Here is the final cover art for You Stink: Major League Baseball’s Terrible Teams and Pathetic Players, the baseball book that I’ve written with Michael Aubrecht. The image on the cover is a classic Norman Rockwell painting titled “The Dugout”, which depicts the 1949 Chicago Cubs. The batboy’s expression says most of what needs to be said, but the looks on the faces of the players in the dugout truly depict what we were trying to accomplish with this book. I’m tickled that the Kent State University Press decided to take our recommendation that that image grace the cover of our book.

Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic, who wrote the foreword to our book, said it best: “This …

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Former BSF board member Craig Swain has a very interesting post on his blog today that compares and contrasts the malfeasance of the current board and officers of the Brandy Station Foundation with a REAL battlefield preservation organization, the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association. I commend it to you.

It is important to note that Joseph McKinney, the so-called leader of the Brandy Station Foundation, has been caught in a lie. He told Craig Swain that he knew about the plans to build Lake Troilo before the first spade of dirt was turned, and has subsequently lied about it by denying his prior knowledge. I believe that Craig is absolutely correct in his theory that McKinney saw an opportunity to …

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When the original edition of Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions was published in 1998, it was named the third winner of the Robert E. Lee Civil War Roundtable of Central New Jersey’s Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award as that year’s best new work interpreting the Battle of Gettysburg. The handsome glass award occupies a place of honor in my office, and I treasure that award every day.

Today, I learned that the new edition, which was published by Savas-Beatie last fall, is also in the running for a major award.

Along with my fellow Savas-Beatie authors and friends James A. Morgan, III and Scott Mingus, Sr., my book has been named a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation’s 2011 Distinguished Writing …

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Today, I received the following letter in the mail from the Brandy Station Foundation:

Dear Mr. Wittenberg,

It is my responsibility to inform you that the Board of Directors has voted against accepting your application for membership in the Brandy Station Foundation. The basis for that decision is Article 2, Section 3, of the Brandy Station Foundation’s by laws.

I am returning your application form.

Sincerely,

Margaret L. Misch, Secretary
Brandy Station Foundation

I had submitted my membership application, along with the annual dues of $25, plus an additional $25. And, as you can see, it was rejected.

The provision of the by-laws cited as the justification for refusing us membership states: “Termination of Membership. A member may resign at …

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After posting his discussion of the battle of Darbytown and New Market Road, I asked Chuck Bowery to prepare a second article for me, this time on his preservation vision for this battlefield. Below is that write-up.

Darbytown Road Proposal

The main goal is to preserve the remaining tracts of the Darbytown Road Battlefield before the land is developed and lost forever. 80+ acres are currently for sale and will likely be sold before the end of the year, if not within the next few months. Immediate action needs to take place. My end goal is to see the land absorbed into the Richmond National Battlefield Park System.

Current Status of the Battlefield – For Sale

The battlefield remains largely

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Below is an article that was written by Charles Bowery, who grew up on the battlefield described in his article. This action, which was a part of the jockeying around Petersburg during the fall of 1864, is an often overlooked and little-known engagement. Frankly, I knew next to nothing about it when Chuck contacted me to inquire as to help.

Please read Chuck’s account of the battle, which occurred on October 7, 1864. Tomorrow, more information will follow about the current state of efforts to preserve this mostly pristine battlefield.

Thanks to Chuck for contacting me and for providing this information about the battle.

When I was younger, relic hunters would often visit my grandfather’s farm. From time to time

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I apologize for the protracted silence, but my job has gotten in the way of my hobby, which I just hate. I’m involved in some very complicated litigation arising out of the foreclosure crisis that has caused me to make four separate trips to Los Angeles since the first of December. I’ve been in Los Angeles for a combined total of nearly three weeks since then, and it has dramatically impacted my ability to do anything that’s not job-related.

The craziness seems to have settled down for now, so it looks like I will have more time to devote to blogging. I have an interesting guest post that will follow yet tonight. In the meantime, I hope you will forgive …

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Thanks to Craig Swain for bringing these two new blogs to my attention. I’ve added them to the blogroll. I’ve also deleted a couple of defunct ones.

I’ve added Richard McCormick’s Civil War Obsession to the list. Richard’s blog explores a variety of aspects of the Civil War, including book reviews and other interesting bits and pieces. Check it out.

Those of you who know me are aware that I have long harbored an interest in the Eleventh Corps, which I often refer to affectionately as The Bad Moon Boys (due to their crescent moon corps badge). Hence, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a blog dedicated to the Eleventh Corps of the Army of the Potomac. …

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I’m pleased and proud to announce that Woodbury Historical Tours has become one of the sponsors of this blog. David Woodbury runs small, unique battlefield tours, and he does a terrific job with them. Please join me in welcoming Woodbury Historical Tours as a sponsor of this blog.

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The following article appears in the current issue of Civil War News. It tells some, but not all, of the Lake Troilo story:

Agreement Reached On Restoration Of Hill At Brandy Station
By Scott C. Boyd
(January 2012 Civil War News)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The resignation of nine Brandy Station Foundation directors over concerns with the leadership was featured on the July issue front page and in that issue’s Preservation News column by G. Michael Green. One of the issues was the board’s lack of response to the construction of the illegal pond discussed in the following story.

BRANDY STATION, Va. — A memorandum of agreement (MOA) removes an illegally-dug pond, restores the land and conserves 3.1 acres on private

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