In about 1970, while in grad school at Emory University, I took Bell Wiley's legendary course on the Civil War and enjoyed it thoroughly. Well, OK, maybe not thoroughly. You see, the course was open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Wiley was in the habit of seating his grad student attendees together in the front row and peppering us (but not the undergrads) with questions I considered "trivia," though he clearly did not. And, honestly, it kept me on my toes, although I can't speak for my fellow grad students. Oh, and we did not get past the Battle of Gettysburg in the first two quarters of the course (the third quarter was given over to "independent research").
Dr. Wiley required us to read at least one book a week (though after a couple of my reviews on a single book, he wrote me a note urging me to "read more!," so of course I did. Among the volumes I read was his book The Southern Negro and even submitted a review of it. Dr. Wiley had said at the start of the course that anyone who read his book and reviewed it would probably get an "A" on the review, even though he didn't he really didn't want to read them! So I did! And got an "A"!
Oh, and a year or so later, when I was trying to get approval for a dissertation topic in Georgia history (post-Revolution through the early nineteenth century), I approached Dr. Wiley about being on my committee. He readily agreed, but he also warned me that agreement didn't necessarily mean he'd spend a lot of time reading my dissertation. Again, I said, "Yes, bwana" and motored on into the joys of dissertation research. I think Dr. Wiley relented about reading (or at least skimming) my dissertation--he knew my work from his Civil War course and trusted that I would do work of equal caliber in the dissertation. And, as I was wrapping things up several years later (the degree came in 1973), he had kind things to say about it.
Moreover, the old fox invited all of the members of his Civil War class to lunch at his home. But--wait for it!--the Good Doctor had neglected to tell his wife that he'd done so. Still, Ms. Wiley was obviously used to this, recovered nicely, and a good time was had by all. (I have a feeling that Dr. Wiley might have had to help with the dishes afterwards, though I can't swear to it!)
Anyway, thanks for mentioning his 1938 book in your historiographical essay about "Slavery and the Confederacy." That single reference brought all sorts of recollections of Dr. Wiley bubbling up to the surface of my brain (what's left of it!)--and led me to send this email.
Hi George. Thanks so much for sharing this. Billy Yank and Johnny Reb were two of the earliest books I read about the Civil War. I still pull them out on occasion for references.
In about 1970, while in grad school at Emory University, I took Bell Wiley's legendary course on the Civil War and enjoyed it thoroughly. Well, OK, maybe not thoroughly. You see, the course was open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Wiley was in the habit of seating his grad student attendees together in the front row and peppering us (but not the undergrads) with questions I considered "trivia," though he clearly did not. And, honestly, it kept me on my toes, although I can't speak for my fellow grad students. Oh, and we did not get past the Battle of Gettysburg in the first two quarters of the course (the third quarter was given over to "independent research").
Dr. Wiley required us to read at least one book a week (though after a couple of my reviews on a single book, he wrote me a note urging me to "read more!," so of course I did. Among the volumes I read was his book The Southern Negro and even submitted a review of it. Dr. Wiley had said at the start of the course that anyone who read his book and reviewed it would probably get an "A" on the review, even though he didn't he really didn't want to read them! So I did! And got an "A"!
Oh, and a year or so later, when I was trying to get approval for a dissertation topic in Georgia history (post-Revolution through the early nineteenth century), I approached Dr. Wiley about being on my committee. He readily agreed, but he also warned me that agreement didn't necessarily mean he'd spend a lot of time reading my dissertation. Again, I said, "Yes, bwana" and motored on into the joys of dissertation research. I think Dr. Wiley relented about reading (or at least skimming) my dissertation--he knew my work from his Civil War course and trusted that I would do work of equal caliber in the dissertation. And, as I was wrapping things up several years later (the degree came in 1973), he had kind things to say about it.
Moreover, the old fox invited all of the members of his Civil War class to lunch at his home. But--wait for it!--the Good Doctor had neglected to tell his wife that he'd done so. Still, Ms. Wiley was obviously used to this, recovered nicely, and a good time was had by all. (I have a feeling that Dr. Wiley might have had to help with the dishes afterwards, though I can't swear to it!)
Anyway, thanks for mentioning his 1938 book in your historiographical essay about "Slavery and the Confederacy." That single reference brought all sorts of recollections of Dr. Wiley bubbling up to the surface of my brain (what's left of it!)--and led me to send this email.
Thanks,
George Lamplugh, Ph.D. (Emory, 1973); The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, Ga. (1974-2010); and author of his own blog, "Retired But Not Shy": https://georgelamplugh.com/2022/04/02/reflections-on-race-part-2-teaching-civil-rights-15/
Hi George. Thanks so much for sharing this. Billy Yank and Johnny Reb were two of the earliest books I read about the Civil War. I still pull them out on occasion for references.
Thanks, Kevin. I'd almost forgotten about Billy Yank and Johnny Reb!