Civil War News April 2017 by Historical Publications LLC

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Lincoln’s 208th Birthday Vol. 43, No. 4

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Preservation News From The CWT 48 Pages, April 2017

Historic Battle Mural Moved To Permanent Home

In this segment of Atlanta’s famous Cyclorama, Col. August Mersy’s Federal brigade attacks the South Carolinians of Brig. Gen. Arthur Manigault, who have broken the Federal line east of Atlanta on the afternoon of July 22, 1864. (Jack Melton) By Stephen Davis ATLANTA, GA.—One of the world’s greatest battle paintings has finally found its home. Let’s hope this one is its last, and the permanent one. Imagine a football field wrapped around you, and that’s how small you feel when standing inside the Cyclorama—359 feet in circumference and 42 feet tall. Formally titled The Battle of Atlanta, the huge painting portraying the battle fought on July 22, 1864 has been housed for more than a century in an Atlanta amusement park. Now, after a massive effort, the Cyclorama is moving to its best-ever home, the Atlanta History Center, in the middle of our city. I’m an Atlantan, and we’re all excited.

The story behind the painting, the actual battle, will be familiar to many readers of Civil War News. It was one of the major engagements of the Atlanta Campaign. Following two and a half months of hard fighting through north Georgia, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman had brought his forces to within a few miles of the city. Confederate Gen. John B. Hood was determined to drive them away. On July 22, Hood attacked Sherman. After eight hours’ fighting, the Southerners were repulsed and withdrew back into Atlanta’s fortified lines after they had given the Yankees one of the bloodiest fights of the campaign, inflicting some 3,700 casualties (against 5,700 of their own). For a while that afternoon, Rebels had overrun some enemy

works and by the end of the day had captured twelve pieces of artillery. They also managed to kill Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, second-highest Federal officer to die in battle. Hood reported the battle as a victory, which caused the politicos in Richmond to whoop it up as such. The Battle of Atlanta is not the oldest battle-rendering extant.

Cyclorama murals—buildingsized paintings hung circularly for viewing from the inside— were a European innovation of the late nineteenth century. Subjects chosen for depiction ranged from Jesus’ Crucifixion to combats of the Franco-Prussian War. The American Civil War gave rise to other battle paintings for Shiloh, Second Manassas, Vicksburg,

July 23, 2014: (Right to left) Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta History Center President and Chief Executive Officer Sheffield Hale, and Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood announce the move of the Atlanta Cyclorama.

Inside this issue:

46 – Advertiser Index 35 – Ask The Appraiser 4 – Black Powder, White Smoke 26 – Book Reviews 44 – Classifieds 30 – Critic’s Corner 36 – Events Section 12 – Inspection, ARMS! 14 – Preservation News 3 – Roundtable News 5 – The Source 6 – Through The Lens 11 – The Unfinished Fight 7 – Small Talk-Trivia Chattanooga and even the Monitor vs. Virginia. Frenchman Paul Philippoteaux supervised the cyclorama painting of the battle of Gettysburg, which came to this country in 1884. It remains one of the most popular attractions for today’s visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park. Today, of all these huge Civil War canvases, only The Battle of Gettysburg

H Cyclorama

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 20

April 2017

Civil War News

F rom The Civil War News Lowcountry

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By Jack Melton Spring has sprung early in the Low Country. The azaleas are in full bloom a month early, and there is no shortage of yellow pine pollen in the air. We are delighted that there are so many events and activities available in Charleston for us to enjoy. I was very pleased to be invited on a trip to Fort Sumter by the Fort Sumter–Fort Moultrie Historical Trust. Historian, Rick Hatcher gave a guided tour. Rick is retired from the National Park Service, where he worked on-site at the fort for more than 22 years, so he could answer just about any question I had about the history of the fort.

We are looking forward to bringing you coverage of the living history and skirmishes at one of Charleston’s premier events, The 13th Annual Battle of Charleston, which will be held at Legare Farms (pronounced Legree) on John’s Island, S.C. April 7-9. This year, the event will not only be focusing on the Civil War, but it will bring together the military history of Charleston, throughout the centuries. Recently we received a comment that we have not been publishing letters to the editor. The truth is, we have not received any lately. We love to hear from our readers. We want to hear what

Lincoln’s 208th Birthday Day Celebration By Joseph Bordonaro PHILADELPHIA, PENN.— The Abraham Lincoln Foundation Hosts “Lincoln Day” Celebration. Members of the Delaware Valley reenacting community helped celebrate the 16th President’s 208th birthday on February 13, at the historic Union League Building in Philadelphia. The celebration is held on Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, if that day is a week day. Otherwise it is held either on the Friday or Monday closest to his birthday. Hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Foundation, the events included a ceremony at the Broad Street entrance of the Union League, highlighted by a performance of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address by James Hayney of Camp Hill, Pa.; a luncheon; a keynote address by MBE Jeremy Black, a professor of history at the University of Exeter in England, a parade from the Union League Building to Independence Hall, where Lincoln’s raising of a new 34 star flag occurred on Washington’s Birthday, Feb. 22, 1861; and a ceremony at

James Hayney as Abe Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. the Lincoln Statue in Fairmount Park showing Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation. The Union League in Philadelphia was founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. Its motto is “Amor Patriae Ducit or Love of Country Leads.” This

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you like, what you want more of and what you don’t like to see. So please, get out the paper and pens, and send us your thoughts to share with our readers. The annual July Gettysburg issue plans are in the makes. We are looking forward, to our annual trip in June with great excitement. As usual, we will be distributing the Gettysburg section to shops, restaurants, hotels, B&B’s and the reenactment for free distribution to visitors and spectators. We print 12,000 copies of this section, so if you are interested in marketing your product or event, please go to our website for information, or contact us directly at 1-800-777-1862. We are happy to help you with your advertising needs. Last, but certainly not least, we are delighted to introduce a new column for all of our trivia buffs out there called “Small Talk.” We are sure that you will enjoy this addition to the Civil War News.

Civilian reenactors were well represented at the Lincoln Day celebration. (Photos by Joe Bordonaro)

love of country was very much on display on February 13. The Civil War reenactor component of the Lincoln Day celebration was organized by Dr. Anthony Waskie. A member of the Union League, “Andy” Waskie is a professor at Temple University and also performs as General Meade, which makes him the perfect person to coordinate the participation of Civil War reenactors in the day’s events. More information about the Abraham Lincoln Foundation may be found at their website: www.ulheritagecenter.org Information about the over 90 books written by MBE Jeremy Black may be found at jeremyblackhistorian.wordpress.com Information about the Union League of Philadelphia may be found at: http://www.unionleague.org Information about Lincoln impersonator James Hayney can be found at www. LookingForALincoln.com

April 2017

Civil War News

Roundtable News By Matthew Borowick Bull Run CWRT Picnic How does a Civil War round table celebrate a milestone anniversary, recognize past presidents, thank exceptional volunteers and bring the membership together? If you are the Bull Run CWRT you throw a picnic at a winery! The 237-member Bull Run CWRT (BRCWRT) is one of those especially fortunate groups. It meets 12 times a year on the 2nd Thursday of every month at the Centreville, Va., Regional Library, within a short distance of several of the war’s battlefields. The round table was formed in May 1991. It received the Civil War Trust’s “CWRT of the Year” award ten years later. Mark Trbovich, the group’s current president, notes that the BRCWRT has undertaken sev-

eral initiatives over the years, building on its mission to “To stimulate interest in the American Civil War by educating its members and the public, including preservation and interpretation of sites, buildings, artifacts and memorials connected with the war.” Becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2011 increased the group’s ability to fundraise for local and national Civil War preservation efforts. It also has an annual scholarship program for high school seniors. Its location provides many opportunities for battlefield visits. Mark notes that “our touring programs have been received extremely well by our members and guests.” Mark also mentions the group’s award-winning newsletter and the use of technology.

Members not able to get to a meeting can watch it rebroadcast afterward on the group’s web site. Mark, a lifelong student of the Civil War, joined the round table in 1999. His home on the Bull Run River overlooks the location of Confederate infantry positions prior to the First Battle of Manassas. And what of the picnic? Mark says that a series of programs were developed to celebrate the round table’s 25th anniversary. The June-October programming started with a panel discussion that included round table founder William Miller and several past presidents, who each reviewed the accomplishments during their tenures. In concert with the July and August anniversaries of the First and Second Battles of Manassas, the group was treated to presentations by noted experts John Hennessey and Ed Bearss, followed by battlefield tours. The final event took place at The Winery at Bull Run, which sits upon original battlefield land. The owner is himself a student of the Civil War and had presented to the group at its September

meeting. Mark says that members came from throughout the country to participate in the event, which was billed as the cumulative commemorative event with hopes of it becoming an annual affair and the setting is perfect. October is a beautiful time of year in Northern Virginia, and, he notes, “The Winery has excellent facilities and overlooks Manassas National Battlefield Park, which endeared it to our membership.” Despite some very windy weather, which made a move indoors necessary, Mark says the day was a huge success. “We gave our membership a free, fully catered BBQ picnic for their outstanding support.” He added that “The Winery’s staff accommodated our situation. The program went off without a hitch, the accommodations were superb, and the catering service provided a very delicious meal.” Over 90 members and guests attended, many asking for a repeat in 2017. Mark enjoys the ability to bring the members together to say thank you and to celebrate their success. For those round tables

contemplating such an effort, he advises: “Don’t give up on the picnic concept. Keep it on the backburner until the time is right. Our milestone celebration was the perfect time. It generated excitement and no one had to bring food.” Mark shares that making this an annual event has another benefit: “It takes you out of your regular monthly meeting venue and enables the folks to get to know one another better in comfortable surroundings.” He suggests holding it as a free or reduced price, catered affair to show appreciation to a loyal membership. He adds that it is also an opportune time to make some awards to outstanding volunteers and to take “a lot of photos.” Anyone wishing to get more information about the Bull Run CWRT or its picnic can go to www.bullruncwrt.org. More information about the group’s first 25 years and its steps to becoming a successful round table can be found in its “25th Commemorative Anniversary Publication” at https://www.createspace. com/5928769

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April 2017

Civil War News

Black Powder, White Smoke By Joe Bilby The “Lingering Topic, Cap and Ball Six-gun Basics, Defarbing Question The” Lingering Topic” I like it when a topic “lingers” as reader Jim Thomas, the brother of Dean Thomas, the ammunition guru, characterized it. The topic, unsurprisingly, is the multiple loads in recovered muskets and rifle muskets on the Gettysburg battlefield following that climactic battle. Jim advises that Springfield Armory has a rifled musket barrel that was “sectioned down its length and shows multiple bullets.” Unfortunately, the only photo Jim had available was one the armory sent to Dean some years back, and it was a fuzzy Polaroid. Despite the fuzz, you can distinctly see the multiple loads. Jim also advised that the Johnston & Dow combustible cartridges noted in the multiple load story were not, as is often stated, “skin cartridges,” but were actually made of “combustible paper coated in collodian.”

Six-gun Basics The open framed Colt Army and Navy models were the most popular percussion revolvers for both military and civilian use from the 1850s through the Civil War and beyond. Although the Colt is still a favorite with many casual shooters and reenactors, competitive target shooters prefer Remington or Rogers and Spencer style six-guns, which have solid top straps with rear sight grooves. The latter guns provide a better and more consistent sight picture than that offered by the Colt’s hammer notch rear sight.

The cylinder/chamber alignment with the barrel doesn’t change as often either. Whatever their sights, all cap and ball revolvers, original or reproduction, are loaded the same way. Although I have covered it in the past, a refresher course in revolver loading might be timely. The usual procedure is: first, check the cylinder to make sure the gun is unloaded; second, swab the revolver’s barrel and chambers with a dry cleaning patch to remove any residual oil; third, snap a percussion cap on each nipple to remove any remaining oil in the nipple channels; fourth, load each chamber with a measured charge of FFFG black powder, usually 15 to 20 grains for a .36, 20 to 25 grains for a .44, followed by a soft lead swaged or cast round ball or conical projectile rammed home with the gun’s integral loading lever; fifth, if you are so inclined, slather a thick lubricating grease over each chamber mouth; sixth, pointing the gun in safe direction, slip caps over the nipples. The six-gun is now ready to fire. To reload and fire again, repeat steps four through six. The addition of grease to the chamber mouths, albeit traditional, is optional. It was, and remains, believed by many that it prevents a “chain-fire,” or multiple chamber ignitions, as well as providing lubrication to keep down powder fouling. While

chain-fires from the front of the cylinder are virtually impossible with tight fitting balls, the grease may provide some lubrication, although much of it is simply blown away. An Ox-Yoke “Wonder Wad” seated between powder and ball most likely provides a far better solution to the fouling problem, as the wad sweeps black powder residue down the bore with each succeeding shot. Caps must fit the revolver’s nipples snugly. Ill-fitting caps were, in the 19th century, and remain today, the most common cause of chain-fires and misfires in a percussion revolver. The #10 cap size fits many Italian made replicas as well as original guns quite well. Some replicas require size #11 caps, however. Different brands of caps, even though nominally the same size, often differ, so try several to find the snuggest fit. Most original .44 caliber guns use .454 or .457 diameter round balls. Some reproductions work best with .451 balls. Civil War soldiers usually loaded their cap and ball revolvers with combustible cartridges, simply inserting the prepared cartridge, containing both powder and conical ball, in the front of each chamber, ramming it home and then capping. Some of today’s shooters make combustible cartridges out of nitrated paper, which works much the same way. Another form of cartridge uses soft plastic tubes sold by various dealers and shooters, which I prefer. I load each tube with a powder charge, Wonder Wad and ball for a convenient way to carry ammunition.

A Dubious “Defarb” While we are on the topic of Civil War revolvers, a friend sent me a photo of a “defarbed” reproduction Le Mat revolver. The expert “defarber” removed all mod-

Original Remington revolver from the Civil War.

(Jack Melton)

A Civil War soldier with a Remington revolver. (Liljenquist Family Collection, Library of Congress) ern markings and replaced them with the correct proof marks and serial numbers seen on the original LeMats. That is ok with me, but he went a few steps further, which I am not so sure about. At the request of the owner, the process did not stop there, and the revolver’s finish was removed and replaced with a patina suggesting an original piece. To me, defarbing is a worthwhile practice for living history practitioners and authentic reenactors seeking an original look for their historical persona’s equipment. It must be remembered, though, that guns were issued new, not with a 150 year old patina. I have a strange feeling that this gun might end up being classified as an original at some show or auction down the road.

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 20 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. 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

April 2017

Civil War News

The Source By Michael K. Shaffer

Rebellion Record

Growing frustrated with inaccurate reports found in the daily newspapers, New York City journalist Frank Moore embarked upon a mission to ascertain the facts and publish a series of accounts from the war. His goal, as stated in the preface of volume one, “…to furnish in a digested and systematic shape, a comprehensive history of this struggle; sifting fact from fiction and rumor; presenting the poetical and picturesque aspects, the notable and characteristic incidents, separated from the grave and more important documents.” Starting in 1861, the Rebellion Record continued until 1868, culminating in 12 parts. Researchers can find much of each book’s ‘Documents’ material in other sources, like the Official Records. However, this set does provide valuable information, which can assist researchers. Opening each volume with a ‘Diary of Events,’ Moore recounted, in chronological order, happenings from the war. As one might expect, his work places a heavy emphasis on military action. The “Diary” in the first volume traces events through June 20, 1861. The second installment continues to Aug. 22, 1861; vol.

three covers the period to Jan. 4, 1862; the fourth vol. to April 30, 1862; vol. five goes to Oct. 9, 1862. The diary’s sections continued in vols. five through eight, appearing in the following order: Oct. 9, 1862, May 31, 1863, Oct. 31, 1863, and April 30, 1864. One example from June 20, 1861: “A balloon ascension for military purposes took place at Washington. The elevation attained was not very great…the aeronauts were Prof. Lowe, Gen. Burns, of the Telegraph Company, and H.C. Robinson, operator. The balloon was connected with the War Department by telegraph.” Visualizing the war remained important for Moore, and he included many illustrations of notable figures, along with various maps. Some maps, like the one shown to the right, Moore added in a foldout style. A table of contents, found in each book, will enable readers to locate the numerous illustrations and maps. Moore also included a helpful index in each vol. Researchers will find many drawings familiar, but some rather obscure. The image Brigadier General William Rosecrans demonstrates the quality of Moore’s work. Locating a unique section with-

in the pages of the Rebellion Record, one must turn to the back of any of the first nine vols. to explore Moore’s ‘Poetry, Rumors and Incidents.’ As the section title implies, readers will find a hodgepodge of information, with much of this material found only in Moore’s work. The editor held true to his original mission, and included Northern and Southern poems and songs, along with the ‘rumors and incidents.’ One can sing a stanza from a Confederate song, entitled “The War Storm.” Rain of lead we know will rattle/ Steel will flash, and blood will flow/Cannon thunder through the battle/And its ending none can know.

Edward Everett, the noted orator who spoke for two hours at the Nov. 1863 dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg perhaps took a cue from another speaker at the ceremony and learned the art of brevity. Of Moore’s endeavor, Everett stated: “I consider the Record a very valuable publication.” Today’s researchers do not need to await the weekly installments as Moore first issued his work. (One could purchase the weekly for ten cents or a monthly compilation for fifty cents.) This writer encourages, as did the promotional announcements, “… those who would preserve and ponder the authentic chronicle of the ‘Second War of American Independence,’ to possess themselves of this valuable and interesting serial.” Website References: • Internet Archive: https:// archive.org/search. php?query=creator%3A%22Frank+Moore%2C++Edward+Everett%22 • Hathi Trust Digital Library: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/ Record/000832167 • Google Books: (free downloads: search Rebellion Record)

Cover of Rebellion Record. Perusing newspapers and other printed material, Moore collected many quips for ‘Rumors and Incidents.’ Much like the ‘Diary of Events’ section, most information found here appears in chronological order. Some ‘rumors’ contain lengthy accounts, while others provide snippets. “Governor Brown, of Georgia, has solicited from the Secretary of War, and obtained, a year’s leave of absence for Colonel Hardee, late Commandant at West Point, to go to Europe to purchase guns and munitions of war for the State of Georgia.” Researchers must remember Moore’s label of ‘Rumor’ when sifting through these pages. Much of this information indeed proved false. The ability to quickly locate copies of the Rebellion Record, especially in digital format, makes this source readily available. Those preferring a hard-copy version can purchase the 1977 Arno Press reprint set from various booksellers. If one wishes to explore easily, and for free, visit one of the websites listed below, where different downloadable formats exist. Remember to check WorldCat http://www. worldcat.org/ for help in finding the Rebellion Record in a local library. Promoting the release of vol. one, many newspapers throughout the North carried notices; a special endorsement accompanied the announcement.

Next month, we will continue to explore other sources, and please keep suggestions for future ‘The Source’ columns coming. Send them to the e-mail address shown below. Continued good luck in researching the Civil War!

Illustration of Rosecrans.

Brig.

Gen

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.

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April 2017

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Through The Lens By Stephanie Hagiwara

Welcome Home Col. Burnside “You entirely mistake the character of the Northern people. … Not only will the North fight, but she will also triumph. The experiment of secession will fail, and the South, in ruin and desolation, will bitterly repent the day when she attempted to overthrow a wise and beneficent government.” – Ambrose Burnside In 1861, Ambrose Burnside was employed with the Illinois Railroad. While in New Orleans, La., on business, the conversation turned to politics. “There will be no war,” predicted his friends. “Northern men will not fight. The South will separate herself from the Union, will set up an independent government, and will draw to her the Middle and Western States. We shall do whatever we please, and give laws and government to the continent. The North will not fight, and the South will have an easy triumph.” Burnside knew the North would prove them wrong. On April 15, 1861, the same day President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve for three months, the youngest governor in the Union, 30-year-old William Sprague telegraphed Burnside in New York City, “A regiment of Rhode Island troops

will go to Washington this week. How soon can you come on and take command?” Burnside replied, “At once.” Having recently recovered financially from a failed business venture, West Point graduate Burnside could have avoided returning to the U.S. Army. Instead, Burnside traveled to Providence, R.I., to organize the regiment. By Thursday, April 18, a light battery of six rifled guns, horses and 150 men boarded a steamer for Washington via New York. On Saturday, 544 men followed. At noon, on April 26, the men entered the Capital. Sprague led the regiment on a magnificent white horse with a jaunty yellow feather in his black hat. George E. Smith recalled, “Our orders were to march over a route that would take us past the White House, and we were surprised to see the President and Gen. [Winfield] Scott standing at the curb. Great cheers greeted them and the two leaders answered by waving their hands. We were quartered in the Patent Office, and every day was taken up with drill and instruction in army life.” The remainder of the unit arrived the following week. Twelve hundred Rhode Islanders had

heeded the call to defend the Capital. The company was comprised of a cross-section of society including some of Rhode Island’s wealthiest men. It was nicknamed the “million dollar regiment.” Lincoln’s secretary John Hay wrote that, “There was enough of breeding and honor to retone the society of the Gulf and wealth enough to purchase the entire state of Florida.” When Burnside was instructed to requisition supplies for his men, he replied loftily, “We need nothing; Sir, from the government; Rhode Island and her governor will attend to their wants.” Sprague had donated 96 horses to accompany the artillery battery and loaned $100,000 to outfit the volunteers. Soon, the regiment settled in Camp Sprague, two miles from the center of the city on a farm. The location is now the intersection of Florida Ave., New York Ave., and 1st street. It is speculated that the signs, “Col Burnside” and “Welcome Home” refer to Burnside’s recent return to the army after resigning his commission in 1853. Troops poured into the Capital from around the country. It seems the volunteer soldiers were willing to participate in parades but not latrine duty. On the other hand, Camp Sprague became known for its: “comfort, the cleanliness, the fine bearing, the excellent discipline of the Rhode Island troops were themes for commendation upon every tongue. Their dress parade at sunset was one of the acknowledged ‘sights’ of Washington. Hundreds of spectators, among whom were not

infrequently President Lincoln, the members of the Cabinet, and the most distinguished men of the country, daily assembled to witness the parade and to participate in the religious services that usually concluded it.” As the troops marched about the Capital, northern newspapers were demanding the army march south. U.S. Gen Irvin McDowell, commander of the Army insisted the men were not ready to fight, but the clock was ticking. The first 90 day enlistments were almost up. Lincoln insisted the army attack the Confederate forces 30 miles away at Manassas, Va. The 1st Rhode Island Infantry was ordered to join the fight. On July 16, they collected their salt pork and hardtack rations. As bands played “Dixie,” they marched over the Long Bridge across the Potomac. As the first man to enter Virginia, Burnside was bedecked with flowers. The men ate all their rations before arriving at Manassas, forcing McDowell to dawdle at Centerville, Va., as he sent for more. He knew that it was hard to fight on an empty stomach. Serving in Col. David Hunter’s Division, at Manassas, Burnside commanded a brigade consisting of the 1st R.I. Inf., 2nd R.I. Inf. with a battery of light artillery commanded by Col. John Slocum, the 2nd New H. Inf. and the 71st N.Y. Inf.. On Sunday, July 21, Burnside’s Brigade led the flanking action toward Sudley’s Ford. When Hunter was wounded soon after crossing Bull Run, Burnside was ordered to take command. His brigade fought to hold off the brunt of the C.S. Col.

William Sprague; Colorization © 2017 civilwarincolor.com courtesy civilwarincolor.com/ cwn (Library of Congress) Nathan Evans’s attack. Sprague was sent up front with the artillery. He recalled, “I took special charge of the [artillery] battery. The men, detached and separated, were a little confused; some stood firm. Horses were struck down; men laid down and died; for ten minutes I supplied the guns with cartridges and ammunition to give confidence to the line. I kept my horse during the fight; the bullets scratched me and made holes in my loose blouse.” The brigade was faltering. Col. Slocum was shot and killed along with two captains. Sprague’s white horse was killed underneath him. Burnside raced to ask U.S. Col. Andrew Porter for use of his regulars. As C.S. Gen. Barnard Bee arrived to reinforce the Confederate line, Porter’s regulars arrived on Burnside’s right. U.S. Col. Samuel Heintzelman’s 1st Minn. Inf. was sent to extend

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April 2017 providing troops and supplies as Governor. On July 25, the 1st R.I. Inf. left Washington. A crowd greeted the regiment on arrival in Providence, R.I., with speeches and accolades. On Aug. 2, the “million dollar regiment” disbanded. 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. Sources: • Major General Ambrose E. Burnside and the Ninth Army Corps., A Narrative in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee, During the War for the Preservation of the Republic by August Woodbury • Rhode Island Officers in the Civil War by John Russell Bartlett • Burnside by William Marvel • Ambrose Burnside & the 1st R.I. at Camp Sprague (near Washington, D.C.), 1861 by National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vjR_6fVjHN4 • So Fell the Angels by Thomas Graham Belden and Marva Robins Belden • Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln by John E. Boos, edited by William R. Feeheley & Bill Snack, p. 204.

