The Camp Griffin Gazette News and Information from the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table
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The Camp Griffin Gazette News and Information from the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table Vol. XXVI, No. 1– January 2019 Publicity/Founding Member: Jack Anderson Treasurer: Gail Blake - [email protected] [email protected] Program Committee: Peter Sinclair – [email protected] ; Gail Blake – [email protected] ; John Mudge: [email protected]; Alice Evans – [email protected]; Ruth Perrinez - [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Ginny Gage - [email protected] Our Web Site: http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/gmcwrt/index.html AND DON’T FORGET: WE’RE ON FACEBOOK! THE U.S. AFRICA SQUADRON AND THE The U.S. Africa Squadron and the Transatlantic Slave Trade TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE Dr. Sarah Batterson DR. SARAH BATTERSON Director of Liberal Arts, Granite State College SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 Dr. Batterson received her Ph.D. in History at the University of New Hampshire and is Director of Liberal Arts at Granite BUGBEE SENIOR CENTER State College. Her research focuses on nineteenth century WHITE RIVER JCT., VT U.S. history in general and the transatlantic slave trade in particular. As an instructor, she has taught U.S. survey courses, as well as thematic courses on women’s history, 12:00 Social Hour Atlantic Revolutions, Civil War history, and African- 12:15 Buffet Dinner American history. One of her goals as an instructor is to 12:45 Business Meeting impart her enthusiasm for history to her students, and 1:00 Program, followed by discussion and book raffle encourage them to view history as a vibrant and colorful Adjournment field of study, instead of dull, dusty, old library books- although she also loves those old books too. She is a self- GUARANTEED DINNER RESERVATIONS MUST BE proclaimed life-long, history devotee with a passion for the MADE BY 12 NOON, Monday, Jan. 7. Cost per past and how it relates to modern day. She spent most of person for the meal is $13.00. For reservations her childhood in costume wishing she had been born in the th st please contact Gail Blake at [email protected] or 18 century. Now she is very glad to be living in the 21 802-296-2919. century, but her enthusiasm for history has never faltered. Cost for the meeting only for members is $2.00, and for non-members $5.00. Lecture Title: “The View from Aloft”: The U.S. Africa Squadron and the Slave Trade PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COST OF THE By 1820, the participation in the slave trade by any MEALS PER PERSON IS NOW $13.00. American could result in the death penalty. However, even though anti-slave trade laws were on the books, by the Menu: 1840s, the American flag had become the preferred flag of slave traders and thousands of Americans were affiliated As of today, we have not heard what the menu will be. with the trade. In 1842, the United States signed a treaty I will e-mail members when we know what it will be. with Great Britain which established a U.S. Africa Squadron If you have any concerns, please contact Gail. in lieu of allowing the British the right to search U.S. vessels. The squadron was underfunded and was generally January 2019 Camp Griffin Gazette Page 1 ineffective. Fewer than three ships at any time patrolled the Civil War Preservation will be the topic for our January vast African coast. For American sailors, the Africa meeting. Our own Jack Anderson of Woodstock, Vt. will be Squadron became the least popular assignment and morale the speaker. Jack has recently completed Graduate Studies was particularly low. in Historic Preservation at the University of Vermont. This talk will look at life at sea in the late 1850s Please join us to learn what we can do, as a group or as when the U.S. was on the brink of Civil War and the Africa individuals, to help save for our future generations the Squadron was undergoing changes to make it more effective historic sites which so many of us enjoy visiting and at capturing slave ships. I’ll look at the capture of the slave experiencing first-hand. ships Brothers and the Orion, both of which were captured by U.S. naval ships but escaped conviction in the courts. I’ll Civil War Fact!