The Enfilading Lines Blog was born a year ago today on December 17, 2011. And I must say, this has been a lot of fun. I hope those who read gain something from it; but this is like anything else where there is research and preparation for the a presentation either verbal or written, the person doing it is the one who learns the most.
This is written to especially connect with the Antietam Battlefield Guides organization – to be both a connection with guests either past or future … and along the way, I hope many others will enjoy it. It is written to be accessible and sensible to the general public who have a basic understanding of the Civil War, yet I would hope it is attractive as well to more serious students of our troubled history. At times, the blog turns a bit academic and geeky, but overall I trust it to be immensely readable.
Now for some anniversary celebration fun, and to prove I’m not totally geeky (although the following may definitively prove that I am indeed), I want to share a few paragraphs about the single blog posting out of the 164 of the past year that was – BY FAR – the most hit upon. WARNING: This Civil War blog is now going to start talking about vampires.
Most Popular Blog Post 2012: The Burial of Willie Lincoln (2/28/12)
Let me begin by telling you that I may well be the most illiterate person you know when it comes to pop culture. I seldom go to movies; I don’t listen to pop music or much of any music; I only watch news and sports on TV. I often need commercials explained to me by my boys to help me understand why it was funny or who was being lampooned.
Over this year, I have seen one of my blogs in particular have more than twice as many hits as any other. It was in my series of “150 Years Ago Today” postings – talking about the day that Abraham and Mary Lincoln buried their dear little boy Willie. Yes, a sad and compelling story – well written by me, I might add! But why would this one blog post be sooooooo beyond all others?
I recently had occasion in a church staff meeting to mention this phenomenon. The youngest of those in the room – a very gifted graphics design artist – looked at me and said, “Well, of course; that is related to the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The death of Willie is part of the film.”
Silly me! Here I thought it was because of something so noble as an interest in HISTORY! But no, it is actually all about vampires and people thinking about such, along with the movie’s portrayal of Willie being killed by a vampire assassin on the lawn of the White House!
Among themes of this movie: Abraham Lincoln becomes a vampire hunter at a young age. He becomes an abolitionist when he realizes that slavery makes it possible for vampires to buy their victims, thus to end slavery is to end the scourge of vampires. The First Battle of Bull Run involves Union troops being attacked by Confederate vampires. Leaderless Confederate vampires stage a final, massive assault against the Union, and are met by troops armed with their silver weapons; and the Union soldiers destroy the vampires and eventually win the war.
I am tempted to say that you can’t make up stuff like this, but, someone did! The 2012 film was based upon a 2010 novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith. The film has grossed at the box office more than 114 million dollars more than has my blog.
OK… enough of that.
Randy Buchman
Enfilading Lines 