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

Maj. Jams E. Powell, Killed at Shiloh-- Part 3

Col. Peabody was still worried about possible presence of Confederates in his front and about midnight rousted Major Powell and ordered him to take out a large patrol at 3 a.m. and make another reconnaissance of Seay Field.

Powell gathered 250 men from the 25th Missouri and 12th Michigan.  they went to Seay Field and then beyond to Fraley Field.

There, he ran into Confederate cavalry pickets who fired three shots, then fled.  Powell formed a skirmish line then advanced.

After 200 yards, they encountered the pickets of the 3rd Mississippi who also fled.  next up was the entire Mississippi regiment.  The fight was on.  The opening engagement of the Battle of Shiloh lasted from 5 a.m. to 6:15 a.m..

Powell's men were forced from the field and the Battle of Shiloh was underway.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 158: NAACP and SCV Meet

From the Jan. 11, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  NAACP hosts Sons of Confederate Veterans at Sunday meeting.  (Newton, N.C.)  (Win) Discussed the Confederate Flag being at the Soldiers Reunion Parade in Newton.  It is always better to have the two sides sit down and have a civil discussion.

**  Confederate heritage groups blast Haley/GOP at Statehouse rally.  (Columbia, S.C.)  (Win)  That would be S.C.'s governor and her party.  This still concerns the removal of the flag.  However, I supported it as it was necessary after the Charleston murders.

--Old Secesh

Maj. James E. Powell. 1st U.S. Inf., Killed at Shiloh-- Part 2

From "Battle of Shiloh: A Step-By-Step Account" by Jack Kunkel.

James E. Powell was born in England and was appointed from Maine.  He was Acting Sergeant in the 9th U.S. Infantry in the Mexican War and was at the battles of Contreras and Churubrusco.

Powell was a captain in the 1st U.S. Infantry by June 1855 and served in Texas, engaging Indians and killed at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862.

He was leading three companies of the 25th Missouri on the early morning reconnaissance.

On April 5, the day before the battle, Major James E. Powell of the 25th Missouri of Peabody's brigade noticed a group of enemy riders observing the review of federal troops.  Powell reported this to Gen. Prentiss who ordered a 4 p.m. patrol by companies of the 21st and 25th, Missouri, to be led by Col. Daniel Moore.

He had heard from slaves that there were as many as 200 rebels in the area but came across nothing and returned to camp.

--Old secesh

Major James E. Powell, 1st U.S. Infantry, Killed at Shiloh April 6, 1862-- Part 1

From the War Department.  Early, early morning of April 6, 1862, many Union troops were still asleep, yet,unbeknownst to them, some 40,000 Confederate troops were advancing on them.

At Fraley Field, Col. Everett Peabody sent out a large reconnaissance patrol of 200 men under the command of Major James E. Powell.  They entered Fraley Field and met a Confederate picket screen.  Three shots broke the still morning air.  here the first victims fell.  Over the next 34 hours, some 3,400 were killed or fatally wounded, including Powell, though not at this time.

The fighting at Fraley Field lasted an hour before Powell's patrol was forced to retire.

--Old Secesh

Shorpy Civil War Photo: Freedmen in Richmond

From the Nov. 1, 2015, Shorpy "Free At last: 1865.

June 9, 1865.  "Negro freedmen by canal-- group of contrabands at Haxall's Mill, Richmond."  By Alexander Gardner.

Lots of ruins can be seen in the background.

--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

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 157: "American Idol" Hopeful Gets My Vote

From Jan. 5-6, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Texas Civil War Ball Promotes Slavery?  Petition Gathers Strength Amid Confederate Flag Controversy.  (Georgetown, Texas)  (Loss)  The Williamson Museum in Georgetown is having its annual major fund raiser called the Plantation Ball.  certain folks are very upset about it.

**  Alabama 'American Idol' hopeful Shellie Z. supports Confederate Flag in 2013 song, video.  (Win)  She gets my vote.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 156: Bad Boy in Columbus, Miss.

From Jan. 4-5, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Confederate Flag Controversy:  Miss. Lawmakers To decide Changing State Flag After S.C. Massacre.  (Loss)  This should be put to a statewide vote as it was several years back.

