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“The Tanner Manuscript – in the Right Place at the Right Time.” Kevin M. Hale Award for best Historical Newsletter in New Jersey August 8, 2019 The Civil War: April 12, 1861 - August 20, 1866 “The Tanner Manuscript – In the Right Place at the Right Time.” Jim is the past President of The Woodlands Cemetery James Munday Company and The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation in West Philadelphia, the German Society of Pennsylvania and The Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery, and Join us at 7:15 PM on Thursday, the past Vice President of Development of the American August 8th, at Camden County Friends of the Attingham Summer School for the Study of College in the Connector British Country Houses and Collections. Jim also served Building, Room 101. This on the Board of Directors of The Gettysburg Battlefield month’s topic is “The Tanner Preservation Association. Manuscript – In the Right Place at the Right Time” At the ripe old age of 18, Corporal Notes from the President... James Tanner lost both legs below Half way through the summer and we continue to move the knees at Second Bull Run. forward. Our Round Table is branching out into new lanes Almost three years later, in the early morning hours of April to spread our message. Thank you to the members who 15, Tanner would create one of the most compelling doc- are making it happen. Join us for the exciting ride and let uments recording the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. us know how you would like to assist us. Jim Mundy, Director of Education and Programming at the Union League of Philadelphia, will talk about Tanner, his Last month the presentation by Sarah Kaye Bierle on the manuscript, and the circumstances of his life that led up to Hancock family before the War over Zoom was smooth. that night, and his life afterwards as a veteran and citizen. We all learned much about our friend Winfield Scott. It was good to see her in person at the Emerging Civil War James G. Mundy, Jr. is Director of Education & Symposium to give her our gifts. Dave is working on more Programming for the Archives of the Union League of remote presentations. This month we welcome a longtime Philadelphia. A native Philadelphian, Jim graduated La friend of the Round Table in Jim Mundy. During his visit, Salle University with a BA in History that included a con- he will share the story of the Tanner Manuscript with us. centration of courses in archival management. He start- Bring a friend or two for an informative evening. ed working at the Union League May 15, 1978 as the Associate Archivist. Between 1979 and 1989, Jim held the Paul will have the items ordered from Tuttle Marketing positions of Librarian and Archivist/Curator. In 1989 Jim for pick up at the meeting. The Boscov’s Friends helping moved into club management, holding several positions Friends passes will also be available for you to collect and including House Manager and Membership Director, before begin selling. They are good for 25% off an order on Octo- moving back into the history and archival fields. In October ber 16th. Let Tom Scurria and Sean Glisson know how 1996 he became the Director of Library & Historical you want to be involved in our next Naval Symposium, as Collections. In 2012, now as part of the Abraham Lincoln the planning is progressing on that event. Corky Lowe is Foundation staff, Jim became the Director of Education & serving with a group that will be addressing the vandalism Programming. Jim is also the Curator of Art. In his current done to the 14th NJ monument at Monocacy. He will have position, Jim is responsible for the research and installa- an update at the meeting. Corky has agreed to serve on tion of the exhibits in the Heritage Center; the training and our Preservation Committee. Do you want to join him? scheduling of docents and tours; scheduling the League’s Dave Gilson and our summer intern, Gurk, have been cultural programming; and the management and care of working on perfecting the recording and editing of our pre- the League’s fine art collection. Jim also serves as the sentations to post on our YouTube channel. They are also League’s historian. Continued on page 2 Today in Civil War History Page 2 • John Brown's Pike Page 2 • A Stand Along the Border Page 3 Book Review Page 6 • Manor Day Page 7 • South Jersey History Fair Page 9 • War in the Court Page 10 July 11 Meeting Page 12 • Events Page 13 • New Recruits Page 13 • 2019 Speaker Schedule Page 14 . Continued from page 1 "Notes from the President" indexing the articles in our newsletter to permit members to locate topics in our vast array