Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
“The Sharpsburg Sentinel”
The Sharpsburg Camp and the SCV denounce racism, racial Volume 11, Issue 6 supremacists, hate groups, and any group or individual that misuses or desecrates the symbols of the Confederate States or the United States. June 2016 “Youth’s Hour of Glory”
Commander’s Notes
Eric Buckland was our speaker for our Wednesday, May 4th meeting and he gave an excellent presentation on “Mosby’s Rangers”. Mr. Buckland is a retired Lt. Colonel in Army Special Forces and his talk on Mosby’s men was truly entertaining. Mosby’s Rangers were the special forces of their day and caused the Union army much heartache. I plan on having Mr. Buckland back in the future for one of his other presentations.
In lieu of our regular June meeting we will be having our annual chartering
dinner on Saturday, June 18th, 2016, 6:00 P.M. Information below:
Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 Sons of Confederate Veterans Annual Chartering Dinner Featuring Guest Speaker Ms. Teresa Roane of the United Daughters of the Confederacy Presenting a Talk on "Minorities in the Confederate Military: Combat Support"
Saturday, June 18th, 2016 6:00 P.M. Private Dining Room Hoffman's All American Grill www.hoffmansallamericangrill.com 18203 Mason Dixon Road Hagerstown, MD 21740
Dinner will be served from a limited menu, no advanced payment needed.
Seating is limited so please R.S.V.P. by Saturday, June 11th, 2016
If you have any questions or to R.S.V.P., please contact Camp Commander Michael Wasiljov at [email protected] or 301-992-3122-C
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
Ms. Roane's Bio: Teresa Roane was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She earned her B. A. in history at Virginia Commonwealth University. She worked for eight years at the Richmond Public Library followed by 15 years at the Valentine Museum’s library. She was the Archivist at the Museum of the Confederacy for 7 ½ years, but on February 10, 2014, she received a chance to embark on a new opportunity. Ms. Roane is the Librarian and Archivist for the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She has served on the boards of Friends of the Richmond Public Library, Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods and Historic Richmond Foundation. She is a member of the Richmond-Stonewall Jackson UDC chapter. She received the Heritage Preservation Award from the National SCV in 2012 and the Rebecca Jones Alford Bonnie Blue Medal from the North Carolina SCV in 2014. At the 2015 National SCV Reunion, she received the Commander in Chief Ladies Appreciation medal. Ms. Roane is the new Corresponding Secretary for the UDC Virginia Division. At their recent convention, UDC North Carolina Division bestowed the Jefferson Davis Gold medal for excellence in history to Ms. Roane. Recently, she was honored with a Ladies Appreciation medal from the General Robert E. Lee SCV Camp. Teresa has given many presentations and workshops. She spends her free time reading, watching movies and walking battlefields.
Her topic is Minorities in the Confederate Military: Combat Support. Books about slavery are legion; however not as many books have been devoted to the topic of Free People of Color. Around a quarter of a million Free People lived in the South and they made significant contributions. They are truly the forgotten people in the 21st century but evidence of their existence lives on in documents throughout the South. It is 2016 and the most suppressed history remains Persons of Color in the Confederate military. I have given presentations about combat support. Make no mistake there were men who carried muskets, but Historians have tried their best to marginalize combat support. Part of the issue is that they do not understand logistics or how an army operates. Men and Women of Color who served in Combat support roles made more money than the privates.
Ms. Roane is an African-American lady who isn’t afraid of her Confederate Ancestry. I encourage you all to attend this dinner and hear her presentation. She is truly a world class speaker when it comes to this topic and she travels extensively speaking to public and private groups. She lives in Richmond, VA and in order to have her speak to us, we had to agree to a speaker fee of $100.00, a hotel room for her and her fiancé, plus their meals at the dinner. We’ve never paid that much before for a speaker, but I believe it will be well worth it.
I am asking for donations to help cover these expenses. If we fall short, we will use the money from the camp’s account to help cover them. If you would like to make a donation, please make a check out to the “Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582, SCV and mail it to:
Camp Commander Michael Wasiljov 213 Pangborn Blvd. Hagerstown, MD 21740-5044
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
The private room at Hoffman’s only holds about 50 people, so if you’re interested in going, please R.S.V.P. me ASAP.
If any of you use Amazon to make purchases, please consider using their charity site, www.smile.amazon.com. You can choose the SCV to receive a donation from just about every purchase you make. Also within the next few months a large Confederate Battle Flag should be flying just off Route.
