Bøger af James Rada Jr

Though the mountains of Western Maryland were not the site of any major battles during the Civil War, the area did have its share of activity and minor skirmishes. One of the most-daring raids of the war occurred in Cumberland in 1865 when McNeill's Rangers kidnapped two Union generals from their hotels beds and carried them off to Richmond, Va. Also, because of its location on the B&O Railroad, the county was also the site of many temporary hospitals to care for wounded soldiers. Echoes of War Drums is a collection of three dozen stories and more than 50 pictures of the Civil War in Mountain Maryland. From spies to generals, from battles to healing, James Rada, Jr. looks at the Civil War in the region from all angles with attention-getting stories.

50 YEARS AFTER THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, ANOTHER ARMY INVADED THE TOWN In 1863, more than 165,000 soldiers fought and tens of thousands died on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pa. Many historians consider this the turning point of the Civil War. As the years passed, the surviving veterans grew older and passed away. By the turn of the century, the remaining veterans were in their 70s. As the 50th anniversary of the Civil War approached, it became apparent that if the country intended to honor its veterans, this would be the last chance to thank many of them. In the early years of the 20th century, plans began forming for a Grand Reunion in Gettysburg for the 50th anniversary of the battle. More than 54,000 Civil War veterans plus tens of thousands of spactators, family, visitors, and journalists descended on Gettysburg in 1913. The veterans stayed in a tent city on the battlefield as they remembered the great battle fought there. No North, No South... is the story of the reunion and the Union and Confederate veterans who came together there to remember their service to country and to celebrate renewed friendships. It contains more than 100 photographs from the 1913 Grand Reunion of the Battle of Gettysburg that will give you a sense of what it was like to be part of the greatest gather of Civil War veterans ever held. James Rada, Jr. is an award-winning writer who Midwest Book Review called "a writer of considerable and deftly expressed storytelling talent." He writes history and historical fiction books.

In fall turned to winter in 1949, the residents of Shallmar, Maryland, were starving. The town's only business, the Wolf Den Coal Corp. had closed down, unemployment benefits had ended and few coal miners had cars to drive to other jobs. When children started fainting in school, Principal J. Paul Andrick realized the dire situation the town was in and set out to help. He worked to get the story of the town's troubles out and get help for the town's residents and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams just in time for Christmas.

"The country had only 600 trained nurses at the start of the Civil War. All were Catholic nuns. This is one of the best-kept secrets in our nation's history," Father William Barnaby Faherty once wrote. When the Civil War broke out, the Union and the Confederacy were prepared to fight, but they weren't prepared to care for the wounded that their fighting created. While many people volunteered to care for the soldiers, the only ones with any experience were Catholics sisters. Among the sisters, the most-experienced were the Daughters of Charity based in Emmitsburg, MD. When war broke out, they had already been caring for the sick for decades. However, the brutality of the war would test even their abilities as they ran hospitals, served on troop transports and provided care in battlefield hospitals and ambulances. They even had their own Central House occupied by armies from both sides of the war. The Daughters of Charity had such a high level of trust among the government officials that they were allowed in the early part of the war to move back and forth across the border between the two warring countries. Nor did they betray that trust as they served officers and soldiers, Union and Confederate, with the same level of care. With their wide, white cornettes looking almost like wings, the Daughters of Charity did resemble battlefield angels. The sight of those wing-like cornettes told soldiers that relief was on the way; someone who cared for them was coming.

From the unsolved to the unusual. From the historical to the hysterical. From the famous to the friendly. This is life in the Maryland mountains. Did you know that a Russian prince once worked as a priest in Cumberland? Have you heard the story about the German POW camp near Flintstone during WWII? Do you know about the mining wars that were fought to try and unionize the coal mines in the Georges Creek region? Do you know the story behind Cumberland's only lynching? Have you heard the story about the baseball game played between the Cumberland Colts and the New York Yankees? These are the stories of Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland found in old newspapers, history books and other places. It's the stories of people who tamed the mountains, established cities, raised families and lived their lives. Journey back in time and look beyond the photos that so well document the region's history. This collection of 40 stories spans 220 years of life in Western Maryland. Originally published in the Cumberland Times-News and Allegany Magazine, some of these stories have been expanded as new information has been uncovered and new photos accompany some of the stories.

Matt Ansaro returns to his hometown of Eckhart Mines in the Western Maryland coal fields. It has been five years since Matt was here, and he swore when he left in 1917 that he would never return. Although Matt's parents are dead, the rest of his family welcomes him home with open arms. Joseph McCord, the superintendent of the Consolidation Coal Mines and a classmate of Matt's, is not so happy to see Matt return. He has plans for Matt's old girlfriend, Laura Spencer, and Joseph thinks he will need to compete with Matt for her attention. Matt has his own plans. He is a Pinkerton detective, and he has been sent to spy on his former neighbors for the Consolidation Coal Company. The coal company owners want to know about union activity in the town and shut it down before it can gain a foothold. Matt takes a job in the mines and works to re-establish his connections with his family and neighbors, including Laura. He also finds himself attracted to Samantha Havencroft, a suffragette and daughter of a college president. Matt is walking a tightrope. If the miners find out he is a detective, he could be attacked and driven from town. However, if the coal company or Pinkerton Agency discovers Matt's real reason for returning to Eckhart Mines, the result could be just as bad. He is a man alone, trying to do what he sees best, even as a national coal strike looms. From the author of the Canawlers novels comes the new Black Fire series full of action, intrigue, drama, and romance in the 1922 Western Maryland coal fields.

Garrett County is known for its natural beauty, but hidden in the valleys, beneath the ground in coal mines, and in the attics of homes are true stories of crimes, cover-ups, legends, and life in Garrett County. * Learn about the grave for a general no one can identify. * Read about how the government dosed unknowing citizens with LSD at Deep Creek Lake. * Decipher clues to the hidden silver mine in the county. * Discover the photographic world of Leo J. Beachy. * Find out where Albert Einstein took a secret vacation. * And dozens more true stories. Secrets of Garrett County: Little-Known Stories & Hidden History of Maryland's Westernmost County tells stories of coal mining and railroads, crime and war, interesting people and unusual incidents. These are the types of stories that you won't read about in history textbooks.

Once upon a time on the Gettysburg Battlefield...The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. The July 1-3, 1863, battle saw the greatest number of casualties during the war. Beyond the fighting, the battlefield is the site of many other true stories of war, legends, reconciliation, and fantasy.* Discover the first great battle that took place at Gettysburg.* Learn about the prisoners of war who were kept on the battlefield.* Read about the out-of-this-world visitors to the battlefield.* Learn about how fairy tale creatures came to life on the battlefield.* Discover Gettysburg's connection to not only the Civil War but World War I and II.Secrets of the Gettysburg Battlefield: Little-Known Stories & Hidden History From the Civil War Battlefield tells stories of dinosaurs, warriors, interesting people, and unusual incidents. These are the types of stories you won't read about in history textbooks. Collected from the writings of award-winning author James Rada, Jr., these fascinating stories and dozens of photographs tell some of the hidden history of the Gettysburg Battlefield. Midwest Book Review calls Rada "a writer of considerable and deftly expressed storytelling talent."

More than 200 years ago, a British general and his men left Fort Cumberland heading toward Fort Duquesne. They were massacred en route and somewhere before that point, their payroll in gold was buried.The election of President James Garfield was nearly upset because of a forgery conspiracy undertaken by a group of Democratic Party operatives in Cumberland, Md.During the late 1800's and early 1900's, coal mining was a major industry in the mountains of Mineral, Allegany and Garrett counties. As those companies closed up and left the area, they left behind their company towns, which have now become ghost towns. Some of these small towns are no longer even accessible by car.Now you can enjoy more of these stories of Mountain Maryland in this follow-up to James Rada, Jr.'s popular Looking Back collection. Looking Back II is a collection of 47 history articles gathered from Rada's Looking Back columns, Allegany Magazine and other publications. Some of them have been updated with new information that Rada uncovered since their initial publication.So come take a step back in history and discover the rich history that mountains hold as told by the man whom the Midwest Book Review calls "a writer of considerable and deftly expressed storytelling talent."

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal runs along the north side of the Potomac River from Cumberland, Md., to Georgetown in the District of Columbia. It is a 184.5-mile-long engineering marvel that has 11 aqueducts, 74 lift locks, 160 culverts, 12 river feeder locks and guard locks, and one tunnel through a mountain. Its history spans the 19th century and is filled with mishaps, crimes, secrets, and drama. · Discover the original destination of the C&O Canal and how far short it stopped. · Find out how building the canal led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution. · Learn how the Johnstown flood helped kill the canal. · Solve the legendary murders on the canal that never actually happened. · Discover the connection between the C&O Canal and the JFK assassination. Secrets of the C&O Canal: Little-Known Stories & Hidden History Along the Potomac River tells stories the great rivalry between the B&O Railroad and the canal, the Civil War, and man's inventiveness. Small Press Bookwatch calls Rada's writing, "Original, unique, profusely illustrated throughout, exceptionally well researched, informed, informative, and a bit iconoclastic..." He has written about the canal in his novels Canawlers, Between Rail and River, and Lock Ready. It has also been the subject of dozens of his newspaper and magazine articles.

Home to a U.S. president, Hall of Fame pitcher and a classic automobile inventor, there's so much more to Gettysburg than just a three-day battle Sure Gettysburg is best-known for the epic Civil War battle that was fought there in 1863. It tends to overshadow many of the other interesting and important stories that have taken place in Gettysburg and the vicinity. Gettysburg was also home to one of the first tank training camps in the country during World War I. This camp brought a young army officer to Gettysburg who would play a very important role in town but also the world. His name was Dwight David Eisenhower. Hall of Fame pitcher Eddie Plank called Gettysburg home. He even owned a garage in town after he retired. Gettysburg is filled with stories of the famous and the not so famous, the curious and the cute, the mysterious and the deadly. Together they will tell you the story of a Gettysburg that you don't know. It is a town with a rich history that spans many years before and after the Civil War.