* also explore the life on board the Squadron ships as depicted in two seamen’s journals. The accounts of the two Confederate President Jefferson Davis and U.S. President men bring the frustrations of being on the Squadron to life. Abraham Lincoln were both born in Kentucky – barely 100 By 1861, the Africa Squadron was disbanded and both its miles apart and within eight months of each other. ships and their crews began their new role in not only preventing the slave trade, but ending slavery in the U.S. *Taken from the Civil War Quiz and Fact Book by Rod once and for all. Gragg” 2019 Program Schedule Tidbits By Lois Eagan Feb. 9 – Steve Sodergren – “How Union Soldiers Felt About Emancipation.” New Year’s Eve (Libby Prison, Richmond Va., December 31, 1863) March 9 – Chris Army – LBG at Gettyburg – Brandy Station ‘Tis twelve o’clock! Within my prison dreary, My head upon my hand, sitting so weary, April 13 – Rob Grandchamp – “7 from the 7th R.I. Scanning the future, musing on the past, Volunteers.” Pondering the fate that here my lot has cast, The hoarse cry of the sentry on his beat May 14 - Steve Hier – Civil War Games (Please note Wakens the echoes of the silent street— the change from January.) “All’s well!” June 11 – Wayne Motts, Director of Harrisburg, PA, Ah! Is it so? My fellow-captive sleeping Civil War Museum – Where the barred window strictest watch is keeping, Dreaming of home and wife and prattling child, Sept. 10 – Peggy Pearl – Director of the St. Of the sequestered vale, the mountain wild, Johnsbury History Center Tell me, when cruel morn shall break again, Wilt thou repeat the sentinel’s refrain— Oct. 8 – Joe Mieczkowski – LBG at Gettysburg – “All’s well!” “Gettysburg in Sight and Sound” – 100 pieces of artwork with sound effects and music telling the story of the battle in a PowerPoint presentation.” And thou, my country! Wounded, pale, and bleeding, Thy children deaf to a fond mother’s pleading, Nov. 12 – Keith Wooster – Teaches Army Junior Stabbing with cruel hate the nurturing breast ROTC at North Country Union High School in To which their infancy in love was prest, Newport, VT – “Union and Confederate Recount thy wrongs, they many sorrows name, Mobilization During the Civil War.” Then to the nations, if thou canst, proclaim— “All’s Well!” Other Round Table Meetings and Happening But through the clouds the sun is slowly breaking; Jan. 18– CWRT OF NH –Michael Schroeder Hope from her long, deep sleep is re-awaking; (CWRTNH President) - "Union Combined Speed the time, Father! when the bow of peace, Operations: the Red River Campaign, 1864." Spanning the gulf, shall bid the tempest cease, 7:15 P.M., Epping Town Hall, 157 Main St, Epping, When foemen, clasping each other by the hand, NH) www.cwrt-nh.org Shall shout once more, in a united land— “All’s well!” GMCWRT BEGINNINGS January, 1994 F.A. Bartleson From Bugles-Echoes, Northern and Southern Poetry of the January Meeting Civil War – Edited by Francis F. Browne, 1886 2 SPRINGBOARD TO FAME 50 (Rep.) – 1904 to 1906: Cpl. Charles J. Ball: 15th Vermont by Ralph Epifanio Infantry Regiment and 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment 53 (Rep.) – 1910 to 1912: John A. Mead: Company K, 12th As part of a much larger study, which explored the political Vermont Regiment success of Civil War veterans in post-war elections, I Note: Brig. Gen. Seldon Connors, who enlisted as a private discovered that 234 veterans achieved the office of a United in the 1st Vermont Infantry Reg. (1861) was elected as the States governor, plus seven became president. In that study, 35th governor of Maine, serving from 1876 to 1879. it was found that the pattern of elections would be as Also: La. Gov., former Col. William P. Kellogg (served 1873 follows: to 1877), was born in Orwell, Vermont. In the North, 83% of those “veteran governors” were Republicans (124 Rep. vs. 23 Dem.); only 15% were SAVE THE DATES! Democrats. This figure would be changed by excluding the GMCWRT BATTLEFIELD JOURNEY so-called Union states of Kentucky and Missouri and May 16th – May 20th placing them with those southern states with whom they Chris Army will be us once again as we take a more in depth shared strong secessionist sentiments. If placed among look at Brandy Station, tackle the Battle of Cedar Mountain, those former Confederate states, those numbers would and visit all things fun, funky, and fascinating in Culpeper increase to 87% Republican and decrease to 6% Democratic. VA and the surrounding area. Stay tuned for updates! In the South, there were 87 elected “veteran governors.” 77% were Democratic (67 Dem. Vs. 20 Rep.). If Kentucky NOTES FROM OUR and Missouri were added, these numbers would remain NOVEMBER MEETING virtually the same. By Jack Anderson Of particular interest is the fact that, aside from Ohio (whose veterans became 13 Ohio governors and five presidents), tiny Vermont would have led the nation. But if Due to slippery but passable roads and a less-than-certain you included those with ties to Vermont, the final number weather forecast, a small group of 17 members attended the th would have been even. November 13 meeting. With both Gail and Ginny absent As this study is 42 pages long, I have abbreviated it for this from their usual posts, others pitched in and all went publication.