Week in Review: October 3rd – 9th, 2011
Civil War History in the News
In a surprising bit of news, The Virginia Military Institute finished acquiring the Stonewall Jackson House. Also in commemoration news, Georgetown, South Carolina unveiled its 58th Historical Marker, which recounts the story of the Union Navy vessel USS Harvest Moon. And, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources approved five new historical highway markers, including one in Hampton at Fort Monroe.
The West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission has been dealing with controversies over whether they should promote educational programs or support local commemorative events geared toward tourism dollars. In particular, the commission’s decision to fund Guyandotte Civil War Days, a three-day event scheduled which will feature a talk by H. K. Edgerton, a pro-Confederate speaker and re-enactor who promotes the Black Confederate myth, has stirred controversy over whether or the commission sanctions Mr. Edgerton's controversial interpretations of the Civil War.
Lastly, Richmond, Virginia is receiving a makeover. In preparation for the filming of Steven Spielgberg’s “Lincoln,” the Capitol of Virginia is reverting to its Civil War appearance by leaving its grass unmowed.
Just for Fun…
Cosmic America and The Front Line blogger Keith Harris explores what Robert E. Lee’s Facebook page might be like while Kansas City developed some interactive games: Whack-a-Reb or Pop-a-Jayhawker.
Around the Blogosphere
It seems to be all about the boys this week. Over at Emerging Civil War, Zac Cowsert discusses David O. Dodd: Arkansas’ Boy Martyr of the Confederacy…who hung on the end of a rope in the yards of his alma mater, St. Johns’ College. Meanwhile, Cate Lineberry at Disunion, recalls the “Boys of War”—the tens of thousands of boys under 18 who joined the rage militare of the Civil War.
Meanwhile, Robert Moore, of The Front Line and Cenantua, explores the realism of Hollywood’s depictions of Civil War history—specifically the Cold Mountain scene in which a mother of two Confederate deserters, in western North Carolina, has a noose about her neck, with her hands placed between the lower rails of a worm fence. And, June Saunders recounts the “Men of Melancholy Mien: Lincoln, Sherman, and “The Hypo.””
In Case you missed it…From CivilWarMonitor.com
Andy Hall explores Shelby Foote’s famous assertion that the Civil War made “Us an Is.” W. Fitzgugh Brundage reviewed Stephen Berry’s edited collection, “Weirding the War.” After taking the title to task, Brundage declares the collection to be excellent: “The essays themselves explore nooks and crevices of Civil War history that are always interesting, sometimes poignant, and often revelatory.” And, in our inaugural “From the Archives” post, we explored “The War's Least Deadly Bayonet Charge…”
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