As most of you know, I’m a history buff. I’m not talking about a photographic memory of names and dates—I’m talking about the blood, sweat, and tears that people in the past endured. For example, at some point, you may have been taught that William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which to most of us means absolutely nothing.
William the Conqueror was also known as William the Bastard. His victory was over Harold the Second. Harold did not have all his army with him, so William might have been referred to as “William Who-Kicks-Harold-When-He’s-Down.”
But that’s a story for another time.
I tend to find more recent and less distant history more appealing. Of course, since I live in Virginia, I cannot take more than a few steps before running into one historic site or another. I find it especially interesting that some field positions and fortifications left over from the Revolutionary War were reused during the Civil War—a good fighting position remains advantageous.
I’ve read books, seen documentaries and movies, but for the past few months, I’ve been following a podcast that I highly recommend. The Civil War (1861 – 1865) a History Podcast is prepared and presented by a husband and wife team, Rich and Tracy, with their home page at civilwarpodcast.org. Rich is from Pennsylvania and Tracy is from Arkansas, so they had ancestors on both sides of the war, which presents a more or less balanced presentation. In any case, it is well done, entertaining, and educational.
Discussing the Civil War can be contentious, especially these days. However, as Rich pointed out, “The past is a foreign land. They do things different there.”
Currently, there are nearly 400 episodes, not counting the special episodes for members of the “Strawfoot Brigade.” If you’re a history aficionado, or just tired of doom scrolling or cable news, give this podcast a listen.
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