Hello again!
While I realize things have been a bit slow here over the
past few weeks, I wanted to make you aware of some random bits of news that
need to be brought to your attention.
At the top of the list is a new blog from my friend Hampton
Newsome, author of the excellent Richmond Must Fall and co-editor of Civil War Talks, both of which you should immediately add to your bookshelf if you haven’t
already done so. His blog can be found here, and from the looks of things it
will be one that you will want to check in with regularly.
Also, for those of you who live in Northern Virginia, Dr.Donald A. Hopkins will be appearing at the Old Manassas Courthouse on Friday March 21st to discuss his new book Robert E. Lee in War and Peace.
Hopkins compiled every known image of Lee in one volume and offers exhaustive
commentary about the background of each image. The talk begins at 7:00 PM and
will conclude with a book signing. The event is free, so don’t miss out on what
should prove to be an excellent event.
And while I’m on the topic of work, there will be two bus tours that I will be leading or helping to lead with Prince William County that
are shaping up to be very special. On Saturday May 3rd I will be
leading an all-day bus tour of Arlington Cemetery in honor of the 150th
anniversary of its founding. The tour will include a tour of Robert E. Lee’s
Arlington House and a driving tour that will highlight some of the notable
burials within the cemetery. Along the way you will learn about lesser-known
aspects of Arlington’s history such as Freedman’s Village, where former slaves
experienced their first taste of freedom. Also, on June 14th I will
be helping to lead a bus tour that will focus on the contributions of U.S.
Colored Troops during the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. The tour will focus on
the initial clashes around Petersburg, the Crater, and will culminate in a tour
of New Market Heights. Both tours are $80 per person (lunch included) and
require reservations. For reservations, call Ben Lomond Historic Site at
703-367-7872.
Finally, on a more humorous note, a co-worker sent me this
video of Stonewall Jackson planning a famous flank attack that must have been influenced
by someone reading about the Seven Days Battles. Dick Ewell and A.P. Hill
would undoubtedly have approved.
