"Saw the Elephant"--The Civil War

Close to Official: 34,000 North Carolina Deaths

2012-02-14T08:07:00.001-06:00

From the Civil War Picket blog.

Close to official back in 2010, so probably official, or as near as it will ever be, by now, but the number of North Carolinians dying while in Confederate service is now at 34,000 out of the 134,000 who served.

For years the number was put at 40,000.

Bit there have been two recent studies, one by Research Historian at the North Carolina Office of Archives and History and the other by Charles Purser of a Sons of Confederate Veterans camp in Garner. Both show the number to be lower.

Defending Their State. --Old Secesh

The Civil War in Huntley, Illinois

2012-02-13T09:32:00.001-06:00

From the April 19, 2011, Huntley (Il.) Patch "Marking the Civil War Sesquicentennial: by Nancy Bacheller.

Fifty-five soldiers from Huntley served in the war and some of their graves are now in the Huntley Cemetery, located on Dean Street in the village.

Three of those were the first village president was John Cummings who had a brother named Willard. Thomas S, Huntley, son of town founder Thomas S. Huntley.

On April 18th, Laurel Mellien, local cemetery art specialist made a presentation to the Kishwaukee Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution called "The Art of Civil War Commemoration" explaining the significance and symbolism found on badges, monuments and headstones.

If you find crossed swords, that means the person was an officer who died in battle. Should you see a mourning cloth draped on a decorative cannon, that means the man was in the artillery. You would find a Confederate flag on the gravestone of one who fought for the South.

Many veterans have unadorned government-issued headstones and these can be found in great numbers in cemeteries throughout the US. (If these have a rounded top, it means Union service. Pointed ones indicate Confederate service.) Sometimes families used these as foot stones.

More to Come. --Old Secesh

Michigan's Norman J. Hall-- Part 2

2012-02-11T12:39:00.000-06:00

At the Battle of Fredericksburg, the 25 year old Hall led his men across the river under Confederate fire to secure the other side so that a pontoon bridge could be built.

At Gettysburg, Hall's brigade, the 3rd, 2nd Division, II Corps, held the center of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge, near the famous "copse of trees" that was the objective of Pickett's charge. The brigade lost 200 men there.

After Gettysburg, Hall's's health began to fail and he was mustered out of service in May of 1864. He died just three years later in New York.

He is buried at West Point at Section 30, Row 1, Grave 373. Very close to the grave of George Armstrong Custer.

The Monroe News of May 10, 2009 had an article about him and a photo. It said he grew up on a farm near Dixon and S. Custer roads and attended Papermill School, a one-room schoolhouse. He was nominated for West Point by Congressman David Noble. He and Custer evidently knew each other.

Also graduating in the USMA Class of 1859 was Joseph Wheeler who would later become a Confederate general.

An Interesting and Brave Life Cut Too Short. --Old Secesh

Two Interesting Facts About Lt. Hall at Fort Sumter

2012-02-11T12:23:00.000-06:00

Well, three, actually.

1. As you can see in the famous photo of Major Anderson and his Fort Sumter officers, Lt. Norman Hall is not in the photo. Perhaps, he was held a prisoner of war as mentioned in the Wikipedia account. You'd definitely think he would be with his heroic acts of putting the flag up again in the bombardment. So, why was he not in the photo.

I think I remember hearing that the photo was taken before the attack. Perhaps he was on emissary duty between Anderson and the Confederates and not available to pose.

2. I also read in one source that Lt. Hall's eyebrows were permanently burned off in his flag-raising escapade. The photo of him appears to have eyebrows. Did he draw them on or did they grow back or perhaps the light made him look like he had them?

3. This was not the first time a soldier had replaced an American flag shot down flag at a Charleston fort in the course of a battle. Back during the Revolutionary War, Sgt. William Jaspar had done the same thing at Fort Sullivan, later renamed Fort Moultrie.

Michigan's Norman J. Hall-- Part 1

2012-02-11T11:53:00.000-06:00

From Wikipedia.

March 19, 1842-May 26, 1867 and is famous for his defense of the Union center during Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. Appointed to the USMA at West Point by Jefferson Davis and graduated July 1859, 13th in class of22 and appointed Second Lt. in 4th US Artillery.

He was at Fort Sumter during the secession crisis and served as an emissary between Major. Anderson and Confederate officers.

During the bombardment, the US flag was knocked to the ground by a Confederate shell. Hall raced throug the flames on the parade ground to save it. With the help of two others, he replaced the pole and hoisted the flag. He was captured, became a POW, was exchanged and then returned to Monroe.

He was promoted to 1st Lt. in the US Artillery in May of 1861.

He fought at the Peninsula Campaign before becoming the Colonel of the 7th Michigan Infantry in July 1862. He was then at the Battle of Second Bull Run. At the Battle of Antietam, the 7th Michigan suffered 60% casualties and lost 20 of 23 field officers. Hall assumed command of the 3rd Brigade after its commander was wounded.

Later in the battle, Hall was wounded himself and his horse killed.

Quite the Fighter. --Old Secesh

Monroe County, Michigan, in the Civil War

2012-02-10T15:15:00.000-06:00

From the April 20, 2011, Toledo (Oh) Blade.

During the war, nearly 90,000 Michigan men served in Union forces, nearly a quarter of the males in the state in the 1860 census.

Some 2,270 were from Monoe County with 430 dying from disease, wounds or killed in action.

Lenawee County sent 4,000, the second highest number for a state county. At least 35 of them died at Andersonville.

George Armstrong Custer became a general at age 23, the youngest Union general at the time he was promoted.

Must Be a Wolverine Thing. --Old Secesh

Sgt. Major Whitman Goes to War on Roanoke Island

2012-02-09T08:06:00.001-06:00

From the Feb. 6th New York Civil War Examiner.

Sgt. Major George Washington Whitman, younger brother of noted journalist and poet Walt Whitman and his regiment, the 51st NY Infantry were crammed aboard a troopship watching the federal fleet bombard Confederate defenses on Roanoke Island. One familiar-looking ship came into view, the USS Hunchback that the sergeant knew from his home in Brooklyn. Very likely he had been on it when it was a Staten Island ferry, but now it had been converted into a warship, with cannons on its decks where once people and wagons had been.

The ship had been struck by shells several times and had anchored but continued firing.

At dusk, he and the 51st landed and waded through 200 yards of slat marsh before finding a sandy spot to rest. A rainy, sleepless night ensued. The next morning, after a breakfast of crackers, the 51st marched through more swamps and participated in the capture of the Confederate forts.

The poet's brother was later badly wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg, prompting his brother, Walt Whitman to rush to his side, beginning three years of his service tending the wounded.

Sgt. Major Whitman later became an officer and at the end of the war was mustered out as a Brevet Lt. Colonel.

Brothers At War. --Old B-R'er

Michigan's Col. Hall in the Civil War

2012-02-08T17:54:00.002-06:00

From the April 20, 2011, Toledo (Ohio) Blade "Monroe County remembers its native son at Fort Sumter" by Mark Reiter.

The only Michigan soldier at Fort Sumter was Norman Hall from Raisinville Township in Monroe County. He was a West Point graduate and fought at other battles during the course of the war. At Gettysburg, Col. Hall's 3rd Brigade is credited with fighting off the Confederate charge that won the battle.

However, much more attention is given to Monroe County's better-known person, George Armstrong Custer. Norman Hall died at age 30 after the war and is buried at West Point, 30 yards away from Custer.

Never Heard of Col. Hall. --Old Secesh

Zombies Attack Fort Pulaski

2012-02-07T06:59:00.001-06:00

From the Feb. 3rd Savannah Morning News "Zombie horde attack Fort Pulaski as key scene is shot for film" by Linda Sickles.

First Yankees, now Zombies!! When will this all end? At least we had Abe fighting them off.

It was Abraham Lincoln versus the zombies in a historical horror film set in 1863 about Abraham Lincoln's secret mission to the South to defeat a horde of the undead.

Abraham, president by day, vampire killer by night, is part of a low-budget ($1 million) film being shot that is not intended for theater release, but DVD and Netflix.

Filming started Jan. 28th and will continue until Feb. 15th.

Be sure to rent "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer" when it is released.

And. my sister in nearby Richmond Hill, Georgia, doesn't even know anything about it.

Go get 'Em, Abe!! --Old Secesh

Too Good of a Story Not to Repeat: Grant and Foote

2012-02-04T08:55:00.000-06:00

On my Naval Blog, Running the Blockade, I had a good story a few days ago and will repeat it here.

One hundred and fifty years ago, a joint Union Army-Navy expedition was getting ready to attack Fort Henry in Tennessee. On Feb. 4th, Union General Grant and Flag Officer Foote went up the Tennessee River in a gunboat to reconnoiter the confederate fort.

Recent flooding had caused Confederate torpedoes (mines) to come loose and they were floating down the river. They pulled one aboard to examine in.

As everyone pressed close to see how the "infernal machine" worked, a loud hiss suddenly emitted from it, causing everyone to scramble, including the two officers. U.S. Grant handily beat Foote to the top of the ladder.

Later, Foote was giving him a hard time about his moving so fast and Grant replied, "The Army did not believe in letting the Navy get ahead of it."

That's a Good One. --Old Secesh

Confederate Hospital Building Collapses in Lynchburg, Va.-- Part 2

2012-02-04T07:22:00.001-06:00

Nineteen tobacco factories were turned into hospitals. Only two remain standing and the structure at 612 Dunbar is one of them.

Structural engineers are looking into the building, but most, including the owner, think it is too late to save it. There were many years of neglect that took a toll.

Lynchburg became a huge hospital because of the many railroads connecting the city with Richmond and other points in the state. Civil War medicine being what it was, 2,200 Confederates from 14 states died, most of whom are buried in the Old City Cemetery. A monument there has the names of the states on it.

In 1964, a raid by Union General Hunter almost captured the city, but was driven off.

Let's hope the city or someone saves the last remaining hospital.

Saving the Heritage, One Piece at a Time. --Old Secesh

Confederate Hospital Building Collapses in Lynchburg, Va.-- Part 1

2012-02-04T07:21:00.000-06:00

From Feb. 2nd ABC 13 News, Lynchburg, Va. "Historic Lynchburg Building to Be Demolished."

I knew about the huge Confederate hospital in Richmond, Va. (Chimborazo, I think), but did not know about the role Lynchburg, Va., played in caring for Confederate wounded during the war until I came across this article.

Dunbar Drive is now shut down because of a building collapse at 612. Before the Civil War, the building was a tobacco factory, one of many that were converted into hospitals for Confederate wounded as casualty lists climbed.

By 1864, Lynchburg had become the second largest hospital area for Confederate soldiers (not sure if that was just Virginia or the whole Confederacy, but guess it would be the whole country considering the amount of fighting taking place in that state.

More to Come. --Old Secesh

If, In Springfield, Illinois

2012-02-03T08:46:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for some non-Lincoln, well, kind of non-Lincoln, Civil War stuff, go to the Lincoln Presidential Library, across from the more famous Lincoln Presidential Museum, and check out the new "Illinois Answers the Call: Boys in Blue" exhibit.

