Ironclad: Vol 1/ Issue 1/ Fall 2022

IRONCLAD The Magazine of the American Civil War Museum VOLUME 1/ ISSUE 1 / FALL 2022

A Picture to Remember | 14 Years of Rejection | A French Connection | How to Dress for War

FROM THE CEO

IN MEMORIAM

Dear Friends Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, and welcome to our re-branded publication. As you can see, we have made some substantial upgrades to what was previously entitled the “ACWM Magazine” and renaming it instead as ‘Ironclad’. This moniker was arrived at after considerable thought and deliberation. It is a name that is immediately and indelibly associated with the Civil War as well as one that is emblematic of the technological progress the war engendered and, with that, the absolute remaking of America that the war wrought. “Ironclad” is also redolent of a sense of place with the armor plating of the CSS Virginia having been forged here at the Tredegar Ironworks. All of these considerations make ‘Ironclad’ the perfect name for this publication as it, too, charts new waters as the standard bearer of our mission both to bring America to the American Civil War Museum and to take the American Civil War Museum to America. I hope you enjoy the new look, the new feel, and the enhanced content as well as feel energized and inspired by the vigor and ambition that permeates your American Civil War Museum.

Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention the loss of a great steward of history, and ACWM Board member, Tom Saunders. The lobby of the Gottwald building at Tredegar is named for Tom and his wife, Jordan. His commitment to the study of American history and the preservation of the past found its outlet across many institutions, and we are proud of his involvement with us. Thank you for your support, and enjoy this new magazine. It marks the beginning of an exciting era.

Photo: Caroline Martin

Dr. Rob Havers President & CEO

Photo courtesty of Businesswire.com

Thomas A. Saunders, III The Board of Directors and staff of the American Civil War Museum wish to express their condolences to the family of Mr. Thomas A. Saunders, III. Mr. Saunders was an outstanding member of the board of the American Civil War Museum and helped guide the Museum through challenging times with sage advice and considerable support.

A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and proud of his Southampton County, Virginia roots, Tom generously donated his resources and talent to preserving the rich history of Virginia.

His love and support of all American history was meaningful.

The “Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders, III Lobby” at the Museum is a fitting tribute to his dedication to the American Civil War Museum, and his gracious demeanor and friendly spirit will be missed.

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FROM THE EDITOR Greetings

Magazine Publisher

Rob Havers, Ph.D. ACWM President & CEO

Welcome to issue #1 of “Ironclad”, the newly redesigned magazine of the American Civil War Museum. Inside the pages you will find the same informative content we’ve provided for decades, but with articles that deliver a more in-depth look into topics of interest to our readership. With each quarterly issue, while still providing features from ACWM historians, educators, and curators, we intend to broaden our reach into current scholarship on the American Civil War by featuring contributing writers from time to time.

Managing Editor Robert Hancock

Art Director/Designer John Dixon

Editorial Review Ana Edwards Kelly Hancock

With the new look and attention to content, the Museum will continue to provide an authoritative voice and serve as a resource to our members and supporters across the country. We’re glad you are reading along and hope you enjoy “Ironclad”.

Museum Board of Directors Daniel G. Stoddard, Chair Claude P. Foster, Vice Chair Walter S. Robertson III, Treasurer Mario White, Secretary J. Gordon Beittenmiller Hans Binnendijk, Ph.D. Audrey P. Davis George C. Freeman III Hon. David C. Gompert Bruce C. Gottwald, Sr. Monroe E. Harris, Jr., D.D.S. Rob Havers, Ph.D. Richard S. Johnson Donald E. King John L. Nau III William R. Piper Lewis F. Powell III O. Randolph Rollins Kenneth P. Ruscio, Ph.D. Leigh Luter Schell Julie Sherman Roderick G. Stanley Ruth Streeter

Robert Hancock Senior Curator & Director of Collections Managing Editor, “Ironclad”, the magazine of the American Civil War Museum

Foundation Board of Directors Donald E. King, Chair J. Gordon Beittenmiller David C. Gompert Walter S. Robertson III Kenneth P. Ruscio Ph.D. Jeffrey Wilt The magazine of the ACWM is published quarterly by The American Civil War Museum, 490 Tredegar St., Richmond, VA 23219 The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the American Civil War Museum.

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ACWM.org

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@theamericancivilwarmuseum

@acwmuseum

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Read past magazine issues issuu.org/acwmuseum

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Summer Highlights

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Scenes of the Museum’s public & education programs, visitors, and tours over the past few months.

Highlights include author Joan Waugh, visitors from Seminary Ridge Museum, student and teacher groups, and History Explorers Day.

CONTENTS 2 3 4 6

IRONCLAD Volume 1/ Issue 1/ Fall 2022

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Letter from the CEO From the Editor ACWM Highlights New Acquisition: John F. de Courcy

WHC 18 Landmark Restoration Progress

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A Picture to Remember ACWM’s Collection of cased photographs

A Palette for French Wine

Civil War Outdoors 26 Strategic Harper’s Ferry

21 Pension Bureau Battle The 14-year Struggle for One Veteran

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DENIED

DE N I E D

New Book Arrivals

DENIED

REJECTED

ON THE COVER: Cased image.

Unidentified solider with his hand on a bible. Sixth-plate ambrotype on ruby glass with applied color ACWM Collection: 0985.13.02062

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Recent Acquisition

One Can Never be too Well Dressed When the Cannons

Roar!

By Robert Hancock

The dressing case of Colonel John Fitzroy de Courcy – this dressing case contained everything a gentleman might need to make himself presentable either in the parlor or on the battlefield.

Image: ACWM, 2021.24 (Above right) Lithograph of J. F. de Courcy, 1844.

Image: The British Museum. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 6

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When merely a lad, John Fitzroy

de Courcy (born 1821 to British parents in Corfu, Greece) joined the 47th Lancashire Regiment of Foot as an ensign. During the Crimean War (185356), he led Turkish Auxiliary Troops against the Russians. He served for a time in the West Indies then was sent as a stipendiary magistrate to San Juan Island, an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest off the coast of Washington State and Vancouver. It was there, in 1859, that De Courcy encountered Captain George Pickett. A long running dispute over ownership of the island existed between Great Britain and the United States. The British considered the American settlers squatters and De Courcy was to have them forcibly evicted if necessary. When De Courcy gave his ultimatum, Pickett (backed up by his company of U.S. regulars and a couple of cannon) flatly refused.