301 in Charles County, MD. The SCV has a program where they can help with drawing up the legal documents for leasing the land and who owns the flagpole as well as monetary donations. I want to encourage you all to be on the lookout for our supporters who own property near major roadways who might be willing to have a flagpole on their property. Also, fly Confederate Flags at your houses or at least put a sticker on your car. Don’t be a closet Confederate.
I want to thank each and every one of you for being a member of the SCV. Remember, this is your camp and I encourage all of you to participate fully.
Yours in the cause,
Michael David Wasiljov Commander Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 Sons of Confederate Veterans 301-992-3122-C [email protected]
MINUTES
The May 4, 2016 meeting of the Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 was held at the Sharpsburg Town Hall. The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. with 14 members and Friends and 5 guests in attendance. Commander Wasiljov opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and the Salute to the Confederate flag. The invocation was given by Chaplain Toby Law. Prior to the meeting five members of the Camp enjoyed a dinner at the Bonnie’s at Red Byrd Restaurant with our guest speaker Eric Buckland. A good meal and fellowship was enjoyed along with the sharing of Mosby stories. A special thanks to Compatriot Dwayne Lunsford for planning this dinner and meeting.
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
OLD BUSINESS
Commander Wasiljov reminded the membership that our regular June meeting date has been moved to Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. This will be our annual chartering dinner and will feature Ms. Teresa Roane presenting a program on “Minorities in the Confederate Military: Combat Support”. See the Commander’s Notes and our Camp e-mails for complete information. *Reminder* Please R.S.V.P. your reservations to our Commander by June 11, 2016. This should be a great experience. To defray the cost of this special speaker Commander Wasiljov would appreciate donations. Again, please review the Commander’s Notes in this newsletter and consider helping in this Cause. A summary of the Maryland Division Convention was given by both the Commander and the Adjutant. Our thanks go out to the Camalier Camp #1359 for a great convention. Great food, comradery, and it was nice to have as our special speaker Commander-in-Chief Kelly Barrow. As noted our Commander was honored by receiving a SCV Commendation Medal and he was reelected as the 2nd Lt. Commander for the Maryland Division. Congratulations Commander Wasiljov. The Camp was also reminded of the numerous SCV events that are noted in our Upcoming Events section. On Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the Virginia Monument in Gettysburg we will be celebrating Confederate Memorial Day. This event is sponsored by the Pvt. John Wesley Culp Memorial Camp #1961. A luncheon will follow the ceremony. Also, noted was the Sharpsburg Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony featuring the Maryland Division SCV Color Guard. NEW BUSINESS
It was announced that our Camp treasury now has an additional $77 thanks to the Antietam Gallery which contributed a portion of their Confederate flag sales to our Camp. The status of the Camp’s treasury was updated by the Adjutant. Thanks to Glen Stickle for his financial efforts. In the next few months information regarding payment of dues will appear in the newsletter and will be forward in e-mail form. We still have a few months before that becomes an issue. We do have several Friends of the Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 that will begin receiving notices regarding the status of their associate membership dues. Last year our Camp dramatically increased its membership. This was accomplished by recruitment of new members and the reinstatement of some of our “missing comrades”. We had 100% retention which reflects highly on the members of our Camp. That certainly will be our goal for the 2016- 2017 membership drive. The good news for both the Adjutant and the Treasurer is that our Camp now has five “Lifetime” members that are prepaid along with one recent reinstatement that took advantage of the SCV’s pro-rated payment. This “Lifetime” national membership will not exempt those members from paying the Division and Camp dues. More about this payment structure in the next several months. A final note was a recent contact by United Daughters of the Confederacy Past West Virginia Division President, Polly Wharton. The West Virginia Division of the UDC is interested in presenting either a Military Cross or Military Certificate to any of our Camp members that qualify. If you have served in our
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armed forces you may qualify for this recognition. Please contact the Adjutant for further information. This presentation is scheduled for September 9-10, 2016 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Chaplain Toby Law offered the benediction and the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
SPEAKER FOR MAY 4, 2016
Our guest speaker for May was retired Lt. Colonel Eric Buckland of the United States Army Special Forces. Mr. Buckland has spent over a decade researching Mosby, his dedicated group of subordinates, and the men that chose to ride with him. Buckland, a prolific writer and expert on John Singleton Mosby and his rangers brought to our meeting an excellent presentation about the “Gray Ghost” and his men. The very nature of a “ranger” unit entices true “characters”. Not surprising, many of those that survived the war went on to become noted physicians, lawyer, ministers, lawmen, and millionaires. Two of our Camp members have Confederate ancestors that belonged to that unit. They have a personal connection with the Mosby’s Rangers.
