first visit dy Angle on end in 1998 spent the h he beach at on the way York, we di of the bat ericksburg.
The trip from the Outer Banks home was a twelve-hour drive, so we really only had time for a windshield tour of the battlefields. However, a name like “the Bloody Angle” sounded cool to Steph, and she pleaded for a chance to stop and look around. To her surprise, it was beautiful and peaceful. “Where’s all the blood?” she asked. There was plenty of blood ther I assured her. We just couldn’t s it because it was in the ground. Since that first visit, I’ve r turned to the Bloody Angle hundreds of times, first as a touris then as a historian and battlefie guide, and later as a writer. Now it’s practically in my backyard, and I visit often, sometimes for exercise, sometimes for contemplation and reflection. Because I now live so close, I make it a point to visit the Bloo Angle every year on its May 12 anniversary. On years when it’s rained, I’ve gotten a particular
thrill. While such weather scares off most people, it was historica ly accurate for the day, so it al ways makes me feel just a little
bit closer to the men who were there at the time. This year, the skies could not have been more blue. I walked the field with my youngest son, Maxwell, who, like his sister on her first visit, is four. The bat field is a place to keep an eye o for deer who might be peeking out of the high grass. It’s place to study the scurrying ants, busy around their anthills in the midd of the hiking paths. It’s a place wonder if there are snakes coiled in the grass next to the trail, r to spring out or to slither away. He asks about the blue army and the gray army. He asks where all the fighting was. There was plenty of blood here I tell him. We just can’t see it. – Chris Mackowski, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Kay Bierle assisted with two tours and a book signing in New Market for the battle anniversary on May 15. She says she’s readjusting to in-person events again, but is thrilled to see his enthusiasts on the battlefield an not via a Zoom screen.
Stephen Davis’ essay, “Bonnie Blue Flop: G.T. Beauregard and Confederate Strategy in the Autumn of 1864,” has just been published in Crossfire, the journ of the American Civil War Round Table of the United Kingdom. Steve was flown across the pond a few years ago to give a couple of talks on the Atlanta Campaign at the group’s annual meeting near London. In his Editor’s Report for this issue, Greg Bayne refers to our author as “Stephen ‘Y’all’ Davis.” Quite a nickname, Steve! David Dixon just returned from Sequoia where he reunited with the General Sherman tree, the subject of a future post. He had seven Zoom talks this month but is happy to be resuming in-person appearances beginning in September. Bert Dunkerly and Doug Crenshaw visited Manassas battlefield and enjoyed hiking. “We also found the site of Wilmer McLean’s house (you know, the guy who moved to Appomattox
to get away from the war),” Bert added. Bert is working on a post about Cold Harbor for an upcoming ECW book project, as well as a series of posts on Antietam (thanks, Kevin Pawlak!). He’s also looking forward to warmer weather and hiking more of the Appalachian Trail this summer. Dwight Hughes reports that writing has pretty much come to a halt in such a beautiful spring with yard and garden that need tending, new perennials and annuals getting planted. “Azaleas and rhododendrons are blooming like never before. Not sure if it is the cool weather or just tha I finally got around to fertilizin them. But when the heat hits, I get motivated to stay behind the keyboard.” He is heading down to the Hampton Roads CWRT for the first in-person presentation i over a year. Dwight has been accepted to speak at the U.S. Naval Academy McMullen Naval Histor Symposium in Annapolis, September 23-24, on “The Sailor and The Soldier at Vicksburg: Grant, Porter and Unprecedented Joint Operations” based on his essay in the upcoming The Summer of ‘63: Vicksburg and Tullahoma. On May 17, Chris Mackowski joined historian Vanessa Smiley and Taylor Bishop of the
American Battle Field Trust’s Youth Leadership Team for ABT’s annual “Fantasy Draft.” Kris White and Connor Townsend served as the masters of ceremony for the event, which was broadcast live on the Trust’s Facebook
from college this month (huzzah!), and Chris took his youngest son, Maxwell, to his first bas ball game (go, Yankees!). Ryan Quint recently gave a Zoom talk to the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table. It was about the civilians of Dranesville and the roles they played in 1861. The Round Table recorded it and put it on YouTube. It’s available here: https://youtu be/HbSw0ft2QTM. From Terry Rensel: “May’s been a busy month for me. I joined Gordon Rhea and the folks from the Tri-Cities, Tenn., CWRT on a tour of the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield. Visited the Capt. Thomas Espy GAR Post in Carnegie, Penn., as well as the Hagen History Center in Erie, Penn., and got a cool look behind the scenes at some great Civil War artifacts in both of the collections. Jon Tracey graduated from West Virginia University with an MA in Public History and a Certificate in Cultural Resource
ECW Behind the Scenes: ECW’s Relationship with the blog Maine at War
by Brian Swartz A lifetime Civil War buff and a Virginia veteran’s descendant, started writing a monthly Maine at War column for my employer, the Bangor Daily News, in April
highlighting ordinary Mainers and their wartime adventures. The blog’s affiliation with Emerging Civil War began a few years ago, when Chris Mackowski interviewed me and graciously wrote a multiple-part column for ECW readers. That led to ECW posting a monthly column about MAW’s latest columns with an invitation for ECW’s readers to read them. The relationship continued to grow, and Chris later invited me to write for ECW a wartime biography of Joshua L. Chamberlain, with whom I share a hometown; Savas-Beatie will publish that book, Passing Through the Fire, this summer. As for Maine’s contribution to the war, most people, even here in Maine, only know about Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, and Little Round Top. There are so many other Mainers, men and women alike, who served during the war, however. The Pine Tree State raised 32 infantry regiments, seven artillery batteries, and two cavalry June 2021