Chief Historian’s Notes (September 2024)
A few months ago, ECW’s stalwart leader Chris Mackowski came to me with an idea for a monthly column featuring my thoughts on all things Civil War. It would be a nice way for the Chief Historian of ECW to get involved, Chris said, kindly refraining from pointing out that my last piece for the blog had appeared several months earlier. I gave the idea some thought and agreed it could be fun – but then other writing demands derailed me further. With the new academic year underway and several major writing projects now off my desk, I am glad to finally have the time to begin this column.
But I face a new dilemma, having just begun. I want to make this thing useful (read: not pontificating), and I want to talk about topics that might interest you all, our readers. I have some ideas about how to do this, but I also would love to hear from you all about the things you’d like to see. I spend my days teaching, thinking, and writing about history and because it is so routine, I rarely pause to reflect on whether it is interesting.
To that end: would short reviews of scholarly books be useful (both new and old)? Would highlighting primary sources be interesting? Stories from the classroom? Pulling back the curtain on the research and writing process? Offer some film and pop culture notes? Should I share off-cuts from larger research projects that didn’t make the grade? Should I reflect on connections between the news of the day and the events of the past? Should I start writing about the Cold War just for the heck of it? Seriously, let me know.
In the meantime, I’ll sum up my summer, which involved fewer Civil War sites than usual. Honestly, I’m not sure Moe the dog saw a single cannon. But he did get to spend time with me and my loved ones adventuring across the American West, through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas and Montana. We camped, hiked, fished, biked and disc golfed all summer long. Highlights pictured below.
The biggest news of the summer, perhaps, is that I have signed a contract to write my second book, which will be a history of Abraham Lincoln and the American West. I’m truly thrilled to be working with Liveright and their fabulous team on this project, which I hope to complete over the next couple of years. Which means I probably owe them a chapter draft right about now. I was able to officially sign the contract while in Gettysburg, which was a special feeling.
Another highlight was visiting New Orleans for the American Battlefield Trust’s Teacher Institute. Working with educators is just about the most fun a person can have, and it was great to spend some time in the Crescent City and see many ECW pals while there. I can’t wait to go back for another alligator hot dog.
I also got two smaller writing projects underway over the summer. One is a look at the relationship between total war during the Civil War and the Indian Wars, and the other is a piece about Lincoln and U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The latter will be featured in a public symposium to be held here in Dallas next month, at SMU. If you are in the area, please join us for West of the White House on October 16 and 17.
I’ll wrap up there – at the risk of alienating the three remaining readers with further stories of my own life. But, as I look forward to writing future Chief Historian columns, please do give me some guidance. I’d be very glad to have it and trust our readers, as always, to point me in new and exciting directions. Until next time, as I say to my students at the end of each class: y’all be good.
This Ken Patton, President of the Cumberland Mountain Civil War Round Table in Crossville, TN. We met briefly at the ECW Symposium in 2023. We are often asked “why study the Civil War” – a 30,000 foot question. We often respond with a 30,000 foot answer. My question is how you would craft answers to different groups, say based on age, gender, race, political viewpoint. We need more targeted answers to appeal to more people. Thank you.
First off, I would like to know more about what a “Chief Historian” for an organization does. Other topics of interest would include writing and publishing in general, and evaluating sources (especially online sources) in particular. I think highlighting and discussing online sources would be valuable, as for many people that is what is most accessible and, i suspect, most likely to be used these days. Also, discussions of what the current trends and excitements for professional historians are. Comparing the thinking and interests of professional historians with those of amateur historians/general public might also be interesting.
I would be very interested in the post Civil War Indian Wars. Particularly about the role of Civil War veterans, both officers and ordinary soldiers, and their actions during that tragic period in American History.
I think the Civil War in the West is under-reported. For example, Fort Garland has a lot of very interesting history, and I think the Union stopped the Confederate’s march to the Pacific there.
As long as you include photos of my boy, Moe, I’m good with whatever else you choose.
As just a Civil War fan, and not any kind of professional historian or educator, I liked all of your suggestions. Maybe, as you go through a month, what are you mostly dealing with – students, research projects, current events, or even a movie or book that you couldn’t put down.
I admire your work, especially your Braxton Bragg talk on C-Span. Focus on this part of your third paragraph: “To that end: would short reviews of scholarly books be useful (both new and old)? Would highlighting primary sources be interesting? Stories from the classroom? Pulling back the curtain on the research and writing process?….” Lose the rest.
As a retired teacher who’s almost 80 but still wants to contribute—so needs to be more efficient with time!— I’m most interested in the “short reviews” focus—also how to use online resources and maybe where to find information we might not have thought about. Except for Moe, who is a rock star, I’ve little interest in the personal stories. I AM interested in your thinking about what are some good targeted questions that need work, and maybe what are some common CWar research tropes or shortcomings that make you cringe.
I’d enjoy short bits about the War. There’s plenty of places I can go to read 500 pages about battles or leaders. But time for such things is small. So how about short stories (that could be read during lunch) off the beaten trail of the War.
Three suggestions. First, how does the young generation you teach see the Civil War versus earlier generations, and what lessons do they take away from it that might be different from earlier generations? Second, dogs of the Civil War such as Sallie of the 11th Pennsylvania. And third, anything on Phil Kearny.