In reply...

In reply to my distinguished colleagues and their thoughtful responses…

Kevin:Thank you for your comments. Since you posted, I’ve been out and about and I’ve had a chance to speak with a few friends who were Vietnam veterans. The overwhelming response to my gentle questioning regarding draftees is this: they felt like their rights were being violated, like they had no choice in the matter. They were forced to go and fight in a war that they did not believe in, saw no use for, and did not see how it profited the United States. A card showed up in the mail, telling them where to report, and if they did not, they were hunted, arrested, at times imprisoned, and then forced into the service.

As I have already stated, my connection with the Clyburn family was limited to just a few minutes. I would like to talk with them further if the opportunity ever comes up.

As far as research goes, my work into the lives of the Cousins brothers (sometimes spelled Cozzens , sometimes two or three other ways) has used entirely primary research, i.e., letters, census records, newspaper clippings, etc. The Cousins were never slaves, they were free persons of color, who volunteered in the fall of 1861.

How do I distinguish between a slave and a soldier? A man who picks up a rifle (or musket) and who under orders fires at another man who is perceived as a enemy, is a soldier. It has nothing to do whether he is there of his own free will, or if his service is compulsory. And it technically has nothing to do with his position within said army. He could be a cook, supply officer, or on recruitment duty; his service should be honored.

Richard: You’re absolutely right. So often, the opinions of the descendants of a honoree are deemed immaterial. The honoring of a person of color for his Southern service does not seem to fit within the framework of “accepted” Civil War scholarship. When is academia going to realize that the racial makeup of a Confederate regiment does not fit within a “black and white” framework?

If I can find two free persons of color who voluntarily shouldered muskets in North Carolina’s smallest county (population/slave/free), imagine what else is out there.

Honoring Veterans

Some folks have probably wondered why I have not yet commented on all of the ink being spilt regarding Union County’s Weary Clyburn. I had a chance to attend the memorial service a couple of weeks ago for Mr. Clyburn, but chose not to. I did have the opportunity to talk with the family.

Since several other very thoughtful and intelligent writers have already presented excellent articles on this subject, I don’t wish to become a mere redundancy. It is exciting to see lively and respectful debate between smart, creative individuals. I only have one concern that has not already been nicely handled by some of my distinguished colleagues. My position on the matter of blacks, both slave and free, serving within the Confederate army is simple. Were there tens of thousands of black Confederates? No. Were there some? Yes. If you have kept up with my blogging over the past year and a half, you know of my own researching into the matter, namely the story of the Cousins brothers.

What puzzles me is this: we honor those who were conscripted to fight (and did so honorably) in both the Confederate and Union armies. We honor those who were drafted into the service for other wars, like WWII and Vietnam. Why should we not honor those who were camp servants, teamsters, cooks, etc? The tens of thousands who were drafted and sent overseas to fight in Vietnam did not want to be there. They were forced into the service, yet we engrave their names (and rightfully so) on the same wall as those who volunteered and were killed. What is the difference? I don’t imagine that any of us today will be able to come up with an easy answer to this complex problem, but it does stem from a heartfelt passion that motivates many individuals and groups: to see that all veterans, regardless of the level of their service or even their means of entering such service, are recognized and remembered for their sacrifices.

Last, evening, we had an most enjoyable time listening to Dr. John C. Inscoe speak at Lees-
McRae College as part of their John B. Stephenson Appalachian Lecture series. Inscoe is the author of several important texts on the Civil War in our region, most notably Heart of Confederate Appalachia and Mountain Masters, both of which I have found to be incredibly helpful in my research and writing. His topic was Women and guerilla warfare in Civil War Appalachia. While he covered a great deal of ground, he focused on a few critical events: the story of the Blalocks, the murder of Isaac Wilson, and the Shelton Laurel tragedy in Madison County. Unfortunately, when the time for questions came at the end of the event, some poor misguided soul was singing the praises of Rebels in Blue, the fabricated account of the Blalocks that was actually pulled by the publishers after it became clear that the author had created information out of whole cloth and credited them to non-existent sources. Dr. Inscoe handled the question gracefully and was a delightful speaker. If you ever get a chance to hear him, take it. If not, do read his books, which are important to any comprehensive understanding of the war in Appalachia.

