A week or so ago, I mentioned how I had been asked to become an Associate Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (an invitation that I gratefully accepted.) Yesterday I received my first camp newsletter courtesy of the SCV Stonewall Brigade #1296 and in it there was information on another wonderful organization called the "Order of Confederate Rose." One of my daughters has an interest in southern history and I am thinking about getting her involved in this group. Like the SCV and UDC, the "Order" has pledged itself to the preservation and presentation of Confederate history. They are also involved in some wonderful projects including the care and protection of burial sites and historical monuments, as well as programs that strive to share the history of the South with all generations. With more and more heritage crisis happening everyday (such as the plight of Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond) groups like this stand on the front lines against those who wish to erase this portion of our nation’s history.

According to the organization’s bio: "The idea for the Order of Confederate Rose came to Jane Latture of Birmingham, AL, after a Robert E. Lee birthday dinner in January 1993, when the speaker, Charles Lunsford, told Mrs. Latture of an Order of Robert E. Lee that had been reactivated in Georgia. Knowing that other ladies in Alabama felt the need to help combat the growing attack on their Confederate Heritage, Mrs. Latture proposed the idea of their own order to some ladies, including Ellen Daniel, Sharon Dasinger, and Harriet Outlaw. All responded positively. The first name to occur to Mrs. Latture was The Order of the Confederate Rose, based on the movie "The Rose and the Jackal" about Rose O'Neal Greenhow, a Confederate Spy. On May 1, 1993, eleven wives and daughters of Alabama Division SCV members met by a picturesque pond in Alabama City during the SCV state convention and organized the order. The ladies amended and approved the name "Order of Confederate Rose", and everyone agreed it was perfect. Then, using ideas from the Georgia order, they mapped out the purposes and the structure of the organization. One evening late in May, Ellen Daniel and Jane Latture met by chance at the home of Sharon Dasinger, where they wrote up a tentative constitution and by-laws for the organization. In July 1993, the first application and a short history of the order appeared in the "Alabama Confederate" offering charter membership to those whose applications came in by August 1, 1993. As a result, 65 applications were received and a charter signing ceremony was scheduled at Cahaba, the first capital of Alabama, on 16 October 1993, to coincide with the fall muster of the MOSB. Great interest in the order was expressed by women from other states at the 1993 SCV National Convention in Lexington, KY., so the Alabama ladies put up a sign and handed out applications. Now, today this is where the order stands. The next steps in its history are up to the members. Their ideas, support and talents will determine the direction of its future."

The OCR remains dedicated to furthering the cause of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The organization is open to all males and females, ten years of age and older, regardless of ancestry. It is non-racial, non-political, and non-sectarian. The Order of Confederate Rose does not compete with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, or with any other genealogical organization. Their goal is to aid and further the cause of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) and support all endeavors sponsored by the SCV, including but not limited to, the support of honoring Confederate symbols. For more information, visit the OCR’s website.

Although I’m not a big “TV” guy, I am a HUGE fan of the PBS series “The History Detectives.” According to the show’s bio, “History Detectives is devoted to exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects. Traditional investigative techniques, modern technologies, and plenty of legwork are the tools the History Detectives team of experts uses to give new - and sometimes shocking - insights into our national history. The hosts of the program are a high-energy quartet of renowned experts in the world of historical investigations. Their expertise ranges from architecture, popular culture and sociology to archeology, collectibles and genealogy. Now in its fifth season, History Detectives boasts a loyal and devoted audience who contribute more than 75% of the stories investigated.”

We are fortunate enough to get four PBS channels as part of our cable package here in Fredericksburg, VA. This allows me to watch multiple episodes of “The History Detectives” every Sunday morning before we leave for church. Needless to say, THD covers a lot of Civil War-related material and this season promises to have plenty more shows dedicated to artifacts from the War Between the States. Visit their CW page for a complete list of topics. If you have an interest in obscure American history and the mysteries that surround relics belonging to everyday people, I highly recommend that you check out this show. It’s one of those rare gems that make today’s television worth watching.

