The MOLLUS Missive THE MISSIVE. The newsletter of the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States

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Our informal Mid-Winter meeting is scheduled for 11:00 AM, 26 February in Farmington Hills at the Family Buggy Restaurant.

1 The MOLLUS Missive THE MISSIVE The newsletter of the Michigan Commandery of the Volume 11, Issue 1 18 February, 2011 Meeting Schedule for 2011 Please pardon the confusion but some of you may have received a postcard stating that the next meeting was on the 25 th of February. This is not accurate see below. Our informal Mid-Winter meeting is scheduled for 11:00 AM, 26 February in Farmington Hills at the Family Buggy Restaurant. The address is: Orchard Lake Rd Farmington Hills, MI Our annual business meeting will be held 25 June in Grosse Pointe Farms at the Country Club of Detroit. More details to follow as long-time Life Member and Michigan Commandery Companion Bill Dahling and I work out the details to once again conduct a dinner meeting at the Country Club. Our final meeting of the year will be 22 October in Dearborn at the Dearborn Inn in the Ten Eyck Restaurant. Membership Dues for 2011 Annual dues for 2011 are now due. Our Bylaws dictate that dues be received by 1 January of each year. Dues of $25 should be sent to: Bruce Butgereit, II, Treasurer 4191 Nature Trail Dr. Apt 10 Kentwood, MI Companions Paid: Bruce B. Butgereit Colin Butgereit Adam Gaines Timothy Killam William Pooley Jon Reed Bruce Butgereit, II William Dahling Keith Harrison Weldon Petz Sigmund Reckline Companions Owing: Daniell Boutell Michael Davis Charles DuCharme David Eaton Jerald Everts Nathan Harrison E. Lou Hoos James McHargue Ronald Risley Walter Roberts Harlan Scribner Thomas Singelyn Hal Smith Walter Weart Please Note: A computer malfunction caused the loss of several months worth of the Treasurer records. If any of you have paid and I don t show it, please let me know. Address Update In order to communicate more efficiently, please send me an so that I can verify your most current address. My address is: civil-war@comcast.net Civil War Sesquicentennial Companion Keith Harrison has put together a great team of History Partners to help promote the Civil War Sesquicentennial here in Michigan. The Michigan Commandery is one of the partners.

2 My non-profit organization, History Remembered, Inc. is also a partner and it is through that organization I communicate with about 1,000 contacts across Michigan via circulars and more. I have added each of you to the list. For more on upcoming events and activities, please visit this website: quihp.htm Upcoming Events February in Washington, DC: Lincoln Birthday program at the Lincoln Memorial 2 March in Grand Rapids: The story of Annie Etheridge, Civil War Nurse 15 March in Lowell (MI): The story of Annie Etheridge, Civil War Nurse and the importance of commemorating the Civil War Sesquicentennial Kick-off of effort to restore a Civil War statue and Civil War-era cannon in Lowell 16 April in Springfield (IL): Lincoln Death Day program at cemetery 16 April in Lansing: Kick-off of the commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial at the State of Michigan Historical Museum 21 April in Allendale (MI): Grand Valley State University Local History Roundtable open house for the Civil War Sesquicentennial 22 May in Ada (MI): The story of Annie Etheridge, Civil War Nurse and the importance of commemorating the Civil War Sesquicentennial 30 May in Grand Rapids: Rededication of restored bronze tablet on a boulder at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans 11 June in Grand Rapids: Dedication of new historic interpretive sign near a boulder marking the site of Cantonment Anderson Dedication of a new gravestone for Loren & Jane Page who sent five (5) sons to serve in the Civil War Miscellaneous: Memorial Day programs in Grand Rapids and Lansing In conjunction with the General John A. Logan Camp No. 1, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - six different ceremonies in Grand Rapids to dedicate new headstones for CW soldiers who never had a marker Sesquicentennial meetings between History Partners National Mid-Winter Meeting The MOLLUS National Midwinter was held in Washington, DC, February, Michigan was represented by Commanderin-Chief Harrison and Commander Butgereit. I have attached Commander-in-Chief Harrison s report as well as my Commandery report. Some photos are included. Final Thoughts If any of you have an article or story you d like to share, or any questions, please let me know. Loyally, Commander