The 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, “Mosby’s Rangers, is one of the most famous units of the Civil War. To put Mosby, his men, and his accomplishments into perspective, it should be noted that Mosby was part of the elite group of men that were honored by being placed into the Inaugural group of the United States Army Ranger Hall of Fame. He was in good company with other Rangers with names such as Rogers, Rudder, Merrill, Darby, and Simons. This quote by Mosby exemplifies his strategy and method of fighting, “A small force moving with celerity and threatening many points on a line can neutralize a hundred times its own number.” The birth of Mosby’s Rangers comes from the Partisan Ranger Act of April 21, 1862. In this act the Confederate government created a law which was to be a stimulus for recruitment of irregulars for service into the Confederate States Army. One the powers in this act was the ability of President Davis to authorize and commission officers to form bands of Partisan rangers. In addition to their regular pay, rations, and quarters the men were allowed to be paid full value by any CSA quartermaster for any arms and munitions of war captured from the enemy. These men did quite well compared to the average soldier. Perhaps that is why Mosby started with nine recruits and by the time they disbanded they had 800 members. As noted above, their goal was to harass Union troops in Northern Virginia thus decreasing the Union offensive power. As expected with these incentives and the exciting lifestyle, younger, adventurous men were attracted to this form of fighting. The average age was 20 to 21 years of age. Mosby’s command style was considered “iron fisted”. He demanded a lot from his men, expected them to report back at certain rendezvous areas on a certain day. Leading from the front, he expected his men to show the same strength in character as he did. A failure to abide by Mosby’s terms resulted in immediate termination. Mosby’s Rangers lived for the most part in private homes in Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
Loudon and Fauquier County in Virginia. Here they would plan for their next attack or adventure. The men of this unit were excellent horsemen, often using two or three horses in rotation. They were responsible for taking care of their horses and realized the value of not abusing a horse. Horror, if they had to use a captured Yankee nag! As Mr. Buckland noted these rangers came to fight. They knew better than to bring a knife to a gun fight. With two or three revolvers per person the Mosby’s Rangers enjoyed the sight of the Union cavalry unsheathing their swords to attack! Mr. Buckland covered the career of Dwayne Lunsford’s Confederate ancestor Elijah Chilton Lunceford and even had a picture of the elder soldier. Mr. Buckland was also able to verify some information regarding Compatriot Chris Utterback’s Confederate ancestor. While there were many stories told by our presenter I will share my favorite. John Tyler Waller attended Virginia Military Institute. In between raids he would visit the love of his life, a rather Amazonian-built woman. On his way out the door after an evening date, trooper Waller noticed Union troops near his horse. He returned to his lady friend’s house and the door was shut. As predicted the Union troops insisted in searching the house. The lady of the house told the Yankees that the unknown man surprised her and ran through the house and out the back door. I would imagine it was hard to keep a straight face knowing that trooper Waller was hidden under her large hooped skirt. Mr. Buckland provides the reader with a tremendous amount of unpublished information regarding Mosby’s men. He captures the drama and excitement of being a ranger. Book sales after his talk were brisk and I would highly recommend adding all of his writings to your collection.
Respectively submitted Jan Hiett-Adjutant ADJUTANT COMMENTS
I hope you enjoy this edition of our Camp’s newsletter. As much I enjoy learning about the war I frequently struggle to provide varied and interesting topics. So here is my pitch, as newsletter editor I would deeply appreciate membership’s contribution to the newsletter. This can be in the form of an idea for a topic or an actual article. There are many of our members that have a better knowledge and some interesting stories they could share. Please consider a contribution in the form of a topic of interest. After all, it is for a good Cause!
Looking for some inspiration for the newsletter, I thought it might be interesting to start with first Confederate Veteran magazine. Volume One, Number One, which was printed in…January 1893. As noted in the first edition the “object and purpose of the United Confederate Veterans will be strictly social, literary, historical and benevolent. It will endeavor to unite in a general federation all associations of Confederate Veterans, soldiers and sailors, now in existence or here-after to be formed.” Furthermore, “they were to gather authentic data for an impartial history of the War Between the States; to preserve the relics or mementoes of the same; to cherish the ties of friendship that exist among the men who have Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
shared common dangers, common suffering and privations.” The final order was this, “I call upon you, therefore, to organize in every State and community where ex-Confederate Veterans may reside, and rally the support of the high and peaceful objects of the United Confederate Veterans, and move forward until by the power of organization and persistent effort your beneficent and Christian purposes are accomplished”. Again, that is from the 1893 United Confederate Veterans magazine. This was their hope for the future. What a goal!
