Thoughts on Recent Conference

As promised, I have returned to offer some brief thoughts on the conference I attended with two colleagues two weeks ago. "Confederate Icons: History, Memory, and the Future of Our Past" was held at James Madison University and sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. First, let me say that the facilities at JMU were top notch in every way, and that everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Having attended all seven Virginia Sesquicentennial conferences, I believe this was on par with those larger events, and I made sure to tell the organizers that. I am going to post links to each of the presentations so you can watch them yourself if you choose, but here's a brief synopsis.

James I. "Bud" Robertson, Jr. was first up and I hate to say it, but I was terribly disappointed. While his presentation started out moderately enough, he quickly went off the rails and stayed there. His talk lost all professionalism in my mind when he used the oft-heard conservative jab at young liberals, "snowflakes." And that was only the beginning. One colleague pointed out that he cited no historiography past the 1950s, though he certainly knows better. His worship (and there's no other way to say it) of Robert E. Lee and attack on the Episcopal Church was over the top. Basically, he came off sounding like an angry old white guy. There is so much to break down about his presentation, but I'll spare it and you can watch it yourself if you choose. Link


Caroline Janney gave what maybe should have been the first lecture of the day, which put every other presentation into historical context. Her presentation outlined the activities of both Union and Confederate veterans in the years following the war, up to about World War I. This offered a gentle corrective to some of Robertson's thoughts by taking the issue further back in time than he bothered to do. Link


Christy Coleman was nearly the polar opposite of Robertson in her presentation, though she didn't go spinning wildly off into left field. She did have a few miscues/stumbles, but offered the real counterpoint to Robertson. She proved elusive during Q&A, not really answering the one question that was posed, to which everyone wanted to know the answer (regarding the committee recommendations on what to do with Richmond's Monument Avenue). She also invited some pointed criticism during Q&A that the moderators fairly quickly shut down. Link

John Coski came in right where I thought he would - straight down the middle. He was easily the most moderate of the speakers, though not conciliatory in any way. He laid out the facts in a straightforward and honest way, and his conclusions fell squarely where they should have. He was pushed a bit during Q&A, but not to the extent that Coleman had been. Link

Keven Walker wrapped up the day by giving the SVBF official position on the matter. Link

Overall, it was a very balanced conference, with all sides represented in some way. Unfortunately, the audience for this was probably not the audience that needs to hear such reasoned debate. The demographic was about what one would expect for such a conference, 99% white and over the age of 50. Those of us in our 40s felt like the young ones in the room, save for a few grad students. One colleague mentioned on numerous occasions that he was surprised to see armed law enforcement presence at the conference and wondered what message that sent. The officers were JMU campus police and there were two of them in the facility throughout the day. I didn't find this too unusual, surmising that the campus probably requires law enforcement to be present at most events held on campus. Maybe it was their appearance that he noticed. They didn't look like contract security guards (mall cops/rent-a-cops), but were regular, uniformed police, one of whom was wearing a vest. I chalked it up to campus policy, but maybe they were hedging against any kind of unrest. Suffice it to say, it was a very low-key and respectful crowd.

I will definitely keep up with the program offerings from SVBF in the future, as I was very impressed with this event. If they do something that interests you, I would highly recommend attending. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Call me politically correct, but....I have a problem with this

On Friday, November 11 (Veteran's Day), a paid advertisement ran on page 9 of the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News. This ad took up two-thirds of the page, sharing space with the continuation of a local writer's column (the column and the ad had nothing at all to do with one another). The ad consisted of this very "Lost Cause-y" artwork

from 1896. Above the image were the words "Remembering all the gallant men who wore the Gray on Veteran's Day - Deo Vindice" and below the image was a quote from Major R.E. Wilson, CSA that simply oozes Lost Cause nostalgia. At the very bottom are the words "Paid for by ....".

The quote by Major Wilson reads, "If I ever disown, repudiate, or apologize for the Cause for which Lee fought and Jackson died, let the lightning's of Heaven rend me, and the scorn of all good men and true women be my portion. Sun, Moon, Stars, all fall on me when I cease to love the Confederacy. 'Tis the cuase, not the fate of the Cause, that is glorious!"

Now, I have absolutely no problem with someone spending their money on an ad such as this. If that's how you choose to allocate your dollars, that's great. What I have a problem with is the fact that it was run on Veteran's Day. Some of you may say that this is a tribute to veterans like any other, but I beg to differ. I feel this ad would be more appropriately run on Confederate Memorial Day. Some of my friends and colleagues will call me a liberal, academic South hater (which, by the way, is an inside joke). Something about this ad just struck me all wrong. Veteran's Day as we know it was established after World War I and I don't see a place for an ad such as this on this holiday. If one truly believes that the Confederate States of America was a sovereign nation, then why would you want to remember its heroes on a day set aside to remember veterans of the United States military?

