A Good Run While It Lasted...

[Craig L Barry]

See the following from The Watchdog (facebook) page;

Dear Digest Readers and Advertisers,

I regret to inform our readers and advertisers that no more issues of the Citizens and Soldiers Digest will be published. While the concept (a free online magazine) was remarkably successful and well-received, the human resources are currently not available to continue publication. The editors are unpaid volunteers. Since real life—family and careers—come first, no person or persons with the required online publishing skills or possessing free time for advertising management are available.

I wish to thank Connie Payne, Craig Barry and Lynn Kalil for the time and energy that they contributed to the project. Financially, it was a success. The Watchdog was able to contribute $1,000 to battlefield preservation at the beginning of 2013 as a result of the Digest issues that were published. This amount was distributed among Save Historic Antietam, The Stones River National Battlefield Park and Historic Fort Wayne Detroit Coalition.

I wish to thank our advertisers and vendors and hope that some business came their way through the ads in the Digest’s pages:

American Civil War Knapsacks (Paul Lopes)
BGA Gettysburg Event
C & D Jarnagin (David Jarnagin)
Caron Vanslyke
The Civil War News (Kay Jorgenson)
Company of Military Historians
Confederate Family Fashions (Phyllis & Michelle)
Creative Cockades (Heather Sheen)
Dressmaker's Shop (Kimberly Lynch)
Fall Creek (Andy Fulks)
Fugawee (Nancy Ayotte)
Galla Rock (Sheri McCullah)
Hansen's Mercantile (Connie Hansen)
James Country Mercantile (Del & Jean Warren)
Kansas Mercantile (Shelly Peters)
Midwest Civilian Conference (Marta Vincent)
Miss Theresa's Sutlery (Theresa Potter)
North & South Emporium (Bridget Bradley-Scaife)
North State Haberdashery (Rex Hovey)
Ortega Traders (Dean & Anita Lauramore)
David Pedersoli
Period Fonts (Jason Wickersty)
Regimental Quartermaster (George Lomas)
Smoke & Fire Magazine (Marsha McKenzie)
Sonny Hand (Harold Hand, Jr)
Stitching Bevy (Faith Agostinone)
Victorian Treasures by Mary (Mary Bogumil)

If anyone is interested in the William Cook (Fortieth Indiana) letters series), please contact me at gwjchris@earthlibk.net so that I can make arrangements for access to the entire transcription.

Sincerely,

Bill Christen

Additional notes:

The Watchdog continues to raise money for historic preservation. Craig Barry and Todd Watts have defarbed an Armi-Sport US Model 1842 rifled musket with a long-range rear sight that is being raffled. The musket comes with a leather sling and steel bayonet. Tickets are $10 each or three (3) for $20. Only 150 tickets will be sold. We expect all the tickets to be sold by the end of September 2013. Tickets may be purchased by mail (check payable to “The Watchdog”) at The Watchdog, PO BOX 1675, Warren, MI 48090-1675 or by Paypal using watchdogreview@sbcglobal.net as the “pay to” e-mail address..

The Watchdog Quarterly, Inc. continues to publish books. We have the following books available on Amazon.com or contact us at watchdogreview@sbcglobal.net:

Craig L. Barry:
The Civil War Musket, second edition ($26 plus shipping)
The Unfinished Fight, volume 1 ($25 plus shipping)
The unfinished Fight, volume 2 ($25 plus shipping)

Bill Christen:
Pauline Cushman; Spy of the Cumberland ($29.95 plus shipping)

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

I was afraid that was going to be the outcome after so long without a new issue. It was certainly a good resource while it lasted. I'll go ahead and save the articles I was working on for the Company of Military Historians or for my museum's annual publication

[Craig L Barry]

I was afraid that was going to be the outcome after so long without a new issue. It was certainly a good resource while it lasted. I'll go ahead and save the articles I was working on for the Company of Military Historians or for my museum's annual publication

Appreciate that Ross, I am going to do the same thing. Of course, there were occasional software issues and so on but ironically, the main thing that made us shut C&S Digest down was a lack of new incoming article submissions from readers...very few of the readers (either civilian or military) who promised to support the magazine with quality historical research actually came through with it. I can't write the entire issue myself. Some sent material to Lakeway instead because they'd pay them $25. Even "friends" of mine. Good concept but that's why it died on the vine. Oh well, that's the fast-paced world of historical research publishing for you.

[Todd Watts]

You failed to get The Stones River Pontificator involved. You could have had an endless supply of researched articles.
It was a great publication. Hopefully it or something like it can come back around.

[LibertyHallVols]

In the "electronic age" the hobby seems still to be seeking out the right venue for communications. The volume of good information out there today is fantastic, but it is not easy to assemble it in one spot where unit leaders can point it out to newbies. Paper publications have come and gone. Electronic publishing is having fits and starts. Facebook is a great way to "chat", but has the inconvenient element of "having to know someone" or have an account.

...kinda makes me nostalgic for the days of the old mimeographed CCG! One hobby. One source.

Craig and All: Thank you for your hard work!