This is not the one from last year, I saw that one and it was worth the trip. This one is all new, drawing on the library's vast collection. It is open seven days a week during the day.

From the Jan. 19-25, 2012 Illinois Times, "The vast collection features artifacts, letters, diaries, sketches, songs and the faces of Illinois soldiers including African-American regiments. Highlights are an original battle flag from the Battle of Corinth and an enormous awe-inspiring photo of area soldiers by 19th century photographer Matthew Brady."

Make sure you check out that over sized Brady photo of the 7th Illinois Infantry, raised from the Springfield area. They have a dog in the picture who was captured from a Confederate regiment.

You can find out more information at http://www.presidentlincoln.org/.

Also, the Battle flag of the 95th Illinois Infantry, the regiment from the area where I live, is hanging in the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

Definitely on My List of Things to Do. --Old Secesh

The Confederacy Loses a Real Son

2012-02-01T08:38:00.002-06:00

From the Jan. 28th Knoxville (Tn) News "James Brown, Sr., one of the last real sons of Confederate veterans, dies at 99."

James Brown, Sr., died Jan. 26, 2012. He would have been 100 this coming Valentine's Day.

His father, James H.H. Brown was in Co. K of the 8th Georgia Infantry and fought in 19 battles throughout the war, including Manassas, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, Campbell Station and Fort Sanders (Knoxville).

Captured with Lee at Appomattox, his father walked back home. He was wounded twice during the war.

When son James was born in 1912, his father was 71. His father died when he was 11.

James Brown, Jr, said of his father, "I always remember about my grandfather telling my dad that he had nothing against Yankees. They were good men and he was a good man. It was just something they had to do."

Potos of Mr. Brown and Harold Becker, a Real Son of Union vetrans come from the Knoxville News and the Battle of Franklin Blog by Kraig McNutt, who covered the two at a dedication back in 2009.

Hats Off to Those Old Guys. --Old Secesh

"Real Daughter" of the Union

2012-01-31T08:23:00.000-06:00

From the March 19, 2011, (Mo.) News-Leader "Woman, 95, has close ties to Civil War past."

Lorene Miller Meadows, 95, is a "Real Daughetr" member of the Daughters of Union Veterans organization. Her father was James Alexander Miller who was 17 when he enlisted April 4, 1864, in Nashville, Tennessee, and served in the war's last year.

By July 31st, he had been captured and held at Andersonville and remained a prisoner for the rest of the war. Miller was paroled at Jacksonville, Florida, April 28, 1865, nineteen days after Lee's surrender. He evidently had been moved from Andersonville as Union forces approached and very likely was held at the short-lived prison camp which was just located last year (can't remember the name, but I wrote about it).

On November 11, 1866, he married Angeline Shearer, and had seven children, moving to Missouri in 1872. Angeline died in 1910 and Miller married Agnes Ward in 1913 and they had one child, Lorene Elizabeth, born in 1915.

Her father, James, died of pneumonia April 5, 1920, when Lorene was five. He is buried next to Angeline near Mt. Vernon, Missouri. She has few memories of her father, but her mother told her stories her husband had told her about the horrors of Andersonville.

Those Old Guys, Both Blue and Gray, Were Having Children Way Late in Life. --Old Secesh

Civil War Sites to See in Maryland-- Part2

2012-01-28T18:00:00.001-06:00

5. MONOCACY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD-- Frederick. Union forces under Gen. Lew Wallace delayed the Confederate march on Washington, DC, in 1864.

6. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CIVIL WAR MEDICINES-- Frederick.

7. POINT LOOKOUT STATE PARK-- Where the Potomac Rivers enters the Chesapeake Bay. Confederate prison camp.

8. SOUTH MOUNTAIN STATE BATTLEFIELD-- Middleton. The clash of armies before Antietam.

9. SURRATT HOUSE MUSEUM-- Clinton. Former inn where John Wilkes Booth and others plotted killing Lincoln and other members of the government.

And You Thought There Wasn't Much to See in Maryland. --Old Secesh

Civil War Sites to See in Maryland-- Part1

2012-01-27T09:44:00.001-06:00

From the April 18, 2011, Baltimore Sun Travel Wires.

Just in case you thought there isn't much to see in the state involving the Civil War.

Of course, #1, there is the real biggie, one of the bloodiest days in American history, ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD.

#2. FORT McHENRY, Baltimore. used as a prison camp for Southern sympathizers and soldiers.

#3 MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Baltimore. largest and most comprehensive war exhibit in the state.

4. SAMUEL MUDD'S HOUSE, Waldorf. Where John Wilkes Booth had his leg set after assassinating President Lincoln. Muss was imprisoned, but later released.

Five More to Come. --Old Secesh

The Confederacy's Only US President Buried 150 Years Ago-- Part 2

2012-01-26T12:27:00.000-06:00

At the end of his presidency, John Tyler returned to his Virginia home just outside Richmond where he remained largely out of politics until the Virginia secession crisis of 1861. A strong advocate of states rights, he nonetheless worked for a compromise to keep Virginia from leaving the Union. And, he especially worked against Virginia going to war.

After he failed, he stood with his state and supported the Confederacy, even becoming a member of the House of Representatives shortly before his death.

Upon his death, he became the only US president whose death was not officially recognized in Washington, DC due to his allegiance to the Confederacy.

Despite his wishes for a simple funeral, the Confederate government gave him a state one with all the pomp and circumstance that entails.

After lying in state, the body was taken from the Capitol to St. Paul's Church where Bishop Johns gave an eloquent sermon to a packed house. Then, the group went to Hollywood Cemetery where Tyler was buried near President James Monroe. President Jefferson Davis, his cabinet, most of the Congress and many state officials attended.

The graves of both presidents are found in President's Circle at the cemetery.

A Leader in Two Countries. --Old Secesh

The Confederacy's Only US President Buried 150 Years Ago-- Part 1

2012-01-26T12:14:00.002-06:00

From the RVA News 150, Richmond, Virginia. It is kind of strange that I would come across this article just a day after my wife forwarded me an article about how President Tyler still has two living grandchildren. I will be writing about that on my history blog, Cooter's History Thing.

As the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, was host to many state funerals in it streets during the course of the war. The persons were often buried in the city's Hollywood Cemetery.

On January 22, 1862, the new country buried its first and only United States president, John Tyler. Referred to by his opponents as "His Accidency" or "The Accidental President" John Tyler, the 10th president had ascended to that position upon the sudden death of William Henry Harrison a few weeks into his term, the first vice president to do so in the succession plan.

President Tyler died January 18, 1862, and his funeral procession was held Jan. 22nd after a full-fledged state funeral. He had passed away at age 71 at the Exchange Hotel in Richmond.

More to Come. --Old Secesh

Looking Into the Generals' Eyes

2012-01-24T08:30:00.001-06:00

Frpm the Business Insider site.

Some really nice close up shots of the faces of notable generals on both sides, including:

1. Robert E. Lee
2. P.G.T. Beauregard
3. A.P. Hill
4. John B. Hood
5. Stonewall Jackson
6. Joseph Johnston
7. Jeb Stuart

8. U.S. Grant
9. William Tecumseh Sherman
10. Winnfield Scott
11. Ambrose E. Burnside (if you can avoid staring at those huge sideburns)
12. George McClellan
13. Philip Sheridan
14. George Custer (already a legend in his own mind)

I was guessing names before I saw the caption and got them all right.

I Are So Smart. --Old Secesh

A "Rebel" Retirement Home for Yankees-- Part 3

2012-01-23T17:07:00.001-06:00

Continued from the Jan. 3rd blog entry.

As Union veterans aged, retirement communities were built. The first land offering in what is today Lynn Haven, Florida, (Near Panama City) was January 11, 1911. A five acre plot was offered for $150.

Seth Flint, the bugler, bought a five acre lot and built a home at what is now the corner of Fifth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

By 1913, the veterans were planning a memorial monument and plaque and by 1920 had raised enough money to build and dedicate it. It is the only town Union monument south of the Mason-Dixon line.

The number of Union veterans began dropping by then and soon none were left. But the monument remains.

The Original Snowbirds? --Old Secesh

Tweren't Nary a Wild Hog to Be Seen

2012-01-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

No wild hogs, but plenty of walkers, joggers and dog walks.

Yesterday, we visited Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississoppi, amd, despite all the press about wild jogs being in the park, never saw any.

But,what we did see were lots and lots of the aforementioned, less wild, humans and domesticated animals. Especially toward twilight.

Must Have "Skeered" the Varmints Away. --Old Secesh

Alabama's Last Real Daughter

2012-01-17T11:24:00.002-06:00

Some more information on the death of Norma Vivian Smith as reported on the last blog from the Jan. 9th Birmingham (Al) News.

She was buried January 9th.

Her father, Thomas Jefferson Denney, was born in 1843 and about 18 when he joined the Confederate Army. While in his 80s, he married Dora, his fourth wife, who was a widow in her 40s. Dora was Norma's mother. She was born Dec. 22, 1922, and her father died at age 91, in 1934.

The Real Daughters Club of the United Daughters of the Confederacy lists 16 living real daughters. The Sons of Confederate Veterans lists 24 Real Sons.

Those Old Rebels Were Sure Virile into Their Old Age. --Old Secesh

Running the Blockade: Wild Hogs-- Real Daughter

2012-01-15T12:52:00.000-06:00

Some New News About an Old War.

1. WILD HOGS-- Wild hogs have been reported rooting around the 1,800 acre Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi after being forced there because of flooding in 2011. They were first reported n May 2011. Removal will be a problem and they can be dangerous, weighing in at as much as 200 pounds and then there are those tusks.

So, be careful out there.

2. REAL DAUGHTER-- From Jan. 10th Cullman, (Al) Times--Norma Vivian Smith died Jan. 7th at age 88 and is believed to have been the last Real Daughter of the Confederacy in Alabama.

She was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Denney of Co. H 31st Alabama who was captured June 15, 1864, near Marietta, Georgia, and held prisoner in Rock Island, Illinois.

Her brother, Tyus K. Denney, 91, is believed to be the last Real Son and still lives.

Oink, Oink!! --Old Secesh

Some More on Lynn Haven

2012-01-12T10:24:00.000-06:00

I got the photo of Roberts Hall, mentioned in the previous post. Along with it came the information that it was built as a store with an upstairs meeting room used by the International Order of Odd Fellows and the local Grant Army of the Republic (GAR) for their meetings.The GAR was an organization of Union veterans formed after the war. After all, these were Union veterans retiring to Lynn Haven.

Evidently, at least one church opened in 1911, the United Methodist Church, which is also celebrated its centennial last year.

I also believe that there is a monument to Union soldiers in Lynn Haven, something you don't often see in the South.

