2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter

Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Volume 11, Issue 3 Spring 2020 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

INSIDE THIS Message From Commander Shane Milburn ISSUE: Hello Ohio Brothers, 2 – Morgan Trail Brochure My how things have changed since I have last written you. Just three 2 – Honoring CW Veterans short months ago we were wrapping up the Holiday season and looking forward to a productive Spring. Then it hit… the dreaded CORONAVIRUS 2 – Mesopotamia Reenactment (COVID-19). This upcoming weekend I was looking forward to traveling to 3 – Lincoln Day Dinners Springfield, Illinois for the Annual Lincoln Tomb Ceremony; cancelled. I

3 – General Lee Surrenders hope that everyone is doing alright and staying healthy. Most of us have never seen anything the likes of COVID-19, and hopefully we will never 4 – SUVCW Graves Database see it again.

5 – Battle Flags Program Since most are locked down, with plenty of time on our hands, get the final touches completed on your Annual Reports (Form 27) and submit 5 – Civil War Monuments them to Secretary/Treasurer Davis if you have not already done so.

6 – Wreaths Across America Remember that he will need two copies, complete with rosters, membership dues and other fees. These are due before April 30, 2020. 7 – More Camp Installations On April 25, the Brothers on the Department Fraternal Relations 7 – Fold3 Civil War Stories Committee were to meet with members from the other Allied Orders to discuss how the organizations could come together and do the work for 8 – A Mexican War Duel which we were formed, and that is to preserve the memory and carry out 9 – U. S. Signal Corps Images the purpose and objectives of the Grand Army of the Republic. Again, due to COVID-19, that meeting was cancelled but we are hopeful that a 10 – General U. S. video conference can be set up. 11 - COVID-19 General Orders There is hope, realistic or not, that things will start to return to

13 – Camps Closed Orders normal on May 1. Optimistically speaking, that is great for Us, as we look forward to honoring our Civil War Ancestors and other Veterans that gave 15 - Department Encampment the ultimate sacrifice on . If there are still restrictions in place by then, follow the directives from the Ohio Governor and Health Director on large gatherings. Dates to Note: As of now, the Department Encampment will go on as planned. The  May 25 - Memorial Day Encampment will take place on June 13, 2020 at the Clintonville

 May 30 - Decoration Day Womans Club, 3951 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43214. Secretary/Treasurer Davis has emailed the information and registration  June 1 – Deadline for forms out to all Camps. If you are planning on attending, get those submissions to the Summer newsletter submitted to Secretary/Treasurer Davis by May 25, 2020. In the event things are still in a “lock down” state, the Encampment will be conducted  June 13 – 138th Department of Ohio in a video conference setting. The Department is at the mercy of Ohio Encampment in leadership and the Clintonville Womans Club, on whether we can conduct Clintonville a traditional Encampment. We should know more by June 1. We will keep  August 13-16 – 139th you all informed on future developments. National S.U.V.C.W. Be safe Brothers; and stay HEALTHY! Until we meet again, I remain Encampment in Atlanta, Georgia yours in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty, Shane L. Milburn, Department Commander

Preserving the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and our ancestors who fought to save the Union 1861-1865. Page 2 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Ohio History Connection Releases Civil War Trail Brochure

In early 2020, the Ohio History Connection released a new limited brochure regarding the Civil War in Ohio. Entitled” Heritage Trail 1863” it features the 557 mile trail roughly following the route Morgan’s Raiders took through southern and eastern Ohio from July 13 - 26, 1863. The trail contains fifty-six interpretive signs about the raid scatted throughout southern/eastern Ohio and the brochure includes a map which denotes the locations of each historic sign or marker. It also contains a reference to Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park where the Department of Ohio, SUVCW hosts a ceremony at each year. There is a link (https://www.ohiohistory.org/morgan) in the brochure which connects you to another website where you can purchase the official 335 page guidebook about the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail, originally published in 2014. Parrott Camp to Honor CW Veterans

