Today I was invited to contribute to an online auction hosted by a wonderful organization here in Fredericksburg called the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates. Starting on March 1, 2010, NIFLA will be auctioning off a number of fun and unique items to raise money for their efforts. The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) is a charitable 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which exists to provide life-affirming pregnancy help centers the best legal education, consultation, and training possible.

I have donated signed copies of The Southern Cross and Campfires at the Crossroads and I am also putting together a very special tour: In the Steps of Stonewall: this one-of-a-kind experience will take (up to 4) guests to local sites tracing the last days of Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The 4+ hour tour includes: Chancellorsville Battlefield sites, Jackson's wounding Trail and Monument, Jackson's arm burial-site at Ellwood, Jackson's Ambulance Route, and the Stonewell Jackson Shrine. Additional stops may be added as time permits. Date/time to be determined.

Today I finished reading 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign by Peter Cozzens. My daily 3+ hour train commute is enabling me to complete 500+ page books in a little over two weeks, so I guess it’s not all bad that I never see daylight on workdays. This book left me with a variety of reactions and I am adding a great deal of newfound knowledge to my prep for a banquet talk that I am doing this summer at the CWHC Muster in Lexington titled Lion in the Valley: Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign.

Cozzens contribution is refreshingly original and does an excellent job of presenting the perspectives of both sides. In doing so we are given a very balanced presentation of the events from both Federal and Confederate witnesses, in both positive and negative lights. This book pulls no punches when taking commanders to task and clearly shows that even Jackson’s genius was flawed at times during this campaign. He was not tactically perfect by any means regardless of his troop’s tremendous accomplishments and his subordinates were not always on board with the general’s orders. I will be sure to keep Stonewall’s “boots on the ground” in my presentation, (which may surprise some people) and I now have some great recollections from the Union-side to add.

As a straight military-history, 1862 is a great read. The author does a very good job of presenting the engagements coherently and his tasteful use of maps compliments the narrative. As this particular campaign resulted in multiple battles and skirmishes, there are plenty of firsthand combat accounts, and I have a newfound appreciation for the suffering of both the soldiers and the civilian population. Cozzen’s writing style is also vivid and I am thankful that I have toured several of the fields he paints including the often overlooked Kernstown. As a result, I could easily envision the topography and primary sites of interest. To be honest, I was not aware of the number of fights that occurred in the valley during this period.

The most striking revelation for me (as a student of Jackson) is how much the author’s depiction of Stonewall reminds me of Gen. George S. Patton. I recall reading a quote from a WW2 veteran of the legendary 3rd Army in which he offered what is was like to fight under the tenacious tank commander. He said, “They called him [Patton] ‘Old blood and guts.” Stating that the moniker was accurate only to a point he added, “It was true…our blood and his guts.” The marches (and counter-marches) that were conducted by the Valley Army are hard to believe at times in both the sheer distance covered, and the natural obstacles that they traversed. Frankly, the simple movement of men during the campaign is equally astounding and disturbing. I would have understood one’s desire to desert after a third trip back up the mountain.

The ONLY disappointment with this book (and more of a personal issue), is the miniscule coverage of the death of Turner Ashby. It’s no secret that this controversial cavalryman is a favorite character of mine and I unashamedly included him in my Top 10 Confederate Generals feature that I penned for Civil War Historian magazine. Much to my dismay (as I anticipated reaching this event from the very first page) 1862 gives a brief recap of Ashby’s death and his postmortem evacuation. I really wanted to know more about the scene and the affect of the Black Knight’s death on the morale of his men. I’ll be quoting some tearful recollections from Ashby’s troopers in my talk and I wish that Cozzen would have spent a little more time doing the same. That said, I highly recommend 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign and will be using it as a valuable source for my talk.

Tomorrow I start reading The Civil War: Tullahoma to Meridian by Shelby Foote to finish out the year. 

I just received word today that the editors at Patriots of the American Revolution are very pleased with the essay and photographs that I delivered this weekend. Mine will be the lead feature story in the upcoming January/February issue of PAR. I for one can’t wait to see it and I do believe that it’s the best magazine piece I've written to date. The subject of race and remembrance at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello was a challenging topic and it has firmly cemented my interest in moving my studies into the colonial period, more specifically the lives and legacies of our Founding Fathers. Once again, the Civil War will remain a recurring subject, but all future projects are going to step back to an earlier time.

I have far more interest in exploring the years leading up to the Revolution than writing any more books on the War Between the States. I have published five Civil War titles to date and the last two releases have been both praised and accepted by the ACW community. My latest goal was to gain the endorsement of the NPS Eastern National bookstores and I accomplished that with Houses of the Holy and Campfires at the Crossroads. These titles have been legitimized by respected individuals whose approval had escaped me with my first three books.

It goes without saying that the local National Park Service does an incredible job in regards to preserving and presenting our local Civil War history, but they have admittedly shied away from the colonial period in lieu of private organizations cornering that market. With exceptionally historic places like Ferry Farm and Kenmore Plantation, there are plenty of early-American gems to be elaborated on. Someday I would love to write a book specifically on Thomas Jefferson’s experiences here in Fredericksburg when he drafted the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom although I am not sure enough reference material exists to justify a narrative of that length.

Regardless, I am formally announcing my intentions to explore other historical periods as both a writer and a historian. From here on in (with the exception of ongoing commitments to the NCWLF, Mr. Kunstler, the 2010 CWH Muster, and the Richard Kirkland documentary) I am no longer a "Civil War historian." In fact, I would like to consider myself a "newly-inspired student of the colonial period" where I hope to learn as much, if not more, than my previous discipline. In other words, an enthusiastic amateur. It would be far too easy for me to stay in my comfort zone, but I need to evolve. I just took an incredibly challenging job with the USMS that has me up at 5am and out till 7pm, with a combined three-hour train ride, in a suit and tie. I could have continued to coast well into my 10th year at my old job, but cruise-control can stifle one’s ability to grow.

I NEED TO GROW, so I am essentially starting over in both my vocation and pastime. I hope you’ll all come along for the ride. My enthusiasm needs a kick in the pants and frankly, I am tired of reacting to other bloggers and rehashing the same old debates. You will see far less Civil War related posts here in the future and more pieces that reflect my new interests in the colonial period. Over the course of this year, I have read far more books in this era and I feel like I'm on the precipice of a whole new career where I have an abundance of history to learn - and even more to share.

Once I complete my CW commitments, I'm done. And from here on in, it's all about the Benjamins..."Franklins" that is.