of material. Dave Trout 1864 Monday, August 8 explain the project he is undertaking on reviewing corre- spondence during the War at our July meeting. Members Western Theater are assisting him with the research and review in an effort Fort Gaines finally surrenders to the Federal troops under to present a discussion at a future meeting. Pick up your General Granger. own copy of our map of Civil War Sites in South Jersey at Far West the meeting. If you enjoyed the recent book reviews in the Federal columns range across Kansas and Dakota Territory newsletters, write one and submit it for a future issue. on operations against hostile Indians. There will be a Camp William Penn and Historical La Mott Day on September 21st. We need a volunteer to take flyers, about our October presentation, to the event, so the attendees can join us on October 10th to hear Chuck The Further Viet. Our Round Table is working with the Camden County History Alliance to host the Spring 2020 meeting of the Adventures of John League of Historical Societies of New Jersey. More detail will be available in the Fall. We will be represented at the Brown’s Pike 2019 CWRT Congress at Jefferson Barracks in Septem- ber, networking with other groups from across the nation. Frank Barletta is working on a project for our Round by Joseph F. Wilson, OBCWRT Member Table to sponsor a Trail Marker sign. He will be telling us more about it in the coming months. After escorting my John Brown Pike to Brown’s New York farm for a visit to the grave of the pike’s former owner, (see Join us for dinner with Jim at 5:30 at the Lamp Post Civil War Trails, June newsletter) it was time to head south Dinner on the 8th. where the pike was one step closer to arming a black man Rich Jankowski, President for Brown’s slave rebellion. Apparently, he didn’t trust the slaves with a sharps rifle. I personally wouldn’t trust anyone wielding one of the menacing pikes regardless of race, age, or political persuasion. Today in Civil War History The weekend started for Gerri and I in Gettysburg at the annual spring relic show where I picked up a few more Civil War artifacts to add to my overly crowded relic collection. 1861 Thursday, August 8 Soon after we took a delightful walk on the battlefield and worked up an appetite. We headed for Gettysburg Eddies restaurant. With a belly full we headed south for stops at The North John Brown’s headquarters at the Kennedy Farm to reac- In response to General Butler’s persistent inquiries, Sec- quaint the pike with its former residence. And then we’d retary of War Cameron states that the Union must adhere march on to fugitive slave laws, but only in states which possess to Harpers such laws, and then only if they are not in insurrection. Ferry. Further, escaped slaves must not be returned to states in insurrection. First, we stopped in Emmits- 1862 Friday, August 8 burg, Mary- land, to The North rest for the Steps are taken to ensure that anybody seeking to evade night. Next conscription shall be breaking the law and so subject to morning arrest. we travelled up the very Western Theater narrow and Skirmishing begins in the Cumberland Gap of Tennessee. winding Harpers Ferry road looking for the Kennedy farm. The site is also called the John Brown farm, even though he only rented the farm for his nefarious operation. It was 1863 Saturday, August 8 at the Kennedy farm where Brown and his raiders burned the midnight oil planning the attack on the Harpers Ferry Eastern Theater arsenal. Still in poor health, Robert E. Lee offers his resignation as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. He takes We arrived at the Kennedy farm that was totally deserted. full responsibility for the defeat at Gettysburg and makes Brown’s pike came full circle. After a little encouragement, I not the slightest attempt to blame any of his subordinates. convinced Gerri to follow me around the chained off drive- President Davis refuses Lee’s request, recognizing that the way. We came too far to be denied. And who would bother Confederacy’s only hope of survival now lies with Lee’s a guy carrying a huge double edged blade. generalship. Unlike Brown’s farm in New York, the pike actually had been Continued on page 3 2 Continued from page 2 "John Brown's Pike" here along with 955 other pikes in preparation for the raid. acing, it fell After 162 years, I returned the notable pike to the scene short. of the crime where the raiders assembled them for battle. Reaching the farmhouse the pike strangely started to glow a The next stop bit and even felt warm as if it knew it was back at the farm was the beau- being readied for a fight.
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