American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

Newsletter of the American Civil War Round Table Queensland Editor Robert Taylor QSM. Email: [email protected]

Of Buffalos, Plains Indians, Bushrangers and Politicians Robert Taylor QSM I have often been asked, “Why are you interested in the American Civil War and why the South, weren‟t they all racists?” Long have I pondered the complex aspects raised by these commonly asked questions. They do of course display a terrible ignorance of the period but that is understandable, given the incredible amount of effort there has been over the past 150 years to colour the world’s perception of the war and paint the South as evil villains. “Why?” It’s a very good question and one good question deserves another, perhaps my interest simply grew up with me. As a boy I was in awe when my father related the story of seeing Buffalo Bill in his Wild West Show in London. This would have been shortly before the frontiersman’s death from kidney failure in 1917. It is incredible that within one generation and living memory there was a person, my father, who saw William F Cody up close and personal, they actually met the stars after the show. This makes the era a lot closer in my mind than many would have it and Buffalo Bill, as much as I detest his slaughter of American Bison and plains Indians, was never-the-less a knowledgeable plainsman who very well understood the way of American Indians. William F Cody during war Significantly, he also fought in the War Between the States, as I prefer to call it, although on the side of the Union. Considered too young to enlist, he was first a scout in campaigns against the Kiowa and Comanche, then in 1863 enlisted with the 7th Kansas cavalry to fight in bloody Missouri and Tennessee. Cody’s father believed Kansas should be a free state but many of its fellow settlers were pro-slavery. The family fell foul of extremists in the State and forced to flee for their lives. Cody, then a mere 11 grew up with his father’s beliefs. Buffalo Bill dime novels of Ned Buntline and Prentiss Ingraham enjoyed enormous success into the 1900’s but the real William Cody transformed the literary stage character into a phenomenon that was Buffalo Bill‟s Wild West Show. B orn in 1846 in a log cabin in Iowa, Cody grew up on the cutting edge of the Wild West, being part of every key moment from westward expansion, gold rush, Pony Express, stagecoach, railroads, cattle herds and Civil War. But it was Custer’s demise at Little Big Horn that thrust William Cody into the ranks of legends. Cody began re-enacting Custer’s last stand in his shows, even playing the stalwart Custer. In reality much of the Custer legend is myth, the show was classic and by today’s standards, very corny melodrama. In its early days, the show featured Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun Fame) real name Phoebe Ann Moses. She joined the show as “Little Sure Shot” in 1884 with Frank Butler. Annie was a terrific shot and an American marksman recently proved you could actually shoot through a hangman’s noose at distance and matched her famed routine of shooting over her shoulder through a small makeup mirror. Annie Oakley I literally grew up on a diet of Buffalo…Buffalo Bill that is. My Uncle Bob, who was Dad’s older brother and who had even more vivid memories of that famed Wild West Show, regularly sent Buffalo Bill annuals and comics to me from London. While the show my father saw had no such luminaries as Annie Oakley or Sitting Bull, the aging Buffalo Bill was enough of an attraction in what was then a pretty gloomy London, desperately seeking escapism and the dreaded thoughts of World War 1 with Germany. M y focus, particularly on the South, springs I believe from a latent appreciation of all things refined, artistic and noble, which is how I see Southern culture as it was at the time but now, reputedly Gone With The Wind. I have always had

