"I recently wrote in a posting on another message board, that these sites can accept and even, anticipate partisanship. What the boards can't tolerate is zealotry, a fanatical form of partisanship"
Please define the difference between Partisanship, Bias and Zealotry, for the sake of clarity of any future post?
In my opinion making a statement that the 5th Kansas and 1st Indaina Cavalry in Arkansas "were not nice people" when it can be supported by historical facts of their actions, which even Bryan admitted to, is not bias. Yet that was the point of John's contention that I was being unfair.
It is my opinion that a conclusion that can be drawn by reasonable people made upon historical fact is not bias, or Partisanship, or zealotry.
And to say that most historians interject their own personal opinion that ex-confederates joined the Union Army for only loyality, in conditions that would try the mortal man soul, as simply a change of heart, is that not being historically honest.
I personally am tired of the double standards on these boards. For Example: It was TERRIBLE for the Arkansas Peace Society members being arrested and forced to join the Confederate Army in 1861/1862 or face jail, or worst. I am sure they joined because of loyality to the south, aren't you?
Yet when the same tactic was applied by the Union army in 1864 in south Arkansas with ex-confederates and others then it becomes "oh, They had a change of Heart, they saw they error of their ways and repented of their sins". Maybe it was the ONLY factor. I don't think so, but that is beside the point. Is that the standard of History which we want to present? Isn't that a bias? Appling different standards to people for the same offence simply because they wore different Uniforms?
And Thirdly, Anthony said NOTHING more than what Robert E. Lee, and other men like Patrick Cleburne and Thomas Jackson was doing, and thinking, and saying, and writing in 1861. He even quoted these men. Those that failed to see the irony, the satire, dry wit, and humor in Anthony's post, because he used such words as "deploy" setting it in the framework of modern events, whose fault is that? Yet, Anthony bore the "slings and arrows" for his "unapproved statement" with dignity I might add.
I know Anthony as a noted Author, Historian, Researchers, Discoverer, Documentarian, Archivist, Preservationist, Educator and fellow Reinaactor, whom I have walked many miles, in Jefferson Bootees, beside, wearing wool uniforms in the hot summer Arkansas summer, all in his own personal effort to learn what the soldier of that period thought and felt, He is one of the most dedicated HISTORIANS in this state. BESIDES his service as a soldier to THIS country. Yet it is only his service to this country that granted him pardon for making the "statements" he did, IF they were his true feelings and not leading the rest of us on by playing the devils advocate to draw out the responce that he got.
Yes, even patriotism can be a bias and Partisanship and Zealotry.