Battlefield Evangelism Set
This Christmas, Santa was especially good to me, and I have been blessed with several new Civil War books, videos, DVDs, shirts, relics, and prints. My mother even bought me a bag of those plastic Civil War soldiers (as a gag gift) after I had publicly chastised her on my blog for throwing my childhood army men away. (Oh yeah, I’ll be playing with those when no one else is around.) One of the “adult” gifts that I received was the Battlefield Evangelism Set, and I recommend it highly for anyone with an interest in Christian-based, Confederate history.

The first book in the set is The Life and Campaigns of Stonewall Jackson by Robert Lewis Dabney. This title is considered to be one of the best books ever published about Stonewall’s faith, as it accurately depicts Jackson’s pious Christian character, service to the church, as well as his magnificent service to Virginia as it was carefully recorded by his close friend Robert Lewis Dabney.

The second title in the set is Christ in the Camp by J. William Jones, which recalls a period of great religious revival that took place from 1861-1865 when many thousands of soldiers professed Christ as their Savior and Lord. Here, too, we read of the great Christian generals who supported the many facets of Gospel work: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Jeb Stuart, and others.

Finally, there is a short (paperback) bio entitled Robert Lewis Dabney: The Prophet Speaks as edited by Douglas Phillips. This concise book is a compilation of the wit and wisdom of one of the greatest southern theologians of the 19th-Century.

The Battlefield Evangelism Set is available from the good people at The Vision Forum, Inc.?

Spreading Glory Through Stonewall's Story

Dedicated to sharing the Good News of the Gospel through the spiritual legacy of Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson: The Jackson Society was founded in the winter of 2006 by Christian authors Michael Aubrecht and Richard G. Williams Jr.. Both historians have dedicated much of their work to recognizing the positive role that religion played during the Civil War. Their mission in establishing The Jackson Society is to witness for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the stories of one of the South's greatest Christian soldiers. The JS hopes to accomplish this task by creating this online portal for like-minded individuals to cross-promote each other's projects, publications, and presentations. The goal is to reach the maximum number of people with the Good News of the Gospel, and the inspirational legacy of the great Virginia patriot; Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson.

The Jackson Society is always looking for new members to add to their directory. Are you a Christian who has an interest in the spiritual legacy of Thomas Jackson? Have you written, or published something that you would like to share with fellow Stonewall enthusiasts? Have you been searching for a forum to promote your work and witness for your Lord and Savior? Do you believe that the Christian faith represents a united congregation of baptized believers, who are called to further the cause of Jesus Christ, and that the Bible is the absolute Word of God and that the study of scripture is essential to living our lives according to His will? If so, we would love to hear from you. Visit The Jackson Society portal site for more information and details.

Join me in prayer
Last week, I submitted approximately 1400 words for The Free Lance-Star, and 1700 words for CWI, in review of a wonderful book by noted Christian author Richard Williams entitled “Stonewall Jackson: The Black Man’s Friend.” No surprise, within 24 hours from the day after it went to press, our “resident cynic” posted approximately 1400 words of his own (in addition to the several thousand more over the past few months), tearing it to pieces.

To his credit, he is a good wordsmith, but I only wish that this individual spent half as much time in the pursuit of positive narrative, as he does in spouting negative criticisms.

It is actually quite depressing when you think about it... to be so empty inside, and so void of faith, that you spend all of your free-time trolling the Internet, looking for things to criticize... to spend a day as special and as Holy as Christmas Eve, formulating a lengthy dissertation solely meant to insult and discredit someone... and to be so cynical about something that you don't understand, that you obsess about it over-and-over.

I should not even be posting this response today, but I signed on to email a few Christmas wishes to some far-away friends, and was directed to our cynic’s post by an associate. So without further ado, please join me in petitioning for some spiritual guidance for our friend. He obviously has some deep-rooted issues when it comes to religious-related topics, and could probably use some divine wisdom from above.

