Call to arms September 2012 Volume III, Issue 7

Transcription

1 Call to arms September 2012 Volume III, Issue 7 The Newsletter of the Brunswick Civil War Round Table The President s Corner Wally Rueckel Well, I hope you have been enjoying your summer. It took a while but the heat and humidity finally arrived and with a bang. I am starting to go through withdrawal without my monthly dose of our Round Table programs. September 4th is fast approaching and we start the year off on a strong note with Bobby Krick, Chief Historian for all of the Richmond Battlefield Parks. I have heard him speak several times and taken several Civil War tours when he was the guide, including the BCWRT tour of the Seven Day Battlefields last fall. You will not want to miss Bobby s talk on JEB Stuart. Max Williams, our Director and Program Chair, gave a masterful presentation on the diplomacy that was taking place during the war with the Confederacy trying to get England and France to break the Union blockade and recognize them as an independent country. The Union diplomats were equally busy trying to prevent this from happening. While not widely documented these actions played an important role in the outcome of the war. As we told you in our June Newsletter the Board has decided to begin charging a $5 nonmember fee starting with our September 4th meeting. Individual and couple membership annual fee of $25, however, will be maintained. We also will no longer charge students any fee. We will begin offering an opportunity for members to make special tax-deductible donations to BCWRT either 1)to help pay for the cost of our great speakers including transportation costs or 2) to supplement the donations we make to help preserve Civil War battlefield sites. This past month we made a donation to the Friends of Fort Anderson specifically to support the restoration of Battery B. If you have any questions about these special donations please feel free to talk to any of our officers or directors. Co-Editors Charen Fink Jim McKee Mike Powell Inside this Issue President s Message Bob Krick 2 Special Notice Years Ago 3 Membership/ Renewal Form 3 Relatives Who Served Last Meeting Synopsis Ladies Dept. 6 Schedule 7-8 Open For Discussion 8

2 SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGE 2 Brunswick Civil War Round Table is especially pleased to announce that its special guest speaker on September 4 th will be Robert E.L. Krick. His topic is Stuart s Last Ride: Sheridan s Raid on Richmond and the Battle of Yellow Tavern. In early May, 1864, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered Major Gen. Philip H. Sheridan and three cavalry divisions to bypass Gen. Robert E. Lee s army and attack his cavalry and communications. That confrontation took place when Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, who had pushed his horsemen for two days, intercepted the Union command at Yellow Tavern, six miles north of Richmond. The result, after a fierce battle, Stuart was mortally wounded, and a smug Little Phil Sheridan advanced Next Speaker Robert E. L. Krick SPEAKS AT SEPT. KICKOFF MEET- towards Richmond. The much sought-after guest speaker Bob Krick has been employed by the National Park Service as an historian and battlefield guide at the Richmond National Battlefield since Prior to that, he was employed at the Custer Battlefield in Montana and the Manassas Battlefield in Virginia. He is also an author, and his definitive research has been widely published on various Civil War and Confederate topics, including articles in several Civil War essay books and historical publications. The Tuesday, September 4 th Round Table meeting will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 209 E. Nash St., Southport, across from the Post Office. Registration begins at 6:30pm. Everyone is welcome. The admis- IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE MEMBERSHIP After two years in establishing the Brunswick Civil War Round Table, the officers and Board (9 members), and the advisors (3 members) have recently evaluated this organization. The membership should be made aware that certain changes have been decided on as follows: 1. Basic membership fees for individuals and couples will remain at $25.00 and will not change prior to January 1, 2013, if then; 2. Students will be welcomed free of charge effective immediately; 3. A $5.00 admission fee will be charged all guests, effective September 4, Subsequently it may be necessary to charge guests a higher fee when there is an especially renowned speaker or when travel arrangements become more expensive. The RT has the following stated objectives: 1. To promote knowledge and understanding of the complex Civil War Era through programs, travel, and the Newsletter; 2. To support the development and preservation of Civil War sites. (This group has adopted Fort Anderson as it primary site.) Pursued in various ways, some obvious and some less so, these efforts vary as to the monthly cost of speakers, venues, programs, and publicity. With this in mind, we propose to establish two categories of elective, tax-free giving which would secure our finances in light of unknown future changes. The proposed categories reflect our purposes. One category will be for programs and the other for Historic Site preservation. The membership may be assured that due diligence is given to all RT finances and other affairs. sion fee for guests is $5 which can be applied toward the $25 annual membership fee for adults and couples. There is no fee for students. As a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, most of the dues and fees collected go toward inviting the most renowned and knowledgeable historians covering a variety of subjects relating to the Civil War period to both educate and entertain near capacity audiences every month.

3 SEPTEMBER 2012 News of Note PAGE 8 BRUNSWICK CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Membership Application and Renewal The Brunswick Civil War Round Table usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month, except during July and August. Most meetings will be held in the Southport area. Specific locations will be announced in advance, either at meetings, in the newsletter, via , or on our web site. (brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com) Annual dues are $25.00 for individuals and couples, students are free of charge. Nonmembers pay $5.00 per visit, which can be applied to membership. Please make checks payable to: B. C. W. R. T. Payments for renewal memberships should be made on the anniversary of your initial membership. Forms and checks for membership or renewal can be given to those at the registration desk, at the meetings, or send to: BCWRT, P. O. Box 10161, Southport, NC NAME(S): ADDRESS: CITY/STATE/ZIP: PHONE: CELL: If you would like to make a donation to help BCWRT in its historical preservation work or to assure that we continue to get the best speakers possible please complete boxes below. Speakers and programs: Amount $ Battlefield preservation: Amount $ Recognition may be acknowledged in our communications should you wish. 150 YEARS AGO June 1862 August 6 With failed engines making her an easy target, CSS ARKANSAS ended her 23 day career on the Mississippi River August 9 Battle of Cedar Mountain August 24 CSS ALABAMA was commissioned August 26 2nd Manassas campaign began August 27 Stonewall Jackson at Manassas Junction August 28 Battle at Groveton or Brawner s Farm. This is where he Iron Brigade got its name August nd Battle of Manassas August 30 Battle of Richmond, Kentucky

4 RELATIVES OF MEMBERS WHO SEPTEMBER 2012 SERVED IN CIVIL WAR PAGE 4 Western North Carolina confederates By Jack Travis The Laughter family of Henderson County, N.C., provided the Confederacy with nine men to fight for southern independence. The family supplied two brothers and seven cousins. The two brothers were Bailous E. Laughter and Samuel Carson Laughter, most likely enlisted when Company B, 64 th N.C. State Troops was organized during the summer of The unit was made up of men mostly from Madison, Henderson, and Polk counties. Unfortunately, the brothers were present for the Shelton Laurel Massacre of Madison County, N.C. when thirteen Union sympathizers were executed by a firing squad on January 18, Governor Zebulon B. Vance was outraged over this execution that was published in numerous northern newspapers and as far away as Europe. The brothers deserted separately within two to three months after the massacre. It is said that they hid in the many caves of Sugar Loaf, a mountain in Transylvania County, N.C. that reaches a height 2,510 feet near Brevard, N.C. They were said to move between hiding in the caves and their homes until the end of the war. We must remember that Confederate solders left their families and homes at a much higher risk than the Union solders left their families. The Confederate soldiers found themselves torn between duties to their families and the Confederacy. One must also take into account that the Civil War exposed many to countless horrors and unspeakable brutalities. For many this may have been a burden to heavy to bear. Bird A. Laughter, and his brother Isaiah, enlisted in the 16th Regiment, N.C. State Troops, an infantry regiment that was formed on November 14, 1861 in Raleigh. However, they were in Company I, made up of men from Henderson, N.C., and they both deserted by February 18, Hampton Laughter, was wounded on the last day of the Seven Days Campaign at Malvern Hill, also known as Poindexter's Farm, that took place on July 1, He remained sick and absent throughout the war. John R. Laughter, was captured at the Battle of Five Forks that was fought on April 1, 1865 southwest of Petersburg, Virginia. This would be the battle that would compel Gen. Robert E. Lee to evacuate Richmond and move the Army of Northern Virginia to its destiny at Appomattox Court House. John was confined at Point Lookout, Maryland, the largest Union prison camp in the North and also one of the worst during the war. John died on June 10, 1865, of chronic diarrhea and is buried at the prisoner of war grave yard at Point Lookout. Shadrack L. Laughter, served for only 60 days and was discharged for reasons of disability. As a special note of interest the book and movie entitled Cold Mountain, portrays William P. Inman, as the male protagonist of the story who served with the 25 th N.C. He was wounded at the Battle of the Crater, hospitalized, and sent to Raleigh were he deserted in 1864 to return to his sweetheart and family. We are delighted to have John D. Lawter, and his wife Barbara, as members of the Brunswick Civil War Round Table. He is the Great, Great Grandson of Samuel Carson Laughter, of the 64 th N.C. State Troops.