Small Talk By Stephen Davis This is a new monthly column from our Book Review Editor, Stephen Davis. Let’s have some fun with Civil War trivia. Here are ten head-scratchers. Answers will be found on page 44. 1. Both Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln did not retain their first Secretaries of War. Who were these two men? 2. Kelly’s Field and the Widow Glenn’s house were prominent landmarks on the battlefield of what major engagement? 3. Other than the Lincoln conspirators, only one man was executed by the U.S. after the war for his wartime activities. Who was he and what was the position which led to his trial and execution? 4. What was the Union Army unit whose members wore unique green uniforms, a black plume in their caps and leather leggings? 5. This Confederate officer rose to the rank of lieutenant general of infantry but ended the war as lieutenant colonel of artillery. Who was he? 6. What two states were admitted to the Union during the Civil War? 7. At Louisville, Ky., in September 1862, a Union major general was shot and killed by a Northern brigadier

who was never punished for murder. Who were the perpetrator and victim? 8. In Dec. 1864, General Grant grew impatient when George Thomas delayed attacking Hood’s army at Nashville. Grant sent a major general to relieve Thomas, but en

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Burnside’s left. The Confederates were pushed back towards Warrenton Turnpike, up the slope of Henry House Hill. The Union forces followed. Burnside’s brigade was running out of ammunition. During the battle, it spent the longest time in close combat of the Union brigades. McDowell directed Burnside to replenish his cartridge boxes. While they were occupied, the battle turned and the Federal line collapsed. Union forces swarmed back down the Henry House Hill. With fresh ammunition, Burnside’s men slowed the Confederates’ pursuit at Sudley Road. Sprague, remounted, tried to rally the men. At Centerville, the men regrouped; Sprague settled down for a nap, believing reinforcements would be sent. Instead a retreat was ordered. Burnside proceeded to accompany his men back to Camp Sprague. At 2 a.m. Sprague woke up all alone; in the haste to return to Washington, he had been forgotten and left behind. As clouds created shadows in the moonlit night, Sprague rode to Washington and checked into the Willard Hotel. With their 90 day enlistment up, the 1st R.I. offered to continue guarding the Capital. The War Department declined. It was decided to send all 90 day enlistees home (presumably to re-enlist) as part of the Army’s reorganization. Burnside accepted a promotion to general. Sprague decided the military was not for him. He felt he could better serve the Union

Civil War News

f $1 O

route, when Thomas won his victory on Dec. 16, the would-be successor called off his mission. Who was he? 9. What was the name of the big iron works in Richmond which produced cannon, ironclad plating and other material for the Confederacy? 10. Some Civil War fortifications contained open-ended wicker-woven cylinders that were filled with dirt or rocks. What was their name?

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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

April 2017

Civil War News

Heroes At The Crater In Petersburg By Carl L. Sell Jr. To date, there are 1,522 Medal of Honor recipients who fought for the Union in the Civil War. The Confederates did not award medals for valor. There is a Confederate Roll of Honor that mentions acts of valor by both soldiers and civilians. The most recent Medal of Honor awarded for valor during the Civil War went to Artillery Lieut. Alonzo Cushing of New York for his actions during Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863 when he died while helping repulse the Confederate advance at the Bloody Angle. The honor was bestowed 151 years later. A little over a year later, on July 30, 1864, two members of the 48th Penn. Inf. performed a heroic deed at the Crater near Petersburg. Unfortunately, neither Lieut. Jacob Douty nor Segt. Henry Reese received the ultimate recognition for their dangerous mission that involved reigniting a fuse under the Confederate lines. Union forces had tunneled more than 500 feet and packed more than eight thousand pounds of gun powder under their adversaries. The explosion blew a hole in the defenses, but confusion among attacking Union forces and a quick response by Confederate units turned any advantage into a disaster.

The Forty-Eighth, made up of mostly coal miners from Schuylkill County, Penn., had worked for a month to construct the tunnel. When finished, gun powder was carried in by hand and everything was ready. Union officers, who at first had laughed at the plan, wanted to hurry to avoid a cave in or discovery by the Confederates, who were digging shafts because they heard activity below. The fuse was lit shortly after 3 a.m. on July 30 and everyone awaited the blast. But nothing happened. The fuse had burned at a connection between two sections before it reached the gun powder. Col. Henry Pleasants, a mining engineer who planned the effort, had lit the fuse line that fizzled. When it became evident that the line had been extinguished at a junction box, Lieutenant Douty and Sergeant Reese voluntarily entered the mine and relit the fuse. Pleasants had at first refused their offer. However, he relented and Douty and Reese crawled on their hands and knees into the tunnel, which was about three feet high and tapered at the top. They found the splice where the fuse had burned out. They relit it and crawled back out as fast as they could. The ensuing blast blew a hole more than 150 feet wide, 60 feet long and 30 feet deep in the

Confederate line at what was known as Elliott’s Salient. More than 250 Confederates, mostly South Carolina infantry and Virginia artillerymen, were killed instantly. After a delay to allow the explosion to abate, the First Division of Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s Ninth Corps under Gen. James H. Ledlie moved out of their entrenchments, crossed no man’s land and entered the crater. They had drawn the short straw when Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade overruled Burnside’s plan to send 4,300 United States Colored Troops into battle first. Confederate artillery and infantry stationed on both sides of the crater reacted quickly and sent steady barrages of shot and shell into the Union ranks. Originally ordered to keep moving, the Union troops never advanced past the abyss. They were soon joined by a division of colored troops. The smoldering cavity and nearby Confederate trenches soon were filled with hundreds of soldiers who, instead of advancing, were trying to dodge enemy fire. Confederate reinforcements under Maj. Gen. William Mahone soon arrived on the scene and the pit caused by the explosion became a cauldron of hand-to-hand combat, anger and

racial animosity that resulted in cold-blooded killings before the Federals either retreated or surrendered. At the end, officers on both sides were able to control their troops long enough to allow surrenders without the threat of certain death. Casualties among the colored troops were especially devastating. Of the 450 members of the 29th U.S.C.T. who entered the Crater, all but 128 were either killed, wounded or captured. Overall, the Federals had 504 killed, 1,881 wounded and 1,413 captured or missing. Confederate losses were 361 killed, including 258 in the initial explosion, 727 wounded and 403 captured or missing. Members of the 48th Penn. were sent to the rear after the explosion. They had benefited from an ingenious ventilation system designed by Pleasants that used fires to draw oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of the shaft. However, the respite didn’t last long. The 48th was soon back in the Union entrenchments, losing men every day while trying to dodge the fire from enemy sharpshooters. For example, Lt. David Brown was killed instantly on

Aug. 5 by a rifle ball that stuck him while he was in his tent. After the debacle of The Crater, Gen. Grant authorized a raid on the Weldon Railroad at Globe Tavern south of Petersburg. On Aug. 19-21 while serving in a support capacity, the 48th found themselves threatened by a Confederate counterattack after Union forces had cut the rail line. Douty distinguished himself again by going forward to build rifle pits that thwarted any advance. Reese was officially recommended for Medal of Honor consideration in Feb. 1865, by Maj. Gen. John Parke, who assumed command of the Ninth Corps after Burnside’s departure. Captain Oliver Bosbyshell, author of the unit’s history, said about Douty, “The Medal of Honor should have decorated his breast.” Douty ended his three-year tour of duty in Sept. 1864 and returned to Pennsylvania. He settled in Philadelphia and worked for the city’s Bureau of Water in the Construction and Repair shop. He was involved in the 48th Regt. Penn. Veteran Volunteers. The Weekly Miners Journal, published

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Mine entrance. The mine was in a “T” shape. The approach shaft was 511 feet long, starting in a sunken area downhill and more than 50 feet below the Confederate battery, making detection difficult. The tunnel entrance was narrow, about 3 feet wide and 4.5 feet high. At its end, a perpendicular gallery of 75 feet extended in both directions. (Jack Melton)

April 2017

Civil War News

in Pottsville, noted his attendance at the fourth annual reunion in 1874. Douty died at age 63 at his home on South Thirteenth Street in Philadelphia on April 13, 1895. Funeral services were held four days later when he was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Reese continued on with the 48th until the war was over. He participated in the Grand Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 1865, and was discharged July 17, at Fort Lyon near Alexandria, Va. Fort Lyon had been a munitions storage depot and part of the ring of Union forts that protected Washington City during the war. While Douty quietly enmeshed himself in the fabric of a large

city, Reese returned to Shamokin, Penn., and became a local hero. Born in South Wales in 1832, Reese and his family came to the New World prior to the Civil War and settled in Minersville. After the war, he moved to Shamokin, a nearby railroad town in Schuylkill County’s anthracite coal country. Here he became a body guard for a mine superintendent being threatened by the Molly Maguires, a secret organization made up mostly by miners of Irish descent who battled mine owners and police as part of a campaign to improve working conditions and introduce unions Reese also operated a saloon in Shamokin and one of his customers was Buffalo Bill Cody,

Monument to the 48th Regt. Penn. Vet. Vol. Inf. of Burnside’s 9th Corps. (Carl Sell Jr.)

who would stop by with Annie Oakley while appearing with his Wild West Show. Cody played many times in the area, including Shamokin on Nov. 28, 1885. Reese also befriended Thomas Alva Edison, who was only 32 years old when he came to Shamokin in 1882 to set up the site of the world’s second threewire electric light station. In his spare time, Reese was the police chief and served as the

chief burgess in Shamokin. Nicknamed “Snapper” for the way he snapped one eye shut while making arrests, Reese commanded respect from the Molly Maguires and others who might run afoul of the law. He married Elizabeth Coombs. They had five children. Gwendolen, George, Thomas, John and Margaret Elizabeth, He died at age 59 on May 3, 1893, from a tooth infection. He was buried

in Shamokin Cemetery as more than six thousand mourners paid their respects. (Author’s note: Carl Sell spent his early years during World War II in Schuylkill County, Penn., in a small railroad town named Gordon in the coal region. He visited an underground mine as a youngster and quickly decided that wasn’t the job for him. Writing about it is much easier. And safer!)

The Crater at Petersburg National Battlefield Park.

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(Jack Melton)

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Civil War News

April 2017

Parker’s Crossroads Cemetery And Confederate Grave Site

By Gregory L. Wade PARKER’S CROSSROADS, TENN.—Almost three years after announcing the new Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery (TSVC) adjacent to the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield, excavation has begun on the 132 acre site. Located about half way between Nashville and Memphis, the project was begun to assist veterans in this part of rural Tennessee, at least two hours from state veterans’ cemeteries in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis. Nearby Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield manager, Kimberly Parker, herself a descendant of the town’s namesake and member of the TSVC steering committee said,

The gravestone is of the John Parker for whom the community is named. He was at one time loyal to the Union until he got upset by troops on his property.

“the target date for the first interment is January 2018 with about four hundred veterans already signed up.” Ultimately there will be ten phases with about 2,100 graves each, she added. There are almost 45,000 veterans in the area served by the cemetery which will cost over six million when completed. The majority of the funding is from the Federal National Cemetery Administration. Tenn. Congressman Steve McDaniel, the historian and driving force behind the adjacent battlefield park said the cemetery, “being located next to a battlefield just adds more significance to both.” He said this “provides another suitable site to pay tribute to veterans of all of our wars.” There will be thirteen staff positions at the new facility to maintain the grounds and manage interments. The Battle of Parker’s Crossroads occurred Dec 31, 1862 between troops commanded by Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Federal soldiers led by Gen. Jeremiah Sullivan. After finding himself trapped, Forrest gave his now famous order, “charge them both ways.” The Confederates did just that and were able to escape. McDaniel worked to preserve the ground, cut in half by Interstate 40, and saw the first 56 acres purchased in 2005. Today the park is now over 350 acres with interpreted

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trails, a visitor center and event center. While there have been no documented artifact finds on the new cemetery grounds relating to the New Year’s Eve 1862 battle, “there were certainly cavalry coming thru the area during the fighting,” noted McDaniel. The Parker family water well was known to have been visited by troops and still stands just a few feet away from the entrance to the new veterans’ cemetery. In another development, the search to confirm the existence of perhaps 90 unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers killed during the battle continues. In 1993 a grave site was found with Federal soldiers’ remains confirming years of oral tradition that soldiers were interred in unmarked graves on the property. In late 2011, another 51 acres were added to the park and the search is moving forward for Confederate graves believed on this specific ground. The latest search with ground penetrating radar was conducted in early February with the results indicating “there is reason to go back with excavation activity,” McDaniel said. Searches years ago in the area were unsuccessful but other evidence and this latest survey leaves researchers believing burials may be there. When asked what should be done with the remains of any soldiers found, Parker said, “they have been here all of these years; let’s let them rest in peace.”

Photos of the potential site of up to ninety, unmarked Confederate graves. (Photos by Gregory L. Wade)

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Parkers Crossroads interpretive sign.

Construction of a new Tennessee Veterans cemetery adjoining the Parker’s Crossroads battlefield.

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Artists rendering of the new cemetery next to the Parkers Crossroads battlefield. Courtesy Kimberly Parker, Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery-Parker’s Crossroads steering committee.

April 2017

The Unfinished Fight

Civil War News

By Craig L. Barry A Confederate Prisoner Of War Who Got His Sword Back In 2013, the Sandusky, Ohio, Library Archives Research Center acquired a very important document about the Prisoners of War at Johnson’s Island Civil War Military Prison. The document lists housing arrangements for Confederate prisoners incarcerated there in the autumn of 1864. POW diaries are often interesting because prisoners had time to write detailed accounts as they were still in the Army, but were obviously unable to fight. Post-bellum, Union officers (and enlisted men) could purchase their weapons for souvenirs, if they so desired. The U.S. Government had a huge surplus to dispose of in 1865. However, Union officers captured during the Civil War were ordinarily required to forfeit their arms to their captors, which would not normally have been returned upon their release from

Confederate prisons. On the Confederate side, there was a difference in status between officers who were prisoners late in the war after prisoner exchanges ended and those officers who surrendered earlier in the war, took the oath and were paroled. Enlisted men, of course had to give up their arms at any time during the war. Generally speaking this surrender of arms was a time honored tradition that the Romans called “Vae Victus” (woe to the conquered). One would not expect prisoners to remain armed or otherwise retain their weapons. Confederate officers paroled at the end of the Civil War were allowed to keep their horses, swords and revolvers and take them home after swearing their oath of allegiance. There is at least one period account of a Confederate officer named James Parks Caldwell who

was incarcerated at Johnson’s Island, but subsequently had his sword returned to him when he was paroled in 1865. ‘Parks’ Caldwell, as he was called, was from southern Ohio. He was college educated at Miami (Ohio) and ran an antebellum school for planters’ children in Panola, Miss. When the war came, rather than return North, he volunteered for the Confederate Army and served with the Miss. Lt. Arty. Caldwell fought at Shiloh and rose through the ranks. By July 1863 he held the rank of lieutenant and was under General Gardner when the Confederates surrendered the garrison at Port Hudson to General Banks after a siege of 47 days. He noted in his memoirs called A Northern Confederate at Johnson’s Island: The Civil War Diaries of James Parks Caldwell: “I have heard the gallant

garrison murmur at our being allowed to wear our swords-a privilege by the way rather unusual in this war, but won for us (by General Gardner) from General Banks who agreed to it as one of the conditions of surrender.” Upon release in 1865, he wrote in a letter home: “I have an old sabre outside. We were allowed by the capitulation to retain our arms–I suppose it is marked, at least my name was placed on it when I gave it up upon arriving here.” Lieutenant Caldwell was delighted to have it back and made plans to keep the sword as a family heirloom upon his return home. He may well have done so but its whereabouts are not currently known. Caldwell further noted of his time spent incarcerated at Johnson’s Island that, “we are living well—for prisoners—but it is due to the Sutler’s establishment. I do not know one single man in the prison who lives upon the ration exclusively.” It may come as a surprise that some of the sutlers who followed the Union camps selling luxury goods and edibles were also assigned to serve camps populated with Confederate Prisoners of War. There were nine men in Caldwell’s mess, and for $40

per month (pooled resources) they bought various sundries, butter, eggs and vegetables but for the meat ration “depended on Uncle Samuel.” They received packages from home as well as money “by express.” Truth be told, the prisoners at Johnson’s Island were probably eating better than they would have been had they still served in the ranks of Confederate Arty. in 1864. 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.

April 2017

Civil War News

Inspection Arms!

Overall view of the Whitney Variant Model 1842 .69 caliber New Hampshire rifled musket, serial number U 75. (Photos by Tim Prince)

By Tim Prince Whitney’s New Hampshire Contract 1842 Muskets Eli Whitney Jr. was probably the single largest supplier of “contract arms” to the state and local militias of the United States during the middle of the 19th century. His father (Eli Whitney Sr.) established the Whitney Arms Company when he obtained an order for 10,000 stands of arms, under the U.S. M-1798 musket contracts. From that point on, until the assets of the company were acquired by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1888, the Whitney name was inexorably associated with the production of military arms. During production of the U.S. M-1841 “Mississippi” Rifle contract Eli Whitney Jr. came to the realization that U.S. government contracts were important for business, but state contracts were far more lucrative and profitable. Whitney opined at the end of his U.S. Ordnance Department contract to deliver Mississippi Rifles that the firm had failed to make money.

According to Whitney, this was due to the strict examination of the arms by U.S. government inspectors who used gauges to determine if specific parts of the gun were within acceptable tolerances. When parts of the gun were out of specification, the entire rifle was usually rejected, or if accepted, was paid for at a lower price than the original contract amount. This meant that Whitney had to build another rifle to replace the rejected one. Whitney soon realized that these rejected and condemned guns, which were usually completely functional but simply outside Federal government quality control tolerances, were very acceptable to the various states that were acquiring arms for their state, county and local militia regiments. The guns could often be sold to the states for only slightly less (or sometimes even more) than the Federal government would pay for an interchangeable parts gun, and were not subjected to such

Close up of the lock area of a Whitney Variant M-1842. Note the unmarked lock, a surplus U.S. armory lock that was ground down. Note also the rear sight base for the Sharps 1853 type ladder sight (ladder missing). A few examples are known with other rear sights of either the U.S. M-1855 or M-1858 pattern, suggesting that Whitney “ran out” of the Sharps pattern sights.

Close up of the muzzle area of the Whitney Variant Model 1842, clearly showing the brass front sight on the single strapped upper band, the iron forend cap, the brass tipped “Mississippi” style trumpet head ramrod and the bayonet lug under the barrel. The alphanumeric serial (or assembly) number U 75 is stamped under the barrel behind the bayonet lug.

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rigorous inspections. Whitney started to actively obtain surplus and condemned gun parts from a variety of sources, including auctions of US government arsenal made gun parts, and started producing his line of “Good & Serviceable” arms. These guns often closely followed standard U.S. long arm patterns, but were not made of interchangeable parts, and often had minor differences in sights, furniture and fittings because they were assembled from available parts at hand. When Whitney had to manufacture parts in house, he often defaulted to using parts he was already set up to manufacture, such as the internal lock parts of Mississippi rifles. When Whitney obtained large numbers of parts from the auction when assets of the failed Robbins & Lawrence Company

were sold, he devised an entire product line of “Enfield” style arms that would utilize the many stocks and components for Pattern 1853 Enfields that he had purchased. Whitney also tended to use 7-groove rifling in his rifled long arms, making the most of rifling machinery purchased to manufacture Mississippi rifles. One of the more rarely encountered Whitney “Good & Serviceable” arms is the Whitney Variant M-1842 Rifle Musket (New Hampshire). Evidence suggests that Whitney assembled at least 1,300 (and possibly as many as 2,000) of these rifled percussion muskets, which were based upon the U.S. Model 1842 percussion musket. The guns were manufactured with condemned U.S. M-1842 barrels, as well as unfinished, and probably surplus, U.S. M-1842 locks and similar

April 2017

Civil War News

Close up of the muzzle area of Whitney Variant M-1842 #U75, showing the narrow 7-groove rifling and the recess in the brass tipped ramrod for use with conical ammunition.

Close up of the breech area of Whitney Variant M-1842 #U75, showing the original U.S. arsenal proof marks and date on the breech plug tang, as well as the mark NEW HAMPSHIRE on the top of the barrel breech. surplus, rejected or unfinished U.S. stocks. The barrels often carry the original U.S. arsenal inspection and proof marks of a V / P / (Eagle Head), and even carry the original arsenal production dates on the breech plug tangs. While the guns bear no maker’s mark identifying them as the work of Whitney, their overall configuration, odd combination of parts and similarity to other Whitney “Good & Serviceable” arms makes it quite certain that these guns were manufactured by the Whitney Arms Company. Some of these undeniably “Whit-

ney” features include 7-groove rifling in the bore, an alphanumeric “serial number” on the barrel behind the bayonet lug, Mississippi rifle internal components in the lock and a brass trigger guard bow attached to an iron triggerguard plate, secured with brass nuts without slots. The guns were otherwise quite similar to the U.S. M-1842 musket using .69 caliber, 42" long, U.S. arsenal made barrels, locks and stocks. Some examples are known with 3-groove rifling, and it is conjectured that these barrels may have been ones damaged during U.S.

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arsenal rifling to upgrade existing stocks of U.S. M-1842 muskets. The furniture on the guns was primarily iron, and the buttplates and triggerguard plates may have been U.S. arsenal production as well, although the buttplates are typically not marked “US”. An iron forend cap varying between 1 3/32" and 1 5/8" in length is present at the end of the stock. The barrel bands are different from the flat bands used on the U.S. M-1842 as they are solid, convex bands, similar to those on the Robbins & Lawrence (Windsor) made Enfield rifle muskets, and subsequently used on many Whitney “Enfield” pattern arms. The bands are retained with band springs, and unlike the U.S. M-1842, the upper band is a single, rather than double strapped band. However, like the U.S. M-1842, a brass blade front sight is mounted on the upper barrel band of Whitney variant as well. The rear sight used on the Whitney muskets is most often the Sharps rifle pattern circa 18521853, and Whitney is known to have used this same pattern of sight on some of his other militia type rifles. The ramrod is a longer, thicker version of the rod used on the M-1841 Mississippi rifle, with a brass tipped trumpet head that is recessed for elongated ball

(Minié style) ammunition. A lug for a socket bayonet is mounted under the barrel, allowing the use of the standard U.S. Model 1835 socket bayonet that was also used on the U.S. M-1842 musket. Of the handful of extant examples of these Whitney variant muskets known, most are marked either NEW HAMPSHIRE or NH on the top of the breech, suggesting that these guns were sold to that state under contract with Whitney. Research conducted into the New Hampshire Adjutant General’s report by collector, researcher and author George Moller reveals that 1,269 percussion muskets were accepted into stores in that state between May 1857 and May 1858. The guns are described as “…new percussion muskets of modern style….equal, if not superior” to those provided by the Federal government under the Militia Act of 1808. While Whitney is not mentioned by name in the report, the fact that the guns are referred to as “equal, if not superior” to Federal muskets strongly suggests that these guns were provided by a contractor and not the U.S. government. The fact that they were rifled and sighted would make them appear “superior” to the standard smoothbore version. These muskets almost certainly saw use in the early days of the American

Deadlines for Advertising or Editorial Submissions is the 20th of each month for the next issue. Please submit early to avoid missing out. Civil War. New Hampshire regiments that are known to have carried .69 muskets for at least part of their service include the 4th and 12th New Hampshire Infantry, with those of the 4th being noted in ordnance returns as having been rifled. Tim Prince is a full-time dealer in fine & collectible military arms from the Colonial Period through WWII. He operates College Hill Arsenal (www.collegehillarsenal. com), a web-based antique arms retail site. A long time collector & researcher, Tim has been a contributing author to two major book projects about Civil War era arms including The English Connection and an upcoming book on southern retailer marked and Confederate used shotguns. Tim is also a featured Arms & Militaria appraiser on the PBS Series Antiques Roadshow.

April 2017

Civil War News

Preservation News From Civil War Trust Tennessee Becomes First State To Guarantee Annual Funding For Civil War Site Preservation NASHVILLE, TENN.–At a news conference today, the Civil War Trust thanked Tennessee officials for their roles in creating and continuing to enhance the state’s trailblazing Civil War or War Between the States Site Preservation Fund, a permanent funding source for protecting some of Tenn.’s most important historic land. The fund is the first in the nation to guarantee annual money for Civil War site preservation, and has already been used by the Civil War Trust—a national organization dedicated to protecting battlefield land—to preserve 100 acres at Chattanooga and Shiloh. The Trust is actively pursuing additional preservation opportunities at those battlefields, as well as at Franklin, Stones River and other hallowed battlegrounds throughout the state. Just this week, the Trust announced a new campaign to preserve 45 acres at Fort Donelson, a battlefield essential to understanding the Western Theater of the Civil War and Ulysses S. Grant’s ascent to commanding general of the U.S. Army.

Chattanooga, Tenn. “We are thrilled about the new possibilities presented by the preservation fund, and grateful to our partners in Tennessee helping set the standard for states passionate about protecting their historic landscapes. To be able to count on funding for battlefield preservation year after year is an unprecedented boost to the preservation community in Tennessee and a gift to all of us who understand the importance of commemorating our nation’s defining moments,” said Civil War Trust President James Lighthizer. To date, the Trust has saved hallowed ground at 11 Tenn. battlefields, for a total of nearly 3,500 acres. The fund’s founding legislation

was introduced in 2013 by state Rep. Steve McDaniel, Deputy Speaker of the Tenn. House of Representatives and a lifelong battlefield preservation advocate. Gov. Bill Haslam signed the bill into law later that year. Like the Virginia battlefield fund after which it is modeled, the program provides competitive matching grants which foster partnerships and private-sector investment in battlefield preservation. The fund received $482,000 in its first year, which the Trust successfully applied to assist in purchasing two key sets of battlefield parcels at Chattanooga. Totaling almost 50 acres, the land is on the sharply defined, historically significant western slope of Missionary Ridge. Without the matching money provided by the preservation fund, these sites could easily have been lost; both properties had already been slated for residential development. In subsequent legislative sessions, Deputy Speaker McDaniel continued his work on behalf of the new program, ensuring two annually recurring funding sources for the preservation of Civil War sites. The first is a $250,000 allocation from the Tenn. State Lands Acquisition Fund. The second is a portion of the yearover-year revenue growth from the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax. For fiscal year 2017-18, this will translate to more than $1.2 million in funding to safeguard the state’s hallowed ground, with any remaining money set aside for use in future years. “The creation of this fund is one of my proudest accomplishments as a legislator and native Tennessean,” said Deputy Speaker McDaniel, who has served in the House for three decades. “The battlefields we protect will not only ensure a lasting legacy for all those who contributed to the establishment of the program, but will serve as invaluable outdoor classrooms for this and future generations of Americans.” Rep. McDaniel’s bipartisan bill initiating the Civil War or War Between the States Site Preservation Fund was co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Tilman Goins and former House Speaker Kent Williams. The bill was co-sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Todd Gardenhire, Bill Ketron and Jim Tracy, as well as retired Sen. Charlotte Burks.

