BREAKING NEWS: New FNYTSF Blog Discusses the Future of “To Appomattox.”

Greg Caggiano, my friend and colleague with whom I co-founded this blog in 2011, had a discussion with an unspecified member of the production team in regards to the future of the To Appomattox miniseries. Greg wrote some of the details of that discussion in the latest article for his blog From New York to San Francisco. The link to the article can be found below, but this is what was discussed in regards to the show’s future:

• The production team has officially severed ties with Sony Pictures Television. According to the article, Sony was being more of a hindrance than a help in getting this series made.
• The first episode of the eight-part miniseries is being re-worked as a 90-minute “backdoor pilot” for the series that will be filmed with the hope of generating interest in creating the full series.
• A Kickstarter Campaign is being created to help raise a portion of the budget for the filming of the show’s first episode.

As soon as further information can be obtained, it will be shared here. For further details, please read the article linked below.

http://gcaggiano.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/sony-cuts-ties-with-to-appomattox-backdoor-pilot-and-other-changes-planned/

The Power of Using Film to Tell Civil War Stories

Ever since I can remember, I have always had a love for movies and television. Nothing is better than sitting down in front of either the big or small screens, and seeing a well-crafted story come to life. And when the film media is used to tell important stories from America’s past, great things can be achieved.

I’ll never forget that weekend in the Summer of 1994, when I first saw Ron Maxwell’s Gettysburg for the first time. The power of what I saw on screen, from the epic battle sequences, to the beautiful performances by the stellar cast, forever transformed my views on history. The subject was no longer relegated to books, with still black-and-white photographs and maps. It was alive, and it was real. I wanted to learn more about the time in which the movie took place, and have never looked back since. That is the power that film has. If a historical film is written well, cast perfectly, and stays as true as they can to the actual history, then people will be drawn into the story, and want to learn more.

Recently, our reenacting group, the Southern Piedmont Historical Reenactment Society (SPHRS) did our Unit Recruitment Film. Instead of doing your typical “this is who we are and what we do, please consider joining us” video, we decided instead to go for the “cinematic.” Several of us involved knew that, in order to get our target age range, we would have to do something that is both exciting, and will engage those who view it. That way, we can get younger people, the lifeblood of our future, interested. We feel that the final product does just that. Just to show how our final product came out (And to do some shameless promotion for the video and group), the video is imbedded below.

With Grant vs. Lee, the opportunity is there to create something that is exciting, dramatic, and historically accurate, and will draw viewers in to see the stories of the men and women who fought and lived through our nation’s bloodiest conflict, and how a stronger, freer United States came to be from the maelstrom of civil war. Like Gettysburg before it, it will draw people to learn more about our past, and lead to a new interest in the most important chapter in American history.

Daily Mail Article on Rob Lowe Gives Possible Information About Network/Production Company for “Grant vs. Lee” (UPDATED)

On February 5^th, the Daily Mail, a newspaper from Great Britain, published an article online about Rob Lowe, the actor currently slated to portray Ulysses S. Grant in the upcoming To Appomattox/Grant vs. Lee miniseries. The article mainly covers his recent surfing expedition, and his recent tweets about the Super Bowl. However, the article does include information about his upcoming acting roles. The last few lines of the article talk about the miniseries, and offer what many could consider a major announcement. The last few lines read:

[Lowe] is most excited about his ‘dream project,’ a Ulysses S. Grant miniseries called To Appomattox, which is awaiting the green light from Sony and Reelz.

“It’s something I’ve been attached to and wanting to do for a couple of years now,” said Lowe.

“[Grant] is a very underserved American hero and complicated, dark, flawed. When he died, America gave him the largest public funeral this country had ever seen. He saved the Union. I’m hopeful that’ll happen.”

So, according to this article, it appears that Reelz Channel is the network which will air the miniseries, which will be produced by the television division of Sony Entertainment. However, until an official announcement comes from Sony Pictures Television and Reelz Channel, take this information with a grain of salt. When the official announcement does come from the network, production company and production team, it will be announced here.

For the full-length article from the Daily Mail, click here.

UPDATE (2/8/2013):

Carroll Community College in Maryland, which currently lists upcoming Civil War programs on their website, has listed historian and Grant vs. Lee historical adviser J.D. Petruzzi. In his contributions section, the page states:

He has appeared in Civil War documentaries that have aired on PBS and the History Channel, and is the Historical and Technical Advisor for a Civil War miniseries, “To Appomattox,” which will air on Reelz Channel.

While this is still unofficial, this does seem to corroborate the Daily Mail article. But until the official announcement is made, take this info as “rumor” for now. The Carroll Community College Civil War agendas page can be found here.

“Grant vs. Lee” Wikipedia Page

The Wikipedia page for the miniseries Grant vs. Lee has appeared online. This will give viewers to the page information about the series, from cast and crew information, as well as updates. As with the IMDb page, the Wikipedia page should not be considered official, especially since almost anybody can get on and update it. But most of the information currently on the page appears legitimate, but for now, take the information presented on the page with a grain of salt. The Wikipedia page can be found here.

“Henceforth, and Forever Free:” The Emancipation Proclamation 150 Years Later

The miniseries To Appomattox/Grant vs. Lee, will take a look at one of the most important documents ever to come out of a Presidential administration. Here, we shall take a look at the Emancipation Proclamation, and how it changed the course of American history.

On January 1st, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed an engrossed copy of what he considered one of the most important documents, if not the most important documents, of his presidency: the Emancipation Proclamation. He had spent most of the day greeting people at a New Year’s Day function at the White House, where he shook many hands throughout the day. So, when he went to his room to sign the document, his hand shook with fatigue. He waited some minutes, not wanting to sign with a shaky hand, fearing that people would say he hesitated. But after several minutes, he picked up the pen, and signed the document with a clear signature. With this document, all slaves held in the states in rebellion were “henceforth, and forever free.”

There has been much discussion over the document over the past hundred and fifty years since it went into effect. To this day, many argue whether the document had any real impact on the war. Many of Lincoln’s contemporaries, including men like Frederick Douglass, called it a half-measure. The document only freed those slaves in the Southern Confederacy, where many argued the President had no authority or power to do so. Many others argued that Lincoln overstepped his boundaries with the proclamation, arguing that he had no power to do so under the law.

However, Lincoln never saw this as the only step to Emancipation. He knew that, for the abolishment of slavery to really take effect, there would have to be a Constitutional amendment to end it throughout the entire country. This was achieved in January of 1865, when the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery throughout the United States. Lincoln would not live to see the amendment get the majority of states needed to adopt the amendment by December of that year, but with its passage on January 31st, the abolition of slavery was one step closer to becoming a reality. In addition, Lincoln viewed the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure at first. Lincoln believed that he had the authority to issue such a proclamation as a war power that the Constitution gave to the President. He believed that the proclamation would rob the Confederacy of its slaves, which he viewed as a vital part of the southern economy. Without the slaves, the economy of the south would be ruined, and the Confederacy would certainly capitulate.

The effect that the Emancipation Proclamation had was seen almost immediately. In the months following the annoucment of the proclamation in September of 1862, hundreds of thousands of men of color began to come forward to join the Union armies. This had a great impact on Lincoln, according to some scholars. Lincoln at first did not believe that blacks and whites could live in harmony, and that blacks would not want to live in a country where they had been enslaved. This is the reason Lincoln felt that colonizing the freed slaves in other parts of the world would be best for both blacks and whites. However, when Lincoln saw that black men were willing to fight and die for their own freedom, he soon changed his views, and credited these men of color with helping to win the war.

So, when one looks back at the Emancipation Proclamation, one can see that, despite its huge importance, it was really just a part, though a major part, of the puzzle to end slavery in the United States. But the effect this document had cannot be ignored. By issuing this proclamation, Abraham Lincoln gave the war a dual purpose: preserve the Union, and free the four million people then enslaved. It gave men of color the push to join the Union armies, and fight for their own freedom. And ultimately, it led to the total abolition of slavery throughout the United States with the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment. Finally, it gave the Union a moral reason for winning the war. The South could not win a war fought to end slavery. So, it can be said that this document was another nail in the coffin for the Confederacy, and another step toward Union victory.

For more information on Grant vs. Lee, visit the Official Website, the official and fan site pages on Facebook, and the IMDb page for further news and updates.

Happy New Year from the “To Appomattox” Fan Blog!

It’s hard to believe that 2013 is already upon us. 2012 seems to have just flown by. It was a good year for the blog, as we conducted several interviews with several historians involved in making “To Appomattox/Grant vs. Lee” the most authentic Civil War miniseries yet produced. We’ve also covered several aspects of the production so far, and announced some of the casting. News recently has been a little slow, as there has not been much to report. However, with 2013 upon us, we can promise you a busy year! Here’s some of what you can expect with the new year:

-Announcement of network/production company, as well as the projected airdate of the program;

-Articles covering other historical aspects of the series, including the battles, people and important political events of the war;

-Interviews with (hopefully) some of the cast and crew involved in the series;

-And much, much more!

The coming year promises to be busy and exciting, and we will have plenty of news to report in regards to the series. So, here is to the new year! Hope that everybody has a safe and happy 2013! God bless you all!

The Bloodiest Day: The Battle of Antietam, September 17th, 1862

The Miniseries To Appomattox/Grant vs. Lee will cover several battles of the American Civil War. But perhaps none is so important as the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American history. From this battle, the aim of the Civil War would change to that of both restoring the Union, and ending slavery. Here, we shall look at the Battle of Antietam, and its important place in American history.

On September 17^th, 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia approved the final draft of the United States Constitution, and thirty-eight delegates, including George Washington, the President of the Convention, filed forward to sign the document. It was a great moment in American history. “In writing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers launched a daring experiment. The idea that a free people could begin a new country by designing their own government and writing down the laws and principles they would follow had never been tried before. The Constitution has guaranteed freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice to hundreds of millions of people.”[1] However, this document, birthed out of the promise of freedom for all Americans, allowed for the continuation of slavery in the United States. The question of slavery would not be answered until the American Civil War, a conflict where the issue of slavery and freedom was at its very heart. A century-and-a-half later, the very existence of the country for which the Constitution was created, as well as the question of slavery, would be fought over for twelve agonizing hours along a creek named the Antietam, near a small Maryland town called Sharpsburg.

The road to Antietam began on August 30^th, 1862. On that day, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia dealt a severe blow to Union General John Pope and his army at the Battle of Second Manassas. It was a major triumph for Lee and his men. They had successfully prevented George B. McClellan and the Army of the Potomac from taking Richmond the past July. Now, another large army had been defeated, and forced to retreat from Virginia. Now, Virginia was briefly free of Federal troops. Lee, not one to rest on his laurels, planned a bold move. He planned to take his army north into Maryland.

Lee had several reasons for doing this. With the fall harvest coming along, he could feed his army well. Maryland was also a state being held in the Union by force, and the presence of Confederate troops in that state could be viewed as liberation. He felt the state might show them hospitality, and the army might receive additional troops from the state as well He also saw a chance to possibly move into Pennsylvania, if things went well. Success in the northern states might also convince European powers to intercede in the war on Confederates behalf. Although some felt skeptical that a move into Maryland, which might be construed as an invasion, would succeed, the plan was approved. On September 4^th, 1862, the Army of Northern Virginia began to cross the Potomac River into Maryland, for the first invasion of northern soil by Confederate troops. He divided his army into four wings. Three of the wings were sent with General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson to deal with the Union garrison at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The fourth segment would move along the Blue Ridge Mountains.[2]

In Washington City, Union President Abraham Lincoln was having serious troubles. His last three army commanders had proven to be the wrong man for the job. Irving McDowell had been defeated at First Manassas in July of 1861. George McClellan had lost all nerve and had retreated from the Peninsula the past July. And John Pope had been defeated at the Second Battle of Manassas in August. Lincoln was desperate for a victory, so he reluctantly returned McClellan to command of the Union troops in the field. On September 13^th, McClellan received a piece of luck in his hands. A copy of General Lee’s Special Orders 191, detailing the troop movements of the entire Confederate Army, was found in a field wrapped around some cigars. McClellan knew the chance to defeat Lee was given to him. “I have all the plans of the rebels and will catch them in their own trap,” wrote the exuberant McClellan to President Lincoln.[3]

On September 14^th, 1862, Confederates were surprised by the Union assaults at Fox’s and Crampton’s Gap along South Mountain. Although they stood defiantly, the Confederates were no match for the oncoming Federals, and Lee was forced to order a retreat. However, Lee halted the retreat when word reached him that Jackson’s attack on Harper’s Ferry was succeeding. He stopped his men near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, along a stream known as Antietam Creek, to wait for further word. The following day, Jackson wrote that the garrison had surrendered. Lee decided to wait along the Antietam to reunite his force. While Jackson ordered A.P. Hill and his division to remain at the Ferry to parole Federal prisoners, he took the remainder of his force to reunite with Lee. By the end of the 16^th, he had rejoined Lee at Sharpsburg. Still, Lee had only some 38,000 troops, and was outnumbered by McClellan three to one. But McClellan would once again prove being inept to command and his failures as a leader would result in the bloodiest single day in American history.[4]

The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17, 1862. “The Union army launched assault after assault against the Confederate left – precisely where Lee had positioned Jackson. Fierce fighting raged incessantly for nearly four hours in” the Miller Cornfield,” the East Woods, and the West Woods. About midway through the butchery, as Jackson’s reserves were thinning, John Bell Hood rushed forward with his division, the Texas Brigade leading the charge.”[5] Although the Texas Brigade suffered heavy losses, they halted the Union momentum.

