Book Review of Guts For Glory: The Story of Civil War Soldier Rosetta Wakeman

Something that I wish I had when I was growing up was children’s books that had real-life historical plots or characters. I was the kid who loved watching shows like Liberty Kids on PBS. Perhaps these books weren’t available, they weren’t in my library, or my parents didn’t know where to look. Either way, after…

Back in the Saddle(?)

I hardly realized what a crazy year it's been since I last posted on the blog. Since last June, a bunch of life-boxes have been "ticked." First, my husband and I purchased our first home together. I was so proud to fill the custom bookshelves of my new library. No more mix-matched bookcases for me!…

Happy Juneteenth/Emancipation Day

I’m taking this time out of my busy (and currently stressful) personal life to wish all my readers a Happy Juneteenth/Emancipation Day, which has its roots in Civil War history. June 19, 1865, is the day most commonly associated with Juneteenth, as it was the day the Union army entered Galveston, Texas and General Gordon…

A Note From Your Civil War Traveler…

To the faithful readers and followers of my blog, a notice: The month of May and June will be extremely busy for me, both personally and professionally. My husband and I are in the process of finishing construction on our first home and we’re doing a heap of the work ourselves, so it’s all hands…

Walton Guards in Civil War Times!

For those who subscribe to Civil War Times (and if you don’t, you should!), check out page 54! I was granted a great opportunity to write for the magazine and chose a topic that hits close to home and close to my heart. Civil War Times, June 2022 issue The company named The Walton Guards…

Coffee Call – A Baton Rouge Tradition

Baton Rouge is a pretty big city. Driving down the busy streets and visiting its many historical sites can make it hard to find the right place for a cup of coffee and a good casual Louisiana breakfast. Good thing there’s Coffee Call! Founded in 1976 by Vincent Cannatella Sr., Coffee Call has become a…

Stepping Into Rural Life in Louisiana

Louisiana, especially the southeast region of the state, is well known for its historic plantations like Oak Alley, Whitney, Laura, Houmas House, etc. They also don’t lack for museums that interpret their rich history from the French colonial era to the Civil Rights movement. One such museum that does an admirable and thorough job at…

Disunion – A Precursor of the Civil War

Disunion was nothing new to American politics. Since the ratification of the Constitution (which ended the period of governing under the Articles of Confederation that gave individual states more autonomy than the federal government) the idea of disunion had been thrown around by politicians and journalists alike. The notion of disunion manifested in a variety…

Hunting Down a Soldier – Part 2

To catch up on my adventures in research, check out Part 1. The 6th Louisiana Infantry’s baptism of fire would come on May 23rd, 1862 at the town of Front Royal, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. General Richard Taylor’s Louisiana Brigade under General Thomas “Stonewall Jackson” chased Maryland skirmishers through the town and storm a…

Hunting Down a Soldier – Part 1

All I had was a name. A name that meant little, but it sparked a search that turned into something obsessive.   When I first began studying the Civil War, I wanted to know what most historians or budding history scholars wanted to know. Do I have any connection to the war? Do I have…