YORK COUNTY HERITAGE TRUST

The York County Heritage Trust is a not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and uses its collections, historic sites, and museums to inspire people to explore the history and culture of York County, Pennsylvania. I am pleased that they are now carrying Hiram's Honor in the Museum Gift shop.

GETTYSBURG BOOK SIGNING

On the anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863), we stopped in at the Gettysburg Visitors Center Bookstore (which is selling Hiram's Honor) for a book signing.  We sold some books, made many new friends (including Jeff Shaara who was also there signing books), and really felt the emotion of that significant day when Abraham Lincoln delivered his short but highly regarded and time-honored speech.  This book signing culminated a Civil War book tour through Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  We stopped at places like The Manassas Museum (Manassas, Virginia) and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley  (Winchester, Virginia), met some nice folks and they are now selling Hiram's Honor.

Ohio Civil War 150 Posts an excerpt from Hiram's Honor

 The Ohio Monument at Andersonville National Historic Site.  Kevin Frye (left), an Andersonville historian, is pictured with Max Terman, author of Hiram's Honor.

The Ohio Civil War 150 web site is an excellent source for learing about Ohio's role in the Civil War and about activities associated with the upcoming 150 year anniversary of the Civil War.  I am pleased to have an excerpt from Hiram's Honor posted there entitled "A Buckeye Dies at Andersonville".  See http://www.ohiocivilwar150.org/2010/09/a-buckeye-dies-at-andersonville/.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER FREMONT, OHIO

I am pleased to announce that the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio now carries Hiram's Honor.  President Hayes was a Civil War officer (see photo) and Hiram's Honor fits well with this story of Ohio in the Civil War. When the Civil War began, Hayes offered his services to the state of Ohio. Governor William Dennison appointed him to the rank of major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He saw much active service, rising to the rank of major general. He was severely wounded on September 14, 1862, at the Battle of South Mountain. In 1864, while still in the army, he was elected to Congress (despite his refusal to campaign). Hayes did not take his seat until the Union had won the war. He was reelected in 1866. The following year Ohio voters elected him governor. He retired at the close of his second term in 1872, and moved to Fremont in May 1873. After winning a third term in 1875, the Republican Party chose Hayes as its presidential candidate. He won the 1876 election only after the creation of a special commission to decide disputed electoral votes. Because of the tension surrounding his election, Hayes secretly took the oath of office on Saturday, March 3, 1877, in the Red Room of the White House.  From the Hayes Presidential Center on the web at http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/.

ELLA SHARP MUSEUM JACKSON, MICHIGAN

My brother Don and I recently had the pleasure of stopping at the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History in Jackson, Michigan.  We were impressed with the quality of the displays, including a gallery of photos of Civil War battles named the "Killing Grounds".  I am pleased to announce that the gift shop will be carrying Hiram's Honor which fits well with the exhibit and Jackson's well-known Civil War history (John Ransom of Andersonville Diary fame lived in Jackson) and Civil War reenactor community.  If you are in Jackson, Michigan, be sure to stop by and see this impressive museum (see photo of Ella Sharp house) or visit the website (http://www.ellasharp.org/index.html).

BATTLEFIELD JOURNAL

Battlefield Journal (see http://www.battlefieldjournal.com/) has just published a chapter from Hiram's Honor.  The chapter is The Great Battle at Gettysburg (see painting above) which describes how the 82nd Ohio engaged the Confederates on July 1, 1863 and what happened when Private Terman was captured.  Writing this chapter was emotional for me because I knew that here, in the farm fields north of Gettysburg, began the path to Andersonville for Private Terman.

BATTLE OF MCDOWELL

I am pleased to announce that the Highland County Museum Gift Shop in McDowell, Virginia (insert photo above)  is now carrying Hiram's Honor  plus a pamphlet/CD  (The Battle of McDowell: Reliving One Soldier's Experience).  McDowell was the site of Private Hiram Terman's first battle and is one of our favorite sites to visit.  The Presbyterian Church in town has the initials of soldiers carved into the bricks, just one of the poignant things to see in this special town in the mountains.

Civil War Roundtable Salina, Kansas

It was a pleasure to tell the story of Hiram's Honor to the Salina, Kansas Civil War Roundtable on Thursday, May 6, 2010.  Every author should be so fortunate to have such an interested and insightful group of people to address about their writing.  Many topics surfaced about the journey of Private Hiram Terman through the Civil War but what it was like at Andersonville prison was a common question.  Actual photos of the conditions at Andersonville helped me in this difficult task of portraying the grinding misery.

HIRAM'S HONOR BOOK REVIEW

I appreciate the excellent book review written by Scott Mingus which can be viewed at http://scottmingus.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/book-review-hiram/ .  Scott is an author of  highly acclaimed Civil War books and his home web site is at http://www.scottmingus.com/.  His review mentions my description of  the death of a soldier on a prison train from Richmond to Andersonville.  To help you imagine what this was like, place yourself into this sketch from the Florence Military Prison archives.

ANDERSONVILLE BOOK SIGNING

Our trip to Florida and Georgia promoting Hiram's Honor is now over and was a success.  One of the most interesting events was the meeting of Dr. Sam Mozley, a retired ecologist from North Carolina State University who is planning a book about two of his ancestors who were at Andersonville--one was a Confederate guard and the other was a surgeon.  My ancestor may have interacted with them!  What are the chances of meeting another college professor, same academic field, retired, and writing a book similar to mine--rare events do happen.  In the photo Sam and I are talking about our interests as we sat at the book signing table at the Andersonville National Historic Site visitors center.

Civil War News book review of Hiram's Honor

A recent book review of Hiram's Honor by historian Kenneth D. Williams can be seen at http://www.civilwarnews.com/reviews/2010br/january/hiram_terman_b011004.html.  Williams is an accomplished writer as can be attested by the last statement in his well-crafted review:

"Read this novel and you can feel like you are cold, hungry, footsore and afraid just like so many of those young boys of old."

This sketch from Battles and Leaders of the Civil War gives me this feeling as much as any I have come across.  Very much appreciate the good words Ken.

Upcoming trip to Andersonville

I will be leaving soon for a book signing event at Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia scheduled for 11 am to 3 pm Saturdary February 20, 2010.  The first Union prisoners of war from Belle Island in Richmond, including my ancestor Private Hiram Terman, probably walked through the gate (see gate replica in above photo) at Andersonville in late February 1864.  It should be quite an experience signing copies of Hiram's Honor at Andersonville 146 years after Hiram's arrival there.