‘The Source’ April 2018 by Michael K. Shaffer

CW N Civil War News

Vol. 44, No. 4

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America’s Monthly Newspaper For Civil War Enthusiasts

48 Pages, April 2018

Civil War Trust’s Path to Preservation

Volunteers pause for a group portrait during a prior year’s Park Day cleanup on the scenic Cedar Mountain Battlefield in Culpeper County, Virginia. The Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield spearheaded the effort. (Civil War Trust)

The Civil War Trust and our members have saved 48,000 acres in 24 states! From the Civil War Trust In the three defining wars of America’s first century, women have always played key roles, whether out front or behind the scenes. The Civil War Trust, with rich online content on such individuals from the Revolution to the War of 1812 to the Civil War, highlighted significant figures, historic events, and related sites in celebration of Women’s History Month during March. In the American War for Independence, historian Cokie Roberts considers these women our “Founding Mothers.” Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, influenced politics, as did Mercy Otis Warren, wife of Boston patriot Joseph Warren. “Remember the ladies” in the new government, Abigail advised

John, or they too would foment a revolution. During the war, the wives of several generals— Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, and George Washington—were as helpful in encouraging and caring for sick and wounded soldiers as were the spouses of everyday soldiers. These wars—particularly the Civil War—changed women’s lives, sometimes enabling them to trod paths previously pursued largely by men. Nursing is the best-known example, with Clara Barton (see page 27), Sally Tompkins, and Harriet Tubman being the most famous volunteer practitioners during the Civil War. Consider, too, the contributions of South Carolina memoirist Mary Chesnut, an astute observer of politics, high society, and warfare. Phoebe Pember, an administrator of Chimborazo Hospital at Richmond, had more than 15,000 soldiers under

her care at the largest military hospital in the world. Were it not for Chesnut and Pember’s vivid accounts, historians note, people today would have a far poorer understanding of the nation’s deadliest conflict. Soon, volunteers of another sort will pitch in to beautify battlefields and historic sites across our nation for Park Day, the Civil War Trust’s springtime opportunity for people to express their appreciation for the sites that tell how America began and defined itself. This year’s familyfriendly, hands-on preservation event, scheduled for Saturday, April 7, at most venues, is the Trust’s biggest annual event. At press time, a record 159 sites in 32 states and Washington, D.C., were signed up. They include Civil War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 scenes. Learn how you can help at civilwar.org/ parkday. In other preservation news, 60 acres have been added to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Missouri by the Trust and the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation. The acquisition allows the park to interpret the initial position of Union Col. Franz Sigel’s troops, preserving this significant landscape of the first major western Civil War battle. The battlefield, located southwest of Springfield, is where the first Union general, Nathaniel Lyon, was killed in the Civil War. The Civil War Trust has recently added a variety of new states to its collection of online “Your State in the Civil War” videos featuring people from those states. They provide a brief guide to the role that each state played in the Civil War. The latest entries include Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Connecticut, and California; the latter state’s video features former U.S. Congressman John

Campbell. The collection is at civilwar.org and on YouTube. InVirginia, the commonwealth’s Battlefield Preservation Fund, one of the most effective statelevel battlefield grant programs in the country, was recently in the spotlight as the Virginia General Assembly considered additional funding for it. Opeds by Virginia Delegate Barry Knight and preservation leaders James Lighthizer and Keven Walker, published in several state newspapers, noted the fund’s critical importance to protecting Civil War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 historic sites. For fans of the American Revolution, northeast Georgia got a big shout-out in February from U.S. Congressman Jody Hice, University of Georgia football legend Vince Dooley, and the Trust’s Campaign 1776 initiative,

which saves battlefields from that conflict and the War of 1812. On the ground where history happened, Hice and Dooley announced a 180-acre acquisition that more than triples the size of Kettle Creek Battlefield Park near Washington, Ga. The park interprets a Revolutionary War engagement that was the patriots’ first victory in Georgia, foretelling that backcountry fighters would fiercely resist Britain’s bid to subdue the South. It was a taste of the spirit of resistance that would lead to the battles of King’s Mountain, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and ultimate American victory at Yorktown. The Civil War Trust is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds.

Coach Vince Dooley speaking at the Kettle Creek ceremony. (Civil War Trust)

47 – Advertiser Index 26 – Ask The Appraiser 6 – Black Powder, White Smoke 32 – Book Reviews 46 – Classifieds

Inside this issue:

34 – Critic’s Corner 41 – Events Section 18 – Inspection, ARMS! 22 – John Banks’ CW Blog 12 – The Source

7 – The Unfinished Fight 20 – This And That 10 – Through The Lens 35 – Small Talk-Trivia

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April 2018

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By Jack Melton You may have noticed that this April Civil War News issue looks a little different than the paper you have been receiving over the past several months. We have decided to return back to the original newsprint in response to several complaints regarding reader dissatisfaction about the way the paper was not folded

neatly or received torn, in some cases. We have repeatedly brought these items to the attention of our printer and have come to the conclusion that the problems are mostly in part due the heavy weight of the papers making it harder for the folding machines to process them properly. At Historical Publications LLC, we care about what our readers say. We are very proud of the Civil War News and want to make sure that each monthly issue of our newspaper reflects the dedication that goes into producing it from the quality of the content to the layout and design to the end result that arrives in your mailbox. We hope that the change will resolve the folding problems. We will continue to strive for excellence and we thank you for your ongoing support.

