On this anniversary of the battle at Milliken’s Bend, I wanted to highlight the Hermione House in Tallulah, Louisiana, about 30 minutes west of Vicksburg off of Interstate 20. A small but impressive museum, the Hermione (pronounced “Her-mee-on”) House is owned and … Continue reading →
From the 1870s to the 1930s, Vickburg routinely had three different Memorial Day observances: one for Confederate veterans; one for white Union veterans; and one for black Union veterans. Confederate Veterans April 26 was designated Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi. … Continue reading →
JUST RELEASED! I’m proud to announce that Milliken’s Bend: A Civil War Battle in History and Memory is now available in audiobook format! Narrated by Scott Connolly and published by University Press Audiobooks. Listen to an excerpt from Chapter 1, … Continue reading →
Freedom for the slaves was short-lived. Hundreds of whites in Louisiana would see to that. Just as assertively, former slaves continued to fight for justice and secure their hard-won rights, often losing their lives in the struggle. Racial violence was … Continue reading →
The massive records of the Freedmen’s Bureau (more formally, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands) are now available online. FamilySearch, the National Archives, and the mobilization of thousands of volunteers made this effort possible. Among these records are … Continue reading →