The Webber Brothers of Lockport

Civil War Cannon. Courtesy Magicmurals.com

 One of the greatest thrills of doing historical research is not necessarily finding something you’ve been looking for to complete the project you’re working on. Sometimes, it’s finding something entirely unrelated that takes you on a whole new journey. That’s how we got to this article. What started out as an endeavor to prove an address ended up so much better. 

Literally the Best Reviews: The Abolitionist's Daughter

The Abolitionist’s Daughter - Diane C. McPhail

A John Scognamiglio Book

336 Pages

When it comes to historical fiction, it always seems very hit or miss with me. I either love them or hate them. I find a lot of times that the newer the publication the more revisionist it becomes, with more and more personal politics blurring the historical aspect of the novel. The Abolitionist’s Daughter by Diane C. McPhail walks that line very closely, dangerously leaning into the revisionist aspect of historical novels in several places. However, overall this is a pretty good book in most places.

On the Historical Trail: Camp Church

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a Civil War training camp in Lockport at the old fairgrounds in the City of Lockport where one of my ancestors trained. I knew there were camps in Lockport to train the men from the area, including Orleans County, but I did not know many of the details. I had to research Camp Church to see what information was out there, and to see if there were any interesting stories.

Muddied Roots: The Civil War Saga of Uriah T. Applin

Uriah Thomas Applin was born May 8, 1820 in Vermont. He was my great-great-great grandfather. Not much is known of his family. All I know is that his mother was Rebecca Capron, according to Civil War records for the Town of Carlton. His father is still unknown to me, although there is much supposition as to his paternal heritage. None of it is verified. It’s a brick wall that I hope to one day break down. In the meantime, who was Uriah T. Applin?

On Confederate Monuments

Gettysburg. It’s the granddaddy of all the Civil War battlefields in the United States. We spent a portion of Sunday touring the battlefield and visiting the new visitor’s center. We had plans in place to be in the area long before the troubles in Charlottesville and other areas where there are statues venerating Confederate generals. While, in the back of my head I had some doubts about the wisdom of making this stop in the midst of all this social turmoil, we did not see anyone protesting the statues anywhere on the battlefield.

Literally the Best Reviews: American War

American War -- Omar El Akkad

Knopf Publishing

352 Pages

Post apocalyptic novels always fascinate me. I tend to lean towards those books if I have two books in hand, and only have time or space to choose one of them. I always wonder what the future will look like, especially with the spectre of rapidly rising seas and widespread oil shortages looming over our heads. Add to that the increase of mob mentality and sabre rattling between world leaders who have the bomb, and the future could be very bleak indeed.

REMINISCING: Memorial Day in Washington DC

This week’s column is dedicated to the men and women of our nation’s military who never came home. As we “celebrate” the start of summer this Memorial Day, let’s keep those people and their families in our thoughts.

Looking At Movies (First Run): Captain America: Civil War

Disclaimer: This review deals with the content of this movie. This is in no way an endorsement of the Marvel or Disney Corporations. The tactics used by the Disney Corporation on movie theaters around the world are ruining the theater industry. For the love of movies, I will still review Disney's movies. I hope the mouse chokes on its own greed some day.

The long-awaited new Captain America movie has finally been unleashed, and it is good. Before we get started, let's just cut through the red tape and call this what it is - an Avengers movie. The idea that this is a movie starring Captain America is kind of crazy when Iron Man gets just as much screen time as Captain America. And yes, I will be referring to the characters by their names and not by the actors who play them.