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Vol. 43, No. 12

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136th N-SSA Nationals

The Largest Event of its Kind WINCHESTER, Va.—On October 6-8, the North-South Skirmish Association held its 136th National Competition at its home range, Fort Shenandoah, near Winchester, Va. The 67-year-old Association is the oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization in the country. Over the years, the N-SSA has grown and expanded its matches to include live-fire competition with original or authentic reproduction Civil War period muskets, carbines, breech-loading rifles, revolvers, mortars, and cannon.

Nine team matches were held over the three-day weekend. The weather in the scenic Shenandoah Valley was perfect until the driving rain of tropical storm Nate arrived on Sunday; the day of the Rifle-Musket Team match, the N-SSA signature event. All targets are breakable and the pieces certainly flew as clay pigeons, ceramic tiles, and pot silhouettes were blasted by Minié balls at ranges of 50 and 100 yards.

The rain didn’t slow down the

N-SSA events include period clothing and costume events and competitions. These dresses exhibit the skill and detail involved in creating the period clothing.

(Ben Harris Jr.)

Tropical storm Nate didn’t deter the 5th Virginia Infantry during the musket match. Over 100 teams braved the storm.

(Ericka Hoffmann) consistently excellent 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) as they won the gold medal. They took the musket match with a time of 449.0 seconds for the five-event program, besting the next closest unit by a solid 20 seconds. A total of 107 soggy eight-member teams participated in this classic competition.

The 110th OVI struck gold again in the Smoothbore Musket Team match, beating 118 other units to finish first with a total time of 206.5 seconds and a hearty 30-second lead over the second place unit. This relatively new match has become increasingly popular and, as you can imagine, a really great test of skill. Competitors participated with many different firearms including the U.S. Model 1842; Confederate Macon Arsenal conversions of the Model 1842; the Hewes & Philips conversion of the U.S. Model 1816 (which features a rear sight), and the occasional European Potsdam in .72 caliber. The match consisted of four events, including the extra challenging silhouette of a tiny

clay pot at 25 yards and 6"x6" ceramic tiles at 50 yards.

Not to be denied, the indomitable 110th OVI won the Carbine Team match as well, with a time of 335.9 seconds, besting the next closest unit by a whopping 38 seconds. Smith carbines, many of them valuable originals, were a favorite in this match. Skirmishers also used Sharps’ carbines and you could often see Burnsides’, Maynard’s, and even muzzle-loading carbines and musketoons in this match of speed and accuracy.

Eighty-one four-member teams participated in the Revolver Team match of four events: 12 clay pigeons on a cardboard backer; eight hanging 6"x6" ceramic tiles; eight hanging clay pigeons and eight hanging 4"x4" ceramic tiles. The Nansemond Guards finished first and claimed the gold medals with a time of 114.2 seconds, a solid 26 seconds better than the second place team.

Three additional shoulder arm

H N-SSA

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48 Pages, December 2017

Franklin Civil War Round Table Celebrates its Tenth Year!

FRANKLIN, Tenn.—The Franklin Civil War Round Table (FCWRT) recently hosted a dinner banquet with entertainment provided by period musician and singer Bobby Horton as part of their Ten Year Anniversary celebration. The group began in a Franklin bookstore as a book club in 2006 and, after experiencing rapid growth, moved to a meeting facility in 2007 and started hosting Round Table lectures, tours, and related events. “Our intent was to ‘educate’ folks about the entire Civil War era while taking no positions or endorsing any group,” says founder Gregory Wade. “We want to explore tough issues in a dignified and well

largely independently. Cullen Smith, FC board member and an original member of the FCWRT says “the diversity of topics and presentations has ranged from the effect of weather on battles to medicine, and has to be one of the best curriculum’s around.”

Wade points out with pride the FCWRT “body of work” noting a faculty made up of at “least twenty one PhD’s, a former U.S. Ambassador, an Under Secretary of State, twenty four published authors, twenty historical site directors and three current National Park Service rangers.” Among the more unusual presentations have been a play called “Scathe” that deals with the life and death

FCWRT members pose during a Tennessee State Museum Flag Tour in 2017. researched forum,” he added.

Having about one hundred dues paying members, the group joined up with the nonprofit, Franklin’s Charge (FC), in 2009. Franklin’s Charge is largely responsible for the reclamation of over 120 acres of the 1864 Battle of Franklin, once largely lost to development.

The FCWRT takes care of FC educational goals and operates

of General Earl Van Dorn and a Grammy nominated album of new music known as the “1861 Project.” In 2016 the group hosted a retirement event for Hans Hooker of the American Battlefield Monument Commission.

Hooker had been supervisor of

H Franklin

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Inside this issue: 47 – Advertiser Index 21 – Ask The Appraiser 6 – Black Powder, White Smoke 30 – Book Reviews 46 – Classifieds

32 – Critic’s Corner 40 – Events Section 27 – The Graphic War 14 – Inspection, ARMS! 20 – John Banks’ CW Blog

9 – The Source 8 – Through The Lens 7 – The Unfinished Fight 33 – Small Talk-Trivia

Civil War News

2

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December 2017

Free Sample Some of the articles are incomplete in this sample.

December 2017

Civil War News

3

Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters Evokes Winchester’s Civil War Heritage

By Bob Ruegsegger From the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum to the Stonewall Confederate Cemetery, Winchester, Va., warmly embraces its Civil War legacy. Local folks tell visitors, with modest pride, that Winchester changed hands 72 times during the Civil War. Nothing in Winchester, with the exception of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, attracts more visitors to the area than Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters Museum on Braddock Street. The museum averages 15,000 visitors annually. Last year, Jackson’s Headquarters received visitors from all 50 states and 32 foreign countries. There were 48 visitors from England alone.

When the residence served as Jackson’s headquarters, Colonel Lewis Tilghman Moore, who commanded the Stonewall Brigade’s 4th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, owned the property. He loaned his home to Major General Jackson during his stay in Winchester.

As commander of the Valley District, Gen. Jackson initially found quarters in the Taylor Hotel until Col. Moore offered Jackson his home “Alta Vista,” a Hudson River Gothic Revival cottage.

Jackson and Moore had an acquaintanceship that dated back to abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 execution in Charlestown.

Moore’s cottage, actually a two-story, eight-room house, was four blocks from downtown Winchester on a densely wooded lot on the town’s outskirts.

General “Stonewall” Jackson, who had been a bit of a celebrity since Manassas, found a sense of security at the private residence.

Jackson was in Winchester from November 1861 until midMarch 1862. “Jackson was here because it was advantageous. It was densely wooded. It was outside the town,” said Brian Daly, a docent and amateur historian at Jackson’s Headquarters Museum. “He was not going to be, as he would say, ‘bothered’ by the people in town.” General Jackson had become the most famous and easily recognizable person in the Confederacy.

The original owner built the house at this elevation because he wanted to enjoy a line of sight into downtown Winchester from the second-floor balcony. Enough trees had been removed from the property so the owner was able to see into the town.

“We strive to give people a firsthand account of Jackson’s time here,” said Daly. “It was valuable personal time. He spent three to four months in Winchester with his wife in company,” noted Daly. “They will conceive a child here. Jackson will begin planning some of the Valley Campaign.”

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It was in Winchester, that Jackson as commander of the Valley District resigned his commission in the Confederate service, and where he held his first and last council of war with his staff officers. Here Jackson was a celebrity. He had received a share of the credit for the Confederate victory at Bull Run [Manassas].

“Jackson would freely admit that he has gotten much more credit than he deserved,” said Daly. “Nonetheless, he eventually rode out that journey of fame and fortune.”

The antique furnishings in Stonewall Jackson’s

Joanne Roulette Happ stands before a portrait of Gen. Stonewall Jackson in the parlor that served as Jackson’s office from November 1861 until March 1862. The gilded wallpaper was a gift to the museum from actress Mary Tyler Moore. It was replicated from fragments of the original wallpaper.

Brian Daly points out that Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters is a National Historic Landmark as well as a Virginia Historic Landmark. “Jackson was one of those few people who became a legend while he was still alive,” observed Daly.

(Photos by Bob Ruegsegger) Headquarters today reflect those that existed in Colonel Moore’s home while it served as the general’s headquarters. “All the furnishings in the house are authentic to the time,” said Daly. “None of the furniture that you see here is a reproduction.” The eightfoot-long Victorian dining room suite, a double dropleaf table and four chairs, is the original table that was here when Jackson was in residence. Stonewall Jackson, his wife, and staff members dined at the table. The dinner service exhibited on the table top belonged to Col. Moore as did the coffee service in the room. It was used during Jackson’s time in the house.

Jackson’s prayer book and prayer table, from his Lexington home, and the campaign chair he used in the field are among the artifacts in the museum’s galleries. “We have the original desk that Jackson used in the field and during his travels,” said Daly.

“More importantly, we have the desk that was purchased for him by his staff. It’s the centerpiece of the general’s office.” General Jackson’s office in the first-floor parlor is among the highlights of the house. The desk given to Jackson by his staff is positioned in the center of the room on a reed mat. His campaign chair rests against the wall. Elegant gilded wallpaper decorates the parlor walls and reflects light entering the room from the windows. The room is much as it was when it served as Jackson’s office.

Iconic portraits of Stonewall Jackson throughout the parlor offer visitors a visual review of Jackson as he is generally remembered and imagined throughout the War Between the States.

Colonel Lewis T. Moore raised six children in the “cottage” that served as Jackson’s headquarters. Actress Mary Tyler Moore was his great granddaughter. She toured the house with her father,

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The front entrance of the “cottage” faces Winchester. At the time Jackson was in residence, he could step out on the balcony and see downtown Winchester.

December 2017

Civil War News

4

Black Powder, White Smoke

By Joe Bilby

Late War Sharpshooters & A Centennial Saga Sharpshooters in Name After a conversation with some friends about Spencer rifles and/ or carbines issued to infantry “sharpshooters” in the last year of the Civil War, I recalled that the First New Jersey Brigade had been issued Spencer rifles to arm a sharpshooters detachment in the fall of 1864. I decided to track the issue down by regiment, and since I have the ordnance reports of all the brigade’s units during the campaign of 1864, it was relatively easy.

The Jersey Brigade, 1st Brig., 1st Div., of the Army of the Potomac’s VI Army Corps, began the campaign of 1864 composed of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 15th New Jersey infantry regiments. During the summer the initial three-year enlistments of the first four regiments ran out, and only the 4th reenlisted enough men to maintain its initial organization. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd regiments’ reenlisted men were formed into additional companies assigned to the 15th N.J. Inf. Adjutant Edmund Halsey of the 15th N.J. noted in his diary that a brigade sharpshooter detachment was established on Aug. 30, 1864, and that the initial issue

was sixteen Spencer rifles. The 4th quarter ordnance report for the 2nd N.J. Inf. lists one Spencer rifle, the 3rd reports two Spencer rifles, the 4th two Spencers, the 10th three, and the 15th two, for a brigade total of ten remaining in service at the end of the year.

There is no direct provenance, but I believe the Jerseymen’s Spencer rifles were the ones turned in by the 5th and 6th Michigan Cavalry regiments in exchange for Spencer carbines.

Were these sharpshooters trained in range estimation and sight adjustments? My guess is, most likely, not. The adjutant probably asked some noncommissioned officers “who do you guys think is a good shot,” and they said something like “I think Willie is. He knocked a tin can off a fence post with his old man’s shotgun before the war, and I seen him do it.” Then the adjutant said “OK Sarge, give Willie, a Spencer.”

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and “they” were the members of the First Oregon Artillery, an eighteen-man Civil War Centennial reenactment unit. The First would move eastward equipped with their “cannons, caissons, limbers and a supply wagon.”

First Sergeant Bill Johnson, a Portland fireman, who said he was going to ride a limber throughout the journey, posed for a news photographer before the trek began in May 1965.

Major Rudy Marek, the unit commander who had fabricated the First’s two cannon, as well as their support vehicles and the supply wagon, declared that the purpose of the journey was “to remind Americans, especially school children, that many brave men died during the Civil War to keep the country united under one flag.”

Rudy Marek had been actively producing Civil War presentations since the beginning of the Centennial. He had, according to a local paper, “brought the Civil War to Banks, Oregon” by successfully test firing his homemade cannon in May 1961. In Aug. 1961, Marek built a mock “Fort Sumter” which he intended to level with cannon fire. Unfortunately, vandals disassembled his version of the famed fort before the date of the firing. That misfortune did not stop Marek, however, and he went on to create many more events for the public.

By June 1965, Marek’s touring Oregon gunners were in Nebraska, where Ron Gibson, a journalist for the Lincoln Star newspaper, snarkily remarked that “the 1965 season” for “getting your name in the paper by walking across the nation” had begun.

Gibson declared Nebraska was a “crossroads state” where “nomads” traveling by bike, foot, motor scooters and, perhaps, even a “skateboard or pogo stick” stopped for a break on their journeys. He went on to note that Marek’s artillerymen “hoped to sell $10,000 worth of Civil War artifacts—like tallow buckets and siege gun ramrods—along the way,” to fund their trip.

Although journalists described the First Oregon as dressed in “exact replicas of Civil War uniforms, Sgt. Johnson appears to be wearing a denim jacket in

Sergeant Bill Johnson, a reenactor with the First Oregon Artillery, poses with his Spencer carbine in May, 1965.

U.S. Model 1860 Spencer rifle. The Spencer rifle was one of the arms issued to the sharpshooters.

(Jack Melton) this photo. Astute reenactors and living history presenters will no doubt see more interesting things in the image. Johnson also claimed, inaccurately, that “Civil War artillerymen carried carbines dangling from sling, enabling them to raise a gun and fire it quickly with one hand or two.”

Field artillerymen were actually issued a small number of revolvers per battery, for non-commissioned officers and drivers who would use them chiefly to dispatch wounded horses. Despite that, Johnson is pictured with a very nice original Spencer carbine. He also has a powder horn stuck in his belt, no doubt to prime the artillery, a practice long abandoned by the time of the Civil War, when friction fuses were the ignition system of choice.

The Beaver State gunners never arrived in Gettysburg. By mid-July they were back where they started in Banks. Major Marek blamed “too many automobiles and not enough money” for the failure, declaring further that “horses are not for modern highways.”

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afterward. He was apparently a local polymath, variously described as a police officer, gunsmith, gun and cremation urn engraver, knife maker, Volkswagen collector, old truck restorer, and aquarium owner, as well as the author of North to Alaska: A Studebaker Story, but he gained his initial fame as “Major” Marek, commander of the cross-country jaunt that didn’t quite make it.

Joseph G. Bilby received his BA and MA degrees in history from Seton Hall University and served as a lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division in 1966-1967. He is Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum, a freelance writer and historical consultant and author or editor of 21 books and over 400 articles on NJ and military history and firearms, and as publications editor for the NJ Civil War 150 Committee edited the award winning New Jersey Goes to War. His latest book, New Jersey: A Military History, was published

by Westholme Publishing in 2017.

He has received an award for contributions to Monmouth County (NJ) history and an Award of Merit from the NJ Historical Commission for contributions to the state’s military history.

He can be contacted by email at jgbilby44@aol.com

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December 2017

The Unfinished Fight

Civil War News

By Craig L. Barry Sunday Casualty Rate “Another year has nearly closed but before I moralize I will revert to facts… Harvey and our clerk John have together taken French Leave” (Civil War Diary of Sam Richards entry dated Dec. 31, 1862).

Sunday Casualty Rate Civil War events, including reenactments and living histories, are traditionally scheduled for weekends, since this is when most participants have time to attend and spectators can see the programs. It also means the event usually features a variety of activities on both Saturday and Sunday, usually finishing up Sunday afternoon.

However, there is a noticeable difference in event attendance and participation on Sunday.

The fall-off in participation on Sunday, or least discussion about it as trend, began to emerge after the 150th cycle of events. It is often called the “Sunday casualty rate.” A brief discussion of “Civil War event mathematics” may be in order.

The math works out about like this: An event is planned and advertised many months in advance.

There are usually incentives in the form of discounts to register early and often there is a cut-off date. So let’s say 100 register by the registration deadline and pay their fee to attend an event. Of that 100 who registered, it understood that some smaller number will actually show up on Saturday morning with their gear. The

question is, how many? A comrade actually tracked the statistics on participation rates for a period of several years beginning in 2002 at both mainstream and the progressive/campaigner variety known as “Events By Us For Us” (EBUFU). Strangely, the attrition rate is about the same. He states, “I carefully tracked registrations for all participants and was later able to compare them with the actual strengths according to the morning reports. As a general rule “pre-event attrition” seemed to run around 25-35%.” He also noted that these numbers varied according to the perceived event quality, arm of service, rank, and distance traveled to attend. The highest was 44% and the average “was about a third (33%).”

The attrition rate for events that allowed or encouraged walk-ons tended to be lower, the walk-ons obviously compensating more or less for those who registered but didn’t come.

That part of the equation is very much unchanged since he began keeping track of the data fifteen years ago. What has changed is the number of participants who now leave the event after the first day. This is the so called “Sunday Casualty rate.”

Among arm of services, cavalry and artillery have the lowest casualty rates.

