Resurrecting the Dead
Joe Barry’s Uncommon History Blog
Daniel boone meets Leeroy Jenkins
How does a 2005-era viral video game meme relate to the American War of Independence? The answer is a cautionary tale of insufficient planning, lack of intelligence, and rash decisions.
Will research for peanuts!
One of the more enigmatic figures of the Lincoln assassination is Joseph “John Peanuts” Burroughs, the young errand boy at Ford’s Theatre who held John Wilkes Booth’s horse prior to the assassin’s escape. Who was Peanuts, and what happened to him after the assassination?
Lincoln in Harrisburg: A Tale of Two Trains
History is everywhere—and often closer than you realize. This is the account of my research on Lincoln’s two trips to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Delia Webster: The “Petticoat Abolitionist”
Delia Webster was an anti-slavery activist repeatedly imprisoned for her efforts to free enslaved people. She operated in Lexington and Trimble County, Kentucky, and became known as the “Petticoat Abolitionist.” But first, she had to emerge from the shadow of her father to find her true voice.
Joseph B. Stewart – of Kentucky
Joseph B. Stewart was Kentucky’s unofficial liaison in Washington, D.C from the 1850s through the Civil War years. From Abraham Lincoln to shady businessmen, here are his most unique encounters …
North Star Over Trimble: Henry Bibb’s Journey to Freedom
In the antebellum years, Trimble County in Northern Kentucky represented strategic terrain on the Underground Railroad, and it produced Henry Bibb, an enslaved man who escaped bondage to become a champion of freedom.
Andrew Jackson’s Rough Start with Kentucky
Throughout the War of 1812, the Commonwealth of Kentucky carried more than its weight in combat, and suffered an enormously disproportionate burden of the casualties. It took a while for Andrew Jackson to appreciate this.