A Change and Possibly More on the Way

As I approach my blog's sixth anniversary, I have started to think about how I may readjust the format and content here at All Not So Quiet Along the Potomac. My ability to keep a rigorous posting schedule has become difficult, but I don't want to discontinue writing when I have the urge, or remove the existing digital content. Many people use the blog as a resource center for research they are doing about the Civil War in these parts. They often come to me with questions concerning their Civil War ancestor, or more obscure battles around here like Vienna and Lewinsville. I sometimes feel like this has become more of a digital history project, even if not organized as such. At the same time, I haven't practiced law for nearly six years. Of course, once a lawyer, always a lawyer. Nonetheless, I have decided to remove the part of the blog's title "A DC Lawyer on the Civil War" to more accurately reflect what All Not So Quiet Along the Potomac is about. In the place of this wording, I am now saying, "The Civil War in Northern Virginia & Beyond." I am mulling additional changes here and will keep readers posted. Thanks again for stopping by!

Interview with the Manassas Battlefield Trust

Well, if you haven't noticed, it's been a while since I last posted. Life has gotten pretty busy at home and at work. I am unsure of when I will return to a more regular schedule again, but for the time being, I thought readers might enjoy the latest edition of the Manassas Battlefield Trust newsletter. A few months ago I featured an interview with MBT Executive Director Debra Kathman. Since that time, MBT decided to launch a newsletter, and Debra asked if I would do an interview for the first issue. I believe that future issues will do similar interviews with MBT members. Check out the newsletter, including the interview, here.

A Few Odds and Ends, February 2016 Edition

If you are a frequent reader, you may have wondered what happened to the blog. I try to publish a post every two weeks or so. This past couple of months was the longest "dry spell" since I began the blog in 2010. Today I am finally back, and would like to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year!

So what gives? I guess you could say that I needed to disconnect in order to reconnect. The pace had been relatively intensive, particularly as I tried to balance a busy full-time job, family, and numerous activities and hobbies. I also had a bit of Sesquicentennial burn out -- not  one day passed in four years where I wasn't doing something related to the Civil War. I like to think that my recent time away (and model building with my son Jack) has reinvigorated me for the year ahead.

And now a few odds and ends as I kick off 2016:

*My blog has brought me into contact with a lot of people I may not otherwise have met and has enabled me to expand my Civil War universe outside of the blog. As noted previously, I have started to do volunteer research for the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum. I have also begun exploring ways to help the Manassas Battlefield Trust (MBT). I will keep readers posted on any upcoming activities. Meanwhile, Debra Kathman, the Executive Director of MBT, recently sent me some interview questions. (I posted a Q&A with Debra last year.) They should be up and running soon on the MBT website.

*Speaking of Manassas, I recently purchased a copy of John Hennessy's masterful book, The First Battle of Manassas: An End to Innocence, July 18-21, 1861. John has revised his first edition and re-released it through Stackpole. I bought my own autographed copy directly from him. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book -- my first of 2016 -- and can't recommend it enough. To use an oxymoron, it is a tactical page turner! Even if you think you know First Bull Run pretty well, you are sure to discover something new, and be entertained at the same time.

*On a related note, Harry Smeltzer over at Bull Runnings published an interview with John, who offered to lead a tour of the First Manassas battlefield for Harry's blog readers. The suggestion has now come to fruition. The tour will be held at Manassas National Battlefield Park on Saturday, April 23. More information is available over at Harry's blog, and on the dedicated Facebook page for the tour. Expected attendance is growing, and a car pool caravan will be the chief mode of transport. If you plan on going, be sure to read John's book.

*Last fall Savas Beatie sent me a copy of one of the latest titles in the Emerging Civil War (ECW) series, A Want of Vigilance: The Bristoe Station Campaign, October 9-19, 1863 by Bill Backus and Rob Orrison. This book appears only a couple years or so after the publisher's detailed atlas on the Bristoe Campaign. Together, they help to fill in some gaps in the literature between Gettysburg and the Overland Campaign. Like all ECW books, A Want of Vigilance is a slim volume packed with key facts, plenty of photos and maps, and a driving tour. The authors, both old hands at the Bristoe Station Battlefield, cover all the major aspects of the campaign, from James Station to Buckland Mills. Six appendixes, including an order of battle and a chronology of battlefield preservation, round out the book. A Want of Vigilance makes for a good, fast read on a little known but important part of the war.

*I maintain a list of potential topics for future posts. My ability to add to the list has far surpassed my ability to keep up. Some of the subjects don't even seem that appealing to me any more. (Perhaps I should take a vote on what readers prefer!) As I gear up for 2016, I am thinking broadly of where I want to take the blog. Not surprisingly, more on Northern Virginia's contraband camps is in the offering. I also plan to report my findings on soldier and civilian life around Fairfax Station. I've lived in Loudoun for well over a year now -- I think it may be time to write a little more on the Civil War in my backyard. I've already mentioned my interest in the Loudoun Valley Campaign of 1862, but haven't had a chance to dig deeper. And what about those Union Army campsites down the road, or the history of some Loudoun families during the war? If anything, I can help to spread the word about the best resources on Loudoun's antebellum and Civil War history. This year I also hope to continue features such as Civil War Views, travelogues, and Q&As. Forward march!

A New Project in the Works

A couple of months ago, I took my boys to the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum. I previously wrote about this historic treasure on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Second Manassas Campaign. The countryside surrounding the railroad station became one major field hospital following the fights at Bull Run and Chantilly in 1862. Clara Barton rushed from Washington City and helped tend to the wounded.

The current station dates from 1903 and hosts frequent model train displays. The museum also has exhibits on the history of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, particularly during the Civil War. I've taken my sons there a few times. We are all train buffs, and the place has become a real family favorite.

After my last visit, the museum contacted me via my blog Facebook page. They put me in contact with Michael Chinworth, a volunteer who serves as the Vice President of the Friends of Fairfax Station. Michael asked if I was interested in helping the museum with various activities, including research, exhibits, and programming. I jumped at the opportunity. What better way to make a contribution to local Civil War and railroad history?

