THE CIVILFounded WAR December 3, ROUND 1940 TABLE Volume LXVII, Number 3 Chicago, Illinois November, 2006

Bob O’Neill - on - “Learning to Lead: P.S.G. Cooke, , Wesley 655th REGULAR Merritt, Alfred Pleasonton MEETING and George Custer” BOB O’NEILL Bob O’Neill ON By Bruce Allardice also take a brief look at both Alfred LEARNING TO LEAD: P.S.G. The Union in the Eastern Pleasonton and George Custer and COOKE, JOHN BUFORD, WESLEY Theater suffered from a number of their early careers as staff officers MERRITT, ALFRED PLEASONTON handicaps early in the war. Among prior to receiving their stars. Buford AND GEORGE CUSTER those handicaps was the failure by and Merritt appear to have benefited ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ the high command to from Cooke's mentoring, while conceptualize a proper role for cav- Custer, who spent his early career as Friday, Nov. 10 alry in the war. Another, related, an aide to several high ranking gen- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ handicap was the slow development erals, may have paid the price, post- of a cadre of competent officers to war, for not having had the same Holiday Inn Mart Plaza lead that cavalry. experience. 350 North Orleans Street In the prewar U.S. army, its lead- Bob O’Neill grew up in Detroit Cocktails at 5:30 p.m. ing cavalry theorist was Col. Philip and moved to Virginia in 1977 when Dinner at 6:30 p.m. St. George Cooke, who wrote the he took a job with the Fairfax County standard treatise on cavalry tactics. Police Department. He spent 25 $30 - Members/Non-members Promoted to general at the start of the years both in uniform and as a detec- Entrée: war, Cooke led Union cavalry during tive before retiring in 2002. Through Chicken Trevino the of 1862, but Marshall Krolick he met John Divine Catch of the Day soon after found himself shelved, and under John’s tutelage wrote an outmaneuvered by article on Vegetarian Plate Confederate cavalry Thoroughfare Gap or Fruit Plate commanded by his Call by and the book on the PLEASE N O TE own son-in-law, Jeb Monday, cavalry battles of Stuart. Aldie, Middleburg Make your reservation by MONDAY, Nov. 6, Nov. 6 by calling 630-460-1865. We now also have our On November and Upperville. Bob online dinner reservation system at has written, or http://www.thecwrt.org/commiss.htm. 10th Bob O’Neill will Reservations made after Wednesday, Nov. 8, take a look at the recorded, several will be surcharged $5. Union cavalry commanders in audio/driving tours for the Mosby People who attend without having made a reser- Virginia and the influence General Heritage Area, covering the fighting vation will pay a $5 walk-in charge. If you make a reservation and then find you cannot attend, please Cooke had on their development. The in both 1862 and 63 and the opera- call to cancel or you will be billed for a dinner. talk will look at the relationship that tions of John Mosby. Bob is currently We are offering the option of choosing not to have Cooke had with his younger officers, working on project detailing the dinner and coming only for the address at 7:30 p.m., for a charge of $5 per person. notably John Buford and Wesley guerrilla war in Northern Virginia to Parking at the Holiday Inn is $8 with a validated Merritt, while they served together in the end of June 1863 - from a Union parking sticker. Utah before the war. The talk will perspective. 2 The Civil War Round Table

Battlefield Preservation THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE By David Zucker It is with deep sadness that this acreage is part of the core battlefield, Round Table learned of the death of where on October 19, 1864, the Margie Bearss, wife of Ed Bearss, a troops of Generals Sheridan and gifted historian and friend of our Early fought in the battle that cost CWRT in her own right. To honor the Confederates the Shenandoah Founded December 3, 1940 her memory, at the November and Valley for good. “A mining operation 9670 N. Dee #205 December CWRT meetings, money on a battlefield is the worst possible Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 Phone: 630-460-1865 will be collected for the Margie thing,” according to Jim Campi, a www.thecwrt.org Bearss Fund. The money will go to spokesman for the Civil War the Civil War Preservation Trust. Preservation Trust. The battlefield The only requirement for