4 Keith G. Harrison Commander-in-Chief National Webmaster & Membership List Coordinator 4209 Santa Clara Drive Holt, Michigan (Home) ( ) (Internet) Companions: Report of the Commander-in-Chief Washington, DC, February 11, 2011 Presented below is a report on my activities as Commander-in-Chief, National Webmaster, and National Membership List Coordinator since the 2010 Congress. First of all, I wish to thank Commander Bruce Butgereit and the Michigan Commandery for hosting an excellent National Congress. The meeting room was great, the Michigan-themed reception and banquet were first-class, and the four historic programs and commemorations comprising the tour were outstanding. We will soon be entering into our 146th year of existence (April 15, 2011). Given that milestone, I am pleased to report that we once again have Commandery-in-Chief Proceedings for our National Congresses and our Midwinter Meetings available to our membership. Over the years, we have forgone the production of these documents for sketchy meeting minutes that only a few Companions would ever get an opportunity to see. Consequently, we created a situation whereby our membership was left in the dark in terms of what our national organization was doing. An organization s past history cannot be preserved if it does not share its current history. Consequently, with the resurrection of the Proceedings and the making of these publications available on the website, our membership again has an opportunity to examine the programs and progress not only of the Commandery-in-Chief, but also of the individual Commanderies. The Proceedings are available at In addition to the re-establishment of Commandery-in-Chief Proceedings, another item of note from the 125th National Congress was the approval of a set of amendments to the Commandery-in-Chief Constitution and Bylaws. Both governing documents were brought into the 21st Century and were updated in order to better reflect how our Order actually operates. The Commandery-in-Chief Constitution and Bylaws also are available at the same location on our website as the Commandery-in-Chief Proceedings. Last year, I established a visitation program whereby, I or if I cannot, a Commandery-in- Chief officer go to each of our Commanderies. The new program was instituted with my trips to our Texas, Ohio, New York, and Michigan Commanderies during my first year as Commander-in-Chief; and in November, I attended a dinner of the Pennsylvania Commandery. This program has a double benefit. The Commandery-in-

5 Report of the Commander-in-Chief February 11, 2011 Page 2 Chief gets vital information on the well-being of its Commanderies and our Commanderies realize that they are not operating in a vacuum. As this program is not supported financially by the Commandery-in-Chief, I plan to continue with the program as best as my schedule and funds allows. Please contact either Recorder-in-Chief Jack Kane or me to arrange for a visitation. A couple of new projects that were initiated this year include the seeking of a copyright for our membership badge and the scanning (and eventual) completion of a database of all our Companions since the beginning of our Order. The latter project is a longterm project given the nature of the records (an old and falling apart Chancellor-in-Chief book and the records of our Recorder-in-Chief) and the time consuming entry of all these data into the current database that we have started. On November 20, 2010, I attended the annual Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) Remembrance Day program in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I initially provided greetings from the MOLLUS to the SUVCW Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR) in the morning and then participated in the annual program and laid a wreath on behalf of the MOLLUS at the monument of Albert Woolson. Following that, I participated in the annual SUVCW SVR-sponsored 2000 plus participant parade along with California Companion Tad Campbell, who carried our flag at the front of the parade beside the SUVCW and the SVR Commanding Officer s flags. I am pleased to report that in addition to me, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, Jeffrey Burden, also marched in the parade. Later in the afternoon, I participated in the rededication of the 21th Michigan Volunteer Infantry monument on the Gettysburg Battlefield. Attached is a travelogue of the 18 programs, meetings, and ceremonies that I have participated in since the last Congress. Website: Presented below is a listing of the changes that have been made to the Website since the last Congress: Placement of another complete volume of an original MOLLUS Commandery War Papers to the Website resulting with the following 28 complete volumes now on-line: Illinois Commandery - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8; Indiana Commandery - Volume 1; Kansas Commandery - Volume 1; Maine Commandery - Volume 1; Massachusetts Commandery - Volumes 1 and 2; Michigan Commandery - Volumes 1 and 2; Minnesota Commandery - Volumes 3 and 4; Missouri Commandery - Volume 1; Nebraska Commandery - Volume 1; New York Commandery - Volumes 1, 2 and 4; Ohio Commandery - Volumes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6; and Wisconsin Commandery - Volumes 2, 3 and 4.

6 Report of the Commander-in-Chief February 11, 2011 Page 3 Placement of an updated listing of Commandery-in-Chief elected and appointed officers and committee appointments for onto the Website; Continual updating of the Commandery-in-Chief Annual Award Recipient List; Placement of the Journal of Proceedings from the th National Congress of the Commandery-in-Chief on the Website; Placement of the 2010 Amended National Bylaws and Constitution onto the Website; Placement of an updated (2011) National Congress Planning Guide for Commanderies - with Examples ( ); Continued placement of all Commandery-in-Chief meeting notices onto the Website; Continued placement of Lincoln Birthday and Tomb Ceremony announcements onto the Website; Continued placement of all Loyal Legion Historical Journals onto the Website; Continual updating of the Commandery-in-Chief Annual Award Recipients List; Continual updating of all Commandery Web pages; Continual updating of the MOLLUS Merchandise Price List; Continued placement of the most recent Commandery newsletters onto the Website, and Continual updating of the National DOLLUS Website. Membership List Coordinator: There have been 9 Loyal Legion Historical Journals returned and 18 address change notifications from the U.S. Post Office since the last Congress. The cost associated with the returns was $14.22 (9 Journals at $0.58 = $5.22 plus 18 address changes at $.050 = $9.00). As in previous years, I have absorbed these costs as a donation. In addition, a new 2010 Roster of the MOLLUS and DOLLUS along with the Commander-in-Chief s annual request for donation to the Loyal Legion Memorial Fund were mailed to the membership. Finally, the next scheduled national event will be the annual Abraham Lincoln Death Day Commemoration that will be held April 16, 2011 in Springfield, Illinois. I am pleased to report that the master of ceremonies will be our own Registrar-in-Chief and National Quartermaster, Adam Flint. I strongly encourage all Commanderies to attend and present a wreath at these programs. Information regarding this program is posted in the Loyal Legion Historical Journal and on our national website. Loyally, Keith G. Harrison National Commander-in-Chief National Webmaster & Membership List Coordinator National Website: <

7 Travelogue Commander-in-Chief 2010 October 10: 125th MOLLUS National Congress, Grand Rapids, Michigan October 30: Meeting of the Michigan Commandery, Dearborn, Michigan November 6: Veterans Day Parade, Detroit, Michigan November 7: Massing of the Colors and Veterans Day Program, Lansing, Michigan November 11: Veterans Day Parade, Mason, Michigan November 13: Meeting of the First Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Conference, Lansing, Michigan November 19: Meeting of the Pennsylvania Commandery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania November 20: Remembrance Day Parade, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 20: Remembrance Day Wreath Laying, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 20: Rededication of the 21th Michigan Volunteer Infantry monument on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 30: Meeting of the SUVCW Curtenius Guard Camp #17, Sunfield, Michigan December 14: Meeting of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Company B, Inc., Board of Directors, Eaton Rapids, Michigan 2011 January 8: Attendance and MOLLUS Display at the Crosswhite Case Presentation sponsored by the Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society, Lansing, Michigan January 25: Meeting of the SUVCW Curtenius Guard Camp #17, Sunfield, Michigan February 11: Midwinter Meeting of the Commandery-in-Chief, Washington, DC February 11: Lincoln Birthday Dinner, Washington, DC February 12: Lincoln Memorial Program Wreath Laying and Presentation of the annual Frederick Talley Drum Award, Washington, DC February 12: Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative Luncheon, Washington, DC