The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, a stop along the Civil War Trails in Northern Virginia

Currently I am assisting with research on the civilian population around Fairfax Station just prior to and during the Civil War. I also hope to dig into the lives of the ordinary soldiers who protected the O&A R.R. Another possible avenue of exploration is the experience of slaves and Irish immigrants who worked on the railroad in the antebellum period. We hope to use this research in drafting a comprehensive historical guide on the station. The work may also form the basis of temporary exhibits or be made available on the museum's website.

I'd like to put a call to my readers as well. If you know anything about the area during the Civil War era, please feel free to email me and we can talk. In the meantime, if things are a little slower here as of late, it is likely because I am knee deep in old records about soldiers and civilians!

Presentation on the Contraband Camps of Northern Virginia, Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable, Oct. 13

I am pleased to report that the Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable has invited me to speak next month about the contraband camps of Northern Virginia. During the first years of the Civil War, thousands of slaves fled to Washington in search of freedom. As the number of “contrabands” expanded, their living quarters became increasingly overcrowded and unsanitary, while the financial burden on the government continued to grow. Seeking to address these problems, the Union Army relocated freedmen and women to abandoned secessionist properties in Arlington and Fairfax during the spring of 1863. My talk will explore the history of these long-forgotten contraband camps, including economic, social, military, and political dimensions. My presentation will also offer some insights into where the camps were located in Northern Virginia. As readers know, I have devoted a lot of attention to this topic here on the blog, and I look forward to spreading story of the contraband camps to new audiences.

(courtesy of Arlington Hist. Soc.)

Below is some additional information on the event. I hope to see you there!

When: 7:30 pm, Tuesday, October 13

Where: Thomas Balch Library, 208 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia. Information on the location, including parking, can be found here.

Attendance is free for first-time attendees of a LCCWRT meeting.

A Trip to Gettysburg with the Kids

As the followers of this blog's feeds on Facebook and Twitter know, I often take my twin sons to Civil War sites in and around Northern Virginia. I am a big believer in exposing them to history at an early age. They may not really "get it," but I am sure that deep down, an understanding, or better yet, an interest, is taking root.

Truth be told, I started reconnecting with the war just as the boys were born. In those early days, I spent what little down time I had writing posts and researching, much to my wife's chagrin! As the boys grew, I grew too, as a writer, blogger, and amateur historian. I suppose it was fitting that for their fifth birthday I would take them to the granddaddy of all Civil War battlefields -- Gettysburg. I also planned to make the vacation their first camping trip. My own parents could hardly believe that their son, a fan of the luxury hotel, was voluntarily returning to a campground after all these years. We opted on a Kamp Kabin at the Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA -- not exactly roughing it, but try spending a few days with little boys and no access to a private restroom.

The twins are no strangers to battlefields. After all, they first visited Manassas National Battlefield Park when they were almost three. Since then, they've returned to Henry Hill on numerous occasions. (We are only twenty-five minutes away. How wonderful it is to have a major Civil War battlefield at your doorstep.) They've also crossed Burnside Bridge at Antietam and walked through the historic streets of Harpers Ferry. But I would be lying if I didn't admit a bit of trepidation about spending a few days at Gettysburg with them. Manassas is one thing, but Gettysburg is quite another.

Even before driving up US-15, I started by kindling some enthusiasm for the story of the battle. I showed the boys some edited scenes from the film, Gettysburg. Jack would continually ask me, "Who won, the blue guys or the gray guys?" every time he saw a scene from the battle. I had nightmares that he'd do the same once out on the field. Drawing from their recognition of a few key Civil War personalities, I also told them about Lee leading the Confederates, and how President Lincoln gave a speech there.

Excited to be camping....

Gettysburg is a family-friendly place, which makes visiting with little ones easier than at some destination like California wine country. However, I was determined to keep the kids away from the tourist traps and show them the proper way to visit a Civil War site. It is never too early to teach kids how to engage in respectable and respectful tourism.

We started at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. Unfortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, our first run-in with a Ranger was a little disappointing. He brushed us off when I asked for those Civil War NPS collectors cards and advised that we should come back tomorrow to get them instead. He never explained why. The Park Service redeemed itself the next day when a new Ranger handed each of my very happy boys a complete set of Gettysburg cards.

The film at the VC may have been a bit much for the boys' little brains -- try teaching concepts of slavery and emancipation to rising kindergartners -- but the Cyclorama had them in awe. They marveled at what they were seeing and couldn't believe that it was only a painting. We also walked through the museum. The boys each spent time looking at various artifacts from the battle and watching the informational videos. Jack was a bit more engaged; Cam moved at breakneck pace so that we would leave to check-in at the campground sooner.

Of course, battlefield stomping took top billing for us. We visited some key sites on Thursday evening. The first time Jack looked out over the field where Pickett's men advanced, he exclaimed to me, "That was a long way to march!" Pretty insightful for a new preschool graduate. We also made our way to the Father William Corby Monument, where I produced a copy of the statue in green plastic from their toy soldier set and told them what the good padre was doing there. We eventually reached the Angle and the Copse of Trees. Jack stood mesmerized by the stone wall. He remembered seeing scenes of all those "blue guys" waiting there to receive the Confederate charge.

Jack looks at the Union position around the Angle.

We rose early on Friday and headed back to the battlefield to beat the crowds and the heat. Best idea ever. The boys and I had most of the stops to ourselves, including Little Round Top. Jack could only shout "Wow!" when he looked out over the field from up there. The boys particularly loved climbing to the top of the 44th New York Monument, or "the castle" as they called it. I also walked with the twins to the scene of the 20th Maine's fight, and reminded them of the scene in the film where the men in blue fixed bayonets and rushed the Confederate attackers. After Little Round Top, we stopped at Devil's Den, but the boys surprisingly took a pass on checking out the huge boulders. Seeing the Pennsylvania Monument, Jack and Cam were eager to meet the challenge of going all the way to the top. Only later did I realize that Cam was confronting his own fear of heights. No wonder he rushed to get back down!

Native sons checking out the Virginia Monument.

Jack gestures towards the staging area for Pickett's division. As friend Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings put it, Jack already has a good point and a certain future with the NPS!