Also involved in the fighting around this sector was the 49^th North Carolina Troops, which would see heavy fighting in the West Woods. Although not present at the battle himself, a member of Company I of the 49^th, William A. Day, wrote of the battle in his history that he wrote some thirty years later. “We were in the battle all day and made several charges on the enemy, driving them back several times,” Day wrote.[6] The battle along Jackson’s sector raged for four hours, and although the attacks by six Union divisions had caused the Confederate left to buckle, it did not break. When the first phase of fighting at Antietam was over, over 8,000 men were killed or wounded.[7]

The next phase of fighting shifted to the Confederate center, where Confederates held a depression known as the Sunken Road. Here, Federal troops would once again attack in wave after wave. Amongst the units charging against this position was the Irish Brigade, led by General Thomas Francis Meagher. Although they showed gallantry in the fight, they were unable to successfully drive Confederates from their position. However, Federal attacks did inflict serious casualties. The road became covered in Confederate dead, with blood filling the bottom of the depression. From this time forward, the Sunken Road would be forever known as the Bloody Lane. “The Confederate line broke here after three hours of valiant defense, but the Federals failed to exploit the breach.”[8] 5,500 Confederate and Union troops fell in this phase of the battle.

The third and final phase of the fighting shifted to the Confederate right, where Major General Ambrose Burnside attempted to dislodge Confederates on bluffs overlooking the Antietam. He first tried to send troops over a narrow bridge that now bears his name, but to no avail. However, Union troops were able to forward the Antietam downstream, and were successfully able to push the Confederates from their positions. However, just “as Burnside was about to smash Lee’s right, more help arrived: A.P. Hill’s division hurrying up from Harper’s Ferry. Hill’s men swarmed onto the battlefield, stunning Burnside and driving him backward – thus securing Lee’s line and ending the battle at dusk. It represented a remarkable effort by Hill, who had marched his men seventeen miles in seven hours and battled for another three, saving Lee’s army from certain defeat.”[9]

With Hill’s successful counterattack, the Battle of Antietam was over. Confederate losses totaled 10,316 killed, wounded and captured or missing. Union losses amounted to 12,401. In just twelve hours of fighting, both sides had lost over 22,700 men, the highest casualty numbers for any single day in American history. And the battle that was fought became a tactical draw for both sides. Although Lee had suffered the loss of nearly a third of his army, he remained in place the following day, as if daring McClellan to strike again. But McClellan chose not to do so, and on the night of the 18^th, Lee began to pull his army back across the Potomac, to the safety of Virginia. McClellan chose to not follow, allowing the Confederates to escape.

Although Lincoln was furious with McClellan for not chasing Lee, he realized that the Confederates had been thwarted in their attempt to invade Maryland. This gave the President the “victory” he needed to change the aim of the war. On September 22^nd, 1862, five days after the bloody fight at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, stating that any slave held in bondage in those states in rebellion would be forever free as of January 1^st, 1863. With this document, Lincoln gave the war a dual purpose: preserve the Union, and end the scourge of slavery. This document also helped to keep European powers at bay, and Confederates began to realize that a war over the very question of slavery was one they could not win. So, it can be said that the Battle of Antietam was truly the beginning of the end of the American Civil War for the Confederacy.

Works Cited and Consulted

Bennett, William J., and Cribb, John T.E. The American Patriot’s Almanac. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2008.

Day, William A. A True History of Company I, 49^th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, in the Great Civil War, Between the North and South. Newton, NC: Enterprise Job Office, 1893.

Frye, Dennis E. “Bloody Antietam: ‘The Most Terrible Clash of Arms…’” Gods and Generals: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Civil War Film. New York: Newmarket Press, 2003.

McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

For more information on Grant vs. Lee, visit the Official Website, the official and fan site pages on Facebook, and the IMDb page for further news and updates.

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[1] William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb, The American Patriot’s Almanac (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2008), 354.

[2] Dennis E. Frye, “Bloody Antietam: ‘The Most Terrible Clash of Arms…’”, Gods and Generals: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Civil War Film (New York: Newmarket Press, 2003), 113.

[3] Frye, 113.

[4] Frye, 113-114.

[5] Frye, 114.

[6] William A. Day, A True History of Company I, 49^th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, in the Great Civil War, Between the North and South (Newton, NC: Enterprise Job Office, 1893), 28.

[7] Frye, 114-115.

[8] Frye, 115.

[9] Frye, 115.