Union League- February 01, 2020
Spangler’s Farm and Field Hospital- April 18, 2020
(part of Conservation Day)
Harper’s Ferry with Dennis Frye- May 30, 2020
FOR DETAILS ON EACH TRIP…
SEE THE INFORMATION LASTED IN THE “UPCOMING EVENTS” TAB FOR EACH DATE.
Dear members and supporters of the Civil War Round Table of Eastern PA, Inc,
See the link below for the form for our annual appeal for your support of our organization. As you all are most likely aware, the cost of "doing business" of any organization or business always seems to rise, not fall as time passes. This is true for our CWRT as well. Venue costs go up as food and staff costs increase; speaker costs rise as we do provide accommodations as needed as well as provide travel reimbursement. Our goal is always to support historic preservation and educational initiatives with whatever money we retain over expenses. None of our Officers and Board members receive payment other than occasional reimbursement for out of pocket expenses. Most of them donate more than time and energy and do it freely and passionately.
It is not or intent or desire to increase our dues or dinner costs as we wish to encourage membership and we wish to keep our dinner cost affordable. We feel strongly that our members and friends receive excellent value for both items.
We do need your help however. We realize that all of us receive pleas, especially at this time of the year, and we also realize that there are more good causes than any of us as individuals can possibly support.
This plea is definitely a soft sell as we do not wish any of you to feel that there is pressure to make any sort of a donation at this time. It is strictly up to each of you to decide if this is something you wish to do and have the resources to do.
Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. Donations may be tax-deductible as the CWRT is a 501(C)3 -non-profit corporation.
Sincerely,
Barry Arnold and the Officers and Directors of the CWRT of Eastern PA, Inc
Program Coordinator Bob McHugh and December Presenter Jim Duffy, who filled-in at the last minute for Mark Blau
Jim presented research he had completed on the Battle of Monocacy in Maryland.
The Battle of Monocacy (also known as Monocacy Junction) was fought on July 9, 1864, approximately 6 miles from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace.
NPS link to site - click here
Book Raffle Winners in December!
Gettysburg Remembrance Day 2019 was observed on November 23rd. A number of Eastern PA Civil War Round Table Members were present for the event and share these photos. The annual Remembrance Day Parade features Confederate and Union reenactors and living historians to commemorate the creation of the Soldiers National Cemetery, where President Abraham Lincoln famously delivered his Gettysburg Address. The parade route matches part of the route of the procession from Gettysburg to the Cemetery, where burials of Gettysburg dead was still in process.
Our November meeting was a blast with Richard Lewis presentation on Confederate uniforms he calls “Cloaked in Mystery”. His presentation was in pictures of Confederate generals all in the same uniform. The mystery was, how was this possible? It turns out that they were all post war images Also, Mathew Brady took those pictures in his New York Studio. I enjoy it very much and it was very amusing. If you were there, I hope you enjoyed it too. If you were not there, you missed a terrific presentation.
At our next meeting in December we will take a break from the civil war and look into a World War II story. Marc Blau will come to the round table to share stories of letters first published in Homefront, a Bangor magazine sent around the world to keep its sons and daughters connected to their hometowns. So please join me to hear this presentation of a love story between a community and its WWII soldiers.
I have been informed that our annual brush cutting at Gettysburg National Park is on April 18, 2020. Please save this date and come with us for the fun and camaraderie of your fellow Round Table members. Facts in history. ..The real story behind all those Confederate statues.
Most of their monuments were not erected right after the civil war. In fact, all the way to 1890 there were very few monuments dedicated to the Confederate leaders. Most of them were built much later in 1895 to 1915. There was the erection of confederate statues and monuments in large numbers. Also, from 1955 to 1970 southern whites mount violent resistance and started putting up confederate monuments again. Monuments were put up to honor confederate leaders and soldiers. But the timing makes it clear, the real motivate was white terror against blacks. It was to maintain white supremacy in the south. It is that reason the blacks consider these statues as bigotry and terror.
Barry
There are few sites, if any, on the Gettysburg Battlefield that are more recognizable or iconic than the Codori Farm buildings on the Emmitsburg Road. It will be our honor to work there next year. As always, there will be a multitude of tasks such as fence painting, post and rail fence destruction and rebuilding, flat board fence destruction and rebuilding and the never-ending brush cutting. So, whatever your skill level, flexibility level, strength and endurance level there is something for you.
Without volunteers, our friends at Gettysburg National Military will never be able to keep up with all the necessary work to keep this place as it should be kept to honor those who fought and suffered here so long ago. The work never ends even with all the volunteer effort so your contribution is extremely important and necessary.
We’ll begin at 9AM and work til 12:30 or so. Spread the word to family and friends as we will have enough work to keep all busy. We expect our school, community and scout partners to join us as well. Logistical details will be forthcoming as we get closer to the date.
We are also working on a special tour for our volunteers once our work is complete. Stay tuned for details.
The Codori Farm is just south of Gettysburg on the east side of Emmitsburg Road. It was the scene of heavy fighting on July 2nd and was at the center of Pickett’s Charge on July 3rd. General Pickett remained near the farm buildings during the attack. The current farmhouse was there at the time of the battle, although a two story brick addition was added to its rear in 1877. The current barn is a replacement for the original that was torn down in 1882.
The farm was owned by Nicholas Codori, who came to America from Alsace, France, in 1828 at the age of 19. He bought the 273 acre farm in 1854, replacing the original log house with today’s two story frame building. A butcher, Nicholas lived in town at 44 York Street (now the The Brafferton Inn Bed and Breakfast ) and rented the farm to tenants. One of the original parishioners of St. Francis Xavier Church, Nicholas offered his home on York Street for Mass while the church served as a hospital from the time of the battle until January of 1864.
