Yes, he’s a pop historian (or, as he says, a writer who happens to write about history). But he’s a damn good one, and I really enjoy his stuff. It has nothing to do with him being a Pittsburgh area native, either. I like his take on what history is and isn’t. But he’s not into the whole brevity thing – I think history is simply about people. I’ll have more to say about pop history, and how great familiarity with an era or event pretty much unfits one for reading pop history about those eras and events, later. But for now, enjoy this bit:
Bull Runnings
A Journal of the Digitization of a Civil War Battle
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Harry SmeltzerDulce bellum inexpertis
“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”
About
Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.
The Project
This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!
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- Steven J Reilly on Interview: Murray, “An Ornament to His Country”
- Photography Focus: Rare Images of an Irish American Family at War – Irish in the American Civil War on Pvt. Thomas D. Norris, Co. A, 69th NYSM, On the Battle
- Harry Smeltzer on Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable, 4/10/2024
- Savas Beatie on Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable, 4/10/2024
- Rare Images of an Irish American Family at War – Irish in the American Civil War - National Partisan on Pvt. Thomas D. Norris, Co. A, 69th NYSM, On the Battle
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Bull Runnings 
One of my heroes…a true gentleman with a human touch upon everything he writes. Eloquent!
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I love how we all must almost apologize for liking David McCullough just because he’s successful and popular. It’s almost as if because he’s popular he obviously can’t be that good. I think the man and his works transcend labels–except one–he’s a treasure.
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Reblogged this on Nothing Gilded, Nothing Gained–Where Past Meets Present at Middlemay Farm and commented:
Love this so much . . . thanks Harry!
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Wonderful — and really resonates for me, because I, too, am a writer who writes history– though in my case, food history. But yes — telling stories about things that are true is wonderful. Thanks for posting the video (and thanks, Adrienne Morris, for leading me to it).
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Thanks too for this. It cheered up a toothache morning of the soul. As a couple they appear to be brimful of the distilled essence of simple happiness. As a man he appears closer to the Enlightenment ideals of the Founding Fathers and Rousseau, Paine and Montaigne than even he knows. Thanks to Adrienne Morris for directing us to this place…
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Hi, Harry. Thanks for re-posting this video. David McCullough was fascinating, insightful, and inspiring.
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