2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Volume 12, Issue 1 Summer 2020 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE INSIDE THIS From the Commander’s Tent ISSUE: First and foremost, it is my hope that you and your family are healthy, financially secure, and 2 – History of Gunboat Moses keeping safe. By now I suppose most of us know one or more families that have been impacted by the COVID-19—I hope your family is not among them. Unlike earlier pandemic diseases such as Scarlet 2 – Pvt. Snow Diary Identified Fever, which largely affected children, and Spanish Flu, which was deadly to young adults (especially WWI soldiers), COVID-19 seems to be particularly harmful to people aged 65 and up as well as 2 – Memorial Day Ceremonies individuals with specific health conditions. While I don’t have specific numbers, judging from 3 – Veterans Hall Updates attendance at Departmental and National Encampments that I have participated in, our membership seems to skew towards the higher risk age groups. 3 – Lincoln Statue Delivered So the question seems inevitable: what can we still be doing to support the mission of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War when so many of us are in the high risk category? Let me say this right 3 – Mansfield S.U.V. Badge away: if state, county, or local authorities implement a Corona-virus policy, then Brothers should act in accordance with the policy. Similarly, if an individual’s personal circumstances dictate actions that are 4 – W.R.C. Headstone more restrictive that those put in place by local authorities, then all of us support these Brothers in 4 – U.S.C.T. Monument their efforts to stay healthy. In some instances, perhaps most cases, current health policies have meant Installed in Springfield that many of our in-person Camp meetings have had to be cancelled or replaced by Zoom calls. Are you tired of Zoom calls yet? I know I am, but at the same time, I am glad for the ability to connect with 5 – In Memorium family, friends and SUVCW Brothers using this technology. Still, there are many other activities that the pandemic did not take away and are still left to us. 5 – Spotlight on Civil War By now, I assume most of us are familiar with the regular articles and video presentations on Civil War Memorials & Monuments topics by the National Battlefield Park rangers on their websites, Facebook, and YouTube channels. 6 – Honoring Calvin Cobean Having two ancestors who fought at Gettysburg, I have personally been partial to the videos from the Gettysburg rangers, but I have also enjoyed articles and videos from Monocacy, Richmond, and other 7 – Legacy Tree Project battlefield parks. Preservation groups such as Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation, Friends of Perryville Historic Site, Save Historic Antietam Foundation, the American Battlefield 8 – July Patriotic Instruction Trust—and many others—have also put articles and videos online. You can even find news, Department Orders, current and historical Patriotic Instruction, and other resources on our Department webpage at 9 – Buffington Island Memorial https://www.ohiosuv.com/. As for myself, I have also found time to catch up on reading books I’ve bought 9 – Greencastle Cemetery Work over the years but never had the time or energy to read. Personally, I think I’ve learned more about the Civil War since the pandemic shutdown began than I have in many years. 9 – President Garfield Memorial For the Civil War experts among us, instead of reading, this may be a time to start writing on Civil War topics. Our Buckeye Bugle can be a place where your articles could be published, but so too is your 10 – August Patriotic Instruction local newspaper (if you still have one). You could also start a blog or create your own Facebook or 12 – Images from the 2020 YouTube content! I know of at least one Brother who is writing a Regimental History of his ancestor’s Department Encampment Civil War unit. We can do more still. Cemeteries are places where it is easy to “socially distance” and yet do something useful: cleaning away debris or in some cases cutting and trimming grass; placing veterans’ markers and flags; cleaning or replacing dirty or damaged government Civil War grave markers; etc. Or, if you have cemeteries with Union Civil War graves that have not yet been added to Dates to Note: the Graves Registry, this is a great time to collect and submit the information. Finally, for those whose health and personal situation allow, consider going to a historic site or a October 15 – Deadline museum. The several museums I’ve been to lately have been largely deserted and it was easy to stay for submissions to the Autumn newsletter away from other patrons. Outdoor sites are even less of a problem.For those whose situation permits it, paying admission fees has the added benefit of helping provide a financial lifeline to historic sites and November 11 - Veterans museums that mostly operate on a shoestring in the best of times. In particular, I want to recommend Day the site of the only significant Civil War battlefield in Ohio—Buffington Island. I attended the annual Memorial Service there in July and I can attest that it’s a lovely drive and an unspoiled site. Check out June 2021 – 139th their webpage: https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/buffington-island-park. Department of Ohio I’m sure you have your own ideas and suggestions for staying educated, active, and most of all Encampment (TBA) connected during the pandemic. Let’s use The Buckeye Bugle as a resource for sharing ideas. Editor Ron August 2021 – 140th Marvin will be happy to publish your thoughts if you send them to him. I look forward to seeing what National S.U.V.C.W. our Brothers suggest in the next issue. In the meantime, stay healthy, stay safe, and stay connected to Encampment (TBA) your Camp and the Department. Mike Spaulding, Commander, Department of Ohio 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 Brief History of the Gunboat Moses The Florence Miller II was a wooden sternwheel steam gunboat laid down in Cincinnati circa 1862-1863. It was purchased by the U.S. Navy on May 20, 1863, renamed the Moses, and commissioned with Lieutenant Commander LeRoy Fitch in command. Assigned to the Mississippi Squadron, it patrolled the Ohio River region beginning in early July 1863. It was one of several naval vessels that responded to the Confederate threat posed by Morgan’s Raiders in mid-July. Along with the Allegheny Belle, it shelled Confederates near Buffington Island on July 19 resulting in the capture of enemy equipment. The ship was decommissioned on April 12, 1865 and sold at public auction on Above: Rare image of the August 17. It was subsequently renamed the Little Rock on October 9, 1865 and sailed the Gunboat Moses courtesy of Midwestern rivers until being destroyed by fire on December 23, 1867 in Arkansas. Captain Don Sanders and William Reynolds and shared online by the Private William Snow’s Diary Identified Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation In May, The National Civil War Museum shared the story about an interesting artifact that was recently Association. donated to them on their Facebook page. Sometime in April, a package arrived at the museum without any Below: Image of pages information about who sent it. There was a brief message accompanying it, noting that “the diary had been in inside the handwritten Civil War diary written by their family for years but they had no idea who wrote it.” They believed it needed to be in a museum so it an unknown author and was sent to The National Civil War Museum. According to the post, the diary had no title page, no author’s anonymously donated to name, and he never referred to himself in the text. By reading the text, several clues were discovered that The National Civil War helped the researchers discover the company and regiment of the author. He listed the names of several Museum earlier this year. soldiers whom he served with that were killed in battle or were wounded. Most of the names were assigned to Company H, 38th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He mentioned when he received letters from friends and family including his brother Samuel T. Snow. As the post noted “there was only one soldier with the last name of Snow in the 38th Ohio who had a brother named Samuel T. and his name is Private William H. Snow.” The staff was very appreciative of the diary which gives a firsthand account of the daily activities of an Ohio regiment during the Civil War. The diary had been preserved by the family for generations despite no connection to it and now this “wonderful piece of history” will be archivally preserved by The National Civil War Museum and made available to future generations of visitors as well as Civil War researchers. “Tuesday November the 15th 64. This morning it is cloudy. We started to march at day light to Atlanta 6 miles. We got there about 10 clock and got in to camp about 2 clock it rains some. The town is pertineare all on fire it is now gist about dark and it loucks like rain to night.” (Excerpt from the diary of Private William H. Snow, Company H, 38th Regiment, O.V.I.