Author Archives: Meg Groeling

About Meg Groeling

CW Historian

CW & Pop Culture: I Will Always Love “Little Women”

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Meg Groeling

My name is Meg, so that should be enough said, but I was not–alas!–named for author Louisa May Alcott’s oldest daughter in the March family of Concord, Massachusetts. I never miss an opportunity to see a movie based on this … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War in Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: “Yuletide in Dixie: Slavery, Christmas, and Southern Memory”

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Meg Groeling

“Slavery, slavery, slavery! All this talk about slavery is spoiling the Old South Plantation Christmas celebrations!” Or so might Miss Scarlett complain. Robert E. May’s latest book, Yuletide in Dixie, is focused clearly on the irony of two competing mythologies concerning … Continue reading →

Posted in Antebellum South, Book Review, Books & Authors, Civilian, Holidays, Slavery | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Civil War Christmas is Coming and the Flag is Missing: Oh Dear!

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Meg Groeling

I have a grandson who lives in Louisiana. He turned two this Fall and is getting much positive reinforcement from his grandparents (us!) for his Cajun background. One of his other grandparents suggested we send a set of Civil War … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War in Pop Culture, Holidays | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Santa For the Yankees, Too

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Santa, as we know him, is a creation of artist Thomas Nast who created the bearded old elf for the 1862-63 Christmas edition of Harper’s Weekly. In his famous drawing, he showed Union soldiers opening their Christmas boxes from home. One soldier … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

But I HATE Cranberries!

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Meg Groeling

‘Tis the season to try and figure out how to make everyone happy, including the Civil Warriors on the list. I have no idea how to fry a turkey, blacken one, or even how to roast one over a campfire. … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Primary Sources | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

West Coast Civil War Round Table Conference 2019 Crashed by ECW

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Meg Groeling

November 8-10 was the 2019 West Coast Civil War Round Table Conference. This year it was held in Sacramento, California. I had attended them for years, only taking a break when I was out-of-state. Now I go again. Besides, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Authors, Emerging Civil War, Emerging Civil War Series, Personalities | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Jerilyn James Lee and Why the Civil War Still Matters

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Meg Groeling

A pretty lady walked quietly in the cemetery where her grandparents and great-grandparents are buried. As she looked at the dates on the markers: I realized from the dates on my great grandmother’s grave that she was born in 1859 … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Civil War Events, Common Soldier, Internet, Websites & Blogs, National Park Service, Preservation, Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meet Mike Maxwell—Researcher Extraordinaire! (pt. 5)

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Mike Maxwell and I met on one of the darkest corners of the web—the Emerging Civil War blog. Many of you will recognize his name from the “Reply” section. Luckily for me—and for Abraham—Mr. Maxwell was as fascinated by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Websites & Blogs, Personalities, Primary Sources | Tagged , | 9 Comments

And Then What Happened?: Abraham After 1863 (pt.4)

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Wait just a moment! A letter from P. T. Barnum? Really? And no discussion? Have no fear. Two topics need to be looked at in depth before the subject of Abraham is exhausted, and one of them is Barnum’s letter. … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilian, Leadership--Federal, Personalities, Slavery | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Things That Go BUMP in the Parlor: Spiritualism, Lincoln, and a Happy Hallowe’en

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Meg Groeling

The tall, thin man with the sad face folded himself into an uncomfortable Italianate armchair in the Red Room of the Executive Mansion. “So this is our ‘little Nettie’ is it, that we have heard so much about? Well, how … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Leadership--Federal, Lincoln, Personalities, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment