A friendly reader asks, "What was your point with this: 'Female surfers in Cleveland creating Civil War websites and studying for the bar exams - say hello to our hot new demographic.'"
She is a reader of this blog and I tinged some reciprocal link courtesy with humor that didn't work. My love for arcana extends even to arcane demographics...
p.s. She is Jenny Goellnitz and she made a very fine page for A.P. Hill and Stonewall's surgeon.
6/03/2005
6/02/2005
Halleck again - part two of two
Here are the scary parts of Severance's review of John F. Marszalek's Commander of All Lincoln's Armies: A Life of General Henry W. Halleck. My comments follow each quote.
"Marszalek asserts that Halleck's true talents lay in the realm of modern military bureaucracy..." * Are these talents ennumerated? I smell a rationalization.
"Marszalek provides extensive coverage of the general's antebellum life." * I expect a reasonably full accounting of Halleck's California law wranglings with Edwin Stanton and his dealings with a certain West Coast politician named Joe Hooker, two topics far oustside the scope of any Centennial history. (Shame the review does not indicate whether I will get satisfaction here. )
" ... the author identifies the character flaws that plagued Halleck later on as "commander of all Lincoln's armies." * He's not going to let the reader draw his own conclusions.
"At the outset of the Civil War, Halleck's organizational abilities made him a logical choice for high command..." * Never mind Scott's assiduous patronage.
"Marszalek emphasizes that Halleck's dislike for Grant stemmed less from jealousy of the latter's combat success, and more from his subordinate's neglect in following proper military procedure. " * A bold revision of Centennial doctrine! I am breathless. But how can any Halleck biographer not have seen Halleck's correspondence to replace Grant before Donelson (= before "success").
"Similar indecisiveness characterized the subsequent campaigns of 1862 and 1863 to such a degree that Union generals increasingly ignored Halleck altogether and communicated directly with the War Department." * No. Hooker communicated directly with Lincoln by design, not in response to Halleck's "indecisiveness." Burnside and Meade communicated with Halleck.
"With the decisive Grant now in overall command, Halleck at last found his true calling - chief-of-staff to a man he had come to respect." * An affirmation of the Centennial doctrine's core belief and an idea now being scrutinized by Grant scholars.
"Marzsalek argues that Halleck's performance as the North's senior staff officer in a modern, total war should never be underestimated; the clerk can be as important as the soldier in achieving victory." * The argument, actually, is whether a megaclerk is more useful than a fully functioning general-in-chief.
"If nothing else, Halleck's insistence that military papers be saved makes him "the father of the _Official Records_" (p. 232), an accomplishment of perhaps greater significance to Civil War scholarship than anything else that happened in that struggle." * Except that he hid his own papers and later refused to respond to requests for copies of official communications in his posession.
"Marszalek gracefully places the man's shortcomings in perspective and thereby rescues him from military mediocrity." * I hope everyone this narrative is granted some perspective.
Some thoughts on Halleck per se - who he was, what he was, how he functioned - tomorrow.
"Marszalek asserts that Halleck's true talents lay in the realm of modern military bureaucracy..." * Are these talents ennumerated? I smell a rationalization.
"Marszalek provides extensive coverage of the general's antebellum life." * I expect a reasonably full accounting of Halleck's California law wranglings with Edwin Stanton and his dealings with a certain West Coast politician named Joe Hooker, two topics far oustside the scope of any Centennial history. (Shame the review does not indicate whether I will get satisfaction here. )
" ... the author identifies the character flaws that plagued Halleck later on as "commander of all Lincoln's armies." * He's not going to let the reader draw his own conclusions.
"At the outset of the Civil War, Halleck's organizational abilities made him a logical choice for high command..." * Never mind Scott's assiduous patronage.
"Marszalek emphasizes that Halleck's dislike for Grant stemmed less from jealousy of the latter's combat success, and more from his subordinate's neglect in following proper military procedure. " * A bold revision of Centennial doctrine! I am breathless. But how can any Halleck biographer not have seen Halleck's correspondence to replace Grant before Donelson (= before "success").