Inscoe coming to town

I spent the weekend (Thursday through Saturday), selling books and talking to folks at the national reunion of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, held this year in Concord, North Carolina. I greatly enjoyed talking with the scores of people who came by my table. Many of them shared bits of their own family histories for future projects.

This Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, Dr. John C. Inscoe will be lecturing on Appalachian Women and the Civil War. The program will be held in the Evans Auditorium in the Cannon Student Center. Inscoe is the author of The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina and the Civil War, and Mountain Masters: Slavery and the Sectional Crisis in Western North Carolina, among many others. Inscoe is a Professor of History at the University of Georgia. This program is free and we are looking forward to it.

"Last Confederates"

Interest article on "Last Confederates" recently appeared in the Statesville Record and Landmark. You can check it out here.

Interesting, the author never makes mention of Sam Bennett, reportedly North Carolina’s last Confederate. I got to visit his grave about a week ago. I’ll post more later.

KGC

One of the articles that I read recently was David Keehn's "Strong Arm of Secession: The Knights of the Golden Circle in the Crisis of 1861," found in the June 2008 issue of North and South. Familiarity with the Knights of the Golden Circle might have come from the recent movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets, in which members of the order appear in the first few moments of the flick. Keehn makes mention of meetings of the Knights in Raleigh on May 6, 1860. Since Keehn is diving into an area of the war that has received scant attention, I'll not comment on the subject of the Knights and their impact on the Tar Heel state and the secession crisis. It is not that I don't find the subject interesting, it just not something that I have studied.

However, I will comment on this: Keehn writes about Knights founder George Bickley serving as a surgeon in the 29th North Carolina in "early 1863." Keehn does not have a source for this information. I checked the roster for the 29th NCT, and found no Bickley. I also checked NPS's Soldiers and Sailors. The only George Bickley listed served as a private in Company D, 19th Louisiana Infantry.

I did some additional digging and found this passage in a book entitled Dark Lanterns: Secret Political Societies, Conspiracies, and Treason Trails in the Civil War by Frank Klement.

The author writes on page 28:
Bickley evidently served in Bragg's army for several months, for on June 10, 1863, he signed a voucher for pay from January 28 to June 9, as "surgeon, 29th N.C. Rgt." Evidently, however, he deserted and returned to the Shelbyville sector where he had been earlier living with a backwoods belle who had borne him a child. In a letter dated June 22, 1863, while he was supposedly serving as a surgeon in Bragg's army, hestated that he was "in the society of his family."

The "Records of the Adjutant General" is the source for this information.

By July 1863, Bickley is in Indiana.

Is it true that Bickley served in the 29th NCT? Don't know. But it would seem to me that he would show up on more than one pay voucher if he had served more than six months. We will need to do a little more digging.

Barry and Corbett - 18th NCT

David Corbett recently wrote: "I read your post with interest ! I have read that a Major Barry of the 18th ordered the firing and also many years ago read an article in which Lt. George Corbett of the 18th ordered the firing .... What are your thoughts , sir ?"

My thoughts - as hard as I have thought about it, I don’t think that I ever heard anyone but Major Barry ordering the men to fire. After the first volley by the 18th NCT, an officer came forward, possibly AP Hill, yelling "We are friends! Cease firing! Major Barry retorted with "It’s a lie! Pour it into them, boys!" and an even greater fire was opened upon the Confederate horsemen.

Was there more than one officer in the 18th NCT ordering his men to fire? Undoubtably. It is possible that one of those officers was Corbett of Company E? Yes, it is. Corbett was a first lieutenant at the time and remained in that position for the rest of the war.

Barry was promoted to colonel on May 27, 1863. His promotion was "back-dated" to May 3. He was assigned command of the brigade after Lane’s wounding. Many believed that Lane would not return. Barry was appointed brigade general, but before his appointment could be confirmed, he was wounded in the right hand (July 2, 1864). Lane returned, and Barry’s appointment was cancelled. Barry was in command of the regiment at the end of the war and was paroled in Raleigh on May 12, 1865. After the war, Barry returned to Wilmington and was editor of a newspaper. He died March 24, 1867. He was 27 years old.

Some of his friends and family said that Barry "died of a broken heart" for his role in Jackson's death.

18th NCT cursed?

I’ve spent the past couple of days trying to get caught up on my magazine reading, which I have neglected in my efforts to finish the Mitchell County book. A couple of things have caught my attention.

