It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog. Perhaps Ulysses S. Grant had this thought in mind in the summer of 1864. That’s when the Army’s Commanding General appointed the diminutive—and, as of yet, unproven—Philip Sheridan to lead the Union’s forces in the Shenandoah … Read more
Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War by Elizabeth R. Varon (Oxford University Press, 2019) Dr. Varon is the Langbourne M. Williams Professor of American History at the University of Virginia—certainly a prestigious posting that would suggest cutting-edge scholarship is the norm. So it was with some high expectations that I … Read more
The first month of the Great Photography Hunt has passed with five featured photographs, one released each Wednesday morning at 7 AM, having been circulated. We will summarize each month giving those who participated feedback and those who did not encouragement to join the fun. Let’s open with what the Hunt is and what it … Read more
Maybe we can’t go visit Civil War sites right now, but there’s an excellent Plan B: Experiences from home. A slew of virtual tours, online galleries, and interactive experiences helps us to explore some of the war’s most famous, and lesser known, sites. And even when things get back to normal, these will still be … Read more
Simone de Beauvoir, the noted French philosopher and activist, once said, “History is a great cemetery.” But you could just as easily argue the opposite, that a cemetery is great history. BGES member and retired surgeon Bill McKinnon certainly sees it that way. For more than two decades, he has made it his mission to … Read more
Over the past 26 years, BGES has completed some significant educational enhancements that stand in their own right as exceptional. However, a less heralded characteristic of the organization is its commitment to maintain whatever it does. If it has a BGES logo on it, it will be and is maintained. Pamplin Historical Park The latest … Read more
I am tired of talking about viruses and germs—aren’t you? What I would like to talk about is a really well-conceived, worldwide, coordinated effort to help the countless nonprofit groups around the world. GivingTuesday started in 2012, and since then has rallied increasing numbers of charities to work with their supporters to shore up fundraising efforts … Read more
The best way to learn history is to experience the places where it happened. And the best time to learn history is as a student, when it can spark curiosity and open up a whole new world of understanding. Grandparents know that. Parents know that. And that’s why they’ve been asking for BGES tours that … Read more
If timing is everything in life, then perhaps it’s no surprise that the Indian Wars are so often overlooked in the annals of U.S. history. Wedged between the close of the Civil War and Custer’s last stand at Little Bighorn, this fascinating 10-year period saw awful bloodshed throughout the Northwest as white settlers tested the … Read more
A native son of Virginia, born in Richmond “right in the shadow of Jeb Stuart,” Art Taylor was drawn to Confederate lore from an early age. “The Seven Days’ Battle culminated at my ancestor Watt’s house, with third grandmother Sally Watt being carried out as battle began,” he says. A former V-Dot employee, he’s a … Read more
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