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. Grant 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 Memorial Day. 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” John Hunt Morgan 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 Appomattox campaign near the end of the American Civil War. 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 Jefferson Davis; 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 Abraham Lincoln, 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.