Thought of the Day

Hat tip for this one goes to my boss (and whoever sent it to her).

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop. (that's over 2 pounds).

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit .

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service!!

Interesting Post

Found this post on Past in the Present today. It brings out an interesting question to ponder for military historians.

Monument Controversy in Raleigh

OK, I have to admit off the bat that my title for this post is probably a wee bit sensational. There wouldn't even be a controversy were it not for Raleigh News & Observer columnist Peder Zane stirring a pot. Without getting into too great a detail, here's a blog post about the controversy, as well as Zane's original column and a follow up in which Mr. Zane takes to task all the redneck responders to his original piece and reiterates his original argument. He got five pages of comments from the original post and eight more pages of comments from the follow up. Of the responses I've read (and admittedly, I've not looked at more than 10% of them) my favorite is this:

I do not think your logic -- or really the lack of such -- supports the assertion that the monument to the Confederate dead is somehow more pernicious than those nearby which honor former governors Charles B. Aycock or Zeb Vance. You allude to Aycock's role in the White Supremacy campaigns of 1898 and 1900, as well as the N&O's Josephus Daniels, and yet these men employed a rhetoric of race which was associated not only with disfranchisement of African American voters but also, statistically, with a peak in racial lynching in North Carolina. Vance, a former Rebel colonel & wartime governor, led the "racist Democratic machine [which] regained power" in 1876. Furthermore, you must appreciate the fact that many of the NC boys who gave their lives in the War did not own slaves -- in fact, probably the majority. You deserve credit for drawing attention to the complex history of the monument, but I just do not see how one can single it out for destruction while preserving others.

My general opinion is that if we start going around and tearing down monuments, where does it stop? The monument itself is a piece of history and can be used to tell multiple stories. It can tell the story of the 40,000 boys that were lost to the Old North State, and it can also tell the story of the turbulent 1890s (along with the monuments to Aycock and Vance that are mentioned in the above response). My question is, why does Peder Zane feel the need to stir this particular pot? Our country has much bigger things to worry about.

Interesting Meeting Yesterday

Yesterday I attended an informational session regarding the proposed Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Area. If you click on this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and download the PDF file you will get a general idea of what the proposed NHA is all about. They have just finished taking their first round of public comments. They will now finalize what will be included in the NHA, prepare a draft report for Congress, and go out for a second round of public comment. It was interesting to hear what the potential is for such a Heritage Area. I hope that it will come to fruition.

Public Service Announcement - MIT Press Podcast

If you read this blog regularly, you know I rarely post these types of things, but this one seems kind of interesting.

Featured initially in the December 2008 issue of The New England Quarterly, "From Mashantucket to Appomattox: The Native American Veterans of Connecticut's Volunteer Regiments and the Union Army," is a unique perspective on Native American involvement in the Civil War. Listen as author and host, David Naumec along with The New England Quarterly's own Board of Directors, Bill Fowler, discuss Naumec's most recent work.

For more information I urge you to visit our Journal's Podcast page:

MIT Press Journals

You will find both the podcast, as well as Naumec's original piece featured in The New England Quarterly.

Up Early Today

I'm up early today, at least for a Saturday. I'm heading to Moore's Creek National Battlefield for the anniversary living history program. In all the years I've lived in eastern NC, I've never actually been to this historic site, so I'm excited not only to participate in the program, but just to see the site for the first time. I have met a couple of park rangers from Moore's Creek on numerous occasions, and am glad to finally see the place.

Housekeeping

I've deleted three of the blogs from my list of sports blogs due to lack of posts. One of these blogs hasn't posted anything in almost two years (shows how much I actually read some of these, right?). Anyway, the three that are gone (if anyone cares) are Be Like Tike, I Wish I Was a Rooney, and Pittsburgh Sports Guys. I hate to see the second one go becuase let's face it, is there a greater name for a Steelers blog than I Wish I Was a Rooney? Classic. Oh well.

Don't Fear the Twitter

Check out this post from Kevin Levin's blog, Civil War Memory. Though Kevin is specifically addressing the use of Web 2.0 technology as a teacher, I think there are parallels that museum professionals can draw from this. We've recently had discussions throughout our Division about the use of Facebook. A number of our historic sites have set up Facebook group and/or fan pages and are communicating with their audiences using this technology. The NC Department of Cultural Resources has its own Facebook page, and I have recently started an employee group page for NC Historic Sites that the Education Branch (myself included) is using to disseminate information on museum education and other related issues. My personal opinion is that sites/museums that don't use this technology to reach their audiences are falling behind. I think Kevin is correct to say that fearing the technology is also a bad thing. The train has left the station; we need to either get on or get run over.

Don’t Fear the Twitter

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Cleaning Up the Reading List

If you take a look at the "What I'm Currently Reading" sidebar you will see that I just finished Colin Calloway's excellent book The Scratch of a Pen. In keeping with the theme, I have decided that I will now pick up Fred Anderson's The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War. I'm not exactly sure why I've gotten onto this F&I War trend, but I guess maybe it's a break from the type of stuff that I usually read. The Calloway book was really an easy read, and I'm hoping for the same with Anderson's work. Also note, that I have removed James Volo's Blue Water Patriots from the list. There's nothing at all wrong with the book, but almost immediately after I started reading it, other things caught my interest and I've not been able to return to it with any enthusiasm. I'll have to pick it back up at a later date.

Two Anniversaries Today

On this day in 1776, the first Continental Navy squadron was put to sea. And...

