Travel Guide: Lexington, Virginia

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Perched at the confluence of the Maury and James Rivers in the Shenandoah Valley, Lexington has tons of history that precedes it. Before the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson lived on East Washington Street with his wife, Anna, while he taught at VMI; he’s buried at Oak Grove Cemetery. After the war, Robert E. Lee helped … Read more

An Interview with Chef Walter Staib

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With more than four decades of culinary experience, Chef Staib is an author, an Emmy Award-winning TV host, James-Beard-nominated chef, and culinary historian. He has opened more than 650 restaurants worldwide and most recently headed Philadelphia’s City Tavern, an 18th-century tavern re-creation. He is also the driving force behind “The Taste of History,” a TV … Read more

Len’s Book Review: The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History

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The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History Edited by Alan Nolan and Gary Gallagher (Indiana University Press, 2000); 231 pages   Twenty years ago, I picked up this book and read it. It was less than a year after 9/11, and knowing the dust-up between Nolan and Lee defenders after Alan’s controversial … Read more

Len’s Book Review: Anti-Slavery Addresses of 1844 and 1845

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No star rating Anti-Slavery Addresses of 1844 and 1845 By Salmon Portland Chase and Charles Dexter Cleveland  (Sampson, Low, Son and Marston, 1867; reprinted by Negro Universities Press, 1969) By Len Riedel A few weeks ago, I finished a book from my African American shelf intending to roll it into July. But then, having also … Read more

In Their Own Words: The Preservation of a Civil War Statue

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BGES Blog featured Bob Jenkins in the May issue as a BGES Member Making a Difference. One of the ways he has made a difference is by helping to preserve a controversial statue of Joseph E. Johnston in Dalton, Georgia. Amid the 2020 riots, he and others worked diligently to move it from the public … Read more

BGES Member Making a Difference: Kyle Sinisi

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Kyle Sinisi is deeply embedded in history. He studied history at VMI and Kansas State University. He teaches history at The Citadel, with a focus on the Civil War, the World Wars, and the history of weaponry. And he has written several books about history, including The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition of 1864 … Read more

Tour Talk: Civil War 101: Chickamauga

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Norman Dasinger, Jr.,  is a BGES tour-de-force. He frequently contributes to the BGES Dispatch, writing about little-known and intriguing aspects of the Civil War. He’s also a popular BGES tour leader, known for his in-depth knowledge and passion for history. The Civil War 101 concept is his brainchild, and he is a founding sponsor of … Read more

Len’s Book Review: Reflections on the Civil War

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Reflections on the Civil War  By Bruce Catton, edited by John Leekley (Doubleday and Company, 1981, 240 pages plus index) In 1973, as a cadet at Virginia Military Institute, I took the legendary professor John Barrett’s course on the Civil War and Reconstruction. As part of the class, we were required to read 1,000 pages … Read more