Howdy folks. I will be busy all week preparing The Southern Cross files for delivery to the publisher and printer. Please excuse the lack of posts. Be back next week (if not sooner). Update: 1/17. Finished files are now at the proofer en route to the printer. Announcements, samples, and promo links coming soon. TSC will be available in March/April. Stay tuned for details.

HAVE A HAPPY LEE-JACKSON DAY (my favorite VA holiday)!

"I, therefore, can anticipate for you many years of happiness and prosperity, and in my daily prayers to the God of mercy and truth I invoke His choicest blessings upon you." - Excerpt from a Letter from Robert E. Lee to his son dated 1867

I have received so many emails from well-wishers wanting to see a photo of Jackson, that I had no choice but to comply. Behold the littlest general :)

It is with tremendous gratitude that I announce the wonderful folks at Patriot Press have agreed to publish my Civil War Devotional “The Southern Cross.”

This 200-page manuscript has been circulating between secular and Christian publishers for the last 6 months and I could not have asked for a better group to represent the title. Patriot Press is dedicated to publishing high-quality history books with a strong moral and spiritual message. They are a perfect fit for a book that highlights 50, Christian-based CW stories. (PP also carries author Jessica James who penned the critically acclaimed "Shades of Gray.")

‘The Southern Cross’ is a labor of love and contains 40 vignettes, 10 encouraging essays, 5 period-sermons, 50 photos, and a verse index. As with most works in this genre, each chapter covers a specific virtue of the Christian soldier: Courage, Duty, Faith, Honor, and Mercy, and each segment contains: a period photo, topical verse of scripture, an associated quote, and an inspirational story of faith under fire. Our good friend, historian and author Richard Williams Jr. wrote the book’s Foreword. Although the selections tend to focus on the Confederacy, there are some stories from the Union side depicting Christian fortitude and compassion.

Plans are already in the works to produce 40 radio spots on our local Gospel/Bluegrass station here in Fredericksburg (a reading for each devotion) and my friends at the newspapers and magazines that I write for are also interested in helping to promote this title. I’ll have plenty of details to come in regards to this title’s release and availability, as well as my new relationship with Patriot Press. The goal is to have the title available in time for my speaking engagements this spring.

Praise the Lord! In Him all things are possible.

[Tip of the hat to the good folks over at Civil War Historian magazine’s message board.]

You may be interested to know that every issue of The Richmond Daily Dispatch published from 1860 - 1865 is now posted online thanks to the Richmond Institute of Museum and Library Services. They have also included two additional fully searchable texts to the collection: Richmond at War, and Henrico Home Front. These collections contain the Richmond city council minutes and the Henrico County court records from the Civil War period. There is an excellent essay posted on Confederate Richmond by Dr. Robert C. Kenzer too. Visit the Richmond Daily Dispatch.

Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia
By Jessica James

Reviewed for the Pinstripe Press by Michael Aubrecht

The American Civil War was among the darkest of times in our nation’s history, a period in which both civilians and soldiers suffered greatly amidst the tragic circumstances that surrounded them on behalf of their respective causes. In addition to separating the country’s northern and southern states, this ‘Great Divide’ also cut through the fragile fabric of family and friends. As the threat of armed conflict became inevitable, loyalties among the country’s citizens became blurred and one’s sense of duty to the state often overshadowed the duty to the country.

Ultimately the War Between the States was a catastrophe of epic proportions, yet it is within this tragedy that we can sometimes find triumph. For every battlefield account depicting the worst of man, there are countless other stories that illustrate care and compassion. For every instance of hatred between the combatants, there are also stories of love. This is the basis for author Jessica James’ debut release titled “Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia.”

More than a typical romance novel, “Shades of Gray” takes the reader on a whirlwind journey across the Old Dominion with a highly original and historically accurate plotline. It is presented with a wonderful narrative that echoes the classic writing styles of days gone by, and it is through the author’s meticulous attention to detail that the book’s characters come alive. Depictions of their tenacity, both for and against one another’s causes, seem to spring from the pages and I found myself reading much faster than usual, as the forward momentum of the storyline was maintained throughout.