So, instead of getting drawn into an unnecessary "war of words", let's practice what we preach, and show him a little grace and humility of our own. After all, we all could use a helping (and praying) hand from time to time. Isn't that what the spirit of this holiday season is all about? I like to think so. Have a blessed day Kevin; we’re ALL praying for you brother.

That's a wrap!
As I type this, it is early afternoon on Christmas Eve… Because I plan to be as far away from the keyboard as I can possibly get for the next week or so, I wanted to post a couple quick updates and announcements in between going to church functions and stuffing my face. I won’t be back in the blogosphere until after New Years, and I hope that you all have a blessed holiday. Just in case you get bored and stop by, here are a few things of interest.

First off, there are some new additions over on the Pinstripe Press website: My latest book review for The Free Lance-Star ran on Saturday. It is on Richard William’s Stonewall Jackson: The Black Man’s Friend. There is also an extended version (that discusses more of the film project) that will be posted up at CWI (Civil War Interactive). I also posted that Op-Ed I recently did on Oliver Howard: Battlefield Believer. The biggest addition over at the Pinstripe Press is The Jackson Society portal site, which is finally up. Are you a Christian who has an interest in the spiritual legacy of Thomas Jackson? Have you written, or published something that you would like to share with fellow Stonewall enthusiasts? Have you been searching for a forum to promote your work and witness for your Lord and Savior? If so, please check us out. We'd love to hear from you.

Second, today at morning services, I received an early (and absolutely spectacular) Christmas present from a good church friend named John K. (I’m using his initial only as I don’t like to post names on the Internet without permission.) John is very active at our church, and we have all been blessed by his presence. Even better [smiling]; he has always been a huge supporter of my work. John lives in a beautiful area that is adjacent to the Spotsylvania Battlefield. He is also a Civil War enthusiast, and a respectful and responsible relic-hunter. In appreciation for my books, he graciously presented me with a beautiful showcase that contains a 58 cal. 3-ring minnie, a smashed 3-ringer, a 52 cal. round-ball, and a 58 cal. 2-ring gardner that were all excavated on his property near the battlefield. Needless to say I was speechless, and it prompted me to propose an article on the subject.

So, in addition to some upcoming pieces that I am doing (including features on Lee’s Lieutenants’ reenactment group, Liberty University’s Civil War Chaplains Museum, and a combined book review of “Grant & Sherman: The Friendship That Won The Civil War” by Charles Flood and Eric Wittenberg’s new book on “Rush’s Lancers: The Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry in the Civil War,”) I will also be participating at a future dig with John, and writing about the positive aspects of relic hunting when done in the proper manner. Stay tuned.

OK. That’s it for 2006. See you again in ’07. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless.

Christmas wish from Robert E. Lee to his wife
I received last night, dear Mary, your letter of the 12th, and am delighted to learn that you are all well and so many of you are together. I am much pleased that Fitzhugh has an opportunity to be with you all and will not be so far removed from his home in his new field of action. I hope to see him at the head of a fine regiment and that he will be able to do good service in the cause of his country. If Mary and Rob get to you Christmas, you will have quite a family party, especially if Fitzhugh is not obliged to leave his home and sweet wife before that time. I shall think of you all on that holy day more intensely than usual, and shall pray to the great God of Heaven to shower His blessings upon you in this world, and to unite you all in His courts in the world to come. With a grateful heart I thank Him for His preservation thus far, and trust to His mercy and kindness for the future. Oh, that I were more worthy, more thankful for all He has done and continues to do for me! Perry and Meredith [his two coloured servants] send their respects to all....

Truly and affectionately,
R.E. Lee
Dec. 1861

Thanks for a great year
As we prepare to tear the 2006 page off of our desk-calendars, I want to take a moment to thank some of the wonderful people from the "Civil War Community" who have had a tremendous impact on me (and my work) this year. 2006 was a great one for me on both a professional and personal level, and I hope and pray that I can continue to ride this crest for as long as the good Lord will let me.