Our current Commander-in-Chief, Kelly Barrow SCV reports on today’s objectives and purpose of the SCV. In a letter to the Maryland Division on April 2, 2016 he brings us greetings on behalf of the over 30,000 members of the SCV. He writes, “These men are just like you. They who work hard every day to promote and defend, both at home and abroad, our Confederate History and Heritage, while living their lives.” He reminds us that “the Culture War which is currently being waged against us, will not stop. We must double our efforts and never give up preserving the true history, and preserving for the future generations, the knowledge of the reasons which caused the conflict to reach the point that the Southern States sought to reclaim their sovereignty in 1861.” Well those words to me echo the above-noted words that were printed in 1893. So the fight goes on and it is up to men like ourselves to make sure our efforts are successful.
So at this point it is with great pleasure I give to you, members and Friends of the Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582, our Division Commander Jay Barringer’s comments regarding our current situation. Our Commander has served the Maryland Division, being a tireless crusader for our Cause. He has represented our interests in everything Confederate. As he leaves his current Division position he will be missed. He has made a career out of confounding our enemies. He had them reaching for their dictionaries and wondering how someone so Southern could be so smart. As Southern men, we know the answer. We be real cagey fellows if left unsupervised! It should be noted that because of Commander Barringer’s efforts he received the Haskins/Claggett Award. The highest Maryland Division award. An honorable choice to a well-deserving Compatriot. Division Commander Barringer’s partner-in-crime and current Division Adjutant, Terry Klima, has agreed to take over as our new Division Commander. I can assure you he will do a wonderful job and we are in capable hands.
So with no more introduction I give you some of Commander Barringer’s observations about the current status of the Division and the SCV. I have taken the liberty to steal and quote a few of his more notable ideas. “In this hedonistic era of Deconstruction, Confederate Veterans and their progeny are intensely excoriated without shame by a stratum of society that dips beneath that of being human.” “The unwarranted and unremitting attacks against the Confederate soldier’s battle flag is best summarized by the now familiar observation”. He quotes James Webb saying, “To tar the sacrifices of the Confederate soldier as simple acts of racism, and reduce the battle flag under which he fought to nothing more than the symbol of racism, and reduce the battle flag under which he fought to nothing more than a symbol of a Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
racist heritage, is one of the great blasphemies of our modern age.” James Webb was the Secretary of the United States Navy and the honorable Democratic Senator from Virginia. A man who knows about war, being a Marine officer and Viet Nam veteran. Commander Barringer further documents a quote that expresses the seriousness of our current situation. It comes from Daniel Horowitz from the July 12, 2015 issue of Conservative Review. “There is a sickening, immoral, and politically correct cartel that knows no bounds in its pursuit of a tyrannical agenda to fundamentally remake America.” The Confederate Flag Day in Gettysburg is a perfect example of this agenda!
If you were at our May meeting your Adjutant made available to the membership three newspaper articles and cited several web-sites where you could learn about the truth at the Confederate Flag Day Ceremony in Gettysburg on March 5, 2016. Available for review was the counter protester’s report from March 7, 2016 entitled Shut Down Confederate Flag Day Report Back. You can locate that on the internet and it features a picture of about fifteen black-hooded and/or masked individuals that chose to violate the law by hiding their identities while exercising their right to free speech. Notice who is wearing the hoods in 2016! There is a special place in eternity for these misguided souls. In addition, you may want to check out the website The Delaware Patriot as he gives his unbiased commentary on that day’s actions. Plus, the May issue of the Civil War News provides an unbiased coverage of this Confederate Flag Day. They noted nearly 500 Confederate flag supporters gathered. In opposition there was a group of about 50 protesters that was organized by a Gettysburg College professor, Scott Hancock. This counter protest “made their presence known by shouting through a megaphone, frequently drowning out the speakers with occasionally obscene messages.” Captioned under a picture of a group of Confederate flag supporters was this notation, “Confederate flag supporters braved the dreary weather and inconsiderate protesters to listen to the speakers. They were there to honor Confederate history, their ancestors, and unlike what the misinformed protesters thought, were not there to honor slavery or endorse hate.” I will say this based on several years of attending honorable ceremonies and grave markings that I am opposed to the practice of opening our Confederate Flag Day to the public. Having attended two other Confederate Memorial Day ceremonies since that Flag Day and having attended many in the past several years I will make this observation. We do not need to be involved in this form of demonstration. Opening Confederate Flag Day to the public is asking for repercussions that can only negatively affect the SCV. At best coverage by the local papers and television offered little or no benefit to the Cause. This is based on biased and limited reporting and the nature of “making a story when there is nothing there”. Also, by making the Flag Day open to the public we can only hope that no physical altercation occurs because of a non-member’s action. Remember Charleston last year? There is a not so secret conspiracy to erase Dixie and all vestiges of the South which will continue unabated unless we keep the promise of our ancestor’s by promoting and defending our heritage. We must proceed with caution in these dangerous times.
