Civil War Sunday - Today's Snapshot of the Civil War

Thank you, friends and relatives, who gave me United States Civil War related books for both my birthday and Christmas - I promise I am looking at these books (little by little) and will feature them (eventually) in my blog.

For today, I am keeping a promise to feature the "west" more in my blogs.  So much attention seems to be paid to the Southeast (especially Virginia)and I am guilty of it because I grew up in, and live in, New York State.  However, we must keep in mind that the Civil War was far ranging, a lot more far ranging than many people realize.

Virginia had the greatest number of battles - but Tennessee was second.

The best way to learn about the Civil War is source material - including newspapers of the area.

You may be interested in these exerpts from a Memphis, Tennessee newspaper, the Memphis Daily Appeal from December, 1862 and January, 1863.  These include

• -reactions, from the Confederate viewpoint, of the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln of the United States on January 1, 1863;
• news from Vicksburg, Mississippi, which the Federals were attempting to take so the North could take control of the Mississippi River - a river still immensely important to our national commerce;

•  and, an article about women suffering from "lack of snuff" (a tobacco product) due to the war.

But sadly, the same, modern, Memphis paper (now called the Commercial Appeal) reported, as one of their news items:  "KKK [the Ku Klux Klan]Flyers Hit Memphis Area Driveways."

The Ku Klux Klan is post-Civil War and beyond the scope of this Civil War Sunday feature of my blog.  But, the Klan was an outgrowth of the Civil War and deserves mention.  I've blogged before that we are still fighting the Civil War almost 150 years after it ended- and, sadly, the Klan trying to recruit membership in its native Tennessee on Friday helps to prove that I am correct.

How sad.