Random Thoughts on History

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Civil War battlefields that later became National Parks are often filled with monuments to the regiments and individual officers that fou...

I apologize for the lack of posts this month, but responsibilities have pulled me in several directions. One of the pleasant responsibil...

Erected and Dedicated 1865 October 13, 2015

Appomattox National Historical Park is a wonderful place that I have visited several times. However, I had not taken the time to locate...

Reading through American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses , published in 1839, by abolitionist Theodore Dwight Weld, I...

Students of the Civil War are often armed with a plethora of quotes. Some are even familiar to the most casual of enthusiasts. Who can fo...

I never get tired of looking at images from the Liljenquist Family Collection on the Library of Congress website. Of the many many photog...

Today, I was searching for some images for a project I am working on at work. I found the above picture while searching and thought I...

Since I am searching census records online, it seems best to focus on those of towns and cities, where black barbers are most likely to w...

I'm not sure where I'm going to find the time and energy to do the research and writing, but some preliminary searching in the 18...

On our trip Isle of Wight County, and while driving down Highway 10 through Prince George County, I spotted a sign indicating the birthpl...

While at Bacon's Castle this past weekend we picked up several brochures they had displayed that highlighted other local historic sit...

Yesterday, Michele and I took a drive down to Surry County to visit Bacon's Castle. It was a wonderful trip fill with lots of gre...

"A Tough Customer. Army Mule," by Edwin Forbes. Rappahanock Station, Virginia, February 5, 1864. "An Army Mu...

"The Mule Driver," by Edwin Forbes, November 23, 1863 at Kelly's Ford, Virginia. Image courtesy of the Library of Congres...

Few men wanted Southern secession, or did more to try to make it happen, than Virginian Edmund Ruffin. The long-haired old man's appe...

Wanting to learn more about Virginia's enigmatic politician, Henry A. Wise, I recently completed reading Craig M. Simpson's 1985 ...

My continuing study of the Petersburg Campaign has brought a new admiration for the military skills of Wade Hampton. Whether displaying...

Have you ever wondered where you will rest in peace? I know, that's a pretty morbid thought. But, I admit, I've wondered. Will it...