Compounding a fraud

By now, many or most of my readers, I'm sure, have read of the scandal surrounding Lincoln historian Thomas P. Lowry. There are several online articles detailing how Lowry admitted, earlier this month, to falsifying a date on an Abraham Lincoln soldier pardon in the National Archives from 1864 to 1865. Lowry was able to claim, therefore, that the pardon "dated" the day of his assassination was likely one of the president's last official acts. The "find" garnered recognition for Lowry, elevating his status, and was hailed by the National Archives as an important Lincoln find. Rather than further detailing the sordid affair, you can read about the subsequent revelations here:

Saratosa Herald Tribune
Washington Examiner

A Google search of Lowry's name is starting to show several hundred newspaper articles that have picked up the story.

The National Archives has also released a video detailing the crime, which can be viewed here:

National Archives Video

Lowry, according to the articles, is now compounding his crime by blaming others. Even though Archives officials have a hand-written, signed confession to the deed by Lowry, he is claiming that he only wrote and signed it so that the investigators would "leave him alone" and that an Archives staffer likely changed the date. The statue of limitations on the crime (seemingly done in 1998) has run out, so besides the fact that Lowry's claims seem on the surface to be an obvious bald-face lie, it needs to be explained how Lowry could claim that he was "coerced" into signing the confession. So he's blaming Archive investigators, Archive staff, and even to a certain degree his own wife Beverly, who he claims originally found the pardon.

In his confession, the Archives state, Lowry snuck a quill-style pen into the reading room one day in 1998, took out the pardon, and after somehow slightly erasing Lincoln's own hand-written date of 1864 and changed the 4 to a 5. Lowry further states that he changed the date to that of Lincoln's assassination so that he would be recognized and lauded for finding what would seem to be an unusually historically significant document. Lowry based much of his resulting book, "Don't Shoot That Boy," on the document. As a result, he was able to secure publishing contracts for futher books, get numerous speaking engagements, and even a History Channel show based on the book in which he was the main talking head.

As my friend Eric Wittenberg states, it is hoped that Lowry's actions for his 15 minutes of fame have turned out to be worth it. Eric and many other fellow bloggers have picked up and commented on this tragic story. In addition, Facebook and chat boards are burning as the story circulates.

I spoke with Eric and other fellow historians and authors on the phone yesterday and last night, and the common thread in our conversations was how horrified we were by Lowry's actions and subsequent denials, but also by how out of character it is for the vast majority of historians. I have been fortunate to handle historic documents in my research - never a Lincoln-signed document however - and I have always been in awe of them. When I've been able to hold a document written/signed by Civil War icons such as Lee, Grant, Chamberlain, etc. and the hundreds of letters and diaries by the grunt soldier, it never fails that the hair goes up on the back of my neck. Lowry's crime has left a stain on the historical community and on all of us, because his utter lack of respect for the historical record is simply unfathomable.

Besides the respect that is owed by anyone who handles such documents of historic significance, we as historians/authors owe it to our readers, and the historic record itself, a high standard that can never be compromised or taken for granted. All of us historians and authors are sickened by this event, perhaps even moreso than in the cases were people have stolen items from the Archives or have been found guilty of plagiarism. All are reprehensible, but Lowry's actions are the worst of the worst. And all in the name of recognition and the building of a false career.

Rather than keep up his ploy of deny and divert, we can only hope that Lowry comes to his senses and reclaims a sliver of his dignity by admitting to his deed. He can't be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations - his prosecution has come from the historical community - but most folks are willing to give a measure of forgiveness to those who repent. Lowry has shown that such forgiveness has no importance to him, as little importance as he showed to the Lincoln pardon by altering it.

Lowry has spent his 15 minutes. And he's spent any amount of respect and forgiveness by blaming everyone but himself. Lincoln is recorded as having said, "History is only history if it is the truth."

Perhaps in his studies Lowry has seen that statement, and perhaps one day he will actually take it to heart.

We never stop learning...

