Call to arms April 2012 Volume III, Issue 4 The Newsletter of the Brunswick Civil War Round Table Inside this The President’s Issue Chris 2 Corner Fonvielle Wally Rueckel Union Soldier 3 Facts We had another about the War from a so- your Directors to con- well attended program cial, economic, political, sider. The Directors have 150 Years Ago 3 earlier this month with financial as well as a mili- accepted many of their 189 people in attendance. tary prospective. This was suggestions and some of Our speaker, Marvin another program dealing them have already been Last Meeting 4 Nicholson, made a with our heritage. For implemented, such as Synopsis thoughtful and informa- those of you who were not announcing the 50/50 tive presentation on the in attendance you might raffle results prior to, not Ladies’ Dept. 5 African American experi- want to read Dan Fink’s after, the speaker. There ence during the Civil War. article on the program are still one or two sug- I heard from many of you elsewhere in this newslet- gestions that the Directors Member Rela- 6-7 that some of the informa- ter. are considering. Shortly, tives tion he presented was new Late last year our Di- we will finalize our re- to you; the fact that Gen- rectors formed a planning view and share the results. Round Table 8 eral Sherman refused to committee of members to At one of our meetings History allow African-Americans, review what was working last year I asked those of who served in the Union well for our round table, you in attendance to raise News of Note 9 Army, from marching in what activities we might your hand if you had one the victory parade in do better and new areas to or more relatives who Washington, DC at the consider offering our fought in the Civil War. I Unusual 9 end of the War; and there members. The committee was shocked to see over Regiments was chaired by Connie was a large number of Continued next page African-Americans that Hendrix and included Upcoming 10 owned slaves before the Marvin Hamer, Rob Events War. Your Directors Clarke, Jack Carpenter, Co-Editors strongly support programs Pat Steele, and Ed Charen Fink that cover a broad spec- Krueger. They made sev- Jim McKee trum of important topics eral good suggestions for Mike Powell APRIL 2012 Next Speaker PAGE 2 Cushing is Topic of April ...President’s Brunswick Civil War Round Corner Table continued William Barker Cushing about one of the navy's greatest indicated in the affirmative. I have was recognized for his daring Civil War heroes. talked to many of you since about and exceptional performance in Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr., your relatives and have learned battle, including the capture of Ph.D., historian, author, UNCW there are many interesting stories that should be shared. Ft. Fisher. His best known act professor with extensive knowl- Last month’s newsletter in- of heroism was the sinking of cluded the first of a series of these the Confederacy’s ironclad ram stories. It was about Capt. John Albemarle. This took place Newland Maffitt who was the great during a daring nighttime raid grandfather of Robert Maffitt, a under heavy enemy fire on Oc- member of our Round Table. Our tober 27, 1864, on the Roanoke next article will be about Dorsey River, a feat for which he re- Pender, a well regarded General in ceived the Thanks of Congress. the Confederate army, Many do not know that prior to and ancestor of member Roy Pen- der. Jack Travis has graciously sinking the Albemarle, Cushing agreed to interview members with made a nocturnal visit to Smith- Civil War ancestors , do appropri- ville. ate research if necessary and write This is going to be another about them for inclusion in our outstanding meeting with Chris newsletters and web site. Please let Fonvielle as our very special either me or our Directors know guest speaker and Life- what you think about the series. time Charter Member of our And if you have a story you want Brunswick Civil War Round to share I encourage you to let me Table. Chris needs no introduc- edge of the Civil War, North know. Please sign up for our next trip tion around these parts of south- Carolina, the Lower Cape Fear on May 26 and 27, a Saturday and eastern North Carolina, and and Southern history. His in- Sunday. We are going on anytime and anywhere depth research focuses on Civil a professionally guided tour of he makes a presentation, it is War regional operations and New Bern and Kinston NC, the site usually in front of a full house. I defenses, blockade running and of three important battles that took am sure this will be no excep- the navies. place not far from here. We will tion since he will be speaking also visit a full size replica of a river ironclad, CSS Neuse . Mike Powell has worked out a great deal Portrait of the Union Soldier with the Kinston Visitors Bureau who have agreed to fund a substan- Average height: 5’ 8 ¼” tial portion of our costs. Please see Average weight: 143 pounds Mike for answers to questions or to sign up at the Sutler’s table. 