Stuff You Didn't Know. --Old Secesh

Lynn Haven, Fl., Turns 100

2012-01-12T10:05:00.001-06:00

From the Jan. 12th Panama City News Herald "Capturing Time" byAli Helgoth.

So, what does this have to do with the Civil War, which had been over 46 years when the town was founded?

I wrote about it last week in this blog about Union soldiers retiring to Lynn Haven starting in 1911. These folks wouldn't be considered snowbirds since they did not return north when winter was over. However, they could be considered the "First Wave" on northerners retiring south to escape winter.

A time capsule was buried in Lynn Haven (near Panama City) Wednesday to be opened in fifty years for the town's sesquicentennial. Fourteen children were asked to be on hand for that future event. When the capsule is opened, there will be coins from 1911, 1961 and 2011, a Florida commemorative coin and other items.

Resident Bobby Roberts has deep ties to Lynn Haven. His great-great-grandfather, Andrew Jackson Gay, was one of the early investors in the St. Andrews Bay Development Co., which started the town in 1911. Another great-great grandfather, William Martin, was a Union veteran who moved to the retirement city.

His daughter's family joined him and her husband, Lee Jay Roberts, who built Roberts Hall in 1912.

The ceremony marked the end of a years' worth of ceremonies commemorating the event, including a gala, Memorial Day celebration, block party, Christmas tree lighting, Heritage Trail Day and a run.

Way to Go, Lynn Haven!! --Old Secesh

ASAP Me

2012-01-11T13:24:00.001-06:00

While in Mobile , Alabama's "The Bar" this past Saturday, getting ready for the Go-Daddy Bowl Mardi Gras parade, I happened to see a neat sign back behind the bar reading "A.S.A.P."
Underneath it, there were the words: "As Southern As Possible."

I had to admit it. I really liked it. The folks at the bar did not know where they got it, but I'll be keeping an eye open for it.

I did find some other ASAP signs listed around.

As Any SCVer Would Know. ASAP!! --Old Secesh

What is a "Secesh?"

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

My brother Bob wanted to know what the term "secesh" means which I am using to sign off my entries, since Old B-Runner or Old B-R'er is now used in the Naval blog.

Secesh was a term used derisively by Northerners to call Southerners who had seceded from the Union. If you seceded, you were a secessionist which they shortened to secesh.

I'd seen the term before, but it really struck home when a fellow teacher came up to me with some family letters from the Civil War in which her ancestors, fighting for the Union, continually referred to Confederates as the Secesh. She had never seen the term before.

I explained it to her. Case solved.

What's in a Name? --Old Secesh

Mobile's Mardi Gras During the War

2012-01-07T08:50:00.000-06:00

From the Museum of Mobile website.

In 1861, the first Mardi Gras group, the Bouef Gras Society, disbanded because so many of its young men were off fighting for the new Confederacy.

Evidently, the observance continued throughout the war years until the 1865 one was called off because of the Union victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864, which gave Union forces entry into the bay. It was decided that the time could better e put to use preparing the defense of Mobile which was still in Confederate hands.

The Mardi Gras celebration renewed itself in 1866, partly in defiance of Union troops occupying Mobile.

It's a War Thing. --Old Secesh

A Real Civil War Shaping Up

2012-01-06T07:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we drove right through the heart of enemy territory, at first unaware, but Liz thought she saw a sign announcing a route right into the enemy camp. We chose not to confront them at their home base, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but rather to meet up with the rest of our army down at Mobile, Alabama, where the final showdown is expected.

These southerners, who call themselves the Red Wolves, must not have expected a bunch of northerners calling themselves Huskies from Illinois to come slipping through their country, Arkansas. Other than the sign, we didn't even see any skirmish lines or even patrols, or even anyone wearing hats or uniforms with that stAte on them.

Maybe they were all grouping together down at Mobile awaiting our arrival.

We were sliding by on a major route connecting our two countries, I-55.

We made it into Mississippi, where we went into encampment at the little town of Canton, right outside the state capital of Jackson. Today, we plan to get to Mobile for our first encounter with these Red Wolves, who have won nine straight battles and are 10-2 so far this year. They are confident, despite losing their general in the last battle.

Our forces, under command of Doeren, have won seven battles in a row and are 10-3 at this time, so it is a battle between two armies that have been winning of late. Promises to be a real exciting and close battle. The winner gets to take the battle championship, Go-Daddy, back home.

I did some major recon on the "enemy" via this contraption today.

Here's Hoping for a Northern Victory. --Old Huskie for the Time Being.

A "Rebel" Retirement Home for Union Soldiers-- Part 2

2012-01-03T15:35:00.000-06:00

So, I guess this could be considered the second Yankee invasion, if you count the first as the war itself.

A THING OR TWO ABOUT SALT

Before the war, salt was imported to the South from the North or Europe. It was more than just a seasoning, but also important for preservation in those pre-refrigerator days. During the war, Confederate soldiers typically received a 1.5 pounds of salt monthly ration.

However, with the war and blockade, supplies were cut off. The price of salt soared and by the end of 1861, salt-making was the biggest industry in St. Andrews (by present-day Panama City). Salt prices went up to a dollar a pound in the first months of the war and continued to rise. A salt maker could earn $180 a day getting salt from seawater through an evaporation process.

During the course of the war, it is estimated that some 5,000 in the St. Andrews area were involved in the slat industry in one fashion or another.

Of course, this drew the attention of Union vessels patrolling off shore. Every so often they would lead raids onto the shore.

Must Be That Lost Chigger of Salt Jimmy Sings About. --Old Secesh

A "Rebel" Retirement Home for Union Soldiers-- Part 1

2012-01-03T15:11:00.001-06:00

From the Feb, 27, 2011, Panama City (Fl) News Herald "Southern City, Union Pride" by Ali Helgoth.

On April 9, 1865, Seth M. Flint played taps on the bugle for the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His account of the event was published in the Saturday Evening Post, 75 years later.

The town of Lyn Haven, Florida, was founded in 1911 as a retirement community for Union soldiers, along with other communities in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and St. Cloud, Florida.

Union soldiers were the first to receive their Civil War pensions and Grand Army of the Republic papers carried advertisements to return to the sunny south, this time, instead of conquerors, to live out their lives. So it started even back then.

Florida's Panhandle was not the scene of major fighting during the war, but there was a lot of activity involving salt works and blockade-running.

Come to Sunny F-L-A. --Old Secesh

Pittsburgh Goes to War-- Part 2

2012-01-02T18:15:00.000-06:00

Only Philadelphia County supplied more Pennsylvania troops to the Union war effort than Pittsburgh.

The Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, brought quite a "war scare" to Pittsburgh. The city could get no reliable information on the location of Lee's Confederate Army. Construction on a series of forts began immediately. Rumors spread rapidly by telegraph.

However, Pittsburgh did suffer some war-related casualties when, on September 17, 1862, the same day as the Battle of Antietam, an explosion at the Allegheny Arsenal (formerly located in Lawrenceville, killed 78 women and wounded 25. Females replaced men who had gone off to war.

This was the largest-ever loss of women during wartime and some of them were as young as 14.

Today, it is the site of Arsenal Park in the Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Never Heard of This Explosion. --Old Secesh

Pittsburgh Goes to War-- Part 1

2012-01-02T18:05:00.000-06:00

From the April 7th Duquesne Duke student newspaper.

No fighting occurred in the city, but Pittsburgh became a major producer of arms and war materials as well as an importing shipping route due to river and railroad transportation.

The Fort Pitt Foundry produced the Union's largest cannons as well as iron plate for ironclads.

Pittsburgh was also the only major Union city with a direct river route to the Mississippi (what about Cincinnati?)

Duquesne archivist Tom White said, "Most of the city, most of the industrial base and every industry gearing for war. The city was very involved in the war effort just like it was later in World War I and World War II.

The site of Duquesne University was also important. The Administration Building is on the site of a former Union hospital which took care of both Union and Confederate soldiers who could not return South for care.

Pittsburgh also was a center for medical care because of river access.

During the war, 29,430 Allegheny County men served in the Union Army and Navy. Of those, 4,000 were killed in action, died from wounds or disease.

More to Come. --Old Secesh

A New Blog Cometh

2011-12-31T09:51:00.000-06:00

Changes to this blog start tomorrow as a new one is being spun off this one.

This one will continue to have items about the Civil War, but anything dealing with the Navies of that conflict will be on the new one.

I also expect the number of entries on this one to drop significantly.

The new one is at http://runningtheblockade.blogspot.com/.

Nothing is posted there yet, but hopefully tomorrow if I recover from New Year's Eve and Da Bears game.

Someone Talk me Out of It. --Old B-Runner for the last time on this blog signoff. Going to the new blog.

The US Army's Second United States Cavalry-- Part 2

2011-12-31T09:44:00.000-06:00

On July 20, 1857, Lt. John Bell Hood and 25 men from Co. G fought Indians at devil's River and suffered seven casualties. Lt. Hood suffered a painful wound when an arrow pinned his hand to his saddle.

After secession, the regiment was ordered out of Texas in late February, to the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, barracks under command of Major George H. Thomas. At the US Cavalry reorganization in the fall of 1861, the 2nd became the Fifth US Cavalry.

The regiment consisted of ten companies where each member had horses selected by similar size and stature.

Van Dorn's company was called the "Mobile Grays."

Quite an Organization. --Old B'R'er (Soon to be Old Secesh)

The US Army's Second United States Cavalry-- Part 1

2011-12-31T09:35:00.001-06:00

From the Texas State Historical Association.

The famous 2nd cavalry was one of four new regiments approved by Congress on March 4, 1855, and organized specifically for service on the Texas frontier.

This was an elite organization, whose troops only rode the finest horses and were issued the latest equipment. Officers were hand-picked by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. The regiment became known as "Jeff Davis' Own." Most officers were West Point graduates and Southern.

Although it existed for just six and a half years, sixteen officers went on to become generals, eleven Confederate.

Four of the eight full Confederate generals: Albert Sidney Johnston, Robert E. Lee, Kirby Smith and John Bell Hood, came from the unit.

At various times, it was commanded by Johnston, Lee, Earl Van Dorn and George H. Thomas.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner (Soon to be Old Secesh)

The Cow Cavalry and Battle of Ft. Myers (Fla)-- Part 2: "I Respectfully Decline"

2011-12-30T09:39:00.001-06:00

Three companies of the Cow Cavalry and one cannon set out and arrived at Fort Thomson (LaBelle, Fl.) February 19th and then marched down the river and encamped near Billy's Creek. On Feb. 20th, they surprised some black soldiers on picket duty and shot them. This alerted the Fort Myers, whereupon the Confederates fired their cannon and demanded it surrender.

The fort's commander, Captain James Doyle replied, "I respectfully decline."

He wheeled his two cannons out and the battle was on,continuing throughout the day.

On Feb. 21, 1865, the Cow cavalry returned to Fort Meade, having failed to capture the Union fort. Of 300 Union troops involved, there was one dead and three wounded. Of the 250 Confederates, one was wounded.