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

affection for any underdog who, in standing up for what is believed to be right, takes it on the chin. Being a non- conformist, I appreciate the South wanting to do their own thing in their own way. Surely that’s what true independence and freedom is about isn’t it? That they were challenged in their rights actually challenges American Independence and the whole concept of liberty. L ater I was to formulate an opinion based more on substantial fact and research than emotion, as I was drawn more into the secession/slavery topic. I began to see the obnoxious issue of slavery in a different light. There are countless stories indicating how quickly the slavery system was crumbling around America. Although the North also had slaves throughout the war nothing is told of this, or how and why African Americans quickly joined with the South to fight an aggressor and invader…the North. It is the shame of history that these brave patriots and Southern loyalists, some former slaves, should pay the highest price for their rights and yet receive not even lip service but the melodrama of history, much like William Cody offered long suffering Indians, compelled by circumstance to portray themselves as evil villains in his Wild West Shows. A ppalled at the numbers of runaway slaves lured by the promise of affluence and so called freedom in the North on the streets of New York, Abraham Lincoln secretly hosted a plot to deport them to Liberia. He needed war to subjugate Southerners, many of whom had developed a fond attachment to their slaves and they to them. This fondness was returned as African Americans stood shoulder to shoulder with Southern white families to protect what they saw as their homelands. The truth is a lie, constructed to cover heroic deeds of African Americans because they didn’t fit intentionally created myths of the war; that it was to free slaves. Yet even today where is that freedom? Where is their true and full emancipation? Why are ghettos still filled with so called „freed‟ African Americans? I first joined The Confederate High Command International in 1970 under the excellent command of a man well known to Australian re-enactors, Col. John Couzens. There I rose to the rank of sergeant in the 13th Georgia cavalry. Like Cody, my interest has always been from a cavalry perspective, from the horse up. A keen horseman, having been brought up with horses on New Zealand farms I have found many a good and true friend in horses. Later, on a trip to the United Kingdom, I met up with John Chalkley, commander of the UK division of CHC. John, amazed that I was merely a sergeant promoted me to Captain. On my return to New Zealand in 1972, I established the CHC under the guidance of founder, General Donald A Ramsey, of Nashville Tennessee. We were later given Cheatham‟s Division 1st Tennessee to memorialise; I was promoted to major, colonel and eventually Brigadier General. John Couzens T he State of Tennessee, Department of Archives, holds papers relating to the establishment and performance of the Civil War Centennial Commission 1961-1965. Donald Ramsey is featured on a list of the most active contributors. The various papers and letters document the relationship between the Commission and government officials in Tennessee; they also contain bulletins, minutes, news releases and published material related to the war. Tennessee supplied more soldiers than any other southern state to both the Federal and Confederate armies and was itself the scene of 774 battles, far exceeding all other states except Virginia. G eneral Ramsey always maintained that Tennessee was the first army onto the field at Gettysburg and the last to leave it. He long grieved that there was no Tennessee marker or memorial at Gettysburg and it was his life’s ambition to have designed and erected an appropriate monument. General and Mrs Ramsey, seen above, are accompanied by Lt Burton Heagy of the Indian Cavalry Division 1st Cherokee Regiment in full Indian regalia. It was October 16th 1974 and they are at the Gettysburg site scene of the first engagement by Tennessee. General and Mrs Ramsey with Lt. Burton Heagy O n this day a ceremony was held to mark the future site of the Tennessee monument, its designer Felix de Welden, who sculpted the famous Iwo Jima monument, spoke eloquently about the deeds of Tennessee soldiers in that tragic battle. Roy Acuff

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

It was to be many years before the project was completed, with the New Zealand CHC branch providing considerable funds after lengthy local fundraising activities. Sadly the original grand concept was reduced to a modest affair and a mere engraving of the original design but at least it is there, in its rightful place, where the Tennessee boys so proudly stood, although not until many years after the centenary and that historic day with Felix de Welden. A long playing record entitled The Little Town that Cried (See cover above) was produced as a fundraiser and featured broadcaster/historian Colonel Robert Terry. The LP re-enacted the battle of Gettysburg with all its tragic sounds and Terry’s brilliant narration told the story with passion and pride. The CHC recruited other entertainment personalities; famous Country singer Roy Acuff was amongst them. Known as “King of Country Music” he would often don a Confederate uniform to attend CHC functions in Nashville. T he Civil War Centennial Commission was created by an act of General Assembly in 1959 (Chapter 203, Senate Bill 383.) The commission comprised the Governor, House Speaker and ex officio members, Chairman Stanley F. Horn, Executive Director Campbell H. Brown, three residents of each Grand Division, an Army Advisory Council and of course General Ramsey who had close relations with the Cherokee nation. Colonel Terry T he Tennessee Civil War Centennial Commission’s prime activities included the erection of historical markers and establishment of educational publications. Other functions included focusing public attention on neglected cemeteries, collecting and restoring Confederate flags and planning of some 37 centenary commemorative ceremonies for the 60’s. What sprang from the centenary was a far reaching resurgence of interest in the war, setting in motion a chain of events that proved unstoppable in establishing re-enactors, Round Tables and the CHC world wide. Most significantly, much to the chagrin of Northern biased propagandists; it enables us to see for the first time, the truth behind the melodrama that became the Civil War. I still proudly hold my highly valued original CHC promotion certificate to Brigadier General sent by General Ramsey. The NZ branch of CHC lasted 5 years and it was with this group that I first published The Bugle. ACWRTA regularly contributed to its crudely fashioned Gestetner pages. A s a broadcaster of many years, demands of work gradually took over time and I had to pass command onto others. Sadly, shortly after I ceased active participation, the New Zealand organisation folded, an indication of dangers relying completely on the efforts of one person. More than a re-enactor, I consider myself a historian. Why? Occasionally, slipping into period costume and donning Confederate accoutrement, allows me to get more in touch with the times and reach a better appreciation of them. While I may not stick as rigidly to paraphernalia as the true re-enactor, largely because of cost but like the men of those times, availability also restricts me doing this. Instead I grab what is readily available, homespun or often captured from the enemy; in my case purchased from fellows who are changing codes (sides ) Incidentally the choice to become a re-enactor cannot ignore the role of historian as it requires deep study to accurately portray the ordinary soldier or woman of the day. The study of history and re-enacting is an amalgam of interests and skills. However that said, re-enactivism can become an all possessing cult in itself, such is the nature of personal interest, whether it be rugby, theatre or any of the arts.

