Blog 4 History

I am a teacher who utilizes movies (and/or parts of movies) as a teaching device. I find that they are excellent attention grabbers and great for developing thoughtful reflection and discussion in my classroom.

As we know, rare is the Hollywood film that is 100% accurate. However, I want a movie that captures the basic essence of the time period, portrays the events as accurately as possible, and takes no liberties with history or attempts to re-write history.

Recently filmmaker Spike Lee criticized Clint Eastwood’s movie Letters From Iwo Jima. Spike Lee said, and I quote, “There were many African-Americans who survived that war and who were upset at Clint for not having one [in the films]. That was his version: the negro soldier did not exist. I have a different version.”

Lee has his own WW2 movie in development. (Note: it will be interesting to see how historically accurate it is, especially in comparison to Eastwood’s films?)

World War 2 was of course crucial for the fight against racism, and more specifically Civil Rights. We were fighting a war against fascism yet within our own country we had segregation and racism that placed one group above another, ect. World War 2 was a turning point of sorts for Civil Rights especially when we take into account the developments in the courts, and of course the 1950s and Emmitt Till and Rosa Parks.

At Iwo Jima there were about 110,000 American soldiers who were involved. Of those 700-900 were African-Americans participates, or less than 1% of the aggregate force. The Clint Eastwood films of the battle focused on the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi, the caves within the mountain, and where unfortunately African-Americans were not involved, or had little involvement.

This had nothing to do with African-Americans’ desire to be more involved – this was a symptom of the problem mentioned above.

Eastwood responded to Lee by saying the following, “The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they [African-Americans] didn’t do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people’d go: ‘This guy’s lost his mind.’ I mean, it’s not accurate.” Referring to Lee, he added: “A guy like him should shut his face.”

Eastwood wanted to create an accurate account of the events. It would have served no purpose and even perhaps been belittling to African-Americans to place some kind of “token” Black soldier in the film. That to me would have been a true slap in the face to African-Americans.

Eastwood’s film and the lack of Black participants can be an excellent discussion point about Civil Rights and segregation. To have done what Lee wanted would have been dishonest and historically inaccurate. I applaud Eastwood in his response to Lee.

[As a kind of celebration of Father's Day I want to highlight a series of letters from Soldeirstudies.org: The Civil War Letters of Charles and Kate Ramsay. But also, please visit the website SoldierStudies.org, we need help with volunteers, donations (letter transcripts), and soon we will have our paperwork for non-profit status and will be accepting monetary donations as well as government grants.]

Charles Ramsay was a private in the 44th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Ramsay was married to Kate, and together they were starting a family in Springfield, Ohio. Kate was expecting their first child when Charles left her in late September 1861. Immediately the two began writing letters to one another, faithfully, and sometimes on a daily basis. ‘

The 44th Ohio Infantry regiment was organized at Springfield, Ohio during September and October of 1861. The regiment was sent to Camp Platt, in West Virginia on October 14 where it soon began active service.

Kate Ramsay’s first letter to Charles Ramsay, October 19th 1861:

…Yes, my Charlie dear, I feel that I can now say go where duty calls & God be with you to bless & protect you & I shall trust to our Heavenly Ruler to restore you safely to me. Peace shall again spread her angel wings over the land. They say there are some fears of war all over the world. I hope not. I expect I shall have some sad lonesome hours as I have already felt the loss of your company but it is natural. I am like the Dove that lost its mate, wondering around from place to place looking for something, I hardly know what & at nights; O that is the trying time when I have to sleep alone. No Husband’s arms to repose in. I roll, toss & tumble from side to side but it will all be right by & by. If I can only hear often from you… [read more]

Charles wrote back on November 3rd, giving an update on his whereabouts and condition:

…We are now having such disagreeable weather that it rather gave me the blues and makes me a little homesick but I do not allow myself to give way at all to my feelings. I try to look at the brightest side and keep my spirits up (not, however, as some do by putting spirits down). There are a great many men very sick for to get home. Well, in this country with such weather as we have been having for the past few days, it is not to be wondered at confined as we are here. No excitement. The same thing over every day. How I should like to be at home with you today and attend church. I have not heard a sermon since I left home. I have attended the meetings in camp but I do not like our chaplain. He cannot preach. He is not much liked by the regiment… [read more]

On November 6th, Charles took up his pen:

My Dearest Wife,

Some days must be dark and dreary. This is one of them. It has been drizzling all day but until about noon it did not amount to much but since that time it has been raining steadily. As there was no practice this morning, Alick and I concluded that we would go out on an exploring expedition. I believe I mentioned in one of my letters a rock on top of the mountain that reached above the tree tops. We concluded that we would climb to the top of it. It took some hard work but we succeeded in making it and had a splendid sight to pay us for our trouble. We could see for miles around, mountain after mountain across in the distance. We could see for miles up the Kanawha. We cut our names in the rock. There were several names on it. One young lady had her initials there – a Miss A. F. with the date 1859. [read]

In her next letter, Kate wrote to Charles that she was starting to dread her coming ordeal with labor and that she was already experiencing discomfort. Charles wrote back to her:

…I know, my darling, that you will have to suffer and as the time draws nigher, day by day. I am getting more uneasy in regard to it and wish that it was over. You must keep me informed of your situation for I shall feel very uneasy until I hear that all is over and all well. My prayer to God is that you may pass safely through and that you and our darling may be spared me to make happy my heart.

I echo the sentiment “Oh, that the war was over.” How many hearts that are now filled with sorrow would then be filled with joy? I look forward to the time when I shall be allowed to clasp my arms once more wound my love and feel that we are to separate no more at least for so long a period as this present separation I fear shall be…[read more]

Charles had not received a letter from his dear wife for some time, then finally it arrives, dated November 15th, she has a series of entries starting with the 12th:

Thursday eve Nov 14th

Yes my dear, tis true as you said “Some days must be dark and dreary.” It has rained all day making it very gloomy & lonesome to me. Father went to see Mr. Foose today. He said not one of the Band were to get a cent. I am sorry for Mary Watt’s sake. James Tarbers was taken on the street with bleeding at the lungs but is better now. I wrote a short hurried note to you and put it in the pocket of the vest Ann put in Hez’s boot. I suppose you have it.

Friday eve Nov 15th

This has been a very wintery day, snowing, raining and electing times about and then the sun would show itself a few minutes and then rain again. Before it began, Mother Ramsay came up and took dinner and we sent to the office for Father. They were si lively and seemed to enjoy themselves so much. It made me feel so good. Mother R. told me she knew I would have a boy. I said I should be pleased if it was for your sake for my every thought was for you and I know you wanted one and she said she never saw anyone hide it so much as I do and show so little being so near the time. If I was like some, I would go to the last minute but I don’t intend any one should talk about m,e while you are gone if I can help it… [read more]

Charles in his next letter describes to Kate a terrible accident:

…There was a most deplorable accident happened this morning which has cast a gloom over the whole camp. Captain Bell and eleven of his men were crossing the river in a skiff to relieve the pickets on the other side of the river when they were run into by a steamboat and the boat capsized and the Captain with seven of his men were drowned. An uncle of one of the members of the band was among the number drowned. A great deal of censure is placed upon the captain of the boat by some. Others say that he was not to blame and that he did all in his power to save the men. The Captain swam nearly a quarter of a mile and could be heard calling for help. The river is high and the current was so swift that he could not make the shore. The last word from Captain Bell was “help men for God’s sake!” He immediately sank to rise no more. He was one of the best Captains in the regiment and was liked by all. Their bodies have not yet been recovered. It is singular but the only men that have been lost from this regiment have been drown. Ten have perished in that way. One in Cincinnati and two here before the seven this morning. I have often thought that there should have been better arrangements for crossing the river than by the small boats. Whole companies have to be carried across in one small boat every day. The Captain should not have started out when the boat was so close . It was coming down the river and of course could not stop or avoid the boat… [read more]

On the same Day Kate penned her next letter to Charles:

Sabbath evening…I did not go to church today but it has been very pleasant. O My Dear Sweet Husband, this quiet Sabbath I feel well and happy. My heart is full of joy and thankfulness for the kindness Heaven sheds upon you and me each day as dew upon flowers causing us to live. I sometimes feel that I really live on your love. I know I could not live without it. Often while sitting alone I find myself smiling at the thought of our happiness together with our dear little one. Mrs. Rosser says O how sweet it is to be called Ma but mine died just as it began to say Ma & the tears started to her eyes. Won’t Hez and Will laugh when you tell them they are Uncles and you Pa. I feel glad it is to be so. If you are only spared to return to me. God Bless and protect you that you may is my prayer. Do you remember JK Morrel when speaking of winter or age? He says Life at the longest is but a bubble that bursts as soon as it is rounded. [read more]

As the year was coming to a close Charles learned that he would not be able to go home on furlough as he had hoped. To spend the holidays away from his wife seemed unbearable. Then a letter arrived, dated December 5th:

Saturday Morning.

