The Death of Stonewall Jackson

150 years ago today, on May 10, 1863, the South lost 39-year-old Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, one of its most colorful generals. He died of pneumonia one week after his own troops fired on him by accident during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. Jackson had terrorized Union commanders and led his army corps on bold and daring marches, during the early years of the war. He  complemented Robert E. Lee to perfection.

Jackson was native  to Virginia,  growing up  in Clarksburg. His family lived in poverty in the mountains of what is now West Virginia. Jackson was orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives. He was shy and lonely as a young man. Having only a rudimentary education, he was secured an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, because a young man from the same congressional district turned down his appointment. Despite his poor upbringing, Jackson proved to be a hard worker. He graduated 17th in a class of 59 cadets.

Jackson served as an artillery officer during the Mexican War (1846-48), where he saw action at Vera Cruz and Chapultepec. He earned three brevets for bravery in a period of six months, leaving the service in 1850 to teach at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He was a difficult and eccentric classroom instructor, according to his students and was prone to strange and impromptu gestures during class. A devout Presbyterian, he refused to discuss secular matters on the Sabbath. In 1859, he led a group of VMI cadets to serve as gallows guards during the hanging of abolitionist John Brown.

Jackson was promoted to brigadier general in 1861 at the start of the Civil War . He led five regiments from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. During the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, he led the attack that secured an advantage for the Confederates. In an effort to inspire his troops, Confederate General Barnard Bee  exclaimed “there stands Jackson like a stone wall.” The nickname for Jackson endured.

Jackson drew recognition as one of the most effective commanders in the Confederate army.  During the summer of 1862,  Jackson marched around the Shenandoah Valley,  holding off three Union armies. This maneuver provided relief for Rebel troops who were pinned down on the James Peninsula by George McClellan’s army. He rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia for the Seven Days battles, and his leadership at Second Bull Run in August 1862, earned him a place of trust as a corp commander in Lee’s army.

At the Battle of Chancellorsville,  despite the fact that the army they faced was twice the size of theirs, proved to be a victory for Lee and Jackson.  General Lee  split his force, sending Jackson to the Union flank. This move resulted in the Army of the Potomac’s most stunning defeat of the war. Nightfall halted the attack and Jackson rode forward to prepare for another assault. Unfortunately for both Jackson and his army, a group of Rebels mistook him and his aides as the enemy and opened fire. Hit three times, Jackson’s left arm was shattered. This led to an amputation the following day. Shortly afterward, Jackson developed pneumonia  and died. On the Sabbath, May 10, 1863, he uttered his last words: “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.”

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-j-stonewall-jackson-dies

http://civilwargazette.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/stone

For info on my romance novels and stories set during and after the American Civil War, visit my website: http://susanmacatee.com

Early Entertainers and Theaters of the West

By Paisley Kirkpatrick

Everyone likes to be entertained.  The arrival of a theatrical troupe or a famous personality has always been exciting, and the early days of the West were no exception.  Entertainers were always a welcome sight, especially in the mining towns and camps of the Mother Lode where the audience was mostly masculine.  The miners wanted pleasing performers, and they were happy to reward them.

The early entertainers were a hardy group.   They traveled long, uncomfortable miles over rugged mountains, dangerous trails, and arid deserts to see the glitter of gold and to achieve fame.

Once the actors and actresses reached their destination, they often had to perform under primitive conditions.  There were no dressing rooms or sanitary facilities.  Many times their stage would be the floor of a blacksmith’s shop with a wagon canvas for a curtain.  They would appear in a tent, schoolroom, or a saloon.  The orchestra was usually a flute, violin, and guitar played by musicians who had never read a note.

They offered medicine shows, drama, and variety.  There were special rooms with cheap decorations, where the patrons could meet an actress for a price.  Many times a miner would pay $100 for a seat and toss more gold on the floor when the show was over.

In Virginia City, the Queen of the Comstock, the first theater, opened in 1860.  It was called the Howard Street Theater and ladies were not admitted.  Business was good so Maguire’s Opera House opened its doors in 1863.  It was an opulent establishment.  The auditorium was carpeted, ornate crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, spectators were seated upon gilt chairs and there were velvet railings for the boxes.  The enthusiastic audiences were wealthy, but not necessarily elite.  They came for entertainment and had the money to pay for it.  The shows ranged from Adah Isaacs Menken in the “Mezeppa” to minstrels and dog fights.

