Case Shot & Canister 1BA Publication of the Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table Partners with Manor College and the Civil War Institute Our 23rd Year April 2015 4BVolume 25 5BNumber 4 Editor Patricia Caldwell Contributors Hugh Boyle, Book Nook Editor Rose Boyle Matt Bruce Nancy Caldwell, Artistic Adviser Jerry Carrier Pat Corey Jim Dover John Gavin Paula Gidjunis Surrender at Appomattox Court House Carol Ingald Bernice Kaplan Walt Lafty Zack Margolies Jane Peters Estes Our April Meeting Pete Romeika “The George Thomas No Apologies Tour” Patricia Rosso Larry Vogel Presenter: William Vosseler Bill Vosseler Andy Waskie Tuesday, April 21, 2015 3BUOfficers 7:30 pm President Hugh Boyle 6:15 pm for dinner (all welcome!) Vice President Radisson Hotel Jerry Carrier Treasurer Route 1 @ Old Lincoln Highway Herb Kaufman Trevose, PA Secretary Patricia Caldwell Dinner Menu – Stuffed Shells with Basil Tomato Marinara Sauce. e-mail:[email protected] U phone: (215)638-4244 Served with salad, rolls/butter, iced tea, soda, dessert. website: HUwww.dvcwrt.orgU Substitute: Pasta (chef’s selection). Umailing addresses: for membership: 2601 Bonnie Lane Contact Rose Boyle at [email protected] or 215-638-4244 for Huntingdon Valley PA 19006 dinner reservations by April 16. Dinner Price $24.00 for newsletter items: 3201 Longshore Avenue You are responsible for dinners not cancelled Philadelphia PA 19149-2025 by Monday morning April 20. feelings on a wide range of topics that were gleaned In This Issue from various sources.” Lots of Member News and Upcoming Events William S. (Bill) Vosseler founded the Union Library for the Spring season, plus “Around Town” CWRT that existed in Hatboro, PA from 2000-2013. Preservation News from Paula Gidjunis He was also a co-founder and Past Camp Our Summer Session for the Civil War Commander of the Baker-Fisher Camp 101 SUVCW, a member of the Meade Society, and a Past Chair of Institute has been announced the Mid-Atlantic Association of CWRTs. Larry Vogel details our March meeting In keeping with our Lincoln theme, our Book Bill currently serves as Executive Director of the Nook editor reviews a new perspective on the American Civil War Charitable Trust and, as a victims of the Ford’s Theater assassination member of the Confederation of Union Generals, Bernice Kaplan finds some modern-day Lincoln portrays Major-General Geo. H. Thomas, USA. He wit in a “What I Think About That” piece is the owner of Civil War Recreations, a company A Media Alert on upcoming PBS Vietnam War specializing in the recreation and sale of historic programming from Bernice Kaplan Civil War medals, ribbons and uniform related items. th Our “Civil War Vignette” tackles Vegetables! Having served in the 4 Infantry Division, in Vietnam, he is a combat disabled Veteran and a life Larry Vogel with another installment of “The member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Rest of the Story” Bill and his wife Peggy reside in Garnet Valley, Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial is Delaware County, Pennsylvania. winding down with events of April 1865 Please join us as Bill presents us with a PowerPoint look into the life of this honored American. “Rock of Chickamauga” George Henry Thomas was born in Virginia, on July 31, 1816. He was a West Point Graduate, a career U.S. Army officer and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Undefeated in battle, he was appointed by Lincoln a Major- General in the Regular Army, This month we remember the events of April one of only five authorized by 1865, 150 years ago. April of that year just Congress at that time. He died shortly after the war might be the most important month of the Civil on March 28, 1870. War, and some may think that it was the most th As General George Thomas, the “Rock of important month of the 19 century. A quick Chickamauga”, by all accounts was a very reserved look at the events of that month shows just how man and rarely spoke out about his feelings toward important they were. Who can deny that April his fellow officers or those serving in the 9th and the surrender of Robert E Lee to General Confederacy, providing a full first-person Grant were important to America. The events of presentation of the general is something of a April 14th with the assassination of Abraham challenge on occasion for our speaker, historian Bill Vosseler. Adding to the challenge, as Bill relates, at Lincoln changed America. It took away this the general’s request, his wife destroyed all his country’s innocence; it altered and changed the correspondence at his death. “Since this presentation course of the future of the country. That event is not a