He opined that’s due to the logistical challenges of moving horses and guns, which makes sense. These units seem much less likely to make a casual commitment than say, rank and file

Infantry. If the unit plans to go, nearly all of them will try to attend and stay until the event concludes on Sunday afternoon. The other main factor affecting the Sunday casualty rate is the rank of the participant. As might be expected, the higher the rank, the more likely the person will attend and stay until the end. In addition, frequency of attendance has an effect on how rank is achieved to begin with. The thinking goes, the higher the rank of the participant, the more responsibility there is to attend and the more likely that leaving early would be noticed.

A recent example that illustrates this trend is the 2017 CHCH (Chickamauga and Chattanooga) National Military Park 154th Anniversary programs. There were a variety of programs scheduled for the weekend, including a portrayal of the 23rd Tenn. (C.S.) Infantry, which had been promoted for almost a year on the Authentic Campaigner internet forum as one of their EBUFU events. Additionally, there were also two full days of artillery programs put on by park service gun crews for CHCH, STRI (Stones River) and KEMO (Kennesaw Mtn).

According to CHCH park ranger Christopher Young, for the 23rd Tenn. Inf. event they had expected 90+ participants, as of Saturday morning there were 58 who made it. This tracks very closely with what might be expected in terms of event numbers. However, that

5

Sunday morning the number of infantry was down to about 30. In contrast, the Artillery sections did not experience the same attrition.

They had virtually the same number on Saturday morning as they did on Sunday afternoon.

There are probably as many reasons for the early departures on Sunday as there are participants in Civil War events.

The most common reasons given for leaving early on Sunday include the distance necessary to return home, weather, illness, and family emergencies. However, that doesn’t explain why the casualty rate is disproportionally impacting the rank and file infantry vs. the other arms of service. One possible factor in play at Chickamauga was that many artillery crewmen rode to the event in the same truck with the artillery piece and they weren’t as easily able to leave before the event ended. More rank and file infantrymen drove separately and therefore they could more easily take French leave after the Saturday programs.

Whatever the case, the “Sunday casualty rate” is probably a trend and it is becoming the new normal at many post-150th Civil War events, both mainstream and the progressive/campaign variety. An unanswered question is how long before future Civil War events become scheduled for Saturday only?

Craig L Barry was born in Charlottesville, Va. He holds his BA and Masters degrees from the University of North Carolina (Charlotte). Craig served The Watchdog Civil War Quarterly as Associate Editor and Editor from 2003-2017. The Watchdog published both books and columns on the material culture of the mid-19th century and donated all funds from publications to battlefield preservation.

He is the author of several books including The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy (2006, 2011), The Unfinished Fight: Essays on Confederate Material Culture Vol. I and II (2012, 2013) and three books (soon to be four) in the Suppliers to the Confederacy series on English Arms & Accoutrements, Quartermaster stores and other European imports.

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December 2017

Civil War News

6

Through The Lens

By Stephanie Hagiwara

Chasing Lee “I would sooner sacrifice my commission than my men” – U.S. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren On Nov. 25, 1863, on the eve of the first nationally recognized Thanksgiving, U.S. Gen. George Meade ordered that his men be issued 10 days of rations and prepare for battle. Meade had received intelligence that C.S. Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army was almost half of his 81,000. Wanting to squeeze in one more battle before departing for winter quarters, Meade decided to cross the Rapidan River to attack Lee’s flank at Mine Run creek. A similar strategy had resulted in defeats at Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Meade believed between numbers and surprise, his attack would be victorious. Meade did not factor U.S. Gen. William French into his plan. Promoted above his ability, career solider French was given command of the III Corps after Gen. Daniel Sickles lost his leg at the Battle of Gettysburg. Known as “the old gin barrel,” “a perfect ignoramus and bloat,” and “an imbecile,” French was detested by his men. During a previous battle, “… a bullet passed through French’s hat. ‘It would have added much to our peace of mind,” stated a private, ‘if said bullet had gone two inches lower.’”

The weather was also against Meade. Between the rain creating ankle deep mud and crossing the secondary growth of timber the locals referred to as the “Wilderness,” the troops began taking circuitous routes. French, late to depart and heading off in the wrong direction, became a day late.

Lee, aware the Federals were on the move, was “anxious to give those people what I think they deserve if Providence will only smile upon us.” Highly regarded C.S. Gen. Edward “Old

Allegany” Johnson became a key factor. West Point graduate Johnson was a first cousin once removed from Thomas Jefferson, its founder. Breveted twice during the Mexican War, it left him partially deaf and gave him an eye twitch.

Eccentric, Johnson was known for his profanity, and “when he got mad could work his ears like a mule.” He was “a close quarter commander,” leading his men waving a hickory cane or club and a “firm believer in the bayonet.” At the Battle of McDowell, Va., Federal troops spotting Johnson “being separated a little from his command, some of them hallooed out, ‘There’s old Johnson; let’s flank him!’ Johnson heard them, and, waving his club in the air, exclaimed: ‘Yes, d___n you, flank me if you can.’” His troops swooped in, preventing capture.

On Nov. 27, Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren’s troops had made it past a clearing in the Wilderness known as Locust Grove. C.S. Gens. Jubal Early, John Gordon, and Johnson were debating their options when news came to Johnson that an unknown force had fired on the division ambulance train at the junction of two roads.

Johnson galloped to the rear; passing his three brigades swung to meet the enemy, his fourth brigade was “briskly engaged” in a confusing forest fight. To the surprise of all, a wall of blue infantry was “drawn up in order of battle.”

On the narrow Raccoon Ford Road everyone scrambled to counter French’s men. Skirmish lines were formed and ordered forward. It was “the promptest movement I saw during the war,” claimed a man from the 21st Va. Inf. On the extreme left, Col. Williams, 37th Va. Inf., hoping to fool the enemy “that I was supported by the line of battle,” had his entire regiment act as skirmishers.

Johnson issuing orders, waving his club, realized that the Federal’s firing was alternating intensity. It was decision time - retreat or take the initiative. Johnson aligned his men. As the Federals pushed forward, the Confederates, unknowingly outnumbered three to one, vigorously charged on Johnson’s order. “We gave them all the lead we had and the bayonet,” recalled a 10th Va. Inf. solider.

Into the woods, underbrush, and clouds of gun smoke both sides blindly fired. On the embattled Confederate left flank, it felt as if the enemy were “throwing minie-balls upon us by the bucket-full.” Still, the men fought through dense thickets, ravines, and a swampy area, leaving one or both shoes stuck in the mud, emerging into Madison Payne’s open farm fields.

U.S. Gen. William Morris’s almost entirely green troops, a.k.a.

“Gen. French’s Pets,” were ordered to charge and disperse the enemy. “It was truly a baptism of fire, while it was a deluge of lead and iron, that swept over us. The musketry was not in the least of a jerky or intermittent sort, but one continuous roll.”

The battle surged back and forth as the Federals poured more men into the fight and the Confederates valiantly struggled to coordinate their counterattacks in the dense trees and “murderous fire”. Gen. “Stonewall Jim” Walker “seized the colors, leaped his horse over a fence into an open field in front of his command, and waved his men on, while the lines of the enemy, 80 yards distant, directed a fearful

converging fire upon him.” Pvt. Alexander Tedford Barclay, who had resolved to be “distinguished or extinguished,” planted his regiment’s colors well in advance of the line, surviving the “thousands of shots [that] were fired at that lone hero.” Capt. John C. Johnson of the 50th Va. Inf. became a human breastwork, as his offer to put himself “broadside to the enemy” was accepted. “Several soldiers actually took up position behind his stout form ‘resting their guns on him, [and] firing steadily from the position until the fight was over,’ remembered an eyewitness.”

Darkness ended the Battle of Payne’s Farm. During the night, Lee’s men fell back to fortified lines and dug in. In the morning, Meade’s men moved forward, finding “a very ugly looking line of hills, rendered more repulsive in aspect by fallen trees and lines of freshly dug earth.” For two days Meade searched for a spot to attack Lee’s lines as the temperature dropped. Water froze in canteens. At night, pickets were relieved every half hour. “… Each soldier knew that to sleep uncovered in that bitter air would be the sleep of death.”

On Nov. 30, Union Gen. John Sedgewick’s men opened fire on Lee’s line. Gen. Gouverneur Warren’s troops did not join them as planned. He had called off the attack, describing it as suicidal. Warren had noticed his men preparing for death by writing their names on slips of paper to enable identification of their bodies. He checked out the enemy’s line. Lee’s men had been busy during the night.

Meade too had a look before choosing between losing his command or the lives of his men unnecessarily. Meade abandoned the offensive. His grateful army, taking advantage of the frozen ground, were able to return swiftly to their camps.

On the other side, Lee got tired of waiting. Every other Federal general had attacked against great odds. Now Lee ordered an attack, but Meade had disappeared.

“I am too old to command this army. We should never have permitted those people to get away,” was Lee’s reaction to the news. In the end, the Army of the Potomac survived to fight another day; however, its forward momentum had been deterred.

Sources: Clemmer, Gregg S., Old Alleghany: The Life and Wars of General Ed Johnson • Wert, Jeffery D., The sword of Lincoln: The Army of the Potomac • Haynes, Edwin Mortimer, A History of the Tenth Regiment, Vermont Volunteers: With Biographical Sketches • Time Life Books, The Killing Ground • Foote, Shelby, Fredericksburg to Meridian •

Stephanie Hagiwara is the editor for Civil War in Color.com and Civil War in 3D.com. She also writes a weekly column for History in Full Color.com that covers stories of photographs of historical interest from the 1850’s to the present. Her articles can be found on Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Publishers:

Please send your book(s) for review to: CWN Book Review Editor, Stephen Davis 3670 Falling Leaf Lane, Cumming, GA 30041-2087 Email cover image to bookreviews@civilwarnews.com Civil War News cannot assure that unsolicited books will be assigned for review.

Generals of the Army of the Potomac: Gouverneur K. Warren, William H. French, George G. Meade, Henry J. Hunt, Andrew A. Humphreys, George Sykes; Culpeper, Va. Colorization © 2017 civilwarincolor.com courtesy civilwarincolor.com/cwn (Library of Congress)

December 2017

Civil War News

The Source

By Michael K. Shaffer

Report on the Conduct of the War

Broadfoot’s set of Report of Conduct of War. “I hold it to be our bounden duty, impressed upon us by our positions here, to keep an anxious, watchful eye over all the executive agents who are carrying on the war at the direction of the people, whom we represent and whom we are bound to protect in relation to this matter.”

The words of Maine Senator William Pitt Fessenden were spoken in support of a proposal in the Senate to form a committee to investigate the conduct of the war.

On the eve of the Federal defeat at First Manassas/Bull Run, and the more recent debacle at Ball’s Bluff, anxious politicians sought to conduct oversight of the war’s management. Receiving approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the measure, creating the Committee on the Conduct of the War, passed Dec. 10, 1861. Over the next four years, the members would meet on 272 occasions. Often, they held their meetings in Washington; as circumstances dictated, members, or their designated representatives, traveled into the field to conduct interviews and examine battlefields.

Ohio Senator Benjamin Wade chaired the committee, with Zachariah Chandler of Michigan and Tennessee’s Andrew Johnson also representing the Senate.

The House of Representatives received four seats, and selected John Covode from Penn., Daniel

Gooch of Mass., Indiana’s George Julian, and Moses Odell of N.Y. All the members except Chandler practiced law before the election to their respective seats. The radical element of the Republican Party benefitted. Wade, Chandler, Julian, and Covode carried their banner and pressed for a more vigorous prosecution of the war.

They strongly questioned Maj. Gens. George McClellan, George Meade, and others, who did not, in the eyes of the committee, display an aggressive nature on the field of battle. As the war progressed, and new members replaced others, the investigations went on. Historian William Pierson suggested, “…by 1864 it was an anti-administration organization.”

Tossing aside the political agendas involved, and the continuing debate on the effectiveness of the committee, their work resulted in over 5,000 pages of reports, testimonies, and documentary appendices. The initial investigations focused on the Army of the Potomac as a whole; researchers can find this information in volume one of the reprint set. The committee then turned to Bull Run and Ball’s Bluff, volume two, to better understand how the Federal army could have experienced such setbacks. The third volume focuses on the Department of the West. Topics explored include Frémont’s activities in Missouri; the Hatteras Inlet Expedition; Port Royal; Burnside’s N.C. Expedition; Fort Donelson; Capture of New Orleans; the Invasion of New Mexico; March 1862 Battle of Winchester; and the Battle of Hampton Roads. Reports about wounded soldiers, prisoners, and paymasters round out the volume.

Report from heavy ordnance tests.

Major Generals Joe Hooker and George Meade submitted reports at the request of the committee.

The respective activities of each officer during the war, along with an investigation into the Battle of Petersburg, reside in volume four. The next installment in the set contains details and testimony on the Red River Expedition, Fort Fisher, and a comprehensive report on heavy ordnance. Volume six offers Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s account of his surrender negotiations with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Other topics include a report on the ‘Massacre of Cheyenne Indians,’ an investigation into government ice contracts, and a study of Rosecrans’s various campaigns. Findings from an investigation into the Department of Arkansas follow, then reports on the Battle of Cedar Mountain, prisoner exchanges, and operations against Charleston. Statements on the Department of the Gulf, trade regulations, and the treatment of prisoners­­—North and South— complete volume six.

Sherman and Maj. Gen. George Thomas’s reports fill volume seven. The final installment contains accounts covering a range of topics from Maj. Gens.

John Pope, John G. Foster, Alfred Pleasonton, and Phil Sheridan.

Readers can also peruse a statement entitled ‘Subject at Exchange,’ from Maj. Gen. Ethan Allen Hitchcock. This volume concludes with a report from Brig. Gen. James Ricketts, and communication from, and a memorial of, William Wiard.

Wiard provided the committee with an analysis on the Dahlgren, Rodman, and Parrott guns.

Differing from the previous sections, volume eight contains several maps of various regions under the committee’s study.

Those seeking printed copies of the set can obtain them from Broadfoot Publishing, at http:// w w w. b r o a d f o o t p u b l i s h i n g . com. Broadfoot reprinted the eight-volume set, 1998-2000, and provided a useful index.

Remember to check WorldCat http://www.worldcat.org for help in finding the collection in a local library. A few websites contain digitized versions of individual reports, and the United

7

States Senate offers an overview of the committee at https:// www.senate.gov/artandhistory/ history/common/investigations/ JointCommittee_ConductofWar. htm. The staff at Virginia Tech, through their ‘Essential Civil War Curriculum’ section, delivers an informative summary and links to online versions of the various parts of the Report on the Conduct of the War. These sites allow users to view pages in multiple formats, conduct searches and print the results.

In composing the introduction to the index for the Broadfoot set, historian Gary Gallagher noted, “It is no exaggeration to state that few published sources so clearly illuminate the often chaotic process by which the United States struggled to

manage an event of cataclysmic proportions.”

Consult this resource for insightful reports from officers not found elsewhere, and continued good luck in researching the Civil War! Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor, who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians.

Readers may contact him at mkscdr11@gmail.com, or to request speaking engagements via his website www.civilwarhistorian.net. Follow Michael on Facebook www.facebook.com/ michael.k.shaffer and Twitter @ michaelkshaffer.

Sherman testimony sample.

Cedar Mountain map from volume eight.

December 2017

Civil War News

8

Yankee Entertainments Before Atlanta Burned Publisher’s note. Recently our Book Review Editor, Steve Davis, gave a talk at the Center for Civil War Photography’s Annual Image of War Seminar in Charleston. He spoke on George Barnard’s photographs of Atlanta during the Union occupation.

I attended, and noted the heretofore unpublished findings that he pointed out. Afterward I asked Steve to contribute the following article, which represents his cutting-edge research.

By Stephen Davis Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s Union forces occupied Atlanta for two months, Sept. 2-Nov. 16, 1864. The Federals had barely settled into their occupation before it became clear that the Rebel army under Gen. John B. Hood would not attack them in the fortified city. Instead, in late September Hood headed off into north Georgia. Sherman followed him with most of his forces, but left the XX Corps behind to garrison Atlanta.

The record we have of the Northerners’ occupation—they called it “Yankee town”—comes from their diaries and unit histories. The story is well known.

After Sherman expelled most of the city’s residents, officers occupied fine downtown houses, and most of the troops tented outside the city limits. Inside were garrisoned just three regiments of provost guards: the 2nd and 33rd Massachusetts, and the 111th Pennsylvania. With no prospect of hard fighting, or even hard work, Union soldiers whiled away their time in the usual ways.

One of them was attending plays, pantomimes, and concerts put on at Atlanta’s main theater, the Atheneum on downtown Decatur Street.

The 33rd had a particularly good band, which gave concerts and played back-up for shows put on by the soldiers themselves.

Members of the 3rd Wisconsin organized a “variety troupe” that presented amusing plays. Several soldiers of the 33rd New Jersey performed well enough as the “National Minstrels” to be able to charge up to 75 cents for their shows. Members of Knap’s Pennsylvania Battery organized a glee club, which gave free chorales to the entertainment of all. Provost rules allowed troops from the surrounding areas to be downtown till 10 p.m., so those who chose could attend these events.

