While traveling on the Newbern, Martha experienced one of the least enjoyable aspects of a long journey - bad food. As you might recall from last week's post, Martha's day typically began with a light meal of black coffee and hardtack before a proper breakfast was served (25). To taste what Martha nibbled on with … Continue reading An Inedible Necessity: Hardtack
Glittering Misery: Series 1, Part 2
At twenty-seven years old, Martha Summerhayes fell in love. She did not fall in love with a man, or a place, or a career of her own. Instead, she fell in love with the Army. King George of Hanover. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Martha's introduction to the Army was unusual, to say the least. In … Continue reading Glittering Misery: Series 1, Part 2
An Army Wife’s Sour Milk Muffins
Our adventure at Wilson's Creek A couple years ago, my husband and I took a short trip to the Wilson's Creek Battlefield, the site of a Confederate victory against the Union in 1861. As much as I enjoy traversing Civil War battlefields, I'm usually itching to get to the visitor center's bookstore to see what … Continue reading An Army Wife’s Sour Milk Muffins
How the Civil War Speaks to a Covid Christmas
Writing in 1862, the Union Army officer John McHarg mournfully said to his little brother, "I have just reminded Father of the change since last New Year’s Day, & the many calls that will be missed on account of this horrid war."1 The "horrid war" John referred to was, of course, the Civil War, which … Continue reading How the Civil War Speaks to a Covid Christmas
The Surprising Reason the Lincolns Owned a Rebel Flag
Tad Lincoln - full citation below One day, during the tumultuous years of the Civil War, a number of Union troops gathered on the front lawn of the White House, awaiting their Commander in Chief's review. Abraham Lincoln stepped out onto the portico with an American flag firmly gripped in his large hands. The men's … Continue reading The Surprising Reason the Lincolns Owned a Rebel Flag
Living in History 