On another note, please take a moment to view our Calendar of Events section starting on page 41. As the weather begins to warm up, there are plenty of outdoor activities and events for the Civil War enthusiast to attend. For those in areas of the country that are still feeling the nip of winter, you can cozy up at any number of entertaining indoor events. See you there! Finally, we send out renewal reminders about two months prior to the expiration date of your subscription and then again one month out. Once your subscription lapses, you will not receive another reminder, so please take a minute to send your renewals back in promptly. We don’t want you to miss an issue. Also, don’t forget to call or email us with any change of address.

Letters To The Editor TO THE EDITOR: Needless to say, I very much enjoy Civil War News. I subscribe to a number of publications, many of which I put to the side upon their delivery. Not so with CWN. I read it the day of delivery. It’s a riveting publication. Merritt Roe Smith Cambridge, Mass. TO THE EDITOR: I very much enjoyed your March issue, which was full of varied and interesting articles— something for everyone. It was encouraging to read the article on the Dalton Civil War Show, which indicated that interest in the Civil War is on the upswing. I do wonder though whether that assessment includes the younger generation? Well done articles on the White House of the Confederacy and the Confederate Civil War Museum in Charleston. I have visited the former and will put the latter on my bucket list. Perhaps my monthly favorite, your book review section, contained some overlooked books and even surprises. The highly critical review of The Republic for Which It Stands by Richard White took me by surprise given the positive reviews it has enjoyed in national publications. Still, it is important that contrary views such as those expressed by your passionate reviewer be given a forum and then let readers of the book make their own assessment. Steve Davis’ fascinating essay on Richard Harwell’s In Tall

Cotton breathed life into an overlooked classic that might cause some to give it a second look rather than write it off as “outdated.” Finally, it is a bit rare to see a review of a book in its new paperback version 12 years after publication in hardback form. So, I applaud the insightful review of While in the Hands of the Enemy: Military Prisons of the Civil War by Charles Sanders. The review is helpful for newer Civil War students to discover this work and for older students such as myself who realize after 25 years of reading that we have missed out on reading books on certain aspects of the war that are worthy of our time. I promptly ordered a copy! Keep up the good work! John B. Sinclair Baltimore, Md. TO THE EDITOR: I wondered about some of your statements in the Dalton show article. I have been setting up at book shows for more than 25 years. I once again did Mike Kent’s 3 most recent Civil War shows. In fact, I am one of the few “regular” book dealers at shows. My sales were a bit better than the last couple of years, but were far from the more traditional levels of the past. My view: People no longer attend Civil War shows to buy books. Yes, online sales are up, but most of my sales come one at a time off my web site, Amazon or Abebooks. Few of the buyers

are true collectors. I figure 85% of my sales are online and only about 5% come through shows any longer. I am also an author. My sales personally will soon have a new test when my latest book, An Aide to Custer, is published in a few weeks. The upcoming Mansfield show will be a great test for what will be my 15th book. FYI: I have been a journalist for nearly 50 years. I enjoy your publication, but is it more “newsoriented” or “PR-oriented?” From a news standpoint, I would view as less important the number of tables and dealers present or even the crowd size. Instead, how did the dealers do? Also, what was the actual attendance this year and in the past? The story needed concrete details. Sales for this one book dealer still weren’t as impressive as 10 to 15 years ago! How many people attended way back then? Sorry, that’s the journalist in me! Sandy Barnard Wake Forest, N.C.

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Civil War News

The Source

By Michael K. Shaffer

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS)

What eventually grew to number the second most extensive organization for Federal veterans (behind the larger Grand Army of the Republic), the Loyal Legion traced their roots to April 15, 1865, in Philadelphia. Three former officers assembled the day following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and decided to serve as an honor guard for the fallen president. After their first meeting about a month later, the group began formalizing the foundation of the organization. Three classes of individuals could gain membership in the Loyal Legion. Officers who had served honorably during the Civil War, either in the Army, Navy, or Marines Corps. A secondclass designation allowed the first-born sons of each officer to participate, and a third-class opened membership to civilians who had worked tirelessly to support the Northern war effort. During their monthly meetings, various members addressed their local commanderies, often sharing accounts of their involvement during the war. Most of the veterans geared their comments for a general audience, as they recollected events, in most cases, many years after they occurred. Despite the passing time, and the intended audience, the collections in the MOLLUS Papers provide