Nothing remains of the fort today, but it was located by the downtown Ft. Myers Historical District. The original US-41 (Cleveland Avenue) goes by the former location.

Cow cavalry to the Rescue! --Old B-Runner (Soon to be Old Secesh)

The Cow Cavalry and the Battle of Fort Myers (Fla.)-- Part 1

2011-12-29T11:34:00.000-06:00

Continued from my Feb. 10, 2011 entry

It took place Feb. 25, 1865, and is regarded as the southernmost Civil War battle. The fort was originally built during the Seminole War, but was abandoned after it ended. Reoccupied by Union soldiers in 1863 who intended to use it as a base to attack cattle ranches along the Caloosahatchie River which were supplying beef to the Confederacy. It is estimated that by 1865, some 4,000 head of cattle had been taken by them.

The fort was also a refugee center for escaped slaves and Union sympathizers with 400 in it at one point.

It was garrisoned by the and Florida Cavalry, a company of the 110th New York and a company of black soldiers from the 2nd USCT, both of these units came from Union Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West.

The Confederates organized a special detachment to stop Federal incursions and became known as the Cattle Guard Battalion, or "Cow Cavalry."

The unit was posted at Fort Meade and in February 1865, ordered to attack Fort Myers.

Get Them Cows, You Cavalry. --Old B-Runner (Soon to Be Old Secesh)

Fort Fisher, Dec. 28, 1864: "A Gross and Culpable Failure"

2011-12-28T13:23:00.001-06:00

** Morning-- The steamer Banshee runs the blockade into New Inlet.

** 5:30 pm-- President Lincoln queries Grant: "If there be no objection, please tell me what you now understand of the Wilmington expedition, present and prospective."

** An angry Grant replies: "The Wilmington expedition has proven a gross and culpable failure. Many of the troops are now back here [in Virginia]. Delays and free talk of the object of the expedition enabled the enemy to move troops to Wilmington to defeat it.

After the expedition sailed from Fort Monroe three days of fine weather were squandered, during which the enemy was without a force to protect himself. Who is to blame I hope will be known."

Of course, who was to blame? None other than Butler.

And End to the First Attack. --Old B-Runner (Soon to Be Old Secesh)

Altered Lincoln Pardon

2011-12-28T12:22:00.002-06:00

From the Jan. 31st Washington Post "Archivists won't display altered Lincoln Pardon."

A pardon signed by Lincoln, but whose date was altered to appear to have been one of his last acts before the assassination, has been taken out of circulation.

It was changed by historian Thomas Lowry who wrote a 5 in over the 4 in 1864 sometime in 1998 using a fountain pen.

Lincoln did pardon a mentally incompetent Army Private Patrick Murphy on April 14, 1864. The original has been replaced by a high resolution scan after determining that any attempt to delete the 5 would cause irreparable damage.

Not very Nice of Lowry. --Old B-Runner

A New Naval Blog January 1st

2011-12-27T11:59:00.003-06:00

January 1, 2012, I will be launching a new blog off of this one called "Running the Blockade."

This one will continue with items about North Carolina, Illinois, the Civil War Today and any other item I find of interest. I expect to have 10-15 posts a month.

The new blog will about Fort Fisher and all things Naval. I expect to have 20-25 entries a month in it.

See You Then. --Old B-Runner

Fort Fisher 147 Years Ago Today

2011-12-27T11:50:00.003-06:00

** Instead of overwhelming Curtis' vulnerable troops, Bragg let them escape from the beach.

** Fort Fisher fires a defiant volley as the Union fleet sails away.

** During the night, the steamer Wild Rover runs the blockade at New Inlet.

** Lamb and Whiting are greatly dissatisfied at Bragg's inactivity and failure to crush the enemy forces ashore.

** Union general U.S. Grant and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles are infuriated to learn the Fort Fisher expedition a failure.

Kind of interesting that a descendant of Bragg is now in charge of the battleship USS North Carolina in Wilmington.

Finally, Good News for the Confederacy, But Not for Long. --Old B-Runner

A Southern Response to Nast's Santa

2011-12-26T12:03:00.002-06:00

Alright, now Northern children had a Santa Claus bringing them stuff. Would that Santa then ignore the children of the South in those war years?

A Dec. 1862 editorial in the Staunton, Virginia Spectator noted that "as Kris Kringle is a fat Dutchman with Yankee proclivities" and very likely "stingy in the distribution of his presents of candy, cakes, toys, etc., to the little ones.

It urged Staunton's children to hang up their stockings anyway and unless "if he be not wholly Yankeeized" would fill them as before.

I Don't Think They Much Liked Yankees. --Old B-Runner

Nast's Santa Claus Does Nothing for Union Morale 149 Years Ago

2011-12-26T11:52:00.003-06:00

From the Dec. 23rd Staunton (Va) News-Leader "Nast's Civil War Santa Claus failed to boost Union morale" by Charles Culbertson.

It had been a long, hard and generally losing war effort for the Union in 1862 and the Christmas season found an essentially stalemate existing.

At this time, however, the North received dear old Santa Claus in his definitive and now-recognized form.

Thomas Nast, a Bavarian-born son of German immigrants had made a name for himself as a political cartoonist and illustrator for Harper's Weekly and Franl Leslie's Illustrated Magazine. He created a character for Santa based on a 4th Century bishop in Asia Minor named St. Nicholas who had become known to the western world as patron saint for children and a symbol of Christmas.

Until 1862, he had been "portrayed as tall and cadaverous," to the point of being frightening to children. Nast fattened him up and dressed him in a gaudy red suit with white trim, a flowing white beard and a bag of toys.

Even so, historians agree that dear old Santa didn't cheer up the Union troops.

How Sad. --Old B-R'er

Confederate Victory at Fort Fisher 147 Years Ago

2011-12-26T11:45:00.002-06:00

DECEMBER 26TH

Fort Fisher and its garrison remain intact.

Benjamin Butler and his army departs for Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Six hundred troops from Union General Curtis' First Brigade remain stranded on the beach north of the fort, as weather has deteriorated too much for a safe withdrawal. There are several hundred captured Confederates with them. general Bragg makes no attempt to take advantage of the situation.

Between noon and late afternoon, Bragg arrives at Sugar Loaf north of the fort. Major Gen. Hoke and Hagood's Brigade reach the place, followed by Kirkland's men later in the afternoon.

An Opportunity Missed. --Old B-Runner

Fort Fisher Attacked 147 Years Ago

2011-12-24T10:45:00.003-06:00

Every year, I write about the two battles fought at Fort Fisher at this time.

Today, 147 years ago, the experiment to blow up a US ship full of gunpowder in hopes of knocking down the fort's earthen parapets had happened at 1:40 am in the morning. the fort still stood.

At dawn, the 64-ship Union fleet moves into position to attack the fort., opening at 12:40 pm, in about an hour from now. The navy's five largest frigates ate on hand: Susquehannah, Wabash, Colorado, Powhattan and Minnesota. The Colorado alone mounted more guns than the whole fort.

Eventually, around 10,000 shells fired at Fisher. At dusk, the Union fleet withdraws to positions further out at sea.

The next day, the bombardment continued and troops were landed, but later taken off.

No entry tomorrow because of it being Sunday.

Merry Christmas. --Old B-R'er

Christmas in 1861: "The Young Ones Ransacked"

2011-12-24T10:28:00.003-06:00

From AP's This Week in the Civil War for week of December 25th. A look back 150 years ago.

The Trent Affair is still a major issue and Lincoln holds a cabinet meeting about it on Christmas Day. That evening, he presided over a Christmas party at the White House attempting some holiday cheer in the absence of his nation's "Peace on Earth."

The New York Herald-Tribune reported that churches were filled to overflowing on Christmas with lots of people out ice skating on frozen ponds and making merry.

"The little ones ransacked the repositories of Chris Kringle, shouted the elve's house with delight over treasures which the jolly old fellow had dropped on them over-night...and that after that the winged hours of the long Winter evening passed imperceptibly away, with song and dance, and jest and laugh, lightening the heart, and making each participant more happy and content with his burden, brightening the future with new hope."

Sounds Like a Good Christmas. --Old B-Runner

This Week in the War 150 Years Ago: Washington DC Under Blockade

2011-12-23T13:17:00.002-06:00

Also, at this time, the Confederacy had a blockade of the nation's capital along the Potomac River. Union vessels still were able to get by it, though according to AP reports Dec. 18th: "Some eight or ten schooners have run the blockade on the Potomac during the past forty-eight hours."

But, "The new batteries which the rebels have recently disclosed, show that it is their intention to make the blockade as effectual as they can."

Before these last several months, I was unaware that the Confederates had a blockade of their own along the Potomac, figuring that Union forces had immediately seized all ground on the south bank of the river.

You always hear of the Union blockade of the Southern coast, but here, the Confederates had their own little blockade going. And, the North had their own blockade-runners.

Stuff I Didn't Know. --Old B-Runner

This Week in the War 150 Years Ago: The Trent Affair Grows

2011-12-23T13:07:00.003-06:00

From AP. For the week beginning December 18th.

It is kind of neat to be looking at the events and realize they took place 150 years ago to these days. that is a real Civil War connection.

The diplomatic crisis with Britain called the Trent Affair just continued to get worse. Confederate envoys Slidell and Mason had been taken off the British ship Trent on Nov. 8th. The British government and people were outraged that such an offense to their neutrality took place.

The British government demanded an apology and immediate release of the Confederate commissioners. Lincoln and his cabinet knew that fighting another country would be a real bad thing right now.

The British Minister in Washington, DC, sent a message to the US Secretary of State Dec. 19th demanding a reply.

That reply came Dec. 27th and said the Confederates would be released and reparations paid.

Another War Averted. --Old B-R'er

Illinois, December 1861-- Part 2

2011-12-23T08:35:00.002-06:00

On December 10th, Fuller reported to Governor Richard Yates the numbers and locations of Illinois regiments in service.

17,400 were still in camps in Illinois training
60,540 overall were in service, most of whom that were already in the field were stationed in Missouri.

He was not happy about an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Illinois men who had enlisted in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa regiments, giving those states the numbers.

Yates wrote Dec. 12th, that during the past two weeks, the state had received 6,000 "new and superior arms and had distributed them to Illinois units "most exposed to the enemy."

The state had also taken delivery of a number of James rifled cannons. I imagine these were going to Illinois artillery units.

By the end of December, most every Illinois county had had one or more casualties in national service. The fourth-largest Illinois town, Springfield, had lost two in battle.

I was always of the opinion that the national government provided weapons to the state regiments.

The War Comes to Illinois. --Old B-Runner

Illinois, December 1861-- Part 1

2011-12-23T08:09:00.002-06:00

From the Illinois Civil War 150 site.

On November 11, 1861, Judge Allen C. Fuller of Belvidere was appointed adjutant general, Illinois' chief military administrator.

Thousands of volunteers were ar camps in Chicago (Douglas) and Springfeld (Butler) and not doing anything, many awaiting regimental organization while men hoping to be appointed officers were out trying to find more recruits to bring the unit up to regimental size.