THANK YOU: Richard Williams for your words, your insights, and your spiritual validation. If I can become half the Christian author that you are, I’ll certainly be headed in the right direction.

THANK YOU: Joe Avalon and Laurie Chambliss over at CWI (Civil War Interactive), for your generous promotion of both my books and my blog, which has forged several new relationships and opportunities.

THANK YOU: Gwen Woolf, my editor at The Free Lance-Star for your grace, mentoring, and continued confidence in my work. I look forward to the many articles that we have coming up in 2007, and for many years to come.

THANK YOU: Eric Wittenberg for always taking time out of your busy schedule to share your expertise and experiences with me. I can’t think of anyone better to teach a “newcomer” about the research, writing, and publishing of high-quality Civil War material.

THANK YOU: Chaplain Alan Farley of the Re-enactors for Jesus Christ, as well as Al Stone, and the rest of the living historians from Lee’s Lieutenants. Your generous invitations for me to appear at your events has opened up a whole new world.

THANK YOU: ks, shotgun, basecat, and the rest of the members over at the Civil War Home Chatroom, for welcoming me into your group, and allowing me to present subjects that are very near and dear to my heart. I look forward to doing many more online chats in the coming year.

THANK YOU: Jim Riddle of the Good News Bible Church (NH) for believing enough in my Stonewall book to develop an entire Bible-study curriculum for it, and then selflessly making it available to Men’s Ministries all around the country for free.

THANK YOU: to the many authors and publishers that I had the privilege of working with and reviewing this year. This includes Edward L. Ayers, Gregg S. Clemmer, Jack Maples, Robert K. Krick, Fred L. Ray, Richard Croker, Eric J. Wittenberg, J. David Petruzzi and Richard Williams. I am looking forward to reading your new releases in 2007.

THANK YOU: Chris Braddy and the troops from the United States Marine Corp. Tun Tavern Fellowship (Quantico) for selecting my books as part of your Sunday school program. The pride that you have instilled in me as a result is a blessing indeed.

THANK YOU: Museum Of The Confederacy, as well as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, for continuing to promote my books among your various camps and affiliations.

THANK YOU: fellow Civil War Bloggers. You are all so tremendously talented, knowledgeable, and dedicated to the craft. This passion that you exhibit on a daily basis fuels my own, and I can only try to keep up with the rest of you.

THANK YOU: readers. YOU are the reason for all of this, and I am so very grateful for your continued patronage and support. I shall do my very best to continue working on projects that are worthy of your interest.

God Bless you all.

Finding Joy
One of my historian friends (a fellow author who I admire tremendously) recently asked me why and how I find joy in writing my books. He specifically referenced the term ?joy? which I had used to describe how I felt about my work ? and how others have responded to it. I must admit that ?joy? is not a word that I throw around very often, and I wanted to post a response to his query here in an effort to share it with everyone. It is not my intent to get too "preachy" either, so I will try to present my feelings in the simplest of terms.

A few years ago, I read a wonderful book called ?The Purpose-Driven Life? by Reverend Rick Warren. In the book he poses the timeless questions of ?Why am I here?" and "What is my purpose?? Now, most self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but Warren says the starting place must be with God, and His eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God?s purposes for putting us on earth. And it is through this fulfillment that our rewards will come.

In other words, when one examines their life and the world around him/her, it is almost impossible not to ask why are we here, and what can we contribute? Surely there must be more to our existence than traffic jams, reality television, and a 40-hour workweek? We have to have a purpose - everyone does.

As a Presbyterian (and as with most other Christian denominations) we believe that our talents (all of them) are God-given gifts and therefore, we should use them for spreading His glory. Whether it is a creative, academic, analytical, or technical talent, it is not by our own doing that we have them. This epiphany had a major impact on my life, and as I moved further out of the "secular" publishing field and over into the "Christian" one, my work took me to places that I could never have dreamed of. It was ONLY after I decided to make a focused career change that door after door opened up for me.

