2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter

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

Volume 9, Issue 4 Summer 2018 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

INSIDE THIS 2018 Department of Ohio Encampment ISSUE: The Department Encampment will be held in Columbus, Ohio again this 2 – Lytle Camp Activities year. The date is Saturday, June 9, 2018. Registration will begin promptly at 8:30 AM and will end at 8:45 AM. The last day to make luncheon 2 – Sherman Camp Cemetery Cleanup reservations will be May 26th, and none will be accepted after that date. Our numbers have been growing for the Annual Encampment, and this year 3 – Lincoln’s Tomb Annual Memorial Service should see a good turnout. The Memorial Service will start at 9:00 AM, followed by the start of the Encampment. The Department Commander 3 – Parrott Camp Activities intends to move our business along briskly, and if need be, a timing issue

4 – Lincoln Day Dinner may be done, where we will put a time limit on any discussions. Thanks to our Brothers for your understanding. 4 – Eagle Scout Restores Please ensure that you send in your registration for luncheon reservations Civil War Grave Markers to Department Secretary/Treasurer Jonathan Davis as soon as possible. 5 – General Order No. 11 Before you know it, the Encampment will be here. Information about the

5 – Spotlight on Civil War luncheon is on the Department website, if you need the form. Memorials & Monuments The luncheon will start right about 12:00 Noon, and there will not be a speaker this year, due to time limitations. So right after Commander in Chief 6 – Recording Angle Statue Mark Day speaks, Department Commander James Crane will hand out 7 – Patriotic Instruction awards and gifts, and then we will go back into our afternoon session. Lastly, as announced earlier, CinC Day will be in attendance and we want 9 – Variety of Civil War Medallions Found in to impress him with a large turnout. Please join us for this vitally important Ohio’s Cemeteries meeting; it is the only way to have your voice heard by all our Brothers.

10 – Images of Civil War Medallions Message From Commander James Crane Brothers of Ohio, this will be my last message as Commander of the Great State of Ohio, SUVCW. It has truly been an honor to serve our organization this past twelve months. My Dates to Note: only regret is that I could not make it to all the Camps, as my health got in the way for a couple of months. We have one of the best Departments in the Son’s, and many great leaders  May 28 – Memorial Day have come out of Ohio in the past. We should all be proud of our Department, as we continue  June 9 – 136th to grow not only in numbers, but in expertise. Department of Ohio I would like to acknowledge a couple of Brothers who certainly made my job easier this year Encampment in by either volunteering to do a project, or by being an advisor to me. Ron Marvin stepped up to Columbus do a great job on The Buckeye Bugle and will continue to do his great work for the next

Commander. PCinC Ken Freshley was my Chief of Staff and gave me very good advice. PCinC  June 14 – Flag Day Don Darby was the Department Counselor, and I thank him for his expertise and advice to  August 1 – Deadline for keep me on the straight and narrow. These Brothers probably did not know what they were submissions to the getting into when they accepted these positions, and I thank all three of them for their endless Autumn newsletter time. I also need to recognize the Department Officers who did a lot of work to keep the Department in shape and running smooth. Jonathan Davis and Mike Spaulding are two who  August 9-12 – 137th did their usual outstanding work. National SUVCW Encampment in Boston, Finally, thank you for having your faith in me to be the Department Commander this past Massachusetts year. I have always tried to follow the National C&R and our Department Bylaws. I will always serve our Department for the coming years if needed. But I will be glad to get back to my Camp, where almost all the Son’s work is done. Thank you and God Bless!!!!

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

Lytle Camp Brothers Attend Grant Birth Celebration Several Brothers from General William H. Lytle Camp 10, SUVCW attended the 196th birthday celebration of President Ulysses Grant at the U. S. Grant Birthplace in Point Pleasant, Ohio on Saturday, April 28 which was partially sponsored by the Ohio History Connection. Attendees at the celebration were entertained and enlightened by a program provided by G. L. Corum, the author of Ulysses Underground; demonstrations of Civil War artillery by reenactors from Battery L, 1st Ohio Light Artillery; music by Steve Free; and a birthday cake courtesy of the Monroe Township Trustees.

