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Listen to the whole 280 Mysteries archive, that's over 40 episodes, on our Patreon! patreon.com/372pages Mike and Conor almost wanted to recuse themselves from this particular Encyclopedia Brown mystery because they both have stolen a LOT of Confederate stamps. Like, a lot. The Feds, Interpol, many organizations are seeking them out. Still, they came out … Continue reading "280 Mysteries Ep 18 – The Case of the Stolen Confederate Stamps"
The Blind Side: Ownership, Propaganda, and the White Savior PlaybookIn this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and co-host/editor J Way kick off a new film mini-series with one of the most infamous adoption movies of all time: The Blind Side. They revisit this Oscar winning film with fresh eyes, exposing its white savior narrative, racist tropes, and the insidious control adoption often masks as care. Together, they dissect the real life harm caused by this story, and why adoptees need to reclaim the mic.In this episode, we cover:(01:33) Why we had to start the series with The Blind Side (03:26) Savior narratives, selective memory, and how adopters used this film as “family time” (07:17) Hallmark vibes, propaganda beats, and the absurd plot construction (10:08) IQ scores, protectiveness tests, and the racist assumptions they reinforce (14:18) Control vs. care, and how Leigh Anne's character weaponizes both(20:20) Black bodies as tools: protector, athlete, project (23:44) Christianity, purity culture, and domination masked as discipline (30:51) Queer families, carceral systems, and why inclusion isn't liberation(36:24) “Do you have a mother?” and how the film dehumanizes Michael's mom (40:26) Ole Miss, Confederate nostalgia, and performative progress (46:10) Final takeaways: who gets to tell the story—and why it mattersCall To Action:Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on social media and Substack for more content and community:Website: adopteescrossinglines.comInstagram: @adopteescrossinglinesBlueSky: adopteecrossing.bsky.socialTikTok: @adopteescrossinglines_Substack: Adoptees Crossing Lines SubstackConnect with J Way:TikTok: @itsyagirl_jwayBlueSky: @itsjway.bsky.socialWork With Me: Email adopteescrossinglines@gmail.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.Editing by J. Way (AV Editor) Special thanks to J. Way for editing this podcast. To collaborate with her, email jwayedits@gmail.com.
What happens when you don't take the win? This episode of The Shallow End delivers two unforgettable stories about poor decisions, improbable survival, and the fine art of knowing when to walk away. First, a Texas man is released from jail, handed his belongings, and given the one instruction that matters most: leave. Instead, he realizes something is missing—his confiscated marijuana—and makes the baffling choice to climb back over the jail fence to retrieve it. The result? No weed, more charges, and an instant promotion to the Shallow End Hall of Fame. A perfect lesson in why some exits should never be re-entered . Then, the episode pivots from modern misjudgment to 19th-century audacity with the astonishing true story of Professor Thaddeus Lowe, a self-taught scientist who accidentally drifted by hot air balloon behind Confederate lines at the dawn of the Civil War. Shot at, nearly arrested, and mistaken for a demonic flying contraption, Lowe somehow talked his way out—then turned the entire ordeal into a meeting with Abraham Lincoln and the creation of America's first military balloon reconnaissance program . Along the way, listeners are treated to a jaw-dropping listener story involving gasoline, a bonfire, a Kiss music video, and the Milwaukee River—plus a reminder that eyebrows do, in fact, grow back. Equal parts absurd, historical, and painfully relatable, this episode explores those fragile moments when the universe says, you're done here—and what happens when someone ignores it. Life lessons included. Jail fences should not be climbed. Fire tricks should not be attempted. And when freedom hands you the door… take it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Part One | Part Two January 6th was terrifying for many Americans. After all, they saw it on television. But what did they really see? Did they know what actually unfolded that day? Did they even ask? Trump is the Jan. 6 President, proclaims the New York Times' Editorial Board.And the text:What I learned, living through these events as a former Democrat, is that the New York Times Editorial Board is lying through its teeth. Or maybe they aren't lying. Maybe they really do believe it. They exist inside the Doomsday Cult of the Left, after all, along with all of those high-minded “journalists” at the New Yorker and the Atlantic.But to make the bold proclamation that any protest, or even riot, against oppressive forces, whether you believe them to be oppressive or not, is un-American proves they don't know this country or its history very well.There were two sides to this story. If I'd never left the Left, I would have believed their version of the event. I would have been just as horrified. I would have thought it was an attack on democracy. But protests are the voices of the unheard and a healthy sign of any democracy, and for a grassroots movement, and millions of Americans who had been disenfranchised by the four years Trump was in power? This was the best way for them to be heard. The only way for them to be heard.They just didn't know they were walking into an ambush by forces far greater than them, and more powerful than any political party in American history and what they wanted to do was use that protest - a moment of desperation for desperate Americans abandoned by the government, the culture and most institutions - and demonize them further by calling them extremists, terrorists, Nazis, insurrectionists. January 6th was played on a loop by the Democrats and their propaganda machine, once known as the legacy media. And why wouldn't it be? It was everything they needed at just the right time. See, there's a Confederate flag. See, there's a hangman's rope. See, there's some guy in horns howling inside the Capitol. Zip ties, hanging Mike Pence, Trump watching the mob, and hoping they wouldn't stop. It all painted a picture in our minds of an angry president amidst a violent coup. In our age of algorithm-driven mass hysteria, we're no different from the Puritans in Salem who believed in “spectral evidence,” what you can't see but can only imagine. January 6th finally provided them with the proof they needed of their campaign against MAGA.It's just that none of it was true. Why would Trump have wanted a riot? He'd gone to great effort to convince Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz to debate the election in the Senate. All the riot did was hand absolute power to the Democrats, Reichstag Fire style. Not only did the media sell that lie, but you'd be severely punished if you asked any questions, especially about the 2020 election. Yes, we lived through that and more. Just because the Democrats have memory-holed everything they've done in the last ten years to cling to power doesn't mean it didn't happen or that we shouldn't talk about it. There was nothing wrong with talking about an election that was anything but free and fair. I naively went into it as a major Biden advocate, believing he could win the old-fashioned way. I didn't know they'd hide him and Kamala Harris in the basement and let the legacy media do all of the heavy lifting. I didn't know they'd planned it—everything that happened throughout 2020 to ensure Trump was taken out of power, like they were meddling in some third-world country's elections. It's all written down in TIME Magazine. They planned on saving an election that was not theirs to save. Who gave them that right? The American people decide, and if one political party believes itself to be above the people, then that is an insurrection, not against the government but against all of us and a fair process we depend on. They justified everything they did by the lies they told themselves about who Trump really was and how dangerous he was supposed to be. They rigged the election by manipulating the media, changing any law that got in their way, using COVID as an excuse to push ballot harvesting, funded by a $400 million cash infusion, and all the while pretending they were “saving democracy.”By all accounts, I should have been cheering them on. Yes, get Trump! Anything and everything should be allowed as long as we were saving the country from Hitler! I believed that at first. Why wouldn't I? I was straight out of Central Casting as a Resistance Lib. This was the back of my car in 2012.This is who I was.Before that, I was just a lowly Oscar blogger spending my time writing about superficial things, but suddenly, in 2015, everything changed. I was in a panic about the Greenhouse Effect and the sea level rise. I threw myself into politics to help the Democrats win. Overnight, I became someone who mattered online, with a growing following, adoration, and kindness from strangers. The warm embrace of the elite Left felt intoxicating: invitations to exclusive parties, friendships with high-status blue-checks on Twitter like Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, and Oprah, so much love and support online - after all, I was helping to save democracy and the planet! I was even invited to an early fundraiser for Joe Biden in May of 2019. It was necessary. I was important. I mattered.You can imagine, then, how surreal it would have been for anyone who knew me that way to see me starting to