In the current issue of America’s Civil War, Stephen Lunsford of Alabama writes in, commenting about an article written by Ernest B. Furgurson on Jackson’s mortal wounding at Chancellorsville. "Was the 18th North Carolina cursed after mortally wounding Jackson on May 2, 1863?" Lunsford writes. "The day after Jackson was shot, the 18th North Carolina fought units of the Union XII Corps south of the Plank Road. The regiment’s commander, Colonel Thomas J. Purdie, was killed; Lt. Col. Forney George was wounded, and Corporal Owen Eakins, the color bearer, was killed and his flag captured by the 7th New Jersey. Overall the 18th North Carolina lost 34 killed, 99 wounded, and 21 missing... At Gettysburg, the regiment lost 88 of 346 men. At the Wilderness, a year after Chancellorsville on the same ground, the 18th North Carolina was routed south of the Plank Road. On April 2, 1865, the unit was hit hard by the Federal assault that broke the lines at Petersburg. The 18th was forced to withdraw, and the regimental colors fell to the 40th New Jersey. The regiment surrendered a week later at Appomattox Court House with 93 men under Major Thomas Wooten."


Does the 18th North Carolina deserve the bad reputation with which it has been labeled?

First, the 18th NCT was not responsible for the wounding of Jackson. It was dark. Jackson had ridden out about the time that the regiment had gone into line to the north of the Plank Road. They did not know he and his staff were there. The Tar Heels of Lane’s brigade could hear the Federals working, building breastworks not far away. There was a lot of firing going on, both small arms and artillery, by both sides. The woods were smoking, the vegetation thick, and the debris of battle littered the woods. This debris undoubtably included dead and wounded Federal cavalrymen and horses from a failed attack earlier that afternoon. The Tar Heels of the 18th NCT certainly had those dead troopers on their minds.


There was firing on the right. Fellow Tar Heels in the 37th North Carolina fired first on Jackson’s party, killing at least one and wounding a couple. This drove Jackson and his party across the Plank Road and in front of the 18th NCT. The men of the 18th NCT could hear the horses in the woods, trying to navigate in the darkness. No one had told the 18th NCT that Jackson was there, and as his party neared their lines, they opened fire, wounding Jackson and others. If it was anybody’s fault, it was Jackson’s. And as much as I like Jackson, and admire his abilities as a battlefield commander, it was a foolish thing for him to scout ahead of those lines, in the dark, on May 2, 1863.


Was the 18th NCT hard pressed on May 3 at Chancellorsville? Sure. According to another source, losses for the five brigades under Lane’s commander were thus:


7th NCST, 49 k, 143 w, 18 m(missing)
18th NCT 30 k, 95, w, and 27m
28th NCT 14 k, 91 w, 2 m
33rd NCT 32 k, 98 w, 67 m
37th NCT 36 k, 194 w, 8 m


As far as Mr. Lunsford’s other thoughts, yes, the regiment was again hard pressed, this time losing more men than any other regiment in Lane’s brigade, However, compared to the action seen by others, like Pettigrew’s brigade, well, the 169 men lost by the 18th NCT is a small loss in comparison.


Yes, the 18th NCT was routed at the Wilderness, along with a lot of other regiments. Mr. Lunsford fails to mention that a week or so later, the 18th NCT captured the flag of 19th New York Light Artillery at Spotsylvania Court House. The 18th NCT was a part of a charge, largely involving Lane’s brigade, that stopped Burnside’s IX Corps. Had Burnside not stopped, he likely would have crushed the Confederate defenders along one side of the Mule Shoe (actually just a little lower along the line).


At Petersburg on April 2, the 18th NCT’s section of line had been so depleted of men that the ones left were on average 10 feet apart when the Federals attacked. With so few defenders, collapse of the line was all but a forgone conclusion.


I think that the 93 men who surrendered with Wooten on April 9, 1865, are more of a testament to the hard-fighting 18th NCT, than a curse for shooting Jackson.

Mitchell County book completion

I am delighted to report that today I sent in the manuscript for Remembering Mitchell County, my fourth book for Arcadia and my ninth book total. I have now written about four of the state's counties. Do you think I'll get to yours?

10 mins. later:
Wait, that was wrong. I’ve written about five NC counties: Watauga, Avery (twice), Caldwell, Yancey, and now Mitchell

Still not a lot of time for blogging, reading or writing - one week to go on the Mitchell County project, and then I am off to Gettysburg.