Cody’s recently made Commemoration Remington

In what way does the ACWRTQ differ from Bill Cody’s Wild West extravaganzas? They were re-enactors of sorts and his masterful performers acted together to delight the crowds. We differ in that we crowd together to delight the act; it’s a significant difference. In both cases, killing noble Indians and The War Between the States were horrid acts but both events in history brought out not only the worst but also the best in Indian, African American and the multicultural American society of the day. The delight in the act comes from recapturing their camaraderie and new Gen. Stand Watie

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008 discoveries of forgotten participants, incredible links that sometimes fascinate and the endless task of rededicating and commemorating veterans’ graves. It is in these unusual ways we do have something in common with Buffalo Bill. While, to a novice, it may seem melodramatic, the essence of the moment may be found in the flicker of a candle, heard in the rattle of a sabre, a war whoop, or the bark of a musket and yes, sometimes words that dance across pages of The Bugle like Cherokee around a campfire. The Cherokee, I might add, fought for the Confederacy and General Stand Watie is yet another heroic and inspirational figure from the times who reaches across the centuries and still inspires. Long after war’s end General Watie was the last Confederate to surrender. I’m also often plagued by questions like, “What has all this got to do with Australia and New Zealand?” I don’t know why it has to have something to do with these two countries but it does. There are thousands of connections but while Cody went to his grave, taking with him the last real remnant of the “Wild West” he left something else behind, his ancestry. Thousands of miles away in Australia’s parched eucalyptus gumtree covered hills of northeastern Victoria; a tall bearded outlaw was staging numerous wild events of his own, audaciously robbing banks. Here is where history turns fascinating pages; William Cody and Ned Kelly are related! Ned’s paternal grandmother, Mary Cody and Bill’s kinsfolk, both stem from the Cody clan of Tipperary. Buffalo Bill was Mary’s nephew making him Ned Kelly’s uncle, although neither would have likely known of each other. It is astonishing that two men, who carved their names so vibrantly into history, wielding the same type of firearms, with the same dashing bravado, are linked. It doesn’t end there for those with the New Zealand side of the enquiry. The story is even more intriguing on the discovery of another famous character linked to Kelly, Michael Joseph Savage. He was perhaps the most loved Prime Minister of New Zealand’s stormy political history and he too is linked. Savage was born in 1872 at Tatong, a small Australian town near Benalla, right in the heart of what is now known as Kelly Country. Australian born Kelly, (left) was the son of Irish parents. Mikey’s father’s name was Richard Savage, his mother Johanna Hayes. Mickey Savage would have closely followed the exploits of their near neighbours, yet no evidence emerges to prove a link. As a boy, Michael worked in the local grocery shop. He would have served and known the Kelly family very well. Ned Kelly Hon. Michael J. Savage T he Savage home was only a few miles from Stringybark Creek where Ned Kelly had his famed shoot out with police; if at home, the distant sound of gunfire would have been heard. Perhaps, with such a leading light, it was better to hide any connection with history‟s shame. Ned was benefactor to most of the locals and it is likely that Ned Kelly was Mickey Savage’s skeleton in the closet. So how can I answer such broadly based and all encompassing questions as, “Why the Civil War?” Certainly not in one breath but it does deserve the reply, “Why not?” How could you not be interested? Everyone should feel passionate about something in life. Buffalo Bill knew it, so did General Ramsey, Colonel Couzens and Roy Acuff, both skilled country singers, also felt the passion. General Stand Watie fought for a place for his Cherokee people in his own land and was the last to surrender; all passed the fever onto others. Ned Kelly, like the Confederates, fought for his family’s rights and Mickey Savage for the rights of the working class in my home country, New Zealand. Perhaps it is these very people and constant searching questions fuelling my interest in the war, or that the full story is simply not yet told, the play not yet over. “The world‟s a stage and we are merely the players” (Shakespeare.) I have become as one with the South…I am at long last a Southerner. This alone should answer questions, although frankly, you don’t ever have to justify what you do. You cannot be born a Southerner, you become one under the anvil and flames of time. There’s more to my passion about the war than Southern pride. I feel I’m still discovering these reasons, isn’t that incentive and reason enough to continue?