question the official narratives. For me, it began with what I believed was mass hysteria that had overtaken my side. Just as the Southerners had whipped themselves up into a frenzy, believing that if the slaves were freed, there would be chaos and violence, so too did we believe that if Trump won, that was the end of everything. But, looking back, all it really was was a populist revolt against a ruling class that just decided what America would be now. Class no longer mattered, only skin color and gender identity did.Little by little, I began to pull away as things got weird. The more I tried to speak out, the worse it got for me. They went after me hard on social media for years. But none of that would have driven me away from the Democrats. As with so many others, 2020 was the turning point for me. I suddenly could see the strings, and I wondered who was pulling them. Trotting out experts to say “systemic racism” was more important than a global pandemic, and trotting them out again to discourage Trump from sending in the National Guard. And again, to say the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. How stupid did they think we were?We lurched from COVID to racism back to COVID to lockdowns, and all the while, as I would come to realize, the aim was only to GET TRUMP. Imagine completely taking over an election to take out a one-term president with a strong economy. Why?I asked the same question then as I wonder today. Why did it have to be an existential crisis? Why drive half the country to the brink of insanity? Why cosplay Trump as Hitler and pretend this was World War II? Couldn't they win the old-fashioned way with better candidates and better policies? Russiagate, spying on his campaign, two impeachments, four indictments, convicting him of a felony, taking his mug shot, two assassination attempts, trying to throw him off the ballots, and needing the Supreme Court to shut it down, and the American people still chose Trump. Shouldn't that have been the wakeup call? Shouldn't that have been the moment their stupid, futile, destructive war ended?No. It wasn't about politics for the Left. It was deeper than that. It was as deep as preserving the South before, during, and after the Civil War. January 6th allowed them a way out of what they'd become, not what MAGA had become. They were the violent ones and had been going all the way back to 2015, when a mob descended upon Trump supporters.They rioted at Trump's inaugural. They believed themselves justified in attacking Trump supporters because they were convinced they were “fascists.” But their words meant nothing because they distorted them beyond comprehension. What does it mean to call someone Hitler, a fascist, a dictator, a rapist, a pedophile, a racist, a white supremacist? These words mean nothing now. And then came 2020, the point of no return. For me, it was the recognition that my side didn't care about democracy or the truth. They only cared about defeating an imaginary enemy they invented but never existed. And were prepared to bring this country to its knees to achieve that goal.When I saw this video of Sue's 100-year-old mattress store, I posted it on social media, and the response was, “How can you care more about property than people”? By then, they had already called me a racist many times, and they were pushing me out of utopia and farther and farther away. Was I a racist because I cared about Sue and the older man who defended her with a fire extinguisher? Trump's speech at Mt. Rushmore was the first time I'd heard anyone in public life talk about what we could all see but almost no one would say out loud. The media called it dark and divisive because, of course, they did. Are you getting it yet? This only goes one way. That was for me yet another layer of the onion being pulled back to reveal what the legacy media had become. They were not reporting the news. They were telling us what to think, and they still are. After I started watching Trump's rallies for myself, I kept waiting for the version of Trump we were sold to emerge. He never did. Instead, a guy who would stand in the pouring rain to speak to his supporters showed me what MAGA was really about. It was a love story. Trump had their backs, and they had his.Just listen to them as he visits East Palestine, Ohio after the train derailed and spilled toxic waste in their tiny forgotten town.That's why they showed up in DC on January 6th. Not to storm the Capitol. Not to hang Mike Pence. Not to overthrow the United States government, as if. If you know them, you know there are no people in this country who love it more. You know they would never damage the Capitol. They are the side that prides itself on not being violent like the Left. The narrative after January 6th was and remains a lie.Why is it that the Left was given full and free rein to rampage anywhere they pleased all throughout that Summer, and the Trump supporters were treated like terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center, and the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor? Because the Left had, and still has, most of the power to shape the media narrative and thus, reality.I had to ask these questions of myself, someone who had gone along with so much of it, not because I was a conformist but because I genuinely believed it. The more questions I asked, the worse it got for me. That was when I knew there was no talking to them, no shaking them out of it, no hoping for sanity to return. And there was no saving the Left. They were no longer the party I once knew.What Democrats want is their utopia, or Woketopia, back. They have always believed Trump was an insect who needed to be crushed, and his place in American life was temporary, and once he's gone, “things will go back to normal.”To them, it's all Trump. One last cancel. He's the only person they couldn't destroy and the only thing standing in their way.Whatever he is for, they are against. They are even rooting against America, rooting for America to falter before the eyes of the world. Imagine being that petty. If we entered World War III, does anyone doubt they'd all be out there trying to ensure Trump fails? The irony of the Madouro capture is that it exposes the Left as liars yet again. Here is what it is like to be under the rule of a dictator. Everything the Left has been LARPing (Live Action RolePlay) for the last ten years is what Madouro actually was. The juxtaposition between the Venezuelans celebrating and the liberals complaining is illuminating.John Brown Two WaysJohn Brown was an abolitionist who was executed for treason by the federal government for a slave insurrection before the Civil War. He was hailed as a hero by the North and became an inspiration for those willing to fight and die for a cause.If the American Revolution was about liberating the colonies from the British and the Civil War was about liberating the slaves from bondage, what is our Virtual Civil War really about? Who is to be liberated at the end of it? More importantly, what are the causes worth fighting and dying for?In the film One Battle After Another, sure to win Best Picture this year at the Oscars, the film's ANTIFA-like revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills lays it out:Our Virtual Civil War already has a body count. Charlie Kirk's assassination by a transgender-supporting terrorist, Luigi Mangione's assassination of a healthcare CEO, the attempted assassinations of Trump, and the ongoing attacks on ICE agents seem to lock in what the Left is fighting for.Are they fighting for a border-free America because borders themselves are oppressive white supremacy? It sure looks that way. Are they prepared to fight and die to preserve Woketopia? Some of them are. Maybe more of them will be.Does our future look like 1984, where geography takes a backseat to ideology, and we'll be aligned with Germany, the UK, Canada, and France, with migrants flowing freely into our countries, and where you will be okay as long as you agree that 2+2=5 and you love Big Brother?Abraham Lincoln, like Winston Churchill, was what Neil Howe and William H. Strauss called a Gray Champion of the Fourth Turning. When I look at what Trump is doing now, the bold moves, the attacks he's survived, there is no doubt he is our Fourth Turning's Gray Champion. When I see videos like this, I am reminded of why. Who else but Trump would do this? He shows them every day that he is not afraid of them, not even a little bit, even after being shot in the head, impeached, and convicted.Will Tyler Robinson, Matthew David Crooks and whatever that surfer dude out in Florida's name was be seen by the Left as the John Browns of their time? Martyrs willing to fight and die to save “democracy,” or to avenge transgender people, or immigrants? Do those on the Right see the Jan 6ers as the John Browns of their fight, beating corruption and the deep state?Lincoln sought, above all, to preserve the Union and saw the war as a test of “whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure.” Once you fracture the Union, then there is no America at all, and it might as well be 1984.As for me, it's like Bob Dylan once said, How does it feel? To be on your own? With no direction home? Like a complete unknown? How does it feel? It feels like freedom. // This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe
GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified key ridge terrain and chose to delay superior Confederate infantry using dismounted cavalry. By trading space for time, Buford screened the arriving Union army and secured advantageous ground for the coming battle. NUMBER 1
DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely, Union Colonel Strong Vincent displayed initiative by disobeying orders to successfully secure Little Round Top. Unlike Lee, UnionGeneral George Meade utilized a council of war to build consensus for remaining defensive. NUMBER 3
* On the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation, the Surprising Truth: With yesterday (January 1st, 2023) being the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we are going back to a broadcast classic where Bob Enyart and guest Jamie Schofield analyze the meaning and actual intent of that sad document. For this was no abolitionist policy (as a contemporaneous report in the Rocky Mountain News makes clear), but an example of moral compromise that ended in failure. Today's Resource: The Plot | Second Edition!The Bible Gets Easier to Understand: Apparent contradictions plague many Bible students. The Plot demonstrates how hundreds of such contradictions disappear when the reader applies the big picture of the Bible to its details. Tunnel vision focuses so narrowly on a problem that the solution often lies just out of view. As the pastor of Denver Bible Church, Bob Enyart teaches Christians how to use the whole counsel of God to understand the plot of the Bible and solve biblical mysteries. (Missionaries in Costa Rica effectively use the Spanish translation, La Trama.) Available as either book or PDF download. The Plot: 2nd Edition Just before his passing, Bob finished the second edition of his manuscript, The Plot. While sadly he didn't live long enough to see the work published, He did get it out just in time. His second edition includes ten years worth of updates, revisions, additional sections and updated graphics. Now, a year after his passing, it has been made available to the public! Get your copy now... The Proclamation was actually comprised of two announcements, not just one. The first half – the preliminary proclamation – set the policy and gave a deadline of 100 days. It was addressed not to the common citizens of the nation or to the Union military, but rather to the states in rebellion at that time. What was Lincoln's declared policy on slavery at that time? He made that very clear in a letter to Horace Greeley on Aug. 22, 1862, just days before the issuance of the preliminary proclamation: If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. . . . I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free. Lincoln's goal was not the abolition of slavery but rather the preservation of the Union, and if that meant keeping slaves in bondage everywhere, he would support and practice exactly that. And this non-abolitionist stance is reflected in the text of the Emancipation Proclamation.The Preliminary Proclamation, September, 1862 In short, the stated intent and purpose of this policy was to offer the Confederate states the opportunity to keep their slaves if they would choose to stop rebelling within a 100-day deadline. Essentially, it said that if your state ceases its rebellion against the union, you may keep your slaves. I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and declare that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for the object of practically restoring the constitutional relation between the United States... That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; Any state still in rebellion against the Union on Jan. 1 would be subject to the Proclamation, which would declare any current slaves in those areas to be free. The stated goal was not to free any slaves, but rather to preserve the Union. Was it a success? Before hearing the answer, Bob predicted that such a policy would bear no fruit, and he was right. In fact, not a single state took Lincoln up on his offer. By its own standard, the Proclamation was an abject failure! In fact, all the proclamation did in that regard was to infuriate the Confederate states more than ever, deepening their resolve to reject the Union. Perhaps even worse, the preliminary proclamation also explicitly ordered slaves to be returned to their slave owners in specific circumstances, thus actually ordering the enforcement of keeping such men in bondage: Sec.10. And be it further enacted, That no slave escaping into any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, from any other State, shall be delivered up, or in any way impeded or hindered of his liberty, except for crime, or some offence against the laws, unless the person claiming said fugitive shall first make oath that the person to whom the labor or service of such fugitive is alleged to be due is his lawful owner, and has not borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid and comfort thereto; In other words, if a slave escaped to an area controlled by the Union, all a Southern slave owner had to do was show up, give an oath (no evidence required) that he was the lawful owner of that slave, and swear that he had never taken up arms against the Union, and then “here's your slave back.” The Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863 This document was the culmination of the policy already given 100 days earlier. Not a single Confederate state had taken Lincoln's offer to cease rebellion and keep their slaves. Therefore, this document declared (largely symbolically) the slaves in those non-Union-controlled areas to be free. But, at the same time, and as one should expect in such a compromised and non-abolitionist policy, it also explicitly listed all of the areas in the U.S. where slaves would be kept in bondage. Thus, this policy actually authorized the continuing wicked enslavement of innocent men, women and children, for example in many counties in Louisiana, especially around New Orleans, as well as in the newly-forming West Virginia. Many abolitionists of the day decried the Emancipation Proclamation, rightly pointing out its moral compromise. Lincoln's own secretary of state, William Seward, commented that "We show our sympathy with slavery by emancipating slaves where we cannot reach them and holding them in bondage where we can set them free." Unlike Lincoln, Seward knew the atrocities of slavery firsthand, having been raised by a slave-owning family. "I early came to the conclusion that something was wrong... and [that] determined me to be an abolitionist." On the other hand, in their coverage of the Proclamation, the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News here in Colorado celebrated on their front page the fact that this policy was not abolitionist, and mocked abolitionists who disagreed with it, praising Lincoln for going against the “radical” abolitionists. The newspaper wrote: “The last mail... brought scores of Eastern and Western papers with similar recommendations. The voice of the press is almost unanimous in its approval. That is a pretty correct index of popular opinion, and we may therefore set down that almost the entire loyal States endorse the action of the President. It must be expected that the ultra Abolitionists will kick against it, as too conservative [not going far enough] for their radical views. Let them squirm! ‘Honest Abe' has shown that he will be no tool of theirs.” How were slaves freed and slavery abolished, then? It's important to note that the Emancipation Proclamation didn't outlaw slavery anywhere. It declared current slaves in those areas to be free, in areas where the Union had no control. It essentially “freed” them in word only, and was largely a symbolic gesture. As the Union military moved through the Confederate states in rebellion, they did free slaves they encountered. In truth, they could have done this with or without the Proclamation. The Proclamation was simply used as an excuse to do it, but they would have been right to do it, regardless. Lincoln gave orders to the Union Army to free those slaves, apart from the Proclamation, which wasn't addressed to the Union Army, but to the Confederate States themselves. He could have ordered the Union Army to do this without such a proclamation. And even if Lincoln hadn't issued that order, it would have still been right for Union forces moving through the South to free those slaves, anyway. If you are a military unit and have taken over an area from the enemy, and you find men who have been kidnapped and brutalized by the people there, the right thing to do would be to free those victims. The Proclamation didn't free anyone, although it did serve as a political excuse to do so. What of the abolition of slavery, then? That was accomplished later, in some areas at the state level, and in the rest of the nation through federal action. Unlike in the Emancipation Proclamation, in all of these cases it was a principled, no-compromise, abolitionist policy that required the complete abolition of slavery in each state. For example, West Virginia (which had ironically seceded from Virginia while the latter was seceding from the Union) wasn't allowed to join the Union as a new state unless their constitution abolished slavery without exception. In Maryland, Arkansas and Louisiana in 1864, they abolished slavery at the state level as their citizens ratified new state constitutions. In Missouri in January of 1865, that governor abolished slavery via executive order. In all other Southern states, slavery was ultimately abolished through the ratification of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in December of 1865. In all of these cases, it was a no-compromise policy that we would describe today as “pro-personhood.” Slavery was ultimately abolished despite the pro-slavery policy of the Emancipation Proclamation, not because of it.
* On the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation, the Surprising Truth: With yesterday (January 1st, 2023) being the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we are going back to a broadcast classic where Bob Enyart and guest Jamie Schofield analyze the meaning and actual intent of that sad document. For this was no abolitionist policy (as a contemporaneous report in the Rocky Mountain News makes clear), but an example of moral compromise that ended in failure. Today's Resource: The Plot | Second Edition!The Bible Gets Easier to Understand: Apparent contradictions plague many Bible students. The Plot demonstrates how hundreds of such contradictions disappear when the reader applies the big picture of the Bible to its details. Tunnel vision focuses so narrowly on a problem that the solution often lies just out of view. As the pastor of Denver Bible Church, Bob Enyart teaches Christians how to use the whole counsel of God to understand the plot of the Bible and solve biblical mysteries. (Missionaries in Costa Rica effectively use the Spanish translation, La Trama.) Available as either book or PDF download. The Plot: 2nd Edition Just before his passing, Bob finished the second edition of his manuscript, The Plot. While sadly he didn't live long enough to see the work published, He did get it out just in time. His second edition includes ten years worth of updates, revisions, additional sections and updated graphics. Now, a year after his passing, it has been made available to the public! Get your copy now... The Proclamation was actually comprised of two announcements, not just one. The first half – the preliminary proclamation – set the policy and gave a deadline of 100 days. It was addressed not to the common citizens of the nation or to the Union military, but rather to the states in rebellion at that time. What was Lincoln's declared policy on slavery at that time? He made that very clear in a letter to Horace Greeley on Aug. 22, 1862, just days before the issuance of the preliminary proclamation: If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. . . . I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free. Lincoln's goal was not the abolition of slavery but rather the preservation of the Union, and if that meant keeping slaves in bondage everywhere, he would support and practice exactly that. And this non-abolitionist stance is reflected in the text of the Emancipation Proclamation.The Preliminary Proclamation, September, 1862 In short, the stated intent and purpose of this policy was to offer the Confederate states the opportunity to keep their slaves if they would choose to stop rebelling within a 100-day deadline. Essentially, it said that if your state ceases its rebellion against the union, you may keep your slaves. I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and declare that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for the object of practically restoring the constitutional relation between the United States... That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; Any state still in rebellion against the Union on Jan. 1 would be subject to the Proclamation, which would declare any current slaves in those areas to be free. The stated goal was not to free any slaves, but rather to preserve the Union. Was it a success? Before hearing the answer, Bob predicted that such a policy would bear no fruit, and he was right. In fact, not a single state took Lincoln up on his offer. By its own standard, the Proclamation was an abject failure! In fact, all the proclamation did in that regard was to infuriate the Confederate states more than ever, deepening their resolve to reject the Union. Perhaps even worse, the preliminary proclamation also explicitly ordered slaves to be returned to their slave owners in specific circumstances, thus actually ordering the enforcement of keeping such men in bondage: Sec.10. And be it further enacted, That no slave escaping into any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, from any other State, shall be delivered up, or in any way impeded or hindered of his liberty, except for crime, or some offence against the laws, unless the person claiming said fugitive shall first make oath that the person to whom the labor or service of such fugitive is alleged to be due is his lawful owner, and has not borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid and comfort thereto; In other words, if a slave escaped to an area controlled by the Union, all a Southern slave owner had to do was show up, give an oath (no evidence required) that he was the lawful owner of that slave, and swear that he had never taken up arms against the Union, and then “here's your slave back.” The Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863 This document was the culmination of the policy already given 100 days earlier. Not a single Confederate state had taken Lincoln's offer to cease rebellion and keep their slaves. Therefore, this document declared (largely symbolically) the slaves in those non-Union-controlled areas to be free. But, at the same time, and as one should expect in such a compromised and non-abolitionist policy, it also explicitly listed all of the areas in the U.S. where slaves would be kept in bondage. Thus, this policy actually authorized the continuing wicked enslavement of innocent men, women and children, for example in many counties in Louisiana, especially around New Orleans, as well as in the newly-forming West Virginia. Many abolitionists of the day decried the Emancipation Proclamation, rightly pointing out its moral compromise. Lincoln's own secretary of state, William Seward, commented that "We show our sympathy with slavery by emancipating slaves where we cannot reach them and holding them in bondage where we can set them free." Unlike Lincoln, Seward knew the atrocities of slavery firsthand, having been raised by a slave-owning family. "I early came to the conclusion that something was wrong... and [that] determined me to be an abolitionist." On the other hand, in their coverage of the Proclamation, the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News here in Colorado celebrated on their front page the fact that this policy was not abolitionist, and mocked abolitionists who disagreed with it, praising Lincoln for going against the “radical” abolitionists. The newspaper wrote: “The last mail... brought scores of Eastern and Western papers with similar recommendations. The voice of the press is almost unanimous in its approval. That is a pretty correct index of popular opinion, and we may therefore set down that almost the entire loyal States endorse the action of the President. It must be expected that the ultra Abolitionists will kick against it, as too conservative [not going far enough] for their radical views. Let them squirm! ‘Honest Abe' has shown that he will be no tool of theirs.” How were slaves freed and slavery abolished, then? It's important to note that the Emancipation Proclamation didn't outlaw slavery anywhere. It declared current slaves in those areas to be free, in areas where the Union had no control. It essentially “freed” them in word only, and was largely a symbolic gesture. As the Union military moved through the Confederate states in rebellion, they did free slaves they encountered. In truth, they could have done this with or without the Proclamation. The Proclamation was simply used as an excuse to do it, but they would have been right to do it, regardless. Lincoln gave orders to the Union Army to free those slaves, apart from the Proclamation, which wasn't addressed to the Union Army, but to the Confederate States themselves. He could have ordered the Union Army to do this without such a proclamation. And even if Lincoln hadn't issued that order, it would have still been right for Union forces moving through the South to free those slaves, anyway. If you are a military unit and have taken over an area from the enemy, and you find men who have been kidnapped and brutalized by the people there, the right thing to do would be to free those victims. The Proclamation didn't free anyone, although it did serve as a political excuse to do so. What of the abolition of slavery, then? That was accomplished later, in some areas at the state level, and in the rest of the nation through federal action. Unlike in the Emancipation Proclamation, in all of these cases it was a principled, no-compromise, abolitionist policy that required the complete abolition of slavery in each state. For example, West Virginia (which had ironically seceded from Virginia while the latter was seceding from the Union) wasn't allowed to join the Union as a new state unless their constitution abolished slavery without exception. In Maryland, Arkansas and Louisiana in 1864, they abolished slavery at the state level as their citizens ratified new state constitutions. In Missouri in January of 1865, that governor abolished slavery via executive order. In all other Southern states, slavery was ultimately abolished through the ratification of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in December of 1865. In all of these cases, it was a no-compromise policy that we would describe today as “pro-personhood.” Slavery was ultimately abolished despite the pro-slavery policy of the Emancipation Proclamation, not because of it.
What happens when a defeated general steps into a nation struggling to define its future? The aftermath of Robert E. Lee's civil war surrender at Appomattox Court House marked a profound military transition for the Confederate general. This video explores the five pivotal years following the American Civil War, detailing how Lee adapted to a radically changed nation. His journey offers insights into his enduring leadership skills and the challenges of a post-war life.
Threads From The National Tapestry: Stories From The American Civil War
About this episode: For this episode, we'll take the American Civil War to places that far too many dismiss - west of the Mississippi. Sites and confrontations that may not be as well-known as eastern theater battlefields like Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg or Chattanooga but, nevertheless at locations where national interests were just as great, passions of those involved just as deep and consequences that were just as far-reaching. Three selected stories - each to provide a snapshot of personalities, events and ramifications. One to highlight Union and Confederate campaigns in faraway New Mexico Territory; Another, vengeful guerilla warfare in Kansas and Missouri; and, for our third story, while civil war raged, a clash between whites and Native Americans in Minnesota. And now, stories from the American Civil War that originated in the Trans-Mississippi. Stories from then the western frontier. ----more---- Some Characters Mentioned In This Episode: David E. Twiggs Earl Van Dorn Edward R. S. Canby William Clarke Quantrill Little Crow John Pope Additional Resources Battlefields Of New Mexico Battles Of Kansas And Missouri Subscribe to the Threads from the National Tapestry YouTube Channel here Thank you to our sponsor, Celebrity Word Scramble. In collaboration with Fred Kiger, they have published a Civil War edition of the Celebrity Word Scramble series. Included in the book is 16 pages of Civil War facts, stories, and insights written by Fred Kiger. Get your copy of the book here Thank you to our sponsor, The Badge Maker - proudly carrying affordable Civil War Corps Badges and other hand-made historical reproductions for reenactors, living history interpreters, and lovers of history. Check out The Badge Maker and place your orders here Thank you to our sponsor Bob Graesser, Raleigh Civil War Round Table's editor of The Knapsack newsletter and the Round Table's webmaster at http://www.raleighcwrt.org Thank you to our sponsor John Bailey. Producer: Dan Irving
The Brickhouse Inn in Gettysburg may look like a charming pair of historic homes—but beneath the quiet exterior lies unrest. In this episode, we talk with manager Hannah Hilty about the property's two very different structures: the 1830s Welty House, which witnessed the full force of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Victorian home built decades later on the same property. The Welty House is still carrying the marks of musket fire on its walls. Families hid in its cellar as soldiers fought just outside, and the land behind it became a temporary resting place for more than 30 Confederate soldiers. Those layers of trauma and emotion seem to echo through the space even now. Inside both homes, unexplained activity continues to surface—bells that ring with no one near them, EVPs responding to questions, phantom footsteps, shifting furniture, and the unmistakable presence of figures tied to the property's past. Some spirits feel young, some sorrowful, and others seem to maintain a watchful authority over the place they once called home. At The Brickhouse Inn, it seems history isn't just remembered—it's more like it refuses to leave. This is Part Two of our conversation. For more information, visit their website at brickhouseinn.com. #TheGraveTalks #BrickhouseInn #WeltyHouse #GettysburgHaunted #CivilWarGhosts #HauntedGettysburg #ParanormalActivity #HauntedHistory #GhostStoriesPodcast #GettysburgSpirits Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
The Brickhouse Inn in Gettysburg may look like a charming pair of historic homes—but beneath the quiet exterior lies unrest. In this episode, we talk with manager Hannah Hilty about the property's two very different structures: the 1830s Welty House, which witnessed the full force of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Victorian home built decades later on the same property. The Welty House is still carrying the marks of musket fire on its walls. Families hid in its cellar as soldiers fought just outside, and the land behind it became a temporary resting place for more than 30 Confederate soldiers. Those layers of trauma and emotion seem to echo through the space even now. Inside both homes, unexplained activity continues to surface—bells that ring with no one near them, EVPs responding to questions, phantom footsteps, shifting furniture, and the unmistakable presence of figures tied to the property's past. Some spirits feel young, some sorrowful, and others seem to maintain a watchful authority over the place they once called home. At The Brickhouse Inn, it seems history isn't just remembered—it's more like it refuses to leave. For more information, visit their website at brickhouseinn.com. #TheGraveTalks #BrickhouseInn #WeltyHouse #GettysburgHaunted #CivilWarGhosts #HauntedGettysburg #ParanormalActivity #HauntedHistory #GhostStoriesPodcast #GettysburgSpirits Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
Send us a textGettysburg Gods and Generals With (Ron Maxwell )The Story behind the MoviesPart Two Gods and Generals.In this episode of American Civil War & UK History podcast host Daz was joined by film director Ron Maxwell to discuss the movies Gettysburg and Gods and GeneralsGods and Generals (2003), directed by Ron Maxwell, is the prequel to Gettysburg and is based on Jeff Shaara's novel of the same name. The film focuses on the early years of the American Civil War, particularly the life and faith of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, alongside figures such as Robert E. Lee and Winfield Scott Hancock. Made with the help of Civil War reenactors, it is praised for historical detailRon Maxwell's YouTube channel and Facebook page YouTube https://youtube.com/@patoumaxwell?si=LDqx4pL2r5lKeOqLFacebook https://www.facebook.com/share/1DB2bvkrh8/ACW & UK History's Website.https://www.acwandukhistory.com/ACW & UK History's Pages.https://linktr.ee/ACWandUKHISTORYSupport the show
Episode: 1496 Mrs. Greenhow, the first great Confederate spy. Today, we meet a Confederate spy.
Major General John Schofield was one of the most steady and reliable Union commanders of the Civil War. Rising fast through the ranks, he played key roles in Missouri, the Atlanta Campaign, and the Carolinas, often serving as the calm problem solver between stronger personalities like Sherman and Hood. Known more for discipline and judgment than flashy battlefield heroics, Schofield helped keep Union armies moving when coordination mattered most.
After Fort Fisher fell to Union forces, the Confederates still held powerful Fort Anderson. Could a veteran of Antietam and Franklin compromise the fort? Join Chief Historian, Garry Adelman, historian Chris Fonvielle Jr. and Site Manager Jim McKee at the “best preserved Confederate earthen fort.”
FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageOne audacious night on the Mississippi may have decided the Civil War. We dive into the capture of New Orleans in 1862 and show how Farragut's risky run past Forts Jackson and St. Philip didn't just seize a city—it fractured the Confederacy's map, gutted its finances, and reshaped the war's momentum. New Orleans wasn't just a symbol; it was the South's engine: the largest population center, a world-class port, a shipbuilding hub, and the gateway for cotton exports and foreign credit.We unpack why the Crescent City mattered so much and how the Confederate high command miscalculated the threat. As Grant pressed from Tennessee, Richmond drained New Orleans of troops to defend Corinth's rail hub, leaving the Gulf approach weak and the river poorly protected. The real heartbreak lies with the unfinished ironclads—CSS Louisiana and the CSS Mississippi. Union officers later admitted that a battle-ready Louisiana in the narrow channel could have ravaged Farragut's wooden fleet. Timing, not just technology, proved decisive.From Porter's mortar bombardment to Farragut's pre-dawn dash, the action was fast and consequential. When New Orleans fell, the Union claimed the river's mouth and effectively split the South. The ripple effects were brutal: cotton exports collapsed, international credit evaporated, and inflation surged as the Confederate government printed unbacked money. Supply lines from Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana withered, starving armies and cities of food, salt, and matériel. We also explore the powerful counterfactual: if New Orleans had held—its shipyards humming, ports reopened, and ironclads unleashed—European recognition might have become more than a dream.If you're ready to rethink where the war's true turning point lies, this story delivers a sharper lens on strategy, logistics, and the cost of misjudgment. Listen, share with a history-loving friend, and leave a review to tell us: was the war really lost on the night New Orleans fell?Key Points from the Episode:• New Orleans as the South's economic engine and largest port• A divided city with weak support for secession among voters• The Anaconda Plan's focus on the Mississippi River• Confederate misread of the threat and troop shifts to Corinth• Unfinished ironclads Louisiana and Mississippi as lost opportunities• Porter's mortar bombardment and Farragut's breakthrough• Strategic split of the Confederacy after the city falls• Financial shock: lost exports, credit, and spiraling inflation• Logistics cutoffs from the western breadbasket and long-term effects• Counterfactuals showing how completion of ironclads could change outcomesOther resources: Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly!
Alexander H. Stephens was one of the most contradictory figures of the Civil War. A longtime U.S. congressman from Georgia, he became Vice President of the Confederacy while openly doubting secession and warning it would end badly.We cover Stephens' rise, his infamous Cornerstone Speech, his uneasy role inside the Confederate government, and his unlikely return to Congress and the Georgia governorship after the war. His story exposes the political contradictions at the heart of the Confederacy and the rocky road of Reconstruction.
In a significant move addressing the contentious debate over race and history, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland of Washington's 10th District is spearheading a bipartisan initiative to prevent the reinstatement of Confederate names on U.S. military bases. This effort comes in response to the Trump administration's indication of plans to reverse previous renaming efforts aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Political commentator Opio Sokoni joins the Rhythm & News Podcast to talk more about this issue. Interview by Chris B. Bennett.
The Zoning Out crew dives into everything from Christian university commercials to headlining in small towns vs. chasing dreams in NYC, plus a heated debate about whether the Three Little Pigs survived (spoiler: Jason was right). In This Episode: Jordan grills Jason for skipping family Christmas to work a cruise ship gig • Is Grand Canyon University even near the Grand Canyon? • The wild world of 55+ retirement communities (spoiler: they're having sex) • Jason confesses his dream scandal if a publicist could cover it up • Jordan plans to blow up a Confederate flag • Jonathan wrestles with jealousy over bookings • The Big Comedy Career Question: Would you rather headline forever in Myrtle Beach… or chase your shot in New York, even if you never make it? Plus: Kevin Hart definitely didn't headline at the Comedy Cabana • Bill Hader's rise from Groundlings to SNL • Shoutout to Brandon from Wytheville, VA • Jonathan finally gets vindicated on the Three Little Pigs debate • The team teases their first episode of 2026 with top songs, comedy goals, and more. Watch Full Episodes: Zoning Out on YouTube Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @ZoningOutPodcast Upcoming Shows + Tour Dates: linktr.ee/ZoningOutPodcast
On February 11, 1865, the little known Battle of Sugar Loaf opened up the Wilmington Campaign. Join Chris Fonvielle Jr. for this brief tour of the new Joseph Ryder Lewis Jr. Civil War Park, dedicated to telling the story of those who fought throughout Wilmington, North Carolina.After Sugar Loaf, we continue onto Forks Road. In 1980, Chris Fonvielle Jr. came across a piece of land that now sits next to the Cameron Art Museum. Through further study, he realized that it was the location of a forgotten Civil War battle in the Wilmington Campaign between United States Colored Troops and Confederates. Watch to learn more about the incredible and unique story.