There is no doubt that we never stop learning - the more we look, study, listen, scrutinize and question, the more that is revealed to us.

All those old pictures taken during the Civil War - ones we've looked at a million times - seem like old hat to many of us. But today, GettysburgDaily.com has published a photo study of a Gardner photo at Gettysburg that has perhaps revealed more about the battlefield than we've seen in quite some time. Check it out here.

It might be high time we take all this digital technology we have and really start looking at all those old photos. I think the learning has only just begun. Again.

Merry Christmas to all!

From my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! It's been quite busy the last few weeks (hence the paucity of posts) - I have four (four?!) books coming out next year, and the first manuscript is due January 15. I've been working hard on that one, then it's on to the next. Fortunately, I'm able to get a lot of writing done over the winter months, but I know it's important to take time off from everything over the holidays to spend quality time with family and friends.

My wish for you is that you and your family have a safe and joyous holiday season. Tomorrow, Christmas Day, it'll be fun watching my young nephew open gifts and enjoy the day. As I get older, I feel Christmas in the eyes of the young, and I remember what it was like for me.

May you also have a safe New Year, and are able to enjoy history in many forms - visiting historic spots, reading, etc. I'll be doing my best to contribute some worthy pieces to scholarship, and learning from as many folks as I can. Be safe and enjoy!

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift?

Okay, we all know the December drill - long lines at the box stores, folks scrambling to find last-minute presents... it can be maddening. To make your Christmas purchasing perhaps a little easier, we have a special offer for you. If anyone on your "list" is a Gettysburg/Civil war buff, how about considering a copy of The Complete Gettysburg Guide for them if they don't already have it? From now until midnight on December 17, the FIRST FIVE orders for the book on our website [click here] will receive a FREE copy of the accompanying battlefield Audio Tour! That's a $19.95 value, absolutely free.

Only the first five orders are eligible, so please hurry. I will post here when the first five orders have been received (and also on the book's Facebook page). All orders are shipped out the same day they are received. Please also let us know how you would like the book to be inscribed - they are signed by both Steve Stanley and me.

Thanks for considering the book for your holiday purchasing!

"One Continuous Fight" coming in paperback

The 2008 book I co-authored with Eric Wittenberg and Mike Nugent, One Continuous Fight: The Retreat and Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 is being released in paperback by our publisher, Savas Beatie (click on the book title to be taken to the Amazon page for the paperback). The scheduled release date is January 1, 2011. For those of you who have been waiting for a paperback version of our popular book, now's your chance! A detailed narrative of the momentous 10-day period following the Battle of Gettysburg, our book gives a blow-by-blow account of the 23 battles and skirmishes that took place during the retreat - as well as a scholarly discussion of both army commanders' decisions during the movements.

Soon I'll also have a link to order a personally inscribed and signed copy from me on my website, so watch for that if you'd like to have one of those.

Antietam and Gettysburg weekend

Last night I came back from a very productive 3-day trip to Antietam and Gettysburg. I arrived in Gettysburg at Steve Stanley's house on Thursday evening. Friday morning, we drove down to Antietam to spend most of the day with good friend Ted Alexander, the head historian. In preparation for our upcoming The Complete Antietam Campaign Guide (scheduled release Summer 2011), Ted graciously agreed to take us on his extended "Off the Beaten Path" tour. We drove from Antietam to Hagerstown, Funkstown, Williamsport and back, with Ted pointing out many very interesting sites along the way, all related to the Maryland Campaign. And one little highlight - when we stopped and examined the 1700s-era Watkins Ferry and home site, there was an older gentleman in back of the home. The house is vacant and boarded up (after suffering a fire that gutted much of it). I walked up to the man, and he introduced himself - Joel Watkins, a direct family descendant. He proceeded to tell me a little about the property and family, and it was an incredibly fortuitous chance meeting. When I visit historic sites like these, it's always amazing and suprising the things you discover, and people you sometimes meet.