Fuller determined to immediately organize these groups into regiments, first going to Camp Douglas and then to Camp Butler where he took the fragments and just put them together until he had enough soldiers for a regiment.

No doubt, this angered some of those men hoping to be officers.

By December, however, both camps were completely devoid of men awaiting assignment.

A Man of Motion. --Old B-R'er

Get Your Illinois Sesquicentennial Information Here

2011-12-23T07:42:00.002-06:00

The state of Illinois has opened a new website including a calendar of events, timeline of the Civil War and Illinois during the era.

Also, there are photos and documents and dozens of downloadable pdfs.

Worth checking out.

And You Thought Nothing Much Happened or Is Happening in Illinois for the Sesquicentennial. --Old B-Runner

Union Flags at Alsace Lutheran Cemetery

2011-12-22T12:39:00.004-06:00

From the Feb. 9, 2011, Reading (Pa) Eagle.

A year ago, 25 Betsy Ross flags were put on the graves of the 25 Revolutionary War veterans buried at the Alsace Lutheran Cemetery.

Recently Barry L. Kauffman, the superintendent of the cemetery and Neil Scheidt paid $4 each for 175 33-star variety ones flown at the time of Fort Sumter for the 154 Union soldiers buried there.

One was killed in action, five died of disease, one died in a train wreck after a battle and the rest lived to old age. It is believed that between eight and ten were wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Most were members of the Reading First Defenders (became part of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers) and the Ringgold Light Artillery, both units were among the first to answer Lincoln's call for volunteers in April 1861. They signed up for three months and most reenlisted.

One Little Part of History. Not Forgotten. --Old B-R'er

Fort Mason, Texas

2011-12-22T12:22:00.004-06:00

When Texas seceded in 1861, Robert E. Lee was stationed at Fort Mason in Texas in command of the Second US Cavalry. The fort is located northwest of Austin and San Antonio, built in 1851.

The post has a pre-Civil War connection to the conflict in that some twenty junior and field grade officers were stationed there who went on to become generals during the war including John Bell Hood, Lee, Albert Sidney Johnston, Earl van Dorn, Fitzhugh Lee, Kirby Smith and William J. Hardee on the Confederate side.

Twelve became Union generals including George H. Thomas.

The only remaining structure from Fort Mason is the officers quarters. Many of the homes surrounding the site were built of stone from the fort.

In 1862, the Confederates held 215 prisoners there under the suspicion of being Unionists.

During the course of the war, Indian attacks became more frequent.

Texas' Fort Mason. --Old B-Runner

Texas in the Civil War

2011-12-21T12:13:00.003-06:00

Fromthe State of Texas website.

** State cemetery in Austin with the ornate grave of General Albert Johnston

** Palmetto Ranch Battlefield, site of the last Civil War land battle.

** Comfort, Texas-- Treue der Union Monument-- oldest Texas Civil War monument. Burial site of Unionists killed at the Battle of the Nueces.

** Galveston-- Civil War monument commemorating the battle of Galveston and Juneteenth.

** Liendo Plantation in Hempstead was a wartime recruitment center and POW camp.

** Sabine Pass Battlefield state Historic Site, 15 miles south of Port Arthur.

** Sam Bell Maxey House in Paris. Home of the Confederate general, later US Senator.

And You didn't Think There Were Any Civil War Sites in Texas. --Old B-R'er

Ten Best Civil War Movies

2011-12-21T12:09:00.002-06:00

Another list, expanded, from the Screen Junkies.

1. Cold Mountain
2. Gone With the Wind
3. The Red Badge of Courage
4. Gods and Generals
5. Gettysburg

6. Glory
7. Shenandoah
8. Andersonville
9. Ride With the Devil
10. Birth of a Nation

I Can See Some Argumwents. --Old B-Runner

Five Best Civil War Movies

2011-12-20T13:04:00.001-06:00

By the Screen Junkies.

1. Birth of a Nation
2. The General
3. Glory
4. Gettysburg
5. Gone With the Wind

Alright. --Old B-R'er

Woman Returning Revolver to Museum

2011-12-20T12:48:00.003-06:00

From Jan. 18th CNN US News.

A Tennessee woman inherited a 36-calibre Spiller & Burr revolver that had belonged to George Washington Rains.

The woman inherited it from her late father.

David Taylor, a Civil War antique dealer in Sylvania, Ohio, was going to buy it from her and had agreed on a price, but the day before he was to drive to Knoxville to get it, he found a photo of it from the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. It was an exact match to the one stolen from the museum in 1975.

The woman is now returning it.

G.W. Rains and his older brother, Gabriel, are known as the "Bomb Brothers" for creating quite a few gunpowder weapons for the Confederacy. One was on the faculty of the USMA before the war.

The pistol is worth an estimated $50,000.

The 6-round revolver was not standard Confederate issue, one of about 1,450 made most likely in Macon, Georgia.

The brothers developed a modern process to prepare niter for gunpowder and oversaw the development of the Confederate Powder Works in Atlanta where contact fuses were developed by Gabriel. These were used in percussion mines.

The Right Thing to Do. --Old B-Runer

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago...Dec. 1861: Stone Fleet Sunk, Medal of Honor

2011-12-19T12:45:00.005-06:00

DECEMBER 17th-- Flag Officer Foote, commanding Navy on Western Waters, reminds officers that Sunday worship be observed and that officers more provide example "in morals, order and patriotism to secure these qualities in their men."

Seven ships in the "Stone Fleet" sunk at entrance to Savannah Harbor.

DECEMBER 19th-- Confederate forces demolished lighthouse on Morris Island.

DECEMBER 20th-- "Stone Fleet" sunk off Charleston Harbor by Captain C.H. Davis. I will write more about the "Stone Fleet" when I start the new blog Jan. 1st.

Steamer Gordon ran the blockade off Wilmington. I will always list any blockade activity off Wilmington, NC.

DECEMBER 21st-- US Congress authorized the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award.

DECEMBER 24th-- Confederate Secretary of the Navy, Mallory wrote General Polk to request troops be furloughed to asist in the construction or ironclads at Memphis. Throughout the war, find men to work on Confederate ships was a problem.

So, That's Why They Were Putting Rocks on Those Ships. --Old B-R'er

Things Heating Up back in January 1861-- Part 2

2011-12-19T12:07:00.005-06:00

The clerk from the Engineer Corps in Savannah alerted US Army Captain W.H.C. Whiting, Corps of Engineers, in charge of both Fort Pulaski and Fort Clinch in Florida about a movement by Georgia state troops to occupy Fort Pulaski, even though the state had not yet seceded.

Whiting, who later resigned and became a Confederate general (who helped design and defend Fort Fisher), proceeded quickly to Savannah and made this report to his superiors in Washington, DC:

"...This morning I proceeded to Fort Pulaski, which I found occupied by Colonel John Lawton. I was received with great civility, and informed by him that he held possession of all the Government property for the present, by order of the governor of the State, and intended to preserve it from loss or damage.

He requested a return of the public property, both Ordnance and Engineer, which I have given as existing January 1..."

Col. Alexander Lawton, the commander of the 1st Georgia Militia, had led a force of 150 men from the Savannah Volunteer Guard, Oglethorpe Light Infantry and Chatham Artillery aboard the steamer Ida and taken possession when Whiting arrived.

Lawton later became a Confederate brigadier general in charge of the defense of Georgia's coast. He later commanded a brigade in Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, Second Bull Run and was seriously wounded at Antietam. After a lengthy recovery, he became the Confederacy's second Quartermaster General.

In 1880, he became US senator from Georgia.

January 8th-- Possible first shots of the war fired at Fort Barrancas on Pensacola Bay, Florida.

January 9th-- The steamer Star of the West, under the employ of the US government was fired upon while approaching the besieged Fort Sumter garrison under Major Robert Anderson.

Hot Time in the Old Fort Tonight. --Old B-Runner

Things Heating Up Back in January 1861-- Part 1

2011-12-17T14:59:00.003-06:00

South Carolina had seceded and other southern states were following.

Staes were seizing Federal property within their borders.

Jan. 3rd-- Fort Pulaski, Georgia, seized by Georgia troops.
Mount Vernon Arsenal, Alabama, seized

Jan. 4th-- Fort Marion (Castillo de San Marcos) seized in St. Augustine, Florida.

Jan. 5th-- Alabama troops seize Fort Morgan at entrance to Mobile Bay.

Jan. 6th-- Apalachicola Arsenal, Florida, seized.

Hot Time in the Old Fort or Arsenal Tonight. --Old B-R'er

U.S. Grant's Papers Moved...to the South!

2011-12-17T13:58:00.002-06:00

From the Jan. 9, 2011, Jackson (Ms) Clarion-Ledger.

The papers of general and President U.S. Grant had been at Southern Illinois University for 44 years, but back on Dec. 2008, two moving vans arrived and carted off 15,000 feet of papers, documents and the Grant family Bible. They were moved to Mississippi State University.

The Grant Association has just finished the 32nd and last volume of the Grant papers which is expected to be printed this fall.

As Grant was writing his memoirs, he would make a note to himself to go back and check something. These little notes will also be included in the new edition. he was writing the memoir as he was facing financial problems due to bad business dealings and dying of cancer.

Several days after finishing his book (that only went through to the Civil War), he died in 1885. It became a best-seller.

Good Old Sam Grant. --Old B-Runner

Opening Action of War: The Star of the West Fired Upon

2011-12-16T08:55:00.005-06:00

From the Jan. 9th NJ Today.

The commander of the Star of the West, the vessel sent by Lincoln to relieve the beleaguered garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in the months leading up to the war, Captain John McGowan, is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey. The state's Sesquicentennial Committee hopes to restore his tombstone.

Cadet troops from Charleston's Citadel manned the guns that fired on the Star of the West. They were under the command of Major P.F. Stevens who credited Cadet George Edward Haynesworth for firing the first shot.

Stevens (1830-1910) is buried at Charleston, South Carolina's Magnolia Cemetery. Cadet Haynesworth (1841-1887) went on to become a judge in Sumter, SC, and was killed by gunfire in his court room. He is buried at the Sumter Cemetery.

Other persons with Civil War connections buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, NJ, are Stephen Crane (1871-1900) who wrote the book "The Red Badge of Courage" and two Medal of Honor winners: Rufus King and James Drake.

King won his Medal of Honor for action at White Oak Swamp Bridge, Virginia in 1862. Drake got his for bravery at Bermuda Hundred, Va., in 1864.

New Jersey's Evergreen Cemetery at Hillside. --Old B-R'er

"No Help Coming!": Message Decoded-- Part 2

2011-12-16T08:43:00.002-06:00

The code it was written in is called Vigenere cipher and is a century-old encryption. The letters of the alphabet are shifted a set number of places. In this case, an "a" became a "d".

This code was used often by Confederate forces. Too bad lee's orders at Antietam weren't in code.

It was Major General John W. Walker of the Texas Division. Captain William Smith was under his command.

