Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, I’m off to Columbus, Ohio to speak to the Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable. My topic will be Elijah White and his 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry, one of my favorite partisan units of the war. Before Mosby’s Confederacy became, well, Mosby’s Confederacy, it was actually White’s Confederacy. White and his motley band were truly a thorn in the side of the Federal commanders in Northeastern Virginia during 1862, before Mosby came to prominence.
Today, I came into possession of a copy of Volume 1 of a book called Battle-fields of the South, published in London in 1863. It’s by “An English Combatant,” identified only by the initials T.E.C. and that he was an artillery officer with the Confederacy. The book is listed on Google’s Book Search, but a search of internet sources turned up little on the book, and nothing on the author. There’s a great section in the book on White, and some long quotes from him from a supposed conversation with him after a scout to Baltimore in October 1862. Has anyone else heard of this book, and have any information about its author? I can’t locate information on the second volume either – whether it was published or not. If anyone has more information about these book(s) and the author I’d appreciate hearing about it. The book gave me some great information about White to add to my talk tomorrow night.
My sister and her husband live in Columbus, so I’ll be staying at the brand new home they just built, which I’m really looking forward to seeing. I’m staying through Saturday afternoon. On Friday, I’m speaking at the luncheon of a church group that they set up, so that should be interesting. The group has requested that I wear my Civil War cavalry officer’s uniform, so my talk will be about both reenacting/living history, and research and writing. Should be enjoyable. The group will get to see some of the “toys” involved in a living history presentation.
I’ll post a report sometime Sunday evening after I return. Hopefully when I get back the Western Pennsylvania weather will have turned back to something resembling springtime!
Hoofbeats and Cold Steel 