@niobe
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A very interesting post! This is something I’ve never heard about before – I look forward to reading more from you, @2brute!
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Andersen was somewhat notoriously attracted to young men – so to make matters more awkward, he requested that Charles Dickens’ son shave him every morning.
Dickens was wise and instead had a barber come around every day to shave his house guest. 😬
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George Washington’s presence on the battle field was often linked to the Continental Army being very much on the loosing side. This may have been mere coincidence. Washington was most notably a uniting and inspiring leader – but perhaps he was not always the best tactician. Luckily he had a circle of trusted friends and advisors to help steer him in the right direction.
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I’m researching some info about the Mongolian horsemen and the spread of the empire in the 13th century and its a bit astounding to read account of how a few men on horseback, armed with bow and arrow could defeat armies that greatly outnumbered them. Definitely in the top 10.
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Here’s a photo of the gift certificate for the Gettysburg tour:
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Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that are experiences, as much as books are fun to receive, it helps illuminate a chapter in history to see the key sights and experience it for yourself.
Last year, I booked a tour of Gettysburg with a favorite podcast host and gave it as a gift to all the guys in my family. (I got to go as well, which made it a gift to myself as well, I suppose.) I made a certificate and put it in a leather map case with a ration of sardines (chocolate) and coffee and a letter from General Meade requesting them to march to Gettysburg. It was pretty fun.
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This would be good… I need as many ideas as I can get right now. My list needs some names crossed off!
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In an version of Chamberlain’s unpublished memoirs, he recounts a story that is both anecdotal and also may represent an overarching analogy for the style of the Chamberlain parents’ interactions with their children.
His father was bringing in a wagon full of hay when it got stuck in a ditch, with a stump between the wheels. The order is shouted to Joshua: “Clear that wheel!”. When the boy asks his father what he should do to it get it clear, the response is “Do it; that’s how!”. Chamberlain would cite this particular incident as one that crystalized his life’s outlook – learning how to take on a problem and be resourceful in himself in the moment. The overall effect of this parenting style would manifest differently in each child’s development into adulthood, but for Joshua is was “an order for life”. While the positive effects are very visible in his story, I sometimes wonder if the coolness or formal tone he took with his family didn’t stem from this influence – he was an ambitious man climbing to the top of a mountain; it was a lonely task and one where he could only rely on himself – he had no time to get hung up on unnecessary sentimentality… he needed to “clear that wheel”.
Maybe… maybe not… it’s just a theory. ?
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The movie Gettysburg brought Joshua Chamberlain new-found recognition as history the history of the Civil War was finding a surge of renewed interest during the 1990’s – but many of the ideas that remain unshakable about Chamberlain are based more on the actor’s performance than the man himself.
While described as “Knightly” by contemporaries on the battlefield, Chamberlain was also a strict disciplinarian, at times distant and cold with family members. He was humble – at times almost shy in the way a small boy is shy – but also constantly having to assert and promote himself as he chased recognition for his actions (with the bureaucratic, “highschool” mentality of the upper command of the Union Army, he would have had to made a case for himself). The bottom line is that Joshua Chamberlain was a very complex personality, with many oppositional character traits working upon him.
People study him for insight into leadership skills under fire – they discredit his bravery at Gettysburg on account of him being used as a pawn in a fight between Sickles and Meade – they see him as bad husband and neglectful brother… the goal here is to amass accounts and anecdotes to help define who Chamberlain really was.
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Yeah, by the Civil War, the fashion had fluctuated a bit – the reticule a.k.a. the purse was a more popular way to carry items. The early 1800’s had a narrowing and “naturalizing” of the overall silhouette… without all the gathered fabric at the waist, it was hard to hide pockets stuffed full of your belongings. The miser’s purse became fashionable – as was the chatelaine (a sort of decorative pin with all sorts of accessories hanging from it)… the old fashioned tie-on pockets slowly fell out of vogue.
Here’s a beautiful chatelaine – a bit like a Swiss army knife of women’s wear:
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Groups I personally would like to join:
1. American Civil War
2. American Revolution
3. Fashion (centuries vary, but mostly 18th C)
4. Art History
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Here’s the updated link to the sample item:
As I’m designing some of these items, I want to make sure that they represent the difference geographical/periods of history… ancient Roman Legionary, Hussar, Knight, Mantua-maker, etc. The titles to be unlocked need to also represent those eras. Any suggestions would be appreciated… in the mean time, I have to focus on the obvious: encouraging membership and marketing the site. ?
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Here’s a comment… to test out how well the program can differentiate between “reply to a thread” versus “reply to this specific thread”… we shall see.
