Forgotten Elements of the Civil War

Forgotten Elements of the Civil War

The LCWRT welcomes back James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jr. on November 15. His topic? Forgotten Elements of the Civil War. Dr. Robertson, a native of Danville, Virginia, is currently Alumni Distinguished Professor in history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. He has written and edited over 20 books and countless articles and reviews. His latest book is a collection of essays co-edited with William C. Davis, Virginia at War, 1863. Among his other books are The Stonewall Brigade, General A. P. Hill, Soldiers Blue and Gray, Civil War Sites in Virginia, and of course his award winning Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend.. He received his B. A. and Litt.D. degrees from Randolph-Macon College and M. A. and Ph.D degree from Emory University, where he studied under famous Civil War historian Bell I. Wiley. He served as Executive Director of the U. S. Civil War Centennial Commission and has been honored with several major awards including the 1987 Fletcher Pratt Award, the 1988 Jefferson Davis Medal and the Freeman-Nevins Award.

His many books are available at Amazon.com - click here

New Book on Perryville is Released

LCWRT Member Chris Kolakowski's new book Perryville Battling for the Bluegrass has just been released by History Press. As the former Director of the Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association, Kolakowskit is in an admirable postion to write on the Perryville battle. The book was recently reviewed in the Courier-Journal by Ric Manning in which he described Chris as “a good storyteller” with an “engaging” style. The 190 page book will be the subject of Chris’s talk at the December 4 LCWRT meeting. After a stint in Atlanta with the National Museum of the Army Reserve, Chris has returned to Kentucky and is now the Director of the Patton Museum at Fort Knox.

And it's available here

LCWRT's New Web Site Address

The Round Table website has moved to louisvillecwrt.yolasite.com. Please visit and see the wealth of information about our Round Table including newsletters, history, schedules, field trips, and links to other Civil War sites of interest.


November 2009 Quiz:

1.  Near what city did about 16,000 Confederates keep about 72,000 Federals at bay in October 1862?
 
2.  What was the size of the railroad trestles at Muldraugh's Hill, KY, destroyed by John Hunt Morgan, CSA during his Christmas Raid?
 
3.  What city was the hub of every railroad linking Richmond, VA with the eastern Confederacy?
 
4.  Who said, "Somewhat like the boy in Kentucky who stubbed his toe while running to see his sweetheart. The boy said he was too big to cry and far too badly hurt to laugh."?  When?  Why?
 
5.  Who supposedly said, "Major, we haven't taken Washington, but we scared Abe Lincoln like hell!"?  When?

October Quiz Answers:
 
1.  In May of 1863, Union forces under Generals McClernand and McPherson defeated General Pemberton's Confederate forces in what battle?
The Battle of Champion's Hill outside of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

2.  At Front Royal on May 13, 1862, troops from the 1st Regiment (Union) and the 1st Regiment (Confederate) from the same state faced each other head on.  Which state were they from?
  Maryland

3.  Six Confederate Major Generals were killed in action during the war (Cleburne, Ramseur, Rodes, Walker, Stuart and Pender).  When and where was each killed or mortally wounded?
Patrick Cleburne: November 30, 1864 at the Battle of Franklin, TN.
Stephen Dodson Ramseur: October 19, 1864---Mortally wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek or Belle Grove, VA and died the next day.
Robert Emmett Rodes: September 19, 1864 at the Third Battle of Winchester, VA.
William Henry Talbot Walker: July 22, 1864 at the Battle of Atlanta, GA.
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart: May 11, 1864---Mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, VA and died the next day.
Dorsey Pender: July 2, 1863---Mortally wounded on the Second Day of the Battle of Gettysburg and died on July 18, 1863.

4.  Early in 1862 President Lincoln declined the offer of what from the King of Siam?
He declined the offer of war elephants on February 3, 1862.

5.  What were the first "Negro" nations to be diplomatically recognized by the United States, and how did this come about?  
On June 5, 1862 President Lincoln signed a bill granting him authorization to appoint diplomatic representatives to Haiti and Liberia.

