Magazine Review--Hallowed Ground Fall 2009

The fall 2009 issue of Hallowed Ground from the Civil War Preservation Trust arrived this week in the mail. Despite the ever present pleas for money it's another good issue. The subject this time is John Brown.

There are a couple of nice articles dealing with John Brown and the Harper's Ferry raid. Both were written by Dennis Frye who is Chief Historian at Harper's Ferry National Historical Park. Frye is also a former editor of Hallowed Ground as well as the author of several books. The first article, Purged Away With Blood, gives a brief but solid overview of Brown and his raid on the federal arsenal and the aftermath. The second article, John Brown's Smoldering Spark, deals with Brown's legacy and the planning that was being done by the Civil War Centennial Commission. This is a really interesting article on a subject I had never heard about. It shows the battle between the CWCC, the National Park Service, and local community leaders. Also included is a detailed listing of those who took part in the Harper's Ferry raid, and also a nice listing of events commemorating Brown's raid.

Also included is a brief interview with author Robert Hicks who discusses his work at Franklin Battlefield and also his new book A Separate Country. The full interview can be read here. There is also the usual "From the Trenches" section that discusses current preservation activities.

The issue is nice to look at and is printed on good quality paper. Articles are reinforced with vintage and modern photos and art. The normal high quality maps produced by Steven Stanley are included as well. If you aren't a member of CWPT and get this magazine, what are you waiting for?