2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Volume 11, Issue 2 Winter 2020 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE INSIDE THIS Message From Commander Shane Milburn ISSUE: Greetings Department of Ohio Brothers, I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Christmas with your Families and that you are ready for the 2 – Davis/Conrad Award New Year. If you journeyed away from home for the holidays, I hope that you made it back safely and were able to avoid the annoyances that accompany travel. No doubt the new year will provide more 2 – Parrot and Townsend opportunities to honor our Civil War ancestors and I know that Ohio Brothers will meet the challenge. Camp Activities On November 9, 2019, I attended the Testimonial Dinner honoring National Auxiliary President Wanda Langdon at the R.S.V.P. Event Center in Loveland, Ohio. Guests in attendance included PC- 3 – Cadot/Blessing Projects in-C Freshley, who brought greetings from Commander-in-Chief Ed Norris and PC-in-C Mark Day who attended from Virginia. Ohio Past Department Commanders Jim Houston, Fred Lynch and Kerry 3 – G.A.R. Furniture Langdon were present as well as Ohio Auxiliary President Becky Black and PNP Ramona Greenwalt. Sister Barbara Lynch served as the Master of Ceremonies. 4 – Wayne County Civil War On November 23, 2019 I had the honor of marching in and carrying the Department Colors in the Roundtable 63rd Annual Remembrance Day Parade in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The weather was near perfect for the events, considering it was the middle of November, and were void of disturbances that have 4 – Veterans Day Programs plagued the ceremony in previous years. Earlier in the day, the Sons of Veterans Reserve breakfast held at the Wyndham Hotel. MG Robert Grim, Commanding General of the S.V.R., was the Master of 5 – Lincoln Day Dinner Ceremonies. It was great to have Deputy Commander BG Henry Shaw and S.V.R. Chaplain Jerome Kowalski present and doing well. Both had to deal with medical issues this year. Four Brothers, Cpl. 5 – Spotlight on Civil War Shawn Cox, Pvt. Jared Robinson, Pvt. Jordan Milburn and I received a Certificates of Commendation Memorials & Monuments for being members of the Color Guard at the National Encampment in Independence. Installation of Camp Officers are going well. Thus far, 11 out 17 Camps have been installed. I have 6 – Eagle Scout Project really enjoyed traveling around the State and visiting with Brothers, some whom I have never met Honors MOH Recipient before. It is a pleasure to inform you that Department Brothers continue to do great work honoring our Civil War Ancestors. Two Camps have scheduled upcoming installations in January, leaving four 7 – President Lincoln Camps that still need to set a date. Per Department By-Laws, all Camp election and installation Statue at Dayton VA reports shall be filed with the Department Secretary-Treasurer no later than February 1, 2020. As you will recall on Department Order #7, issued on October 31, 2019, it was ordered that Camps 8 – Remembrance Day start collecting biographical information on their members and their Civil War Ancestors. As I have traveled the state and talked with Brothers, many have asked what I am looking for. There is no right 9 – Last CW Soldier of or wrong way to do this project; honor your Ancestor the way you see fit. If you are a great writer, Brown County, Indiana perhaps you prefer the paragraph form; if you are a “just the facts” person, outline form might be your choosing. If Camps want a uniform way that they want it to appear, that is up to them. My 10 – 2020 Camp Officers intention is that first and foremost, we honor our Civil War Ancestors; those that you can’t go to the Installations Pictures local library, pick up a book and learn about. This would include most of us, unless you are related to Generals Grant, Sherman and the other famous leaders of the Civil War. Secondly to keep a record of our Brothers in the Department of Ohio, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; past, present and future. Dates to Note: In my travels, many Brothers have asked about the Mid-Winter meeting that the Department used to have. It has been a couple of years since we last had this meeting, and at this point it is too late to March 31 – Deadline for schedule one for this year, as we are already at the half-way point of my term. The reasoning behind submissions to the the discontinuation of the Mid-Winter meeting was that no business could be conducted and that it Spring newsletter occurs in the poor travel months of the Winter season. While Brothers from across the State normally only meet one time a year, there is a simple way to spend time with those that we usually would not May 25 - Memorial Day encounter: attend and participate in other Camps’ activities and functions. There are also the National Encampment, Remembrance Day Ceremonies and other events such as those honoring our May 30 - Decoration Day 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. If the Mid-Winter meeting is something that you feel strongly about, discuss it amongst your Camp and have your Camp Commander bring it to the Department June 13, 2020 – 138th level for possible reinstatement in the future. Department of Ohio In closing, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May good health and prosperity find its Encampment in way into each of your lives and those of your families. Remember those Brothers in distress, those Clintonville currently in harm’s way, and those that have passed. Continue to Honor and spread the memory of August 13-16, 2020 – the Boys in Blue throughout the coming year. 139th National Until we meet again, I remain yours in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty. S.U.V.C.W. Encampment in Shane L. Milburn, Commander Atlanta, Georgia Department of Ohio Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Preserving the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and our ancestors who fought to save the Union 1861-1865. Page 2 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Department Received the A. P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award On December 17, 2019, a package was delivered to Department Headquarters containing a plaque. This plaque recognizes the Department of Ohio as the Augustus P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award winner. The following message was conveyed from PC-in-C Donald Shaw: “As the DC, you would have been called forward at the encampment to pick this up on behalf of your Department, so it is being sent to you now. Proudly display it at your Department encampment. Show it off to all the Brothers of that Department who did the work to earn it. The Brothers from Ohio earned this and should be proud of their accomplishment. Please extend my compliments to them.” The Augustus P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award is presented to the Department with the greatest number of new members during the period from April 1 through March 3. Above: Image of the Augustus P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award presented to the Department Parrott Camp Cemetery Work of Ohio for the recruiting period of 2018/2019. Below: Brothers from Parrott During 2019, Brothers from the Jacob Parrott Camp 33 conducted several work sessions Camp finish the straightening in cemeteries throughout Hardin County primarily in Dunkirk, Hueston, and Grove of a military headstone Cemeteries. In addition to resetting nearly three dozen government issued headstones, the during September’s Grove Brothers repaired or replaced several damaged medallions, aka flag holders, near the Cemetery work session. markers. In addition, a list was created noting badly damaged or illegible markers which will need to be replaced in the near future. This complimented a separate list created of Civil War soldiers who for whatever reason never had a headstone placed on their grave. Nearly 30 were identified in Grove Cemetery alone and we are working with Eagle Scout candidates to prepare the paper work to order and install the military markers. The Camp also decided to experiment with some new techniques and material to see how they might fare over the winter months. Five thermoplastic markers were purchased and placed in cemeteries throughout the county to see how they survive the elements. If this cheaper alternative to metal markers works, the Camp may purchase more to place on unmarked Civil War veteran graves throughout the county. Following a successful attempt by another party a few years ago, the Camp invested in a container of “Wet and Forget” to spray on the markers in an attempt to kill the lichen, moss, and other materials which discolor the markers. If this proves successful and cleans the markers sufficiently without damage, it will be incorporated into future grave straightening projects. Townsend Camp to Dedicate Highway Markers At a recent meeting, the Brothers of John S. Townsend Camp 108 decided on several new projects to keep its momentum going into 2020 after the most successful Memorial Day service in terms of attendance in our history in 2019. Our annual Memorial Day service is held at the historic Centennial Church, north of the hamlet of Frost, where our camp and auxiliary maintain the GAR Hall, former home of H. G. Frost Post 341. This is one of only three GAR Halls still extant in the Buckeye State that are still used for their intended purpose. Two of the most noteworthy projects for 2020 are a Civil War related highway designation and gaining approval from Ohio University for an historical marker commemorating a spot of national significance to all our Union ancestors.