My friend and associate Chris Williams has a great article running in the Free Lance-Star Town & County today. Chris has been contributing stories all throughout Black History Month and this one presents the African impact on the building of America's economy. (Please disregard the 'double post' of this topic below. It appears to have attached itself to an earlier entry on vandalism. My blog browser crashed while I was submitting my post and I can't seem to delete it). READ HERE

I have spent the last few nights pouring through the 1000-page PDF of our local National Park Service's Bound Volumes catalog. I identified over 140 primary sources for my upcoming book on Confederate encampments in Spotsylvania County. These include orders, letters, diary entries and even camp servant papers. It looks to be a great collection of materials that will make this chronicle a worthy collection of transcripts. I'll be spending many an afternoon up at Chatham with the copying machine. I'd better bring my own packs of paper as the NPS is surely feeling the economic strain too. I love research and this project is going to be a fun one for sure.

Michelle Obama released her first official portrait today.

The photo was taken by White House photographer Joyce N. Boghosian. According to the write-up, Mrs. Obama had input as to the setting.

Please note which 'view' she selected, or more importantly, which president is hanging on the wall in the background.

See this portrait's bio on the White House Historical Association's web site.

Well done First Lady!

Perhaps she would be interested in The Jefferson Project too?

My friend and associate Chris Williams has a great article running in the Free Lance-Star Town & County today. Chris has been contributing stories all throughout Black History Month and this one presents the African impact on the building of America's economy. READ HERE

Although it is certainly not at the level of vandalism that was cast upon the Peace Light Monument in Gettysburg, the slave auction block here in downtown Fredericksburg has been purposely damaged for a second time. Back in 2005 someone smashed off 13 fragments with a hammer requiring a $3500+ restoration. Last night, another yahoo decided to follow suite and broke off 2 large pieces.

Ironically a photo of the often overlooked memorial appeared in The Free Lance-Star yesterday with an article on Black History Month tours. My associate Chris Williams and I were researching photos of the block online to compliment an article he has coming up in the Town & County.

This REALLY infuriates me as it is most likely one (or more) teenage hooligans who have absolutely no idea what the item symbolizes of how important it is to preserving the history of the city. Unlike the first attack, this one has received no press other than a mention on local news radio. Perhaps they are trying to avoid giving the perpetrators the media attention that they most likely crave.

Personally, I’d like to find the culprits and make them stand on the block in their underwear for a day. It’s still pretty cold here in central VA and if they didn't die of exposure, the embarrasment might get them.

What I find even more startling is the rampant vandalism that takes place on memorials. A simple ‘Google Search’ for “vandalized memorials” brings up page after page of international incidents including malicious damage to the New Haven Iraq Veterans Memorial, San Fran Holocaust Memorial, Croatia WW2 Memorial, Ontario Firefighters Memorial, Israeli Navy Memorial, Lincoln Brigade Memorial, 114th PA Monument and on and on…

What a sad commentary on our society.

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Last summer I introduced readers to a remarkable young man named Richard Warren from Virginia. Richard was a 9-year old Civil War enthusiast who was so touched by the story of Sgt. Richard Kirkland that he portrayed the “Angel of Marye’s Heights” as part of a living-history timeline. His presentation was so well received that Richard continues to expand and perform it today. The Warren family is coming to Fredericksburg this spring and we will be spending the weekend touring our local sites including the Stonewall Jackson Shrine, Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg's historic churches, and of course the Kirkland Monument. Last month I was contacted by a film director from Georgia who is preparing to film a documentary on Sgt. Kirkland. I have been providing the producers with source material and agreed to do an on camera interview to appear in the piece. This morning I put the movie's director Clint Ross in touch with the Warren family as what better way to illustrate the impact of history than by showing how it influences and affects our youth today. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project.

One of the biggest ‘hot-button topics’ circulating around the CW blogosphere lately has been the overlooked legacies of southern Unionists and/or disgruntled Secessionists. This subject remains relatively new in the annals of Civil War publishing and few historians (that I’m aware of) have deeply examined the cross-dynamic between those citizens who supported the Confederacy’s cause and their neighbors who didn’t. Even more forgotten is the stories of secession supporters in the North, loyalists to ‘the enemy’ so to speak.

Fortunately people like Robert H. Moore II have begun to do a considerable amount of research into these far too neglected topics. I found myself startled by the rampant political, spiritual, and social discontent of Fredericksburg’s citizens when researching primary sources for my book on the town’s historic churches and I am interested in the experiences of these ‘individualists’ in the post war era. The guts it took to go against popular opinion is a noble trait indeed no matter what side of the war you line up on. (Although I find myself siding with Virginia in most cases, I admire the courage of the southern Unionist. In a way they remind me of the early Christians who were an unwavering minority.)

While going through some files provided to me by my friends at the local NPS, I came upon this letter that clearly illustrates the experience of the southern Unionist and the level of discontent they had with their own state’s fight:

DESCRIPTION: Letter of Anna M. Armstrong to her sister, probably Hannah, May 23, 1864. Anna was the daughter of Benjamin and Ann Armstrong, residents at “Beechwood,” the Armstrong home (still standing) on Gordon Road. The house served as Ulysses S. Grant’s headquarters for several from May 12-14, 1864, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Anna and all her family were born in Delaware and were avowed Unionists, as this letter makes clear.

From the Delaware Republican, June 2, 1864
Life in Virginia

The following letter from a young Delaware girl residing near Fredericksburg, VA., dated Beechwood, May 23d, 1864, shows that the hardships to which the people of that section have been subjected.

