Camp Communicator April 2021
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x Frederick H. Hackeman CAMP 85 April 2021 Commander’s Ramblings Brothers, Well, as you can see this is LATE in getting out. I can only say that events conspired against me in keeping on schedule. I can only hope that everyone is keeping safe and that we’ve all been able to get vaccinated. If we have then that makes it somewhat easier for us to have an in-person meeting in May. Chuck called and said that he would be checking on a venue to see if we might be able to meet. War So, let’s get down to it. June has the Flag Day parade and I’ll be registering us for that event. So, we need to check on our members to see if we can all participate. Ray should be able to have the trailer for some of us to ride on and do the waving to whatever crowd is on hand. Accordingly, some of our members could once again walk in front and fire their muskets to thrill the crowds and perhaps have one carry our camp flag. As I’ve said previously, those riding on the trailer would be sitting and waving and they don’t need to be dressed in CW garb. Those of us with the outfits should consider wearing them to help the group look spiffy and attract attention. The Department Encampment is scheduled for May1st and Commander to Page 2 I’ll be attending. Mainly because I have to be there as I’m In this Issue Veterans of the Civil Page 1 - Commander’s Ramblings Page 3 - The Sultana Page 4 - National & Department Events Page 5 - Civil War Time Line - April Page 11 - Member Ancestors List Sons of the Union Camp Communicator Next Camp Meeting **May 13**, 2021 -6:30 p.m. ZOOM Meeting ?? Page 1 Camp Training Aids As located on the Department of MIchigan web site. It is.recommended that Camp members visit these URLs and familiarize themselves with the information contained within these documents. Handbook of Instruction for the Department Patriotic Instructor https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/Department%20PI%20Handbook.pdf Handbook of Instruction for the Camp Patriotic Instructor Missing link Handbook of Instruction for the Civil War Memorials Officer https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/Michigan%20CWM%20Handbook.pdf Meeting Department Membership Initiative Schedule https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/DeptMemInitiative.pdf Department of Michigan Member Recruitment & Retention Report https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/Dept%20of%20Michigan%20Member%20Recruit- Our meeting ment%20&%20Retention.pdf schedule is Al- National Chaplain’s Handbook ternate months https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/Dept%20of%20Michigan%20Member%20Recruit- between ment%20&%20Retention.pdf September Recommended Education & Additional Department Officer Duties through May https://www.suvcwmi.org/hq/Department%20Orders/Series%202017-18/Recommend- ed%20Ed%20&%20Add%20Dept%20Officer%20Duties.pdf meeting on the 2nd Thursday of every month the Department Chaplain and needed for the ritual and memorial service. If any of you have except as not- that Saturday free, I urge you to attend – get out of the house for something different than ed. At 6:00 PM. grocery shopping and Dr appointments. Check with Ray as he has to provide you with the Voting credential Visit the Department Encampment web page [https://www.suvcwmi.org/ DeptEncampment/DEindex-137.php] to get the registration form – it’s only $5. However, you will note that before this issue was finalized the Department Secretary sent out the latest Department Order concerning the department Encampment and ho can attend in person and Location - how to attend via ZOOM. So here’s the opportunity to attend via ZOOM as a Camp delegate - we get two, I believe. So contact Ray to have the credential sent in - the fee will be waived. Currently - So it’s a free meeting for you. Lincoln Twp It’s only a short month now before I get to work on the May newsletter. We will be discuss- ing at the May meeting, activities that we can successfully accomplish without jeopardizing Public Library anyone’s health in warmer weather. These might be a few brothers working to catalog a local cemetery such as photographing headstones, capturing names, dates, and unit IDs (if any) and then submitting the form to the Department. We will alos by that tie be registered for the Flag Day Parade unless that is canceled this year. Additionally, we should seriously take up Rex’s idea of having a table/booth at any appro- priate Berrien function. Yours in Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty Steve Williams, Frederick H. Hackemann, Camp 85 Commander 7th corps Kepi patch Page 2 had been brought to a small parole camp outside The Shipwreck That Led Con- of Vicksburg to await release to the North. The U.S. government would pay $2.75 per enlisted federate Veterans To Risk All man and $8 per officer to any steamboat cap- tain who would take a group north. Knowing For Union Lives that Mason was in need of money, Hatch sug- gested that he could guarantee Mason a full load Sultana was a Mississippi River side-wheel of about 1,400 prisoners if Mason would agree steamboat, which exploded on 27 April 1865, to give him a kickback. Hoping to gain much killing 1,168 people in the worst maritime disas- money through this deal, Mason quickly agreed ter in United States history. to the offered bribe.:IBID29–31 Constructed of wood in 1863 Leaving Vicksburg, Sul- by the John Litherbury Boatyard tana traveled down river to in Cincinnati, she was intended New Orleans, continuing to for the lower Mississippi cotton spread the news of Lincoln’s trade. The steamer registered assassination. On April 21, 1,719 tons and normally car- 1865 Sultana left New Or- ried a crew of 85. For two years, leans with about 70 cabin and she ran a regular route between deck passengers, and a small St. Louis and New Orleans, and amount of livestock. She also was frequently commissioned to carried a crew of 85. About carry troops. ten hours south of Vicksburg, one of Sultana’s four boilers sprang a leak. Under reduced pres- Although designed with a capacity of only sure, the steamboat limped into Vicksburg to get 376 passengers, she was carrying 2,137 when the boiler repaired and to pick up her promised three of the boat’s four boilers exploded and she load of prisoners.:IBID33,34–35,38,40–41 burned to the waterline and sank near Memphis, Tennessee. The disaster was overshadowed in the Faulty boiler repair press by events surrounding the end of the Ameri- can Civil War, including the killing of President While the paroled prisoners, primarily from Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth just the day the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, before, and no one was ever held accountable for Tennessee and West Virginia,:IBID226–290 were the tragedy. brought from the parole camp to Sultana, a me- chanic was brought down to work on the leaky Background boiler. Although the mechanic wanted to cut out and replace a ruptured seam, Mason knew that Under the command of Captain James Cass such a job would take a few days and cost him Mason of St. Louis, Sultana left St. Louis on his precious load of prisoners. By the time the April 13, 1865 bound for New Orleans, Louisi- repairs would be completed, the prisoners would ana:12 On the morning of April 15, she was tied have been sent home on other boats. Instead, up at Cairo, Illinois, when word reached the city Mason and his chief engineer, Nathan Wintring- that President Abraham Lincoln had been shot er, convinced the mechanic to make temporary at Ford’s Theater. Immediately, Captain Mason repairs, hammering back the bulged boiler plate grabbed an armload of Cairo newspapers and and riveting a patch of lesser thickness over the headed south to spread the news, knowing that seam. Instead of taking two or three days, the telegraphic communication with the South had temporary repair took only one. During her time been almost totally cut off because of the war.:6 27–28 in port, and while the repairs were being made, Sultana took on the paroled prisoners.:IBID40 Upon reaching Vicksburg, Mis- sissippi, Mason was approached by Overloaded Captain Reuben Hatch, the chief quartermaster at Vicksburg. Hatch Although Hatch had sug- had a deal for Mason. Thousands of gested that Mason might get as recently released Union prisoners of many as 1,400 released Union war that had been held by the Con- federacy at the prison camps of Ca- haba near Selma, Alabama, and An- Sultana to Page 7 dersonville, in southwest Georgia, Cahaba Page 3 Upcoming Events National The Department of Missouri is proud to host the 140th National Encampment of our Order in St. Louis from August 4-9, 2021. They are pleased to announce that HOTEL RESERVATIONS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN. Please visit their Encampment Website for more information In Accordance with General Order No. 8: The Department Website will be draped until 15 JAN 2021 to Honor Past-Commander-in-Chief Allen W. Moore Officers 2020 - 2021 who passed from this life on 14 DEC 2020 Camp Commander: In Accordance with General Order No. 6, Series 2020-21: The 501(c)3 Status of the National Orgaization, has been extended to the subordinate Organizations, Steven Williams including Departments, Camps, and SVR Units, SVC: Rex Dillman Please consult General Orders No. 06 - 6 DEC 2020 for details JVC: Charles L Pfauth Sr Please consult the Special Message No.