The text:

Gen'l Pemperton

You can expect no help from this side of the river. Let Gen'l Johnston know, if possible, when you can attack the same point on the enemy's lines.

Inform me also and I will endeavor to make a diversion. I subjoin a despatch from General Johnston.

Obviously, Gen. Walker had no idea of the impending surrender when he sent it.

Too little, Too Late. --Old B-Runner

"No Help Coming!": Message Decoded-- Part 1

2011-12-16T08:31:00.003-06:00

"Civil War message opened, decoded: No help coming" by Steve Szkotak, AP.

A glass vial stopped with a cork has been opened and decoded. It was sent to Confederate General John C. Pemperton 147 years ago and told the general that no reinforcements were coming to help his besieged army at Vicksburg.

The encrypted six-line message was dated July 4, 1863. reinforcements on their way would have been of no use to Pemperton at the time as he surrendered to Grant that day.

It was from the Confederate general on the west side of the Mississippi River. The two-inch high bottle it was in sat in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia, undisturbed since 1896. It was a gift from Confederate Captain William A. Smith of King in George County who had served in the Vicksburg Campaign.

This past year, Collections manager Catherine M. Wright decided to investigate the bottle.

She and others at the museum tried to crack the code but were unsuccessful. Finally, retired CIA code breaker David Gaddy was able to figure it out after several weeks.

More to Come. --Old B-R'er

Civil War Naval Book

2011-12-16T08:14:00.002-06:00

"Strangling the Confederacy: Coastal Operations in the American Civil War" by Kevin Doughtry.

Book review from Jan. 3, 2011.

One of President Lincoln's first actions after Fort Sumter was fired upon, was to establish a blockade of the entire Confederate coast, no small feat considering the woefully unprepared US Navy at the time.

There were 3549 miles of coastline along with some 189 harbor and river openings.

Responsibility for accomplishing this task was up to secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles with able help from the Navy Board (also called the Blockade Board, Strategy Board and Committee in Conference).

Author Doughtry considers the Blockade to be one of the three campaigns that led to the Confederacy's demise along with the Vicksburg Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea.

The author details joint Army-Navy operations, which would include Fort Fisher.

looks Like a Book Worth Getting. --Old B-Runner

CSS Alabama Crew Member Buried in New Jersey-- Part 2

2011-12-15T08:32:00.003-06:00

I did some more research on Miles J. Freeman.He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Morristown, New Jersey. Another former Confederate buried there is Gen. Henry Harrison Walker.

After his capture when the Alabama sank, Freeman was held at Fort Warren, Massachusetts and after his release, worked as an engineer for a steamship line out of New York until his death in 1885.

I found quite a few photos of him, including one of him with Raphael Semmes (the Alabama's commander) and other officers aboard the Confederate raider CSS Sumter on which Freeman also served as chief engineer.

Freeman was born in 1832.

In 2005, a Confederate ditty bag belonging to him came up for sale. It had his name stenciled on it, along with C.S.N. and a crossed cannon and anchor. I was unable to find out how much it sold for.

The information from the previous post came from the New Jersey Civil War site.

Stuff You Just Don't Know. --Old B-R'er

CSS Alabama Crew Member Buried in New Jersey-- Part 1

2011-12-15T08:08:00.004-06:00

From the August 31, 2010, Civil War Interactive Blog.

Even though the ship never anchored in a southern port, one of its crew members, Miles J. Freeman, ended up being buried in Grave #114, Section 16 in Evergreen Cemetery.

He served as the Chief Engineer on the Alabama.

Freeman was born in Wales and educated in Scotland and had been a crewman on a British ship in New Orleans when he joined the Confederate Navy. After the CSS Alabama was sunk by the USS Kearsarge off France in 1864, he was captured and held prisoner until June 1865.

Roll, Alabama. --Old B-Runner

Pensacola Erupted in Shot, Shell-- Part 2

2011-12-14T10:41:00.003-06:00

Things really got hot in November. Fort Pickens began heavy shelling of Confederate Forts Barrancas and McRee along with warships USS Niagara and USS Richmond.

By Nov. 22nd, McRee had been silenced. By Nov. 23rd, the buildings at Warrenton, next to the Navy yard, were ablaze. Flames spread to the nearby village of Woolsey.

Bragg estimated the Federals fired 5,000 shots in the two day bombardment. His forces replied with 1,000.

LATER ON

Fort McRee exploded during a second artillery duel Jan. 1-2, 1862. After that, Bragg was ordered to evacuate Pensacola and left with his 10,000 troops. Before leaving, he spiked the guns, destroyed all machinery and broke up the railroads along with burning Forts McRee and Barrancas.

Goodbye Pensacola. And, Bragg Was There. --Old B-R'er

Pensacola Erupted in Shot, Shell-- Part 1

2011-12-14T10:30:00.004-06:00

From the Nov. 11th Pensacola News Journal "Bowden: Pensacola erupted in shot, shell and despair."

Pensacola, Florida, Harbor had been in stalemate since the opening acts of the war for the most part, but things were about to heat up.

Forts Barrancas and Pickens exchanged shots.

General Braxton Bragg lost the Navy Yard dry dock when the tow-line broke and it floated into Union hands was burned September 2, 1861.

September 13-14, 100 Union raiders burned the Confederate schooner William H. Judah being outfitted as a privateer in the former US Navy Yard after a hand-to-hand 15-minute encounter.

In retaliation, Confederates launch a night landing east of Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island. Three US Marines were killed and 13 wounded. Three Confederates also died.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

CSS Peedee Torched and Blown Up

2011-12-14T10:21:00.002-06:00

From Dec. 21, 2010 CNN.

The CSS Peedee was unable to reach open water in the Atlantic because Union forces had occupied Georgetown, SC, on the coast.

The vessel was built at the Mars Bluff Confederate Navy Yard on the Pee Dee River. The Peedee did fire a couple shots at Union forces before it was torched and blown up March 15, 1865.

No contemporary photos are drawings exist, but the ship was believed to have been 150-170 feet long.

Before the ship was sunk, its cannons were thrown overboard into the Pee Dee River, about a mile from the wreckage. Mars Bluff Navy Yard has never been located itself, but is believed to be another mile above the wreckage.

The ship's propeller is at the Florence Museum in South Carolina. The Mars Bluff Navy Yard built two at least two other ships. One was a steam tender and the other a torpedo boat.

Where's the Yard? --Old B-R'er

DC's Congressional Cemetery Has Assassination Involvement

2011-12-14T10:07:00.001-06:00

From the 2007 Washington Times "Mother Don't You Know Me?" by Steve Hammond. I also wrote about it 7-5-11, 7-9-11, 7-12-11 and 7-13-11.

Elizabeth Herold died in 1902 and is buried above her brother David Herold's casket. he was one of the Lincoln assassination conspirators who had been originally buried on the grounds of Fort McNair, where he was hanged. In 1869, his family had him exhumed and reinterred at the Congressional Cemetery in an unmarked grave for fear of vandalism.

Seven others at Ford's Theater that night when Lincoln was killed are also buried at the cemetery, including the doorkeeper, usher, two audience members, two orchestra members and one member of the box office staff.

Other people connected to the assassination include a man who was wounded defending Secretary of State Seward from Lewis Powell, the man who rented John Wilkes Booth a horse that night, the owner of the Star Saloon where Booth had a drink before killing Lincoln, a police officer who helped carry Lincoln to the Peterson House, two of the 16 doctors who tended Lincoln and there men involved in the president's embalming and undertaking.

Next Time in DC, That's Where I'm Going. --Old B-Runner

Cannon Place in Troy, NY

2011-12-13T09:22:00.002-06:00

From the Dec. 9th Times Union "Cannon Place in Le Grand Building" by Don Rittner.

The building is located on Monument Square in downtown Troy, New York. The building opened Jan. 1, 1831 on the site of the popular Bull's Head Tavern and housed eight stores and was four stories high.

Le Grand Cannon came to Troy from Connecticut and established the Conduit Company of Troy, supplying water. Later he was president of the Rensselaer Saratoga Railroad.

In 1846, he established the Le Grand Cannon & Co., a rolling mill that later became the Rensselaer Iron Works which made the rivets as well as other items for the USS Monitor.

His son, Leland Bouton Cannon was born in 1815 and was involved in various transportation companies as an adult.

In 1838, he was an aide to general John E. Wool of Troy and became a colonel at Fortress Monroe. During the Civil War, Cannon wrote a report on the escaped slaves flocking to the fort and carried out orders that led to the effective emancipation of former slaves some four months before the Emancipation Proclamation.

He was a witness to the monumental battle between the Monitor and the Virginia.

After the war, he purchased the old Fort St. Frederick on Lake Champlain and restored it. He died at age 91 in 1906.

In 1970, the Cannon Building was added to the NRHP.

A Real Monitor Thing. --Old B-R'er

The C&O Canal Really on the Border During the War

2011-12-13T09:05:00.003-06:00

From the Dec, 6th Washington Post, by Carolyn Reader.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal followed the Potomac River along the Maryland shore, putting it right in the path of both armies during the conflict. During the war, Union forces were routinely camped along the canal to keep Confederates from disrupting it.

There was a big fear that the banks would be cut and water drained out or the canal boats sunk as obstructions. The canal stretched 184 miles from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown. Boats carrying coal to be used on Union warships was carried in the canal boats as well as grain for horses and bread.

During December 1861, Confederate forces under Stonewall Jackson tried several times to destroy it by bombardment and even wading into the cold water to hack at it.

From Wikipedia. The C&O operated from 1831 to 1924 and used 74 locks to enable boats to travel the 605-foot elevation change. In addition, 150 culverts were constructed for smaller streams and 11 aqueducts for rivers (10 remain).

Something You Don't Think Of. --Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: "More Effectively Closed Than a Bottle with Wire Over the Cork"

2011-12-12T07:57:00.004-06:00

From the Civil War Naval Chronology.

DECEMBER 2, 1861-- Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles' first annual report to Lincoln reports that 153 vessels captured, mostly running the blockade. With vessels now building and purchased, the Navy will have 264 ships, 2,557 guns and 218,016 tons. Seamen in service now not less than 22,000.

"The amount appropriated at the last regular session of Congress for the naval service for the current year was $13,168,675.86. To this was added at the special session in July last $30,446,875.91...The sum will not be sufficient...."

(So Welles reported big growth to the US Navy as well as success in the blockade, but even with more money, more was needed.)

DECEMBER 5, 1861-- Flag Officer DuPont reports a successful expedition to Wassaw Sound, Ga..

The "Stone Fleet" is off Savannah, but he regards "that city is more effectively closed than a bottle with a wire over the cork...." He was going to see if the fleet could be used at Charleston.

(The Stone Fleet were old whaling ships loaded with stones supposed to be sunk off a Confederate port to close it.)

DECEMBER 15, 1861-- USS Jamestown captured Confederate sloop Havelock near Cape Fear, NC.

There were more things happening, but these would be ones of interest to me.