Before heading back to the campground, we stopped at the Seminary Ridge Museum. Although I knew that the boys were a bit too young, I really wanted to check out this relatively recent addition to the Gettysburg scene. Just like everything else, the admissions fee is waived for little ones under six, so I didn't lose too much money in doing so! The boys were moved by the lifelike wax tableaux of hospital scenes at the Seminary. They had a lot of questions about the care of the wounded, and I used the visit as a way of teaching them that war is a "bad thing that hurts people."

From the top of the Pennsylvania Monument.

Studying a hospital scene at the Seminary Ridge Museum.

We spent Friday afternoon shopping for souvenirs on Steinwehr Avenue. Jack and Cam both bought a few Civil War-themed items, including the requisite bag of plastic soldiers. After eating an ice cream and waiting out a torrential downpour while visiting Oak Hill, we headed back to our cabin. As I watched the boys play outside with toy sword and miniature flags, I knew that something had sunk in when I saw them charge, shouting "Irish Brigade forward!"

"Dad, can I get this?"

On Saturday I took the twins to Steam Into History in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, about an hour east of Gettysburg. If your kids like trains as much as mine do, and like their father does, this is a must-see attraction. We did the hour long excursion to Glen Echo. The train is pulled by a replica of the 4-4-0 locomotive that took Lincoln to Gettysburg. Passengers sit in recreated 19th century passenger cars. Jack and Cam were thrilled to hear the steam whistle as the train chugged along past small towns and farms. As an added bonus, the day we rode an entertainer dressed in Union blue told local stories about the Civil War and sang songs from the era. Overall, a family won't go wrong paying a visit to Steam Into History.

What a fine example of Industrial Age beauty!

Returning to Ashburn, I considered the trip a success. The boys seemed impressed with the battlefield, and I am sure they learned a thing or two. Meltdowns were kept to a minimum. I suppose flexibility on my part was key -- the schedule can't be too fixed or rigid with little ones in tow. And you got to make room for a swim in that campground pool. Jack and Cam may not remember every little detail about what they did, but I am pretty sure they will always remember their first trip to Gettysburg. We all do!

Five Years of Blogging!

Today All Not So Quiet Along the Potomac turns five. When I began blogging in 2010, I wasn't sure what the future of this endeavor would bring. Looking back, I can truly say it's been an interesting, rewarding, and sometimes enthralling experience. I find it hard to believe that I've reached the five-year milestone in what has been one of the busiest times of my adult life.

That said, life's stresses and responsibilities finally took their toll on my blogging this year. For a number of reasons, including a new home, new commute, new daughter, and greater work responsibility, I just couldn't find the time to do a post or two every week, and so I adapted accordingly. I tend to post every other week now. Not that I won't go back to what I was doing a few years ago, but for now, the frequency is likely to remain a bit less than in years past.

At the same time, I've maintained a very active presence on Facebook and Twitter. Truth be told, I communicate more with readers through these social media platforms than through blogging. I also like the immediacy of posting live to Facebook and Twitter whenever visiting battlefields and other Civil War sites.

One of the best things about blogging is the ability to set your own agenda. In prior years, I wrote a heck of a lot about the Civil War encampments of present-day McLean, Virginia. But this year has brought an intense focus on the contraband camps of Northern Virginia. I've enjoyed sharing my discoveries on this little-known topic with my readers. My interest led to a speech before the Arlington Historical Society as well as a related interview with WETA-TV.

I also began to write more about my Civil War ancestor, Pvt. William Baumgarten of the 102nd Pennsylvania. In January, I had the pleasure of talking with William's living grandson, Richard, who happens to be one of my parents' neighbors back in Western Pennsylvania. Richard even gave me a framed photograph of his grandfather. I also took the opportunity to follow William's wartime experiences in 1864, culminating in my participation in a descendants' reception for the 150th anniversary of the Third Battle of Winchester.

And speaking of the Sesquicentennial, this year as in years past I wrote about numerous 150th anniversaries, both large and small. I also reported on my attendance at various Sesquicentennial events at places like Cold Harbor and Ford's Theatre. As the 150th commemorations wind down, I will miss this aspect of blogging, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I have a bit of burnout on all things Sesquicentennial!

At the start of 2015 I also launched a "Civil War Views" series, which has become a relatively popular feature. I have liked sharing and analyzing various photographs and sketches of the war in Northern Virginia and Washington. And believe me when I say that there is no shortage of rare and lesser-known images to discuss.

As an artilleryman with Cooper's Battery B, 1st PA Light Artillery at an event at the Langley Ordinary, McLean, Virginia in June 2014.

This year I continued to have enriching conversations with my readers and fellow bloggers, who have written to share research, ask advice, or discuss aspects of Northern Virginia Civil War history with me. I thank all of them for their continued interest and enthusiasm, which makes blogging so worthwhile. I also had a chance to participate in a living history event with my friend and reader, Keith Foote, of Cooper's Battery B. Helping to fire that Parrott gun was a true highlight of the year. And publishers continued to send review copies my way. (Look for a review or two in coming weeks....)

I am not sure what the future will hold, although I have a long and backlogged list of topics to cover. Some of these date to my time in McLean; others relate to my new home in Loudoun or random research ideas I've been meaning to explore. In addition, I have my eyes on a few non-blogging Civil War projects. If the last five years are any indication, I am sure that this year will be no exception.

Last but not least, thanks again to all of my readers. I appreciate the interest and am looking forward to the year ahead!

My Last Sesquicentennial Event

Last week marked the Sesquicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination and death. On April 14 I commemorated the anniversary by attending a lecture at Ford's Theatre, visiting the Petersen House where Lincoln died, and touring a special assassination exhibit at the Center for Education and Leadership. Given the immediacy of other forms of social media, I mainly covered the day's events on Twitter and Facebook. I won't repost all of my photographs and comments here, but I'd advise readers to check out my Facebook and Twitter feeds to see what I published in real time.

Life changes a lot in four years, and I had hoped to make it to Appomattox for the 150th. Intervening events, including the recent birth of my daughter, made the trip to Appomattox a near impossibility. However, because I work in downtown DC, I knew that I could at least mark the 150th anniversary of another important milestone of the end of the Civil War years, and I ultimately decided to take a half day of leave on the 14th and spend some time at Ford's Theatre. The 150th of Lincoln's assassination is the last of the Sesquicentennial events that I will personally attend, and it was a fitting, albeit sad, end to four years of commemoration.

