Alpheus Starkey Williams

Project Plug Ugly

      I love history.

      It fires my imagination, enriches my thoughts while providing me a wealth of information about who I am and the world I inhabit.

      For me, history is a mixture fact and imagination with understanding being the goal. Project Plug Ugly is in that spirit. Visitors to this site are encouraged to participate in the process and enrich this site.

      Project Plug Ugly focuses a relatively unsung hero of Civil War, General Alpheus Starkey Williams and on the mystery surrounding Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191. The initial objective of this site is the creation of a tour of the Civil War through the eyes and words of Alpheus Williams while probing of the circumstances surrounding the mystery of Special Orders 191. The person and the event come together on September 13, 1862, a hugely unsung day in American history.

      The name for this site is taken from the name of Williams' rough duty horse Plug Ugly. A biography of this remarkable horse, whose name befits the American Civil War, has been included in the site. For all the romanticism the war evoked, it was, in fact, a plugugly war.

      Relying on pictures, sounds, writings and discussion, Project Plug Ugly aims to recreate the spirit of those times. This is the influence my background as a fine art painter. A good painting creates an atmosphere that elevates the viewer beyond the subject of the painting or the materials of the paint and canvas to higher levels understanding and emotion.

      Alpheus Williams was a volunteer soldier who developed his skills on his own. I am a volunteer historian, still developing my historical skills. Correct me when I stray, pat me on the back when I get it right and enjoy the journey through time! Happy Travels!

Lowell Boileau


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Created and designed by Lowell Boileau