‘The Widow Lincoln’ at Ford’s Theatre

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Eireann

How is Ford’s Theatre marking the sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s assassination? It’s staging a play about Mary Lincoln. Hope the Secret Service are keeping the Obamas far, far away from this one.

The moment is just one of many pathos-crammed sequences in “The Widow Lincoln,” the doleful historical monument of a play at Ford’s Theatre. Written by James Still (“The Heavens Are Hung in Black”) and directed by Stephen Rayne, this world premiere broods knowledgeably over the plight of Mary Todd Lincoln after the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, at Ford’s Theatre in 1865. While fever-dream design and dramaturgy evoke the first lady’s mental health problems, there’s an aching universality to the production’s portrait of grief and bewilderment in the face of loss.

via ‘The Widow Lincoln’ at Ford’s Theatre shows a first lady in mourning – The Washington Post.

Hunley’s hull revealed

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Eireann

The Hunley is slowly emerging from the century-old crust. Kudos to the historians, researchers and conservators involved in this mammoth and painstaking project. They are keeping history alive for us.

The Hunley was found off the South Carolina coast in 1995, raised in 2000 and brought to a conservation lab in North Charleston.

It was covered with a hardened gunk of encrusted sand, sediment and rust that scientists call concretion.

Last May, it was finally ready to be bathed in a solution of sodium hydroxide to loosen the encrustation. Then in August, scientists using small air-powered chisels and dental tools began the laborious job of removing the coating.

Now about 70 percent of the outside hull has been revealed.

Mardikian said the exposed hull indeed has revealed some things that may help solve the mystery of the sinking.

“I would have to lie to you if I said we had not, but it’s too early to talk about it yet,” he said. “We have a submarine that is encrypted. It’s like an Enigma machine.”

via Civil War rebel sub’s hull revealed | HeraldNet.com – Nation/World.

Civil War subs: Lost no more?

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Eireann

A museum director appears to have unearthed the remains of a Confederate “sub base” in Louisiana. I’ve read about the David and the Hunley, but had no idea there were others in the “fleet”. Fascinating discovery!

There’s evidence the Shreveport subs existed. Reports of Union spies in Shreveport, as well as Confederate reports, detail the appearance and dimensions of the submarines as well as operations to put mines in Red River for a Union invasion that never came. Five submarines were built, with one sent to the Houston/Galveston area in Texas, and lost in transit. The late historians and authors Eric Brock and Katherine Brash Jeter did considerable research on the subs and the Confederate Navy Yard and found documentation a number of machinists and engineers who had built the Hunley and other submarines for the South were in Shreveport the last year of the conflict.

via Civil War subs: Lost no more?.

Lincolniana Auction

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Eireann

There was an important auction this week of Lincoln and assassination memorabilia. I was surprised by this discrepancy:

The lock of hair, taken by Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes shortly after Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, sold for $25,000.

An 1861 letter written by Booth to a friend boasting about his career and value as an actor sold for $30,000.

You’d have thought anything of Lincoln’s, much less his actual hair clipped by the doctor on site for his autopsy would be worth more than a simple letter by JWB. Thankfully, the article followed up with a handy explanation:

"The public was so disgusted by Booth’s atrocity that most all letters, signatures and documents mentioning him were destroyed after Lincoln’s death, making any that survive 150 years later exceedingly rare and valuable," said Don Ackerman, Consignment Director for Historical Americana at Heritage Auctions.

via Lock of Lincoln’s hair among items auctioned in Dallas – Yahoo News.

PBS planning Civil War drama

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Eireann

I guess the sesquicentennial took a few years to register in the minds of TV and movie producers, but they’re throwing their lot in now. In addition to the less-than-promising shows mentioned last week, this is a PBS production backed by some Hollywood clout. I’ll post more news as I see it; this has some serious promise!

After being wedded for so long to British-centric scripted series, including the mega-hit “Downton Abbey,” America’s public-television giant has plans to do a Civil War drama shot in Virginia.

The news was announced last week during the Television Critics Association Press Tour.

Based on true stories, the six-part series, which is yet to be titled, will follow two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict — one a staunch New England abolitionist and the other a young Confederate belle.

The series is being produced by Ridley Scott and David Zucker, and is scheduled to air this winter.

via Brit-centric PBS planning Civil War drama – Lowell Sun Online.

‘Point of Honor’

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Eireann

It seems there’s another new Civil War show in production, but it also seems like this new show is not worth watching. Given this dismal review and the hilariously awful stills provided, I’m going the Kentucky route of declaring myself neutral with the intent of sitting it out.

There’s a moment about five minutes into Point of Honor that illustrates what precious little thought the producers actually put into this show. An aging plantation owner in 1861 Lynchberg, Virginia tells his fussy daughter Lorelai that she reminds him most of her dead mother. He then brazenly tells a pianist to get up by gruffly barking, “Move boy!” so he can park Lorelai down at the keys. He asks her to play a song that her mother used to play. The song is Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.”

Now, I get why that might seem innocuous. It’s a famous piano solo that’s so well-known that it appears in Twilight. However, while many antebellum plantation owners were fond of French culture, none of them — as far as I know — were time travelers. Debussy started work on “Clair de Lune” in 1890 and he didn’t publish it until 1902. The song takes its title from a Paul Verlaine poem that was written in 1869. So, you’ll understand why I was so jarred by this musical selection. It’s the same as if Peggy Olsen turned on the radio on Mad Men, and Daft Punk started playing. Sure, not everyone in Point of Honor‘s audience is going to be a history snob, but everyone has google.

via ‘Point of Honor’: Why We’re Fighting Against Amazon’s Civil War Pilot | Decider | Where To Stream TV & Movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go.

‘Whipping Man’

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Eireann

I caught a mention of the play, The Whipping Man, which opens in Costa Mesa, California January 25th. By this review, it’s a must-see, and it is centered upon a facet of the war I had never considered before: Jewish Southerners who raised their slaves as Jews. I’m researching more on the topic for subsequent posts. Stay tuned, unless you’re in Costa Mesa, in which you should tune out and go see the play!

Matthew Lopez’s “The Whipping Man” gives us something even more intriguing – and more gut-wrenching. Imagine Southern Jews of the Civil War era. Now imagine them alongside slaves whom they’ve raised within the precepts of Judaism.

That’s “The Whipping Man,” and its Martin Benson-directed staging at South Coast Repertory is a powerhouse.

via ‘Whipping Man’ casts shadow over Old South – The Orange County Register.

To Appomattox – Our Cast

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Eireann

There’s a Civil War mini series coming in 2015. Given how amateurish the website is, my expectations are pretty low, but the cast list makes me think it’ll be fantastically acted, at the very least! There are a lot of Band of Brothers vets here, including the swoonworthy ginger Damian Lewis playing swoonworthy ginger Tecumseh Sherman. And Neal McDonough’s the perfect choice for casting Joe Hooker’s ice blue eyes.

Band of Brothers, for those who haven’t seen it, tells the tale of the 101st Airborne in WWII. It is the best historical TV I’ve ever seen, and the cast (then all unknowns, now huge names) was absolutely stellar. If you feel like straying from the Civil War path for entertainment, this warrants repeated viewings.

To Appomattox – Our Cast.

Alonzo Cushing, MOH

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Eireann

Breaking my travel-imposed silence to post this news about Alonzo Cushing being awarded the Medal of Honor. Cushing’s one of the lowest-ranked Gettysburg veterans I can name, and almost every book on the battle will mention his brave actions in the face of his mounting wounds.

I wonder if this opens the door to his brother, William, getting one too?

Despite two severe wounds, Cushing, 22, stayed at his post and directed artillery fire upon hordes of Confederates charging the center of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge — a doomed assault known as Pickett’s Charge. A bullet to the head finally felled the young officer.

More than 151 years after his heroic service, Cushing will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously, the White House announced Tuesday.

via 151 years later, Medal of Honor for hero – CNN.com.

AMA with Dr. James McPherson

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Eireann

Reddit is a fairly recent obsession for me, and one of the reasons I love it is special events like their AMAs (“Ask Me Anything”). Tomorrow, James McPherson will be answering Redditors’ questions on the Civil War. If you’ve ever dreamed of asking the professor a question, or in making a ridiculous LOL-joke to him, now is your chance! (Note that you will need to create a Reddit account to ask questions.)

AMA Announcement — Dr. James McPherson, author of ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’ (1988) and over a dozen other books on the American Civil War, will be here to answer questions this Friday, Feb. 28th, starting at 1:30PM : AskHistorians.

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