Also, on this date in 1861, 90 years before I was born, Staunch secessionist James Jackson killed Union Col. Elmer Ellsworth after he took down Jackson's Confederate flag at his hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. Ellsworth was the first Union officer killed in the war and a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. Both men became martyrs for their causes. (I wrote three entries about this incident in the last few days.)
Throughout most of my sixty years, I have been interested in the Civil War, starting when I was seven. Most birthdays and Christmases had Civil War-related gifts.
I was a Civil War buff until college where I somewhat lost interest, even though I took any course offered on the subject. I was at college to also have a good time, and I did.
Out of college, I started teaching history and geography, but only taught the Civil War for a few years early in my career. I started collecting a good-sized Civil War library with emphasis on naval aspects.
I started doing research on Fort Fisher with the idea of writing a book about it, but since then there have been several, so I don't have to do that now.
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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