Our hero, a cavalier named Captain Alexander Hunter, represents the Confederate cause. He is a feared and revered trooper who is bent on stopping an equally courageous Federal scout who has repeatedly plagued the rebel army. This Yankee however, is really not at all what ‘he’ appears to be, and through a strange twist of fate, we are introduced to Andrea Evans, a daring, female Union Spy, who plays the part of a soldier and a Southern belle. Both characters become entangled in each other’s lives, forcing a duality of conflict that exists between their personal emotions and military obligations. The ‘conscience’ of this book includes examples of courage, pride, loyalty and revenge, amidst a backdrop of romance and retribution.

It is this tension between the book’s two main characters that echoes the very same sentiment that supporters on both sides of the Civil War struggled with, from the first shot at Fort Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox Court House. And it is within the history of America’s greatest conflict that we are also caught up in a love story that transcends either side’s political perspective.

In an email interview with me, Jessica James explained what inspired her to pen the book. “I am enthralled by the soldiers' deep devotion to Christian principles and their abiding belief in everlasting life,” she said. “I have been reading Civil War nonfiction and 19th century fiction almost exclusively for the past three years. When I began to subscribe to romance and fiction magazines to keep abreast of industry trends, I discovered how revolting the romance genre now is.” She added, “I felt the need to publish something that emphasized traditional American values. Publisher, Patriot Press, sets high standards to insure good, wholesome content that is both educational and inspirational.”

Both Patriot Press and Jessica James have certainly met their goals with “Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia.” The book is a wonderful read, as well as a moving commentary on the struggles that were faced by ordinary people, who rose to the occasion and became extraordinary. It is through the teetering lives of Captain Hunter and Ms. Andrea Evans that we can find the common ground that existed between the North and South.

For more information on this exciting new title please visit: Patriot Press. 

Last week I was invited to join a new Yahoo Group dedicated to the storied legacy of the 20th Massachusetts Regiment. As this bunch is made up of a wonderful gathering of knowledgeable and enthusiastic historians, authors, photographers and researchers, I jumped at the opportunity to participate, although obviously my ‘expertise’ is in anything but ‘Union’ subjects. The conversations that are taking place via the email messaging function is exceptional and I hope to contribute something intelligent myself once I have some free time to do so. Right now I am simply observing.

One of the many emails circulating amongst the group deals with a General Order in which U.S. Grant mandated a relocation and boycott on conducting business with any members of the Jewish community. On December 17th in 1862, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant issued an order during the Civil War expelling Jews from a large region occupied by the Union Army. At the time, Grant commanded the military's administrative department of Tennessee, comprised of the states of Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. Having assumed charge of trading licenses, Grant accused the region's Jewish community of illegally trading in black-market cotton. Here is the order that was referenced:

1. The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the Department [of the Tennessee] within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.

2. Post commanders will see to it that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters.

3. No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application of trade permits.

I must say that I was taken aback and was not at all familiar with this event. I find it shocking that any commander (on either side) would have openly persecuted any religion by name in a formal document. Perhaps I am just naïve and I would appreciate any facts on this subject that anyone can provide.

As shocked as I am at the notion that U.S. Grant was possibly anti-Semitic, others may be just as surprised to know that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was the exact opposite. In fact, JD was the first president to incorporate men of all faiths into his cabinet. Davis’ most trusted and longtime advisor Judah P. Benjamin was his first Attorney General, second Secretary of War, and third Secretary of State. He was the first Jewish cabinet member in a North American government, the first Jewish nominee to the Supreme Court, as well as the second Jewish U.S. Senator. I cover this subject of Davis’ ‘faith-blindness’ in my upcoming devotional “The Southern Cross.” I would like to share a little of that here and who knows, I may even email it to the group:

