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We kick off Season 6 with a short chat with our new Co-Host Parker Russell and by taking a brief look ahead to what’s in store for this year! 

We are very excited about some of the projects we’re working on for the show this season and 2025 is looking like it’s going to be one for the record books! 

So Happy New Year everyone! May your 2025 bring you happiness and peace! Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy the shown  

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Surprise! The ACTUAL swans song! 

Our friend Matt Borders has departed the show… As a parting treat though, he dishes up one last story that ties into the spirit of the holidays. The Christmas Truce of 1914, a shred of humanity during the darkening days of the First World War. 

The Truce has become so steeped in legend that it takes on an almost mythical perspective. During the war need articles and letters where written about it. Between the two world wars  books referenced the event and following the Second World War the event has made it into film on several occasions.

What exactly happened on Christmas Eve and Day 1914? Did it occur as popular culture would have us believe? What happened to the men involved? All this and more will be discussed as we dive into this very special event, the 1914 Christmas Truce.

Happy holidays from The History Things Podcast!!

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

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It’s the end of the year again, which means it’s the end of the season… our 5th season! And while it is customary for us to take a look back at the years work we have put out, this year we will also be looking back at 5 years of doing the podcast, because this years edition of our Year In Review, will also be the last time Co-Host Matt Borders joins us. 

After 5 years behind the microphone, Matt will be stepping away from the show, and instead of mourning the departure of such an immense talent and historian, we will celebrate his time and contributions with us, and send him off as friends! 

It’s been a wild and unexpectedly wonderful ride and we look forward to continuing that adventure into next season, but for now let’s get nostalgic and have some fun with Matty B one last time! 

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Thought the guys were done with the Bath-Romney Campaign? Not on your life! Once again, join Pat, Matt and their guest, Rob Ambrose, as they discuss one of the lesser known campaigns of the war. Rob picks up the tale right at the beginning of 1862, and runs the guys through the mud, snow and sleet of this campaign. 

How do these conditions wear on the men involved? How do the famous, and soon to be famous, names of this campaign handle it and how does this mountainous fighting tie into the greater context of the war? Find out all this and more as The History Things Podcast dives into Part 2 of the Bath-Romney Campaign with Ron Ambrose!

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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The guys have Rob Ambrose back in studio! This time we are getting a two part episode about the early years of the Civil War out in Rob's neck of the woods, the Bath Romney Campaign! 

This often overlooked campaign in the winter of 1861-1862 saw some of the already rising stars of both the United States and Confederate armies, including Thomas J. Jackson, George McClellan, William Loring and Frederick Lander. How these men, and their forces operate during this campaign will be discussed in detail. 

This is campaign is Rob's baby and as such he gives the guys a lot of details. So keep an eye out for part two of the Bath-Romney Campaign and the conclusion of Rob's story in the very near future!

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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Now for something completely different! 

The guys are back in Gettysburg with friend of the show Codie Eash, but this time, for the first time, they recorded the show live! That's right, as part of the Seminary Ridge Museum's 24 Hours on the Ridge fundraiser event, the History Things Podcast was invited to host a live recording!

Through the great work or Producer Parker, the War Department Studio was set up in the Seminary Ridge Museum where Codie took the guys through the visit of Frederick Douglass to Gettysburg in 1869. How Douglass was received, what he spoke on and how his speech fits into the context of the nation was discussed. In addition, Codie went into detail on other important events regarding the development of Gettysburg and early reunions that occurred that same year, 1869. 

So join us as we dive into the first live show of The History Things Podcast!


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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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! 
- Facebook.com/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! 
- Facebook.com/thehistorythingspodcast
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- YouTube.com/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! 
- Facebook.com/thehistorythingspodcast
- instagram.com/thehistorythingspodcast
- YouTube.com/thehistorythingspodcast