Very simple. It was just a funny little vignette I read a few years ago about Rev. Dr. Robert L. Dabney, the great Southern Presbyterian and chief of staff to Lt. General Stonewall Jackson during the Late Unpleasantness. I won't re-tell it here (I don't feel like typing it in), but I will say as a Southerner, reformed Presbyterian, and admirer of both Dabney and Jackson, I liked the story so much when I read it that I marked the page in the book where I found it, and I would periodically re-read it for a good laugh.
And then one day, I decided to share the story, via the wonderful world of email, with some other of my friends--ones who also share my convictions about the War of Northern Aggression (and when I refer to it as such, do you really need to ask just what those convictions are?). So, I typed it in, sent it out, and didn't think anything more about it, until I began to hear back from the people to whom I'd sent the story. Sometimes, they would just email me back and tell me how much they liked it. Other times, they would send it on to friends, relatives or their parents. I know of one guy who even printed it out and stuck it on his wall (strange, huh). But virtually all said the same thing-they wished they knew more about the War, and how on earth did I know so much about it?
Now, don't get me wrong; I'm no historical scholar. But I do have a passion for the South and things Southern, especially Southern history. And I do know more about the subject than most of my friends-and I like to talk about it. And in this case, I liked the approving response I got from so many people.
So I sent out another email, with another story. And then another. And another.
And then before I realized what I was doing, I was sending out a weekly mail message to about thirty people; every Sunday night, always about the War. Like clockwork. It's been going on for almost three months.
Which brings me to my point (and I do have one). I've been doing this since mid-March, and the list of recipients keeps growing. People are obviously forwarding the emails around, because now I'm occasionally getting messages from folks whom I don't know telling me how much they like the stories and could they add me to the list, please? And of course, I'm more than happy to oblige. But the problem for these good people is, as late-comers to the mailing list they've missed some of the stories, and they want to read them. And I don't have time to catch them up (I do have other things to do, after all. Like finding a JOB) by re-sending all the old ones.
But never fear. The solution is at hand!
As part of my (usually fruitless) quest to make this Webpage slightly useful and not just another meaningless waste of bandwidth, I have always sought to post things that are thoughtful or helpful or at least interesting to read. And now, I make another attempt in this endeavor; I have begun posting all the "back issue" emails on this page. That way, if you're a late-comer to the "Historical Monday" email list, or you foolishly deleted one of the stories, you can always come to this page. All the stories I mail out will eventually find their way here, for all the world to see. And if you want to get on the list, just email me -- I'll be happy to add you.
It's just a small part of my quest to make sure that everyone in this country will one day hold a firm conviction, summed up in four little words:
The South was right!
Here are all the messages, listed by title and date sent.