Civil War Memory

Best of Civil War Memory (2)

Kevin Levin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:40:24 +0000

This is the second in my series of “Best of” posts that will be shared throughout November in recognition of the four-year anniversary of this blog. The following post appeared on March 23, 2006 and is titled “Why the Civil War Matters”. This post was formally presented at my school as part of the 2006 [...]

Acquisitions 10/08

Kevin Levin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:51:14 +0000

I had a wonderful time in Louisville at the SHA. It’s a wonderful opportunity to listen to thoughtful presentations and meet up with old friends. When I have time I will share some thoughts about one of the panels on Civil War memory and the Sesquicentennial. Of course, one of the best features of the [...]

Last Minute Assignment at the Southern

Kevin Levin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:42:54 +0000

So, just as I was finishing packing for my trip to Louisville tomorrow when I received a phone call asking me to moderate a panel on Saturday morning. I will be filling in for Gary Gallagher on a session titled, “The Public Presentation and Interpretation of Slavery and Slave Resistance: A Roundtable Discussion.” It’s a [...]

Richard Slotkin’s Crater

Kevin Levin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:11:00 +0000

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 [...]

Civil War Memory Turns Four

Kevin Levin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:07:07 +0000

The following post originally appeared on December 12, 2005 Being Ed Ayers In the most recent issue of North and South there is a very interesting exchange between Ed Ayers and a letter to the editor in the Crossfire section. The writer responded to Ayers’s article, “What Caused the Civil War” which appeared in a previous issue [...]

Acquisitions 11/02/09

Kevin Levin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:25:27 +0000

Here is the latest in recent acquisitions. On Thursday I head to Louisville, Kentucky for the annual meeting of the Southern Historical Association. No doubt, I will end up lugging a bag of books home with me. Thomas A. Desjardin, Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine: The 20th Maine and the Gettysburg Campaign (Oxford University Press, [...]

John J. Dwyer’s “War Between the States” in Video

Kevin Levin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:41:58 +0000

Not too long ago I commented on a popular homeschooling textbook on the Civil War by John J. Dwyer, titled, The War Between the States: America’s Uncivil War. This is the video promo for that textbook. It is a truly remarkable modern day Lost Cause inspired account of the war. It essentially pits a God-fearing [...]

A Blistering Review

Kevin Levin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:54:18 +0000

Like many of you I’ve read John Keegan’s Face of Battle (1976) and can appreciate the contribution it made to the historiography of military history and its influence on countless Civil War historians who have written about the experience of the common soldier. Other than that, however, I haven’t read much of Keegan’s scholarship. I’m [...]

Jim Limber Kidnapped and Brought to Beauvoir

Kevin Levin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:31:46 +0000

It looks like Ron Casteel’s statue of Jefferson Davis holding hands with his biological son and “adopted” son, Jim Limber, has found a new home at Beauvoir. You may remember that this statue was commissioned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in hopes that it would be placed next to the Lincoln statue at the [...]

Is Civil War News Reporting the News?

Kevin Levin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Update: Eric Jacabson reports that no service records can be found for the Tennessee men listed below. Can’t say that I am surprised. Well, I guess if that simply means running stories from across the country without any concern as to whether the details of the stories are correct. Yes, Cathy Gordon Wood, president of Giles [...]