Robert E. Lee’s Private Unionist Beliefs
Friends comfort each other in hard times, and sometimes they bare their souls. Robert E. Lee discussed his Unionist beliefs (held before and after the Civil War) with his friend,…
No crystal ball for 2018 (or the Civil War): Winston Churchill’s insight for historians
A Swedish proverb says, "Shared joy is a double joy." In this season of the year, I share my relish for Winston Churchill in an excerpt from The Last Lion…
The Grinch who Stole Civil Liberties
Spending Christmas behind bars isn't anybody's idea of fun. That's what happened to former U.S. Senator George Wallace Jones in late December 1861, after the federal government seized a personal…
Traveling through time in an armchair: The joy of historical research
In Ray Bradbury's short story, "A Sound of Thunder," a safari company takes visitors to any year in the past. Visitors can shoot any animal, even prehistoric ones. They can…
Hell hath no Fury like an Irishman Scorned
Artillery specialist P.J. Kelly had ten years of experience, serving His Royal Majesty. When Kelly arrived in Iowa, he probably never imagined he would serve both sides in a civil…
Critically Thinkin’ Lincoln: Shrewdly seizing power
The presidency is a traditional American square dance, involving a second partner (Congress), sometimes a third partner (the Supreme Court), and occasionally many others (state and federal officials). They all…
Critically Thinkin’ Lincoln: Even geniuses can make mistakes
It is hard to deny Abraham Lincoln’s political acumen. He understood his constituents, and he sagely analyzed his political opponents, including Republicans and Northern Democrats. Lincoln combined his knowledge of…
Critically Thinkin’ Lincoln: The journey from Hard War to Soft Peace
“There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’ … for the times they are a-changin’.” Bob Dylan could’ve sung these words about Abraham Lincoln and the nation after Fort Sumter.…
Critically Thinkin’ Lincoln: Persuader in Chief
Lincoln had the consummate skills of a lawyer, a politician, and a storyteller. Added to those skills, he had impressive logic. In many cases, Lincoln served himself, the Republican Party,…
Critically Thinkin’ Lincoln: Softly disarming his opponents
I was a member of the Abraham Lincoln fan club as a boy. Dad was a member, too. He taped a Lincoln quote to his bedroom mirror: “My father taught…