In my Stories of the Confederate South anthology, I have a story, Lily, that is centered around the men of the Irish Brigade. Jed Marum performs a wonderful version of a song entitled, “The Boys of the Irish Brigade.” I decided to post his thoughts on the song and the lyrics as well. The chords are in parentheses. I’ve always thought this song a good tool to teach youngsters stories of mythology. Jed Marum will be at Enoch’s Irish Pub, Saturday, Dec. 20! Be sure and come to see him. He will be worth the drive. Please visit Jed Marum’s website here.

Jed says: “Most of what I know of this song I learned from singer David Kincaid’s album, The Irish Volunteer. You can find more info here www.hauntedfieldmusic.com.

The old Irish melody and the lyrics of this song were recently put together by David. He states that he found the lyrics in the Book Of Irish Songs by Samuel Lover and Charles Lever. That book was published in 1860 by A. Winch, of Philadelphia, PA. No authorship is given for the lyrics.

The song celebrates the heroics of the Irish Brigade who fought for the army France during the 18th century – but it was published in the US just at the start of the American Civil War and was certainly appropriate for the period.

David attributes the melody as “My Lodging Is On The Cold Ground,” and it is the same melody also used for “Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms” and others.

“The Boys of the Irish Brigade” Chords and Lyrics
Traditional
(capo 3)

What (C) more or shall I sing you of (F)Roman or Greek
Or the (C)boys you hear (G)tell of in (C)story (G)
Come (C)match me for fighting, for (F)frolic or freak
The (C)Irishman’s (G)reign in his (C)glory
For Ajax and Hector and (F)bold Agamemnon
Were (C)up to the (G)tricks of the (C)trade, (G)Oh
But the (C)rollicking boys for war, (F)ladies and noise
The (C)boys of the (G)Irish Bri(C)gade

What for shall I sing you of Helen of Troy
Or the mischief that come of her flirting
There’s Biddy McClinchy the pride of Fermoy
Twice as much of a Helen, that’s certain
And for Venus so famous, or Queen Cleopatra
Bad luck to the word should be said, Oh
By the rollicking boys for war, ladies and noise
The boys of the Irish Brigade

What for shall I sing you of classical fun
Or the games whether Grecian or Persian
The Currauh’s the place where the knowing one’s done
And the Mallow that flogs for diversion
For fighting for drinking for ladies and all
No time like our times, e’re was made, oh
By the rollicking boys for war, ladies and noise
The boys of the Irish Brigade

TAG:
For fighting for drinking for ladies and all
No time like our times, e’re was made, oh
By the rollicking boys for war, ladies and noise
The boys of the Irish Brigade

I’m on my way home to Monroe this morning. Yesterday, was packed with activity. I returned to the Barnes & Noble on University in Fort Worth, and had a sell-out signing.  I moved from there to the Sundance Barnes & Noble in Forth Worth and had another good signing. Here I am with Elizabeth, one of the workers at the University Barnes & Noble. She is a sharp lady who earned her MA in Art at Edinburgh University. She told me a few stories of her stay in Scotland.

From the Sundance Barnes and Noble, I attended a dinner at Soda Springs BBQ located at 8620 Clifford St. in White Settlement.  After a fine meal, we went to the Texas Civil War Museum for a private showing of Civil War artifacts from the private collection of Ray Richey. Ray is the curator and founder of this fantastic museum.  The museum rotates its collections 3-4 times a year, drawing from artifacts owned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and from Ray and Judy Richey’s private collection. Though I was allowed to take several photos, these two are my favorites. The first is a display that gave me an idea for my book coming out next year–The Little Confederate’s ABC Book. The second is of the card that explains the exhibit.  This museum has helped me so much with my school programs and last night  we discussed ways that we will work together even more in the future.

In my collection of historical short fiction, Stories of the Confederate South, I have a story that was inspired by a song of Jed Marum and printed in Ceili magazine. The song is entitled, “Mama’s Lily.” I still remember the first time I heard Jed sing that song, and ever since that Friday afternoon, this song has been a favorite of mine. The lily is a symbolic flower, a flower of beauty, hope, and a reminder of death. This little story honors that little Southern girl who lost her life because the forces opposing the South had no scruples about warring on civilians. On Jed’s advice, I purchased and read McCarter’s memoir. I love this Irishman, and I love studying the Irish Brigade that he was a part of. I hope I can someday reenact as part of their unit. About McCarter, I think there are more stories from that memoir that I should write.