In Memoriam: LCWRT Life Member Ace Elmore

LCWRT Life Member and Past President Fletcher L. "Ace " Elmore passed away Oct 13, 2009. The son of F. Leigh Elmore Sr. and Kathleen Prince Elmore, Ace was a decorated Navy combat aviator during World War II, a graduate of the Unversity of Richmond, a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Sons of the American Revolution, and a docent at Locust Grove. Ace was a past president of both the Louisville and St. Louis Civil War Round Tables and was awarded a Life Membership in the LCWRT. A member of the Filson Society, he also published the Civil War diary of his uncle, J.E. Whitehorne, a Confederate veteran.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Wheeler Elmore,four sons, F. Leigh Elmore (Lorraine), of Kansas City, Stuart H. Elmore (Barbara) of Columbia, MO, Jeffrey P. Elmore of Huntsville, AL and William H. Elmore, of Louisville; two grandsons, Andrew L. Elmore, of Kansas City and Patrick H. Elmore, of Atlanta; and a sister, Cora Sue Spruill, of Tappahannock, VA.

We enjoyed his presence, and Mary's, on many field trips and at many meeting over the years. He will be missed.

Wilson Greene Speaks at the LCWRT

Wilson Greene

This past Saturday at the 449th Meeting of the LCWRT,the speaker was the excellent Will Greene on “Confederate Leadership in the Petersburg Campaign”. Mr. Greene broke down the leadership issues of the campaign, effectively running though the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate generals.

Wilson Greene has spoken to us on a number of other occasions the last being in October 2005. He also served as our tour guide for the 1998 Petersburg field trip. He is a graduate of Florida State University and Louisiana State University with degrees in American history. He served for 17 years with the National Park Service at a variety of historic sites including Petersburg National Battlefield, Fredericksburg, Independence National Historical Park, and Gulf Islands National Seashore. In January of 1995, he became the Executive Director of Pamplin Historical Park and the Museum of the Civil War Soldier, which has become one of the premiere Civil War attractions in the country.

He was a founder and the first Executive Director of the Association for thePreservation of Civil War Sites (now the Civil War Preservation Trust) from 1990 to 1994, where he was instrumental in preserving numerous battlegrounds for future generations.

Wilson has authored five books and over 20 articles over the years. Among his books are Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion: The Final Days of the Petersburg Campaign and Whatever You Resolve to Be: Essays on Stonewall Jackson which has recently been republished. His latest book is Civil War Petersburg: City in the Crucible of War. He is currently working on a 3-volume history of the Petersburg Campaign.

2010 Field Trip: Atlanta Campaign
From Chattanooga to the Chattahoochee
The LCWRT will be going to Georgia April 14-18, 2010 to study the Atlanta Campaign of 1864 from its commencement south of Chattanooga until the crossing of the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta. This will include several major battlefields and sites associated with this decisive military campaign. Our guide will be Gregg Biggs who is an expert on the Atlanta Campaign. More details will to follow.

New Web Site Address!

The Round Table website has moved to http://louisvillecwrt.yolasite.com. Please visit and see the wealth of information about our Round Table including newsletters, history, schedules, field trips, and links to other Civil War sites of interest.

Researcher Seeking Information on Louisville Flag Maker

Greg Biggs is seeking any and all information regarding Louisville based flag maker Hugh Wilkins. Wilkins made flags for Union Kentucky regiments, some Ohio regiments and at least one Tennessee Union regiment.Biggs has copies of all of his papers from the Kentucky Archives in Frankfort for the flags he made for Kentucky units but there must be more out there somewhere. If you know of any sources please contact Greg Biggs, Clarksville, Tn CWRT at Biggsg@charter.net

2009 – 2010 Dates
Sunday November 15: Bud Robertson “Forgotten Elements of the Civil War”

Saturday December 5: Chris Kolakowski “Battling for the Bluegrass: The Perryville Campaign”

Saturday January 16: Jim Ogden “TBA”

