Another Book on Great-Grandfather Republished

Another book about my great-grandfather, James M. Williams, is being republished by the University of Iowa Press. This State of Wonders, which contains letters to and from my great-grandfather during the Civil War, was edited by my old high school history teacher, Dr. John Kent Folmar. This new release will be in e-book format. The previous book, From that Terrible Field, was republished in paperback format by the University of Alabama Press. Both were based on letters found in the attic of my house in Mobile, Alabama.

James Williams moved south and fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy, while his family remained in Iowa. There are a few more letters to and from James in this blog.

Great-Grandfather's Book Reissued

The book about my great-grandfather, From that Terrible Field, has been reissued by the University of Alabama Press. Please run out and buy a copy. Here is an announcement by the author, John Folmar, my old high school history teacher.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2011

LOCAL AUTHOR SEES SECOND REPRINT
OF 1981 CIVIL WAR PUBLICATION

California, PA—For the third time in 30 years, a publication edited by Dr. John Kent Folmar I of California, PA, has been released this month by the University of Alabama Press. The first hardbound edition of “From That Terrible Field: Civil War Letters of James M. Williams, Twenty-first Alabama Infantry Volunteers” was published in 1981. Williams was the field commander of the 21st at time of surrender at the end of the Civil War.

The author of these letters, as reviewed in the Journal of Southern History, was born in Ohio, moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he married Eliza Rennison and moved to Mobile in late 1860 on the eve of the Civil War. When the fighting started Williams quickly decided to support the Confederate cause and enlisted in the 21st Alabama Infantry Volunteers.

From his enlistment in 1861 to the final days of the war, Williams wrote regularly to his wife. The correspondence chronicles the daily life of a literate Johnny Reb and his rise from private soldier to lieutenant colonel. Especially noteworthy are his accounts of the battle of Shiloh and his long stay in service with the Mobile garrison.

“Naturally I’m pleased that the Press has chosen to reprint the book in softbound cover this year,” says Folmar. “My interest in the letters was immediate when a former student, James Williams Chamberlin, University Military School in Mobile, asked me if I would like to see his great-grandfather’s Civil War letters. I expected to see a few letters written in the usual genre, but was surprised to find over two hundred letters written by a literate, artistic, observant, and fascinating ‘northern rebel.’ After researching and identifying people, ships and military locations, I edited the work for publication by the Press.”

Folmar, Professor Emeritus of History, California University of Pennsylvania, graduated from the University of Alabama with a PHD in U.S. History. A life-long student of local history, he has authored several books, including Drifting Back in Time: Historical Sketches of Washington and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania, including the Monongahela River Valley, a compilation of historical sketches written by Folmar and published in Southwestern Pennsylvania newspapers; Gleanings from Pittsburgh & W. Pa.: Newspaper &c, Views: 1786-1886, selections from Western Pennsylvania newspapers about local history; and California, Pa., 1849-1881:The History of a Boat Building Town, a history of the Southwestern Pennsylvania university town where Folmar has resided over the past 40 years. Last year he reprinted an 1892 publication about the Centennial Anniversary of the Founding of Monongahela City, Pennsylvania. Folmar is president of the Monongahela River Buffs Association and edits its publication The Voice of the Mon.
The first two editions of From That Terrible Field were hardbound. The recently released softbound edition has a newly designed soft cover and retails for $24.95. For additional information, contact Dr. J. K. Folmar I, phone 724-938-7856, or e-mail folmar@zoominternet.net. Orders can be placed through University of Alabama Press, phone (205) 348-5180, or visit www.uapress.ua.edu.

"From That Terrible Field" To Be Reprinted

Dr. John Folmar, who wrote From That Terrible Field about my great-grandfather, Confederate Colonel James M. Williams, says that the University of Alabama press has agreed to issue a new paperback edition.

Found Confederate Sword

I recently found my great-grandfather's Confederate Civil War sword, which I thought had been lost or stolen years ago. It's not fancy, it's black with age, but I do know that it was his. I thought it was lost in our last move, but obviously it wasn't. I'm very pleased to have it back again.

Washington and Tel Aviv

On Tuesday, David Brooks wrote an op-ed in the NYT about Israel's technological success. In it he discusses Jews' success in the US and around the world, as well as in Israel. My biggest concern about American Jews is Israel. I worry that they are all conflicted and have at least some allegiance to Israel. Many probably put Israel's security above America's. In particular, I worry about Sen. Joe Lieberman. I often think the (I) after his name stands for Israel, rather than Independent. I am very grateful that Al Gore did not win the Presidency with Lieberman as his Vice President, and that McCain did not either.

Lieberman and his Jewish brethren have certainly supported a strong America, but I worry that they only do so because they see America as the main defender of Israel. If they had to choose between either America surviving or Israel surviving, they would choose Israel. Except for the Indians, everybody in America is from somewhere else: Britain, France, Africa, China, Mexico. But in almost every one of these cases they (or their ancestors) chose to leave that country to come to America. Jews, however, created their homeland, Israel, after they came here. They tend to look toward Israel with longing or at least great sympathy, while others tend to look back at their old homeland as a place they were happy to leave, although they may still have some sentimental attachment to it.

