Showing results for "Civil War Cookin'"
A Father’s Influence
They crunched along the snow-covered path, enjoying the crisp air and companionship. The father held his son’s little hand and slowed his steps to accommodate the boy’s short stride. They had been talking, but were quiet now. The father became absorbed in his own thoughts, wondering how long this leave from military duty would last […]
Read more...Catering to General Grant’s Last Days
I’m heading up to Grant Cottage for an event this weekend, where I’m supposed to be talking about my latest book, Grant’s Last Battle, which focuses on the last few months of Ulysses S. Grant’s life. As he was dying of throat cancer, he was also writing like mad, trying to finish his memoirs before his […]
Read more...This Preparation of Husks: Desiccated Vegetables and the Union Army
Today we are pleased to welcome back guest author James Brookes. Federal soldiers often mused over the origins of the rations issued to them. One supplement, “furnished in lieu of potatoes, rice and peas or beans”, particularly perplexed them.[i] It came dried in cakes, blocks and sheets, swelled to an astounding size when boiled, and […]
Read more...Franklin 150th: “I never saw the dead lay near so thick.”
It was a near-run thing—John M. Schofield’s Federals steadily marching down the Columbia Pike towards Franklin through the night of Nov. 29 while sitting close to their camp fires were the Confederates of John B. Hood. The two former West Point roommates, Schofield and Hood, were now pitted against each other as they battled through […]
Read more...The Myth of the “Cracker Line”: Part One
We are excited to welcome guest author Frank Varney. Frank is the author of General Grant and the Rewriting of History: How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War. Part one in a series. If you look in pretty much any history of the Civil War that discusses […]
Read more...The Fourth of July and the Death of Independence
Just before the Fourth of July last year, I happened to work at the Jackson Shrine. Here’s a piece I wrote in response to that experience, originally published last year at another blog I write for, Scholars & Rogues. The clock on the fireplace mantel along the far wall still ticks away the seconds. On […]
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