From Confederate POW to Officer in Spanish-American War
Returning to Davenport, Iowa, after the war, Spier Whitaker Jr. remembered his teenage friendships and the path that led to his freedom. Spier Whitaker Jr. was born in 1841 in…
Comrades through marriage and service
Julia Douglass shifted the toddler onto her hip and glanced back at Fort Smith. Shortly after her husband and her brother-in-law enlisted, the Federals arrived and everything changed. The fort…
Money making man on the move
Donating a large cemetery plot, he decided, would help the town and bring him well-earned recognition. All he asked in return was to name the cemetery after him. George Washington…
Draft Dilemma in Poweshiek County: The Murder of the Marshals
I'm pleased to share my article published by Emerging Civil War blog. Here's the link to Draft Dilemma in Poweshiek County: The Murder of the Marshals. I'm grateful for the…
From Officer of the Court to Officer with a Sword
Bending over a map, Lt. Colonel Spier Whitaker softly ordered soldiers to search for Confederate deserters in Randolph County, North Carolina. Long experience in Iowa and North Carolina had taught…
Robert E. Lee’s Private Unionist Beliefs
Friends comfort each other in hard times, and sometimes they bare their souls. Robert E. Lee discussed his Unionist beliefs (held before and after the Civil War) with his friend,…
No crystal ball for 2018 (or the Civil War): Winston Churchill’s insight for historians
A Swedish proverb says, "Shared joy is a double joy." In this season of the year, I share my relish for Winston Churchill in an excerpt from The Last Lion…
The Grinch who Stole Civil Liberties
Spending Christmas behind bars isn't anybody's idea of fun. That's what happened to former U.S. Senator George Wallace Jones in late December 1861, after the federal government seized a personal…
Traveling through time in an armchair: The joy of historical research
In Ray Bradbury's short story, "A Sound of Thunder," a safari company takes visitors to any year in the past. Visitors can shoot any animal, even prehistoric ones. They can…
Hell hath no Fury like an Irishman Scorned
Artillery specialist P.J. Kelly had ten years of experience, serving His Royal Majesty. When Kelly arrived in Iowa, he probably never imagined he would serve both sides in a civil…