Yes, I know; I'll be the first one to admit, the world does not need another Civil War blog. We already have plenty of excellent blogs to choose from, written by people who do actual research and contribute more than just summarized descriptions of well-known battles. So what do I have to offer to the historical community?
Probably not much. My motives are admittedly very personal. I have only been studying the Civil War for the past year, and I do not pretend to be an expert.
About 11 years ago, I moved to the city of Alexandria, Virginia. I moved here for a good job, and nothing else. I had no friends or family in the area (other than a supportive aunt in Hampton Roads). Had my luck been slightly different, I may well have spent the last 11 years in Tallahassee, FL or Newport News, VA. As it happens, I was offered a tech writing job with good pay in Springfield, VA. And quite by accident, I hastily moved into an apartment in a high-rise in nearby Alexandria.
Little did I know, I was moving into a city that is saturated with vivid history. Alexandria is more than just a suburb of D.C. It is one of the oldest communities in the country, and its citizens have witnessed some of America's most tumultuous crises, including the American Civil War.
But I didn't know any of that in Summer 2000. While I was impressed by the mystique of Washington itself, I knew little of the history of Alexandria or the other communities surrounding D.C. The little I did know mostly related to the Revolutionary War era and George Washington. And I knew nothing - absolutely nothing - about the impact of the Civil War on the area. And for 10 years, I lived in this city without appreciating or investigating its rich history.
But things change. About six years ago, I developed an interest in the American Revolution. I'm not too proud to admit, it was David McCullough's fault. On a lark, I picked up a copy of 1776 (after seeing an intriguing interview with McCullough on The Daily Show) and was absolutely fascinated by it. By the time HBO aired the John Adams mini-series in 2008, I was fully primed for it. A few months later, I visited Philadelphia and saw some of the primary sites (Independence Hall, the Constitution Center, the obligatory stuff). Since then, the early history of America has been a major passion of mine.
Still, it took me a while to get to the Civil War. I spent about two years focusing exclusively on the Federalist Period, the first 12 years of the American republic. Truly a fascinating period, full of startling resonances with contemporary issues. But by 2010, I began to work my way up the timeline: the Jeffersonian period, Madison's administration, the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, and so on ...
I knew I would get to the Civil War eventually, but I wasn't in a rush. Then the Sesquicentennial arrived, and I had not prepared for it. It was April 2011, and everyone was celebrating the anniversary of Fort Sumter, and I was surprised by it. I suddenly realized that we would see a flurry of enhanced commemoration of the Civil War over the next four years, and if I wanted to understand and appreciate it, I needed to ramp up fast.
So I decided to accelerate my research, and my point of entry was James M. McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom. Award winning, covered with critical praise, a part of the Oxford History of the United States series (which I already valued), it seemed like as good a survey of the Civil War as any. I spent the summer reading McPherson's book, and it was nothing less than a revelation.
Since then, all of my historical attentions have been focused on the Civil War, and my enthusiasm does not waver. In the past six months, I have visited a dozen battlefields, and I still feel that history buzz when I set out for a new one. And I am eager for all the 1862 anniversary events that will start blossoming next Spring.
So that's why I'm writing this blog: To share my enthusiasm for Civil War history with other people, friends and family and any other enthusiasts who might wander by. As the title suggests, I will devote some extra attention to the history of Alexandria, not just because it is my home and I love living here, but also because it has seen a lot of action and has a valuable story to tell.
That said, I intend this to be a very personal (and non-professional) blog, and I will not limit myself to Alexandria history. I am exploring the history of the Civil War in north Virginia and beyond, and I will use this blog to discuss what I find. If others find any interest or amusement in that, I will be delighted for any feedback.
