MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 5: Ewell's Effectiveness After Wounding and Leg Removal Ended

One person brought up that Richard Ewell's effectiveness as a general ended after he was wounded and lost his leg.   Afterwards, often moved around in a wagon.  His fall from grace began at the Battle of Gettysburg.

We then got into a discussion about seniority in the Confederate Army.  We were also off-subject when there was some question about the Provisional Confederate Army and Navy.  Was this done to clarify seniority issues?

The Provisional Army was before the states seceded.

Reasons for the Battle of Gettysburg:  get supplies from Pennsylvania and Maryland, lure the Union Army into a battle on Lee's terms and relieve pressure on Vicksburg.

Early became a recluse but pushed the "Lost Cause" idea and that Robert E, Lee was the greatest general ever.

There was mention that he had gone to Mexico as part of the proposed Confederate Colony there.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 165: Joint MLK and Confederate Holiday Upset Some

From the Jan. 17-18, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Confederate Flag discussed at Christiansburg race summit.  (Virginia)  (Win)  At least they are talking about it instead of banning.

**  For this year at least, Confederate groups sound retreat from Wyman Park.   (Baltimore) (Loss)  Didn't hold their annual Lee-Jackson commemoration there.

**  Confederate Flag's removal turns Martin Luther King Day into celebration.  (South Carolina)  That flag removed from the state house.

**  Joint Martin Luther King and Confederate holiday no southern comfort for some.  (Arkansas)  I agree that they shouldn't be held at the same time.  Perhaps which ever one was held first should stay and the other one moved.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 164: Texas Still Has Confederate Heroes Day

From the Jan. 16, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Still Confederate Heroes Day in Texas.  (Win)  But for how long?  Not much I'm guessing.

**  Confederate Flag distribution banned from parade.  (Tallahassee, Fla.)  (Loss)  At the Veterans Day Parade members of the SCV group only handed out Confederate Flags to white children, not black.  Apparently that offended some black parents.  Now, no child gets one.  Can you believe that?

**  Those hoping to keep Confederate monuments in place face uphill battle in court, federal judge says.  (new orleans)  (Loss)  No kidding.  The justice department is also against us.

**  Lee Middle School group to ask community about possible name change.  (Orlando, Fla.)  (Loss)  How about the Al Sharpton Middle School?

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 163: You Are Free to Live As You Wish, Unless...

I had to put this into the blog as it sure sums up some of my feelings about the Confederate attack thing.

This is making the rounds on Facebook and is a sign outside a place flying a...GASP, Confederate Flag.

"In the U.S. you are free to live as you wish unless you're white, straight, Republican, a gun owner or Southern."

It seems like we have a real lot of enemies.  And, they always seem to get their way.

Yep.  --Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 4: What About Generals Ewell and Early?

These were some of the comments made at the discussion at Panera Bread Co. in Crystal Lake on January 23, 2016.

Both were pro-Unionist and anti-secessionist.  Ewell was still in the U.S. Army until his state, Virginia, seceded.  Early was in the Mexican War.

Both were colonels going into the Battle of Bull Run, but became generals afterwards.

Jubal Early was known for ransoming Union towns that he captured  The question of the group arose of what he did with that money.

Early had rheumatism from an early age and that gave him a bad disposition.  He was also a lifelong bachelor.  he would also round up blacks he came across when he was fighting in the North and send them back South.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 162: Going After the School Names in Houston

From the Jan. 15, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Should Houston's Lanier Middle School Lose Its Name Because of Confederate Ties?  (Loss)  The school is named for Sidney Lanier who was in the Confederate Army and later a blockade-runner.  He was also a poet and university professor.  Many schools and Georgia's Lake Lanier named after him.  But, he fought for the Confederacy which made him a terrible person in some people's eyes.

Houston has a long list of schools named after Confederates.  Also, there is talk of renaming Henry Grady Elementary.  He was not in the Civil War, but was a white racist.  Doesn't calling someone a white racist also make someone a racist?

**  4 Houston schools with Confederate names to get new monikers.  (Loss)  Trustees have voted to rename Robert E. Lee High School and three middle schools: Henry Grady, Richard Dowling and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

The way I look at it, any school with a Confederate name where the primary number of students are black should have their names changed.  After all, they almost always look bad on state testing numbers.  And that HAS nothing to do with the names of their schools.

Looks like the Houston school district is aiming for reclassification as a lower case "h".

Less Embarrassment That Way.  --Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 3: Richard S. Ewell's USMA Class of 1840

Confederate General Richard S. Ewell graduated with West Point's Class of 1840 and was #13 of 42.  Nickname was Old Bald Head or Baldy.

Other famous Civil War graduates of that class:

Union:  William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas

Confederate:  Bushrod Johnson and Paul O. Hebert

Others who fought:

Union

Stewart Van Vliet
George W. Getty
William Hays
James N. Caldwell
Pinckney Lugenebell
Oliver L. Shepherd
Stephen D. Carpenter

Confederate:

William Gilham
John P. McCown
James G. Martin
Reuben P. Campbell
William Steele
Robert P. Maclay
Thomas Jordan

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 161: "Sordid" Confederate History?

From Jan. 14-15, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  North Carolina Museum Attempts to Part With Sordid Confederate History.  (NPQ)  (Loss)  I already wrote about the Orange County Museum removing the word "Confederate" from the building.  However, the term "sordid" in the headline makes me wonder about the fairness of the report.

**  Baltimore City commission recommends removal of two Confederate monuments.  (Loss)  Looks like another U.S. contemplating going to lower case first letter like new orleans.

**  New Senate seal removes foreign flags as well as Confederate Flag.  (Florida)  (Loss)  The way I look at it, any flag that has ever flown over any country that has done something questionable should then be removed from that ever-changing seal.  And we know that the United states has definitely done a few of these things in the past and even today.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 2: Jubal Early's West Point Class of 1837

From Cullom's Register of West Point Graduates.

Jubal Early was in the USMA's Class of 1837 where he graduated #18 out of 50.

Some of his classmates were killed in the Second Seminole War and Mexican War.  the class was very divided in the Civil War.  The best-known class members from the Civil War:

Union  John Sedgwick and Joseph Hooker

Confederate:  Braxton Bragg and John C. Pemberton.

Others:

Union:
Alexander B. Dyer,
E. Parker Scammon,
Lewis G. Arnold,
Thomas Williams (Killed at Vicksburg),
Bennett H. Hill
William H. French
Joshua H. Bates
Samuel Woods

Confederate

William W. Mackall
Robert T. Jones  (Killed)
Arthur M. Rutledge
Arnold Elzey
William H.T. Walker (Killed at Atlanta)

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group-- Part 1: Early and Ewell

I went to my first meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group this past Saturday, January 23, which meets at the Panera Bread Co. restaurant on Northwest Highway in Crystal lake, Illinois.  I'd never been in a Panera before.  It was quite crowded, but we had a private room which was good as it would have been too loud otherwise.

I just had the coffee (large for $2.25, but free refills).  Quite good.  I now know why they put those paper strips around the cup.

We had about 14 people in attendance and the topic today were Confederate Generals Richard S. Ewell and  Jubal Early.  I have often heard the names of these two men,  but didn't know a real lot about them. That was also the case with most everyone else, so it was a good topic.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 160: Confederate Memorial Letters Come Down

From the Jan. 13, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Confederate Battle Flag Not Allowed at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Events.  (Texas)  (Loss)

**  'Confederate Memorial' letters removed from Hillsborough museum.  (Orange County, N.C.)  (Loss)  They were removed from the Orange County Historical Museum and will be stored.  The building was constructed in 1934 as the Confederate memorial Building by the WPA.  It initially housed the city library, a whites-only one.  The UDC donated $7,000 toward it.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 159: That Sorry new orleans Again

From the Jan. 12, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Farm Show orders vendors to stop selling Confederate Flag merchandise.  (Harrisburg, Pa.)  (Loss)  Ordered six vendors not to sell any.  If somebody is offended, they simply should not buy it.

**  Foundation for Louisiana will serve as pass-through financier for Confederate monument removal   (new orleans)  (Loss)  An anonymous donor will pay the expected $170,000 to remove them.  I guess a planned trip for us to new orleans won't happen.  I am so disgusted with this place.  No longer a capitalized city.

**  City prepares to remove Confederate monuments despite lawsuit.  (new orleans)  (Loss)  What if the lawsuit wins?  Not likely, but what if?

**  Carrico files bill to reinstate Confederate Flag license plates.  (Virginia)  (Win)  Virginia Senator Charles W. Carrico Sr..  At least one politician has the backbone to stand up for what is right.

--Old Secesh

Battery Powell at Fort Worden, Washington

The U.S. Army honored James E. Powell, by naming a battery at Fort Worden in the state of Washington after him.  It saw service from 1902-1942 and was a concrete mortar battery.

Fort Worden was named after the original commander of the USS Monitor and is located next to Port Townsend.

--Old Secesh

Maj. James E. Powell-- Part 5: War Service and Shiloh

At the start of the Civil War, James Powell was stationed at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and went north with Captain Samuel B. Sturgis to Fort Leavenworth where he was promoted to captain.  Later, he took a volunteer commission with the 26th Missouri on March 24, 1862, just as the regiment was leaving for Pittsburg Landing.

Then, he was at Fraley Field at the opening stages of the Battle of Shiloh.  Later in the battle, Colonel Everett Peabody was killed and Major Powell rallied the troops near the "Sunken Road" where he was wounded in the side and taken to the rear in an ambulance where he died that night.

One of the soldiers who carried him there, Charles Morton, described Powell as a"cool headed, capable, brave officer, who endeared himself to the hearts of all during the few days he was with us."

James Powell ended up being buried in an unknown grave.

--Old Secesh

Maj. James E. Powell, Killed at Shiloh April 6, 1862-- Part 4: Before the Civil War

From the Shiloh Military Park Facebook Page.

James E. Powell was born in Worcestershire, England.  His family immigrated to Ohio in 1838, but James went to Texas and married.  While on a hunting trip in 1843, his wife and two children were killed by Indians.  In the Mexican War, he joined the 9th U.S. Infantry.

After the Mexican War, he moved to Maine and became a landowner and remarried.  He rejoined the Army in 1855 as a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Infantry.  His wife divorced him.

--Old Secesh