The incessant rain on April 14 did not deter visitors, and the line for each timed entry to Ford's Theatre stretched down the block. The number of people in the street only continued to grow as the hour of the assassination approached. Living historians entertained the crowds with their first-person accounts from the day of the assassination. I chatted with a few reenactors from Pennsylvania who represented Independent Battery C, First Pennsylvania Artillery. On the night of the 14th, four artillerymen from the battery helped to carry Lincoln to the Petersen House. Check out this post on Harry's blog for more info.

Waiting outside Ford's Theatre in the rain.

Once we were seated inside the theatre, a costumed interpreter told the story of Lincoln's assassination and death. The speaker really helped to take us back in time and imagine the horror, sadness, and confusion of that night. Her passion for the subject made for a captivating presentation. I've been to Ford's on numerous occasions, but I was moved beyond words to sit below the presidential box on the very day that Lincoln was shot 150 years ago and hear about his life, assassination, and death.

Looking up at the presidential box -- this felt like truly hallowed ground.

Following the tour, we made our way across 10th Street to the Petersen House. I felt a sense of extreme loss while reflecting on all that happened there. Just shy of 150 years before my visit, Lincoln slipped from life lying on a bed in a back room, and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton pronounced, "Now he belongs to the ages."

Upon leaving the Petersen House, I entered the Center for Education and Leadership, where I toured various permanent exhibits on Lincoln's death and the hunt for the assassins. Much to my surprise, I learned that my ticket included admission to the temporary exhibition of Silent Witness: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination. This exhibit, running through May 29, 2015, brings together an incredible collection of objects, including John Wilkes Booth's derringer; Lincoln's top hat, coat, and the contents of his pocket from the night of the assassination; and the blood-stained bunting from the presidential box. Given Lincoln's god-like status in U.S. history, many of these artifacts seemed like holy relics.

What I witnessed on Tuesday afternoon was nothing compared to what came later, as hundreds gathered outside the theatre to mark the exact time of Lincoln's assassination. Some people remained throughout the night to keep a mournful vigil, and by early the next morning, hundreds of onlookers once again crowded 10th Street, this time to mark the exact moment of Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865. (See here for a Washington Post report.) Although I couldn't attend, I kept watch myself by tuning to C-SPAN and reading Facebook and Twitter feeds by a host of organizations and individuals, including friend Craig Swain.

Overall, I was extremely encouraged by the public interest in Lincoln, his assassination, and death, even in jaded and cynical "Washington City"! And I was also happy to see so many friends and family who were interested in observing this 150th anniversary. I suppose that every once in a while, a historic event speaks to so many, including those who normally take only a passing interest in history. I and others like me are sometimes in our own Civil War bubble and tend to forget the wider appeal that America's history can hold. Last week's commemoration proved that some events mean so much to so many that they cannot easily be forgotten or overlooked, no matter how many years have passed.

WETA and the Arlington Historical Society: Video Short on NOVA's Contraband Camps

A few weeks ago I sat down to an interview on Northern Virginia's contraband camps with Mark Jones, a Senior Manager of Digital Media with WETA, the main PBS station in the Washington area. Mark works with the Arlington Historical Society (AHS) to create video previews of upcoming lectures sponsored by AHS. These shorts are published on Boundary Stones, WETA's local history blog. Mark contacted me about my upcoming presentation on the camps, which is scheduled for this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Marymount University. He and I talked for about an hour or so at the historic Cherry Hill Farmhouse (c. 1845) in Falls Church. We selected the location for the 19th century atmosphere, as well as the site's proximity to the spot where Camp Rucker, a contraband camp, was located. Thanks for Mark for putting together such a great mini-documentary! And so, without further ado, check out the video below and click here to see the entire post at Boundary Stones!

N. Virginia Contraband Camps Presentation, Arlington Historical Society, April 9

I am pleased to report that the Arlington Historical Society has invited me to speak next month about the contraband camps of Northern Virginia. During the first years of the Civil War, thousands of slaves fled to Washington in search of freedom. As the number of “contrabands” grew, their living quarters became increasingly overcrowded and unsanitary, while the financial burden on the government continued to grow. Seeking to address these problems, the Union Army relocated freedmen and women to abandoned secessionist properties in Arlington and Fairfax during the spring of 1863. My talk will explore the history of these long-forgotten contraband camps, including economic, social, military, and political dimensions. My presentation will also offer some insights into where the camps were located in Northern Virginia. As readers know, this is a topic near and dear to my heart, and I look forward to spreading the story of the contraband camps.

Below and at the link is some additional information on the event. I hope to see you there!

When: 7:00 pm, Thursday, April 9

Where: Marymount University, 2807 N. Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22207, in the Reinsch Library auditorium.

The program is free and open to the public. For additional information, please contact 703-942-9247.

Directions

For those who take public transit: A free shuttle bus provided by Marymount University is available from the Ballston-MU Metro Station (Orange and Silver lines). The University is also accessible via Metro bus routes 23A and 23T; exit at the N. Glebe Road and Old Dominion Drive stop.

For those who drive: Marymount University provides free parking. Attendees should enter the main entrance gate (located at N. Glebe Road and Old Dominion Drive) and park in the main lot in front of The Lodge. If that lot is full, visitors may also park in the White Garage, located next to the Reinsch Library, or the Blue Garage, located under Ostapenko Hall. The Security Station at the main entrance can help direct where to park.

Civil War Views: Lower Battery at Chain Bridge

As readers may have noticed, things are a bit "quiet along the Potomac" here on the blog! With a newborn and increased responsibilities on the home front, the time I have for research and writing each night has dwindled considerably. That said, I have many new topics in the pipeline, and much of the related research is substantially completed, so I hope that I will be able to post some original, in-depth content here as we head into the spring and summer. In the meantime, I am launching a new visual series on the blog called, "Civil War Views."

I've recently come across some amazing drawings and photographs of wartime Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. It seems that every day that the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other institutions are making more and more visual content available on the Internet. Rather than just post a newly discovered image on Facebook or Twitter, I felt it would be nice to offer a little context about the photograph, sketch, or engraving in a good, old-fashioned blog post! So now, without further ado, here is the first installment. . . .

