Secesh 3 by Hank

Art - Blog photo - 1st national flag

Hank Houston says, “My crazy writer tells me that focusing on the history is a waste of time, that it’s all a politic thing now. That may be true, as Brian Kilmead’s current and recent Nat Geo series LEGENDS & LIES perpetuates the false history to the point that begs the question, what in the episodes are the LIES? Focusing on the major historical figures, the narrative jumps around in time from 1860 to 1865. Always the focus is on slavery, Southern inhumane evil, Southerners starting the war, on and on.
In current media, there is no mention of other causes of secession, and if mentioned it is stated that it is a fiction of the “lost cause” of post war apologist southerners who are trying to alter past history. But none of recent media pieces mention some fairly important history. Yes, Mr. Lincoln was elected in November of 1860. Buchanan was still US President until March 25, 1861 the date of Lincoln’s Inauguration. That was almost five months after the election. Yes, states began seceding in December 1861. Why was that? The answer is not in the “Legends & Lies” series. Always focused on Washington, it is never mentioned that secession really happened in state legislatures.
Much of the misunderstanding revolves around the issue of history and what is written as history. A good discussion of this is in Clyde N. Wilson’s book Defending Dixie, published by Foundation for American Education in 2006.

There is more ….
Thanks, Hank (aka The Doc)

DELETE DOC
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PBRRB1

Publisher: Black Opal Books (October 28, 2017)

ISBN-10: 162694783X
ISBN-13: 978-1626947832

Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
Books and Writing at: https://timothydesmond.wordpress.com

Civil War Event Signing

Photo for blog - Tim Signing at Kearney Park October 2014
Signing Books at Civil War Revisited 2014 – 150th Atlanta Campaign event – Kearney Park, Fresno

This is posted after the date of October 18 – 19, but that is all right. Since the story in the novel, THE DOC, is about Civil War re-enactors who are in trouble with Homeland Security, a Civil War reenactment is the perfect place to garner followers. This last of the 2014 reenacting season events in the San Joaquin Valley was at Kearney Park in Fresno County and hosted by American Civil War Association and Fresno Historical Society. It commemorated the 25th year of the annual event.

While each year a different battle is depicted, this year being 150 years since the Atlanta Campaign, that was the theme.

Of course the Atlanta Campaign brings up all sorts of images of the most talked about events of those months such as General Sherman’s march to the sea, after, of course, the burning of Atlanta, and the mass market success of the novel and movie Gone With The Wind. As there was so much more than all that, visitors to my discussions were shocked to learn of Western Theater, Army of Tennessee, General Joseph Eggleston Johnston, General William Hardee, and often ignored Generals Daniel Govan, Ben Cheatham, and Patrick Cleburne with their success as they battled at the many locations from Ringgold in early May 1864 to Atlanta by July 22. I was going to tell some of them what I learned from my Arkansan friend Bob H., at Shiloh in ‘07, “Get used to it, you’re in the south.” But, I realized I wasn’t really in the south, but in California. I had to settled on saying , “I could go on” and so that’s it for this, I could go on.

For a few shots of Civil War revisited 25th Anniversary see The Fresno Historical Society’s Facebook page at:: https://www.facebook.com/fresnohistory
Their main website is: http://valleyhistory.org/

For a video of the event see the Fresno Bee online link at: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/10/18/4186166_25th-anniversary-of-the-civil.html?rh=1

Thank you Fresno Bee, Fresno Historical Society, American Civil War Association, and Civil War Reenactment Society (CWRS) for continuing the living history event. This last event of the season in our area is always a pleasure to be a part of, with the entire involvement of our fellow re-enactors.
There is always more of course. This is not the last of the season’s events in California. While I would love to be in Franklin, Tennessee for November 30th and 150th Franklin, I have to settle for the Moorpark, California event on November 8 and 9, 2014. This is next to Simi Valley where the CA 118 West turns into the CA 23 South. It is at a different location this year at a different nearby ranch.
If you have more questions, contact me.

Tim
Timothy J. Desmond
Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
Writing at: http://timothydesmond.wordpress.com
Art at: http://artbydesmond.wordpress.com