Despite having published The Confederates’ Physician in 2019, I began the research for the book years ago when my children were young. I employed my best subterfuge techniques to sneak detours to historic sites while on family trips. However, my daughters quickly discovered my ulterior motives.
From the back seat, I heard, “Not another battlefield, Mom. You do know how the Civil War ended, right?” Or, “Dad, how can Mom possibly find a Civil War battlefield in every state?” and “How many times do we need to see Abraham Lincoln’s home? I’m pretty certain Mrs. Lincoln hasn’t done any remodeling lately.” And my favorite: “Not another dead president or general’s home. Whose is this, General Robert E. Lee? Mom, you do know that he won’t be there, don’t you? He’ dead!”
These trips were fun for me because I have a passion for history. It’s easy for me to “place myself back in the time period” that I’m researching. Not so my children. They were very much in the present. I’m not an expert on parenting, however, I’m fairly certain I’m not the only parent who found that her children didn’t always have the interests I tried to cultivate. If any of you are experiencing the same, don’t give up! The epilogue for this story is that my younger daughter, now an adult, and I often travel together. When we travel, we always seek two things: historical sites and wineries. Jackpot!