As an ex-pro baseball writer, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This will be the first time in 7 years that I did not cover the event for Baseball-Almanac. Last year’s All-Star Week was an outstanding experience for me personally and it somehow seemed fitting that the last game that I covered took place in my own hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It allowed me to share the experience with my father and son. In addition to penning the entire histories of the World Series, Year In Review, and Divisional Playoff sections (as well as numerous biographies and essays), I also recapped every Midsummer Classic from 1933-2006. It was truly an honor and a privilege to have been associated with these guys for so many years and I owe a lot of where I am today to the start that Baseball-Almanac gave me. 

Due to some recurring health-related issues, as well as other CW publishing commitments dominating my time, I had to step down at BA midway through the 2006 season. It feels a little weird not having to worry about this year’s contest and I actually look forward to watching the game simply for the enjoyment of it. It didn’t “hit me” until I watched the Home Run Derby last night and realized that I wasn’t taking notes. BA has an outstanding staff of baseball historians and contributors and I’m sure that this year’s recap will be just as good (if not better) than any of mine up to this point. After all, it is a fantastic spectacle.

Through the years, every franchise has had its share of superstar players that stand out above the rest. They are the ones that bring the fans out to the ballpark and only one game brings them all together at once, The All-Star Game. The first Major League All-Star Game was played on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was initiated at the insistence of Arch Ward, a sports editor for the Chicago Tribune, to coincide with the celebration of Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition. For over seventy-three years, the "Midsummer Classic" has remained a fan favorite showcasing the top talent in baseball. All-Star teams were originally selected by the managers and the fans for the 1933 and 1934 games. From 1935 through 1946, managers selected the entire team for each league. From 1947 to 1957, fans chose the team's starters and the manager chose the pitchers and the remaining players. From 1958 through 1969, managers, players, and coaches made the All-Star Team selections. In 1970, the vote again returned to the fans for the selection of the starters for each team and remains there today.

For complete recaps, highlights, and statistics from every Midsummer Classic, visit Baseball-Almanac’s All-Star section and for all things baseball, check out the rest of the website. For links to many of my own articles, visit my Baseball Studies web page over on the Pinstripe Press website.

A few months ago, I posted an entry on how I was able to get my hands on a complete set of the Time-Life Books' "Civil War" series by winning an auction on eBay. Last night I was flipping through the title “Spies, Scouts, and Raiders” when I came upon a faded and folded magazine page that had been left behind. This set is a compilation of used books that are all in extremely good condition and at first I thought that the page was simply a scratch-bookmark. Upon further inspection I saw that it was an article that had been removed from an October 1998 issue of “U.S. News & World Report.” The article was from the magazine’s Science and Ideas section and was titled, “The battle was lost in a zone of silence: Acoustics help explain Civil War blunders.”

According to the piece, which was written by Brendan I. Koerner, members of the A.S.A. (Acoustical Society of America) have specialized in the study of acoustics and the pivotal roles that they have played in major world events. One of the members in particular who was interviewed was a gentleman named Charles Ross, a physics professor at Longwood College in Farmville, VA. Prof. Ross contends that “acoustic shadows” affected at least 11 major engagements during the Civil War including Gettysburg and Chancellorsville.

The A.S.A.’s findings stated that this natural phenomenon, in which sounds become inaudible to those close to the source, directly affected many command decisions, which were often based on reactions to battlefield noise. There were several instances of this cited in the article including The Battle of Five Forks and The Battle of Iuka in Mississippi. However, one event in particular stood out above the rest. This episode apparently took place at The Battle of Seven Pines. According to historians the original battle-plan as devised by then acting commander, General Joseph E. Johnston, head of the Confederate forces, was for the Virginians to attack the Federals at the first sound of gunfire.

