What do a roustabout in Alaska’s Arctic oilfields, a deckhand on a Norwegian freighter, and a New York City cabbie have in common? Besides the need for hazard pay, all were jobs held at one time or another by BGES member Fergus Bordewich during a lifetime defined by a hunger to experience the human … Read more
Upon completing a phone interview with BGES member Greg Mertz, you are immediately struck by two thoughts. First, despite an illustrious career in the National Parks system, including more than two decades as the Supervisory Historian at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (FRSP), Mertz might have missed his calling. His rich, distinctive voice and … Read more
“Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.” That enduring lyric holds particular meaning for BGES member Dan Rush. His family roots reach deep into the fertile soil of the Bluegrass State, quite literally. His ancestors settled in Kentucky in the 1700s and farmed the land from the time they arrived. As an … Read more
In August 2021, Darryl Smith will host his first tour for BGES, “Civil War on the Ohio.” Relatively new to the group, Smith is decidedly excited for the opportunity. “We will cover a few different topics, such as Cincinnati’s Civil War importance, along with some fights involving John H. Morgan’s men in northern Kentucky,” he … Read more
There are two sides to every story. Sounds like a cliché, right? Don’t tell that to historian, archivist, and BGES member Tim Mulligan. He built his entire career—34 years at the National Archives and Records Administration, plus three books on World War II—on this belief. And it continues to guide him in his retirement. “As … Read more
It might surprise you to learn that one of the more robust Civil War tour companies on the planet is run by a British national and operates out of England. But Peter Gascoyne-Lockwood, the son of a British Naval Officer, considers himself a citizen of the world, and his company, Old Country Military & History … Read more
Bob Plumb didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a famous Civil War author. A versatile writer whose works include Your Brother in Arms: A Union Soldier’s Odyssey and The Better Angels: Five Women Who Changed Civil War America, Plumb was born and raised in upstate New York, and his geographic borders shaped him in many … Read more
As a proud son of Mississippi, Jim Woodrick has long wondered if it was unavoidable that he would become a Civil War buff. “I have always asked myself that question,” he says. “Looking back, it almost does seem that my fascination with the war was inevitable. Very early on I was somehow drawn to it.” … Read more
Growing up on the West Coast shaped BGES member Mike Green’s life in ways that are still evident today. Born in Washington, he moved south with his family to California when he was 3. They settled in Redding, also known as Central Valley. Green was a good athlete who loved music and the outdoors. He … Read more
Living in the shadow of a famous father can be a curse to some. For Norm Dasinger, Jr., it has definitely been a blessing. His dad—a professor at Jacksonville State University for 25 years and later the school’s Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership—founded the Jefferson Davis Society and is also a member of the National … Read more
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