However, in an effort to avoid yet another costly war with the U.S., a peaceable solution was found. A contingent of Royal Marines were plopped down on the opposite side of the island, and they called it a day.

Two years later, both Pickett and De Courcy found themselves on opposite sides of another conflict, though they did not come face-to-face this time.

In the first year of the Civil War, De Courcy offered his services to the U.S. government, and he was made colonel of the 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

George Pickett is best remembered for the famous charge at Gettysburg which to this day (rightly or wrongly) bears his name.

De Courcy was a fop as only an Anglo-Irish aristocrat could be. He was described as “tall and thin and pompous.” Apparently, he was nothing much to look at, either. The daughter of the U.S. Secretary of State described De Courcy as having a face that looked “like a rocky beach.” She was also put off by his bad eye from a wound he had received earlier in his career.

Leading American volunteers was quite different from leading British regulars or even Turkish auxiliaries. De Courcy’s form of discipline was seen by many under his command as “cruel.” Once he had whipped them into shape, however, the regiment, now quite proud of their martial talents, modified their assessment to “cruel, but fair.”

First, following the Army of the Ohio to secure the Cumberland Gap in Tennessee (then subsequently losing it), De Courcy, now a brigade commander, went with William T. Sherman to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where they were soundly beaten at Chickasaw Bayou.

Whether from frustration or ill health, De Courcy took a leave of absence.

Returning to duty the summer of 1863, De Courcy found himself once more at

Cumberland Gap which was firmly in Confederate hands. De Courcy was now serving under Major General Ambrose Burnside, probably best known for his impressive sideburns and for having lost the battle of Fredericksburg. De Courcy occupied the northern end of the gap while Brigadier General James M. Shackelford held the southern end.

Shackelford wrote to De Courcy telling him to make sure that all roads out of the gap were covered by his men so as to prevent any Confederates escaping.

Insulted by Shackelford’s seemingly impertinent message, De Courcy shot back his own impertinent reply.

“From certain directions and instructions which you give me in your written communication, I fear you have not been made acquainted, by those who might continued on next page

de Courcy was described as “tall and thin and pompous” with a face “like a rocky beach.”

Carte-de-Viste photograph of de Courcy, (n.d.).

Image: Michael Wood, www.mkwe.com

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continued from previous page

have done so, that I am fully acquainted with all the roads and localities on both sides of the gap, and further, that I have been in the military profession almost continuously ever since my sixteenth year.

For the above reasons I was chosen, I believe, by General Burnside, and appointed to this independent command, receiving directly from him verbal, but not detailed, instructions, as I believe he trusted to my experience and local knowledge.”

Major General Ambrose Burnside, c. 1860.

Image: Library of Congress

Brigadier General James M. Shackleford. (n.d.)

Image: unknown

Dismissing Shackelford’s interference, De Courcy set about organizing his forces. His command was small and the Confederates held a naturally strong position. Not wanting a repeat of the Chickasaw Bayou fiasco, he decided to try and outwit the Confederates. Knowing that Confederate spies were everywhere, he had his men shuffle their regimental cap insignia around, mixing up the numbers, to give the appearance of many more regiments than there actually were. He also marched his men in view of the Confederate forces then circled them back around to do it again. He did the same with the few cannons he possessed. Having impressed the Confederates into thinking he had more men than he did, he demanded the Confederates surrender. Shackelford was annoyed by De Courcy’s preemptive parleys with the enemy as he, Shackelford, was the senior officer. At one point, the Confederates were accosted from both sides of the Gap with demands for their surrender. To press his advantage, De Courcy tried to sweeten the deal by sending a supply of whiskey to the Confederate commander.

Panoramic view of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, c. 1860.

Image: The New York Public Library

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The booze notwithstanding, the Confederates, surrounded and with no reinforcements coming, capitulated. De Courcy marched his men triumphantly into the Confederate defenses and accepted their surrender. The Confederates were surprised to find that De Courcy had only three regiments with him instead of the sixteen they had imagined. On finding the Confederate commander lying on a bench and “snoring stentoriously,” De Courcy was heard to comment: “The whiskey worked.”

Burnside, when he finally arrived, immediately placed De Courcy under arrest! Shackelford had complained of De Courcy’s impertinence (and was probably jealous of his success), so Burnside charged De Courcy with insubordination. The charge never came to anything, and the matter was quietly dropped. De Courcy, however, had had enough of these silly Americans and left the country. They would just have to try and win the war without his help.

De Courcy continued his British service as a colonial administrator and in 1875, became the 31st Baron Kingsale, the oldest extant peerage in Ireland. He died in 1890. END Robert Hancock is the ACWM Senior Curator and Director of Collections.

A Picture to Remember You The ACWM’s Cased Image Collection

By Robert Hancock Photos: ACWM Collection T HE A MERIC A N CIV IL WA R MUSEUM

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The photographic arts were only a few decades old by the time of the Civil War, but they had caught the public’s imagination.

Compared to today’s easily accessible and seemingly inexhaustible digital images, there is a uniqueness and–dare I say it–a preciousness to these photographs that are now more than a century and a half old.

Each photograph is unique. There are no copies.

The passing decades have imbued these images with a sense of mystery.

Who were these people and why did they choose that particular moment in their lives to visit a photographer and have their likeness captured for posterity? For many of these sitters, it was probably the first (and possibly the last) time having their picture taken.

The ACWM’s collection of more than 7,000 images spans the decades of photographic history. Contained on these pages is a small sampling of the more than 300 cased images in the collection. The photographs are classified by plate (image) size, a whole plate measuring approximately 6½” x 8½” with subsequent sizes as fractions thereof: half-plate, quarter-plate, sixth-plate, etc., with the smallest—“gem size”— measuring a mere 1” x 1 ¼”.

There is only one thing I wish for, and that is your likeness, if I had only that I could look at you whenever I wanted to.

David R. Garrett, 6th TX Cavalry

Jabez Hogg (left) photographs William Johnson in 1843.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-NC-SA Cover image: Unidentified woman.

Ninth-plate ambrotype with applied color.

FIC2009.00140

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Micajah H. Clark Sixth-plate daguerreotype with hand-coloring 0985.14.137

Daguerreotypes were made using a copper plate sensitized to light with a coating of silver iodide polished to a mirror finish.

Exposure times varied from between five and forty seconds. Thus, the subject had to sit very still, resulting in rather stiff, unsmiling poses. To develop the photograph, the silvered copper plate was exposed to mercury vapors until the image appeared. Because the resulting photo was a direct positive on the plate, the image was laterally reversed so that, for instance, a wedding ring would appear to be on the right hand instead of the left. Daguerreotypes are named after the Frenchman, Louis Daguerre, who developed the first practical images using this process.

Mary Slaughter Half-plate ambrotype with hand-coloring 2014.17.3

Ambrotypes were created using a wet plate collodion process, which meant that the glass plate was still wet with a cellulose nitrate (collodion) solution when it was exposed in the camera. The resulting image appeared as a negative on the glass which, when backed by a piece of blackpainted paper, created the positive image.

Sometimes the image was exposed onto colored “ruby” glass. Like daguerreotypes, the ambrotype was a unique, one of a kind image. By the late 1850s, the ambrotype, producing a clearer image and not requiring the use of toxic mercury, had supplanted the daguerreotype.

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Bella Jenkins Ninth-plate tintype 1998.10.9

Tintypes, or ferrotypes, also used a wet plate collodion process, but this time the image was imprinted onto a thin sheet of iron (not tin as the name suggests). Less fragile than glass ambrotypes, they were cheaper to produce than either of the other two processes.

Unidentified Confederate Soldier 0985.7.239

The developed photographic plate was housed in a hinged case, hence the term “cased image.” The photograph was covered by a piece of protective glass, held in place by a decorative gold mat, and the inside case lid had a padded cloth liner.

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0985.1.89 (left)

Most cases were made of wood covered in tooled leather or embossed paper to simulate leather.

0985.1.97 (right)

“Union” cases, an early form of thermoplastic, were an American invention from the 1850s. They were a mixture of shellac and sawdust heated and pressed into a steel mold. They could be quite elaborate geometric designs, interwoven floral motifs, or even allegorical scenes.

Abraham Lincoln Sixteenth-plate ambrotype Roderick Cole, photographer 2021.21.1

This image of Abraham Lincoln was probably taken by Roderick (or Henry H.) Cole of Peoria, Illinois, in 1859, while Lincoln was on the campaign trail. This was before he grew his familiar beard and before the strain of war had deeply lined his face.

What is a sixteenth-plate?

Jefferson Davis Half-plate daguerreotype Montgomery Pike Simmons, photographer 1976.31.1

This photograph is attributed to the photographer Montgomery Pike Simmons of Richmond, Virginia, and was taken before the war when Davis was serving as Secretary of War of the United States under President Franklin Pierce.

Based on a standard whole-plate size, smaller sizes were cut proportionally from the glass or metal plate, to which the light sensitive emulsion was applied. The sixteenth-plate size was popular with soldiers allowing them to carry a photograph of a loved one.

Whole-plate: Half-plate: Quarter-plate: Sixth-plate: Ninth-plate: Sixteenth-plate:

Acutal size of a sixteenth-plate

6 ½” x 8 ½” 4 ¼” x 5 ½” 3 ¼” x 4 ¼” 2 ¾” x 3 ¼” 2”x 2 ½” 1 ½” x 1 ¾”

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Thomas Taylor

Half-plate ambrotype (image actual-size) 0985.5.167

One of the most iconic photographs of the period is this image of Thomas Taylor, who served in the 8th Louisiana Infantry.

Careful observers will notice that his rifle-musket appears to have the lock on the wrong side—the result of the image being reversed. The photographer had Taylor sling his equipment on the opposite shoulders, but there was nothing to be done about the musket. Based on the temporary backdrop used by the photographer, this image might have been taken in the field.

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Cornelius Meller

Ann Carter Bryan

Meller probably had this tintype made of himself in his army greatcoat sometime shortly after his enlistment in the 73rd New York Volunteer Infantry in 1861.

Bryan was photographed at the age of 16 (ca 1858). Four short years later, she died of Typhoid fever.

Woman with Infant

Unidentified USCT Soldier

The discomfort of holding still for a prolonged period was especially intense for squirming children and the adults responsible for holding them. The unidentified woman in this photograph did not succeed entirely; the child apparently lost a shoe and moved enough to blur a hand and foot.

Unfortunately, the identity of this soldier, serving with a United States Colored Troops regiment is lost in time. Unlike photographs printed on paper, cased images had no convenient place to record the name of the person represented, so many remain unidentified.

Sixth-plate tintype with hand-coloring 2022.1.1

Quarter-plate ambrotype with hand-coloring 1998.8.3

Quarter-plate ambrotype on ruby glass with hand-coloring 1966.015.00001

Sixth-plate tintype with hand-coloring TRE2006.14.5

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Unidentified Militia Soldier Sixth-plate daguerreotype with hand-coloring TRE2021.7.1

This is an extremely rare prewar image of an African-American militia soldier.

Based on his epaulettes and sword, he is probably an officer. Before the war, there were a number of independent militias composed entirely of black soldiers.

Despite their training, they were not allowed to volunteer for military service until the government lifted the restrictions preventing black men enlisting.

Christopher Columbus Taylor, James D. Jackson, and James H. Porter Half-plate ambrotype with hand-coloring 0985.3.306

This photograph was taken in or around Richmond sometime during the winter of 186162. The three men served in the 3rd Georgia Volunteers as shown by the insignia on the front of Jackson’s hat—reversed in the ambrotype.

Taylor died of his wounds and Jackson was killed at the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862.

Taylor and Jackson were half-brothers. Porter’s fate is a mystery. He is on the company’s roll for July 1, but disappears from the records after that.

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Her likeness is almost a companion to me, so lifelike and natural. Bless the dear heart.

She has no idea what a treasure she was giving me when she gave me the original.

Lt. Albion Tourgee, 105th Ohio Volunteers

Unidentified Child

Ninth-plate ambrotype on ruby glass 0985.13.2061

This cased image was found on the battlefield of Port Republic, Virginia, between the bodies of two soldiers—one Confederate, one Union. To this day she remains unidentified.

See more cased images in the ACWM Collections database.