"Similar indecisiveness characterized the subsequent campaigns of 1862 and 1863 to such a degree that Union generals increasingly ignored Halleck altogether and communicated directly with the War Department." * No. Hooker communicated directly with Lincoln by design, not in response to Halleck's "indecisiveness." Burnside and Meade communicated with Halleck.
"With the decisive Grant now in overall command, Halleck at last found his true calling - chief-of-staff to a man he had come to respect." * An affirmation of the Centennial doctrine's core belief and an idea now being scrutinized by Grant scholars.
"Marzsalek argues that Halleck's performance as the North's senior staff officer in a modern, total war should never be underestimated; the clerk can be as important as the soldier in achieving victory." * The argument, actually, is whether a megaclerk is more useful than a fully functioning general-in-chief.
"If nothing else, Halleck's insistence that military papers be saved makes him "the father of the _Official Records_" (p. 232), an accomplishment of perhaps greater significance to Civil War scholarship than anything else that happened in that struggle." * Except that he hid his own papers and later refused to respond to requests for copies of official communications in his posession.
"Marszalek gracefully places the man's shortcomings in perspective and thereby rescues him from military mediocrity." * I hope everyone this narrative is granted some perspective.
Some thoughts on Halleck per se - who he was, what he was, how he functioned - tomorrow.
Civil War prints and their critics
"Jonah Begone" has it in for "Civil War Art" as you can see on his page, "But is it art?" His core idea, that these commercial prints are illustrations, actually matches the early careers of the form's leading practitioners.
Don't miss a visit to his robot, Rembrandt(tm) ("the Purchase Decision-Making Tool for Collecting Limited Edition Historical Art Prints").
A Guide to Historic Art Print Descriptive Writing, linked from his site, is also scathing:
Don't miss a visit to his robot, Rembrandt(tm) ("the Purchase Decision-Making Tool for Collecting Limited Edition Historical Art Prints").
A Guide to Historic Art Print Descriptive Writing, linked from his site, is also scathing:
The blurbwriter uses the brochure to evoke a notion that in exchange for a monetary pittance, usually $125 on up, the buyer is getting a frozen dramatic moment in time (FDMIT) that can be relived over and over by simply staring at the HAP ("historical art print"). The buyer can later sell his HAP/FDMIT at a profit...And in that, ACW print collectors share the same aspirations as the big art collectors.
New demographic
Female surfers in Cleveland creating Civil War websites and studying for the bar exams - say hello to our hot new demographic.
6/01/2005
McClellan at Gettysburg - more material
Mitch Hagmaier has assembled more bits and pieces of the McClellan at Gettysburg meme for his own blog and speculates that Mac rumors may have originated with V Corps before the battle. Go have a look at his analysis.
What follows here are the actual quotes from documents linked to his post.
TO THE LIMITS OF THE SOUL'S IDEAL: GETTYSBURG gives the following extract mentioning a V Corps source (problem - the footnote link sourcing the quote is broken):
Fascinating stuff, and a look into unsanitized "history as experienced".
What follows here are the actual quotes from documents linked to his post.
TO THE LIMITS OF THE SOUL'S IDEAL: GETTYSBURG gives the following extract mentioning a V Corps source (problem - the footnote link sourcing the quote is broken):
At a turn of the road a staff officer, with an air of authority, told each colonel as he came riding up, that McClellan was in command again, and riding ahead of us on the road. Then wild cheers rolled from the crowding column into the brooding sky, and the earth shook under the quickened tread.This material is from Henry Hunt [my emphasis added]:
A suggestive incident is worth recording here. In the course of my inspection of the lines that morning, while passing along Culp's Hill, I found the men hard at work intrenching, and in such fine spirits as at once to attract attention. One of them finally dropped his work, and, approaching me, inquired if the reports just received were true. On asking what he referred to, he replied that twice word had been passed along the line that General McClellan had been assigned to the command of the army, and the second time it was added that he was on the way to the field and might soon be expected. He continued, "the boys are all jubilant over it, for they know that if he takes command everything will go all right." I have been told recently by the commander of a Fifth Corps battery, that during the forced march of the preceding night the same report ran through that corps, excited great enthusiasm amongst the men, and renewed their vigor. It was probably from this corps -- just arrived -- that the report had spread along the line.William Lochren of the 1st Minnesota writes:
On Saturday, June 28th, we passed Urbana, and halted on the Monocacy, in view of Frederick City. This beautiful valley seemed filled with troops, artillery and wagon trains. Here the news that Hooker had resigned and that Meade was in command, caused a momentary depression, soon changed to elation by a rumor that McClellan was to be restored to command, - a rumor that he was on his way to join us cheering us at Gettysburg a few days later.So there is a pre-Gettysburg rumor as well. The Fourth Maine heard it too:
On the 28th the 4th Maine arrived at Walkerville. Here the land was rich in crops and fences were still standing, not like the stripped land in Virginia. MG George G. Meade is appointed as commander of the Army of the Potomac. There was a rumor in the army that the appointment was only temporary and that MG McClellan would be given command of the army again. This helped to raise the men's spirits.Scott Hartwig blames General Alexander Webb for spreading a false rumor, but does not adequately endnote his surmise:
The evening before the fighting in this sector had caused consternation in the ranks of the 69th [Pennsylvania], for the men were unaware that the Union front hooked around to the east. Brigade commander Web, who was probably just as ignorant of the army's general dispositions attempted to allay the fears of his men by spreading the false rumor that Maj. General George B. McClellan would arrive in Gettysburg in the Confederate rear the following afternoon with 30,000 men. Either because of Webb's story-telling or knowledge that powerful Union forces had been moved to confront the Confederates on Culp's Hill, the morning struggle for the hill did not elicit the concern of the evening before within the ranks.
Fascinating stuff, and a look into unsanitized "history as experienced".
Halleck again - part one of two
I have been toying with the idea of buying John F. Marszalek's Commander of All Lincoln's Armies: A Life of General Henry W. Halleck. I need details of Halleck's political life and it may be worth enduring a few hundred pages of Marszalek's old-school doctrines to get at the better part of his research.
I had skipped reading Curt Anders' Henry Halleck's War - I find anything Anders writes an outrage against historic sensibility. One reviewer accused Anders of merely repackaging OR correspondence for Henry Halleck, which if true is grotesque.
Ambrose's Halleck - it may have been the first book-length treatment of the man - could reasonably be called a dry and inadequate mini-thesis written with minimal access to records, although it tickled Eisenhower enough to invite the young author to pen Ike's own authorized biography.
Now, Prof. Ben H. Severance has published an almost entirely descriptive review of Marszalek's new book for H-CivWar, and it makes my purchase decision even more difficult.
First, however, the question of "who is Marszalek."
Centennial Civil War doctrine might be delineated into an "old school" and a "new school." The "old school" is embodied in the work of the Nevins, Williams, Williams, Catton, et al; we've spoken about their doctrines here at length.
The "new school," exemplified by Catton's protege at American Heritage magazine Stephen W. Sears, attempts to remedy the historiographic problems of the "old school" by applying psycho-history. This essentially literary device is used to interpret "characters" so that the "story" can "work" for the broad mass of (non-history) readers. Marszalek and Joseph Glathaar, along with Sears, represent this commitment to the editorial policies of American Heritage, elaborated through psychological "insights" layered onto "story lines" that would not otherwise satisfy.
A bearable Marszalek reading, therefore, would be one in which he soft-pedals his hard doctrines and psychoanalysis to make room for new findings and new interpretations.
Severance's review promises the opposite.
More on this tomorrow.
I had skipped reading Curt Anders' Henry Halleck's War - I find anything Anders writes an outrage against historic sensibility. One reviewer accused Anders of merely repackaging OR correspondence for Henry Halleck, which if true is grotesque.
Ambrose's Halleck - it may have been the first book-length treatment of the man - could reasonably be called a dry and inadequate mini-thesis written with minimal access to records, although it tickled Eisenhower enough to invite the young author to pen Ike's own authorized biography.
Now, Prof. Ben H. Severance has published an almost entirely descriptive review of Marszalek's new book for H-CivWar, and it makes my purchase decision even more difficult.
First, however, the question of "who is Marszalek."
Centennial Civil War doctrine might be delineated into an "old school" and a "new school." The "old school" is embodied in the work of the Nevins, Williams, Williams, Catton, et al; we've spoken about their doctrines here at length.
The "new school," exemplified by Catton's protege at American Heritage magazine Stephen W. Sears, attempts to remedy the historiographic problems of the "old school" by applying psycho-history. This essentially literary device is used to interpret "characters" so that the "story" can "work" for the broad mass of (non-history) readers. Marszalek and Joseph Glathaar, along with Sears, represent this commitment to the editorial policies of American Heritage, elaborated through psychological "insights" layered onto "story lines" that would not otherwise satisfy.
A bearable Marszalek reading, therefore, would be one in which he soft-pedals his hard doctrines and psychoanalysis to make room for new findings and new interpretations.
Severance's review promises the opposite.
More on this tomorrow.
5/31/2005
Lincoln, Scott and Mac - reunited
Speaking of McClellan at Gettysburg, how odd is it that the most prominent name on Lincoln Square in Gettysburg is McClellan's Tavern?
How odd is it that it was called "The McClellan House" when Lincoln visited the square in 1864? And isn't it strange that the place was originally Scott's Tavern, "McClellan" replacing "Scott"?
Scott's has been revived such that Lincoln Square is now home to McClellan's Tavern and Scott's Lounge.
But where are the Hookers? Perhaps at the casino.
How odd is it that it was called "The McClellan House" when Lincoln visited the square in 1864? And isn't it strange that the place was originally Scott's Tavern, "McClellan" replacing "Scott"?
Scott's has been revived such that Lincoln Square is now home to McClellan's Tavern and Scott's Lounge.
But where are the Hookers? Perhaps at the casino.
Lincoln for everyone
The ruler of Qatar was visiting the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. Asked for a comment on the facility, he gave an answer that shows how to squeeze lemonade out of any kind of lemon handed you:
Note that the emir's comment seems to rank President Lincoln above Citizen Washington. In that, at least, the emir stands with most American historians.
"This museum demonstrates that America does not forget a president united the country."Translation: no emirate should forget an emir united its tribes. (That's a complete political philosophy in 13 words or less.)
Note that the emir's comment seems to rank President Lincoln above Citizen Washington. In that, at least, the emir stands with most American historians.
Print-on-Demand, Macmillan style
Print-on-demand (POD) technology has been a positive thing for authors and has taken some of the "vanity" out of "vanity publishing," as noted here recently. (See The evolution of publishing technology.)
POD has given rise to mini-publishers like Xlibris who give an author a marque (or imprint); an ISBN; a short run of books; a path into Amazon, B&N and the distributors (Ingram and Baker & Taylor); and a tiny bit of marketing. The author retains all rights and can do whatever with the book without bothering over the publisher's rights.
In the United Kingdom, Macmillan is pioneering its own use of POD in the new novel arena, and the picture is not pretty. It's created an imprint for its POD novels, called, "Macmillan New Writing," and certainly if this is successful it will carry over to nonfiction and the USA.
According to this article in the New York Press freesheet, "With Macmillan, you pay them nothing. You also get paid nothing. And the rights aren't yours."
This is rife with bad potential for the author whose mini-edition has failed and who wants to shop the book around for a second chance. Some quotes from the Press article:
POD has given rise to mini-publishers like Xlibris who give an author a marque (or imprint); an ISBN; a short run of books; a path into Amazon, B&N and the distributors (Ingram and Baker & Taylor); and a tiny bit of marketing. The author retains all rights and can do whatever with the book without bothering over the publisher's rights.
In the United Kingdom, Macmillan is pioneering its own use of POD in the new novel arena, and the picture is not pretty. It's created an imprint for its POD novels, called, "Macmillan New Writing," and certainly if this is successful it will carry over to nonfiction and the USA.
According to this article in the New York Press freesheet, "With Macmillan, you pay them nothing. You also get paid nothing. And the rights aren't yours."
This is rife with bad potential for the author whose mini-edition has failed and who wants to shop the book around for a second chance. Some quotes from the Press article:
"This is a large publisher just trying to own as much content as they can," said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of I-Universe, one of the internet's most respected POD publishing houses. "Authors need to see through this. It's criminal. Their rights [the rights to their work, including reprints, paperbacks, film rights, everything] would be tied up forever. And they'd never see any money."For Macmillan to seek the whole roster of standard publishing contract rights for itself while delivering minimal commitment, is a frightening development. Here's hoping this project fails.
