Fort Delaware

I wrote about improvements to be made at this fort in my last post.

From Wikipedia.

A former harbor defense facility designed by U.S. Army Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.

During the Civil War, it was used as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts and privateer officers.

In the 1890s, a three-gun concrete battery of 12-inch guns named Battery Torbert was erected in the  fort.  By 1900, the fort was a part of a three-fort concept, the first forts of the Coast Defenses of Delaware,  working in conjunction with Fort Mott in Pennsville, New Jersey, and Fort DuPont in Delaware City, Delaware.

--Old Secesh

Thomas B. Aumack-- Part 2: Died of Dysentery

From the Find A Grave site.

THOMAS B. AUMACK

BIRTH:  May 9, 1844

DEATH:  13 October 1862 (age 18)  He must have lied about his age at enlistment.

BURIAL:  Aumack Family Burying Ground, Hazlet, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Enlisted at Brooklyn age 19.  Mustered in as a private with Company C, 87th New York Infantry on November 5, 1861, discharged with dysentery on  September 23, 1862, at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Thomas Baily Aumack, son of  William Hoff and  Catherine (Bailey) Aumack, born May 9, 1844, and died  October 13, 1862, aged 18 years, 5 months and 4 days.

The numbers don't match up.

--Old Secesh

Thomas B. Aumack, Wounded at Antietam, Died Soon Afterwards

I have been writing about a cemetery in Hazlet, New Jersey, in my Not So Forgotten: The War of 1812 blog, where two War of 1812, one American Revolution and this soldier from the Civil War are buried.  The cemetery, a small family one, had fallen into disrepair until recently.  The article was "Desecrated cemetery, lost grave of  18-year-old war hero getting restored in Hazlet."

The Civil War soldier buried there was Thomas B. Aumack.  This is what the article said about him:

"Thomas Bailey Aumack was 17 years old when he enlisted to fight for the Union in the Civil War.    The Bayshore native  was mustered into the 87th New York Infantry in November of 1861.  Less than a  year later, he was dead, one of 620,000  lives lost in America's bloodiest conflict."

He is buried in the Aumack Family Cemetery in Hazlet, New Jersey, with quite a few other Aumacks.  However, many more of the Aumack family are buried at Cedarwood Cemetery in Hazlet.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 5: William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt

Continued from June 3.

President McKinley returned to Antietam Battlefield  on May 30, 1900, Memorial Day, to deliver  an address at the unveiling of the Maryland State Monument.  Interestingly, among McKinley's guests of honor  were Mr. and Mrs James Longstreet.

The next president to visit was  McKinley's successor, the old Rough Rider himself, Theodore Roosevelt.  Born in 1858, he was obviously too young to serve in the Civil War, but he did vividly remember watching the Lincoln funeral procession making its way through the streets of New York from his parents' bedroom window in April 1865.

Roosevelt visited Antietam Battlefield on September 17, 1903, to deliver a speech at the dedication of New Jersey's state monument.

--Old Secesh

Historic Civil War Flags on Display in Trenton

From the December 30, 20215, (Princeton, N.J.) Town Topics.

The New Jersey State Museum unveiled 100 flags carried by New Jersey troops on Wednesday, Dec. 30.  These are some of the most distinctive in the collection which have not been on display in a number of years.

Among them are the National Colors of the 3rd and 15th New jersey regiments, the guidon of the 3rd NJ Cavalry, the state colors of the 33rd and a rare General McAllister's headquarters flag of the Second New Jersey Brigade.

Over 20 members of the 15th NJ color guard were killed or wounded in 1864.  The 33rd NJ flag was captured by Confederates at the Battle of Atlanta in July 1864 and then recaptured by New Jersey troops in North Carolina in May 1865.

The gallery also has a rotating Civil War exhibit featuring firearms, equipment, photos and documents.

The museum is located at 225 West State Street in Trenton.

--Old Secesh

New Jersey's Fort Mott Named for Civil War General-- Part 2

Gershom Mott was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Amelia Springs, three days before Lee's surrender.  Throughout the war, Mott earned a reputation for competency and bravery.

On December 1, 1865, he was promoted to major general, but resigned his volunteer commission Feb. 20, 1866.  In 1868, he was offered a commission as a colonel in the regular army, but declined it.

Later, he served as state treasurer, warden of the New Jersey prison system, major general and commander of the New Jersey National Guard from 1873 to 1884.  He died in 1884 in New York City and is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, New Jersey.

Fort Mott in New Jersey was named for him.  It is part of a three-fort defense system designed to protect the Delaware River built following the Civil War.  The other two are Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island and Fort Du Pont in Delaware City, Delaware.

Quite a Man.  --Old Secesh

New Jersey's Fort Mott Named for Civil War General-- Part 1

From the May 21, 2012, Gluchester (NJ) County Times by Kelly Roncace.

Gershom Mott was born in Lamberton, NJ, in 1822 and was a 2nd Lt. in the 10th US Infantry in the Mexican War.  In the Civil War, he was appointed Lt. Col. of the 5th New Jersey Infantry.

After the Battle of Williamsburg, he was appointed colonel and commanded the 6th New Jersey.  Commended for bravery at Battle of Seven Pines, he was severely wounded at Second Bull Run and promoted to brigadier general for bravery.

Returning to the Army after recuperation, he led his brigade at the Battle of Chancellorsville where he was wounded again and missed the Battle of Gettysburg.

It sounds like this was a leader who actually led his men into action on the battlefield.

In the fall of 1863, he led his brigade at Bristoe and in the Mine River Campaign.  Later, he was one of the few officers to be commended at the debacle of the Crater.

A Leader Who Led By Example.  --Old Secesh

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

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

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

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

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