Joining Pat and Matt in the War Department Studio is former Reconstruction National Historic site ranger, Rich Condon! Rich is a brilliant researcher and storyteller who has studied the Department of the South, and specifically it's United States Colored Troops in depth. 

Rich shares his research with the guys on the formation of the Department of the South, early attempts at Emancipation and the raising of African American troops in the department. How these early efforts put pressure on the Lincoln Administration to make Emancipation a policy and how the United States Colored Troops were eventually raised and utilitized throughout the Department.

This is a great conversation that you definitely don't want to miss, looking at the deeper meaning and ramifications of the war.


The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat,  Matt Borders Books and our producer Parker!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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Happy Halloween from the History Things Podcast! For this Halloween special the guys have brought in friend of the show and former director of the George Tyler Moore Civil War Center at Shepherd University, Dr. James Broomall! 

Dr. Broomall specializes in the lives and material culture of the people of the Civil War era. For this spooky season he has brought the guys some truly macabre research on the use of bones and other battlefield debris as souvenirs. Who was collecting these items, what were they doing with them and why, will all be explored. 

Join us as we go "digging" into the ghoulish history of the aftermath of Civil War battles!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat,  Matt Borders Books and our producer Parker!

Music Featured In This Episode:
- "Dancing Monsters by WhiteKoalaMusic
- "Ominous Halloween Strings" by Horrific Horror Textures


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It's time for another look at history through the lens of music! While not one of Matt's strong suits, Pat had brought in some backup with show producer Parker!

Parker gives the guys a dive into the development and performance of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot. This classic folk rock story was developed very quickly following the tragic loss of the freighter in 1975 and was an instant classic. That doesn't mean that it was cast in stone however. 

The many tweaks and changes that have been put into the song over the decades are also laid out by Parker. He makes it clear that this was not a cash grab by Mr. Lightfoot, but an ongoing saga that adapted as new and better research was developed. A fascinating way to keep up with the history of this wreck!

And at the conclusion of the episode is a first of its kind here on the podcast! Pat & Parker are joined by Jonathan Filson from Pat’s band Auld Mally, to deliver a very special THTP rendition of the song itself!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat,  Matt Borders Books and our producer Parker!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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For the 162 commemoration of the Battle of Antietam Pat & Matt turned to friend of the show, Scott Hartwig, to discuss the second volume in his Maryland Campaign series. Following on the back of To Antietam Creek, Scott published last year, I Dread the Thought of the Place.

This massive tome goes into detail on the specific movements of the contending armies during the Battle of Antietam, as well as the personalities of the campaign. Scott discusses the motivations and objectives of both McClellan and Lee during the Campaign, as well as how he pulled all this material together.

Now Pat and Matt are Maryland Campaign guys, so they have lots of questions and benefit from Scott's insights. Join them and Scott Hartwig as the gang heads back to Antietam Creek!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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The boys are back with another shipwreck and who better to talk shipwrecks with than the host of the Shipwrecks & Sea Dogs podcast, Rich Napolitano! Rich gives us a deep dive on one of the most famous shipwrecks in both history and pop culture, the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The Big Fitz was the pride of the Great Lakes, a massive ore hauler that did the run from Wisconsin down to Detroit, Michigan. This trip took tons upon tons of ore over the dangerous waters of the Great Lakes, particularly those of Lake Superior. 

It was while on Superior on November 10, 1975 that the Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in an early winter storm and lost with all hands. The loss of the massive ship and it's crew sparked an extensive search as well as the famous song.

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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It's summer! For the History Things Podcast cast that means history, travel and hanging out on the beach! ⛱️ For your summer listening enjoyment Pat leads the conversation about one of his life long fascinations, the Megatsunami! 

To give these, thankfully rare, events some context the guys dive into the concept of deep time. This looks at the geological and fossil record to hypothesize about events that occured sometimes millions of years ago. 

However, Pat is also able to provide examples of these events right up into the modern era! So whether you are looking out across the waves or deep inland, join us as we discuss some historic disasters caused by Megatsunami!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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Pat and Matt have had some great collaborations and they are doing it again! This time the guys are working with the ladies of the Ill-Equipped History Podcast. 

Morgan and Emileigh join the guys to touch on a little known story of post-World War II America, the Battle of Athens! Unfamiliar with this domestic revolt in Tennessee? So were the guys! This fascinating episode domestic upheaval, vote tampering and good old fashioned payback will definitely keep you engaged. 

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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While Pat and Matt are very familiar with the military aspects of the American Civil War, what about the civilians of the Civil War Era? To help the guys explore the story of Maryland civilians during the war they are joined by Kyle Dalton, the Executive Director of Union Mills Homestead! 

Join the guys as they discuss this piece of Maryland history, the divided loyalties of the Shriver family during the Civil War. They will also look at how the family came back together and how Union Mills flourished after the war. 

Want to learn more about the Shriver family or the interactions between soldiers and civilians? Join Union Mills Homestead for their Citizen Meets Soldier programs this summer on July 20 and 21!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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The History Things Podcast is proud to have on one of the great personalities and guides of the American Civil War, the Historian of the American Battlefield Trust, Garry Adelman!

While many of you are familiar with Garry's great content for the Trust, providing needed interpretation and understanding for the landscapes the American Battlefield Trust is trying to save. Did you know he has a number of books out as well? One of his earliest works chose to take on one of Gettysburg National Military Park's most well stories, that of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top. So join the guys as they take a look at Little Round Top in a way you may not have before!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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With July comes thoughts of Gettysburg, but 2024 marks the 160th Commemoration of the THIRD Confederate Invasion, the 1864 Monocacy Campaign! Fought just over a year after the more famous fight in Pennsylvania, the Battle of Monocacy is remembered as the "Battle that Saved Washington".

To better help the guys understand why that is, Pat and Matt spoke with Tracy Evans, who walked them through that campaign, the Battle of Monocacy, and people of Central Maryland. These details, and many more, help the guys better understand the importance of the battle and how it resonates to this very day!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
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It's that time of year again, the Season 5 mid year review! Join hosts Pat, Matt and their producer Parker as they discuss the season this far, get into some rabbit hole shenanigans and provide a preview of the rest of the season.

It's been a great season already with fantastic guests covering a range of topics and that's going to continue with the rest of Season 5. Be on the lookout though for two different collaboration shows during the second half of the season as The History Things Podcast works with our colleagues to bring you new and interesting programs!

The History Things Podcast is brought to you by History Things with Pat & Matt Borders Books!

Follow the guys on social media by searching for @TheHistoryThingsPodcast! 
- Facebook.com/thehistorythingspodcast
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