Deo Vindice!! Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
A REVOLUTIONARY VIEW OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
This history lesson is not one that if featured in text books. It is not what documentaries and movies portray when it comes to the South’s involvement in the formation of the colonies and their eventual fight for freedom against English rule.
Ask any school child about early colonies and they will cite chapter and verse about the Pilgrims and Puritans that anchored the English presence in the colonies. They know all too-well the story of the Mayflower. Yet, the United States history really began in the South. The above-mentioned groups arrived late for the dance in regards to colonization. Early Europeans arrived in force in the New World (1513), followed by South Carolina (1514), where both the Spanish and later the French would build forts near Parris Island. The first actual colonization attempt was on Roanoke Island in North Carolina in 1586 to 1587. While these attempts failed, Virginia’s first successful settlement was completed in 1607. By the 1650’s the first migration of settlers occurred in the South when North Carolina began to receive men and women that found Virginia “too crowded”. Georgia as a colony that was founded in 1733. This was forty years before we gained our freedom from England. In 1768, a Scotsman named Andrew Turnbull landed in Florida with the approval of the new governor to add 1,200 new colonists. Created with this landing was the largest colony founded as an initial settlement. These new arrivals had four times the land mass and ten times the number of colonists who had landed at Jamestown. It would take Plymouth, Massachusetts more than seven years of immigration before it would total 1,500 people. So that is settlement history.
Our next perusal through history books will take us to the American Revolution. History, written by Northern authors will tell of the great resistance in Boston. It was the Southern resistance to English rule, normally untold with the exception of Patrick Henry’s 1775 “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech, that produced our independence. Rarely mentioned is the fact that in 1765, after the English Parliament passed the Stamp Act, Patrick Henry addressed the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg, Virginia. At issue were the radical ideas that the colonists of Virginia had the same rights as Englishmen. He declared that His Majesty or any substitute did not have the legal authority to levy a tax on the colonies. He ended his presentation by saying, “If this be treason, make the most of it.” History shows that Henry’s quick Stamp Act protest and the Burgesses official response caught the Boston patriots flat-footed. So the actual fight for freedom started in the South when in 1769 a group of poorly organized farmers calling themselves Regulators, refused to pay the corrupt county tax collectors. A friend of Royal Governor
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Tryon was attacked for his rampant corruption and he was run out of town. By May 1771 the crisis resulted in a short battle with the local militia. While the causalities were small in number and many of the Regulators were hung for their efforts, this 1771 conflict against British taxation showed that the Southern colonists would be willing to fight against troops of the Crown. Next comes the war of words but as usual there was a difference between those written in Massachusetts and Virginia. The Northern version was called the Suffolk Resolves. It urged local governments, in this mildly worded document, to ignore royal control until the Intolerable Act could be repealed. Even after Lexington and Concord the Massachusetts Congress while ordering mobilization of militias still hoped that England would back down on taxing the colonies. One day after these Revolutionary War battles in the North, citizens in Mecklenburg County, near Charlotte, North Carolina, made it quite clear in their resolution. They stated, “Resolved…That whosoever directly or indirectly abets, or in any way, form, or manner countenances the invasion of our rights, as attempted by the Parliament of Great Britain, is an enemy to his country, to America, and the rights of man.” On a national level the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia appointed five members, four Northerners and one Southerner. Thomas Jefferson was assigned to write a formal declaration of independence. John Adams from Massachusetts wrote that “A Virginian should be at the head of this business” and that Jefferson should be the one to write the Declaration of Independence. Once written several delegates, all from Northern states, refused to sign this document. They noted that the colonies were not ready for independence. So we turn to the war which was inevitable. Virginia’s population made it the largest colony but more important politically, the North needed a Southern leader for the army. George Washington was chosen to lead the Continental Army based upon his experience during the French and Indian War. After June 17, 1776 and the Battle of Bunker Hill, both sides avoided military contact. It was not until a short but decisive battle at Moore Creek Bridge near Wilmington, North Carolina that showed the English that Southern fighters could match their polished army. An English venture into the South resulted in battle at King’s Mountain where the wily Southerners surrounded the base of the mountain that was controlled by the English. They worked their way to the top of the mountain killing nearly two hundred Loyalists with a loss of only twenty-eight men. Southern fighters also found their way North. Daniel Morgan of Virginia commanded a group of riflemen that picked off every British officer with a single volley in the first British advance in the First Battle of Saratoga. Officers were general considered off-limits as far as the British were concern. Shooting their leaders was not sporting…as if we cared! Morgan also was successful in the Second Battle of Saratoga killing the British General Fraser who had been in the process of rallying his men. Moving South with his men Morgan attacked the British at Cowpens. After firing two volleys the trained farmers turned and ran. The British took the bait and chased after them only to run into a trap set by Morgan. Continued fighting in the South, which you won’t be taught in history class, cost the British General Cornwallis heavily. After retreating with heavy losses Cornwallis surrendered what was left of
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
his army at Yorktown, Virginia. The loss of the largest army in the South caused a discouraged Parliament to vote to end the war. Also, while New England is considered the cradle of the Revolution, tens of thousands of Northerners were willing to stay wrapped in the arms of Mother England. While Washington’s troops were freezing at Valley Forge, the Tory merchants of Philadelphia kept the British army warm and well-supplied. Again, two years later when Washington’s men were starving at Morristown, New Jersey during the winter of 1779-1780, farmers throughout the region were selling their goods to the British in New Jersey and New York City. Ironically, these same farmers refused to sell the same goods to Washington’s quartermasters. Sound familiar, Northern greed and interest in short-term profits outweighed our new nation’s hopes for independence. Eighty years later the Southern grandsons would attempt a similar revolution against an intrusive, centralizing federal government. Unfortunately, the War for Southern Independence or the Second American Revolution failed. A price which we are still paying for. Deo Vindice!! JEDEDIAH HOTCHKISS
So the question is…when was the last time you actually used a map to arrive at your destination? Now don’t count Map Quest as that is cheating, not map reading. So we know map making and map reading is a skill. Boy Scouts learn these skills early in their scouting career. Wives learn basic map reading skills if the Sunday drive was to be an enjoyable one. At least that was the case in the household where I grew up in.
Mapmaking has been revolutionized since the war. Creating a map using modern technologies displays little resemblance to yesteryear’s methodology. Current trends in mapping allow for multiple layers of data to be combined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Using GIS makes for a more accurate and useable product.
During the war the production of a finished map was a protracted and labor-intensive process. It began with a survey of the land or field reconnaissance by a military topographer. This was often done on horseback, with sketchbook in hand. Prominent landmarks such as rivers, mountains and roads were drawn in pencil using paper with grid lines. Direction was determined by using a compass. Distance was measured by pacing on foot or horseback.
When you talk about map making and the War for Southern Independence, the most famous cartographer and topographer was Jedediah Hotchkiss. Born in 1828 and raised in New York, Hotchkiss moved to the Shenandoah Valley at the age of nineteen. He opened the Mossy Creek Academy in Augusta County, Virginia. Later with his brother he founded the Loch Willow Academy in Churchville, Virginia. Once
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the war began Hotchkiss signed on as a Confederate teamster. Hotchkiss offered his services as a mapmaker to Brig. General Richard Garnett, whose brigade was operating in western Virginia. It must be noted that maps are essential tools for any military campaign. They can create havoc with an army in the field if they are not accurate or properly used. Hotchkiss’s skills were recognized by General Lee with his first assignment being Lee’s campaign in the mountains. After a brief medical leave to battle typhoid fever, Hotchkiss returned to the army in March 1862. Assigned to General Jackson, he was ordered to “make me a map of the valley…!” The Shenandoah Valley had never been mapped in detail. Covering from Harpers Ferry to Lexington, this area was 150 miles in length and 25 miles wide. His maps showed points of offense and defense and within several days his observations were influencing the army’s movements. Captain Hotchkiss served under Jackson for the rest of the general’s life. He produced large volumes of accurate, detailed, and even beautiful maps. He used the scale of 1:80,000 and glued three portions of tracing linen to form a large single map of 7 feet by 3 feet. Not only were his maps important, he also aided the general by personally directing troop movements across the terrain with which he had become so familiar. Stonewall Jackson’s reputation for sudden and surprise attacks can be attributed to Hotchkiss’s cartography. Together they served in the Valley Campaign, the Northern Virginia Campaign, the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Fredericksburg. At the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, Jackson asked Hotchkiss for eight maps of the area west of Fredericksburg. Along with the help of local residents, Jackson’s corps made the famous flanking march against the Union army. As we all know that night Jackson was mortally wounded and died less than two weeks later. After Jackson’s death Hotchkiss was assigned to the staff of corps commanders that succeeded Jackson (Ewell and Early). He was also frequently called upon to work directly for General Lee at the headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia. He continued his responsibilities, serving in the Gettysburg, Mine Run, and Overland Campaigns. He accompanied General Early at the Battle of Cedar Creek and returned to the Siege of Petersburg with the remnants of Early’s army for the remainder of the war. After General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, Hotchkiss surrendered and was released by General Grant and his maps were returned to him. Grant even paid Hotchkiss for permission to use some of his maps. Almost all of the Confederate maps in the Official Records (OR) produced by the U.S. War Department were drawn by Hotchkiss. After the war he collaborated in the writing of the 12-volume Confederate Military History. His journals were published under the title Make Me a Map of the Valley: The Civil
War Journal of Stonewall Jackson’s Cartographer. Jedediah Hotchkiss died at his home in Staunton, Virginia at the age of 71. He is buried at the Thornrose Cemetery. A small town of Hotchkiss, West Virginia, in Raleigh County was named for him. He left a legacy of mapping the Shenandoah Valley which has been recognized as one of the most important and influential maps ever created.
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CONFEDERATE POSTAL SERVICE
Mail service has always been very important during the time of war. Those of you that have served our country or have been parents or relatives of a service member can attest to that. Communication is the lifeblood of our country. With communication being so important, the role of the Confederate Postal Service is worthy of a brief discussion. Now I know for many of us mail no longer carries the significance that it once did. As a child we would wait anxiously for the arrival of the mail carrier in hopes of receiving anything addressed to our household. It was an added bonus if the letter was addressed to you personally. My aunts in typical Southern fashion would address all my letter to Master Jan Hiett. I would so proud of that title and would like to reclaim it. Especially as I become older, with a marriage and children, etc. It would nice to be Master of anything other than taking out the trash.
The Confederate States of America formed their own Post Office Department on February 21, 1861. John H. Reagan was named as the CSA’s first postmaster general. His first act was to place 8,535 of the nation’s 28,586 post offices under Confederate control. He also sought assistance from southern- sympathizers in the U.S. Post Office Department to become employees of the South. These Southern- minded employees were also encouraged to bring maps, reports, forms and plans that would be used to build and operate this new postal system. In May 1861, Reagan issued a proclamation stating that he officially would assume control of the Post Office Department CSA by authority of President Jefferson Davis. At the same time he ordered cessation of the United States mail service throughout the South. One of the early problems was the fact that in the seceded states there was more than $200,000 in United States Federal postage in Southern hands. As the result of this the United States postage had to be changed. Stamps and envelopes were destroyed throughout Northern post offices. The direct benefit to the North was the fact that many of the rural Southern mail routes were eliminated after secession. Just prior to the war the deficit in the postal service was directly attributed to the unproductive routes in the South. The immediate savings to the North was nearly $2 million dollars. With the loss of these Southern routes the United States postal service actually made a profit during the war despite the fact that they offered free delivery of mail in the 49 largest Northern cities. Within three years, free delivery was extended across the country. However, the postal service in the South was faced with numerous difficulties. Reagan negotiated with the Southern railroads to haul the mail once a day, instead of twice. The rate of payment to the rail lines were reduced to half during the war with the promise of “premium prices” once the war ended. Another problem in the South was the shortages of ink, paper, and postage stamps. Faced with financial problems the Confederate government established an Express service for governmental letters travelling over 500 miles. That was a flat rate of $1 Confederate money. While this shady business practice showed the postal service profitable, it was actually not. With the “profitability” claim, soldiers were allowed to send their letters postage due, and newspapers were allowed to be sent to the soldiers on the various fronts for free. The Confederate postal stamp was not available until October 1861. Prior to that time some local postmasters created and sold their own provisional stamps or simply marked “paid” by hand. The first Confederate stamps were printed in Richmond by Hoyer & Ludwig and contained no background. The first official issue was a 5 cent green stamp bearing the portrait of President Davis. Losing the contract by the above-noted Richmond lithography firm, CSA stamps were Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
printed over by a London, England firm of Archer & Daly beginning in 1863. Other revenue producing and cost effective measures imposed by the Confederate Postal Service included an increase in rate to a standardized ten cents per letter. Newspapers and book rates became dependent upon weight. Service was reduced to three times per week, instead of daily. As the war continued the Union blockade proved critical in restricting goods from entering and leaving the Confederacy. Southerners faced increasing shortages of supplies, including paper and envelopes. Writers began to use whatever was handy as letter writing paper and envelopes. These items are known by philatelists as “adversity covers.” Letters and envelopes were fashioned from the backs of ledger sheets, printed circulars, and blank pages in books, maps, and even wallpaper. Some writers re-used envelopes by turning them inside out. Any blank or partially blank piece of paper could be pressed into service. Despite the war conditions both the civilians and soldiers were not kind to