In addition, Jews do not assimilate well in the US. Because they look European, it would be easy for them to fit in as ordinary Americans, but they choose to maintain a Jewish identity, and not only through religion, but through culture, social life, etc. Exhibit number 1: the Holocaust. It has become a centerpiece of American life. There is a Holocaust Memorial on the Washington Mall, although almost none of the victims it memorializes were Americans. If anything, it is a monument critical of America for not doing more to end the Holocaust sooner. To me it is a symbol that the Jews hate the American gentiles because the gentiles were not more willing to die to save Jews. The monument does not say, "Thank you for saving the survivors among us." It says, "Look at all the Jews you callous Christians allowed to die." It doesn't quite say, "We hate you for not invading Europe earlier," but it's implied.

I ask why the Jews didn't do more to save themselves. The people who build the Holocaust Memorial are mainly Jews who ran away from Europe to the US, and left their parents, children, or siblings to die in the camps. Why didn't the Jews fight? Israel's success proves that Jews can fight successfully, but they weren't willing to do it in Europe. Six million Jews died so that Lloyd Blankfein could be CEO of Goldman Sachs and so that Joe Lieberman could be a Senator. I have no proof, but I suspect that even of the Holocaust survivors, a number of them survived because they cooperated with the Germans. Those who stood up against the Germans in the camps were more likely to die than those who cooperated. The few fighters who survived probably preferred just to get on with their lives after the war, but in some cases they were probably bought off by other Jews who said something like, "Don't spoil this for everybody who suffered so much."

My concern with the Jewish and Holocaust issue arose while I was serving in Poland during the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was all-Holocaust, all the time. I felt slighted because my father fought in World War II. It was the Allies who ended the War. If they hadn't, Hitler would probably have killed all the rest of the Jews left in Europe, i.e., those who didn't leave their families behind and run away to America. So, why not put in a word for those who actually fought the Nazis, rather than just eulogizing those who walked meekly into the death camps?

Now, after what they went through in World War II, you would think that Jews would one of the last groups to engage in genocide, aparthied, or other violations of human rights. But Israel has become one of the most offensive developed nations in the world because of its treatment of Palestinians and other gentiles. Israel's attitude may be much like America's was during the Indian wars, but that was a long time ago. Times have changed. But in any case, because of history, one would think that Israelis would be more sensitive to such concerns than anybody else. Instead, one would think they almost decided to emulate Hitler. When the UN gave Israel to the Jews, they should have bent over backwards to make peace with the Arabs living there. If the Arabs went to war, then the Jews should have made the peace as just as possible, but instead they just took more and more land in violation of international law.

So, back to Brooks' column. He says that Jews make up 0.2 percent of the world population, and 2 percent of the US population, but they win 20 to 30 percent of Nobel physics and medicine prizes, Ivy League college admissions, Academy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, etc., not to mention being many of senior people on Wall Street and in government. But these are all the descendants of the people who ran away and left their relatives to die in the Holocaust. They have got to do something about Israel.

If Jews are ever going to be a great people again, they are going to have to create a great state. Currently their state of Israel is a blot on humanity. There's a saying that it's better to be feared than loved. But you can be both. America was pretty much both feared and loved for a generation or two after World War II. Israel should aspire to that model, rather than to whatever Nazi or Stalinist model that it is currently pursuing.

Rhubarb Pie

Having rhubarb pie over the holidays reminded me of a story that I heard many times growing up. A lady was staying with my mother's family during World War II. I don't know whether she needed a place to stay or was looking after someone at the house, perhaps one of my grandfather's sisters. She wanted to show her thanks for being able to stay there, and so she made them a rhubarb pie. However, in making the pie, she used their whole month's sugar ration.

I don't know too much about it, but I think my grandfather looked after several people during the depression and World War II who had fallen on hard times. During the depression he worked for the Turner Terminal Company in Mobile, which eventually became part of the Alabama State Docks. He said that during the depression he did not take a salary, but would just take what he needed to live on. He was something like Horace Turner's bookkeeper and right hand man.

When Mr. Turner retired, he sold his docks to the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, which had big operations in Birmingham and needed a to ship through Mobile.

British Firms Profited from Slavery

The Financial Times revealed that two existing, leading British firms -- Freshfields and Rothschilds -- profited from slavery back in the 1800s. Although it's interesting historically, I don't think it should have any present day relevance. There ought to be even a moral statute of limitations for evil things for which there is little or no remedy today. I would even put the Holocaust in this category, along with Armenian genocide, slavery, probably Stalin's purges. Cambodian, Rwandan, and Bosnian atrocities are recent enough t9 continue to be prosecuted. If Freshfields and Rothschilds have been recently advertising their good records on slavery, then 5hey should stop it.