membership in The The next meting of the and the Belle Grove Mansion have Round Table is a genuine interest in the Civil CWRT’s Battlefield Preservation suffered for years from the visual War and its era. For information, address Membership Committee, 9670 N. Dee #205 Fund Committee will be on impact of Chemstone’s existing Des Plaines, Illinois 60016, or contact December 2, 2006, at Flapjack’s quarry, whose towering pile of waste [email protected]. Restaurant, 8501 Dempster St. in and industrial machinery dominate Niles. All CWRT members in good the view behind the mansion. The standing may attend. Breakfast will Frederick County Planning $620,000 in federal funding to pur- be available on an individual settle- Commission has recommended chase the property in two phases, ment with the restaurant. against approval of the rezoning. acquiring one parcel last December Harpers Ferry: On the Among the concerns the commis- and the other last July. The 137 weekend of August 19th/20th, a sion cited were dust, increased truck acres were part of a larger tract group of developers began laying traffic, noise and vibration, blasting, owned by the Powers family of water and sewer lines without night lighting, effects on ground and Winchester, who will continue to obtaining the necessary federal per- surface waters, and impact on adja- own the remainder of the property mits, digging a big trench on School cent property values. One aspect of and continue to farm on it. House Ridge. The developers showed the rezoning proposal that many find Gettysburg: Until now, few up at 6 a.m. on Saturday the 19th, particularly alarming is that the things have been more difficult to accompanied by lawyers and an off- Frederick County Sanitation arrange than a visit to the Cupola at duty police officer. The weekend was Authority, a separate special use dis- the top of the Lutheran Seminary picked as the park service was busy trict, has a 70-year lease with Building. Starting November 18th, with a huge and crowded event at Chemstone and Oglebay-Norton to for the first time in the 170-year his- the park. The workers raced through use its quarry pits as a water source. tory of the building, twice a year pub- the night to get their work done. At Frederick County has been hit with a lic tours will be offered. It was from our CWRT’s October meeting, citi- growth surge and it doesn’t have suf- this vantage point on July 1, 1863, zen petitions were passed out for peo- ficient water to meet the expected that Union General John Buford ple to sign. These petitions will be future development. An authority spotted the Confederate advance on sent to Secretary of the Interior Dick spokesman indicated they hope to Gettysburg. “One of my greatest Kempthorne, to protest these “wild draw water from Cedar Creek itself. hopes has been to get the Cupola west” tactics. More information is available at open,” said Wayne Motts, Executive Cedar Creek: A proposal for Shenandoahvalleyentwork.org or by Director of the Adams County a large quarrying operation on a tract writing Preserve Frederick, PO Box Historical Society. “Every day some- adjoining the new Cedar Creek/Belle 562, Middletown, VA 22645. body comes and knocks on the door Grove National Historical Park has Cedar Creek: The and wants to see the Cupola.” The made local preservationists furious. Battlefields building in question, now known as Chemstone, a Middletown, VA sub- foundation has announced the pur- Schmucker Hall, has been leased to sidiary of Cleveland-based Oglebay- chase of a 137 acre portion of Fair the Historical Society since 1959. Norton Minerals, has applied to Meadows Farm, which lies inside the The tour won’t be cheap. The cost Frederick County to get 639 acres boundary of the aforementioned will be $125 a person for non-mem- adjacent to the park rezoned to per- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove bers of the society or seminary and mit mining. Chemstone is eying the National Historical Park. The prop- $100 a person for members or groups limestone under the tract, which is erty was the site of the opening of 10 or more. Profits will go to the owned by Oglebay-Norton. phases of the Cedar Creek Battle, in seminary’s own non-profit group, the Chemstone once operated a nearby which Confederate troops launched Historic quarry, but had left the 639 acre tract a devastating surprise attack on the Foundation, For more, see Civil War for farming use. Nearly all of the Union army. The foundation used News, September, 2006. The Civil War Round Table 3

