European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Author says a glory close to being right Susan Fahlgren associated press a Texas scholar who recently published a Book about Black soldiers in the civil War says the popular movie a a glory almost got it right. Almost. But he liked the movie anyway. Joseph Glatthaar an associate professor at the i univ easily of Houston spent four years researching his recently released Book a forged in Battle the civil War Alliance of Black soldiers and White Glatthaar says it was exciting to Sec the lives of soldiers he has studied come to life on the screen but he notes some inaccuracies in the film which coincidentally came out about the same time As his Book. A the movies very Good a 1 strongly recommend Glatthaar says. A what the movie is Good at is conveying a sense to the observer of what it was like to be in these Black units and what w Ere some of the obstacles that they but from a strictly historical standpoint there Are some problems he says. One example is the scene in which Robert Gould Shaw the White commander of the 54lh Massachusetts regt orders a Soldier flogged. A flogging was illegal in the United states army Quot Glatthaar says. A Shaw would have been discharged from the service if he did Glatthaar says the Hollywood version also included a fictitious sergeant major As shawls right hand Man. A in reality the sergeant major of the 54th Massachusetts was the son of the abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass which in itself is very interesting Quot he says. Glatthaar says through his research he became intrigued by the strange Alliance Between the White officers and Black soldiers Many of them former slaves who were apprehended As a a contraband from the South. A of course you have the old situation with Whites in Power a he says. A most of the Blacks arc from slavery so it s a position to which they re accustomed but not Happy with. And of course these Blacks Are experiencing Freedom for the first time in the military and that a a strange situation some 178,000 Blacks served under 7,000 White officers in the . Coloured troops during the civil War. Only 110 Blacks were Able to become officers in their own regiments. Glatthaar notes that Black soldiers suffered the indignities of lower wages undesirable assignments and dwindling supplies. But for Many it was a unique Opportunity to serve As a an equal to Whites and to establish their rights for themselves by fighting their former owners. Glatthaar says the most shocking indignities were those inflicted on Black troops after the War. A what really surprised me most was the Way the White population took away the accomplishments of the United states coloured troops after the War a Glatthaar says. A they denied their members of the 54th regt of Massachusetts Volunteer infantry Parade in �?oglory.1 try Star picture site a a fact English is a crazy language Richard Lederer first of two parts English is the most widely spoken language in the history of our planet used in some Way by at least one out of every seven human beings. Half the worlds books arc written in English and the majority of International Telephone Calls Are made in English. English is the language of More than 60 percent of the worlds radio programs Many of them beamed ironically by the soviets who know that to win friends and to influence nations they arc better off using English. More than 70 percent of International mail is written and addressed in English and 80 percent of All computer text is stored in English. Nonetheless it is Lime to face the fact that English is a crazy language. In English there is no Butler in Buttermilk no egg in eggplant no grape in Grapefruit no bread in Shortbread neither Mush nor room in mushroom neither Pine nor Apple in pineapple neither peas nor nuts in peanuts and no Ham in a hamburger. And we discover even More culinary madness in the revelations that a sweetmeat is Candy while a sweetbreads which Isnit Sweet is meat. Language is like the air we breathe. It is invisible inescapable indispensable and we take it for granted. But when we Lake the time to step Back and listen to the sounds that escape fro Reading amp writing the holes in Peoples faces and to explore the paradoxes and vagaries of English we find that Tomboys Are girls and hours a especially Happy hours and Rush hours a often last longer than 60 minutes boxing rings Are Square silverware can be made of stainless steel glasses of plastic and tablecloths of paper. Why is it that a woman can Man a station but a Man can to woman one that a Man can father a movement but a woman cannot Mother one and that a King rules a kingdom but a Queen docs not Rule a queendom a writer is someone who writes and a stinger is something that stings. But fingers done to fing grocers done to Groce hammers Don t Ham and hum dingers done thumping. If a Horsehair mat is made from the hair of horses and a camels Hairbrush from the hair of camels from what animal is a mohair coat made if a vegetarian eats vegetables what does a humanitarian eat if a firefighter fights fire what docs a Freedom fighter fight if pro and con Are opposites is Congress the opposite of Progress sometimes you have to believe that All English speakers should be committed to an Asylum for the verbally insane. In what other language do people drive on a Parkway and Park in a driveway in what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital in what other language do privates eat in a general mess and generals eat in a private mess in what other language can your nose run and your feet smell How can a slim Chance and a fat Chance be the same a bad Licking and a Good Licking be the same and a a what a going on Quot and a what s coming off a be the same a while a Wise Man and a Wise Guy Are opposites How can Sharp speech and Blunt speech be the same and quite a lot and quite a few the same while Overlook and oversee Are opposites English is a crazy language. Next week Why chop a tree Down just to chop it up excerpted by now Day from Richard Lederer Book Quot crazy enc sunday May 20, 1990
