I read in the Montgomery Advertiser recently that "1500+ museums offer free admission as part of Smithsonian magazine's sixth annual Museum Day."
That reminded me to remind all readers that the First White House is free to the public at all times! We do accept donations and we make a little money from our gift shop sales and from generous sponsors.
Our wonderful receptionists, Evelyn and Lynn and our fine maintenance man Robert are paid by the State of Alabama. The upkeep of the building and the grounds are also taken care of by the State. We are very blessed.
We just ordered a 19th century pair of brass andirons for the First Parlor on eBay. They were put in place yesterday after a fine polish job by Robert. They are such a nice addition.
Now we are working on conserving a chandelier in the Second Parlor that has been broken since the 1976 Restoration, and held together with fishing line. Does this remind anyone of their own homes? I wonder.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Praise For William C. Davis' Book
"A Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy" by William C. Davis stands as the definitive treatment of the formation of the Southern Confederacy, which took place right here in Montgomery, Alabama during the momentous first five months of 1861.
With the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States upon us, it is a "must read" for all interested in Confederate History. It can be ordered here by clicking on this link.
With appreciation and much thanks to Judge Mark Anderson, who arranged this visit, we are honored to announce that William C. "Jack" Davis and his wife will attend our Spring Wine and Cheese Gala Fundraiser on May 5th, 2011. There he will meet people, autograph books and speak briefly. Please mark your calendars and don't miss this important event!
He will also speak at Archi-Treats at noon that day at the Archives and join the Montgomery Confederate Roundtable group the evening of May 4th.
Jack, we are all looking forward to meeting you!
With the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States upon us, it is a "must read" for all interested in Confederate History. It can be ordered here by clicking on this link.
With appreciation and much thanks to Judge Mark Anderson, who arranged this visit, we are honored to announce that William C. "Jack" Davis and his wife will attend our Spring Wine and Cheese Gala Fundraiser on May 5th, 2011. There he will meet people, autograph books and speak briefly. Please mark your calendars and don't miss this important event!
He will also speak at Archi-Treats at noon that day at the Archives and join the Montgomery Confederate Roundtable group the evening of May 4th.
Jack, we are all looking forward to meeting you!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Recommended Reading
A good friend, Richard, who is a real history buff and a "man for all seasons" has just told me to read a book called "Attack or Die" by Grady McWhinney. He also recommends "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. He says that both books speak to the influence of Celtic culture on the American South.
McWhinney, who taught at the Univ. of Alabama and LSU calls the War the Last Great Celtic Rebellion and likens Pickett's Charge to the charge by the clans a century earlier at Culloden.
And speaking of Pickett's Charge, Richard quotes Faulkner who has said "for every southern boy (and girl I might add) it will always be 3:00 pm on July 3, 1863 just before Pickett's charge, and the Past is not over, in fact the past is not past".
Personally, in my mind sometimes I am still "living at Tara" and going to a barbecue at "Twelve Oaks" - what about you?
McWhinney, who taught at the Univ. of Alabama and LSU calls the War the Last Great Celtic Rebellion and likens Pickett's Charge to the charge by the clans a century earlier at Culloden.
And speaking of Pickett's Charge, Richard quotes Faulkner who has said "for every southern boy (and girl I might add) it will always be 3:00 pm on July 3, 1863 just before Pickett's charge, and the Past is not over, in fact the past is not past".
Personally, in my mind sometimes I am still "living at Tara" and going to a barbecue at "Twelve Oaks" - what about you?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Preservation Organizations
The great-grandmother of all nonprofit preservationist organizations is the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union. The MVLA created the concept in historical preservation that would last for generations. Mount Vernon was Washington's home, not a museum of American history, not a monument to a revolution, not a showplace to be exploited for profit, but a shrine to the Father of our Country.
The concept of preserving homes to honor great Americans became the pattern for other nineteenth-century organizations: most notably, The Ladies Hermitage Association, chartered February 19,1889 to preserve Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee; The Confederate Memorial Literary Society, chartered May 31, 1890 to preserve the second White House in Richmond, and the White House Association of Alabama, founded in 1900 in Montgomery to preserve the First White House
It was then that twenty-seven ladies gathered at the home of Mrs. Clifford Lanier to elect officers. It was the following summer, 1901 when the members decorated the house with bunting and invited the legislators in order to get the funding they needed.
Help came at last in the form of a sympathetic governor, Thomas E. Kilby who signed a bill passed by the Alabama legislature on September 26, 1919 to provide a $ 25,000 appropriation to move and restore the house. The corner lot next door to the Archives, across from the South side of the Capitol was purchased.
The house was divided into three sections and dismantled, moved to its new location and carefully reassembled.
From all newspaper accounts the dedication of the First White House of the Confederacy on Jefferson Davis's birthday on June 3, 1921 was one of the most relished and enjoyed events in Alabama history.
The concept of preserving homes to honor great Americans became the pattern for other nineteenth-century organizations: most notably, The Ladies Hermitage Association, chartered February 19,1889 to preserve Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee; The Confederate Memorial Literary Society, chartered May 31, 1890 to preserve the second White House in Richmond, and the White House Association of Alabama, founded in 1900 in Montgomery to preserve the First White House
It was then that twenty-seven ladies gathered at the home of Mrs. Clifford Lanier to elect officers. It was the following summer, 1901 when the members decorated the house with bunting and invited the legislators in order to get the funding they needed.
Help came at last in the form of a sympathetic governor, Thomas E. Kilby who signed a bill passed by the Alabama legislature on September 26, 1919 to provide a $ 25,000 appropriation to move and restore the house. The corner lot next door to the Archives, across from the South side of the Capitol was purchased.
The house was divided into three sections and dismantled, moved to its new location and carefully reassembled.
From all newspaper accounts the dedication of the First White House of the Confederacy on Jefferson Davis's birthday on June 3, 1921 was one of the most relished and enjoyed events in Alabama history.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Posting
I am going to take a little break from blogging but will blog again on Tuesday. Please don't forget about us!!!
Come to visit the First White House; if you can't make it in person, visit the website at www.firstwhitehouse.org - from there you can go to our Face book Page. Visit there and write something.
Reread our blogs and comment if you wish. We always enjoy these. We hope many more will sign up as "friends". Help us spread the news about the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery Alabama.
Come to visit the First White House; if you can't make it in person, visit the website at www.firstwhitehouse.org - from there you can go to our Face book Page. Visit there and write something.
Reread our blogs and comment if you wish. We always enjoy these. We hope many more will sign up as "friends". Help us spread the news about the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery Alabama.
Interesting Tidbits That May Be True About The War Between The States
I don't know if this is true or not but it has been said that General Robert E. Lee traveled with a pet hen and it laid one egg under his cot every morning.
Another tidbit - So many men as we know died during the War on both sides: one example I have heard was
that approximately 2000 men served in the 26th NC Regiment during the course of the War. With Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse there were 131 men left.
Another thing I read (I won't call these facts because I have not checked to see if they are true) is that at one time or another the Northern armies numbered 2,100,00 soldiers. The Southern armies were considerably smaller. But the total dead on both sides was about 500,000.
It is said that the chance of surviving a wound in the Civil War was 7 to 1. In the Korean War, 50 to 1.
About 15% of the wounded died in the Civil War and about 8 % in WWI; about 4% in WWII and about 2% in the Korean War. Again I don't know that this is a fact but it is an interesting statistic if it is true.
Another tidbit - So many men as we know died during the War on both sides: one example I have heard was
that approximately 2000 men served in the 26th NC Regiment during the course of the War. With Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse there were 131 men left.
Another thing I read (I won't call these facts because I have not checked to see if they are true) is that at one time or another the Northern armies numbered 2,100,00 soldiers. The Southern armies were considerably smaller. But the total dead on both sides was about 500,000.
It is said that the chance of surviving a wound in the Civil War was 7 to 1. In the Korean War, 50 to 1.
About 15% of the wounded died in the Civil War and about 8 % in WWI; about 4% in WWII and about 2% in the Korean War. Again I don't know that this is a fact but it is an interesting statistic if it is true.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A New Museum of the Confederacy
In less than two years, people driving along the State Route 24 will see flags erected in front of an 11,700 square foot building that will symbolize the reunification of the nation.
Today, Sept 23 at 3 pm a groundbreaking for the Museum of the Confederacy, Appomattox Branch, will take place. This will lead the way to the construction of a museum that will house Civil War artifacts.
Defining the end moments of the War Between the States, the museum will have items such as General Robert E. Lee's uniform and the pen he used during surrender negotiations with Gen. Ulysses Grant.
Waite Rawls, the Director of the Museum in Richmond said that the Appomattox branch of the museum will focus on the end of the War and the reunification of the nation. I can hardly wait to see it, can you?
Today, Sept 23 at 3 pm a groundbreaking for the Museum of the Confederacy, Appomattox Branch, will take place. This will lead the way to the construction of a museum that will house Civil War artifacts.
Defining the end moments of the War Between the States, the museum will have items such as General Robert E. Lee's uniform and the pen he used during surrender negotiations with Gen. Ulysses Grant.
Waite Rawls, the Director of the Museum in Richmond said that the Appomattox branch of the museum will focus on the end of the War and the reunification of the nation. I can hardly wait to see it, can you?
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