OCTOBER MEETING By Larry Gibbs On October 13th, the Nevins- On October 21, 2000, the essentials of the Letterman Plan have Freeman Award, the highest honor National Museum of Civil War med- been used by the US Army in recent bestowed by this Round Table, was icine opened with 30,000 in atten- wars. presented to Dr. Gordon Dammann. dance. Among the exhibits are a In the fall of 1863, He gave an enthusiastic speech titled camp life diorama, a portable drug Letterman became disenchanted “A Museum, a Battlefield, and kit, a hospital flag, a tribute to Civil with the army, after a conflict with Hero” before 101 members and War nurses and doctors, a recruiting Union General . In guests at the 654th regular meeting room where surgeons examine January of 1864 Letterman abruptly of The Civil War Round Table. A recruits, and many medical instru- resigned. Letterman died in 1872, dentist from Lena, Illinois, Dr. ments. Personal histories of and his body was eventually buried Dammann is the author of three wounded soldiers, accompanying the at Arlington National Cemetery. books of the Pictorial Encyclopedia photographs, are especially Dammann claimed that Letterman of Civil War Medicine, Instruments poignant. Other exhibits include a will be remembered as the one per- and Equipment. Gordon Dammann field hospital dressing station, a son who brought order and effective- is one of the driving forces behind Civil War tent used by surgeons, and ness to medical service during the the National Museum of Civil War a field evacuation ambulance. Civil War. medicine in Frederick, Maryland. Today the National Museum In a concluding statement, His presentation focused on this of Civil War Medicine has expanded Dr. Dammann expressed his appreci- museum and his personal hero, Dr. to include the Pry House, located ation for this Round Table in his Jonathan Letterman. Dr. Dammann east of the Antietam Battlefield. The efforts to build the National Museum richly deserved our most prestigious Pry House is where Union general of Civil War Medicine. In his opin- award. George McClellan viewed the battle. ion, the prestige of this Round Table When Gordie Dammann This location has exhibits that focus and its support for his efforts helped began studying Civil War medicine, on field medicine during and after persuade local government officials he became alarmed by the misinfor- the . “The most to make his dream a reality. mation and incorrect impressions pristine battlefield is Antietam,” presented as medical fact. “I wanted asserted Dammann. A partnership to tell the true story of Civil War developed between the National Park medicine,” he declared, “so I Service and the museum. Exhibits at CWRT COMMITTEE CHAIRS obtained a hospital and tent display the Pry House include interpretive FOR 2006-2007 for various shows around the coun- panels and objects related to the care try.” Several times, this display won of the wounded, and the ultimate Spring Battlefield Tour: prizes for the best educational impact on the local civilian popula- Roger Rudich exhibit. This display led to the publi- tion. Dammann gave an impassioned Membership/Hospitality: cation of his first book, on Civil War plea to support battlefield preserva- Donna Tuohy, Paula Walker medical instruments, in 1985. tion, citing the recent destruction of a Inspector General: Eventually Dammann portion of the Harpers Ferry David Zucker, Tom Trescott became intensely interested in devel- Battlefield (see page 2 for more on Dinner Reservations: oping a Civil War medical museum. this controversy). Mary Beth Foley After forming a committee, the first Dammann’s personal hero is Registrar: Sonya Reschly attempt to start a medical museum at Dr. Jonathan Letterman, who was the the Piper Farm at the Antietam Medical Director of the Army of the Ways & Means: Kurt Carlson Battlefield failed. In the early 1990s, Potomac from 1862 to 1864. Battlefield Preservation: a possible museum site at Frederick, Letterman was instrumental in Rob Girardi Maryland, became available. During removing 6,000 wounded Union sol- Honors: Marshall Krolick 1993-94 Civil War ambulances and diers during the Peninsula Campaign