I did spend some enjoyable time last evening working on the final text for the Blalock Civil War Trail marker here in Avery County, and on a flag that has recently come to light attributed to Brig. Gen. Lawrence Branch.

Lots of fun, but alas, I need to go and write a caption about S. G. Brinkley, who, in the late 1800s, had the world’s longest beard.

Trips, 200 post, and the flag of the 18th NCT

Folks - I’m off to speak at the Rufus Barringer Civil War Round Table this evening. Be back tomorrow. I’m also in the crunch time to get this Mitchell County pictorial history finished. I need to be done by July 1, which is when I leave for Gettysburg. So, post will be a little sparse until I get back from the Burg. Also, if you emailed me lately, I will get to it as soon as I can.
By the way, this is post #200!

This came across my desk yesterday and I though you might enjoy.

NEWS RELEASE

Press Contacts: For Immediate Release
Susan Friday Lamb, 919-807-7943
Tom Belton, 919-807-7952

Museum Acquires Flag Associated With Gen. Stonewall Jackson’s Death

The N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh announces the acquisition of a Confederate battle flag associated with a major turning point of the Civil War — the death of Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The flag was carried by the 18th Regiment North Carolina Troops, which was responsible for the accidental shooting of the Confederate general at Chancellorsville , Va. , on May 2, 1863. Severely injured by gunfire, Jackson died a week later of pneumonia.

That fateful May 2 evening, the 18th North Carolina was in a line of battle ready to attack retreating Union troops. Jackson and his staff rode out in front of the Confederate line on reconnaissance. When they returned unannounced, firing broke out along the Southern battle line. In the confusion, soldiers from the 18th North Carolina fired into the dark woods at what they believed was Federal cavalry, mortally wounding Jackson .

The following day, the 18th North Carolina ’s battle flag was captured by Federal soldiers when the regiment’s color-bearer, Cpl. Owen J. Eakins of New Hanover County , was killed during the Battle of Chancellorsville.

The existence of the flag was unknown to the N.C. Museum of History until 1992, when the museum received a letter from its owner. The postwar history of the flag is unclear, but it likely had several owners before it was acquired by Dr. Tom Walsh in the early 1970s. In 1993 the New Jersey college professor loaned the historic banner to the N.C. Museum of History, where it was conserved and appeared in a previous exhibit. Recently, Walsh offered to donate a partial value of the flag to the museum, and the museum purchased the remaining value this May. It is currently on view in A Call to Arms: North Carolina Military History Gallery.

"We are deeply grateful to Dr. Walsh for his generous contribution and for making the purchase of the flag much more affordable to the museum," emphasized Ken Howard, director of the Division of State History Museums. "The flag is now a permanent part of our collection, which ensures that future generations will see it."

In addition to its battle significance, the 18th North Carolina flag has two unusual features. In late 1862, the five regiments in the North Carolina Branch-Lane Brigade received new battle flags. Unlike other flags issued to North Carolina regiments, these flags not only had white battle honors, instead of the usual blue or black, but the honors were painted on both sides of the flag.

"The acquisition of this important Civil War artifact is one of the greatest highlights of my 30-year career with the museum," states Tom Belton, curator of military history.

The flag acquisition is in anticipation of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration, which will take place from 2011 to 2015. The celebration, sponsored by the Office of Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, will commemorate the war’s 150th anniversary and feature events and activities.

Visit the N.C. Museum of History to see this newly acquired artifact linked to a brilliant military strategist, whose death some scholars say turned the tide of the Civil War. Thanks to the generosity of the flag’s previous owner, this important historic banner will remain in good hands.
Said Walsh, "I’m glad the flag is back in North Carolina , where it belongs."

For more information about the museum, call 919-807-7900 or visit ncmuseumofhistory.org.

# # #
The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.

I found these Tar Heel soldiers buried in the Marietta Cemetery during my recent trip to Georgia. These Tar Heels died at the old soldiers home in Marietta.

weekend

Yet again, I've had a busy weekend. I spent Friday morning working at the Avery County History Museum. Friday afternoon I interviewed a 93-year-old man and worked some on my Mitchell County project. Saturday, I loaded up the truck and went to Plumtree, here in Avery County, for the annual Avery County Heritage Festival. We sent up a camp and did a little Civil War interpretive work. I also sold a slew of books and picked up some new information on the 58th NCT. Sunday morning, I got up early and headed over to the reenactment in Jonesville, Virginia. I sold a few more books, participated in the reenactment, and most importantly, might have discovered the final resting place of a dozen plus members of the 58th NCT who died while stationed at Cumberland Gap in September and October 1862. I am going to a wedding in Cumberland Gap in August, so I'll report more on this when I return.

