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July 2014 Newsletter

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July 2014 Newsletter Old Baldy Civil War Round Table of Philadelphia July 10, 2014, The One Hundred and Fiftieth Year of the Civil War “The 72nd Pennsylvania Volunteers at the Angle” Notes from the President... Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Independence Holiday. Look forward to hearing about your adventures at our meeting. The Round Table is moving forward on our projects for the year and recording the ones that are completed. We have made a deposit for our January 17th luncheon at the Adelphia Restaurant in Deptford; Ed Kom- David Trout czyk has agreed to coordinate the event; Harry Jenkins did a superb job putting together a series of fi ve lectures 72nd Pennsylvania for the Fall; and in this newsletter are articles on the new Volunteer Infantry roof on the Hancock Tomb (Bob Russo) and the rededica- Regiment Monument tion to the Silent Sentry. at Gettysburg Kerry did a fi ne job last month telling us about the his- tory of our fl ag and how the customs we practice today Join us on Thursday, July 10th at 7:15 PM at Cam- David Trout den County College, Blackwood Campus, Connector came about. This month will enlighten us on the monument challenge of the "72nd Pennsylvania Building - Room 101 when David Trout presents his Volunteers had at Gettysburg". Get ready to bring detailed and impassioned account of what really happened your favorite Civil War book to the August meeting. At the at the Angle on July 3, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg. meeting we will hear the results of the membership survey David Trout’s father was essentially raised by his grand- conducted by Bob Russo. mother Josephine. She was the daughter of Colonel A shout out to Arlene Schnaare for taking our fl yers to DeWitt Clinton Baxter, the colonel of the Seventy-Second her Thursday class to recruit new members. From the visit Pennsylvania Volunteers (72nd P.V.), who valiantly served to to the Allentown Round Table, Mike Cavanaugh sends his preserve the Union during the Civil War. David’s dad grew greetings to all and wants to see everyone at the luncheon. up in a household where stories about Colonel Baxter and Thanks to Bill Holdsworth for sharing our passion with the 72nd P.V. were served up with dinner. Carl DeHaven [a WWII Marine Iwo Jima veteran] when he When Grandma Josephine died, Baxter’s diary, letters took him to visit Antietam and Harper’s Ferry. Kudos to and sword were passed on to her daughter, David’s grand- the 15 Old Baldy members present at the Dr. David Martin mother, and then from her to David’s father. The family’s lecture last month. Good to see anyone who ventured interest in the Civil War was nurtured and passed on for down to Monocracy for the event on July 5th. For it is not generations. as individuals but in the strength and quality of our mem- bership that our Round Table continues to blossom and Early on, David did not share his family’s passion for Civil prosper. Thank you all for sustained support. War history. His father and brothers were members of the North-South Skirmish Association, who participated in Be sure to bring a friend to the July 10th meeting. the 100th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Gettys- Rich Jankowski, President burg in 1963. At that time, David did not participate with his family members as a reenactor, although he did enjoy fi ring muskets, which he says were plentiful in that era and could be purchased for as little as $5.00. The North-South Please join us at Skirmish Association was primarily a group that organized 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 10th, target competitions among its various members, all of at Camden County College, Blackwood Campus, whom used original muskets from the Civil War period. Connector Building - Room 101. Continued on page 2 Continued from page 1 - "72nd PA" It was not until relatively recently that David Trout fi nally One was Mr. Carl read his ancestor Colonel Baxter’s letters. His interest now DeHaven, a United very much piqued, he began to research the history of States Marine the 72nd P.V. He came across a book that contained the Corps veteran transcripts of the October 1889 case before the Court of of Iwo Jima and Common Pleas of Adams County and the Battlefi eld Asso- the other was ciation’s appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Bill Holdsworth’s book is entitled Gettysburg Battlefi eld Memorial Associa- son, Mr. Billy tion v. Seventy-second Pennsylvania Regiment. The GBMA Holdsworth a was disputing the 72nd P.V.s claims as to the regiment’s Marine Corps position(s) during Pickett’s Charge; moreover, the Associa- veteran of both the tion asserted that it had exclusive authority to determine wars in Iraq and the location of all monuments on the Gettysburg battlefi eld. Afghanistan. You The court proceedings that David read is about 400 pages can’t help but be long, presenting the raw materials of the case and the court’s subsequent decision, without footnotes, summariza- tion or interpretation. David Trout commented, “So you can’t just read it, you have to study it as a juror would study the testimony. When you fi rst read it, it is likely that you will yourself siding with the Battlefi eld Association. But the 72nd won the case. You ask yourself, ‘What did I miss?’ So you re-read the testi- mony over and over again. Plus you start researching the principle witnesses in the case, and you slowly start to un- derstand the case. The one thing that clinched the case for me is when I came across letters written between the 72nd Pennsylvania and the Governor of Pennsylvania’s Commis- sion on State Monuments. I believe that these letters prove the 72nd’s case and allow you to fi nally understand what was behind the lawsuit.” humbled when meeting guys like these two living Ameri- Memorial Day - Old Baldy can heroes, one from what has been called the “Greatest Generation” and the other from what is becoming known Places Memorial Wreath at as the “Next Greatest Generation”. Gentlemen, and anyone reading this who has served, THANK YOU FOR YOUR Hancock Tomb by Bob Russo SERVICE! The ceremony and the cemetery are organized and maintained under the direction of the Historical Society of Montgomery County. Ms. Karen McCurdy Wolfe is the Executive Director of the Society and was present at the event. The observance began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Boy Scouts Troop 369 and involved a solemn march to numerous locations throughout the cemetery. Members of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Honor Guard led the walk. Following in the procession were members of the Baker Fisher Camp 101 who fi red a volley at each stop along the way. Boy Scouts Troop 369, other guest and participants fol- lowed in the procession. The fi rst stop in the procession was a beautiful Veter- ans Memorial Rose Garden that was completed in past years as part of an Eagle Scout Project to honor the Major General memory of all American veterans from all American Winfi eld Scott Hancock wars. The garden was oval, ringed with small stones On Saturday, May 24, 2014 I had the and a brick-walking path. Inside the oval were various pleasure to attend the Memorial Day Observance at the fl ags and stones inscribed with the names of Americans historic Montgomery Cemetery in Norristown, Pennsylva- killed in combat. There was also a stone dedicated to both nia. Greatly adding to this magnifi cent experience was the missing in action and prisoners of war from all wars. I being accompanied during the Observance by fellow Old found this stone to be a beautiful touch. Ms. Eileen Santori, Baldy CWRT members Rich Jankowski, Harry Jenkins, a Vietnam War Veteran, spoke at this spot of the sacrifi ces Kerry Bryan, Bill Holdsworth, and Steve Wright. Beyond of Vietnam Veterans and reminded us that those return- the normal solemn experience of Memorial Day, I found ing from that war came home under very diffi cult circum- myself greatly humbled to shake the hand of two men. stances. She spoke candidly about how veterans from Continued on page 3 2 Continued from page 3 - "Hancock Tomb" Major General Winfi eld Scott Hancock's Tomb that generation helped teach the Nation how to separate service. I won’t soon forget the sincerity and dignity of that the politics of a war from the warrior and how to respect all moment. returning military personnel. As the father-in-law of an ac- The fi nal stop of the day was the Grand Army of the Repub- tive Marine serving for the last eighteen years, I am thankful lic Zook Post 11 Plot. Here Mr. Mike Peters made com- for the lesson those veterans have taught all of us. I thank ments about the history of the G.A.R. and what it repre- Ms. Santori for her service, sincerity and humbling words. sented. The laying of the wreath was by the Union Patriotic Retired United States Air Force Colonel Charles Christine League. There was also a Rose Petal Ceremony, where laid the wreath at this location. Sons of Union Veterans were asked to place rose petals The procession moved to the General Winfi eld Scott Han- around the site. The event concluded with the sound of cock Tomb. Old Baldy members who participated in the Taps played by Boy Scout, Martin Csongradi of Troop 369.
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