(There were more captures, but I am just reporting on the ones by Wilmington, NC.)

A Sesquicentennial Thing. --Old B-Runner

Lack of Northern Civil War Knowledge-- Part 2

2011-12-12T07:45:00.002-06:00

The two major groups of Civil War descendants, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV)and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) are another example of northern disinterest. The SCV has 30,000 members, despite having quite a bit fewer Confederates they are descended from. The SUVCW has 6,000.

Southerners tend to know their Civil War ancestors, northerners don't.

BIT, NOT SO IN FRAMINGHAM

Framingham, Massachusetts claims that the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first sung there. The town is planning a celebration of the event at Harmony Grove where many anti-slavery rallies were held and where William Lloyd Garrison burned a copy of the US Constitution calling it a "Pact with the Devil."

The town also plans to raise $1 million to restore a Civil War memorial building honoring Framingham soldiers killed in the war and to display a flag that had been carried at Antietam and Gettysburg. It was discovered in the 1990s after being forgotten in a case for 90 years.

The general mentioned in the first entry was Framingham's Goerge H. Gordon who raised the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

So, That's the Guy. --Old B-R'er

Lack of Northern Civil War Knowledge-- Part 1

2011-12-12T07:30:00.002-06:00

From April 17th AP "In North, Civil War sites, events long 'forgotten'" by Russell Contreras.

The grave site of a Union major general sits forgotten in a small cemetery along the Massachusetts turnpike.

A library in a Boston suburb has pieces of the coat Lincoln was wearing when he was shot that is rarely seen.

A monument to one of the first black units is at a busy intersection in front of the Massachusetts statehouse stands rarely noticed.

Southern states are doing a lot more for the Civil War's sesquicentennial. The effort is scant or non-existent in the North.

Massachusetts sent 150,000 troops to the war and was the home of the most radical abolitionists. And yet, the state is doing little to commemorate the war.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

Dubuque, Iowa's Role in the War

2011-12-09T15:50:00.002-06:00

From the April 15th Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald.

Dubuque was the home of two medal of Honor winners: Francis J. Herron who won his at the Battle of Pea Ridge and George W. Healey, who captured 7 Confederates July 29, 1864, at Newman, Georgia. He himself was later captured and imprisoned at Andersonville.

From the April 13th Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.

Dubuque had a training facility for local troops.

The first one was at Camp Union located on the bottomland adjacent to lake Peosta on the Mississippi River. It opened for instruction in August 1861. The 9th and 12th Iowa were recruited and trained there.

By September, there were some 600 soldiers there and ten barracks. It closed December 1861, but reopened again in July 1862 as Camp Franklin. The 21st, 27th, 32nd and 38th Iowa regiments trained there.

A total of 120 men in the 21st were from Dubuque.

Soldiers from Grant County later became part of the Iron Brigade and trained at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Hawkeyes getting Into It. --Old B-R'er

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: Hot Time in Old Pensacola

2011-12-09T15:31:00.004-06:00

END OF NOVEMBER 1861

WAY OUT WEST-- Nov. 14th-- US cutter Mary seized Confederate privateer Nova off San Francisco. I had no idea there was action out in California.

HOT TIME IN OLD PENSACOLA-- Nov. 22nd Two days of heavy bombardment began from USS Niagara and USS Richmond and Fort Pickens against Confederate Fort McRee, the Pensacola Navy Yard and the town of Warrenton. Confederate defenses damaged as well as USS Richmond.

Also on the 22nd, the USMC authorized to enlist an additional 500 privates and a proportionate number of officers.

TYBEE SEIZED-- Nov. 24th Landing parties from US ships take possession of Tybee Island, Georgia on the Savannah River. Wrote Flag officer DuPont, "This abandonment of Tybee Island is due to the terror inspired by the bombardment of Forts Walker and Beauregard and is a direct fruit of the victory of the 7th [capture of Port Royal Sound].

GETTING EXPENSIVE-- Nov. 26th Wrote DuPont "The flag is hoisted on the lighthouse and martello tower at Tybee...Shoes are $8 a pair in Charleston. Salt $7 a bushel, no coffee--women going to the interior--[Captain James I.] Lardner has closed the port so effectively that they can no longer get fish even." Well, that might be exaggerating just a bit.

It's a Navy Thing. You Wouldn't Understand. --Old B-Runner

Macon, Georgia's Cannonball House-- Part 2

2011-12-08T07:50:00.003-06:00

The mansion was owned by Judge Asa Holt and built in 1853 on the heights overlooking Macon on Mulberry Street. Eyewitnesses to the hit said the cannonball first hit a sand sidewalk, bounced up and through the column and into the home.

Traces can still be seen on the repainted column, the patched parlor plaster and a large dent in the floor.

Stoneman and his men were captured a few days later.

The Holt family left Macon after the incident and moved to their farm in Jefferson County, which put them right in the path of Sherman's March to the Sea. Sometimes you just can't stay out of the war.

When Sherman's Army came through, livestock at the farm were killed, barns burned, food and goods stolen and even the well bucket was destroyed to make it difficult to get water from it.

Sherman's troops were sure that there must be gold and treasure hidden somewhere on the property and hanged Judge Holt from a tree to force him to reveal the location. They repeated the hanging three times until the judge passed out, but servants were able to revive him.

His mansion in Macon is now owned by the Sidney Lanier Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy at 856 Mulberry Street.

There is also a cannon on the grounds made at the Macon Arsenal in 1864.

What Did the North Have Against the Judge? --Old B-R'er

Macon, Georgia's Cannonball House-- Part 1

2011-12-08T07:37:00.004-06:00

A few months ago, I wrote about problems regarding the collection at the Cannonball House in Macon, Georgia. Here is some more information about it as provided by Dale Cox in his Explore Southern History Blog an excellent source for history. he also has several other blogs, including my favorite one about the Civil War in Florida, an oft-overlooked aspect of the war. He has also written several Civil War books.

A cannonball fired by Union batteries crashed into the house during the Battle of Dunlap Hill on July 30, 1862. It was fired from across the Ocmulgee River and struck the left middle column out front of the mansion before crashing into the house and landing on the hall floor.

This was part of the intentional firing on civilian targets by Union Brigadier General George Stoneman. His expedition was an attempt to rescue Union prisoners from Camp Oglethorpe and Camp Sumter at Andersonville.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

Pearl Harbor During the Civil War-- Part 2

2011-12-07T11:13:00.004-06:00

During the 1820s and 1830s, many American warships stopped in Hawaii.

In 1843, a British ship commander took it upon himself to take the islands in the name of Britain in what became known as the Paulet Affair, but the British government disavowed it. Britain and France later recognized the independence of Hawaii, but the US did not.

In 1849, the French invaded. Hawaiian King Kamehamcha II, under American influence drew up a deal of cessation to the US which was dropped after the French withdrew.

After the conclusion of the Civil War and the acquisition of Alaska and a big increase in Pacific trade, control of Hawaii became more and more important to the US.

One warship was assigned to constantly patrol Hawaiian waters. For awhile, it was the USS Lackawanna, which had been at the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864 where it had rammed the Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee.

It Is Also the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War and Tenth of 9-11. --Old B-R'er

Pearl Harbor During the Civil War-- Part 1

2011-12-07T11:04:00.002-06:00

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands, an event that plunged the United States into World War II.

It is amazing that the attack came as a surprise. It is too bad no one picked up on it before all those people had to die.

The Hawaiian Islands and Pearl Harbor had been of interest to the United States as far back as the 19t century. With increasing American trade in the Pacific and especially after the purchase of Alaska, the importance of having a military presence in Hawaii became more and more important.

From Wikipedia.

Pearl Harbor was known to Hawaiians as Pu'uloa and is a lagoon harbor. In the 19th century, large ships did not use it because of the shallowness of the entrance. But US interest grew in the area as whaling and trading in the Pacific grew.

By 1820, there was an "Agent of the U.S. for Commerce and Seamen" located in the nearby Port of Honolulu.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: Iron Plates and Flames

2011-12-06T08:58:00.002-06:00

Along with "The Trent Affair" this was also going on back in late November 1861.

NOVEMBER 25TH-- The Confederate Navy department accepted a shipment of iron plates for the CSS Virginia under construction at Norfolk Navy Yard. A blockade-runner was captured near North Edisto, SC and the CSS Sumter captured a northern vessel.

In Boston, the San Jacinto's Captain Charles Wilkes was honored at a banquet for capturing Mason and Slidell.

NOVEMBER 27TH-- In the North, a day of Thanksgiving was observed.

Around Port Royal Sound, federal authorities ordered that all crops in the area were to be taken into Union possession. Furthermore, slaves were to be used for the purpose and also to work on military installations.

NOVEMBER 29TH-- Flames were visible all along the coast near Charleston as cotton was burned. The Charleston Mercury opined, "Let the torch be applied wherever the invader pollutes our soil."

That Long Ago. --Old B-Runner

Outrage on the British Flag-- Part 2

2011-12-06T08:50:00.002-06:00

On November 30, 1861, a letter was sent to Great Britain's minister to the US, Lord Lyons, from the British Foreign Secretary, Lord John Russell, expressing extreme displeasure at the seizure of Mason and Slidell.

The Royal Navy was put on alert but under orders to avoid hostilities with the United States.

Lord Lyons was instructed to be ready to leave Washington, DC, soon if there was no redress of "The Trent Affair."

What was the Lincoln administration to do?

Things Are Heating Up. --Old B-R'er

Desecrating a Cemetery in the Civil War

2011-12-06T08:39:00.003-06:00

From the October 16th Savannah Morning News "A walk through Savannah's Civil War Colonial Park Cemetery" by Richard Burkhart.

"Our cemetery is desecrated with their fortifications. The Yankees have broken open the doors of the vaults and, in one instance that I know of, the coffin of a lady was opened and a cross and chain stolen from her body. Surely such men are not human." Thus wrote one person from the city.

In December, 1864, some 60,000 Union troops and several thousand former slaves entered Savannah and had to find places to stay.

Colonial Park Cemetery became the temporary home for some of them. The cemetery had fallen into neglect some time before the occupation, but its high walls made it hard for Union officers to see and know what was going on inside the property.

December 1864 was a very cold one in Savannah and many vaults were opened for use as shelter.

Some of the Union soldiers spent idle time by altering dates and ages on the tombstones. One person became 421 years old.

Something You Don't Think About. --Old B-Runner

Outrage On the British Flag-- Part 1

2011-12-05T18:37:00.004-06:00

From the Dec. 1st Rappahannock News "150 Years Ago This Week" 'Outrage on the British Flag' Nov. 1861"

Union forces landed on Tybee Island, Georgia, on the Savannah River, in Sunday, Nov. 24th. They now controlled the entrance to the harbor and they now had a foothold for an attack on Fort Pulaski.

The USS San Jacinto arrived in Boston carrying captured Confederate Commissioners James Mason and John Slidell forcibly taken from the British ship Trent. They were imprisoned in Fort Warren in Boston Harbor.