5 SEPTEMBER 2012 Speaker Synopsis PAGE 5 WHEN COTTON WASN T KING CIVIL WAR DIPLOMACY Ah, Max! You are our own homegrown personal treasure. It amazes us how you know and dispense, so easily, your storehouse of understanding and enlightenment. You get to the bottom line quickly. Confederate diplomacy versus slavery within a powerful Democracy is quite a concept. At the very least the South looks like niggling purveyors of negativism and at most they appear to be making a muddled mess. It might sound like talking with a mouthful of cotton. Eli Whitney invents a much copied Cotton Gin in This changes the need for intense labor and causes expanded productivity. Max sees James Henry Hammond s Cotton is King mentality as greatly flawed. The value of white gold is quite overestimated and by 1860 efficiency has created a real glut in the marketplace. The world admires U.S. style Democracy but asks how this cultural religion called slavery can be justified? Did we not hear Jefferson say, All men are created equal? What a peculiar institution! Come on, says the world: Slavery in a Democracy????? The Missouri Compromise, like a fire bell in the night presses this moral issue. Max sees us heading down a slippery slope leading to secession! Jeff Davis must avoid any appearance of international blackmail, so the Confederate Congress can t approve an embargo on cotton. Juicy Generalizations suggest that state governments and private citizens could withhold the crop thus creating a worldwide cotton famine. The Domino effect would then shut down European mills and force governments to recognize the Confederacy. This would encourage foreign ships to boldly disregard the blockade thus reopening Southern ports. Who is hurt? The worker was hurt, not the owners, of course. Producers had hoarded. The reserves drove up prices and lasted just long enough to develop a cotton supply line from India, Egypt and Brazil. Max reminds us to see the fear with which Europe views war with the U.S. The South has hoarded this great asset and lost their best chance to finance the war. They badly misplayed the cotton card to quote Max. Why did this failure happen? Max gives us some good take away thoughts. 1. King corn (grains) trumps king cotton. 2. Northern Diplomats were just plain better (witness the Trent Affair) By Dan Fink 3. The U.S. had become a formidable nation (each new ship Lincoln launched was one more than England had.) 4. Win some battles and lose some battles was not working. 5. European Circumstances of the time stink with political unrest. The balance of power in Europe is in jeopardy. The Brits need to stay loose for what might happen. 6. Europe agrees with the moral high ground of Northern abolitionism and after Gettysburg their wait and see attitude hardens into unassailable neutrality. Max pulls it back together by observing: The Southern Armies just plain fail. The diplomacy of the South also just plain fails. Finally, Southern misery just plain ends. Thank you again and again, Max. If Y all weren t there to hear him tell of the 290 situation, just save your bucks. Great things are coming in 2014.

6 SEPTEMBER 2012 Ladies Department By Charen Fink PAGE 6 Women at Work Jobs already open to women: Maid, Laundress, Seamstress Boardinghouse keeper. 100,000 new jobs were created in commerce and industry because of the war. Federal government jobs were opened to women. Opportunities for nurses and female teachers were enhanced. Levels of Work I Desperate women earned living as prostitutes. I The causes being: low level of education, immoral books, passion, love, desertion, and idleness. I The next lower level includes: washerwomen and servants. These were the German & Irish immigrants. I They worked in hotels, taverns, & boarding houses. I Another level is those who work as seamstresses, & milliners. This was most unhealthy because of poor ventilation, working by gaslight, & small houses. I The next level is that of businesswomen who owned millineries, groceries, confectionaries, boarding houses, a gun shop, boat yard, woolen factory, brewery, & cracker factory. The unusual businesses were inherited from their husbands. I The last level includes: performers, teachers, health care providers, circus workers, musicians, lecturers. Etiquette Visiting: Never make a visit of friendship unless you have a special or general invitation. Never beg an invitation. If a lady is invited alone she may bring a gentleman guest and present him first to the lady of the house first. Tattling: The bane of society is retattling remarks made by one party to another. Here is an example, Well Jane, what do you thin /Lucretia says of you? She says you have the thickest ankles and the thinnest arms of any girl in town that your shape is like an alligator s, and your head resembles that of a bison! Conversation: Men should refrain from trying to prove that everyone present is wrong but himself. He should not lose his temper in society. Never talk at people. Quakers Known to Those Living During the Civil War N a t h a n i e l G r e e n e Revolutionary War general Betsy Ross talented seamstress Dolly Madison wife of {President James Madison Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton unstoppable women who worked tirelessly for women s suffrage and abolition Walt Whitman poet and nurse to wounded troops John Greenleaf Whittier poet Edwin Stanton Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln References Howe, Barbara. Women at Work During the Civil War. 12 th Annual Conference of Society of Women and the Civil War, July Etiquette, Usages of Society. Published by Dick & Fitzgerald, Bigler-Jones, Joanna. The Society of Friends The Quakers, The Citizens Companion, May/June 2012, Vol. XVIII Num. 6, pg. 23.

7 Programs SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGE Programs Are Announced September 4: Bobby Krick is a Park Historian specializing in the sites around Richmond. He was the guide for our BCWRT group that toured the area last year. Krick s subject will be cavalry engagements around Richmond and JEB Stuart s last ride. In high demand as a speaker, his visit was booked two years ago. October 2: Our own Charen Fink will speak about feminine wiles! She will discuss women who wished to participate in the Union or Confederate War efforts. While the role of women as nurses is better known, women as soldiers and espionage agents will be considered by Charen. She has been a board member since the Inception of the Round Table and is currently co-editor of the Newsletter. We are most fortunate to have her on-site. November 6: Horace Mewborn returns to discuss General Wade Hampton s Beefsteak Raid. Hampton liberated nearly 2,500 cattle from General Grant s army, thus feeding the hungry Confederates defending Petersburg and Richmond in Horace is a prolific, independent Civil War historian whose interests focus on Confederate cavalry in Virginia. He served as the guide for New Bern on the RT s late May 2012 tour of Kinston and New Bern. December 4: Ron Beavers will come from the Washington, D.C. area to discuss Civil War Logistics. A railroad enthusiast, he is an authority on Virginia railroads and Confederate supply. Much in demand as a speaker, Beaver s discussion will provide an important addition to our knowledge. January 9: For the third year, the inimitable Ed Bearss returns to inform and charm. We are now on his North Carolina speaking tour and will again benefit from his broad experience and knowledge. He has been called a national treasure. This year his subject will be The Second Day at Gettysburg. February 5: Emory Thomas, is Regents Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Georgia and author of eight books. He will speak about The Dogs of War: The Martial Moment. He will discuss the pivotal events in Civil War causation. March 5: Richard Starnes, Dean of Western Carolina s College of Arts and Sciences, spoke two years ago about Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief. He will introduce us to a new topic, the aftermath of the War and Reconstruction. His presentation will be our first on events after the war: Reconstruction: The Resurgence of the Rebs. April 2: Will Greene, Executive Director of Pamplin Park in Virginia, visited the RT last year and returns by popular requests. He will speak on The Overland Campaign in which a tenacious Grant used attrition to force Lee to take defensive positions near Richmond and Petersburg. A popular tour guide and speaker, Will Greene is preparing a three-volume history of the Petersburg Campaign for the UNC Press. May 7: Peter Cozzens is a Foreign Service Officer and a prolific historian. Author of sixteen critically acclaimed books, his studies of Chattanooga and Chickamauga were Main Selections of the History Book Club. Subsequently, The Civil War Magazine named these two books among the greatest one hundred books ever written about the War. He will speak on The Chickamauga Campaign June 4: To be announced, but we are sure you will enjoy it. Speakers continued next page.

8 SEPTEMBER 2012 News of Note PAGE 8 Speakers...cont. Wilderness/Overland Campaign Tour We are delighted to announce our upcoming speaker schedule of outstanding Civil War historians from around the country. We believe our guest speakers are the reason that our Round Table is now one of, if not THE largest, Civil War Round Table in the country. Our speakers varied topics will continue to be interesting and entertaining to everyone, not just Civil War enthusiasts, so we encourage everyone to come see first-hand, urges Round Table president Wally Rueckel. All meetings are held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 209 E. Nash Street, Southport, across from the Southport Post Office, unless otherwise announced. Everyone is welcome. Registration and refreshments begin at 6:30. Admission is $5 for visitors which can be applied toward the annual membership dues of $25 for adults and couples. There is no fee for visiting students. On October 9-13 of this year Will Greene, Director of Pamplin Park and speaker at our Round Table will lead a tour that follows the armies of Ulysses Grant and Robert E Lee from the Battle of the Wilderness thru the Overland Campaign including the battles of Spotsylvania, North Anna, Yellow Tavern and Cold Harbor. If you are interested please contact Wally Rueckel or wrueckel@questor.com. This is NOT a tour that is being organized by our Round Table but it still should be very informative. The Civil War provided questions that historians have discussed and debated ever since. Each month, in the newsletter, we are going to propose one these controversial issues. It is in keeping with the true spirit of the original round table, historians discussing the wars and events that we hope to stimulate good discussion. Some of the questions will have no answer and some will have many answers, it is from the discussion that we all learn. We hope you will submit your opinions to Mike Powell (mpowell6@ec.r.com) and we will publish some of them in the following month, with a new question. With our large group we expect to get some good responses and generate some good discussions. So here we go, and the first one is real doozy. General Robert E. Lee was the only successful Confederate commander on a strategic and tactical level. He had independent command of a grand army and while he was largely successful in maintaining a twenty-three month stalemate in the east (June 1862-May 1864) and was able to shift his offensive nature to a defensive posture for the closing ten months; was Lee the right man in command for the Confederacy? Were his tactics and nature too aggressive for the resources available? Was he too prejudiced toward Virginians? Let us know what you think. We told you it would be a doozy.. Open For Discussion...

9 SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGE Call To Arms 9 THE NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY, September 4, 2012 The Brunswick Civil War Round Table is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization that meets on the first Tuesday of each month, except July and August. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held at: Trinity United Methodist Church 209 E. Nash St. Southport, NC Registration is open at 6:30 pm and the program starts at 7:00pm BCWRT Officers, Directors, Advisors Wally Rueckel: President & Director Mike Powell: Vice President & Director Marv Hamer: Vice President & Director Bob Benedict: Treasurer & Director Norm Praet: Secretary & Director Tom O Donnell: Director & Advisor Charen Fink: Director Chuck Roedema: Director Max Williams: Director Jim McKee: Advisor Jack Carpenter: Advisor Robert Clarke: Advisor Check Us Out on the Web The Brunswick Civil War Round Table's website is now up and running. The BCWRT website can be found under brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com or brunswickcivilwarroundtable.org. All of the information on the website is available to everyone except for the newsletter - Call to Arms. which is available to members. Your username and password is required to view the newsletter. Be sure to check out the list of presenters already lined up for our 2011/2012 year. There is also information on current Round Table sponsored trips and write-ups on trips already taken. Be sure to check out the Links page for other organizations involved in the Civil War. Members should have received an with their login information including username and password. Everyone's default password is their address. Junk mail filters will likely impede the delivery of many of those s. If you did not receive this please check your spam folder first. For the people who did not received the due to incorrect or no address provided to the club, please contact Kathy O'Donnell at tomkat450sl@yahoo.com. The website is updated frequently so please keep checking in on us.