Jed says this about “Mama’s Lily: “I wrote this song a few years ago after reading the diary of an Irish immigrant and Union soldier named, William McCarter. His words were published in a book called, “My Life in the Irish Brigade.” He told one story that stunned me so – that I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks. It’s the true story of a little girl accidentally killed in the shelling of Charlestown, WV. McCarter came across the scene shortly after the incident had taken place and was absolutely crushed, heartsick by it. He told the story with such care – that I knew I had to retell it. I had to find a way to pass the story on … I wrote the song using as much of McCarter’s own word and thought as I could. I hope that although it is a tragically sad story – it is a beautiful song, and pays homage to this little girl’s memory.

While it is told from the point-of-view of a Yankee soldier, and that soldier lists for us his motivations for fighting, this song tells just as much a Confederate story. A story I hope will one day be heard in wider circles then my singing will take it. I hope this song is sung, and this story retold at every reenactor campfire, every historical gathering and every music venue in the country.

“Mama’s Lily”
© Jed Marum 2002

She was just her Mama’s Lily
A pretty child, curious and bold
As I stood there with Michael O’Reilly
She might have been seven years old
She’d been placed high atop the piano
And arranged there with love and with care
By an African servant, her nanny
Cutting locks of the little girl’s hair
There were tears soaked locks of here hair.

CHO:
And it’s a hard cold edge to the wind tonight
It’s a bitter wind, cuts to the bone
& cruel is fate when its power and its might
To both guilty and innocent are shown Em
To both guilty and innocent shown

Charlestown was easily taken
Federal batteries had helped clear the way
When we went down to see,
Michael Reilly and me
The Rebel force had melted away
She’s been standing alone in the window
Watching soldiers retreat south and west
There was nothing to do,
When a cannonball flew
Through the window,
And on through her chest
Tore her arm and her heart
From her breast
CHO

Now I know we must fight for the union
But what a terrible price must be paid
And to make this land free,
Michael Reilly and me
Well we joined with the Irish Brigade
Now I look through my tears on this Lily
Shattered before she could bloom …
Still through death on her face
Shine her beauty and grace
Though she died from a terrible wound
And no child should ever die from such a wound.
CHO

One of the great themes recurring in Americana music, like American and English literature, is that of movement. In the ballads of Americana we hear stories of the adventures, trails, and roving of loners and the lonely (not the same thing), truckers, outlaws, and those who have abandoned a past life or relationship that wasn’t working and who hit the road. As I’m about to leave Monroe for two days of signings in Fort Worth (see my calendar on my homepage0, my thoughts are on that long Interstate drive that awaits me.

I discovered a new (only new to me) and talented songwriter and musician, Will Kimbrough, who describes the sense of constant movement in a song entitled, “Interstate.” The Mobile, Alabama native has a website and you can read all about him and his music here: Anyway, I purchased the song “Interstate” and decided to transcribe the lyrics and post them here. The song is a waltz, that one reviewer aptly described as “delicate and lovely.” I had a transcription up that had a couple of errors, but Will contacted me and supplied me with the correct lines.

Interstate by Will Kimbrough

Chords: He performs the song in the key of A.
Basically, a waltz (3/4 time) back and forth between A & D & E. You can hear the changes.
He has a little bridge that goes: F#m E, D, A D, F#m, E, D, E, A

Interstate, we could be anywhere at all
Iowa, Florida, old Termite Hall
There’s a rest stop
Just keep your eye on the road

Touching down, hit the ground
Running if you can
Santa Cruz, Gothenberg, Orange Beach sand
Hit the hotel
Just keep your eye of the road

All I know is blacktop, white lines and trees
Interstate stretching out far as i can see

Rent a van, thank you ma’am
Start the highway fun
Birmingham, Amsterdam, face to the sun
If the sun’s out
Just keep your eye on the road

Petrol stop, parking lot
Local folks in line
Liverpool, Arkansas, it’s not a crime
To be lonely
Just keep your eye on the road

After the showpubs are closed
Drinks in a bar,
Get up and go, grab your clothes,
You can sleep in the car.
Home again, all my friends
Kids and the wife
Where we were looks a blur
This is the life!
When’s the next run?
Just keep your eye on the road

Bridge: Twice repeat “Interstate stretching out, as far as I can see

While listening to the Americana Cable station, I discovered a new song and new songwriter I like. Kieran Kane is a session guitarist, singer and song writer who I intend to learn more about. He has a webpage here. That site says this about him: “Kieran Kane’s music is adult in the truest sense of the word. His explorations of mature love (The Blue Chair’s “Honeymoon Wine”), friends’ struggles with personal difficulties (“Kill the Demon” from Six Months, No Sun), and the meaning of life (Shadows on the Ground’s title cut) lead directly to his philosophical explorations of faith and life on his latest release, You Can’t Save Everybody (with Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin).

