Mackowski Co-Authors Article

Civil War historian Chris Mackowski, a professor in St. Bonaventure’s Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has co-authored a 16,000-word article for the spring issue of Blue & Gray magazine.

The Eldred, Pa., native wrote about the May 1864 horror at the Bloody Angle, one of the deadliest battles during the Battle of Spotsylvania in central Virginia. For nearly 24 hours, soldiers from north and south engaged in savage close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat.

The article’s publication in spring 2009 marks the 145th anniversary of the battle.

The magazine comes out quarterly, with each issue focusing on one major battle as its main theme.

“Unlike most magazines, which have a one-month shelf life, Blue & Gray designs itself so each issue stands as a long-term reference piece,” Mackowski said. “So, while it might be on newsstands for a month or two, issues of the magazine will sell for years into the future through the company’s Web site, Civil War shops and the like. The magazine is really the top publication for hard-core Civil War aficionados.”

Mackowski and co-author Kris White were in Spotsylvania Oct. 20 to give Blue & Gray editors a tour of the battlefield. The editors will now craft a “General’s Tour” of the battlefield as a sidebar to the main article so readers can follow the action on their own when they visit.

White works as a historian with Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, a national park in central Virginia that encompasses four major Civil War battlefields, including the Spotsylvania battlefield. Mackowski serves as a historical interpreter at the park, giving battlefield tours and assisting with special programs. He and his daughter, Stephanie, travel to the park to work one weekend per month.

In the photo, courtesy of St. Bonaventure University, Chris Mackowski (left) and Blue & Gray editor David Roth stand near the remains of the McCoull house at the heart of the Mule Shoe Salient, the center of fighting during the May 12, 1864, battle of the Bloody Angle.