The Camp Griffin Gazette News and Information from the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table

Vol. XIX, No. 7– September 2011

Publicity/Founding Member: Jack Anderson - Treasurer: Gail Blake - Program Chair - Peter Sinclair [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Newsletter Editor:: Ginny Gage - Membership Chairperson: - Video Maven : Alan Cheever [email protected] Position Open [email protected]

Our Web Site: http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/gmcwrt/index.html

PETER SINCLAIR Peter Sinclair POWER POINT PRESENTATION: “Washington, DC Revisited” “WASHINGTON, DC REVISITED” Peter will present a power point program on the 2011 Round TUESDAY, SEPT. 13, 2011 Table trip based in the Washington, DC area, including the HOTEL COOLIDGE Marines at Bull Run and Balls Bluff battle, Pensions Building, Lincoln's summer home, Fort Stevens, Frederick WHITE RIVER JCT., VT Douglass Home, Congressional Cemetery, etc.

Peter Sinclair has lived more than half of his life in the U.S. 6-6:30 P.M. Social Hour and much of that in Ryegate, VT, even if he doesn't sound 6:30-7:00 Buffet Dinner like it because he grew up in Australia. He became 7:00 - 7:15 Business Meeting interested in the Civil War after inviting Jack Anderson to 7:15 Program, followed by discussion speak at his local historical society. Ryegate is a granite Adjournment town, and the town history said that many monuments at Gettysburg were made in Ryegate where there was a mill Guaranteed dinner reservations MUST BE MADE by 12 that could make round columns. Noon, Sept. 12. Cost per person for the buffet dinner is $15.00. For the meeting and program only, there is a donation of $2.00 for members and $4.00 for non- members. For reservations please contact Gail Blake at The Camp Griffin Gazette is the monthly newsletter of 802-296-2919 or e-mail her at [email protected]. the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table. Editor: Ginny Gage. We encourage and welcome all contributions and MENU suggestions. Send news and information to: ASSORTED SANDWICHES COLD SALAD - SOUP Ginny Gage TOSSED SALAD 365 East Road COFFEE/TEA Cornish, NH 03745 or COOKIES E-mail: [email protected]

The deadline for the October newsletter is Sept. 26, 2011.

September 2011 Camp Griffin Gazette Page 1

2011-2012 Program Schedule Through September 2011 – “The American Ideal: Abraham Lincoln and the Second Inaugural” Peter Sinclair, Program Chair exhibit at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, VT. Text from the speech & artifacts October 11: Dan Murray - "Grand Army of the from the collections of Hildene and Brown Republic – Union Veterans Association (G.A.R.) University’s John Hay Library. For information, (Tues. evening) (802) 362-1788 or check out their web site at November 8: Dr. Leonard J. Nyberg - "The Diary of www.hildene.org Civil War Private Richard Dodge 15th Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers" - (Tues. evening) On display at the Choate-Sias House, Danville, VT, December: Members’ Presentations – (Sat. Historical Society – Lt. Col. William H. Preston, Co. st afternoon) D, 1 VT Cavalry – his personal artifacts – Tuesday January 14: Rob Sullivan - "Fort Fisher – the last & Thursday afternoons from 12 noon to 7 p.m. For Confederate Fort that protected Wilmington, NC” - more information: http://danvillevthistorical.org (Sat. afternoon) February 11: Undecided (Sat. afternoon – 1 p.m.) To Oct. 10 – “Brothers in Arms” – Free, expanded March 10: Tom Ledoux - "Navy" – (Tom is the exhibit focusing on the Civil War soldier and loved webmaster for the Vermont in the Civil War web ones back home at New England Via Vermont, site and is moving to our area soon.) (Sat. Alburgh Village. Displays on medicine, afternoon) Underground Railroad, ladies, children, veterans, April 14: Robert May - "The Lemon Slave Law - heroes, scoundrels, more. Open daily 10-5, 1859" – (Similar to the Dred Scott case, but with a Wednesday and Sunday by chance. For different outcome.) (Sat. afternoon – 1 p.m.) information, (802) 796-3665; May 8: Robert Bonner – Subject to be decided. www.newenglandviavermont.com Either Pre-Civil War History or Confederate Vice President Alexander Stevens - (Tues. evening) (Above from the Civil War News.) June 12 – Open (Tues. evening) Sept. 9 – 8 p.m. “Remember Me to All Good Folks: Other Round Table Meetings and Happenings A Play of Vermont Voices from the Civil War,” an original Civil War Play, based on words from the letters, memoirs, journals and newspapers in the Henry Sheldon Sons of Union Veterans Ripley Camp would like to Museum archives. Town Hill Theater, Middlebury, VT. invite all men to any of their monthly meetings at the Rutland American Legion on Washington Street Sept. 10 – 2 and 8 p.m. “Remember Me to All Good on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 P.M. Folks: A Play of Vermont Voices from the Civil They are also looking for speakers for their War.” Please see above. winter/spring programs and would love anyone with a program they’d like to present to contact Jim Sept. 10 – 9 to 5 p.m. – Camp Johnson, Colchester, Proctor at [email protected] Check out The VT – 150th Anniversary Kickoff. Newly restored Cedar Ripley Camp #4 web site at: Creek painting; educational lectures; Vermont’s Fallen www.ripleycamp.netfirms.com/ Heroes Memorial; Living History displays, all wars. Contact Walt Houghton, 802-338-3360. Sept. 8 – Major McKinley Camp #9 – Sons of Union

Veterans Meeting – 7 p.m. – Soldiers Memorial Sept. 18 – 2 and 7 p.m., FlynnSpace, Burlington, VT Building, North Park Street, Lebanon, NH. Camp – “Remember Me to All Good Folks: A Play of members, junior members, SUVCW Auxiliary Vermont Voices from the Civil War.” Please see members, and guests are welcome! For more above. information: http://www.geocities.com/suvcwlebanonnh/classic Sept. 17-18 – Lunenburg, VT – Civil War Hemlocks _blue.html Encampment.

Sept. – NEKCWRT – “Fall Encampment” - Dinner Sept. 21 – 10 a.m. (rain or shine) – Brattleboro at 6 p.m. at the Eastside Restaurant, meeting and Union High School – Recreation of the 1906 program to follow. For more information, contact Program dedicating the monument honoring the Joan Huguenin at [email protected] men who passed through Brattleboro in service to the Union Cause. Sept. 16 – NHCWRT - 6:45 p.m. – Epping Town Hall, 157 Main Street, Epping, NH – Dick Simpson – Sept. 24 – St. Albans/NW Vermont – Muster of the “Long Island Regiments in the Army of the James.” Fifth Vermont Infantry For information, email [email protected] or check Sept. 29 – 2 p.m. – Peacham, VT – Peacham out their web site at: www.cwrt-nh.org/ Historical Society Ghost Walk will feature readings 2 from civil War letters and diaries. The program will start at please remember to include your email address. We are 2 p.m. in front of the Peacham’s Soldiers monument with a striving to send as many newsletters as possible by email, as brief introduction and then move to the nearby Peacham printing and mailing costs consume a large portion of our Cemetery. treasury. Also, sending by email helps us to be able to get additional information that may come up between meetings (Editor’s note: Many of these events are from Tom Ledoux’s to you quickly. If you have any questions about whether or great web site, so please check it out: not your dues are paid, please email or call Peter Sinclair http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/ ([email protected] - 802- 584-3280) If your dues are NOT paid by the end of September, you will be In New Hampshire: dropped from our rolls.

Starting May 1, 2011 at 10 A.M. – Ending October 31, Thank you for supporting your Roundtable. 2011 at 5 P.M. at Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock Street, Portsmouth, NH - Fitz John And a big THANK YOU to Mary for her years as Porter: Portsmouth's Civil War Hero or Coward? - membership chairman. She did a GREAT JOB This exhibit, open 7 days in the Museum’s Rowland Gallery, making sure we all paid our dues! explores the General’s Civil War life and times through LEARN ABOUT THE artifacts and documents explaining his political court THROUGH A COMMEMORATIVE WEBSITE martial and his 20-year effort to finally clear his name. Also FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: Quartermaster’s Office at the museum’s Discover Center where kids can try on uniforms, handle “arms” and packs; http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&eni review their enlistment papers; Civil War dispensary in the d=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTA3NzgmbWVzc2FnZWlk kitchen of the Goodwin Mansion, home to NH’s Civil War PVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MDc3OCZkYXRhYmFzZWlk Governor to explore the aftermath of those injured during PTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDUxNDMmZW1 the War and their medical treatment on their return home. haWxpZD1kb25uYS5yaXhAZGhzLmdvdiZ1c2VyaW Daily walking tours Porter’s Portsmouth Boyhood 1822- Q9ZG9ubmEucml4QGRocy5nb3YmZmw9JmV4dH 1830. Tickets: Adults $15, Children aged 5-17 $10, kids 4 JhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&100& and under, free. Family rate (2 adults and all children under &&http://www.nps.gov/features/waso/cw150th/ind 17) $40. 603-433-1100, www.strawberybanke.org ex.html

