RoadTrippin' Time, Chillicothe's Grandview Cemetery

In my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog I have been writing about the 27th USCT (United States Colored Troops) Infantry Regiment which took part in the Battle of Fort Fisher.

I found that two members of the 27th had a last name of Butler and were buried in Grandview Cemetery in Chillicothe, Ohio.  In keeping with my RoadTripping Through History thing, I had to take a look at others buried in this cemetery and see if any were of special interest.  They were.

Also, this cemetery obviously was not a segregated one.

There were quite a few governors, Congressmen and Senators from Ohio along with several Civil War brevet generals and one Medal of Honor recipient.  Also, several veterans from the War of 1812.  I will be writing about the Civil War men in this blog.  The War of 1812 men will be in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.

The Civil War generals were Joseph Scott Fullerton, Joshua Woodrow Sill and Richard Long, Jr.  The Medal of Honor recipient was Richard Enderlin.

--Old Secesh

Some More on the XXV Corps (A Fort Fisher and Wilmington Connection)

This unit was black war correspondent Thomas Morris Chester's beat during the war.

I should mention that it also had a Fort Fisher connection.  It was composed of three divisions.  One was under the command of August Kautz, William Birney and Charles J. Paine.

In January 1865, Paine's Division sailed  with Terry's Expedition to attack Fort Fisher in North Carolina, where it rendered effective service although it did not take part in the initial assault.  The division did not rejoin the XXV Corps after that, but remained in North Carolina and participated in the Wilmington Campaign during February.

The post I had about the USCT statue at the Cameron Art Center in Wilmington, N.C., in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog last month is dedicated to these men.  They showed their mettle at this final battle before the fall of Wilmington at the Battle of Forks Road.

--Old Secesh

John Banks Goes Looking for Lt. Crocker, Unsung Hero of Battle of Shepherdstown-- Part 1: 'My House Is Haunted'

From the December 2021 Civil War Times magazine "No Man Left Behind" by John Banks.

Every so often, John Banks' blog makes an appearance in the hallowed pages of this magazine (I believe it was the first non-veteran regular magazine published).  This is how I became aware of him and now I often go to Mr. Banks' blog as he writes more than one blog a month.

He often travels to the spot he's talking about in his post, as he did for the Battle of Shepherdstown. 

Now, remember, until recently I really didn't know anything about this battle.  I've learned a lot and it was quite the coincidence that the battle would be featured again.

John Banks' goal was to walk in the footsteps of 118th Pennsylvania Lieutenant Lemuel Croker "whose heroics on September 20, 1862, in the final Maryland Campaign should be legendary."

They, unfortunately, are not, but Mr. Banks makes a good point of support for the lieutenant.  

In typical John Banks style, he meets an interesting character who will take him on a tour of the battlefield, but had some time to kill, so finished his cup of coffee in the Sweet Shop Bakery.  

Because of the likelihood of ghosts since the building was used as a Confederate hospital in the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam, the war's single bloodiest day, he asks the woman behind the counter is that creeps her out.

She tells him:  "My own house is haunted so it really doesn't bother me."

And, then John was off.

--Old Secesh

Was Harley Wayne the Descendant of "Mad: Anthony Wayne?

In my last post, I wrote that the newspaper article said that Capt. Harley Wayne  was a descendant of an illustrious American Revolution officer Gem. "Mad" Anthony Wayne.  I decided to find out what that would be.

I found that he had an interesting story and I am thinking about writing about it in my Cooter's History Thing blog in the future.

From Wikipedia.

ANTHONY WAYNE (January 1, 1745-December 15, 1796)

Was an American soldier. officer, statesman of Irish descent.  He adopted a military career at the onset of the American Revolution exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him promotion to brigadier general and the nickname "Mad Anthony."

He later served as senior officer of the Army on the Ohio frontier and led the Legion of the United States.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret: The Last Civil War Widow Died in December 2020-- Part 1

From the April 2021 Civil War Times by John Banks.

I first wrote about this in my RoadDog's RoadLog Blog back on January 18 when became aware of it.  I put it in that blog because of this woman's Route 66 connections.

Hard to believe as is the case, Helen Jackson is the widow of a Union Civil War soldier.  Especially amazing since that war ended 156 years ago.  Do the math.

And, she kept her marriage secret.

She was 17 when she married Civil War veteran James Bolin, who was 93 in September 1936.  That was some age difference.

Helen Jackson was "The Last Civil War Widow."

She died December 16, 2020, at the age of 101.

--Old Secesh

"Up the Street Came the Rebel Tread" and Winston Churchill

A little later today, I will write about Winston Churchill and FDR riding through Frederick, Maryland, in 1943 on their way to Shangri-La (now called Camp David).  Churchill was a huge fan of American history, of course, and wanted to see the home of Barbara Frietchie, because of that famous poem.

