Statue of Hunter McGuire at the Virginia Capitol

Since my work commute went from 10 minutes to 45, I’ve been listening to a lot more podcasts on my daily drive to the Roanoke Times.

For those not familiar with podcasts, they’re a bit like radio programs you can save on your iPod or MP3 player. I try to mix it up and listen to a variety of shows, including ones on comedy, music, politics and history.

One of my favorites lately is “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” which boils offbeat stories from throughout history down into 20-25 minute lessons that move quickly. In recent weeks I’ve listened to shows on everything from the ill-fated El Dorado expeditions to a 16th Century court magician who tried to speak with angels.

One recent show may be of particular interest to Blue Ridge Caucus readers, as it deals with Hunter McGuire, a Civil War physician who attended Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson at his death.

Most of the episode deals with Jackson’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, but the hosts also take time to delve a little deeper into McGuire’s background, including his youth in Winchester and his later work at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

So how does this connect to Virginia politics? Well, frankly, only tangentially. However, there is a statue of McGuire on the grounds of the Virginia Capitol, where the General Assembly meets each year to work on the state’s laws.

If you’ve got thoughts on McGuire, or if you also listen to podcasts and want to share some recommendations, please share in our comments section below.

– Mason Adams