Dear Sister—Once more I take my pen in hand to let you know we are well and still staying here, but that is all. You don’t know how lonesome we are since the U.S. Soldiers left. On Thursday night we went to bed completely worn out, and slept very soundly. On Friday morning when we got up the pickets were gone. We had just got some breakfast when we saw some of the rebels, they came on and one of them shot our dog; mother begged him not to do so, but it was no use. The rebel cavalry came soon after and Ewell’s Corps of infantry arrived in the evening and went on about half a mile, where they had a severe fight. They owned they got a complete whipping. They brought about 80 wounded back to our barn—the last one of whom got away to-day, much to our relief. On Friday there was a skirmish line thrown on around our house, and it was really laughable to see the graybacks walking up and throwing down their guns. They say they are starving and will not fight. They were trying to cut off a wagon-train, but thank God they did not succeed. If our house had been directly in range you would have seen us before now. They have got the cars running from the creek to Fredericksburg I heard to-day, and I hope you will come home soon, if you think you can be satisfied. Send us word before you come, and we will try to send for you. I tell you it is hard doing without a horse. I hope father got home safe. He just got away from here in time. They came and took the nurses from the hospital in about half an hour after he left. Mother begged them to leave them to take care of their own men, but they would not. You dont know what people they are; I wish the U.S. soldiers would let the rebel wounded stay on the battle field, they deserve nothing better. I could see every one of them shot before my eyes. There were six buried in our lot. I wish Gen. Lee and all his men were in the same condition. There was one buried this morning; I expect if you were here you would be afraid to go to the wagon house after hearing them groan so. I believe one can get used to anything. Our yard is almost covered with blood; you cannot pick up a piece of wood that is not completely wet with human gore. Do not faint or be afraid to come home when you read this letter. The little pig-pen is almost full of guns, so you can see if they hunt us we can shoot them. I must tell you what we have to pay for things here, flour is selling in town for $800 a barrel, bacon from $8 to $10 a pound, coffee $16, sugar $12, rice $1, and not much at these prices; calicoes $12 per yard. I do not know what muslin is now; I gave 50 cents for one pair of shoestrings; I will send you a sample of some dresses we got last summer and gave $8 a yard for them, and got them very cheap. I have got one home spun dress; it was a long time before I would wear it, but I had to come to it. I am afraid we will see no more of the U.S. boys; I wish they would camp on our place until the war is over, which it will soon be. The soldiers are getting dissatisfied and discouraged. I expect to hear of Richmond being taken soon.

A.M.A.

Sure sounds like it...

QUOTE: Now, two months after [Doug] Wilder's mayoral term ended, no Fredericksburg official has seen or heard from him. Councilman Turner's attempts to reach him for information have been unsuccessful. Former Fredericksburg Mayor Lawrence Davies is uncertain whether he remains on the museum board. And every indication suggests that the museum's small staff--including Executive Director Vonita Foster--is gone.

The last certain sighting of Foster at the museum offices in the Uptown section of Central Park was in November. People who work near the museum's leased space on the second floor of 1320 Central Park Boulevard--doors labeled 244, 250 and 251--say they've seen no one in December, January or this month. The museum never had much staff beyond Foster and one assistant.

The Free Lance-Star has found no one during repeated visits to the office. The paper has left voice-mail messages for Foster at the museum offices and on her home number, and has sent e-mails to her museum account and a personal account but has never received any response. Read Article

RECENT SLAVERY MUSEUM CHRONOLOGY BY THE NUMBERS (The Free Lance-Star, Feb. 21, 2009)

OCTOBER 8, 2001: Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder announces Fredericksburg as the site for his U.S. National Slavery Museum. It is to be built on 38.165 acres donated by the Silver Cos. and located within the Celebrate Virginia tourism development.

NOVEMBER 15, 2007: $2,022.75 of the $20,227.45 tax bill has been paid.

DECEMBER 2007: Museum starts automatic bill payment in which funds are automatically withdrawn from a bank account each month to cover taxes.

FEBRUARY 2008: November tax bill, penalty and interest are paid off.

MAY 12, 2008: Tax bill due May 15 is paid ($21,372.40) along with an extra $3.85. Last automatic bill payment is received.

MAY 16, 2008: Executive Director Vonita Foster sends city a request to extend deadline to begin construction by one year. Council had set an Aug. 1, 2008, deadline in 2005 as a condition of approving a special-use permit to allow the museum's height to exceed what zoning normally allows.

JUNE 4, 2008: Foster writes letter to city asking for exemption from real-estate taxes retroactive to 2002. Foster writes that the museum hopes to start construction within a year if exemption is granted.

JUNE 10, 2008: Wilder appears before City Council to plead for the tax exemption. He says "all we need to build is money" and gives no date for the start of construction.

JUNE 24, 2008: City Council votes 6-1 (with Councilman Hashmel Turner dissenting) to deny the tax exemption.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2008: City Council approves museum's request to extend by one year deadline to begin construction. New deadline is Aug. 1, 2009.

NOVEMBER 15, 2008: Real- estate tax bill of $21,368.55 goes unpaid. Penalty and interest begin accruing. Two-year clock to pay or face sale of property begins.

NOVEMBER 2008: Last certain sighting of Foster at museum offices in Central Park.

FEBRUARY 2009: $24,093.02 in back taxes, penalty and interest are due to city.

MAY 15, 2009: Tax bill of $21,372.40 due.

Here is a link to my upcoming talk at Manassas Museum on historic churches during the Civil War. I'll be giving a 40 min-1 hour lecture, followed by a book signing.

I will also be lecturing on Rev. J. William Jones DD's "Christ in the Camp" at Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church on March 11th at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall.