“Forward – with a smile!”
Everyday is changing and challenging. We might feel like we’re living in unprecedented times, but when we look back in history we find examples of men and women rising to meet the moment and making a difference in their world. It’s in the “unprecedented moments” that discoveries are made, lives are changed, nations are formed, and ideas spring to life.
Here at Gazette665, we want to help you discover history in a informative truthful way through articles, videos, books, and online courses. Our business and teaching philosophies have evolved (positively!) through the years, but our underlying goal is still the same:
Share history to inform and inspire, providing points to ponder as we seek to make a difference in writing the saga of today.
Sarah Kay Bierle
Founder and brand manager at Gazette665, she embraces a simple philosophy for approaching history:
Follow the facts, always tell the truth, and never forget that history is about real people, real actions, real effects and it should constantly inform and inspire us.
What’s New on Gazette665’s Blog?
“All This I Have Witnessed”
Yesterday marked the 159th anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)—the first major engagement of the American Civil War. For the soldiers and civilians who fought or witnessed the battle, it was the moment everything changed.
“Lord, save us this time!”
This week at work I was doing some extra research on the Stonewall Brigade. While reading through John O. Casler’s book of reminiscences, Four Years In The Stonewall Brigade, I came across an account from the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863. The image of the soldiers in the hidden hole and their experience echoed…
This is not the complete battlefield
To be honest, my Fourth of July weekend was weird. I’m choosing to remember and be grateful for the good parts. Buying fireworks for the first time. Ordering donuts for pick up at my favorite shop. Watching Hamilton for the very first time! And taking a trip to Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill battlefields near…
Get notified! Every time there’s a new blog post…
New Book – Released Spring 2019
Savas Beatie – a traditional military history press – published Sarah Kay Bierle’s fourth book (and first nonfiction book), and it is available in Gazette665’s store.
The battle of New Market, though a smaller conflict in the grand scheme of that blood-soaked summer, came at a crucial moment in the Union’s offensive movements that spring and also became the last major Confederate victory in the Shenandoah Valley. The results in the muddy fields reverberated across the North and South, altering campaign plans—as well as the lives of those who witnessed or fought. Some never left the fields alive; others retreated with excuses or shame. Some survived, haunted or glorified by their deeds.
New Market shined for its accounts of youth in battle, immigrant generals, and a desperate, muddy fight. Youth and veterans, generals and privates, farmers and teachers—all were called into the conflict or its aftermath of the battle, an event that changed a community, a military institute, and the very fate of the Shenandoah Valley.
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Congratulations your book, Sarah! I love your site. I am going to share it with a friend who has just started home schooling her young children. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah, I want to send you a copy of an email that I received from my dad who was in Europe on VE day. Look for it at your “harp” email address.
Carol, thanks for your thoughtfulness in sharing your dad’s memories of VE day!
I just finished reading Blue, Gray, & Crimson and found it to be a very enjoyable and enlightening read. Congratulations on such a well written book!
Thank you. I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the story!
Congratulations, fellow Thomas Edison grad, on your Civil War novel! I graduated in 1986 and am another history buff. In fact, I wrote PETTICOAT WARRIOR (out in trade paperback in late 2014). I was especially interested interested in your research on care for the wounded, as my novel is about two medical doctors. Different location and premise, but I found the journal of my great-grandfather very helpful in terms of conditions and medicines available, etc. Anyway, I was heartened to learn of your research and wish you much success in your future endeavors.
—Barbara Griffin Dan
Thank you kindly, Barbara! It’s nice to hear from another writer from “my school.” Civil War medicine is certainly a fascinating and complex subject.
AG is loving the book! She started it yesterday and is nearly done. She woke up early this morning to read it.
So glad to hear your daughter is enjoying “Blue, Gray & Crimson”, Adriana!
Blue, Gray, and Crimson – great read from a different perspective than most Gettysburg books! I thoroughly enjoyed it; Clearly you have put a lot of work into it. You really draw the reader in emotionally and I like the Christian theme.
Must be a wonderful feeling to see an idea you began with at the age of 9 turn into an outstanding novel. Hoping you intend to pursue writing other books with historical periods and events as the setting. I think you’re very good at it; I enjoy your writing style.
I enjoy your input in the Emerging Civil War and thought I’d buy this – am glad I did!
Thanks, Grant! Glad to hear how much you enjoyed the book. My second book is “in the works.”
Hi, Sarah:
Your site is shared today August 3, 2016 on my Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheBlogOfToshi) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/theblogoftoshi/status/760749651758755841). May the Lord bless your work – T
Thanks, Toshi.
Ms. Bierle, as you may recall I and my two cousins had the pleasure of having lunch with you under a large shade tree at the 2016 ECW conference. (3 baldheaded old guys) You were continuing after the conference to study Jackson’s activity in the Valley. I recently found a book at a book sale in a small local library that has interesting information on the Valley that you might find helpful in your overall research on the Valley. GRUMBLE, by Dobbie Edward Lambert.
Good luck in your work!
D.O. Kelley
Boonville, IN
Thank you kindly! I’ll have to look for a copy.
I want to start off by saying I really enjoy your ECW articles, it’s nice to read something so different. Not only did I have no idea what living history was I never even heard of it. The thing I most love about it is because it’s living history you can actually go see it on your vacation. So I want to thank you for the articles because they expand my mind in a new direction and I’m all about learning when it comes to anything history. I actually studied wwII for 20yrs (as I worked on my History degree from U of M) until one day I went to pick up my book I ordered and the person in front of me was returning a Xmas gift that was a box set trilogy on the civil war by Shelby Foote. I thought to myself “that’s different” and told the cashier I’ll take it. That was 4.5 years ago, havn’t read a wwII book since and purchased roughly 350 civil war books on top of that. Then you have 2 books published also, that’s awesome!!! I don’t read fiction as a rule of thumb but your articles are so interesting I may have to take a look!!!
