Ever since the September issue of Civil War Historian magazine was released, my email inbox has been flooded with some wonderful sentiments from fellow Civil War, Baseball, and Military Historians. It seems that I ‘can’ write mainstream-secular history, and still have it be readable. People have been very generous in their compliments and I hope to write more magazine articles in the future.

One email in particular came from Gustav Person, who is the noted historian at the U.S. Army’s Fort Belvoir installation. I’ve read some of Gustav’s work (which is EXCELLENT) such as his “Union Blue and Militia Gray: The Role of the New York State Militia in the Civil War.” He is currently completing an article on the New York State Militia in 1861 for CWH, an expanded chapter from his Master's thesis, and I am very much looking forward to it.

In his email he stated: “On page 14, you made reference to a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the 71st New York Regiment. I assumed that you were referring to the 71st Regiment, New York State Militia, not the 71st New York Volunteers, since you referred to some casualties suffered by the unit at Bull Run. Is this correct? Most people do not know the difference between militia and volunteer units, and it is often confusing and distracting.”

First, he is correct in his assumption and I promised to send him some of my source material on that subject once things settle down with my church book project. Second, he brings up an excellent point, and perhaps I should have made that regimental distinction clearer. Even though I was accurate in referencing the 71st NY, it is easy to confuse Militia and Volunteer units – as they are similar, but different.

That is what makes a REAL historian of Gustav Person’s caliber and why we are lucky to have him working for the United States Armed Forces. Guys like Gustav notice the little things in regards to historical analysis and interpretation. I didn’t even think about the difference between the two.

Thanks Gustav. BOTH for your compliments and the lesson in professionalism. I'll be more descriptive of unit designations in the future.