Unbeknownst to the rebels (or anyone else in the 19th-century for that matter) was the presence of "acoustical shadows." Apparently the previous night’s severe thunderstorms had led to a weather-condition known as “temperature inversion,” which occurs when the temperature becomes significantly warmer at higher altitudes, but remains cooler near the ground. This creates a dome-like reaction in which sound waves are prevented from moving upward and out. Therefore, all sound is prevented from traveling and the result is an unrecognizable audible that is undetectable in the vicinity of its origin. This impromptu "zone-of-silence" led to a botched attack and subsequent wounding of Johnston, who was replaced by Robert E. Lee, two days later. Prof. Ross added that, “You can say that Robert E. Lee’s command of the Southern armies is directly attributable to an acoustic shadow.”

Like most "weathermen," I don’t always believe what they say, but I do find this theory to be most interesting. If this is indeed a scientific fact, then who knows what other military engagements could have been altered by natural phenomena’s like this. BTW: Did you hear something?

I was planning on “saving” my 300th post for a BIG announcement this week, but I have not yet been able to confirm the information at this time. Patience is a virtue though and I will continue to wait in anticipation of letting you know shortly after I do. You’ll also have to excuse my skiddish typing this evening, as I am still recovering from giving my son his first driving lesson today. (Thank God that we are church-going people.) This is my oldest and he just passed his VA Permit test on Saturday. Therefore this experience is a first for me. Unfortunately, it will not be the last as I have two girls and a fourth child on the way. All that said, the boy did fairly well after he became more comfortable with the controls (especially the brake) and I’m fairly certain that after he receives the state required 40 hours of hands-on-instruction, my days of running errands for the wife are over.

In order to protect the public (and my Jeep), we decided to hold his first lesson over at the local high school. In retrospect, it somehow seemed fitting that the parking lot is directly adjacent to “Stonewall” Jackson’s ambulance route. My son is a junior at Massaponax High and the road that leads directly into his school is also the famous road to Guinea Station. I will say this… if the good general’s ride started out anything like mine his nerves were probably shot way before he arrived at the Chandler family’s out-building that is now referred to as “The Stonewall Jackson Shrine.” Let’s just say that both Jackson and I are religious men and after sitting in the passenger seat with a teenager behind the wheel, I have fully come to share the general’s fervent utilization of the protecting power of prayer.

According to the Southern Historical Society Papers’ “Death of Stonewall Jackson” (Vol. XIV. Richmond, Va., January-December. 1886) as written by Dr. Hunter S. McGuire, Medical Director of Jackson’s Corps, the general’s journey was actually not nearly as nerve-racking as mine, nor as uncomfortable as one might expect. In it, Dr. McGuire recalled:

“A message was received from General Lee the next morning directing me to remove the General to Guinea's station as soon as his condition would justify it, as there was some danger of capture by the Federals, who were threatening to cross at Ely's Ford. In the meantime, to protect the hospital, some troops were sent to this point. The General objected to being moved, if, in my opinion, it would do him any injury. He said he had no objection to staying in a tent, and would prefer it if his wife, when she came, could find lodging in a neighboring house; "and if the enemy does come," he added, "I am not afraid of them; I have always been kind to their wounded, and I am sure they will be kind to me." General Lee sent word again late that evening that he must be moved if possible, and preparations were made to leave the next morning. I was directed to accompany and remain with him, and my duties with the corps as medical director were turned over to the surgeon next in rank. General Jackson had previously declined to permit me to go with him to Guinea's, because complaints had been so frequently made of general officers, when wounded, carrying off with them the surgeons belonging to their commands. When informed of this order of the commanding-general he said," General Lee has always been very kind to me, and I thank him." Very early Tuesday morning he was placed in an ambulance and started for Guinea's station and about 8 o'clock that evening he arrived at the Chandler house, where he remained till he died. Captain Hotchkiss, with a party of engineers, was sent in front to clear the road of wood, stone, etc., and to order the wagons out of the track to let the ambulance pass.”