“The maturity is not surprising; Kieran’s been a successful Top Ten solo artist, a member of the duo The O’Kanes (with Jamie O’Hara), with whom he had six more Top Tens and received rave reviews, and a successful songwriter (he wrote Alan Jackson’s huge hit “I’ll Go On Loving You”). After The O’Kanes split up due to pressure from the major label they were on, Kieran put out another solo album, Find My Way Home, in 1993 with Atlantic, which was produced by his future Dead Reckoning partner Harry Stinson. Even though the record was critically acclaimed, the airplay wasn’t enough for Atlantic and Kieran left–and soon formed Dead Reckoning with Stinson, Kevin Welch, Tammy Rogers and Mike Henderson.” Kane is also a visual artist, and you can see some of his art here.

FOUR QUESTIONS

I`VE GOT FOUR QUESTIONS
THAT TORMENT MY SOUL,
I SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
THAT NOBODY KNOWS.
I`VE TURNED TO THE BIBLE
AND THE WAGES OF SIN,
BUT NO SATISFACTION
COULD BE FOUND HEREIN.

SO I WENT TO THE MOUNTAIN,
THE MOUNTAIN SO HIGH.
I CLIMBED TO THE SUMMIT,
AND I LOOKED AT THE SKY.
BUT NO WORDS WERE WRITTEN
UP THERE IN THE CLOUDS,
TO RELIEVE THESE QUESTIONS
THAT TROUBLE ME NOW:

[Chorus]:
WHO IS SHE WITH?
WHAT IS SHE DOING?
WHERE IS SHE NOW?
AND WHY DID SHE GO?
WHO IS SHE WITH?
WHAT IS SHE DOING?
WHERE IS SHE NOW?
AND WHY DID SHE GO?

[verse 2]:
MAYBE TOMORROW
I`LL WALK TO THE SEA,
SWIM TO THE BOTTOM
SO COLD AND SO DEEP.
AND THERE IN THE DARKNESS
PERHAPS I WILL FIND
RELEASE FROM THESE QUESTIONS
THAT BURDEN MY MIND:

[Chorus]:

Pittman Book Signing News:

This weekend I’ll be at the University Park Barnes and Noble and at the Sundance (downtown Ft. Worth) Barnes and Noble as well as attending a special event at the Texas Civil War Museum.

As I was listening to my Americana station on cable TV, I heard this song that I knew I had to learn. Jeff Tamadge is a super talented musician and songwriter. His website is here: Here is an biographical excerpt from his website.

Jeff Talmadge Bio

Born in Uvalde, Texas, Jeff grew up in small towns scattered across Texas–ones like Crystal City, Boling, New Gulf, Iago and Big Spring. The ghosts and memories of these places appear often in his songs-distant trains in the night, unread letters lying in weathered mailboxes, and memories of the things we love-and leave-blowing across the vast Texas plains. 

Layered with lyrical imagery and textures that whisper their way effortlessly into the heart, Jeff’s CDs are haunting treatises on longing and remembrance. Says PrimeCD recording artist Annie Gallup, “Jeff has a gift for writing lines that are absolutely fresh but that run so deep that I’m forever quoting them to myself to explain and validate events in my own life.”

Jeff’s 1999 debut CD, Secret Anniversaries, his 2000 follow-up, The Spinning of the World, and 2001’s “Bad Tattoo” have received extraordinary reviews and extensive airplay on over 125 stations in the U.S. and overseas-startling achievements for these independent releases. Jeff has appeared as a songwriting finalist or showcase artist at some of the nation’s best folk festivals.

It’s further testament to the quality of his music that Jeff has attracted a veritable who’s who of outstanding musicians into the studio to record with him, including: Iain Matthews, Eliza Gilkyson, Annie Gallup, Gene Elders, Bukka Allen, Mark Hallman, Stephen Bruton, Frank Kammerdiener, Glenn Fukunaga, Chris Searles and Paul Pearcy.

