Shenandoah Valley Historian Honored

Noted Civil War historian, preservationist, storyteller, woodcarver, and author, John Heatwole, was honored last night by being named the 2006 recipient of the Carrington Williams Preservationist Award given by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The award was given at a banquet at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia. John's book, The Burning, is a must read for Civil War buffs and anyone interested in the history of the Shenandoah Valley. He is the author of other noted books as well.

I've known John casually for a number of years, first discovering him by listening as he hosted local radio station WSVA's Civil War Roundtable On the Air. The show airs the second Wednesday of every month from 10 AM to Noon. It has been a Shenandoah Valley institution for many years and I always listen if I'm near a radio and within range. It was John who was one of the first persons to encourage me in my efforts to research and write a book about Stonewall Jackson and his black Sunday school class more than four years ago. John was one of three historians who had so graciously agreed to review the mansucript prior to its publication, but illness and other responsibilities, sadly, prevented him from doing so. Please keep John and his family in your prayers as he battles cancer.