Civil War Traveler and Blogger
Some who follow both my blog and the Emerging Civil War Blog may be familiar with my first guest post, back in 2020, which discussed the life and war experiences of Delity Powell Kelly, a child who followed her father's artillery company at the young age of 10. For those who haven’t read about her,… Continue reading Delity Powell Kelly – More From a Child of the Confederacy
Just in time for Women's History Month, Civil War Trails, Inc. has installed a new sign to highlight one of the forgotten stories of the women civilians who endured tremendous hardships during the war. Here's the full scoop! (March 1, 2022) Civil War Trails, Inc. has teamed up with the Historic Hopewell Foundation, Inc., and… Continue reading Women’s History Month at Weston Manor
In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to take a moment to recommend some books that give special focus to black women during the Antebellum and Civil War eras. While this isn't a complete list - and I highly suggest that readers take a moment to find more resources beyond what I mention -… Continue reading Black History Month 2022 – Recommended Reading
Few other Southern Belles can measure up to the writer and antebellum celebrity Octavia Walton LeVert. In Such a Woman: The Life of Madame Octavia Walton LeVert, Paula Lenor Webb takes a semi-narrative approach to telling Octavia’s story, beginning with her grandfather’s prominence as one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, to her… Continue reading “Such a Woman,” Biography of Octavia Walton LeVert – Move Over Scarlett!
A wonderful aspect of reading a published diary or journal, is the opportunity for comparisons across the months and seasons. While reading Josie Underwood’s Civil War Diary – a must for anyone looking to understand the division that occurred between families and friends during the conflict – I was able to make such comparisons between… Continue reading A Very Underwood Christmas
Those who know their Civil War history, will know that New Orleans was barely fought over in 1862. The city was practically handed over to the Federal Army. The same can’t be said for a battle that occurred just outside of New Orleans earlier in the century. Made infamous by a terribly inaccurate song by… Continue reading Chalmette Battlefield – Nexus of Wars
I believe I can say with some agreement upon the reader’s part that 2020 has not been the best year. The good news is that it’s almost over, and the hope of a brighter and better 2021 is on the horizon. As Christmas Day dawns, I hope this post finds you and your loved ones… Continue reading To Those Not So Merry This Christmas…
With the massive influx of casualties in the Wilderness, doctors and nurses were working double-time to tend to the wounded in both blue and gray. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated doctors like Jonathon Letterman, the wounded of the Overland Campaign were in a better situation to be efficiently treated than those of previous campaigns.… Continue reading Nurses of the Wilderness – Hill, Hancock, and Barlow
About ten miles southeast of the Widow Tapp Field sits another home that would come under the shadow of war. Katherine Couse, a 28 year-old New Jersey native, was a Union sympathizer like the rest of her family. Her parents, William and Elizabeth owned close to 1,400 acres of farmland in an area known as… Continue reading A Union Sympathizer in the Wilderness – Katherine Couse
On a cold February day in 1860, a child was born in a cabin owned by the widow, Catherine Tapp. The baby girl was named Eliza Frances, but was known to her family and all those in Spotsylvania County as Phenie Tapp. The situation of the child’s birth – and her later escapades as an… Continue reading Drama and Scandal in the Wilderness – Phenie Tapp’s Story
Belle on the Battlefield 