8 Bruce B. Butgereit, Commander Commandery of the State of Michigan 11 February 2011 Mid-Winter report from the Michigan Commandery Greetings Commander-in-Chief Harrison, National Officers, and fellow Companions: The Commandery of the State of Michigan once again wishes to thank the Companions who attended the 2010 Congress in Grand Rapids, MI, October 8-9, By all accounts, the Congress was a success in upholding the traditions of the Military Order of the Loyal Order of the Loyal Legion. On Saturday, 30 October, the Commandery held a dinner meeting in West Bloomfield, MI. Honorary Companion Dr. Weldon Petz was presented the MOLLUS Meritorious Service Medal he was awarded at the 125 th Annual Congress. The Commandery continues to be a member of the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial History Partners in tandem with the State of Michigan Historical Commission s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. Commander Butgereit, also serving as Executive Director of History Remembered, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation, communicates with over 1,000 contacts across the State via an electronic circular on upcoming events and more. On 13 November, the Commandery participated in the first Civil War Sesquicentennial conference for the State of Michigan. Commander-in-Chief Harrison served as master-ofceremonies and event coordinator. In 2011, the Commandery will have a mid-winter meeting on Saturday, 26 February in Farmington Hills; an annual business meeting on Saturday, 25 June at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms; and a general meeting on Saturday, 22 October in Dearborn. Our membership numbers 25 and we have funds in our treasury. Loyally submitted, Bruce B. Butgereit, Commander 1691 Summerfield St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI Ph: civil-war@comcast.net Founded on April 15, Dedicated to preserving the memory of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President

9 Commandery of the State of Michigan Bruce B. Butgereit, Commander 29 August 2010 Mr. Jeffry Burden, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief 1815 Harvard RD Richmond, VA Greetings Companion Burden: Not seeing an end date for the submission of nominations for the Meritorious Service Medal, I respectfully submit the name of Honorary Companion Weldon Petz for consideration. In an article in the American Heritage Magazine, Dr. Petz told the story of how he met Lincoln (he was 8 years old at the time) My great-uncle played cornet for the 5th New York Artillery band, which performed at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863, when Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. My uncle used to sit me down and tell me how he saw Lincoln that day; it was in a special way. As Lincoln spoke, his face was reflected in the shiny bell of my uncle s brass horn. My uncle never forgot seeing that image of Lincoln floating in his instrument like some sort of vision, and neither have I. He died in his nineties I was thirteen and he left me all his Civil War things, including the horn. I still have it. He remembered it was chilly that day and that even though he sat right down in front, he could hear Lincoln only faintly. He doubted whether the thousands of people gathered ever heard much of the speech. Afterward he walked around to the outskirts of the crowd and saw hucksters selling souvenirs. He bought a glass hatchet, printed on the blade of which was the little caption Gettysburg He gave me that too. So I became just like my uncle, a horn player and a Lincoln collector. Over a period of 70 years, Dr. Weldon Petz acquired more than 12,000 Lincoln artifacts, research papers, and other resource materials. This is the largest such collection in Michigan, second largest in the Midwest, and one of the largest and finest private collections of Lincolniana in the country. Among the objects are Lincoln s life mask and casts of his hands, a lock of his hair, photographs, and statuary. The archival collection consists of books, documents, journals, clip files, pamphlets, maps, and prints and posters. Founded on April 15, Dedicated to preserving the memory of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President

