Historical Reading

Oh, what to post on today - walked into the Bullis Room, pulled a book off the shelf and said - - yes.
This little book is titled The historical reader designed for the use of schools and families on a new plan by Rev. J. L. Blake.  The quote on the title page is "History serves to amuse the imagination; to interest the passions; to improve the understanding; and to strengthen the sentiments of virtue and piety."  This was a book owned by A. R. Bullis and probably used in the late 1800's, possibly early 1900's.  It was published in 1825 originally with this copy being printed in 1832.  This book covers Biblical history, Greek and Roman history, Islamic history, European history and U.S. History.  Each page has questions at the bottom of it - What was the character of Cleopatra?; What did Luther do with this bull of excommunication?; What anecdote is related of Edward the black prince, to illustrate the advantages of chivalry?; Who promoted the courts of Inquisition in Spain?; By whom, and for what reason did Providence receive its name?; When was the Battle of Erie?; What was the motto on Commodore Perry's union jack?; When did Bonaparte enter Moscow?; and the list goes on.  I would expect that the answers to these questions would stimulate our imaginations, interest us in learning more, improve our understanding and help us to see what is right and what is wrong.  It's an intriguing book - one that I would rather read than peruse. 

MORE LETTERS HOME

This past week we focused on two more excerpts from John Lapham Bullis's letters home. The first, written from Annapolis on his 23rd birthday (April 17, 1864), talks about a visit from "Lieut Gen's Burnside and Grant." Bullis was impressed with Burnside,  writing that he was "a noble looking man with a high forehead in fact a model man in my opinion."  Bullis also mentioned that he was reading Victor Hugo's sketches of Napoleon and that "I have never before taken so much interest in History."  (This led us to wonder how much these contemporary military geniuses and those from history affected Bullis's own career.)

The second excerpt was from a letter written from Philadephia on May 8, 1864, in which he states: "Seated in a pleasant Room on Chestnut St. quite a change from a Tent quite a number of soldiers are here from various parts of the Theatre of War preparing for an examination. 30 days furlow then to Washington. The newsboys keep the air resounding with their music although it is the Sabbath. However I am keeping a Rebel from fighting now I suppose although I am doing nothing and the Rebel the same rather Quaker warfare I think." He then follows this with the comment: "Our exchange was effected just previous to the Fort Pillow massacre." (We're researching the Fort Pillow battle and will have more on it in a few weeks.)

So what do these excerpts of 23-year-old John Lapham Bullis's letters home tell us?  Their regularity indicates that he often thought of his Macedon home and his family, and the lack of direct references to his discomforts and hardships show that he wanted to reassure his family of his wellbeing. A third thing these particular excerpts reveal to us is his focus on his spiritual life.

In the May 8, 1864 letter, Bullis wrote: "Mother you mentioned in your letter as to my spiritual welfare for my part I cannot say that I Lose sight, far from it, however I try to lead a sort of moral life." He followed that comment with, "One principal in particular I admire that is to do as I would be done by but we all stray far from the right paths in the Army as the temptations are great."

We'll continue looking through the excerpts from Bullis's letters and post more next week. In the interim, we'd like to hear your comments and questions (online or in person).

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

On April 17, 1864, while stationed at Annapolis during the Civil War, John Lapham Bullis wrote a letter to his mother in which he stated that he was reading "Victor Hugo's sketches of Napoleon." This reference caused us to wonder if the book Mr. Bullis referred to might possibly be a part of the current collection, so we searched our data base for all things Napoleon.

We did not find any book about Napoleon that Mr. Bullis could have been reading in 1864, but there are several in the collection that he might have read at a later time, such as:

The Destroyer of the Second Republic; Being Napoleon the Little

by Victor Hugo

published in 1870

Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon

by Louis Constant Wairy

published in 1900

Napoleon, the Last Phase

by Archibald Philip Primrose, Earl of

published in 1900

Memoirs of the Emperor Napoleon, from Ajaccio to Waterloo, as

Soldier, Emperor, Husband

by Laure Junot Abrantes, duchesse d'

published in 1901

The Life of the Empress Josephine, First Wife of Napoleon

by P. C. Headley (Phineas Camp)

published in 1850

Mr. Bullis's reference to Napoleon also caused us to wonder why he was interested in that particular military and political leader. Perhaps he wanted to learn from Napoleon's successes and mistakes? Or was it simply to distract himself from the realities of the war he was involved in at that time? Putting aside the reason for his choice of reading material, we find it characteristic that a member of the Bullis family would have in his possession a book that he was reading at any opportunity. Obviously, like all the Bullises, John Lapham Bullis was a true book lover and avid reader as well as a military genius.