patrick teegarden
-
A look back at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 1860
—
by
Well folks, ’tis the season for Presidential-year Political Conventions! Ah yes – more political games and trickery! Smoke filled rooms, counterfeit admission tickets, well-heeled East Coast financiers trying to strong arm western voters, organized and paid shouters and cheerleaders, rumor-mongering, threats of party defections, promises of cabinet posts and other patronage in exchange for support,…
-
A reflection on Shiloh and Passover
—
by
The two-day Civil War Battle of Shiloh, sometimes referred to as the “Battle of Pittsburgh Landing,” began in the predawn hours of Sunday, April 6, 1862, when Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston’s army rushed out of the dense woods upon the more or less unsuspecting Union army of General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant’s troops were,…
-
Remembering why all us Turkeys stay on the same crazy bus!
—
by
Saturday, November 19, is the 148th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 delivery of the Gettysburg Address. It will likely bring a smile to the face of any admirer of Lincoln to know that the President’s first words to his friend and bodyguard, Ward Lamon, after delivering his brief remarks were, “that speech won’t scour.”…
-
Remembering why all us Turkeys stay on the same crazy bus!
—
by
Saturday, November 19, is the 148th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 delivery of the Gettysburg Address. It will likely bring a smile to the face of any admirer of Lincoln to know that the President’s first words to his friend and bodyguard, Ward Lamon, after delivering his brief remarks were, “that speech won’t scour.”…
-
Trying to understand Veterans Day: What and whom are we honoring?
—
by
Here’s how well I understand Veterans Day — I told my publisher/editor/friend, Ms. Strogoff, how thrilled I was to write about this important national holiday, because it had in fact been originated by Civil War General and Congressman John “Blackjack” Logan. Which would have been correct if we had been talking about Memorial Day! In…
-
The closer we examine Abraham Lincoln, the greater he remains in our minds
—
by
Having recently discussed the bare bones story of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, I’ve been uncertain how to best present or frame the apparent ambiguities and lack of urgency in Lincoln’s own commitment to end slavery. When studying or reading about Lincoln’s life, particularly his early career in Illinois, one cannot help but stumble across any…
-
The closer we examine Abraham Lincoln, the greater he remains in our minds
—
by
Having recently discussed the bare bones story of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, I’ve been uncertain how to best present or frame the apparent ambiguities and lack of urgency in Lincoln’s own commitment to end slavery. When studying or reading about Lincoln’s life, particularly his early career in Illinois, one cannot help but stumble across any…
-
Beginning of the end of slavery in the Union
—
by
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln publicly announced his intention to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, effective on January 1, 1863. Under the terms of this Presidential Order, any area in a state of rebellion against the Union would immediately forfeit the institution of “legal” slavery without compensation. Lincoln had actually come to his own…
-
Single day of fighting in Civil War resulted in twice the deaths from terrorists of 9/11
—
by
September 17, 1862 was the bloodiest single day in U. S. history-by a long shot. Total deaths — the worst. Total casualties (killed, wounded and missing) — the worst. Deaths and total casualties adjusted as a percentage of total population — worse yet! During this past week, as we’ve all appropriately reflected on the horrors…
-
13 months of Yankee ineptitude and defeat
—
by
This past week, Aug. 30 marked the 149th anniversary of the Union’s second consecutive defeat at Bull Run. But Union futility on the fields of Virginia over this 14-month stretch was more pathetic than the record might indicate. The Yankee losing streak that had begun on the same battlefield the previous year, in July 1861,…