"Swingin round the cirkle" : His ideas of men, politics, and things, as set forth in his letters to the public press, during the year 1866.

A former pastor and war‑time chaplain steps into the public arena with a barrage of letters that blend earnest sermonizing, sharp satire, and vivid personal anecdotes. Written in the tumultuous year after the Civil War, the pieces capture his bewildered yet passionate attempt to steer a fractured democracy toward stability. His voice is raw, peppered with humor and the occasional dream‑like vision that reveals how deeply he feels the nation’s wounds.

The collection moves through election gossip, heated debates over the Freedmen’s Bureau, and bold sketches of political figures, all accompanied by Thomas Nast’s striking illustrations. Listeners will hear a candid, often contradictory portrait of Reconstruction—one that wrestles with loyalty, treason, and the hope for a new “circular” order. It offers a compelling glimpse into a restless mind wrestling with a country trying to redefine itself.