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THE OLD WAR HORSE
THE VOICE OF GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS VOLUME 7, ISSUE 8, SEPTEMBER, 2005 |
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A quick jump to most of the articles in this issue:
Commander's Comments, Adjutant's Report, September Program (next), July Program (last), Camp Officers, Longstreet's First Corps,
Chuck's Award, Richmond Blues&Grays, Calendar of Events, Dixie Days, Poem, Richmond Inflation 1863, Snapshot Corner, Editor's Note,
COMMANDER'S COMMENTS
It is with great pride and honor that I write this, my first "Commander's Comments." To be elected commander of the Longstreet Camp, a camp comprised of such wonderful people, is truly humbling. We have such a great camp. We are not only highly esteemed in the SCV, we have a great relationship with the historical community. Our commitment to preserving the legacy of our ancestors while staying above the political strife and infighting has earned us many laurels. This is evidenced in the numerous transfers and new members our camp has received. We must be doing something right! Next month on Sunday, October 16th we will be dedicating grave markers for two of General Longstreet's Staff Officers at Hollywood Cemetery. Until now, the graves of Colonel John J. G. Clarke and Major Samuel P. Mitchell have remained unmarked. A Richmond native, Col. Clarke was Longstreet's chief engineer and was present at the battle of Gettysburg scouting out and establishing routes to move Confederate troops around in the unfamiliar territory. After the war Col. Clarke returned home and became the City Engineer of Manchester. One of the projects he oversaw as city engineer was the construction of the wooden Manchester or Ninth Street bridge. This bridge stayed in operation until 1972 when it was replaced by the current bridge. Major Mitchell was not as fortunate. He served with the Army of Northern Virginia until 1863 when he died at Chickamauga from diphtheria. He was only 30 years old. The least these two men deserve is a proper marker for each of their graves. The grave markings above, the Buck Hurt Award, road cleanups and financial support to preserve historical landmarks are activities that would make our forebears proud. It is our responsibility to see that their proud legacy lives on. There are many ways to do this; however, we must ensure that we remain civilized and do not tarnish the image of the Confederate soldier with irresponsible conduct. Although it may be a small amount, we do carry the blood of our confederate ancestors in our veins. The way we conduct our lives now in the 21st century, believe it or not, reflects on them. Just as they honored the legacy of their ancestors, we must honor ours. As we move into the future I look forward to working with everyone to help make our goals come to fruition. We not only have the best camp in the SCV, we also have one of the greatest executive committees as well. As always, your officers will continue to make you proud to be a member of the Longstreet Camp! I look forward to seeing you on the 20th! Taylor
ADJUTANT'S REPORT
We have received membership certificates from Headquarters for two new members, Walter R. Beam, Jr. and Robert W. Vass. Walt's ancestor Hugh Caldwell Bennett was a first lieutenant in Company F, 3rd North Carolina Cavalry. Bobby's ancestor John S. Hicks (then spelled Hix) was a lieutenant in Company B, 44th Virginia Infantry. Lieutenant Hicks was one of the Immortal 600 Confederate officers taken from the Yankee prison at Fort Delaware to Morris Island, Charleston, SC August 1864 and thence to Fort Pulaski, GA in October, 1864. Membership application of Richard M. B. Rennolds has been sent to Headquarters. Richard's ancestor, Albert Rennolds, was a captain in Company F, 55th Virginia Infantry. We plan to induct these three new SCV members at a meeting in the near future. Peter I. C. Knowles, II's application for transfer of his membership to Longstreet has been certified and mailed to headquarters. Peter's ancestor William Washington Wingo was a private in Company I, 1st Virginia Infantry. We welcome Walt, Bobby, Richard, and Peter to the Longstreet Camp. Two members who transferred to the newly formed James City Cavalry Camp, Charles Howard and David Ware, have become associate members of Longstreet. We appreciate their continuing their affiliation with our Camp. A check has been received from Ukrop's for our participation in the Golden Gift Certificate program. We shall vote on what to do with this money at the September meeting. Howard Bartholf, Commander of the Army of the James Camp, Sons of Union Veterans, sent me a copy of a very nice letter which he wrote to immediate past commander Harry Boyd on the occasion of Harry's completion of his tenure as our Camp commander. Our Camp has enjoyed a good relationship with Howard's camp over a number of years. Our Camp has enjoyed a great revival in recent years under the leadership of Hef Ferguson, Chuck Walton, and Harry Boyd. I'm sure Taylor Cowardin, with the assistance of the Executive Council with its new