insight into various battles not found elsewhere. Initially, the commanderies published the better lectures as individual pamphlets. Eventually, as the collection grew, the consolidation of talks over the years produced bound-volumes. Known commonly today as MOLLUS or the MOLLUS Papers, this source provides unique accounts from the war, and many volumes contain maps to accompany the narrative. In the 1990s, Broadfoot Publishing reprinted the entire set and added a four-volume index. The first two volumes of the Broadfoot set, unnumbered, consist of ‘Biographical Sketches of Contributors,’ and ‘Companions.’ The second volume offers hundreds of photographs of the various members. (See the sample.) The collected papers from the commanderies appear in the following order. Ohio, volumes 1-9; Illinois, 10-13D; Missouri, vol. 14; Kansas, 15; Maine, volumes 16-19; New York, 2023; Indiana, 24; Nebraska, 25; Minnesota, 26-31; Rhode Island, 32-41; District of Columbia, 4245; Wisconsin, 46-49; Michigan, 50-51; Massachusetts, 52-54; Iowa, 55-56; Vermont, 57; Pennsylvania, 58-59; California and Oregon, volume 60; and a four-volume index completes the Broadfoot set. This month, beginning with Ohio, and continuing into the future, this column will

April 2018 provide the table of contents for each volume in the MOLLUS collection. Hopefully, this will assist researchers with a listing of the valuable material available in this source. Digitized-versions exist online at the organization’s website: http://suvcw.org/mollus/ warpapers/warpapers.htm (also check http://suvcw.org/mollus/ molid.htm) and at the Internet Archives, http://bit.ly/2EVfpPC. Those researchers wishing to purchase the MOLLUS set may do so at Broadfoot Publishing, http://www.broadfootpublishing. com. Remember to check WorldCat http://www.worldcat. org for help in finding the Papers in a local library; search ISBN 1568370016. Although somewhat scarce, a few libraries in the U.S. hold this collection. Historian William Marvel noted in his 1991 introduction to the Broadfoot set, “Devotees of Bruce Catton and Bell Wiley will find old friends and familiar stories here, and the resurrection of the Legion library cannot fail to reinvigorate the subject for another generation.” Please enjoy this source and continued success in researching the Civil War!

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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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,

MOLLUS Book Cover. “The flag of the 93d had passed through many battles and only a remnant remained, but it was more precious to us than when it was first intrusted to our keeping. The morning after the battle…I found that but a single star remained of the flag.” Captain Joseph T. Patton, formerly of the 93rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, recounted his unit’s participation in the May 27, 1864, Battle of Pickett’s Mill. Patton, along with many other companions in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, discussed various wartime experiences during the monthly meetings of their respective state commanderies.

Digital Issues of CWN are available by subscription alone or with print plus CWN archives at CivilWarNews.com MOLLUS Title Page.

Sample Illustration Page from MOLLUS.

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Rarest of the Rare – South Carolina Sword Belt Plate By Shannon Pritchard The style of officer’s waist belt shown here has a very unusual history. South Carolina adopted the Palmetto state seal and motto “ANIMUS OPIBUSQUE PARATI” (prepared in mind and resources) to commemorate the 1776 defeat of the British at Fort Moultrie. This plate however, was made in England. Cast of silver (or so heavily silver plated as to unable to determine any substrata) chased to bring out the detail, it

South Carolina silver two-piece belt buckle obverse. (Shannon Pritchard) is among the finest of the era. It was imported from England in Antebellum days for sale to South Carolina’s Militia in both brass and silver models. A wartime photograph of C.S. Brigadier General and Governor of South Carolina Milledge Luke Bonham exists, in which the Governor is wearing this pattern sword belt. Some were brought through or attempted to pass through the Yankee blockade during the war, as examples have been recovered from a sunken blockade runner off Charleston. The two halves are numbered, but the numbers on the two halves do not match and are not expected to do so. All indications are that these were brought into the South in crates and were belted here. They were so well made that the halves were interchangeable and the artisan who put them on the belt made no attempt to match them. This pattern is rated a seven on the Mullinax rarity scale, but he is referring to both the brass examples and the silver examples, individually, they are much rarer, especially the silver. These plates are often faked; there are far more fake examples in the collector world than real examples. It is easy enough to tell the difference, but if I point

South Carolina silver two-piece belt buckle reverse. out the difference here, the faker/ fakers will learn of their mistake and correct it so that even I could not tell the real from the spurious. So while I am not willing to disclose how I discern between the good and the bad, I will be happy to authenticate these at no charge for any Civil War News subscriber. Shannon Pritchard has authored numerous articles relating to the authentication, care and conservation of Confederate antiques, including several cover articles and is the author of the definitive work on Confederate collectibles, the

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