THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER

The (apparently) world’s first combat submarine, which few alive today have ever seen. Now you can be one of them. You’d never have gotten me in that thing. I’m the descendant of  infantrymen. But I can’t help but admire the sailors who volunteered for the H.L. Hunley—and perished.

It was originally an American tradition, observed in some parts of the country but not in others, until 1863 when President Lincoln made it an official holiday at the end of November. “It has seemed to me fit and proper that they [our blessings] should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart [...]

Mort Kunstler, whose painting this is, is one of the leading sentimentalists of American Civil War art. He does Union pieces, too, but seems to prefer Rebel ones, probably because they sell better. Kershaw’s Brigade of South Carolinians held the sunken road on Marye’s Heights at Fredricksburg in December, 1862, stopping multiple Union charges until [...]

It’s hard for me to believe that this young Rebel in his mounted rifles Hardee hat could be unidentified, even after all these years. He’s a handsome fellow and his pose, on a simple chair without any painted background and minus the usual bellicose weaponry, is thoughtful and loving. Somebody’s Darling, no doubt. Yet, somehow, [...]

I’ve always liked this old shot of some of the 23rd Ohio. Not that I fall for the notion that they were freeing the slaves. But they certainly held the country together and bless them for it.

Little known outside of a select few Civil War buffs was the early Union space program designed to put an abolitionist on the streets of Richmond, if not the moon. Heck, they’d take either one. It was for sure their generals weren’t getting it done. Didn’t work, of course, or history would have recorded it. [...]

My Israeli friend “Snoopy the Goon” (he prefers anonymity on the Web) has written a nice review of my Civil War historical battle novel and posted it on his blog with links to the Amazon sales page and the book’s new blog, “Knoxville 1863, the novel.” Thanks, Snoop. Considering that you don’t normally like military [...]

Still a few weeks away from Cavalry Scout Books getting my new Civil War novel up on Amazon–only after which will we begin promoting it by name with links–but in the meantime I’m discovering that the web really is home to a lot of CW material, especially enthusiast sites and blogs. Many are worth a [...]

Named for the man who invented it, not the bird. Parrotts were rifled cannon used on both sides, though mainly by the Union. They also figure in my Civil War novel which, so far, has garnered six rejections out of ten query letter submissions. Lots more to go before I give up, though.

This new civil war blog tracking the history of US Cavalry caught my eye because it details a Scottish immigrant captain of the 6th US Cavalry in 1866, and an earlier skirmish of the 6th, a defeat, actually, at the hands of the 7th Virginia Cavalry in July, 1863. Despite my entirely Confederate ancestry, I’m [...]