Wordless Wednesday: Fun at the Farm

 

Blogging Through the Alphabet: B is for Billy Yank

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When it comes to nicknames, the American Civil War has provided many: 

• Johnny Reb
• Rebel Yell
• "Stonewall" Jackson
• Honest Abe 
• "Lee's War Horse"
• Little Mac 

But one that may have been added after the Civil War was the term, Billy Yank. And it probably gained popularity with a classic Civil War history, The Life of Billy Yank: The Common Soldier of the Union by Bell Irwin Wiley. He had already written a book about Johnny Reb and wanted to pen a companion piece. As Wiley stated, "The two were so much alike that the task of giving this book a flavor and character distinct from The Life of Johnny Reb has at times been a difficult one" (13). 

In What Ways Were the Two Soldiers Who Fought for Different Causes Similar? 

• Pride in themselves and their families 
• Sense of duty 
• Will and strength to endure
• Devotion to country 
• Devotion to the cause 

What was unique about Billy Yank? 

• Devotion to Abraham Lincoln
• Devotion to McClellan
• Deep patriotism 
• Joined because of the example of friends and family 
• Antislavery urge – abolitionism 

Who Were the Billy Yanks? Who Wore the Blue Uniform? 

The men of the Union Army were very diverse. Among the Union soldiers, there were people of various nationalities, races, creeds, and occupations. Different religious denominations were represented, and the age range was quite large. Very young boys would sign up as drummer boys, and men like John Burns from Gettysburg would help fight for the North. We may never know the exact ages of all the Yanks as they often listed their ages as 18 and up – even if they were younger – so they could enlist. 

When Wiley investigated 123 company rolls, he created a list of over 300 occupations. What an amazing and varied group of talented men gathered together for a common cause. And the occupations of some of these Billy Yanks included: 

• Barkeepers 
• Chemists
• Grocers 
• Iron workers 
• Miners 
• Pianists 

But the most numerous group? Farmers. 

This diversity in the Union Army meant that they were able to fulfill needs – like print official papers, re-lay railroad rails, and provide entertainment – in between the battles and more. They were resourceful.

Where Were They From? 

While Billy Yank fought for the North, his ancestors (and perhaps himself) were from one of many nations. The majority were Americans. There were regiments made up of solely different ethnic groups like those in New York made up of Germans or Irish or the 15th Wisconsin made up of Scandinavians. And while the Union Army was mostly white, there were 186,017 African Americans on the Federal muster rolls and a brigade of Native Americans in the Indian Home Guard.

The men in blue were a mix of weak and strong men who were sometimes less prepared than other days. They were proud to defend their nation but were also scared at times. I don't think Billy Yank is much different than the men at uniform in any time or place.

If you want to join Blogging Through the Alphabet, please visit: 

Desiree @ Our Homeschool Notebook

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

Book Club: Book Review of My Dear Miss Dupré

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I enjoy reading historical fiction, so it was natural to read and review My Dear Miss Dupré by Grace Hitchcock. It is the first book in the American Royalty series where we meet the Dupré family and those who are part of the 1880s Four Hundred in New York City. 

"Thirty suitors, six months of courting...would it be enough time for her to fall in love?" 

The 358-page paperback book opens on New Year's Eve in 1882 with Willow Dupré ice skating. We quickly meet one of Willow's suitors - Friedrich Blythe - and learn of her parents' plans to hold a competition to help Willow pick a husband. Willow had no knowledge of this competition until she saw Mr. Blythe's invitation. The idea behind the competition is to find Willow a husband to help her manage the Dupré sugar industry. Even though she had trained alongside her father to manage and eventually take over, the shareholders do not want her running the business without a husband – a man – by her side.

Throughout the book, we meet Willow's 30 suitors, those involved with the sugar business, and others. Do not think this is a book just about romance. There is also cooperate espionage as a sugar competitor attempts to push the Dupré's out of business. And to complicate matters, there is intrigue among the suitors as one is a spy for that competitor, one is leaking information to the press, and one is even more dangerous. 

I have mixed feelings about My Dear Miss Dupré. I enjoyed parts of the book immensely. I found, with only about 80 pages left, I couldn't put the book down. I even think the story would translate well to the silver screen but I struggled with the book at times. I would still recommend My Dear Miss Dupré because I think it is a good book. I look forward to the next in the series. I am very curious to see if it will be about Willow's good friend, Flora. So if you like Christian historical romance, please check out My Dear Miss Dupré. 

Blogging Through the Alphabet: A is for Andersonville in History and Fiction

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In the history of the American Civil War, there are many horrors that can be shared. From children who lost fathers to fathers who never really came home due to experiences at prisons like Andersonville, life was difficult during and after the Civil War. While reading a recent work of fiction, I was introduced to the idea that the Union soldiers who survived their time at Andersonville may have come home with unseen wounds. 