Lytle Camp Brothers Kerry Lytle Camp Memorial Day Event Langdon, Fred Lynch, Larry Collins and William West stand beside the U. S. Grant On May 28, beginning at 11:00 AM, the General William H. Lytle Camp Birthplace historical marker. invites you to Cincinnati’s Spring Grove Cemetery for their annual Memorial Day Service. The cemetery features the final resting place of 41 Civil War Generals as well as nearly 1,000 veterans of the Civil War from both sides. The featured speaker will be Major General John C. Harris, Jr., Assistant Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard. This year marks the 150th Anniversary of General John A. Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issuing General Order No. 11 and the Camp invites the public to assist in the tradition of placing flower petals on the graves of Civil War veterans. Sherman Camp Cleans Old Greencastle Cemetery Again

On March 10th, William T. Sherman Camp 92, SUVCW organized and conducted the first of 2018’s monthly clean-up days at an abandoned cemetery in Dayton. This cemetery, called Old Greencastle, is the oldest in Dayton, and has a dedicated G.A.R. section for the Hiram Strong Post 79 of the G.A.R. Altogether about 200 Union Civil War veterans (plus one Confederate) are buried at Old Greencastle. Over the years, Sherman Camp Brothers have researched the graves and veterans buried there, pls requested and installed (with help from our community partners) about a dozen new and replacement gravestones for Civil War veterans. There are another 100 graves of veterans Above – View of the of every war from the Revolution to Vietnam. numerous Civil War Sherman Camp has recruited a number of community partners, so it is no longer only veteran graves in Old Greencastle the Brothers who do the work. Among the “Friends of Old Greencastle” are descendants Cemetery. of some of the soldiers, local Boy Scouts, Junior ROTC cadets, Buffalo Soldiers, and

Below – Sherman other volunteers who help out when they can. Camp Brothers work March’s activity was the winter clean-up. Most of the work involved cutting up and on reinstalling a Civil War veteran removing dead branches that fell from the once stately ash trees, along with gathering up headstone at the other branches, sticks and debris that accumulated during the winter. Workers also filled cemetery. groundhog holes and tried to do as much maintenance as possible prior to bringing in the mowers in April. One of our partners brought a large dump trailer. We filled it twice with “yard” debris, which he kindly hauled to the dump for us. We also collected a number of bags of trash and litter. In addition, Commander Spaulding took the students aside for a short history lesson on the Civil War, the cemetery, and why we do this work every month during the growing season. The Camp conducted another clean-up day at the cemetery on April 14th and has more planned throughout the coming year.

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 3

President Lincoln’s Tomb Memorial Service

Brothers and Sisters from across the nation gathered in Springfield, Illinois on April 14 to honor the memory of “Our Nation’s Martyr,” President Abraham Lincoln on the 152nd anniversary of his death. The 62nd Annual Lincoln Tomb Ceremony was held at the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield and was co-sponsored by the SUVCW & MOLLUS. Following the morning wreath laying ceremony by several members of the Allied Orders, a luncheon was held featuring speaker Robert Amsler, Jr., whose topic was “Railroads: Coming of Age in the Civil War.” CinC Mark Day led the Brothers at the ceremony. Above – CinC Mark Day leads a contingent of SUVCW Brothers from across the country during the formal Parrott Camp Memorial Day Ceremonies ceremonies. Later a wreath was placed at the tomb on Brothers from the Jacob Parrott Camp 33 will once again lead the behalf of the SUVCW.

annual Memorial Day Parade, which will begin at the Hardin County Below – Image of the Cantwell Courthouse at 10:00 AM, and promptly followed by the Memorial Post 97 G.A.R. burial plot in Ceremony at Kenton’s Grove Cemetery on May 28. Parrott Camp Section 4C of Kenton’s Grove Cemetery. The plot contains Patriotic Instruction Officer Ronald Marvin, Jr. will be the featured the graves of fourteen Civil speaker at the event focusing on the history of Decoration Day. War veterans. Following the program, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of General John A. Logan’s General Order No. 11, the Camp will partner with the Hardin County Genealogy Society to present a brief cemetery walk in Grove Cemetery. The program will highlight some lesser known Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery as well as the Cantwell Post 97 (G.A.R.) burial plot used for indigent veterans.