Saturday February 13: Eric Wittenberg “Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg”

Saturday March 13: Lawrence Lee Hewitt “Civil War Deserters Who Didn’t: The Untold, Unknown Story”

Saturday April 10: William C. Davis “TBA”

Saturday May 8: Joe Reinhart “McCook’s Dutchmen: The 9th Ohio Infantry Regiment”

September 2009 Quiz Answers:

1. What was Abraham Lincoln's salary during his first term as president?
$25,000

2. When Lincoln was assassinated, what was found in his wallet?
He had a pencil, a Confederate five-dollar bill, and news clippings of unrest in the Confederate army, emancipation in Missouri, the Union party platform of 1864, and an article on the presidency by John Bright.

3. In the Lincoln White House were "Bob", "Jack", and "Jib". Who were they?
"Bob" was a cat, "Jack" was a turkey, and "Jib" was a dog.

4. What kind of legal will did Lincoln have?
Strangely enough for a lawyer, Lincoln died without drawing up a will. When he was killed, his son Robert asked family friend and Supreme Court Justice David Davis to take charge of the estate.

5. Lincoln was the only American president to have what?
A patent, No. 6469, for his invention of a device to lift boats over shoals without having to unload their cargoes. The patent was granted on May 22, 1849, but was never manufactured. His scale model is at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

October Quiz:
1. In May of 1863, Union forces under Generals McClernand and McPherson defeated General Pemberton's Confederate forces in what battle?

2. At Front Royal on May 13, 1862, troops from the 1st Regiment (Union) and the 1st Regiment (Confederate) from the same state faced each other head on. Which state were they from?

3. Six Confederate Major Generals were killed in action during the war (Cleburne, Ramseur, Rodes, Walker, Stuart and Pender). When and where was each killed or mortally wounded?

4. Early in 1862 President Lincoln declined the offer of what from the King of Siam?

5. What were the first "Negro" nations to be diplomatically recognized by the United States, and how did this come about?

Nathaniel Cheers Hughes: Sept. 12

Sept. 12, 2009:

We welcome back our good friend Nathaniel Hughes to start our 49th year. A Marine Corps veteran, he has had two careers. One has been in preparatory school work, as a teacher, coach and headmaster. He also taught graduate and undergraduate classes at the University of Memphis.
His second career has been in writing history. Nat has published twenty-three books, the first, a biography of Confederate General William J. Hardee in 1965 and his latest, ‘Yale’s Confederates’ published in 2008 by the University of Tennessee. He received his BA from Yale, and his MA and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.

Nathaniel Hughes’ topic for Saturday night will be "Private Secretary to the President, the Life of Burton Harrison."

Opportunity to Save Money on Dinner Buffet!!

This year we are offering members a chance to save $25.00 ($50.00 for a couple) on the buffet dinners at the meetings. Here is how it works: prepay in September or October for all nine meetings, and pay $200.00 per person instead of the $225.00 it would cost if you paid individually for all 9 meals. Obviously you must be reasonably certain you will attend all nine meetings to get the savings. There will be no refunds or exceptions made once the money is paid.

Membership Renewals

It is now time to pay the annual membership fees of the Round Table. Remember any amount you give above the basic or family membership fee is tax-deductible since the Round Table has tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization. The additional funds raised through Patron memberships allow the Round Table to take a more active role in the Preservation of Civil War battlefields and sites and help pay the costs of bringing the very best Civil War speakers to our meetings.

Please send your membership renewal to: LCWRT, 1028 Sarah Drive, Louisville, KY 40219-4923

2009 Fall Field Trip: Newburg, Indiana

The free Fall Trip will be to Newburg,Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 24th to tour the Civil War sites associated with Stovepipe Johnson’s famous raid on Newburg, Indiana. The guide will be Ray Mulesky. More details to follow in the newsletter and at the meetings.

We Have a New Web Site Address
Our Round Table website has moved to www.louisvillecwrt.yolasite.com. Please visit and see the wealth of information about our Round Table including newsletters, history, schedules, field trips, and links to other Civil War sites of interest.