“The rough teamsters sometimes refused to move their loaded wagons out of the way for an ambulance until told that it contained Jackson, and then, with all possible speed, they gave the way and stood with hats off and weeping as he went by. At Spotsylvania Courthouse and along the whole route men and women rushed to the ambulance, bringing all the poor delicacies they had, and with tearful eyes they blessed him and prayed for his recovery. He bore the journey well, and was cheerful throughout the day. He talked freely about the late battle, and among other things said that he had intended to endeavor to cut the Federals off from United States ford, and taking a position between them and the river, oblige them to attack him; and he added, with a smile: "My men sometimes fail to drive the enemy from a position, but they always fail to drive us away." He spoke of Rodes, and alluded in high terms to his magnificent behavior on the field Saturday evening. He hoped he would be promoted. He thought promotion for gallantry should be made at once, upon the field and not delayed. Made very early, or upon the field, they would be the greatest incentives to gallantry in others. He spoke of Colonel Willis (subsequently killed in battle), who commanded the skirmishers of Rodes's division, and praised him very highly, and referred to the deaths of Paxton and Boswell very feelingly. He alluded to them as officers of great merit and promise. The day was quite warm, and at one time he suffered from slight nausea. At his suggestion, I placed over his stomach a wet towel, and he expressed great relief from it. After he arrived at Chandler's house he ate some bread and tea with evident relish, and slept well throughout the entire night. Wednesday he was thought to be doing remarkably well. He ate heartily for one in his condition, and was uniformly cheerful.”

If (and ONLY IF) you are a licensed driver, I highly recommend touring Jackson’s Ambulance Route, which begins near the site of his wounding next to the Chancellorsville Visitor’s Center, then back down Rt.3 and across Jefferson Davis Highway (Rt.1) towards southern Spotsylvania (in my neck of the woods), past the entrance to Massaponax High School, and finally, through the rolling hills of the Thornburg area to Guinea Station. It’s a great drive (IF you know how to), that provides a greater appreciation for the sheer distance that was required to evacuate Jackson from the field to a more secure resting place. It was quite a journey to say the least. God willing, perhaps one day in the near future, my son will take me for a similar ride - minus the ambulance of course!

As most of you know I live in Fredericksburg Virginia, Southern Spotsylvania County to be exact, which is commonly referred to as “The Crossroads of the Civil War." Despite all of the issues that we have experienced in recent years due to urban sprawl, it is still a beautiful area that is saturated in Civil War history.

Do you like battlefields? We have four of the BIG ones. What about museums, cemeteries, or plantations? We have a bunch of those too. Are you familiar with Massaponax Church, or the Stonewall Jackson Shrine? I get to pass both everyday on my way to work.  And do you like Civil War trails, or roadside markers? We have more of those than STOP signs.

With all of these wonderful and historical places surrounding us, it is very easy to forget the awful hardships and carnage that took place here. I myself have only recently begun to look at my home with a different perspective and I think that it has forced me to appreciate the area even more. You see, when you come here to Central Virginia and tour the hallowed grounds, everything is perfect. The grass is neatly trimmed and the markers are polished. The freshly painted cannons are all lined up neatly and the landmark buildings are restored to their original splendor. Depending on the time of year, there can be rows and rows of flags or luminaries in the cemeteries and you can often find living historians or re-enactor’s walking about.

On a clear day in the winter, you can stand at the top of Maryes Heights at the Fredericksburg Battlefield and see for miles and miles. In the fall, the brightly colored trees that line the walking trails at both Chancellorsville and the Wilderness are breathtaking. Springtime is amazing at Spotsylvania’s field as the flowers begin to bloom across the landscape and don’t forget about Old Town, which remains spotless all through the year. It is a very romantic place to visit to say the least. As a resident, it is like living in a postcard, and I feel very fortunate to be able to raise my family here.

That said, this peaceful and serene “buff’s paradise” makes it far too easy to forget that at the time of the war, specifically as the events that have made this town memorable in the first place transpired, the fields, roads, and downtown areas were absolutely devastated. In fact, it was probably not at all a nice place to be. It must have been both terrifying and nauseating as the horrible sounds and stench of battle permeated the air. Not at all like it is today.

This epiphany came to me not here, but on a recent trip to Manassas. As I stood on Henry House Hill, looking out over the green pastures, I suddenly looked down at my feet and realized that there was a good chance that I was standing in the “shadow” of death. I had a similar feeling the year before, when I had the entire field at Gettysburg (Pickett’s Charge) to myself. Is it even possible to take a step on that field without tramping on the exact spot where someone fell?