I don't know why this simple newspaper ad got me so stirred up except to say that its stuff like this that really diminishes my interest in the Civil War. Too many people still fighting it, too many thinking the South will rise again, and a Lost Cause that simply won't get lost. The Civil War encompasses so much of what I do in my job, in my hobby, and in life in general, that I will never fully escape it. I just wish I could escape this side of it and focus on other aspects of it.

Photo from Reilly Dedication

I just wanted to post a photo someone sent me from this past weekend's marker dedication ceremony for Major James Reilly. The photo shows our crew (one of three artillery pieces present) with the battery commander standing on the hill behind us. The ceremony was very nice, even though we had to endure one particularly over the top speech by an SCV official who wasn't even on the program, but was a last second addition invited by someone other than the ceremony's organizer. Luckily, I was in such a position that I couldn't hear much of anything, but what I did hear was more than enough to make me grit my teeth and simmer a bit. Sources tell me that most of the other folks who were present were not happy that this individual had been inserted into the lineup. Otherwise, it was a lovely ceremony and we managed to get the cannons loaded up and hauled out before the rain started. I also briefly visited General W.H.C. Whiting's grave and Captain Joseph Price's grave.

Honoring One of Fort Fisher's Heroes

Tomorrow morning my friend Don Smith and I will hit the road to Wilmington for a grave marker dedication. The subject of the marker is Major James Reilly, commander of Co. D, 10th North Carolina and later second in command at Fort Fisher. Don and I will be on the cannon crew from Fort Fisher when the ceremonial rounds are fired. This will all take place in Wilmington's historic Oakdale Cemetery. A press release concerning tomorrow's program can be found HERE. There are many historic characters of Wilmington's past buried in this cemetery, including Major General W.H.C. Whiting, who commanded the Confederate Cape Fear District for much of the war, Confederate spy Rose O'Neal Greenhow, and Captain Joseph Price, third and final commander of the Confederate ironclad CSS Neuse. I normally don't do a lot of programs such as this, but because of the connections to Fort Fisher I decided to go. And besides, I haven't been to visit Capt. Price lately.

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.

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!

Slavery and Black Confederates Have Been Misrepresented (Really?)

This post is really for Kevin Levin (Happy Holidays, Kevin!). If you read Civil War Memory you know Kevin's long-held position on the issue of black Confederates, and his particular disagreements with an historian who is mentioned in the following articles. As food for thought and to generate discussion, here are three articles that appeared in local eastern NC papers recently about a new Confederate monument in the small town of Seven Springs. This is a very important location in eastern NC Civil War history, as it is the building site for the hull of the Confederate ironclad CSS Neuse. There was a small battle fought there in December 1862 as part of a larger expedition by Union General John G. Foster, a raid that culminated in the Battle of Goldsboro Bridge. So, read these three articles and enjoy (Kevin and everyone!)

Goldsboro News-Argus
Kinston Free Press 1
Kinston Free Press 2

A Busy Week Coming Up

This may prove to be my busiest week this month. On Tuesday morning I am headed to Raleigh to conduct our History Bowl state championship. I think I've mentioned History Bowl here before, but in case I haven't, it is a competition for 8th grade NC History students that is conducted in a quiz bowl type format. Various historic sites in our Division conduct regional competitions (usually 8, but this year only 7) and the winners proceed to Raleigh for the championship. We host it at the NC Museum of History in downtown Raleigh, which has a very nice auditorium. It is a two-day affair. Tuesday afternoon the students arrive, tour the museum and the State Capitol and attend a reception at the state headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The UDC has co-sponsored this competition since its inception 28 years ago. They provide refreshments and plaques/trophies at many of the regional competitions, and aside from hosting the Tuesday afternoon reception, also provide the trophies and certificates for the state championship. In my opinion, sponsoring these types of activities places the UDC at the top of the heap when it comes to the various "heritage" organizations; it shows that are interested in more than flag waving and propagandizing. UDC sponsorship of this competition has been questioned by a couple of parents in the past year or two, but no strenuous protests have been lodged and I'm glad. The UDC has always been very gracious and loves this program, and we honestly couldn't pull it off without their sponsorship.

Anyway, back to the competition. The teams will spend the night in a residence hall at Peace College on Tuesday and the competition will be played on Wednesday. But wait, there's more. History Bowl isn't the only thing happening in Raleigh on Tuesday and Wednesday. This week is also National Tourism Week and Tuesday is National Tourism Day. There will be activities going on both day and evening, including a Tuesday evening reception at the Museum of History. Our Division always has a booth at this event and likes to have costumed interpreters manning the booth, so yours truly, since I'll already be there anyway, will be manning the booth for the big reception. Its always a nice event and you see a lot of folks from Department staff to legislators. Promotion is the name of the game, and I'll be promoting.

Finally, once all of the History Bowl hoopla is over I will have to retool for a living history program at Historic Edenton on Saturday. More on that later.

The Continuing Saga of the MOC

While I was in Atlanta this week the word came out that the Museum of the Confederacy is now considering moving much of its collection to satellite sites around Virginia. Check out the posting about this on Civil War Librarian, a blog that I have become quite impressed with over the past few weeks. This posting sort of sums up everything else I've read on the topic over the past couple of days.