48% of Union troops were farmers I look forward to seeing you at 24% of Union troops were mechanics our next meeting on Tuesday April 3, at Trinity Church. Tallest: Capt. Van Buskirk, 27th Ind.: 6’ 10 1/2 ” APRIL 2012 Sesquicentennial events PAGE 3 150th Commemoration of the Fall of Fort Macon On Saturday and Sunday April 21 day. will be able to experience the -22, 2012 Fort Macon State Park On Saturday night beginning at sights and sounds of the bombard- will commemorate the 150th An- 8:00 p.m. the public is invited to ment just as the people of Beau- niversary of the surrender of Fort observe a night time cannonade fort and Morehead City thronged Macon. by the artillery in the fort. This the waterfront areas watching the will consist of a 12-pdr Napoleon, dazzling spectacle of the night 10-pdr Parrott Rifle, and Fort bombardment 150 years ago. Macon’s original 6-pdr gun. In addition the fort’s three 32-pdr guns will be fired from the bar- Living History events will be performed throughout both days April 21-22, 2012 by soldiers of the North and Fort Macon State Park South. Flag talks, Civil War mu- bette tier at this time. 2303 East Fort Macon Road, sic, Civil War uniform talks, mus- On April 21, 1862 a large body Atlantic Beach, NC, NC 28512 ket firing demonstrations, drills of Federal troops could be seen in Office Phone: (252) 726-3775 and children's activities are a few the darkness up the beach of of the programs being performed. Bogue Banks toward Fort Macon. Email: [email protected] The bombardment and surrender Fort Macon State Park will reen- of Fort Macon will be reenacted act the continuous artillery fire at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on that dispersed the Union troops Saturday and at 2:00 p.m. on Sun- and drove them away. Spectators 150 YEARS AG O –april 1862 It was the most militarily active month of the war to date. • April 1 – The Army of the Potomac began transferring from Alexandria, Va. to Fortress Monroe in prepara- tion for McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign. • April 5 – Siege of Yorktown began • April 6 and 7 – Battle of Shiloh • April 7 – Fall of Island No. 10 to John Pope • April 11 – Fall of Fort Pulaski to Federal forces greatly strengthened the effectiveness of the blockade • April 12 – The Great Locomotive Chase took place from Big Shanty to Ringgold, GA. • April 18 – Bombardment of the Forts below New Orleans began • April 24 – Farragut’s Federal fleet passed the forts below New Orleans and arrived off the city on 25 th . • April 25 – Fort Macon, NC surrendered to Federal forces under John Parke APRIL 2012 Speaker Synopsis PAGE 4 The African-American Experience During the Civil War By Dan Fink Your writer was recently rendered us to remember that “All the he- the time led by white officers. almost speechless by a very astute roes were not white!” He cautions “How much can one man sacri- local third grader. He asked, “ us to view “Hollywood” with a fice,” asks Marvin? Still they re- OK, What REALLY caused our jaundiced eye. Glory , the movie, mained committed. They sur- Civil War?” Gathering my voice, doesn’t state facts that were uni- mounted problems like slave up- I answered, “It really depends on versally believed. He asks us to risings and the Denmark Vessey your color, whether you are North look for truisms. The movie, situation which gave birth to The or South and which hat you are South Pacific , caused much de- Citadel (You just had to be there). wearing.” Was it slavery-that hor- bate by stating prejudice “must be They fought on nobly doing what- rible shame on our Country that carefully taught.” It is true. Preju- ever was asked. A handpicked can’t be scrubbed, covered or dice is wrong. group of colored troops was wished away? Was it States rights Marvin reminds us that the mere slaughtered at Fort Wagner. They -the upholding of Liberty as well were massacred at Fort Pillow by as Union? Was it purely eco- Nathan Bedford Forrest (future nomic? “Grand Wizard” of the Klu Klux Klan).