**  Confederate Flag placed on Columbus welcome sign.  (Columbus, Miss.)  The city council decided last summer to no longer fly the state flag.

**  Confederate Flag in Easthampton prompts city council action.  (Mass.)  (Loss)  Last summer the council adopted a resolution condemning any kind of discrimination.  Confederate Flags certainly do discriminate.

--The Little Discriminators.  --Old Secesh

Movie About Rebellion Against the Confederacy Coming Out

From the January 9, 2016,  Yahoo! Movie Wrap "Matthew McConaughey Leads rebellion Against Confederacy in 'Free State of Jones' Trailer"  by Daniel Holloway.

The trailer for the movie debuted Saturday during the Chiefs-Texan game.

McConaughey plays a poor Mississippi farmer and Confederate soldier who becomes disillusioned and leads his own rebellion against the secessionist government with the backing of former slaves.

"You, me, we're all out there dying so they can stay rich."

This movie is based on the true story of Newton Knight of rural Jones County, Mississippi.

STX Entertainment plans to release the movie "Free State of Jones" on May 13.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 155: Nine Confederate Monuments Vandalized in Raleigh Cemetery-- Part 2

Oakwood Cemetery contains the graves of hundreds of enlisted Confederates as well as those of quite a few officers.  Included among them are the graves of 137 North Carolinians who died at the Battle of Gettysburg, were buried there and brought back to their home state for reinterrment in 1871.

Among those damaged:

**  Marble obelisk of General George B. Anderson who died of a wound received at the Battle of Antietam.  His had the word "Slavery' spray painted on it with red drops above it.

**  Tall marker of Randolph Abbott Shotwell, a lieutenant who led sharpshooters at Gettysburg.  On it were the letters "KKK."  He was jailed after the war because of his involvement in the KKK.  He was pardoned by President Grant.

**  Bronze plaque and granite marker to the crew of the Confederate submarine Hunley.  Words "Not heroes."

**  Charles B. Aycock monument.  Although he was not in the war, he was the state's governor from 1901-1905.  An avowed white supremacist who in the 1890s led a movement to suppress black citizens, saying they were unfit to govern or vote.  His name has already been removed from dorms at Duke and East Carolina universities.

I wonder what the vandals would think if spray painting started happening on the graves of their people.

It Is Sad That This Has to Happen.  --Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 154: Nine Monuments Vandalized in Confederate Section at Raleigh Cemetery-- Part 1

From the Jan. 4, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

This took place at Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Most of them were the graves of Confederate officers and it is estimated that $20,000 in damage was done.

It would seem that some group has declared open war on any Confederate markers or statues.  "Silent Sam" at UNC-Chapel Hill has repeatedly been vandalized as have statues at the courthouses in Chapel Hill and Durham.  Also the Confederate Women's memorial at the N.C. Capitol has fallen victim.

Most often the vandals have spray-painted "Black Lives Matter" or some other racist thing on the memorials and graves.

--Old Secesh

Was Howard Cushing the Inspiration for Luke Skywalker?-- Part 5

Twenty-five years later, Edgar Rice Burroughs was stationed at Fort Grant with the 7th Cavalry, the same unit which lost so many at the Little Big Horn with George Custer.  By 1896, Fort Grant was a desolate outpost where Burroughs spent his time fighting dysentery, digging ditches and running the cavalry unit's.

Homesick, he wrote his politically connected father back in Chicago and managed to get an early discharge after serving just ten months of a three-year enlistment.

Burroughs scholars point out that he studied John G. Bourke's books for research, including an ethnology report in which Bourke described caves with peculiar medicinal properties used by the Apaches.

Burroughs may have used that as a plot device; in his series, John Carter enters a cave where he's overcome, leaves his body and ends up on Mars.  Bourke also described Howard Cushing in several chapters in his memoir, "On the Border With Crook," which Burroughs most likely read.

Definitely an Inspiration for John Carter.  --Old Secesh

Was Howard Cushing the Inspiration for Luke Skywalker"-- Part 4

A central character in the Cushing-is-Skywalker question is John G. Bourke, who served in the 3rd Cavalry in Arizona and New Mexico with Howard Cushing as their troop chased and fought Apaches, including Geronimo.

The two were posted to several forts, among them Fort Grant in Arizona.  Bourke, who earned a Medal of Honor during the Civil War, helped recover Howard Cushing's body after the first lieutenant was killed in an ambush by the Apaches in May 1871.  He called Cushing the bravest man he ever knew.

Bourke also wrote several popular books about his time in the Southwest.

Next, the Burroughs Connection.  --Old Secesh

Was Howard Cushing the Inspiration for John Carter and Luke Skywalker?-- Part 3

Meanwhile, another of Howard Cushing's brothers, William, was a Union naval officer who gained fame by sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle in a daring raid.  His other numerous exploits have him sometimes called "Lincoln's Commando."  He needs to be put up for a Medal of Honor in his own right.

"So, how does Howard Cushing, greatly outshone by two of his brothers, end up possibly inspiring Luke Skywalker  Through the imagination of Edgar Rice Burroughs, who dreamed up John Carter of Mars, which he serialized in a pulp magazine before creating Tarzan."

Jim Heinz said that Howard Cushing was the forgotten Cushing brother.  While he was researching his life, he found a fanzine for Edgar Rice Burroughs which said that Howard was the basis for the John Carter of Mars character.  After further research, he concluded that the fanzine was probably right.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 153: Quentin Opens Mouth, Puts Foot in It

From the Jan. 2, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  City seal showing Confederate government flag project continues in 2016.  (Winchester, Va.)  (Win)  Replacing the battle flag with probably the First National.  Less offensive, you know.

**  Quentin Tarantino 'the Confederate Flag was the American Swastika.'  (Loss)  Somebody needs to study their history.  And I was going to see his "Hateful Eight."  Not sure now.

**  Residents Call Police in Confederate Flag and Merchandise Controversies.  (Arlington, Va.)  (Loss and Win)  Loss because they called police because they saw a man walking down the street carrying a Confederate Flag.  Win because police determined the man was exercising his First Amendment rights.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 152: Confederate Defenders Launch Counterattack

From the Jan. 2, 2016, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Defenders of Confederate Symbols Mount Counterattack.  (Atlanta)  (Win)  Confederate heritage groups say donations and membership are up.  Fairly regularly you see Confederate Flags flying alongside U.S. flags on pick up trucks.  (One flies at a pickup parked in our local Wal-Mart parking lot here in McHenry, Illinois.)

Dixie Outfitters, a major flag supplier, says they can't keep up with Confederate Flag orders.  They are currently out of stock.

**  Name of civil rights activist spray-painted onto Confederate statue.  (New Orleans)  (Loss)  Angela Davis spray-painted on Jefferson Davis statue.  Highly disrespectful.

--Old Secesh

Luke Skywalker: Civil War Hero?-- Part 2: Medal of Honor-Winning Brother

Howard Bass Cushing survived brutal Civil War battles before heading west.

Jim Heinz, a retired University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee police officer and Civil War buff believes there to be a connection between Howard and Luke of the movies.Howard Cushing was born in Milwaukee in 1838  before his family moved to Delafield, Wisconsin where he and his three brothers spent part of their childhood.

Two of his brothers became famous in the Civil War.  There is a monument today in the city's Cushing Park honoring them.  All four brothers fought in the Civil War and President Obama awarded Howard's younger brother, Alonzo, the Congressional Medal of Honor last year.

Alonzo was an artillery officer killed at the Battle of Gettysburg as his battery helped stop Pickett's Charge.  After the battle,Howard petitioned the secretary of war to serve in his fallen brother's unit-- a request that President Lincoln personally approved.

When Howard joined Battery A, 4th Artillery, one of the men gave him the bloody shoulder straps Alonzo was wearing at the battle when he was killed.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 151: This a Major Story of 2015

From the Dec. 30, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Forest Park rightly has memorials for soldiers on both sides of the Civil War.  (St. Louis)  (Win)  Confederate soldiers ARE U.S. veterans as well as Union ones.

**  A whole lot of newspapers wrapping up the year 2015 mentioned that the Attacks on the Confederacy were a major new story.

--Old Secesh

Luke Skywalker: Civil War Hero?-- Part 1: A Link with Howard Bass Cushing

From the Dec. 24, 2015, Chicago Tribune by Meg Jones.

"Luke Skywalker, the swash-buckling, light saber-rattling hero of George Lucas' imagination, could be based on a Civil War hero born in Milwaukee.

"Emphasis on 'could.'

"Some 'Star Wars' fans will likely scoff at the idea that Darth Vader's son was inspired by a soldier who lost his father at an young age and left home to wage war in a land far, far away.

"But an amateur historian and Civil War buff from Milwaukee thinks he can draw a fairly straight  line from Howard Bass Cushing to the hero of the blockbuster franchise."

Whose Father?  --Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 150: A Tough Year

From the Dec. 29, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Hearing on Confederate statues set for January 14.  (New Orleans)  (Win)  At least the fate of the four statues go to the judicial side of the show, but in these days, we never win so I am sure the city council decision will be upheld.  But, at least it was a nice try to  stop this injustice.

**  South Carolina authorities demand $3.6 million to display Confederate Flag that was removed after ____ ____ massacre.  (Loss)  And, they used the murderers name.  You should never mention a mass murderer's name.  It sounds like the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia is trying to rake in some ill-got money.  There is no way it should cost that much money.

Like I said earlier.  I'll do it for free, just cover my expenses.

**  Fewer Confederate Flags but still a tough year for racial progress.  (St. Louis Dispatch)   And i can assure you, this has been one really tough year for me.  Hardest ever.

Will This Ever End?  --Old Secesh

"Groomed" for War-- Part 3

Northern officers tended to sport styles that required some amount of trimming and/or design, like the short beard, the different type of mutton chops and the Van Dyke.

The second part of the study will focus on the relativity of facial hair and victory.


--Old Secesh

"Groomed: for War: What Was the Beardiest Battle of the Civil War?-- Part 2

The Confederacy led the Union generals in every category.

"Civil War generals are as known for their beards as they are for their tactical ineptitude."

The Battle of Cloyd's Mountain in 1864 in Virginia/Tennessee takes the win for "Beardiest Battle."  This primarily because of Confederate General  Albert G. Jenkins whose beard was 3 times the length of his face.  The Union General George W, Crook had a trim mustache and an untrained short beard.

Researchers looked at 124 Union commanders and 95 Confederate.

Some styles were fairly evenly split like long beard and mustache, but some had a big difference like short beard (29 Union, 12 Confederate), clean shaven (5 Union, 14 Confederate) and mutton chop derivatives ( 14 Union, 4 Confederate).

Too Much Work With Facial Hair.  --OldHairyFace

"Groomed" for War: The Beardiest Battle of the Civil War-- Part 1: Friendly Muttonchops

From the October 30, 2015, Popular Science "Groomed For War: What Was the Beardiest Battle of the Civil War?  Researchers Compare the Facial hair of Union and Confederate Officers" by Kelsey D. Atherton.

This is taken from the Proceedings of the Natural Institute of Science.

The article had a bar graph showing the breakdown by the following categories:  (For those of you wondering what some of the categories are, they show what the facial hair would look like.)  The numbers are for the number of commanders sporting the facial hair.

Long Beard  54
Short Beard  41
Mustache  36
French Cut  24
Van Dyke  23
Clean Shaven  19
Chin Curtain  14
Friendly Muttonchops  10
Muttonchops  5
Muttonchops and Mustache  4
Goatees  3

More to Come.  --Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 149: SCV "Fighting Terrorism Since 1861"

From the Dec. 25, 26, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Committee supports removing Confederate monument from Forest Park.  (St. Louis)  (Loss)  It was erected 101 years ago by the UDC.

**  Shoppers want mall retailer to remove Confederate Flag merchandise.  (Grandville. Mich.)  (Loss)  River Town Crossings Mall.  A holiday pop-up shop is selling Confederate Flag merchandise.  The shirt says "If this shirt offends you... You need a history lesson."

I need to get one of these.

Of course, I have also seen a shirt with an SCV logo and the words "Fighting Terrorism Since 1861".  The Confederacy had to fight the terrorism inflicted on it by invading Union armies as well as the current round of terrorism aimed at completely discrediting everything Confederate.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 148: Confederate Flag Display Still Too Much in S.C.

From the Dec. 23, 24, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  HeritagePreservation Association files appeal over Confederate Flag.  (Danville, Va.)  (Win, but because of a Loss)  The Third National Confederate Flag was removed from the city'sSutherlin Mansion.

**  Confederate Flag stirs discord from neighboring bakery.  (Hollister, Cal.)  (Loss)  A customer was bothered by it flying from nearby building which could be seen from the bakery.

**  Jeb Bush 'Problem with the Confederate Flag isn't the Confederacy.'   (Win)  It was what it came to represent later.

**  Relic Room cuts Confederate Flag display by $1.7 million.  (Win)  (South Carolina)  This is the flag that was removed from the statehouse grounds last summer.  A company wants to build a display for it for $3.2 million now.  Hey, I'll do it for free, just cover my costs.

The Offer Still Stands.  --Old Secesh

The Tenth Year of This Blog

Today marks the tenth year I have had this blog.  It started in 2007 near the end of the year when it became evident that my history blog was becoming too much Civil War.

Counting this one, there have been 3575 posts.

It was the Civil War that got me interested in history and had a huge impact on my life, leading to my career in teaching for 33 years.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 147: Virginia Schools to Change Names

From the Dec. 21, 22, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Two Schools Could Finally Lose Their Confederate Names.  (Fairfax, Va.)  (Loss)  The country's tenth largest school district.  The reason is that J.E.B. Stuarts and Robert E. Lee schools are "named after slave owning Confederate soldiers and known white supremacists."  I wonder is the schools will retain their names?  Not likely.  Not with this attitude.

**  Woman Pleads Guilty in Confederate Flag Case in Florida.  (Draw)  She shouldn't have placed the Confederate Flag on a black co-worker's desk, but facing up to five years of jail time for it is more than a little bit overboard.  The actual prison time is for lying about it under oath.  Of course, no one has ever lied under oath before.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 146: No More Old Dixie Highway in One Florida City

From the Dec. 19, 20, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Suit Challenges Removal of Confederate Monuments.  ("new orleans")  The city does not own the land they are on.  Filed by three preservation groups and the SCV.

**  Montgomery schools add history course after Confederate Flag.  (Loss, unless both sides given)  (Good old "christiansburg, va." again.  I don't know, but I believe there are some people who are offended by the name Christian.  Perhaps the town should consider changing their name.  One town I'll never visit or spend money in anymore.

**  School board in Virginia opens door to removing schools honoring Confederate generals.  (Falls Church)  (Loss)

**  Florida City renames Confederate-inspired Highway After President Obama.  (River Bend)  (Loss)  Renaming Old Dixie Highway.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 145: Virginia Flaggers Strike Again

From the Dec. 18, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  "new orleans" City Council votes 6-1 to remove Confederate monuments,  (Huge Loss)  This was another example of the O.J. Simpson verdict.  Who's racist?

**  Confederate billboard goes up in Danville; complaint filed against 3 flagpoles.  (Virginia) (Win) The Virginia Flaggers strike again.

One side reads, "Thanks for visiting the last capital of the Confederacy.  Ya'll come back."  The other side welcomes visitors, "Welcome to Danville.  The last capital of the Confederacy and proud of it."  However, I think their are some folks in S.C. and Georgia who might disagree about the last capital part.

**  Maryland My Maryland?  Panel urges changes in the state song.  (Loss)  It was penned in 1861 and was definitely pro-Southern.  It has been the official state song since 1939.

**  An editorial in the "new orleans times-picayune" praises the vote removing the monuments.  (Loss)  Shame on that newspaper.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 144: R.E. Lee High School Remains

From  Dec. 15, 16 17, 2015, Google Alerts for Confederate.

**  Texas School Board Bucks Trend, Keeps Historic Confederate Past.  (Austin, Texas)  (Win)  Robert E. lee High School will continue as such.

**  Tighter rules set for final debate Thursday on Confederate monuments in New Orleans.  (Loss)  We know how that ended.  Apparently, the anti-Confederate folks were behaving poorly.

**  Alabama lawmaker Wants Confederate Flag Off Trooper Uniforms.  (Loss)  Alabama state troopers have a patch featuring the flags of Britain, France, U.S. and the Confederacy.

**  Va. senator files bill to reinstate Confederate Flag on vanity license plates.  (Win)

--Old Secesh