Col. William Le Duc, quartermaster of the XX Corps, (whose troops held the city for most of the occupation) arranged concerts at the Atheneum throughout September and October. He even had handbills printed on a small press

used to issue army orders. The first event was held on Sept. 24, a “vocal and instrumental concert,” featuring Rebecca Welch, a local lady who had been allowed to stay in the city after Sherman had kicked out most of its civilians.

Lt. Russell Tuttle of the 107th New York loved music, so he attended as many downtown concerts as he could, including the opener on the 24th. In it Mrs. Welch sang and played the piano to such tunes as “Then You’ll Remember Me”; the army band served up the “Anvil Chorus” and other airs. Tuttle appreciated the bright lights, the crowded galleries, the applause and encores; they reminded him of the opera season back in Rochester.

He noticed a few civilians in the audience, but mostly officers and men—including General Sherman and his artillery chief, Brig. Gen. William F. Barry; they “applauded most heartily.”

In early November the musical soirees continued. We have evidence of these, thanks to George N. Barnard, whose famous photographs document Atlanta during the occupation.

Connecticut-born Barnard opened a daguerreotype gallery in Oswego, N.Y., in 1843. Committed to a commercial career in the new photographic technology, he moved his studios to Syracuse in 1854. When the Civil War began, he joined Mathew Brady’s staff of cameramen. Doubtless some of the “Brady photographs” taken in Virginia during 1861–62 are Barnard’s, but they cannot be confirmed.

In late 1863 Capt. Orlando Poe, who would soon become Sherman’s chief engineer, hired Barnard to take pictures in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga during the spring and summer of ’64. After Sherman’s army captured Atlanta in early September, Poe ordered Barnard to come to the city to photograph its fortifications. He did a lot more than that. During his stay in Atlanta, before he left with Sherman for Savannah, Barnard took pictures of the Rebel defenses, the Federals’ own fortifications, area battlefields, Sherman’s officers and men, and downtown scenes and settings. When Northern engineers began their demolition of railroad facilities and factory buildings, Nov. 12-15, Barnard captured that, too.

So far as I know, no definitive catalog has been prepared of Barnard’s Atlanta photographs, which number up to 150. The Library of Congress and the U.S. Military Academy have the largest collections of his images, but they are also scattered in repositories across the country; we

keep discovering new photos all the time.

Recently I gave a presentation on Barnard’s Atlanta scenes in Charleston at the Annual Image of War Seminar, sponsored by the Center for Civil War Photography.

Close examination of the Intelligencer building of Barnard’s photograph shows a couple of posters attached to the brick corner.

Above magnified photographs read: BENEFIT NIGHT Mr. I. Smith Leader of the Band Of the 33rd Mass.

The Laughable Pantomime of the COBBLER’S FROLIC At the Atheneum Saturday night Nov. 5th.

I covered a lot of ground, but one of my points centered on a handful of Barnard photographs taken in the first week of November 1864. With magnification, we can see handbills or small advertising posters for musical performances to be held at the Atheneum and other downtown venues. I’ll give examples.

Take these two pictures of the office of the Intelligencer, Atlanta’s daily newspaper, at the foot of Whitehall Street (identified by the Library of Congress as LOC

Above photographs of the Intelligencer’s Office, Atlanta’s daily newspaper, at the foot of Whitehall Street. Top is LOC 03359a; bottom is 02216a. (All photos by Barnard, Library of Congress) 03359 and 02216a). To its left is the railroad and beyond that the Atlanta Hotel, Masonic Hall, and camp of the 111th Pennsylvania.

Close examination of the Intelligencer building shows a poster.

Israel Smith, violinist, was principal musician of the 33rd Mass.; he would be a key performer.

As for “The Cobbler’s Frolic,” Col. Adin Underwood included its cast in his history of the 33rd Mass. Among the roles was that of “Polly Crumps,” played by none other than Rebecca Welch.

“Sally” was performed by her daughter, “Miss S. Welch.” There was a part also apparently for an African-American (or a woman dressed up as one): “Dolly— Maid of all work,” filled by one “Miss Hattie.”

Lieutenant Tuttle recorded in his diary for Nov. 5, that he attended “33d Mass. concert in the evening.” But he attended others that week; George Barnard’s pictures capture their advertising billboards.

Sometime around Nov. 8,

December 2017

Civil War News

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(LOC 02215a)

(LOC 03353a)

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December 2017

Civil War News

10

Concert posters

(LOC 03462a)

(LOC 03466a) Barnard took a number of shots of a train being loaded at Atlanta’s downtown rail depot, called the “car shed.” (See LOC 02221u; 02233a) Everyone knew that soon Sherman would be abandoning Atlanta, leading his army away on a march whose destination only a few high-ranking officers knew. But all could see the quartermaster and commissary officers loading northbound trains with supplies and equipment that would not be carried in wagons in the forthcoming march.

One of the series is numbered by the Library of Congress as LOC 02221u. The perspective is a long one, encompassing army wagons to the left, the car shed, and right behind it the light-colored Georgia Railroad Bank Agency and the three story “Concert Hall”—which really wasn’t a concert hall (the Atheneum was).

Note the small cart in the center of the image and another of Bill Le Duc’s broadsides. Up close it reads: CONCERT AT THE ATHENEUM EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK NOV 8 LOC 03472a: Here’s another photo of the same train. In this view, the tops of cars are now piled high with stuff; it is not army materiel, as that went in box cars whose doors are open and not yet filled. Instead, the stuff on top belongs to the last group of civilians still trying to get out of town before the Federals left. Almost all civilians had left Atlanta by early November; the folk left were mostly African-American

freed persons, perhaps some poor whites, who had stayed on to work for the army as laborers, teamsters, cooks, and laundresses. Now, before the Yankees left, and the Rebels returned, exslaves were scrambling to get out of town.

We see them when this scene is magnified. Behind them, stuck on the wall of the car shed, is another concert poster. This one advertises an event for the benefit of Sallie and Hattie, giving their last performance at the Atheneum on Monday night, November 7.

The story behind the poster

can be put together. Two young women, who had performed in “The Cobbler’s Frolic,” Sallie and Hattie, were now trying to get out of town, as was Rebecca Welch (“Polly Crumps”). The ladies would not have known that the Federals’ last northbound train would leave Atlanta on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 12, but for those fleeing the city, there obviously was no time to waste.

Hence their last performance was on Monday, November 7. Mrs. Welch lost her husband in the war and was now trying to get herself and four children northward

to safety. The 33rd Regimental Band, charging up to a dollar for some performances, generously agreed to share the gate with the Welches. The musicians eventually took in about $8,000. They gave a quarter of it to Rebecca to help in her hegira.

Barnard was busy in early November. He also photographed the area around City Hall (LOC 02215a), on whose grounds the 2nd Massachusetts had built their huts and shanties. Across Washington Street were the handsome home of John Neal (Sherman appropriated it as his quarters

during the occupation), and the Second Baptist Church (LOC 03353a). Look carefully at the fencepost at the church’s corner and again you’ll see the handbill for the Sallie/Hattie benefit at the Atheneum on Nov. 7.

Posters for these events were being hung on buildings all over town. A view (LOC 03466a) which Barnard took from the railroad looking north up Peachtree Street, shows a few of these handbills: on the corner of the Georgia Railroad Bank Agency, and farther away, on the A.C. Wyly & Co. building.

December 2017

Civil War News

Inspection Arms!

By Tim Prince The American Made “Adams” Revolver “I captured a splendid revolver, our Col. says we can keep all our booty.”– R. Wallace Mitchell, 16th Penn. Cavalry, wrote in a letter home to his brother George, March 19, 1863. Mitchell later wrote, “I am going to send my revolver home if I ever get a chance. I have all the arms I want to carry without it. There would be no trouble in sending it if I can find anyone going, for it is not like the government arms (Colt’s Revolvers) we can’t send any of the gov’t arms home.” In another letter, he continued by saying, “I sent my rebel revolver home today on to Erie. I mean I will inclose (sic) an order that George can get it. I sent it just as I found it, loaded. I found it when I was fighting dismounted. We had driven the rebels back and some of them dropped the revolver in the skedatle (sic).” In a follow-up letter, Mitchell inquired: “Have you get that reb revolver yet – I sent it to Erie, I sent an order in my last letter. You must be careful when you get it for it

cocks itself and fires by pulling the trigger.”

The story of the Adams Patent Revolvers, as produced by the Massachusetts Arms Company, is a very interesting one. Robert Adams’ “self-cocking” or “double action” revolver was originally patented in England in 1851, with the primary patent covering his one piece, solid frame and barrel forging. The frame was considerably stronger than the open top, two-piece, wedge retained frame and barrel system used by Colt. Adams instantly found success selling his guns in England, and in 1854 Lieutenant Frederick E.B. Beaumont of the Royal Engineers developed an improvement to the lock work, which allowed the pistol to operate in both conventional single action and double action modes.

It was this variation of the Adams revolver (the M1854 or “Beaumont-Adams”) that was produced under license by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee

Tim Prince College Hill Arsenal PO Box 178204 Nashville, TN 37217 615-972-2418

www.CollegeHillArsenal.com

Falls, Mass. The firm produced two versions of the handgun, a .31 caliber “pocket” revolver and a larger, “belt” sized revolver in .36 caliber.

In 1857, Massachusetts Arms entered into an agreement to provide 500 of the “belt” sized Beaumont-Adams Patent revolvers to the U.S. Ordnance Department. The head of the Ordnance Department, Col. H.K. Craig, had purchased 100 of the English made BeaumontAdams revolvers the previous year, in .36 caliber, since it was the caliber of the Colt M1851 “Navy” revolvers then in use by some of the U.S. military at that time. After issue and use in the field during 1856, Craig wrote to the Secretary of War “I think very favourably (sic) of the arm….as being well adapted to Military use, and as the price is considerably less than….the Colt Pistol, to which it is quite equal and, in some respects, in my opinion superior.” Craig was no doubt referring to the robust solid frame of the guns, when calling them “superior” to the Colt.

On July 24, 1858, The Massachusetts Arms Company delivered the first 250 of the Beaumont-Adams patent revolvers to the Ordnance Department. They delivered another 150 on Aug. 17, and the last 100 on Sept. 4, of the same year. Massachusetts Arms saw only limited civilian sales of the revolvers during this period, and it is believed that the highest serial number delivered to the U.S. Ordnance Department was 609, indicating that 100 or so were manufactured for private sale, or rejected by the Ordnance Department during that period.

The revolvers delivered by the Mass. Arms Company had 6" octagonal barrels and five shot cylinders, and used the Kerr’s patent loading lever attached to the left side of the frame. They were blued with checkered onepiece walnut grips pierced in the center for the attachment of a lanyard. Standard markings were PATENT / JUNE 3, 1856 on the lower right side of the frame in two horizontal lines and ADAMS, PATENT / MAY 3, 1853 on the lower left side of the frame in two lines. The topstrap was marked in three lines: MANUFACTURED BY / MASS. ARMS CO. / CHICOPEE FALLS. The loading levers were marked in two lines: KERR’S. PATENT / APRIL 14, 1857. Later production guns were numbered on the loading lever, but this was not a serial number to match the balance of the gun, but rather a patent tracking number, counting the levers that were made in order to pay the correct amount of royalties to James Kerr.

Those guns accepted for U.S. government service were marked

11

Overall view of the obverse of Mass. Arms Adams #554, sent home by Cpl. Wallace after capturing the gun from Virginia cavalry at Kelly’s Ford.

(All photos Tim Prince)

Overall reverse view of Mass. Arms Adams #554.

Close up of the obverse of #554, showing frame markings and carved initials in the grip, likely of the C.S. trooper the gun was captured from. Note the lack of a U.S. military inspection cartouche. The inset photo shows a weak WAT inspection cartouche as found on obverse grip of U.S. martial Mass. Arms Adams revolvers. with the sub-inspector’s cartouche on the left side of the grip and with the WAT cartouche of William Anderson Thornton, the accepting Ordnance Officer, on the right side of the grip. The existence of a handful with only the sub-inspection cartouche and no accepting officer’s cartouche suggests that some may have been passed by the initial inspector but were subsequently rejected by the accepting officer.

It has long been believed that the state of Virginia also acquired 1,000 of these revolvers via the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass., in a May 1860 arms order, which was delivered during the summer and fall of that year. While period documents refer to the revolvers as being “1,000 Deane & Adams’ Pistols,” a somewhat more accurate period description comes from Harper’s Ferry

master armorer Phillip Burkhart (who went on to superintend the Confederate arsenal in Fayetteville, N.C.) as “….pistols (Army Size)…by Dean & Adams Chicopee Falls Massachusetts.”

While Burkhart implied the incorrect caliber, “Army” usually meant “.44” during the period, the Massachusetts Arms Company “belt model” .36 caliber (“Navy” in period parlance) revolver was built on the same sized frame the 54-bore (.443 caliber) English made M1854 Adams Revolver used. According to Chamberlain & Taylerson in Adams’ Revolvers, the guns were delivered from stock on hand in Sept. 1860, and were supplied to Virginia along with 1,000 cavalry sabers and 200 light artillery sabers. It must be remembered that, for all practical purposes, the Massachusetts Arms Company was a subsidiary of the Ames Manufactory

December 2017

Civil War News

12

Legendary Sports Figure introduces new book on Georgia Cavalryman

By Gregory L. Wade NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley recently spoke to a large crowd at Nashville, Tenn.’s Traveler’s Plantation about his new book: The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog: The Civil War Correspondence of William Gaston Delony, Colonel of Cobb’s Georgia Legion Cavalry. Delony was a University of Georgia graduate and attorney when the war broke out.

The event was sponsored by The Franklin Civil War Round Table (FCWRT), The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society, and The Friends of Fort Negley.

Greg Wade introduces Vince Dooley.

Coach, author and historian Vince Dooley talks about his book.

(Greg Wade) The Traveler’s Rest Plantation, site host, was the location of Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood’s headquarters during

THE FINEST HISTORICAL ANTIQUE MILITARIA

the December 1864 siege of Nashville. As part of the FCWRT’s monthly programing, “We wanted to bring Mr. Dooley to Nashville for quite a while so he came on the Georgia/Vandy football weekend,” noted the Round Table’s Kelly Gilfillan.

After serving as a U.S. Marine, Dooley became one of the most successful college coaches of all time, winning 201 games in twenty-five seasons at the University of Georgia. This included a national championship and six Southeastern Conference Championships. Upon leaving coaching, he remained as Georgia’s athletic director from 1979-2004 and still makes Athens, Ga., his home. He has written several books about the school’s sports history as well as his passion for gardening.

“As great a sports figure as he is, we wanted to bring him here for his contributions to history,” said Cullen Smith of Franklin, an active local preservationist.

Dooley serves as the Chairman of the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society and is a board member of the Washington, D.C., based Civil War Trust, a group dedicated to preserving Civil War and Revolutionary War battle land across the country.

Dooley became interested in Colonel Gaston Delony’s story when he found letters Gaston had written to his wife, Rosa, chronicling the trials and experiences of his life in combat. “I was being interviewed and talking about these letters and another writer, Samuel Norman Thomas, heard the discussion,” Dooley said.

“He contacted me about doing a book and here we are,” he told the crowd.

Gaston Delony writes as a loving husband worried about his pregnant wife as well his own experiences as a soldier. The author discussed how adept at leadership Col. Delony was in the complicated task of being part of a “legion,” which Dooley

explained was a single command with elements from the artillery, cavalry, and infantry. Colonel Delony was mortally wounded at Brandy Station, Va., and died a few days later. He is interred in the Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens and known as one of the first “Georgia Bulldogs.”

In an amazing coincidence of history, one of Delony’s great granddaughters married Mike Steele who played for Dooley at Georgia. Steele was part of the “unit that was attacked in Somalia in 1993 inspiring the book, Black Hawk Down,” Dooley said.

Noting he knew many three hundred pound men who “could run the forty yard dash in less than five seconds,” Dooley observed the toughness of some of the smallest of Civil War soldiers.

“They were, pound for pound, boys who quickly became the toughest of men,” he said.

Before his presentation Dooley and his nephew, Ashton Dooley, were given a tour of the reclamation projects on the Battle of Franklin battle field. He recalled visiting years ago only to find “a pizza place where Pat Cleburne was killed.” The ground is now open and interpreted battle land, part of about 140 total acres that have been recovered since 2005.

After his talk at Traveler’s Rest, Dooley spent time signing books for many who were interested in both football and Civil War history. “I am a Tennessee fan but Coach Dooley is a legend and I also am big into the Civil War era,” noted Barrett Severance of Nashville. “What an honor to meet such an accomplished man,” he added.

Vince Dooley at the Georgia section of the Confederate Cemetery in Franklin.

(Greg Wade)

Left to right: Mike Grainger (Civil War Trust), Cullen Smith, Ashton Dooley, Linda Boshers, Jason Boshers, Greg Wade and Vince Dooley. Before their tour of the reclaimed battlefield at Franklin’s Carter House.

(Kelly Gilfillan)

Left to right at the Vince Dooley presentation. Clay Bailey, Gary Burke (center) of the Friends of Fort Negley. Jim Kay of the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society, right.

(Greg Wade)

Coach Vince Dooley, left and Cullen Smith, right. Touring the Franklin Battlefield.

Greg Wade)

www.csacquisitions.com Wallace Markert info@csacquisitions.com 16905 Nash Road • Dewitt, Virginia 23840 804-536-6413 • 804-469-7362

December 2017

Civil War News

13

A Case of Mistaken Identity

By Gould Hagler An email from a nephew led me do some detective work. An ancestor, my nephew informed me, was accused of mistreating Federal prisoners at the Florence Stockade during the Civil War. He sent me a reference in a book published in 2010 that names my great-great grandfather, Thomas G. Barrett, as an officer whom prisoners accused of brutal crimes leading to great suffering and even death.

To do this detective work, I reviewed four modern books; read parts of even more books written by imprisoned Union soldiers (published as long ago as 1867); reviewed records of the State Assembly of New York; looked up some entries in Lillian Henderson’s Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia; read a letter written in 1865 by the Judge Advocate General to the Secretary of War; examined numerous documents related to Barrett’s service in the war; found the obituary of Thomas’s brother, who died in 1910; and delved into the Official Records, Series II, Volume VIII. The accusation didn’t make sense. Thomas was the ordnance officer in the brigade commanded by John King Jackson. Why would Thomas be at Florence or any other prison? He wasn’t.

It was a case of mistaken identity. The prison officer was not Thomas, but his brother James.

The modern books are wrong.

The old books written by the prisoners never mention the accused officer’s first name. Nor do any of the documents in the OR. Nor do any of the reports made to the State Assembly of New York. Nor does the letter written to the Secretary of War. So why the mistake? Why do three historians, in four books, citing the OR and prisoners’ accounts, state so

definitely that Thomas G. Barrett was the accused officer sought by Federal authorities as soon as the war ended?

Both Thomas and his brother James served (at different times) in Co. C of the Fifth Ga. Inf. Regt. Thomas went to another regiment, then to Jackson’s Brigade as ordnance officer. James initially joined the Eighth Georgia as private but was discharged because of a disability. He re-enlisted as a private in the Fifth Georgia and was elected second lieutenant in Co. C. In Nov. 1864, James was detailed as Inspector of Military Prisons. But who first made the mistake and figured that the Barrett in question was Thomas?

Was it the Federal authorities who were looking for the wrong Barrett? Probably not. James fled the country immediately after the war, so if the authorities were looking for Thomas they learned quickly that he was not their man.

It is most likely that the mistake was made by the editors of the OR, Series II, Volume VIII, was published in 1902. The records included in the volume don’t contain Barrett’s first name, but the index does. Clear as it can be: “Barrett, Thomas G.” Every page number following this name refers the reader to documents referring to Barrett, first name not given, accused of mistreating prisoners. So any modern writer looking at the volume would identify the accused officer as Thomas. Natural enough.

However, I was not the first person to catch this mistake. It was first noticed 115 years ago, by the OR editors themselves, and corrected before the volume was published. Page 2 of Volume VIII is entitled “ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.” About 40 of the corrections apply to

the index. The reader is instructed to “Insert all words and figures in italics and strike out all in [brackets].”

The second entry reads “Barrett, James [Thomas G.]” So strike Thomas, insert James, and history is corrected.

Would I have paid any attention to this if I were not descended from Thomas? Certainly not.

Grandfather Thomas and Uncle James were not important leaders. Neither man rates anything more than a footnote in the history books.

But facts are facts, and to learn them we must check and check again; read the footnotes, and then go to the sources cited; examine the primary sources, compare them to each other, and see if the secondary works interpret them correctly. And look at everything with a critical eye and a skeptical attitude. As Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” (Or did he?

You can check it out. In any case, this is true, and equally true they are little facts, or facts about little

people.)

As a postscript, the reader may be interested to learn that Uncle James skedaddled across the Atlantic in 1865. He returned home in 1870 with a German bride, Aunt Sophia. His obituary states (inaccurately) that he “was in command of the Confederate prison in Florence.” The obit also says he “fled to Europe to avoid federal authorities.” It seems, therefore, that he was open about his service and did not conceal the fact that accusations were made against him. James was never tried. Did the authorities determine there was not sufficient evidence? Or did they simply lose interest after five years?

Did he do things he should not have done, or were the charges false? I don’t know. Maybe one of my fourth cousins could look into it.

online sellers, and directly from the author (gould.hagler@gmail. com). Any reader interested in the specific works referred to in this article may contact Hagler by email.

Gould Hagler is the author of Georgia’s Confederate Monuments: In Honor of a Fallen Nation (Mercer University Press, 2014), available from Mercer University Press, retail outlets,

703-577-8289

SEEKING LETTERS Written by Lt. Horatio David, 16th Ga., Wofford’s Brig., Kershaw’s Div., Longstreet’s Corps, in July and August, 1864.

Contact Ted Pulliam, pulliams3@comcast.net

GEORGIA’S CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS In Honor of a Fallen Nation Gould B. Hagler, Jr.

This unique work contains a complete photographic record of Georgia’s memorials to the Confederacy, a full transcription of the words engraved upon them, and carefully-researched information about the monuments and the organizations which built them. These works of art and their eloquent inscriptions express a nation’s profound grief, praise the soldiers’ bravery and patriotism, and pay homage to the cause for which they fought.

www.mupress.org 866-895-1472 toll-free

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies; Series II - Volume VIII, Page. 2. See the name Barrett as mentioned in this article.

December 2017

Civil War News

14

A.P. Hill March

By Joseph Bordonaro “At this time General A. P. Hill came up, and, charging, drove them from the field.”

Major B.W. Frobel, Major and Chief of Artillery, Commanding, Army of Northern Virginia, Oct. 1, 1862.

The above quotation, from an eyewitness, refers to the rescue of General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia on Sept. 17, 1862, during the Battle of Antietam.

General McClellan’s Army of the Potomac, which vastly outnumbered Lee’s army, had been pounding away all day at the thin Confederate line. Lee had conducted a masterful defensive battle, but by around 3 p.m. time was running out. All Confederate units had been committed to battle, leaving no reserves. After taking an inordinate amount of time, General Burnside’s IX Corps of the Union Army had taken Rohrbach’s Bridge (ever since known as Burnside’s Bridge) and was pushing into the outskirts of Sharpsburg. If they gained the

center of town and blocked the Hagerstown Turnpike and the Harpers Ferry Road, Lee’s army would be cut off from retreat and would be forced to surrender.

General A.P. Hill’s “Light Division” had been left in Harpers Ferry processing the surrender of the 12,000-man Union garrison captured there. They were enjoying the fruits of victory, reequipping themselves with new clothing and stuffing themselves on captured food stores. Their victory party came abruptly to an end, however, when word came early on the morning of the 17th that they were needed immediately in Sharpsburg.

Leaving Harpers Ferry about an hour after Lee’s courier brought the order, they marched a 17-mile route to Sharpsburg at a blistering pace. Crossing the Potomac near Shepherdstown at Botelor’s Ford, they were faced with a last, very steep, road (Miller Sawmill Road) to the battlefield. While his soldiers struggled up this final obstacle, Hill galloped up and found Lee. “Lee stated in his first official communique that

A.P. Hill Marchers Heading Down the C&O Canal Towpath after Crossing the Potomac River.

(Ginger Turnbull)

A.P. Hill Marchers Crossing the Potomac River at Botelor’s Ford.

(Ginger Turnbull)

A.P. Hill Marchers Climbing a Hill on Bakerton Road.

(Ginger Turnbull)

December 2017

Civil War News

15

John Banks’ Civil War Blog

By John Banks Message in a Bottle: How Antietam Soldier’s Remains were Identified Shortly after the war, the grim task of disinterring bodies of Union soldiers from the Antietam battlefield and the immediate surrounding area fell to the United States Burial Corps. Most remains were re-buried in the national cemetery established on a hill overlooking the south end of the field, Confederate-held ground on Sept. 17, 1862.

The Corps’ work was daunting.

“The country is dotted over with soldiers’ graves,” a New York Tribune correspondent wrote from Sharpsburg, Md., in January 1867. “Some were killed in battle and in skirmishes, others died of disease or wounds in the hospital, and not a few at private houses. They are buried by the roadside, in the woods, in the fields, and frequently in gardens.”

Interestingly, bodies with red hair and whiskers were “invariably found in an almost perfect state of preservation,” the reporter noted, “while all other colors are found in a state of decay.”

Sometimes “relics” were found in the graves—“three ambrotype likenesses,” a silver watch and

ring, rusted pocket knives, and even a rosary, “which some pious soldier had carried, perhaps as a charm against deadly bullets.”

Burial crews occasionally found a piece of artillery shell with a skeleton or a bullet rolling around the interior of a fractured skull— awful reminders of the carnage that occurred in late-summer 1862.

Identification was impossible for many soldiers. “The ‘frail memorials’ erected by their comrades have disappeared,” the Tribune reporter explained, “and everything seems to have been taken from their persons that could lead to their identification.”

A soldier from Maine, however, was among the “lucky” ones.

When his remains were uncovered, a bottle was found containing a small piece of paper that read: “Wm. C. Stickney, Co. C, 7th Regt. Maine. Died Sept. 26, at 11 o’clock p.m. Residence, Springfield, Maine.”

The 22-year-old son of a farmer was originally buried either at Smoketown, one of the two large tent hospitals near the battlefield, or at a VI Corps hospital, perhaps at Hagerstown, Md. Whoever performed the noble act of identifying his body with the message in a bottle is lost to

history.

One of 12 children of Rachel and Moses Stickney, William was shot in the left shoulder, probably during the 7th Maine’s futile charge on Henry Piper’s farm. “... he was a sound and able bodied man,” Charles D. Gilmore, an officer in the 7th and 20th Maine during the war, recalled in 1869, “and one of the best soldiers I ever knew.”

For William’s parents, their son’s death undoubtedly was traumatic. Neither Rachel, 56, nor Moses, 59, was in good health, and the couple depended on William for financial support. During his little more than a year of service in the Union army, William sent home about $10 a month.

“Mrs. Stickney has no property, either real or personal excepting a cow worth about thirty five dollars,” neighbors noted in an affidavit in Rachel’s claim for a mother’s pension. “She has since the death of her said son William C. Stickney supported herself by working for her neighbors [and] with what assistance she has received as charity from her friends.” William, the neighbors recalled, “contributed regularly and constantly to the support of his said mother.”

William’s father may have been in more dire condition than his mother. Able to do “but very little labor” for years, Moses suffered from “chronic rheumatism & hemorrhoids of a very distressing character,” the family’s longtime physician noted. “... His disease was brought on by hard labor & exposure, river driving, and hard fare.”

Mrs. Stickney’s pension claim was approved at the standard rate of $8 a month. The national cemetery where her son was buried was dedicated on Sept. 17, 1867.

Whether the Stickneys ever visited William’s simple grave there is unknown.

John Banks, who lives in Avon, Conn., is the author of two Civil War books, Hidden History of Connecticut Union Soldiers and Connecticut Yankees at Antietam, both by The History Press.

A longtime editor in sports at The Dallas Morning News, he now works for ESPN in Connecticut.

Banks is secretary-treasurer of The Center for Civil War Photography. This article first appeared on Banks’ Civil War blog (http:// john-banks.blogspot.com).

7th Maine Private William C. Stickney’s weathered gravestone at Antietam National Cemetery. (Laura Van Alstyne Rowland)

Antietam Cemetery in foreground, South Mountain in background—gap shows location of Signal Station during battle. View taken after the war.

(Library of Congress)

Dead in front of Dunker Church on the Antietam Battlefield.

(Library of Congress)

December 2017

Civil War News

16

Ask The Civil War Appraiser

By John Sexton Confederate Scarf Dear John: My mother-in-law had this Confederate Civil War scarf and when she died, it was sent to me.

She was English and none of her children have any idea how it got to England and how she obtained it. I have unable to find anything like it on the internet.

I have no idea if it has any value and it has a number of tears.

The images are: Jeff Davis, Lee, Semmes, Beauregard, Slidell, Morgan, Joe Johnston, Stonewall Jackson, and Mason.

I would appreciate any information you can tell me about the scarf and if it has any value. If it has sufficient value for restoration, can you suggest a fabric restorer?

Dean Eayre Dear Dean: American political kerchiefs dating back to 18th Century with patriotic examples of George Washington and other figures are well-known and published in various reference books. The best text on this subject is “Threads of History, Americana Recorded on Cloth – 1775-Present,” written

by Herbert Collins and published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1979. Many surviving kerchiefs are unique and few examples are known of others. These items were, in some cases, mass produced but survival of utilitarian souvenir textiles is often quite low. There are examples noted in contemporary literature of the period that no

examples have been seen. It seems that every few years a new example comes to light. Collins shows an identical silk example printed on a purple background on page 166 of his text. The Smithsonian has three copies in their collection, one with a blue background, a golden border example is also known. Yours has a pink background, which may be a new color variation or just faded purple. Collins goes into much detail in his description as follows: Medallions stamped in black with wreaths of southern leaves and border of ferns and cotton plants on a white ground. Portrait of Jefferson Davis in the center, from a photo by Brady, engraved by H.B. Hall, and published by E. Anthony, N.Y. Other portraits are of Confederate Generals Semmes, Slidell, Mason, Joe Johnston, Beauregard, Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Morgan. Portrait of Lee is from an original photo

by Bendann Brothers and engraved by an unknown artist.* *There are many misconceptions concerning this particular bandanna. An account in the Richmond Times Dispatch, Nov. 6, 1960, illustrates one such handkerchief as one of twelve made in England and rescued from the Alabama

This appears to be a newly discovered color of this rare textile.

when it was sunk June 19, 1964. A clipping of unknown origin, dated 1894, stated the handkerchiefs were ordered from England by Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin. Many of the bandannas have been brought to the author’s attention which would tend to refute this claim. The Smithsonian Institution has three examples in its collections.

Another purple example was exhibited at the 2014, 150th Civil War Anniversary, New York Historical Society traveling exhibition, “Homefront and Battlefield: Quilts and Context in the Civil War.” The exhibition was documented in text and extremely well-researched.

Though Collins could not attribute this handkerchief in his earlier text, an example in this exhibition had an imprinted mark “registered by W.H. Tucker Kayess, London for 1863, 1864, 1865.” This example is noted as being owned by the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Va. The photograph shown inside the Maryland Confederate Line Soldier’s Home in 1905 shows an identical handkerchief among their mementos. I could not find an auction record of this particular textile, but a leading dealer of American textiles, especially American flags, Jeff R. Bridgman of York County, Penn., does offer a near pristine example, archivally framed for $32,500, currently on his website. After speaking with Mr. Bridgman, he stated that he had only owned one previously and thought that only about four to six were known in private hands.

There are numerous rare political textiles offered in auction and the prices range from under $1,000 to well over $100,000. This is a very thin market and the top prices are generally paid for the truly pristine examples, damaged and less aesthetically pleasing examples can bring fractions of prices realized for the best.

Unfortunately, your textile does have some damage and probable “light fading” from sun exposure, but is indeed worthy of being conserved.

John is an certified appraiser with International Society of Appraisers specializing in Civil War memorabilia. He authenticates and evaluates other rare and valuable historic items as well.

His website is www.civilwardealer.com. He is coauthor of the book Confederate Bowie Knives (2012) by Jack Melton, Josh Phillips and John Sexton, that was published by Mowbray Publishing Inc. Send “Ask The Appraiser” questions and photographs to civilwarappraiser@gmail.com.

Purple color seen most often, including examples at Museum of the Confederacy and Smithsonian.

1905 photograph from Maryland soldier’s home showing a framed example in foreground.

Scarcer “baby blue” variety.

Deadlines for Advertising or Editorial Submissions is the 20th of each month.

Email to ads@civilwarnews.com

December 2017

Civil War News

17

Terry’s Texas Rangers Canteen

By Shannon Pritchard Often, when a soldier went for water he carried and filled as many canteens as he could so that his comrades could remain on the battle lines or in marching formation. When the filled canteens were returned, each soldier needed to be able to pick his own out of the group. Because of this, the vast majority of Confederate canteens have something carved or scratched into the canteen’s surface. These carvings range from simple initials to elaborate works of art or documentation of history. These carvings can add an extraordinary amount of specific history to a canteen.

In this case, there were two soldiers involved. I will begin with the less impressive face, at the top of which is carved a faint “TR.” In the middle of the same face is “BFF” and lower is “B,” and in the mid-left a “W.” This, on its own tells us little, but on the other face is found the key to unlocking the “TR.” On this face we find a five pointed star surmounted by “TMC” carved between the points of the star, and below that is “TR” on either side of the single point, oriented towards the ground.

Our modern view of a star’s orientation is always with the single point up; this was not the case with Texas. Many Texas items, from belt buckle devices to the stars found on her flags, were oriented with the single point turned down. This was because to them, the importance of the star was its place in history as a directional sign, pointing to Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Savior. In fact, Terry’s Texas Rangers’ flag bears a star with the point oriented down on the obverse, and “God Defend the Right” on the reverse.

