The Camp Olden Gazette News from the Camp Olden Civil War Round Table Winter, 2010 President’s Gavel. First and foremost I would like to wish everyone a For those who like to plan ahead. This is a listing joyous holiday season. I get the opportunity every of some Civil War Sesquicentennial (150th) year to write a little note of good wishes to the events going on at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie membership and I then I realize how many times I in Charleston, SC, this coming April. have done so. It’s been eleven years since I was Fort Sumter National Monument elected. Wow! It’s been an exciting road. We have grown into one of the strongest Round Tables in Fort Sumter - Charleston Harbor. New Jersey. I am proud of everyone for helping us April 9-14, 2011 (Saturday-Thursday) do so. Union reenactors will portray Companies E & H, 1st US Artillery Regiment. This also includes At our last meeting, Camp Olden began celebrating members of the regimental band. Living history the holiday season with Kevin Rawling’s return as programs will be offered to visitors arriving on 1860s Santa Claus. I think all who attended, each tour boat. especially our new members, enjoyed his talk on April 14-17, 2011 (Thursday-Sunday) the history of Christmas during the Civil War. On the afternoon of April 14, 1861, the US garrison surrendered and left the fort. Then Company B, South Carolina Artillery Battalion and the Palmetto Guard, an infantry company moved into the fort. CS reenactors representing these units will garrison the fort offering living history programs to visitors on each tour boat. Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center 340 Concord Street, Charleston, SC. April 9-17, 2011 (Saturday-Sunday) Confederate, and civilian, reenactors will be on site providing living history programs for visitors. We have some exciting speakers scheduled for our next meetings. On Dec. 2nd our speaker will be: Fort Moultrie - Charleston Harbor Stuart Lutz discussing his book; "The Last Leaf: 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC Voices of History's Last-Known Survivors" and on April 9-17, 2011 (Saturday-Sunday) th Jan. 6 for Anthony J Rosati Sr. portraying Maj. Confederate reenactors representing units General William T. Sherman. stationed at the fort and on Sullivan’s Island at Future Round Table plans include discussions with this time in April 1861, will be camped on site Dr. David Martin and the Sons of Union Veterans presenting living history programs to visitors. about a possible event to recognize the opening of Happy Holidays! Camp Olden training camp. If you have any ideas let us know ([email protected]). Your Obedient Servant! Bruce The Camp Olden Gazette 1 Civil War Visits. threatened almost every day for teaching the Some of our members did some traveling over children to read and write. the past few months Following are some “field We went to Jefferson's Rock which was a touring reports”. spot for many years after our third president saw the view from the rock and proclaimed it one of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. the nicest views he had ever seen. We walked the Submitted by John Maleski town where there are many book shops, and a museum that was a quite interesting. The town, of course, was one of two Federal arsenals along with Springfield, Massachusetts, in the states before the Civil War. It was located there because George Washington had surveyed the land and the two rivers running into it (Potomac and Shenandoah) and determined that it made a good spot to house the guns for the new nation. Dateline Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, August th th, This, along with some land that our first 5 through 7 2010. Time for our annual trip to president had purchased there before he was a Civil War battlefield with my buddies from President, is how it became to be an arsenal. High School (Joe, Jeff and Bill) and to get some There are some great restaurants nearby along well needed away time from the "swamps of with a new casino which can be fun for the Jersey". We decided to return to the place where gamblers who come for a weekend getaway. we took our first overnight trip in 1999 instead of our 2nd choice, Washington, DC. The four of Also, some of the best whitewater rafting can be us will never forget that first trip to Harpers found there on the two rivers. However, our ride because it was the same night that John Kennedy was less then fun due to the shallowness of the Jr. died in that tragic plane crash east of river. Our guide said they had not had a good Massachusetts. We could only think what might rain in a month and the river trip almost had to have been for the young Kennedy as he was be canceled due to lack of water. Something we politically coming into his own at the time. This did not squeeze in was the hiking / biking of the trip, we arrived at a hotel the center of town that Appalachian Trail for which Harpers Ferry is the was in keeping with the time period called the halfway point. However, it was quite hot and Towns Inn. There was free parking at the train may have been a bit much for us. Instead we station, a short walk to the hotel. The room was toured Shepherdstown, WV, where there were had bunk beds, a fridge, coffee and a common also some great restaurants, museums and shops. room next to us where we could read, have a A monument that stands above the town drink or just people watch from the window. overlooking the Shenandoah is another great view from this mountain river town. We took a Ranger tour of the town which included a tour of the Heights where the union Overall it was well worth the time getting away surrendered over 9000 men to Gen. Stonewall for a weekend and I would highly recommend Jackson, the most ever by an American Army till going to Harpers Ferry for anyone who likes WW2, when we surrendered to Japan in the Civil War History. Next up for our gang of four? Philippines early in the war. The Heights above Memphis Tenn.? ♦ the city had some great vistas and the Ranger did a fair job of explaining the battle plans for both sides. The tour continued down to the city where we toured a graveyard and a school. The school was the first of its kind after the war to house young black students just freed by emancipation. On there walk to school, teachers were The Camp Olden Gazette 2 I Stood Where General Buford Stood. climb a 20 foot ladder to reach the cupola. Contributed by Tony Travaglione In October, 2010 I attended a three day seminar in Gettysburg conducted by the Center for Civil War Photography. In addition to battlefield tours and lectures, we were given a tour of the Lutheran Theological Seminary building in Gettysburg, located on the first day’s battlefield of July 1, 1863. The tour included a special trip to the cupola at the top of the building, used by Trap Door in Cupola Union Brigadier General John Buford as an At the top of a narrow section of stairs we observation post the morning of the first day. emerged through a trap door into the cupola, This cupola is usually only open to the public above the Seminary roof. The original cupola twice a year, at a cost of $125 per visit. The burned in 1913, but was replaced with the replica following are some photos of my tour. now in place. Fields and Woods from the Cupola This is General Buford’s view looking west Brick Seminary Building toward the advancing Confederate Army (I stood here). The trees in the foreground were much This is the Lutheran Theological Seminary shorter and did not block the view, and the building, which on July 1st was directly in the building and road on the right did not exist. paths of the attack of Confederate General A. P. Buford could see McPherson’s Woods in the Hill’s Corps and the retreat of the Union 1st distance (the first tree line) and the Emmitsburg Corps. Union Generals Buford and Reynolds Road (on the far right behind the trees). Based on conferred here early in the battle. Heavy fighting these observations, Buford positioned his occurred in front of the west side of the building dismounted cavalry troops to delay the enemy shown here, along the Federal line temporarily until the 1st Corps infantry could arrive. established that morning. The white cupola used by General Buford as an observation post can be seen at the top of the building. Town of Gettysburg This is the view looking east, in the opposite direction. Most of this area was empty in 1863, Wooden Stairway th The tour guide took us to the 4 floor of the but has since been filled with the developing building and into the attic. In the center of the town of Gettysburg. Robert E. Lee may have attic is a sturdy wooden stairway that leads to the made observations from the cupola later in the cupola. However in 1863, General Buford had to battle, and he could probably see all the way The Camp Olden Gazette 3 across to Union positions on Cemetery Hill. (A below John Brown’s; and his other son Watson thought: Was Robert E. Lee able to climb four Brown’s, which is on the back, below that of his flights of stairs and a 20 foot ladder?) brother Fredrick.