Today is a gray and rainy day here in Fredericksburg. I guess I’ll stay warm and dry at my keyboard and try to get some work done. Before I do… here are some random thoughts as I procrastinate... (And please excuse any typos; I’m only on my first cup of coffee.)

This morning I got a sneak peek at the article that I wrote on “Battlefield Baseball” for the September issue of Civil War Historian magazine. The good folks at CWH did an excellent job with the layout, and I’m very pleased with the results. This 8-page feature, my first to appear in a major CW-magazine, also includes multiple photographs, as well as a detailed table of notable games. I’m hoping that this will open the door to more magazine articles in the future. Of course nobody can keep up with some of you guys, but I would like the opportunity to contribute something “faith” related to the mix.

I just signed and shipped the final contracts for my book on churches back to The History Press. The research part of this project begins this week, and I am very much looking forward to it. I’ll keep you posted from time to time with updates, but for the most part, I’ll be busily gathering materials for the next 4 weeks at each church and the NPS archives.

In the meantime, I started the draft for my latest article in The Free Lance-Star, a feature on the re-enactment group Lee’s Lieutenants. Several members, representing each branch of this outfit, have completed an email interview and whatever doesn’t make it into the article will be posted in its entirety over on my website following the newspaper version’s release. Al Stone’s portrayal of Robert E. Lee will be the main focus, with individuals portraying Mathew Brady (Wayne Ritchie), Chaplain Farley (Alan Farley of the RMJC), Refugee Teacher (Jessie Reter-Choate), and General Trimble (David C. Trimble) adding their own perspectives on the challenges and benefits of being a living-historian.

One last comment prompted by a discussion over on Eric’s blog (in regards to his latest project on the retreat from Gettysburg): Although this book will present a new look at the tactical aspects of the retreat, and will most certainly be an EXCELLENT study (as is anything with Eric and JD’s name on it), I am a little disappointed that the only portion of the wounded’s story that’s getting any attention is the saga of the ‘Wagon Train of the Wounded.’ From what I understand, there was a large contingent of Confederate casualties that was either unable to travel, or unable to make it across the Potomac or Rappahannock. This is a subject that has been neglected IMO with the study of Gettysburg. I understand that it doesn’t fit into the focus of this book, but I would love to know if anyone else is familiar with any kind of study on what happened to these guys. I myself have always been curious about the trials and tribulations that occurred with the evacuation of the wounded from Gettysburg, as well as the differences between the care and transportation of the officers vs. the troops. For instance, how was Kemper treated and ultimately “saved” when his wounds IIRC were originally determined to be mortal, and how many troops died en route to the Old Dominion?

I have always felt that the post-engagement logistics and experiences surrounding those that fell (and survived) would add a new level of understanding about the toll that this battle (and others) had on the ANV. To this day, I am still dying to know how Gordon was able to survive being wounded repeatedly at Antietam. Even our good buddy Ranger Mannie said that specific details on his emergency care (after he was removed from the Bloody Lane) are sketchy at best. We do have the recollections of notable surgeons, and some of the wounded themselves, but I would like to see more. In fact, I always thought that it would be brilliant to write an entire history of ‘a war’ completely from the perspective of the Medics. Their view of the battlefield would be both inspiring and disturbing all at the same time.