I've written extensively about Chain Bridge over the years. Many of my posts have focused on the defenses that the Union Army erected to protect this key Potomac River crossing. I particularly like this relatively obscure photograph of the Lower Battery at Chain Bridge:

"Battery at Chain Bridge, Washington, D.C. 1862" (courtesy of the Library of Congress).

The photograph shows the battery that was established in 1861 on the Washington side of Chain Bridge. Gun crews pose next to a 12-pounder howitzer (l) and 24-pounder howitzer (r). (Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Craig Swain for helping to verify!)  The artillery is positioned to fire through embrasures in the earthwork. A few soldiers stand guard, while others mill around at the end of the bridge. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is visible to the right side of the photograph. Incidentally, another gun emplacement, known as Battery Martin Scott, was located on the bluffs above the battery pictured here. More on that one in a future Civil War Views post!

Source

Benjamin Franklin Cooling III & Walton H. Owen II, Mr. Lincoln's Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington (2010 ed.).

A Fond Farewell to Lewinsville & Langley! Off to Farmwell!

My wife and I just closed on a house in Ashburn, Virginia this past Monday. We are very excited to get more space and to live a little farther from the chaos "inside the Beltway"! Ashburn (Farmwell and Farmwell Station during the 1860s) is situated in Loudoun County, a place steeped in Civil War history. The Battle of Ball's Bluff took place not more than 20 minutes from our doorstep. Armies also marched through the county before Antietam and Gettysburg. And don't forget that Loudoun was part of Mosby's Confederacy. In other words, Civil War buffs would find a lot to like about calling the county home. (If you enjoy wineries, there are plenty of those to explore as well!)

I hope to get more involved with the Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable. After all, I won't have to drive nearly as far to attend their monthly meetings. They tend to have a really strong line-up. I also look forward to living closer to a few of my friends with an interest in the war, including fellow blogger Craig Swain and Army of the Potomac expert extraordinaire Todd Berkoff. I trust that both will help me learn more about the area during the war! (Craig, I am counting on you to bring me up to speed on that Civil War-era road network. . . .)

As much as I am looking forward to a new home, I will also miss McLean (Lewinsville and Langley during the war). I've lived here for over five years now, and as readers know, I have spent a lot of time peeling back the layers of McLean's Civil War history. I've written and lectured about Camp Griffin and Camp Pierpont, which served as 1861-62 winter quarters for two Union divisions. I've taken a look at the "Battle of Lewinsville," a fascinating little fight that involved the likes of Isaac Stevens, J.E.B. Stuart, and John Mosby. I also got to know my Civil War-era neighbors, families such as the Mackalls, Means, and Johnstons. More recently, I've become obsessed with the contraband camps that were located in the McLean area from 1863 onward.  

Looking down from the crest of Johnston's Hill, right around the corner from my former home in McLean. Union Army units, including the Pennsylvania Reserves, held parades at the base of Johnston's Hill during the first winter of the Civil War. (See this post, where I discuss the location.)

The surviving landmarks are everywhere around me. I drive past Salona (Baldy Smith's HQ) and the Langley Ordinary (George A. McCall's HQ) on my daily commute. Benvenue, the location of Winfield Scott Hancock's brigade hospital, is an everyday sight on my early morning walks.  Although not as well known as other places like Henry Hill or Dunker Church, all of these landmarks represent a very real tie that my former community has across time to the Civil War.

You may be wondering what this all means for the future direction of the blog, if anything. I still have many stories about McLean in the pipeline and don't plan on giving them up, just because I am moving to another part of Northern Virginia. The same goes for other sites in Fairfax. The endless array of topics accumulating on my to-do list long ago outpaced my ability to keep up. Apparently four years wasn't enough time to cover it all! At the same time, I am looking forward to exploring some hidden corners of Civil War history in my new "neighborhood." So I suppose that what it comes down to is that this is a blog covering all of Northern Virginia (and sometimes DC) and will remain that way.

In the end, I will miss my former community, and my involvement with the history scene here. A special thanks goes out to the McLean Historical Society, which invited me to give lectures and to serve on the board. I've enjoyed living in McLean and learning about what our ancestors did here. Now I turn to a new chapter as I head west down State Route 267 and establish a home in another location so important to Northern Virginia's Civil War history.

Odds and Ends, June 2014

That time of the year has arrived once again. I am soon off to the Bay State for my family's annual pilgrimage, meaning that I will be on vacation from the blog for a little while. I plan to fit in some antebellum and Civil War-related sightseeing while I am away and promise to report back upon my return. As always, I will remain active on Facebook and Twitter as much as I can. In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends:

*The Sesquicentennial of Jubal Early's raid on Washington is fast approaching. In that vein, there are a myriad of activities being planned at the federal and local level:

The Monocacy National Battlefield will mark the 150th of the  "Battle that saved Washington" from July 5-13. Activities include "real time" walking tours, living history demonstrations, and a "Remembrance of the Fallen" program. Additional information can be found here. 

The Civil War Defenses of Washington unit of the National Park Service (NPS) will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Ft. Stevens, where President Lincoln himself came under fire. Highlights include walks and lectures, a hike in the nation's capital from Battery Kemble to Ft. Stevens, living history encampments, and a memorial program at Battlefield National Cemetery. See here for a full schedule. This flyer from the NPS lists numerous other commemorative activities in the Washington, DC area.  

One of my favorite local Civil War parks, Ft. Ward Museum & Historic Site, is hosting a "Battle of Fort Stevens Reenactment Weekend." Groups representing Union and Confederate regiments will recreate the engagement at the reconstructed northwest bastion of Ft. Ward, which will serve as a stand-in for Ft. Stevens. More details can be found here, on the museum website.

Modern view of restored portion of Ft. Stevens (courtesy of Wikipedia). The marker in front of the guns commemorates Lincoln's visit to the fort. 

*Readers may recall that I have recently written about the appointment of Lydia T. Atkinson to serve as a teacher at the contraband camp in Langley. (See here and here.) The Friends' Association for the Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen decided to send her to Camp Wadsworth upon finding egregious violations of rules governing labor by school-age children. Last month I discovered that the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College has Atkinson's diary from her time in Northern Virginia. I wrote to obtain copies and just received excepts on Monday. Needless to say, I am ecstatic. Atkinson's words shed some light into life at Camp Wadsworth from summer 1864 through the end of the war. I will be featuring a future post of two on the diary once I have had the opportunity to study and analyze this precious primary resource.

*And last but not least, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July!

Four Years of Blogging!

Today All Not So Quiet Along the Potomac turns four. At this same time in 2010, I was preparing for the arrival of my twin boys, and my wife was wondering why in the world I was spending so much time in front of the computer! Once the kids were born in June, the blog provided a nice outlet from the stresses of nascent parenthood. I had no idea how long All Not So Quiet would survive. I just knew I wanted to try my hand at writing about the Civil War, one of my longstanding and most passionate interests. Well, here I am at four years, and still going strong.

Since 2010, I've written nearly 300 posts, largely adhering to a schedule of publishing once a week. My social media presence has become an expanding part of my on-line activities, and as of today, I have 347 Facebook fans and count over 1,000 Twitter followers. I am also thankful that All Not So Quiet Along the Potomac recently was added to the Civil War Trust list of Civil War blogs. (That very webpage in part inspired my own entry into blogging!)

Over the last four years, I've aimed to introduce readers to some interesting and more obscure aspects of the Civil War in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. My occasional focus on the McLean area has helped to develop a picture of how the conflict impacted civilian life in Northern Virginia. I have tried to provide insights on other topics as well, including antique book collecting and Civil War-related sites in locations farther afield, both at home and abroad.

I've always appreciated the personal interactions that I've had with my readers, and this past year brought a few very meaningful experiences. Last June a woman wrote to me about a Sunday school tract that was taken from the "House of a Rebel" near Lewinsville, Virginia by Sgt. William A.C. Oaks from the 7th Pennsylvania Reserves. She was kind enough to send me the book, which has become one of my most cherished possessions. (It even appeared on the pages of Civil War Times in April!) This spring a distant relative also contacted me after reading a post I had done about family history. She confirmed my relationship to William Baumgarten of the 102nd Pennsylvania, and even sent me a picture of William and his brother. I was very moved to learn that I had a Civil War ancestor and have since been following in his footsteps throughout the Overland Campaign. I also have had the good fortune of meeting historians like Gene Schmiel, author of a recent bio on Gen. Jacob Cox (more on that soon); Roland McElroy, a local expert on the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church; Todd Berkoff, a master of all things Army of the Potomac; Susan Gray, curator of the Fairfax Museum; and Candace Gray, a graduate student with a passion for the story of freedmen and women. And as always, I have enjoyed interacting with my fellow bloggers, who serve as a constant source of inspiration to me.

Out on the Bristoe Station Battlefield for the 150th with fellow blogger Craig Swain of To the Sound of the Guns (middle) and Todd Berkoff (right). Thanks to Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation for capturing battlefield stomping in action.

This past year has also led to a deepening of my interest in Northern Virginia's contraband camps, and I have continued extensive research and writing on the subject. The story of the contraband camps is an often overlooked part of the war around here, and I am immensely pleased that I have been able to get the word out through the blog and otherwise. The Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center featured some of my research as part of the Fairfax 1863 exhibition. I was also honored to give lectures about the camps at the Fairfax Museum and before the McLean Historical Society. Needless to say, I've just scratched the surface of this topic, and many additional posts are in the works for the upcoming year and beyond.

Given that we are in the middle of the Sesquicentennial, I've also continued to provide coverage of 150th anniversary events like those at Bristoe Station and Spotyslvania. I've also tried to follow a Sesquicentennial timeline for Northern Virginia and Washington. Now that the Alexandria Gazette is available for on-line at no cost, my ability to discuss happenings in "real time" has only improved!

Overall, it's been another wonderful year. As I've said before, the blog is a labor of love. When I am tired at 10 p.m. following a hard day's work, bedtime often beckons. But the passion for the Civil War is always there, motivating me to put in the extra time digging through old documents, checking secondary sources, and drafting posts. Learning about the war, and spreading that knowledge, is immeasurably rewarding. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to the year ahead!

Odds and Ends, April 2014

This week I offer readers a few odds and ends of interest. There is a lot going on, and sometimes it's good to just throw it all out there!

*The busy season for the 1864 Sesquicentennial is about to begin. Over the next few months, we will commemorate the Overland Campaign, the siege of Petersburg, Jubal Early's raid and the Battles of Monocacy and Ft. Stevens, and the Atlanta Campaign, to name a few. Most immediately, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park is observing the 150th anniversary of Wilderness and Spotsylvania. The park has set up a dedicated web page for all Sesquicentennial-related matters. Check here for a complete program of events, including living history and Ranger-led, real-time hikes. The offerings are truly dizzying, and I hope you'll be able to attend at least some of these very special events, which start May 3. I unfortunately have limited vacation time right now, but whatever I do, I'll be sure to report back. And look for my buddy, fellow blogger, and Sesquicentennialist extraordinaire Craig Swain, who will be in the thick of it, live Tweeting and all that good stuff.

*Closer to home, Falls Church will hold its annual Civil War Day on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the historic Cherry Hill House and Farm (c. 1845), a Unionist property during the conflict. The Cherry Hill website promises a day filled with numerous activities:

Learn how the Civil War affected Falls Church as re-enactors portray both civilians and soldiers from the period. Watch soldiers conduct firing and drilling exercises, listen to spy stories, letter readings and period music. Look for our children’s tent filled with lots of activities for kids.  

Old-fashioned box lunches with fried chicken, cole slaw, corn bread, ginger cake, and lemonade can be pre-ordered for $8.00. Call (703) 248-5171 for more information.This event is always a fun and interesting time for those interested in the Civil War in these parts.

My sons meet General Lee (Frank Orlando) while Fairfax Museum Curator Susan Gray looks on.

*Speaking of local happenings, last Saturday I took my boys to the 14th Annual Fairfax Civil War Day at Historic Blenheim in the City of Fairfax. This was my first time attending the event, which offered activities for young and old alike. Exhibits, tours, and lectures covered a variety of topics, including German-American caricaturists in the Civil War, preserving Fairfax history, railroads, and medicine. Visitors could see an 1862 traveling forage in action, as well as the remnants of a corduroy road recently unearthed along VA-123. My twins are only three, so we were limited to the taking horse-drawn wagon rides, visiting the camp of the 17th Virginia, meeting General Lee, feeding the horses of the Black Horse Cavalry, and climbing the hay pyramid. But I was happy to expose the boys to Civil War history and introduce them to our rural past. I take it as a good sign that they rushed to buy souvenirs in the gift shop! (A Springfield musket pen and 34-star flag....) I was also pleased to see so many other families with young children enjoying the day. As an added bonus, I had a chance to catch up with a few local historians.

*I have begun work on a possible Civil War Trails marker to commemorate the winter encampment of the Pennsylvania Reserves at Camp Pierpont in Langley. As readers know, my interest in this topic borders on an obsession. At the present time, nothing in Langley marks the site where one of the Army of the Potomac's most storied units spent the first winter of the war under the leadership of McCall, Meade, Reynolds, and Ord. Hopefully this will change in the relatively near future. I will keep everyone informed as I move forward with this project.

*The April 2014 edition of the Civil War News includes an article by reporter Nancy J. Olds about a nineteenth-century Sunday school tract that a reader gave me last year. The book contains an inscription indicating that it was taken from the home of a "Rebel" near Lewinsville,Virginia by Sgt. William A.C. Oaks of the 7th Pennsylvania Reserves. I wrote a post about the artifact last year.

Looking over graveyard towards Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean.

*Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Roland McElroy, a freelance writer and congregant of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church. During the government shutdown in October, I found myself with free time and decided to do some field research at the church. Lewinsville Presbyterian was established in 1846 and sustained extensive damage during the Union occupation of Lewinsville, now part of McLean. The original church building is long gone, but the old cemetery survives. An assistant in the church's office gave me Roland's name and told me that he had just written a history of Lewinsville Presbyterian. When we finally met for coffee, he presented me with his work, Pilgrims and Pioneers Always: The History of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, 1846-2013. Roland also gave me a copy of The Lewinsville Presbyterian Church: A Concise History of the Congregation, written by Frank W. Gapp in 1976. I am indebted to Roland for these two books, which contain priceless details about the church during the Civil War. (Incidentally, copies of Roland's book can be purchased in person at Lewinsville Presbyterian, 1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean for $10.) Roland and I also plan to collaborate on research. He is going through the church archives and uncovering some very useful and interesting information. I hope to blog about the church in upcoming posts. Like for many congregations around Northern Virginia, the war brought tremendous and often unwanted change.

Odds and Ends, March 2014

I just returned from a two-day work trip to Brasilia, Brazil. As much as I'd like to find a Civil War connection to the Brazilian capital, the city didn't even exist until 1960! However, for those interested in the Civil War's connection to other parts of Brazil, the CSS Alabama raided Federal ships off the country's coast in 1863. (Capt. Rapahel Semmes writes of the Alabama's Brazilian adventures in his memoirs.) Oh, and let's not forget the unreconstructed Confederates who emigrated to Brazil after the Civil War.

In other news, I wanted to let readers know about my upcoming talk to the McLean Historical Society at 7:30 p.m on Tuesday, April 8. This presentation was originally slated for the start of March, but was postponed due to a personal conflict. I will be talking about my research on the contraband camps of Northern Virginia, with a particular focus on the government farms in Langley and Lewinsville. The lecture is being held in the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. in McLean. Hope to see you there!

The 14th Annual Fairfax Civil War Day will be held at Historic Blenheim on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature tours, exhibits, period music, and various living history demonstrations. I haven't yet participated in this annual tradition, but plan to go this year with my boys. For more information, including a schedule of events, see the City of Fairfax website here.

Last Sunday's Talk at the Fairfax Museum (and an Upcoming Event)

This past Sunday I gave a lecture on the contraband camps of Northern Virginia at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. First off, I'd like to thank curator Susan Gray for inviting me to speak about my research on this forgotten chapter in local Civil War history. Susan and I met while she was organizing an exhibition on Fairfax in 1863, and the museum used some of my research as part of the final display on emancipation.

The staff made room in the actual museum for my talk. I snapped this picture before anyone showed up. (I swear!) I liked the atmosphere of being surrounded by historical displays and artifacts while speaking.

A little over 30 people attended my talk on a cold winter afternoon. I really enjoyed giving my presentation, which last around 45 minutes (and without a PowerPoint malfunction). The audience was very engaged and asked many thought-provoking questions. I walked away from the discussion with a few ideas about the direction of future research, including possible U.S.C.T. recruitment efforts at the camps and the legal status of property rights of secessionists whose lands were taken for use as contraband farms. Another big question to emerge from audience involvement was whether the contrabands settled in Northern Virginia once the camps were closed. It is altogether possible that these freedmen and women formed the core of historic African-American communities in McLean, Falls Church, and elsewhere after the Civil War. I was also fortunate to meet Marion Dobbins, president of the Fairfax County African-American Historical Society, and Nikki Graves Henderson of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. Both groups have an interest in the contraband camps and local African-American history. I look forward to collaborating with them on research into the camps, and in particular, the former slaves' side of the story. Altogether, the day was a rewarding and enriching experience for me.

For those of you who missed it, I will give a repeat performance for the McLean Historical Society on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. The lecture will be held at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Drive in McLean.

Change in date: Please note that my talk on March 11 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 8, same time, same place. (Ed. - 3/9/14)

An Upcoming Speaking Engagement on Fairfax's Contraband Camps

I just returned from a two-week work trip to Beijing. Needless to say, I had little spare time for blogging during my stay in China. I am glad to be back home now and look forward to a more normal posting schedule for the remainder of December!

Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center

This past year I devoted considerable attention to the contraband camps (or farms) that the Union Army established in Northern Virginia during the late spring of 1863. My research focused primarily on Camps Wadsworth and Beckwith, which were situated on land that is now part of McLean, Virginia. I am pleased to announce that the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center has invited me to give a presentation on Northern Virginia's contraband camps as part of its "Second Sunday" Program. The event will take place at the Museum and Visitor Center in the City of Fairfax on Sunday, February 9, 2014, at 2 p.m. I plan to explore the fascinating history of the camps, including social, economic, military, and political dimensions. I will also offer some insights into where the camps were possibly located. For more information, see here.

The McLean Historical Society has also invited me to give a Civil War-related presentation in March 2014. I will be sure to provide more details as they become available.

Thanks to both organizations for giving me the opportunity to present the results of my research into Northern Virginia's Civil War history!

Some Vintage Adverts and a Word About an Old Newspaper

My research over the last couple of weeks has led me to some on-line newspaper collections. The Library of Congress maintains the historic newspaper database, Chronicling America. This digitized collection contains a few Civil War-era newspapers for the Washington, DC area. I have found these papers useful in learning more about the 19th century landowners in and around Lewinsville and Langley, Virginia. Of course, I have also stumbled upon some fun advertisements during the course of my research. These ads provide a fascinating glimpse into daily life around the nation's capital prior to the war.

Take, for instance, the following lost and found ad from the October 7, 1856 edition of the Washington Evening Star:

Lewis D. Means owned property in Langley that the Union Army eventually seized for use as a contraband farm. However, at some point during the 1850s, he resided in Washington City and ran a tavern and drove yard. This ad mentions his "Drover's Rest, near Georgetown." Thomas A. C. Jones, the steer's owner, made some sort of arrangement with Means to ensure that his prized possession found its way back home. Jones lived near Prospect Hill, which was to the west of Langley along the Leesburg-Georgetown Turnpike. Apparently the roads of Northern Virginia were filled with enough men herding cattle that a farmer could lose his steer among them!

And how about a little something for "back to school"? The following ad appeared in the September 1, 1860 edition of the Evening Star:

This school was located near Peach Grove (essentially today's Tyson's Corner) and likely operated from the Strawberry Vale Manor, which was built around 1780. The educational program offered "young ladies" classes in a variety of subjects, including music, art, and languages. This ad appeared in the paper alongside many other classifieds for women's academies; such institutions became prevalent in the United States during the 19th century. I'd be curious to learn about the composition of the student body. For example, how many young women, if any, were sent all the way to Peach Grove from Washington or Georgetown? The Board of Trustees of the Strawberry Vale Institute includes Lewis Means and several other men who were apparently enlightened enough to believe in women's secondary education. (I'll be talking about Dr. McVeigh in a future post.)

News on Newspapers!

The Alexandria Gazette and the Alexandria Local News are vital primary sources for anyone researching the Civil War in Northern Virginia and Washington. Unfortunately, Chronicling America does not provide digital access to copies of the Gazette before 1887. The Fairfax County's Historical Newspaper Index is searchable for Gazette articles from the Civil War era, but digital copies are not available. Instead, a researcher must trek to the Virginia Room at the City of Fairfax Regional Library to print articles from microfilm, or order the hard copies, which can take a few weeks.

Imagine my excitement the other day when I learned that the Arlington Public Library provides on-line access to copies of the Gazette from 1808 to 1876. Use of the database is free of charge, but requires an Arlington Public Library card. Those living, working, or attending school in Arlington Country are eligible to receive a card, as are residents from reciprocal jurisdictions like Alexandria, DC, and Fairfax County. I have already found a treasure trove of Gazette articles related to my research on the contraband camps. This is just another example of how the digital revolution has brought historical archives to the home.

Sources

N.A.R.A., U.S. Federal Census Returns for the District of Columbia, 1860 (available at ancestry.com); National Women's History Museum, "1800s: Secondary Education for Women," The History of Women and Education (website).

Some Odds and Ends

Life has been a bit hectic recently, meaning I haven't had as much time for research and writing about the war. This week I will be taking a mini-vacation, which translates into even fewer chances to blog. However, before leaving my keyboard behind, I wanted to share at least a few odds and ends:

*The City of Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center is running a Sesquicentennial exhibition entitled Civil War Fairfax 1863 from now through January 2014. According to the city's website, the exhibition "examines the events and personalities that defined life in Fairfax Court House in 1863. Themes include the emancipation of slaves, the growing Union Army presence, daring raids by Confederate John S. Mosby and his partisan rangers, the unsettled lives of Fairfax’s civilians, and the complicated romance between southerner Antonia Ford and Union Army Major Joseph C. Willard." I look forward to visiting this one at some point in the near future. Incidentally, the museum consulted with me on Fairfax's contraband camps when the exhibit was under development, so I will be interested to see how the displays address this interesting and important topic. For more details, see here.

*Civil War Railroad Buff Alert! I recently discovered that the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum is offering a couple of Civil War-related forums. On August 14 at 7:30 pm, Civil War historian Ron McAnaw will discuss "Military Actions Around the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, 1862-64." Later this fall, on November 13 at 7:30 pm, the museum will feature a lecture on the "Use of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in Support of the Army of the Potomac, 1862-64" by railroad historian Ron Beavers. Both programs are free to the public. For more information on the upcoming Fairfax Station Forums, see here. The museum also offers Civil War tours of the area. The next one is tentatively scheduled for October 2013, but further details are not yet available. The museum itself features items on Civil War history, as well as model railroad exhibits. But be warned -- opening hours are usually limited to Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, housed in a post-Civil War station. I blogged about the Civil War history of the site here.

*Whenever you travel this summer, whether near or far, don't forget about the Historical Marker Database (www.hmdb.org). Before going somewhere, I tend to research the local historical sites by doing searches on HMDB. This often catches some obscure but interesting places that normally don't show up in the glossy brochures. In fact, I used HMDB a few years ago to pull together a Civil War-related tour of Roanoke Island. Once arriving at my destination, I use HMDB's mobile app on my iPhone to pick up nearby markers that I may have missed. Of course, I am always on the prowl for new markers to add to the database. Most recently, I contributed entries for two Judah P. Benjamin-related sites in Sarasota, Florida. (See here and here.) I suppose you could say I am a "Marker Hunter," but not like Craig Swain, the original one! Head to Craig's blog, To the Sound of the Guns, if you want to explore battlefields by marker. He has done an amazing job of cataloguing and mapping the markers and monuments on various key battlefields, including Antietam and Gettysburg. (See here.)

*I hope to return soon to the topic of the contraband camps in present-day McLean. I just need to get out and take some pictures in my neighborhood to show what the area looks like today. I also plan to blog a little more about the war's impact on civilians as we head into the late summer and early fall. These stories have been in the pipeline for quite some time, and I look forward to sharing them.