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.

Trek to Wildcat Mountain, Part Two

Part Two. After exploring Hoosier Knob, we broke for lunch at the Gazebo. The weather continued to be prefct all day, warming up nicely for the afternoon walk along Infantry Ridge. One of the treats of Wildcat Mountain is that the park area also encompasses portions of the original Wilderness Road, the route through the Apapalachians into Kentucky for Boone, Harrod and so many others who came after. This is a new trail, so new the interpretive signs written by Chris Kolakowski aren't installed yet. Having seen Union infantry trenches (some of the earliest of the Civil War) and signs of Confederate burials on the Hoosier Knob trail, on this portion of the trail we visited artillery placements and 2 Union soldiers gravesites. The soldiers' identites are known today, but were lost at the time and both are now buried in unkwown graves at Crab Orchard. The heights of the Rockcastle Hills were stunning and indicative of the difficult terrain.

Chris did a great job of interpreting not only the troop movements, but also showing us the effect the difficult terrain had on the action, as well as the logistical significance of the location, and the part this small battle played in the larger scheme of the battle for KY.

After a productive afternoon, we adjourned to the gazebo with members of the Camp Wildcat Battelfield Preservation Assoc. for a social hour and the traditional post tour cigar for them that smokes 'em.

At the base of the Rockcastle Hills

On the Trail to Hoosier Knob

Chris on the Wilderness Road

End of the Infantry Ridge Trail

Social hour at the Gazebo

Chris Kolakowski and LCWRT Member John Davis enjoy a post tour cigar

For more information on Camp Wildcat and the Battle of Wildcat Mountain:

USDA Forest Service, London Distrct, 761 South Laurel Drive, London KY 40744, phone: 606-864-4163

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/districts/london/wildcat.shtml

http://www.kycivilwar.org/modules/smartpartner/partner.php?id=3
Mr. James Cass, Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation P.O. Box 1510 London, KY 40743

LCWRT Fall Field Trip: The Battle of Wildcat Mountain

Part one of two parts:

Date: Oct. 26, 2008
Place - Camp Wildcat, outside London Ky
Guide: Chri Kolakowski
Hosts: Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation, Jim Cass President

After a beautiful early morning drive though Kentucky countryside to the seemingly remote location of Camp Wildcat, located not a far drive from I75, a small but devoted roup of LCWRT members met at the Laurel Home Guard Reservation, the site of CSA Gen. Felix Zollicoffer's camp. After a consult and then debriefing on the October 1861 situation in KY by our guide, the inimitable Chris Kolakwoski, the group drove up the mountain where we were joined by additional LCWRT members and Jim Cass and the hospitable folks of the Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation who had coffee and refreshments ready and waiting.


It was a grand day, the weather was perfect and Chris took us with several of our new cohorts on a fantatstic tour of the Hoosier Knob, plus the new trail of Infantry Ridge. So new the interpretive signs weren't up yet and we were the first group to take the walk. Chris filled us in on this small but important early Civil War battle, covering not only the imprtance of the first Union victory in KY, but also explaining the importance of the Wilderness Road and it's access to Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville, and even Cincinnati and beyond.

Laurel Home Guard Reservation at the foot of Wildcat Mountain

Morning Consultation

Chris Kolakowski gets us started

On the Way to Hoosier Knob

LCWRT members on the trail again