Today, I write about my favorite subject (the Civil War and Southern/Confederate history) because I love it. And I write about it from a religious-perspective because I love God and the blessings that He has given me. That is what I mean when I say ?joy?. Many accredited historians (my friend that I mention included) are so much smarter and more accomplished than I am, and they have all written stacks upon stacks of magnificent studies. They have certainly blessed me with their knowledge and insights. Perhaps they are fulfilling their purpose too? My purpose (I believe) is to write stories that are uplifting, inspirational, and have a positive impact on people. I use the historical figures that inspire me as my platform.

I once had a lovely young woman (also a Christian author) from Canada email me to say that she knew very little about 19th-Century America, and even less about Civil War history. Yet, when she read my first book ?Onward Christian Soldier: The Spiritual Journey of Stonewall? she was so touched by my portrayal of Thomas Jackson?s unwavering devotion to God amidst the most desperate of times, that she cried when she finished it. She added that I ?had so well-defined "Stonewall's" position of faith and family that it made it impossible not to come to care for this man.?

She closed by saying that she was now interested in the ACW, and would be looking at more academic studies in the future. This is an example where the religious perspective initiates an interest that later opens the door for the academic version. One genre - feeds the other - and she will probably be reading the work of my friend who initiated this post in the first place.

That is what I mean by ?joy?. Joy is when I am able to write something that interests me - that touches a complete stranger - who had absolutely no prior interest in the story of ?Stonewall? Jackson. Joy is when I use my talent for a purpose greater than my own ? and in a way that I would have never been able to do on my own - if not for God?s grace. In other words, Joy is so much more than just the feeling one has after seeing their book come off the press. It is a gift too. My name may be on the cover of these books ? but the REAL credit belongs to God.

Reason For The Season
While doing some online research today for my latest project The Southern Cross, a Christian-Confederate Devotional, I came upon a rather remarkable testimony recounting the spiritual awakening of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. As I am also simultaneously gathering materials for a fourth project entitled Nathan Bedford Forrest: Saint and Sinner, I decided to “kill two birds with one stone.” This particular essay is a wonderful discovery for me as it contains quotes from several of Forrest’s personal letters that I was unaware of.

Below is an excerpt from this brilliant sermon, which was delivered January 26, 1997, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (Summerville, Georgia) by Kenneth Studdard. You can read the entire text at The Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument. The title of the lecture is “Is That Enough?” and it deals with the personal transformation that N.B. Forrest experienced from that of a passive believer - to a born-again Christian. His story is one that I believe many of us can relate to, and although he certainly had his share of faults, he did accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior (after the Civil War) and was therefore, redeemed in the end. This is salvation in its simplest of terms.

Dr. J.B. Cowan, his medical officer and kinsman said of Nathan Bedford Forrest: "He had the most profound respect for religion, always had preaching at his headquarters on Sundays if there was a minister at hand, and had prayers in his tent at night. In those days we never started on an expedition but what the men were drawn up in line, and the chaplain, while the heads of all were uncovered, evoked God's blessing on our cause."

Like all other great men, behind Forrest was a great Christian woman whose name was Mary Ann Montgomery. She was a great influence on her husband and they were married on September 25, 1845. From then on, he was ever remembered in her prayers. After the war Forrest recounted her influence to a friend: "Major, I am not the same man you were with so long and knew so well. I hope I am a better man now than then. I have been and am trying to lead another kind of life. Mary has been praying for me night and day for all these years, and I feel now that through her prayers my life has been spared and I have passed safely through so many dangers."

That is an impressive testimony when you consider that during the war he was wounded 4 times, had 29 horses shot out from under him, and killed 30 men in hand-to-hand combat. In the battle of Fort Donelson, after leading a charge up a hill, he discovered 15 bullet holes in his overcoat, yet he was uninjured! Yes' the Lord had answered Mary's prayers and preserved him. Still, Forrest never truly surrendered himself to the promise of salvation.