members 1st LCDR Will Shumadine and Judge Advocate Richard Campbell, will continue this outstanding leadership. Longstreet bashing is a popular sport. It began a few years after The War, when Jubal Early and others selected Longstreet as the scapegoat responsible for the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg. Typically when something goes wrong, many involved sit in a circle and point to the person on the right, saying, "It's his fault." Longstreet Camp founder the late Bill Mallory, one of the most knowledgeable amateur historians I've ever met, said about Gettysburg, "Southerners spend so much time talking about who erred at Gettysburg that they omit a key factor-90,000 well-led Yankee soldiers. Unfortunately for Our General, his postwar writings in defense of his actions left much to be desired. Ed Bearss, retired Chief Historian of the National Park Service who spoke about Longstreet's wounding at out Christmas banquet last year, speaks favorably of the writings of Stephen W. Sears. In his book Chancellorsville Sears wrote of Our General, "Longstreet could be stubbornly opinionated at times, but he was never unprepared." In the event that you're wondering what Longstreet is doing in a book about a battle at which he was not present, many Union officers were convinced that he and his troops were going to arrive at any time. They justifiably feared him. It's time for renewal dues for the year to end July 31, 2006. If you haven't already paid and don't plan to bring your dues to the September 20th meeting, please mail your check payable to Longstreet Camp # 1247 in the amount of $ 45.00 to Walter Tucker, 2524 Hawkesbury Court, Richmond, VA 23233-2426. Your promptness in handling this will be greatly appreciated. The new amount of annual dues was approved at our July meeting. Walter
GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247
NEXT MEETING-TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
ROMA'S RESTAURANT
8330 STAPLES MILL RD.
LOCATED IN "THE SHOPS AT STAPLES MILL"
TURN LEFT AT FIRST STOPLIGHT NORTH OF
THE WISTAR SHOPPING CENTER
DINNER - SOCIAL 6:00 PM
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM
Our September speaker will be fellow Longstreet member and Executive Director of the Museum of the Confederacy, S. Waite Rawls III. He will give a presentation of the current state of the Museum and the Whitw House of the Confederacy along with detailing the alternatives they currently face.
JULY PROGRAM
Jack Trammell, wearer of several hats at Randolph-Macon
College, started off his talk by stressing the great need
for gunpowder caused by the overall inaccuracy of Civil War
shooting. It took ten million rounds of ammunition to
inflict 50,000 casualties at Gettysburg!
The Confederacy had very little gunpowder at the outbreak of
The War Between The States. There was no organized
gunpowder industry in the South. A gunpowder mill existed
in Lexington, KY in 1802, but it had closed down before The
War.
Nitre, one of three ingredients in gunpowder (charcoal and
sulfur being the other) is found mainly in limestone caves.
No place produced more than two pounds per day. Most of the
nitre producers turned out less than two pounds per day.
Even the politicians became aware of the South's problem.
For the first year of The War, the South was dependent upon
imported gunpowder. Congress spent a lot of time discussing
the need for nitre and gunpowder and on April 1, 1862
created the Nitre Bureau. Isaac Monroe St. John, a civil
engineer who had worked for the B&O Railroad, became head of
the Nitre Corps. He was a brilliant man and an effective
organizer.
Confederate Army officers impressed nitre caves, of which
there were thousands. The Yankees attempted to disrupt
their operations. The dispersion of the industry meant that
a small number of Yankee successes didn't hurt the industry
very much.
Finding workers proved to be challenging. Plantation owners
needed their slaves and were reluctant to rent them out to
nitre mining operations. Some free blacks were hired.
Yankee prisoners were used, but a number of these escaped.
Confederate soldiers were detailed to work in the mines.
The Confederate government built and owned the Augusta (GA)
Powder Works. Josiah Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, was high in
his praise of St. John. A map of resources was made. A
method of growing nitre was developed. Railroads were
needed to transport the nitre to Augusta. The Yankees never
did understand the importance of Augusta. Some think that
The War would have ended sooner if Sherman had gone there
instead of on his famous march to the sea.
The image endures that The War was between the Industrial
North and the Agrarian South. While the South had less
industry than the North, it was still one of the most
industrialized nations in the world.
In early 1865, St. John was named Commissary General of the
Confederate Army. He brought some order to this mismanaged
organization, but by then it was too late. After The War,
St. John returned to working for the railroad. He had made
a great, but little appreciated contribution to the
Confederate war effort.
