Bullen is a creepy man. Aurelia asks a simple question for some information, but she has to submit to his advances (euphemism for rape) in return.
Not a nice man. He oversees some supplies, which are difficult to come by in the American Civil War. Such a hoarder. Think I'll go to WalMart, lol.
Observations and musings: Some say the North had more money, more supplies, more railroads, etc., but is that really true? There are two sides to the story. Generals from both armies were graduates of West Point Military Academy, for example, Grant and Lee. I have heard that the North was losing the American Civil War for a long time, until the Battle of Gettysburg, which I have been told was the turning point of the War for the eventual Union victory. There are myths and facts, some still being sorted out. Each side had heroes and villains. There are similarities and differences, obviously.
Civil War years? Some people don't know the time frame. I'll backtrack a bit, with information I meant to add to my review last week of Episode One:
Presidential election of 1860 won by Abraham Lincoln. 1861 Civil War begins. 1863 Gettysburg. Other battles in between, but Gettysburg is major. Also, 1863, Emancipation Proclamation. Presidential election of 1864 re-election of Abraham Lincoln. April 9, 1865, Civil War ends. April 14, 1865: Lincoln assassination.
I think that Mercy Street takes place in 1862, fairly early in the war -- where I have heard at least twice here that "this war will be probably over in a few weeks." (NOT.)
We think of Civil War injuries and surgeries as performed on the battlefields (Civil War M.A.S.H. units complete with Hawkeye and tents and all, lol). Mercy Street, however, shows a Union-occupied Southern hospital in a Southern former hotel; the owner and his family live in their own house, elsewhere. The hotel owner wants rent from the Yankee officers, but they would rather he sign a Northern loyalty oath. This milieu is more domestic and homier than the battlefield, and is definitely an indoor breeding ground for learning the personalities of the hospital's medical staff -- physicians, nurses, religious staff, et al.
My American History degree includes Civil War studies of not just the fighting and killing, but research into the social, cultural and homefront civilian values of that conflict.
"We got bodies; you got boxes," or was it "You got bodies, we got boxes."? The coffin trade was quite busy in those days. You could get one in your choice of color, as long as it was light brown wood. Nowadays, you can order them from an online retailer, or just opt for the urn version. Ugh.
After the Civil War and assassination, this death culture all comes to fruition as the funeral home business really gets going and eventually morphs into the conglomerates we know of today (January 25, 2016). Coffin/urn manufacturers are still making money.
10/10
Not a nice man. He oversees some supplies, which are difficult to come by in the American Civil War. Such a hoarder. Think I'll go to WalMart, lol.
Observations and musings: Some say the North had more money, more supplies, more railroads, etc., but is that really true? There are two sides to the story. Generals from both armies were graduates of West Point Military Academy, for example, Grant and Lee. I have heard that the North was losing the American Civil War for a long time, until the Battle of Gettysburg, which I have been told was the turning point of the War for the eventual Union victory. There are myths and facts, some still being sorted out. Each side had heroes and villains. There are similarities and differences, obviously.
Civil War years? Some people don't know the time frame. I'll backtrack a bit, with information I meant to add to my review last week of Episode One:
Presidential election of 1860 won by Abraham Lincoln. 1861 Civil War begins. 1863 Gettysburg. Other battles in between, but Gettysburg is major. Also, 1863, Emancipation Proclamation. Presidential election of 1864 re-election of Abraham Lincoln. April 9, 1865, Civil War ends. April 14, 1865: Lincoln assassination.
I think that Mercy Street takes place in 1862, fairly early in the war -- where I have heard at least twice here that "this war will be probably over in a few weeks." (NOT.)
We think of Civil War injuries and surgeries as performed on the battlefields (Civil War M.A.S.H. units complete with Hawkeye and tents and all, lol). Mercy Street, however, shows a Union-occupied Southern hospital in a Southern former hotel; the owner and his family live in their own house, elsewhere. The hotel owner wants rent from the Yankee officers, but they would rather he sign a Northern loyalty oath. This milieu is more domestic and homier than the battlefield, and is definitely an indoor breeding ground for learning the personalities of the hospital's medical staff -- physicians, nurses, religious staff, et al.
My American History degree includes Civil War studies of not just the fighting and killing, but research into the social, cultural and homefront civilian values of that conflict.
"We got bodies; you got boxes," or was it "You got bodies, we got boxes."? The coffin trade was quite busy in those days. You could get one in your choice of color, as long as it was light brown wood. Nowadays, you can order them from an online retailer, or just opt for the urn version. Ugh.
After the Civil War and assassination, this death culture all comes to fruition as the funeral home business really gets going and eventually morphs into the conglomerates we know of today (January 25, 2016). Coffin/urn manufacturers are still making money.
10/10