Above: Cover of the new On March 2, several Brothers from the Jacob Parrott Camp #33 met with the Grove John Hunt Morgan Cemetery Board to discuss two projects the Camp wished to undertake in Kenton’s Grove Heritage Trail 1863 Cemetery in 2020. Brother Michael Kasler was in contact with a firm in Ohio which makes brochure by the Ohio reproduction caissons for display in cemeteries and parks. The cannon in front of the History Connection. G.A.R. statue in Grove Cemetery used to sit on a caisson which had long since deteriorated Below: Image of the Parrot and was replaced by a now crumbling concrete base. The Brothers voted to raise the funds Camp Brothers standing beside the cannon they are to purchase a display quality caisson at an estimated cost of approximately $10,000 planning to reinstall on a pending approval by the cemetery. The Grove Cemetery Board quickly approved the museum quality caisson request which was fully funded the following day following a request to the Hardin County following a Decoration Day Commissioners (all three are fellow Camp Brothers) as part of their required commitment ceremony in May 2019. to funding the repair and maintenance of county Civil War markers and monuments. At the same board meeting Eagle Scout Candidate and Parrott Camp Brother Augustus Forester will be working with the county Veterans Service Office and Grove Cemetery Superintendent to order headstones for five or six Civil War veterans buried in sections near the G.A.R. statue whose unmarked graves locations have been identified. These are part of the 26 veterans identified by the Camp Graves Registration Officer whom never received headstones following their passing. It is hoped that two or three more Eagle Scout candidates will take on similar projects to ensure all the Boys in Blue are properly honored. Units Wanted For Mesopotamia Reenactment

The Mesopotamia Reenactment and Encampment Committee cordially invites all Civil War Reenactment Units to the Mesopotamia Civil War Reenactment and Encampment which is being revived after a 15 year absence. The Battle of Sailor’s Creek near Mesopotamia, Ohio will take place on October 3 & 4, 2020 at the Mesopotamia Town Hall 8686 Route 534 in Mesopotamia, Ohio 44439. The event recalls the Battle of Sailor’s Creek fought in 1865 near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the near the end of the . The Above: Nineteenth reenactment features all three stages of the battle. century sepia tone The Committee is putting together the Event to repeat the success this event lithograph showing the Mesopotamia has had in the past. There are many historical activities to take part in. Encampment. Bottom: Organizers have scheduled a number of Historical Presenters; Sutlers; Ladies of Image of an earlier the G.A.R.; a Parade around the Commons; a Ceremony at the Civil War Civil War Ball. This Monument; the wedding of ; a Ladies Tea; Fashion Show; a year’s event will feature the 73rd OVI period dance featuring a Civil War Band; sing-alongs; and a Civil War Sunday Brass Band. church service. There will be dinner and dance open to the Public held at the Mespo Event Center Saturday evening. Food is available which will be prepared by local organizations including an Amish Wedding Feast, in addition to the usual amenities and rations for camping. Additional details can be found on the group’s Facebook page and website (www.ohioregimentalmilitaryball.com/Mesopotamia-reenactment). You can also call organizer Ted Dudra at 330-310-2784 or email [email protected]. THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 3

Lincoln Day Dinners

Several of the Department of Ohio Camps held (or scheduled) Lincoln Day Dinners this spring. These events afforded the Brothers, Sisters, and guests an opportunity to get together while celebrating the 211th anniversary of the birth of President , who was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The Enderlin Camp #73 held their annual Lincoln Dinner in the Sunroom