It is an interesting story, so check it out in my Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II blog.

"Shoot If You Must...."  --Old Secesh

Victor, Illinois, in the Civil War-- Part 1

I will be taking a short break from the Battle of Antietam after the war and Robert E. Miles and Bazel Lemley to write about the really small town of Victor, Illinois.  It does not exist anymore and obviously was never very big as far as population (just 299 live in the entire township, which is called Victor Township).

Victor Township is located in the south central part of DeKalb County, Illinois.

I have been writing about it in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog and came across some interesting Civil War history, so, here it is.

From Genealogy Trails"Victor Township History."

In 1855, the population of Victor, Illinois, was 399; in 1860 it was 746 and in 1865, 835.

The town gave 103 soldiers to the War of the Rebellion and taxed itself $10,858 for war purposes.

Those who gave their lives in the service of their country:

Ferdinand Van Derveer,  who died at Louisville, Kentucky, March 30, 1865
E.T. Pierce,   at Alexandria, Virginia, April 23, 1861  (That was very early in the war.)
C.T. Bond,  at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1865
C.P. Snydam,   at Alexandria, Virginia, January 26, 1862

--Old Secesh

Fourteen Years Ago and 5,288 Posts, This Blog Was Brought Forth

This new year marks the 14th year this blog, my third one, has been around and now it has 5,288 posts on top of that.

I am so thankful this blog can now concentrate on the actual war, not this second Civil War we now find ourselves in.

This one grew out of my second blog, Down Da Road I Go, which was too be anything else I was interested in besides old roads and trips.  So much of it was becoming the Civil War, which was my very first big interest, that I decided it was time to spin this one off.

Saw the Elephant refers to the term Civil War soldiers, evidently on both sides, used to describe combat.  You first battle?  Then you have seen the elephant.

The sign-off of Old Secesh refers to the fact that I am old and Secesh was a derisive term used by Northerners to put down Southerners who seceded.  I actually like the term, so use it.

Anyway, way too many blogs, now eight altogether, and way too much time spent on them.

Oh, Well.  --Old Secesh

Small Battles, Big Results at Pamplin History Park

The 23rd annual seminar at Petersburg, Virginia's Pamplin History Park will take place this weekend, October 18-20 and will consist of seven presentations based along this year's theme "Small Battles, Big Results."

Of particular interest to me is Rod Gragg speaking about new perspectives on Fort Fisher which is my major interest in the Civil War and why I became interested in history and that war in the first place.  You can read more about him and his book "Confederate Goliath" in my Running the Blockade blog from yesterday.

Other battles presented will be:

Iuka
Ringgold
Mine Run
Ball's Bluff
Champion Hill
Fort Pillow

--Old Secesh

Dr. Ezra Read Union Army (Brother of Abner Read, USN)

I have been writing a lot about Abner Read, a Union Navy officer killed in action in 1863 in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog.  I got with him while doing my Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II blog.  A destroyer named after him had its stern blown off by a Japanese mine while operating in the Aleutian Islands.  It did not sink, was repaired, but later sank after being hit by a kamikaze plane.

From Find-A-Grave.

Click on my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog on My Blog List section to find out more about Abner Read.  I wrote about him last month and this month.

Abner Read had one brother in the Union Army and three half brothers who also served the United States.

Dr. Ezra Read was his older brother.born 2 August 1810 in Marietta, Ohio.  Died  10 May 1877 in Terre Haute, Indiana.  Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in that city.

He Led Quite An Interesting Life.  --Old Secesh

Kentucky's Clay Family in the Civil War

I have been writing about Green Clay in my Not So Forgotten:  The War of 1812 blog last month and this month.  He was a veteran of the American Revolution and a Kentucky militia general during the War of 1812 as well as one of the richest men in the state.  He owned thousands of acres of land, many slaves and several distilleries.

In addition to other Clays, including the famous Henry Clay, who were involved in both the American Revolution and War of 1812, there were Clays playing roles in the Civil War.

I'll be writing about the Clays with a Civil War connection here in the next several posts.

--Old Secesh

My Fourth Blog Enters Its Twelfth Year

Today's post marks the beginning of the twelfth year (2007) of this blog.

This blog grew out of my Cooter's History Thing Blog when it became apparent that it was turning into mostly a Civil War blog.  My Civil War Navy blog grew out of this one.

Last year, I had 497 posts and this marks the 4,572nd article.

--Old Secesh

All Sorts of Problems Posting These Blogs

Something seems to be wrong with out internet connection and I am also having big problems getting into my Google Blogspot site.  The connecting circle just keeps going round and round.

