Good afternoon, it’s time for tea!

Gather ’round because I’ve been baking today, and it would be quite a tea if you could all come over and really visit. We’d be having Raspberry Zinger “Tea” and Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. Could somebody please explain why it’s called coffee cake when there’s no coffee in it? But I digress from the really conversations of the day…

Early in the week on social media, I promised to reveal my second favorite historical era. Then we’ll discuss Civil War doctors and what’s been on my music playlist this week. Looking forward to reading your comments and continuing the conversation!

My Second Favorite Historical Era

French Revolution – Napoleonic Era

(My first favorite is American Civil War in case you didn’t already know.) So why French Revolution and Napoleonic Era? It’s a major turning point Western History, an era of new ideas, philosophies, warfare, and societal changes. Some positive, some negative.

There’s a lot of drama. Sure, every era has drama, but this one is grandiose, over-the-top in pretensions, quarrels, wars, and love stories. Yes, I realize life was tough and far from glamorous for the majority of people in this era and that’s part of the interest. There’s an outward trapping – vernier –  of greatness and idealism that actually triggers new ideologies in response. Particularly nationalism.

I got interested in the Napoleonic Era by reading 19th Century written historical fiction books by G.A. Henty. And I wrote an 80 page report on the subject in a high-school class. Literally for fun. Yeah, I was a weird kid, and after that my mom started setting time and word limits to my reports. Still, I look back on that piece of poor research and writing as the moment I knew I wanted to write and share non-fiction history!

If you saw the tea image this week on social media (also at the top of this post), you’ll notice the book is one of the Henty books about the Napoleonic Era conflict on the Spanish Peninsula and the tea cup has violets on it. Violets are often associated with Napoleon Bonaparte and his “royal” family.

What’s your favorite historical era?

And I’m looking for some new fiction books about the Revolution or Napoleonic Era to read for fun. Any recommendations? 

Twitter: Who’s Your Favorite Civil War Doctor?

Uh, Hunter McGuire, of course! But we’ve already talked about him quite a bit on Gazette665.

So – I’ll mention a Union doctor who served at Gettysburg. Dr. James of Philadelphia had volunteered his medical services after the Battle of Antietam in 1862 and arrived at Gettysburg (July 1863) shortly after the fighting ended. He worked tirelessly for weeks, before his health failed and he was sent home, sick with cholera. James did survive the illness and later wrote some of his bloodstained memories about medical service at Gettysburg.

Without getting too graphic (we are “having tea” after-all), it’s safe to say his work saved many lives, but he risked his own life to provide that medical care. Perhaps not in the typical way we think of in war, but he and other Civil War surgeons worked to the point of exhaustion and illness, trying to save lives on the battlefields and in the hospitals.

Do you have a favorite Civil War surgeon?

What’s On Your Music Playlist This Week?

A lot of gospel music. I like it, it’s encouraging, and it’s Holy Week, so it seemed even more appropriate. I recently attended a concert featuring Solid Ground Trio and their CD Soldiers for Christ has been played recently.

A few soundtracks (via YouTube) from World War II movies that I’ve never seen. Kinda odd, I know, but the is amazing and sometimes just the right inspiration in the background.

And sometimes a little country music.

This song has been on repeat a could times recently. Enjoy!

So…what have you been listening to?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and joyous Easter or Passover celebrations!

Your Historian,

Miss Sarah