historic representation of the General, it seeks has had lasting effects even down to our world to span his full career, much of which is relatively today. The escape and death of John Wilkes Booth unknown, while filling in some of Thomas's true not only captured the national interest but had 2 an entire nation cry out for justice. Almost forgotten was the greatest maritime disaster in our nation’s history, the explosion of the Sultana, killing over 1800 Union soldiers just freed from Confederate prisons. Then there was MAY 19 the final surrender of Joe Johnston to William Sherman at the end of the month. Yes, there were Historian Jane Peters Estes months with more battles, more men killed. But “The Battle of Gettysburg – Where April 1865 was a month that stakes its claim as Were the Women” the most important month. JUNE 16 150 years later after that fateful month we again Member Paula Gidjunis remember it with our annual Bensalem “A Country Worth Fighting For – Reenactment. We again will be there, our th volunteers will be there and so will a grateful A History of the 128 PA crowd to witness that event. I look forward to Volunteer Infantry” seeing you all there. JULY 21 Hugh Boyle Book Discussion Night President Topic to be Announced AUGUST 18 Wes Stokes “The New York Draft Riots of 1863” SEPTEMBER 15 Dr. Andy Waskie “The Role of the Germans in APRIL 14, 1865 BRAIN TEASERS the Civil War” 1 – What was the name of the actor on stage when Lincoln was shot? OCTOBER 20 2 – What was the name of the sergeant at the Herb Kaufman bridge when Booth came to cross? “The Medical Treatment of 3 – Who was the first doctor at Lincoln’s side after he was shot? our Four Assassinated Presidents” (Answers in next month’s newsletter!) NOVEMBER 17 Our Annual Awards Night ANSWERS TO MARCH BRAIN TEASERS Local Historian Steven J.Wright 1 – Which Union general became the Governor of “The Indian Wars” Massachusetts? – Benjamin Butler 2 – What Medal of Honor recipient was the last surviving Civil War general, living until April 13th, DECEMBER 8 1933? – Adalbert Ames Annual Holiday Dinner 3 – Of 8 Rebel gunboats, which was the only one to escape the battle of Memphis unscathed? – Austrian Village Restaurant The CSS Van Dorn 3 situation between the East and the West. Once in Panama, we took a ferry through part of the Canal, passing through three locks to the Pacific Ocean. Congratulations to Matt Bruce for winning the We were in each lock with another ferry and a March dinner book raffle. Winners of the meeting huge car carrier. Even though we know how locks book raffle and special goodie basket raffle were work, it was still exciting to experience it Ann Kaufman, Karl Weigand, Rich Jankowski, Ed firsthand. 54 million gallons of water empty out in Greenawald, Don Andrews, John Shivo, Mary a few short minutes. The new, wider canal is being Ann Hartner, Cathy Smith, John Gavin, new built parallel to the original, and you can see some member Sean Smith, and Hugh & Rose Boyle. of the construction. Costa Rica is really beautiful, worth another trip. We visited a national park, a Paula Gidjunis will be speaking at the Solebury research center, and took a boat ride to see the Historical Society Open House in New Hope on wildlife. For an amusing look at some of the Sunday, April 12. Her topic will be the “History of wildlife, check out http://savetheamericans.org/” the 128th PA”. Larry Vogel reports that he mostly hibernated “The Lincoln Assassination” will be the subject of during the winter, but now that Spring is here he three presentations by Hugh Boyle scheduled for is planning on attending two Chambersburg Civil this month – on April 12 at the GAR Museum & War Seminars. One in April will be the Second Library Open House, on April 19 at the Ryers Annual Symposium on Leadership in Combat Museum in Burholme, and on April 20 at the Legion featuring and honoring Ed Bearss, and one in May Post #405 Meeting at the Union League in will discuss "Those Damn Black Hats-The Iron Philadelphia. Brigade". Pete Romeika spoke on April 8 at St. Thomas of In March Pete Romeika had the opportunity to Villanova Parish in Rosemont following noon Mass visit his cousin and her family in Mobile, Alabama. during their “Senior Speakers Lunch Program”. He also toured New Orleans and visited Pete’s program was “A Grand Tour of Antietam, Confederate Memorial Hall and Lee Circle. Then Harper's Ferry and South Mountain”. from March 26 to March 29 Pete toured Mobile, Pensacola and Biloxi Civil War sites with the Thanks to all our members who answered the call CompuServe Civil War Forum. to share their winter experiences and their anticipated spring flings with Case Shot & Canister.