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Next Meeting – Wednesday, July 14 @ 7:30PM
Mt. Ida Mansion, Ellicott City, MD.
Featured Speaker - Eric Buckland
Our July 14 “guest” speaker will be Eric Buckland. Eric was born in Kansas City, KS and was raised in Connecticut. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1977, receiving a B.A. in English, and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the United States Army.
He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1999 having served most of his career in Special Forces. His holds the Special Forces and Ranger Tabs, Master Parachutist Wings, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Presently he is a Policy Analyst at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
"Mosby's Keydet Rangers" is his first book. He has also published two booklets: "He Bore 12 Battle Scars - Charles Henry Dear" and "Recollections of a Mosby Ranger - Andrew Hetherton Nott."
Eric and his wife Maureen, have been married for 31 years and have three sons: Bryan, currently undergoing Special Forces Medic training at Fort Bragg; Andrew; and Jonathan, a 2LT in the US Army Infantry and a 2010 graduate of VMI.
Hunley Lights go on at Hamburg Area
by leslie Richardson (staff
writer lrichardson@republicanherald.
Published: June 22, 2010
jacqueline dormer/staff photo Joey Parent, Shoemakersville, hands a match to Fred Lutkus, Pottsville, right, to light an 1860s-style lantern recreated from the H.L. Hunley submarine by Hamburg Area High School students. Looking on are, from left, Anthony Urban, Bernville, and Seth Kunkel, Hamburg.
Fred Lutkus, Pottsville, lights a blue light 1860s-style lantern Monday that was recreated from the H.L. Hunley submarine by Hamburg Area High School students.
HAMBURG - Hamburg Area High School students may have helped shed some light on a historical mystery.
On Monday, the group lit two of the four lanterns they reproduced to simulate those of the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine that sank Feb. 17, 1864.
No one knows why the submarine sank but two witnesses - a Union sailor aboard the ship that the Hunley sank and a Confederate soldier waiting on shore - reported seeing a blue light in the waters. It is speculated that the Hunley's lantern cast that light, so the students recreated and tested two working lantern replicas to prove - or disprove - the theory.
Adviser Ned Eisenhuth said the signal the Union sailor most likely saw was a sign that the mission to hit and sink the USS Housatonic was a success.
"We are hoping to be able to see the light at night from 1,100 feet," senior Joshua Buchalter, Shoemakersville, said. "If we see it, it proves the Union sailor was right when he testified during the naval inquiry that he saw the light."
The first light, a clear light, shone from the tree line near a road alongside the school. It was seen by the group gathered on the grassy hill behind the school.
The second light, tinted blue using a lacquer base with a tincture of color as they may have done in the 1800s, could also be seen by the group, although not as brightly as the clear light.
It took about six months for the 12 students and two advisers, Eisenhuth and Fred Lutkus, to construct the six lantern replicas.
Although construction of the lanterns began in January, a lot of preparation work was done before that time.
Last November, researchers with the Clemson Conservation Center, North Charleston, S.C., the group restoring the H.L. Hunley, held a video conference with Hamburg Area students. Students signed up for the project and 12 were selected: Nikole Lamey, Francesca Lella, Heidi Stertzel, Jessica Dompkowski, Cody Wertz, Josh Buchalter, Joey Parent, Anthony Urban, Seth Kunkel, Nicholas Rentschler, Alex Hartman and Austin Hartman.
Metal working equipment was brought in to do the work. The team also had to make sure the conditions are as close to those in 1864 as possible before it travels to South Carolina for tests - from the lantern's construction down to the weather.
Since it is believed the original lantern used whale oil, a similar substitute had to be found.
The owner of a lantern assembly business in California, who has been advising the project and helping with supplies, said a mixture of kerosene and paraffin will have the same flame point and consistency of whale oil.
Civil War-era glass was purchased off eBay for use in the lantern.
The team has even applied for membership with a Confederate history museum to get access to detailed archives.
"I wanted to be involved because I like the Civil War and for the metal work, but also to be a part of history," sophomore Seth Kunkel, Hamburg, said.
The two lanterns tested Monday will be taken to South Carolina and tested on the water at a three-mile distance to the shore.