Nicholas died in July of 1878 after a horrific accident with a mowing machine, losing his foot and suffering several other serious cuts. An article from the Gettysburg Times tells how as he was being driven into town to the doctor he remained seated, “saluting with his usual pleasant greeting acquaintances met on the way.”
It is not clear who occupied the farm at the time of the battle. One story is that was Nicholas’ niece, Catharine Codori Staub, and her husband John Staub, who took refuge in the basement during the fighting. According to Jane Riley, who was a toddler at the time of the battle, it was her parents, John and Talitha Reiley.
It was estimated that over 500 Confederate soldiers were buried on the farm after the battle. The farm today is owned by the National Park Service and the farmhouse is a residence for park personnel.
(Farm history taken from stonesentinels.com) gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/battlefield-farms/codori-farm/
Richard Lewis and Program Coordinator Bob McHugh
Another great program as Richard Lewis presented "CLOAKED IN MYSTERY: THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CONFEDERATE COAT" where a wrinkle in a sleeve sent Lewis on a six-year research project that resulted in two articles in Civil War Times magazine and revealed a fascinating surprise.
Lewis is a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, and a graduate of Louisiana State University where he studied Civil War history under Pulitzer Prize-winner Dr. T. Harry Williams. He retired as the Director of Public Relations for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, serves as a volunteer at Richmond National Battlefield Park and is secretary of Civil War Trails, Inc.
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Book raffle winners ~ with proceeds - as always - going to battlefield preservation!
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We had a really good meeting for the October session of the Civil War Round Table. If you miss our meeting please, take time out and join us. You will learn a lot about the civil war and our past. Our speaker was Eric Buckland, a retired LT. COL. Of the U.S. Army. He spoke to us on his book “Mosby’s Leadership”. He explained the life of Col. John S. Mosby from boyhood up to and through the civil war and beyond the war when he died in 1916. In my opinion it was well done and gave me great insight on the man.
Our next meeting is on November 5th, 2019. We will have Richard Lewis, an author and publisher of articles in the Civil War Times and Hallowed Ground magazines. He will speak on “Cloaked in Mystery” The curious case of the confederate coat. I hope to see you all there that night.
I want to bring to your attention information on a news article that was written on the web. In the news article, a Virginia judge blocked the City of Charlottesville’s effort to remove the Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The judge ruled to remove the Statue violated a state law protecting war memorials. In my opinion, removing Confederate statues is erasing history. History is the roadmap to the future. Without history, we are lost.
For all your college football fans that belong to our round table. The Wisconsin Badgers play their home games in Madison at a stadium called Camp Randall, a historic U.S. army site, named after Wisconsin governor, Alexander Randall. He served from 1858 to 1861. It was a training facility of the Union army during the Civil War. More than 70,000 recruits were trained there. The 6th regiment, Wisconsin infantry, was organized there in 1861. The army also established a hospital and a stockade for Confederate prisoners of war who were located at the camp. The 140 prisoners of war who died at the camp are buried at Confederate Rest Cemetery.
Barry
Our conservation work at Gettysburg NMP began in 1991 under the leadership of Mike Snyder who worked with Scott Hartwig to plan our first “Brush Cutting” venture. It wasn’t until 1995 that the Park formally initiated a preservation and conservation program. On November 1, 1995 then, Superintendent John Latschar wrote the following to our Round Table:
“This letter is a long overdue thank you for the hard work and generosity of the Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania in clearing trees and brush at Stewart’s Battery at Gettysburg National Military Park.
The work of volunteer groups like yours is extremely vital to the future of the Gettysburg battlefield. Partly due to your inspirations we are launching a new program on November 18 to ask groups to formally adopt regimental or brigade positions on the battlefield, and to help us with the care and restoration of monuments and the historic surroundings.
The dedication and work of your Roundtable is such an excellent example of group volunteer efforts that we are using it as a success story in our promotional materials. I know we can count on your continued support, and I hope you will consider formally adopting one or more of the positions at Gettysburg National Military Park that you have helped us with so much in the past.”
When the “Adopt a Position” was formally announced later that month we were listed as one of two success stories.” The Civil War Roundtable of Eastern Pennsylvania has donated thousands of hours of labor, clearing overgrown vegetation on the battlefield, including the Wheatfield and the Loop. Currently they are removing the dense, non-historic vegetation in front of the tablet to Battery B, 4th United States Artillery, which played a crucial role in the afternoon fighting on July 1, 1863.”
While we never adopted one place, we did become a “Fire Brigade” and worked with Park officials to labor at different sites all over the battlefield where we were needed most. That work continues today. Over the past number of years, we have partnered with Bob McHugh’s High School students, Jim Duffy’s brother John’s Boy Scout Troop 89, Dave Hunsicker’s Boy Scout Troop 786, members of the Whitehall Historical Society and friends and family of Round Table members to continue that work. Last year some 50 volunteers painted, cut brush or built fences at the Slyder Farm. Most of those volunteers weren’t even born in 1991.
We have a legacy of volunteerism to preserve and protect our historic sites. Be part of that legacy on April 18, 2020. Stay turned for further developments at next year’s site is yet to be determined.
Presenter Eric Buckland (left) with CWRT Program Coordinator Tom McHugh
Historian Eric Buckland, whose years in active duty in Special Operations provided him a unique understanding of Mosby’s Rangers. Buckland shared the leadership qualities and military exploits of Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, whose battalion gained notoriety for raids behind Union lines.
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Book raffle winners ~ with proceeds - as always - going to battlefield preservation!
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