ECW on C-SPAN: Mackowski on Stevenson

by Emerging Civil War

Posted on October 20, 2021

Ooops! We didn’t get the heads-up in time to let you know in advance, but the next video from last summer’s Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge has aired on C-SPAN. “Fearless of all Danger,” Chris Mackowski’s talk on the death of Brig. Gen. Thomas Greely Stevenson, for whom Stevenson Ridge is named, appeared on C-SPAN 2 over the weekend. The program now available for viewing on C-SPAN’s website. You can watch it here:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?513972-5/fallen-leaders-union-general-thomas-stevenson

Our next program to air will be Dan Welch on John Pope, this Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. on C-SPAN 2.

2 Responses to ECW on C-SPAN: Mackowski on Stevenson

  1. Dr. Mackowski gave an excellent presentation on the life and death of Thomas G. Stevenson. However, I’m not convinced of his assertion that Stevenson fell on/near the Beverley Farm (aka Whig Hill), which is far from any established Confederate position. I think Chris is obligated to explain where he places the CS skirmishers who fired this round that struck with enough force to kill Gen. Stevenson on May 10. The Whig Hill site is one mile from the known Confederate skirmish line on May 10 at the modern Confederate Cemetery Drive. Let us say the Confederate skirmish line managed to get closer to Whig Hill on May 10 and pushed to a location near the modern Mercy Hill Church. That location is still 1350 yards from Mackowski’s location for Stevenson’s death. Small arms fire–even stray rounds–have to come from somewhere and range matters. The chances of Stevenson being killed by a stray rifle round fired from a mile away is pretty slim.

    Local historian John Cummings places Stevenson’s death closer Spotsylvania Court House. Cummings’s location for Stevenson’s death site is about 350 yards from the Confederate skirmish line (modern Confederate Cemetery Drive) and 800 yards from the entrenched main CS line at the Court House. If we were to believe Mackowski’s theory, we would have to reconfigure the established CS positions for that day. Rather than rehash Cummings’s evidence here, I recommend people read it themselves, https://spotsylvaniacw.blogspot.com/

    Regards,
    Todd Berkoff

    Reply
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