"If we can see it in this test, it will prove the Confederate soldier in the battery on shore, may also have seen the signal," Eisenhuth said. "We will have to wait until the lunar conditions of the actual event can be replicated to test accurately."
One of the lanterns will be sent to the conservation center in South Carolina for display. The fourth lantern is on display in a downtown Hamburg bank.
Principal Chris Spohn said the project got about $3,400 through the second year of the district's Learn & Serve America grant. Another $2,800 came through the Hamburg Area Education Foundation, a nonprofit group comprised of local business and community members.
A list provided Monday includes the school district, Hamburg Area Education Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Joe Jurgielewicz, and Phi Group, as project sponsors.
Confederate Relic Room veto sustained: Museum’s future uncertain
June 17, 2:20 PM
As a result of Governor Sanford's veto, the Relic Room's future is uncertain
The State House of Representatives sustained Governor Mark Sanford’s veto of the operating budget for the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. The Museum’s budget was part of the much larger budget of the state Budget & Control Board.
A statement from the
museum on the situation was posted on the
museum’s website. It reads as follows:
“As you probably know, the House sustained the Governor’s veto #52
of the Budget & Control Board’s General Fund budget. This eliminates
the operating budget for the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military
Museum. At
this time we have no definite word on how we will be moving forward.
Budget & Control Board Executive Director Frank Fusco and key staff are studying what can be done to keep key programs like the museum operating for as long as possible. We will let you know more as soon as information is available. Thank you again for your support.”
The Relic Room is the state’s repository for military artifacts and is the oldest museum in Columbia. It chronicles the state’s military tradition from the American Revolution to the present day. It recently hosted an exhibit of photographs from the Vietnam war taken by photographers who were either killed or are missing in that conflict. It is located at 301 Gervais Street, Columbia.
The Blue Rebels by S.C. Douglas
Book Review by Compatriot Lou Fritz
The Blue Rebels is a short novel concerning Northerners who sided with the South during the War for Southern Independence. The book investigates military personnel, journalists, and politicians whose beliefs and desires were juxtaposed to those of Abe Lincoln. The Blue Rebels provides a fairly comprehensive, “one stop shop” listing of Northerners who aided the South behind enemy lines.
Most of the individuals named in the book should be familiar to those who have studied the war. General John C Pemberton, who valiantly held out during the siege of Vicksburg, is noted. Douglas reminds readers that Pemberton’s wife Mary was from Virginia, and that factor may have contributed to his ultimate allegiance to the South. A man of less renown, but quite possibly of more importance, was Major Josiah Gorgas. Gorgas originally hailed from Running Pumps, Pennsylvania. He did not get along well with his military superiors in the U. S. Army, and decided, at the initiation of hostilities, to seek his fame and fortune with the South. He was talented ordinance officer and his ability to procure artillery, weapons and other military supplies was a huge benefit for the South during the war. One particularly intriguing individual is Frank Crawford Armstrong. Major Armstrong was raised in Oklahoma, (Indian Territory), where he father was a military officer. While just a youngster his father died, and his mother remarried another military officer, General Persifor Smith. Upon completing studies at Holy Cross Academy in Massachusetts, (now Holy Cross College), Crawford was commissioned in the U.S. Army Second Cavalry Unit. At the outbreak of the war, Armstrong led Federal troops against Confederate positions during the Battle of First Manassas. By mid-August 1861 Armstrong had decided to resign his commission and join the Confederate military. Douglas does not provide details as to what brought about Armstrong’s epiphany, but Armstrong does hold the unique distinction of being one of the highest ranking Federal soldiers to join the Confederate cause upon having previously engaged the “enemy” in battle. Eventually Armstrong reached the rank of Brigadier General, and was a very popular leader among officials in the Confederacy. He fought admirably alongside of Confederate notables such as Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Armstrong died in 1902 in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Journalists who aided the South were numerous, and sometimes were forced to adopt pseudonyms to shield themselves from Yankee retribution. John Williamson Palmer regularly wrote for the New York Tribune under the byline, “Altamont”. He wrote on Union and Confederate military operations. What was unknown to Union authorities was that Palmer was a Confederate spy, whose reports on Confederate military operations were designed to befuddle U.S. military strategists. Additionally, the Union reports that made their way to print in the Tribune, provided the Confederacy with valuable military intelligence. Later after leaving New York, Palmer clandestinely went to Richmond, where he assisted in the development of propaganda literature for the Confederate Secret Service.
A variety of Southern sympathetic politicians are noted by Douglas. Principally mentioned are the three most noted “Copperheads” of their era, Fernando Wood, Horatio Seymour and Clement Vallandigham. Fernando Wood was Mayor of New York City in 1861. He advocated that New York City and Long Island City be made “open ports” with the status as free traders with the Union and Confederacy. Horatio Seymour was Governor of New York during the War. His conciliatory tact concerning the New York City Draft Rioters of 1863, brought in to question his loyalty as related to the Lincoln Union. Moreover, during a meeting with Confederate operatives intent on burning New York City, Seymour’s representative assured the gentlemen in attendance that the New York State Militia would in no way interfere with any insurrectionary activities resulting from the proposed fire. Clement Valladigham was a Congressman from Ohio who courageously challenged both Lincoln and his minions on the floor of Congress. As an vocal opponent of Lincoln policies, Vallandigham was arrested in 1863 and charged with possessing sympathy for the enemy to the point of treason. A military commission found him guilty of the charges, and he was sentenced to prison. With Vallandigham’s arrest scores of angry citizens rioted against the travesty of justice that was meted out against the Congressman. Lincoln, sensing a public relations nightmare on his heads, eventually had Vallandigham transported to the Confederacy and handed over to General Braxton Bragg. A non-plused Lincoln is quoted as stating, “his (Vallandigham’s) arrest was made because he was laboring, with some effect, to prevent the raising of troops, to encourage desertions from the army, and to leave the rebellion without an adequate military force to suppress it.” It’s difficult to ascertain the effect that Wood, Seymour, and Vallandigham had on the Lincoln war machine, but at least these brave statesmen did their best to thwart a man whom they considered to be a despot.
The Blue Rebels is a good, easy read. If you’re headed to the beach this summer, I would definitely recommend taking a copy of it along.
During a recent business trip to Georgia, I decided to make a four hour sojourn from Brunswick, Georgia to Andersonville. Being a luddite, (borrowing that term from Compatriot Dave Denisch), I did not have use of a GPS to guide me. I used the “old school” method of acquiring verbal directions, doing so by inquiring with Brunswick natives. Much to my dismay, most folks I asked about Andersonville looked at me in a quizzical manner. One man even shrugged and asked if the Andersonville I was looking for was in the State of Georgia. That reaction was disappointing, since it reinforced my opinion that in our current times there seems to be an acute lack of historical education. In any event, I was ultimately able to use the trusty map I received with my rental car, to map out my excursion. It should be noted that the biggest town in the proximity of Andersonville is Americus, Georgia. It should also be noted that President Jimmy Carter hails from Plains, Georgia which is a stone’s throw away from Americus. (For those who know me, it should come as no surprise that President Carter’s home did not grace my itinerary. Signs promoting the Carter Museum and Library were interspersed with those advertizing Andersonville, and the National POW museum).
The thing that immediately struck me concerning Andersonville, is its remote location. It is very much “off the beaten track”. It makes perfect sense that it was remotely situated, since logistically the Confederacy was looking for a spot that could house prisoners but was away from the fighting. It was selected for its immediate proximity to a nearby rail station, and a creek runs through the Camp. There was also an ample supply of hard wood trees which could be used for housing prisoners. When arriving in Andersonville, if you come via the main artery, you will find yourself in the town before arriving at the camp. The town is small with a few shops that sell antiques and memorabilia. In the town square is the Wirz shaft erected in 1908 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, in honor of hero/martyr Henry Wirz. I was chagrinned to see that there was a noticeable crack in the facing of the stone. I hope that funds are raised to repair the marker.
Camp Sumter has been administered by the National Park Service (NPS) since 1971. For decades, prior to 1971, it had been cared for by the Department of the Army. The visitor center houses the National POW Museum. There is also an adjoining cemetery. Artifacts representing American POW’s from every war are displayed there. I was very impressed with the audio accounts of the captured service men and their recollections of how they were treated, and often times mistreated, at the hands of their captors. Probably the worst treatment for prisoners were our troops captured in Vietnam. As a form of subservience they were forced to first say “Cao Bao” translated “to report”, when addressing their Vietnamese captors. They were also routinely denounced as “criminals”, and subjected to both physical and psychological torture. The stories that they share pertaining to their captivity are sad and compelling.
As for the story of Andersonville, I was fully prepared for propaganda and diatribes related to the treatment of Yankee POW’s. While there was no shortage of descriptions of how horrid conditions were at Camp Sumter, to its credit the NPS compared and contrasted Andersonville with other prison camps. In their brochure given to visitors on site, they statistically show that at the northern hellhole Elmira, the death rate, (percentage wise), was actually higher then Andersonville. It surprised me that the NPS is as even handed as they are concerning the subject. While the NPS does not unequivocally assert that the Wirz trial was a sham, they do explain that Wirz was greatly limited in his resources. What the NPS conveniently fails to convey was that the United States had the wherewithal to properly clothe and feed Confederate prisoners, its leaders simply chose not to do so.
The exhibits on the grounds are well done, with accurate representations of the stockades and shebang’s, (small outdoor tent enclosures). There are no buildings on the grounds that represent the bakery or hospital, but descriptions of those facilities are provided.
I found that my trip to Andersonville was a rewarding and educational experience. I would not hesitate to recommend it to those with an interest in history.
Sam Davis Youth Camp Request
Confederate
Greetings!
Enclosed you will find a request from Sam
Davis Youth Camp Committee member Kirk Lyons. He is currently
endeavoring to
raise funds to provide music from a pro-Southern family (http://www.farnumfamily.org)
band for the students at the Sam Davis Youth Camp to
be
held from July
4th - July 10th in SC. You will find details
about
the camp at the website: http://samdavis.scv.org/
Kirk sent me this request as part of a
general solicitation for funds throughout the SCV divisions including
Maryland.
Music is always a pleasant and appropriate addition to any
Confederate gathering
and it is an important and unique part of our Southern culture. The Sam
Davis
Youth camp affords attendees an opportunity to learn the truth about
Confederate heritage and serves to counter the
anti-Southern/Northern-centric
propaganda that is force-fed to students today - assuming they even
receive any
so-called education in "history" . The music provided by the band
described in the e-mail below helps to support the positive Southern
message
about our culture and our ancestors.
While this request is not officially endorsed by the Trimble Camp, you
are at
liberty to make an individual contribution to this cause if you are
so
moved. Contact and donation information is included below. Thank you ...
American by birth ... Southern by the Grace of God,
Jay Barringer, Adjutant
SCV Trimble Camp #1836
Below is Kirk Lyon’s letter…
We have recently concluded the Texas Sam Davis Youth Camp, and it was a tremendous success. This success was in part due to the Christian family band that played every day for the Campers, providing music for hymn singing, an evening concert/sing-along and live music for dancing at the end of week cotillion.
The
Farnum Family band of Galena Missouri ( http://www.
This money must be raised independently of the Sam Davis Account - because all of that money is designated for scholarships. This is a last minute decision, but based on the tremendous positive impact the Farnum's had on the Texas Sam Davis Camp. Music is an important teaching tool for us and can be the difference between a good camp experience and an unforgettable one.
The Farnum's have played for the past 3 western Sam Davis Camps and have been a great hit with the campers. Go to:
http://web.mac.com/ausborn4/
The family provides live music and daily dance instruction. For the money the Farnum's are a great value!
If we are to have the Farnum's attend we must commit quickly. My inclination is to hire them and raise the money on faith, but I would like to see first if my brothers in Maryland agree this is a good idea.
Please share this with your Camps, if a Camp executive committee must meet or if it requires Camp consensus - please have them consider an emergency meeting to help.
Send donations in whatever amount to SCV P.O. Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402 (VERY IMPORTANT - NOTE ON CHECK: SDYC BAND) and please have donors let me know that they have made a donation so I can keep track of how much has been raised kdl@slrc-csa.org .
This money must be raised quickly (Camp begins in Batesburg, SC on July 4) so members should share this email with Camp members or anyone who cares about the Sam Davis Camps. Interested parties may call me at 828-712-2115.
The Sam Davis Camps must grow and thrive - this is an important way to help!!!
Maryland has never failed to lead the way - other Divisions are being asked to help!
Sincerely,
Kirk D. Lyons
Sam Davis Youth Camp Committee member
828-712-2115
2010 MD. Division SCV Color Guard & Trimble Camp - Calendar of Events – Tentative
7/3/2010
Gettysburg Ceremony @ 4pm, please
join the 57th North Carolina as we put on Pickett's Charge and hands
across the
wall on the actual battlefield.
Meet
up is at the NC Monument at 3:30pm. Please remember that you cannot have
any
caps or rounds on you, and you MUST have a full canteen. Step off will
be at
the North Carolina Monument at 4:00pm. We will march across the same
part of
the field that the 26th NC did on July 3rd 1863 with full uniforms and
weapons.
And we will end at the high water mark, where we will shake the hands of
anyone
who will stand on that side of the wall. If you want to march with us or
stand
at the wall, please contact Col. Bill Hartley of the 57th North Carolina
at anv57regnc@yahoo.com.
7/5/2010 Severna Park Parade: Annual parade where we spread SCV good will to the public. Formation at 9:00 A.M. at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church on Benfield Rd. in Severna Park. We will meet in the parking lot on Ritchie Hwy (where Ledo's is located and the parade finish of the past. Come one come all to defend our numerous First Place showings in the "home field parade" this one has become to us!
8/28/2010 Annual Potomac River Crossing: Cross the Potomac at Historic White’s Ford. We will step off at 12:00 P.M. in Dickerson Park for this Norris Camp Non-Period event!
Directions: From Poolesville and points South; follow Whites Ferry Road, MD RT 107, west out of Poolesville, 3.4 miles to Martinsburg Road, Turn right, a church is at the intersection. Go 2 plus miles to sign on left to Dickerson Regional Park. Turn left to parking lot less than a mile down the road, just short of the Canal. From Frederick and points North; take MD RT 85 to MD RT 28, go through Dickerson, bare right on to Martinsburg Road at flashing light by the power plant. Go about 1-1/2 miles turn right to parking lot less than a mile down the road, just short of the Canal.
9/6/2010 Labor Day Parade: in Gaithersburg, Md., Sept. 6, 2010. A public parade so let’s all turn out! Directions:
Take 95 to 495 to 270 North. Take Exit 11 (124 North) Pass 355 to a right at the 4th light on Mid County Highway. Make a right at the first light on Goshen Rd. Make a left ion Girard Ave. Follow Girard to the end and make a left on Diamond Ave. Make your first left for our formation at number 63 yellow. Park at the bottom of the hill. See ya'll there!
9/11/2010 Howard County Monument Ceremony: Annual Ceremony to honor Howard County’s Confederate soldiers and sponsored by the Major General Isaac Ridgeway Trimble Camp #1836. Formation is at 10:30 for the 11:00 ceremony.
10/3/2010 St. Clement’s Island Blessing of the Fleet Parade. St. Clement's Island
Museum Grounds
38370 Point Breeze Road, Coltons Point, MD 20620.
This will be our first time in this historic parade. Let's show them the colors and march for Maryland's history. Formation at 10:45 A.M.
10/9/2010 Point Lookout Ceremony: Annual Ceremony sponsored by the Camalier Camp at Point Lookout the final resting place of thousands of Confederates. All were incarcerated by the Federal Government. Let's make this the first of many special Point Lookout Ceremonies in the new Confederate Memorial Park. Formation at 10:30 A.M. for the 11:00 A.M. Ceremony.
11/20/2010 Annual Leonardtown Veteran’s Day Parade – Directions Forthcoming
11/20/2010 Remembrance Day Parade: Annual parade in Gettysburg sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans. The Color Guard will meet at 12:00 for formation on Lefebvre Street (by the school off Baltimore Street). This is an historic Parade of Period Dressed participants and surely one not to miss.
12/4/2010 Christmas Parade: Parade in Northeast Maryland. Color Guard formation is at 12:00 PM. A great parade that is a nice ending to our 2010. Last year it snowed so prepare for the weather. Get a
