Interesting Day at the Old Surratt Hacienda

[Susan Higginbotham]

(08-30-2016 02:33 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I will let Kate explain her self-researched and written script -- or better yet, Gene, why not come to the conference yourself to hear it? I know you would really enjoy it.

As for Helen Jones Campbell, let's not bad-mouth her completely. I can honestly say that she is one of the most frustrating authors on the subject, but I cannot discredit her. I can fuss about her not including sources and not giving assurance that some of her anecdotes and historical references did happen. However, for every frustration in that direction, there are also redeeming features where her text is dead-on correct.

In the good old days, I would be traveling to William & Mary to peruse her papers - if the library there ever catalogued them. Bettie Trindal tried to use them and got turned away.

I've always thought of her books as historical fiction. They certainly have all of the apparatus of historical fiction--imagined incidents, dialogue, etc. Did she market them as nonfiction?

I would love to have a look at her papers. William and Mary was very helpful when I asked for some papers in their collection last year, so perhaps they've become more accommodating.