Combat Fatigue and Siege of Petersburg

Dr Jack Ford

T his newspaper cutting (below) was an article originally published in the “Brisbane Courier” newspaper (forerunner of “The Courier Mail”) on 8th October 1864. By then the Siege of Petersburg had been dragging on since 15 June 1864. But the Union’s Army of the Potomac had lost 46,000 dead and wounded from 5th May until it reached Petersburg and the siege would last until April 1865! Perhaps, what this article really shows is that the reported drunkenness was a sign of the battle fatigue from which many of the soldiers on both sides were suffering. Editor: Pictured on the next page is the Petersburg Union Army receiving mail, no doubt a sobering moment. It is amazing how accurate and deep newspaper reporting was at that time considering the limited flow of information from the actual battlefield and the diatance in not only place but time, without International telegraph. There were no cables linking America in those days. Troops at the siege of Petersburg faced the usual siege armaments such

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008 as projectiles of all shapes and sizes and frequent attacks on fortifications but the Union introduced another deadly weapon in the form of underground explosions to further add to the misery and bloody carnage.

The Linco ln Letters Bundaberg Correspondent Peter Richardson Editor: This story is adapted from an article appearing recently in the Bundaberg Newsmail. B arely a year into the Civil War U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was suggesting to colleagues that it might be a better solution to buy back slaves at $400.00 a head under a gradual emancipation plan that would bring peace at less cost than several months of war. (The estimate he made at the time as to how long the war would last.) Picture right courtesy Pinecone Productions

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

T he staggering proposal is outlined in one of 72 letters written by Lincoln and discovered in the University of Rochester archives. The interesting correspondence records another side to Lincoln’s plans that also included sending African Americans back to Liberia in Africa even though most were born Americans and had no knowledge of Africa or their origins. T he correspondence has been scanned and posted on line. With them are 215 letters sent to Lincoln by politicians and military commanders including Vice President Andrew Johnson and general Ulysses S Grant who both succeeded Lincoln in the presidency in the following 12 years of his assassination in 1865.The papers were part of Secretary of State William Seward’s estate bequeathed by his grandson William Henry Seward III. The letters appear on the school of Rochester’s website and while hard to read Lincolns handwriting at times, often a transcript is provided. www.library.rochester.edu/rbk/lincoln Also see http://lotsalincolns.blogspot.com/ this site has some interesting and little known facts about Lincoln.

Editor: So what happened to the planned “gradual emancipation?” You can bet the scheme was considered but Lincoln didn’t appreciate that slavery was not the burning issue, it was States rights and taxes. Not all Confederate states were slave states. In the end, Lincoln only freed slaves in Southern states that were out of his jurisdiction in the Confederacy. He didn’t free slaves in Northern states until near the end of the war and then only reluctantly. So it was never a serious prospect and no money was ever put up for such a scheme while large amounts were made available for deporting to a hostile Liberia, many of those unsuspecting African Americans who had followed “Freedom‟s Road” to the north.

Confederados

Confederados: They may be Brazilian but they sure are a Band of Brothers T he ancestors of these men followed freedom’s road to the south. Since the end of the War Between the States much has been written and said by all those who wish to find the truth behind America’s bloodiest and most disheartening war. Few realise that this war took more lives than all of America’s other wars combined. The immigration of Southerners to the sanctuary of Brazil following the war, is an interesting and curious event brought about by either the Union’s reluctance to accept them as surrendered combatants, or their reluctance to live under the Stars and Stripes. The wave of immigration amounted to some nine thousand people, each left a mark on Brazilian society and culture with numerous descendants still proudly carry the Confederate flag. Identified as Confederados, the largest community and by far the most important, is located in the State of Sao Paulo in the towns of Americana and Santa Barbara D’oeste. C ampo cemetery is scene of quarterly family gatherings to show respect to the many veterans buried there. On one grave, that of Confederate veteran Napoleon Bonaparte Mc Alpine is the inscription…

“Soldier rest! Thy warfare o’er Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking days of toil, or nights of waking.”

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

In Brazil the Good Ol’ Boys don’t need to rise, they never fell. Merely a strategic withdrawal, they still hold the flag aloft with pride and dignity. See website: www.confederados.com.br this site is a must for those wanting to discover the fascinating history of a courageous few determined to keep the spirit of Dixie alive in a free land. The Bugle is grateful to Brazilian Daniel De Muzio for his encouragement, support and help. See also http://www.patsabin.com/lowcountry/confederados.htm

New York’s Civil War. Part III. Back to Business: By Greg Noonan Editor: Greg Noonan has completed this story in three instalments spread over the last four issues of The Bugle.

