (in its current incarnation) and its conventional means of production and highly selective dissemination will be of less utility - and indeed...of less relevance.

The Future of Civil War Era Studies? I offer number eleven for Berry's list - it's going viral.

Peace,

Keith

Should John Brown Have a Monument?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

When John Brown was hanged in December 1859 - church bells across New England tolled for abolition's martyr. During the Civil War, Union soldiers marched off to battle with his name upon their lips. "John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave...." But he committed treason - he planned an insurrection intent on the murder of American citizens.

I posed the question on Facebook and Twitter as to whether or not John Brown should have a monument and got a number of thoughtful responses. I should point out, as did fellow Civil War historian and blogger Scott MacKenzie, that there are a number of monuments and markers already out there. Early twentieth century monuments in Osawatomie, Kansas and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia offer limited (although differing) analyses of Brown's role in the coming conflagration. If you are among those who subscribe to the idea that our understanding of the past is really a reflection of the present and a reflection of place, perhaps this makes sense.

How then, would our twenty-first century sensibilities inform a new monument to Brown, if one were so conceived? We (most of us, anyway) think emancipation was a good thing. We also live in a world threatened by terrorism. What then do we say about Brown? And where do we say it? Most who commented on my several posts yesterday agree that a comprehensive memorial denoting the fight to end slavery - including Brown - would be best. Memorializing the man would be tough for some people, while they could still celebrate his sentiments overall. And Harper's Ferry would be the most appropriate spot. We would of course have to  highlight what he thought would become of a nation plagued by the institution - and be crystal clear concerning exactly what he was prepared to do to end it.

Can we do so without judgment? Can we provide the information and let the informed public decide? Controversy would undoubtedly ensue - but when something like this gets people fired up, then it was probably done right. We may all just have to wait and see what happens. As it stands, I know of no plans....

I will ask you this. Would you support a new monument to Brown? If so, what would you want it to look like? What would be involved?

Peace,

Keith

Chat Me Up!

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Introducing the new Cosmic America chat feature.

So - are you sitting at home pondering modernity in the antebellum South? Trying to figure out why Gene Genovese's latest wasn't quite as Marxist as his old stuff? Considering whether or not the war affected change for northern civilians in any measurable way? Are you studying for comps and trying to sort out memory historiography? Or are you just looking for the best taco stand in Hollywood?

Fortune has smiled on you my friends. Periodically throughout the day, I will set aside some time to go one on one with anybody who wishes to do so - or better yet, I can facilitate a group discussion and we can all get to the bottom of whatever issue comes to mind - or at least give it our best shot. Just enter your comments in the chat box to the right and click "go." Of course I will announce designated chat times on Facebook and Twitter. And hey...if I am not around - why not just talk among yourselves? There is always something to talk about. Here...I will get you started:



Discuss.

And the good questions and comments will go straight to Office Hours!

Peace,

Keith

Where Do All the Big Guns Come From?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Over the past two weeks, I have been spending a lot of time at Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. First, it was to find Gone With the Wind star Hattie McDaniel's grave, then I was there to look up a very prominent Union Civil War veteran, Allen Allensworth. One of the cemetery's dominating features is the big cannon guarding the entrance to the soldiers' plot. Although heavily damaged from years of exposure, neglect, and vandalism, the gun still strikes an imposing posture before the graves of the nation's men at arms.

If you have visited cemeteries with special sections for soldiers, you have certainly seen  a gun or two. If the cemetery is old enough, it will probably be the final resting place for Civil War soldiers - and the gun will more than likely date to the Civil War era. But have you ever wondered how the gun got there? I was especially intrigued by this one. Los Angeles was a long way from the action during the war, but there is a Civil War cannon here nonetheless.

I took a few pictures, noted the various markings, and sent them to fellow Civil War blogger Craig Swain for further information. Craig got back to me in short order with more details than I had expected. This 10-inch Rodman probably served as part of network of seacoast defensive fortifications in the northeast. How can he tell? A postwar rifling insert indicates that the gun was modified from its original casting as a smoothbore - the markings on this insert give precise dates and other details. This one was converted by South Boston Foundry in 1877 (where most of the guns from the northeast wound up) - it was the 36th conversion made in the series. It was inspected by Cullen Bryant and weighed 16090 pounds.

But how did it get to California? In the late 1860s, Irvin McDowell, the Union general who lost at Manassas, was in command of the department of the West. He requested that these guns be shipped to California for use in coastal defenses. This Rodman more than likely made its way west after 1877 - it would not have been cost effective (the Army was tightening its belt in those days after a protracted war) to ship it east for rifling and then ship it west once again.

So my best guess is that this gun has never fired a shot in anger. In 1908, the Stanton Post, GAR procured the gun (somehow...I am going to figure that out next) then dedicated it as a monument to their comrades buried at Rosedale. And now it sits rusting, covered with graffiti and filled with garbage in a seldom-visited cemetery that suffers from neglect. If you're ever in the West Adams neighborhood of Washington and Normandie - stop by for a visit.

Peace,

Keith

Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth - a Significant First

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Allen Allensworth was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1842. Like many others, the Civil War brought an opportunity to escape to Union lines. Allensworth took this opportunity and joined with the Union hospital Corps after escaping to an encampment of the 44th Illinois Volunteer Regiment - a unit camped near Louisville. In 1863, he joined the US Navy, where he was soon promoted to Captain's Steward serving on the Gunboat Queen's City.

After the war, he pursued a life of preaching, married, and eventually returned to the Army as the Chaplain of the 24th Infantry Regiment - the Buffalo Soldiers - holding the rank of Captain, he was among the few black officers in the Army. By the time of his retirement in 1906, he had reached the rank of Lt. Colonel - the first black man to do so.

Allensworth is quickly becoming a point of great interest to me. After his retirement, he moved to Los Angeles, California and worked to develop a black community north of Bakersfield. The town of Allensworth, founded in 1908, was meant to be entirely self sufficient - free from racism, and free from the travails of the post Reconstruction South. Sadly, the town failed. The problem - no water. Allensworth returned to Los Angeles where, in 1914,  he was ingloriously killed in a motorcycle accident. He is buried in the GAR plot at Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. 

Allensworth is among several men in my current study of Union veterans who moved west after the war. Did Allensworth develop an identity as a westerner? What sort of identities was he dealing with in a post-Union victory United States that helped inform a possible western outlook? Several identity layers may indeed surface - racial, sectional, gender, class. We shall see - I am planning several trips to the archives including a road trip to the remnants of what was once Allensworth, California.

One thing that is great about this project - it turns out that Los Angeles has a much richer Civil War connection than I had previously thought.

Peace,
Keith