On this day in 1865, Gen. W.T. Sherman's army burned Columbia, SC to the ground.

For what it's worth.

Was Benjamin Franklin America's First Nativist?

In my current reading, I've come across a quote from Benjamin Franklin, uttered in the 1760s. In speaking of German immigrants coming to Pennsylvania, Franklin worried that they would, "swarm into our settlements, and by herding together, establish their language and manners, to the exclusion of ours."

Sounds rather familiar doesnt' it? Similar arguments have been made by Americans regarding foreign immigrants ever since. Today, these arguments are most likely posited by those opposing illegal immigration from Latin America. While I am by no means condoning illegal immigration, I think it's interesting that Americans have held these views since pre-independence. I also think that the quote shows that just because Franklin may have been one of our most enlightened citizens, he still had a conservative streak in him. I'm quite sure he wasn't alone in his sentiment. And for the record, my German ancestors came to Pennsylvania in 1830, long after Ben had left this world. I'm glad they were of no concern to him.

On This Day in 1763.....

.....the Peace of Paris was signed, thus ending the Seven Years' War (or as we North Americans like to call it, the French & Indian War). On this momentous day in 1763, in historian Francis Parkman's words, "half a continent...changed hands at the scratch of a pen." Relations among all North American inhabitants was changed forever and the seeds of the American Revolution were sewn.

Sons of Union Veterans (in North Carolina?)

If you read my previous post about yesterday's presentation, you may be saying to yourself, "I didn't know there was a Sons of Union Veterans organization in North Carolina." Actually, there are five camps in the Old North State. In the west, there are camps in Asheville and Charlotte. In my neck of the woods there are camps in Fayetteville, Raleigh, and the newest in Morehead City. There is talk of developing two more camps, one in Wilmington and another in the northeastern part of the state around Washington/Plymouth.

Since 2000, I have been an honorary member (bestowed by a local camp) of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I have never paid dues to that organization, nor do I receive any of the usual member benefits such as the magazine, etc. I always enjoy doing programs for the various SCV camps in eastern NC; they are always very gracious and appreciative. However, over the past few years I've grown increasingly disgusted with the SCV's politics and have distanced myself from the organization. Since I have at least one known ancestor who fought for the Union (my parents are from Pennsylvania), I have decided it is time to join the SUV. I am filling out the paperwork now so that I can join the Morehead City camp, where I spoke yesterday. I already know a number of the men in that organization and am comfortable with the group. I am excited about joining, even though I doubt I'll be a regular meeting attendee (I already know that I will miss at least the next two meetings due to other obligations).

I have also decided to take this heritage group mania one step farther and join the Sons of the American Revolution. As I've gotten more involved in this time period, both from a work and reenacting standpoint, I have considered joining the SAR. I do have an ancestor, again from Pennsylvania, that fought in the conflict. I got the contact information for one of the family genealogists who I've been told can help me put together all the information I could possibly want. The closest chapter of the SAR is the one located in New Bern, just 45 minutes away. This application will probably take much longer, even with the professional genealogist's help, but hope that by the time 2010 rolls around I will be a member.

In the end, I'm not sure what's driving all of this. I'm not feeling any stronger connection to any of my ancestors than before. I guess I've just finally gotten around to doing these things that I should have done a long time ago, but never got motivated to do it. Now if I can prove that 1st Lieutenant was in my grandfather's line, I can work on the Military Order of the Loyal Legion!

Presentation Yesterday

Yesterday I was honored to be the guest speaker at the regular meeting of the Sons of Union Veterans, North Carolina Union Volunteers Camp #5, which is based in Morehead City. I gave a presentation about Union naval operations in Onslow County, NC (my home county) during the Civil War. The basic storyline is that once the Union controlled Beaufort and Fort Macon (late April 1862) they used that as a fueling station for the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. They also used it as a rendevous point from which to conduct joint army-navy raids along the portions of the state's coast that were still in Confederate hands. A series of operations, not including the Battle of New River, were small raids generally aimed at destroying coastal salt works and capturing southern schooners outbound with loads of cotton and naval stores. Most of these operations were generally successful. The most well-known action in the county was the aforementioned Battle of New River (Nov. 23-25, 1862), a much larger scale operation conducted by the daring Lt. William Barker Cushing. This raid hit the heart of the county, the seat of Jacksonville. Cushing correctly predicted that he would "surprise the enemy in going and have to fight my way back down" the river. It was one of the earliest of Cushing's daring exploits and about the most excitement the town of Jacksonville saw during the war. At any rate, the program was pretty well attended and the lunch afterwards was an excellent opportunity for fellowship. The day was made even better by the fact that I shared the hour's drive there and back with an old friend, Steve Sayko, recently returned from a year's duty in Afghanistan. I thoroughly enjoyed the day!

This Poor Neglected Blog of Mine

I'm sorry, faithful readers, that I have neglected the blog for the past week. I really do have lots to discuss, but I don't have enough time to write a lengthy, involved blog post. One of these days I'll catch up; maybe this weekend. Lots of topics are out there, floating around in my head.

1. I'll be speaking this Saturday at the Sons of Union Veterans meeting in Morehead City, NC (topic: Union Navy Actions in Onslow County Waters)

2. Using social media (Facebook, blogs, etc.) in the museum/historic sites field

3. Books I'm reading (or trying to read as time allows)

I'll get around to all of it eventually.