Author’s note: The foundation of the information in this series of articles has been taken from the award-winning book Gotham: A History of New York City until 1898, by Edwin G. Burrows & Mike Wallace. While the words here are my own, the ideas and sequence of events comes from Burrows’ and Wallace’s excellent book. In essence, I have condensed and re-written parts of their work. N ew York City’s desperately violent draft and race riots in the sweltering summer of 1863 came hard on the heels of the bloodletting at Gettysburg. As with that decisive battle in southern Pennsylvania, the draft riots would leave long-term scars, but in the short-term their impact was overwhelmed by the war boom that continued with barely a pause. The boom offered any number of ways for the less than scrupulous to become fabulously wealthy. New York’s old staple of trading with the enemy again became big business. Congress had legalised trading in cotton with southern states, and by late in the war, despite protests from some Union generals in the field, cotton bought for 12c-20c a pound was selling in the North for $1.90 a pound. Powerful Republican politician, Thurlow Weed, (seen on right with his signature superimposed) was well positioned to ensure that trading licences went to those willing to cut him in. Weed also helped illegal traders for a fee, and eventually hundreds of thousands of bales from Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans flowed into New York. Land speculation also brought great bounties. The Homestead Act allowed the sale of unsurveyed land in the West for $1.25 an acre, and syndicates of New York businessmen bought up millions of acres. Vast tracts of land were also parcelled out by the federal government to railroad companies to encourage development. Editor: In 1863, Weed came out against the Emancipation Proclamation on grounds that emancipation should be more gradual. He soon lost favour with the administration, then threw in with Andrew Johnson and his Reconstruction policies; this essentially ended Weed's political career in the Republican Party. He retired from public life not long after the Civil War and moved to New York City in 1867. There he briefly edited a newspaper, but while he remained engaged in politics, never sought or held another office and never exerted the sort of influence he had in the past. He died in New York in 1882. Stockbrokers enjoyed a frenzy of profit-taking. The manipulation of shares hit new heights, as did gambling on which way stocks would move. The Herald reported just two weeks after the riots that money was flooding the city from all over the country. Although many held that trading in the value of gold, relative to the new greenback was immoral, for traders, gold stocks were a source of profit whether they went up or down. When news of a Union victory reached the city, the value of the greenback in the Exchange rose but those keen on gold prayed for Confederate victories and sang ‘’Dixie’’ lustily when they got one. Such unpatriotic

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008 carousing prompted the New York Stock Exchange to ban its members from trading in gold . . . to no effect. Traders simply sidestepped the ruling by taking their business underground, or rather from basement to basement along Wall, William and Broad streets until the New York Gold Exchange opened its doors in the winter of 1864. By that time, the denizens of Wall Street had their own telegraph wires bringing in news from army field headquarters and some even had spies in the Confederate High Command and could learn of Southern battle plans before colonels in Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. In the summer of 1864, with Grant frustrated in Virginia and Sherman bogged down in Georgia, gold reached a record high of $280 an ounce. Some argued that „‟Jeff Davis speculators” were more interested in undermining the greenback than in collecting their spoils, the city was a hotbed of Southern scheming and that its moneymen were out to ruin the credit of the government. In a crackdown on gold dealing, Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase rushed to New York and drove the price of gold down but only briefly, by selling millions of dollars’ worth of the metal. Workers began benefitting from the war boom too, and for the first seven months of 1864, every trade union strike was successful despite the concerted efforts of influential employers and manufacturers. In spite of inflation and the poor working conditions of much of the workforce, steady work, rising wages, soldiers’ bounties and relief payments for families with men in the army contrived to make thousands of the city’s poor better off than they ever had been before. It was also in the summer of 1864 that Lincoln’s re- election in November was looking increasingly unlikely. News from the front was discouraging, discreet and tentative peace negotiations failed miserably and Democrat candidate, former high-flying army chief George McClellan, was enjoying growing support. But in September, Sherman took Atlanta and Sheridan started whipping Jubal Early’s force in the Shenandoah Valley. McClellan’s early popularity evaporated and suddenly Lincoln was back in the contest. Lincoln’s victory would mean war until Southern surrender and Republicans would control post-war reconstruction. Some desperate Confederates decided they had to disrupt the election process by causing civil strife and terrorising northern cities, and New York topped the list of targets. Confederate Secret Service agents were assigned the ambitious task of essentially overthrowing the city with fire and riots and take the city out of the Union and into an alliance with Richmond. When word of a Rebel plot to disrupt the election started to circulate, state officials derided the notion, but in Washington, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Secretary of State William Seward sent a mixed force of 5000 regular troops under General Benjamin „‟The Beast‟‟ Butler, conspicuous from his military governorship of New Orleans in 1862. Given his record in the South, Reformers and Republicans alike saw Butler as just the man to deal with spies, rioters, Tammany bullies and Peace Democrats. Butler set up his headquarters in the brand new Hoffman House off Madison Square, where he established a 60-wire telegraph centre connecting him to the War Department in Washington, to every major city in New York State and to every police station and polling place on Manhattan. U nknown to Butler though, the bustling activity was watched by Confederate agents outside. Led by two ex-cavalrymen from Morgan’s Raiders, the would-be terrorists entered the US at Niagara Falls, caught a train to New York, rented rooms in various hotels and boarding houses, obtained Greek Fire (a highly combustible combination of phosphorous and bisulfide of carbon that ignited on contact with air) from a sympathetic chemist in the city, and met every few days in public places such as the newly opened Central Park. On election day, the city was quiet despite rumours of unrest and Butler deployed his men in low-key fashion around Manhattan, on the waterfront and in the East and Hudson rivers. In the end, the day was peaceful and the only crowds that gathered were those hungry for election results. Lincoln won New York State by a whisker but lost the city in a landslide. Peace Democrats did poorly. Butler’s troops left for their campaign against Richmond under Grant but Butler lingered to be wined and dined by the city’s grateful elite. The self-congratulatory air was premature, however. The plan to burn New York had only been postponed rather than cancelled. It had also changed its focus with the loss of support from local Copperheads – they were among other things disheartened by Sherman’s campaign in Georgia. But after reading about Sheridan’s ravaging of the Shenandoah Valley, the still- determined Confederates decided to repay the North in kind – starting with a plump and care-free New York City. O n November 25, 10 days after Butler set out for Virginia, the conspirators set their fires in 13 large hotels, mainly along Broadway, including the Astor House, the Metropolitan and the St Nicholas, General John A. Dix’s Department of the East was housed in palatial surrounds. The Confederates also started would-be blazes in a theatre, the Winter Garden, Barnum’s Museum and a variety of Hudson River docks, lumberyards, stores and factories before fleeing the city for Canada. As the fires spread, panicked residents, especially those of wooden houses, poured out into the streets. Angry mobs yelled for Rebel blood as firefighters and police wagons rushed to extinguish the flames. The fires were quickly brought under control but not before they caused $400,000 in damage. The incident was spectacular but did nothing to alter the course of the war in the far-away south and west. Manhattan police tracked the arsonists down in Canada and