10 In his search for a permanent home for this collection, Dr. Petz chose the Plymouth Historical Museum (MI) because it promised to use the collection to create educational programs for students. The dimensions of the Petz Collection demanded the addition of a new wing to the Museum to exhibit it. After the Museum (which receives no governmental funding), purchased this prestigious collection, Margaret Dunning, an exemplary citizen and founder of the Museum, once again stepped forward and donated a million dollars to build it. She then challenged the community to raise the funds needed to preserve, exhibit, and display the Museum s collection of Lincoln artifacts and the archives that are a part of it. The Weldon Petz Abraham Lincoln Collection opened in 2002; the collection is on permanent exhibit in a separate Lincoln Room. The Lincoln archives are available to researchers during the Museum s open hours. For more on this collection, I refer you to the following Internet link (once on that page, click on Lincoln Archives for a complete list of the collection) Dr. Petz has always been more than just a collector of things Lincoln. Companion Petz has given countless programs on Abraham Lincoln to adults and children on a variety of topics. Companion Petz once told me that he had travelled thousands of miles searching for Civil War monuments and memorials throughout Michigan and had worn out several typewriters documenting his findings. This effort was prompted after reading a State of Michigan assessment in 1965, during the centennial of the Civil War, that there were approximately 65 such tributes to soldiers who had served in Mr. Lincoln s army. Dr. Petz was able to identify over 425 such memorials. In 2009 and in honor of Lincoln s 200 th birthday, Dr. Petz co-authored the book Seeking Lincoln in Michigan A Remembrance Trail. The book takes travelers to thirty-eight Michigan sites that have a connection to the sixteenth president of the United States. The sites range from the park where Abraham Lincoln once campaigned, to some of the best Lincoln statuary in the nation. In these pages, you will learn that the man who served as the executioner of the Lincoln co-conspirators was a Michiganian, that the letter that encouraged the president-elect to grow a beard is in Detroit and a flagpole erected for Lincoln s 1864 reelection still stands in a rural town in the Thumb. In that same year, Dr. Petz co-authored another book titled, Michigan Remembers Lincoln. This book was an anthology of Lincoln stories with a Michigan twist. With two exceptions, these articles have appeared elsewhere although most are long out of print. Some first appeared many years ago; Lloyd Lewis s The Four Who Were Hanged was published in The twenty-four entries were chosen because their author was a Michiganian or the author s subject had a Michigan theme. As important, each article helps us better understand the Lincoln story. As a member of the Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial committee, Companion Petz helped the Commandery of the State of Michigan obtain approval to conduct a state-wide essay contest for students. The contest was well-received and the winning essays were outstanding. Founded on April 15, Dedicated to preserving the memory of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President

11 On a personal note, and with the belief that true leaders help inspire others to even greater things, Dr. Petz has served as a mentor in my work in recording, assessing, and restoring several Civil War monuments. When I first mentioned to Dr. Petz that I intended to clean up the Kent County Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Fountain in Grand Rapids, MI, he commented that it would sure be great if the monument could be completely restored. This recommendation took my estimate of $2,500 and made it $250,000 and yet, in 2003, after three years of raising funds for the project, Dr. Petz spoke at the rededication of a completely restored white bronze monument that bears the likeness of President Lincoln. Since then, Dr. Petz has helped me and others in the restoration of other memorials in Michigan including the bronze bust of Lincoln in Lincoln Place Park in Grand Rapids in In August of this year, I was honored to accept the appointment to the position of National Civil War Memorials Officer for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Without Dr, Petz s support and encouragement, I would not have been in a position to be knowledgeable enough to carry out the duties of the office. In things non-lincoln, Weldon Petz played trombone in the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra under the name of Tommy Weldon before becoming a career school administrator. He and his wife Shirley have spent over 65 years sharing their love for history and each other. They have a collection of over 4,000 Santa Claus collectibles and figurines that is displayed every year in their home. Dr. Petz s collection of music and records is a trip down a musical memory lane. His dad was once a prospect for the Detroit Tigers. I encourage you to consider awarding Companion Dr. Weldon Petz the Meritorious Service Medal for lifetime of remembering Abraham Lincoln and sharing his knowledge with others. Loyally, Bruce B. Butgereit 1691 Summerfield St. SE Grand Rapids, MI Ph: civil-war@comcast.net Founded on April 15, Dedicated to preserving the memory of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President

12 Michigan Commandery Bruce B. Butgereit, Commander 1691 Summerfield St. SE Kentwood, MI Accepting Annual Dues Now Next Meeting: 26 February, 2011 Farmington Hills, MI

The MOLLUS Missive THE MISSIVE. The newsletter of the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States

The MOLLUS Missive THE MISSIVE The newsletter of the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States Volume 11, Issue 2 2 April, 2011 Meeting Schedule for 2011 Our annual