“The battlefield land that this fund preserves is a testament to Tenn. veterans and active military personnel. The hallowed ground in the Volunteer State serves as a living monument to soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and to all Americans who have worn our nation’s uniform,” said House Speaker Beth Harwell. The Tennessee Wars Commission, under the purview of the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC), is charged with administering the fund. “The efforts we are celebrating today have gone a long way toward protecting the state’s historic places,” said THC Executive Director Patrick McIntyre. “By preserving battlefield land, we gain the opportunity to restore, interpret and maintain some of Tenn.’s most significant cultural resources.” In the Civil War years of 186165, Tenn. was at the center of the

storm. Commanding approaches into Virginia, the Carolinas and Deep South, Tenn. saw more than 1,000 engagements during the Civil War, second only to Virginia. More than 100,000 Tenn. soldiers joined the Confederate war effort, and more than 50,000 men signed up to fight for the Union, more than any other Confederate state. Emblematic of its divided loyalties, Tenn. was the last state to leave and the first state to rejoin the Union. Tennesseans on both sides largely reconciled after the war.

The Civil War Trust is the premier nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. Although primarily focused on protecting Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. To date, the Trust has preserved nearly 45,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states, including 3,315 acres in Tennessee. Learn more by visiting our website www.civilwar.org

April 2017

Civil War News

Elmira, N.Y., Civil War Prisoner Camp Story Time With The Lincolns By John A Punola In 1864 rising prisoner figures prompted the Union to open a series of smaller prisoner-ofwar camps; One of them was on the outskirts of Elmira, N.Y., where a military post used to assemble and process new Union recruits was quickly converted to hold Confederate prisoners. A stockade fence and barracks to accommodate about 4,000 prisoners were added. Elmira POW camp consisted of 30 acres; the stockade fence was 12 foot high with a walkway near its top on the outside wall. About every 100 ft. there was a shelter to protect the guards from the bad weather. The Elmira facility opened in early July 1864, and the first consignment of 399 prisoners arrived on July 11, followed by 250 arrivals on July 14,502 arrivals on July 15, plus some train wreck victims on July 17. As an interesting footnote to the prisoners who arrived on July 14, one Confederate was a local resident who went South to fight in the army of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Later prisoner arrivals contained other N.Y. residents who fought for the South; their exact names are not known. There were 35 barracks built to accommodate 4,000 men, but the total swelled to 10,000 plus. Thousands died during the severe winter of 18641865, due to overcrowding, continued exposure to a harsh winter weather, disease from poor sanitary conditions, lack of medical aid, and reduced rations plus the lack of heat. The local population was kind to the Confederates and generously gave food, clothing and tobacco to the prisoners on the occasions when the camp permitted civilian visits. Civilians could not enter the

camp itself so items were given to the guards for distribution. The camp commander in 1864 was Col. William Hoffman, who had been a prisoner earlier in the war but was released by the Confederates during the prisoner exchange period. After several months as camp commander, he returned to regular duty and finished the war serving with Gen. Meade’s army. The prisoners arrived via the Erie Railroad and, after leaving the train, marched in perfect step, four abreast, to Camp Elmira one mile away on the edge of town. Large crowds of curious onlookers were on hand to view the unloading and transfer to the camp. Local folks marched along with the Rebels until they entered the camp. It was a large and curious crowd who were sympathetic to the Confederates now facing time as prisoners, especially teenage soldiers. One newspaper account observed the prisoners were either very young or very old. They exuded pride and marched smartly, seeming to enjoy showing off to the onlookers. Things changed with the arrival of fall and winter weather. The prisoners were still clad in summer uniforms and suffered badly without warm clothing. The worst thing to happen was the reduction of rations ordered by then Secretary of War Edward Stanton. This was in retaliation for reported bad treatment of Union troops in Southern prisons. These factors combined with the harsh living conditions at the camp resulted in 2,963 deaths during the unusually cold winter of 1864-65. Relief to the overcrowding came in late 1864. The U.S. House of Representatives reached out to the Confederacy for a limited prisoner release / exchange. Finally, on Feb. 4, 1865, orders

A drawing of the projected Elmira POW Camp which proved to be too small.

Historic marker on West Water Street, Elmira, N.Y. were received to transfer 3,000 prisoners to an exchange point. In groups of 500, the prisoners began the journey to return to the South. President Lincoln felt the war had turned decidedly in the Union’s favor and the prisoners, even if they rejoined the Confederate Army, would not be a factor in the war. With the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee and his army in mid April 1865, preparations quickly began for the release of the remaining prisoners. The final contingent of 256 prisoners left Elmira on July 11, and the camp was closed. The Elmira POW Camp was the Union response to the South’s Andersonville, Ga. The retaliation to reported conditions at Andersonville by the Union government was swift with rations reduced to starvation levels, plus denial of clothing and protection from the weather. The harsh treatment was unjustified since the Elmira area was rich in agriculture and food was plentiful. The lasting name for the Elmira POW camp was “Hellmira.” All that remains is the mass graveyard of Confederate prisoners. A former slave who arrived via the underground railway, John W. Jones, was placed in charge of the burial duties. He faithfully recorded the name and information of every deceased soldier these are the only records that existed. Mr. Jones did not want the soldiers buried and forgotten in nameless graves. Eventually a Confederate monument was erected at the burial sites in Woodlawn National Cemetery, Elmira, N.Y. When the Confederates were released they received railroad passes and a small sum of money to return to their homes down South. The last prisoner to be released from Elmira departed on Sept. 27, 1865. The camp was burned leaving no evidence of its existence. The site of the camp is now a residential area but indicated by a roadside sign plus a small stone marker. You can contact the town of Elmira, N.Y., (607-737-5644) for information on the famous Elmira POW Camp.

DANVILLE, IL.—A capacity crowd of children, parents and grandparents in the Downstairs meeting room of the Danville, IL Public Library heard Donna and Max Daniels “Story Time with the Lincolns” program on Saturday, February 4 the event marked Lincoln’s upcoming 208th birthday, and the anniversary of his last visit to Danville, on the way to his Inauguration. The program featured stories about the Lincolns’ lives, and they also shared some of their favorite Aesop’s Fables. Those were among Abraham Lincoln’s favorite stories, Birthday cake was served, pictures were taken, and children participated in Lincoln crafts. The event was presented by the Ward Hill Lamon Civil War Roundtable and the Illiana Civil War Historical Society.

Max Daniels dressed as Abraham Lincoln, top hat and all.

Donna and Max Daniels telling Lincoln stories to people of all ages.

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April 2017

Civil War News

Charleston Forts Adopt-A-Cannon Conservation Project CHARLESTON, S.C.—Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Trust’s biggest news of the year: Adopt-ACannon is now funded—thanks to an anonymous $200,000 donation! Many individuals have contributed towards this conservation project to preserve the guns at Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter. We recently received donations from the Roanoke Civil War Roundtable and the American Civil War Roundtable (UK) and the park was awarded Federal funds. What put us over the top was the game-changing gift from a local anonymous donor in honor of his father, a proud Citadel graduate. This is why we are inspired! We hope you will be

Chris McKenzie. too. Gratitude abounds. Work began this fall on the first of eleven Parrott rifles and metal carriages to be treated by conservators from the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. The “Lasch Lab” is known internationally for its work on

100-pounder Parrott rifle trunnion stamped with “P” for proofed. the Hunley and is the heart of the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston. Make a trip out to Fort Sumter and you may just see conservators Chris McKenzie (pictured), Claire Achtyl and Justin Schwebler at work. We are humbled and grateful for the generous gift that will see this long-term project to completion. The Fort SumterFort Moultrie Trust is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and utilizing Charleston’s National Parks for the common good. For more information about the Friends of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie & Charles Pinckney visit www.fortsumtertrust.org.

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U.S. 100-pounder, 6.4-inch caliber Parrott rifle on its original iron carriage located in Fort Sumter during conservation.

Rear view of a 100-pounder Parrott rifle mounted in its casemate and ready for conservation. The salt-water environment surrounding Fort Sumter is extremely corrosive to iron which has to be constantly maintained.

Photo of a U.S. 100-pounder, 6.4-inch caliber Parrott rifle on its original iron carriage located in Fort Sumter before conservation.

The Lincoln Group Of New York Confers Its “Award of Achievement” NEW YORK, N.Y.—Feb. 21, 2017– The Lincoln Group of New York, an organization dedicated to studying the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, has conferred its 2016 Award of Achievement to author Noah Andre Trudeau for his book Lincoln’s Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency March 24 – April 8, 1865. The announcement was made today by Steven R. Koppelman, President of The Lincoln Group of New York. The Lincoln Group of New York presents the award annually to the individual or organization in America that has done the most to encourage the study and appreciation of Abraham Lincoln. By winning the award, Mr. Trudeau joins a distinguished group of past recipients that includes Eric Foner, Harold Holzer, and screenwriter Tony Kushner. The award was conferred at a special ceremony in Manhattan at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College on Feb. 21, 2017. In recognizing the importance of this work, Frank McKenna, chair of the Award Committee, stated that, “Trudeau’s deep knowledge is evident throughout this original work and demonstrates that there is indeed new

knowledge to be gained in studying America’s greatest president and statesman.” Mr. Koppelman called it “a superb work of research, expertly written, and a much-needed in-depth work.” The Lincoln Group of New York’s jury for this award was comprised of Frank McKenna, Paula Hopewell, and Joseph Truglio. Convening three times each

year in Manhattan, The Lincoln Group of New York hosts the nation’s most distinguished Lincoln scholars, and provides a national venue for the latest in Lincoln scholarship. For more information about The Lincoln Group visit www. lincolngroupny.org or contact the President, Steven R. Koppelman, at kopp4@optonline.net or 973349-6144.

2016 Award of Achievement Presentation. Pictured, left to right are Frank McKenna - Chair, Award Committee, Noah Andre Trudeau, Steve Koppelman, President of The Lincoln Group of New York. (Henry F. Ballone)

April 2017

Civil War News

George Washington’s Birthday Celebration At Harpers Ferry By Joseph Bordonaro HARPERS FERRY, W.V.— George Washington, our first President, and arguably our finest, was “first in the hearts of his countrymen;” this love was evidenced by festive celebrations that took place on his birthday, particularly in the early days of our Republic. This year, volunteers and staff at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park helped carry on the tradition by celebrating Washington’s Birthday in the style of the 1860’s. At that time, it was popular to dress in colonial style, perhaps by raiding their grand parents’ trunks for appropriate

clothing, and share cake and other sweets in honor of the occasion. This tradition was revived by several members of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers Aid Society (AGSAS) who help interpret various historic structures in Harpers Ferry, as well as by long-time members of Park staff. Several volunteers and staff dressed in colonial garb, and pieces of a delicious cake were provided to the public visiting the Confectionary Shop. Perhaps in the future a military reenacting group can be persuaded to brave the (usually) cold February temperatures to put on a parade through town, as was suggested

by a visitor. This year, however, remarkably warm temperatures resulted in a packed town which happily insured extremely high pedestrian traffic to all the historic buildings open with interpretation. These buildings included the Confectionary Shop, the Roeder Home Parlor, the Dry Goods Store, Frankel’s Clothing Store, and the Industry Museum. By visiting these buildings, as well as the many other historic buildings that were open, but not interpreted, a visitor would be able to learn much of the history of the town, as well as to learn how Washington’s Birthday was celebrated long ago.

Christina Herold, of Haymarket, Va., and Sherri Groff, of Atco, N.J., greet visitors to the Confectionery Shop with pieces of cake in honor of Washington’s Birthday. (Jessica Craig)

Jessica Craig, of Torrington, Conn., and Anne Wolf, of Frederick, Md., enjoy a quiet moment at the Dry Goods Store. (Anne Wolf) Sandra Grant, of Pennsville, N.J., pauses in a stroll through town by John Brown’s Fort. (Joe Bordonaro)

George Osbourne, Seasonal Ranger, of Galveston Island, Texas, explains how the various machines in the Industry Museum were used. (Joe Bordonaro)

Melinda Day, Lead Park Ranger, of Harpers Ferry, W.V., brings the Roeder Family Parlor to life as it may have looked during a Washington’s Birthday celebration by wearing colonial garb. (Joe Bordonaro)

John King, Director of Living History at Harpers Ferry NHP, of Harpers Ferry, W.V., helps interpret Frankel’s Clothing Shop. Many of the items on display were purchased by Mr. King. (Joe Bordonaro)

April 2017

Civil War News

Searching For Our Civil War Veterans By Jeffrey I. Richman BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838. By the time of the Civil War, it was the place for New Yorkers to be interred. Civil War veterans, both Union and Confederate, are interred there by the thousands. Green-Wood Cemetery’s Civil War Project is now in its 15th year. Since its inception, volunteers have identified 5,000 veterans, including almost 100 Confederates, who rest at Green-Wood.

Given the go-ahead by GreenWood’s president, Richard J. Moylan, we launched The GreenWood Historic Fund’s Civil War Project late in 2002. Our goal was to identify those who had served, to tell their story, and to honor them. We began our work with volunteers searching the grounds for any indications of a Civil War veteran’s burial: carved inscriptions or markers put up by regimental associations or the Grand Army of the Republic. When we began, we naively

index cards at the New York State Military Museum, for each veteran for whom a governmentissued gravestone was ordered about a century ago (before this database was online), consulted pension records at the National Archives, regimental histories, the cemetery’s chronological books (comparing those interred at Green-Wood of appropriate age to have served in the Civil War with soldier records, looking for men who died in soldier homes, in battle, or from disease in Southern

Reenactors at the re-dedication of New York City’s Civil War Soldiers Monument in 2002. It honors the 148,000 New York men who fought to preserve the Union. This re-dedication inspired Green-Wood’s Civil War Project. I am the full-time historian at The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 2002, The Green-Wood Historic Fund restored and rededicated New York City’s Civil War Soldiers Monument on Green-Wood’s Battle Hill (so named because it was a Revolutionary War battlefield). After the ceremonies, I thanked the uniformed reenactors who joined in the re-dedication. They thanked me for the honor of participating. It soon struck me: perhaps there was something more we could do at Green-Wood to honor those who had sacrificed so much during the Civil War.

thought, based on numbers from those who had walked GreenWood Cemetery over the years, that there were perhaps 500 or so Civil War veterans interred there; were we wrong! In the ensuing years, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, we searched through The New York Times and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle online for articles and obituaries identifying Civil War veterans, compared 162,000 names of men mustered into regiments and companies raised primarily in Brooklyn or New York City against the cemetery’s online database of interments, reviewed

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states during the Civil War), and examined cemetery gravestones, Callahan’s list of naval officers, online databases, as well as many other resources. Descendants and researchers have contacted us from all across America and around the world with leads and have generously shared their information, photographs, and letters with us. After years of work, we have identified 5,000 people interred at Green-Wood who played a role in the Civil War—both civilian and military. Volunteers have written biographies, done followup research on them as more and more resources have appeared on the Internet, and rewritten their biographies. These biographies are now online at Green-Wood’s website, green-wood.com. They are fully searchable and have been enhanced with many portraits and gravestone photographs. Using Green-Wood Cemetery’s records and maps, we also have located the graves of each individual. Remarkably, we have found that approximately half of these individuals—2,300 of

Green-Wood workers laying out Veterans Affairs gravestones in 2007. Almost half of the Civil War veterans were in unmarked graves. 5,000—lay in unmarked graves. Our task is far from finished. That is 46% of our identified in- The Civil War Project, after going dividuals, a much higher percent- on for more than three times as age than we had anticipated. For long as the Civil War itself—is each of these people, we have still a work in progress. We are applied to the Department of Vet- sure that we have missed many erans Affairs for a gravestone, veterans. and Green-Wood workers have We will continue on with this installed most stones, with a few project; our work is not yet done. more to be installed. All this is I look forward to hearing from free of charge. anyone who has information During the course of this proj- about a veteran interred at Greenect, we organized three Civil Wood that we have missed or has War gallery exhibitions and three additional information and/or Grand Processions, in 2007, 2011 images of those we have found. and 2015, during which visitors Please contact me at jeffrichwalked the cemetery in the dark, man@green-wood.com with reenactors, artillery, and muThe online biographies are sicians stationed along the way, the fruit of thousands and thouand with a luminary lighting the sands of hours of volunteer work. grave of each Civil War veteran. Susan Rudin, our amazing editor, I have written and Green-Wood has written biography after bioghas published two books related raphy. Terry Svensen located and to our Civil War veterans: Final photographed every grave. Camping Ground: Civil War VetSue Ramsey, an exceptional erans at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood genealogist, and Jon Hill, a high Cemetery, In Their Own Words school student fascinated by (2007) and “The Gallant Sims”: history, have done years of folA Civil War Hero Rediscovered low-up research, finding more (2016). That latter book was the and more about these men and product of a response to an ad women. that I ran in the Civil War News Those who sacrificed so much in 2005, asking for information deserve to be remembered. We about Civil War veterans interred honor and remember them, at Green-Wood. sharing the stories of their lives.

Luminaries in Green-Wood Cemetery’s Civil War Soldiers Lot, lighting the gravestones of veterans.

April 2017

Civil War News

Estamos Ainda Confederados 50th Anniversary Of The Mid-South Show

By Gould Hagler After the shooting stopped most Confederates went home and, encouraged by the words of Robert E. Lee, tried to be as good citizens as they had been soldiers. Most, but not all; some ex-Confederates gathered up their families and emigrated. The most successful emigrants were the Confederates who settled in Brazil. Until the fairly recent past, the story of these Confederados was not widely known. The subject is getting more attention these days. Anyone interested can learn from many sources the tale of these transplants who made new lives in Brazil, and took their Southern culture with them. Do a search on Amazon; you will find a few items: a historical novel and two histories, one published in 2000 and the other in 1995, which is as far as I know the first serious study of the Confederados. Google will lead you to newspaper articles and other items of interest. A search on youtube will reveal some interesting videos and interviews of Brazilians with names like McFadden and Pyles. For many years, their settlement Americana in Brazil, was an isolated island of English speakers. Its people were largely isolated from their Portuguese-speaking neighbors as well as separated from their former homeland. Newer generations of Confederados are assimilated into wider Brazilian society and speak Portuguese as a first language. However, earlier generations spoke only English, and their brand of English opens a door to our linguistic past. The 1995 book, The Confederados: Old South Immigrants in Brazil, has a very interesting chapter by Michael Montgomery and Cecil Melo who studied the speech patterns of the denizens of Americana. What these linguists learned was a surprise. Southern American speech has certain well known markers. Anyone listening to a Congressional debate can tell who is the gentleman from Georgia and who is from Ohio. What are these markers? (I promise to avoid technical terms as much as possible.) Imagine the gentleman from Georgia saying “mile high pie,” then listen to the Ohioan. The Georgian pronounces the i in each word as a monophthong; the Ohioan uses a diphthong. (I broke my promise already, but you know what I mean.) Okay, now say pen and pin. If they sound the same you have another Southern American speech marker.

Here is my favorite, the post-vocalic r (Another broken promise). Say Sumter or Monitor. If you can’t hear the r in each word, you have found another marker in Sumtuh. Monituh. This marker isn’t exclusive to the South, of course (just listen to a Bostonian), and many southerners don’t have it, but it is still one of the key markers. How about dropping the g at the end of words that end in -ing? Hillary Clinton did this when she wanted to sound like regular people. I’m countin’ on all you good folks to vote for me and I’m expectin’ to win this election. Again, the marker is not exclusive to the South, but a useful marker nonetheless. Finally, Southerners often prolong certain vowels, or drawl. Bid and pill, for example, are stretched out and sound almost like bee-ud and pee-ul. Got this? OK. But what does this have to do with the Civil War and the Confederados? Linguists Montgomery and Melo listened to the old timers in Americana and got a bit of a surprise. When they analyzed the old Confederados’ speech patterns they found that these markers were largely missing. In some ways they didn’t sound like their cousins whose grandparents stayed home. The men and women said mile high pie like the gentleman from Ohio. Pin and pen didn’t rhyme. As for dropping the g, they sounded more like Mrs. Clinton when she was speaking to Wall Street bankers instead of hoi polloi. If a Confederado doctor gave you a pill the word had only one syllable. The linguists put it this way: “Specifically, the lack of homophony of pen and pin, the lack of drawling, and the relative lack of the glideless pronunciation of [ai] in Americana all indicate that Southern English was closer to other varieties of American English in the nineteenth century than present-day Southern speech is. Changes in pronunciation have apparently taken place that represent a divergence of Southern English from American English in the twentieth century. In short, Southern speech is in some ways more distinctive today than ever before.” The linguists posit two possible reasons for this. One possibility is that the post-war South was more isolated from the rest of the country than the pre-war South. In this later period of relative isolation, the languages diverged. Another possibility is the movement of population within the South, which caused “…the spread of Upper South

pronunciation into the Lower South, as many Southerners have migrated out of the hills and into the towns and cities of the Piedmont and beyond, beginning a generation after the war and continuing to recent times.” Robert E. Lee probably asked for a pen when he needed to write a note, and when he mounted Traveller he was going riding, not goin’ ridin’. On July 3, 1863, he probably said, “It is my fault; it is all my fault,” the way an Ohioan would say it, not the way his Georgia colleague would. “It is mah fault; it is all mah fault,” said Martin Sheen’s Lee in the movie. His dialogue coach was pleased with the sound, which was what the audience expected, but Lee probably sounded more as Meade would have sounded had their roles been reversed. There is (fortunately in my view) one marker that the good people of Americana did have: no post-vocalic r. In this regard there was no change between the language of the nineteenthcentury Lower South and the language of the Confederados. When Sheen’s Lee blessed out Joseph Fuqua’s Jeb Stuart on the night of July 1-2 for the cavalryman’s failure to keep him informed, Sheen got it right, “It must nevuh, nevuh happen again!”

MEMPHIS, TENN.—The 50th Annual Mid-South Military History & Civil War Show held on March 4-5, was a great success! The Show was larger than ever, both in registered dealers and exhibitors, and in persons attending. Dealers with rare collections of bullets, swords, guns, and buttons did a brisk business. The Arena was full of every conceivable artifact from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War with over 50% of

the tables dedicated to the War of Northern Aggression (Civil War). Couples, individuals, and reinactors filled the aisles looking for a bargain and just the right item to take home to add to or begin their own personal collections. Extremely rare collections were on display. Also, eight educational lectures were given by noted historians and authors. For more information visit http:// www.midsouthmilitaryhistory. com

The event was held in the spacious Agricenter Show Place.

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, online sellers, and directly from the author (gould.hagler@gmail. com).

Want To Advertise Your Book In Civil War News? Email us at ads@civilwarnews.com Call 800-777-1862 For more information and rate sheet visit: www.civilwarnews.com

One of the many weapons on display at the show.

Civil War News $3.00

Vol. 42, No. 3

48 Pages, April 2016

Battlefield Of Franklin Land Preservation Purchase By GreGory L. Wade

Franklin Charge leader Julian Bibb speaks at the Lovell purchase closing. (Gregory L. Wade photos)

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

Dr. William Blackman’s award winning display of rare Confederate belt buckles and plates.

April 2017

Civil War News

H Cyclorama . . . . . . . . . . . from page 1 and The Battle of Atlanta are still standing. The Atlanta Cyclorama was a team effort. The American Panorama Company, formed by Chicago investors, hired William Wehner as manager of a Milwaukee studio. Wehner then recruited German artists to come to America and paint The Battle of Missionary Ridge in 1885-85. Success led Wehner to turn his painters to the big battle at Atlanta. They came here in 1885 and built a tall tower in the midst of the battlefield, whose traces could still be seen twenty years after the war. Confederate veterans and old-time Atlantans shared helpful recollections. Also assisting the artists was Theodore Davis, wartime illustrator for Harper’s Weekly, who had followed Sherman’s armies. After sketching layouts, they returned to their Milwaukee studios and completed the painting. The dozen artists worked hard at their craft; some, like Bernhard Schneider, were specialists in landscapes, others were painters of men and horses. Writing in St. Nicholas Magazine, December 1886, Theodore Davis emphasized their attention to detail. “Every officer represented is pictured in the uniform which he wore on the day of the fight,” he observed proudly; “while even the horses and their accouterments are as faithfully depicted.” The project was finished in 1886. The huge canvas, hung on

wooden frames, opened in Minneapolis that June. A dramatic focal point was the scene in the mural showing Union Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, commanding the XV Corps, leading a counterattack against the Rebels who had just broken his lines. Logan’s centrality was due to Theo Davis’ suggestion that highlighting a famous individual would draw audiences. Sherman, interestingly, was but a speck on the horizon; he had watched the battle from a house a mile away. After its debut, the painting was disassembled and moved for showing in Indianapolis. In 1890 Paul Atkinson of Madison, Ga., became owner. Atkinson brought the painting to Atlanta, where it opened in Feb. 1892. Resale to Atlanta businessman George V. Gress led to Gress’ donating the Cyclorama to the City of Atlanta in 1898. At that time it was housed in a wooden building at Grant Park in the southeast suburbs because former Confederate officer Lemuel Grant donated land for the park which still bears his name. In 1921 a new fireproof building was constructed specifically for the painting, with enough added space to show off the Civil War locomotive Texas (famous from the Andrews Raid of 1862) and an upstairs museum. It was there that I first saw it as a kid in the 1950s. I’ve been a Civil Warrior since the 4th grade; maybe it was the Cyclorama that turned me on. And what an experience! I still remember entering the darkened, massive circular hall, where kindly old ladies with flashlights illuminated scene after scene as we walked around.

