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Author Archives: Sarah Kay Bierle
The Tale of a Troublesome Harp, According to Henry K. Douglas
I’ve got a broken string on my harp. Not a big deal. I’ll get it changed and hopefully in tune before choir practice tomorrow. And how is this related to history? Well…I’ve a story for you. About broken harp strings. … Continue reading
Posted in Civilian
Tagged Civil War music, Colonel Harry Gilmore, harp, Henry Kyd Douglas
2 Comments
Lost Shoes: A Historical Perspective
Missing shoes. Symbols of a hurried movement or a panic. Symbols left behind when the person has vanished suddenly from the scene. In Civil War history, lost shoes are often associated with New Market’s battlefield even though it was not … Continue reading
Posted in Ties to the War
Tagged 9/11, Field of Lost Shoes, New Market Battlefield, Ties to the War
4 Comments
ECW Weekender: Rogersville, Tennessee
Tucked in the rolling hills of East Tennessee, Rogersville has a storied history dating back to the Colonial Period. Like most communities in East Tennessee, Rogersville had divided loyalties during the Civil War. Though Tennessee seceded and joined the Confederacy, … Continue reading
Notes on Artillery Organization
I’ve started reading John C. Tidball’s The Artillery Service in the War of the Rebellion which is a published collection of essays this Union officer wrote in the post-war era. Tidball offers a good perspective since he was there, on … Continue reading
Getting Ready For A Big Weekend…
Well, I had all good intentions. I’ve had “write ECW Weekender” on my list all week, but unfortunately continuing tech problems have made my photos and historic site notes not easy to access at the moment. So, as I was … Continue reading
Willie Preston: “Who Thinks of Victory Now?”
He was nineteen. Full of life. Full of ideas of soldiering. He left Lexington, Virginia, joining up with the Fourth Virginia Infantry and soldiering with other friends from his home town. Before long though, he was anxious to secure a … Continue reading
Did Frederick Douglass Influence “The Blind Memorandum”?
The timing. The national circumstances. The reports of what two great men discussed. It raises the question: did Frederick Douglass influence Abraham Lincoln’ decision to draft the document referred to as “The Blind Memorandum”? On August 23, 1864 – one … Continue reading
Posted in Lincoln, Politics, Slavery
Tagged 1864 Election, Abolition, Abraham Lincoln, black history, Blind Memorandum, Frederick Douglass, slavery
5 Comments
He Wrote What? Health and Weight in Civil War Letters
“You stated that you had been weighed, what is your weight?”[i] asked Private Walter Dunn in a letter to his fiancée. It’s a little shocking to modern readers! There are a few questions that are usually considered taboo to ask … Continue reading
Of Dentists & Elections
I’ve been reading 1864 entries from Benjamin Brown French’s journal this summer as part of my tangent study for perspective on how folks in the north responded to the impending presidential election. French offers quite a contrast of subjects in … Continue reading
Posted in Civilian, Politics, Primary Sources
Tagged 1864 Election, benjamin brown french, dentist, primary source
1 Comment
Kelly’s Ford: Standing Where It Happened
“Mom, I’ve waited about 13 years to come here,” I said in an undertone as we looked at Kelly’s Ford on the Rappahannock River. The river ran low on that August day (just last week), and – though rivers change … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Cavalry
Tagged Battle of Kelly's Ford, cavalry, Fitz Lee, John Pelham, Thomas W. Colley, Union Cavalry, William Averell
7 Comments