Ted did a wonderful job, and we still have 3 or 4 days we need to spend with him on the back roads of the campaign. These tours of obscure and little-known sites are really going to make this guide book special and unique. I have a legal pad with about 15 pages full of notes that I need to begin writing up - and this is only a start.

We got back to Ted's office at the historic Piper farm property, and he allowed us to check out the park archives. There isn't enough room here to describe the incredible stuff we got to see - and will be using - but suffice it to say we were like kids in a candy store!

Saturday Steve and I were booked for an all-day signing of our books and audio tours at the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. We had a very busy time, and it was wonderful talking to so many people. One fellow told us that The Complete Gettysburg Guide was his "bible" when touring, and we were extremely flattered. I never get tired hearing folks tell me how they use the book and learn from it.

We also got a very nice surprise during the day. TV journalist Rita Cosby (of Fox News, MSNBC, and currently of CBS) was scheduled to also do a signing of her new book at the Visitor Center. She has written a book of her father's World War II experiences as a prisoner of war - Quiet Hero. It's a wonderful, personal story. I got a copy, and she wrote a very nice inscription for me. She gladly accepted a copy of the Gettysburg Guide, and loved it. During our breaks, I got to speak with Rita for quite some time, and we compared similarities in our family stories. Rita is a very personable lady and I very much enjoyed our conversation. That evening, she was driving to D.C. to accept an honor from the Polish Consulate (her father was a Polish soldier during the war and came to the US afterwards) and it's very much deserved. The picture of us shows Steve on the left, me on the right holding my copy of her book, and Rita is proudly holding her copy of the Guide.

Sunday was also special - I don't seem to get to spend much quiet time on the battlefield lately, so I took about 3 hours to visit several spots on the field before heading home. I really enjoyed that. I had no agenda - no studying to do or notes to take - so I was simply able to walk around on my own and enjoy the field and the monuments. I also took a quiet walk through the National Cemetery - something I always try to do on each trip. It really re-charged my batteries.

A very productive and busy weekend, capped off by some "alone time" on the field. Great weekend.

I'm often reminded...

Because I give quite a number of talks throughout the year, participate in book signings, and participate in many chats/discussions of topics that pertain to my books (directly or indirectly), I'm often reminded of exactly why I do this work. When folks tell me how much they enjoy one book or another, or one of my articles - or even give me deserved criticism about something I may have completely screwed up - it reinforces my motivation to help folks learn and discover. And in the process I learn even more.

There is the danger, though, to become a bit jaded. The more you hear praise and criticism, the danger increases that it doesn't make as much impact as time goes on. In addition to being guilty of it myself, I've seen it happen to many other authors/students of many genres. The more you hear how "great" you or your work is, the less it can impress you. I must always remind myself that for each new person that makes a comment to me, it's "new" to them that they've had a chance to praise or criticize. It's probably good that every once in a while someone shows indifference to my work, or outright tells me that I'm the worst historian to walk the planet :)

I must admit, though, that certain reactions and uses of my work make a great deal of impact. Today, my friend Jim Beeghley, adjunct professor of Graduate Education at Waynesburg (Pa) University, sent me a link to his blog post showing videos of his young son, CJ, at Gettysburg this past weekend. CJ is searching for rock carvings on the battlefield, using The Complete Gettysburg Guide as his guide. In each video, CJ is actually reading about each carving directly from the book as he sits or stands next to each one.

Here is the link to the post of videos on Jim's blog.

Barely 10 seconds into the first video, I don't mind admitting that my eyes began to moisten as I watched young CJ read my words. I chuckled as I watched him struggle with some words unfamiliar to him (sorry, CJ!), but he dutifully and determinedly said them phoenetically. Good on ya, CJ - you did very well.

But as he read from the book, and Jim panned the camera to the carvings, a few times I closed my eyes and listened to CJ - recalling when I wrote those words. His young voice, sometimes struggling with pronunciation but always doing his best, was the sweetest music I've heard in a long time. It made me think that perhaps someday long into the future, when I'm long gone and forgotten about, another youngster will find my dusty, musty old book on a shelf or in a box somewhere, and it might motivate him to read and learn. And perhaps visit the battlefield with the book. Things that we leave to this world - whether written words, things we say or do to another, or just the prodigy of a family line - last much longer than our own lives.