July 2015: the Atlanta Cyclorama building closes to the public as move preparations begin. The 1921 building will be refurbished by Zoo Atlanta as an event space to open in 2019. (Peggy Melton) The Cyclorama’s time is about 4:45 in the afternoon of July 22. The battle has been underway since around noon. Already, two divisions of Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee’s Corps have been repulsed in their attack on McPherson’s line. McPherson is dead; off in the distance by Sherman’s headquarters is an ambulance that carried his body. The fighting continues elsewhere, as Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s Confederates try to take a key hill manned by the division of Brig. Gen. Mortimer Leggett. These details are not shown in the painting. I can’t point to this in the literature, but one may speculate that the Mani-

Five guest rooms offer a glimpse of early American life, and a comfortable base for exploring Antietam, South Mountain, Harpers Ferry and the C&O Canal historic areas. A country –style breakfast is included each day. Bicycle rental and battlefield tours are available.

gault-Mersy firefight was chosen as the mural’s centerpiece for its demonstration of both sides’ heroism. The Southerners have broken through the Yankee line; the Northerners are charging to drive them back. In the 1880s, ex-Rebs and ex-Yanks were in the throes

of a national celebration of Americans’ valor in the Civil War. This part of the battle gave both sides something to celebrate about. The Cyclorama’s starting point is the segment of the mural depicting the Confederate breakthrough of Logan’s line. Brig.

During Atlanta’s premiere hoopla for Gone With the Wind, Clark Gable got a private tour of the Cyclorama. He was intrigued by the plaster soldiers in the foreground, but said there should be one of him. The mayor instructed artists to cast a likeness of the actor. Here he is, a mortally wounded Federal. (Jack Melton)

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Civil War News

Fall 2015: 128 plaster figures and the fiberglass diorama base are removed so conservators can access all parts of the painting. The figures will be restored.

February 10, 2017: Conservators separated the painting into two sections and rolled it onto two custom-built 45-foot-tall steel scrolls. Here Scroll 1 is lowered through the roof of the new Lloyd and Mary Ann Whitaker Cyclorama building.

Spring 2016: With diorama removed, the damaged bottom edge of the painting is clearly visible. The German art conservation firm of Weilhammer and Schoeller repairs the damage and begins preparations for moving.

Spring 2016: Conservators Thomas Schoeller (left) and Christian Marty (right) begin mapping, measuring, and examining the painting.

A few hours later, Scroll 2 is lowered into place and secured to the top mounting rail. The move took two days.

Civil War News

Gen. Arthur Manigault’s Brigade of South Carolinians has overrun a sector of Union entrenchments and captured a four-gun battery of 20-pounder Parrotts (Capt. Francis DeGress’ Battery H, 1st Illinois Light Artillery). The battlefield is in the exurbs of Atlanta; in the midst of the fighting stands a two-story red brick house that is still under construction. Federals of Col. August Mersy’s brigade are counterattacking to restore their line and retake the battery. Horses still harnessed to their caissons are being shot down by the Yankees to prevent the guns from being wheeled off. The South Carolinians fight behind cotton bales (although some skeptics wonder what cotton was being grown just outside Atlanta). A couple of Confederates fire from the second-story of the brick house, which was owned by one George M. Troup Hurt. The scope of the canvas highlights the fighting north of Leggett’s hill, as Confederate Maj. Gen. Frank Cheatham’s Corps is locked in battle with Black Jack Logan’s XV Corps. The artists included scenes and vignettes big and small. Beside the Hurt house, a white and red flag droops from a pine tree; Union signal officers had used it as an observation perch. South of the Georgia Railroad, a Confederate courier has lost control of his horse; riding into

enemy lines, he is shot down. In rear of the charging Federals, an ambulance carries Union Brig. Gen. Manning Force, who had been shot in the jaw. Riding in front of it, Theodore Davis had himself painted in. Off in the distance are Stone Mountain and Atlanta’s skyline to render perspective. Probably the coolest aspect of the Cyclorama is what was added to it fifty years later. A half-century after its creation, the painting had fallen into disrepair. In the 1930s the Federal Works Progress Administration offered funds for artists and craftsmen to restore the Cyclorama. Atlantan Wilbur G. Kurtz was appointed supervisor of the work conducted during 1934-36. Working with him were sculptors Joseph Llorens and Weiss Snell. To refurbish the canvas, seventy-five gallons of linseed oil were sponged in. A lot more was done. When it was moved into its Grant Park shelter in 1921, the building was found just a bit too small. A six-foot wide strip of canvas was cut out to make the whole thing fit; Kurtz had to repair the damage. He even painted in a few more Southern soldiers where they were needed, and repainted the Confederates’ flags to their more historical accurate design. Now for the cool part: Llorens oversaw construction of a thirty-foot diorama in the paint-

ing’s foreground. Red clay was brought in for flooring; artisans had to find just the right kind to match the Cyclorama’s painted dirt. Real tree stumps and twisted rails were brought in; cannon and shrubbery were cast in plaster along with—catch this—128 soldiers. The men were sized from twenty to fifty inches tall, to maintain the right perspective for viewers. The work was masterfully done. To this day you have to strain your eyes to detect where the painting ends and the diorama begins. The Cyclorama has had a lot of famous visitors. During the premiere week of Gone With the Wind in Dec. 1939, Clark Gable (Rhett), Vivien Leigh (Scarlett), Olivia de Havilland (Melanie) and others were given a private showing, led by the city’s mayor, William B. Hartsfield. “The only thing missing to make the Cyclorama perfect,” Gable is said to have remarked, “is I’m not in it.” So the mayor had Kurtz, Llorens and Snell make a plaster figure of Gable as a dead Union soldier (shot in the right side, judging from the blood on his shirt). Several decades later, despite the city’s care, the painting had again fallen into bad shape due to water damage and other factors. One problem literally came out of the ground. “Unfortunately, when tons of earth were brought in” for the WPA diorama in the 1930s, as

April 2017

February 10, 2017: Workmen from Maxim Crane Works, Georgia Rigging, and C.D. Moody Construction slowly remove Scroll 2 from the old Grant Park building.

History, Competition & Camaraderie

The N-SSA is America’s oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization. Competitors shoot original or approved reproduction firearms at breakable targets in a timed match. Some units compete with cannons and mortars. All teams represent a specific Civil War regiment or unit and wears the uniform they wore over 150 years ago. Dedicated to preserving our history, period firearms competition and the camaraderie of team sports with friends and family, the N-SSA may be just right for you. For more information visit W W W. N - S S A .O R G

February 9, 2017: Working well into the night, crane operators position Scroll 1 over a flatbed truck at the side of the Grant Park building.

April 2017

Civil War News

As Federals counterattack to restore their line, the horses of Francis DeGress’ battery are killed in harness. Writing fifty years ago, Wilbur Kurtz stated that they were slain by Northern fire from nearby batteries. In his recent history of the battle of July 22, Gary Ecelbarger claims Southern officers ordered the horses shot. After the battle, Captain DeGress reported, “27 horses killed and ten taken by the enemy.” (Painting photos by Jack Melton) February 9, 2017: A second crane moves scroll 1 into a horizontal position so it can be secured to the flatbed. Escorted by police, Anderson Trucking Company then took the scrolls on their ten-mile trip to the Atlanta History Center.

During the Northern counterattack, an Illinois soldier recalled, “a well-known form came galloping furiously up the Decatur road on a coal-black charger streaked with foam, hatless, his long hair flying, his eyes flashing with wrath—a human hurricane on horseback. It was ‘Black Jack.’” Contrary to popular myth, John A. Logan did not sponsor The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting. But the famous general was featured prominently in its advertising, such as this 1886 handbill from the Minneapolis premiere.

Historians judge that Major General McPherson was mortally wounded about 1:45 p.m. By the time of the action depicted in the painting, 4:45, Federals have recovered the general’s body and brought it by wagon to Sherman’s headquarters, the Augustus Hurt house (shown on the left). Today the site is on the campus of the Carter Center in east Atlanta.

According to Wilbur Kurtz, the standing Confederate figure behind cotton bales was modeled by Snell from a “Reverend Henderson,” who served in the Georgia Militia. This is the only figure besides Clark Gable actually modeled from an identifiable person.

Historical Cyclorama Battle of Atlanta Program from 1892. Chip Carter wrote for Civil War Times Illustrated some years ago, “A plague of insects and mice came with it. The hungry vermin went straight for the canvas. A mixture of arsenic, lead, sulfur and antimony was applied to the back. The concoction did keep away small critters. But it is not believed to have done the painting or visitors much good.” What to do? Some suggested that the Cyclorama be moved to the Confederate theme park at Stone Mountain or another location. Maynard Jackson Atlanta’s first African-American mayor, responded that the engagement depicted “one battle where the right side won,” and pledged to restore the painting. The massive project lasted from 1979 to 1982 and cost $9 million. Conservators led by Gustav Berger carefully cleaned and treated the century-old canvas, restoring its painted colors and patching up hundreds of little holes. The red clay flooring of the diorama was replaced with fiberglass and plastic. The decades-old building was remodeled with a rotating viewers’ section, which moved slowly along with the recorded narrative. The made-over Cyclorama reopened in June 1982. Thousands of visitors have poured in since then, even as changes continue to be

April 2017

Civil War News

made. In 1990, a thirteen-minute film began to be shown, featuring 5,000 Civil War reenactors and a script explaining the campaign from Chattanooga to Peachtree Creek. The narrator was James Earl Jones, “whose thunderous ‘Darth Vader’ voice,” as one writer put it, “holds its own against the film’s constant kabooms.” Two decades later, the canvas needed still more work. Faced with an estimated cost of at least $8 million, the city appointed an advisory group to explore options. The members agreed upon the restoration, but also considered moving the Cyclorama to another location, perhaps downtown. Sheffield Hale, CEO of the Atlanta History Center, offered their campus as a new site, and a deal was struck. In July 2014, the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta History Center announced that the Cyclorama and all the relics housed with it, including the Texas, would be moved to a new 23,000-square

foot facility at the History Center, located on 33 acres in the city’s Buckhead area. The city will retain ownership, with the History Center signing a 75-year license contract. Fundraising for moving the gigantic painting, building its new shelter and restoring the canvas got jump-started with a $10 million gift from an Atlanta couple, Lloyd and Mary Ann Whitaker. The History Center has since raised more than $35 million for the Cyclorama project, including endowed money for its continued safekeeping. Having closed its Grant Park home in July 2015, the move is underway at the time of this writing. Gordon L. Jones, Ph.D., Senior Military Historian at the History Center, and Jackson McQuigg, Vice President of Properties, are guiding the undertaking. The 10,000-pound canvas was split into two sections and wrapped around two 45-foot long steel spools. These were lifted by

This Federal loses his life in the countercharge of Col. James S. Martin’s brigade as Union forces try to drive off the Rebels who had overrun their line. (Painting photos by Jack Melton)

a crane through big holes cut in the roof of the Grant Park buildings, trucked by flatbeds to the History Center and there lowered through the roof of the new Lloyd and Mary Ann Whitaker Cyclorama Building. A lot of work is still ahead. In addition to cleaning and restoration, the six-foot wide panel, cut away in 1921, will be restored. So too will be seven feet of sky, based on photographs, which disappeared during the painting’s various moves; it will run along the top of the mural, which will now be 371 feet long and 49 feet tall. When all this is finished, the Atlanta Cyclorama will formally reopen at its new home in the fall of 2018. “This is one of the most important achievements in historic preservation to come out of the Civil War Sesquicentennial,” Dr. Jones declared. Only seventeen cycloramic paintings of century-old vintage are known still to

exist worldwide. Of these, eleven are on public display. Three are in North America: The Battle of Gettysburg, The Panorama of Jerusalem in Quebec, and of course our Battle of Atlanta. I for one can’t wait to see it again. I believe it’ll be just as I remember it as an awe-struck kid, overwhelmed by the majesty and terror of America’s great Civil War. Steve Davis of Atlanta is a regular contributor to Civil War News and is the Book Review Editor. His new book, A Long and Bloody Task: The Atlanta Campaign from Dalton through Kennesaw Mountain to the Chattahoochee River May 5–July 18, 1864, was published as part of Savas Beatie’s Emerging Civil War paperback series. The companion volume, carrying the Atlanta Campaign to the city’s surrender on September 2, 1864, will be published early this year.

In the booklet he wrote in the 1950s about the Cyclorama, Wilbur Kurtz described this scene: “A Confederate courier, his horse getting out of hand, over-runs the line and becomes a target for Federal bullets and bayonets.”

At 42 feet tall and 358 feet in circumference, the Atlanta Cyclorama is one of the largest paintings in the country. This expanse of the mural encompasses half its circumference along the Georgia railroad in the foreground. In the center distance can be seen Kennesaw Mountain, twenty miles to the northwest. In the ambulance behind Logan is a seriously wounded Brig. Gen. Manning Force, shot in the jaw. He survived, and would return to the field a few months later.

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Civil War News

An original print of the 1/10 scale preliminary sketch prepared by the American Panorama Company in 1886. Atlanta History Center curators found this copy and four others for sale on e-Bay in 2006.

The locomotive Texas, which served Atlanta from 1856 to 1907, is being restored at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, N.C. It will be moved to the Atlanta History Center in May 2017.

Well into the 1970s, the Atlanta Cyclorama served as a sort of Confederate shrine. In its new exhibition galleries, the Atlanta History Center plans a broader interpretation.

Capt. Francis DeGress rides forward to reclaim his lost battery. Artist Theodore Davis later wrote that he was proud to place “my old friend” DeGress in the composition.

The view picks up with the railroad heading eastward toward Stone Mountain (visible on the horizon, eighteen miles away). In the center, Brig. Gen. Joseph A. J. Lightburn’s Union troops advance across the wheat field to support the Federal assault. This photograph of the Cyclorama was obviously taken before it closed in mid-2015. It will re-open in its new quarters at the Atlanta History Center in Fall 2018.

– Reviews

April 2017

Civil War News

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 Forgotten Trial Of A Union Congressman The Story Of An A Confederate in Congress-The Civil War Treason Trial of Benjamin Gwinn Harris. By Joshua E. Kastenberg. Notes, bibliography, index, 198 pp., 2016, McFarland & Company, www.mcfarlandbooks.com, $35.00. Reviewed by Tom Elmore

One of the things that makes the Civil War so fascinating is the countless number of small stories involving people, places or events that had no major impact on the outcome of the war, but are fascinating in their own right. The subject of this book belongs in that category.

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Benjamin Gwinn Harris (1805-1895) was a Democratic Congressman representing Maryland’s Fifth Congressional District from 1863 until 1867. Like most people in his district he supported slavery and was an outspoken critic of the Lincoln administration, voting consistently against appropriations to fight the war. He opposed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. Harris was arguably the most unpopular man in Congress, which censured him in 1864 for praying for a Southern victory on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Not surprisingly, even members of his own party and prominent Maryland politicians distanced themselves from him. In May 1865 Harris was tried in a military court for aiding and abetting paroled Confederate soldiers. His guilt was not in question; Harris had given money to some soldiers. However, Harris, who represented himself, challenged the constitutionality of the proceedings since Federal and state courts were still open in Maryland. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison at the Old Capitol Prison and banned for life from serving in public office, though the latter had no basis in law. He only served about two weeks of his sentence before it was remitted by President Andrew Johnson, acting upon a request from Montgomery Blair, who ironically had been Lincoln’s Postmaster General. A year later, Harris’ conviction was nullified by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a separate, but related case, Ex Parte Milligan, which validated Harris’ argument that the military had no judicial authority when civilian courts are operating. When coming across an interesting story like this, a writer has to decide if there is enough material for a book or just an article. In the case of Harris, it appears that a long article would have sufficed. Unfortunately,

the author, a military judge with twenty years of experience in the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, decided to make a book about it, and in “padding” the story to book-length form, author Kastenberg buries Harris’ story. The first problem is in the preface when the author flat-out says that his book is “not a laudatory biography.” While there is little doubt that most readers would agree with this assessment, it should be left up to the reader to decide how good or bad the subject of the biography is without being told up-front. Another problem is that despite being a “biography,” it reads more like a textbook on Civil War-era civilian and military law. This reviewer has read close to a thousand Civil War-related books in his life, and this was the first time he ever encountered a book in which he felt he needed a law degree to understand it. Harris is all but forgotten at times. In fact, it is not until page 84 that the book takes on any semblance of a biography. Furthermore, for all the talk about the part of Maryland which Harris lived in and represented, there are no maps showing his district. Nor are there any photos or illustrations depicting any of the figures or sites mentioned in the book, except for a postwar photo of the Congressman on the front cover. What should have been a very interesting tale is a hard-to-read bloated mess. Those interested in 19th century law or Maryland during the Civil War may want to check out this book, but it is doubtful that casual readers will find it enjoyable. Tom Elmore, of Columbia SC, is finishing a study of Pope Pius IX and the American Civil War. He is also doing some preliminary research into 18th and 19th century Celtic South Carolinians.

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Historic Virginia Homestead Dear Old Ellwood: A Home in the Wilderness by Carolyn Jones Elstner and Katherine Porter Clark. Maps, photos, notes, index, 370 pps., 2016, Rappahannock Historical Society, www. rappahannockhistsoc.org, $24.95 softcover, $39.95 hardcover. Reviewed by Daniel T. Davis

West of Fredericksburg, Virginia, a long gravel driveway snakes away from the bustling Constitution Highway. At the end, overlooking the valley of Wilderness Run, stands a silent witness to events of the American Civil War. In their new study, Carolyn Jones Elstner and Katherine Porter Clark detail the history of and the families who resided at Ellwood. Elstner and Clark are the ideal candidates to take on this project. Mrs. Clark is the great-greatgreat granddaughter of Ellwood’s patriarch, William Jones. Her great-great grandfather was born at the house in 1858. Her co-author, Mrs. Elstner, is the great niece of Hugh Willis, who purchased Ellwood in 1907. Mrs. Elstner’s father, Gordon Jones, was the last owner of Ellwood. Resting in the middle of the dense, secondary growth forest known as the Wilderness, the house was completed by 1790. Its more famous visitors during the Revolutionary War and Early National Periods included the Marquis de Lafayette, James Madison and James Monroe. Ellwood solidified itself in Civil War history and became part of every battlefield tramper’s bucket list during the Chancellorsville Campaign. After being wounded by friendly fire on the night of May 2, 1863, Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was taken to a nearby hospital where his left arm was

amputated. His chaplain, Beverly Tucker Lacy, whose brother J. Horace owned Ellwood, removed the limb and interred it in the family burying ground near the house. The marker for Jackson’s arm remains the only one in the small cemetery. War returned to Ellwood the following spring. During the battle of the Wilderness, Maj. Gen. Governeur K. Warren, head of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac, used the house as his personal headquarters. Today, Ellwood is part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Since Gordon Jones donated the house and surrounding property to the National Park Service in 1977, the house has been restored to its wartime appearance with exhibits on the first floor. It is staffed seasonally with the help of volunteers from the Friends of the Wilderness. As authors, Elstner and Clark make a great team. Until publication of this volume there has not been a major study of Ellwood’s history, and here they have woven together an engaging narrative. Their style of writing makes for an enjoyable, fun and fast-paced read. John Roy Tole, President of the Rappahannock Historical Society, also contributed greatly to the work through its design and editing. Maps, along with period and modern pictures and photographs are used throughout the text. Peter Elstner, Carolyn’s son, supplements the book with his wonderful and life-like sketches at the beginning of each chapter. Throughout the book, the authors provide inserts on individuals and subjects pertinent to the families who owned the property and the surrounding region. Readers will find that the book crosses the spectrum of colonial, military and social history. Of particular interest are several appendices, which include information on other owner properties, family trees, a timeline of major events related to Ellwood, slavery at Ellwood, soldier burials and the acquisition of Ellwood by the National Park Service. It is highly recommended. Daniel T. Davis is the co-author of six books in the Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie, LLC. He is the Managing Editor of the Emerging Civil War blog and resides in Fredericksburg, Va.

April 2017

Civil War News

Inherent Difficulties Of American Racial History Reassessed Pursuing A Defeated Enemy Failure to Pursue: How the Escape of Defeated Forces Prolonged the Civil War. By David Frey. Notes, bibliography, index, 402 pages, 2016, McFarland, www.mcfarlandpub.com, $39.95 softcover. Reviewed by Thomas J. Ryan

In this survey of published literature, David Frey states that he will investigate and test his “underlying thesis … that our Civil War … was decided in large part after battles when one side could have pursued, but didn’t pursue, a fleeing enemy to render that enemy hors de combat.” Frey discusses battles in the Eastern and Western Theaters, and describes issues concerning pursuit of the defeated foe. He adds “Dénouements and Precursors,” or epilogues about the main participants. Beginning with the West, Frey summarizes and postulates about each battle. These include Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth, Chattanooga, Atlanta and Nashville. Turning to the East, he examines works published about First Bull Run, the Shenandoah Valley, Seven Days Battles, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam, Gettysburg and the Overland Campaign. More space is allocated to the battle segments than to the pursuit phase, the study’s primary focus. The epilogues, while non-essential, add interesting sidelights. Frey raises three questions: (1) “What took so long for the North to prevail?” (2) “Could use of effective, successful pursuits have enabled one side to more quickly vanquish the other, thus mitigating the immediate and long-term suffering as well as other societal losses?” and (3) “What factors prevented more successful pursuits leading to decisive victories?” His conclusions are based on the writings of authors “upon whose shoulders I humbly stand.”

Regarding the length of time it took to prosecute the war, Frey states in some cases there was a lack of commitment on the part of commanders, either because of their cautious natures or because they did not agree with the national objectives of their leaders. In addition, he believes advances in armament technology, as well as strategic mistakes prolonged the war. He cites cases where prominent generals such as Confederate Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and James Longstreet failed to pursue the enemy successfully following battlefield victories. The author does not directly address the question of whether pursuits could have ended the war sooner. He cites the undersized nature of the Southern armies on the one hand, and the heavy losses on the Northern side even in victory that mitigated the possibility of successful pursuits. Frey attributes the lack of successful pursuits to four factors, including exhaustion of armies after battles, attitudes/capabilities of commanders, lack of qualified subordinate commanders, and ineffective use of cavalry. He closes by speculating that the North could have ended the war sooner if they “had launched earlier pursuits….” Failure to Pursue raises interesting questions about the nature of pursuits of the enemy once victory on the battlefield was achieved. Preferably more space would have been allocated to analysis of the factors and limitations of such pursuits, rather than of the battles themselves. The book includes notes, bibliography and index, but no maps which would have enhanced the battle discussions. The general reader will find this book useful as an overview about battles in the Eastern and Western Theater, and pursuit of the defeated foe. It will be less attractive to a more advanced Civil War audience because of the emphasis on secondary rather than primary sources. Thomas J. Ryan is the author of the multiple award-winning Spies, Scouts, and Secrets in the Gettysburg Campaign (Savas Beatie, 2015). He is currently researching a new book with co-author Richard R. Schaus about George G. Meade’s postGettysburg pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, due out in 2018.

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Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship before the Civil War. By Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor. Photos, notes, index, bibliography, 218 pp., 2016, University of North Carolina Press, uncpress.unc. edu, 34.95. Reviewed by Salvatore Cilella

American historiography had been the purview of white, male, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants until the “revolution” of the 1970’s. Up until then, New Englanders Jared Sparks, Charles Francis Adams, Henry Brooks Adams, Francis Parkman, George Bancroft and John Gorham Palfrey shaped the narrative of the American Revolution and Federal Period as one of liberty and freedom— but as we now know, it was only for the privileged few, white, male land owners. In the 1970s, the “progressive” revolution in American history produced a new cohort of historians who began to look seriously at racial, ethnic, gender, social, cultural and economic issues that had been largely ignored by earlier historians. An early work, since superseded, Stanley Elkins’ Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life (1960), was groundbreaking. Elkins’ view on American slavery compared it to Nazi concentration camps, an argument soon fiercely rejected by both the Jewish and African American communities. Today, a whole host of new books has begun to look anew at race and slavery and its metastatic effect on the American body politic from the very beginning. Bind us Apart: How Enlightened Americans Invented Racial Segregation by Nicholas Guyatt (2016) needs little exposition. Wendy Warren’s New England Bound (2016) is a sharp rebuke to the 19th century historians as she chronicles slavery in colonial New England. In The Common Cause: Creating

Race and Nation in the American Revolution (also 2016), Robert Parkinson lays out the case of American revolutionaries’ use of race as a tactic to unite patriots against Britain. Ibraim Kendi, in Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (2016), examines the intellectual and social history of racist ideas. Allan Taylor’s works Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832 (2013) and his latest, American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 (2016) rely heavily on the narrative of aggression against the oppressed and the dispossessed—native Americans and slaves. Steven Hahn’s A Nation Without Borders (2016) asserts that America’s first imperialist impulse (in the 1830’s) was originally fueled by slavery. Pryor’s book fits within this category of “American Racial History Reassessed.” It is a slim volume, only 218 pages and five chapters, but filled with new assertions, assumptions and revelations. Perhaps her most disturbing chapter is the first, entitled “Nigger and Home: An Etymology,” where she explains the metamorphosis of the “n-word.” Pryor never uses the euphemistic “n-word,” but the real word, unapologetically, without quotes or italicization. She argues that the word went from “descriptor to epithet” as “black activists designated it a verbal symbol of U.S. racial repression, even as African American laborers continued to use it.” The key phrase here is “U.S.” When black travelers were able to travel to Europe, the term became less important. The activists, according to Pryor, elevated the word to an epithet in the 1830’s, using it reluctantly and only as a reproach to their homeland. The evidence of discrimination on transatlantic travel is grim. Activist Charles Remond spent two weeks on an eastbound (to England) steamer on deck, not below where he could shelter from the weather’s extremes, but alone under a tent, and segregated from other passengers. For the return trip back to America, manned by progressive British sailors, Remond was allowed a berth below deck among the white voyagers. In 1838, transatlantic traveler David Ruggles was not allowed below deck on the steamer Rhode Island, but forced to spend 14 hours per day on the exposed deck. Pryor’s narrative exposes the hypocrisy of the state of Massachusetts. In the mid-19th century it was the home of abolitionists and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Yet it was also

where slave trading began as early as 1624 and, as Pryor points out, it was rail workers in New England, specifically Massachusetts, who established the Jim Crow car. After all, black men were a threat to white women (as the argument went). At the same time, the separate but “equal” car was not only for blacks but poor whites. By introducing the “poor white” evidence, Pryor weakens her racial argument, as she seems to be admitting that at least some economic discrimination was at play. Still, the notion that American-born blacks were treated as foreigners allowed activists to push for recognition of citizenship through unfettered access to travel. Free blacks roaming the land were unacceptable to white popular thought. When is a book about the American Civil War not an American Civil War book? The answer is probably when it is a history of Outer Mongolia. Elizabeth Pryor’s Colored Travelers proves once again that there is absolutely no break in American history from before America’s founding to the present day when it comes to Civil War and Civil Rights. The common threads are what some historians have called America’s original sin—slavery and racism. Pryor takes up the intellectual argument that access to travel was a condition of citizenship for any freed slave. A large question remains: How many of the four million slaves eventually liberated by the war were able to travel freely? Pryor concludes that the fight continues. Salvatore Cilella is the retired CEO of the Atlanta History Center, having spent 43 years in the museum field. He is the author of Upton’s Regulars (University of Kansas Press, 2009), and editor of The Selected Correspondence of General Emory Upton, due out this spring from the University of Tennessee Press.