If nothing else, this announcement has raised more questions than it has answered and I heard a number of those questions being asked in Atlanta. First and foremost, what happens to the museum's collections that are associated with aspects of the Confederacy aside from Virginia? What happens to their collections related to North Carolina and other states? Where do they get the money to build and staff three new visitors centers? These and lots of other questions will have to be answered in the coming months, and I for one will be interested to see what really happens in the end.

Update on SCV Presentation

My presentation to the CSS Ram Neuse Camp #1427 SCV last night went well. To my way of thinking, that camp exemplifies what the SCV should be. They are all gentlemen and most of them are well-read and knowledgable. I fielded a lot of good questions, some of which I had no answer to. All in all it was a good experience and I look forward to being invited back in the future.

My Next Presentation

This Tuesday evening, June 12, I will be giving a presentation at the monthly meeting of the CSS Ram Neuse Camp #1427, SCV in Kinston, NC. This camp has had some recent turmoil in regards to SCV politics. A number of the camp's members split from the group about two years ago and formed another camp. I know most of the gentlemen in Camp #1427 and they are all fine folks. They are genuinely interested in history, rather than current heritage politics and a number of them are involved in local preservation and tourism development groups. They have done a lot to further the efforts of Kinston's growing heritage tourism industry and should be commended for their efforts.

The meeting will be held at King's Restaurant (a Kinston icon) on Highway 70 East. Dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. and my presentation will kick off at about 7:30 or so. This time around I am doing a presentation on Private Isaac Taylor of Company K, 2nd NC Cavalry and the longest surviving Confederate veteran in Onslow County. Parts of Taylor's story are like that of any Confederate soldier, but there are some unique twists. It is a program that I've found appeals to SCV and UDC groups, and it is a fairly brief program in comparison to some of my others. If you're in Kinston on Tuesday evening and want some good food and a little history, stop by King's and see us!


Isaac Taylor in his later years, with his daughter-in-law
Photo courtesy of Mr. Taylor's great granddaughter

Skipping Out on Confederate Memorial Day

This weekend, at various locations across North Carolina, Confederate Memorial Day was commemorated. I know of at least three ceremonies that took place within two hours of my home on either Saturday or Sunday. My wife and I usually attend the ceremony at Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington. She is a member of the Cape Fear Chapter #3, United Daughters of the Confederacy, which sponsors this particular ceremony each year. For those not familiar with Wilmington, Oakdale is the prototypical old southern cemetery. The ceremony is always held at the Confederate memorial in the cemetery where many unnamed soldiers are buried. From the monument you can see the grave of Captain Joseph Price, the third and final captain of the ironclad CSS Neuse. Many other prominent folks are buried in the cemetery, including Major General W.H.C. Whiting, Commander of the Cape Fear District and focus of my wife's research. For us, Confederate Memorial Day is a chance to go and visit the graves of our respective heroes, and see a lot of folks that we normally don't see except for at these types of events. I also dress out and fall in with the honor guard each year, which is a Confederate Marine Corps unit based in Wilmington.


Photo of me and Dr. Chris Fonvielle at a previous CMD ceremony at Oakdale

All intentions were to go this year, but the fates conspired against us. My stepdaughter has been sick all weekend and we knew she would rebel if we tried to pry her out of the bed. It is also the end of the semester and I had final exams and other assignments to grade for the three classes I teach at the community college. Plus, when we got up this morning the weather was terrible - windy, slightly rainy, and chilly. By this afternoon the sun had come out, but the wind and temps had not improved, so Confederate Memorial Day went by the wayside this year. On the positive side, I got all my grading done, I didn't have to clean a musket when I got home, and we can always visit the Captain and the General later. Sure, I missed seeing old friends and doing my part for the Lost Cause (which I don't mind doing from time to time), but there's always next year.

Living History

Yes, this is a photo of me doing living history as a Confederate sailor at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond in 2005. Unfortunately, this museum has been dogged by controversy over the past few years, but our experience there has been very positive.

My living history organization is called Ship's Company of the Roanoke and was formed in 2004. We portray sailors and Marines from the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War. We portray both Union and Confederate services depending on what the event calls for. We were honored to be chosen to do a living history presentation at MOC in conjunction with their recent exhibit on the Confederate Navy. We returned again in 2006 and will be going back in July. Unlike many, we feel that the museum staff, including Waite Rawls are doing the best job they can under the current circumstances. The goal of our organization is education, and we do not get bogged down in politics as some groups do. No matter if we are at MOC or an event that requires us to portray the US Navy, we do the same amount of educational programming in any case. We have built strong relationships with many museums in North Carolina and Virginia and hope to continue to do so. Many of our members are associated with museums and historic sites either as employees, volunteers, or board members.

My point is, we are unlike most of your typical "reenactment" units. We wish there were more out there like us, but to each his own I suppose. I think people really appreciate what we do and we always attract a crowd, whether we are shooting guns or not!