December 13, 2007, the One Hundred and Forty-Seventh Year of the Civil War
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Old Baldy Civil War Round Table of Philadelphia December 13, 2007, The One Hundred and Forty-Seventh Year of the Civil War tle facing us. We real- “Glory and Me” ized that membership had dropped off and A Professor’s Short Love/ many members were Hate Affair with Hollywood reluctant to attend The December meeting of the Old meetings, fi nancially Baldy Civil War Round Table will be the Round Table was held on Thursday, December 13 start- on a shaky footing, ing at 7:30 PM at the Civil War and and we believed that Underground Railroad Museum at the real purpose of the 1805 Pine Street in Philadelphia. The organization was not speaker will be Gregory J. W. Urwin only to hold meet- and the subject will be "Glory and Me" ings but to donate to This is an insider’s look at the mak- battlefi eld preserva- ing of Glory, the epic, Oscar-winning tion. Even though it film about the 54th Massachusetts seemed as if we were Volunteer Infantry, the Union Army’s facing insurmountable most famous black regiment in the odds, no one was will- Civil War. Professor Urwin equipped and trained thirteen ing to pull the trigger – so we took the plunge and decided of his black students to participate in filming the climactic to give it a shot. Fort Wagner assault sequence and he commanded them In a moment of weakness, I agreed to accept the posi- and other black extras while portraying one of the 54th’s tion of President with a number of huge caveats: that Don white officers. His story is filled with craziness and com- Wiles would continue his tremendous work as newslet- edy, star power and fragile egos, spectacle and scandal, ter editor and that Mike Cavanaugh would continue camaraderie and class differences, racial unity and divi- to have the newsletter printed and mailed (not to say to sions, shared hardship and befuddlement, and alternating continue to remain as wise sage!). Rich Jankowski and surges of exaltation, inspiration, and exasperation. Herb Kaufman stepped-up to serve as Vice President and Gregory J. W. Urwin is a professor of history and asso- Treasurer, respectively – both valued and extremely under ciate director of the Center for the Study of Force appreciated roles. It has been said that if you want some- and Diplomacy at Temple University in Philadelphia, thing done well, give it to a busy man – so we chose Harry Pennsylvania. Urwin is the author or editor of eight books. Jenkins as our Program Chair. Bill Hughes also accepted the position of Secretary when Tina Newberry reluctantly Urwin has appeared in numerous documentaries on the moved on to greener pastures. History Channel, A&E, PBS, and commercial television. He also worked as a troop trainer and extra in the Civil But it really is the membership of the organization that is War epic film, Glory. Urwin lives with his wife and son in its heart and soul and gives it life. We did receive several Doylestown, Pennsylvania. generous fi nancial donations from members and friends of Old Baldy, and our fund raising dinner with Dr. Richard President's Message J. Sommers was a huge success. (Dr. Thomas P. Lowry, author of “The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in It is, perhaps, appropriate that we take a moment to exam- the Civil War,” “Curmudgeons, Drunkards, and Outright ine where we as a Round Table are as we close our 30th An- Fools: The Court-Martials of Fifty Civil War Colonels” and niversary Year. It was a little more than a year ago that the numerous other volumes will be our speaker.) In addi- “Board” gathered to decide whether we should dissolve the tion, membership was made from a calendar basis so we Round Table or whether we should give it “one more try.” know exactly how much money the Round Table has to No one wanted to dissolve the round table as we discussed work with. We had a large number of members rejoin the the fate of Old Baldy, but we defi nitely saw a huge uphill bat- Round Table and people started coming back to meet- Continued on page 2 Don't forget 2008 Membership Dues are do in January - See Page 8 1 Continued from page 1 - President's Message ings. Through the hard work and dedicated efforts of the Billy recently related a story that demonstrated that the members and friends of Old Baldy we were able to take old saw that “the weapon on which you depend to save the fi nances of the Round Table from $5 and change in our your life was made by the lowest bidder” still holds true. account to over $1,700.00. I am very pleased to report that Not too long ago his company was on a 12-mile hump the members who attended the November meeting voted when they ran into more excitement than they bargained to donate $300.00 to the Civil War Preservation Trust and for. The company was marching down a country road that their efforts to save Glendale battlefi eld. In addition, we do- was rather remote, with heavy woods on both sides of the nated $100 each to the Gettysburg Battlefi eld Preservation road. All of a sudden, there was a heavy crashing in the Association’s preservation efforts at the Daniel Lady Farm timber and a large deer came crashing through the woods and to the Central Virginia Preservation Trust. Earlier, a into the column, smack into the special weapons platoon donation had been made to the Civil War and Underground at the head of the column. The deer charged right into the Railroad Museum of Philadelphia, which graciously serves column and took-out three men. The deer was dazed for a as the “home” of Old Baldy. moment but got up and ran off into the woods. The man carrying the machine gun was knocked-out and initially So, thanks to everyone for a job well done!! I’m defi nitely thought to have broken ribs. (He was probably saved looking forward to another exciting challenging year! because he was wearing body armor!) Unfortunately, the PFC Bill Holdsworth, our active-duty member in the machine gun barrel he was carrying was damaged to the United States Marine Corps recently surprised his younger point of being unusable, once again demonstrating: “the brothers by arriving home for a short Thanksgiving leave. weapon on which you depend to save your life was made Billy is fi nishing his training at the School of Infantry at by the lowest bidder.” Camp Geiger, NC and was recently given his permanent Once again, thanks to all for making 2007 such as suc- Fleet assignment, which will be with the 3rd Marine Regi- cessful year!! ment, stationed in Hawaii. Billy will be fi nishing his training As always, I look forward to seeing everyone at the meet- at Camp Geiger shortly before Christmas and will be able ing!! to spend a short leave with his family before reporting to Marine Corp Base Hawaii right after the New Year. Be well!! Steven J. Wright, President November 8, 2007 meeting “Vicksburg vs Gettysburg” Round Table Discussion historians uncritically repeated Haskell's observations (see The subject was which George Stewart's 1959 account in his Pickett's Charge: one was most important A Microhistory of the Final Attack at Gettysburg, July 3, either as a military victory 1863 (pp. 214, 243-44). The question that came up at or as a PR victory. Why were more books written about the Roundtable is whether recent scholarship has treated Gettysburg and the major reunions held at Gettysburg? It Haskell more critically? I think the answer is a qualified was a very interesting discussion and all participated with "Yes." much input. I checked the references to Haskell in four recent books One of the issues was the influence of Lt. Frank Haskell's concerning Pickett's Charge as well as Gary Lash's writings... Jim Heenehan has done some research and 1992 article on the Philadelphia Brigade for Gettysburg provided us with the following information... Magazine (no. 7). The books are N. A. Trudeau's Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage (2002); Earl Hess' Lt. Frank Haskell - Hero or Humbug! Pickett's Charge: The Last Attack at Gettysburg (2001); That was one of the issues that came up at November's Jeffrey Wert's Gettysburg: Day Three (2001); and Old Baldy Roundtable. As most know, Haskell wrote Bradley Gottfried's Stopping Pickett: The History of the an account of Pickett's Charge in which he single-hand- Philadelphia Brigade (1999). Although Haskell is often edly rallies the 71st PA (while whacking those "not quick cited extensively in these works, these authors tend to of comprehension" with the flat of his saber) and then minimize - if not refute - Haskell's self-serving claims con- goads the 72nd PA into charging the wall and ending cerning the 71st and 72nd PA. the Rebel attack. Despite claims by Philadelphia Brigade Hess is Haskell's harshest critic, referring to Haskell's nar- veterans that Haskell over-embellished his role, earlier rative as "dramatic but wholly unreliable account," (n. 100, Continued on page 7 2 Photos - Don Wiles Today in Civil War History Camp Allegheny Confederate Fortifications Cheat Mountain Union Fortifi cations Camp Allegheny West Camp Allegheny - Named for Virginia State Marker CSA Colonel Edward “Allegheny” Johnson Friday December 13, 1861 Union soldiers, under Buffalo Belligerence Breaks Both command of Brig. Gen. R. H. Milroy. Cheat Mountain Wayside Marker Over in the western part of Virginia (which was still one Milroy and his men state in these days) there is a high spot of land known came one mountain over to pay a call on their seces- as Buffalo Mountain.