The TMC and BFF carved into the either side of the canteen were the initials of the soldiers who carried the canteen at different times. The TR, found on both sides of the canteen referenced the unit that they took so much pride in; the famed Terry’s Rangers, the 8th Texas Cavalry.

Because of multiple possibilities, the identity of these Rangers cannot be determined.

The 8th Texas was raised

by Benjamin Franklin Terry, a wealthy sugar planter, who recruited and organized the regiment during August 1861 in Houston, Texas; it saw hard service with the Army of Tennessee, eventually participating in 275 engagements in seven states.

Shannon Pritchard has authored numerous articles relating to the authentication, care and conservation of Confederate antiques, including

several cover articles and is the author of the definitive work on Confederate collectibles, the widely acclaimed Collecting the Confederacy, Artifacts and Antiques from the War Between the States, and Confederate Faces in Color.

Note the orientation of the five pointed star in the close up above. (All photos Shannon Pritchard)

$39.

95

Available online at http://booklocker.com/books/9403.html Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Hardcover, 534 pages.

The full face of the Terry’s Texas Ranger’s Canteen showing the central star and initials.

The reverse side of the same canteen with a faint “TR” at top and initials below.

December 2017

Civil War News

18

Charleston’s Rich Civil War Photo Legacy Comes Alive During Image of War Seminar

By Bob Zeller The first photographs of the Civil War were taken at Charleston, S.C., which became one of the most-photographed cities of the war era. So Charleston was the destination for The Center for Civil War Photography’s 17th annual Image of War seminar Oct. 13-15, where wartime photos were displayed in their original 3-D format at the exact spots where they were taken.

The seminar toured three historic forts. Saturday’s tour included Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island and a private afternoon visit to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The heartiest of our seminar attendees stuck around until Sunday afternoon, when the tides were right for an exclusive visit to the abandoned remains of Castle Pinckney on Shute’s Folly Island in Charleston Harbor.

CCWP Vice President and seminar czar Garry Adelman, fulfilling a years-long desire to visit the deserted fort, led the expedition with about a dozen stalwarts, with permission from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which owns the island. “Castle Pinckney was amazing,” Adelman said. “There was so much more to see than I thought there would be, and with the church spires of Charleston shown in some vintage photos, I now know exactly how the place was laid out. I wish we had more time but the tide began to come in, leaving us only about 25 minutes at the Castle.”

Some of the Union prisoners captured at the Battle of First

Manassas were confined at Castle Pinckney in 1861, and Charleston photographer George S. Cook became the first photographer to take photos of Civil War prisoners of war when he visited the brick bastion on Oct. 11, 1861.

Other photos were taken there in 1865.

Since the steeples of Charleston’s historic churches appear in some wartime photos, Adelman could line them up with the present-day remains, even though the fort has been mostly filled in.

The CCWP has always put a spotlight on the vast 3-D treasure trove of stereo photographs produced by the war’s photographers, and Charleston provided plenty of choices. Charleston photographers James Osborn and F.E. Durbec were only in business from 1859 to about 1862, but they took dozens of stereo photos in and around Charleston

just before the war and after it started.

Osborn & Durbec shot exclusively in 3-D and within days after the surrender of Fort Sumter in April 1861, they took a series of at least 43 stereo views of the battle-damaged Sumter and Moultrie as well as images on Morris Island. The negatives are apparently long gone, so the only record we have are the stereo views made by Osborn & Durbec, and they are exceedingly rare.

Longtime CCWP member and regular seminar attendee Robin Stanford assembled probably the largest group of original Osborn & Durbec stereo views during a lifetime of collecting. They were acquired by the Library of Congress in 2015 and are now online for all to see and use, with free high-resolution downloads with a couple of mouse clicks. Just

Retired National Park Service historian Rick Hatcher speaks at the graves of the crewmen of the CSS Hunley submarine in Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery during the Center for Civil War Photography’s Image of War seminar.

(Peggy Melton)

Center for Civil War Photography Vice President Garry Adelman displays a 3-D photo of Fort Moultrie taken by Charleston photographers Osborn & Durbec in August 1860 near the spot where it was taken.

(Peggy Melton)

search “Osborn & Durbec.”

Stanford was on hand to see a poster-sized, 3-D anaglyph reproduction of her view of Fort Moultrie in August 1860, displayed near the exact spot where it was taken 157 years ago, an exclusive feature of Image of War seminars. CCWP also displayed poster-sized reproductions of two of Stanford’s Osborn & Durbec views inside Fort Sumter and an 1865 photo of the Old Exchange in Charleston. Seminar attendees viewed the stereo images with CCWP anaglyph 3-D glasses. Historic commentary was provided by Adelman and Rick Hatcher, retired historian at Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Monument.

The seminar’s Saturday afternoon visit to Fort Sumter came barely a month after it was flooded on Sept. 11 and forced to remain closed for days

by Tropical Storm Irma, which wreaked havoc on the Caribbean and Florida as a hurricane.

At the Old Exchange in Charleston for a lunchtime visit on Saturday, the Charleston Tin Typist, Christine Eadie, ably handled our annual wet plate photographic demonstration and group photograph as videographers from both the ABC and CBS affiliates in Charleston taped the scene. Both the Civil War News newspaper and Civil War Times magazine were represented at the seminar, which was topped off by a private cruise of Charleston Harbor with a filet mignon dinner on a gorgeous October Saturday night in South Carolina.

The seminar also included slide programs in 2-D and 3-D on Charleston as well presentations

by Adelman, author Steve Davis, and this writer, with revelations and detailed looks at Civil War images and early post-war photographs of Atlanta by George Barnard.

Before Sunday’s exclusive visit to Castle Pinckney, the program featured stops at The Citadel,

Fort Sumter from the deck of the Spirit of the Lowcountry.

Jack Melton)

The Center for Civil War Photography’s 17th annual Image of War seminar, conducted this year in Charleston, S.C., included a visit to Fort Sumter, where some of the first photographs of the Civil War were taken.

(Jack Melton)

December 2017

Civil War News

19

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December 2017

Civil War News

20

Steam into History Hosts Civil War Weekend

By Bob Ruegsegger Visitors have been flocking to New Freedom, Penn. At Steam into History, they purchase tickets that allow them to experience railroad travel as it would have been during the Civil War. Pulled by a replica of an 1860’s era steam locomotive York, passengers learn firsthand about railroad history in the Keystone state as they travel a portion of the Northern Central Railway route.

according to Horneman, make it impractical to run the steam engine all the time. The steamer usually comes out around May 1.

“It’s (steam locomotive) a lot of work. The old steamer requires a lot of maintenance both timewise and in terms of money,” said Horneman. We run weekends with the steamer all year and on selected week days depending upon what the event is,” he said.

“The rest of the time we run with the diesel.”

The steam locomotive York is also known as the William H. Simpson to honor the man who donated the money to fund construction of the replica Civil War era locomotive. It is based on blueprints for Union Pacific replica engines. The York is oilfired rather than wood or coalfired. Recycled motor oil heats the boiler.

“It was built in Elgin, Ill., by the Kioke Locomotive Works,” said Shawn Lupinacci, events coordinator. “We received it in June 2013. It took three years

to build it and cost $2.5 million.

It has a sister engine called the Leviathan.”

Civil War weekend in New Freedom features an opportunity to ride the rails in 19th century style, attacks by Confederate raiders, and a gala ball on Saturday evening. The train, with the steam locomotive, runs four times on Saturday and three times on Sunday.

Reb Scavone of the 35th Bn., Va. Cav. coordinates reenactors who stage raids on the train.

Scavone of Freeland, Md., is also a member of the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad Preservation Society.

“We had a reenactment at Hanover Junction when the train first came into being,” said Scavone.

“Unfortunately, the train broke down and wasn’t able to participate in it. We’ve been doing this ever since then—since 2013.”

Stephen Meola serves as the engineer of the William H. Simpson, a.k.a. York, he regards the steam locomotive as authentic to

Stephen Meola serves as the engineer for the York. As a youngster, Meola had a Lionel locomotive that resembled the York. He “fell in love” with 19th century locomotives as a kid.

“This is our fifth season. We’ve been in business for about 4 ½ years,” said Alex Horneman, superintendent of operations. “So far, we’ve put over 80,000 passengers on board. We’re averaging about 17 to 20 thousand a year.”

Steam into History’s Civil War weekend visitors and participants rode the rails between New Freedom and Glen Rock, a distance of five miles. The route is part of the same section of track that President Lincoln traveled on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address in November 1863.

During other events, the train travels as far as Hanover Junction where President Lincoln stopped to meet Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin. Curtin was delayed in his arrival so Lincoln and his entourage continued on to Gettysburg without him. New Freedom to Hanover Junction is a distance of 18 miles.

“We do a number of Civil War events, 1880’s cowboy events, and lots of 19th century historical reenactments,” noted Horneman. “With the train raids and ball, Civil War weekend is our pinnacle of the year.”

Steam into History runs from March through the end of December. A mix of steam and diesel locomotives pull the passenger train. Federal regulations,

the time period. For Meola running the train is a joy. It’s something he’s always wanted to do.

“I love locomotives from this era,” said Meola. “I love the size, the look, the style, everything.

Each year Steam into History seems to get bigger and better. Last year the Civil War ball was added. This year’s Saturday evening featured a reception and a ball. The Susquehanna Travellers, a 19th century parlor band, provided the music.

“We’re close to Gettysburg. We have a lot of people interested in reenactments,” said Debi

Beshore, director of marketing and development.

“What better thing to do than to have reenactments with the train and celebrate it for the weekend!”

In the spring, Steam into History does a re-creation of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg train. The York looks identical to the Civil War locomotives in familiar period black and white photos.

“Our locomotive of course, has the color, the red, and the brass, and the green,” said Beshore.

“It’s just gorgeous.”

Confederates attack the train. The 35th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry led by Lt. Colonel Elijah White staged raids in Pennsylvania in order to cut Federal supply lines.

The York – William H. Simpson. (Photos by Bob Ruegsegger)

Raiders Franklin & Paules.

The York – William H. Simpson – steams along the Railroad Heritage Trail with black smoking pouring from its stack.

December 2017

Civil War News

21

Cedar Creek Reenactment Excitement

Explosive Device Found at Cedar Creek During Reenactment

By Joseph Bordonaro MIDDLETOWN, Va.—Thankfully, the device discovered in a sutler’s tent during the recent reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek did not explode, but nevertheless it caused great concern and caused a scaling back of events following the discovery.

This can have a tremendous impact on the entire Shenandoah Valley. “Civil War reenactments and landmarks are a huge force for tourism in the Shenandoah Valley, bringing thousands of people and nearly $300 million overall each year.”1 Prior to the device being found, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation had received a letter threatening “bodily harm” to participants. The Foundation immediately communicated this threat to the reenacting community as

well as the general public. This seems to have reduced attendance at the event, as observed by this reporter, compared to previous years. Many dismissed the letter as an empty threat, but then the device was discovered on site.

“On Saturday, the battlefield had to be “temporarily cleared”… The public was not allowed onto the battlefield or into the reenactor camps Sunday, but could watch the battle from a distance.”2 As it turned out, some vendors were not able to return to their tents until Sunday. The reenactors, however, went forward, as best they could with the reenactment, with slightly lower numbers present as some groups decided to leave. Those that stayed, however, “gathered for an impromptu chant of “U.S.A” at the end of the event”3, to show their determination to not back down in the face of what appeared to be the desire on at least one person’s part to damage their ability

Law enforcement and FBI agents secure the device near the location where it was discovered.

(John Buchheister, of the Maryland Sutler)

Confederate and Union cavalry engage in a fight. to continue educating the public about the events of the Civil War. After police were called, around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, “Virginia State Police determined that the object was safe and no one was hurt…The FBI and its partners are investigating this matter.”4 Before determining that the object was safe, however, a massive disruption of the event occurred due to public safety concerns.

“Evacuations of the immediate area began and a safe zone was established...Following the evacuation, a portion of Valley Pike (U.S. 11) near the battlefield was blocked off…Evening events that were supposed to take place on the site, including a reenactor’s ball, were canceled…Many of the reenactors were evacuated to Middletown Elementary School while the site was being investigated by the authorities.”5 As of Monday, Oct. 23, law enforcement and FBI officials have not issued any additional information

Confederate artillery firing at the Union troops. (Heather Sawyer)

Confederate Infantry firing.

Confederate Infantry marching by the Heater house.

(Heather Sawyer)

(Heather Sawyer)

(Heather Sawyer)

December 2017

Civil War News

22

Reviews

of

Civil War Books

Civil War News book reviews provide our readers with timely analysis of the latest and most significant Civil War research and scholarship.

Stephen Davis, Civil War News Book Review Editor. Email: BookReviews@CivilWarNews.com

The Definitive History of Civil War Battlefield Preservation Altogether Fitting and Proper: Civil War Battlefield Preservation in History, Memory, and Policy, 1861-2015. By Timothy B. Smith. Photos, notes, index, 328 pp., 2017, University of Tennessee Press. www.utpress. org. $39.95 hardcover.

Reviewed by A. Wilson Greene

Let me get right to the point: I loved this book.

Timothy B. Smith’s topic naturally appeals to someone who has spent his entire career preserving, managing, and interpreting Civil War battlefields. But a reader need not be a professional in the field to devour the fruit of Smith’s extensive research into scores of Civil War sites, from Picacho Peak in Arizona to Gettysburg.

Professor Smith is widely recognized as the authority on the history of our nation’s Civil War parks. His earlier books chronicled the establishment of Shiloh National Military Park, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and the entire “Golden Age” of battlefield preservation in the 1890s. With Altogether Fitting and Proper, Smith contributes the capstone to his previous work in a comprehensive review of the way our Civil War battlefields have developed from Reconstruction to the

present.

Smith divides his narrative into seven distinct “eras” of battlefield preservation, not including the erection of monuments and the creation of military cemeteries during the war itself. In the course of this journey, he addresses various legislative endeavors that created policies and laws influencing the way governments and the private sector have gone about protecting our Civil War heritage. Smith reveals the origins of federal, state, and privately managed battlefields and the political and economic imperatives that influenced their existence. He carefully places the evolution of battlefield preservation in its proper historical context, documented by a plethora of sources that will lead interested readers to learn more about their favorite parks.

Certain themes emerge from Smith’s chronological approach, the most obvious of which is, in the author’s opinion, the failure of the federal government to play a more instrumental role in creating and executing a national policy of battlefield protection.

Although states—and to some extent local governments—tried to fill the void, it was not until the “Renaissance” period beginning in 1990 that private organizations assumed preeminence in the preservation field, doing “more than all levels of government combined” and picking up “where the government on all levels failed the American people in terms of battlefield preservation.” Chief among these non-profit groups is the Civil War Trust, led by James Lighthizer, for whom Smith has effusive praise.

Some readers might find negotiating the legislative labyrinth involved in creating and administering the parks a bit tedious, but Smith does the best he could with an inherently ponderous topic. He adopts an

organizational construct, popular in much academic writing, of summarizing the points of each chapter at the outset and then re-summarizing those points in a concluding section. This redundancy detracts a bit from the narrative flow. Still, Smith’s prose is lucid and free of jargon, making Altogether Fitting and Proper highly accessible to a broad audience. I only detected two editorial slips (Petersburg’s Fort Hell is identified as Fort Hill (p. 57) and the anniversary celebrations of the 1980s are ascribed to the war’s 135th anniversary (p.192), which speaks to the skillful production values embraced by the University of Tennessee Press. Two sections of photographs enhance the text.

Smith’s scope is as impressive as his command of the relevant sources. The research that informs this book is stunning and Smith’s reach extends into practically every preserved battlefield in the country. Although he neglected to address the contributions in the Centennial period of the Lee-Jackson Foundation in the Shenandoah Valley, Smith otherwise untangles the entire universe of initiatives behind the erection of monuments, the construction of visitor amenities, and—most importantly— the preservation of the battlefields themselves throughout the country.

Smith relates a number of interesting anecdotes, such as the origin of the myth of Independence Day celebrations in Vicksburg and a stillborn scheme to build a commemorative highway from Washington to Gettysburg. He also tackles the changes in battlefield interpretation over the decades, from the reconciliationists of the 1890s to the current emphasis on the contributions of African Americans and the centrality of slavery and emancipation in the memory of the war.

Everyone who visits Civil War battlefields or supports battlefield preservation should read this superb book. It stands as the definitive treatment of its topic.

A. Wilson Greene was the first executive director of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites. His book on the Petersburg campaign in June and July 1864 will be published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2018.

An Unsteady Research Guide The Army of Tennessee: Organization, Strength, Casualties, 1862-1865. By Darrell L. Collins. Notes, index, 266 pp., 2017. McFarland, www.mcfarlandpub.com. $49.95 paper.

Reviewed by Stephen Davis

Darrell Collins, a Coloradan, has compiled reference works on the Army of the Potomac (2013) and Army of Northern Virginia (2016), assembling information from the Official Records in ready-to-use compendia. Here he does the same for the Army of Tennessee.

“This is meant to be a basic foundational reference,” he announces in his Introduction. In essence, Collins intends to spare us a trip to the OR bookshelf when we want to check on the Confederacy’s chief western army as to its organization, strength, and casualties for major battles. These are the three sections of his book.

The Army of Tennessee was not officially so named until late November 1862 by Gen. Braxton Bragg, but it had a couple of earlier names. Thus Collins begins his Section I, “Organization Reports,” with Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee’s Central Army of Kentucky in January 1862. For curiosity’s sake I went to the OR (vol. VII) to doublecheck Collins’ transcription and, alas, found that it is not without error. He lists divisions, brigades, and regiments to be found on VII, 852, but inexplicably omits those printed on page 853 (Buckner’s 3rd Brigade, et al.)

Section I has 39 reports from Jan. 31, 1862 to Apr. 9, 1865.

Corps, division, brigade and regimental commanders are all named. A subsection, “Timelines,” lists all of these units with their leaders, “whereby one may see at a glance who commanded

what unit and when at any given time,” Collins explains.

Section II offers “Present for Duty Reports,” 1862-1865. Here, more than a hundred reports provide the army’s strength at various times during two and a half years. Once more I selected at random Collins’ tabulation for the army’s strength as of April 30, 1864, checking it with the OR (vol. XXXII, pt. 3, 865-66).

First thing I noticed is that he has changed the names of the all-important categories. Most students know the difference in Confederate reports between “Present for duty” and “Effective total present.” For his guide, though, Collins has changed “present” to “effective”—very different categories entirely— then added “Effect off.” and “Effect Men” for a total he terms “Effect Total.” But his numbers don’t correspond to the OR’s “Effective total present,” so he changes the OR total and substitutes his.

If all this sounds confusing… well….You get my point: how dependable is a reference work with this kind of confusion?

I’ve put Collins’ The Army of Tennessee on my bookshelf. I suspect that’s where it’ll stay.

P.S. Why does he give Lt. Gen. James Longstreet the middle initial of “P.” on page 21?

Steve Davis of Atlanta has written about the Confederate Army of Tennessee for a few years.

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Vol. 42, No. 3

48 Pages, April 2016

Battlefield Of Franklin Land Preservation Purchase

By GreGory L. Wade

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — What is considered the bloodiest acreage in the Nov. 30, 1864, Battle of Franklin is now being reclaimed as part of the evolving Carter Hill Battlefield Park.

Local preservation leaders recently closed on a $2.8 million purchase from owners Reid and Brenda Lovell after a months-long process of coordinating various funding sources for the critical 1.6 acres that adjoin the Carter House, a major battle landmark.

Details were recently provided at a press conference led by Franklin’s Charge board member Julian Bibb, who praised the “remarkable transition” of the Franklin battlefield.

Franklin’s Charge is a coalition of civic and preservation groups who joined together more than ten years ago to purchase local battleground.

Over 150 years ago the Army of Tennessee stepped off in a series of charges to be virtually destroyed

by Federals under John Schofield in hopes of taking Franklin and later Nashville.

At that time, most of the terrain was open farmland on the outskirts of what was once a small Middle Tennessee farming community. Over time development covered much of the battlefield with houses, light industry, and small businesses.

All that remained of the critical area where the Confederates temporarily broke the Federal line was the small farmhouse and a few acres known as the Carter House farm.

The 1.6 acres purchased, which adjoin the southern boundary of the Carter House property, is comprised of two lots. Today, they are occupied by a flower shop and other structures

that were turned over to the City of Franklin Parks Department by Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin’s Trust (BOFT), managers of the Carter House the nearby Carnton Plantation. The structures will be removed in coming months, possibly relocated for other use.

The purchase is only the latest step in a long and arduous effort to rebuild the Franklin battlefield.

“It had to be a miracle,” quipped Civil War Trust (CWT) President James Lighthizer, referring to the most recent acquisition. Local resident Michael Grainger, long time Trust board member and former chairman, said, “Local leadership has been incredible and will continue to be a partner [with the CWT].”

In 2005, after years of frustration attempting to preserve Franklin battleground, local preservationists decided it would have to be done the hard way, by buying properties, often with buildings on them.

The largest parcel of land was originally a local golf course slated to be sold to a developer to build houses on what was the right flank of the Confederate attack north toward the Federal lines just south of the town.

It was then that Franklin’s Charge came into existence. Funds have been raised for the $5 million purchase from private donors, the CWT, the City of Franklin and others. That 110-acre segment, now fully interpreted and known as the Eastern Flank Battlefield, is what got the preservation ball rolling in Franklin.

Since that time nine other parcels in proximity to the Carter House have been purchased and have been, or will be, turned over to the Frank-

Franklin Charge leader Julian Bibb speaks at the Lovell purchase closing.

(Gregory L. Wade photos)

Battle of Franklin. 1891 print by Kurz and Allison. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. (Library of Congress) lin Parks Department, according to Bibb.

But it was the land just south of the Carter House, long considered the most bloodied ground in Franklin, and some say in America, that was the most coveted.

BOFT Chief Executive Officer Eric Jacobson noted, “to not have this ground reclaimed and preserved, would be like having Omaha Beach cut out of Normandy.”

The most recent acquisition evolved when Franklin’s Charge and the BOFT began discussions with the Lovells, who have a strong sense of the history of the land, having grown up in Franklin.

“I was born and raised in Franklin on ground many believe should have been a national park,” said Reid Lovell. He recalled when visitors came to town and had to envision what happened, not walk on ground where it transpired.

“My great-grandfather, who fought here, and my parents would be proud of what we are doing here today,” he said at the press conference.

The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously in February to fund part of the remaining debt on the Lovell property purchase. The previously saved plots, valued at $6.8 million, are being transferred to the city in exchange for $1.08 million to be paid by the city on a non-interest basis over seven years.

These funds will cover the balance now bridged by a local bank and will be derived from the city’s hotel-motel tax. Local banker Chuck Isaacs was instrumental in working out the loans. All the city funds are allotted as well as a donation of $25,000 by his employer, First Farmers and Merchants Bank.

A $1.3 million grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was a major piece of the

Franklin Alderman Michael Skinner, left, and Franklin Charge Board member Ernie Bacon attended the Franklin press conference. funding and the most complex, according to Bibb.

“With help from city officials, the Civil War Trust and others at the ABPP, we got it done,” Bibb noted.

Other funding came from private donors including local Civil War Trust board member Grainger, who has been involved with other national preservation efforts.

Representatives of Save the Franklin Battlefield, the oldest battlefield

preservation group in Franklin who for years advocated the possibility of a battleground park, attended the signing of official documents and “have been with us every step,” said Bibb.

The site interpretation work will be led by representatives of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage

H Franklin

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 4

Inside this issue: 23 – Black Powder, White Smoke 24 – Book Reviews 33 – Critics Corner 36 – Events Section

11 – The Source 8 – Through The Lens 10 – Treasures From The Museum 14 – The Watchdog

December 2017

Civil War News

23

S teve D avis ’ s C ritic ’ s C orner

By Stephen Davis Riding with Sheridan When an historical event is passing into legend, it helps to have a poem written about it.

Thus we have Thomas Buchanan Read’s “Sheridan’s Ride,” based on the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., fought on Oct. 19, 1864. “Up from the south at break of day/Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay,” the poem begins. The “fresh dismay,” to the Northern versifier, was Jubal Early’s surprise dawn attack on Philip Sheridan’s forces camped at Cedar Creek, south of Winchester. The Confederates overwhelmed and routed the Federals, then Early called off the pursuit around 10 a.m.

Sheridan was twenty miles away at Winchester during the battle. He could hear the sound of distant fighting: “And louder yet into Winchester rolled/The roar of that red sea uncontrolled/ Making the blood of the listener cold.” “Little Phil”—he was all

of 5' 5" tall—saddled up Rienzi, his black charger, and started riding toward his embattled army.

At first he saw groups of blueclad stragglers, then retreating masses. Faced with his panicked troops, he determined to rally them for a counterattack. “What was done? What to do? A glance told him both,” as Read’s verse puts it. The rattled retreaters took heart and halted. Sheridan then formed them for a counterstroke, with the general at one point riding the entire length of his cheering ranks: “He dashed down the line, ‘mid a storm of huzzas.”

Finally, around 4 p.m., Union infantry and cavalry attacked Early’s left flank and began rolling it up. Now it was the Rebels’ turn to run, which they did. Pursuing Union horsemen scooped up a thousand prisoners, two dozen pieces of artillery, small arms, and wagons. Sheridan’s victory was complete. “Hurrah! hurrah for Sheridan!/Hurrah! hurrah for horse and man!” Read exclaims, closing with paeans for both Sheridan and Rienzi, “the steed that saved the day.”

The general died in August 1888, having just finished his reminiscences, which were published by Charles Webster in two volumes later that year. Sheridan was proud of his war record, especially his dramatic triumph at Cedar Creek. In his Personal Memoirs he noted that General Grant ordered a hundred-gun salute in celebration of the victory, and that President Lincoln sent him a special letter of thanks (reproduced in vol. II, p. 91).1

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But in his description of the battle itself, and his ride to rally his troops, he was rather laconic. Not so his biographers. Rushing into print the very year of the general’s death was Frank A. Burr and Richard J. Hinton’s “Little Phil” and his Troopers.

The Life of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. The Romance and Reality: How an Humble Lad Reached the Head of an Army. In it Sheridan’s ride from Winchester is, of course, dramatically related.

“Who, knowing the quality of the man,” they chirp, “cannot picture the restless rider urging his horse to his utmost speed to reach the field where the fate of his army was still pending in the hazard of war.” Burr and Hinton not only print Read’s “Sheridan’s Ride” in full, they tell the story of its first public reading at a Cincinnati opera house Nov. 1, 1864—just a week and a half after the event.

The reader was one James E. Murdoch, friend of the poet, who recalled that the recited verses brought down the house (“cheer after cheer went up from the great concourse that shook the building to its very foundation”).2 Another early biographer, however, tried to tamp the whole thing down. Henry E. Davies, writing in 1895, reminded readers how “historic facts often destroy the romance and splendor with which a poetic imagination can invest the realities of actual life.” True, Sheridan’s troops had been routed; the general rode forth and rallied them; the Federals charged and won the day. Yet Davies sought to dispel the rosy glamour that had settled upon the ride, imparted at least partly

by Read’s poem. “Upon General Sheridan’s authority,” the biographer explains, “it appears that the thrilling story of Sheridan’s Ride is a poetic conception, with as little foundation of truth as the heroic figure of Barbara Frietchie.”3 A generation later, Joseph Hergesheimer cast some scholarly detachment on the ride in his Sheridan (1931) by holding

the general’s account up to other sources. No one, however, could disagree with the conclusion: “when General Sheridan did arrive upon the battle-field at Cedar Creek, an enormously improved spirit and steadiness instantly pervaded the Union army.”4 Richard O’Connor, biographer of George Thomas (1948) and John B. Hood (1949), turned his attention in 1953 to Sheridan (and his ride). “Sheridan’s 14mile ride to the battlefield at Cedar Creek became the subject of heated controversy almost as soon as the clatter of the hoofs died down on the flint-hard Valley Pike,” he asserts.

It was glorified by the poem of T. Buchanan Read (which made the general’s horse Rienzi almost as famous as his rider), it was given a muck-raking by historians of a more skeptical era, it was argued in the newspapers and at veterans’ reunions for years afterward. There were those who said it was only a curious canter, and there were others who contended it was the maddest gallop since the headless rider pursued Ichabod Crane.

O’Connor concludes simply, “it was good hard ride, everything considered.”5 It seems that Thomas Buchanan Read’s poem casts its shadow on virtually all narratives of Cedar Creek. An example comes from Edward J. Stackpole’s Sheridan in the Shenandoah (1961).

The author of books on Gettysburg (1956) and other eastern theater campaigns, Stackpole took upon himself the estimation of how fast Little Phil rode from Winchester to the battlefield. “A simple calculation on the distance covered, approximately 12 miles from Mill Creek to the position where he came up with

Major General P. H. Sheridan.

his disorganized army 1 ½ miles north of Middletown,” the author reasons, “proves rather conclusively that he did not proceed at an extended gallop, as the poet would have us believe.” Stackpole, as you see, did not name “the poet.” At this point in the literature, he really didn’t need to.6 In the past three decades, no fewer than five works on Sheridan have appeared. Paul Andrew Hutton, Phil Sheridan and His Army (1985) concerns the general’s campaigns against the Indians after the Civil War, summarizing his life before 1867 in fewer than thirty pages.7 Roy Morris Jr. is known as editor of America’s Civil War magazine and author of books on subjects as varied as Walt Whitman (2000) and the election of 1876 (2003). In his biography of Sheridan (1992), he seems to have some fun with Read’s poem.

In the usual progress of worldly fame, the sublime soon gave way to the ridiculous. A minor poet named Thomas Buchanan Read, at the urging of retired actor James E. Murdock, who had visited Sheridan’s campaign a year earlier at Chattanooga to claim his son’s body, unburdened himself of a

(Library of Congress)

December 2017

Civil War News

24

Reconstruction: A History of Corruption, Control and Capitalism Southern Reconstruction.

By Philip Leigh. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. 288 pp.

Westholme Publishing. www.westholmepublishing.com. $29.95 hardcover.

Reviewed by Wayne L. Wolf

Reconstruction did not end in 1877 as is commonly taught.

This book utilizes factual analysis to extend the work of such pioneers as Kenneth Stampp (The Era of Reconstruction [1965]) and C. Vann Woodward (Origins of the New South [1951]) to show how previous emphasis on racial equality misses the South’s economic descent to become

merely the doormat for Northern capitalism.

High tariffs, discriminatory banking laws, injurious monetary policies, excessive taxes, crippling railroad subsidies, gouging by Northern trusts and most importantly political exploitation kept the South in poverty, illiteracy and economic peonage for a century after the Civil War. Racial equality, long the mantra of Radical Republicans, took a back seat to greed, political dominance and punishment. The South was to be nothing more than a subjugated province whose resources were mined for the benefit of the North and the dominance of Radical Republicanism.

The author forecasts how this exploitation led to the South’s myth of the Lost Cause where the dignity of its past, the valor of its soldiers, and the uplifting of sectional pride was all it had left. This is still a battle being fought today over the preservation of the Confederate past and the fight for a fair share of federal largesse to make up for decades of exploitation.

Radical Reconstruction was thus characterized by incompetence and corruption where newly freed slaves, carpetbaggers and

scalawags engaged in an orgy of theft, mismanagement and political skullduggery. The result was a South unable to restart its economy after the war and burdened with increased debt, higher taxes, educational deficiency and the migration of the best and brightest to the North. Ultimately this led to increased racial animosity, a fracturing of the Republican Party, the rise of the solid Democratic South and decades of subsistence living and endemic poverty.

World Wars I and II serve as excellent examples of the impact of different reconstruction policies. The crushing debt imposed on Germany after WWI led to a decimated economy (much like the South). The result was the rise of Hitler. Conversely, after WWII Americans assisted Germany and Japan in rebuilding and incubated vibrant economies and political allies. How different the South may have developed if Reconstruction would have followed benevolent Lincolnian policy.

Perhaps white and black would have coalesced to the benefit of both and the lingering effects of slavery consigned to history.

The only criticism of the data is the author’s use of vague descriptors, e.g., a Confederate

general or an attorney general, where naming these individuals would clarify the text. Likewise, black elected leaders like P.B.S. Pinchback are either omitted or again referenced only by position.

Regardless, this book would be a welcome addition for researchers of Southern Reconstruction, the rise of the Klu Klux Klan or Southern Democratic politics after the war.

Wayne L. Wolf is Professor Emeritus at South Suburban College of Illinois and Past President of the Lincoln-Davis Civil War Roundtable. He is currently researching newly discovered letters of Bvt. Brig.

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December 2017

Civil War News

Memorializing a Massacre: The Crater Remembering the Battle of the Crater: War as Murder.

By Kevin M. Levin. Notes, bibliography, 184 pp., 2017, University Press of Kentucky, www. kentuckypress.com, $24.95 paperback.

Reviewed by Joseph Truglio

My first impression was, this is going to be just another Crater book! However, just a few pages in I realized this was not the case. Over the past decade there have been several excellent tellings of this story. Most are

micro-managed accounts of the activities leading up to, descriptions of the action and its tragic aftermath. Most are highly opinionated accounts and virtually all leave out certain aspects of the affair, including participation of African Americans and responsibility for events that happened.

That is not the case here. In just 139 pages of text Mr. Levin describes the planning, battle and aftermath in succinct fashion. It is well annotated and has a very pertinent list of references.

However, it is not about the battle. There are many other good sources for that; Remembering the Battle of the Crater is about how this event was and is perceived in history. We are given detailed information on the influence of “The Lost Cause” on the memory of the battle, on how difficult it has been over the years to acknowledge AfricanAmerican participation, and on the surprisingly little assistance the Federal government afforded in the creation of a battlefield park that included African Americans.

Each chapter deals with a different aspect of “historical

memory,” but perhaps the most important one is the last chapter.

It is here that Mr. Levin brings all aspects of the story to fruition. In this age of political correctness and controversy over “memorials,” I am sure this book will add fuel to the fire. Yet, in spite of this, I applaud the author on his courage to deal head-on with the issues presented here. His straightforward, non-opinionated style is refreshing.

Overall, it is a well written book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My disappointments were few. I would have liked to have seen a bit more on the Union leadership’s failure to use the USCT as originally planned, but I guess that is for another book.

That aside, I highly recommend this book for its unique content and welcome its divergent opinion. It is a bit pricy for a short paperback, but worth the cost.

Joseph Truglio is a lifelong student of the American Civil War. He is currently President of the Phil Kearny Civil War Round Table in Wayne, N.J., and is researching the life of John M. Chivington.

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December 2017

Civil War News

26

The Saga of a Coat

By Jessica Hack On May 10, 1865, Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederacy, was captured by Union troops. The night before, Davis rested with his family in an encampment outside Irwinville, Ga., while on their way to Florida, where they hoped to catch a boat for Texas.

Hearing gunfire and horses in the camp, Varina Davis convinced her husband to escape while he still could. She gave him her raglan overcoat to wear, along with a shawl that she was wearing, to cover his head.

The loose-fitting overcoat, known as a “waterproof,” was nearly identical to his, and similar to the standard raincoat worn

by Union soldiers. The shawl, too, was not unlike those worn for additional warmth by many men of the period. Nevertheless, after his capture, the Northern press repeatedly mocked Davis, depicting him as having escaped wearing his wife’s hoop skirt, petticoat, and bonnet.

The coat and shawl came into the possession of then Secretary of War Stanton, who knew them to be what they were, but declined to correct the public record, earmarking the garments instead for his own private collection, and thereby perpetuating the myth of Davis’ cowardice.

See the 2001, New York Times article by Robert C. Kennedy, and the 2010, American Heritage Magazine article by James L. Swanson for additional historical information about the capture of Jefferson Davis and the coat.

The coat was ultimately returned to Davis family members and came to be part of the Davis family collection at Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’ home in Biloxi, Mississippi.

I call the conservation treatment of the coat a saga, because to date, conservation has occurred on four separate occasions: 1986, 1996, 2008, and 2017. The first

treatment was minimal. The coat was wet cleaned and portions of the coat were sandwiched between layers of black transparent crepeline silk material, effecting limited change in the condition of the coat.

The first major conservation effort was undertaken by my studio in 1997, in conjunction with the opening of the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library at Beauvoir.

At that time the crepeline overlays were removed, and damaged areas of the coat were stabilized with underlays of new material.

Sadly, the coat was profoundly damaged in Hurricane Katrina.

It is amazing that the coat survived at all when a 30 foot wall of water overtook Biloxi in the storm surge. Only a portion of the coat actually survived. The left arm (as worn), a large piece of the left front panel, the right gore inset panel, and the back of the coat were torn away. The top part of the front left panel of the double breasted coat was badly torn and shredded. Other sections of the coat were torn away, bleached out, faded, and rust stained. The third conservation effort dealt primarily with replacing missing sections. Many newly torn areas of the front of the coat were minimally treated with sheer netting.

Recently, thanks to a grant awarded to Beauvoir by the Order of the Southern Cross, my studio was once again able to conserve

the coat. We decided to remove previous repairs, with the few exceptions of conserved areas that were still stable and integral to the coat. All other patches, netting, and replacement panels which did not fit the coat in terms of design, weight, and fabric content, were removed. While the coat supposedly had been cleaned after Katrina, visible particulate residue convinced us that the coat was still dirty. The brown water drained away after wet cleaning the coat bore this out.

Given the significant amount of damage to the coat, it was decided to stabilize it by underlaying the entire coat with new material, and stitching the torn areas to the underlay for support. The double breasted raglan overcoat is made of a brown wool and white cotton twill material which, at least today, is a rare combination of materials. After a long search, wool twill fabric in a weave close to the size of the original coat material was selected and dyed to blend with the color of the coat.

The remaining original coat material was over-dyed to return the bleached and damaged areas to their original color.

Patterns were made to replicate the missing sections of the coat.

New material was cut, fitted, and sewn to size, then stitched into the coat. The coat was steamed in preparation for return to exhibit at Beauvoir.

Left side of coat (as worn) before treatment.

Detail, damage to left breast panel, before treatment.

Detail, damage to upper right breast panel, before treatment.

The coat, upon receipt and before 2017 restoration.

The coat before start of treatment.

Bleached out areas at bottom of coat.

December 2017

Civil War News

27

Civil War Events Dec.–Feb. Before making plans to attend an event contact the event host.

Deadlines for Advertising, Editorial or Events Submissions is the 20th of each month. Email to: ads@civilwarnews.com Dec. 2-3, Arkansas. Christmas Open House

It’s Christmastime at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Experience the merry traditions of pre-war Arkansas first-hand, as we give you a “taste” of the food, songs, decorations, and lore that made the Ozarks so colorful during this wonderful time of year. Join living historians and park staff for tours, demonstrations, crafts, and more during this antebellum Christmas event!

For information; 479-846-2990, https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/events/ christmas-open-house-148220/

Dec 2-3, Florida. Living History

This program will allow visitors to interact with living historians to experience life in the fort as is was in 1864. The grounds will be bustling with soldiers in period costumes involved in fireing demonstrations, marching drills, cooking and daily activities. Ladies in their dresses, sutlers displaying their wares, fife players and drummer boys bring every part of the Civil War era to life. Come join in this unique family friendly event, the First Weekend Union Garrison at Fort Clinch State Park, 2601 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, Fla. Price is $2.50 in addition to regular park admission. For information; 904-277-7274, https://www.floridastateparks.org/park-events/Fort-Clinch

Dec. 2-3, Tennessee. Civil War Show & Sale

MK Shows presents the Middle Tennessee Civil War Show in Franklin for collectors and history enthusiasts. Located at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park, 4215 Long Ln., Franklin, Tenn. 37064. Free parking. 1,000 sale and display tables. Adults $10, Children under 12 are free. Open Sat. 9-5 p.m. and Sun. 10-3 p.m. For info: www.MKShows.com, email Mike Kent at mike@mkshows.com

Dec. 2-3, West Virginia. Yuletide Event

Experience Captain Flagg’s US Quartermaster City, 1864: Prospects of Peace at Harpers Ferry National Historical State Park, the yuletide event from the war that determined the union of the states and the eventual freedom of four million enslaved people. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Location: Lower Town.

For information; https://www.nps.gov/hafe/planyourvisit/living-historyevents.htm

trapped near Savannah, Georgia, and was destroyed by the monitor USS Montauck, captained by Commander John.

L. Worden.

Dec. 31, Pennsylvania. General Meade Birthday Celebration

The General Meade Society of Philadelphia will mark the 26th annual anniversary of the birth of General George G. Meade, heroic commander of the victorious Union army at the Battle of Gettysburg by celebrating his birthday at Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia where the he is interred. Parade and ceremony begin at 12 p.m. Military and civilian living historians are encouraged to participate! Visitors and participants will gather at the Gatehouse of Laurel Hill at 11:30 a.m. Parade of Civil War reenactment units, civilians in period attire, heritage groups, and participants will process to the final resting place of the Victor of Gettysburg and memorialize his services to the nation. Champagne toast and reception will follow program. Tour of the cemetery will be offered.

For information and registration; Dr. Andy Waskie at 215-204-5452 or awaskie@temple.edu

Jan. 6-7, South Carolina. Civil War Show & Sale

Low Country Civil War Show & Sale at Omar Shrine Temple, Mount Pleasant, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3. Sponsored by American Digger Magazine. For information, 770-362-8671, 716-574-0465, anita@americandigger.com; http:// americandigger.com/american-digger-events

Jan. 19-21, Florida. Reenactment

Annual Brooksville Raid hosted by the Hernando Historical Museum Assoc. and the N. Pinellas County Scout Sertoma Club. Two battles (2:30 p.m. Sat. & 1:30 p.m. Sun.) Children’s battle will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 20th for reenactor children only. $5 reenactor fee will be collected at the registration desk. For information; www. brooksvilleraidreenactment.com, Joan Casey raid@hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com. Sutler information; Bob Burnett, loafersglorysut@aol.com. Cannon registration; Bob Gomillion, bobgomillion@yahoo.com.

January 20-21, Arizona. Reenactment

Yuma Civil War Days will be held at the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park located at 201 N. 4th Avenue, in Yuma from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Experience living history along with reenactments of the battles Sat. at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Sun. at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. For more information; contact the Arizona Civil War Council, Inc. at 480-720-6993 or email; acwcinc@cox.net

February 2-4, Florida. Reenactment

Be here for the 32nd Annual Fort Taylor Civil War Heritage Days on February 2-4, 2018 in Key West. This 3-day event portrays the time period of 1861-1862 at a Federal fortress. First person interpretation, weapons demonstrations and camp life are featured daily. Hours are Fri. 8 a.m. to Sun. 5 p.m. For more information; kevin.bowes@dep.state. fl.us or 305-292-6850.

History Comes Alive

Dec. 8-10, Georgia. Reenactment

The 153rd Battle of Fort McAllister will be held at the 1720-acre park that is home to the Civil War earthen works fort and museum. Hosted by Clint Stanley, Dec. 8th at 6 p.m. through noon Dec. 10th. Campground sites for RV’s and tents. 3894 Fort McAllister Road, Richmond Hill, Ga. For information; 912-727-2339.

May 4–6, 2018 Friday:

Dec. 9, Alabama. Christmas Celebration

Living history for local schools. Come and share your knowledge of the Civil War with Columbia and Montour County school children.

You are invited to Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home for the “Christmas at Wheeler” event! Tour the decorated museum and enjoy sweet treats and hot cocoa. Children can take “sleigh rides” in a horse drawn buggy and families will enjoy concerts featuring local school and church choirs. Admission is $8/Adults, $5/Seniors, College Students & Military & $3/Children 6-18. For information; 256-637-8513 or pondspringdirector@ gmail.com

Saturday:

Living history all day. Dinner provided for all participants.

Sunday:

Living history all day.

Dec. 9, Georgia. Candlelight Christmas at Liberty Hall

The home of Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens in Crawfordville, Ga. will be decorated with styles of the Victorian Christmas past. Enjoy crafts and a candlelight tour, accompanied by the Christmas sounds of the era.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is $4-$6. For information; 706-4562602, http://gastateparks.org/AHStephens

Dec. 9, North Carolina. Candlelight Tour

Annual Christmas in the Piedmont and our signature Candlelight Tour Program at the Bennett Place State Historic Site. Visit during the day and witness how this occasion was celebrated in the Piedmont Carolinas during the Civil War. Living historians will decorate the farm in a typical modest fashion of the time. Christmas decorations and packages in the main house, soldiers will demonstrate Christmas in the field and of course, a visit with Ole St. Nick. Free Program 10-4. Come back later that evening for Candlelight Tour Program. Program runs 6-9 p.m. Cost: $3 per adult and $2 per child ages 5-16. Under 5 free. For info: 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www. bennettplacehistoricsite.com

Dec. 9, Virginia. Civil War Lecture Series

Presented by John V. Quarstein, Director Emeritus, USS Monitor Center at the Mariners’ Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, Va. at 2:30 p.m. The Confederate Navy introduced commerce to the Civil War when the CSS Nashville sank the merchant marine Harvey Birch. Commerce raiders decimated the American merchant marine and whaling ships; however, the Nashville might have been the first; yet, not the most successful. It was

• • • • •

Unit bounties paid Free registration Artillery and Cavalry welcome Sutlers welcome Large gun show also on the Fairgrounds

For more information and registration forms contact Eric Stahley at ecstahley@gmail.com Bloomsburg Fairgrounds 620 W 3rd St • Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Promoters of Quality Shows for Shooters, Collectors, Civil War and Militaria Enthusiasts

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Dec. 2 & 3, 2017

Columbia Gun & Knife Show

South Carolina State Fairgrounds 1200 Rosewood Drive Columbia, SC 29202

Dec. 9 & 10, 2017

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Feb. 3 & 4, 2018

Mike Kent & Associates, LLC • PO Box 685 • Monroe, GA 30655 770-630-7296 • Mike@MKShows.com • www.MKShows.com

December 2017

Civil War News

29

Feb. 3-4, Georgia. Civil War Show

MK Shows presents the Chickamauga (Dalton) Civil War Show in Northwest Georgia Trade Center, Dalton, Ga., for collectors and history enthusiasts.

Over 400 sale and display tables. Adults $10, Children under 12 are free.

Open Sat. 9-5 p.m. and Sunday, 10-3 p.m. For info: www.MKShows.com, email Mike Kent at mike@mkshows.com.

February 16-18, Florida. Reenactment

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park will host the weekend long 42nd Annual Reenactment commemorating the 154th anniversary of the Battle of Olustee. Events will include a wreath laying ceremony, Civil War Memorial Service, tours and medical demonstrations, entertainment, arts, crafts and food booths along with artillery night firing and old fashioned barn dance.

Spectators can visit authentic campsites, watch the parade, view artillery inspections, listen to a period music concert and watch the battle reenactment.

Festivities will end with the Battle of Olustee Ball at the Ball Tent. Period attire required. This activity is for participants only. For info: 877-635-3655; www.battleofolustee.org

February 22-25, Mississippi. Reenactment

Mississippi Stands Civil War Reenactment Battle of Brice’s Crossroads. This is an event that will feature some of the vital Historic Battles for the control of Mississippi and border states. Battles will take place on nearly 2,000 acres of Historic Battlefield located at Brice’s Crossroads in Baldwyn. All reenactors and organizations are invited to attend this historic event. There will be both campaign style battles along with spectator battles along with mainstream, campaign and civilian camps for everyone. For information; 662-680-4025.

February 24-25, South Carolina. Reenactment

See history come alive with cannons, cavalry horses and living history experts.

This reenactment has grown from a few hundred men with muskets to a fullblown Civil War festival. In addition to the battles, there will be authentic 19th century military encampments, living history presentations, reproductions of medical facilities, signal service and civilian portrayals. Food vendors will be on site. $12/adults, $6/ages 6-12, 5 & under free. Event location: 1210 Powell Pond Road, Aiken, SC 29801. Info: www.battleofaiken.

*

Event Location: 1085 Table Rock Road Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

F o r Ti c k e t s , R e e n a c t o r R e g i s t r a t i o n , a n d A d d i t i o n a l I n f o r m a t i o n Vi s i t . . . . o r C a l l 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 1 4 - 3 8 4 9 - Ti c k e t S a l e s Limited Preferred Seating —Tickets Higher at Gate

*Event Schedule Subject to Change

American Digger magazine presents the

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*Friday,

Jan. 5 at 6:00 PM

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Catered by Jamie Westendorff of Charleston, S.C. Sponsored by Civil War News, CS Acquisitions Militaria, Wallace Markert and the following vendors: CS Acquisitions Militaria, Wallace Markert 804-536-6413 Office: sales@csacquisitions.com Mobile: csacquisitions@gmail.com www.csacquisitions.com American Digger Magazine Butch & Anita Holcombe 770-362-8671 adpublisher@att.net www.americandigger.com Army of Tennessee Relics Nick Periut 865-693-3007 info@armyoftennesseerelics.com www.armyoftennesseerelics.com Civil War Shop Lynn & Will Gorges 252-636-3039 civilwarshop@gmail.com www.civilwarshop.com Le Juneau Gallery LLC George Weller Juno 770-329-4985 GWJuno@aol.com Richard Ferry Military Antiques Dicky Ferry 904-553-8526 unitedracingsupply@yahoo.com www.floridaconfederate.com

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Civil War News

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Vol. 42, No. 3

48 Pages, April 2016

Battlefield Of Franklin Land Preservation Purchase

By GreGory L. Wade

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — What is considered the bloodiest acreage in the Nov. 30, 1864, Battle of Franklin is now being reclaimed as part of the evolving Carter Hill Battlefield Park.

Local preservation leaders recently closed on a $2.8 million purchase from owners Reid and Brenda Lovell after a months-long process of coordinating various funding sources for the critical 1.6 acres that adjoin the Carter House, a major battle landmark.

Details were recently provided at a press conference led by Franklin’s Charge board member Julian Bibb, who praised the “remarkable transition” of the Franklin battlefield.

Franklin’s Charge is a coalition of civic and preservation groups who joined together more than ten years ago to purchase local battleground.

Over 150 years ago the Army of Tennessee stepped off in a series of charges to be virtually destroyed

by Federals under John Schofield in hopes of taking Franklin and later Nashville.

At that time, most of the terrain was open farmland on the outskirts of what was once a small Middle Tennessee farming community. Over time development covered much of the battlefield with houses, light industry, and small businesses.

All that remained of the critical area where the Confederates temporarily broke the Federal line was the small farmhouse and a few acres known as the Carter House farm.

The 1.6 acres purchased, which adjoin the southern boundary of the Carter House property, is comprised of two lots. Today, they are occupied by a flower shop and other structures

that were turned over to the City of Franklin Parks Department by Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin’s Trust (BOFT), managers of the Carter House the nearby Carnton Plantation. The structures will be removed in coming months, possibly relocated for other use.

The purchase is only the latest step in a long and arduous effort to rebuild the Franklin battlefield.

“It had to be a miracle,” quipped Civil War Trust (CWT) President James Lighthizer, referring to the most recent acquisition. Local resident Michael Grainger, long time Trust board member and former chairman, said, “Local leadership has been incredible and will continue to be a partner [with the CWT].”

In 2005, after years of frustration attempting to preserve Franklin battleground, local preservationists decided it would have to be done the hard way, by buying properties, often with buildings on them.

The largest parcel of land was originally a local golf course slated to be sold to a developer to build houses on what was the right flank of the Confederate attack north toward the Federal lines just south of the town.

It was then that Franklin’s Charge came into existence. Funds have been raised for the $5 million purchase from private donors, the CWT, the City of Franklin and others. That 110-acre segment, now fully interpreted and known as the Eastern Flank Battlefield, is what got the preservation ball rolling in Franklin.

Since that time nine other parcels in proximity to the Carter House have been purchased and have been, or will be, turned over to the Frank-

Franklin Charge leader Julian Bibb speaks at the Lovell purchase closing.

(Gregory L. Wade photos)

Battle of Franklin. 1891 print by Kurz and Allison. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. (Library of Congress) lin Parks Department, according to Bibb.

But it was the land just south of the Carter House, long considered the most bloodied ground in Franklin, and some say in America, that was the most coveted.

BOFT Chief Executive Officer Eric Jacobson noted, “to not have this ground reclaimed and preserved, would be like having Omaha Beach cut out of Normandy.”

The most recent acquisition evolved when Franklin’s Charge and the BOFT began discussions with the Lovells, who have a strong sense of the history of the land, having grown up in Franklin.

“I was born and raised in Franklin on ground many believe should have been a national park,” said Reid Lovell. He recalled when visitors came to town and had to envision what happened, not walk on ground where it transpired.

“My great-grandfather, who fought here, and my parents would be proud of what we are doing here today,” he said at the press conference.

The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously in February to fund part of the remaining debt on the Lovell property purchase. The previously saved plots, valued at $6.8 million, are being transferred to the city in exchange for $1.08 million to be paid by the city on a non-interest basis over seven years.

These funds will cover the balance now bridged by a local bank and will be derived from the city’s hotel-motel tax. Local banker Chuck Isaacs was instrumental in working out the loans. All the city funds are allotted as well as a donation of $25,000 by his employer, First Farmers and Merchants Bank.

A $1.3 million grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was a major piece of the

Franklin Alderman Michael Skinner, left, and Franklin Charge Board member Ernie Bacon attended the Franklin press conference. funding and the most complex, according to Bibb.

“With help from city officials, the Civil War Trust and others at the ABPP, we got it done,” Bibb noted.

Other funding came from private donors including local Civil War Trust board member Grainger, who has been involved with other national preservation efforts.

Representatives of Save the Franklin Battlefield, the oldest battlefield

preservation group in Franklin who for years advocated the possibility of a battleground park, attended the signing of official documents and “have been with us every step,” said Bibb.

The site interpretation work will be led by representatives of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage

H Franklin

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 4

Inside this issue: 23 – Black Powder, White Smoke 24 – Book Reviews 33 – Critics Corner 36 – Events Section

11 – The Source 8 – Through The Lens 10 – Treasures From The Museum 14 – The Watchdog

31

December 2017

Civil War News

32

Quarterly Subscription Drive Grand Prize is 12 Books from Publisher Savas Beatie LLC

Deadline for submissions and advertising is the 20th of each month for the following CWN issue.

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Civil War News is excited to introduce a new quarterly promotion that we are sure our subscribers are going to love. It’s going to be a chance for you to help us build our readership while earning a chance to win great prizes. Refer as many friends as you can to subscribe to the Civil War News (new subscriptions only).

There is a place on both the new subscription forms as well as the downloadable online version for new subscribers to note who referred them. Older forms will not have this option, so please make sure your name is noted for proper credit. For every new subscriber you refer, your name will go into a pool for a drawing to be held at the end of that quarter. This contest is open to individuals as well as groups (Round Tables, SCV, UCV, Preservation groups, etc.) who want to award the prize within their organization. Each new subscription you give as a gift will be considered as an entry for you, too.

Our first quarterly contest, sponsored by Savas Beatie Publishing Company, will begin immediately. The winner will be selected by a random drawing and announced on Saturday afternoon, December 2, 2017, at MK Shows Middle Tennessee Civil War Show in Franklin, Tenn. Show promoter, Mike Kent will officiate the drawing and announce the winner at the show.

Attendance is not necessary to win. The winner will also be announced on the Civil War News Facebook page immediately after the drawing and will be contacted upon our return from the show.

Secondly, every individual CWN subscriber who refers five new subscribers will automatically receive a one-year subscription to Civil War News, in print or digital format, to keep or give away as a gift.

The grand prize for our first subscription drive is an amazing collection of 12 Civil War books which have been personally hand-picked by publisher Ted Savas for one lucky winner. The collection will consist of the following titles:

• Calamity at Chancellorsville: The Wounding and Death of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson • Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front: The Battles of Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church, May 3, 1863 • Confederate General William “Extra Billy” Smith: From Virginia’s Statehouse to Gettysburg Scapegoat

• The First Battle for Petersburg: The Attack and Defense of the Cockade City, June 9, 1864 • Divided Loyalties: Kentucky’s Struggle for Armed Neutrality in the Civil War • The Gettysburg Campaign in Numbers and Losses: Synopses, Orders of Battle, Strengths, Casualties, and Maps, June 9 – July 14, 1863 • A Little Short of Boats: The Battles of Ball’s Bluff & Edwards Ferry, October 21-22, 1861 • The Maps of Bristoe Station and Mine Run: An Atlas of the Battles and Movements in the Eastern Theater after Gettysburg, Including Rappahannock Station, Kelly’s Ford, and Morton’s Ford, July 1863 – February 1864 • “No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Ceasar”: Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, March 1865 • The Rashness of That Hour: Politics, Gettysburg, and the Downfall of Confederate Brigadier General Alfred Iverson • Seizing Destiny: The Army of the Potomac’s “Valley Forge” • The Siege of Petersburg: The Battles for the Weldon Railroad, August 1864

This total prize package, a collection of Civil War books, has a retail value of over $375. So, start today. Help your friends and relatives see what they have been missing out on by getting them to subscribe to the most popular and most read Civil War newspaper in print today, and get your name in the drawing as many times as you can for a chance to win this amazing collection of Civil War books.

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December 2017

Civil War News

Classifieds

Small Talk ANSWERS:

Art

Books

DANCE

JOHN PAUL STRAIN prints – Framed, signed & numbered. Spring Campaign ($550), Snowmoon ($750), Romney Expedition ($750), Return to Clarks Mt. ($650), Road to Front Royal ($550).

Prices include shipping within the continuous United States.

Contact Linda Seamon at LLSeamon@aol.com or call 717359-7339. 10.17

Rebels In The Rockies: Confederate Irregulars In The West. Dr. Walter Pittman. McFarland Publishing. $39.95.

Available from Amazon.

DANCE WITH THE BEST! Presenting balls, demonstrations, classes, living history programs, and artifact displays for over 21 years. The Victorian Dance Ensemble of the Civil War Dance Foundation has presented programs for the Smithsonian, Ken Burns Tours, National Park Service, and Civil War Trust and conducts the National Civil War Ball and Civil War Preservation Ball. IRS recognized nonprofit educational organization.

Events have raised over $200,000 for preservation. Instructional DVD available. Visit www.CivilWarDance.org.

GENERAL INTEREST INDIANA SEEKING LETTERS, Journals, etc. on 39th Indiana/8th Indiana Regiment for regimental history book I’m writing. Contact Mike Baker at psufan79@yahoo.com or 739 W. Hamilton St., Apt. Farr305, Allentown, PA 18101.

NEW HAMPSHIRE JOIN A CIVIL WAR outfit that you can brag about! The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a fraternal brotherhood in New Hampshire and nationally that maintains the memorials to the Union soldiers and sailors. Contact Dave Nelson: 603-654-9437, danelson.in.nh@comcast.net

NEW YORK 125TH NEW YORK: Seeking copies of photos of anything to do with the 125th New York.

For my personal research on the Regiment. Email mmarchand@ americoninc.com.

Books Did you know?

That the critical role religion and Faith played in the Civil War is often ignored??

Interested in knowing more?

Get the nationally acclaimed “Both prayed to the same God” (Robert J. Miller). Go to www.amazon.com or www.civilwarreligion.com “MARYLAND LINE Confederate Soldiers’ Home and Veterans’ Organizations in Maryland” $20; “Union Civil War Veterans’ Organizations in Maryland” $10; both titles by Dan Toomey. All prices include taxes and shipping. Visa, MasterCard or check to Toomey Press, PO Box 122, Linthicum, MD 21090 or toomeypress@aol. com.

SHARPSHOOTER BOOK. Definitive study. Over 500 pages with illustrations & endnotes. $50. Sharpshooter Press, PO Box 569, Aguilar, CO 81020 GEORGIA’S CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS: In Honor of a Fallen Nation, by Gould Hagler.

Available at retail stores, online sellers, and from Mercer University Press.

Photos of all of Georgia’s monuments, the complete inscriptions and other information on the monuments and the organizations that built them. Retail price: $45.

Available from author for $35 plus shipping. Contact author at gould.hagler@gmail.com NEW GETTYSBURG BOOK “After Gettysburg-Lee retreats, Meade pursues” All in one place: retreat & battles incl.: Monterey Pass, Bristoe, Mine Run. Biographies of notables.

144 pp. Available from Amazon, B&N, or the Gettysburg Heritage Center. josephmieczkowski@gmail. com Cell: 717-253-6880.

Want To Advertise Your Book In Civil War News?

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Civil War News $3.00

Vol. 42, No. 3

48 Pages, April 2016

Battlefield Of Franklin Land Preservation Purchase

By GreGory L. Wade

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — What is considered the bloodiest acreage in the Nov. 30, 1864, Battle of Franklin is now being reclaimed as part of the evolving Carter Hill Battlefield Park.

Local preservation leaders recently closed on a $2.8 million purchase from owners Reid and Brenda Lovell after a months-long process of coordinating various funding sources for the critical 1.6 acres that adjoin the Carter House, a major battle landmark.

Details were recently provided at a press conference led by Franklin’s Charge board member Julian Bibb, who praised the “remarkable transition” of the Franklin battlefield.

Franklin’s Charge is a coalition of civic and preservation groups who joined together more than ten years ago to purchase local battleground.

Over 150 years ago the Army of Tennessee stepped off in a series of charges to be virtually destroyed

by Federals under John Schofield in hopes of taking Franklin and later Nashville.

At that time, most of the terrain was open farmland on the outskirts of what was once a small Middle Tennessee farming community. Over time development covered much of the battlefield with houses, light industry, and small businesses.

All that remained of the critical area where the Confederates temporarily broke the Federal line was the small farmhouse and a few acres known as the Carter House farm.

The 1.6 acres purchased, which adjoin the southern boundary of the Carter House property, is comprised of two lots. Today, they are occupied by a flower shop and other structures

that were turned over to the City of Franklin Parks Department by Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin’s Trust (BOFT), managers of the Carter House the nearby Carnton Plantation. The structures will be removed in coming months, possibly relocated for other use.

The purchase is only the latest step in a long and arduous effort to rebuild the Franklin battlefield.

“It had to be a miracle,” quipped Civil War Trust (CWT) President James Lighthizer, referring to the most recent acquisition. Local resident Michael Grainger, long time Trust board member and former chairman, said, “Local leadership has been incredible and will continue to be a partner [with the CWT].”

In 2005, after years of frustration attempting to preserve Franklin battleground, local preservationists decided it would have to be done the hard way, by buying properties, often with buildings on them.

The largest parcel of land was originally a local golf course slated to be sold to a developer to build houses on what was the right flank of the Confederate attack north toward the Federal lines just south of the town.

It was then that Franklin’s Charge came into existence. Funds have been raised for the $5 million purchase from private donors, the CWT, the City of Franklin and others. That 110-acre segment, now fully interpreted and known as the Eastern Flank Battlefield, is what got the preservation ball rolling in Franklin.

Since that time nine other parcels in proximity to the Carter House have been purchased and have been, or will be, turned over to the Frank-

Franklin Charge leader Julian Bibb speaks at the Lovell purchase closing.

(Gregory L. Wade photos)

Battle of Franklin. 1891 print by Kurz and Allison. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. (Library of Congress) lin Parks Department, according to Bibb.

But it was the land just south of the Carter House, long considered the most bloodied ground in Franklin, and some say in America, that was the most coveted.

BOFT Chief Executive Officer Eric Jacobson noted, “to not have this ground reclaimed and preserved, would be like having Omaha Beach cut out of Normandy.”

The most recent acquisition evolved when Franklin’s Charge and the BOFT began discussions with the Lovells, who have a strong sense of the history of the land, having grown up in Franklin.

“I was born and raised in Franklin on ground many believe should have been a national park,” said Reid Lovell. He recalled when visitors came to town and had to envision what happened, not walk on ground where it transpired.

“My great-grandfather, who fought here, and my parents would be proud of what we are doing here today,” he said at the press conference.

The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously in February to fund part of the remaining debt on the Lovell property purchase. The previously saved plots, valued at $6.8 million, are being transferred to the city in exchange for $1.08 million to be paid by the city on a non-interest basis over seven years.

These funds will cover the balance now bridged by a local bank and will be derived from the city’s hotel-motel tax. Local banker Chuck Isaacs was instrumental in working out the loans. All the city funds are allotted as well as a donation of $25,000 by his employer, First Farmers and Merchants Bank.

A $1.3 million grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was a major piece of the

Franklin Alderman Michael Skinner, left, and Franklin Charge Board member Ernie Bacon attended the Franklin press conference. funding and the most complex, according to Bibb.

“With help from city officials, the Civil War Trust and others at the ABPP, we got it done,” Bibb noted.

Other funding came from private donors including local Civil War Trust board member Grainger, who has been involved with other national preservation efforts.

Representatives of Save the Franklin Battlefield, the oldest battlefield

preservation group in Franklin who for years advocated the possibility of a battleground park, attended the signing of official documents and “have been with us every step,” said Bibb.

The site interpretation work will be led by representatives of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage

H Franklin

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 4

Inside this issue: 23 – Black Powder, White Smoke 24 – Book Reviews 33 – Critics Corner 36 – Events Section

11 – The Source 8 – Through The Lens 10 – Treasures From The Museum 14 – The Watchdog

33

WE CALL dances as the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Era Dancers are all-volunteer & non-profit, raising money for battlefield preservation. Visit our website for schedules and photos. https://sites.google.com/site/ svcwed. Like us at www.facebook. com/SVCWED. 4.15.18

RESEARCH SERVICES “RECORDS OF History”: Pension and military records from the National Archives, American Revolution to Spanish-American War. Great for collectors or family history. Reasonable fees, no charge until found. John Emond Phone: 301-384-2809.

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ROBERT E. LEE PROGRAMS ROBERT E LEE from “West Point to Washington College”.

Al Stone, long time portrayer of Gen. Robert E. Lee retired his “field” impression in April 2015 at the 150th anniversary of the Appomattox campaign.

However as the great Southern Chieftain went on to educate, so has Al who is now offering a unique series of programs in which he will speak to any and all issues you desire about Robert E. Lee from “West Point to Washington College”. Recognized by leading historians, artists and reenactors as offering the most accurate impression of the South’s most famous general, Al will address any groups, schools, conferences or other gatherings anywhere and is currently scheduling for summer, fall and winter of 2017. Visit: www.generalrelee.com or contact Al at: astoneasrelee@frontier.com, Phone 813-782-1297 or 304-660-7390.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

David E. Twiggs.

William T. Sherman.

Simon Cameron, serving March 1861–to January 1862.

Fort Warren.

Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd (1833-1883). Though pardoned by Pres. Andrew Johnson, Mudd and his name were cleared by Pres. Jimmy Carter, who issued a proclamation absolving him of any involvement in the assassination.

6. Elon John Farnsworth, born July 30, 1837, died at age 25.

7. Col. (soon Brig. Gen.) Emory Upton (1839-1881).

8. c. “’Shinplasters’ were signed and circulated by bankers, grocers, milk dealers, and innkeepers, and were usually redeemable in the goods or service of the individual issuing them.” (Richard Cecil Todd, Confederate Finance [1954], p. 116).

9. Fort Sanders, named for Union Brig. Gen. William P. Sanders, who had been mortally wounded nearby just days before.

10. “Dixie,” composed by Daniel Emmett in 1859 in New York City.

ROUND TABLES

ALABAMA CIVIL War Round Table in Birmingham, Alabama meets at 6 p.m. the second Thursday of each month except Dec., June, July and Aug. at the Vestavia Hills library on Highway 31.

For more information, see our website at www.civilwaralabama.org.

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magazine The Artilleryman is a quarterly magazine founded in 1979 for enthusiasts who collect and shoot cannons and mortars primarily from the Revolutionary War, Civil War to World War II. Now expanded and fully illustrated in rich color throughout the entire magazine.

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