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This week wraps up the Abner Doubleday story with his retirement years - looking at his association with veterans' organizations and his role in the Theosophic Society. If you're not familiar with Theosophy, don't worry, I'll go into that as well. I hope that after the last five episodes you will agree with me that Abner Doubleday was so much more than less-than-dashing!

If you are interesting in learning more about the causes Colonel (ret) Kenny Mentz, who I mentioned at the top of the podcast today, is raising money for as he walks across the United States, check him out on Facebook at Kenny Walks Across America.

If you want to find out more about the upcoming opportunity to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown over Memorial Day weekend or any other cemetery events, take a look at Arlington National Cemetery's website

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

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I just had to talk about the outro music for Episode 39. I mean, how cool is it that an audio recording of a Civil War veteran singing about the Civil War exists?!

I didn't use the entire song in the last episode but I play it in its entirety at the end of this one. The lyrics are posted with the recording on the website.

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

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Many people know about hard fighting on day two of the Battle of Gettysburg at places like Little Round Top, Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard; or about Pickett's Charge on day three - but what if I told you that if not for the foresight of a cavalry commander named Buford and a suddenly-thrust-into-command infantryman named Doubleday on day one, we may have never head of those other locations and actions. Outnumbered, sometime by as much at 3 or 4 to 1, these two held the high ground until the rest of the army could arrive. And how was Doubleday rewarded for his effort? He was thrown under the bus by another general and demoted.

Gettysburg was the last time Doubleday commanded troops in the field. Because he was a regular army soldier, he did continue serving after the war ended and wound up in San Francisco, California where he was instrumental in bringing about one of the city's still-iconic landmarks.

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

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It took Doubleday about a a year to get back into the fight after Fort Sumter and he provided one of the few bright spots for the Union at Second Manassas. After that, he was a filed commander and found himself on campaign for the next year. After Manassas, successfully commanded at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville (kind of) at higher and higher levels - brigade, division, and corps

Most of these fights were absolute disasters of the Union, but even still, Doubleday and his troops acquitted themselves well, even frustrating the vaunted Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, who had grown to assume that the Yankees didn't have the fortitude to stand and fight with his experienced troops.

Despite his success in the field, he took a lot of gruff from his detractors - namely he's a little chubby and isn't dashing while riding a horse, qualities that were often considered more important than battlefield success in the 19th century.

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostsofarlington/

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After taking the time to eat a big breakfast while under bombardment by Confederate shells, Doubleday and his artillerists get the Union into the fight taking the first shift of the Union defense of Fort Sumpter. But the outnumbered force had to yield in the end.

After returning north, Doubleday got his own command - known as the Fort Sumpter Garrison as many of the regulars from Fort Sumpter remined with him - and began participating in the wider Civil War. He did not take part in the first major battle of the war - First Manassas - because he had just helped another force retake Harper's Ferry, but he would be there when Second Manassas kicked off. Not only would he be there, but he would help one of the more famous Union brigades earn its enduring nickname - The Iron Brigade.

Despite his success on the battlefield, he continues to clash with senior officers less dedicated to the cause of emancipation and continues to be seen by many as unforgivably less-than-dashing.

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostsofarlington/

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Last week I talked about how Abner Doubleday is sometimes still known as the guy who invented baseball when in reality, he had nothing to do with the sport. With that in mind, I wanted to take time to discuss things that Doubleday actually did, like advocate ardently with his wife Mary for abolition, freed a Mexican slave during the Mexican American War by paying off the debt of a many called Sancho, and participating in the first instance of urban combat in US military history. I was largely unfamiliar with Doubleday before looking into his life for this podcast, the more I grow the like the man and hope that he will be remembered for things that he did as opposed to things others falsely pinned on him.

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostsofarlington/

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This week I talk a little about baseball in my life, how I really hope there is not a work stoppage this season, and how that is all connected to Arlington National Cemetery. There is a persistent myth that Union General Abner Doubleday invented baseball in upstate New York in the mid-19th century. Its a nice concise origin story but there is just one problem with it - it is completely made up. So how did Doubleday, who was a student at West Point at the time he supposedly came up with America's Pastime and never mentioned baseball once in the dozens and dozens of journals and other writings he left behind get connected to the game? Well, you'll have to listen to find out!

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostsofarlington/

I'd love to hear your thoughts - send me a text here

This week we wrap up Black History Month by continuing the story of Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the man who commanded the Tuskegee Airmen for the US Army Air Corps in World War II, who would transfer to the US Air Force when that military branch was created in 1947, and who would become the Air Force's first African American general officer.

his week's Ghost of Arlington is:

Air Force Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis,  Jr. (Section 2, Grave E-311 RH)

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

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After the Harlem Hellfighter's returned from the Great War, a cultural movement of African American literature, music, art, and entertainment took the United States by storm. Centered in Harlem, the movement - known as the Harlem Renaissance - was the first taste of African American culture for many everyday Americans. Unfortunately, the movement was unable to survive the Great Depression.

It took several years but eventually the Harlem Hellfighters first commander, Colonel William Hayward's vision for the segregated unit was finally achieved when, on the eve or World War II, it became one of the first military units to have an all-African American officer corps. The man who was the first black regimental commander in the 369th's storied history was Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. who would also become the first African American general officer in the history of the US Army when he was promoted to brigadier general in 1940.   

His son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. who followed in his ground-breaking footsteps, was only the fourth African American cadet to graduate from West Point, and would become one of the first African American pilots in the history of the US Army Air Corps when he was tapped to command the experimental pilot training program taking place in Tuskegee, Alabama.

This week's Ghost of Arlington is:

Army Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis,  Sr. (Section 2, Grave 478-B)

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

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This week we continue the story of the Harlem Hellfighters by exploring their homecoming parade down 5th Avenue in the New York City - possibly the largest parade in the history of a city that loves parades - and focusing on arguably the two most famous veterans of the 369th. First, Jim Europe, who was a household and considered the musical successor of Scott Joplin. He also invented a dance that is still well known and danced the world over today. The second is Henry Johnson, who was working as a porter in a train station before the war but when he returned, he was known as the Black Death for his exploits on the battlefield. Both men survived the horrendous experience that was the Great War only to return home and meet tragic fates.  

This weeks Ghosts of Arlington are:

1. Army First Lieutenant James Europe (Section 2, Grave 3576)
2. Army Sergeant Henry Johnson (Section 25, Grave 64) 

As always, a very special thanks to Mountain Up Cap Company for its continued help to spread the word about the podcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MountainUpCapCompany Climb to Glory!

For more information about the podcast visit: 

·       The GoA website: https://www.ghostsofarlingtonpodcast.com    

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofarlingtonpodcast

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlingtonGhosts

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