The first link on this page leads to Jonathan Sarna’s lecture “That Obnoxious Order”, a 30 minute lecture on Grant’s anti-Jewish order. Sarna’s speaking style is entertaining, and his research is intriguing: He suggests Jesse Grant, the general’s annoying father, might have been a driving impetus to Ulysses’ actions.
Center for Jewish Studies – Download free content from University of Wisconsin-Madison on iTunes.
It was on this day in 1863 that Kate Chase married William Sprague. It was the social event in Washington during the Civil War era, but there was no fairy tale ending for the beautiful politician’s daughter. To listen to Kate’s story, click here.
Another extended absence, but I’m back today to celebrate the strange career of Henry W. Halleck! To listen to the podcast, click here.
Life has conspired to keep me away from my blog and my podcasts. I wanted to make an effort for this week’s, though, as I find the Sanitary Commission a fascinating topic in the Civil War.
The podcast can be downloaded here.
A tough slog at work has caused me to miss a few podcasts. With the daunting prospect of two due this week (I was hoping to post extras as the sesquicentennial anniversaries arrive) I thought I’d make a special effort to get today’s done: It’s the 150th anniversary of the Lieber Code, progenitor of the Geneva Convention!
The podcast can be downloaded here.
It was on this day in 1865 that A.P. Hill was killed in front of Richmond. I’ve always held Hill in high esteem, despite some grumblings over his conduct as corps commander. He seemed a genial fellow.
The podcast is available here.
A series of technical difficulties could not prevent me from posting this just under the wire on March 26th!
On March 26, 1862, Stonewall Jackson assigned Jedediah Hotchkiss to produce a map of the Shenandoah Valley. To commemorate this, I’ve created a short biography of Hotchkiss and a look at the importance of cartography during the Civil War.
The podcast can be found here.
What should have been yesterday’s podcast is going up in the wee hours of today. Technically this fits, as the Stalybridge riot was at its peak on the 20th of March, but I chose the initiation date of March 19th for the podcast commemoration.
This week, I’m discussing the Cotton Famine and its impact on British politics. As the descendant of working-class Brits, I found this Civil War connection particularly interesting.
You can download the podcast here.
It was on this day in 1864 that the Dahlgren Papers were published.
I’ve mentioned the Dahlgren fiasco and its theorized repercussions here before, but it’s a pretty engaging story to cover in more detail. Conspiracy, assassination, nefarious doings by men in power: It would make a great Hollywood thriller!
You can download the podcast here.
It was on this day in 1864 that President Lincoln issued Executive Order #76, commuting the death sentences of all US Army deserters. In honor of that and Lincoln’s many other acts of clemency, I present to you this week’s podcast, “The Boy Shall Be Pardoned”. You can download it here.