Tag: civil war

Second tour is done

This time we had a full group of about 15.  Most of them seemed pretty enthusiastic although there was one guy who must have been along for the ride, because he didn’t seem to be into it while the woman with him asked me a lot of questions.  Probably the most unusual thing about this tour happened when I brought the group by the Julia Ward Howe and Samuel Gridley Howe home on Chestnut Street.  After describing how Julia was inspired to write new words to the tune of “John Brown’s Body”, and how the new lyrics became tremendously popular, a woman on the tour asked if I could sing it for her, and then a bunch of the other women on the tour chimed in too.  So I went ahead and sang the first verse.  I got a round of applause, hopefully not for comedic value and/or pity.

-Geoff

The first Civil War walking tour seemed to go well…

and the second one is coming up this weekend.  There are already a bunch of people signed up for it.  I am excited.  Needless to say I have had the Civil War era on the brain for a while, but especially lately.

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The unstudied aspects of the Civil War

I know that to some people, the idea that there is anything left to study about the Civil War is doubtful.  Estimates are that some 50,000 books have been written about the Civil War.  And yet, much to my own frustration, many topics remain unstudied.   The one that has frustrated me more than any other in recent years is civilian casualties of the war.

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My Civil War Walking Tour for Historic New England

Hello everyone.  I have been meaning to put up a link to the new tour that will be led by yours truly, so here is the link to the first one, which will be on September 22nd.  That day is the 150th anniversary of the issuing of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, so it is a pretty appropriate day, I think.    If you have the time, come on out and learn some history with me.

civil war walking tour
Come geek out with me and celebrate American History!

-Geoff

What on earth were they thinking?

Someone vandalized the Shaw monument today.  It happened this afternoon, literally while I was working down the street.  In fact, I walked past the monument on my lunch break.  I really cannot fathom why someone would do such a thing.  I know I am not your average person when it comes to how I feel about this particular monument, but still, I cannot understand it.

-Geoff

So my first day back doing living history was good

Of course, I was asked just how hot the outfit was many times, just as I had often been asked when I was doing programs at places like Stones River National Battlefield and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park when I did programs in the summertime there.

The short answer is yes, it is quite warm.  It’s wool.

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A bit of history… to eat

This week will be the first time in well over a decade that I have worn any of my Civil War gear.  So this week I tried a bunch of my stuff on and what do you know, it still fits, although the vest is going to need some adjustments.  Still, I am excited about doing it, and to be getting involved with history again.  And to get me in the spirit of things I decided to take a little trip to Milton, home of the G.H. Bent Company.

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