‘The Source’ January 2018 by Michael K. Shaffer

CW N Civil War News

Vol. 44, No. 1

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America’s Monthly Newspaper For Civil War Enthusiasts

Lincoln Scholar Harold Holzer’s

Oration at the 154th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address Gettysburg National Soldiers’ Cemetery – November 19

Some three score and seven miles from this spot—in Washington—stands a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Not that one; another one: Thomas Ball’s statue of Lincoln as a liberator, with one arm clutching the Emancipation Proclamation, the other extended in a blessing, lifting a shackled, half-naked African American from his knees. It’s unique because it was funded entirely by African American freedmen. Frederick Douglass himself dedicated it. “For the first time in history,” he declared that day, people of color had “unveiled [and] set apart a monument of enduring bronze, in every feature of which the men of after-coming generations may read something of the exalted character and great works of Abraham Lincoln.” But today, Douglass’s endorsement has been forgotten. The statue is out of fashion— politically incorrect. To some, the image of Lincoln looming above a kneeling slave is degrading. Critics believe it’s time to take it down and erase it from both the cityscape and popular memory. Despite Douglass’s hopes, it may not long endure, after all. It is altogether fitting and proper to recall such contested sculpture here and now. We cannot re-consecrate this hallowed ground without acknowledging the statue controversy—the memory crisis—now roiling the

Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer delivers the annual oration at the Gettysburg National Soldiers’ Cemetery on November 19, the 154th anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Looking on is Lincoln reactor George Buss. (Henry Ballone) country. We gather here above all here—that all men are creatto remember a great speech on a ed equal—remained a promise sacred spot. But Gettysburg is not unfulfilled. Now we are engaged in an often only a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the uncivil war—a day of reckoning nation might live. It is an out- long coming—in which some door sculpture gallery, too, with historians have condemned, civic more than thirteen hundred mon- leaders removed, and activists uments: Meade and Lee; Long- have defaced, statues. Today, as street and Buford; Wadsworth we remember Lincoln and his finest hour, a speech that went on to and Warren. These statues recall a time inspire statues of its own, we face when valor, more than values, a challenge to countless other elevated subjects onto pedestals, statues and to collective memory and when, let’s admit, the real itself. Do we embrace it, revise it, issue that ignited secession and or erase it? That controversial Thomas rebellion receded into the shadows; when the Lost Cause was Ball Lincoln recalls an age when still considered retrievable, and Lincoln held the undisputed title the words that Lincoln echoed

H Holzer

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 9

48 Pages, January 2018

Dancing the Night Away at the Gettysburg Hotel By Joseph Bordonaro GETTYSBURG, Penn.— Many people believe that spirits of slain soldiers visit the place of their wounding or death, and the town of Gettysburg, Penn., has a cottage industry of sorts devoted to taking people around town to hear stories of these spirits. It might make more sense, though, to visit places where slain soldiers would be more likely to visit, such as a ballroom in a town where a battle was fought. If this is true, then the Gettysburg Hotel ballroom might be just the place to seek spirits of departed soldiers who are themselves seeking a place of joy where people can be seen eating and dancing as they would have in 1863. Established as a tavern in 1797, at the time of the Battle the tavern was called McClellan’s Brother’s, after the name of its then-current owners. Several ghosts are, in fact, now said to haunt the 1890’s hotel built on the site of the old tavern. These ghosts include “Rebecca,” a woman who nursed wounded soldiers, a wounded soldier, and a woman who has been seen dancing in the ballroom.

Whether or not you believe these stories, the ballroom in the Gettysburg Hotel is an excellent place to enjoy a banquet dinner and participate in 1860’s era ballroom dancing. The organizers of the Remembrance Day dinner and ball, John and Nancy Newbold of Gettysburg, Penn., and Karen Duffy of St. Louis, Mo., have been presenting their event since 2003. There are several other celebrations on the Saturday of Remembrance Day, including the largest one, held at the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center. Since it would be very difficult to attend all the affairs in one night, this story features photographs from only the one held at the Gettysburg Hotel. This is not meant to slight the other balls, which are very fine affairs. Perhaps in the future, additional stories will feature them. In the meantime, please enjoy the accompanying photos of dancers enjoying the Gettysburg Hotel ball.

H Dancing

. . . . . . . . . . . see page 27

Floor Master Jeff Poretsky is a blur of motion as he guides the dancers in an intricate figure. (Joe Bordonaro)

Inside this issue: 47 – Advertiser Index 22 – Ask The Appraiser 6 – Black Powder, White Smoke 30 – Book Reviews 46 – Classifieds

32 – Critic’s Corner 39 – Events Section 16 – Inspection, ARMS! 21 – John Banks’ CW Blog 10 – The Source

7 – The Unfinished Fight 18 – This And That 8 – Through The Lens 2 – Roundtable News 33 – Small Talk-Trivia