It was an extremely hot weekend. Saturday was in the upper 80s. On Sunday, when I made it back to my car, the temp was 99. I came home acouple of pounds lighter!

Books

Today, I read that the North Carolina Historical Publications Office is getting ready to release the next volume of the North Carolina Troop book series (Volume 16). This volume is to contain a roster of Thomas’s Legion. While not yet listed on the web page, you can check out the other volumes here.

I’ve also seen that McFarland is releasing a history of the 25th North Carolina Troops, written by Carroll C. Jones. I’m not sure why there is a picture depicting the 26th North Carolina on the front of a book about the 25th North Carolina. Check it out here.

From the publisher:
This historical account covers the 25th Regiment North Carolina Infantry Troops during the Civil War. Farmers and their sons left the mountains to enlist with the regiment organized in Asheville in August 1861 to defend their home territory. The book chronicles the unit’s defensive tactics in the Carolina coastal regions and battlefield actions at Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Plymouth and Petersburg, in addition to casualty and desertion records. More than 125 photos, illustrations, and maps are featured, as well as a complete regimental roster.

I am also very much looking forward to Paul Escott’s North Carolinians in the Era of Civil War and Reconstruction, soon to be released by UNC Press.


I’ve also seen a new book by Arcadia entitled Greensboro’s Confederate Soldiers, by Carol Moore

Just a few thoughts! Do you think we will ever run out of material to write about?

On the road again...

Folks - I’ll be in Morganton this evening, speaking and signing books at 7:00 pm at the community center.

NC at Missionary Ridge

Earlier, I wrote that I would post the details of my trip. I'll just post bits and pieces from time to time.

One of the last places we visited was up on Missionary Ridge. While I have been to Chickamauga and Point Lookout several times, I had never ventured up on Missionary Ridge. The Ranger working in the small cubicle (he was very glad that the visitor center at Point Park was re-opening that weekend) showed me where the 58th and 60th NCT's position was and where their marker should be. The photo copy of the marker descriptionstates that the marker for Reynold's brigade was, on "02/10/64 - In storage at Utility area, moved for new highway." and beside that inpencil "I24" So, when they were building Interstate 24 in the 1960s, the marker for Reynold's brigade had been moved. The Ranger gave me a wide swath of area to cover in my search.

So off we went. The route is not well marked, and after about half an hour, we were able to find the "Sherman Reservation" and able to start on the north end of the ridge. We worked our way south, looking for the marker. There are plenty of markers for different Confederate and Union brigades along Crest Road. All most all of these are set in the front yards of some rather nice homes. A few of the markers have been set into brick retaining walls. I do recall seeing a lady working in her flowers, while on her front lawn, just feet from her front door, was a pair of cannons.

We had driven for a while, crossing over I-24, and arrived at the Bragg Reservation. This was the headquarters for General Bragg duringthe battle. I knew from my research that portions of Reynold's command retreated to the area of Bragg's headquarters as they fell back up the ridge to their assigned position. So, I knew that I was close. I got outof the car, and made my way around the little park, exploring each marker.

After about 15 minutes, I came to the realization that the marker was not at the Bragg Reservation. I walked to the northern end of the park and there was I-24. I returned to the car and started to retrace theroute. I had seen the marker for Finley's brigade earlier, and I knew that Reynolds was near the Floridians. As we headed north again, we rounded a curve, and there was the marker for Reynold's brigade. Coming from the other direction, we had been too busy watching for on-coming cars and had missed the marker. If you are ever looking forthe marker, when you come to a stop sign, you need to turn right to continue on Crest Road. The marker sits to your right as you turn.

So, the 58th and 60th NCT's position on the top of Missionary Ridge no longer exists. It was hauled away in the 1960s when they were constructing the interstate.

In my next post, we will discuss the marker and what is wrong with it.

Crowdsurfing

When I was in Raleigh a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to track down a few sources that the publications committee used in producing the entry on 58th North Carolina in volume 14 of the troop books. I had a chance to meet some fine folks that afternoon as I bounced from department to department. At one point, one of the historians connected with the troop book project asked me what was going to be different about my book on the 58th NCT, in comparison with what was in the troop books. I had to think for a couple of moments, but the answer is simple: I have available to me quite a few more resources than the folks in Raleigh. That’s not to say that the folks in Raleigh don’t have great resources. They do. And I have made repeated trips to our state’s capital to exploit those resources.

So how is my book on the 58th NCT going to differ from the account that is in the troop book? The answer is simple: crowdsurfing.

Until today, when I was going through my blog list, I did not know that the term "crowdsurfing" referred to anything other than the stunt sometimes performed at concerts, especially the kind I attended when I was younger. I found a link on Paul Taylor’s blog, With Sword and Pen, to an article that recently appeared in the Boston Globe.

I’ve been crowdsurfing, in the literary sense for quite some time. I did it with my book on the 37th NCT, aa well as with the 58th NCT. How did I crowdsurf and what impact did it have? There were 2,000 men plus who served in both the 37th NCT and the 58th NCT. I created an alphabetical list, and then posted each name in an online genealogical database, like www.genforum.com. Yes, it takes a considerable amount of time to get all those names posted. The reward, however, is well worth the time invested. Unpublished or seldom seen letters, diaries, photographs, and post-war reminisces have been sent to me. Almost all of these items are rather unknown, and had I relied simply upon the materials at archives and libraries, the books would have been incomplete.

I’ll give you an example from my work on the 37th NCT. There was a story that came to me regarding one member of the 37th NCT telling Stonewall Jackson "I wouldn't go in there now. Its too dark, and your men may take you for the enemy and shoot you." Great story! However, what member of Lane’s brigade would not have wanted to repeat those words to Jackson? The speaker was Thomas Lowery of Company D. After doing some further research, I discovered that Lowery was acting second sergeant of Company D, and that Company D occupied the position of second company during the Chancellorsville battle. The second company is the furthest company to the left of the regiment, and Lowery, being second sergeant, would have ben post on the left of the company. The 37th NCT’s left rested on the Orange Plank Road. If Jackson rode out along the Orange Plank Road that evening, then no one was in a better position to tell Jackson not to ride out there in between the lines than Lowery.

Crowdsurfing - check it out. If you are writing a regimental history, it is a tool that is indispensable.

Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, here is a photograph of the grave of David Cook, buried in the National Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. This might have been the same David Cook who served as a private in Company B, 37th North Carolina Troops.

Confederate Cemetery in Dalton

One of the places that I visited on my recent trip through north Georgia was the cemetery in Dalton. I had been once before, maybe 15 years ago. In the past, a historical marker informed us that there were 421 unknown and four known Confederates buried in the Confederate section of Dalton. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new monument with the names of those 421 men. From the 58th North Carolina, we have these:


David Bright, Co. F
Sgt. Maj. James Inglish, F&S
George Keener, Co. G
Jacob D. Shook, Co. D
Washington Stevens, Co. F


The monument had Sgt. Maj. Inglis’s name twice, once as James Inglish, and the second time as James English, neither of which are correct. Oh well, at least I now know where he is buried.


This is just one more small piece of the puzzle.

Back Home

Well, I am back at home from a very long week. I had every intention of blogging while I was gone, but I never once pulled ye olde laptop from my bag.

Here is a recap: I was in Raleigh on Friday and Saturday, doing research and attending the flag program. I came back Saturday afternoon and spent Saturday evening at home. Sunday morning, we re-packed the car and headed to Central, South Carolina, for a re-enactment, where we met my mom and dad. Saturday afternoon, we headed to Red Top Mountain State Park, where we set up "camp" in my parents’ motor coach. Monday morning was spent at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, home of the famous engine, The General . Monday afternoon we tramped the battlefields of Kenasaw and Kolb’s Farm, (and the cemetery in Marietta) working on the book on the 58th NCT. Tuesday, we covered Reseca and Dalton. Wednesday, I was back in Dalton, then a quick trip to Chickamauga. We spent more time at Lookout Mountain and on Missionary Ridge - we thought we would never find the iron tablet for Reynolds’s brigade at Chickamauga.

I’ll post more when I get pictures downloaded and my notes out of the car. Things are a bit fuzzy right now.