April 2017

Civil War News

New Study Of Florida In The War Rescued Documents Preserve History Of New York Captain Florida’s Civil War: Terrible Sacrifices. By Tracy J. Revels. Illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 213 pp., 2016, Mercer University Press, www. mupress.org, $29. Reviewed by Paul Taylor

By a vote of 62-7, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union on January 10, 1861. Its secession convention proudly announced Florida’s intention to stand by South Carolina and Mississippi, which had already departed. Several months later, the nascent Confederate government gave its member state the usual plaudits. However, by the end of 1861, it was apparent that the Confederacy had all but abandoned Florida and its 1,200 miles of indefensi-

ble coastline. As author Tracy J. Revels deftly points out, “Florida was lost even to the Lost Cause.” Such realities had earlier led the Northern press to deride the state as “the smallest tadpole in the dirty pool of secession.” In Florida’s Civil War: Terrible Sacrifices, Prof. Revels—who previously wrote a superb work on Florida’s women during the Civil War—delivers an excellent synthesis of the home front contributions and eventual suffering which Floridians endured during the war as a result of its abandonment. Both families and communities were torn asunder by political partisanship and basic survival needs. The state’s Confederate loyalists and those citizens who remained steadfast to the Union suffered equally, especially after the war’s first year when inland raids by Yankee soldiers and sailors, as well as Rebel guerrillas’ depredations, took their toll on civilian morale and foodstuffs. Revels points out that hardscrabble Floridians’ proclaimed loyalties were often based on circumstance, and might even change with their fundamental survival needs. Starving citizens readily gave a loyalty oath to the Union if it meant steady rations from a local Yankee commissary. Moreover, Revels shows how such destitution eventually led to considerable Confederate desertion within the state.

Revels digs deep into many obscure secondary sources, such as essays which originally appeared over the decades in the Florida Historical Quarterly, along with a judicious number of primary sources. She creates what the book’s jacket describes as “a consideration of the social factors that shaped Florida during the Civil War and its role within the Confederacy.” Florida’s Civil War generally flows in a chronological timeline, even though the chapters are presented as stand-alone topics. They include antebellum Florida and secession; Floridians who served within the Confederacy; the state’s Unionist sentiment; and slavery within the state, which resulted in many freed Florida slaves donning a blue uniform for the Union army. Another important chapter relates how Florida provided much-needed food for the Confederacy, especially after Vicksburg fell in July 1863, which shut off the flow of cattle from the western theater. This chapter includes important discussions of the salt and beef which the state produced for the Southern cause. The book concludes with two chapters that give a nice overview of the February 1864 Florida campaign. This event culminated in the battle of Olustee, an engagement resulting in the third bloodiest Union defeat of the entire war, based on the ratio of casualties to troops engaged. Revels ends the book with the final events leading to the state’s second largest engagement, Natural Bridge on March 6, 1865. When the Civil War ended, Florida was even more of a frontier wilderness than when the war started. It would take decades for the state to recover. Revels’ study is part of the publisher’s State Narratives of the Civil War Series. At 174 pages of text, it is designed to give a tight, concise overview of Florida’s home front during the rebellion. In this case, it succeeds admirably. With engaging prose and scholarly research, Tracy Revels has created an important addition to the growing body of work pertaining to Florida during the Civil War.

Paul Taylor is an award-winning author of six books pertaining to the Civil War era, including Discovering the Civil War in Florida: A Reader and Guide. His next book is titled “The Most Complete Political Machine Ever Known”: The North’s Union Leagues in the Civil War, which will be published by Kent State University Press in early 2018.

“The Gallant Sims” A Civil War Hero Rediscovered. By Jeffrey I. Richman. Map, photos, illustrations, index, 166 pp., 2016, The Green-Wood Historic Fund, $25.00 paperback. Reviewed by Gould Hagler

Sam died in battle. His fiancée Carrie never married. The soldier’s family kept his letters and other documents. The grieving fiancée kept a treasure trove of mementoes. Many decades later the couple was reunited, in a way, when these two sets of materials found their way into the collection of Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery. The story of Captain Samuel Sims can now be told. When war erupted Samuel Sims, a thirty-two-year-old widower with three children, was engaged to Carrie Dayton. He worked as a glass stainer for a Brooklyn concern. Sam joined the war effort as a second lieutenant in a New York militia regiment. He and the other 90-day men re-upped when it became apparent that the fight to subdue the Confederacy would not be over in three months. He organized a company in the 51st New York Infantry and led his men into battle in North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia. He lost his life in July of 1864 at the Battle of the Crater. Through the officer’s letters and other sources, Green-Wood Cemetery’s historian Jeffrey Richman relates this story of Captain Sims with considerable skill. Richman combines this account with the interesting story of the salvaged documents themselves. In 1993 the priceless letters were put out with the trash and were minutes away from oblivion. Saved by a

passerby, they eventually came into the possession of GreenWood. Carrie Dayton’s treasured mementoes were preserved in a less dramatic fashion. Her trunk was kept by family members who were fully aware of the value of its contents. This material also was eventually acquired by the cemetery. Sam’s letters contain many tidbits that add texture and color to the big story of battles and campaigns. While campaigning on the North Carolina coast Sam drank water “made from sea water purified from salt by passing through boilers and the steam condensed.” Sam and his comrades also sampled an early version of instant coffee which was “already sweetened and has milk in it.” It is also interesting to learn that this officer ate better in the army than at home: he gained weight as he served his country. Richman uses many additional sources to round out the story of Captain Sims and his regiment. I counted eleven sources employed to tell of the recovery of Sims’ remains and their return to Brooklyn for burial. The author also tells how Sam Sims’ orphaned daughter became the “daughter of the regiment,” was cared for by his comrades and even educated at Vassar at their expense. We learn too about Sims’ brother, also in the 51st. Palin Sims survived, but never recovered from the physical and mental trauma of war. The book is enhanced by numerous photos, images of relevant documents and sketches made by Sims himself. Jeffrey Richman has succeeded in using these rescued materials to weave an interesting narrative of this New Yorker’s service in the Union Army, his pre-war life, his family and friends in and out of the military—and the story of this rich store of materials and how they came to be preserved. Note: Jeffrey Richman has an article in this issue on GreenWood Cemetery.

Gould Hagler is the author of Georgia’s Confederate Monuments: In Honor of a Fallen Nation (Mercer University Press, 2014). His new book on Alabama’s Confederate Monuments will be published by Indiana University Press.

April 2017

Civil War News

Laying Waste To The Breadbasket Of The Confederacy The Union Sixth Corps in the Shenandoah Valley, June-October 1864. By Jack H. Lepa. Illustrated, maps, index, bibliography, 219pp., 2017, McFarland, www. mcfarlandpub.com, $35 paper. Reviewed by Wayne L. Wolf

For five months from July to October 1864, the Army of the Shenandoah, commanded for most of this period by Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, followed up Confederate Gen. Jubal Early’s retreat from the Battle of Monocacy with a mission to lay waste to the Shenandoah Valley, the bread basket of the Confederacy. Gen.

Ulysses Grant’s orders were to pursue Rebel forces, destroying everything that aided the enemy, and then rejoin him in the trenches before Petersburg. Gen. Sheridan, in the battles of Winchester, Fisher’s Hill and finally Cedar Creek, pushed Early’s battered army out of the valley, destroyed thousands of fields, barns and homes, and deprived Gen. Robert E. Lee of the food and provisions he desperately needed to sustain his army. This devastation also created a desire in Confederate forces for revenge, boosted their morale, and led to some of the fiercest fighting in the Civil War. Jack Lepa does a commendable job of not only describing the military maneuvers of the Union 6th, 8th and 19th Corps in this series of battles, but stresses for the reader the human side of the newly introduced concept of total war. Phil Sheridan, the tough, grim, aggressive yet inspirational leader, not only pushes Early’s forces out of the Shenandoah Valley but instills pride and aggressiveness in his corps. The author uses frequent quotes from diaries, letters, and the Official Records to add a personal dimension to the fighting. Soldiers are thus seen not as numbers on a muster roll but as fathers, sons, husbands and brothers who

endure horrible weather, fetid camps, exhausting marches. Yet they feel sympathy for Southern farmers whom they leave destitute in order to win the war. Both Confederate and Union forces experience victory and defeat, suffer periods of both low morale and exhilaration, and suffer from a lack of supplies. Political interference and conflicting orders confused and wearied the officers and troops. Yet both sides fought bravely, believed in their commanders and the cause for which they fought. Lepa brings each of these dichotomies to light with first-person accounts strategically placed in the chapters. His primary source material explains many of the actions taken by individuals and units during each of the battles and addresses the reasons each side felt it had triumphed or lost during engagements. Yet an unfortunate paucity of quotes from Confederate participants gives this book a Union bias. His explanations of military maneuvers are historically accurate and sufficiently detailed to provide the reader with troop placement, actions and strategy. As indicated in its title, the book does not pay sufficient due to the 8th and 19th Corps and the crucial role they played in the Shenandoah campaign. Likewise, units like the 14th New Jersey are only tangentially incorporated into battle coverage, relying more on those units where diaries, etc. exist. More careful editing would also eliminate occasional grammatical errors. The addition of an organizational chart for Union and Confederate armies would add a valuable organizing reference for the reader. And finally, this book’s $35 price in softcover is expensive. Jack Lepa’s Sixth Corps in the Shenandoah may find itself hard to compete with other comprehensive studies, such as Thomas A. Lewis’ The Shenandoah in Flames: The Valley Campaign of 1864 (TIME-LIFE, 1987) or Don Lowry’s Dark and Cruel War: The Decisive Months of the Civil War-September to December 1864 (1993). Nevertheless, the scholarship is excellent, the readability engaging, and the battle coverage exhaustive and compelling. For this reasons, this book is recommended. Wayne L. Wolf is Professor Emeritus from South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois and the author of numerous Civil War books. His article, “May to June 1864: General John Corson Smith and the Road to Atlanta,” appeared in the March issue of Civil War News.

Iowa In The Civil War: A Flawed Introduction The Sacred Cause of Union: Iowa in the Civil War. By Thomas R. Baker. Maps, photos, notes, index, 285 pp., 2016, University of Iowa Press, www. uipress.uiowa.edu, $27.50. Reviewed by Thomas E. Schott

A surprising paucity of material on Iowa’s role in the Civil War existed before this book, the first real attempt at a comprehensive history of the state’s role in the war. Till now only a couple of dated compilations of Iowa military units and some scattered articles address the subject. Hubert Wubben’s Civil War Iowa and the Copperhead Movement (1980) is narrowly focused, as the title indicates. The story of this frontier state’s participation in the titanic struggle is certainly a compelling one. Unfortunately, Thomas R. Baker’s The Sacred Cause of Union will serve only as a flawed general overview of the subject. The book does have some noteworthy features. Obviously, it aims to be comprehensive, covering in various degrees of detail state government and politics, the economy and army recruitment as well as battles. It misses no significant topic. And it is particularly strong in discussing the role of the ladies’ aid societies in distributing food, clothing, and supplies to the state’s sons in uniform, and most especially in providing medical aid and advancing hospital reform. Much of this story revolves around the activities of Iowa’s leading female activist Annie Wittenmyer—not only her works of individual charity, but her key role in concentrating state aid to Iowa troops, a task that basically lasted the entire war. Some attention is also given to intrastate politics, at least as they pertained to the national struggle between the Republicans and two wings of Democrats, pro-war and so-called peace Democrats. As a

general observation, Republicans in Iowa became steadily more radicalized by the conflict and never came close to relinquishing their control at either state or national level. Baker also tries to weave in the story of Iowa’s contribution to the federal military effort, but the reader attempting to understand the role of the state’s troops in anything but sketchy detail will be disappointed. Iowa soldiers played a role in helping keep Missouri in the Union and fought in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters at Shiloh, the Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Red River campaigns, among others, but battle and campaign accounts are scattered and never placed in an overall strategic perspective. This is simply part of the problematic organizational structure of the work: a topical approach would have been far less confusing and more coherent. Instead, the book tends towards the episodic, and the reader invariably loses track of the shifting subjects of discussion, be they party politics or the activities of the LSAS (Ladies’ Soldiers’ Aid Society). At the beginning, the book states its intention to follow “six families involved in the war effort,” but this translates to occasional mentions after the initial chapter and some discussion in the final chapter “Epilogue.” Further shortcomings in the work will inevitably cause scholars to fault it: its lack of a bibliography and its employment of solely printed sources, no primary documentation was consulted, not even newspapers. Several generalities such as “Helena remained in Union hands, in large part because of the fortitude of the Iowans stationed there,” beg for solid documentation and have none. Nor is this the only example of sparse or non-existent documentation. Nonetheless, Baker’s volume will serve admirably for an introduction to the subject of the Hawkeye State’s role in the Civil War. Thomas E. Schott of Norman, Okla. is editor, with Lawrence Lee Hewitt and Marc Kunis, of To Succeed or Perish: The Diaries of Sergeant Edmund Trent Eggleston, 1st Mississippi Light Artillery Regiment, CSA (University of Tennessee Press, 2015). He and Dr. Hewitt have co-edited two volumes of essays, Confederate Generals in the Trans-Mississippi (University of Tennessee Press, 2013 and 2015). The third volume is due out later this year.

April 2017

Civil War News

S teve D avis ’ s C ritic ’ s C orner

By Stephen Davis J. William Jones, Personal Reminiscences of General Robert E. Lee

We’re still fighting the war, at least in books. I looked around for what has been written about one of my favorites, Personal Reminiscences of General Robert E. Lee by the Reverend J. William Jones, D.D. I started with David Eicher’s The Civil War in Books: An Analytical Bibliography (1997), which I keep to the left of my writing desk. He doesn’t place Jones’ Personal Reminiscences among the fifteen volumes he lists with Lee as subject. Instead, he dismisses it as “a highly partisan, eulogistic, and poetical hodgepodge of material that exhaustively attempts to document Lee’s absolute perfection.” I couldn’t agree with Eicher more which is why Jones’ book is one of my favorites. Shortly after the death of President Lee in October 1870, the faculty of Washington College voted two things: to keep Lee’s college office just as he had left it, and to appoint a committee which would gather material for “a memorial volume, which shall contain a suitable notice of the death and the funeral obsequies of Gen’l R. E. Lee, and of the public’s expression of sympathy and respect upon the occasion.” Once published, proceeds from sale of the work would go toward

a monument over Lee’s grave in the college chapel. (We know it today as Edward Valentine’s famous recumbent statue.) The committee, all professors at the college, chose the Rev. J. William Jones to collect material for the book. Jones had been a chaplain in Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia; after the war he took the pulpit of Lexington’s Baptist church. He became a good friend of Lee, and was a fitting choice as compiler of what came to be called “Mr. Jones’ book.” By 1874 Jones had enough material to compile his manuscript, which Mrs. Lee read. The faculty gave the go-ahead, and Personal Reminiscences was published in 1874 by D. Appleton of New York. The title suggests that the “personal reminiscences” are by Dr. Jones alone. Far from it. The opening section, “The Soldier,” fills almost eighty pages with eulogistic speeches by Generals Early, Gordon, Hampton and others; tributes from Northern and foreign newspapers at the time of Lee’s death; plus excerpts from Greeley’s and Swinton’s early books on the war. Chapter II, “The College President,” consists of several faculty members’ reflections. The bulk of the book is divided into chapters hinging on Lee’s character and qualities, such as “Duty, the Key-Note of his Life,” and “His Modest Humility, Simplicity, and Gentleness.” For these Jones reprinted Lee’s letters, excerpted from eulogists’ speeches, scoured Southern newspapers, and corresponded with Confederate officers for recollections. His compilations allow Nevins, Robertson and Wiley, in their Civil War Books (1967, 1969), to judge Jones’ volume as “useful for those seeking minutiae” about Lee. Dr. Freeman went further, terming it an “indispensable early work,” most useful as a sourcebook for its many anecdotes and stories about the general. And stories there are. Jones found in the Confederate press the story of how on a Petersburg train a young soldier, his wounded arm in a sling, was having trouble putting on his overcoat. “In the midst of his efforts an officer rose from his seat, advanced to him, and very carefully and tenderly assisted him, drawing the coat gently over his wounded arm, and buttoning it comfortably.” Of course the officer was General Lee. Another of my favorites comes from Lee’s presidential years. To the father of a misbehaving student Lee once wrote a letter of rebuke. It was couched in lan-

guage so polite, however, that a professor reading it suggested that the lad’s father would completely miss the point of the reprimand. “The old hero looked very much perplexed,” Jones explains, “but presently replied; ‘Well, sir, I cannot help it; if a gentleman can’t understand the language of a gentleman, he must remain in ignorance, for a gentleman cannot write in any other way.’” In his Preface Jones wrote that he hoped his work on Lee would “give all a higher appreciation of his noble character” and “his shining virtues.” Still offering this and more, Personal Reminiscences has been reprinted by the United States Historical Society Press (Richmond, 1989). In his Introduction, Prof. Taylor Sanders of Washington & Lee is perfectly on the mark. Besides offering a look into nineteenth-century funereal traditions, “in its own way this book is also a relic from a long-lost past. Like a literary time capsule, it preserves for all time how those closest to Lee—his friends, his faculty and his family—wished the General to be remembered.” Here’s another story. While inspecting the Petersburg lines, Lee and his officers started drawing enemy artillery fire. Lee told them to retire to safer places, even as they saw him walk across a yard “and stoop down to pick up tenderly some small object, and place it gently upon a tree over his head.” As Jones writes, “it was afterward ascertained that the object which had attracted his attention under the enemy’s fire, was an unfledged sparrow that had fallen from its nest.” I’ve told this story plenty of times, and I always tell my listeners that it really doesn’t matter if General Robert E. Lee actually saved a sparrow under fire. The point is that Southerners wanted to believe that their kindly hero saved that little bird. In the end, and in the shadowy realm of Civil War memory, that’s all that really matters. Steve Davis of Atlanta is a regular contributor to Civil War News and is the Book Review Editor. His new book, A Long and Bloody Task: The Atlanta Campaign from Dalton through Kennesaw Mountain to the Chattahoochee River May 5-July 18, 1864, was published as part of Savas Beatie’s Emerging Civil War paperback series. The companion volume, All The Fighting They Want: The Atlanta Campaign From Peachtree Creek To The City’s Surrender, July 18-September 2, 1864, will be published early this spring.

Gen. Robert E. Lee.

(Library of Congress)

State of Virginia monument at Gettysburg, topped with the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee. (Jack Melton)

April 2017

Civil War News

Service In The South Carolina Lowcountry Was No Rose Garden A History of the 5th South Carolina Cavalry, 1861-1865. By Lewis F. Knudsen, Jr. Illustrations, maps, photos, regimental roster, appendices, bibliography, index, 816 pp., 2016, Broadfoot Publishing Company, www. broadfootpublishing.com, $60 hardcover. Reviewed by C. Michael Harrington This first full-length history of the 5th South Carolina Cavalry Regiment is a worthy addition to Tom Broadfoot’s ongoing project to publish a history of every South Carolina unit in the Confederate Army. Although victorious at Fort Sumter, the Confederacy’s lack of a navy exposed coastal South Carolina to Federal

incursion. In response to this threat, state government encouraged the formation of volunteer mounted companies to patrol South Carolina’s coast. Knudsen identifies one of these companies, the elite South Carolina Rangers, as the nucleus of the future 5th South Carolina Cavalry Regiment. In June 1861, the organizing captain of the company, Charleston merchant Robert Jeffords, ran a newspaper notice soliciting “Gentlemen in the City and neighboring Parishes, accustomed to riding and shooting from horseback” to join him. Respondents furnished their own mounts and arms, mostly double-barrel shot guns and revolvers. In April 1862, the ambitious Jeffords succeeded in consolidating his company with three other

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independent companies to form a battalion or squadron under his command as major. Although encouraged by state government, cavalry squadrons found no favor with the Confederate commander in Charleston, General G. T. Beauregard. To improve upon discipline, drill and effective command, Beauregard determined to regiment his cavalry. Thus, in January 1863, Jeffords’ squadron consolidated with another squadron and two independent companies to form the 5th South Carolina Cavalry Regiment. To Jeffords’ chagrin, a West Pointer then serving in Mississippi, Samuel Ferguson, was commissioned colonel of the regiment. However, Ferguson never took command, and Jeffords exercised effective command as lieutenant colonel for the next six months. Even after the formation of the regiment, the companies of the 5th South Carolina Cavalry continued to serve in coastal defense, either separately or in squadrons. One of the appendices to Knudsen’s book lists the regiment’s battles and engagements. Only five occurred during the nearly three years that these companies served in South Carolina, and none involved the entire regiment. Despite the lack of action, service in the South Carolina Lowcountry was no rose garden. Besides the monotony of patrol, Jeffords’ men had to contend with mosquitoes, sand fleas and

other pests that abounded in the marshlands of coastal Carolina. Malaria was endemic to the area, and good water was scarce. Summers were hot and humid; and winters, cold and damp. As demanding as service in coastal Carolina may have been, things would get much tougher for the men—and the horses—of Jeffords’ regiment when it was ordered to Virginia in March 1864. Upon their arrival in Richmond in May, any troopers still carrying shotguns received Enfields in exchange, presaging their deployment as mounted infantry. While in Virginia, the 5th South Carolina Cavalry would participate in sixteen battles and engagements, including the bloody slugfest with Phil Sheridan’s command at Trevilian Station, the largest all-cavalry battle of the war. By the end of 1864, after only eight months’ service in the Old Dominion, the number of officers and men in the regiment had dwindled from more than a thousand to maybe 350. The regiment’s horses fared even worse in Virginia, and Knudsen estimates that no more than 100 were serviceable when the regiment returned to South Carolina in early 1865. Back home, the regiment found itself caught up in a futile attempt to check the advance of General Sherman’s army across the Carolinas. In the closing months of the war, at Monroe’s Crossroads

in North Carolina, the regiment fought its only major battle entirely on horseback, nearly capturing Union General Judson Kilpatrick in his nightclothes. What remained of the regiment surrendered with the remnant of the Army of Tennessee. A retired banker, Knudsen writes matter-of-factly. The lengthy bibliography attests to the thoroughness of the author’s research. Knudsen mined period newspapers, diaries, letters and other archival sources as well as published material. The maps are plentiful and generally helpful in following battle descriptions. The book also includes pictures of roughly three dozen of the officers and men of the regiment, some in Confederate uniform, a nice touch that puts faces on men long dead. Though I would have preferred a dust jacket, this book is (like Broadfoot books generally) physically well made. The typeface is large, double-spaced, and easy on the eye. To his credit, Knudsen placed all 911 of his notes at the bottom of the pages of his book, sparing the reader the task of flipping back and forth between the text and the end notes. For me, slowly paging through the regimental roster proved the most enjoyable part of the book. Knudsen spent decades compiling this nearly 300-page roster, and it is chock-full of interesting details, like the fact that fourteen members of the prolific Harman family of Lexington District served in the regiment. The Corley family, from the same district, furnished ten men to the regiment, including the regiment’s last survivor, Simeon Corley, who died at 97 in 1943. The roster also attests to the multiethnic makeup of the regiment. In addition to a couple of European immigrants, at least a dozen men from Jewish families like the Oppenheims and Cohens of Charleston served in the regiment, including the dentist Marx Cohen, who after three years’ hard service ironically fell at Bentonville, the last major battle of the war. I recommend this book to those interested in South Carolina and South Carolinians in the war as well as those interested in Confederate cavalry in the Eastern Theater. C. Michael Harrington practices law in Houston. He’s written several articles on South Carolina soldiers, and lectured to Civil War organizations in Houston on multiple topics, including South Carolinians in the war. Mike is a long-time director of the Houston CWRT.

April 2017

Civil War News

The Capture That Shook The Confederacy A Must Read For Arms Grant Invades Tennessee: loyal to the Union, the invasion new study is Timothy B. Smith, Collectors And Researchers The 1862 Battles for Forts opened the door to Federal oc- who teaches at the University of Henry and Donelson. By Timothy B. Smith. Photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 513 pp. University Press of Kansas, https://kansaspress.ku.edu/. $34.95, cloth. Reviewed by Krista Castillo

In June 1861, Tennessee seceded from the Union and mobilized for war. Believing that neutral Kentucky would serve as a buffer zone to the north and that Federal invasion would come from the west, Governor Isham G. Harris focused his energies on securing the Mississippi River. In September, Major General Leonidas Polk, commanding Confederate Mississippi Valley defenses, positioned his army on the bluffs of Columbus, violating Kentucky’s neutrality. In addition to solidifying the citizens’ resolve to remain

cupation and encroachment into Tennessee and the Mississippi Valley from the north. The fate of the Confederacy in the west now depended heavily on three incomplete earthen fortifications situated on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers near Dover. As the Confederates struggled to salvage their meager defenses, the Federal army contended with numerous obstacles. Divided commands under Major General Henry Halleck and Brigadier General Don Carlos Buell and the challenges of creating a formidable brown-water navy stalled operations. While his superiors hedged, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, displaying the tenacity that frustrated and impressed those around him, led a force into Missouri resulting in a Union victory at Belmont on November 7. Throughout January, Federal forces probed the twin rivers by land and water, collecting intelligence on Forts Donelson, Heiman, and Henry. Using this intelligence, Grant and Flag Officer Andrew H. Foote formulated a daring and untested plan. Although initially hindered by their superiors, on February 6, 1862, Grant and Foote launched a stunning joint operation of infantry, cavalry and navy, including four newly commissioned ironclads. Within ten days, Federal forces firmly held the critical corridor to Nashville and the western Confederacy. Telling this story in an incisive

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Tennessee at Martin. While crediting Benjamin Franklin Cooling and Kendall D. Gott with producing two of the most important Fort Donelson-centric academic studies, Smith also recognizes the need for “a detailed tactical examination” of the campaign. Whereas the important and demoralizing capture of Nashville directly resulted from the surrender at Fort Donelson, Smith’s research reveals “the capture of Fort Henry actually shook the Confederacy to its core from Richmond to New Orleans.” The taking of Fort Henry opened Federal access to Alabama and Mississippi, severed the Confederate defensive line, separated the army defending Tennessee from the army holding Bowling Green, and made holding Columbus impossible. In addition, the successful use of gunboats against Fort Henry created a desperate lack of confidence among the Confederate leaders at Fort Donelson, resulting in a tactical shift from keeping the fort to holding the fort long enough for General Albert Sidney Johnston’s army to escape. In addition, regiments pulled from across the Confederacy to reinforce Fort Donelson created numerous vulnerable points along the coast. Smith recognizes that his Grant Invades Tennessee, crediting the fall of Fort Henry with yielding the most sweeping tactical and operational results, “cuts against the grain of modern scholarship.” He provides an impressive bibliography containing hundreds of letters, soldiers’ accounts, manuscripts, newspaper articles, and published primary and secondary sources. Smith’s combination of a concise military history and an artful narrative presents the campaign in a way that will appeal to both Civil War experts and novices. Krista Castillo is Museum Coordinator at the Fort Negley Visitors Center and Park in Nashville. Her article, “Targeted Grazing at Historic Fort Negley Park” appeared in our December issue.

Publishers:

Please send your book(s) for review to: CWN Book Review Editor, Stephen Davis

Fort Snelling and the Civil War now available from the Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.

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bookreviews@civilwarnews.com

U.S. Military Arms Inspector Marks: A Collector’s Guide to the Inspection Marks Found on American Firearms and Edged Weapons from 1795 to 1953 with Detailed Information about the Inspectors and the Weapons that Bear their Names. By Anthony C. Daum and Charles W. Pate. Bibliography, index, 240 pp., 2016, Mowbray Publishing, www.gunandswordcollector.com, $49.99. Reviewed by Joseph G. Bilby

“Back in the day,” as they say, I always used to keep an old copy of the Dixie Gun Works catalog at hand, because it was a ready source of identification for United States arsenal inspectors whose approval was necessary before a weapon was accepted for military service, whether it was manufactured at an official arsenal or by a contractor. Collectors of American military arms are, by necessity, always interested in the arsenal inspectors’ initials stamped in the stock, grip or metal of a weapon because it is yet another clue to the gun’s history. The Dixie Catalog reference told you who the guy was. There is much more to know, of course, and the book U.S. Military Arms Inspector Marks: A Collector’s Guide to the Inspection Marks Found on American Firearms and Edged Weapons from 1795 to 1953…, by Anthony C. Daum and Charles W. Pate, goes quite a bit further than simply providing a list of names associated with particular markings. The authors discuss the regulations that determined the scope of the inspectors’ assignments, as well as the “sub-inspectors,” who did the actual work, predicated on the inspector’s final approval. The inspection process is described in detail through its various stages, the four basic steps from Proving, through Component Inspection, Inspection of Finished Arms to Final Inspection and Acceptance. Daum and Pate, as indicated in their expansive title, provide an

entry for each inspector, arranged in alphabetical order and headed by a reproduction of the stamp associated with him. Each entry contains details on the personal history of each man, including the dates he served and the types of weapons associated with his work, from the inception of the inspection program through the Korean War. We learn, for example, that David F. Clark, an inspector who used the initials “D F C” in several types of script, was active from the Civil War through the postwar era. Clark inspected Savage percussion revolvers, LG&Y rifle muskets, Sharps carbines converted to .50-70 caliber and Colt Single Action revolvers. Unfortunately, Mr. Pate passed away before the book was completed, but his co-author, Mr. Daum, was able to complete the manuscript for Mowbray and gives generous credit to his partner’s assiduous research in its compilation. Is every single person who ever inspected arms for the United States government covered in this work? Well, no, and with good reason. In his introduction Daum mentions that “not all inspection marks are included,” but “those that are missing are primarily those that consist of single letters where it was impossible to identify the inspector.” There are others which are recorded but attributed to “unknown” inspectors. The details on the vast majority are, however, comprehensive. The absence of a few does not detract from the fact that this book is the best source ever produced on the subject and belongs on the bookshelf of every collector and arms historian. Joe Bilby regularly contributes his feature column, “Black Powder, White Smoke,” to Civil War News.

April 2017

Civil War News

Popular Biography Of White House Under Lincoln Lincoln’s White House: The People’s House in Wartime. By James B. Conroy. Photos, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index, 328 pp., Rowman & Littlefield, www.rowman.com. $27.00. Reviewed by Sean A. Scott

Today most Americans will never meet the president of the United States, let alone walk unmolested into his residence. Yet during the nineteenth century the reality that common folk could traipse into the White House and directly petition the president seemed perfectly in keeping with the democratic ethos of the American political system. Abraham Lincoln fittingly called the

Civil War “a people’s contest,” and in this interesting book writer James Conroy examines “the people’s house” during Lincoln’s presidency. Conroy’s narrative weaves together descriptions of the layout, furnishings, and grounds of the White House itself with an intimate look into the daily activities of the mansion’s denizens during Lincoln’s administration. The White House setting offers a cast of notable characters, from conniving confidence men who took advantage of Mary Lincoln’s extravagant tastes to dedicated staff who loyally served the president. The account understandably focuses on members of the first family. However, the views of Lincoln’s personal secretaries John Nicolay, John Hay, and William Stoddard permeate the narrative, and they emerge as arguably Lincoln’s most influential contemporaries in shaping his presidential image. A few themes recur throughout the chronology. Conroy draws attention to Mary Lincoln’s schemes to hide her reckless spending from her preoccupied husband, and these financial shenanigans spiral on like a dreadful soap opera. He repeatedly highlights the president’s indifference to his personal safety and the numerous and oftentimes laughable attempts to provide even basic

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security at the White House. On a positive note, he underscores Lincoln’s willingness to meet with and listen to African American visitors, ultimately attesting to the president’s progressive views on race and equality. Conroy admirably succeeds in conveying a sense of what the White House looked and felt like from 1861 to 1865. Far from a stylish showplace, the shabby dwelling was hot in summer and dangerous to one’s health. Contaminated drinking water essentially cost twelve-year-old Willie Lincoln his life. In chapters with titles such as “This Is a God-Forsaken Hole” and “This Damned Old House,” Conroy whitewashes none of its deficiencies. By recreating public levees and populating Lincoln’s workplace with office seekers and petitioners of various shades of integrity, he convincingly presents the White House as a place where citizens from all walks of life could, for a few minutes or sometimes longer, appeal to the most powerful man in the land. Nearly always patient to the point of even suffering fools, Lincoln recognized that the votes of the people had elevated him from their ranks to temporarily hold the reins of government, and during these “public opinion baths” he welcomed the masses into their own house. Lincoln’s White House teems with interesting anecdotes and colorful individuals who met the president, or at least claimed to have done so. The book’s theme is unique for Civil War era studies, and Conroy has researched thoroughly and written engagingly. The account is not exhaustive, and some readers might wish that he hadn’t omitted certain happenings, such as Lincoln’s last public speech delivered from the balcony four days before his assassination. Others may likely conclude that many recorded incidents could have been grist for the most lowbrow publication. Yet on other occasions what transpired in Lincoln’s White House had momentous import and even altered history. Conroy captures much of it, in the process reminding us that the most important element of the people’s house is the character of the man who inhabits it. In addition to teaching a class on Lincoln this semester at the Indiana Academy, Sean A. Scott studies religion during the war. At the recent annual meeting of the Indiana Association of Historians he presented a paper on Presbyterian minister William S. Plumer, who in late 1862 was forced out of his church and seminary in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, due to allegations of insufficient loyalty.

Essays On The “Culture” Of Gettysburg My Gettysburg: Meditations on History and Place. By Mark A. Snell. Notes, index, photographs, 240 pp., 2016, Kent State University Press, http://www. kentstateuniversitypress.com, $29.95. Reviewed by Timothy J. Orr

Mark Snell’s My Gettysburg is a collection of eight essays, hard to categorize. They are related by two things, their author and their subject. Mark Snell—the founding director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd College— wrote these essays between 1990 and 2016. They all have something to do with Gettysburg, either the battle or its memory. Some of Snell’s essays have appeared in print before. For this project, he has revised and updated them for a modern audience. In his preface, he dubs his collection a “modest addition” to the already extensive literature about the battle, but he says they reflect his interest in the “culture” of Gettysburg, and “its ever-changing landscape and view shed.” Indeed, Snell offers a unique perspective. In 1989, he bought the historic Cromer farm five miles south of town, and for the past twenty-eight years he has literally owned a “Gettysburg address.” Nearly three decades of observation have given him authority to narrate Gettysburg’s changing “culture,” however one defines that elusive word. Sadly, My Gettysburg does not live up to expectations. The subtitle promises to offer “meditations on history and place.” Except for the first essay— “My Gettysburg Address”—none of the essays are meditations. Four essays deal with the 1863 campaign. One describes York County during the invasion, another describes Union army logistics, another describes West Virginians in the Gettysburg

Campaign, and another studies Judson Kilpatrick. Three essays analyze the memory of the battle. One discusses music inspired by Gettysburg, another discusses the U.S. Army’s relationship with the battlefield, and the last essay— arguably the best in this collection and worth the read—surveys the interesting history of Civil War reenacting. In it, Snell offers a quick survey of the hobby and its Gilded Age roots. He says the first bona fide reenactment occurred in 1878. After that, he charts its waxing and waning popularity into the twenty-first century. Like several of Snell’s “memory” essays, this one benefits from his personal experience. He has been reenactor since the mid-1970s. All of these essays are independently decent, but they don’t hang together very well. Snell promised to give readers a taste of Gettysburg culture through the lens of post-retirement reflection. In that goal, he comes up short. His opening essay offers a promising start, as he describes his childhood memories of the “tacky, almost smarmy” tourist traps that dotted the landscape in the 1960s. After that, Snell’s essay drifts into an autobiography, charting his academic pedigree and his earthly travels. Meanwhile, Gettysburg, the place and its people, falls out of the picture. Beyond feeling privileged to own Henry Cromer’s farm, the author says nearly nothing about what it means to be a Gettysburg resident. The book doesn’t deal with the ever-changing landscape, nor does it explicate what ideas, passions, and controversies motivated Gettysburgians during the closing decades of twentieth century. Certainly, this book had a stimulating premise. It wanted to give outsiders a glimpse into the minds of those who lived, and currently live, on the nation’s most famous plot of hallowed ground. Do they love it? Do they protect it? Do they appreciate it? Are they happy about hosting millions of visitors every year? The decision to fill the middle chapters with previously published material dilutes any attempt to answer those questions. My Gettysburg needs to meditate more and reiterate less. Readers might not find much interesting here, unless they are particularly fascinated by the topics of the individual essays. Timothy J. Orr is associate professor of history at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. He serves as Book Review Editor for Gettysburg Magazine.

April 2017

Civil War News

Did The Antebellum South Foster Education? Schooling in the Antebellum South: The Rise of Public and Private Education in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. By Sarah L. Hyde. Tables, notes, index, 211 pp., 2016, Louisiana State University Press, lsupress. org; $42.50 hardcover. Reviewed by Laura Mammina

Sarah L. Hyde’s beautifully written Schooling in the Antebellum South examines many different education styles to correct the assumption that residents of the Gulf South states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama did not “deeply value” education . Throughout her study, Hyde argues that, in spite of obstacles, the “history of education [in the Gulf South] shows that people there . . . made considerable progress in developing school systems.” Although Hyde struggles to prove this central point, the book itself is valuable for being one of the few—if not the only—recently published scholarly works on education in the Deep South. Hyde first considers learning based in the home, from hired tutors to unpaid relatives. Although she asserts the “ubiquity” of home-based learning, the topical organization obscures how commonplace such styles of learning surely were. Examples from 1779 and 1832 appear one after the other without pause to consider how learning developed

throughout the period. Similar problems plague the chapter on private schools, as literature on nineteenth-century childrearing, pedagogy, and southern childhood, particularly those by Anja Jabour and James Marten, are overlooked. Hyde is on surer footing when examining public schools, which began in Alabama and Mississippi with state constitutions providing that education be “encouraged,” and continued in all three states with governors urging legislatures to support existing schools and establish new ones. Hyde believes this demonstrates that politicians embraced “a clear belief that state governments bore some responsibility” for education. If this is true, the story she relates is all the more curious—for decades, governors encouraged legislators to act, and legislators refused to do much of anything. Hyde blames much of this inaction on the Panic of 1837, after which all states faced straitened financial circumstances. But only in the case of Alabama does she fault Democratic and Whig disagreement over the role of government, a curious fact given the period’s contentious political climate. As she examines the establishment of urban public schools and statewide public education, Hyde continues to assert that this growth demonstrates “the value southerners attached to education,” even though schools in New Orleans, Mobile, and Natchez only got off the ground due to support by one or two influential citizens. In fact, Hyde’s central argument is that it was “the groundswell of popular demand for public schools,” influenced by ideas of republicanism and Jacksonian democracy, that “forc[ed] . . . governments to act in the 1840s and 1850s.” But evidence supporting this assertion is thin. The author relies on the statements of state governors and newspaper editors to make this point, people who may have been voicing the concerns of the populace or simply propounding their

own views. One thing is clear: political resistance existed to widespread education, particularly on the part of wealthy planters. Fortunate enough to afford private schools or tutors, and wary of tax increases, legislators in Mississippi created a labyrinthine system, passing five distinct school statutes which applied to different sets of counties. Louisiana’s politicians dismantled its free public school system, established only five years before, with an 1852 constitution that defunded state and county superintendent positions. At the beginning of the Civil War, the only Gulf South state with a coherent, widespread, and steadily progressing public

school system was Alabama. In spite of its shortcomings, Hyde’s Schooling in the Antebellum South counters blanket assertions that the Deep South did not value education. While her arguments about broad public support and fervent government commitment miss the mark, what is clear is that government support of education, then as now, was a much-debated, and often contentious, topic. A recently minted Ph.D. from the University of Alabama’s Department of History, Laura Mammina’s current project focuses on interactions between Union soldiers and Southern women during the Civil War,

examining ideas of citizenship, gender, race and socioeconomic status. Her work has been supported by grants from the Virginia Historical Society and United States Army Heritage and Education Center, and has appeared in Tennessee Women: Their Lives, Their Times, Volume II, published by the University of Georgia Press.

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Civil War Militaria & Memorabilia

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Watson-Curtze Mansion, Hagen History Center 356 West Sixth Street Historic District, Erie, Pa. 814.454.1813, eriehistory.org

April 2017

Civil War News

Ask The Civil War Appraiser By John Sexton

Dear Civil War Appraiser: Here are some pictures of the pocket knife I spoke to you over the phone about. I appreciate your taking the time to look at them and your input on the knife would be very helpful. Trevor LePrevost, ISA Dear Trevor: What a wonderful find! As you stated, this pocket knife came out of a New Jersey estate and you thought it was something special. You were right. The Confederate Blockade Runner Bermuda was captured April 27, 1862 and among its inventory were 669 folding clasp knives.

Each of the blades was stamped “COURTNEY & TENNENT CHARLESTON, SC.” The manufacturer’s envelope accompanying each package read “WADE & BUTCHER, SHEFFIELD.” Also on this Blockade Runner were 312 razors with etched blades with caricatures of Southern patriotic sentiment. Some were etched with a bull running after a man, soldiers chasing the bull, and the motto “ON TO WASHINGTON, BULL RUN” over the bull. Another had a vignette of Jefferson Davis’ head within a shield with the motto “THE RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE” and beneath

the shield “JEFF DAVIS, OUR FIRST PRESIDENT.” The third etching described in prize court documents shows a vignette of General Beauregard with the legend “HE LIVES TO CONQUER” above the image and “GENERAL BEAUREGARD” below. Like the pocket knives, each package read “WADE & BUTCHER, SHEFFIELD,” the manufacturers and a well-known and respected cutler of the mid 19th Century. The pocket knives were originally etched with the identical motifs noted on razors. It is an interesting note that the first and only razor ever found was discovered in Philadelphia in 1995 in nearly mint condition with bright clear etching of “BULL’S RUN”. Your knife has not strayed too far from where it was sold in prize court in 1863 and the first to

have ever have been found. The main blade in your knife is also etched with the same caricature of “BULL’S RUN.” The etching appears complete though light in your photographs, but could be brought out better with some professional cleaning. The razor and pocket knife condition for condition no doubt would have very similar values. The razor still in its original box, as illustrated on page 482 of the definitive text The English Connection, by Russ Pritchard and C.A. Huey, 2014, no doubt would have a market value above $5,000. Your knife is in lower used condition with light etching, and would still sell for at least $2,0003,000, in my opinion. I have little doubt a few Southern institutions and Southern collectors would love

to have it, especially the South Carolina Confederate Museum and Relic Room in Columbia, S.C., who own the razor and have it prominently displayed among the C.A. Huey English Confederate collection. 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 http://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.

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Typical 19th Century folding knife with ca 4" long blade, German silver mountings and horn slab grips. Similar knives without the rare Confederate agent mark can be found market priced $2050. (Photos by Trevor LePrevost)

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Civil War News

– Civil War Events 2017 –

March 31-Apr. 1, Indiana. Civil War Show

7th Annual Crossroads of America Civil War Show will be held at the Beech Grove High School, 5330 Hornet Ave., Beech Grove, Indiana 46107. Quality Civil War items. National dealers. Hours are 4-8 on Friday and 9-4 on Saturday. For information contact Harvey Warrner at 317-784-2617 or harvandsal@sbcglobal.net

March 31-Apr. 1, Missouri. Living History Event

CivilWarLady.net presents a Living History weekend in St. Louis for ladies & gentlemen including activities, tours, banquet and two period balls. Friday, March 31 will be a Regency Ball with caller Deborah Hyland while Saturday, April 1, 2017 will be an 1860’s Ball in the Historic Mahler Ballroom. Period attire is required, ages 12 and up. Only pay for the activities you attend. For information, www.NationalVictorianBall.com or call Joy Melcher at 712310-9383 -joymelcher@hotmail.com

April 1, North Carolina. Civil War Park Preservation Workday

This national workday at Bennett Place State Historic Site for volunteers is a cooperative effort between the Civil War Preservation Trust and Civil War historic sites across the United States. Come out and support your local Civil War historic site. Projects include preparing the picnic area with new landscaping and preserving the picnic tables, clearing the nature trails, and preparing the kitchen garden. Program is 10-4 at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road Durham, NC 27705. Rain day is Saturday April 8th. For more information; 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

April 1, Virginia. Petersburg Breakthrough Anniversary

Walk in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers on an exclusive tour of the Park’s historic grounds. This detailed, one and a half hour walking tour covers the story of the decisive engagement that ended the Petersburg Campaign and led to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia 151 years ago. Tours and living history events throughout the day. Reservations required. For information; pamplinpark.org/things-to-do/special-events or 804-8612408

April 1, Virginia. Spring Conference

Shenandoah University, McCormick Civil War Institute, Bluemont, Virginia: joining Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute annual spring conference “A Dangerous Game”: Irregular Operations and Espionage during the Civil War Era. The conference, will be held at the University’s Cool Spring Battlefield Campus in Bluemont, Virginia, (1400 Parker Lane). The conference will feature presentations by nationally recognized Civil War historians, Jonathan Berkey, Barton Myers, Brian McKnight, Jonathan Noyalas, and Keven Walker. The day will also include a panel discussion and student session. The registration fee of $50 covers all presentations, lunch, and refreshments. Space is limited so please register early. For information, 540-665-4587 or cpfieste@su.edu, jnoyalas01@su.edu, https://www.su.edu/ arts/special-programs/mccormick-civil-war-institute-2

April 2, Virginia. A.P. Hill Ceremony

152nd Anniversary of the death of Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill memorial ceremony will be held at the death site across from Pamplin Park entrance, Petersburg on Sunday at 1 p.m. with Patrick Falci and friends. All are welcome to participate. There will be a procession of colors, a vocalist, and remarks by Patrick Falci, who starred as A.P. Hill in the movie Gettysburg. The ceremony, which usually lasts about an hour, will end with Taps.

April 6-9, Pennsylvania. Symposium

Military history tour led by Ed Bearss of “George Washington on the Frontier” with sites of the ill-fated Braddock Campaign of 1755 to Fort Necessity. Featuring Dr. Richard Sommers, Chris Kolakowski, Wayne Motts, Greg Urwin, Dennis Frye and others. Based in Chambersburg, Pa. Please visit www.civilwarseminars.org or call 717-264-7101 for more info.

April 7-9, South Carolina. Reenactment

South Carolina Civil War Heritage Trails presents the annual Battle of Charleston which will be held at Legare Farms, 2620 Hanscombe Point Road, Johns Island, SC. Legare Farms is legendary as one of the oldest working farms in the nation. In 1725, Soloman Legare, a silversmith and planter and also one of Charleston’s earliest settlers, established a plantation on rich, fertile land on Johns Island. He farmed indigo, sea island cotton, and potatoes and raised cattle and sheep. Reenactment will be open to the public and Saturday and Sunday. Admission: Adults $10, children ages 5-12 are $5. For information: 843-559-0788 or www.battleofchas.com

April 8, North Carolina. Walking Tour

Bennett Place is working in conjunction with the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough again to bring you this exciting and informative 2nd Annual Hillsborough Walking tour around Historic Hillsborough to learn about the town’s unique history and how the end of the war affected the residents. You’ll visit several important places around the town with historians familiar with its rich history. At several locations, you will meet reenactors playing out scenes that occurred during the war. This tour will be limited to 25 ticket sales which you can purchase beginning in January by calling the Hillsborough Visitor

April 2017

Center at 919-732-7741. The tour is 1-4 p.m. and requires the ability to walk and stand for extended periods of time. For more information; 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

April 8, Virginia. Civil War Day

Come to the Historic Tredegar for family-friendly programs and explore the roles of Education and Voting during and after the American Civil War. Activities will include speakers, a keynote address, performances, displays and hands-on activities. Hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free event. For information; Stephanie Arduini, 804-649-1861 x 124 or sarduini@acwm.org

April 8-9, Mississippi. Civil War Show

Sponsored by Col W. P. Rogers Camp No. 321, the 8th Annual Corinth Civil War Show will be held at the Crossroads Arena Convention Center located at 2800 South Harper Road in Corinth. Roving performers, regional music and food booths. Admission is $5, children under 12 are free. Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3. For information contact Larry McDaniel at 662-415-5663 or mgm21@avsia.com Buddy Ellis at 662-286-6779 (evenings) or bellis1960@comcast.net

April 10, Virginia. History Happy Hour-The Mystery of the Disappearing Change

In Summer 1862, the Union economy nearly ground to a halt as pennies, nickels and dimes mysteriously disappeared. In this talk, Michael T. Caires, ACWM, will discuss how northerners reacted, what it tells us about the changing landscape of capitalism and government in the mid-19th century, and where the coins went. 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Location: Off Site at Capital Ale House, 623 E Main St, Richmond. For information; Sean Kane at 804-649-1861 x123 or skane@acwm.org

April 22, Arkansas. Festival

2nd Annual Sultana Heritage Festival, Marion, Ark. Marion commemorates the 152nd anniversary of the explosion and sinking of the steamboat Sultana, the largest U.S. maritime disaster in history, with the Sultana Heritage Festival. The festival features living history demonstrations, period craftsmen, Civil War authors, a period church service, interim museum tours, Civil War era music, and more. Come out and learn lessons in Arkansas, Civil War and U.S. history. For information email tracy.brick@marionarkansas.org or call 870-739-6041. http://www.arkansas.com/ event/2nd-sultana-heritage-festival/139999

April 22, North Carolina. Commemoration

152nd Anniversary Surrender Commemoration at Bennett Place State Historic Site, 4409 Bennett Memorial Road Durham, NC 27705. Join us as we remember the events that occurred inside the home of James and Nancy Bennett 152 years ago. Learn about the negotiations that took place in the parlor and listen to military historians who will discuss how the end of the war impacted both the soldiers and the civilians. Free program is Saturday 10a.m.-4p.m. For more information; 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

April 25-27, North Carolina. 3rd Annual Civil War School Days

This free program at the Bennett Place State Historic Site is designed for public, private and homeschool groups to come out and learn about both the military and the civilian aspects of the war from costumed living historians. There will be stations set up in the historic area for students and adults alike to meet and listen to reenactors discuss different topics such as how soldiers marched and drilled, the flags of the Civil War, the postal system, the medical system and much more. Reservations are required and donations greatly appreciated. For more information; 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

April 27-29, Virginia. Tour

Lee and Jackson at Chancellorsville: An Insider’s Walking Tour, Fredericksburg, Va., led by Robert K. Krick (Thursday 7:30 pm—Saturday 4:30 pm) - includes 2 lunches. Registration Fee is $325. Sponsored by www.CWEA net. For information contact cwea@earthlink.net or call 800-298-1861.

April 27-30, Virginia. Tour

12th Annual Spring Tour: Defending Richmond. Join A. Wilson Greene and local historians as we examine the various efforts to capture the Confederate capital. Highlights include visits to the Seven Days Battlefields, North Anna, Haw’s Shop, Totopotomoy Creek, and Cold Harbor. We will also explore the Confederate defenses north of the James

“Right to Serve, Right to Lead: Lives and Legacies of the USCT” January 2017 – December 2017 Gettysburg College’s Special Collections and College Archives will exhibit original artifacts documents, and photographs significant to the story of the United States Colored Troops during and after the Civil War. Right to Serve, Right to Lead follow the evolution of African-American participation in the both redefined the purpose behind the war, and created a lasting and illustrious military tradition. Curated by 2017 Brian C. Pohanka Intern, Matthew LaRoche, this exhibit draws from the private collection of Angelo Scarlato and local materials from the Adams County Historical Society. Visit http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections Open Monday thru Friday 1 to 5 PM – also Tues & Weds evenings 6-9 PM - Other times by appointment

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Capital of the Confederacy (Richmond) Civil War Show

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November 11 & 12, 2017

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and at Drewry’s Bluff. Also on the agenda are visits to the White House of the Confederacy, Tredegar Iron Works, and Belle Isle Prison. Reservations required. For information; pamplinpark.org/things-to-do/special-events or call 804-861-2408.

April 28-30, North Carolina. Symposium

20th Annual Salisbury Confederate Prison Symposium sponsored by the Robert F. Hoke Chapter 78, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Event begins on Friday with Friendship Banquet, lecture, music, recognition of veterans, and door prizes. Scheduled for Saturday are six lectures, light refreshments, displays, and books. On Sunday there is a 10 a.m. Memorial Service for prisoners at the Salisbury National Cemetery and an 11 a.m. Service for guards at the Old Lutheran Cemetery. Confederate and Union reenactors will comprise the Honor Guard. Tour of Prison site after lunch. Registration $65 per person when postmarked by April 7, $75 afterwards. $15 charge for refunds after April 14. No refunds after April 21. Send checks to Robert F. Hoke Chapter 78, UDC, PO Box 83, Salisbury, NC 28145-0083. For additional information contact Symposium Chairman Sue Curtis 704637-6411, southpaws@fibrant.com

April 28-30, Pennsylvania. Living History and Reenactment

28th Annual Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment at Neshaminy State Park, Bensalem, Pa. Featuring local troops in the Antietam Campaign of 1862. Camps open 9 a.m. - Battles at 2 p.m. on Sat. and 1:30 p.m. on Sun. Many authentic military and civilian participants are expected; visit both Union and Confederate camps where troops demonstrate military and camp scenes and discuss aspects of Civil War history; sutlers’ tent village selling period items, jewelry, crafts, military items and souvenirs; living history presentations, period music; food vendors plus picnic facilities, free admission and parking, for information; 267-968-4809, http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/ neshaminy.aspx Registration: www.neshaminyreenactment.org; or e-mail: cdgilson5@comcast.net

April 29, Illinois. Civil War - WWII Show

Chicagoland’s Civil War & Military Collector’s Extravaganza at DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, 9-4. $9. The DuPage, Ill. Civil War Show, will bring delight to the Civil War Enthusiast. Civil War dealers from throughout the United States. The history of America’s Great Heritage can be viewed on the 100’s of tables of unique artifacts offered for sale. For information, 715526-9769; www.zurkopromotions.com

April 2017

Civil War News

You Are Invited to Attend a program that could well become our best of the year!

The Generalship Of Robert E. Lee: A Seminar & Tour July 13-15

Based in Fredericksburg, VA With James I. “Bud” Robertson, Robert K. Krick, Richard M. McMurry, Jay Jorgensen, Stephen Lee Ritchie and Juanita Gibson Featuring:

• Thursday PM talk • Friday bus tour of Lee at Chancellorsville & Spotsylvania • Friday dinner & talk by Bud Robertson • Saturday AM talks • Saturday early afternoon tour of Stratford Hall • Saturday mid-afternoon reception at the home of Bud & Betty Robertson

This one is filling VERY FAST!

For Program Information & Registration, visit

www.cwea.net or call 800-298-1861

April 30, New York. Birthday Celebration

Capt. Oliver Tilden Camp 26 Sons of Union Veterans and CO I 83rd N.Y. Volunteer Infantry Sons of Veterans Reserve will sponsor the 2017 Birthday Celebration of President and General Grant. To be held at Grant National Monument at 11 a.m. at 122 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. Both uniform groups are welcome, Union and Confederate. Scout troops are invited to be part of the color guard. For information; contact Commander George Weinmann at 718-383-3180.

May 5-7, Texas. Civil War Reenactment

A Red River Campaign Objective hosted by Blue Gray Alliance, Cleburne Division. Friday Living History – Day of Learning; Saturday and Sunday Battle Reenactments, scouting probes & skirmishes; Saturday Evening Ball and Cannon Night Fire; Community Church. Held at the Diamond Don RV Park, 1602 State Hwy. 49 East, Jefferson, Texas, the event includes horse drawn artillery, large cannons, gunboat, steam train, weapons demonstrations, trades and sutlers. Everyone welcome - civilian and military reenactors and spectators. For information; 866-398-2038, info@jeffersonRailway.com, www.JeffersonCivilWarDays.com

Deadlines for Advertising or Editorial Submissions is the 20th of each month. Email to ads@civilwarnews.com

You Are Invited to Attend

Lee & Jackson At Chancellorsville April 27-29, based in Fredericksburg, Va.

May 6, 2017, Pennsylvania. Tours

General Meade Society Spring Trip to ‘Rails and Ales’. 8 a.m. departure from the Cannstatter. $75 per person includes bus, tours, donations, refreshments, luncheon. All funds over costs go to the Meade Society Preservation Efforts. For information; 215-848-7753, gedwinmc@msn.com

May 6, Virginia. Mother’s Day Tea

Treat Mom to a special treat the Saturday before Mother’s Day. Hosted by our living history interpreters, you’ll enjoy an afternoon of gourmet teas and tasty treats while learning 19th-century ladies traditions, etiquette, parlor games, and antebellum society life. Reservations required. For information; pamplinpark.org/things-to-do/special-events, 804-861-2408

May 6-7, New York. Artillery School

The 29th Annual Artillery School at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, N.Y. will again take place. Open to all branches of service, both Federal and Confederate. Registration fee is $7. Sponsored by the National Civil War Artillery Association and Reynolds’ Battery L. For questions contact John Beatty at jrbeatty21@aol.com or call: 716-432-0456. Registration Forms and additional information can be found at: www.reynoldsbattery.org

May 6-7, Ohio. Civil War - WWII Show & Artillery Show

40th Annual Ohio Civil War Show & 25th Annual Artillery Show at Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3. Seven buildings, living history, cannon firing, field hospital, music, demonstrations. $7 ages 12 up. Seven buildings – One Gate Admission, Food and Handicapped Facilities, 30-Gun Artillery Show – Indoor/Outdoor, 6-Gun Battery Firing

An Insider’s Walking Tour Led by the Master, Robert K. Krick Thursday, 7:30 PM – Saturday, 4:30 PM FILLING FAST – Registration Fee: $325 For Program Information and Registration, visit:

www.cwea.net or call 800-298-1861

Gen. Robert E. Lee and staff at Fredericksburg. (Library of Congress)

Civil War Education Association (CWEA) & American History Forum The leading presenter of Civil War and American History Conferences & Tours Through March 1st we have presented 543 programs P O Box 78, Winchester, VA 22604 Phone: 800-298-1861 • fax: 800-550-1347 cwea@earthlink.net • www.cwea.net

2017 Calendar of Events – Now in our 25th Year For full details & registration for all events visit www.cwea.net or call 800-298-1861 March 31-April 1 – Hood’s Other Battles for Atlanta: Peach Tree Creek and Ezra Church, Marietta, GA, led by Robert D. Jenkins & Norman Dasinger, Jr. (Friday 8:30 AM-Saturday 4:30 PM) - includes 2 lunches – Registration Fee: $325 April 8 – American Revolution: Banastre Tarleton’s Charlottesville Raid, A Field Tour, Glen Allen, VA, led by John R. Maass - (Saturday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM) - includes lunch - Registration Fee: $150 April 22-23 – Gettysburg: Day 2–Sites Seldom Seen, A Field & Walking Tour plus a Saturday dinner at the Dobbin House, led by Gary Kross - includes Saturday lunch & dinner - (Saturday 8:30 AM-Sunday 11:30 AM) Registration Fee: $245 April 27-29 – Lee and Jackson at Chancellorsville: An Insider’s Walking Tour, Fredericksburg, VA, led by Robert K. Krick (Thursday 7:30 PM-Saturday 4:30 PM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $325 May 4-6 – Grant Invades Tennessee: the Battles of Forts Henry and Donelson: A Field & Walking Tour, Paris Landing State Park, TN led by Timothy B. Smith (Thursday 7:30 PM – Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $325 May 11-13 – Perryville 1862: A Walking Tour, Danville, KY led by Darryl Smith (Thursday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $295 May 20 – The Heart of Jackson’s Valley Campaign, A Field & Walking Tour, Front Royal, VA, led by Gary Ecelbarger (Saturday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM) - includes lunch - Registration Fee: $150 June 9-11 – 12th Annual Gettysburg All-Star Conference & Tour with Gary Kross, Charlie Fennell, Zachary Fry, Roger Heller & others TBA - (Friday 8:30 AM-Sunday 11:30 AM) includes 2 lunches, Friday PM Open Bar at O’Rorke’s, and a Saturday PM cookout at the area home of Roger & Lynn Heller - Registration Fee: $395 June 14-17 – Great Cities of American History - The Chesapeake Bay: Annapolis, St. Mary’s and St. Michaels, A Walking, Bus and Boat Tour, Annapolis, MD with Thomas A. Reinhart and John R. Maass (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) – includes 3 lunches, Friday dinner and an excursion by ferry boat to St. Michaels - Registration Fee: $595 June 22-24 – “Stonewall versus Abe” – The 1862 Valley Campaign: from Harper’s Ferry to Port Republic, A Field Tour with Gary Ecelbarger and Scott Patchan, New Market, VA (Thursday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $325 July 13-15 – The Generalship of Robert E. Lee – A Seminar & Tour plus a reception at the home of Bud and Betty Robertson - the 3rd annual gathering of the Robert E. Lee Fellowship, Fredericksburg, VA with Robert K. Krick, James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jay Jorgensen, Richard M. McMurry, Nita Gibson and Stephen Lee Ritchie (Thursday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes Friday & Saturday lunches, Friday dinner and a Saturday mid-afternoon Reception at the home of Bud & Betty Robertson - Registration Fee: $395 August 11-13 – George Washington: the Early Years – A Seminar & Tour, Fredericksburg, VA, led by John R. Maass - (Friday 7:30 PM-Sunday 12:00 N) - includes Saturday lunch and dinner - Registration Fee: $325 August 17-19 – 1st Annual Spring Mill Civil War History Conference, Spring Mill Historic State Park, Mitchell, Indiana with Stephen Lee Ritchie, Thomas Y. Cartwright, Stephen Davis, David. L. Mowery, Dale K. Phillips, James I. “Bud” Robertson, Darryl Smith, Craig L. Symonds and Jeffry D. Wert (Thursday 7:00 PM-Saturday 8:30 PM) - includes Thursday PM reception, Friday & Saturday lunches, Friday dinner and Saturday PM cookout - Registration Fee: $395 September 9 – A Walking Tour of Antietam, with John Michael Priest (Saturday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM) - includes lunch - Registration Fee: $150 September 13-17 – Upstate New York (and Vermont): The French & Indian War and the American Revolution – A Field & Walking Tour of sites at Lake George, Siege of Fort William Henry and Massacre (Last of the Mohicans), Crown Point, The Battle of Fort Carillon, Lake Champlain-Valcour Island, Fort Ticonderoga, Hubbarton and Bennington, Vermont, and the two battles of Saratoga, based in Lake George, NY with Scott C. Patchan - (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Sunday 4:00 PM) - includes 4 lunches - Registration Fee: $595 September 17-23 – Enchanted New Mexico: A Deluxe History & Heritage Adventure, based for three nights at the Hotel Albuquerque and four nights at The Lodge in Santa Fe, including visits to Pueblo of Acoma, Albuquerque Old Town, Turquoise Trail, Sandia Tramway, Museum of Indian Art, Bandelier National Monument, Bradbury Science Museum at Los Alamos, Taos Pueblo, Hacienda de los Martinez, Kit Carson Home, Abiquiu, Georgia O’Keefe Ghost Ranch, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and Old Town Santa Fe sites including Loretto Chapel, San Miguel Chapel and the Palace of the Governors (begins in Albuquerque on Sunday night at 7:30 PM and returns to Albuquerque on Saturday for a dinner and night’s stay – includes 7 nights’ lodging, 5 lunches, 3 dinners, admission to sites as described, deluxe motor coach transport - faculty to be announced - Registration Fees: SINGLE: $2,495; DOUBLE per person (2 staying in one room): $1,935 September 27-30 – The Making of a President: Abraham Lincoln in the Heartland – A Field Tour, Springfield, IL led by Gary Ecelbarger (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) includes 3 lunches and 1 dinner - Registration Fee: $595 October 4-8 – Shenandoah Valley Civil War Institute Conference & Tour, featuring talks and tours, based in Winchester, VA, with faculty TBA - (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Sunday 11:00 AM) – includes 3 lunches, Friday evening reception and book-signing & Saturday PM Awards Banquet - Registration Fee: $395 October 13-14 – Cedar Creek: The Most In-Depth Field & Walking Tour of this Battle Ever!, Strasburg, VA with Scott C. Patchan (Friday 8:30 AM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $325 October 18-21 – John Hunt Morgan’s Great Raid and Surrender: Reedsville to West Point – A Field Tour with David L. Mowery (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 2 nights lodging and 3 lunches - Registration Fee: $695 October 19-22 – Embedded with the Troops - Follow James Taylor as He Sketches the Lower Shenanodah Valley in 1864 at Harpers Ferry, Summit Point, Berryville, Old Chapel, Boyce, Double Toll Gate, Nineveh Church, Cedarville, Reliance, Middletown, Newtown (Stephens City), Bartonville, Kernstown and Winchester, based in Charles Town, WV, with Dana MacBean (Thursday PM-Sunday 11:30 AM) - includes 2 lunches - Registration Fee: $395 October 27-28 – Gettysburg Fall Muster, with Gary Kross and Charles Fennell- (Friday 8:30 AM-Saturday 4:30 PM) - includes 2 lunches and Friday PM Open Bar at O’Rorke’s Eatery - Registration Fee: $295 November 1-4 – The Vicksburg Campaign: A Field & Walking Tour, Vicksburg, MS, with Terry Winschel and Timothy B. Smith (Wednesday 7:30 PM-Saturday 4:00 PM) – includes 3 lunches - Registration Fee: $495 November 16-18 – Alabama: the Birth of the Confederacy and Witness to its Final Collapse – A Tour of Montgomery, Selma, Cahaba, Marion, Ebenezer Church and Plantersville, Selma, AL, led by Norman Dasinger, Jr. (Thursday 8:30 AM-Saturday 5:00 PM) - includes 3 lunches - Registration Fee: $325

If You Enroll for one of our Programs and later Must Cancel, We Guarantee a 100% Refund.

For Further Information on All Programs Shown Above – and Registration contact:

CWEA P. O. Box 78, Winchester, VA 22604 Phone: 800-298-1861 • fax: 800-550-1347 • cwea@earthlink.net • www.cwea.net

April 2017

Civil War News

Demonstrations, Sutler’s Row, Civil War Field Hospital by the Society of Civil War Surgeons. Period Church Service Sunday Morning with Period String Music, Abe Lincoln Live Presentations, Living History Campfire by Brigade of American Revolution, 8th Pennsylvania Regiment, Period Music by Camp Chase Fife & Drums, 23rd Annual Civil War Veteran’s Historical Association Encampment and a $100 Door Prize Daily. For information, 419-884-2194; www.ohiocivilwarshow.com

May 8, Virginia. History Happy Hour

During World War I, African Americans hoped their patriotism and service would bring respect and recognition of their rights. White Southerners hoped their patriotism and service would prove that the scars of Civil War had finally healed. Were those desires compatible? Led by John Coski, American Civil War Museum. 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Location has not been determined. For information; Sean Kane at 804-6491861 x123 or skane@acwm.org

May 17-21. Tennessee. Tours

“Shiloh” based in Tennessee. Conference will include bus tours of Shiloh, Brice’s Crossroads, Corinth and more led by Tom Parson, Tim Smith and others. Based in Tennessee. overing new ground with Civil War tours to the “Western Theater.” Tours of Shiloh, Corinth, Brice’s Crossroads, Tupelo, and more featuring Tim Smith, Tom Parson, Starke Miller, and others based in Corinth, MS at the Hampton Inn. Please email Lark at lplessinger@ chambersburg.org or call 717-264-7101 for additional information.

May 18-21, Mississippi. Tours

7 N 1 ATIO 0 2 LOC Collector Arms W Dealers Association NE

C.A.D.A.

GUN SHOW SPRING SHOW & SALE

FALL SHOW & SALE

ZURKO’S MIDWEST PROMOTIONS 2017 • SEMI-ANNUAL • 2017

CHICAGOLAND’S NATIONAL

CIVIL WAR & MILITARY EXTRAVAGANZA SPRING SHOW & SALE

FALL SHOW & SALE

APRIL 29th SEPT. 23rd APRIL 29th SEPT. 23rd

Show Hours: 9am to 4pm / $9 • Early Buyer’s 8am / $25 *Admission price includes the Civil War Show!

GUNS - Vintage • Pistols • Rifles • Parts Military • Knives & Swords • Shotguns • Ammo

Collector-quality guns, swords and militaria from across the country!

DuPage Co. Fairgrounds

Show Hours: 9am to 4pm / $9 • Early Buyer’s 8am / $25 *Admission price includes the C.A.D.A. Gun Show! • 1,000’s of Civil War Treasures • Plus! Revolutionary War • Spanish-American War Indian Wars • Mountain Men • Bowie Knife Fur Traders • AND World Wars I & II Memorabilia

Covering new ground with Civil War Tours to the “Western Theater.” Tours of Shiloh, Corinth, Brice’s Crossroads, Tupelo and more featuring Tim Smith, Tom Parson, others. Based in Corinth, MS. Please visit www. civilwarseminars.org or call 717-264-7101 for more info.

May 19-21, Virginia. Reenactment

20th Anniversary Reenactment of The Action at Wilson’s Wharf. Battle reenactments of the May 24, 1864 action at Fort Pocahontas 1 p.m. each day. Located between Richmond and Williamsburg in Charles City, Virginia, Fort Pocahontas is open to the public 10-4 each day and presents a weekend of Civil War living history including USCTs, Union and Confederate Infantry and Artillery, Confederate Cavalry, sutlers and civilian reenactors Campsites with miles of James River vista. Saturday evening dinner, dance, artillery fire, and night tactical. Discounted early registration by May 12. Bounty for artillery. Food vendor on site. All proceeds support the preservation efforts at Fort Pocahontas. For more information visit www.fortpocahontas.org or call 804-829-9722.

May 19-21, Virginia. Period Firearms Competition

The North-South Skirmish Association 135th National Competition near Winchester. Over 3,000 uniformed competitors in 200 member units compete

DuPage Co. Fairgrounds

WHEATON, IL WHEATON, IL 2015 W. Manchester • Wheaton, IL 60189 2015 W. Manchester • Wheaton, IL 60189 715-526-9769 • www.zurkopromotions.com • Exhibitors Welcome! You are Invited to Attend the inaugural

Spring Mill Indiana Civil War Symposium

August 17-19, Spring Mill State Park. Mitchell, IN. Featuring:

Stephen Lee Ritchie Thomas Y. Cartwright Stephen Davis David L. Mowery Dale K. Phillips James “Bud” Robertson Darryl Smith Craig L. Symonds Jeffry D. Wert

40th Annual Ohio Civil War & WWI & II Show 25th Annual Artillery Show Military Material From 1775 Through 1945

Sat. May 6th – Sun. May 7th 2017 Sat. 9:00 – 5:00 | Sun. 9:00 – 3:00

Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield, Ohio 800 Tables of Military Items, Books, Prints and More

• Informative talks on a variety of Civil War subjects by top historians • 2 lunches, Friday dinner & Saturday PM cookout • Book display & sale • Comfortable, affordable lodging at the rustic Spring Mill Lodge • Perfect venue for a family vacation – much to See and Do in the State Park

~ 30 Gun Artillery Show ~ Cannon Firing Demonstrations Civil War & WWII Encampments • Sutler’s Row Field Hospital Scenario • Period Church Service rd Camp Chase Fife & Drum & 73 OVI Reg. Band Gettysburg Address by President Lincoln Marlboro Volunteers Traveling Museum & Military Vehicle Association & So Much More!

For Program Information and Registration, visit

www.cwea.net or call 800-298-1861

For Park info & Directions, see www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/inns/springmill

$7 Admission – Under 12 FREE Handicap Facilities, Food and Door Prizes www.ohiocivilwarshow.com For Information Call: 419-884-2194

April 2017

Civil War News

in live-fire matches with muskets, carbines, breech loading rifles, revolvers, mortars and cannon. The largest Civil War live-fire event in the country. Free admission, large sutler area and food service. For more information visit the N-SSA web site: www.n-ssa.org or e-mail spartan70@sbcglobal.net.

May 20-21, Georgia. Reenactment

The Battle of Resaca is Georgia’s oldest and largest reenactment is located on the historic Chitwood Farm. Will include exciting battles on both days at 2 p.m. Memorial service will be held in the CSA cemetery, camp tours, living history, cavalry competition, period medical demonstrations, Ladies Tea with guest speaker, period dance Sat. night, sutler row, food and beverages. Hours are Sat. 9-6 and Sun. 9-5. Admission is $5 adults, $2 under 12, infants free. For information, 706-625-3200; http://www.georgiadivision.org/bor_ reenactment.html

May 20-21, Virginia. Encampment

Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters will be holding its third Annual “Family Fun and History Days” on the grounds of the headquarters at 415 North Braddock Street, Winchester. It will feature members of the Civil War Historical Impressions group. General Jackson along with Rev. Lacy and Winchester’s own, Dr. Hunter McGuire will be appearing along with troops camping out on our expansive back property. Experience live musket firing. Meet the General and his staff, talk to the soldiers. Hours on both days are 10-4. Free admission. Tours of Jackson’s Headquarters, offered by period dressed docents, at regular admission prices. For information; 973-568-1618 or brianddaly@hotmail.com

May 21, 2017, Pennsylvania. Flag Placement Ceremony

Gravesite placement of veterans’ flags at Laurel Hill Cemetery Sunday, Meet at the gatehouse of Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue, in Philadelphia at 10 a.m. Group will place U.S. flags on the graves of veterans’ of all wars. As time and manpower permit, the cemeteries to be covered include Laurel Hill, Mt. Peace & St. James the Less. Refreshments and lunch provided. Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19132. Free parking. For info 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org

May 27-28, North Carolina. Memorial Day Remembrance

The American Soldier Through the Ages. Bennett Place State Historic Site. Following the American Civil War, a “Decoration Day” began in communities across America remembering soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Senator John A. Logan, a former Union officer on staff with Major General William T. Sherman, was instrumental in making this a formal national day honoring our fallen soldiers, which became Memorial Day. Join military living historians representing the American soldier of all time periods throughout our nation’s history. Free program is Sat. 10-4, and Sun. 10-3. For information; 919-3834345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

Wreaths, military contingents, color guards, music and period civilians are encouraged to participate. Refreshments served after the ceremony. Tours of the historic cemetery available. For information call 215-228-8200.

May 29, Pennsylvania. Memorial Day Observance

The National Holiday at Christ Church Burial Ground at 5th & Arch Street at 1 p.m. The final resting place of five Signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin and many military veterans of all eras! The Benjamin Franklin American Legion Post #405 of the Union League will place a wreath representing the American Legion Post, commemorating the services of all veterans. All are welcome.

June 1-4. West Virginia. Reenactment

The 28th Annual Blue & Gray Reunion, a weekend full of family-friendly activities; Union and Confederate camp sites, scrimmages, full reenactment of the First Land Battle of the Civil War along the same roadway as the June 3, 1861 battle will be held in Philippi, West Virginia. For information; visit Blue & Gray Reunion on Facebook or contact Ed Larry at 304-457-3773 or frank.larry45@gmail.com

June 10- 11, New York, Reenactment

The 25th Peterboro encampment, hosted by the 12th U.S. Co. A, will demonstrate aspects of military and civilian life in the mid-1800’s. There will be a game of rounders and with music and programs. Peterboro is the home of the Gerrit Smith Estate Nation Historic Landmark and the National Abolition Hall of Fame. Wood, Hay and water are provided. Skirmish both days at 2:00 pm. No registration fee for reenactors. For information: www.the12thus.com, http://www.gerritsmith.org. http://www.nationalabolitionhalloffameandmuseum.org/page/page/8452922.htm or Carol Mayers 315-633-8844, caroljmayers@yahoo.com

June 10, North Carolina. Civil War Crafting Class

Dyeing techniques of the 19th century class at Bennett Place State Historic Site. Have you ever wondered what people used in the mid-19th century to dye their clothes? What color do you get from the black walnut? What does a mordant do? Come to Bennett Place and learn the basics of dyeing from historian Robert McKean. This class is designed for beginners or for those who want to improve their skills and is limited to 6 students. Cost includes a light lunch and materials. At the end of the class you will take away 2 skeins of dyed yarn enough to knit a pair of socks or a nice scarf. Rain date June 17. Cost $65 per person, 9-4. Reservations must be made by April 30. Make check payable to Bennett Place State Historic Site and mail to 4409 Bennett Memorial Road Durham, NC 27705. For information; 919-383-4345, bennett@ncdcr.gov, www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

June 17-18, Pennsylvania. Reenactment

The 9th Lehigh Valley Civil War Days (also known as Camp Geiger) will be held at Whitehall Parkway, Whitehall, Pa. The weekend will include a battle reenactment each day centering on the events during the second year of the war. This will include fighting in trenches and a tactical. Living History Street with medical demonstrations, U.S. Sanitary Commission, historical personages, children’s games, etc. Artillery and cavalry demonstrations. Period music and speakers throughout each day. Saturday evening concert followed by artillery night firing. Sutlers and food vendor will be on site to serve reenactors and spectators. Water and wood will be provided. Ice and straw available for small fee. Cavalry, artillery and sutlers by invitation only. Registration fee-$10 until March 31st, $15 April 1st to May 15th, $20 after May 15th. Sutlers fees - $50 until May 1st, $75 May 1st- 30th. No sutler registration after May 30th. Info/ registration forms; www.CampGeiger.org

May 27-29, Virginia. Memorial Day Weekend

On Monday, May 29th, join Pamplin Historical Park for the Walk of Honor, a guided tour focusing on specific soldiers who fought and sacrificed in the area of the Breakthrough. Get a taste of what life was like during the Civil War. See the Park’s Memorial Day ceremony, including an artillery demonstration, color guard, and the playing of Taps. All weekend long Pamplin Park will feature a variety of living history programs demonstrated by our costumed interpreters. All activities free with Park admission. For information; pamplinpark.org/things-to-do/special-events or call 804-861-2408.

May 28, Pennsylvania. Annual Memorial Day Observance

Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia. Recreating the Original G.A.R. Decoration Day Service of 1868: The traditional Decoration Day service of the Grand Army Meade Post #1 will be recreated at Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave. Philadelphia at 12 p.m. at the site of the first Memorial Day Observance in Philadelphia on this date in 1868. Special bronze markers will be dedicated at the graves of veterans. Afterwards, the entourage will gather at the grave of General Meade to perform the traditional service to honor all veterans. Historical groups, veterans, and citizens are urged to participate.

154th Anniversary Civil War Reenactment Event Location: “The Gettysburg Movie Site” 965 Pumping Station Road, Gettysburg

The Actual Battle Anniversary Dates!

THE PRINCE’S GRAND BALL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gettysburg, PA November 18, 2017 Please Join Us for this Very Special Event! A Recreation of the 1860’s NY Ball held in Honor of HRH The Prince of Wales Formal Dinner Proceeding the Grand Ball Meet HRH The Prince of Wales

www.GrandCivilianEvents.com The Prince’s Grand Ball with Formal Dinner $78.00 Grand Ball Only $40.00

THE PRINCE’S GRAND BALL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Information and Reenactor Registration Please Visit Our Website…

W W W. G e t t y s b u r g Re e n a c t m e n t . C O M Gettysb urg Anni versar y Committee P.O. Box 3482 Gett ysburg P A 17325  717- 338- 1525 * Event Schedule Subject to Change

June 24-25, Maryland. Encampment

Corbit’s Charge: the Civil War in Carroll County will take place at Emerald Hill Park, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, Westminster to showcase the activities within Carroll County during the Civil War. Parade to the Corbit’s Charge Monument for a memorial presentation begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Wreath laying will follow. Speakers and author presentations on Civil War Topics, military demonstrations, era fashion show, children’s activities, Saturday night dance, daily skirmishes, etc. Free to the public, however, there is a $5 registration fee for reenactors to help offset the cost of firewood, bathroom facilities, etc. Reenactors contact swcarbey13@aol.com, 443-974-5410. For information and detailed schedule of events; http://pipecreekcivilwarroundtable.weebly. com/corbits-charge-encampment.html

June 24, Pennsylvania. Civil War Dance / Fundraiser

Enjoy a day remembering the Civil War including an evening ball with the Victorian Dance Ensemble, performing troupe of the Civil War Dance Foundation at 611 Shippensburg Road, Shippensburg, Pa. Sat. 1–8:30 p.m. $20 per individual, $30 per couple, $35 per family. Cake walk. Civil War era attire encouraged, but not required. For information; 717-552-7417.

June 24, Virginia. Bus Tour

Fairfax County will be celebrating its 275th Anniversary with the Mosby Spring Bus Tour. Tour will visit Fairfax House, the graves of Lewis Woodyard and Laura Ratcliff along with Mosby’s Rock and more. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the Bus will leave promptly from the Truro Rectory at 10520 Main Street, Fairfax City at 8:30 a.m. Special guest appearance by Mosby author and historian Tom Evans. Price is $65 for Stuart Mosby Historical Society members or $75 for non-members. For information; Contact Don Hakenson at 703-971-4984, dhakenson@verizon.net

June 24-25, Pennsylvania. Collectors’ Civil War Show

44rd Annual Civil War Collectors’ Show, Al1Star Expo Hall at Eisenhower Inn. Gettysburg. Saturday 10-5, Sunday 9-2. Sponsored by Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Assn. For information, Bill or Brendon Synnamon, 717-339-0009; bill@unioncigarclub.com

July 1-3, Pennsylvania. Reenactment

The 154th Gettysburg Battle Anniversary Reenactment will be held at 969 Pumping Station Road at the Gettysburg Movie Site overlooking the Round Tops and historic Sachs Mill Covered Bridge adjoining Gettysburg National Military Park. Spectator tickets are on sale now. Adult prices: 1-day, $29; 2-day, $49; 3-day $69, Youth prices: 1-day, $16; 2-day, $24; 3-day, $29. Bleacher Seating Packages are available as well. Registration for reenactors and living history participants is available on line. For more information, www.gettysburgreenactment.com

July 4, Virginia. Independence Day

On Tuesday, July 4th, come for an Independence Day tribute. See an artillery demonstration, color guard, and bugling demonstration. Join Pamplin

April 2017

Civil War News

Historical Park for living history programs and demonstrations by costumed interpreters. See what life was like for the common Civil War soldier, or explore what life was like on an authentic 19th century plantation. All activities free with Park admission. For information; 804- 861-2408, pamplinpark.org/things-to-do/special-events

July 8-9, Illinois. Reenactment

26th Annual Civil War Days at Lakewood Forest Preserve. Nearly 600 reenactors will gather amidst 200 acres of woods, fields and trails and can participate in contests, drills, Saturday evening supper and ball. Medical demonstrations, sutlers and music. Registration is free and due by June 1. For information; Visit www.lcfpd.org/civilwar to download registration forms (available mid-December, 2016) or contact us at: Lake County Discovery Museum, c/o Civil War Coordinator, 27277 N. Forest Preserve Rd., Wauconda, IL 60084, (847) 968-3400.

July 13-15, Virginia. Seminar & Tour

The Generalship of Robert E. Lee – A Seminar & Tour plus a reception at the home of Bud and Betty Robertson - the 3rd annual gathering of the Robert E. Lee Fellowship, Fredericksburg, VA with Robert K. Krick, James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jay Jorgensen, Richard M. McMurry, Nita Gibson and Stephen Lee Ritchie (Thursday 7:30 pm— Saturday 5 pm) - includes Friday & Saturday lunches, Friday dinner and a Saturday mid-afternoon Reception at the home of Bud & Betty Robertson. Registration Fee: $395. Sponsored by www.CWEA net. For information contact cwea@earthlink.net or call 800-298-1861.

July 15, Virginia. Tours, Lectures and Living History Programs

“A More Sharp & Obstinate Affair”--Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute will commemorate the 153rd Anniversary of the Battle of Cool Spring with a series of programs – including walking tours, lectures, and living history programs with Prof. Jonathan Noyalas, Shannon Moeck, Nicholas Picerno, and living historians portraying the 116th Ohio Infantry. This is event is free to the public. 9:30-4 p.m. 1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont, Virginia. For information; Prof. Noyalas at jnoyalas01@su.edu or 540-665-4501.

July 22-23. Virginia. The Aftermath of First Manassas Weekend and Blood Drive

10-4 & 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sat. 10–3 Sun. $5 per person during the day, children under 6 free; those who donate receive free admission. $10 per person for evening tours, not recommended for children under 12, those who donate receive ½ off admission. After the Battle of First Manassas, Ben Lomond served as a Confederate field hospital to treat the wounded. Visit Ben Lomond close to the 156th anniversary of the battle and learn from historians and Civil War reenactors how soldiers were treated during the Civil War and how the conditions of these hospitals differ from the hospitals we have today. The weekend will consist of demonstrations, tours, children’s activities, and a special evening program recreating the hospital on Saturday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be on site and those who donate blood will receive free admission into the daytime event or half price admission to the evening event. Ben Lomond Historic Site, 10321 Sudley Manor Dr., Manassas, Va. 703-367-7872.

July 26-30, Virginia. Tours

“On to Richmond” based in Richmond, Va. Conference will include tours of Stuart’s Ride around McClellan, The 7 Days, & the Lower Peninsula. Tours & talks by Robert E.L. Krick, Edwin Bearss, John Fox, John Querstein, and others. Please email Lark at lplessinger@chambersburg.org or call 717-264-7101 for additional information.

July 28-30, Maine. Civil War Symposium

Will be held at Bangor campus of University of Maine at Augusta, Texas Avenue, Bangor. Encampment, skirmishes, living history demonstrations and exhibits, guest speakers/programs, contradance, lobster dinner, children’s activities, dress parade, artillery demonstrations, and firing competition. Sat., 10-5, Sun., 10-2. Free admission and parking. Sponsored by the Bangor Historical Society. For information, contact Brian at 207-735-6857 or visionsofmaine@ tds.net

July 29-30, New York. Reenactment

16th Annual Civil War Weekend in Massena, NY, at the Robert Moses State Park on the St. Lawrence River hosted by the St. Lawrence County Historical Society, Alexander’s Battery, CSA and 2nd Michigan Infantry Co. E. Free admission to reenactors, Saturday night meal, free ice and period music. Two battles and one tactical. Registration information email cassidyp@slcha.org

Deadline for submissions and advertising is the 20th of each month for the following CWN issue. “Heard the exciting news?”

Grand Civilian Events is hosting a

REMEMBRANCE DAY WEEKEND Friday, November 17, 2017 The Historic Gettysburg Hotel AN ELEGANT AND ‘ROYAL’ EVENT Ladies and Gentlemen, Civilian and Military, Are cordially invited to attend ~An Elegant Dinner followed by ~A Full Fancy Dress (masquerade) Ball

1860’s Masquerade Costume is requested, or just wear a mask with your Ball Attire! ~Limited Availability! ~ ~CW Period Attire Requested ~ ~Tickets on Sale Now!~ ~ All Sales Final~

WWW.GRANDCIVILIANEVENTS.COM

April 2017

Civil War News

Confederate Bible Flags – Charming Variations By Jessica Hack Among Confederate flags, one of the most charming variations to me is the bible flag, of which I have conserved many during my career. Bible flags range in size from about 1.5 high x 2 inches wide to 5 high x 8.5 inches wide. While most bible flags I conserved have been silk, they are also made of cotton and wool material. They are usually hand sewn. Stars can be painted, embroidered with silk floss, made of paper and glued on, or represented by sequins. Some bible flags are secured to a small “staff”. Others are embellished with tassels. I have seen First National, Second National, and Battle Flag bible flags. There was even a quilt fragment with a Louisiana Confederate bible flag stitched into it. Conservation treatment of a bible flag stitched on a crazy quilt fragment where all the quilt pieces are stitched in a carefully designed, but random pattern is the main focus of this article. First I want to show you some examples of various types of bible flags that I have conserved. The first group is silk flags mounted on a staff: a First National, Second National, and Battle Flag.

This Second National bible flag, was labeled a Parade Flag by its owner. It features a lovely 2 colored alternating ribbon wrapping on its staff.

Flag in Fragment

Flag on Mount 2nd National Here are two very different depictions of a First National Flag:

First National

First National First National

2nd National

Battle Flag

Here is a very unusual “Facsimile of and made from a rebel flag” bible flag that was captured in Columbus, Ky., in June 1861:

A lesser number of bible flags that I have seen are made of cotton:

Cotton First National The only wool bible flag that I have treated is shown below.

Wool Battle Flag

The quilt fragment was sent to my studio for conservation treatment of the fragment, which had some small tears, as well as the flag. The silk fabrics of the flag were found to be extremely fragile so the flag was stabilized by heat seal consolidation. China silk fabrics were dyed to blend with the colors of the flag and then coated with Lascaux 498 adhesive (a vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion adhesive). In order to stabilize the flag, it was first un-stitched from the quilt fragment.

The silk material used to make the stars was brittle and shattered. Damage to the stars was stabilized by inserting small pieces of a dry fusible polyvinyl web adhesive underneath the stars and fusing them to the canton ground material. After the quilt fragment and flag were stabilized, the flag was positioned and re-stitched into the fragment with various colored #100 cotton threads.

Detail of flag after conservation.

Cardboard ID Label Over the years I have conserved numerous Crazy Quilts. They are part of a unique Victorian era quilt making fad that lasted from around 1876 to 1910, likely inspired by the English embroidery and Japanese art that was displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The majority of these quilts featured asymmetrical patterns made of small and irregularly shaped pieces of fabric, mainly silk and silk velvet materials. The pieces were stitched to a backing, then embellished with embroidered stitching along the edges between the quilt pieces. There were often embroidered motifs and sometimes a motif was painted into the center of apiece. In these cases, floral themes and animals were favorite subjects. This crazy quilt fragment is of particular interest because the small 11 star Confederate First National silk bible flag is stitched into the top left area of the fragment. The canton has faded to a pale blue/aqua color. The upper and lower bars are coral silk. The center bar is white silk with “Louisiana May 22 1861,” “Mattie.Rosa.Bond,” and a soldier’s verse printed on it. The cream colored silk stars are hand stitched to the canton and are arranged in a circular pattern with one center star.

Flag removed from fragment The dyed and prepared fabrics were then heat fused to the back of the flag, and trimmed as needed.

Reverse of stabilization.

flag,

during

flag,

I want to thank the owner and collector of these bible flags for his permission to share them with you. Having worked with him for several years to preserve these interesting and diverse artifacts, I have come to share his passion for these little Confederate jewels.

henrydeeks . com

Digital Issues of CWN are available by subscription alone or with print plus archives at

Heat Fusing

Reverse of stabilization.

Quilt fragment after conservation treatment.

after

CivilWarNews.com

April 2017

Civil War News

Civil War Books

Regimentals & State 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. 8.15.17

IOWA IOWA TERRITORY & Midwestern collector buying Iowa and Indian Territory, Midwes1ern and Wes1ern Army post documents, general orders, photos, relics, 1830-1880s. Mike Brackin, PO Box 652, Winterville, NC 28590. 252-565-8810. tf

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 9.15.17

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. Emailmmarchand@ americoninc.com. 7.15.17

Relics & Artifacts

GENERAL INTEREST

“Can You Find It?” Hidden locations on the Gettysburg battlefield. Iron Posts on Little Round Top. Nine Confederate Burials in the Gettysburg National Cemetery, Dinosaur Footprints, The Boy Colonel, Mount Rushmore, Witness Tree Tags, JFK, Actor Jimmy Stewart, Notre Dame, The God Tree, Christmas in July, Alexander Gardner’s “All Over Now” photograph plus 100 more locations.

Take the challenge. How many can you find? Softcover, 8-1/2" X 11", 104 pages, 165 color photographs. $21.95 to Dan G. Siderio, PO Box 3074, Gettysburg, PA 17325. 6.15.17

Want To Advertise Your Book In Civil War News? Email us at ads@civilwarnews.com Call 800-777-1862 For more information and rate sheet visit: www.civilwarnews.com

Civil War News $3.00

Vol. 42, No. 3

48 Pages, April 2016

Battlefield Of Franklin Land Preservation Purchase

AUTOGRAPHS FOR SALE: Civil War autographs, letters, diaries, stamps, currency. Price list upon request. Top prices paid for quality material. Brian & Maria Green, PO Box 1816 N. Kernersville, NC 27285-1816. 336-993-5100. Website: shop.bmgcivilwar.net or BMGcivilwar@traid.rr.com tf WWW.HORSESOLDIER.COM. Visit the Horse Soldier’s expansive on-line catalog of Civil War military antiques & collectibles. Thousands of photographed items featured with new items added daily. Shop at 219 Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg, PA. 717-334-0347 info@horsesoldier.com tf

By GreGory L. Wade

Franklin Charge leader Julian Bibb speaks at the Lovell purchase closing. (Gregory L. Wade photos)

H Franklin

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

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

GENERAL INTEREST

“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. 9.15.17

CAMP POPE Publishing. Complete publishing services, editing, proof reading, typesetting, design, layout, printing and binding. Paperback or hardcover. Specializing in books on the Civil War. View our portfolio and get a free quote at www.camppope.com. 5.15.17

Rebel Chronicles: Raiders, Scouts and Train Robbers of the Upper Potomac by Steve French. Foreword by Ed Bearss. Now available on Amazon. 6.15.17

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. 7.15.17

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

DID YOUR ancestor fight in Arkansas? Arkansas Toothpick Publishing, LLC announces the release of “Arkansas in the Civil War: A Military Atlas” featuring full color maps of 1864 Arkansas based on an original 1864 Confederate engineer map. Go to www.arkansastoothpick.com or Amazon.com to order yours today! 6.15.17

GENERAL INTEREST 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

Small Talk

ANSWERS: 1. Leroy P. Walker and Simon Cameron 2. Chickamauga 3. Henry Wirz, commandant at Andersonville 4. Berdan’s Sharpshooters 5. John C. Pemberton 6. West Virginia, Nevada 7. Jefferson C. Davis and William “Bull’ Nelson 8. John A. Logan 9. Tredegar Iron Works 10. Gabions

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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April 2017

Civil War News

General & Information ART

REAL ESTATE

“Silent Tribute” by Don Stivers, Limited Edition, Framed with double matting. Free shipping, $275. “Peace With Honor” by Don Stivers, Limited Edition, Framed with double matting. Free shipping, $750. Contact re3m@sbcglobal.net. 4.15.17

DANCE 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. 3.15.17

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. 6.15.17

INTERNET

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CIVIL WAR reproduction muskets, uniforms, equipment, accoutrements, shooting supplies, leather goods, original musket parts and a host more. Visit www.regtqm.com for latest listing. The Regimental Quartermaster, Inc., 49 Steinwehr Ave., Gettysburg, PA 17325. 717338-1850. tf

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Business location, House built 1890 across the street from the Historic Farnsworth House Site of the Weinbrenner Tannery. McCleary Brickyard and position held to the LA Tigers. Ample Parking. Total Square Feet 1484. Berkshire Hathaway David Sites 717-334-7636. Price $149,000. 4.15.16

GETTYSBURG REAL ESTATE – Located in the heart of Gettysburg’s tourist district. Meticulously maintained residence, most recently occupied by “Abe” himself, Jim Getty and his wife Joanne. Bundle of opportunity as a business or residence. 1-car garage w/ parking for 4-5. Spacious floor plan with 1st floor bedroom, upper-level family room w/vaulted ceiling, and a location that can’t be beat. Call Jason VanDyke at (717) 338-0881

List price $325,000 RE/MAX of Gettysburg 5.15.17

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. Historyrecords@aol.com 9.15.17

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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 fall 2016, as well as spring and summer of 2017. Visit: www. generalrelee.com or contact Al at: astoneasrelee@suddenlink. net Phone 813-782-1297 or 304660-7390. 7.15.17

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. 9.15.17

ROUND TABLES THE CIVIL War Round Table of Atlanta meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from September to June at 6 p.m. at the Capital City Club in downtown Atlanta. Reservations required. Website: http:// www.civilwarroundtableofatlanta. org. Membership information: Amir Nowroozzadeh email: amir.nowrooz@gmail.com THE CIVIL WAR Round Table of North Florida is dedicated to the study, preservations and discussion of events and people who were part of the War Between The States. Membership is open to all who have an interest in the American Civil War. We meet in Gainesville, Fla., the second Thursday of each month. Contact Terry Huston 352359-1442. thuston528@msn.com for information. 4.15.17 NASSAU COUNTY Civil War Round Table meets the third Wednesday every month from September through June at American Legion Post #948, 2730 Royle Street, Bellmore, NY. All are welcome. Contact us at nccwrt@ gmail.com. 4.15.17 CIVIL WAR Round Table of Greater Boston meets on the 4th Friday of each month from Sept. to May (except Nov. and Dec.) at 7 p.m. at The Community Room, downstairs, of The Arthur Clark Government Center Building on 119 School St. Waltham. Contact: Dave Smith 781-647-3332, cwrtgb. com, cwrtmass@comcast.net. tf

ROUND TABLES

FRANKLIN CWRT meets second Sunday every month in the “Community Room” at the Franklin Police Complex. Speakers and authors on various Civil War related topics. Primarily Middle Tennessee. Free and open to the public. Greg Wade Greglwade@yahoo.com THE HENRY RYERSON Civil War Roundtable is an active group and draws large turnouts at its NJ monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Tues of each month at the Sussex County Main Library, 125 Morris Turnpike, Rte 655, Newton, NJ, phone 973-948-3660. The Ryerson group is entering its 15th year and is free attendance to the members and the general public. Ryerson is known for the quality of its guest speakers who appear each month. Jennifer Brylinski, President, 973948-4724. Monthly meeting are a convenient 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. John A. Punola, who writes for the Civil War News, is an active member of this roundtable, and he can be reached at japunola@aol.com tf

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April 2017

Civil War News

In This Issue: Books Reviewed In This Issue Advertisers Ace Pyro 15 Page 26A Confederate in CongressThe Civil War Treason Trial of Benjamin Gwinn Harris. By Joshua E. Kastenberg. Notes, bibliography, index, 198 pp., 2016, McFarland & Company, w w w. m c f a r l a n d b o o k s . c o m , $35.00. Reviewed by Tom Elmore Dear Old Ellwood: A Home in the Wilderness by Carolyn Jones Elstner and Katherine Porter Clark. Maps, photos, notes, index, 370 pps., 2016, Rappahannock Historical Society, www. rappahannockhistsoc.org, $24.95 softcover, $39.95 hardcover. Reviewed by Daniel T. Davis Page 27Failure to Pursue: How the Escape of Defeated Forces Prolonged the Civil War. By David Frey. Notes, bibliography, index, 402 pages, 2016, McFarland, www.mcfarlandpub.com, $39.95 softcover. Reviewed by Thomas J. Ryan Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship before the Civil War. By Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor. Photos, notes, index, bibliography, 218 pp., 2016, University of North Carolina Press, uncpress.unc.edu, 34.95. Reviewed by Salvatore Cilella Page 28Florida’s Civil War: Terrible Sacrifices. By Tracy J. Revels. Illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 213 pp., 2016, Mercer University Press, www. mupress.org, $29. Reviewed by Paul Taylor “The Gallant Sims” A Civil War Hero Rediscovered. By Jeffrey I. Richman. Map, photos, illustrations, index, 166 pp., 2016, The Green-Wood Historic Fund, $25.00 paperback. Reviewed by Gould Hagler Page 29The Union Sixth Corps in the Shenandoah Valley, June-October 1864. By Jack H. Lepa. Illustrated, maps, index, bibliography, 219pp., 2017, McFarland, www. mcfarlandpub.com, $35 paper. Reviewed by Wayne L. Wolf The Sacred Cause of Union: Iowa in the Civil War. By Thomas R. Baker. Maps, photos, notes, index, 285 pp., 2016, University of Iowa Press, www.uipress. uiowa.edu, $27.50. Reviewed by Thomas E. Schott Page 31A History of the 5th South Carolina Cavalry, 1861-

1865. By Lewis F. Knudsen, Jr. Illustrations, maps, photos, regimental roster, appendices, bibliography, index, 816 pp., 2016, Broadfoot Publishing Company, www.broadfootpublishing.com, $60 hardcover. Reviewed by C. Michael Harrington Page 32Grant Invades Tennessee: The 1862 Battles for Forts Henry and Donelson. By Timothy B. Smith. Photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 513 pp. University Press of Kansas, https://kansaspress.ku.edu/. $34.95, cloth. Reviewed by Krista Castillo U.S. Military Arms Inspector Marks: A Collector’s Guide to the Inspection Marks Found on American Firearms and Edged Weapons from 1795 to 1953 with Detailed Information about the Inspectors and the Weapons that Bear their Names. By Anthony C. Daum and Charles W. Pate. Bibliography, index, 240 pp., 2016, Mowbray Publishing, www.gunandswordcollector.com, $49.99. Reviewed by Joseph G. Bilby Page 33Lincoln’s White House: The People’s House in Wartime. By James B. Conroy. Photos, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index, 328 pp., Rowman & Littlefield, www.rowman.com. $27.00. Reviewed by Sean A. Scott My Gettysburg: Meditations on History and Place. By Mark A. Snell. Notes, index, photographs, 240 pp., 2016, Kent State University Press, http://www. kentstateuniversitypress.com, $29.95. Reviewed by Timothy J. Orr Page 34Schooling in the Antebellum South: The Rise of Public and Private Education in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. By Sarah L. Hyde. Tables, notes, index, 211 pp., 2016, Louisiana State University Press, lsupress. org; $42.50 hardcover. Reviewed by Laura Mammina

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Civil War News

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