You're way out there in California. How did you get involved with ECW?
In 2014, an advisor suggested I should start blogging, and when starting a blog, it’s always a good idea to find others to read. I found Emerging Civil War Blog and started following. As I read the articles and occasionally commented, I sensed this was a group of knowledgeable and down-to-earth historians. I’d been reading the blog regularly for about nine months before I found courage to submit an article as a guest author. After quite a few rounds of editing, my first post appeared—and the rest is history.
I appreciate the opportunities with Emerging Civil War, including the editing advice, which has helped me learn to differentiate between good history and fictionalized history writing in articles. I’m thankful to be able to “give back” to the ECW community as an author and editor.
Tell us about Gazette665. Where did you come up with the name, and what is it, and how can people read along?
Gazette665 is my fledging company (now three and a half years old), dedicated to sharing history through publishing and events. I publish three articles a week on Gazette665’s blog, often including topics beyond the Civil War. The company publishes my historical novels. And, we’ve started hosting Civil War history conferences in Southern California! The third annual event is just around the corner in June 2018.
The Name. I love the old-fashioned word “Gazette” because it’s that idea of publishing information. The number sequence comes from one of my favorite Scripture verses—Psalm 66:5, “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.”
Yes, come visit and follow Gazette665’s blog https://gazette665.com/blog-2/ . I’m also active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @Gazette665
You spend a lot of time spreading the word about the civilian experience in the war. Why is that so compelling to you?
I think it started because I struggled to find information about civilians when I was reading children’s books (pre-high school years) and trying to understand the war. Sure, there were books about nurses and female spies, but I wanted to know what happened to the people who lived where the soldiers fought.
I enjoy military history and have great respect for the soldiers and many commanders, but I find myself wanting to know who was waiting at home for those men. For example, who owned the farms that became the battlegrounds? Who grew the food that fed the armies? (And other questions.) At this point, I try to see the civilians and military as a “big picture”—not isolated entities. There is a lot of connection because Civil War armies were volunteer forces, not professional soldiers; they were men with civilian lives prior to the conflict, hoping to return to the civilian world when the fighting ended.
Sometimes I wonder if my own circumstances have influenced the interest. With close and distant relatives currently serving in the U.S. armed forces, I find myself on the homefront, often experiencing some of the same wonderings and emotions described in letters or journals written by civilians over one hundred fifty years ago.
Most of your personal writing involves well-researched historical fiction. What are some of the challenges of that?
In the industry, the challenge is to stand out for good research. Unfortunately, there are a lot of “historical fiction” books that qualify more as modern romances with hoopskirts involved, and that gives many people a skewed image of historical fiction.
Personally, I find it challenging (in a good way) to track down the details of a historical account and setting. For example, although I focused on a civilian family in my Gettysburg novel, I studied to make sure I understood the battle, the town, the real-life civilians (not the fictional ones!), medical scenarios at Gettysburg, the complete accounts of the aftermath, and details surrounding the cemetery dedication. Studying helped me make sure the little details woven into the story are accurate. What was the name of General Buford’s horse? How did Buford typically interact with his men? What regiments fought near the location of the main character’s home? Where were those soldiers from and how would that influence their “backstory” and responses when they’re wounded? And the details go on and on and on.… One of the hardest parts of writing is actually deciding, “I have a really solid foundation of details and it’s time to actual sit at the desk and write the story.”
Another challenge is working with professional content editors, taking their suggestions and maintaining historical accuracy. Yes, I actually pay someone to tell me everything that they see wrong in my story plot, pacing, conflicts, etc. However, I have to navigate their suggestions through the question, “Is this historically accurate? Could it have happened?”
And—in case you’re wondering—in all my historical fiction stories, I create fictional characters. Their actions and mannerisms are consistent to their time period, and many of their experiences are citable from a primary source. I find it’s easier to use a fictional character because I can build their conflicts and characteristics to make a good story without worrying “did this real historical person actually think/do this?” It is great fun to add cameo appearances of famous historical figures—like Buford or Lincoln—and have a file of documentation to prove that their interactions with the fiction characters match their interactions with real historical folks. If you’re interested in more details about my historical novels, please visit: https://gazette665.com/books/
You're working on a book for the Emerging Civil War Series, too. Care to give us a peek?
Certainly! I’m working on a book about the battle of New Market in the Shenandoah Valley (May 15, 1864). So far, research is going really well, and I’m planning to outline the book sections during my “break” between Christmas and New Year’s. I’ve had good communication with research staff at the Virginia Military Institute, and I’m looking forward to coming back to Virginia in the spring of 2018 to spend more time at the battlefield and in the archives.
Lightning Round (short answers):
Most overrated person of the Civil War? General Robert E. Lee
Favorite Trans-Mississippi site? Wilson Creek Battlefield (It was the first battlefield I visited!)
Favorite regiment? First Minnesota Infantry and
the Second Virginia Infantry
What is the one Civil War book you think is essential?
Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson—It’s the book I recommend when someone wants to read a “big book” to get a basic understanding of the conflict.
If I got to name two others:
Generals in Blue and
Generals in Gray are two reference books that I use quite often when studying a new battle, as a starting point to learn about the commanders. (Fun Fact: I’ve had my copies of these books since I was ten.)
What's one question about the Civil War no one has ever asked you but you wish they would? Would you like a scholarship to travel and study the Civil War? ;-)
More seriously: In your opinion, what was the most important contribution of homefront women during the Civil War?