A Message From Our New President, Tom Lively

It is my privilege to serve as your president for this year. For the next nine months you can spend three hours a month learning more about one of the most interesting wars our forefathers fought. I want to encourage all of you to attend all nine meetings. Recognition will be given in the May meeting in 2010 for those members who attend all nine meetings.

I would like to encourage all of you to talk about the LCWRT with your family, friends and associates. Many of them are not aware of what we do and how easy it is to join. Before I became a member, I thought there was an academic qualification to join. Most people do not understand that all they need is an interest in learning more about the Civil War.

It is now time to pay your annual dues. In these times of economic troubles, I know we have members who are concerned about the cost of the annual dues and particularly about fitting the cost of the meals in their monthly budget. The Board of Directors has voted not to raise the cost of the dues or the meals. I would like to ask that those of you who can afford to do so, to become a patron member. It is the additional funds that the patrons provide to the LCWRT that allows us to provide the quality of speakers, programs, meals and activities that we all enjoy.

Tom Lively, President
 
New Officers Elected for 2009-2010

President: Tom Lively
President-elect: Art Boerner
Secretary: Holly Jenkins-Evans
Treasurer: Harriette Weatherbee
Board:
Art Boerner,Leif Bunting,John Davis,Holly Jenkins-Evans,Lowell Griffin,Doug Krawczyk,
Charlie Moore,Don Meyer,Marc Oca,Tom Lively,Harriette Weatherbee,Bryan Winslow,Joe West

September 2009 Quiz:

1.  What was Abraham Lincoln's salary during his first term as president?
2.  When Lincoln was assassinated, what was found in his wallet?
3.  In the Lincoln White House were "Bob", "Jack", and "Jib".  Who were they?
4.  What kind of legal will did Lincoln have?
5.  Lincoln was the only American president to have what?

LCWRT Awards 2009 Preservation Grant

We are pleased to announce the presentation of the LCWRT 2009 Preservation Grant to the Shelby County Historical Society for the "Simpsonville Slaughter Project". This grant will enable the SCHS to finish their work commemorating the site of the Jan. 25,1865 action in which 22 troopers of the 5th United States Colored Calvary were killed and 8 wounded. The Shelby County Historical Society has already completed studies to determine the location of the mass grave, installed a bronze state highway marker and has received a grant to create a paved shoulder area on Hwy US 60. The $1000 grant from the LCWRT will be used to pay for the final phase of the project, an adjacent area for 22 MIA 'In Memory of' markers from the Veterans Adminstration and a flag polewhich will fly both the black MIA and American flags.

The Hunley

LCWRT May Speaker: Richard W. Hatcher

A native of Richmond, VA, Rick graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BA in U.S. History in 1973. He has worked for the National Park Service since 1970, working at Richmond National Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park at Yorktown, VA, Kings Mountain National Military Park, SC, and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, MO. Since 1992, Rick has served as the Historian at Fort Sumter National Monument, which includes Fort Moultrie, and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.

Rick serves on the South Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Board, the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust Advisory Board, and is the Fort Sumter NM liaison officer with the Charleston Civil War Round Table. Plus, he is a member of the Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Area Study team.

His publications include: co-author of This Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil War Battlefields, Wilson’s Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove (University of Nebraska Press, 2006), and Wilson’s Creek, The Second Major Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It (University of North Carolina Press, 2000). In 2000 it was a History Book Club alternate selection, and in 2001 it earned the Missouri State Historical Society, History Book of the Year Award.

The Hunley

In 1861, Horace L. Hunley, James McClintock, and Baxter Watson began building the first of three submarines to support the Confederate war effort. The first two were either scuttled or lost while under tow. Undaunted the men began building a third submarine and by mid-July 1863 a new "diving boat" was completed.

Shortly afterwards the "Fish Boat" was offered to Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard in defense of Charleston and in early August the submarine arrived in the city. Not long afterwards an accident occurred during which the submarine sank and five crew members drowned. After its recovery, Horace Hunley assumed command of the vessel and named it the H. L. Hunley. Then in October, during a test dive in Charleston Harbor a second accident resulted in his death and the deaths of the entire crew.

