Shelby Foote's War Story

Garden & Gun Magazine ^ | April/May 2011 | Jon Meacham

[ops33]

Charleston, SC has had a Jewish population since before the Revolution and is home to the second oldest synagogue in the US. My earliest Charleston ancestors, the Moise, Tobias, and Levy families, are among them.

[Stonewall Jackson]

While a good deal of the dialog from Gettysburg was made up, it is still one of my favorite movies. My many-greats-uncles were in the Wheatfield and Peach Orchard on the second day with Company F of the 16th Georgia Infantry.

[therut]

I used to get this magazine. It is made up of very rich, elitist hunting types. Those that guns are for me and not thee. I got tired of reading about people like
Brokov etc. and their expensive hunting and fishing trips while they berate those below them and the 2nd amendment. This magazine also refused advertising by the NRA. Yes, there were some good articles but the whole magazine is elitist BS for the BS’erts.

[SoJoCo]

He recollection in Burns’s “Baseball” on how he and his cousin met Babe Ruth was priceless as well.

[SoJoCo]

With American History not being taught in our schools and universities as prerequisite courses as it should, we’re in grave danger of losing our national heritage forever.

Even at their best, U.S. schools always gave the 10,000 foot view of history, U.S. and otherwise. To truly understand it you have always had to dig into it on your own.

[SoJoCo]

Foote’s account of the Civil War is truly one of the most unbiased accounts ever done. He told the truth with the bark on, unshaded by any romantic notions or regional slant. It is what every historian should aspire to, but which few succeed in doing.

[Fast Moving Angel]

Not many people today know of Judah Benjamin.

You beat me to it. Thanks for mentioning Judah Benjamin - my favorite and most fascinating character of the period. As with Shelby Foote, I so wish I could have met Judah Benjamin. I've read everything on him that I can get my hands on -- and it all raises more questions than it answers.

[Sea Parrot]

At the end of the civil war Benjamin escaped (this was fascinating reading)to England where he had a brilliant legal career, became very rich, was Queen's council and some of the papers he wrote are still referred to in British law today.

[Fast Moving Angel]

Yes ... he wrote a treatise on the sale of personal property that’s still used today (but is tough to find).

[rmlew]

Even fewer know that he was British by birth and after the Civil War moved to Britain, where he became a successful lawyer, writing a book on property law. I recommend Eli Evan’s biography. http://www.amazon.com/Judah-P-Benjamin-Jewish-Confederate/dp/0029099110