Taken from Women of the Sierra by Anne Seagraves

This Day in the Civil War – April 26, 1863

Here’s a summary of what was going on 150 years ago today.

General Ulysses S. Grant continued with his preparations to move his army, currently on the west bank of the Mississippi River, over to east side for the upcoming attack on Vicksburg.

Also on this day, a Confederate unit under the command of General Marmaduke launched an attack on Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The attack was repelled when Union General Abel Streight drove his his cavalry, mounted on mules for lack of available horses, through Alabama toward Georgia.

http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/This%20Day/thisday0426.htm

For info on my Civil War and post-Civil War romance, visit my website: http://susanmacatee.com

This Day in the Civil War

Here’s what was happening around this date during the Civil War.

On the tenth of April, Lincoln visited the Army of the Potomac at its winter quarters in Falmouth, Virginia in order to review the troops. The soldiers expressed a full confidence in Hooker – but this view was not completely shared by the president. Lincoln tamped down Hooker’s rhetoric regarding the capture of Richmond. He reminded the general that defeating Lee’s Army of Virginia was their goal. Richmond was merely the bait to lure Lee into battle.

On April 13th, General Burnside issued General Order Number 38, threatening the death penalty for anyone found guilty of treason.

For more info on what happened around this date:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/april-1863-civil-war.htm

For info about my romances set during and around the Civil War, visit my website http://susanmacatee.com

Victorian Crime

I had started out by reading an article on North Korea but BBC has a sidebar and there it had this interesting link to Victorian Crime. This is how it starts out, a catchy enough intro to make anyone want to read:

The sensational murder stories in the Victorian era sold newspapers and crime fiction in a way that had never been seen before, stories which continue to fascinate us today.

Yup. The crime genre could (arguably) have started with the Victorians. Lots of things began then, actually, and there’s this cool video I so want to watch on the hidden dangers of the Victorian house but I’m not in the UK so the site won’t let me. I’m very upset about that, but will let it go.

So this crime genre:

For the first time, mass-market newspapers were being created such as The Illustrated Police News which specialised in reporting on crime and criminals, using language and pictures that were far more lurid than that used in modern tabloids.

(Picture is theirs from this artcile.)

“The prototype of the all-knowing detective is a form we still recognise today. We still use the same storytelling formulas that were built in the 19th Century,” adds Flanders.

Victorian Slang of the Week

Volume 1, A-G, J.E.Lighter Editor

Deadwood: a coffin, 1845.  Only one reference for this term.  2) a sure thing, as in a bet–1850 a couple of references to this 3) genuine–1876.  Only one reference to this as well.  As in “Is that the deadwood truth?” 4) have the deadwood on–to have at once’s mercy or a critical advantage over.  This has many reference from 1850′s on, which would lead a writer to believe that the other definitions were used more often, at least in speech.   “If you bring a knife to a gunfight, the gunowner has the deadwood over the knife owner.”  I used this once or twice in The Wild Half : “Looked to me like Lilah had the deadwood on you”

Paradise Pines Series: Marriage Bargain Released

MARRIAGE BARGAIN, the second book in my Paradise Pines Series, was released March 21, 2013

Marriage Bargain is set on the dusty trail of a wagon train traveling from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the California gold rush area at Placerville, California, in 1849. Betrayal and embarrassment drives Darrah Benjamin to run away from home to take a tutoring job in San Francisco. Darrah finds her journey a pathway to love and forgiveness when an arranged marriage to the wagon scout becomes much more than a convenience. Chase challenges her determination to keep their marriage in name only with his promise — she’ll give him her heart and invite him to her bed before they arrive at their destination. Darrah has an immediate attraction to the rogue, but holds her emotions tight because she doesn’t want her heart broken again.

Charles Danforth, a scout known as Chase, leads a wagon train of emigrants west through plains plundered by murderers. As an undercover agent of President Polk, he has sworn to stop the massacres.  Darrah’s inadvertent comment gives him the clue he needs to achieve his assignment. His Sioux blood brother helps Chase end the killings, but almost ruins Chase’s chance of winning Darrah’s heart when he takes matters in his own hands to demonstrate the depth of love Chase has for his wife.

 

EXCERPT:

Footsteps crunched on the rocks a few minutes later. He spun around and froze on the spot. The drowned rat? At least he thought the young woman walking toward him was the drowned rat. Her appearance was a far cry from the woman he’d saved during the storm. Unable to pull his gaze away from the gentle sway of her hips and the firm round breasts pressing against her crisp white bodice, he shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. Light filtered through the branches giving her an ethereal appearance, and touching on pouting lips begging to be kissed. All logical reason vanished. His reaction staggered him as his mounting desire for the woman coursed through him. She was everything he’d remembered and more. She was a liar.

He dropped the last of his gear alongside Cappy’s wagon as she stopped in front of him.   ”What’s your game, lady?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Cut the act, Rose. You know very well we’ve met before. Or maybe you were such a good actress I actually believed you were in trouble during the thunderstorm.”

Her eyes grew wide as saucers. Her hand pressed against her bosom as she gasped. “You can’t be the man who rescued me.”

Cappy cleared his throat. “What’s going on here? Who is Rose?”

“I didn’t tell you a lie, Captain. My name is Darrah Rose Benjamin. It’s true your friend pulled me off my runaway horse. I was cold, wet, and tired. He suggested I remove my clothes before he kissed me, and then he had the nerve to invite me under his fur.” She glared at him. “Under the circumstances I chose not to tell him my full name.”

“What’s she talking about?” Cappy’s voice cracked with anger. “I raised you better.”

Chase shrugged. “It didn’t happen exactly as she says, Cappy. I may have misjudged the lady.    She was such a fetching little thing I couldn’t resist kissing her. Besides, she needed thawing out.”

“Wipe that damned grin off your face, boy. You get into town and find a Justice of the Peace. There’s goin’ to be a wedding tomorrow.”

“Hold on a minute.” Darrah grabbed Cappy’s arm. “If this man is the scout you want me to marry, I won’t do it. He obviously doesn’t trust me or believe in bathing.” She stalked toward the clearing where she’d tethered her horses.

Watching her march across camp, Chase wished he’d handled the situation better. Cappy’s glare shot daggers at him. He’d been a fool for stomping on her pride. Damn, but she’s far too high-strung and beautiful for her own good.

“Why’d you hurt her feelings and how will you fix the mess you made?” Cappy asked.

He set his attention on the old man. “Me?”

“You’re the one who acted an ass.”

“Wait one damned minute. I told you this was a foolhardy idea in the first place. I only agreed I would talk to the girl, nothing else.” His gaze slid over the gentle sway of her hips. He remembered the soft touch of her lips and the seductive way she looked with her hair in ringlets around her shoulders when she dried her hair by the fire.

“You can’t let her walk out of our lives.”

Chase took off his hat and raked his fingers through the tangled mess. “You’re a stubborn old man. It’s not so simple. I was close to being drunk the night of the storm. When lightning struck the ground in front of her horse, I thought I was hallucinating. Her screams brought me to my senses so I went after her. While I had her on the horse with me, she wriggled that little bottom of hers against my crotch until I was nearly out of my mind. Once I got her settled in camp, I went after her horses. It gave me a chance to cool off. She looked so damned desirable dripping wet I couldn’t think straight. When she stole away from camp early the next morning, I figured I was done with her.”

“You didn’t cool off enough, boy.”

“Dammit, Cappy, I’m not proud of my actions.”

“Talk to her. What if she hooks up with someone else? If she attempts the trek on her own as she’s threatened, she could die. I couldn’t bear the weight of another death.”

He didn’t have room in his life for a woman and he sure as hell didn’t have time to babysit. At this point he wasn’t ready to tip his hand and let her know his true identity.

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/paradise-pines-the-marriage-bargain-epub/ 

 http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Pines-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B00BXQNPZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364663851&sr=1-1&keywords=paisley+kirkpatrick 

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paradise-pines-book-two-paisley-kirkpatrick/1114876203?ean=2940016273693