Walter
2003-2004 CAMP OFFICERS LONGSTREET CAMP #1247
Commander: Taylor Cowardin 356-9625 1st. Lt. Cmdr.: William F. Shumadine, III 285-4044 2nd Lt. Cmdr.: Michael Kidd 270-9651 Adjutant/Treasurer: Walter Tucker 360-7247 Judge Advocate: Richard B. Campbell 278-6488 Quartermaster: R. Preston Nuttall 276-8977 Chaplain: Henry V. Langford 474-1978PUBLICATIONS
Webmaster: Gary F. Cowardin 262-0534 Website: longstreetscv.org War Horse: David P. George 353-8392
EDITOR'S NOTE
Readers will note that this issue of the War Horse does not contain the normal number of photographs. Unfortunately, the memory card holding the pictures taken at the September meeting was inadvertently reformatted and the data was destroyed. Several different recovery programs were used with no results. Your Editor apologizes for this mishap.
LONGSTREET'S FIRST CORPS
The following is a cumulative listing of contributors to the upkeep of The Old War Horse for the period July, 2004 through the current month. As you know, our cumulative listing starts in July of each year. Ben Baird Lloyd Brooks Phil Cheatham John Coski § Brian Cowardin* Clint Cowardin Gary Cowardin* Ron Cowardin* Taylor Cowardin Raymond Crews* Lee Crenshaw John Deacon* Jerold Evans Pat Hoggard* Charles Howard Chris Jewett Jack Kane* Michael Kidd Ann Lauterbach+ Frank Marks Lewis Mills* Conway Moncure Kitty Moreau § Jerry Morris Joe Moschetti* Richard Mountcastle* Preston Nuttall* Martha Petro § Ken Parsons Norman Plunkett §* Joseph Seay Bill Setzer Will Shumadine Austin Thomas* Walter Tucker* John Vial David Ware Harold Whitmore Hugh Williams Bobby Williams Legend: * - Multiple contributions § - Visitor Donation + - in memory of Past Cmdr. Tom Lauterbach
CHUCK RECEIVES AN AWARD !!
We were delighted to have Patricia Walton and her daughter, Lia, visit us at the July meeting. They were present to receive a posthumous award, a Certificate of Appreciation, to Past Commander Charles E. "Chuck" Walton from the State Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This award was to recognize the dedication of Chuck to Longstreet and the SCV and the many, many hours of hard work that he put into the Cause. It was good to see Patricia and Lia and we hope to see them more often. Compatriot Ed Thornton, a long time friend of Chuck's, also presented Lia Walton with a valuable Confederate banknote.
THE RICHMOND BLUES, GRAYS AND HOWITZERS
Many of you may not be aware of the three military/social organizations that existed in Richmond prior to World War II. They were the Richmond Blues, The Richmond Grays and The Richmond Howitzers. Many prominent Richmonders belonged to these units. Here is a photograph of a Sergeant of the GraysCIRCA 1920-1930 If any readers have photographs of the Blues or the Howitzers dress uniforms, please let us have a copy to scan and we will place them in future issues.
REMINDER
The date has been set for our Longstreet Christmas Banquet. It will be held on the evening of December 6, 2005, at the Westwood Club in Richmond. Please make sure to mark this date on your calendar so that we may have the best turnout ever!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2005 The Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond Now is a good time to take in the special exhibit on The Confederate Navy at the Museum. Due to the MCV construction, things are a little confused, but the signs will lead you to the parking deck. Hours are: Monday thru Saturday 10 am-5 pm and Sunday 12 Noon-5 pm. For information: 804-649-1861 or www.moc.org
SEPTEMBER 21-24 Third Annual "Americans at War" program at Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg. Covers American Military History: active duty military and veterans, vehicles, collections, displays. Reenactors and living history demonstrations from colonial times to present. For information: 1-877-PAMPLIN or www.pamplinpark.org
SEPTEMBER 25 "The Grafitti House and the Current Findings on the Grafitti," a program by Brandy Station Foundation president, Bob Luddy. 2-3:15 p.m. at Brandy Station. Reservations required. $5 donation fee to the Foundation. For information, Jim at (540) 439-3549 or sumerduckwood@aol.com
SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2 141st Anniversary of the Battle of Stanardsville in Greene County. Battles Saturday and Sunday, night artillery firing, buggy rides, Civil War Ball, children's games, ladies' tea, period music. Admission $5 per day, $8 for weekend in advance, $7 & $12 at gate. For info, (434)985-6663 or www.greeneva.com
OCTOBER 7-9 Fifth Annual Image of War Seminar in Richmond. Speakers include Mike Gorman, Eric Mink, Bob Zeller, Heather Milne, Gary Adelman who will discuss or visit sites including Lee's Richmond home, The Museum of the Confederacy, Malvern Hill, Drewery's Bluff, Fort Brady and more. All proceeds benefit The Center for Civil War Photography. For info: Gary Adelman, whatsthescene@hotmail.com