As the Confederate campaign into Kentucky got underway in the fall of 1862, one of the first clashes came in Richmond, Kentucky—a battle that became one of the most complete Confederate victories of the war. Historian Phil Seyfrit and preservationist George Ridings join the Emerging Civil War Podcast to talk about the battle and the amazing preservation successes they've had with the battlefield.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world's largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org to start planning your trip today.
The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County resumes, as plaintiffs focus on the negative health impacts of racism… Today, a new statue of Virginia civil rights hero Barbara Rose Johns is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol… Republican Delegate Tony Wilt speaks out against a new VDOT plan to open up a Shenandoah corridor to possible future rail service, rather than preserving it as just a recreational trail….
Read more Hanover supervisors approve 10-year parks system plan Who's running in Virginia's 5th Congressional District in 2026? On the agenda: Richmond transparency proposals, Henrico vape shop regulations Other links National Weather Service: Richmond forecast; Charlottesville forecast; Harrisonburg forecast Most Va. schools meeting new state expectations, Va. education department reports (Virginia Mercury) Kaine still sees small chance Senate could vote to extend health care subsidies (FFXNow) Richmond's Scott's Addition to reinstate parking enforcement after years without (WRIC) Trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County gets underway (WMRA) Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism.
Exposure to the elements during a brutal cold snap played a role in the defeat of the Confederates in the two-day Battle of Nashville. Today, people living on the street face many of the same conditions, and federal resources to help them are in limbo. Plus the local news for December 15, 2025, and part one of The Debt. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: LaTonya TurnerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
The second day of the trial involving Confederate school names in Shenandoah County is filled with emotional testimony and historical context… When you want to borrow a book, you go to a public library, but when you want to borrow a tool in Charlottesville, there's a library for that too… We meet Gabrielle Cerberville, otherwise known as “The Chaotic Forager,” our Books & Brews guest for December….
John Pemberton Gatewood was a notorious Confederate bushwhacker/guerrilla leader. Born in Fentress County, Tennessee, in 1844, Gatewood's life took a dark turn after a Union attack on his family led him to abandon the Confederate army and become a guerrilla fighter. Leading his own unit in north Georgia and known as the long-haired, red-bearded beast, Gatewood was driven by his thirst for revenge after the brutal assault on his family. John Pemberton Gatewood, a figure whose story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia. If you like our stories, be sure to subscribe the the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss any of them.Thanks for listening!
The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County gets underway… Virginia will restrict residents on food assistance from using their benefits to buy soda… Analyst Jeff Schapiro takes a look at the governor-elect's nascent cabinet….
The second Trump administration has made tearing down parts of the federal government a priority. And some of those efforts have been literal. In October, President Donald Trump ordered the demolition of the White House's East Wing to make way for the construction of a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom. He's also given the White House a gilded makeover, bulldozed the famed Rose Garden, and even has plans for a so-called “Arc de Trump” that mirrors France's Arc de Triomphe. So what's behind all of this? Art historian Erin Thompson—author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments—says that whether it's Romans repurposing idols of leaders who had fallen out of favor or the glorification of Civil War officers in the American South, monuments and public aesthetics aren't just about the past. They're about symbolizing power today. On this week's More To The Story, Thompson sits down with host Al Letson to discuss why Trump has decked out the White House in gold (so much gold), the rise and recent fall of Confederate monuments, and whether she thinks the Arc de Trump will ever get built.Producers: Josh Sanburn and Artis Curiskis | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Listen: Fancy Galleries, Fake Art (Reveal)Listen: Will the National Parks Survive Trump? (Reveal)Read: Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments (W. W. Norton & Company)Read: America's Tech Right Is Obsessed With Building Giant Statues (Bloomberg)Read: Nearly 100 Confederate Monuments Were Toppled in 2020. What Happened to Them? (Mother Jones)Note: If you buy a book using our Bookshop link, a small share of the proceeds supports our journalism. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Between King Cotton and Queen Victoria: How Pirates, Smugglers, and Scoundrels Almost Saved the Confederacy (U Georgia Press, 2025) by Dr. Beau Cleland recenters our understanding of the Civil War by framing it as a hemispheric affair, deeply influenced by the actions of a network of private parties and minor officials in the Confederacy and British territory in and around North America. John Wilkes Booth likely would not have been in a position to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, for example, without the logistical support and assistance of the pro-Confederate network in Canada. That network, to which he was personally introduced in Montreal in the fall of 1864, was hosted and facilitated by willing colonials across the hemisphere. Many of its Confederate members arrived in British North America via a long-established transportation and communications network built around British colonies, especially Bermuda and the Bahamas, whose primary purpose was running the blockade. It is difficult to overstate how essential blockade running was for the rebellion's survival, and it would have been impossible without the aid of sympathetic colonials. The operations of this informal, semiprivate network were of enormous consequence for the course of the war and its aftermath, and our understanding of the Civil War is incomplete without a deeper reckoning with the power and potential for chaos of these private networks imbued with the power of a state. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Between King Cotton and Queen Victoria: How Pirates, Smugglers, and Scoundrels Almost Saved the Confederacy (U Georgia Press, 2025) by Dr. Beau Cleland recenters our understanding of the Civil War by framing it as a hemispheric affair, deeply influenced by the actions of a network of private parties and minor officials in the Confederacy and British territory in and around North America. John Wilkes Booth likely would not have been in a position to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, for example, without the logistical support and assistance of the pro-Confederate network in Canada. That network, to which he was personally introduced in Montreal in the fall of 1864, was hosted and facilitated by willing colonials across the hemisphere. Many of its Confederate members arrived in British North America via a long-established transportation and communications network built around British colonies, especially Bermuda and the Bahamas, whose primary purpose was running the blockade. It is difficult to overstate how essential blockade running was for the rebellion's survival, and it would have been impossible without the aid of sympathetic colonials. The operations of this informal, semiprivate network were of enormous consequence for the course of the war and its aftermath, and our understanding of the Civil War is incomplete without a deeper reckoning with the power and potential for chaos of these private networks imbued with the power of a state. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
Between King Cotton and Queen Victoria: How Pirates, Smugglers, and Scoundrels Almost Saved the Confederacy (U Georgia Press, 2025) by Dr. Beau Cleland recenters our understanding of the Civil War by framing it as a hemispheric affair, deeply influenced by the actions of a network of private parties and minor officials in the Confederacy and British territory in and around North America. John Wilkes Booth likely would not have been in a position to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, for example, without the logistical support and assistance of the pro-Confederate network in Canada. That network, to which he was personally introduced in Montreal in the fall of 1864, was hosted and facilitated by willing colonials across the hemisphere. Many of its Confederate members arrived in British North America via a long-established transportation and communications network built around British colonies, especially Bermuda and the Bahamas, whose primary purpose was running the blockade. It is difficult to overstate how essential blockade running was for the rebellion's survival, and it would have been impossible without the aid of sympathetic colonials. The operations of this informal, semiprivate network were of enormous consequence for the course of the war and its aftermath, and our understanding of the Civil War is incomplete without a deeper reckoning with the power and potential for chaos of these private networks imbued with the power of a state. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/caribbean-studies
Brian Palmer, is a journalist, photographer and filmmaker who directed the film "Full Disclosure," based on his time embedded with Marines in Iraq. Now he lives in Richmond, Va., where he focuses on cleaning up cemeteries where African-Americans are buried. He's found that many of these cemeteries where former slaves are buried have been neglected, while the graves of confederate soldiers are well-maintained, often with public funds. Palmer has toured several Confederate historic sites and monuments across the South and found a distorted message that celebrates the Confederacy and often omits any mention of slavery.
SEASON 4 EPISODE 37: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: There are three critical headlines: Trump has now convinced me he is sick, the way President Woodrow Wilson was sick. Once again it looks like Tuesday's cabinet meeting attendees were warned: praise him today because he may not recognize you tomorrow. It's Anosognosia and it's why Trump can convince himself that of course nobody knows what body part the MRI they just got was for. They never tell anybody what the MRI is for. What are you, an idiot? Secondly, with his nauseating attack on Somali-Americans of Minnesota yesterday and Tuesday, we will no longer accept any debate on this point: Donald Trump is a full-on White Supremacist, a racist who is no longer hiding it, who cannot continue as president. The hood is OFF. And thirdly, it is increasingly obvious that the Democrats must have put out that Do-Not-Obey-Illegal-Orders video when they did because there a chain of evidence has come to light suggesting the September 2 kill-the-boat-survivors order from the Secretary of War Crimes…was an illegal order, right? Plus, the racist reaction to the DC shootings will remind anybody in the next Afghanistan whose help we need that any promise we make to them, we will break. Thank you John Ratcliffe and Trump. B-Block (35:45) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: The Department of Labor couldn't decide which would best enhance its Lincoln meme: the stars from the Confederate flag, or the font the Nazis used. So they chose both! Bari Weiss wants more main stream charismatic figures for CBS News. You know, like Alan Dershowitz. And not to say Larry David destroyed Bill Maher's life with his article about Bill breaking bread with Trump ("My Dinner With Adolf") but Maher is complaining about it again. The article was in APRIL. C-Block (56:00) POSTSCRIPTS TO THE NEWS: The passing of the greatest Production Assistant in SportsCenter history, future stand-up comic Steve "Sarge" Pickman. And that little Nuzzi-Lizza story now extends to illegal taping, erasure of evidence, what might be the worst reviews for a political book this century ("Olivia Nuzzi's Tell-Nothing Memoir"), a series of rebuttals so long that it could become the basis for a Ken Burns Documentary series - and the under-reported news that Nuzzi's contract with Vanity Fair expires in four weeks. There's no need to fire her, she'll just fade away over the holidays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Brickhouse Inn in Gettysburg may look like a charming pair of historic homes—but beneath the quiet exterior lies unrest. In this episode, we talk with manager Hannah Hilty about the property's two very different structures: the 1830s Welty House, which witnessed the full force of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Victorian home built decades later on the same property. The Welty House is still carrying the marks of musket fire on its walls. Families hid in its cellar as soldiers fought just outside, and the land behind it became a temporary resting place for more than 30 Confederate soldiers. Those layers of trauma and emotion seem to echo through the space even now. Inside both homes, unexplained activity continues to surface—bells that ring with no one near them, EVPs responding to questions, phantom footsteps, shifting furniture, and the unmistakable presence of figures tied to the property's past. Some spirits feel young, some sorrowful, and others seem to maintain a watchful authority over the place they once called home. At The Brickhouse Inn, it seems history isn't just remembered—it's more like it refuses to leave. This is Part Two of our conversation. For more information, visit their website at brickhouseinn.com. #TheGraveTalks #BrickhouseInn #WeltyHouse #GettysburgHaunted #CivilWarGhosts #HauntedGettysburg #ParanormalActivity #HauntedHistory #GhostStoriesPodcast #GettysburgSpirits Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
The Brickhouse Inn in Gettysburg may look like a charming pair of historic homes—but beneath the quiet exterior lies unrest. In this episode, we talk with manager Hannah Hilty about the property's two very different structures: the 1830s Welty House, which witnessed the full force of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Victorian home built decades later on the same property. The Welty House is still carrying the marks of musket fire on its walls. Families hid in its cellar as soldiers fought just outside, and the land behind it became a temporary resting place for more than 30 Confederate soldiers. Those layers of trauma and emotion seem to echo through the space even now. Inside both homes, unexplained activity continues to surface—bells that ring with no one near them, EVPs responding to questions, phantom footsteps, shifting furniture, and the unmistakable presence of figures tied to the property's past. Some spirits feel young, some sorrowful, and others seem to maintain a watchful authority over the place they once called home. At The Brickhouse Inn, it seems history isn't just remembered—it's more like it refuses to leave. For more information, visit their website at brickhouseinn.com. #TheGraveTalks #BrickhouseInn #WeltyHouse #GettysburgHaunted #CivilWarGhosts #HauntedGettysburg #ParanormalActivity #HauntedHistory #GhostStoriesPodcast #GettysburgSpirits Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
Step into the world of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry — the famed "Harvard Regiment" — as we explore their gripping story at the Battle of Gettysburg in **Ask A Gettysburg Guide #118**. This regiment, composed largely of Harvard-educated officers and Massachusetts volunteers, marched onto the fields of Gettysburg not knowing how decisively their courage would be tested ([https://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/the-harvard-regiment/] Arriving with roughly 301 men when they went into action, the 20th Massachusetts suffered devastating losses during the battle: about 30 killed, 94 wounded, and 3 missing ([https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/union-monuments/massachusetts/20th-massachusetts/] Their colonel, Paul Joseph Revere — grandson of the Revolutionary-era patriot Paul Revere— was mortally wounded on July 2 and died on July 4; command shifted rapidly as officers fell, passing from Revere to Lt. Col. George N. Macy (wounded), then to Capt. Henry L. Abbott. On **July 3**, during Pickett's Charge, the regiment held a critical section of Cemetery Ridge near the famed "Copse of Trees." As Confederate troops advanced toward the Union center, the 20th Massachusetts rose from their shallow rifle pits and delivered fierce, disciplined volleys that helped smash the Confederates' assault — playing a vital part in defending what many consider the turning point of the war ([https://www.nps.gov/places/20th-massachusetts-monument.html). Their steadiness under overwhelming fire, even after nearly losing their commanding officers, stands as a testament to their valor and sacrifice. In this episode, LBG Ralph Siegel and historian Zachery Fry take you through the regiment's harrowing journey — their approach march, the brutal chaos of July 2 and 3, the loss of leadership, the feel of earth trembling under artillery, the smoke, the fear, the honor — and ultimately their role in one of the most defining clashes in American history. If you love learning about the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War storytelling, or want to understand what these soldiers endured in their own words and through the terrain itself, this episode is not to be missed. ---
In this episode, I dive into the life of Mildred “Milly” Lucas, a woman often credited as the first female jailer in Kentucky—though her journey to that role was anything but straightforward. What begins as an exploration of early female jailers in the state becomes a gripping true story of violence and political upheaval.After the brutal murder of her husband, Daviess County Jailer William Lucas, during a racially motivated lynching in 1884, Mildred stepped in to run the jail. Her fight to hold the office—despite widespread gender bias, legal battles, personal tragedy, and even a jailbreak—reveals both the extraordinary challenges she faced and the rigid societal barriers of the time.Content Warning:This episode includes descriptions of a lynching and racially motivated violence. Graphic details are minimized but the events remain disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.Learn how William Lucas, a Confederate veteran turned jailer, moved his family to Owensboro and became widely respected for maintaining the courthouse square—despite constant dangers inside the jail walls.Hear the newspaper-reported account of Richard May, a young Black farmhand accused of assaulting a white woman—a claim that rapidly escalated into fear, rumor, and mob justice.In the aftermath of her husband's murder, Mildred—described by some as “delicate,” yet brave and unyielding—was appointed interim jailer. Despite winning the next election “by a large margin,” Mildred's eligibility was fiercely contested.Following her forced removal, Mildred's life was marked by sickness and profound loss. She died of consumption in 1898, after losing three of her children the same year. Newspapers remembered her as a “good woman” and the widow of a “martyred jailer.”This episode exposes:The racial terror that shaped Kentucky's pastThe challenges women faced in pursuing public officeThe human cost of mob violence and community silenceThe resilience of a woman who stepped into danger and leadership during crisisSelected newspaper accounts from the Owensboro Messenger and other 19th-century Kentucky publications.If you enjoyed this episode or want to share your thoughts:
Six Democrat lawmakers urged members of the military to openly defy their commands from President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth last week. Their video sent shock waves through the political narrative as Trump called their actions “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH” on Truth Social. But this Democrat insurrection is not new, as they've spent the past year openly encouraging defiance of federal law, from sanctuary cities to calls for soldiers to ignore orders. Victor Davis Hanson breaks down this disturbing trend on the left on today's episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.” “ We have 600 jurisdictions in which blue cities and states say that the federal law no longer applies in their jurisdiction. That's sort of neo-Confederate nullification that's prompted the Civil War. And you know, when Jefferson Davis, when he ordered South Carolina troops to fire on Fort Sumter, all he was doing was saying that the federal government is at war with the state. That's what our mayors are doing in these blue jurisdictions.” (0:00) Introduction(0:11) Historical Context (3:10) Nullification by Local Authorities(7:40) The Left's Broader Agenda Daily Signal today. You'll be notified every time a new piece of content drops: https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1
In which the Confederates fall back, fall back again, have a very bad day at Cassville, then fall back again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Mortal Wound at Petersburg and the Appomattox Salute — Ronald White — Despite his Gettysburg fame, Chamberlain returned to combat, leading a brigade. At Petersburg in 1864, he sustained a near-mortal wound from a minié ball; two surgeons declared it would prove fatal. He miraculously survived without antiseptic or modern medical intervention. Later, he commanded the surrender ceremony at Appomattox, controversially offering a marching salute to the Confederates, honoring their valor.
Eric and Eliot reflect on the memorial service for Vice President Dick Cheney and welcome Brigadier General (ret.) Ty Seidule, author of Robert E. Lee and Me and A Promise Delivered. They discuss the Commission created by Congress in 2020 to replace Confederate commemorations with tributes that better reflect American values, the pushback it faced, and why renaming military bases does not “change history.” The conversation also explores the post-Reconstruction myths behind these commemorations, the enduring appeal of the Confederate battle flag in certain right-wing circles, and the current controversy over reverting base names following efforts by Trump and Hegseth to overturn the Commission's work. Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause: https://a.co/d/6H1iMaJ A Promise Delivered: Ten American Heroes and the Battle to Rename Our Nation's Military Bases: https://a.co/d/b99Nvzv Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio
The Jesse Scouts and the Origins of Civil War Irregular Warfare Patrick K. O'Donnell The Civil War saw the rise of irregular forces like Jesse Scouts, named after John Fremont's wife, who used 21st-century tradecraft like infiltration and Confederate disguises, led by John C. Carpenter. The Confederacy countered with the Partisan Ranger Act to control guerrillas like John Singleton Mosby. Confederate leaders were ambivalent toward partisans, viewing them as both useful and potentially destabilizing to command structure.
The Decapitation Raid on Richmond and Confederate Covert Operations — Patrick K. O'Donnell — The controversial Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid (1864) aimed to burn Richmond and assassinate Confederate leaders like Jefferson Davis. Lacking sufficient troops for occupation, the North struggled to suppress Confederate insurgency. The Confederacy wielded sophisticated irregular warfare through Mosby's Rangers and the Confederate Secret Service, which influenced the 1864 election. Writer Herman Melville embedded with Union cavalry fighting Mosby.
Lewis Powell and the Confederate Secret Service Plot to Kidnap Lincoln — Patrick K. O'Donnell — Lewis Powell, a Mosby Ranger, was identified as a Lincoln conspirator working with John Wilkes Booth. Powell's trip to Richmond ostensibly to deliver prisoner Blazer actually served as cover to coordinate with the Confederate Secret Service. This was part of a large, well-funded special operation involving hundreds of conspirators designed to kidnap President Lincoln. Mosby later positioned hundreds of his men near the intended escape route.
Harry Harrison Young and the Jesse Scouts Lead Sheridan's Final Campaign — Patrick K. O'Donnell — After Blazer's capture, Harry Harrison Young led the Jesse Scouts, using Confederate disguises for reconnaissance. Scouts provided Phil Sheridan with real-time intelligence, serving as his "eyes." Young's scouts delivered critical strategic intelligence to Grant instead of going to Sherman. They identified weak points at Five Forks and interrupted Lee's supply trains, effectively sealing the Confederacy's retreat to Appomattox.
On this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast, we break down another chaotic day in Trump's America: the sitting president threatens to hang Democratic lawmakers simply for telling the military not to follow unlawful orders, while his White House defends him calling a female reporter “piggy” by claiming that's “why Americans voted for him.” We cover the U.S. military's new directive removing swastikas, nooses, and Confederate emblems from its list of banned symbols, worsening economic news as unemployment jumps to 4.4%, and the collapse of Trump's Ukraine diplomacy as his envoy Keith Kellogg is effectively sidelined amid talk of forced surrender. Plus, Trump tanks in the latest Fox News poll, and much more, from Ben, Brett, and Jordy. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Deals from our sponsors! HexClad: Take advantage of HexClad's Best Sale of the Year and GET UP TO 52% Off by going to https://hexclad.com/MEIDAS #hexcladpartner Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar per month trial at Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar per month trial at https://shopify.com/meidas Hiya Health: Go to https://hiyahealth.com/MEIDAS to receive 50% off your first order! and get your kids the full-body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults. Mosh: Try Mosh today and use MEIDAS to save 20% plus free shipping at https://moshlife.com/MEIDAS Qualia: Go to https://qualialife.com/MEIDAS for up to 50% off your purchase and use code MEIDAS for an additional 15%. Miracle Made: Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://TryMiracle.com/MEIDAS and use the code MEIDAS to claim your FREE 3 piece towel set and save over 40% OFF! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's Headlines: President Trump finally announced that he signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act — though we still haven't actually seen the signature. AG Pam Bondi now has 30 days to release the files. Then, in true Trump escalation fashion, he hopped back online to call for the arrest and death penalty for several Democratic lawmakers — all military or intel veterans — after they released a video reminding service members not to follow illegal orders. Trump labeled it “seditious behavior, punishable by death!” The White House later tried to clean it up, insisting Trump does not want to execute Democrats. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard quietly rewrote its policies so that swastikas, nooses, and Confederate flags are no longer “hate symbols” but merely “potentially divisive.” Nothing says troop readiness like officially pretending racism is a quirky personality trait. In New York, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is meeting Trump at the White House today — a meeting Mamdani's team requested, even as Trump is withholding $18 billion in federal funding for NYC infrastructure. Immigration crackdowns continue: A federal judge ruled Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to D.C. illegal — though the ruling is paused for 21 days so the administration can appeal. Meanwhile, the immigration sweep in North Carolina wrapped up with over 250 arrests, and the next wave of 250 federal agents is headed for New Orleans. The Department of Education also dropped its new student loan rules, recategorizing a bunch of very real, very necessary professions — nursing, social work, counseling, cybersecurity, engineering, OT, PA, teaching — as not professional degrees. The result, lower lifetime borrowing caps for the people we literally need the most. And lastly, the CDC's vaccine safety page has now been rewritten to align with RFK Jr.'s long-debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines and autism. Science is cancelled, apparently. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months WSJ: Trump Calls for Arrest of Democrats Who Urged Troops to Disobey Illegal Orders Axios: House Dem leaders contact Capitol Police after Trump "death threats" WaPo: Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols Axios: Trump, White House coy on unfreezing NYC funds before Mamdani meeting AP News: Judge orders Trump administration to end National Guard deployment in DC AP News: Charlotte immigration crackdown goes on, Homeland Security says, despite sheriff saying it ended AAU: Proposal to Implement Loan Caps Threatens Access to Professional Degree Programs AP News: CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don't cause autism Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June's parents think it's nerves. June knows better. After a brutal anxiety attack, she bolts upright to a blood-soaked girl with pale, pupil-less eyes shrieking at the foot of her bed—then repeated laughs, sprints, and whispers no one else admits to hearing. Across town, a night-shift guard swaps hellos with “Jasper,” a coworker who's been dead for decades. On base, a barracks room erupts—objects flying—until a single, steady voice tells it to leave. And on a country road, three sailors offer a ride to a Confederate soldier who dissolves into dust at the crest of a hill. Finally, a first date's Ouija session stops before it starts—when the board spells M-O-M. Some protections don't need candles. If fear can feed phenomena, what happens when belief starves—or strengthens—it? This lineup doesn't explain the shadows. It dares them to show their face. #RealGhostStories #HauntedHouse #BloodyApparition #ChildSpirit #ShadowFigure #AnxietyAndTheParanormal #WorkplaceHaunting #BarracksPoltergeist #CivilWarGhost #HitchhikerGhost #OuijaWarning #ProtectiveSpirit #ParanormalPodcast Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story: