Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Since I mentioned the Sons of Union Veterans in the last post, here is some more information about them.

From Wikipedia.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUV) grew out of the largest organization of Union veterans established after the war, The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).  Much the same as the Sons of Confederate Veterans grew out of the United Confederate Veterans organization.

It would be necessary to find the next generations to carry on the group's good name as they died out.  This is why the American Legion has its Sons of the American Legion.

The SUV was established in 1881 and was founded by Major Augustus P. Davis for the preservation of the principles of the GAR.  Local groups are organized into camps which then are grouped into departments

Membership on 2022 was 6,574 with headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Commander-in-Chief in 2022 was Peter J. Hritso.

--Old Secesh

DeKalb County (Illinois) Civil War Monument-- Part 2

Toward the base of the monument, a pair of soldiers stand watch, each with a rifle in his hands.

Three sides of the marble monument bear the names of major battles and campaigns of the Civil War that DeKalb men fought in, including Fredericksburg, Malvern Hill and Antietam (even though Antietam was misspelled).  The side that faces Illinois Highway 64, Main Street, is engraved with an excerpt from President Abraham Lincoln's address at Gettysburg.

More than 6,000 people were in attendance for the monument's dedication in 1896 which included an address by local commanders and a parade of veterans.

The pair of patina-green statues at the base of it were once thought to be bronze, but were found to be copper during a 2008 restoration project.  They've also been the subject of routine vandalism, as their weapons have been stolen and replaced several times.

Sycamore's local Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War chapter raised $10,000 to repair them in 2015 before the memorial was rededicated for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War's end.

--Old Secesh

DeKalb County, Illinois Civil War Monument-- Part 1

From the March 2024 Northwest Quarterly magazine.

DEKALB COUNTY CIVIL WAR MONUMENT

133 West State St., 

Sycamore, Illinois

An estimated 2,391 DeKalb County residents enlisted in 14 military units during the Civil War.  Their sacrifices were formally recognized three decades after the war ended when a monument was dedicated to honor all of the county's residents.  (Sad that this is the reason those Confederate monuments in front of courthouses were dedicated.)

The 50-foot monument, dedicated in1897, now stands in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse. At the top of the stone obelisk stands a Union soldier with a long coat and cap.  He holds a sword in one hand and bears a flag in the other.

--Old Secesh

What the Emerging Civil War Blog Had to Say About the Loss of the Two Magazines-- Part 2

There has been much discussion as to whether interest in the Civil War is waning or has it changed in its nature (or both).

But, I know that interest in the Civil War has not dropped so precipitously that it has forced the cancellation of two magazines.  If circulation was the issue, the answer would have been to trim from two magazines to one.

*********************

Of course, part of the problem was with the owners who it would seem are of the GRB/Hedge Fund ilk.  Only seeing profit as the goal.  Plus, these days everyone wants digital instead of hard copy.  Also, the young today are not into history.  They are not even into joining anything.

Here's hoping someone starts printing these magazines again.  Especially Civil War Times.

--Old Secesh

What the Emerging Civil War Blog had to Say About the Loss of 'CW Times. and 'America's CW'

From February 24, 2024.

One of the best Civil War blogs out there, Emerging Civil War, had this to say about the loss of those two wonderful magazines.

There is much sadness in the Civil War community over the news that "Civil War Times" and "America's Civil War" magazines have been shuttered (along with seven other history-focused magazines owned by the same company.

As "The Civil War Times Illustrated (since shortened to just "Civil War Times"), the flagship magazine of Civil War buffs traced its history all the way back to 1962.  It was a product of the Centennial, when interest in the war was huge.  Many of us have grown up with the magazine.  (Certainly I am one of those  but couldn't afford it in 1962 because I was just 11.) 

I have most of the issues dating back to then as I have some reprints and many of the originals.  With the exception of several years I have had a subscription for most of the years.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Group Meets Tomorrow: Topic 'That Devil Forrest'

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table Discussion Group will meet tomorrow, March 23, at the Panera Bread in Crystal Lake, Illinois. from 10 am to 11:30.

Discussion topic will be "Nathan Bedford Forrest, Cavalry Commander of the West."  Lots of opinions on this man and Steve normally keeps us somewhat on topic.

The Panera Bread is located at Main Street and US-14 (Northwest Highway).

This will also be on Zoom.

Everyone is welcome.  You do not have to be a member to attend.

--Old Secesh

A Presidential Pardon for De Villiers-- Part 1

From the 2015 PBS Antiques Roadshow

Ken Sanders of Ken Sanders Rare Books of Salt Lake City, Utah, gave this appraisal to a woman on the popular PBS appraisal show in Tucson, Arizona.  He estimated the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Pardon to Charles Villiers was worthy between $12,00 and $15,000.

It read:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

To all  to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas, it appears that at the March Term, 1861, of the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia,  one Charles  de Villier was indicted and convicted for obtaining goods under false pretences [six], and it was by the said Court sentenced to be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for the period of eighteen months;

And whereas, the said Charles de Villier has now served out more than six months of his said term of imprisonment, and it appears from the certificate of the Deputy Warden of the Penitentiary that "he has been uniformly obedient and faithful to every duty" in the institution.

More.  --Old Secesh

A Sad Day for Us Civil War Fans: Goodbye to 'Civil War Times' and 'America's Civil War'

I have been a long-time subscriber to the magazine "Civil War Times" going back to the 1970s with the exception of a several year period on the 80s.  As a matter of fact, I have a subscription to it right now that runs for another year.

A short while back they went from a bimonthly magazine to quarterly.  I didn't care for that, but, let's face it, these are really hard time for anything published in a non digital form.  But, at least we still had the magazine, though not as often.

But, come to think of it, I couldn't remember when the last time was that I had gotten a new issue.

In addition, I often picked up a copy of the CWT's sister magazine, "America's Civil War" at our local Meijer store (which still has a good selection of magazines).  The last several months I hadn't seen either magazine offered for sale at Meijer.

Friday, I stopped at the Volo, Illinois, Woodman's grocery store which also has a big magazine selection including these two magazines.  Again, no CWT or ACW.

Well, sadly I now know why.

They are gone out of business.  I went on the internet and found out why.

A Sad Day Indeed.  --Old Secesh

Confederate Railroads-- Part 3: Three Major Operations

The  central Confederate government encountered problems dealing with the states throughout the war inn regards to railroads.

Another problem was that existing tracks and rolling stock were so often cannibalized for iron to put on naval ironclads

It took the Confederate government two years to get some semblance of a plan worked out for its railroads.  1863.  Railroads became under de facto control of the military, but there was no record that this ever became so.

Mr. Banks talked quite a bit about the Confederate use of railroads during the First battle of Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign as well as the Great Locomotive Chase and the moving of Longstreet's Corps to Bragg in the Chickamauga/Chattanooga Campaign.

Longstreet's soldiers experienced quite a series of rerouting and ended up going through North and South Carolina and Georgia to get there.

By 1865, the Confederacy's railroads were in ruins, however, they recovered very quickly as it was important to rebuild the South.

--Old Secesh

Confederate Railroads-- Part 2: Did Stonewall Steal the Locomotives?

Charlie Banks gave the presentation.

Strap rails were the most dangerous ones.  Steel rails were better than iron ones.

The North outproduced the South by a 9 to 1 margin in rail tonnage.

The cost of an engine was $10,000.

Two Confederate officers were somewhat in charge of the country's railroads:   Abraham Myers and Lucius Bellinger Northrup.

There is still a question as to whether Stonewall Jackson moved Baltimore& Ohio rolling stock, including engines, from Harpers Ferry to places further in Virginian in Virginia.

--Old Secesh

Confederate Railroads-- Part 1: A Real Mess

Yesterday we had the first meeting of the year for the McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table at the Woodstock Public Library.  It was both a live and a Zoom meeting and Charlie Banks gave a presentation on Confederate Railroads.  He is quite the expert on Civil War railroads.

His main thing was that it was the failure of the Confederate railroad system that was a big reason for the failure of the new country.

Railroads across the United States increased their mileage drastically in the decade before the war.  But the South lagged way behind the North.  In the South the Atlantic Ocean states had 5400 miles, Gulf states 2063 and South interior states 2666.

In the North, Chicago had become a major railroad hub with 11 railroads going through there.

In contrast, the future capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, had five, but none of them connected which caused unloading and reloading of cargos.  Plus, making it worse, the lines had differing gauges.  (Most Northern railroads used 4'8" gauge while Southern ones went with 5 feet.

--Old Secesh

How Elmer Ellsworth Met Charles de Villiers

From the blog Sept. 19, 2022, Discovering Lives "A Conversation with Meg Groeling, author of  "First Fallen: The Life of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the North's First Civil War Hero."

Elmer Ellsworth was born in New York in 1837 and moved to Chicago in 1854 to seek his fortune. There, he met a former Zouave.  The Zouaves were a unit of the French Foreign Legion-type unit that had gained fame in the Crimean War.   That man was Charles de Villiers.

Ellsworth was apparently a very really coordinated both physically and athletically.  As a young boy he was fascinated with soldiers.  In Chicago he was working out at the Y and this Charles de Villiers became his fencing instructor.  De Villiers had served with the Zouaves in Crimea as a member of their medical corps.

Fencing was easily mastered by Ellsworth and they soon expanded to Zouave-type moves.  Together, the two developed something called the "Lightning Drill."

To see an example of Zouaves at drill go to You Tube and look up "American Legion Zouaves Jackson & Michigan Drill Team on the Ed Sullivan Show.

--Old Sercesh

MCCWRT Meeting This Tuesday: Presentation on Confederate Railroads

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table will have the opening meeting of the 2024 year this coming Tuesday, March 12 at the Woodstock Library (Illinois).

We will be having a special presentation by Charlie Banks on Confederate Railroads.

The meeting starts at 7 pm at the library at 414 W. Judd Street.  It can also be seen on ZOOM.

Before the meeting some of us will be getting together at 3 Brothers on Illinois Highway 47 in Woodstock for dinner or snack.  (And, we don't just talk Civil War.)  Meets at 5 pl.

--Old Secesh

Charles De Villiers Introduced Ellsworth to the Zouave Way

According to Wikipedia, Elmer Ellsworth was introduced to the zouave military ways by his fencing instructor,  Charles De Villiers, a French physician, immigrant and veteran of a zouave unit during the Crimean War.

******************************

History New had an article "This Union soldier's death shocked the north and made Lincoln cry" by Meg Groeling.

A chance meeting  with Frenchman Charles A. De Villiers helped guide Ellsworth to a militia unit called the "Chicago Cadets of the National Guard."  De Villiers was an excellent swordsman and tutored Ellsworth in fencing and enthralled him with stories of his service during the Crimean War as an officer in a French Zouave unit.

--Old Secesh

Chales DeVilliers: Capture and Escape

As I wrote in the last post, he was taken prisoner on July 17, 1861 (the Battle of Bull Run was July 21) and sent to Richmond.  About the middle of September he escaped  in the guise of an aged, infirm and nearly blind mendicant Frenchman.  (Okay, I had to look up mendicant.  It means a beggar.)

He was able to get the prison commandants permission to go to  Fort Monroe (still under Union control) under a flag of truce that he might embark "for his dear old home in France,"

After a two week delay, the supposed Frenchman was assisted on board a transport in Norfolk and taken to a Union boat.  When safely under his own flag, he cast off his pack, green goggles and rags, thanked the officers for their politeness, shouted a loud huzza for the stars and stripes and gave them the pleasing information that they had just parted with Colonel De Villiers of the 11th Ohio.

He arrived safely in Washington, rejoined his regiment, and was brigadier general, 10 October 1861.

He had been military instructor for Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth.

His discharge from the Army on 23 April 1862, and returned to France.

--Old Secesh

Ellsworth & the U.S. Zouaves-- Part 15: Charles DeVilliers

CHARLES DeVILLIERS--  Colonel of the 11th Ohio Infantry.  Captured and sent to prison, but escaped.  Once back in the Union Army, he was court martialed on 13 counts of misconduct, including stealing from local citizens and selling to Army members.

Dismissed from service and returned to France.

This was from our speaker but I forgot his name.

********************************

Looked up this man and found this on Virtual American Biographies.

CHARLES A. De VILLIERS

Soldier born in 1826.  He had been an officer in the French Army and afterward became colonel of the 11th Ohio Infantry.

At the beginning of the Civil War he was taken prisoner, 17 July 1861 and sent to Richmond.

Next...  His Escape.  --Old Secesh

Elmer Ellsworth and the United States Zouaves-- Part 14: H. Dwight Laflin and the Big Bang in Kenosha 1911

Another former Ellsworth Zouave:

H. DWIGHT LAFLIN--  Became president of Laflin-Vauder Gunpowder Company.  One of the largest gunpowder companies in the United States.  In 1898, he had 577 acres of land near Kenosha, Wisconsin (area where the outlet malls are located today).

On March 9, 1911, there was a huge explosion there at the Laflin, Rand Company when millions of pounds of dynamite and gunpowder exploded just after 8 pm. 

Not only was the plant, covering hundreds of acres, but the people in the community of Pleasant Prairie where it was located and for surrounding area were damaged.  The shockwave was felt as far away as 500 miles from Kenosha.

--Old Secesh