OCTOBER 7-9 North-South Skirmish Association 112th National Competition near Winchester, VA. Live fire matches with muskets, carbines, breech-loading rifles, revolvers, mortars and Cannon. Free admission. For information: Bruce Miller, (248) 258-9007, www.n-ssa.org
OCTOBER 8 & 22 Four tours in series throughout the summer and fall: Beverly Ford, St. James Church, Kelly's Ford and Stevensburg, Fleetwood Hill and Buford Knoll and Yew Ridge. From Graffiti House, Brandy Station. 10:00 -12:00 a.m. Sponsored by Brandy Station Foundation. $5.00, under 12 free. For information:, 540-547-4106 or bsfjune91863@aol.com
OCTOBER 15 & 22 Buckingham Railroad event in Dillwyn. Two Autumn Leaf Rambler excursion train roundtrips from Dillwyn to New Canton. Reenactors at Dillwyn Station, riding train, skirmishing trackside, living history presentations. Train Fares $24 adults, $12 children 2-12 yrs. Advance purchase recommended. For information, tickets: Old Dominion Chapter, NHRS, P.O. Box 1771, Glen Allen, VA 23060 or www.odcnrhs.org, www.15thvacoa.org,www.12thvirginia.org
OCTOBER 15, 16 141ST Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek on the original battlefield in Middleton. $15 through Sept. 15th, late registration $25 through Oct. 7th. By phone with credit card, walk-on $35. Sponsored by non-profit Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation. For information, CCBF, P.O. Box 229, Middletown, VA 22645, 888-628-1864, www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org
OCTOBER 15, 16 Pamplin Historical Park's 9th Annual Symposium, "Great Controversies of Civil War History," at the Park in Petersburg. Speakers include James McPherson, John Coski, Richard Sommers, Peter Carmichael, George Rable and Will Greene. For information: 877-PAMPLIN or www.pamplinpark.org
OCTOBER 21, 22 Civil War Ghost Walk, Endview Plantation, Newport News, 7-10 p.m. Annual tour of Endview and its battlefield. For information, 757-887-1862, www.endview.org
HANOVER "DIXIE DAYS" TO BE RENAMED!!
Hanover County officials are involved in an effort to change the name of the very popular "Dixie Days Festival" weekend to something less offensive to the ears and eyes of the public. (Possibly, they may also feel that radio stations serving Hanover County should not play Dixieland Jazz unless it is renamed Rebellion Jazz or something else less offensive. Who knows??) "Dixie Days" is only two years old, but is bringing out thousands of residents and non-residents, adults and children, young and old to experience and learn about Hanover County's War Between the States history and heritage. The word "Dixie" supposedly has its origins in the French "Dix," the number ten, and one would assume that it originated in New Orleans where a ten dollar banknote was known as a Dixie. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of Dixie is twofold: 1. The southern states of the US, the South. 2. "a large iron kettle or pot in which stew, tea, etc., is made or carried by soldiers." This is still in use today and stems from the Hindi degci (from Persian degca, the diminutive of deg iron pot.) Ah, words are wonderful things and mean many different things to many people! One must be very careful in using them in order not to offend or arouse the ire of others. In this politically correct world of ours, one person, upset over one word such as "God" can, if he or she works hard and is noisy enough, eliminate the usage of that word from public documents, schools and public parks and buildings. Let all of us, especially you who vote and elect in Hanover County, make loud noises and write letters to the elected officials of the county expressing our indignation and sorrow over the effort to eliminate DIXIE from the title of the Dixie Days Festival. Demand that the title remain unchanged and suggest that the persons who are offended by the word should simply choose not to attend the event. (Remember, a section of Hanover County's Studley Road is cleaned up every year by Longstreet Camp's Compatriots.) Dave Your EditorHANOVER COUNTY CONTACTS
County Administrator Cecil R. "Rhu" Harris, Jr. 804-365-6005 Rharris@co.hanover.va.us HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Ashland District Timothy E. Earnst 804-798-9333 (h) ternst@co.hanover.va.us Beaverdam District Aubrey M. Stanley, Jr. 804-449-6606 (h) 804-449-6606 (h-fax) amstanley@co.hanover.va.us Chickahominy District Robert R. Setliff 804-746-5553 (h) 804-746-8476 (w) 804-746-8476 (fax) rsetliff@co.hanover.va.us Cold Harbor District E.J. Wade, Sr. 804-781-0044 (h) 804-781-0413 (fax) ejwade@co.hanover.va.us Henry District Charles D. MCGhee, Vice-Chairman 804-779-2875 (h) 804-779-7765 (h-fax) cmcghee@co.hanover.va.us Mechanicsville District J. T. "Jack" Ward 804-746-9126 (h) 804-730-3546 (h-fax) jward@co.hanover.va.us South Anna District John E. Gordon, Jr. 804-798-3879 (h) 804-752-2040 (h-fax) jgordon@co.hanover.va.us
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY
Francis Miles French/
By the flow of the inland river,
Whence the fleets of iron have fled,
Where the blades of the grave grass quiver,
Asleep are the ranks of the dead.
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Under the one the Blue,
Under the other the Gray
These in the robings of glory,
Those in the gloom of defeat.
All with the battle-blood gory,
In the dusk of eternity meet.
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Under the laurel the Blue,
Under the willow the Gray.
From the silence of sorrowful hours
The desolate mourners go,
Loving laden with flowers
Alike for the friend and the foe
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Under the roses the Blue,
Under the lilies, the Gray
So with an equal splendor,
The morning sunrays fall,
With a touch impartially tender.
On the blossoms blooming for all;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day.
Broidered with gold the Blue,
Mellowed with gold the gray.
So when the summer calleth,
On the forest and field of grain,
With an equal murmur falleth
The cooling drip of the rain;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Wet with the rain, the Blue ,
Wet with the rain the Gray.
Sadly, but not with upbraiding,
The generous deed was done,
In the storm of the years that are fading
No braver battle was won;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Under the blossoms, the Blue,
Under the garlands, the Gray.
No more shall the war cry sever,
Or the winding rivers be red;
They banish our anger forever
When they laurel the graves of our dead!
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Love and tears for the Blue,
Tears and love for the Gray.
The women of Columbus, Mississippi were the inspiration for
this poem. They lay flowers upon the graves of both the
Blue and the Gray.
The poem was included in the 1878 McGuffy's Reader and
literally millions of school children memorized and recited
it.
INFLATION IN RICHMOND-1863
We are concerned today over the rising prices of fuel, food
and all of the other necessities of life. Money does not go
as far as it used to, particularly to people who live on a
fixed income.
Many feel that speculation is rampant in today's society but
pause for a moment to read what John Beauchamp Jones wrote
in his Rebel Clerks Dairy:
"January 30th (1863) - I cut the following from yesterday's
Dispatch:
"The Results of Extortion and Speculation.-The state of
affairs brought about by the speculating and extortion
practiced upon the public cannot be better illustrated than
by the following grocery bill for one week for a small
family, in which the prices before the war and those of the
present are compared:
1860 Bacon, 10 lbs. at 12 1/2 $1.25
Flour, 30 lbs. at 5 1.50
Sugar, 5 lbs. at 8 .40
Coffee, 4 lbs. at 12 1/2 .50
Tea (green), 1/2 lb. at $1 .50
Lard, 4 lbs. at 12 1/2 .50
Butter, 3 lbs. at 25 .75
Meal, 1 pk. at 25 .25
Candles, 2 lbs. at 15 .30
Soap, 5 lbs. at 10 .50
Pepper and salt (about) .10
________________________________
Total $6.55
1863 Bacon, 10 lbs. at $1 10.00
Flour, 30 lbs. at 12 1/2 3.75
Sugar, 5 lbs. at $1.15 5.75
Coffee, 4 lbs. at $5 20.00
Tea, (green), 1/2 lb. at $16 8.00
Lard, 4 lbs. at $1 4.00
Butter, 3 lbs. at $1.75 5.25
Meal, 1 pk. at $1 1.00
Candles, 2 lbs. at $1.25 2.50
Soap, 5 lbs. at $1.10 5.50
Pepper and salt (about) 2.50
__________________________________
Total $68.25
"So much we owe the speculators, who have stayed at home to
prey upon the necessities of their fellow citizens."
" August 13th. (1864)-Flour is falling. It is now $200 per
barrel.-$500 a few weeks ago; and bacon is falling in price
also, from $11 to $6 per pound. A commission merchant said
to me, yesterday, that there was at least eighteen months'
supply (for the people) of breadstuffs and meats in the
city; and pointing to the upper windows at the corner of
Thirteenth and Cary Streets, he revealed the ends of many
barrels piled above the windows. He said that flour had
been there two years held for "still higher prices." Such is
the avarice of man. Such is war. And such the greed of
extortionists, even in the midst of famine-and famine in the
midst of plenty!"
SNAPSHOT CORNER
VICKSBURG COURT HOUSECOURT HOUSE CAT
A "DIXIECAT" TO BE SURE!
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©2005 James Longstreet Camp, #1247, SCV - Richmond, Virginia