Dear Sarah, I mentioned in a earlier post why I enjoy your articles so much. As a writer with 2 books published and probably hundreds if not thousands of articles published between ECW and Gazzete665 I was wondering if you had a mentor when you started? Despite your books being fiction from what I’ve seen of them (a gf has them) and you articles you must do a tremendous amount of research. I only ask you because soon after graduating in December and getting through the holidays I started my book, I bought nearly 15 books to make sure I new all the material front to back and back to front. Each of the 3 battlefields is hosting a weekend long symposium where people bring letters, diaries, and other such primary resources. Then I’m calling way ahead to get the best battlefield guide so I know the terrain and can take pics. But I have one major problem, I have no clue how to access the OR, where I can access the OR, how to find the very specific matierial I need from the OR , how to put in footnotes (I hate endnotes) the proper way to show where I got the specific information. With all your contacts do you know of anybody who is available to teach me these things??? I’m too far advanced in my research and have appointments with many people in the three towns the battles took place to quit, besides it’s not in my blood to quit. I’ll gladly pay someone to show me how. My # is 248.520.3967 and my email Is jeffrey_r_ross@yahoo PLEASE ZI DON’T KNOW WHERE TO TURN
Hi Jeffrey,
Glad you hear you enjoy the articles.
Official Records can be an intimidating challenge. They are available and searchable on the Internet at Cornell University: http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/waro.html I find this is an excellent starting place and once I’ve found the volume I need to see, I will sometimes visit one of the research libraries to look at the actual printed book. As for end-notes and footnotes, does the publisher have guidelines? That’s usually the best place to start.
I’m sorry I don’t know of anyone to provide further assistance at this time.
Best,
Sarah Kay Bierle
Dear Sarah
Thank you so much for the guidance, it all helps. I’ve enjoyed your material very much and you should be proud to have succeeded so well in a mainly “mans” field although more women are finally starting to be respected historians. I apologize for responding late but my brother-in-law overdosed on painkillers and my sister and his poor 15yr old son are wrecked.
…HATE DRUGS
Jeffrey,
Thank you for your thoughtful words.
I’m sorry to hear about your family’s loss.
Sarah
Goodmorning Sarah,
I love your site. Good job! It’s very useful….
Thanks for your attenction. – FRANCESCA
Glad you’re finding some helpful information!
Best,
Sarah
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Not receiving your articles anymore, not aware of making any changes, any suggestions?
Jeffrey R. Ross
(Tuffncuddly)
Did you sign up in the email box at the top of the right column? Did you comfirm subscription? Are they going to spam? That’s odd. Please let me know if you continue having trouble.
Sarah first of all feel free at Fort Mac to stop and rest a while and have a cool drink with Rosecrans Auxiliary.
Second Elizabeth Can Lew is a favorite of mine. In reading about her I found she was never called Crazy Bet in her lifetime. In the 1920’s is the first time that name was applied. I am not sure of the source it was six years ago I read it. Will look and see if I can find the source.
Sarah is the book of Christmas stories your third book release? Last time I talked to you you were just working on it I can’t believe you finish 10 stories already and had it published that’s totally awesome really proud of you. Like I said before I wish there was more women interested in history because a lot of times they bring a different perspective or bring up different topics that is the caveman we quite often are as men we don’t even think of. Anyway I love your articles and I’m really proud of you congratulations on the book and God bless
Actually the Christmas collection released in 2016 and was my second published book. Last weekend my third publication was released : Lighthouse Loyalty. There is more information about the books under the “Books” tab on the website. Thanks for the kind words.
Need your help please. Came across a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation at a yard sale.it’s an amazing piece of history that I have.cannot find anything like it on any website anywhere. Could really use your help in this matter
The copy I have has the binders in the photos which all Emancipation Proclamation copies have been removed that I can find cannot find anything like I it other than the one that’s in the American National Archives.
It’s completely identical to the one there
Again thank you for your time and your consideration on this matter.
Sincerely Steven
Hi Steven,
It’s probably a reproduction of the Emancipation Proclamation. I’m not an expert on that document, but you might check for additional information about the original documents on Library of Congress or the U.S. National Archives websites.
Best,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
I hope this finds you well. I am a living historian also and was trying to verify if Dr Hunter Mcguire left Gettysburg on July 4th, or did he stay back with the wounded for a week or two? Common sense tells me he would have left with the army. In your article, “An Elusive Doctor at Gettysburg”, you indicate he did leave with the wounded or the 2nd army corps staff. Do you have a reference for this? Thank you so much for any help you can offer. Sincerely, Chris Graham
My on-going research is pointing to McGuire leaving with the Confederate army. Details still under investigation!
Wow! Love your You Tube videos on New Market! You sound professional already, look forward to future videos and your new book, “Call out the Cadets”.
Aww…thanks! The videos have been fun to make and I’m starting to get more comfortable talking to the camera. Haha!
Sarah I would like to re print the soldier letter in your post of 6?21?2016 with your permission . is this legal ?
ThankYou
Tom
Certainly! Though I would recommend crediting the archives listed in the post, instead of this blog; always better to track those sources back to the original. Which is why we’re moving toward more citations on Gazette665 in the future.
Thanks,
Sarah
Will you be attending the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation 2021 National Conference in April? I enjoyed reading your book on the Battle of New Market and thought the conference might appeal to you since one of the topics of discussion will be this battle.
I’ve seen the information for the conference and it looks interesting. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend yet. Happy Thanksgiving!