Good morning, dear readers! If you haven't already heard, I have a short story included in the latest Historical Writers Forum anthology, and it features James A Hamilton. I'm still buried in research to complete my biography of James due out in early 2025, but you can read this short story, along with ten others, for only 99c on Kindle.
The theme of this anthology is works of art, and each story is based upon a painting, sculpture, musical instrument, or some other artistic inspiration. One clever story is told from the point of view of a painting that has been observing visitors since Elizabethan times. Mine is based upon the Robert Ball Hughes sculpture of Alexander Hamilton that was destroyed in the Great Fire of New York, less than a year after its installation in 1835.
Can you imagine growing up as the son of such a famous, brilliant, controversial man? One who was forever remembered in his prime, since he never lived beyond it? James A Hamilton lived to be ninety, and during the Civil War he was in his seventies, with a long and interesting life to reflect upon. His mother had instilled in him a deep need to honor his father's legacy. Did he think he had sufficiently done so?
He had failed to save the marble statue during the Great Fire, though he had been part of the tireless team that managed to halt the advance of the flames. However, in many other, more important ways, James would have made his father proud, perhaps especially in how he spoke in favor of abolition of slavery during the Civil War.
Your post was a great read! Your insights are valuable. Keep writing and sharing your thoughts!
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