“The most important Roundtable, in the most important small town, at the most important battlefield, in the most important country in the world.”– Joe Mieczkowski, past president “Butler is branded a OFFICERS AND SUPPORT felon, an outlaw, an Kendra Debany................................. 717.334.6375 enemy of Mankind, President.......................................... [email protected] and so ordered that in Roger Heller....................................... 717.398.2072 the event of his capture, Vice President........................................... [email protected] the officer in command Lynn Heller........................................ 717.398.2072 of the capturing force Secretary...................................... [email protected] do cause him to be im- mediately executed Linda Seamon................................... 717.359.7339 by hanging.” Membership Secretary.................................. [email protected] JoyceAnn Deal................................... 717.338.1892 – JEFFERSON DAVIS Treasurer........................................ [email protected] ON HEARING OF BUTLER’S GENERAL Dave Joswick...................................... 717.877.3975 JULY/AUGUST 2014 Newsletter.......................................... [email protected] The ORDER AGAINST THE WOMEN OF NEW Linda Joswick..................................... 717.253.5477 ORLEANS. Webmaster....................................... [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS Hilda Koontz, Larry Korczyk, Dale Molina, Larry Plymire, Ron Rock, Don Sangirardi, and Cindy King (past President) A bimonthly publication of the Civil War Roundtable of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Visit us online at www.cwrtgettysburg.org ImpendingActions AUGUST 28TH Information and details about upcoming Hancock’s Defense Gettysburg Roundtable presentations. n July 2013, we rallied on Seminary Ridge to discuss various ele- TH Iments of the Confederate perspective on the attack best known JULY 24 as “Pickett’s Charge.” This time we will view that grand event from the Union perspective. It’s high time we give “Hancock’s Defense” Private Evening With The Painting its due! After all, when George Pickett was asked why his grand oin the Gettysburg assault failed, he astutely noted that he always believed that the JFoundation’s Sue Union Army did have something to do with it! Boardman, Licensed For this field program, please park in the old Cyclorama Park- Battlefield Guide and ing Lot—now designated as National Cemetery Parking Lot author/historian, South—and gather at the Maryland monument. After an orienta- on the platform for tion around the flagpole—along with a bit of insight on why all an exclusive private of those I Corps monuments sit around the “after-hours” pro- edges of the parking area—we will begin gram. Visitors will our walk down the west side of Hancock explore the history of the genre of cycloramas and in particular Avenue along the line of Brigadier General the history of the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama. Presentation will Alexander Hays’ division of Hancock’s II include a discussion of the massive multi-year conservation effort Corps, proceed south towards the Angle, of our country’s largest painting. The painting concludes with ex- and continue down the line of Brigadier tended time on the platform to view the painting in full light and General John Gibbon’s II Corps division. a journey under the diorama to see how the illusion comes to life. We will then explore the positions of the Cameras are permitted during this program only. I Corps units on Gibbon’s left and explain This fascinating evening will run from their role in the repulse of the Confeder- 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Gettysburg ate attack. As we circle back to the parking National Military Park Museum and Visi- area, we will focus on the monuments on tor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike. You must the east side of Hancock Avenue that mostly—but not always!— pre-register for this event before July 8th. represent units sent in to reinforce the regiments that took the brunt of the Southern assault. We will end our walk back near the Sue Boardman is the Leadership Program Associate parking area. This will be a long but easy walk, with a lot of inter- Director, LBG, and Research Historian for the Gettys- esting stories along the way. burg Cyclorama Conservation Project. Sue is a native of Danville, PA. She graduated with Carol Reardon is the George Winfree Professor of Ameri- honors from Geisinger Medical Center School of Nurs- can History and Scholar-in-Residence of the George and ing and Pennsylvania State University. Sue worked Ann Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State Univer- as an emergency department nurse for 23 years. In sity. She also has served as a visiting professor of military 2000, she