While out there on the field using my book, and as son and father so graciously made a video of the experience, I'm sure neither one suspected the impact it would have on me. That's as it should be. The experience, of course, wasn't for me. It was for them, to discover and learn, to be son and father together on such hallowed ground of historical importance. And it was also much more for the ones who made those carvings - Park Noel, Augustus Coble, etc. - because their stories live on in those who tell them. As I hope my work makes a difference into the future, probably folks like Noel, Coble, and the others could never have dreamed that 100 years and more into the future, people would be talking about them like they do now. However much of an instrument I've been for that attention, I'm grateful. And I know that Steve Stanley is too.

Thank you, Jim and CJ. Historian David McCollough, with his wonderful voice and presence, could have been out on that field reading from my book... and it wouldn't have made nearly the impact that you did.

With appreciation from a grateful heart.

Need a reason to oppose the casino in Gettysburg?

Then watch this video.

It was played today in front of the PA Gaming Commission as part of a two-day hearing on the proposed casino. Gettysburg Borough Council and NoCasinoGettysburg organizer Susan Paddock asked me to testify, but because of a doctor's appointment today, and hand surgery tomorrow, I was unable. I feel horrible I was unable to attend, but I couldn't change the appointments. I was hoping to put together a panel consisting of fellow historians/authors such as Eric Wittenberg, Ed Longacre, Andrea Custer and others, but we all had scheduling conflicts. This just turned out to be a bad week to try to get folks together. I asked several folks, but they understandably had conflicts, and all felt bad about being unable to attend.

That video likely has more impact, though, than any of us could have mustered. Just listening to David McCollough talk about the sacredness of America's hallowed grounds should make everyone stop and think about what this stupid idea of collossal, galactic proportions would do to the area. As he says, it's simply trying to bank on Gettysburg - why not put a casino next to the Washington Monument, the Liberty Bell - hell, how about the White House? Either a place matters or it doesn't. If Gettysburg or any other such place can be cheapened by such a move, then let's get out the bulldozers and just plow the whole goddamn place under and bury the monuments. There's no "fence" - either you care or you don't. Make your voice heard.

Sept. 4-5 Gettysburg Book Signings

This upcoming Labor Day weekend, Steve Stanley and I will be at several book signings around Gettysburg. If you're in town, please stop in and see us. All of my books will be available, as well as our first volume of the Audio Tour based on The Complete Gettysburg Guide. Here is the schedule:

Saturday, September 4:

11am to 1pm: Gettysburg Gift Center (former Wax Museum) - Steinwehr Ave
3pm to 5pm: Pages of the Past bookstore - 10 York St - Grand Opening of this new bookstore
7pm to 9pm: American History Store - corner of Steinwehr and Baltimore St

Sunday, September 5:

11am to 1pm: GNMP Museum and Visitor Center Bookstore
3pm to 5pm: Gettysburg Gift Center (former Wax Museum) - Steinwehr Ave

Hope to see many friends this weekend!

"Law Business Insider" Radio Interview

A couple weeks ago, I was interviewed on the Law Business Insider radio show "America's Best Selling Authors." The show can be heard on many network radio channels as well as Sirius, etc. Many of America's best and most popular writers have been interviewed on the show, and I am very humbled and thankful to have been asked to appear. I had a terrific time with the hosts - Steve Murphy and Roger Clark. Both of these gentlemen were very well read, very insightful, and asked great questions which led to a unique and interesting discussion.

You can easily listen to the show by clicking here. Click on "Listen In" and first you will hear a great interview of Mark Wilensky, author of The Elementary Sense of Thomas Paine (about 15 minutes) and then my interview will follow. We had such a great time that the hosts asked me to come back on the show this month.

I hope you enjoy the show, and I really enjoyed being a part of it.