tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.comments2023-11-02T23:06:45.962-07:00of Battlefields and Bibliophilesdwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comBlogger681125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-51583099813318210152018-03-14T10:54:03.983-07:002018-03-14T10:54:03.983-07:00Interestingly, one of each of the awards among the...Interestingly, one of each of the awards among these father-son pairs is materially problematic, which is no coincidence considering the unlikely pairing of fathers and sons (particularly with modern MoH criteria). The Douglas MacArthur recommendation was actually ordered by George Marshall (twice) to save his reputation, but was ultimately unlawful. Marshall wrote the citation himself. Leadership had not been an accepted route to the medal since the 1890s, when Army regulations started to formulate an early version of the "above and beyond" duty requirement that was eventually codified in 1918. Since it's an officer's duty to lead from the front, ordinary leadership actions cannot satisfy that heroism requirement, because it would essentially be rewarding what they're already duty-bound to perform. In MacArthur's case, Marshall believed that the MoH that was authorized for Charles Lindbergh in the interwar period was a precedent. That was incorrect, because Lindbergh received a medal as a result of a bill of relief, meaning that Congress waived the public law criteria. Since no such waiver was approved for MacArthur, his medal is simply unlawful. <br /><br />The Teddy Roosevelt medal is interesting for a number of reasons. I'm sure you're aware that he lobbied for the medal himself in the early 1900s, going so far as to enlist powerful supporters to pressure the secretary of war. While he might have subjectively deserved it, I think it's also true that he probably ought to have been denied the medal on the grounds that he inappropriately lobbied the war department, potentially creating a precedent for others to strong-arm the government. When the issue was raised again in the 1990s, the Army concluded again that he did not deserve the award under recently codified procedures for considering waivers for statutes of limitations under 10 USC 1130, which were enacted in 1996 with the stated intent of deferring to the military department's judgment in these types of cases. Nevertheless, proponents for the award apparently submitted the award again, and the Army changed its mind in the face of withering political pressure-- the very type of pressure that 1130 was designed to prevent. So, while Roosevelt's medal is technically legitimate (unlike MacArthur's), it was disapproved twice by the Army for lack of heroism, and likely was only the product of political pressure. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04198403285902137927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-73791543592267806492017-04-09T13:33:00.152-07:002017-04-09T13:33:00.152-07:00Thanks Drew. I did try to drum up some cartography...Thanks Drew. I did try to drum up some cartography work for awhile, but mostly did it as favors for friends. There were two paying gigs I was eager to do. One was a series of 17 or so maps for a special Seven Days issue of "Civil War" magazine, back when Bill Miller was the editor. The other was all the maps for the Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference -- still in print, I'm happy to note. dwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-88631427848802728602017-04-09T12:29:13.394-07:002017-04-09T12:29:13.394-07:00Always thought you were a much better than average...Always thought you were a much better than average cartographer. Could've turned it into a viable side gig.DW@CWBAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00018056113264346047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-85336868605525239382017-03-18T09:44:57.069-07:002017-03-18T09:44:57.069-07:00Hey DW. I don't think I thanked you for this. ...Hey DW. I don't think I thanked you for this. Glad you enjoyed it.TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-39376414805010583182016-11-05T07:50:25.212-07:002016-11-05T07:50:25.212-07:00Those who are interested in Edwin Jemison may care...Those who are interested in Edwin Jemison may care to know that his biography has been published. The title is "The Boy Soldier: Edwin Jemison and the Story Behind the Most Remarkable Portrait of the Civil War." The authors are Hugh T. Harrington and Alexandra Filipowski. It is published by Westholme Publishing. It can be found at amazon, Barnes & Noble (stores and online) and other quality bookstores.Historianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06822217383357688399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-38016801494019577092016-04-04T07:13:19.481-07:002016-04-04T07:13:19.481-07:00Love Ambrose Bierce.Love Ambrose Bierce.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04596502209384591869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-3951403509730630562016-03-09T21:13:26.926-08:002016-03-09T21:13:26.926-08:00Ha, good one Ted. Sadly, at Payne's Farm I was...Ha, good one Ted. Sadly, at Payne's Farm I was leaving quarters on the grass. <br /><br />dwdwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-58785557342484488602016-02-17T16:54:44.843-08:002016-02-17T16:54:44.843-08:00And he didn't leave a nickel on the field.