Parrott Camp’s Dunkirk Cemetery Work Session

On the morning of Saturday, April 21, nine Brothers from the Jacob Parrott Camp 33, SUVCW convened at Dunkirk Cemetery in northern Hardin County where they worked on straightening government issued headstones for six Civil War veterans. During the work session the Brothers evaluated the condition of the large number of Civil War veterans’ headstones present and placed medallions at the graves of two Civil War veterans who were missing their markers and Brothers Jim Finch; straightened the support posts of several other G.A.R. flag holders. Clayton Downey; Senior Vice-Commander David Several of the Brothers are pictured on the lower right working on Rish; Sam Norris; the marker of Sergeant Edward F. Shuee of Company G, 4th Secretary/Treasurer Brad Bailey; Michael Sherman; Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Not pictured is Camp Camp Commander Harry Reporter/Scribe Ronald Marvin, Jr. who took the pictures. Due to the Haggard; and Dennis Koontz stand between two large number of grave markers still needing straightening, a follow up markers they worked on. session is scheduled for June with another one possibly in August. Every year since the Camp was chartered in 2008, the Brothers have Below – visited local cemeteries to straighten Civil War grave markers and place flags. In preparation for the upcoming Memorial Day ceremonies, the Camp will be working with the Veterans Service Office to ensure that every veteran in Hardin County, regardless of era, will be properly marked and remembered for their service and sacrifices.

Page 4 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Lytle Camp’s Annual Lincoln Day Dinner

General William H. Lytle Camp 10 recently hosted Brothers from their fellow southwestern Ohio Camps (General William T. Sherman Camp 93 and Private

Valentine Keller Camp 8) at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner on February 20. This year’s event was held at the historic Schoolhouse Restaurant in Camp Dennison. The

keynote speaker was Professor Roger Billings from the NKU Chase College of Law Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and co-author of “Abraham Lincoln, Esq, The Legal Career of America’s Greatest Department of Ohio President.” Department of Ohio officers were honored to be present at the event including Department Commander James Crane, Senior Vice-Commander Kerry The Buckeye Bugle is the Langdon and Junior Vice-Commander Shane Milburn as well as several ladies from unofficial newsletter published quarterly to the Allied Orders. The attendees were treated to an excellent talk and great inform and educate fellowship was enjoyed by all. members of the SUVCW Department of Ohio. Private Royal Sherman’s Articles for possible new marker WE NEED YOUR INFORMATION!! publication should be sent placed by In order to share the great work our Camps are doing and by email to the Editor at: Brother Mike to promote their upcoming events we need your assistance. [email protected] Sherman in Schoenberger Please send your program information with dates to Brother Ronald I. Marvin, Jr. Cemetery. Ken Freshley, PCinC who is serving once again as the Editor Department Signals Officer. The programs will be listed on a calendar on our Department website and be forwarded to Brother Ronald Marvin, Jr. to be included in the next newsletter. Brother Freshley can be contacted by email at [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your assistance. We can only promote what we know about. Eagle Scout Project Honors Civil War Veterans Eagle Scout Restores Civil War Grave Sites in Eureka Cemetery By Ed and Janice Helmick

In September of 2015, it was discovered that 6 civil war soldiers were buried in the Eureka Cemetery (Juab County, Utah), and the grave sites were in a state of disarray. Curtis Evans, who is 18 years old, took on the renovation of the grave sites as an Eagle Eagle Scout Curtis Evans Scout project. (second from left) stands Curtis began cleaning up the grave sites in various sites in the cemetery. Curtis’s with two Civil War neighbor, Robert Pagnani, is active in the Eureka Elks Lodge, and the Elks donated new reenactors including markers, lava rock, and bricks to outline the individual plots. The work was completed in Patrick Mahoney, Exhalted Ruler Taylor time for Tintic Silver Jubilee Days August 18 and 19. A ceremony was held at the Eureka Draper of Tintic Elks Cemetery with Patrick Mahoney dressed in Civil War garb who played songs on an old tin Lodge #0711, and Robert whistle and a fife. Curtis has filed paper work with the VA for two tomb stones, and that Pagnani, member of request is pending. Tintic Lodge, beside the Soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic (Union) are: Samuel H. Nelson of the newly restored grave Indiana Regiment; J. A. Davidson (Wagoner) of Company C or G; George T. Bridges marker of Wagoner John possibly from Indiana; John T. Sullivan and Alexander Tony. There is one Confederate A. Davidson of Company soldier, J.C. Kirkenall buried in Eureka. G, 26th Michigan This is a great Eagle Scout project, and we bring the story to Utah County hoping a Infantry. similar project can be accomplished in our area. Pass the word about this story and let’s see what can happen.

This article was originally published on September 22, 2017 online at http://servedaily.com/community-news/eagle-scout-restores-civil-war-grave-sites-eureka/. THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 5

General John A. Logan’s General Order No. 11

Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868 I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose, among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their death a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free and undivided republic. If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us. Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan. II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith. III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this order effective.

By command of: JOHN A. LOGAN, N. P. CHIPMAN, Commander-in-Chief. Adjutant-General.

Spotlight on Civil War Memorials & Monuments

During the Civil War, 2,610 men from Athens County were recorded as serving their country. Nearly thirty years after the conflict, the residents decided to honor the memory of those who served. This would eventually become known as the Athens Soldiers and Sailors Monument. General Charles Grosvenor led a group of Civil War veterans and citizens who raised funds for the new memorial. The newly organized Athens Monument Association raised approximately $18,000 for the monument. It was installed on a disputed plot of land along the campus of Ohio University in Athens and formally dedicated on June 1, 1893. Overall, the memorial stands 58 feet tall and was designed by David Richards. The granite base is 50 feet tall and Early postcard images topped by an 8 foot bronze statue of a Civil War soldier. Three sides of the showing the Soldiers and monument feature bronze statues depicting two soldiers and a sailor cast by the Sailors Monument at the National Fine Art Foundry in New York along with several bronze plaques. intersection of Union and Six Civil War cannons (four brass 12 pounder light field guns and two cast iron Court Streets on the campus of Ohio University. 30 pounder Parrott Rifles) and two pyramids worth of cannon balls (nearly 100 ten inch shells) were added to the monument through the efforts of the Athens County Commissioners in April 1907. Over the years, pranksters reportedly fired the cannons until they were eventually “fixed” about 1918. In October 1942, the Ohio University Post reported that “two cannons and approximately 50 cannonballs were sold to a local scrap dealer for $120.41” as part of a World War Two scrap metal drive. The monument is well maintained and still stands on the Ohio University Commons where it has been an attraction for students for over one hundred years. The memorial will be celebrating its 125th anniversary later this summer. Page 6 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Restoration of the Recording Angel Statue Aurora Statue Honoring Civil War’s Unknown Soldiers Returns Home After Restoration & 17 Years In Storage

For more than 17 years, the magnificent Italian marble statue, its surface darkened by generations of grime and smoke, was hidden away from the public and away from the memorial it had been created to honor. The Recording Angel, often known as Gabriel, had been presented to the Grand Army of the Republic Post 20 in Aurora on July 4, 1878. Facing the blank marble table on the wall dedicated to those who were unidentified after they had died during the Civil War, the statue stood in its own place of honor inside the G.A.R. Memorial Hall and Museum until 2001. That's when the Recording Angel was removed to prevent damage while plans were underway to restore it and the rest of this beautiful and unique historic building in downtown Aurora. Unfortunately, as costs swelled and funding stagnated, the four-and-a-half-foot statue got pushed aside … literally. Gabriel went into storage in a back office across the street on Downer Place at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. The price tag to restore this 140-year-old statue, curator Eric Pry was told, could run as much as $64,000. So six months ago, the young historian contacted Craig Deller, of Deller Conservation, to seek his guidance in attempting a do-it-yourself project. Working with distilled water, special soap, Q-tips and a soft toothbrush, Pry spent two full days painstakingly following the expert's advice, ever-so-gradually removing layers of soot, most of it from the old furnace in the basement of the G.A.R. hall that had been pumping out its dirty heat directly below the statue for so many generations. “There are no words describing the joy I felt” said Pry, as he peeled away the grit from hundreds of nooks and crannies to watch the statue come to life again. Because Pry did not have the equipment to remove a slab of wood the base plate was attached to, he commissioned Walter Arnold to sculpt a replica base. Then, at 5 a.m. on Monday, Aurora police briefly shut down a section of Downer Place so the 300-pound priceless statue could be professionally moved across the street to its new (and original) home. The total cost of the project, $1,900, was donated by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Philip H. Sheridan Camp 2. “Without them,” said Pry, “this project would not be nearing completion.” There were many soldiers who died in the Civil War who were not identified because there were no dog tags. Instead, soldiers scratched their names in their belts or pinned paper with their names to their clothing before going into battle. Those who designed the hall in Aurora believed it was important to honor those unknown soldiers, so they reserved a blank tablet that the Recording Angel faces. The hand-carved statue was created by Mr. Fritz (no first name is available) and Albert H. Stickle, who went to work for Aurora Marble Works after he returned from the Civil War, where he served with the 124th Illinois Infantry, Company H. Pry says he can't imagine the workmanship that went into this piece of art, back in a time when tools were more rudimentary. “One carver had to hold a double blade knife while the other spun it around,” he noted, in order to fashion those intricate grooves in the statue's wings, hair and gown. While Recording Angel statues are often seen in cemeteries, Pry describes this G.A.R. piece as “one of a kind.” He even contacted the Library of Congress, he said “to see if it had one …but they were not able to confirm one like this.” Since taking over as curator last summer, Pry said his biggest goal was to restore the angel because “without it,” he said, “the unknown soldier tablet was just not complete.” (Continued at the bottom of page eight)