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Restoring Our National Historic Landmark As we deliver on our mission to explore the stories and legacies of the Civil War, we remain very thankful for the generosity of our patrons. This support allows us to continue to provide educational programming as well as expand our world-class collection of artifacts. A significant part of our work at ACWM is restoration and preservation. We are excited to share that a generous patron has offered to match, dollar for dollar, any donation made towards the restoration of our largest artifact, the White House of the Confederacy. With the added help of this anonymous donor, any contribution you can make now will go even further.

In 1818, the president of the First Bank of Virginia, John Brockenbrough, commissioned legendary architect Robert Mills—the man behind the Washington Monument, the U.S. Treasury Building, and Richmond’s Monumental Church—to design him a home. The resulting property is still one of the finest examples of 19th century American architecture and has stood as a witness to history for 200 years.

Serving as the Confederate Executive Mansion, the Headquarters of Union forces during reconstruction, and one of the first public schools in Richmond after the war, the house at 1201 East Clay Street has seen two centuries of American and Richmond history.

The restoration of this National Historic Landmark is one of the key goals for the ACWM. With your help we will begin repairs of the steam room roof—a necessary initiative if we are to save this part of the home—as well as a continuing project to maintain the historically accurate painting of the exterior.

Restoring a structure with such a storied history is an ongoing commitment.

The impeccable facilities team of the ACWM contend with the ever-present foes of historic homes—moisture and UV light—masterfully, but the resources your contribution can provide will allow them to ensure this iconic home remains accessible for generations to come.

If you would like to donate, and double the impact of our gift by participating in this challenge match, donate online at ACWM.org, or call Jake Huff, Member & Donor Coordinator at (804) 649-1861 Ext. 144.

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MIS EN BOUTEILLE AU CHÂTEAU

THE ACWM VAU M O LT FR

LA E PO VIE EST TROP COURT N I UR BOIRE DU MAUVAIS V D ÉP O

150cl

SÉ

Life is too short to drink bad wine

12.5% VOL

In

the early 1980s during the 12-year restoration of the historic White House, a limited amount of archeology was conducted in the basement. Trenches were dug for the new air conditioning ductwork, and two rooms were completely excavated. Based on the artifacts found, one room was determined to be the butler’s pantry, or servery, where meals were staged before being taken to one of the two dining rooms.

The other was the wine cellar located on the north side of the house beneath the front portico. Several broken wine bottles were found in situ under the remains of the school period brick floor. One bottle had the seal of Château Margaux.

Château Margaux was (and is) located in the Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France. It seems that Bordeaux has always known wine. Red table wines were exported to grace the groaning boards of King Richard the Lion Heart. John Adams was a great fan of Bordeaux wines. Over the centuries a 265-hectares hillock in the Médoc was transformed into the wine producing estate of Château Margaux. In 1855, Château Margaux was one of four estates given Premier Cru status (along with Château Lafite, Haut-Brion, and Latour), signifying the high quality of their wines. continued on next page

(Left) Wine bottle fragments found during excavation. Photo: ACWM (Top) Title Illustration: John Dixon, ACWM

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Champagne Rennes Orleans

Nantes

Dijon

Poitiers

Médoc wine region

Lyon

Limoges Auvergne

Bordeaux

Toulouse

continued from previous page

So, what does finding the remains of a bottle of Château Margaux in the basement of the house tell us? Well, first it tells us that someone was very clumsy. Second, someone in that house had expensive tastes. Who that was, we do not know, but it certainly was not Jefferson Davis whose tastes were pedestrian, at best. Perhaps his wife, Varina, who loved to entertain in high style, was able to procure a few bottles. Or perhaps the U.S. officers who lived and worked in the house immediately after the war enjoyed a glass or two with dinner.

Château Margaux wines are not meant to be consumed young and vastly improve with age. The earliest tasting notes I could find was for an 1870 vintage, apparently a very good year for red Bordeaux. The dust of 130 years was blown off and the cork popped in 2006. The tasters had the following to say about it: “The color of tea. Potent, earthy, truffle, spice, tea, leather, and tobacco notes were only the first scents to arrive. This elegant, soft, polished wine ended with a parade of fresh, ripe strawberries and raspberries in a rich syrupy texture. 100 points.”

At the time of writing, a bottle of the 1870 will cost you between $9,000 and $11,000 dollars.

À votre santé!

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The White House of the Confederacy on East Clay St. in Richmond, Va. The fragments of the wine bottle were found in the basement below the north entrance (pictured).

Photo: John Dixon, ACWM

Montpellier

Legacies of the American Civil War

D E N IEEDD

I D E N T E C D REJE NIED DENIDEEDD

E I N DE DED D E I N E N I E E N D D I D D E E T D C T E J E C R E NIE DD ENDIED REJ REJEC NIED T E E E D D I N E D The 14-Years D E T C E Battle with J E R D E I REJthe ECDBureau TEN of

by Dr. Holly A. Pinheiro, Jr.

ED

In 1907, Henry Johnson, a physically disabled resident in the Hudson County Almshouse, pleaded with the Bureau of Pensions to reconsider rejecting his numerous invalid pension applications. “I am now 62 years of age, and being crippled, would kindly beg of you to send to me my discharge…” Johnson, who served in the Thirty-First United States Colored Infantry (USCI), hoped his ongoing sixyear-long petitions would finally get approved. Unfortunately for Johnson, the Bureau of Pensions never approved any of Johnson’s applications. Moreover, their multi-year rejections illustrate that the Black veteran battled for access to a federally funded social welfare program, medical care, and the acknowledgment of his wartime sacrifices decades after the Civil War ended.

When twenty-three-year-old Johnson exchanged his civilian life as a coachman to enlist on January 21, 1864, he had no idea of his lifelong hardships. Records do not reveal his possible motivations for enrolling. Nor is there any information on how his family responded to, or possibly supported, Johnson’s soldiering. Still, there is no doubt that there were people who cared about him.

Pensions

continued on next page

The hospital at City Point, VA where Johnson was taken after suffering a ruptured leg from excessive marching.

Image: Library of Congress

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Legacies of the American Civil War continued from previous page

Johnson’s military experience allowed him to assume a new identity and responsibilities as he trained. Perhaps he envisioned fighting Confederates in a military engagement where the U.S. Army was victorious. Nevertheless, for Johnson, that never happened. By April, the Thirty-First USCI deployed to Richmond, Virginia, where Johnson incurred a ruptured leg, due to excessive marching, that eventually sent him to the City Point regimental hospital.