"It seems strange that they would compete [with us]," said X-Libris' Athena Catedral. "It's an attempt to own the whole market, while treating writers like idiots."
5/30/2005
Decoration Day
All nations have days sacred to the remembrance of joy and of grief. They have thanksgivings for success, fasting and prayers in the hour of humiliation and defeat, triumphs and paeans to greet the living laurel-crowned victor. They have ossuaries and eulogies for the warrior slain on the field of battle. Such is the duty we are to perform today [...]
Such an occasion as this should call forth the deepest and noblest emotions of our nature - pride, sorrow, and prayer; pride that our country has posessed such sons; sorrow that she has lost them; prayer that she may have others like them; that we and our successors may adorn her annals as they have done, and that when our parting hour arrives, whenever and however it may be, our souls may be prepared for the great change.
George B. McClellan,
June 25 1864,
Remarks given ex tempore to a crowd gathered to see him at the Fort William Henry Hotel on Lake George, New York
Such an occasion as this should call forth the deepest and noblest emotions of our nature - pride, sorrow, and prayer; pride that our country has posessed such sons; sorrow that she has lost them; prayer that she may have others like them; that we and our successors may adorn her annals as they have done, and that when our parting hour arrives, whenever and however it may be, our souls may be prepared for the great change.
George B. McClellan,
June 25 1864,
Remarks given ex tempore to a crowd gathered to see him at the Fort William Henry Hotel on Lake George, New York
5/28/2005
Weekends are for reruns and sources are hell
Emory defines fraud - Fraud includes "the omission in publications of conflicting and/or non-conforming observations of data." Can your favorite ACW author pass that fraud test?
The strange citational habits of Pulitzer-winner Stephen W. Sears * Sears' treatment of sources vs. Mark Snell's
McClellan's so-called letters to his wife: How fraudulent are they? * Historians "add value" to GBM's "letters"
Welcome to ACW history, where we have moved completely beyond sources! Sources lie, sources distort, sources misrepresent; you had better abandon sources.
Got source trouble? Watch Columbia's master storyteller rough up an impertinent source.
The strange citational habits of Pulitzer-winner Stephen W. Sears * Sears' treatment of sources vs. Mark Snell's
McClellan's so-called letters to his wife: How fraudulent are they? * Historians "add value" to GBM's "letters"
Welcome to ACW history, where we have moved completely beyond sources! Sources lie, sources distort, sources misrepresent; you had better abandon sources.
Got source trouble? Watch Columbia's master storyteller rough up an impertinent source.
5/27/2005
Mac and Strong Vincent at Gettysburg
Nick Korolev, of the McClellan Society, was good enough to hunt up another Mac at Gettysburg story, and it's a good one with a rumor attribution given to General Barnes. When it rains, it pours!
Alice Trulock in her Chamberlain biography IN THE HANDS OF PROVIDENCE describes the same scene on pages 124 - 126 "When darkness fell and the full moon rose, the bands struck up and the colors were unfurled again. Farmers and townspeople came out of the houses and to the roadside, hailing their deliverers and bringing water and food. Young women, all made to seem beautiful by the soft light, sang and waved handkerchiefs, and flirted with young staff officers, who lingered to talk in low, hurried tones and sometimes, perhaps, bent down from their horses to steal a kiss. A group of girls by the wayside began singing "The Star Spangled Banner", and Strong Vincent, inspired by the most magical mood, looked at his country's flag. Baring his head he, declared to those riding with him:"What death more glorious could any man desire than to die on the soil of old Pennsylvania fighting for that flag?"
"As the columns marched on, a staff officer appeared from the shadows and whispered a few words to the leading officers. Vincent announced a message from General Barnes that the still popular McClellan was at the head of the army, after which cheer after joyous cheer exploded from the throats of the men and the pace picked up. Catching the enthusiasm, Vincent raised his hand in a wave and exclaimed, "Now boys, we will give 'em hell tomorrow."
Stealing from the National Archives
Tom Rowland once told me how difficult his research was in the federally-held McClellan papers, those documents having become severely disorganized.
What brought this to mind was Ethan Rafuse's heavy citations of the microfilm edition of GBM's papers in his new book, McClellan's War (more on which next week). I think this means we passed the point where the actual source documents can even be used.
Today brings news of the sentencing of a thief who has systematically been stealing ACW materials from the National Archives and selling them on eBay. And how was he found out? By an alert researcher on eBay, not by the National Archives.
The National Museum of Iraq watches eBay attentively and works with law enforcement to arrest sellers. The National Archives, meanwhile, seems to busy itself with other matters.
How much history has been lost this way?
The price this man will pay for his crimes is just two years in prison. I view that as a deep cultural statement, the government commenting through its courts on the value it places on this nation's history.
What brought this to mind was Ethan Rafuse's heavy citations of the microfilm edition of GBM's papers in his new book, McClellan's War (more on which next week). I think this means we passed the point where the actual source documents can even be used.
Today brings news of the sentencing of a thief who has systematically been stealing ACW materials from the National Archives and selling them on eBay. And how was he found out? By an alert researcher on eBay, not by the National Archives.
The National Museum of Iraq watches eBay attentively and works with law enforcement to arrest sellers. The National Archives, meanwhile, seems to busy itself with other matters.
How much history has been lost this way?
The price this man will pay for his crimes is just two years in prison. I view that as a deep cultural statement, the government commenting through its courts on the value it places on this nation's history.
Discovering virtual battlefields
I had linked earlier this week to Mitch Hagmaier's post on his struggle to locate the South Mountain gaps. I forgot to repeat to the reader that these hard-to-find sites are (on paper) state battlefield parks, with none other than Civil War Preservation Trust claiming much credit for "saving" this "hallowed ground."
In a new post, Tim Reese reviews Mitch's route with him - a must-read if you ever plan to visit the place. Please see also my "dialog" with Reese on the botched acquisition strategies for South Mountain battlefield land.
(Check out Mitch's thoughts on McClellan at Gettysburg, as well - they are worth a ponder.)
In a new post, Tim Reese reviews Mitch's route with him - a must-read if you ever plan to visit the place. Please see also my "dialog" with Reese on the botched acquisition strategies for South Mountain battlefield land.
(Check out Mitch's thoughts on McClellan at Gettysburg, as well - they are worth a ponder.)
Friday housekeeping
Some points of administrative interest.
(1) You can link to any post directly by clicking on its datestamp (at the bottom). Click on that and the post comes up in its own window with its own unique URL, which can be cut from the address line and pasted anywhere.
(2) This blog runs Mon - Fri. If nothing has been posted on a weekday, check into http://cwbn.blogthing.com. That's our emergency broadcast system.
(3) I'm a reader, you're a reader. This is a consumer site concerned with "product" quality. It's also concerned with the product quality of "public history" in its various guises.
(4) Readers who have sought me out have been impressive and supportive. However, my fear of the general Civil War readership - of getting time-wasting input from ardent story lovers - keeps my contact info off this site. There are plenty of clues around as to how to reach me if you wish to and I thank those who have taken that trouble.
(5) Being free of restricting associations and social calculations, my criticism can be overdone. I regret any unnecessary harshness. Bad history is not necessarily produced by bad people.
Thanks for visiting.
(1) You can link to any post directly by clicking on its datestamp (at the bottom). Click on that and the post comes up in its own window with its own unique URL, which can be cut from the address line and pasted anywhere.
(2) This blog runs Mon - Fri. If nothing has been posted on a weekday, check into http://cwbn.blogthing.com. That's our emergency broadcast system.
(3) I'm a reader, you're a reader. This is a consumer site concerned with "product" quality. It's also concerned with the product quality of "public history" in its various guises.
(4) Readers who have sought me out have been impressive and supportive. However, my fear of the general Civil War readership - of getting time-wasting input from ardent story lovers - keeps my contact info off this site. There are plenty of clues around as to how to reach me if you wish to and I thank those who have taken that trouble.
(5) Being free of restricting associations and social calculations, my criticism can be overdone. I regret any unnecessary harshness. Bad history is not necessarily produced by bad people.
Thanks for visiting.
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