A graduate of Duke University, Jeff won the prestigious Academy of American Poets Award and went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts from the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers in North Carolina. Jeff is an active member of the U.S. Folk Alliance.

Here are the lyrics to the song I heard. This is a transcription, so if I made a mistake let me know. Jeff contacted me about the post and said that he plays the song using an open D tuning:

The Hard Part’s Letting Go by Jeff Talmadge

You can’t fight the undertow
Touch a live wire and you can’t let go
It’s easy to hang on to the love to the love you know
But the hard part’s letting go.
The hard part’s letting go.

You can’t let go when you’re in the lion’s grip
You can’t unlearn the things you know
It’s easy to hang on to a sinking ship
But the hard part’s letting go.
The hard part’s letting go.

Holding on is easy sometimes
It’s just going with the flow
But any fool can just hang on,
But the hard part’s letting go.
The hard part’s letting go.

You can act like an acrobat on a high trapeze
Hope someone will catch you down below
And you can pray a prayer that will knock you to your knees
But the hard part’s letting go.
The hard part’s letting go.

You can’t fight the undertow
Love’s a live wire and you can’t let go
It’s easy to hang on to the love to the love you know
But the hard part’s letting go.
The hard part’s letting go.

Why We Enjoy Outlaw Songs

There’s a reason the Outlaw Music of Country and Americana stations has such an appeal to us. They are generally ballads, and they tell stories of bad boys and girls that history and mythology has made into heroes. Take for example, famous outlaws like Jesse James. We know about him, but we don’t know what MADE him. I recently purchased a book entitled, The Civil War in the Ozarks by Phillip W. Steele and Steve Cottrell, and it gave me some insights into Jesse James I wanted to share with you. In a future post, I’ll try to make a list of the Outlaw songs I like.

The philosophical war between Northern and Southern views had been going on both verbally and physically several years before the Civil War actually started. The Civil War in the Ozarks says this of James:

”Jesse James was only 14 when the war began and was too young to be accepted by the Confederate Army or by Quantrill’s irregular forces. While plowing in a field behind his home in late May of 1863, young Jesse was suddenly surrounded by a mounted detail of Union soldiers. Because he refused to answer after being repeatedly asked about the location of his brother Frank and Quantrill’s camp, the detail severely whipped Jesse with bull whips and left him bleeding in the field. Half crawling to the house, he found his stepfather Reuben hanging from a tree and his mother desperately trying to cut him down while his young sister Susan and Sarrah Samuel watched in Horror. Dr. Samuel had been left hanging by the Federal [Yankee] party after several unsuccessful attempts to get information from him about his stepson’s whereabouts. He did not die from the hanging but oxygen had been deprived from his brain so long he would remain mentally incapacitated the rest of his life. Although Jesse was now only 15 years of age, the tragic events of the day inspired him to wait no longer and he left to join Quantrill’s ranks.”

After Jesse James became a Confederate guerrilla fighter, his leadership and fighting abilities were recognized quickly. Here are some notable incidents that I gleaned from Cottrell’s book: Jesse James was the one who shot down the Federal Major Johnson who with a force of mounted infantry had attempted to capture Bloody Bill Anderson. The Federal forces were decimated ferociously near Centralia, Missouri. Jesse and his brother Frank also rescued the captured General Jo Shelby and his staff from the Federals in Arkansas. Jesse eventually drifted into Indian Territory and participated in battles at Cabin Creek and other localities. He and others settled for a while in Scyene, Texas, near Dallas with the Shirley family. (John Shirley’s beautiful daughter, Myra Maebelle, would later be known as Belle Starr). When he heard the war ended, Jesse and a “sizable group of his associates” approached A Federal garrison at Lexington, Missouri, under a white flag, with plans to surrender. Jesse was seriously wounded with a “bullet in his right lung and in one leg.” James suffered greatly from these wounds the rest of his life. There is no doubt that this was another setback that spurred him on down the outlaw trail.

Jesse James was “never again known to officially surrender.”

This photo of James was taken in Platte City, Missouri in 1864 and shows him in typical guerrilla uniform and carrying three pistols.

Jesse James, Platte City, Missouri, July 1864

Is there any wonder why this boy refused to make peace with the Yankees and became an outlaw and a killer? Another of the many untold stories of history.

Here are the lyrics for a song written by Warren Zevon that I learned from Johnny Oneal when I played bass guitar with him (If you don’t know about Johnny and his music, you can read about him here.) I also perform the song when I do my own Americana show.