And sadly, I am supremely technologically challenged in today's pc-speak.

I do not know how I got to post this, but will keep trying to get back.

There could be aserious gap in all my blog posts on all seven blogs.

--Old Secesh

Can't Find My The Second Civil War: The Confederacy Under Attack...Again Blog

OK, Saturday, I, against my better judgement, started yet another blog.  With seven blogs already, really the last thing I needed.

But, I am thinking that I am getting too much into this new Civil War, this one to erase the Confederacy from history, in this blog.

As I have said before, I'd much rather be writing about the original Civil War, but I can not stand by and let the good name of the Confederate soldiers be besmirched by this black and their white minions hate campaign.

Surely, the Confederacy was partly there for the continuation of slavery (even though Lincoln would have allowed the horrible institution to continue as long as the states stayed in the Union), but there had to be other reasons why they fought since most soldiers did not have slaves.

Anyway, since Saturday, I have tried to find the new blog but with no luck.

Maybe I'll Try Again At Some Other Time.  --Old Secesh

The Name Tarheel Has a Civil War Connection

In  my Down Da Road I Go blog, I have been writing about where the name Tarheels comes from in connection with the UNC-Chapel Hill winning the NCAA  National Basketball Championship earlier this month.

There are two theories as to where the name comes from.

One has to do with the American revolution and the other with the Civil War.

You can read about it by clicking on the Down Da Road I Go site to the right of this.

Of course, since the name Tarheel may have come from Confederates, I guess a new name will have to be found.  The Big "S" word, you know.

What Did It Have To Do With Gen. Lee? --Old Secesh

Beginning the 11th Year of Saw the Elephant Civil War Blog

I started this one in 2007, posting 55 times that year.  This blog grew out of my Cooter's History Thing blog.

In 2016, I had 496 posts.

This is my 4071st post since 2007.

--Old Secesh

Eighth Year for This Blog

My Saw the Elephant Civil War Blog enters its eighth year today.  I started it back on November 10, 2007, with four posts: CSMC, Happy 232nd Birthday to USMC, Lt. Benjamin H. Porter killed at Fort Fisher and One Small Victory for the Flag.

This blog grew out of my Cooter's History Thing Blog when I saw that so many of my posts in that one were on the Civil War, the reason I got interested in history in the first place.  The Cooter's History Thing Blog grew out of my Down Da Road I Go Blog which was about things I am interested in and what I'm doing.

Since then, I was writing so many posts about Fort Fisher and the Navy during the war, that I decided to spin off my Running the Blockade Civil War Navy Blog.

Posts by Year for this blog:
2007--  55
2008--  375
2009--  464
2010--  492
2011--  532
2012--  286
2013--  373
2014--  465

The name "Saw the Elephant" comes from the Civil War phrase for battle.  You went into battle and saw the elephant.

--Old Secesh

Why It Takes So Long to Do This Blog

Last week, i started writing about blacks in the Union Army from McHenry County, Illinois.  I am still not finished with what I heard at that meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Round  Table.

Since them, I have researched the 153rd Illinois Infantry Regiment, Private Adam S. Jackson and the 29th USCT.  I saw that the 153rd Illinois had organized at a Camp Fry in Chicago.  I've heard a lot about a Camp Douglas, but never heard of Camp Fry so that really caused me to spend a lot of time as there is not much about Camp Fry.

I also, while researching Camp Fry, came across a Camp Goodell in Joliet, Illinois, that had some sort of a Civil War connection and even a Camp Rheinberg (or Reinberg) in Palatine, Illinois, which was a training facility during World War I.  When I was in junior high, we used to go for nature outings at a Camp  Rheinberg.  Looks like that calls for some more research.

One Thing Leads to Another, As They Say.  --Old Secesh

Not Publishing Because of Loss of Compose Button

I haven't published any entries the last two weeks in the Civil War and Roadlog blogs because of the loss of the ability to type in the compose blog entry site.

All I have is html and that does not allow use of paragraphs evidently. I will be making some short entries until I get this problem figured out.

--Old Secesh

I have been going back here in 2018 and redoing my blog entries for this period of time.

A Big Welcome Back to CWI

I had just about written this blog  no posts for the last four months and no reason given.  But, I was quite happy last Friday to see Civil War Interactive was coming back.  I missed it and and had previously read it most days.  The reason for the lapse was a serious illness which I am glad to see is in the past.

I have my own alerts, but even so, CWI comes up with stories I'm interested in (the only ones I use here or on any of my blogs) that I didn't know about. The last story and the one coming up came as a result of CWI.

Just search Civil War Interactive and go to Today's News.  www.civilwarinteractive.com .

Welcome Back.  --Old Secesh