Bryan S. Bush

My Dear Fellow Readers:

For the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Carnegie Museum, under the direction of Sallie Newkirk, and Pam Peters with the Floyd County Historical Society Museum have asked me to be involved in a new exhibit on New Albany’s role during the Civil War. New Albany alone recruited three regiments: The 38th Indiana, the 23rd Indiana, and the 66th Indiana. Several generals came out of these regiments, including Benjamin Scribner, Daniel Griffin, Walter Q. Gresham, just to name a few. Pam Peters and I are coordinating facts. Amazingly there were many contrabands I did not know about who served in these regiments and I am learning more about the underground railroad. This should be a fun project and I am looking forward to working with Pam and Sallie.

My fellow readers:

Good news. I received an email from Dr. Blaine Hudson and he stated that he would like to have me as a presenter next year at their conference on Louisville During the Civil War.

My Dear Fellow Readers:

I recently attended the reading of Lincoln in Louisville by David Straub. There were many quotes from the play that are very historical. The play has good and bad moments. The play accuratly portrays slave life on a large plantation, and his portrayal of James Speed and Lucy Speed was accurate, but the play portrayed Lincoln as a radical abolitionist in 1841. He fought twice with the overseer of Farmington, and showed Lincoln to be an angry man over the issue of slavery. Although Lincoln did not like the institution of slavery, I don’t think he would have fought with the overseer at the plantation of his friend Joshua Speed. Plus Lincoln argued slavery in front of Joshua Speed, Mary Speed, Lucy Speed and James Speed. Although Lincoln discussed slavery with James at his law office in Louisville, I doubt that Lincoln would have argued slavery in front of his hosts at the plantation. The subject of slavery was like the big gorilla in the room, everyone saw it but no one discussed it.
The play needs to dwell more into the friendship between Lincoln and Joshua Speed. I think with a little more rewriting I think the play could become a lasting tribute to Lincoln and his friendship with the Speeds.

My Dear Fellow Readers:

I encourage everyone to come out tonight at 7:30 PM at the U of L Thrust Theater to watch the unveiling of the newest play on Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Louisville in 1841. After the play there will be a panel discussion with myself, Dr. Blaine Hudson, Dr. Thomas Mackey, and several other professors. This should be a fun night with a good discussion on Lincoln and the Speeds.

My Dear Fellow Readers:
I recently attended the Louisville Before the Civil War Conference at the University of Louisville on May 29 & 30, 2009. The conference meeted and exceeded my expectations. I was hoping to learn more about the freed and enslaved community in Louisville before the Civil War. Dr. Richard Blackett, from Vanderbilt University fave a lecture “Emancipate Yourself: Louisville Slaves and their Quest for Freedom in the 1850’s,” Dr Blaine Hudson, from the University of Louisville gave a lecture entitled “The Free African American Community of Louisville,” Dr. James Horton, from George Washington University gave a lecture on Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War,” Pam Peters gave a lecture on “Portland and New Albany: Portals of the Underground Railroad,” and Pen Bogert gave a lecture on “Multiculturalism, Music and Everyday Life.” Other speakers were from the Filson Club, Locust Grove, and Farmington. I learned about the strong freed black community in Louisville, and learned about William Spralding, James Cunningham, and many others. During the conference, Andrea Pridham from Farmington gave an odd statement, she stated that their was no documentary evidence that Lincoln’s encounter with slaves shackled together on the wharf in 1841 had no lasting effect on his views towards slavery. I must disagree, on August 24, 1855 Lincoln wrote to Joshua Speed on the subject of slavery. He recalled his trip in 1841, and he wrote that the sight of slaves’ condition onboard the steamboat was a “continual torment” to him and that he saw something like it every time he touched the Ohio, or an slave border state. Lincoln stated that the subject of slavery made him miserable. (Lincoln and the Speeds, pg. 40) Lincoln remembered the incident of the slaves he saw in 1841, fifteen years after the incident, but overall the conference was very informative and well worth the money. Next years conference will be on Louisville During the Civil War and I hope to give a lecture at this conference. I have written to Dr. Blaine Hudson, who runs the conference, as to how I may submit a paper and lecture at this conference.