Civil War Memory

Over the past few days I have had to endure emails from friends notifying me that my new book has finally arrived. Well, earlier today my copies were finally delivered. I hope you enjoy this short unboxing video. This is my fourth time opening a new box of books and the thrill never gets old. Thanks to all of you who have supported me over the years. I’ve been the beneficiary of an incredible amount of love and support, which I have never taken for granted.

Rendering of Trump’s Arch (Source: National Park Service) The Washington Post reported yesterday that the Trump administration is set to begin excavation work at Memorial Circle in Arlington, Virginia, for the planned 250-foot-tall triumphal arch, in the next few weeks. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum made the announcement on X.

Abraham Lincoln, oil on canvas by George Healy, 1887 (Source: National Portrait Gallery) President Trump loves to compare himself to Abraham Lincoln. In his own recent rankings of the greatest presidents, Lincoln came in just below the top slot, which, you can probably guess, was reserved for Trump himself.

Last week the city of Richmond, Virginia removed the last three Confederate statues from Capitol Square. The statues honored Generals William “Extra Billy” Smith, Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire. Statue of Dr. Hunter McGuire (Source: Judy Smith Photography) Today, Margaret Seiler, who is the great granddaughter of Dr McGuire joined me to talk about her thoughts about the removal of the statue honoring her ancestor.

About a week ago my friend Garry Adelman posted a short video asking, “At what point is someone a historian?” Though it was a fun little exercise, I don’t have much interest in this question for reasons that I offer in this video. A more interesting question, at least to me, is what constitutes a good work of history. That, of course, is a subjective que…

The removal of the last three Confederate monuments has received a great deal of media attention, as it should, but we also should acknowledge recent additions to the city’s monument landscape. Together, both the removal of monuments and the dedication of new ones paint a much clearer picture of how one community has evolved in how it remembers its collective past. In the past few decades, Richmond has dedicated new monuments that have greatly expanded its commemorative landscape.

President Trump’s Triumphal Arch is one step closer to becoming a reality now that the public comment phase has been concluded. The National Park Service released a report indicating the “adverse effects” that the arch would have on numerous sight lines from some of the most iconic monuments and historic sites in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, the reporting of this will leave the public with the impression that the NPS supports this project.

Removal of “Stonewall” Jackson statue in Capitol Square (Source: VPM) The removal of the last three Confederate statues from the former capital of the Confederacy in Richmond was little more than a formality. Democrats in the legislature were simply waiting for the moment when they could appropriate the necessary funds for their removal, but it is worth taking a few minutes to offer some perspective. The three statues removed include: Thomas J.

Veterans and children gather around the Union monument in Union, Maine in 1890. (Source: Maine.gov) I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that, for most people, it has always been relatively easy to understand the appeal of the Lost Cause narrative of the Civil War. The idea of a war to defend hearth and home is grounded in something tangible.

(Source: Library of Congress) What an entirely unexpected and absurd question for the Saturday morning, you say? Here me out. The other day I received a notice from a subscriber, who decided to downgrade his membership from a paid to free subscription. He was kind enough to share some reasons why, which I greatly appreciate. Most people choose not to do so. One of his comments was that I was writing too much about the Lost Cause. In short, he got it.