Fellow Black soldier, David Houseman, confirmed that Johnson was prone to falling out of the ranks due to his physical ailment.

Many U.S. Army soldiers of all races avoided visiting medical doctors out of legitimate concerns about mistreatment and questionable practices during various medical procedures that led to a significant number of surgeries and deaths upon entering a military hospital. Thankfully for Johnson, he did not endure such experiences while seeking medical care, and he successfully returned to the ranks around June 29.

Johnson was back in a Virginia hospital (most likely due to chronic diarrhea) in Alexandria by September.

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According to Johnson, an unnamed doctor examined and approved his medical discharge during this hospital stint. The U.S. Army disagreed, and it categorized Johnson as a deserter. By giving Johnson the designation of a deserter, the U.S. Army saddled him with a classification that some Americans (then and now) viewed negatively. Some people questioned and derided the manhood and patriotism of deserters like Johnson by referring to them as cowards and traitors for supposedly being derelict in their gendered and national obligations.

What many people condemning deserters often failed to realize was that enlisted men had a multitude of reasons to end their military service on their own terms. Sometimes it was due to Black soldiers not receiving their various enlistment bounties (federal and local), enduring months without getting their military wages, dealing with racism inside and outside the military, or obtaining impassioned pleas from their kin who sought to have the them return home. None of these issues factored into Johnson’s case. Even so, to the U.S. War Department and the Pension Bureau, the particulars of Johnson’s desertion

were not as important, in their opinion, as the label he acquired.

As the years passed, the U.S. focused its attention on national reconciliation that primarily privileged whiteness. The politics of Civil War memory provided people (whether they wanted it or not) with a new battleground. From textbooks to monuments to various forms of “entertainment” there was a collectively promoted white-centric historical narrative that populated nearly every corner of the U.S. Sadly, due to the sustained efforts across multiple generations, the wartime sacrifices of Black Civil War soldiers and their kin often went unnoticed or faded overtime.

Even with all of its exclusionary problems (of which there were numerous), Civil War pensions provided many Black veterans and their kin with an unlikely ally in their public memory fight. Did the Civil War pensions openly discriminate against many women, Black families, and working poor individuals who sought to become pensioners? Sadly, the answer is yes. However, by documenting the lived experiences, even in continued on page 24

The disability certificate issued to James Jones, who served in the 8th Regimental U.S. Color Troops, in 1892.

The discharge certificate for Private Moses Whitehead of the 35th U.S. Colored Troops issued in 1864.

Detail image: ACWM Collection. TRE2006.002.2562

Detail image: ACWM Collection. TRE2006.002.762

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Legacies of the American Civil War

Fatigue Duty This photograph of Black soldiers burying the dead was taken at Cold Harbor, VA, in 1864. Johnson’s regiment, the 31st United States Colored Infantry (USCI), along with the 20 th and 26th USCI, were the three Black regiments from New York to serve in the war. They were charged with “fatigue duty,” taxing manual labor which included ditch and latrine digging, building fortifications, and burying dead bodies. Though not engaged in combat, the soldiers suffered significant losses due to diseases contracted from the unsanitary work. This photograph is mostly likely of Johnson’s regiment.

Image: Library of Congress

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the case of rejected applications, the federal government recorded and preserved extensive evidence of the prominent and multifaceted roles that Black people played throughout the long-Civil War era. Moreover, the federal government’s actions, perhaps unbeknownst to many individuals within the Pension Bureau, were directly refuting, across multiple generations, the Lost Cause myth as it acknowledged the Families’ Cause (referring to Black families using Civil War pensions to challenge the white-led assertion that Black participation in the Civil War was of minimal significance or non-existent).

Before the 1890 Disability and Dependent Civil War pension law passed by the U.S. Congress, becoming a pensioner was extremely difficult for individuals hoping to receive a pension.

After the 1890 Civil War pension law, pension applicants spiked exponentially.

One reason for the significant increase in Invalid or veteran applications was the federal law stipulating that any honorably discharged Civil War-era U.S. veteran, regardless of race who served for at least ninety days, automatically became pension-eligible.

Given that Henry Johnson never applied for a pension until 1893, it is reasonable to speculate that the 1890 pension law directly influenced his decision to apply. When Johnson finally applied for an Invalid Pension, he emphasized that he was suffering from a ruptured leg and chronic diarrhea. By submitting his application, Johnson informed the federal government that, in his advanced age, he felt that they owed him both financial compensation and access to federally funded medical care. At the same time, submitting the pension application also meant that he opened up his life (in and outside of the U.S. Army) to the federal government as it assessed the “legitimacy” of the case.

After examining the case,which included a recent medical examination of Henry Johnson and additional testimonies provided by two USCT veterans, who confirmed that his physical disabilities occurred during the Civil War, the Pension Bureau rejected his application.

Even with multiple pieces of evidence that corroborated Johnson’s physical disabilities, in the opinion of the Pension Bureau, his case ultimately came down to one fact; Johnson was, according to

Grand Army of the Republic membership badge.

Image: ACWM Collections.

TRE2006.002.1134

G.A.R Veterans Veterans of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines created a fraternal society named the Grand Army of the Republic.

Started in 1866 in Illinois, the group grew to over 400,000 members by 1890 and was the largest of all the Union veteran groups. The organization disbanded in 1956, after the last member died. They were a powerful political lobby organization that pushed for veteran pensions. This image shows Black G.A.R. members at a parade in New York City, 1912.

Image: Library of Congress

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the U.S. War Department, a deserter.

It did not matter that Johnson suffered from multiple physical ailments that jeopardized his finances while making his civilian life difficult. Nor did it matter that Joseph Rios, a USCT veteran, stated that Johnson’s wartime physical disabilities were directly responsible for his inability to resume steady wage-earning employment for decades after the Civil War ended.

The rejection must have frustrated Johnson, but it did not deter him. The following year, he filed another pension application. Johnson provided more details on the circumstances that were, in his opinion, the most likely culprit for the U.S. War Department’s decision to label him as a deserter. He noted that many people, either USCT veterans or military medical professionals, were by 1894, dead, which made it nearly impossible to provide corroborating evidence.

He then implored the presiding pension agent to show mercy due to his physical ailments that were becoming so pervasive and constant that he found it challenging to stand.

As numerous historians note, most pension agents (white men) overseeing cases involving African Americans usually ended with formal and de facto rejections. Additionally, various pension agents used their position to express and document their anti-Black views in the pension cases even though they had no place in the pension application process.

While this was, unfortunately, the norm for numerous African American applicants, Henry Johnson’s case provides a unique counterpoint.

In short, the pension agent stated that he believed Johnson, and the corroborating evidence, were legitimate.

The pension agent then inquired with his superiors about possibly ignoring Johnson’s deserter label and approved the Invalid application. The Commissioner of Pensions bluntly stated that the deserter designation remained unchanged. Therefore, they denied his application. Even with the rejection, Johnson’s case provides at least one example of individuals within the Pension Bureau disagreeing on whether

Johnson’s deserter categorization should negatively impact his life after the war.

Johnson refused to accept the Pension Bureau’s second rejection of his case, and he applied for a third consecutive year. As Johnson notified the pension agent that the medical doctor who medically discharged him was no longer alive, exasperation bubbled over. Many pension applicants,regardless of race or gender, experienced the difficulty of being able to find critical witnesses to corroborate their claims, especially as the decades passed. Ultimately, the Pension Bureau did not render a decision, which meant that rather than receiving the designation of a pensioner,including all of the privileges that came with it, Johnson remained, in the federal government’s opinion, a deserter.

Johnson made his final attempt to become a Civil War pensioner when he applied in 1907. He reiterated to the pension agent the circumstances that led to his wartime physical disabilities and eventual medical discharge from the (now deceased) medical doctor. Unlike his previous applications, Johnson stressed that he received a discharge in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1865. The mustering out location that Johnson recalled was where contingents of the Thirty-First USCI mobilized. Thus, it is entirely plausible that regimental officials sent Johnson, and any other ailing Thirty-First USCI soldiers, to Hartford as they transitioned back to civilian life.

Perhaps in a gasp of desperation, he begged the pension agent to show mercy on him and, even though the pension agent did not have the authority to do so, grant Johnson an honorable discharge so that he could receive a pension.

Rather than callously deny Johnson’s last-ditch effort, the pension agent wrote his superiors at the Pension Bureau inquiring if they would remove the desertion categorization so that he could finally approve the application.

The Pension Bureau never responded.

Henry Johnson’s case ended, and he, sadly, faded from the historical record.

While Henry Johnson is in no way representative of the USCT veteran or African American experience, he does

provide a case study of how one USCT veteran engaged in a decades-long battle over the consequences of his military service and the public memory of the Civil War. When Johnson enlisted in 1864, he had no idea that his soldiering experience would cause him lifelong hardships that impacted nearly every aspect of his adult life.

Another unique aspect of Johnson’s case centers on the differing viewpoints within the U.S. War Department on Johnson being a deserter. Two USCT veterans and a pension agent collectively refused, for differing reasons, to view Johnson as a social pariah who was, theoretically, unpatriotic and void of his masculinity. They believed that he deserved access to a pension. However, for the Pension Bureau, removing (or ignoring) the desertion label was non-negotiable.

His case also highlights how the Civil War pension system denotes the lasting impact of the Civil War on the minds, bodies, emotions, finances, and living situations of people, including Henry Johnson, in ways that war propagandists and the federal government could never envision during the war. END Dr. Holly A. Pinheiro, Jr. is an Assistant Professor of African American History in the Department of History at Furman University and author of The Families’ Civil War: Black Soldiers and The Fight for Racial Justice.

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Harper’s Ferry The Confluence of Strategy and Luck

By Samantha Barrett

Civil War Outdoors Series Getting outside and walking where people in the past walked, experiencing the topography, and seeing the landscape can help us connect with the past in new and different ways.

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For a place so small and seemingly insignificant, Harper’s Ferry played an outsized role in the Civil War. With its placement on the border between Union and Confederacy, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, connections with the B&O Railroad and C&O Canal, and the location of a Federal arsenal and armory, Harper’s Ferry was one of the most strategically important locations of the Civil War. This fact was demonstrated by how many times it was fought over and captured throughout the conflict. By the end of the war this had occurred eight times. continued on next page

A view of current-day Harper’s Ferry from Maryland Heights.

Photo: B. Secor, NPS Volunteer

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continued from previous page

Today Harper’s Ferry is not just full of history. It is also an epicenter of outdoor adventure. Because of its placement between the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, there are many opportunities for water sports, like kayaking and whitewater rafting. There are also dozens of trails around the area, including two of the United States’ most famous long distance trails, the C&O Canal Trail and the Appalachian Trail, which actually runs through the town itself. However, my personal favorite is the Maryland Heights Trail, which takes you up onto Elk Mountain across the Potomac from the town. Maryland Heights gives you that classic view of Harper’s Ferry between the two rivers. What makes this trail even more special is the history of Elk Mountain and Maryland Heights during the Civil War. With its location directly above Harper’s Ferry and the Potomac River, the heights were important for defending the town and the river. If you wanted to control the town and river, you needed to have control of Maryland Heights. So, when the Union Army retook Harper’s Ferry in 1862, they began building fortifications on Elk Mountain in order to strengthen their position.

Unfortunately for the Union Army, General Lee decided to invade Maryland in September before they had a chance to complete the fortifications, and this left Harper’s Ferry vulnerable to attack. Lee knew that, if captured, Harper’s Ferry would be a valuable prize, supplying the Confederates with much needed weaponry, and preventing the U.S. Army to garrison troops and interfere with Confederate movements in northern territory. Lee, therefore, decided to divide his army and send three generals: Jackson, McLaws, and Walker to capture Harper’s Ferry.

Harper’s Ferry is surrounded by three primary mountains, or “heights”: Loudon Heights, Bolivar Heights, and Maryland Heights. All three of these heights are essential to the strategic defense of the town, so one would think any commander in charge of protecting Harper’s Ferry would have made it a top priority to put strong defenses on these heights. However, the

Col. Dixon S. Miles, U.S., in Harper’s Ferry, ca. 1861. As commander, he was unable to defend the city resulting in the surrender of more than 12,000 U.S. soldiers.

Miles died from a exploding shell on September 16, 1862, just prior to the surrender.

Photo: Library of Congress

continued on page 31

(Left) Harper’s Ferry after the Confederate retreat in 1861. (Right) The arsenal ruins in 1862. Images: Library of Congress 28

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A journal notation and map illustrated by Robert Knox Sneden documents the engagement details between forces on September 14—15, 1862.