Sept. 13 – 4 to 5 p.m. – A New Look at NH During the You’ll find a timeline of events leading up to the Civil War Talk - Newbury Town Office, 937 Rte. 103, war; a series of articles about issues surrounding Newbury - NH Humanities Council & The Fells present the conflict; and a tool for looking up Civil War Mike Pride, author of “A New Look at New Hampshire soldiers, regiments, battles, and more. During the Civil War.” Free. (Thanks to RT member Pat Wheatley for sending this.) Exhibit until Oct. 29: Soldiers and Civilians: Local Stories of the Civil War – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Peterborough Historical Society, 19 Grove St., NEWS FROM VERMONT NEWSPAPERS Peterborough, NH. www.PeterboroughHistory.org September 1861

This exhibit that opened April 21, 2011 explores local St. Albans Messenger people's experiences of the nation's most devastating war September 19, 1861 through artifacts, photographs and first-person accounts of the battlefield and the home front. Open Wed. – Sat. Fighting near Chain Bridge. Admission: $3, 603.924.3235, The Vermont Third and Maine Sixth Regiments Engaged. Also, if you know of any Civil War event coming up, please let me know. If there isn’t time to put it in the newsletter, I Washington, Sept. 11. would be happy to e-mail it to those members on my e-mail This afternoon the Vermont Third and the Maine list. There is so much going on, it’s difficult for me to keep Sixth Regiments were reconnoitering on the road leading up with all of them! from Chain Bridge to Falls Church, when they suddenly came upon a column of several thousand of the enemy, by whom they were nearly surrounded; but they managed to LAST CHANCE TO RENEW YOUR fall back on the pickets in good order. ROUNDTABLE MEMBERSHIP The on both sides was engaged, and continued for an hour and a half to fire at long range. If you have not already done so, it is time to renew your The following members of the Vt., 3d were wounded membership for the year. Membership runs from March in the affair at Louisville yesterday: M. A. Parker, W. C. through February. When completing the membership form, 3

Carter, Lieut. Haveland, Serg’t. Farnham, and N. R. early day, and greatly retard the progress of fitting out the Kingsbury. 4th and 5th regiments.

VERMONT AND MAINE REGIMENTS.—A Uniforms and Tents. correspondent of the Boston Journal, writing from the camp of the 6th Maine, at Chain Bridge, says: We learn that Gen. Davis has been directed to “The assembling of these Vermont and Maine procure the regulation army blue for uniforming the 4th and Regiments, brought about a singular re-union. When the 5th Vermont regiments. Also the Sibley tent—the best war broke out the Senior Class in Norwich University was known. Enfield are already purchased, and if the entirely broken up, and the Juniors nearly so. When these governor’s instructions are complied with, our soldiers will Regiments came together, the entire Senior Class met, and have nothing left undone for their comfort and convenience, many of the Juniors, all holding offices in the different or their military efficiency and appearance. Regiments. It was at once decided to hold the Commencement of the old N. U. on the banks of the Vermont Sharp-Shooters. Potomac this year. The orations were delivered by a graduate of Dartmouth. Degrees of P.B., G.C., H.Y., &c, Capt. Weston has one hundred men at Randolph. were conferred on several worthies, and the exercises broke His company will be organized at once and leave on Friday up. Music by the Regimental. We trust the Faculty of the to join Col. Berdan at Washington. Judge Dana of this place old N.U. will appreciate the honor done them, and send was despatched to West Randolph by Governor Fairbanks along the A.B.’s.” on Thursday morning to organize and administer the oath to this company before it left the State. Caledonian September 13, 1861 Tents for the 4th and 5th.

Pardoned. Gov. Fairbanks gave directions to Gen. Davis to have the Sibley tent, the most approved army tent, procured It will be noticed that Gen. McClellan has pardoned for the 4th and 5th regiments; but when too late to be Wm. Scott of the Calais company, (Co. K) 3d Vt. Regiment; remedied he is informed that another kind has been whose offense was sleeping upon his post while on guard. purchased. The news was received Monday that he was to be shot that day, having been found guilty by a court martial, and the Regimental Bands. next day the papers printed his pardon. There was a sense of relief throughout our community on the receipt of this The band of the 4th--S.F. Merrill leader,--is in rehearsal at news, for however, just this sentence was, it did seem hard. Bellows Falls. The band of the 5th--James Rice leader--is at Scott was one of the measley ones left behind at this place, Montpelier. Each band consists of 20 members, picked and who joined his regiment a month ago. We venture the men, and temperance, as well as musical ability, is prediction that there will be no more sleepy guards in the considered a necessary qualification for membership. A day Vermont 3d. or two since one of the 4th regiment band overestimated the amount of whiskey he could carry, but his style of marching “On to Richmond!” betrayed him, and Mr. Merrill promptly dismissed him to join the Home Guard. We had supposed that the spirit of croaking was subsiding, and that the well informed portion of the community were content to entrust to the properly Executive Committee Meeting constituted authorities the duty of raising and furnishing August 25, 2011 troops to quell the rebellion. We now and then, however, notice a renewal of the cry, “Why move so slowly?” “Why Our annual meeting was held at the Hotel Coolidge with does not Vermont raise more troops?” etc. Gail Blake, Alan Cheever, Jeanette Cook, Mary Davis, Bill Vermont is already ahead of New Hampshire, Estabrook, Lew and Ginny Gage, Peter Sinclair, and Joan Maine, Connecticut, and several other states. Her 4th and Tomasi in attendance. 5th regiments are in encampment, and all possible dispatch is being used to uniform and equip them. When this is done Gail gave us a treasurer’s report. There’s approximately it may be seasonable to raise more troops. $2,600 in the checking account. The expenses for the past The difficulty is not in enlisting volunteers. Our Green year are: $300 for speaker’s meals, $300-350 for Mountain boys are ready to rush into the service of the newsletter costs, speaker’s gifts $100, and donations of country by thousands. But unless they are to be sent $300-400 to Civil War causes. Gail thinks we have about forward without uniforms, arms and equipments, we see no $1,500 in expenses each year. After much discussion, it was wisdom in calling them into encampment. decided to include a treasurer’s report in the newsletter each The government contracts for outfits for the army preclude month. the possibility of furnishing more Vermont troops at an We made $385 on the Civil War print raffle that Jeanette 4 has so graciously donated to our RT. Jeanette was asked if then gives the money to Gail who deposits the money, or, she would like that money to be donated anywhere specific, Mary collects dues at our RT meetings. Any questions, and she didn’t. We will look at the latest Civil War Trust please feel free to ask Mary.) Peter volunteered to contact plea for money and see where we should be donating. members who haven’t paid their dues yet. We seem to have A huge THANK YOU to Jeanette for her generosity! a few more people than usual who haven’t yet paid their dues. Speaking of donations, it was also decided to assess our balance to see how our treasury is the end of February, and Everyone else on the Executive Committee was asked if they if there’s some “extra” in there, we can donate some money would like to continue with their positions. Jack has agreed to a Civil War cause. to stay on as Publicity Chairman and Hotel Coolidge “envoy.” Gail will stay on as treasurer and Trip organizer, We had quite a discussion on speaker costs. We decided not and Alan as video “maven.” Ginny would like to see to have a maximal fee for any speaker at the moment. We someone take over as newsletter editor. She’s been doing encouraged Peter to reimburse speakers for mileage, within this for 12 years! At the very least, it would be extremely a reasonable amount, unless they decline. helpful if folks would contribute articles and news items to her. For a number of years we had a couple of members Jack has generously donated 10 pints of Vermont maple who had columns in most issues. Perhaps someone would syrup to give as gifts for our speakers. Thank you! like to do that? Book reports would also be very welcome. We discussed Saturday versus Tuesday evening meetings, Peter Sinclair would also like to hand over Program Chair to and decided to split them up this year 50-50. Please check someone else. (Note: Peter has quite a number of people our program schedule to see which meetings will be on who have indicated they would like to speak to our RT.) Saturday afternoons, and which ones will be on Tuesday evenings. For the most