PROTESTANT PRESIDENT

Jefferson Davis was an American statesman who was appointed as the President of the Confederate States of America, for its entire history (1861 to 1865) during the American Civil War. A man of humble origins, he began his formal education at a small, one-room, log cabin school in the back woods of Mississippi. Two years later, his family moved and he entered the Catholic school of Saint Thomas at St. Rose Priory, which was operated by the Dominican Order of Kentucky. At the time, Davis was the only Protestant student in the entire institution, but his own acceptance, as well as an introduction to a different denomination, made a lasting impression on the Episcopalian. Later, as a West Point graduate, Davis prided himself on the military skills he had gained in the Mexican-American War as a colonel in a volunteer regiment and as U.S. Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. After rising to the highest chair in the newly established Confederate government, Davis made a concerted effort to bridge the spiritual and social gaps between citizens of different faiths. During the 19th Century, Catholics and Jews were often held in contempt and discriminated against by the country’s Protestant majority. President Davis did not share this sentiment and following his appointment to power, he set a precedent when he assembled the first administration in American history that included Protestants, Catholics and Jews. This courageous decision went against all previous political practices and ultimately sent shockwaves through all of the county’s governing bodies, as not even his contemporary, Abraham Lincoln, had appointed anyone other than Protestants to a high office. In his article Jefferson Davis, Religion and the Politics of Recognition, D. Jason Berggren stated that, “Davis practiced the politics of recognition by appointing individuals identified with persecuted religious minorities. In this regard, contrary to conventional wisdom, Jefferson Davis was a remarkable president, a president ahead of his time.”

Excerpts taken from The Southern Cross by Michael Aubrecht.

I discuss this subject in more detail as part of my "Faith Under Fire: Discipleship During the Civil War" presentation. Read transcripts here.

Today I had an opportunity to finally catch up with my Internet To-Do List, which included updating my website and adding links to some recent publications. Here are some of the most recent postings for your reading pleasure:

“Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story” DVD Review for the Free Lance-Star

“The Top-10 Confederate Generals” Feature for the Jan/Feb issue of Civil War Historian

In addition, I (like many of you) received a petition from the Gettysburg Foundation today. As a ‘Founder,’ members can donate to support the new Visitor’s Center and its precious contents including my favorite, the newly restored Cyclorama. In exchange, we will be honored by name at the museum’s opening and receive a special monogrammed gift. I have been a big supporter of this organization vocally and now I am honored to be a ‘Founder,’ not because of any mention or a gift, but because it’s the right thing to do for a wonderful cause. I only wish that we had a Fredericksburg Foundation here.

I was sad to read over on Richard Williams and Michael Hardy’s blogs about the untimely passing of Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr. who was THE authority on Confederate banners. Mr. Cannon authored the book “The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History” and maintained the website of the same name. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cannon family.

As noted in my FLS article Col. Keith Gibson, director of museum programs at Virginia Military Institute, will give a presentation on Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson on Friday, Jan. 11, as part of the free Spotsylvania Historical Lecture Series. His presentation on "Jackson Before The War" will be at 7 p.m. in the Spotsylvania Middle School Auditorium. Maybe I’ll see you there.

I read an article recently from a back issue of Civil War Times Illustrated in which a reviewer of an interactive Gettysburg Guidebook confessed that she had lived 40 miles from the battlefield for most of her life and had never – ever visited there. I found this to be strange, although I have lived in Fredericksburg for 15 years now and have never visited Washington DC. This of course is a shameful act on my part. After all, I know what historical sites are there, yet I am the only member of my family (minus Jackson of course) never to visit our nation’s capitol. That said, it bothers me even more when there is something of historical significance nearby that I was not aware of.

Yesterday, John Hennessy re-introduced me to a weather-beaten, but still gorgeous Civil War estate that I have driven past everyday for over 10 years and never knew was there. This revelation came as we were discussing my Lee’s Hill talk. John suggested that I include a neglected estate called “Hilton.” It is a beautiful-but-obscured house that sits behind a very trashy-looking roadside flea market on Route 1 just south of the new shopping area at ‘Cosner’s Corner’ (where my oldest son works).

This was an Alsop Family house, and Lizzie Alsop wrote about spending the Christmas of 1862 there in her diary. Most people have no idea it's there, though they drive by it all the time. Now that I do, I plan on driving up there and photographing the property with hopes of including it in my “Backyard History” talk. Who knows, maybe it will lead to a future piece for the Free Lance-Star?

As bad as that sounded, I just found out today that there was a Civil War museum just a few miles from my parent’s home in Green Tree (Pittsburgh, PA). This is where I was raised and lived for 22 years of my life. I was just there last week. Apparently, this wonderful little treasure trove of artifacts sits just over the hill at the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library. I discovered this while Googling  today and I cannot wait to mention it to the folks back in the ‘Burg. (You would think that somebody would have told me.) The museum looks to have a fine collection and their website has a nice bit of info on the history of the place. Visit the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library.

Over the last year or so, I have been very blessed to form a relationship with the SCV’s Chaplain Corps. This is due to the fact that the majority of my work focuses on the positive role of religion in the Civil War. These men of God have dedicated themselves to not only preserving and presenting the history of their ancestors, but also spreading the Gospel.

Every month I receive their newsletter titled the “Chaplains’ Corps Chronicles of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.” Each issue includes wonderful stories, sermons, and insights that deal with the subject of Christianity during the War Between the States. The publication’s editor, a fine southern gentleman named H. Rondel Rumburg, included excerpts from some letters in the January 2008 edition that seem appropriate for a new year:

Confederate Chaplains were very aware that time was a gift of God and it was of a limited quantity. A good example of this is found in the diary of Chaplain William Edward Wiatt of the 26th Virginia Infantry. He chronicled it this way:

Thursday, December 31st, 1863, Visited &c. received a letter (61st) from my beloved wife, in which she said that she had a hemorrhage; my heart is made sad by this information; Oh! that God may give her and myself faith in Himself and resignation to His Divine will; Brother Geo. F. Bagby came to our Regiment today; he and I attended a prayer meeting in Captain Owen’s Company; both of us made exhortations; this is the last day of the year; how much goodness has God exhibited towards me and towards our Regiment during the year; how deep and lasting the obligations under which we are placed to love and serve Him; how little have I done for His cause; how ungrateful have I been in the midst of His manifold mission; how unworthy of the least of His favors; Oh! Lord, forgive my sins and help me to love Thee more and to serve Thee better.

Clearly in his reflections, his relationship to God in time was on his mind, along with his wife’s illness.  Thus he tells how he marked the last day of 1863.  Wiatt realized his blessings and acknowledged them to the Lord; he accepted responsibility for not living up to the standard due unto the Lord and desired forgiveness.  Then consider what he said about the first day of the New Year:

Friday, January 1st, 1864, This day begins a new year; may I begin with it to serve God afresh; Oh Lord help me and all who profess thy name to love Thee more than ever, to live nearer to Thee than ever, and to do more for Thy Cause than ever this year; may Thy Gospel have free course now and be glorified more than ever this year; may this be the year when our independence shall be wrought out and peace established if it be God’s holy will; Brother Bagby and myself went to Charleston this morning; we called on Brother Winkler, who treated us very kindly; I got 25 Confederate Hymnals, a bundle of Tracts and 20 Testaments; (I gave $5 of the Regimental fund for the Testaments); returned in evening; attended a prayer meeting in Captain Spencer’s Company; tent full and meeting quite interesting; several of us made exhortations.

Chaplain Wiatt understood that every day was, and still is, a gift. He also understood the task that lay before him. My resolution is to follow the good chaplain’s calling and embrace more opportunities in 2008 to share the Good News of the Gospel, while also finding a way to balance both my secular and Christian work as one will inevitably feed the other. More readers = more believers. This will come through my new devotional book, Christian radio spots, and who knows what else.  It's going to be a great year!

I also pledge to strengthen my family's walk with Christ. My wife and I have just signed up for a special course at our church for married couples. In our 21-years together this will be the first time that we ever participated in the same Bible study group. I'm anxious to see what happens. 

Source: Wiatt letter excerpts taken from the January 2008 issue of the Chaplains’ Corps Chronicles of the Sons of Confederate Veterans

Today I started to get serious about gathering information for the ‘Backyard History’ lecture that I’ll be giving at a private affair for the Lee’s Hill '55 Club in March. My plan was to develop a one-time, custom presentation that specifically dealt with historical events from the Civil War that transpired within the Lee’s Hill community, as well as the surrounding area. Each section was to be complemented by satellite imagery and VA Roadside Marker photographs. It sounded like a great idea, but I was a little unsure about pulling it off. Luckily I have some great friends and associates in my network who always come through for me.

Thanks to Mark Jones, I am now able to generate hi-quality sat-maps using FLASH EARTH, and thanks to our good friend and NPS guru John Hennessy, I now have an expanded list and reference material for some forgotten ‘gems’ that are sure to make this talk extra-special. 

I also had to provide some bio updates and advertising copy for my historical churches of Fredericksburg talk/reception/signing that I’ll be doing at Spotsy Presbyterian in April. I must say that as I just begin to prepare for these talks I find myself getting more and more excited. I have a feeling that 2008 is going to be a great year of new friends, and new opportunities. As usual I will post copies of my presentation slides and transcripts over on my website after they transpire.