C...And he didn't leave a nickel on the field. <br /><br />Cool photo.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04596502209384591869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-471929678927019242016-01-01T12:12:50.136-08:002016-01-01T12:12:50.136-08:00Very cool.Very cool.TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-82343171330593227442015-12-02T12:54:59.238-08:002015-12-02T12:54:59.238-08:00>You said: [Jefferson Davis's General Order...>You said: [Jefferson Davis's General Order 14]...does not require that the slaves have manumission papers. You’re overreaching. The language is ambiguous: “No slave will be accepted as a recruit unless with his own consent and with the approbation of his master by a written instrument conferring, as far as he may, the rights of a freedman, and which will be filed with the superintendent.” The rights of a freedman, “as far as he may,” does not translate to “manumission."<<br /><br />That language was necessitated by the respect Jefferson Davis had for the Confederate Constitution. But as an executive order it undeniably demonstrated his intention that the slaves should be granted freedom in exchange for volunteering to fight for the Confederacy. <br /><br />Davis had always been more respectful of executive power limitations than Lincoln. For example, Lincoln suspended writs of habeas corpus on his own authority whereas Davis waited for Congressional authorization. <br /><br />>You said: Professor Davis, in his bio of Jefferson Davis,...[indicates that Davis did not want] to recruit slaves until the war was all but lost: “Davis had resisted the notion throughout the war, thinking it at first unnecessary and later impractical, not to mention the fact that it tended to undermine the institution of slavery itself, the very foundation of their cause.” It’s understood that Jeff Davis no longer opposed it once he began advocating it.<<br /><br />Just as Lincoln declined to emancipate the slaves until he considered it to be a wartime necessity. Lincoln, too, failed to authorize African-American enlistments until he felt it served his needs. <br /><br />>You said: "Of course, many Rebel soldiers identified slavery as a motivating factor. See McPherson’s “For Cause and Comrades” for some examples."<<br /><br />As noted in Professor's Davis's research - documented in his "The Cause Lost" - the vast majority of Southern whites were fighting to protect their homes from invasion. Even though McPherson cites some examples of remarks about fighting for slavey such persons were not representative of the great majority of whites. Almost 70% of the households in the eleven Confederate states did not own slaves. <br /><br />As for McPherson's citations of Southerns remarking that slavery was a motivation for fighting, there are many similar examples of Northerners claiming that they were NOT fighting to abolish slavery. The situation is more complex than you describe, although your description is apt to demonize white Southerners to school children.<br /><br />>You said: "When the upper South states seceded, it was because they had common cause with the other slave states, and it was time to pick sides.<<br /><br />When they chose NOT to secede it was because the had common cause with the Union. They only decided to leave when Lincoln concluded that he must coerce the seven cotton states back into the Union. They were against coercion. <br /><br />>You said: I did not write, or intimate, that school children should be told the war was about “nothing else” but slavery. In fact, I’ve stated that individuals fought for any number of reasons. For instance, we know that an ever-growing percentage of CS soldiers fought because they were conscripted."<<br /><br />Yet I have never seen you state that they fought to defend their homes. It is your omission of this motivation that reveals your false beliefs about Southerners, which is a toxic influence on school children.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-88909202094668311852015-11-26T07:37:46.534-08:002015-11-26T07:37:46.534-08:00Fascinating. Looks like he could be Confederate Ge...Fascinating. Looks like he could be Confederate General Nathan "Shanks" Evans' brother. I would upload a side by side, but can't figure out how. TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-18844965313901875722015-10-28T07:43:57.280-07:002015-10-28T07:43:57.280-07:00Great story. So much about the war is still hidden...Great story. So much about the war is still hidden away from most people. Thanks for posting dw.<br /><br />(I wish our teams were playing NOW.) TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-48123328684893227222015-09-12T18:55:31.795-07:002015-09-12T18:55:31.795-07:00Heh. I remember us chasing her around with an enti...Heh. I remember us chasing her around with an entire loaf of bread in her mouth you brought down--the one with bits of ham. Good times. <br /><br />Monday night football? What's the bet?TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-61187484814636624522015-09-11T17:25:38.457-07:002015-09-11T17:25:38.457-07:00Ted, I do remember watching it down at your place....Ted, I do remember watching it down at your place. I'm sure Thia saw me as an easy mark -- she got a lot more than that sandwich. <br /><br />dwdwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-70345782554563831182015-09-11T08:20:15.707-07:002015-09-11T08:20:15.707-07:00DW, I recall watching some of these episodes with ...DW, I recall watching some of these episodes with you at my house. You were so enraptured that you didn't notice Thia (our dog) nibbling on your sandwich.<br /><br />Do you remember?<br /><br /><br />tps TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-16560921323860341362015-09-07T11:08:37.650-07:002015-09-07T11:08:37.650-07:00Ted, that would be a nice touch.
-dwTed, that would be a nice touch. <br /><br />-dwdwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-69173259212837398142015-09-06T07:43:10.594-07:002015-09-06T07:43:10.594-07:00Hmm. Interesting marketing idea.
Is their a mini...Hmm. Interesting marketing idea. <br /><br />Is their a minie ball at the bottom of every bottle?TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-75932900521326901872015-05-09T12:58:43.170-07:002015-05-09T12:58:43.170-07:00Nor will I likely ever visit, even once, but it wa...Nor will I likely ever visit, even once, but it was good to have photos. I don't recall having ever seen Cleburne's grave site. Look rather shabbily kept up.<br /><br />--TedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-11850404637768552602015-03-24T09:11:16.384-07:002015-03-24T09:11:16.384-07:00I came across the marker on a quick morning drive ...I came across the marker on a quick morning drive from Oskaloosa IA to Kirkwood MO and back last summer. There was one brochure left at the site which I grabbed. Looking forward to going back some day as it has a well done map complete with coordinates for 32 houses that were "visited". Google Davis Co raid and you'll get a website and a Facebook page you can use to make further contacts. I didn't see the map though. Chucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-13706739965444528452015-02-24T17:14:32.754-08:002015-02-24T17:14:32.754-08:00Indeed! Edwin is the heart and soul of our South. ...Indeed! Edwin is the heart and soul of our South. We see ourselves in him, a benevolence that has been lost in our present modern day society.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13242532785490978023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-12607639882004200882014-11-20T07:27:47.421-08:002014-11-20T07:27:47.421-08:00Got this book recently for a great deal. What a re...Got this book recently for a great deal. What a resource, despite the odd cover.<br /><br />I saw a Lincoln document on Antiques Roadshow, it had the date on it, went to look it up in this book and there it was.<br /><br />It really enhances my other Lincoln books.<br /><br />ChrisChris Evansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-36511263259947971252014-11-16T18:48:30.373-08:002014-11-16T18:48:30.373-08:00David, thanks for posting this, my very first inte...David, thanks for posting this, my very first interview after writing The Free State of Jones. It reconnects me with the early excitement I felt at discovering so many unanticipated stories and so many cross-state links among Southern Unionists while researching one of Mississippi's most enduring legends. Now that the legend has become part of Civil War history, let's hope the movie brings it to life for a new generation!<br /><br />Victoria BynumAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-7276809139446757152014-11-12T23:52:11.395-08:002014-11-12T23:52:11.395-08:00Me too. Me too. dwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-71985600633427082092014-11-12T08:48:21.267-08:002014-11-12T08:48:21.267-08:00I recall this book, published by Morningside. The ...I recall this book, published by Morningside. The jacket always struck me as rather odd. TPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07613663983162109098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19295676.post-14503171173653094652014-10-18T15:28:10.925-07:002014-10-18T15:28:10.925-07:00BorderRuffian -- sorry, your assumptions don't...BorderRuffian -- sorry, your assumptions don't hold up. For starters, those blacks who filed for a pension did so as noncombatants. And those who answered that they were wounded under combat conditions do not describe going into battle as Confederate solders.<br /><br />Rather, they talk about things -- as Hollandsworth put is -- "artillery over-shots or stray rounds landing among the wagons and horses held in the rear." Some wounds would have been received while closer to the front, but as servants, not soldiers. Lastly, Hollandsworth points out that the pension files are useless when it comes to determining motivation. <br /><br />So what you're left with is the fact that some of the slaves who accompanied the armies got wounded, since the armies they accompanied were engaged in combat. http://mdah.state.ms.us/pubs/pensioners.pdf<br /><br />Your "9% of 50,000" projection is absolutely meaningless, because it doesn't establish that even one, single black person was wounded "fighting" for the Confederacy.<br /><br />Daviddwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01748726942956990159noreply@blogger.com