Wednesday, January 3, 2024

A Year of Reading (and Writing) the Civil War


My story connected to the Civil War has passed the 70,000-word mark, and the ending is in sight. I’m not sure when it was that I realized I was writing about something I had only the most surface understanding of, but I did. The only solution was to start reading and researching. 

Many blogs and web sites have been helpful, but two especially so. Emerging Civil War, edited by Chris Mackowksi, is written by historians, National Park guides, and other who know their stuff. Most have published books. Civil War Books & Authors, penned by Andrew Wagonhoffer, posts notices of new books and full-length book reviews focused solely on the Civil War, its causes, and its aftermath. Both sites have been at this work for years, ECW for more than a decade and CWBA since 2005.

 

What was also a treat was discovering and visiting the Missouri Civil War Museum, located adjacent to the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery here in St. Louis.


To continue reading, please see my post today at Dancing Priest


Top photograph, courtesy Wikimedia Commons: The Wilderness site, sometime after the battle. The dense scrub wasn’t conducive to fighting, but the dry weather made it conducive to being ignited by sparks from artillery fire.


Some Wednesday Readings

 

The Boy at the Front Desk – Havalah Peirce at Story Warren. 

 

Wheeler Catlett: Law and Community – James Decker at Front Porch Republic. 

 

The Courage to Admit You’re Wrong – Jamie Reed at The Free Press.

 

Stones River Aftermath – Bert Dunkerly at Emerging Civil War.

 

A Letter from Arles – Andrew Roycroft at Rabbit Room Poetry. 

 

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