Stamford History Real Time

New Book on the Civil War: This Republic of Suffering

Books / Sunday Book Review
New York Times

Death’s Army

By GEOFFREY C. WARD

Published: January 27, 2008

Drew Gilpin Faust, the president of Harvard, has written an extraordinary new book about the enormous loss of human life in the Civil War — 620,000 men, North and South.

First Chapter: ‘This Republic of Suffering’ (January 27, 2008)

THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING
Death and the American Civil War.
By Drew Gilpin Faust.
Illustrated. 346 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. List Price $27.95.

Photo Selection of the Month: Lady Bird Johnson dedicates Kiwanis Park

Ladybird Johnson Opens Kiwanis Park, May 16, 1968

As readers surely know, Lady Bird Johnson, widow of the late President Johnson, passed away in July of last year.

In the collection of The Stamford Urban Redevelopment Commission (URC), as recently described, we discovered photos from the dedication of the Kiwanis Park between Atlantic and Lower Summer Street, the first completed urban renewal project in downtown Stamford. The then First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, officially opened the park, situated next to the Palace Theater, and pressed the switch that unleashed the fountain.

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Today you will find a completely different park, redesigned when the Palace Theater was renovated a few years ago.

New Year's Morning Sketch by Whitman Bailey

Another installment in our series of Sketches by Whitman Bailey.

Section of Stamford's South End in Winter

New Year's Morning 1938

"Quintard House a the foot of old Water Street"

Full text page (pdf)

We add the usual warning: "At times, the accompanying vignettes are mostly folklore passed on to Mr. Bailey by residents of the areas where he was sketching.  In those instances he had no way of determining the truth of the story.  Nor have we.  It is presented as a sidelight to the sketch.  Therefore, researchers are cautioned to regard these tales as local color, interesting, thought provoking, but sometimes not entirely factual."

Civl War Lecture, Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 PM

The  Civil War Roundtable of Fairfield County, which meets monthly at Society Headquarters, is pleased to announce a lecture of general interest:

Connecticut In The Civil War
Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 PM, The Stamford Historical Society, 1508 High Ridge Road.

The speaker is Bob Berthelson, photographer/historian with a life-long interest in American history and nostalgia. Bob is a member and past president of the Civil War Round Table of South Central Connecticut, and is a member of the Connecticut League of History Organizations. He has presented programs to over 1300 audiences including senior centers, libraries, schools, historical societies, social groups, retirement communities and other organizations.

Readers may also be interested in the the online version of the Society's 2003 exhibit, Stamford's Civil War at Home and in the Field.