@ the Brick in Frankfort on Saturday, February 8. Several Brothers, including Above – Photograph of Past Department Commanders and current Department Commander Shane attendees at the Milburn, were in attendance. Sherman Camp’s Union Defender Day Lincoln The McLaughlin Camp #12 held their dinner and program on Sunday, Dinner including February 9 at The Grotto Hall in Mansfield. Their guest speaker was Patrick President and Mrs. Lincoln. Image by C.C. Maloney who spoke about Abraham Lincoln and his connections to Mansfield Carter. and Ohio. The Major General William T. Sherman Camp #93 in conjunction with the General William H. Lytle Camp #10 hosted the annual Union Defenders Day Lincoln Dinner at the Engineers Club in Dayton on Saturday, February 22. The Brothers were joined by Sisters from the Sister Anthony O’Connell Auxiliary #10. Their special guests were President and Mrs. Lincoln (Jim Crabtree and Tina Baldrige) whose presentation focused on of life in the White House during the Civil War and a perspective of life in post-war Washington during efforts to reunite the country. The Governor William Dennison Camp #1 scheduled their annual Lincoln Dinner at O’Charley’s Restaurant in Columbus on Saturday, April 18. The Brothers had arranged to have the private room in the back of the bar area. Above – Cover of the program for the Enderlin Like many other events and Camp meetings, this event was Camp’s Lincoln Day postponed/cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Dinner in February.

April 9, 1865 - General Robert E. Lee Surrenders

On This Day In Civil War History by the Buffington Island Preservation Foundation

In Appomattox Court House, Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. Forced to abandon the Confederate capital of Richmond, blocked from joining the surviving Confederate force in North Carolina, and harassed constantly by Union cavalry, Lee had no other option. In retreating from the ’s Appomattox Campaign, the Army of Northern Virginia had stumbled through the Virginia countryside stripped of food and supplies. At one point, Union cavalry forces under General had actually outrun Lee’s Above: Period Lithograph depicting the meeting of army, blocking their retreat and taking 6,000 prisoners at Sayler’s Creek. Desertions were Generals Lee and Grant mounting daily, and by April 8 the Confederates were surrounded with no possibility of during the surrender escape. On April 9, Lee sent a message to Grant announcing his willingness to surrender. ceremony on Sunday The two generals met in the parlor of the Wilmer McLean home at one o’clock in the April 9, 1865. afternoon. Bottom: Library of Lee and Grant, both holding the highest rank in their respective armies, had known each Congress image of the other slightly during the Mexican War and exchanged awkward personal inquiries. McClean Family on the front porch of their home Characteristically, Grant arrived in his muddy field uniform while Lee had turned out in after the war in 1865. full dress attire, complete with sash and sword. Lee asked for the terms, and Grant hurriedly wrote them out. All officers and men were to be pardoned, and they would be sent home with their private property–most important, the horses, which could be used for a late spring planting. Officers would keep their side arms, and Lee’s starving men would be given Union rations. Shushing a band that had begun to play in celebration, told his officers, “The war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again.” Although scattered resistance continued for several weeks, for all practical purposes the Civil War had come to an end.

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Department of Ohio Loses Another Camp

Private Valentin Keller Camp #8 (Fairfield) met at a regularly scheduled meeting on October 18, 2018 and all Brothers present unanimously voted to fold the Camp. Those Brothers who were not in

attendance were contacted by telephone and all voted to disband. In accordance with the Brothers’ wishes, Department of Ohio Commander Shane L. Milburn officially requested that the Charter of Private Valentin Keller Camp #8 be revoked by National. Sons of Union Veterans Commander in Chief Edward J. Norris, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, issued General of the Civil War Order #13 on February 17, 2020 approving Commander Shane L. Milburn’s request to formally Department of Ohio revoke the Charter of the Private Valentin Keller Camp #8. It was furthered ordered that all property The Buckeye Bugle is the of the Camp be turned over to Commander Milburn to be held in trust for the National SUVCW. unofficial newsletter published quarterly to inform and educate members of the SUVCW WE NEED YOUR INFORMATION!! Department of Ohio. In order to share the great work our Camps are

Articles for possible doing and to promote their upcoming events we publication should be sent need your assistance. Please send your program by email to the Editor at: [email protected] information with dates to Brother Brian Brown Henry Casey Camp who is serving as the Department Signals Officer. Ronald I. Marvin, Jr. #92 touted the Dept. of Ohio Commanders The programs will be listed on a calendar on our Editor from their Camp: (l Department website and be forwarded to Brother to r) Robert Grim (1994-1995 plus Ronald Marvin, Jr. to be included in the next National C-in-C newsletter. Brother Brown can be contacted by 2002-2003); Shawn email at [email protected]. Thank you in A. Cox (2015-2016) and Shane L. advance for your assistance. We can only Milburn (2019-2020). highlight or promote what we know about. National SUVCW Graves Registration Database

In these uncertain times regarding the health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 virus, many of us find ourselves temporarily away from work or school with little to do (especially on the weekends) and have quite a bit of time on our hands. With nearly all museums, libraries, amusement parks, recreation centers, theatres, etc. closed to the public and sports in a virtual shut down this is a great time to think about our ancestors and the sacrifices they made to preserve the Union. This would be a great way to spend time with your family outdoors (at the appropriate distance and groups size of course); help create a respect for their ancestors in the younger generation; and introduce them to the actions of the soldiers Above: Image of John during the Civil War during a homeschool “field trip.” Zedeker’s marker Social distancing is a current “buzzword/concept” and what better way to get away from the public noting his Civil War than visit your local cemeteries and check out the graves of the Boys in Blue? Together we can create a list service with the 32nd of those soldiers buried in Ohio’s cemeteries; determine the condition of their headstones (Does it need Regiment. Middle: cleaned/repaired/replaced/straightened?); and discover if they have a flag holder/medallion which is Screenshot of the missing or in need of repair. These lists can be cross checked against the National SUVCW Graves National SUVCW Registration Database and veteran names added as needed. We can also use available resources to Graves Database determine which men are still awaiting headstones and try to remedy this unfortunate situation in the homepage. coming months or year. We must ensure that if we do go out we adhere to all current rules and Below: Government regulations regarding travel as well as following safety protocols to ensure our and our families safety. Headstone Contract Ohio currently leads the way in Civil War veteran graves registration but there are still thousands of card for Elihu unknown soldiers and sailors waiting to receive this honor. So much of this work, including research on Underwood. each soldier and their military service, can be completed online once an initial list is compiled and would show that Ohio still leads the way in honoring our ancestors. Our state provided the largest number of soldiers during the Civil War and can also provide the largest number of Brothers volunteering to record their gravesites. When the weather clears and the national health crisis abates, we can use these lists to prioritize our cemetery work sessions and make sure their markers are in great shape for Decoration Day/Memorial Day. Over the past three months, one of our Camp Graves Registration Officers has been working on adding the known Civil War soldiers buried in his home county to the National SUVCW Graves Registration Database. So far over 550 new names have been added with nearly another 200 names from a neighboring county ready to be uploaded. These are only two of Ohio’s eighty-eight counties and we have many dedicated Brothers in the other counties who can do the same thing. We are sure Department of Ohio Graves Registration Officer Kent Dorr would appreciate the assistance. THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 5

Civil War Battle Flags Program

The Ohio History Connection (800 East 17th Avenue, Columbus) is offering a special program allowing rare behind the scenes access and an opportunity to view original Civil War battle flags not usually on display. On Sunday, June 21 (2:00–2:30 PM) visitors can tour the exhibit Follow the Flag with a museum staff member to learn about the efforts to conserve the state’s Civil War battle flag collection. Attendees will gain special access to a case where flags not on display are stored. Originally scheduled on April 26 but postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the event is open to the public, suitable for all ages, and free with museum admission. For more information call 1-800-686-6124 or email [email protected]. In Follow the Flag, visitors can view ten real Civil War battle flags that have been conserved through the Ohio History Connection’s Save the Flags campaign, accompanied by stories of those who lived through America's epic war, as told in their own words. Learn what the flags represented to the brave Ohioans who carried them into battle. As designated caretaker of a collection of Ohio battle flags that is the property of the Ohio National Guard, the Ohio History Connection has worked since 2001 to raise funds to conserve the flags, many of which have significant damage. To date, nineteen of the 388 Civil War flags in the collection have been conserved with help from Ohioans. Also in this exhibit, attendees learn how conservators remove dirt and residue from fragile fabrics and perform other specialized conservation techniques, how much it costs to keep the effort to save the flags going and how you can contribute to conserving the flags. The permanent exhibit Follow the Flag is made possible in part by the Gordon Chandler Fund of the Columbus Foundation.

