October!

October promises to be an exciting month. I plan to make my first visit to Ball's Bluff, a battlefield I've been meaning to see for a long time. Lincoln lost his good friend Edward Baker here (he named a son after the senator), as Union troops were embarrassingly pushed across the field, down the bluff, and into the river. I find it interesting to visit battlefields from 1861, when idealism still reigned supreme and both sides still felt victory was the next battle away. Also, I haven't visited too many sites where autumn provided the conflict's backdrop. This should prove a sensual environment for reflection.

Competing with Ball's Bluff for my enthusiasm is my personal kick-off to the sesquicentennial commemoration! The next six years (if not more) will be an exciting time for CW students, as each 150th anniversary earns special attention. I plan to begin with John Brown's raid of Harper's Ferry. First comes a presentation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, where David Shriver Lovelace will present "John Brown's Raid, October 1859 - the Frederick Militia" to the Frederick County Civil War Roundtable. The following evening, I hope to join other trekkers for a five-mile procession from Brown's staging area at the Kennedy Farm (MD) to Harper's Ferry (WVA). I'll definitely bring my notebook and camera, as my intention is to document as many of the sesquicentennial events as possible. Regrettably, I probably won't be able to make any of the exciting symposiums, plays, and tours planned for Harper's Ferry and Charles Town that weekend. But I'll get my fix, that's for sure!

For more information on events during the John Brown's Raid sesquicentennial commemoration, click here.