Lincoln and his cabinet met about what was becoming known as "The Trent Affair."

News of the capture of Slidell and Mason reached Great Britain on Wednesday, Nov. 27th and word spread rapidly setting off a wave if indignation and infuriation. Newspapers headlines screamed "Outrage to the British Flag!"

More to Come. --Old B-R'er

Christmas During the Civil War

2011-12-05T18:25:00.003-06:00

From the Dec. 4th Newark (Ohio) Advocate "Christmas was different in the 1860s" by Dan Flemming.

Christmas back 150 years ago was much different from what it is today, but, it was beginning to take on the trappings.

An 1861 newspaper had an advertisement for John Koos's Confectionery in Newark:

"Santa Claus has arrived and left his budget of toys, and a finer display of goods and 'fancy fixin' never lit down in Newark before."

As will be seen by the life-size portrait in Koos's window the old man has a choice supply of wooden, tin and fancy toys for little folks, and since Koos has paid cash for them he intends to sell cheaper than can be bought anywhere in the city.

Attention is also called to the large stock of candy toys manufactured by Koos himself and sold CHEAPER THAN EVER BEFORE, either at wholesale or retail. So let lovers of good things show their good taste in buying their tasty fixins for the holiday at Koos's Confectionery, one door east of the post office."

I'll Discuss the Ad Tomorrow. --Old B-Runner

It's a Holiday Open House at Fort Fisher

2011-12-03T09:13:00.003-06:00

This Tuesday, December 6th from 10 to 5.

Seasonal refreshments and entertainment will be provided and the museum will be decorated.

The Leland Christian Academy elementary school band will perform at 11 am. At noon, songs and stories of blockade-runners (Hey, that's me!) by noted historian and singer John Golden (AKA Captain Roberts) will follow at noon.

Then actor/interpreter Joyce Grear (AKA Harriet "Moses" Tubman will tell stories of the black experience in the Cape Fear area associated with Christmas.

The Murray Middle School Jazz Band will perform holiday selections at 1:30.

Special discounts are available at the Fort Fisher Museum store. The event is sponsored jointly by the Friends of Fort Fisher (to which I belong) and the Fort Fisher Chapter No. 2325 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

I'd sure like to be there, but alas, live too far away. And, I really should not go near that museum store.

A Good Time at the Fort. --Old B-Runner

Knoxville's Fort Dickerson

2011-12-03T08:59:00.003-06:00

From KnoxvilleNews.com "Fort Dickerson offers living history weekend." Well, it already happened, but I don't know much about Civil War actions around Knoxville.

The Knoxville Civil War Round Table announced their annual Fort Dickerson Days at the Fort Dickerson Park in South Knoxville in honor of the 148th anniversary of the Siege of Knoxville.

At one time, sixteen earthen forts ringed the city.

Fort Dickerson was named for fallen Union Ar,y Captain Jonathan C. Dickerson who died in action near Cleveland, Tennessee.

The Siege of Knoxville was broken when Confederate General Longstreet's army was defeated at Fort Sanders Nov. 29, 1863. Only Dickerson and two other forts, Stanley and Higley still survive.

Save the Fort. --Old B-R'er

Detroit's GAR Building Gets New Life

2011-12-03T08:44:00.002-06:00

From the Nov. 4th Detroit Free Press "Historic Grand Army of the Republic building Detroit to be given new life."

Brothers Tom and David Carleton and partner Sean Emery have bought the historic Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Hall at Cass and Grand River streets from the City of Detroit for $220,000.

They plan on reopening the building in 2013 after a $2-3 million renovation. Part of it will be used for their multi media production firm, Mindfield, on the top two floors and want the ground floor to be let out to a retail or restaurant operation.

Some space will remain a Civil War memorial. The building was designed by architect Julius Hess in the castle-like Romanesque style that was popular in 1899. As a GAR Hall, it was used for meetings and had other uses later until the building closed some 30 years ago. There has been much damage since then.

The building's location, just 1000 feet from the MGM Grand Detroit Casino definitely helps as well.

The Carleton brothers had two ancestors who fought for the Union Army.

A photo accompanied the article of the brothers and partner crossing the street in front of the building in a Beatlesque Abbey Road style.

Always Good to Save Any Historic Building of Architectural Significance. --Old B-Runner

The Greatest Civil War Battle You've Never Heard Of

2011-12-02T16:54:00.002-06:00

I came across a blog called Seduced By History by McKenna Darby. The battle he was referring to was none other than my battle, that would be Fort Fisher. Sad, but true, most people know little about it and it was a big and important one despite the fact the Confederacy was a pretty-much Gone With the Wind country by early 1865.

McKenna Darby first visited Fort Fisher thirty years ago and it has become the background for his manuscript Traitor to Love.

I took a look at the comments and many people had also never heard of Fort Fisher.

Hey Folks...Fort Fisher...BIG DEAL!! --Old B-R'er

A New Blog Next Year

2011-12-01T20:30:00.006-06:00

Right now I'm thinking about launching a new blog off this one at the start of next year.

It will be called "Running the Blockade" and will concentrate on the naval side of the war and Fort Fisher, of course. This would also include any forts built to engage enemy ships and the Wilmington Campaign.

This one will then become a catchall for other Civil War items I find of interest. I expect the new one to be the major one of the two. This one will probably have 10-15 entries each month. The other one around 30.

I was thinking about just changing this one's name to "Running the Blockade" and continue with all things Civil War, but I think a new one is a better idea.

Somebody Talk Me Out of IT!!

One More Bloomin' Time-Consumin' Thing. --Old B-Runner

The Civil War's "Kitty Hawk" Moment-- Part 2

2011-11-30T07:35:00.003-06:00

Mike Boehme, director of the Virginia Aviation Museum said, "This was the first time that opposing air forces were facing each other."

Today, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), a nonprofit group devoted to saving battlefields, is seeking to save the ground where the Union balloons were launched. Little of the original Gaines Mill Battlefield has been preserved, but the 285-acre slice of it the group wants to save includes the ravine that shielded the balloons from Confederate fire.

Gaines Mill was one of the biggest and bloodiest battles where Confederate General Robert E. Lee recorded his first victory on June 27, 1862, which led to the Seven Days battles which turned away Union forces trying to capture Richmond.

The CWPT's Rob Shenk was attending a Civil War ballooning presentation when he realized that the launch site was part of the land the group was about to save.

Until the war, balloons were mostly a fair attraction. Come the war, New Englander Thaddeus Lowe became the Father of military aerial reconnaissance by dazzling President Lincoln with the balloon possibilities.

There Is No Place Like Home. --Old B-R'er

North Carolina's New Tool for Teaching the Civil War

2011-11-30T07:17:00.003-06:00

From the Nov. 28th Goldsboro (NC) News-Argus.

State students will have a new way to link classroom lessons about the war to actual sites in the state.

The Division of State Historic Sites has launched The North Carolina Civil War Experience to that effect.

A website for teachers offers activities and lesson plans (hopefully with those worrisome state goals included) to twelve state sites like Bentonville Battlefield (about fifteen miles from where I sit) and my favorite, Fort Fisher. I'm sure Bennett House is also on the list.

It is designed for eighth graders, but the materials can be adapted for high school.

Too Bad I Don't Teach Anymore. Not Really. --Old B-Runner

Nancy Bennett's Civil War-- Part 3:

2011-11-29T21:45:00.002-06:00

War came to North Carolina and their fortunes change. One son, Lorenzo and his business partner join the Hillsborough Orange Guards> Daughter Eliza's husband, Robert Duke, joins the 46th North Carolina and they leave the family.

None of them return. Lorenzo and his business partner die of disease and are buried in Virginia. Robert Duke dies in a Virginia hospital. Son Alphonso also dies from sickness in the spring of 1863.
On a beautiful spring day, April 17, 1865, the remaining Bennetts (daughter Eliza had moved back in with her mother and father) hear hoofbeats coming up the road. A party of riders are approaching with a white flag of truce.

The war has taken her sons, her daughter's husband and wrecked the small degree of prosperity they had enjoyed, and now Union General Sherman and Confederate General Johnston want to use their home to draw up surrender terms.

General Johnston then surrenders the last major Confederate Army in the east to Sherman, and the war for all practical aspects,is over.

Today, their home is a NC State Historical Site.

The War's Effect On Regular Folk. --Old B-Runner

The Civil War's "Kitty Hawk" Moment-- Part 1

2011-11-27T09:05:00.002-06:00

From the Nov. 27th Goldsboro News-Argus "Nonprofit aims to preserve Civil War's 'Kitty Hawk' moment" by AP.

It happened June 27, 1862, at the Civil War Battle of Gaines' Mill, part of the Seven Days Battles, when both Union and Confederate aeronauts took to the skies simultaneously for the first time.

Two Union balloons, the Washington and Intrepid were launched and their Confederate enemy balloon, the Gazelle, also took to the skies. All were up there to observe enemy movements from 1,000 feet high.

"You had the Confederate balloon up and the Union balloons up, all trying to exploit the advantages of being above and over the battlefield and providing tactical information to their respective generals," says Mike Boehne, director of the Virginia Aviation Museum.

Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon. --Old B-Runner

Nancy Bennett's Civil War-- Part 2: A Hard Life

2011-11-25T07:04:00.002-06:00

She and her husband James struggled during their early years together. He worked as a sharecropper and then a tenant farmer until they scraped together enough money to buy a 325-acre farm on the Raleigh-Hillsborough Road in 1846 when he was 40. They were in debt, but sold half the land to pay it off.

Their farm was small, but the land fertile. They were what is called yeoman farmers. They grow potatoes, melons, corn and oats, raise chickens, hogs and have two milk cows. Being on the road, they take in travelers for one dollar which gets a bed, breakfast and supper.

They have two sons and a daughter.

When war comes, the two sons and a son-in-law join the Confederate army.

More to Come. --Old B-R'er

Nancy Bennett's Civil War-- Part 1: Nothing to Gain

2011-11-25T06:40:00.004-06:00

From the December Our State Magazine "The Women's War" by Philip Gerard. Mr. Gerard has been writing a series of articles in the magazine to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the war. This was Volume 1, Part 8.

This is an interesting account of the hardships faced by those who were left at home and approached it both from the experience of females from the plantations and those from lesser means.

"With millions of young men lost in--or lost to--battle and economic calamity a relentless opponent, women are forced into new roles: farmers, mill workers, entrepreneurs, even rioters. Daily realities of survival, fear, danger and desperation are just some of a war's challenges that transcend class and social status."

"Nancy Leigh Pierson Bennett has absolutely nothing to gain from the war.

"She and her husband own no slaves. She has expressed no public political convictions. The federal government in Washington is virtually irrelevant to her Piedmont North Carolina life, which is defined by hard work and a close-knit family. The compass of her life is limited. She does not travel and has no financial holdings affected by the tariff wars or lofty debates about states' rights."

I copied the start verbatim as it pretty well sums up what befell a majority of southern women.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner