In my ongoing series of posts concerning the public presentations by Earl Ijames about “colored Confederates” I have consistently emphasized the importance of publishing in peer-reviewed journals. I maintain that only through the careful scrutiny of our ideas and conclusions are we able to better judge the veracity of the research and the difficult process [...]
William Mahone
The following review of Richard Slotkin’s new book, No Quarter: The Battle of the Crater, 1864 is now available in the latest edition of Civil War Book Review. With the publication of three books on the battle of the Crater in the past two years, one might reasonably ask if there is a need for [...]
I am just about finished reading Richard Slotkin’s new book on the Crater, No Quarter: The Battle of the Crater, 1864, and have enjoyed it immensely. The book is very different from the two previous studies of the battle in that Slotkin provides a much needed analysis of the racial components of the battle rather [...]
Today was the perfect day to drive to Petersburg and hang out at the Crater. I try to get down there at least once a year to recharge the batteries and find those special places where I can lose myself in the past for a few moments. This trip I decided to walk off the [...]
I‘ve been thinking quite a bit about the images of slave rebellions and miscegenation that shaped the world view of white Southerners throughout the antebellum period. In the case of Nat Turner’s Rebellion newspapers throughout Virginia and beyond offered extensive coverage and attempted to offer an explanation that would assuage the concerns of what white [...]
So, it looks like I am reviewing John F. Schmutz’s new book on the Crater for H-Net. I should apologize for the cheap shot I took the other week when I suggested that he probably took up the project after watching Cold Mountain. It turns out he has some relatives who fought in the battle. [...]
This post originally appeared in December 2005, just one month into my blogging experiment. I’ve enjoyed Eric Wittenberg’s excellent series of posts on his experience researching and publishing Civil War history so I thought it might be helpful to re-post my own experience with peer review for those interested. I should add that since this [...]
This encyclopedia entry is slated for publication in the African-American National Biography series which is being edited by Henry L. Gates and Evelyn Higginbotham and published by Oxford University Press. I discovered R.A. Paul in my research on William Mahone and the Crater. I’ve always wanted to try my hands at writing a biography and [...]