January 2018

Civil War News

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Roundtable News By Matthew Borowick CWRT Congress Can sharing information and ideas among Civil War Round Tables make them better, stronger, and more successful? That was the topic of the first Civil War Round Table Congress, held in September 2017 in Centreville, Va., just a few miles from the site of the Civil War’s first major battle. The Congress was the brainchild of Mike Movius, president of the Puget Sound CWRT, John Bamberl, president of the Scottsdale CWRT and Wally Rueckel, past president of the Brunswick (NC) CWRT. The Congress hearkened back to the days when the late Jerry Russell of the Arkansas CWRT would gather groups through the National Congress of Civil War Round Tables; but that organization disbanded years ago. The organizers of this Congress wondered “Would round table leaders show up and pay a modest fee to learn new ideas?” The answer was: absolutely! Over 100 leaders gathered for a day long discussion about best practices. They traveled from as far as Canada and California and as close as Centreville. They all shared one thing in common: an awareness that round tables are at a critical time in their existence. The interest emanating from the War’s sesquicentennial celebrations has abated. The esteem held for many Civil War and Antebellum leaders is being questioned. There are concerns about whether younger generations have any interest in knowing and promoting the study of America’s war against itself. Round table leaders know their organizations play an important role in perpetuating the study of the War and its still-lingering effects. But if their organizations are losing members, losing revenue, losing interest, then what good will they be in fulfilling their missions? Thus the Congress. Without a central organization guiding round tables, each is left to its own devices to not only thrive, but, in many cases, to merely survive. “When developing this Congress I looked at hundreds of round table web sites,” notes Mike Movius, “and what I saw stunned me. Outdated web sites, broken links, ‘upcoming’ speaker calendars from 2014; all told me that round tables not only need, but are seeking guidance.” That led Mike to conceive the idea of

a Congress. Mike recruited other like-minded leaders, some of whom he met at Civil War Trust tours. “I got to know John Bamberl as a leader in the battlefield preservation movement; but when I learned of the strides he made in turning around the Scottsdale CWRT, I just knew he would be a perfect partner in this effort.” Mike also recruited Wally Rueckel, whose 1,000+ member Brunswick Civil War Round Table is the largest in the world. “One thousand members!” adds Mike. “I knew that Wally would have a few best practices to share. And he certainly does.” Sue Golden from the Kernstown Battlefield Association and Jay Jorgensen from the R.E. Lee CWRT rounded out the presenter lineup. Mike asked me to serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Our group met over the course of almost two years, planning the program, selecting a venue, developing a mailing list and, importantly, recruiting a host round table. The established and effective Bull Run CWRT served as our local contact, with its leader Mark Trbovich and several members handling all the administrative logistics of the day-long event. Jay opened the Congress with a brief history of Civil War round tables and the work of Jerry Russell. He shared his perspectives about CWRT governance. Jay described the types of leadership structures and the pros and cons of each. Sue presented her experiences both in media relations and fundraising, sharing ideas about effective communication to promote round table programs

and recruit members. John explained the simple, low cost but highly effective steps any round table can take to increase membership, enhance revenues, and develop greater awareness in the community, sharing what he has done in Scottsdale. Wally described the experience of the Brunswick CWRT, which in just a few years has grown to unimaginable membership levels, attracting nationally known speakers and serving as a model of what can be accomplished with the right plan and volunteers. Mike explained the value of technology in round table communication and shared several easy to use methods for enhancing any round table’s online presence to keep current members engaged and recruit new members. The day concluded with a wide-ranging question and answer session with broad attendee participation. Mike sent all attendees a survey afterward. The responses were highly encouraging. Attendees found the session “highly worthwhile” and “would not change anything” while they asked how soon the next Congress would be held. For the organizers, the Congress was a tremendous success. The basic question was answered: yes, round tables would not only pay a modest fee to attend but would travel great distances to learn. Yes, they would engage with each other during the networking time to speak with each other, to build their own relationships and to exchange contact information. And, yes, they would embrace additional sessions in the neverending effort to improve the work they do and the important roles they play in perpetuating the study of the American Civil War. The next Congress is being planned for August 2018 in Harrisburg, Penn. For more information, contact Mike Movius at movius@me.com. Matthew Borowick can be contacted at mbwick@comcast. net.

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Civil War News

The Source

January 2018

By Michael K. Shaffer

Confederate Map Collection Now Online Map of Belmont.

In the May 2016 installment of this article, we explored the Atlas to the Official Records. The National Archives, in October 2017, released 121 Confederate maps found in Record Group 109 (RG 109). This fascinating collection, available online at http:// bit.ly/2zQLLIG, contains various maps, many sketched in the field, and captured or obtained after the war from former Confederates. Maps from all theaters of the war reside in this compilation, and many of the provided sketches include notations on the reverse side, also viewable. Unlike other online map repositories, this resource includes lesser known engagements and battles, while offering the perspective of Confederate cartographers and engineers. The map shown above right, of the defenses of Belmont, Mo., provides one example of a notation on the back. Most of the former Confederate states have maps within this RG 109 set, including Ala., Ark., Ga., Miss., S.C., Tenn., Texas, and Va. Other states represented: Ky., Md., and the Indian Territory (Okla.). Several of these maps, later redrawn, found their way into the Atlas of the Official Records, thereby offering researchers an opportunity to compare both versions. Certain maps, like the one shown from Chickamauga, contain color sketches and show various troop positions. An understanding of the terrain and the location of rivers, railroads, and other features, which could facilitate or hinder an army on the move, made accurate maps invaluable to commanding officers. This collection contains versions, like the ones shown below of Marietta, Ga., and Guntown, Miss., which include the features

as mentioned earlier. When visiting the National Archive site, researchers can browse the collection, save individual maps, print notation records; export in various formats, or share with others on many social media platforms. While the National Archives does not require registration at the site, doing so, however, will enable one to save findings for reference at a later date. Two helpful resources exist, which can facilitate the use of this map collection and others found in the National Archives: Beers, Henry Putney. Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America. Washington: National Archives, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1968; and, Civil War Maps in The National Archives. Washington: The National Archives. National Archives and Records Service. General Services Administration, 1964. Remember to check WorldCat http://www.worldcat.org for help in finding these books in a local library. Continued good luck in researching the Civil War! Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor, who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. Readers may contact him at mkscdr11@gmail.com, or to request speaking engagements via his website www.civilwarhistorian.net. Follow Michael on Facebook www.facebook.com/ michael.k.shaffer and Twitter @ michaelkshaffer. www.civilwarnews.com

Chickamauga color map.

Right: Guntown map.

Back of Belmont map.

January 2018

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