the postal service. One Confederate soldier wrote home, “It is a constant incessant complaint in the army…in regard to not receiving any letters from home and their friends and relatives not receiving those they write to them. There is quite a defect somewhere not to say gross negligence on the part of someone.” Don’t you hate it when someone sugar-coats their feelings! In the practical sense Southern mail service was also impacted by the occupation of their homeland by the Yankee invaders. Exchange mail from the Confederate States to the United States was handled by private companies, primarily Adam-Southern Express. Foreign mail presented more difficulties due to the blockade. Also, Confederate postage was not recognized by any foreign nations. Ship captains carrying mail through the blockade arranged to purchase postage at the port of entry. By the war’s end Federal mail service in the South gradually resumed as the war came to an end. By November 1865 some 241 mail routes had been restored and by November 1866 approximately 3,234 post offices were returned to Federal control. Postmaster General Reagan while traveling with Jefferson Davis was arrested on May 8, 1865. He was imprisoned at Ft. Warren in Boston Harbor. Reagan was pardoned and released from prison almost two years later. He returned to his home state of Texas where he eventually made it back to Congress where he became chairman of the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. QUOTES OF THE MONTH
After our wonderful May speaker I could hardly not include a quote from our “Gray Ghost”, John Singleton Mosby. “Our poor country has fallen prey to the conqueror. The noblest cause ever defended by the sword is lost. The noble dead that sleep in their shallow though honored graves are far more fortunate than their survivors. I thought I had sounded the profoundest depth of human feeling, but this is the bitterest hour of my life.”
And what would this section be without a quote from Robert E. Lee written in 1863 regarding his critics at the Southern newspapers. What a quote! “It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
inform me until it was too late. Accordingly, I’m readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I’ll in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials after the fact.” POEM FOR CONFEDERATE MENORIAL DAY
By Oliver Reeves
How many springs have gone since they Who wore the uniform of gray Last looked upon summer snow of dogwood, blooming below Their Southern skies and friendly sun, Or watched the winding rivers run Or knew when spring wind’s gentle hand Stretched forth to heal their wounded land. They sleep where the azaleas spread Their glorious colors, where the red old hills And mountain peaks Stand listening while nature speaks. And from the woodlands sound the strains Of memories; where coastal plains Run down to join the ceaseless tide Ebbing and flowing as they died. Let us remember them as time And tide move on in endless rhyme. When spring is wearing her bouquet For the lost legions of the gray While bud and blossom, hill and tree Remember them, so shall we.
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
A SOUTHERN CELEBRATION OF JULY 4TH
Compatriot William Howell invites all members and guests of The Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 to his celebration. Date: SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016 beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Location: 10102 Melody Lane Hagerstown, MD.
Menu: Crabs, Chicken, Corn-on-the Cob and Confederate “Milk” Enjoy this day which will feature a Southern Rock &Roll-Country Band. Dixie will be played at regular intervals!!
RSVP: Jan Hiett at 301-797-1021 or [email protected]. By Monday June 27th
Sons of Confederate Veterans Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 28, 2016 Saturday 1:30 p.m. Sharpsburg Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony at National Cemetery. Maryland Division Color Guard Event. Noon formation at Battlefield HQ.
June 1, 2016 NO CAMP MEETING see May 18, 2016 Chartering Meeting.
June 4, 2016 Saturday 10:00 a.m. Confederate Memorial Day at Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy at Confederate Hill. Annual Event.
June 18, 2016 Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Chartering Dinner at Hoffman’s All-American Grill Mason-Dixon Road Hagerstown, MD.
June 25, 2016 Saturday, Noon Corbit’s Charge Westminster, MD. Maryland Division Color Guard Event 11:30 formation. Honoring Lt. Murray KIA Stuart’s Cavalry.
July 3, 2016 Sunday 4:00 p.m. Compatriot William Howell’s July 4th Party. 10102 Melody Lane Hagerstown, MD.
Listed are a number of Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy events. Please consider these great opportunities to support the Cause. Further information about the above noted events can be obtained by contacting the Adjutant of the Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582 at the Camp meeting, telephone 301-797-1021, or e-mail [email protected]. Thanks!