Image: Library of Congress

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(Left) Looking west, the rock cliffs of Maryland Heights provide an expansive current-day view of the Appalachian Trail, C&O towpath and Potomac River below.

Photo: Samantha Barrett (Below) A U.S. military map (detail) surveyed from August 3 to Sept. 20, 1863.

Image: Library of Congress

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commander at Harper’s Ferry, Col. Dixon Miles, did not do this. Maryland Heights was only lightly defended with some rudimentary stone walls, trenches, abatises, and a handful of cannon. He did not even bother putting defenses on Loudon Heights at all, and almost all of the troops placed on Maryland Heights were green recruits. Bolivar Heights was the only place Miles seemed to think was important, so he put the majority of his men and artillery there. On September 12-15, 1862, this lack of foresight and preparation on Col. Miles’ part would prove to be a very costly mistake.

engineer corps and several pieces of small cannon drawn up, mostly by hand, and placed in such position as to sweep the garrison below.”

The capture of Maryland Heights, along with the movement of troops to strategic positions surrounding the town, meant that Col. Miles now had no way out, so he and his officers decided to surrender on September 15th. As a result, over 12,000 Union soldiers were captured along with 73 artillery pieces, 13,000 small arms, and other supplies. This would end up being the largest surrender of US troops in history until World War II.

…the men had to pull themselves up precipitous inclines by the twigs and undergrowth that lined the mountain side…

When Lee split his army at Frederick, Maryland, he sent Gen. Lafayette McLaws’ The victory may have come Division south to take at a larger, strategic price, Maryland Heights. In order however, as the majority to do that, on September of the Confederates had to 12 McLaws had Kershaw’s —Capt. Augustus Dickert, CS immediately move out from South Carolinians and Harper’s Ferry on September Barksdale’s Mississippians 16 to help Lee make a stand climb up Elk Mountain from the east, then, “march” on the banks of a creek called Antietam. By the time south, climbing along the ridgeline. In his History of they arrived at Antietam Creek on the 17th, these men Kershaw’s Brigade, Capt. Augustus Dickert describes would have been exhausted after five days of, as Capt. this march.

Dickert put it, “… incessant marching and fighting over mountain heights, rugged gorges, wading rivers – all on The width of the crest was not more than fifty yards the shortest of rations…”, so it is no surprise that they in places, and along this Kershaw had to move in line may not have had it in them to crush a Union force of battle, Barksdale’s Brigade in reserve…Over such almost twice as large as theirs. obstacles as were encountered and the difficulties and dangers separating the different troops, a line of battle By doing the Maryland Heights hike you can see and never before made headway as did those of Kershaw experience the terrain in much the same way the and the troops under McLaws. We met the enemy’s soldiers did. There are two options with varying levels skirmishers soon after turning to the left on Elk Ridge, and of difficulty. From the Lower Town area of Harper’s all along the whole distance of five miles we were more or Ferry, the Maryland Heights Trail is 4.5 miles out less harassed by them. During the march of the 12th the and back and takes you to the cliffs overlooking the men had to pull themselves up precipitous inclines by the town and rivers, but off of this trail there is the Stone twigs and undergrowth that lined the mountain side, or Fort Loop, which adds 2 miles, and takes you up to hold themselves in position by the trees in front. the top of Elk Mountain where the fortifications are.

The Maryland Heights out and back is a moderate The next day, Kershaw and Barksdale’s men continued hike, while the Stone Fort Loop is strenuous with a their climb up Elk Mountain, skirmishing all along the very steep climb both up and down. To give you a way, until they reached the Federal defenses close better idea of how steep it is, the Stone Fort Loop to the summit. These were well defended at first, has about 600 ft of elevation gain in only half a mile. but after fighting for nine hours the Union troops In fact, when President Lincoln came to check out the were overwhelmed and forced to fall back across the newly built fortifications in October of 1862, he made Potomac to Harper’s Ferry. Now that they held the it to where the Stone Fort Loop starts and decided high ground on Maryland Heights, the Confederates to turn around when presented with the prospect of needed a way to utilize it to support Generals Walker making the climb. and Jackson across the rivers on Loudon and Bolivar Heights, so McLaws had artillery pieces taken up That being said, the Stone Fort Loop is definitely worth that night. Capt. Dickert wrote, “During the night a it if you are interested in the full historical experience. road was cut to the top of Maryland Heights by our continued on next page

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The first time I did the entire hike, I was struck by just how difficult it would have been to fortify or attack this mountain effectively.

It will also give you a new appreciation for the sheer physical fitness and grit required of the common Civil War soldier. Anyone occupying Elk Mountain would have had to haul almost everything up to the top, mostly by hand, including cannons weighing multiple tons and hundreds of gallons of water and pounds of food every week. And, as we heard from Capt. Dickert, anyone trying to attack would have had either miles of intense hiking or cliffs to climb in order to reach the top.

Some of the historical highlights along the route include the Naval Battery, and several other batteries, built after the Union recapture of Harper’s Ferry following Antietam; the remains of the early fortifications; the Stone Fort at the top of Elk Mountain; and the Maryland Heights overlook. The 4.5 mile hike takes only a few hours to complete, and for the entire 6.5-mile hike, I would

plan on it taking at least four hours. Also, make sure to carry water with you as there is only one stream on this trail, and it is close to the beginning of the hike.

Back across the Potomac, Harper’s Ferry has a plethora of other historical sites and restaurants to check out, including multiple places you can grab a delicious ice cream cone after your strenuous journey. I would highly recommend visiting during peak leaf season and staying for a weekend at one of the local bed and breakfasts so that you can enjoy all that Harper’s Ferry has to offer at its most beautiful time of year. END Samantha Barrett is an ACWM Education Outreach Specialist

New Arrivals Shop online @ ACWM.ORG

All Roads Led to Gettysburg: A New Look at the Civil War’s Pivotal Battle

By Troy D. Harman Contrary to the trope that Gettysburg was an accidental battlefield, Troy D. Harman argues for a new interpretation: once Lee invaded Pennsylvania and the Union army pursued, a battle at Gettysburg was entirely predictable, perhaps inevitable.