After Mary had convinced him to attend a sermon on a Sunday morning in 1875, Forrest sat and listened as the pastor read from Matthew 7:24-27 (which presents Christ’s lesson on the difference between a “passive or non-believer” who builds his house upon the sand – and a “devout believer” who builds his house upon the rock). He added, “The only foundation that matters is Christ, for He is the only one that is acceptable. Our works win not save us, only His work. Our goodness will not save us, only His goodness. Our righteousness will not save us, for we have none. Only His righteousness will avail. Have you built your life on the saving work of Jesus Christ? Only that is enough!”

When he had finished, Forrest went forward, shook the preacher's hand and said in reference to the man who built his house on the sand: 'I am that man.' The prayers of Mary Ann were answered. Nathan Bedford Forrest had come to Christ! He realized that all of his accomplishments, all of his morality, and all of the religion in the world could not make him right with the Lord. Only Christ, the one foundation, could. From that day until his death October 27, 1877, Forrest lived his life for Christ. 'That was the change he spoke of to his friend.

Source: “Is That Enough?” by Kenneth Studdard (Pleasant Grove Baptist Church)

Get in the game
With Christmas just around the bend, I'd like to take a quick moment to spotlight one of our fellow bloggers, whose expertise in Civil War gaming may provide the answer for that last remaining gift you've been searching for. Brett Schulte's Civil War Gaming & Reading Blog is a treasure trove of information for those who are interested in both traditional-board and computer-based gaming on the War Between the States. It is currently rated as the #6 website on The Civil War Top 100.

I must admit that I do own a few of these computer games (Gettysburg and The American Civil War), but I have never had enough free-time in my schedule to learn how to actually play them. I already went through a rehab-phase to “kick” an addiction to the Medal of Honor: WWII series a couple years ago as it almost cost me my marriage. That said, Brett is clearly an expert on the subject and has actually provided consultation for developers in the industry. He is also a “book-nut” like myself, and I am hoping to someday get a Schulte library card, so I can browse through his rapidly expanding collection.

If you are into the Civil War and games, or know someone who is, visit Brett’s blog’s for all things related. Who knows, maybe Santa will visit too, and leave a copy of the “Civil War Brigade Series” under your tree?

Fredericksburg's Historical Houses of Worship
With the holiday season upon us, I thought it might be nice to spotlight some of the historically significant churches in our area. These include Aquia Episcopal Church, Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Old Salem Church, Massaponax Church, Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, St. Georges Episcopal Church, Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, Zion United Methodist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) and Union Church.

Most of these churches witnessed the events of the Civil War firsthand, and many were founded back in the days when George Washington lived here. My own personal favorite (w/ the exception of my own church, Spotsylvania Presbyterian – which BTW, grew out of this one) is Fredericksburg Presbyterian.

Fredericksburg Presbyterian was also a personal favorite of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson as one of his own personal clergy in the field, the Reverend Beverly Tucker Lacy, preached there. The present Greek Revival style structure was erected in 1833 and is one of the two oldest churches in the downtown area of Fredericksburg. During the Civil War, the church was severely damaged; the church bell was given to the Confederacy to be melted down for cannons. During this time (1862) the church was used as a Federal hospital and Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, attended the wounded here from the Battle of Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse. More then 26,000 sick and wounded moved through the hospital. After the war the church bell was replaced (1870), the interior was restored and the congregation had reformed.

In 1962, a bronze tablet was placed in the front yard in memory of Clara Barton. Today, the church still bears the scars of battle where two cannon balls were embedded in one of its pilasters. (Source: Simply Fredericksburg, Photo: By Francis Benjamin Johnston, circa. 1927, Library of Congress) For more information on this and other historic churches, please visit Simply Fredericksburg's HISTORIC CHURCHES