O My Dear Darling rejoyce with me for all is over. Our little soldier boy is 3 hours old. You may know I feel pretty well in bed to be able to write while laying. O but I did suffer! It was born 4 1/2 o’clock this morning but I am tired and last stop…I think the lode weighs 10 pounds, it is so big!

Your Wife (Kate Ramsay)

P.S. Mother R says she never saw such a brave soldier as I was while in pain. [read]

It took over a week for news to reach Charles that he was the father of a healthy baby boy, and that his dear wife managed through labor without serious consequence.

My Darling Wife,

You cannot imagine my joy upon receiving your letter this morning. I had heard through a letter from Howard John to brother Hez that our boy had been born but he did not say how you were getting along or anything about your condition. Of course I was anything but contented with such indefinite word. I was very uneasy and anxious to get word from home so as to know your condition, whether you was getting along well or not and of course when I received your letter this morning with the postscripts written by your own dear self so soon after our darling was born, I could not help but rejoice for I could not but conclude from that that you were getting along finely and oh how thankful was I for that blessing. Yes, my darling, I did rejoice with you and oh how much did I wish to be with you but it was no use wishing for it would do no good. I tried my best to get a furlough but I could not succeed consequently I shall have to wait an indefinite period before I shall have the pleasure of seeing you and my boy. I am in hopes that I shall have that pleasure before the winter is over… [read more]

(Note: Part of the following was supposed to have been posted last Thursday, but instead of hitting publish I hit save.)

Every year we are fortunate enough as a family to take what we have come to call our “Pilgrimage to the Ocean.” This takes place at Puerto Penasco, Mexico. A place we love, a people we love, and town we respect.

We rent a house on the beach (literally the ocean is our backyard) for a week (sometimes longer) and we spend our time playing in the ocean, collecting sea shells and star fish in tide pools during low tide, and in the evening, sitting near the ocean listening to high tide roar in.

I can’t explain it. It may not be the same for you, but somehow being that close to Mother Nature’s most beautiful and powerful creation simplifies the world. It places everything in context.

It is also a cleansing experience. It is hypnotizing and memorizing. The rhythms and beats of the ocean can wash away all stress and pain. It cleanses your soul and re-energizes the spirit.

Well, as I noted above, the above post did not make it until now.

Anyway, I have a quick update and some photos to share. First, I want to thank Drew for his kind review of my book, The 11th Wisconsin in the Civil War: A Regimental History, what a way to return home! I am truly humbled by his comments.

After the weekend I should be back and running at full speed. We had a great time and truly relaxed and replenished our souls, I’ll post more later, but for now a few photos:

My kids, Danny and Tori, have some fun playing a make-shift game of volleyball. This is the backyard of our house. (click picture to enlarge)

Me on the back deck trying to enjoy an excellent book. I do not bring what I would call a “heavy” read to Mexico. Often, I never get through what I bring. Too many distractions: beach, ocean, wave runner, cerveza, ect. But this time I selected a great book: A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz. I looked through it some time back, but will discuss it in more detail soon. (click picture to enlarge)

Another view from our back porch looking out towards the backyard during low-tide. You can never get tired of such a view! (click to enlarge)

More to come….

Roll Call to Destiny: The Soldier’s Eye View of Civil War Battles, Brent Nosworthy, Basic Books Inc., 336pp. $27.95. Release Date: March 2008.

My introduction to Mr. Nosworthy was his astonishing The Bloody Crucible, a tour de force on all things military during the Civil War. A book that I still refer to time and again. I am no military expert and have to rely on experts like Nosworthy.

However, not only is he knowledgeable, but I found his writing style easy to read. So these things led me to purchasing his latest book, Roll Call to Destiny: The Soldier’s Eye View of Civil War Battles.

In this book, which is a kind of continuation of The Bloody Crucible, Nosworthy attempts to bring us not just the tactical developments of battle, but “what the men saw, heard, and felt at each stage of the action…”

Nosworthy focuses on several units, one at a time, and all involved in different battles. He examines both sides of an engagement in detail, and with a good balance between infantry, cavalry and artillery engagements. Amongst the battles covered are First Bull Run, Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Missionary Ridge, each of which has been studied in great detail.

Though I enjoyed the book, and the attempt to give us the “soldier’s eye view,” I never felt that this very lofty goal was ever achieved. Does that make the book not worth the time, no, of course not, it’s a very a good book with lots to offer.

I wanted a little more from the soldier’s point of view, and though Nosworthy succeeds to a degree, I perhaps wanted more than could be delivered.

My grandfather was a WW2 veteran, so to all those who took the beach or gave their life doing so, we are because of you! To one of our greatest generations, I salute you.

JUNE 6, 1944: The Battle of Normandy during WWII was fought between the German forces occupying Western Europe and invading Allied forces. It remains the largest amphibious landing in history, with more than 156,000 troops crossing the English Channel during the initial invasion. The battle continued for more than 2 months and concluded with the liberation of Paris. Of the invasion’s 5 coastal landing points, Omaha Beach proved to be the most disastrous for Allied troops; how many were killed there that day?

To read more…

Also, what if D-Day happened in modern times, how would the media have handled it?

As most of you know, I refrain from getting involved in politics as much as possible save one issue: energy. Please consider the following:

Dear _______,

At $4 a gallon, Americans are hurting at the gas pump. Higher gas prices are affecting every part of our life. We’re paying more for food, milk, clothes, and cooling our homes. Even summer vacations are in jeopardy.

Yet the Senate is about to vote on a bill (S. 2191) that would make things worse by raising gas prices, increasing home energy bills, and slowing the economy, and we need your help to stop it. Send an email to your Senators and sign our petition today!

Sponsors say their bill will reduce the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. They call their plan “cap and trade,” but it is really a huge hidden carbon tax on our economy that will have devastating consequences.

This bill could not come at a worse time. Last week General Motors announced it was closing four plants, putting nearly 5,000 Americans out of work. Thousands more in supporting industries will also lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, United Airlines announced it was slashing 1,600 jobs, idling older planes, and cutting routes – all because of skyrocketing gas prices…

Incredibly, the bill before the Senate is estimated to raise the price of gasoline $1.10 a gallon, raise taxes, and increase your home energy bills (to find out what these higher costs will be where you live, click here).

This bill is so bad the Wall Street Journal called it “the largest income redistribution scheme since the income tax.” That’s saying something.

So please help us stop this bill from becoming law…

Sincerely,

Joe Eule
Chief of Staff
Freedom’s Watch

To laugh or cry, depending on your point of view:

For most historians the focus of civilian deaths during the American Civil War centers on the border states, mainly Missouri and Kentucky, and the incessant violence and atrocities committed by guerrillas and bushwhackers on the local populations.

This focus on violent death is, of course, tied to emotional responses. My thinking about civilian casualties and the Civil War was recently stimulated by Dr. Michael R. Bradley’s presentations on what he claims was a “deliberate Northern policy of targeting Southern civilians.”

The most deadly results of the war on civilians was not intentional targeting by soldiers, guerrillas or bushwhackers; though I think even in regard to these types of atrocities there might be some underestimation going on based on what I have found in NE Arkansas in 1862 and 63 alone.

Drew Gilpin Faust in a short piece titled, “The Civil War Homefront ” (found on the National Park Sevice web site), I think does a nice job raising the issue about how thus far historians have “seriously underestimated the number of civilian deaths that resulted from the war.” We have the likes of James M. McPherson meekly stating that perhaps “50,000” civilian deaths might have occurred.

Though at first this seems like a reasonable number, after some simple investigation in the Official Records and other resources on Google Books*, I think there are serious questions that can be raised concerning the possibility that civilian deaths – as a direct result of the war – could be much higher than previously thought.

What we need to take into consideration is the outright famine in some regions of the South, as well as the death rate increase from disease. These two alone could significantly raise the death rate for civilians during the war. Example, type in “starvation” in Google Books and over 2 dozen results in the OR alone appear, and in particular this result:

Commanding Military Division of the Missouri:

The commissary at Fort Gibson reports about 20,000 people, mostly refugees and Indians, on the verge of starvation. It cannot be expected that the army will supply these people. Please call the attention of the Department of the Interior to this matter. The case demands immediate attention while the Arkansas is navigable.

J. J. REYNOLDS,
Major- General.

Now how many died, who knows, but that such large numbers are even mentioned directs us to call for a re-evaluation of civilian death rates as a direct result of the war. And that is not all, in several local histories of Southern communities the descriptions of suffering are at times horrifying, for example, one among many:

“It is a common, an e very-day sight in Randolph County, to see women and children, most of whom were formerly in good circumstances, begging for bread from door to door. They must have immediate help, or perish. Fifteen hundred families, embracing five thousand persons, are in need of immediate aid.”

“This was in January, 1866. The destitution here described was not confined to a portion of the country, nor was it a new thing. In 1863, the shortness of the crops, the depreciation of the currency, and the consequent high prices of provisions, produced a famine among the poorer classes. The families of soldiers, fighting the battles of a confederacy which paid them in worthless paper, were left to suffer the extremes of want, while many, who helped to bring on the war, were growing rich by speculating upon the misery it occasioned. In Mobile there were insurrections of women, driven by starvation to acts of public violence.”

When also taken into consideration the amount of reports in letters and diaries by soldiers that I have come across for Arkansas alone, where they have recorded the extreme level of suffering and starvation, it leads me to the conclusion that a study should be done to seriously make an attempt to estimate the total amount of civilian deaths as a direct result of the war.**

The number, in my opinion, could be six-figures.

* Note: I like to use Google Books to search the OR or ORN for specific keywords as I have found the index for both to be seriously lacking.
** I am considering something along these lines as I re-start my master’s degree and look for a possible thesis topic.

(C) Christopher Wehner

Dimitri has a very intriguing post that considers the actual date that should be recognized as the “end of the Civil War.” He then asks, “What’s your choice?” But, of course, one of the problems I have with his site is that you can’t actually voice an opinion as he has comments turned off. This is fine, it’s his blog, though intellectually restrictive as he writes, essentially, in a vacuum. No dissension allowed. Anyway, as you can’t comment on his site, I will post his options here as they are excellent:

(1) Appomattox (4/9/65) – Rationale: best hope of the Confederacy surrenders.

(2) Durham Station (4/26/65) – Rationale: second best hope of the Confederacy surrenders.

(3) Mobile (5/4/65) – Rationale: third best hope of the Confederacy surrenders.

(4) New Orleans (5/26/65) – Rationale: last army east of the Mississippi surrenders.

(5) Irwinsville, GA (5/10/65) – Rationale: president of CSA captured.

(6) Washington (5/10/65) – Rationale: Johnson declares armed resistance at an end.

(7) Galveston (6/2/65) – Rationale: last CSA army west of the Missisippi surrenders.

(8) Doaksville, OK (6/23/65) – Rationale: Confederate Indian tribes surrender.

(9) Havana (11/65) – Rationale: Toombs, John Reagan, Breckinridge, and Kirby Smith fail to form a Confederate government in exile.

(10) Liverpool (11/6/65) – Rationale: CSS Shenandoah surrenders.

“What’s your choice” and Why? I personally say option number 1. It for all practicable purposes ended the war. Lee set the example and Grant the standard for how to end the war — for the most part — and this held true from then on. But also, once Lee was done there was no way the others would continue, in my opinion, and the rest was simply a formality.

More than half the world’s 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru and some say they are becoming more and more at risk of extinction.

Members of one of these indigenous tribes was recently photographed in a protected area of the Amazon jungle near Peru.

Peruvian officials said the aircraft passed over the site and photographed “strong and healthy” warriors, women and children, six huts and a large planted area.

“We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist,” the group quoted Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior, an official in the Brazilian government’s Indian affairs department, as saying.

In an effort to expose and educate they hope to get help in protecting these amazing tribes. For me, this is a social and perhaps even environmental fight that I could get behind. We need to do all we can to protect these tribes.

Also, this topic would be a great opportunity for a “potentially” thought provoking discussion with my high school class.

Questions for them to consider could range from as simple as having students compare their lifestyles with the indigenous tribes, to more complex questions such as our contact with them and the encroachments of civilization. For example, if our contact with them is potentially unavoidable, there are serious issues. Members of these tribal groups who that have been contacted in the past have died of illnesses. They have little or no defense against things such things as chicken pox or the flu.

Do we have the moral authority to make contact with them, and try to help them? Or should we do everything we can to protect them? Another thought, why does this untouched mini-society with no enemies bother to have a “warrior” class as is assumed with the war paint and bows and arrows? Interesting questions that I think a high school level class would really get into.