Civil War Music

Friends,

I have to thank my little redhead for the inspiration for this post.  We were discussing what the best wartime song of all time was.  That got me thinking about the best Civil War music.  (Yes, when two history addicts get married, these are the kind of conversations they have.)  The Civil War gave us some wonderful tunes from the comical Goober Peas to the sentimental Just Before the Battle Mother.  And then there are the wartime parodies or adaptations of older songs.  (See: Listen to the Mockingbird vs. Twas At the Siege of Vicksburg)  Some, like The Battle Hymn of the Republic are still in use today.  Others are no longer "politically correct", like Dixie.  Then there are modern songs that reference the war, such as Sawyer Brown's classic Another Side.

Americans have always been fond of their music.  And it only makes sense that we would have plenty of musical memories from, arguably, the most traumatic time period in our history.  My great-grandmother knew plenty of wartime tunes that were still popular in her childhood in the first decade of the 20th Century.  She got to hear some of these songs sung by the old veterans themselves.  She really liked one in particular.

If I had to pick what my favorite Civil War era song was, I would have to say Lorena.  It was my great-grandmother's favorite, so maybe I am biased.  Yes, I can be hopelessly sentimental at times.  There are times when I get misty eyed and choked up when describing certain aspects of the war, so it is only right that I would prefer what is perhaps the best known "love song" from the war.

So that is my favorite Civil War era song.  What is yours?

My name is Lee Hutch and even though I am a Civil War Addict, I sometimes have to rely on my beautiful redheaded wife to come up with post ideas for me.

Civil War Games

Friends,

In true Civil War Addict form, I have several Civil War era games.  When we visited Gettysburg in 1994, my brother and I purchased the Gettysburg board game.  I believe it was an Avalon Hill game.  Anyway, we got hours and hours of enjoyment out of it.  I still have the game, sans most of the pieces.  Otherwise, I'd still play it.  (Though I would have to let my hot redheaded wife win.  That is normally the smart thing to do when competing against a redheaded girl of German ancestry.)

I also have some games on the computer as well.  I still play Civil War General II along with the Sid Meier's Civil War (it has Gettysburg and Antietam).  I admit that I am old school when it comes to computer games.....and probably everything else.  I still play the Red Baron (1991) using the DOS Box.  It just seems like the modern games are so complex that it takes the enjoyment aspect out of them.  If I still had my Nintendo, I'd play the North and South game.  Anyone remember that one?  Great fun!

So my question for you today is this:  What is your favorite Civil War game?  (Board game or computer game.)

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a technologically challenged Civil War Addict.

Presentations

I was lucky enough to give two presentations this week on the Battle of Nashville.  It is nights like these that make me miss being in a classroom.  Last night I had a gentleman tell me that "it is almost like you could see the battle and were just describing it for us."  I take that to be a compliment of the highest order.

Here I am giving the presentation! (Credit to my hot redheaded wife who took the picture.)  I've gained some weight since I quit smoking.

And our thoughts are prayers are with the men and women of the fire and police agencies in McLennan County Texas which includes the towns of West and Waco.  

The First Step

They say the first step is admitting that you have a problem.

When I was five years old I checked out my first book from the Port Arthur Public Library.  It was a picture book about the Civil War.  I don't know the name of it, but I do remember that it was a big book (at least in my five year old mind) and had a hard red cover.  I have been addicted to the war ever since.

It certainly didn't help matters that I grew up around my great-grandmother who was born in 1898.  She knew several Confederate veterans as a child and even attended a United Confederate Veterans reunion with her Uncle.  When she wasn't threatening to "settle my hash", she told me stories about the veterans she had known in her childhood.  She and I probably watched Gone With the Wind about a hundred times!  It was her favorite movie.  Thanks to her, I'll never wear a hat inside.  She has been gone for 19 years, but I still miss her.

I cannot explain the deep abiding passion I have for the Civil War.  It is certainly stronger than my fear of clowns.  Or my love of redheads..  Since I first opened that book 30 years ago, I have been unable to escape the hold that the Civil War has on me.

This blog will explore some of the areas of the war that are of particular interest to me.  And I will also explore why I have this connection with those traumatic years.  Maybe I will find some answers.  And maybe I will just end up with more questions.

I have been an occasional adjunct history instructor, though adjuncting is a tough way to make a living.  So I work full time in a field unrelated to history by day and study the past by night.  I am available to give presentations on Civil War topics anywhere in the Greater Houston/Southeast Texas area.  I normally do several each year and I always have room for one more.

My name is Lee Hutch.  And I am a Civil War addict.