Frank and Jesse James

On a small Missouri farm
Back when the west was young
Two boys learned to rope and ride
And be handy with a gun

War broke out between the states
And they joined up with Quantrill
And it was over in Clay County
That Frank and Jesse finally learned to kill

CHORUS
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Frank and Jesse James
Keep on riding, riding, riding
‘Til you clear your names
Keep on riding, riding, riding
Across the rivers and the range
Keep on riding, riding, riding Frank and Jesse James

After Appomattox they were on the losing side
So no amnesty was granted
And as outlaws they did ride
They rode against the railroads,
And they rode against the banks
And they rode against the governor
Never did they ask for a word of thanks

REPEAT CHORUS

Robert Ford, a gunman
Did exchange for his parole
Took the life of James the outlaw
Which he snuck up on and stole
No one knows just where they came to be misunderstood
But the poor Missouri farmers knew
Frank and Jesse do the best they could

REPEAT CHORUS

As I was sitting at my computer working on promotions for my children’s book, The Scottish Alphabet, I was listening to the Americana music station on cable TV. As usual when I listen to station 848 (Comcast) I picked up on a song that I might like to learn. This song was performed by Emmy Lou Harris, and was entitled “Sin City.”  I found three or four versions of “Sin City” on YouTube. I found the lyrics moving and intense. Here they are:

Sin City  by Gram Parson

This old town is filled with sin
It will swallow you in
If you’ve got some money to burn
Take it home right away
You’ve got three years to pay
But Satan is waiting his turn

The scientists say
It will all wash away
But we don’t believe any more
Cause we’ve got our recruits
And our green mohair suits
So please show your I.D. At the door

This old earthquake’s gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town’s insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain

A friend came around
Tried to clean up this town
His ideas made some people mad
But he trusted his crowd
So he spoke right out loud
And they lost the best friend they had

This old earthquake’s gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town’s insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain

ABOUT GRAM PARSONS

As usual, one thought led to another, and I began to do a little research on Gram Parsons. There was much about him I didn’t know. I thought I’d make a quick list. You can find much more information about Gram on the Web, but especially  here:

1. Gram was the first Country/Rock Star. Gram Parsons.com says he influenced groups like “The Byrds, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones, as well as such new 1990’s Gram inspired bands as Son Volt, The Jayhawks, The Lemonheads, Wilco and Dash Rip Rock” and the “inspiration of the Country-Rock movement which involved such bands as The Eagles, Pure Prairie League, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage and The Desert Rose Band . . .”  Gram’s own band was called, Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels. Emmy Lou Harris was closely tied to the band.

2. Songs that have a connection to Gram Parsons: “Wild Horses.”  Evidently Gram was the inspiration for this song. Gram also arranged the song, “Honky Tonk Women.”

3. The Gram Parson website says, “Gram died September 19, 1973 in Joshua Tree, California, a part of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, at the age of 26.” Evidently, the hard living desert wanderer is buried in Louisiana. The same website says this: “During the funeral ceremony for Gram’s close friend Clarence White, Gram was overheard stating that when he died, rather than being buried in the ground, he would like to be taken out to The Joshua Tree desert of southern California and burned. After Gram died in The Joshua Tree Inn, his body was taken to the Los Angeles International Airport in preparation for being flown to Louisiana for burial. Gram’s road manager Phil Kaufman and a friend, Michael Martin, got very intoxicated, borrowed a broken down hearse and drove to LAX to retrieve the body. When they arrived, they told the shipping clerk that Gram’s remains were to be sent out of another airport, flashed some bogus paperwork and falsely signed for the body. After crashing into a wall and almost being arrested, Phil, Michael and Gram drove back to The Joshua Tree Desert, stopping only to buy more beer and a container of gasoline. They took Gram’s remains into the desert, poured gasoline inside the coffin and set him ablaze. The two were arrested several days later and fined $700.00 for stealing and burning the COFFIN (it was is not against the law to steal a dead body). Gram’s partially burned remains were finally laid to rest in a modest cemetery near New Orleans, LA.