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008 arrested one, Robert Kennedy, when he was caught trying to re-enter the US to return to the South. Put on trial as a spy, he was hanged in Fort Lafayette just a few weeks before Lee’s surrender in 1865. It was on March 6th a procession of citizens, seven miles long, wound its way through the streets of lower Manhattan. A national jubilee celebrating Lincoln’s re-election, recent Union victories and imminent Confederate defeats. Almost a month to the day later, businessmen standing on a street corner read on a billboard that Richmond and Petersburg had been captured the previous day. Broadway became alive with cheering, singing men at the news. Flags waved and guns saluted the victories. On April 11th 1865, word came that Lee had finally surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia and there was another huge outpouring of joy. The night of April 14th brought grim news for the celebrating city. Lincoln had been shot at a Washington theatre and had died the next morning, it was Good Friday. Lincoln’s final journey through New York on April 24th was in a glass hearse drawn by six grey horses. Headed by General Dix and the 7th regiment, the procession stopped at a black-draped City Hall, where lines of mourners queued to pay their respects. Mourning was not universal though. Conservative diarist George Templeton Strong wrote that he had heard of a dozen cases of Irish women had been sacked from their jobs for rejoicing at the news of Lincoln’s death. Gramercy Park House similarly dismissed a number of waiters for approving of the assassination. The times had worn Lincoln’s face T he next day a 16-horse funeral cart, led by no less than 18 bands, made their way from City Hall up Broadway, across Union Square to Fifth Ave and north to the Hudson River Railroad Depot. At the rear walked a small group of „‟freedmen‟‟, a human post-script only included after some last-minute wrangling by the Union League Club, who insisted a negro delegation had the right to participate. At 4pm, the train bearing Lincoln’s body left the city for its circuitous journey to Springfield, Illinois. T he Civil War in New York was over, the so called reconstruction period had only just begun.

Letters to the Editor: Books Daniel Carr De Muzio, Camp Commander SCV Camp #q653 “Os Confederados” Brazil.

Dear Compatriot Robert, You are welcome to use www.confederados.com.br contents for The Bugle. I also attach a short bibliography of used Confederate books available at reasonable prices from www.amazon.com.books all deal with Confederate immigration to Brazil. Editor: P or E means book available Portuguese, English or both) 1P. Soldado Descansa, por Judith MacKnight Jones. The best source, although written in a non-chronological way, and bearing much of the Southern romanticism. Available from Fraternidade Descendência Americana. 2E. The Elusive Eden, de William Clark Griggs. By far, the most scholarly and focused book. It addresses the colony that established in Iguape. 3E. Confederados, by Dawsey and Dawsey, University of Alabama. A collection of essays, handsomely referenced, coins the term "Confederados." 4E/P. The Lost Colony of the Confederacy, Eugene Harter – First Texas A&M University Press, 1985, 2000. Editorial Nórdica, 1987. American edition available on Amazon.com. Good political insights by former diplomat. 5P. Pioneiros Americanos no Brasil, by Frank P. Goldman, Ed Pioneira 6P. Guerra Civil Americana, by Peter Louis Eisenberg. The best summarized account on the WBS I have ever read, including all the American literature I know.