Recovered a second time, the Hunley was assigned to Lt. George E. Dixon who recruited and trained a new crew. On the night of February 17, 1864, they attacked and sank the USS Housatonic, and although the Hunley was lost, its successful mission marked the first sinking of an enemy ship by a submarine in combat in world history.

Located in 1995, the vessel was raised on August 8, 2000. From that time to the present the Hunley’s interior has undergone excavation. The remains of the eight crew members were recovered and subsequently buried on April 17, 2004. Hundred of artifacts were located within the sub and a wealth of information has been discovered not only about the submarine’s construction and operation, but also about the crew. Conservation efforts are ongoing with an eye toward complete preservation and eventual display of the boat in its own museum.


Books, Books, Books!
There will be copies of our speaker’s book, Wilson’s Creek for sale at the meeting. These will be hardback first editions that normally sell for $39.95 and we will have them for $20.00. Also Rick is planning to bring 25 reproductions of the famous "Dixon coin." This is the $20 gold piece Dixon had in his pocket when wounded at Shiloh, kept as a good luck charm that was recovered from his remains found on the Hunley. It sells for $10.00 and all proceeds go the Hunley conservation fund.

Book Donations
We are currently accepting book donations for our door prizes. If you have Civil War books you would like to donate, please bring them to one of the meetings and give them to Lowell Griffin our door prize coordinator. Thanks to everyone who can donate

2009 – 2010 Dates
Saturday May 9 Rick Hatcher "The Hunley"
Saturday September 9 ? "TBA"
Saturday October 10 Will Greene "Confederate Leadership in the Petersburg
Campaign"
Sunday November 14 Bud Robertson "TBA"
Saturday December 5 Chris Kolakowski "TBA"
Saturday January 16 Jim Ogden "TBA"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MAY 2009 QUIZ:

1. A relative of President Lincoln was at Salem Church during and after the battles of Chancellorsville. Who was he and what was he doing?
2. On April 25, 1865, two young boys, nephews of the Confederate European agent James D. Bulloch, supposedly watched Lincoln's funeral procession in New York City. Who were they?
3. What were some of the military factors that led to Lincoln's reelection in 1864?
4. Who swore Abraham Lincoln in as the sixteenth president on March 4, 1861?
5. How did the youngest Lincoln son get his nickname?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
APRIL 2009 QUIZ ANSWERS:

1. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln ran for reelection as a member of what party?
It was the National Union Party, a coalition of Republicans and War Democrats.
2. The parents of Thomas Lincoln became concerned because he had not learned to read by what age?
He had not learned to read by nine (9) years of age.
3. What was the name Abraham Lincoln typically used to address his wife?
He addressed her as "Mother".
4. What were the tragic results of the fire in Lincoln's private stables, a brick building on the White House grounds between the mansion and the Treasury Department?
Lincoln's two horses, the two belonging to his secretaries, Tad's pony and the one that was considered Willie's pony even though Willie had died the previous year all perished on February 10, 1864.
5. What happened to Lincoln's personal copy of the Emancipation Proclamation?
It was donated to the Chicago Historical Society in 1864 and was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chancellorsville Field Trip

Ellwood, where the grave of Stonewall Jackson's Arm is marked

Excellent weather, a fantastic tour guide in National Parks Historian Greg Mertz and a fascinatign site made the 2009 LWCRTl Spring Field trip as a resounding success. The tour focused on the Chancellorsville battlefield, plus extra trips to pertinent sites in Fredersicksburg, Old Salem Church, Ellwood in the Wilderness Battlefield Park and Guinea Station. While there has been a great deal of development in the area, the battlefield parks are a joy to visit.

A small sampler: On the field with the always gracious and well infomed Greg Mertz

Ellwood on Wilderness Battlefield, part of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Roadside New Jersey Monument

LCWRT members at Old Salem Church