2. There is an extensive and interesting article about Parsons at Wickipedia. There is also a Gram Parsons Project site, which I like very much. It intends “to convey a rounded, in-depth portrait of this massively influential musician by tapping into the recollections of those who knew and worked with him.” You can visit that site here:

Last spring, in one of my posts of Catalina Island, I made a post (March 26) with some thoughts of how the C.S.S. Shenandoah affected the California coast.  In this post I want to feature a new friend, a fellow Civil War reenactor in California. His name is Alonso Chattan.  His  Living History persona is Alonzo Goodblood, Major, Medical Services.  He attends the Fort Point events in San Francisco. In addition to  his passion for Civil War history, he plays the Great Highland Bagpipes and Uilleann pipes.  He has a great love for Celtic music.

Alonso says there is a good bit of Civil War reenacting in the Bay Area and in Northern California.  He says they have large groups of Civil War reenactors, including the NCWA and ACWA .  He adds:
“Angel Island and Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge on the San Francisco side as well as several forts were manned throughout the war to prevent Confederate ships from entering the bay. Never fired a shot in anger. I am told the only time it happened was when a British ship entered the bay and its flag was furled. The garrison on Angel Island fired across its bow; the Brits thought it a salute and, fortunately, the flag unfurled and was visible thus avoiding an incident.
“The rangers at the fort told us that and I have no reason to doubt it. I hope you do get to visit Fort Point. It is a marvelous piece of period architecture. The walls are a fantastic bit of brick artistry. California granite was used for the staircases. Really worth a trip to visit.”

I am going to have a post about Clan Chattan, which Alonso belongs to, in the future.  Here is a great Living History photo of Alonso.

Civil War Fiction

Books about the Civil War continue to be churned out. I think the War Between the States must be one of the most popular topics to write about. Through the years, I’ve managed to build up a respectable library on the War, both of fiction and nonfiction. Some of the literature is very good, some VERY bad—badly written, full of inaccuracies and stereotypes and misinformation. I’m working on a book for one of my publishers, Booklocker, on how to write about the Civil War, and I’m designing a college-level course on Civil War fiction. This book is on the list of my future projects, and as soon as I get a lot of rat killing done, I can see to it.

As an English teacher for both the high school and college levels, I’ve read and taught many books about the Civil War that are in the genre of fiction. If you’re a teacher, or just one who is interested in reading good Civil War fiction, here’s a list of a few of those books with some comments.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. An all time best seller and classic on the Civil War—and with good reason. I don’t think anyone has written anything comparable. It is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, few in the modern generation have read it. Few have even seen the movie, one of the greatest movies of all time.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier The movie was good, the book is better, but as they say, “Never judge a book by its movie.” This novel is rich in detail, honest about the Confederates who fought in the war, and more or less written from a Confederate-friendly point of view. His second epic novel on the Civil War didn’t have as much success, in spite of the big bucks he received for it.

Andersonville by McKinlay Kantor. When I first began reading this novel, I was expecting more of the usual Yankee-point-of-view misinformation and propaganda. I was delightfully surprised. An honest representation of both sides and an unsettling description of this Georgia prisoner of war camp.

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. Okay, I know this is a commonly taught book, on at least one AP list I’ve seen, and I know it presents the dynamics of a divided country (and families) well, but the ending spoiled it for me. The ending (with a deus ex machina feel to it) promotes the “Saint Lincoln” myth. I suppose Lincoln was capable of acts of kindness on occasion, but for every deserter he spared (as in this story) he executed or arrested many more, including civilians.

The Writings of Ambrose Bierce: Bierce is best known for his story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” which is rightfully a standard inclusion in high school and college anthologies. Bierce actually wrote a collection of Civil War Stories and it is worth reading. Though he was a Yankee, he writes about the war with the venom of a Copperhead (Democrats in the North who opposed the war). Definitely worth reading. I recently taught his haunting story, “Chickamauga” in my college American Literature class.

Stephen Crane: Crane is the author of The Red Badge of Courage which has been a classic for a long time. This is a great novel. Though the main character is a Yankee soldier, it is NOT a anti-South book. Rather, it reflects the philosophy of Naturalism which Crane embraced. A beautiful and well-written novel. Crane also has a collection of short fiction about the War entitled, The Little Regiment and Other Stories. This is also a good read.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel should be read in conjunction with God’s and Generals and The Last Full Measure by Jeffrey Shaara, Michael’s son. As I’m sure you know, God’s and Generals was made into a movie. Killer Angels was the basis of the movie, Gettysburg. There are Youtube segments of this movie and I even found a study guide for Gettysburg.

I’ll have more to say on the literature of the Civil War in future articles.