Last evening I met with the Civil War Roundtable in Des Moines, Iowa. Over fifty Civil War enthusiasts gathered at the Machine Shed Restaurant for dinner and a program. With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War underway, interest is high and growing. And it was great to see so many active participants in Des Moines. Their program has already included sessions on guerrillas in the war, as well as women’s history, the experience of soldiers, the activities of women spies, and the ways the home front dealt with the dislocation and trauma of the war. The range of these topics indicated to me just how vibrant the Civil War Roundtables are, and how much they are leading the way toward new social histories of the conflict. Members have read widely in Civil War scholarship and they routinely comb the blogs of the New York Times Opinionator, Civil War centers, and academics.
With John Liepa, at Des Moines Civil War Roundtable, February 16, 2011
The proceedings last night were led by John Liepa and Ronald Nurmi. They have created a terrific set of programs and cultivated interest in the community. They made me feel right at home, as did the other members. And we had a wonderful time talking about the Civil War, railroads, and how the war was a modern conflict. I’ve always enjoyed the Civil War Roundtables, but this one was exceptional.
Christine Blythe says:
I am intrigued by civil war history since doing extensive genealogical research. It turns out my husband’s family is connected to David Coon, a civil war soldier who died of illness in a confederate prison in the Carolinas. My father-in-law, a direct descendant by adoption, holds one of the original transcripts of numerous letters written home by David Coon to his family during his lengthy imprisonment. I was privileged to have access and scan these letters for my genealogy database.
They were very eye-opening and sad, considering the circumstances. I have a genealogy blog I have been working on fairly recently and I hope to have these letters available on the site very soon. It might be worth checking once in a while if you’re interested.
Christine Blythe
April 16, 2011 — 6:47 pm
wthomas says:
Christine,
That’s very interesting, I’d like to see the letters when you have them up online. My colleague, Tim Mahoney, is writing about Civil War Midwesterners and their journeys as soldiers into the war and out of the war. Many, of course, spent time in the prisons, and many died in them. It’s a part of the war often left out. So, keep working on the genealogy!
Best,
Will Thomas
April 26, 2011 — 5:15 am
Christine Blythe says:
I have posted these letters on my genealogy site. They are watermarked because they do belong to my father-in-law and I hesitate to release completely clean versions to the general public. However, if you wish, I can make a clean scan available to you for your private use.
The link to the “David Coon” post is:
http://emptynestgenealogy.emptynestheritage.com/?p=1140
Just click on the hyperlink of “David Coon’s letters” within the article to download the scanned pdf of the letters.
May 17, 2011 — 12:08 pm