part, the Saturday meetings are in Alan says we have 68 videos/DVD’s. He suggested bringing the winter months. the latest 10-15 to our meetings along with the list of all the videos. He is willing to take orders and also mail DVD’s to Dave Briggs has asked us to have two of those Saturday folks wanting them. Jack has offered to lend his VCR to meetings one hour later than we normally do. These time DVD converter to Alan. Editor’s note: We have a great changes will be posted on our web site, on our Facebook selection of DVD’s! If you’ve never checked them out, you page, as well as our newsletter. really should. There is no fee, and although we request that they be brought back the following month, there is no There was quite a discussion regarding the Coolidge charge if you are not able to. Any questions, please see Alan charging non-meal folks for coffee/tea if they weren’t paying or e-mail him. for a meal. Dave Briggs either asks after each meeting how many folks there were who took coffee/tea who hadn’t paid Peter went over his speaker list for the year 2011-2012. He for a meal, or Gail e-mails him the figure. He charges $2.50 hopes there will be volunteers among members for the per cup for such people. We decided to leave things as they December meeting as in the past. The February and June are, and not ask people not buying meals to pay extra for slots are not yet finalized. their coffee/tea. Was the USS Cairo sunk at Vicksburg by a We decided not to send out another survey this year, but to mine set off by an electronic device? ask members through this newsletter and at RT meetings, By Peter Sinclair that if they have some concern, they should feel comfortable asking any member of the Executive Committee, or bringing Some friends who recently visited the Vicksburg battlefield it up a meeting. All questions/concerns regarding the Hotel told me about the remains of the USS Cairo, an iron clad Coolidge should be directed to Jack. gunboat. This boat was sunk near Vicksburg, MS, in December, 1862 by a mine (called a torpedo). The remains The question was raised as to whether we need to have an were discovered in the 1960’s by Ed Bearss and then raised “official” president. We decided things were working out in 3 sections. I had not heard of this before and looked it up, quite well this past year without a president. Peter, Lew, and was amazed to see that some sites claimed that this was Jack, Dave Curtin, and Whitney Maxfield have chaired “the first ship in history to be sunk by an electrically meetings. If anyone else would like to do so, please let Peter detonated torpedo (mine)". Could this have been set off by know. Confederates on the river bank? I was a bit skeptical that the technology of the time could support this, and looked up Mary Davis indicated she would like to step down as an 1864 physics textbook I had. This reinforced my membership chairman. (Mary has since stepped down from skepticism. I then found on Amazon a book written on the her position. If anyone is interested in taking over, please subject in 1993: “Sinking of the USS Cairo” by John C. let one of the Executive Committee members know. Wideman, and a review of that book by W. W. West in The Basically, the job entails keeping a list of members, their Northern Mariner in 1994. West says: “Most wartime addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, the accounts concluded that the Cairo had been detonated amount of their dues, and if they’ve paid or not. Dues have electrically by galvanic batteries. Wideman, however, been either mailed to Mary, she posts their payment, and 5 provides a detailed explanation of the construction and operation of the torpedoes, which were self detonating." Green Mountain Civil War Round Table I have ordered a copy of the book to find out more and March 2011— March 2012 Membership Rates report on this at the next RT meeting. The review says the book is mainly about one operative of the Confederate Name:______secret service, a Zere McDaniel, and his other strategies Address: ______during the war. ______For more information and pictures of the Cairo see the National Park Service site: Home Phone ______http://www.nps.gov/vick/forteachers/upload/Cairo%20Pa mphlet.pdf. Work Phone______

Ed Bearss wrote a book (1966, revised 1980) about the E-mail discovery and raising of the boat: “Hardluck Ironclad: The address______Sinking and Salvage of the Cairo.” __ Single $20.00 (includes newsletter) Civil War Weaponry __ Student $10.00 (includes newsletter) __ Two Person $35.00 ( includes newsletter) __ Family $50.00 (includes newsletter) LeMat : Many of the best Confederate __ Newsletter subscription alone – ten issues $10.00 were imports from Europe, including the fearsome .40- LeMat revolver. The LeMat Is this a new membership ___ featured a nine-shot for standard pistol renewal ___ rounds, which revolved around a .63-caliber barrel. This arm was said to be a favorite of the Dues are payable to: GMCWRT, P.O. Box 982, White River Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and was Jct., VT 05001 considered the gun that packed the most firepower of any in the war.

Green Mountain Civil War Round Table P.O. Box 982 White River Jct., VT 05001

6