Nevins-Freeman Award: field hospital displays were placed in of 1862. The Battle of Antietam pre- Dan Weinburg this building. An emphasis on “living sented medical personnel with an Nominations: Bob Miller history”, with sounds and photo- immense problem—23,000 casual- Raffle/Boutique: Rob Girardi graphs, enhanced the environment ties in one day, the single bloodiest Sites: Roger Bohn within the museum. After several day in American military history. false starts, the Maryland state legis- Letterman has been dubbed “The Archives: Jackie Wilson lature and the de la Plane family of Father of American Battlefield Audio Librarian/Photos: Frederick financed most of the cost Medicine” for creating the Hal Ardell for the new museum. Letterman Plan, an effective plan for Publicity: Janet Linhart treating wounded soldiers. The basic 4 The Civil War Round Table

GRAPESHOT SCHIMMELFENNIG BOUTIQUE Lapel pins, Meeting Tapes and other items are on sale at each monthly Bulletin meeting, with proceeds to go to bat- tlefield preservation. There is also a Board book raffle, with proceeds again going to benefit battlefield preservation. A silent auction is held at each monthly dinner meeting, for books Future Meetings donated by Ralph G. Newman and Regular meetings are held at the The Salt Creek CWRT will be other members. The minimum bid is Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, 350 North holding its annual Civil War book $5 per book, with a minimum raise of Orleans Street, the second Friday auction at their Friday, Nov. 17th $1 per bid. Five minutes after the con- of each month, meeting at the Lisle Hilton. For clusion of the speaker’s presentation, unless otherwise bidding will close and the highest bid indicated. more information, phone Rick Zarr is the winner of each book. Proceeds at (708) 597-2780. This event is benefit battlefield preservation. Nov. 10: Bob O’Neill, “Learning to always fun and raises lots of money Lead: Buford, Merritt, Cooke and for battlefield preservation. Custer” Dec. 8: David Bridges, “Jeb Stuart’s Horse Artillery” CWRT past President Bruce IN MEMORIUM: Jan. 12, 2007: Kurt Carlson, Allardice will be giving a talk on MARGIE BEARSS Civil War generals at the Nov. 14th “Chicago During the Civil War” get together of the Blue Island Park Margie Riddle Bearss died Oct. 7th Feb. 9: Dan Paterson, “A Longstreet Pictorial History” District CWRT. The event will fea- in Jackson, MS, following a lengthy ture a “Thanksgiving Dinner at the illness. March 9: Pete Cozzens, “The White House.” For more informa- Valley Campaign” tion, phone (708) 385-3304 or log on to www.blueislandparks.org. A lifelong lover of books, poetry, April 13: Robert E. L. Krick, Topic and Civil War history, Margie mar- to be determined ried Ed Bearss in 1958. Margie and May 11: Rebecca Cumins, CWRT member Jan Rasmussen will Ed helped recover, preserve, and “Battlefield Preservation” be speaking on “The catalog artifacts from the Union June 9: John Coski, “The Sioux Uprising of 1862” at the Ironclad Cairo, now on display at Confederate Battle Flag” Friday, Nov. 3rd meeting of the the Vicksburg NMP. She designed Northern Illinois CWRT, 7:30 p.m. and constructed the exhibits at the at the Arlington Heights Public Grand Gulf Military Park. Her Library. books include Sherman’s Forgotten On Saturday, December 4, the Pritzker Campaign (1987) and two books on Military Library will feature an in-house Champion Hill. She was elected to and a virtual book signing by historians CWRT past President Jerry membership in the National Gabor Boritt (The Gettysburg Gospel: The Kowalski, as General George Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows) and Thomas, will address the Waukesha Military Collectors and Historians, CWRT on November 14th and the and named Fellow of that organiza- Douglas Wilson (Lincoln’s Sword: The South Suburban CWRT on Nov. tion for her work on the USS Cairo. Presidency and the Power of Words). For 16th. reservations and more information, visit Survivors include Ed, their two sons www.PritzkerMilitaryLibrary.org or phone and two daughters. the Book Shop at (312) 944-3085. Know of any upcoming talks, events, or publications? All members are Memorials may be sent to The Civil welcome to contribute items to the War Preservation Trust. newsletter. Contact the editor at [email protected] or (847) 375-8305.