became a Licensed Battlefield Guide and received the Superintendent’s history at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. See Painting continued on page 8 Army War College. She recently con- cluded a four-year term as the presi- From September to May, we meet on the fourth Thursday of the month at the GAR dent of the Society for Military His- Building, 53 East Middle Street. Light refreshments and conversation starting at 7:00 PM., tory. Now a resident of Gettysburg, and the featured program beginning at 7:30 PM. she is the author of a number of Our June, July, and August summer meetings are in the field starting at 6:00 PM, with the books and articles on the Civil meeting location announced in the bi-monthly newsletter and on the roundtable website: War and other topics in military www.cwrtgettysburg.org. history. This field program is based largely on her award- Whenever treacherous weather is predicted, the CWRT President and Vice President shall determine by noon on that day whether the program should be cancelled or not. An- winning Pickett’s Charge in History and Memory nouncements will be made on WGTY 107.7 FM and ESPN Radio 1320 AM. (1997) and on her most recent book, coauthored with The next scheduled board meeting begins at 6:30 PM on Thursday, July 17, 2014 at the Licensed Battlefield Guide Tom Vossler, A Field Guide to Avenue Restaurant. Gettysburg, just made available to the public in June 2013. 2 issues for our July meeting, as we will be It’s hard to believe it’s already been one year enjoying “An Evening with the Painting” since the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Get- at the Cyclorama and Visitor’s Center. If tysburg. Happy 151st! you haven’t already done so, don’t forget I just wanted to remind you all of a few things from the to pre-register for this event! now that we are out in the field again for our For our August program we will be summer programs. Our meetings start at 6:00 welcoming back Carol Reardon who will p.m. at different locations around the battlefield. be presenting her program on Hancock’s If the weather looks inclement at our scheduled by Kendra Debany Defense. We will be meeting at the old Cy- meeting time we will be moving the program in- clorama parking lot and gathering at the doors to the G.A.R. Hall. We will move the pro- Maryland monument. gram indoors not only if there are thunderstorms/rain in the area, but also if the temperature is excessively hot and I hope you all are having a wonderful summer humid on the day of our program. so far! See you out on the field! We won’t have to worry about either of these weather-related Kendra moral high ground. In would have “to prove that the until the “Lost Cause” gathered the post war, these posi- Army of Northern Virginia had, momentum, Lee was seen as a tions hardened as South- in the end, faced insurmount- very polarizing figure. Outside erners, aided by Copper- able odds”. So he encouraged the South, except to many Cop- head Northerners, made his subordinates to sound that perheads in the North, he was common cause against trumpet relentlessly. Of course, perceived as an arch traitor. Republicans in the North unsaid was the fact that in all Incredulous at the eagerness as to how the Southern his previous battles with over- of some to “canonize” Lee as a states would re-enter the matched Union commanders, “household god,” one Colorado Union and what would Lee was always at a numeri- paper sternly reminded its read- Appomattox – Victory, Defeat, and be the status, and rights, cal disadvantage but secured ers that Lee had “openly and of freedmen in those states. victories nonetheless. Then he wantonly violated a solemn Freedom at the End of the Civil War Consequently, from what was confronted Grant, who applied oath to protect and defend his By Elizabeth R. Varon expected to be a moment of constant attacking pressure country.” In the eyes of Lee’s de- healing, an ideological donny- on Lee’s Army in the Overland tractors, he had done nothing Reviewed by Pat Fairbairn brook ensued. Campaign, and then proceeded since the surrender to earn the While Southerners knew they to outmaneuver him and drive trust of the North. We can expect to see any his battered Army into a siege number of books about Ap- must accept the war was over In a supremely ironic side- and had lost it, the North must situation from which Lee could bar, Varon relates that when pomattox as we approach the not extract it except by a fran- 150th anniversary of that iconic ask nothing more of them. And Lee’s Army of about 27,000 it certainly must not ask them tic attempt to run away from men was surrounded by 60,000 event. Professor Varon’s book is Grant. Yet the “overwhelming one of the first and it’s an excel- to abandon a white supremacist Union troops at Appomattox, society nor to accept civil rights numbers” narrative gained cur- their way forward was blocked lent one.