Patrick G. Whalen

At the beginning of November I decided to make a concerted effort to make a number of improvements on Uncommon History and venture down some new roads. The journey was very educational and actually quite entertaining, not to mention rewarding.

By a mere numbers point of view alone, my various attempts at reaching a wider audience was a smashing success. Here are the year to date numbers for my site:

Except for a statistical anomaly in March (due to a rather popular entry on Easter), my statistics across the board in November rivaled that of any other given month.

I do continue to have much work to do, but all of it is in the name of creating a better blog and resources for my readers.

You will no doubt have noticed a rather large increase in the advertising on Uncommon History. I do apologize if it gets in the way of the incredible histories and other fascinating subjects here on Uncommon History, but I must admit that the advertising is causing a two-fold benefit.

First, it is attracting new readers to Uncommon History. Second, it is helping to produce a revenue stream that will be used to pay for this site as well as making even further improvements.

I do pledge to all my wonderful readers that I am working on finding ways to make this advertising less intrusive on an aesthetic basis, but I do ask that if you can help support Uncommon History in any way, I would be most grateful and humble.

In the future I will be sharing what I have learned so far about different traffic and revenue generating ideas. I will be writing more posts on tips and tricks that I have learned about that either do or do not seem to drive more traffic to your site.

In the last installment of Wisdom of a Wayfaring Wordsmith I made the awe-inspiring statement that it doesn’t really matter how well your writing appears on the page.

Now, I am in no way relating this statement to the finished product. All writers should be concerned with the content, character and quality of their finished product. What I am speaking of is your first (rough) draft. This is the most essential step to creating a quality end product.

I can’t tell you how many times I sat for hours developing storyboards, outlines, templates, you name it. One day, during a conversation with a fellow writer, I was given this seemingly silly piece of advice: “Why don’t you just write?” That was a good question!

I didn’t put that practice into place right away, but decided to wait until the upcoming NaNoWriMo. November first came and I found myself at the keyboard wanting disparately to start with an outline, but I didn’t. I began only with an idea of the kind of story I wanted to write and within an hour I had a pretty decent story going. By the end of the month I had reached 45,000 words!

There is time for reviewing and editing which is what we will cover next time, but I found that writing FIRST provided a more rewarding experience in a much shorter amount of time.

As we celebrate the many blessings we are thankful for today, let us not forget the sacrifices of the men and women during the heartbreaking times between 1861 and 1865.

Our fighting men and women today are, for the most part, able to partake in small celebrations around the world. The bank-breaking efforts of the soldiers during the US Civil War were not so fortunate. There were no phones or internet to call home or digital cameras that instantly sent pictures of loved ones to their distant locations.

Rations were, to say the least, not even remotely consistent with the traditional Thanksgiving Day fare. So, before we head off to bed with an aching, overfilled stomach, take a few minutes to remember the multitude of men and women who did and are making sacrifices so that we might dine and lounge in leisure today.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battle-field, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
Secretary of State

As an added benefit to readers of Uncommon History, some content includes consumer interest articles paid to the writer through various, valued advertisers.

This policy is valid from 23 November 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact me at:  email@patrickgwhalen.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. Due diligence is taken to identify and disclose posts and advertisements. Please contact Uncommon History if you discover content, advertising space or posts that may not be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on certain products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

I can tell you that as a lover of Civil War history, I can already feel the momentum building for the upcoming sequicentennial memorials and celebrations. The popularity and discussion of this vital part of our nation’s history has faded somewhat in recent years, but the pulse of the community is increasing and the potential is astounding!

To help breathe new life into this topic I am bringing you a couple new sources of information about events and discussions taking place in the coming months. This is certainly one of those times when I have particular wishes to live in closer proximity to the East coast, but this may be the only time you find those words coming from me.

Here are some great resources for upcoming sesquicentennial celebrations:

• Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War
• Civil War Traveller