Looking around, I found myself reflecting on the piles of rotting men and horses and imagining the millions of flies that must have littered the air. I tried to picture the nightmarish scenes that were witnessed by the townsfolk following the battle. It was a feeling of both awe and eeriness that I experienced and it stuck with me long after I returned to Virginia. Many of you already know this, but it hit me like a brick as I had (apparently) been caught up in the glory of it all.

In other words, touring our battlefields (or ANY battlefield for that matter) means walking among the dead and I now have to consciously remind myself that the beauty that surrounds me is a façade and that the men that fought and died here baptized the soil in their blood. I also try to remember that the local population experienced horrors that I cannot even begin to imagine and that BOTH of these groups’ sufferings must NEVER be forgotten. These are the parts of Civil War memory that must not be taken for granted.

So the next time that you find yourself touring one of these picturesque places, try to remember that although our National Battlefields are BEAUTIFUL, the war that took place on them was UGLY.

The good folks at Historic Winchester Courthouse have posted a photo gallery with a wide-variety of shots taken at this past month's "Gathering of Eagles." As you can tell, the event was a tremendous success and I can't wait for next year's. Note the goofy guy (in the middle of the page) wearing sunglasses and sitting at the book table.

Benjamin Smith, the Managing Editor at Civil War Historian magazine was nice enough to post a very positive entry on the CWH's blog about me. It is truly an honor to be recognized by a publication that is of CWH's caliber, and I look forward to working with Benjamin and his wonderful staff for a long time to come. Thanks Ben, it's great to be on board! I am truly blessed.

Judging by the lack of posts around the blogosphere this week, I’m guessing that everyone is off preparing for the upcoming holiday.

Just in case you stopped by… I want to wish each and every one of you a safe and happy Fourth of July. I have the privilege of celebrating Independence Day this year with my neighbor, a Marine Recon vet who served in the “official” war in Iraq, and his lovely family. I can’t think of anyone that I would rather spend the day with as it is through his sacrifice (and that of his peers) that we are all able to sit around the pool, talking sports and eating BBQ in the safety and security of a free country. So as we reflect on the anniversary of our country’s independence, let us also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice that it took (and still takes) to maintain it. God truly blessed the U.S.A. and we are all very fortunate to live here.

I also wanted to post my Fort Macon recap that I promised last week:

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of touring historic Fort Macon (North Carolina) with my father. This was my first trip to a Civil War beach-stronghold and it was truly a memorable experience. I was extremely impressed with Macon’s exterior fortifications, which had been constructed with over 9.3 million bricks, and it really helped to have someone along with a background in construction to aid in the appreciation of the fort’s craftsmanship. It was the little details that really got me, and the masonry skills that are showcased at Fort Macon are just as noteworthy as the artillery and service exhibits. Bob Vila (whose birthday we celebrated on the same trip) would certainly be proud.

Below are some photographs that we took of the park, along with a brief background on Fort Macon as quoted from the North Carolina Parks Service:

“Construction of the present fort began in 1826. Named after state senator Nathaniel Macon, who procured the funds to build the facility, the fort was garrisoned in 1834. In the 1840s, a system of erosion control was initially engineered by Robert E. Lee, who later became general of the Confederate Army. At the beginning of the Civil War, North Carolina seized the fort from Union forces. The fort was later attacked in 1862, and it fell back into Union hands. For the duration of the war, the fort was a coaling station for navy ships.

Fort Macon was a federal prison from 1867 to 1876, garrisoned during the Spanish-American War and closed in 1903. Congress offered the sale of the fort in 1923, and the state purchased the land, making it the second state park. Restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1934-35, the fort was garrisoned for the last time during World War II.

Fort Macon was designed by Brig. Gen. Simon Bernard and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It was named after North Carolina's eminent statesman of the period, Nathaniel Macon. Construction began in 1826 and lasted eight years. The fort was completed in December 1834, and it was improved with further modification during 1841-46. The total cost of the fort was $463,790. As a result of congressional economizing, the fort was actively garrisoned only during the years of 1834-36, 1842-44 and 1848-49. Often, an ordnance sergeant acting as a caretaker was the only person stationed at the fort.

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, and only two days elapsed before local North Carolina militia forces from Beaufort arrived to seize the fort for the state of North Carolina and the Confederacy. North Carolina Confederate forces occupied the fort for a year, preparing it for battle and arming it with 54 heavy cannons.

Early in 1862, Union forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside swept through eastern North Carolina, and part of Burnside's command under Brig. Gen. John G. Parke was sent to capture Fort Macon. Parke's men captured Morehead City and Beaufort without resistance, then landed on Bogue Banks during March and April to fight to gain Fort Macon. Col. Moses J. White and 400 North Carolina Confederates in the fort refused to surrender even though the fort was hopelessly surrounded. On April 25, 1862, Parke's Union forces bombarded the fort with heavy siege guns for 11 hours, aided by the fire of four Union gunboats in the ocean offshore and floating batteries in the sound to the east.

While the fort easily repulsed the Union gunboat attack, the Union land batteries, utilizing new rifled cannons, hit the fort 560 times. There was such extensive damage that Col. White was forced to surrender the following morning, April 26, with the fort's Confederate garrison being paroled as prisoners of war. This battle was the second time in history that new rifled cannons were used against a fort, demonstrating the obsolescence of such fortifications as a way of defense. The Union held Fort Macon for the remainder of the war, while Beaufort Harbor served as an important coaling and repair station for its navy.”

The day after our tour, my father, son, and I spent a wonderful day fishing off the coast of Fort Macon (about 8 miles out), aboard “The Highlander”, which is a beautiful center-console boat piloted by a local fishing guide named Ron McPherson. Captain Ron was a great guy and he took the three of us out to one of the many shipwrecks that rest (40+ feet down) off the Carolina coast.

These sunken vessels attract all kinds of aquatic life and we caught close to 60 fish in a little under 5 hours! Capt. Ron had rigged dual hooked-lines and we were literally pulling in two at a time. I’m pretty sure that my son got spoiled, as I cannot imagine how any future fishing trips here in Virginia could compare.

Some of the larger fish that we caught were called “triggerfish” and my father took a nice big bag of cleaned filets home with him back to Pennsylvania. My teenage son bragged repeatedly that he had reeled in the most fish, BUT I prefer to focus on the quality - as opposed to the quantity. Clearly, I had caught the largest and have the photo to prove it. (BTW: I want to post a very special thank you to my father Thomas Aubrecht and Captain Ron McPherson.)

Another thrill during our charter trip was the rare opportunity that I had to photograph the fort’s coastline from afar, just as it would have appeared to an oncoming ocean-going vessel. I was very glad that I had visited the stronghold on the day before, as I had a definite appreciation for the guns that guarded this area of Carolina’s waters. Nothing could have passed in front of Fort Macon without being detected, and this may have been one of the last sites ever viewed by an unfortunate “target.” That said, our position off the coast in turn, showed just how close the fort was to the waterline, and that a heavily armed ship could have just as easily pounded the fort’s interior – which is exactly what happened in April of 1862. It was neat to see BOTH perspectives.

For those of you who have never visited Fort Macon, I recommend the trip highly. And for my fellow anglers out there, contact Highlander Charters Inc. for a day of fishing that you will never forget. Call Captain Ron McPherson at 252-726-2762 and tell him I sent you.

Have a great holiday.
BTW: I may have a BIG announcement coming up later this week.

Those of you who are frequent visitors may notice that the control panel on my blog is considerably shorter than usual. Due to some technical difficulties, I had to consolidate the links in order for the page to load properly. It appears that my ISP has upgraded their blog entry program, which runs a tad slower and is a bit more complicated. I liken it to giving a nailgun to an Amish carpenter. However, it will give me more options (note the larger text). To those fellow bloggers and webmasters that have had their links removed, I apologize. I made sure to leave the CWi Blog Links and Web Links Page that have ALL of your links posted. Thanks for understanding.