What was life like at Andersonville? 

The daily life at Andersonville was one of monotony. The men were responsible for constructing a place to live, trying to keep their clothing, and maintaining some level of cleanliness to stave off illnesses that were always knocking at the door. When they weren't trying to keep themselves safe, clean, and fed, they would talk of potential freedom, the food they missed, the nature of the weather, and their health (or lack of health). And, of course, they spoke about the reports from the field of battle.

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How does Fiction tie into Andersonville? 

I recently read and reviewed the second in the Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green – Shadows of the White City. As I enjoyed this book set during the Colombian Expedition, I read the first book in the series – Veiled in Smoke. In this work of Christian fiction, Meg and Sylvie Townsend try to take care of their father, Stephen, who is a Civil War veteran who spent time as a prisoner in Andersonville. He returns home after the war a changed man. 

I must admit to never really thinking about how the men who suffered in Civil War prison camps would fare at the end of the Civil War. It only makes sense – after reading Veiled in Smoke – that some of the men would suffer PTSD, which was referred to as 'soldier's heart.' 

In this fictional account, Stephen builds a replica of Andersonville in their backyard, patrols the rooftops of their building with his gun, and cannot bear the affectionate touches of his daughters. He eventually finds himself in an asylum where doctors attempt to treat him for 'soldier's heart.' After a small bit of research, I found the post-war asylums housed many veterans who raged and exhibited peculiar behaviors. Others were documented to see people that they saw die either during battle or, like the fictional Stephen, see the men they could not save in the prisons. 

Prisons like Andersonville, Libby, and Elmira caused problems for the men while they were imprisoned and also continued to haunt them after the Civil War ended. How sad are the devastating effects of war!

To read more about Andersonville, please check out my post from 2019: A is for Andersonville.

If you would like to join the Blogging Through the Alphabet link-up, please follow these rules: 

• Your post must be family-friendly. We have the right to remove any posts that are inappropriate.
• When linking up, you agree to give us permission to share your post or a photo in any future blog posts and social media shares.
• Please link back to the host's or co-host's blog, and (if you want) use the image.
• If you can, check out a few other posts in the link-up and leave some comment love.
• Please make sure your posts relate to the alphabet or blogging through the alphabet in some way.
• The link-up will be available for one week for each letter.
• Last of all, have fun. If you can't join for one week, don't stress. Just join next time, and enjoy!

Visit the co-hosts to link up: 

Desiree @ Our Homeschool Notebook

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

Blogging Through the Alphabet 2021 Series Introduction

 

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After a bit of a hiatus, I am participating in another Blogging Through the Alphabet series on A Mom's Quest to Teach. After I finished my series on the American Civil War with Z is for Zouaves, I deliberated about what topic or theme I would like to do next. At one time, I thought about writing about World War I or crafts for children's books. But, since I have found myself very busy of late due to work, homeschooling, and family obligations, I decided to stick to one of my favorite subjects. I will be writing another series on the American Civil War.

For this series, I already have some topic ideas including: 

• Billy Yank and Johnny Reb (thanks to the books by Bell I. Wiley) as inspiration 
• Devil's Den 
• Harriet Tubman 
• Frederick Douglass 
• Vicksburg 
• Andrew Johnson 
• North Star 
• Uncle Tom's Cabin 
• Chancellorsville 

These are just some ideas after looking at my bookshelf and flipping through a really neat book the Homeschool Review Crew is reviewing - Famous Figures of the Civil War from Figures in Motion. I still have not narrowed down my list except for the first two posts, which I have in draft form.

As a former high school history teacher, I never really got to spend what I consider adequate time teaching the American Civil War. Where I taught, the United States history courses were split into two years. In the first year, the students studied from the founding of America to the end of the American Civil War. In the second year, US History II, students studied from the Reconstruction to the present day (or as far as you could reach by June).  This basically meant that the Civil War was jammed in at the end of US History I. I felt lucky to spend a few weeks on it before we had to prepare for finals.

Just like with any event in history, there is so much that one can study. You can spend a lifetime studying the American Civil War and probably never learn everything. I hope that through this Blogging Through the Alphabet series, I will introduce you to some new individuals and share some new facts. Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

If you would like to join the Blogging Through the Alphabet link-up, please follow these rules: 

• Your post must be family-friendly. We have the right to remove any posts that are inappropriate.
• When linking up, you agree to give us permission to share your post or a photo in any future blog posts and social media shares.
• Please link back to the host's or co-host's blog, and (if you want) use the image.
• If you can, check out a few other posts in the link-up and leave some comment love.
• Please make sure your posts relate to the alphabet or blogging through the alphabet in some way.
• The link-up will be available for one week for each letter.
• Last of all, have fun. If you can't join for one week, don't stress. Just join next time, and enjoy!

Visit the co-hosts to link up: 

Desiree @ Our Homeschool Notebook

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses