Letters to the Editor — July 2020

Originally published July 2020 · p. 2

TO THE EDITOR: Joe Bilby and his “Black Powder; White Smoke” column continues to be my first read with each new issue. He always manages to come up with interesting and informative scholarship. I also appreciate Ms. Hagiwara’s terrific “Through the Lens” articles with the wonderful colorized photos. Craig Barry seems to really do his homework and has a knack for inserting some great off the wall minutiae that just blows me away. John Sexton and Shannon Pritchard both present the most amazing artifacts to share with those of us who can only dream of ever handling such important relics. Tim Prince always fascinates me, not only with his fantastic firearms expertise, but also his attention to detail. His artifact photography enhances the whole experience of learning from these experts. Captain David A. Sulin TO THE EDITOR: I read with great interest the June edition of the Civil War News and the article: “Fact or fiction? Black Confederates” by Dr. Lawrence E. Babits. Based on the large amount of information on this subject, I hope this article is the first of many. In regard to the Dr. Lewis Steiner/Maryland-Antietam account, I found that this account was included in the book “Antietam and the Maryland and Virginia campaigns of 1862 from the government records—Union and Confederate—mostly unknown and which have now first disclosed the truth; approved by the War department” by Captain Isaac W. Heysinger. This book can be found on line on the website: archive.org/

details/antietammaryland00hey/ page/n13/mode/2up. While I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this book, I think it is well worth reading and drawing your own conclusions. Bob Brewer Gaithersburg, MD