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 7

Slavery’s Long Shadow on Our Nation Patriotic Instruction for April 2018 By Mike Spaulding, Department of Ohio Patriotic Instructor

As I was visiting the Chickamauga battlefield with my wife during spring break, I reflected on many topics, as is natural at a site so thoroughly consecrated with American blood. But one topic kept coming to me, partly inspired by events whose sad anniversaries we observe in the month of April, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as the happier anniversary of the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox. But I’ll start first the moment of our nation’s founding and the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration famously declared all men equal and, in its original draft, even called out slavery as one of the grievances enumerated against the king. Jefferson wrote: “He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere.”1 Sadly, the compromises needed to achieve agreement on the Declaration forced the slavery clause out of the document. Decades later, Jefferson blamed the removal of the passage on southern pro-slavery delegates and northern delegates protecting slave-trading ship owners in their states.2 We could say the slavery issue was “kicked down the road.” When it came time to write the Constitution for this new nation, the Constitutional Convention did not use the term “slavery” anywhere in the document. Slaves weren’t forgotten, however, as the three-fifths clause in Article I demonstrated. This infamous clause said “other Persons” would count as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining representation and taxation. Other provisions in the Constitution legalized the slave trade (“importation of such Persons”) and stated that a “Person held to Service or Labor in one State” could not escape to another state and become free under the laws of that state. This last clause was the constitutional basis for the Fugitive Slave Act and the Dred Scott decision. By sidestepping the slavery issue, the framers left the seeds for future conflict. After the convention approved the three-fifths compromise, slaveholder and future President James Madison wrote: “It seems now to be pretty well understood that the real difference of interests lies not between the large and small but between the northern and southern states. The institution of slavery and its consequences form the line of discrimination.”3 The set of compromises enshrined in the Constitution and later legislation concerning slavery had a terrible cost: four million people left in bondage. Their freedom was the price paid for the compromises that held the Constitutional Convention—and the new country—together. You could also say the slavery issue was once again kicked down the road. The compromises that were made over the first “four score and 7 years” of the nation’s history finally broke down and in 1861 the nation stumbled into the deadliest war in its history. As the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, James McPherson, wrote, “The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states.”4 Then, as we know, attitudes changed, Lincoln proclaimed Emancipation (for the states in Rebellion), and 200,000 African-American men served in the Civil War, almost 10% of the entire Union Army. Nearly 40,000 of them died.5 As Frederick Douglass memorably stated, “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.”6 At the war’s end, the Thirteenth Amendment made the freedom of the slaves permanent and binding in all the states. Then, following the assassination of President Lincoln, Congress approved legislation known as Reconstruction. Although the former Confederates found Reconstruction severe, the legislation provide troops to guarantee legal protection to the newly freed slaves. It looked briefly like the sin of slavery had finally been overcome in this country. But the will to act faded as the need for national political consensus became more important than the protection of the former slaves. The years that followed Reconstruction saw segregation laws enacted, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, and the mythology of the “Lost Cause” becoming the dominant narrative about the Civil War, replacing the concept of a fight to preserve the Union and free the slaves. And slavery itself? According to famous African-American writer, W. E. B. DuBois, writing in 1935:

(Continued on the following page) Page 8 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

(Patriotic Instruction for April continued)

Slavery was not abolished even after the Thirteenth Amendment. There were four million freedmen and most of them on the same plantation, doing the same work that they did before emancipation, except as their work had been interrupted and changed by the upheaval of war. Moreover, they were getting about the same wages and apparently were going to be subject to slave codes modified only in name. There were among them thousands of fugitives in the camps of the soldiers or on the streets of the cities, homeless, sick, and impoverished. They had been freed practically with no land nor money, and, save in exceptional cases, without legal status, and without protection.7 You could say the issue was kicked down the road. The struggle for equal treatment under the law for all citizens intensified in the years after WWII. Martin Luther King, Jr., writing 30 years after DuBois, said, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”8 In the fifties and sixties there were marches, speeches, and protests. The Supreme Court made landmark decisions while Congress passed Civil Rights legislation and presidents deployed the National Guard to enforce the law. Then, Martin Luther King was assassinated, 50 years ago this month. Maybe you are old enough, like me, to remember the race riots of 1968 and the angry reactions among and between whites and blacks that followed. In my hometown in Pennsylvania, my own all-white high school got mixed up in a race riot during a football game against a majority African-American school. (No, I was not involved!) Now it is another 50 years later. The race problem, with us since the beginning of our country, and many other issues that are just as important, have been kicked to us, precisely because there are no easy solutions. History is taught in books with chapters, but in real life, there are no chapters. History is a flowing river, with no real beginning and no real end. Our ancestors stood bravely along the same river that flows past us today, just at an earlier point in its course. Sometime in the future, our descendants will see the water that rushes past us today. Do we have the courage to find answers to our nation’s problems that our descendants will say were the right ones? Are we brave enough to apply the principles of Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty to guide us to solutions for our national problems? Or will we too kick our problems down the road to future generations? ______1 Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and other Writings, Official and Private (Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Maury, 1853-1854), quoted at http://www.blackpast.org/primary/declaration-independence-and-debate-over-slavery 2 http://www.blackpast.org/primary/declaration-independence-and-debate-over-slavery 3 “Historical Context: The Constitution and Slavery,” by Steven Mintz (https://www.gilderlehrman.org/content/historical-context-constitution-and-slavery) 4 Quoted at https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts 5 “Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War” (https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war) 6 Quoted at https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war 7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution 8 Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted in “King Belongs to the Ages—and to Every American,” by Jonah Goldberg, Dayton Daily News, 11 Apr 2018.

(Restoration of the Recording Angel Continued)

One of the next projects — to restore the “Sentry” statue of the Union scout that stood atop the G.A.R. building for more than 130 years. It too was taken down during the renovation and because it had been made out of a lower quality pot metal, the statue sustained heavy damage from the elements. Cost to recreate a new bronze statue through a 3-D imaging process and reinstall it atop the G.A.R. likely would run about $45,000, and the city has applied for Kane County riverboat grant money for two-thirds of this project. The award-winning G.A.R. museum, located at 23 E. Downer Place, was shuttered in 2001 because of safety issues, and with $3.5 million in funding from the city, the community and grants, opened again on Memorial Day in 2016. In one year, said Pry, the visitor count has increased 20 percent, with about 4,500 guests touring it in 2017. With this one-of-a-kind statue now back in its rightful place, this historical Aurora gem, more than ever, is worth your time. This article was originally published online at www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/opinion/ct-abn- crosby-gar-angel-st-0330-20180329-column.html.