7P. Centelha em Restolho Seco, by Betty Antunes de Oliveira. Connections of Confederados and the Protestant church. Available Fraternidade Descendência Americana.

8P. Os Norte-Americanos (Confederados) A master's degree paper unknowingly demolishes assumption Confederates immigrated because there was slavery in Brazil, an independent researcher. Scholarly and well written.

9E. Lost White Tribes, Riccardo Orizio, Secker&Warburg (Random House) 2000. A section of the book describes Confederados, a journalistic and somewhat confusing approach, has several inaccuracies.

10E. Tombstone Records of the Campo Cemetery, by Betty Antunes de Oliveira, Published by the author, 1978. An invaluable document listing records of the Campo Cemetery up to 1978. For interested parties seeking ancestors this is available from the Fraternidade Descendência Americana.

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

Sewing a place in history

Make your own Southern flag, the last true flag of the Confederacy. Exact measurements are provided for you to sew up a masterpiece. Note the stars all point upwards and are equally spaced and positioned on the margins (some were not.) By the way they had foot pedal sewing machines in those days, so the puritans who want everything hand sewn are not true to the times. Stay away from fancy modern stitching, keep it basic, use only cotton thread and you can’t go wrong. The more flags we fly, both North and South of the period, the merrier.

Hero s von Borcke Rededication Ceremony. September 3rd. The Bugle Correspondent Nancy Hitt.

Editor: As reported in the last issue of The Bugle, von Borcke’s grave in Poland has now been restored and a new plate and stone installed. The event was attended by descendants of both Jeb Stuart and Heros von Borcke. Both participants for the South were inseparable friends during the war and only death could cheat them of that friendship when Stuart died of his wounds with his close friend and ally von Borcke at his side. Nancy Hitt and friend

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

O n the morning of Wednesday, September 3, 2008, a bus loaded with folk from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the United States arrived in the small village of Gizyn, Poland. Many an unusual sight greeted them: girls adorned with flowers in their hair, uniformed Polish Fire Department members and German re-enactors wearing Confederate uniforms gathered around their tents. Local village people had cleared a dirt road past the tents leading to a large brick chapel. G erman Pastor Friedhelm Moeller, in coordination with Polish Major Jerzek Zigmund, arranged much of this effort. How could I foresee the consequences of my research? H aving begun in 2003 to locate the gravesite of CSA Colonel Heros von Borcke, little did I even understand the terrible situation that had befallen the von Borcke families, formerly of Prussia. They are proud descendants of a noble ancestry but as World War II came to an end, they were driven like cattle from their homes by the invading Russian army. The chapel was vandalised and left to fall into ruin but largely obscured by overwhelming vegetation now restored. The memorial once held the gravestones and remains of CSA Colonel Heros von Borcke and his parents. Heros had volunteered to fight in helping our efforts toward Southern Independence. He became a staff officer under General Jeb Stuart, the two of them becoming very close friends. Heros stood beside the deathbed of General Stuart on May 11, 1864, although himself suffering from a serious throat wound, received at the Battle of Middleburg June 19, 1863. T he September memorial ceremony served as part of the yearly reunion of von Borcke families belonging to the von Borcke Family Association. In 2007 they began organising this 2008 tour of their former estates including the memorial service in their program. The highlight of this ceremony was the presence of those two great-grandsons of the famous Confederate soldiers, Eckhard von Borcke and Jeb Stuart IV who both met for the first time in Berlin, just days before the ceremony. They each gave a speech in front of the von Borcke chapel, children sang Polish songs, a firefighter played an accordion and the villagers raised high our glorious battle flag. M y talk described how I located and ordered the stone that was sent to Pastor Moeller in Germany. Eckhard von Borcke and Jeb Stuart IV uncovered the memorial and cross of honour. A Texas colour guard stood behind the speakers and Hampton’s Legion of South Carolina fired three volleys. This was all performed by Germans, with three American volunteers.

ACWRTQ Special Meeting September 24th T he northern English city of Liverpool it seems, was as much a Southern city as Richmond, Virginia and even flew more Confederate flags than the Southern capital during the war, according to visiting Councillor Jerry Williams who spoke at the ACWRTQ meeting on September 24th. J erry paints a powerful image of the times (the slide projector had broken down) and speaks of a time when Liverpool was the main port of commerce for the world and became the chief provider of ships, armaments and trade to the South. Throughout the blockade Liverpool even provided speedy shallow draft blockade runners that braved the ravages of the Atlantic to carry supplies past Union ships from Nassau to various Southern ports.