Spotlight on Civil War Memorials & Monuments

While driving home from a meeting earlier this year, I passed a small cemetery along U.S. Route 250 north of Wilmot, which had a Civil War statue and cannon situated near the roadside with several government grave markers near the statue. This piqued my attention so I turned around to visit the cemetery and take a few pictures to research it later. I learned this was known as Greenlawn (also known as Green Lawn) Cemetery. There were several small cemeteries located throughout the area and a desire to have a central location for the burials in the late 1880s led to the formation of this cemetery. Four acres of land was purchased on the western side of Route 250 northwest of Wilmot during the summer of 1887. Soon descendants of the early settlers began to move family members from their graves on local family farms and early pioneer cemeteries such as Beidler Cemetery, Old Wilmot Cemetery, and Weimer Hill Cemetery to the new Greenlawn Above – The 1908 Soldier at Cemetery. The first official burial in the cemetery took place on November 12, 1887. Parade Rest statue near the entrance of Greenlawn The small town of roughly 300 persons now has a cemetery with over 1,800 burials. Cemetery in Wilmot. These burials include roughly 150 veterans representing nearly every major conflict the Below – The Civil War cannon participated in during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries - Civil War, on its base with associated cannonball display. Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Of Bottom – Image of a ca. 1910 these are sixty-one veterans of the Civil War representing multiple Ohio regiments as well as postcard of headstones in regiments from several different states. Greenlawn Cemetery. What caught my eye was the statue. According to the Ohio Civil War Memorials Database hosted by the Cincinnati History Library and Archives, this is one of at least four “Soldier at Parade Rest” statues in Stark County. The granite statue is six foot tall on top of an eight foot granite base and is engraved “Erected 1908 in memory of the soldiers of the Civil War. 1861-1865” on one side and “That the government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish. A. Lincoln.” on another side. On the south side of the statue is a Civil War era cannon sitting on a concrete base with a display of fifteen cannon balls on the ground in front of it. The monument was formally dedicated during a public Memorial Day ceremony on May 30, 1908. Roughly a dozen old government headstones in a row north of the state were either not originally inscribed or had become illegible over time. A few years ago white aluminum plaques bearing the soldier’s name, unit, and birth/death dates in black lettering were added. Continuing their tradition of remembering and honoring the veterans interred in the cemetery, the Wilmot Cemetery Association hosts a parade each Memorial Day, which begins at the village square and ends at Greenlawn Cemetery where the local American Legion Post hosts a ceremony to honor the veterans. Page 6 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Wreaths Across America REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the Value of Freedom.

Wreaths Across America is an organization dedicated to remembering and honoring our nations veterans by placing Remembrance wreaths at the graves of veterans at Christmas. National Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, December 19, 2020. Various Department of Ohio Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Camps and other civic organizations will be selling wreaths to be placed on the graves of our nation's fallen heroes. You can help by sponsoring a wreath (or more) and help place them in the cemetery on the day of the event. Additional information can be found on their website (https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/) or on the individual cemetery pages.. Henry Casey Camp #92 has partnered with Wreaths Across America and has designated Washington Cemetery in Washington Court House as their Wreaths Across America location. On December 19 at 12:00 PM, Brothers from the Casey Camp along with numerous volunteers will be helping Washington Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans by laying Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes. Former Department of Ohio Commander Shawn A. Cox is coordinating 1,000 wreaths to be placed in the cemetery. The General William H. Lytle Camp #10 has partnered with Wreaths Across America and has designated Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati as their Wreaths Across America location. On December 19 at 12:00 PM, Brothers from the Lytle Camp along with numerous local volunteers will assist Wreaths Across America at Spring Grove Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud. Former Department of Ohio Commander Kerry Langdon and his wife National Auxiliary SUVCW President Wanda are coordinating 1,500 wreaths to be placed in the cemetery. Some of the other participating cemeteries across Ohio, along with their planned coverage, include Ohio Veterans Home Cemetery in Sandusky (4,500 veteran graves); Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton (49,000 veteran graves); Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman (25,000 of 39,000 veteran graves: Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus (3,500 of 30,000 veteran graves); Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana (1,700 veteran graves); and Riverview Cemetery in Port Clinton (1,467 veteran graves).

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More Department of Ohio 2020 Camp Officers Installations

Henry Casey Camp #92 McClellan Camp #91 Vienna Camp #26 (Washington Court House) (Alliance) (Minford)

Fold3 Announces Exciting New Research Project

Introducing Civil War Stories! April 8, 2020 by Jenny Ashcraft (https://blog.fold3.com/introducing-civil-war-stories)

Do you have an ancestor that fought in the Civil War? We are beyond excited to launch the first phase of our new Civil War Stories, an ambitious project that ultimately hopes to create a comprehensive list of every soldier that fought in the Civil War, the company and regiment he belonged to, the battles he fought in, and finally what happened to each soldier following the war. How can we possibly do this? We have created new technology allowing us to gather data from Ancestry, Fold3, Newspapers.com, Find a Grave, and other sources. Next, we are teaming up with the American Battlefield Trust and their Civil War experts to integrate their amazing collections of stories, videos, and photographs into our new experience. Stitching all of these collections together, we have created the first of its kind searchable database of Civil War soldiers, regiments and battles. The human cost of the Civil War was astounding. The proportion of deaths to the population was greater than any other conflict in American history. Nearly 3% of the population died - roughly comparable to 6-10 million Americans today. This was the last war where companies enlisted from home communities. Soldiers were often related to others in the company, and all shared a sense of connection. If a company endured losses in a battle, there was a dramatic impact back in their hometown. This will also help tell the story of the families left behind. We want to help you paint a picture of how the Civil War impacted your family tree! How will this rollout? We will begin with the major Civil War battles. Starting today, you can head to our Civil War Stories page and learn details about some of the major Civil War battles, including what regiments fought in each battle. And then starting with North Carolina Regiments, you will be able to see regiment timelines. When did they muster in? Where did they fight? Who were the officers? Eventually, we will add the ability to refine down to company. By the time this project is complete, you’ll be able to map out your soldier’s movements throughout the war. Finally, we’ll add individual soldiers state by state, beginning with North Carolina, followed by New York. We realize that you may know details about your Civil War soldier that nobody else does. Do you have family records, photographs or journals that have been passed down? We’re going to provide a way for you to contribute to this Civil War Stories collection. Maybe your journal mentions other soldiers in the same company. Now their ancestors will be able to share your data. You can see why we are so excited about Civil War Stories. Watch for updates throughout the year. To learn more about this, head to our Civil War Stories page today!

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A Mexican War Duel

War has always provided opportunities for ambitious men to stand out from the crowd, and during the Mexican War the 1st Ohio was full of “gallant young men, ambitious to distinguish themselves and attain promotion by deeds of chivalry and daring.” Butler County resident Ferdinand Van Derveer was one, as was every other officer in the regiment, so promotions were highly sought after and very competitive. One of the regimental officers Van Derveer had befriended was Carr B. White of Brown County, Ohio. White had served as a 2nd Lt. in Company G and then as regimental adjutant. In February of 1847, White had been elected captain of the Company G, which created bad blood between him and 1st Lt. James P. Fyffe of the same company. The “misunderstanding between them became so serious that Fyffe issued a “challenge to mortal combat” to White who promptly accepted. Ferdinand Van Derveer was not part of their argument, but White asked him to act as his second during his personal difficulty. So it was, that regimental adjutant James F. Harrison, acting as second to Fyffe, “bore the cartel” to Van Derveer. The two of them first tried to defuse the situation and prevent the duel, but White and Fyffe were each determined to uphold their personal honor. Scheduling turned out to be a bit of a problem, because commanding General Zachary Taylor had made it clear that he would not tolerate any dueling under his command. The two seconds met to sort the issue out and it was agreed that the confrontation would be delayed until the 1st Ohio had mustered out. On May 17, Van Derveer informed Harrison: “Dear Sir, - In accordance with your request, I hereby give you, in writing, a statement of the preliminary arrangements entered into between you and myself concerning an affair wherein Lieutenant Fyffe and Captain White are the principals. Time, 1st of June; eight o’clock in the morning. Place, battle-ground below New Orleans. Weapons, pistols. Distance, fifteen paces. Any alterations may be made by the consent of both parties.” Upon arriving in New Orleans, the regiment’s travel schedule interfered with the scheduled duel. There was not time enough in their New Orleans stopover in which to fight a proper duel, so it was agreed that White and Fyffe would face off at the first opportunity on the way north. On June 10, 1847, the steamboat tied off on the Arkansas shore to take on wood. The captain informed everyone that it would take two hours to load fuel. Both parties agreed that this would be “the proper place to settle all difficulties between the belligerents.” It was daybreak, and very few people were on the deck when the dueling party slipped quietly ashore. 1st Lt. Harrison had fallen ill, so his place was taken by Lieutenant Jim Moore of Butler County. Colonel Weller attended as an independent witness, and the final member of the debarking party was the regimental surgeon, Dr. Chamberlin, known to everyone as “Old Medicine.” Neither White nor Fyffe had ever fought a duel. Fyffe had no pistols, but White, apparently deadly serious in his intent, had slipped into New Orleans long enough to buy a pair of long dueling pistols that fired a large heavy ball. The duelists agreed to use White’s pistols, and the last minute preparations were made. “The pistols were duly loaded in the presence of all parties, and cuts drawn as the choice of positions, and who should give the word.” Just as the sun began to rise in the east, White and Fyffe faced each other in a cotton field a few hundred yards from the Mississippi River. Fyffe had his back to the river and was nicely outlined for White by the rising sun. They stood only twelve paces apart, three less than had previously been agreed to, each with his right side facing his opponent and pistol arm hanging at the side. When each man was in position, Ferdinand Van Derveer, having won the dubious honor, commanded, “Are you ready? One, two, three – fire!” White and Fyffe both immediately raised their arms and fired. Two pistols cracked, and two men remained standing. Both men, inexperienced duelists firing unfamiliar weapons for the very first time, missed their shot. The two independent parties, Weller and Chamberlin immediately stepped in, and convinced the two shooters that even without any impact, they had both behaved well and their honor was intact. No second shot was required. Their anger having been released by the blast of the heavy caliber pistols they still carried in their hands, White and Fyffe explained their positions to each other, each made concessions to the other, and setting pistols and differences aside, they shook hands. As they walked back to the boat, Van Derveer had an immense feeling of satisfaction that after all the preparations and waiting, the duel had been a bloodless one. Why is this event of interest to Civil War enthusiasts? Well, because it involved four men who later commanded regiments in the Civil War. • Duelist Carr B. White commanded the 12th Regiment, O.V.I., served as a Brigade Commander, and was given the rank of brevet Brigadier General. • Duelist, James P. Fyffe commanded the 59th Regiment, O.V.I. He later served as a Brigade Commander and as Chief of Staff to General William H. Lytle. • Ferdinand Van Derveer, second to Carr B. White, commanded the 35th Regiment, O.V.I., served as a Brigade Commander, and was later promoted to Brigadier General. He was the only Civil War General from Butler County. • James F. Harrison, second to James P. Fyffe, commanded the 11th Regiment, O.V.I. Source: https://sites.google.com/site/butlercountycw150/bc-civil-war-history/the-events/a-mexican-war-duel

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Carte de Vistas of U. S. Signal Corps Members From the Curtis B. Hare Collection Wyandot County Museum - Upper Sandusky

Sergeant John A. Irwin Private Allen Libby Company H, 54th Regiment Company E, 5th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

Private Jacob P, Septer Private Albert Tuttle Company G, 135th Regiment Company C, 45th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

Corporal William E. Woodell Company H, 15th Regiment United States Infantry Page 10 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Ohio’s Ulysses S. Grant Finally Getting His Due From History Historians’ take on the presidency of Ohio’s cigar-chomping Civil War general is improving with the passage of time. By Marty Schladen, The Columbus Dispatch, January 2, 2020

GEORGETOWN — It’s taken awhile - nearly a century and a half - but Ulysses S. Grant’s reputation is on the rise. The quiet tanner’s son from southwestern Ohio had been rated by most historians as a poor-to-middling president who ran a corrupt administration from 1869 to 1877. As a Union general, he has been cast as a butcher who relied on superior manpower and sheer slaughter to defeat more-skilled Confederate commanders in the Civil War. But Grant has been reconsidered by historians in recent years, rising 11 spots - to No. 22 - in the C-SPAN historians poll between 2000 and 2017. Major, sympathetic biographies of Grant have been published by H.W. Brands, Ron Chernow and Ronald C. White since 2012. In 2017, a new Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library opened on the campus of Mississippi State University - in the heart of the former Confederacy that Grant helped to defeat as a general and worked to reconstruct as president. Then, in April, a statue of Grant was dedicated at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. This at a time when statues of Confederate generals are coming down, including one of Robert E. Lee. That removal led to white-supremacist rioting and murder in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. The fate of the statues says a lot about why Grant is slowly rising in historians’ esteem, White, the author of “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant,” wrote last spring in The Washington Post. Many of the Confederate statues went up decades after the Civil War, at a time when white supremacy was government policy and the statues were a stark reminder of that. Grant saw his reputation suffer accordingly. “A chief insight in the reappraisal of Grant is the recognition that, at the beginning of the post-Civil War period of oppression, he acted courageously to protect the rights of freed men and women,” White wrote. “As a Republican president, when states refused to act, Grant used the power of the federal government to battle domestic terrorist organizations, particularly the , even as his own party was growing tired of the struggle.” The new thinking about Grant is welcomed in his old stomping grounds of Point Pleasant and Bethel in Clermont County and Georgetown in Brown County. E.C. Fields, who has an uncanny likeness to the 18th president, impersonates him at the Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home in Georgetown. Standing in his top hat and broadcloth suit, Fields described Grant’s love of animals, his dislike of hunting and the “ghastly” work he had to do in the tannery of his father, Jesse Grant, across the street. Those characteristics — and the fact the Grant had never wanted to go into the military - contradict descriptions of him as a cold-blooded killer, Fields said. “Grant was anything but a butcher. That was a criticism heaped upon him by the Confederates,” Fields said, explaining that while Grant had no love of killing, he understood the need to act decisively in war. “His feeling is, ‘We’re pussy-footing around and not doing what we need to do to defeat the Confederacy.’” During the Civil War, Grant provided President Abraham Lincoln with invaluable strategic military victories, showing that the “administration and the war were on the right track,” said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who, like many others, has taken an interest in Grant. Husted said that one reason Lincoln’s reputation later soared while Grant’s suffered is because Lincoln was martyred before the nation went through the painful process of reunification. “It was a messy period,” Husted said. “Winning the war and then being assassinated, Lincoln is remembered up to that moment. You wonder how, if Lincoln went through the messy process of reunification, how that would have reflected on his own legacy. Anytime you’re dealing with a mess, it’s not a celebrated role.” Perhaps one reason that Grant is rising in public esteem is that, by all accounts, he was humble, well-read and of an outlook held more widely now than in his day. He rode off to the Mexican-American War more than a decade before the Civil War and quickly came to see the invasion as a mistake. While in Mexico, he learned some Spanish, made friends and took an interest in the southern neighbor that he would maintain throughout his life. Back in the states, in a lonely outpost in the Oregon Territory, Grant rode out and befriended nearby Indians. And although Ohio generals and soldiers under his command such as , Philip Sheridan and George Armstrong Custer would act harshly against the Plains Indians, Grant was the first American president to speak consistently for Indian rights. As with Indian rights, Grant stood more forthrightly for the rights of African Americans than any of his predecessors had. Grant worked hard to put down white-supremacist terrorism in the South while pushing to enforce the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, which had been created to free the slaves and secure their voting rights. “Grant is our first civil rights president,” Fields said. https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200102/ohiorsquos-ulysses-s-grant-finally-getting-his-due-from-history

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