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 9

Wide Variety of Civil War Veteran Medallions Found in Ohio’s Cemeteries By Ronald Marvin, Jr. – Jacob Parrott Camp 33 Patriotic Instruction Officer

Over the course of the last few months, I have been photographing every grave marker in cemeteries throughout Wyandot County as part of my job as the Curator of the Wyandot County Museum. During this time, I have encountered several hundred graves of Civil War veterans most of which were marked with G.A.R. medallions commonly referred to as flag holders. After seeing an image of a marker with the phrase “OUR DEFENDERS 61-65” dug up by Brothers from the Sherman Camp during their work at Old Greencastle Cemetery, I began to review the variety of medallions I have encountered. Following some research online, I soon realized that medallions for Civil War veterans were not as uniform as I had thought. Several companies manufactured the medallions with most focusing on a particular region of the United States. Some of these companies include the M. D. Jones & Company of Boston, Massachusetts, F. W. Parker of Clyde, Ohio, and the Trenton Emblem Company in New Jersey. The medallions by these companies were marked on the obverse but the vast majority is unmarked. One interesting example I found online was marked “Presented by County Commissioners, Northumberland” which is in central Pennsylvania. The medallions or flag holders were originally modelled after the G.A.R. membership badge with the front and back being an exact copy of the G.A.R. badge and were made of cast iron with either one or two spikes to support the marker. A good example I found online at FindAGrave is that of John Reese Kirk whose original marker is still present in Wiota Cemetery in Wiota, Cass County, Iowa. Many of the original medallions were heavy one piece markers made of cast iron with about a one inch wide base and about 24 inches tall. The majority of these medallions have been replaced due to the ravages of the elements or accidental landscaping damage. Later markers were produced as two piece flag holders – the star-shaped medallions and a support post which screwed into the medallion. Early versions were made of cast iron with later versions being produced from a variety of materials including bronze, steel, and aluminum. Unfortunately many of these markers have been damaged by landscaping work or removed by scrap metal collectors. Modern replacements are also made from a thermoplastic material but they do not have the visual appeal of the metal markers. The medallions were embossed with a variety of phrases including G.A.R; G.A.R. 1861-1865; G.A.R. VETERAN 1861-1865; OUR DEFENDERS 61-65; SOLDIER 1861-1865; UNION VETERAN 1861-1865; VETERAN 1861-1865; VETERAN WAR 1861-1865; and probably other phrases. While I have not seen any examples from Ohio, several Departments had G.A.R. medallions with their name embossed on them (examples are Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Michigan). Numerous Posts, usually in larger cities, had medallions produced which were specific to their post. Examples I have photographed include “Post 91 GAR” which referred to the Robbins Post in Upper Sandusky and “Post 97 GAR” which represented the Cantwell Post in Kenton. The Post 91 marker was a one-piece cast iron marker found in Upper Sandusky’s Oak Hill Cemetery. There is only one version of this marker known to survive, while numerous versions of the Cantwell Post marker can still be found in Kenton’s Grove Cemetery. On the following page, I have inserted several images of the wide variety of markers I have encountered. As my fellow Brothers work in cemeteries in their respective areas, I am sure they will encounter other examples. It would be interesting to set up a page on our Department website to show the wide variety of Civil War medallions found in Ohio. This idea is based on a webpage I found online at http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/tscarvers/veteran- markers/veteran-markers-civil-war.htm which includes pictures of several unusual Civil War medallions found throughout cemeteries in Pennsylvania. While the accepted standard today is the star shape for Civil War veterans, there are some early versions which include the G.A.R. initials or a bow-tie shape with the G.A.R. Post name embossed on it. Please feel free to email images of your unique CW medallions to The Buckeye Bugle for inclusion in a future issue. Page 10 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Images of Civil War Medallions Photographs by Ronald Marvin, Jr. – Jacob Parrott Camp 33

Early heavy cast iron G.A.R. Bronze medallion made by F. Early cast iron VETERAN medallion featuring the five W. Parker of Clyde featuring 1861-1865 medallion featuring military emblems. the five military emblems. the five military emblems.

Early bronze VETERAN WAR Early cast iron VETERAN 61- Modern aluminum VETERAN 1861-1865 medallion featuring 65 medallion featuring FCL plus medallion featuring FCL plus FCL plus Army & Navy emblems. the Army & Navy emblems. the Army & Navy emblems.

Early one-piece cast iron Early heavy cast iron medallion Early one-piece cast iron medallion for the Robbins Post for the Cantwell Post 97 in medallion featuring the five 91 in Upper Sandusky. Kenton’s Grove Cemetery. military emblems.