Tribute to a Confederate hero

"With the bitterness of war all gone, there remains to Americans, North and South, a precious heritage of valor, of self-sacrifice, of sturdy, unflagging never-give-up spirit, a heritage which, in future days of possible stress, will prove inspiration unto us. Mosby is dead - peace to his ashes." - Eulogy to Col. John Mosby, Richmond Virginian

The timing of Memorial Day seems a little strange this year, as it usually falls around May 30, the date of Colonel John Mosby's death in 1916 at the age of 82. For those of you who are not aware, Colonel Mosby was the inspiration for the main character in my historical fiction novel Shades of Gray, and remains today a legend that represents Southern honor and courage.

I usually make a trip to Mosby's grave in Warrenton on the anniversary of his death, but since I cannot make it this year, thought I'd pay tribute to his heroic achievements through my blog.

The reason for Mosby's historic legacy is really quite clear - he was one of the most successful guerrilla leaders during the Civil War - and really, throughout history. With fewer than 400 men at any one time (though with 1,570 enrolled by the end of the war), he suffered about 640 casualties, while killing, wounding or capturing at least 2,900 of the enemy - including generals and other high officers.

In order to rid the world of Mosby and his men, the Union army dispatched more than 70 missions, with most of the expeditions involving more than 200 men. Since one of Mosby's goals was to neutralize as many of the enemy's force as possible by diverting men from the front to guard the rear - his military tactics were an obvious success. During the battle of Gettysburg, for instance, he diverted 462 Union cavalry, 15 times his own strength, and at New Market, he drew 800 cavalry from Sigel's army, four times his number. The Wagon Raid, one of his most notable achievements, diverted 1,800 infantry from the Battle of Third Winchester and Fisher's Hill.

During the course of his illustrious career, Mosby and his men captured more than 3,500 horses and mules, a significant contribution to one of the Confederacy's most severe shortages. One can only imagine the sight of the herds of horses tramping into Confederate camps and the boost they gave to Southern morale.

On June 19, 1920, a 25-foot granite monument was erected on the lawn beside the courthouse in Warrenton, Va. The inscription reads:

This tribute affectionately dedicated to Col. John S. Mosby, whose deeds of valor and heroic devotion to state and Southern principles are the pride and admiration of his soldier comrades and fellow countrymen.

He has left a name that will live till honor, virtue, courage, all, shall cease to claim the homage of the heart.

Civil War connection to Taps

“Its echoes linger in the heart long after its tones have ceased to vibrate in the air.” - Oliver Willcox Norton

What is just 24 notes long; takes 45 seconds to play; and sends shivers down your spine?

The answer, of course, is Taps.

The sound of Taps has been one of the most revered ways to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and is the most recognizable of the bugle calls. It also has a special connection to Gettysburg.

Major Dan Butterfield, commander of the Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, composed the tune for his troops in July of 1862 while stationed in Harrison’s Landing, Va. It was not intended to be the funeral ballad it is today, but rather a call to let soldiers know it was time for lights out.

One year later, Butterfield served as chief of staff to Gen. George Meade during the Battle of Gettysburg. He was wounded by a shell fragment on the last day of the battle, July 3.

Taps became a popular tune with both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War, and shortly after its creation, the captain of an artillery company used it at a funeral service, fearing the traditional firing of three gun volleys would be mistaken as fighting.

The tune soon became a popular segment of military funerals, and in 1891, it became an official part of the interment service. There are no official words to Taps, but popular verses reference the song’s original theme of putting soldiers to bed for the night.

The sound of Taps will echo across the country as we honor those who have fallen in its service this Memorial Day. These 24 notes never fail to create an emotional response in me, and I can't think of a more fitting tribute to our fallen heroes.

Honoring America's truest heroes

For the first time in a few years, I was unable to help place flags on the graves of veterans at Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg for Memorial Day. Unfortunately I had to work, and I really feel like I've missed out on something special. The cemetery has veterans from every war, including the War Between the States. (Notables from the Civil War - though not veterans - are Jennie Wade, the only civilian killed during the Battle, and 79-year-old resident John Burns, a veteran of the War of 1812 who grabbed his gun and fought beside the Iron Brigade, receiving three wounds).

To honor the soldiers' gravesites with an American flag - no matter what the war - is a privilege for me, and I certainly hope I am able to continue the tradition next year. I would also love to visit Arlington over the Memorial Day holiday sometime as well. Every year since the late 1950s, soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones. They then patrol the cemetery 24 hours a day for the rest of the long weekend, making sure that each flag remains standing.

Memorial Day itself has a Civil War connection. While Waterloo, N.Y., was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. Women of the South began decorating the grave of their war dead in the 1860s, and Gen. Logan gave an official proclamation for the day in 1868.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on December 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence.

I hope everyone remembers that, in addition to the brave souls who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country, there of thousands of young men and women in harm's way right now. This weekend is a time to remember those who died so that we might enjoy the rest and relaxation of a three-day holiday, as well as keep in mind those who risk their lives in the nation's service.

Setting the record straight on a tragedy

I'm going to deviate a little from my usual topic of Civil War history to post something I found very interesting and provocative. It's testimony from Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado.

I think it's relevant because it's so courageous, it's so penetrating and personal - and it's so true. It also has a historical perspective that I believe is important for people to remember. So here is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women.. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA... I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun.... I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.

What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge ... Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!"

The death of J.E.B. Stuart

I've been busier than usual this month, but did not want May 12 to pass without noting the death of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart (I missed the anniversary of the death of Stonewall Jackson on May 10). As a historical fiction author, I like to show the human side of the great Civil War generals - rather than just their military achievements.

I think it is especially heart-breaking to read that a staff member changed the dispatch to his wife to read "slightly wounded" from "dangerously wounded" so that she would not worry. She arrived an hour and half after his death.

This account of the general's death appeared in the Richmond Examiner:

"No incident of mortality, since the fall of the great Jackson, has occasioned more painful regret than this. Major General J.E.B. Stuart, the model of Virginian cavaliers and dashing chieftain, whose name was a terror to the enemy, and familiar as a household word in two continents, is dead - - struck down by a bullet from the foe, and the whole Confederacy mourns him. He breathed out his gallant spirit resignedly, and in the full possession of all his remarkable faculties of mind and body, at twenty two minutes to eight o'clock Thursday night, at the residence of Dr. Brewer, a relative, on Grace street...

We learn from the physicians in attendance upon the General that his condition during the day was very changeable, with occasional delirium and other unmistakable symptoms of speedy dissolution. In the moments of delirium the General's mind wandered and, like the immortal Jackson (whose spirit, we trust, his has joined), in the lapse of reason his faculties were busied with the details of his command. He reviewed, in broken sentences, all his glorious campaigns around McClellan's rear on the Peninsula beyond the Potomac, and upon the Rapidan, quoting from his orders and issuing new ones to his couriers, with a last injunction to "make haste."

About noon, Thursday, President Davis visited his bedside, and spent some fifteen minutes in the dying chamber of his favorite chieftain. The President, taking his hand, said, "General, how do you feel?" He replied, "Easy, but willing to die, if God and my country think I have fulfilled my destiny and done my duty." As evening approached the General's delirium increased, and his mind again wandered to the battlefields over which he had fought, then off to wife and children, and off again to the front. A telegraphic message had been sent for his wife, who was in the country, with the injunction to make all haste, as the General was dangerously wounded. Some thoughtless but unauthorized person, thinking probably to spare his wife pain, altered the dispatch to "slightly wounded," and it was thus she received it, and did not make that haste which she otherwise would have done to reach his side.

As the evening wore on, the paroxysms of pain increased, and mortification set in rapidly. Though suffering the greatest agony at times, the General was calm, and applied to the wound with his own hand the ice intended to relieve the pain. During the evening he asked Dr. Brewer how long he thought he could live, and whether it was possible for him to survive through the night. The Doctor, knowing he did not desire to be buoyed by false hopes, told him frankly that death, that last enemy, was rapidly approaching. The General nodded and said, "I am resigned if it be God's will; but I would like to see my wife. But God's will be done." Several times he roused up and asked if she had come.

To the Doctor, who sat holding his wrist and counting the fleeting, weakening pulse, he remarked, "Doctor, I suppose I am going fast now. It will soon be over. But God's will be done. I hope I have fulfilled my destiny to my country and my duty to God."

His worldly matters closed, the eternal interest of his soul engaged his mind. Turning to the Rev. Mr. Peterkin, of the Episcopal Church, and of which he was an exemplary member, he asked him to sing the hymn commencing --

"Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee."

He joining in with all the voice his strength would permit. He then joined in prayer with the ministers. To the Doctor he again said, "I am going fast now; I am resigned; God's will done."

Thus died General J.E.B. Stuart.

His wife reached the house of death and mourning about ten o'clock on Thursday night, one hour and a half after dissolution, and was of course plunged into the greatest grief by the announcement that death had intervened between the announcement of the wounding of the General and her arrival.

Thus has passed away, amid the exciting scenes of this revolution, one of the bravest and most dashing cavaliers that the "Old Dominion" has ever given birth to. Long will her sons recount the story of his achievements and mourn his untimely departure."

Mother's Day connection to the Civil War

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."
- Abraham Lincoln

Ever wondered when Mother's Day started and why? They say the honoring of mothers goes back to the ancient Greek era when the mother of many Greek mythology deities was honored. In recent history, Christians began to celebrate Mothering Sunday in England during the fourth week of Lent as a tribute to all mothers. Celebrations began with a church service to honor Virgin Mary and flowers and gifts were given by children to their mothers as a token of love.

Mothers Day in the United States is attributed to Julia Ward Howe who began observing this day on June 2nd around 1870 to promote pacifism. In those days, a common practice was meetings for mothers whose sons had died fighting the American Civil War.

The day gained wider recognition after 1907, when young Anna Marie Jarvis started celebrating Mothers day in Grafton, West Virginia, privately in memory of her late mother. In the beginning, Anna sent carnations, her mother’s favorite flowers, to the local church service. Later, she went on to promote this day to a national holiday. On May 14th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed an official declaration stating the second Sunday of May every year as Mothers Day.

Today, Mothers Day is celebrated all across the world with children expressing their deepest love and gratitude.

I have to count my Mother as one of the best in the world and send her best wishes for a wonderful day!

Ford's Theatre and The Civil War

Had a great evening at Ford's Theatre on Wednesday, being entertained by the legendary Michael Lanning and Michael 'Tuba' McKinsey in the musical production of The Civil War.

What a treat to sit in the front row on the balcony a few arms lengths from the booth where President Lincoln was shot.

For those of you who are not familiar with The Civil War, it toured nationally and then came to Gettysburg during the summer of 2005 as For the Glory. I quit my job as a newspaper editor to work as the spotlight operator for the show and had the privilege of working with the talented cast (and crew, of course).

The Civil War is a musical tribute that puts a human face on the American tragedy of the War Between the States. The songs and dialogue are inspired by the words of Walt Whitman, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln as well as the lives (as documented through letters, photographs, and journals) of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

Drawing from the American musical genres of rock, country, gospel, folk, and rhythm and blues, The Civil War combines the stories of Union and Confederate soldiers, slaves, abolitionists and veterans. The intimate setting of Ford's Theatre is a perfect venue for this show. If you're in the Washington, D.C. area, stop by Ford's Theatre for a historic and entertaining experience.

This is the still-soggy group at the bar after the show. From left: Jessica James, Michael "Tuba" McKinsey, Meghan Little, Michael Lanning, T.J. Ramaley, and House Manager Amanda Beck. (Thanks Amanda!) Not shown is Alice the GPS that took us on the longest route possible for the trip home. (A fun trip nonetheless).

Thanks to Meghan's great driving skills we arrived safe and sound!

Civil War and wine: A perfect combination

OK, at first glance you may not think the Civil War and wine have all that much in common - but, boy, are you wrong!

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do a book signing of my historical fiction book, Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia at Bluemont Vineyard in Bluemont (Loudoun County), Virginia.

To describe Bluemont Vineyard in one word - I would have to say "spectacular." The winery is nestled on an eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains at an elevation of 951 feet. The panoramic view from the tasting room of landmarks such as Tysons Corner, Reston and Dulles offers visitors a stunning and unique experience.

Now, back to the Civil War and wine. Ten vineyards in Virginia have joined to create a General's Campaign Journal to compel wine lovers (and history lovers) to visit wineries and historical sites along the Wine and History Trail. This campaign commissions visitors to "scout" each of the wineries on the Trail, and get their Journal stamped with a star. At the end of the year, all of the full journals are entered into a drawing for great prizes. The Journal includes a map, a history of each of the wineries, and nearby historical sites.

You can pick up your Journal at any of the wineries or visit www.thegeneralswinetrail.com to learn more.

Virginia has so much history to offer, and the beautiful landscape is unlike anything you'll see anywhere else. Take advantage of this great campaign to drink in the sites of the past ... and savor a glass of hand-crafted wine!