Hardcover: 360 pages Publisher: Stackpole Books (August 2022) Member: $26.96, Retail: $29.95 SKU: 154878

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Fixing the Framers’ Failure: 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and America’s New Birth of Freedom

By Robert J. McWhirter

Civil War Monuments and Memory: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War

By Jon Tracey and Chris Mackowski

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ….” founded us on equality rather than ethnicity, liberty rather than race. The framers of these words failed to live up to their own words and resolve the conflict between freedom and slavery. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments emerged from the Civil War to fix this failure.

This collaborative work explores ways people monumented and memorialized the war and the impact of our understanding. Erecting monuments and memorials became a way to commemorate the past but also a tool for remembering a particular past. Monuments honor yet embody tension between history and remembrance.

Paperback: 294 pages Publisher: Twelve Tables Press (September 2022) Member: $22.46, Retail: $24.95 SKU: 154879

Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Savas Beatie (September 2022) Member: $26.96, Retail: $29.95 SKU: 154877

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And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle

By Jon Meachum This illuminating new portrait gives us a very human Lincoln—an imperfect man whose moral antislavery commitment, essential to the story of justice in America, began as he grew up in an antislavery Baptist community; who insisted that slavery was a moral evil; and who sought, as he put it, to do right as God gave him to see the right.

Publisher: Random House (October 2022) Hardcover: 720 pages Member: $36.00, Retail: $40.00 SKU: 154865

Black Homesteaders of the South

By Bernice Alexander Bennett Even though their names were never mentioned alongside the other rugged heroes of frontier lore, a startling number of homesteaders were Black men and women in the South, toiling on familiar land but now in unfamiliar fashion—as owners.

Paperback: 176 pages Publisher: The History Press (October 2022) Member: $21.59, Retail: $23.99 SKU: 154862

Soldiers from Experience: The Forging of Sherman’s Fifteenth Army Corps

Navigating Liberty: Black Refugees and Antislavery Reformers in the Civil War South

By Eric Michael Burke

By John Cimprich

Burke examines the tactical behavior and performance of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s Fifteenth US Army Corps during its first year fighting in the Western Theater.

He analyzes how specific experiences and patterns within the ranks led to distinctive corps-level tactical culture.

An analysis of the relationship between the formerly enslaved and northern reformers, Cimprich shows how the circumstances of emancipation in wartime presented new opportunities and spawned social movements for change yet produced intractable challenges and limited results.

Hardcover: 354 pages Publisher: LSU Press (October 2022) Member: $45.00, Retail: $50.00 SKU: 154864

Hardcover: 246 pages Publisher: LSU Press (November 2022) Member: $40.50, Retail: $45.00 SKU: 154863

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Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Religion and the Politics of Race in the Civil War Era and Beyond

By Steven L. Dundas Dundas deals with the struggle for abolition, emancipation, citizenship, and electoral franchise for Black Americans, and the fierce and often violent rollback following Reconstruction’s end, the civil rights movement, and the social and political implications today.

Hardcover: 424 pages Publisher: Potomac Books (October 2022) Member: $33.26, Retail: $36.95 SKU: 154866

When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on the Civilians Who Called It Home

The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865: A Study in Command

By Steven Cowie

By William Royston Geise

Using previously unused archival accounts and scores of primary sources such as letters, diaries, regimental histories, official reports, original maps, and photographs, When Hell Came to Sharpsburg investigates how the battle and opposing armies wreaked emotional, physical, and financial havoc on the people of Sharpsburg.

This intriguing book traces the evolution of Confederate command and how it affected the shifting strategic situation and general course of the war. Military field operations are discussed as needed, but Geise emphasizes the functioning of headquarters and staff—the central nervous system of any military command.

Hardcover: 552 pages Publisher: Savas Beatie (July 2022) Member: $31.46, Retail: $34.95 SKU: 154856

Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Savas Beatie (September 2022) Member: $29.66, Retail: $32.95 SKU: 154857

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Thirteen Months in Dixie: The Adventures of a Federal Prisoner in Texas

By Jeaninne Surette Honstein Honstein recounts Massachusetts artilleryman Oscar Federhen’s always thrilling and occasionally horrifying ordeals as a POW, an escapee trying to reach Union lines, a soldier with Rebel irregular cavalry, and a mistakenlyidentified deserter.

Hardcover: 168 pages Publisher: Savas Beatie (August 2022) Member: $26.96, Retail: $29.95 SKU: 154855

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Brady’s Civil War Journal: Photographing the War 1861-1865

By Theodore P. Savas Brady’s team not only captured thousands of portraits of the combatants, the generals, the fighting men, the sick, the dead, and the dying, but also documented the infrastructure of the war machine itself, recording images of artillery pieces, the early railroads, and extraordinary engineering feats.

Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Skyhorse (August 2022) Member: $26.99, Retail: $29.99 SKU: 154870

Administering Freedom: The State of Emancipation after the Freedmen’s Bureau

By Dale Kretz This book offers the definitive history of how formerly enslaved men and women pursued federal benefits from the Civil War to the New Deal and transformed themselves from a stateless people into documented citizens.

Paperback: 424 pages Pub.: Univ. of North Carolina Press (October 2022) Member: $35.96, Retail: $39.95 SKU: 154869

From Underground Railroad to Rebel Refuge: Canada and the Civil War

By Brian Martin A surprising 20,000 Canadians went south to take up arms on both sides of the conflict, while thousands of enslaved people, draft dodgers, deserters, recruiters, plotters, and spies fled northward to take shelter in the attic that is Canada.

Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: ECW Press (October 2022) Member: $17.96, Retail: $19.95 SKU: 154867

A Constant Reminder to All: Stonewall Jackson, The Lost Cause, and the Making of a West Virginia Idol

By Steven Cody Straley Through ceremonies, publications, and monuments, Lost Cause advocates created a romanticized image of Jackson as the model West Virginian—military hero and symbol of honor and integrity. The countless monuments to Stonewall Jackson in West Virginia serve as a reminder of the complicated history of the state and the nation.

Paperback: 190 pages Publisher: 35th Star Publishing (September 2022) Member: $14.36, Retail: $15.95

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2023 Symposium

The Civil War & Remaking America From Abolition to Reconstruction February 18, 2023 Join us for the 18th annual ACWM Symposium featuring lecturers from across the country. This year’s event offers an exclusive Collections Tour, a welcome reception with the speakers, and free admission to Museum exhibits.

Register today!

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