Famous People Who Are Civil War Aficiandos

Richard Jordan who played Armistead in the Gettysburg movie, but who died of brain disease just a year later at a very "young" age, relatively (age 56). He was in first True Grit as one of bad guys that rode with Duvall. I was at bday party in 1992 just before the movie was released and they'd finished shooting the footage and he held the entire party spellbound for 90' while he recounted stories that linked the filming of the movie with the actual history of the Civil War. As a Harvard grad, methinks he likely already was well familiar with the history. Per IMDB, "he was close friends with Michael Shaara, the author of the novel 'The Killer Angels', which the movie was based upon, and contributed to the screenplay. Jordan's last appearance as an actor was the death of his on-screen character, 'General Armistead'." He died too young.
 
Probably Roger Mudd who recently passed away. He was on the board of trustees for what became the American Battlefield Trust and did a lot of work on the History channel later in his career.
Mudd was descended directly from Dr Mudd, who set broken leg of John Wilkes Boothe and spent 3 yrs in prison in Tartugas I believe before being paroled for his work in saving lives during yellow fever outbreaak.
 
Richard Jordan who played Armistead in the Gettysburg movie, but who died of brain disease just a year later at a very "young" age, relatively (age 56). He was in first True Grit as one of bad guys that rode with Duvall. I was at bday party in 1992 just before the movie was released and they'd finished shooting the footage and he held the entire party spellbound for 90' while he recounted stories that linked the filming of the movie with the actual history of the Civil War. As a Harvard grad, methinks he likely already was well familiar with the history. Per IMDB, "he was close friends with Michael Shaara, the author of the novel 'The Killer Angels', which the movie was based upon, and contributed to the screenplay. Jordan's last appearance as an actor was the death of his on-screen character, 'General Armistead'." He died too young.
His character (and portrayal) is my favorite in "Gettysburg." He just did such a great job in all his scenes, but particularly the one where he talked about his old, long, and close friendship with Hancock. Makes me cry every time.
 
No one mentioned Ken Burns who has written and directed the ETV documentary on the civil war. He is now on to other things but his work on the Civil War has to qualify him. He also has a notable quilt collection. Just FYI.
Well, he is definitely a famous CW fan, ironically bc of his CW documentary; he is also the least qualified in terms of credentials, having only a high school diploma w/later studies in theater arts as I recall. Fun fact: His direct ancestor was apparently a traitor, to the Confederacy (!), as he, per Ken Burns himself, swore a loyalty oath to Union in 1862 after being captured early in the war while serving in CSA army (to whom he had presumably also sworn an oath) and was then released from prison to his family home in MD, not serving in either army for the rest of the war (Ken Burns' speech at PBS luncheon in Ken's honor at the LA Times building, ca 1992; Ken did not conclude that his ancestor was a traitor to the CSA).
 
Well, he is definitely a famous CW fan, ironically bc of his CW documentary; he is also the least qualified in terms of credentials, having only a high school diploma w/later studies in theater arts as I recall. Fun fact: His direct ancestor was apparently a traitor, to the Confederacy (!), as he, per Ken Burns himself, swore a loyalty oath to Union in 1862 after being captured early in the war while serving in CSA army (to whom he had presumably also sworn an oath) and was then released from prison to his family home in MD, not serving in either army for the rest of the war (Ken Burns' speech at PBS luncheon in Ken's honor at the LA Times building, ca 1992; Ken did not conclude that his ancestor was a traitor to the CSA).
I remember seeing him on Henry Louis Gates' PBS series Finding Your Roots and how green he turned when he found out one of his ancestors was a (Maryland?) slaveowner!:D:bounce:
 
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