ACWRTQ President Jack Ford and Jerry Williams L iverpudlian, Jerry Williams proudly wears his city on his sleeve and even speaks about the architecture of some of its buildings that were inspired by Southern culture and style to the point of having columns and painted ceilings depicting all that was good in the South. Jerry’s speech brings us all a little closer to the conflict and helps forge links between the UK and QLD. He has been involved in “Civil War” Studies for 30 years and obviously hasn’t lost any of his enthusiasm. He talks at length about CSS Alabama and CSS Shenandoah and the devastation they brought to US commerce, so much so that it took the U.S. some 3 decades to recover. While Britain paid dearly in compensation for its support after the war, I sensed that Jerry felt it was a price worth paying for the

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008 cultural imperative, for trade but also to support an underdog who, let’s face it, was not far from being British and whose loyalties were known to be pro Britain. A good talk attended by one of the ACWRTQ’s best turnouts for some time. Jack Ford presented Jerry with a certificate of appreciation at the end and Jerry is shown above presenting a Liverpool plaque to the Round Table Queensland. Jerry is Councillor of the Bebington Ward, Wirral, Liverpool.

Some Interesting Facts Fundamental difference between politicians and generals. A fter a public outcry at his son not serving in the military, Abraham Lincoln made his son an officer and sent him to serve for a few token months under General Grant as an aide in what is described as a safe and cushy role. General Lee’s son Robert Jnr. was a private, fighting at the Battle of Antietam with the Rockbridge Artillery. He took his chances like any other soldier, bar one it seems.

ACWRTQ President Jack Ford Just finished reading Chickamauga Staff Ride Briefing Book, produced by HQ of the US Army Reserve Command, Atlanta, Georgia. It has some interesting points to consider for Civil War re-enactments.

Carried on Campaign: While on the march a Confederate soldier's individual load varied from 30 to 46 pounds per man and would include: musket & bayonet, 60 rounds of ammunition, full canteen, blanket or overcoat, mess gear (knife, fork & spoon, cup, plate or bowl and shared items such as a skillet, coffe pot, grinder etc) plus small personal items (sewing kit, spare socks or shirt, bible, family photograph, letters) and 3-8 days rations. It could also include a shelter half to form a pup tent, a groundsheet, scarf or bandana, writing gear, cards or dice, a book (e.g. Les Miserables) newspapers, pipe and tobacco pouch. Rations: Standard US Army marching rations were: 16 ounces of hardtack, 12 ounces of salt pork or fresh meat, 1 ounce of coffee and 3 ounces of sugar and salt. Confederate units were meant to have the same daily rations but usually issued more sugar and much less coffee or salt. The Army of Northern Virginia was always short on its meat ration. The Army of Tenessee and the Army of the Trans-Mississippi usually had adequate meat supplies. Editor: Displayed on the right is a tin can from the civil war.

Enfield Rifle: This is a common question from the public so here are the famous rifle's specifications: English manufacture,brought through the Blockade. 577 calibre Weight - 14 pounds with bayonet fixed Rate of Fire - 3 rounds per minute (we wish!) Effective Range - up to 500 yards Maximum Range - 1,100 yards

Lest we forget them

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American Civil War Round Table Queensland September/October Issue # 14 2008

Let The Past Live In You

We are often told we can’t live in the past but that doesn’t mean the past can’t live in us. Let the past live in you, join the American Civil War Round Table Queensland and experience past-times. Share in research, attend regular meetings, participate in public and Living History events, wear the uniforms or costumes of the period and enjoy social activities and shooting black powder weapons of the period. (Licensed fire-arms users only.) Non-firing replica rifles and pistols are used at reenactments and these may be carried by unlicensed members but to participate you must be a member of ACWRTQ. A prime activity of the group is locating and rededicating graves of Civil War veterans who died in Queensland, in conjunction with other leading researchers in Australia and America. Visit our ACWRTQ website: http://www.acwrtq.com/ Phone ACWRTQ President Dr Jack Ford: 07 32663534. “We need your help to drive our historical society forward. To help in the search for lost veterans but also to join us in re-enactments, socialising, collecting, sharing information and stories and… let the past live in you. “ Contact the editor: Robert Taylor QSM fwwfn [email protected] All correspondence and research gratefully accepted. Stories should be submitted as an attached Word document. The Editor reserves the right to change wording to fit space, editorial requirements and to Australian spelling.

Editor: This newsletter is produced entirely for the purposes of study and the right to review. No photographs, text or illustration may be reproduced for any other purpose. Where possible all photographs are credited with sources. Ownership of all illustrations belongs with the original copyright owner in all cases.

ACWRTQ Meetings: Coorpooroo RSL every third Thursday of the month. 7.30PM.

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