1.
What is your new book
about? The volume is a study of Bishop Charles P. McIlvaine (1799-1873).
The Ohioan was an important figure in nineteenth century America. A leader
among evangelical Episcopalians, he became the pivotal figure in the
evangelical, Anglican-Episcopal community. His endeavors resulted in honorary
degrees from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In the States, he was involved
with secular issues, especially the explosive slavery-race controversy. An
anti-slave advocated, the Lincoln Administration sent him to Great Britain in
1861. He sought to bring middle and upper class opinion into a pro-Federal
position early in the Civil War. McIlvaine had several connections with the
British Cabinet and Anglican leaders. His labors were deflected and negated,
however.
In late 1862, he led the Federal division
of the Church to a supporting position for the war effort and emancipation. The
bishop became a friend and advisor to key cabinet members and the president. In
1864, he toiled in the Federal Military Hospital Network near Fredericksburg,
Virginia. After the war, he supported full civil rights for African Americans.
McIlvaine was also busy with domestic and several foreign religious questions.
Honored in Britain after his death, he was buried in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. What inspired you to write it? When I
learned that several scholarly works on Civil War diplomacy scarcely mentioned
his mission to the United Kingdom, I decided to research the topic. The
dimension of the project grew as he emerged as a central figure in several
endeavors.
3. What did you learn upon researching
material for your book that just shocked you?
McIlavine was given “leaks” from
the highest circles of the leadership in Britain that the U.K. would not
formally challenge the federal native blockade of the confederacy. He informed
one cabinet member of that important policy decision, but the man did not tell
President Lincoln or Secretary of State William Seward. The federal war effort
was bedeviled by the dysfunctional interplay of rival personalities.
4. What challenges and rewards have been
associated with writing it? The
major challenge involved finding enough primary documents (after a fire
destroyed thousands of his letters) to enable one to finish a detailed and
fulsome account of this aspect of his career. The rewards fell into place as
the work progressed.
5. Any advice to a struggling writer? Be active and precise in your research and do
not give up the project as other issues enter your life.
6. Where do you see publishing heading? I
am not as down-hearted as many persons are; printed works, of varying lengths,
will remain the best instrument for exact communication in every field of
endeavor.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas
expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can
follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015
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