150th Anniversary of the Battle of Westport

-I saw an article in the KC Star about artifacts from the Civil War Battle of Westport that were found by John Adams Jr. over 60 years ago.

-The Battle of Westport took place from October 21-23 in 1864, and 29,000 men fought in it:

A sprawling action, the battle occurred over three days. It started east of Independence and progressed along the Blue River and into what is now Loose Park, near Brush Creek, before turning south. The approximately 29,000 soldiers involved made it the biggest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. When the Union prevailed, any hope of a significant Confederate presence in Missouri ended.

-Adams' ancestors owned the land right near where the battle took place.

-As I read the article, I was excited to learn that Kansas City has a Battle of Westport Visitor Center and Museum.  I am planning on going in the near future, and of course I will blog about the experience.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article3212866.html#storylink=cpy

Thursday Smorgabord!

--151 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, Union Soldier, First Lt. Alonzo Cushing will receive the medal of honor.  Cushing was 22 when he died on the 3rd day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

--Madeleine Riffaud was a member of the French Resistance, she even shot and killed a Nazi officer.  This past Monday, Paris celebrated 70 years of freedom from the Nazis.

--Bergdahl Swap Called Illegal--I can't believe he has been reinstated and is back on active duty after it is so clear that he deserted.

--Another U.S. hostage in Syria is a woman who was a humanitarian aid worker.

Hell on Wheels!

--Hell on Wheels is my new, favorite show!

--It takes place during the aftermath of the Civil War.  So, it has a historical aspect to it and there is a hot guy with a gun, played by Anson Mount.  What more could you want?

My Favorite Quotes (so far):

No one deserves forgiveness, that's the beauty of grace.

The world don't care about our plans.--Cullen

Lily: Has anyone ever told you what an insufferable ass you are?
Cullen: Yeah

God's got a funny way of teaching you things.--Cullen

Mickey McGinnes: What if, God forbid, you were to lose?
Cullen Bohannon: That ain't going to happen.

You come at me with a knife, son, you better be ready to use it.--Cullen

150th Anniversary of the Civil War!

Today is the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War! It is an amazing part of U.S. history. I have become a Civil War buff over this past year, as I did a Unit Study on it with my son for school. I especially was fascinated by the large number of women actively involved in the war, many disguising themselves as men so they could engage in the fighting.

Recently, I started watching additional movies and documentaries and started reading yet another book, The Blue and The Gray by Thomas B. Allen.


I found this older movie with the same title, The Blue and The Gray. It was filmed in 1982 and I'm sure many wouldn't like the quality, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was done in the same time period as Little House on the Prairie and Roots and had some of the same actors star in it. I was also amazed at how accurate a lot of it was, despite the fact that it wasn't a documentary.

After watching Ken Burns' wonderful Civil War documentary, I ended up purchasing it and plan on watching it again.

Previously:
~Women in the Civil War
~Studying the Civil War

Women in the Civil War!

As I've mentioned, I've been studying the Civil War with my son for school. I'm now doing further research for my own personal study. Imagine my delight when I found out how many books there are on the role women played in the Civil War.

Above are just some of the books I've checked out from the library. I've already read, Women at the Front and I'll Pass for Your Comrade.

It is amazing what so many women dared to do that was considered "unladylike" and "scandalous" behavior. Women were nurses, some out on battlefields with bullet holes in their dresses, as proof of their courage. Women were spies on both the north and the south side when it was an offense punishable by hanging. Women took over all duties at their homesteads when their men went off to fight. Somehow, they managed to run farms and businesses all while doing their 24/7 duties that they already had, including raising large families on their own.

Yet, last but not least, over 400 women disguised themselves as men so they could actually fight as soldiers on the battlefield.

I hope to do some individual reviews of the books and maybe profiles of some of the amazing women!!

Studying The Civil War!

I am studying the Civil War with my youngest son and I am loving it. National Geographic's Atlas of the Civil War is an excellent, comprehensive book that covers every detail of the Civil War. It has excellent time lines for each year of the war.


The Civil War documentary by Ken Burns is wonderful. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I had numerous people recommend it to me and it is regarded as one of the best documentaries of all time.


Fields of Fury does a great job of highlighting the important battles and people of the Civil War.


The Civil War for Kids was one of several craft books that I got to do activities with my son. One of the things we are doing is making a Civil War alphabet book.


The Long Road to Gettysburg is an audio book telling about the events leading up to Gettysburg through the eyes of a Confederate and a Union soldier.