tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post3709775584771006288..comments2023-11-13T12:37:50.833-05:00Comments on Army of Tennessee: Co. Aytch RecapLee Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582934303160302669noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-74879826848630036592010-08-20T14:06:28.152-04:002010-08-20T14:06:28.152-04:00Anon, We're unsure due to the brief mention th...Anon, We're unsure due to the brief mention that Watkins gives him. "Sanker, my negro servant" is all we're given to work with. Considering, however, the Watkins family slaveholdings it is overwhelmingly likely Sanker was enslaved.Patrick Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750841319812563074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-68370279432572947452010-07-25T02:13:16.160-04:002010-07-25T02:13:16.160-04:00Was Watkin's servant a paid servant or a slave...Was Watkin's servant a paid servant or a slave? What do you know of Sanker? Just curious as I have no references to access.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-10296397558737690722008-10-29T15:43:00.000-04:002008-10-29T15:43:00.000-04:00If this is Emmanuel Dabney of Virginia, I remember...If this is Emmanuel Dabney of Virginia, I remember him from living history events at Pamplin Historical Park near Petersburg when I was historian there. He was at several of our events in the late 90s, and people were surprised to see a "black Confederate" participating.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03198758402157822782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-42788531594335792582008-09-28T07:46:00.000-04:002008-09-28T07:46:00.000-04:00Pat, Actually more than just that, he is a memb...Pat,<BR/> Actually more than just that, he is a member of the Palmetto Battalion's color guard. <BR/><BR/>LeeLee Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00582934303160302669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-48439197325058019512008-09-28T03:42:00.000-04:002008-09-28T03:42:00.000-04:00Really, Lee. Now that adds a whole 'nother dimensi...Really, Lee. Now that adds a whole 'nother dimension to the thing. I think our readership need not be informed -- for indeed they already should be -- of the huge differences between the two impressions. Or is that flaimbait? Or do I care? <BR/><BR/>Bottom line: Kevin Levin's blog is assumed reading for all of my posts. Like it or not.Patrick Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750841319812563074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-8933334884547058332008-09-27T14:01:00.000-04:002008-09-27T14:01:00.000-04:00In regards to David's comment about the "body serv...In regards to David's comment about the "body servant" at the battle reenactment, it has been learned that the young man is actually a "black confederate" who was actually serving in the ranks, or so says the post on The Civil War Reenactors Forum.Lee Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00582934303160302669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-67430576989872757792008-09-26T13:26:00.000-04:002008-09-26T13:26:00.000-04:00to add a little to this, motivation, ie why they a...to add a little to this, motivation, ie why they are fighting bears out in important aspects on the battlefield, how hard soldiers are going to fight. You can go look at the census and see what would then play out on the battlefield. So why were the men of the 65th GA kept out of action despite being a fresh and large regt? Choices in which brigades would lead attacks, etc. All go back to the motivation, and what they were fighting for.<BR/><BR/><BR/>LeeLee Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00582934303160302669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-58578368807740824352008-09-24T15:04:00.000-04:002008-09-24T15:04:00.000-04:00David,You say that most visitors are interested in...David,<BR/>You say that most visitors are interested in military history rather than our "agenda". But I remind you, that placing these battles in their proper context is the National Park Service's "agenda". I would admit that in fact, you may be correct, most visitors may be interested in simply the battle. But that just isn't enough. For them to truly understand the war, they need more than the battle. That means 1) bringing these issues to the visitor who has only heretofore thought of the military aspects of the war and 2) bringing in new visitors who have been turned off by the NPS's traditional interpretation of these battlefields (specifically women and non-whites). These motives framed our programming this weekend. I do agree with your assesment of how odd and conspicuous the absence of African Americans is in the telling of our history, but would suggest that the same fact makes point 2 all the more imperative.<BR/><BR/>Ghost,<BR/>Gentility or non-gentility is not the issue here. You miss the point. Slavery's cruelty laid not in a subjective measure of brutality, but in the basic denial of humanity that demanding unrewarded service and fealty implies. No matter how benevolent the master, he still dehumanizes and degrades a slave by denying them the right of choice.Patrick Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750841319812563074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-23709720376140577302008-09-24T13:44:00.000-04:002008-09-24T13:44:00.000-04:00I would say your interpretation to be as inaccurat...I would say your interpretation to be as inaccurate as you claim of Edgerton.<BR/><BR/>You forget the South was a very genteel society (still is).<BR/><BR/>A <I>personal servant</I> would be treated far different than you describe.BorderRuffianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07880353575450977712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-57455858842806407122008-09-24T10:05:00.000-04:002008-09-24T10:05:00.000-04:00that most visitors are interested in the battle or...that most visitors are interested in the battle or military history, just try working there for a summer and see if your opinion doesn't change. But, for argument sake, let's say that the majority of visitors over the weekend of the 145th were there to learn about the battle. This specific demonstration was about the lives of the soldiers in Co. H of the 1st Tennessee Infantry, of which slavery was interwoven into that fabric!!!Believe me, I know how much research went into this project! No matter how far individuals try to run from the reality that slavery was the issue driving the war it will always be cold fact. Although we do not know the specific numbers of slaves accompanying their masters on the battlefield, I believe we would be very surprised at those numbers (The 1st Tenn. having approximately 50 alone). I am sorry, but I believe that your first sentence is a gross miscalculation of the message we were trying to get across to visitors. SLAVERY was real and was very much a part of the Battle of Chickamauga!!! It is important for us to recognize their sacrifices and hardships as much as their white masters fighting to keep them in bondage. (oh, and can someone get me back on as an administrator, I accidentally deleted myself playing around with this blog)Christopher Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972588145436377562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-31637671649041737372008-09-24T10:02:00.000-04:002008-09-24T10:02:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Christopher Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972588145436377562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1920009031690353866.post-22923916717708863922008-09-24T09:40:00.000-04:002008-09-24T09:40:00.000-04:00Dear Sir , It seems most visitors are intereste...Dear Sir ,<BR/> It seems most visitors are interested in the battle or military history not slavery or your agenda. I find the portrayal of master and body servant superb but the venue seems incorrect. There was a body servant at the 145th event as well and it was not the agenda-happy Etherton . It was a young African-American over laden with twenty canteens fetching water. How odd that an event in the South such as the 145th has only two African-Americans present .<BR/>cordially ,<BR/> David CorbettJubilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15008211040948569509noreply@blogger.com