Review of Boys of Diamond Hill – AR Gunners Magazine

What a pleasant thing to wake up to. I was sent this review of The Boys of Diamond Hill from McFarland Publishers and wanted to share it with you.

Click here to read it on their site.

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Boys of Diamond Hill 2nd Edition Now Shipping!

Good news! Friday, Dec. 8, I received word that the Second Edition of The Boys of Diamond Hill is now available for shipment. All preorders that you placed will soon be in your hands.

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Carologue Mag: Willtown Bluff a Skirmish that Saved Charleston

My latest article is now available in Carologue Magazine, a publication of the South Carolina Historical Society. It is the featured article depicted on the cover.

On July 10, 1863, under a dense fog, three federal steamers with a regiment of U.S. Colored Troops steamed up the South Edisto River with the mission of destroying the Charleston and Savannah railroad bridge at Jacksonboro, SC. They engaged in a heavy skirmish with artillery batteries and the Sixth South Carolina Cavalry under the command of Col. Hugh Kerr Aiken. This is the most in-depth treatment of this action published.

In this action, Fenton Hall was captured and then seemingly disappears from historical record. Hall is one of the subjects of the Boys of Diamond Hill which will be released as an expanded Second Edition in July. It contains updated information and thirty never published letters written by William and Daniel Boyd.

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Boys of Diamond Hill SECOND Edition Pre-Release

It is my distinct honor to continue the journey of documenting the lives and service of the Boyd brothers of Abbeville County in their service to their state. In the 1860s, this entire family answered the call, as young men of every generation do, for one simple reason: their mother state requires it of them. Men of all generations, especially past, have been trained to step up when their homes and families are threatened with invasion. This non-slave-holding family was no different.

Since the first edition’s printing, several important developments demanded further work. The largest being the revelation of around 30 additional letters, privately held and previously unpublished. The next thing being the discovery of photographs of two of the brothers, believed to be Daniel and Pressley Boyd, among the papers of James Robert Boyd, the only child of Daniel Boyd. These photographs are featured on a newly redesigned cover. Also, more information on Boyd family members was uncovered, which brings further richness to their story.

From the book description: In 1861, brothers Daniel and Pressley Boyd left their farm in Abbeville County, South Carolina to join the Confederate army. William, Thomas and Andrew soon followed, along with brother-in-law Fenton Hall. During the Civil War, they collectively fought in almost every theater of the conflict and saw firsthand every aspect of soldier life—from death and illness to friendly fire and desertion. By war’s end only Daniel survived. Based on their extensive personal correspondence, this updated edition includes 30 never before published letters, along with new research revealing additional family background and undiscovered information about the fates of the Boyd brothers and other family members, as well as the family’s origins in Ireland.

Pre-order your copy through the publisher by clicking on this link.

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Article in Journal of American Revolution today

My article, “A REASSESSMENT OF THE MARTYRDOM OF REGULATOR JAMES FEW” has been posted today to the Journal of the American Revolution. I hope you enjoy reading this article.

Synopsis: James Few was the first leader of the North Carolina Regulators hanged following the Battle of Alamance. His hanging was summary and came without benefit of trial. Early North Carolina historians have depicted James Few as a pathetic figure of limited mental competence, and only give passing notice to the impressive role his family played in the coming American Revolution, including a brother who signed the United States Constitution.

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Upcoming Article in Journal of American Revolution

I have received an acceptance for my article offering a reassessment of the legacy of Regulator James Few in the excellent Journal of the American Revolution. I do not have an estimate of when it will appear, but I will post an update when it may be found. This peer-reviewed journal has an excellent format. It offers a daily article in its free online portal, then publishes an annual anthology of selected articles.

Synopsis: James Few was the first leader of the North Carolina Regulators hanged following the Battle of Alamance. His hanging was summary and came without benefit of trial. Early North Carolina historians have depicted James Few as a pathetic figure of limited mental competence, and only give passing notice to the impressive role his family played in the coming American Revolution, including a brother who signed the United States Constitution.

It is easy to take these accounts at face value, as many modern historians have, including this one. A deeper exploration of the facts of the life of James Few and the scattered information on this individual presents a far more nuanced picture of a complex man. If the particulars of Few’s death had been different, modern America may well have a different image of this man who is more than a footnote, but less than a biography.

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Vince Dooley gives advance praise for Georgia Echoes

Legendary football coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, Vince Dooley, who coached them to a national championship–and the coach of the legendary Hershel Walker–is also a noted author and historian. Coach Dooley has done me the distinct honor of writing an endorsement for the soon to be released Echoes From Gettysburg: Georgia’s Memories and Images. It will be released within the next two weeks. Many thanks to Coach Dooley, one of my boyhood heroes for this.

A Congratulatory salute to J. Keith Jones for updating and revising his previous work from 2013 on the Georgians who participated in the Gettysburg campaign.  This new work entitled Echoes From Gettysburg: Georgia’s Memories and Images is a significant update to those who fought so hard for their state and its cause.  For instance, there were no images or maps in the first book but in this updated version there are forty-six photographs of individuals and locations and eight maps.  A significant improvement from the first venture the author would agree.

Georgians were in the thick of the three-day Gettysburg battle especially during the first and second days and during the retreat back to Virginia where certain regiments performed as rear guards.  The direct involvement by the soldiers of the ‘Peach State’ is evidenced by the more than 2,700 causalities including many regimental commanders of the more than 13,000 Georgians who were engaged.

There are many Georgia descendants (including the author) today who will be proud of this book that shines a light on their ancestors who gallantly fought and sacrificed for their state on the Hollowed Grounds of the most famous and well documented battle of the entire war.

Vince Dooley
Co-author of The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog: The Civil War Correspondence of William Gaston Delony, Lieutenant Colonel of Cobb’s Georgia Legion Cavalry, and Rosa Delony, 1853-1863
Former Head Football Coach And Athletic Director University of Georgia

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Cover Reveal – Echoes From Gettysburg: Georgia

Coming soon. Final details being worked out, but this title is expected for release before March. So, here’s the cover for the book many have been requesting Echoes From Gettysburg: Georgia’s Memories and Images by J. Keith Jones. This book is the rebirth of Georgia Remembers Gettysburg which has been out of print for several years and is a much sought after rare book. The new edition contains additional material, as well as maps and photographs. The front cover is graced by the Don Troiani painting of Gordon’s Brigade emerging from the woods at Rock Creek to charge Blocher’s Knoll on July 1, 1863.

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Review – Lee’s Body Guards 39th Bttn Va Cavalry

Hardy, Michael C. Lees Body Guards: The 39th Battalion Virginia Cavalry. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2019.

The 39th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry was a special unit whose formation was requested by General Robert E. Lee.  Lee believed that detaching troopers from regular cavalry units for use by generals as couriers, messengers, escorts, scouts, and security disrupted normal operations and deemed that a specific battalion be formed for this purpose.  Enter the 39th Battalion.  These troopers served at the pleasure of many Confederate generals, but often referred to themselves as Lee’s Body Guards.

Michael C. Hardy employs his usual thoroughness in examining this little-known unit.  Hardy mined every source to find every tidbit and scrap of information available on these soldiers and weaved them into an in-depth and fascinating treatment.  Every soldier played a part in the war and despite the post-modernist perversion of history of this period during recent decades, understanding history is important.  In order to do this, we must broaden it and few historians are more prolific than Michael C. Hardy in this effort.  Read this book, you won’t be sorry.

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Video 10 – Billy Sunday & His Secret Weapon

Hello again! Continuing with my academic break from my writing career, here is the next in the series of videos I have produced in my classes. This video was the final research project from my class about Christianity in America. 

Billy Sunday was an evangelist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a professional baseball player when he gave his heart to Christ. Billy Sunday was a staunch advocate of Prohibition and manliness. He was known for the physical quality of his sermons and frequently employed athletic stunts. He preached over twenty thousand sermons to millions of people across America and was credited with over a quarter of a million converts to Christ. His moderate success burgeoned in 1908, raising his evangelism to a legendary status due to his wife Nell Sunday’s taking on the duties of managing the business and personnel aspects of his ministry. This, however; came at a high price to the Sunday family.

Click here to watch the video.

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