Kristina Heister named Deputy Superintendent of Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS

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News Release Date: April 28, 2020

Contact: Jason Martz

Steven D. Sims has named Kristina Heister as the permanent deputy superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. “I am very honored to welcome Kris as a permanent member of our outstanding team. She is an extremely sharp thinker and will push both parks forward in ways that will be very beneficial to the park and community.” She is currently serving as the acting deputy superintendent and will transition into the position permanently beginning June 7, 2020.

Heister currently serves as the Superintendent of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a unit of the National Park Service that extends 73.4 miles along the Delaware River from Hancock, New York to Port Jervis, New York. 

Heister is familiar with both park units having recently served as the acting superintendent from mid-April to mid-August, 2019 and then as the acting deputy superintendent beginning this past February, 2020. “I have been fortunate to be able to experience the resources, staff, and community of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. The resource and stories here are compelling and enduring, the staff is incredibly dedicated, and the community is friendly and full of people I respect. I feel truly honored to assist with the protection of sites that are so important to the preservation of the United States, telling the American story, and that are loved and treasured by the American people” said Heister.

She began her National Park Service career as a biologist at Valley Forge National Historical Park (NHP) in Pennsylvania. Since then she has served in a variety of natural resource management positions in parks and regions throughout the country, including Appomattox Court House NHP. In her next NPS post, she spent six years with the inventory and monitoring program working collaboratively to design a long-term monitoring program for parks in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. In 2006, she returned to Valley Forge NHP as the chief of natural resources where she led an interdisciplinary effort to develop a highly controversial White-tailed Deer Management Plan and created a complex network of partnerships that integrated work with local non-profit organizations, youth programs, volunteerism, teachers, and students. Heister also served as the Chief of Natural Resources for the Northeast Region between 2012 and 2014, where she led a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts to promote science-based management in parks and increased park involvement in decision-making.

Heister graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in biology from Salisbury State University and received her Master of Science in wildlife and fisheries science in 1995 from The Pennsylvania State University.

Attend a CWRT Congress Lecture via Zoom

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LECTURE SERIES

The CWRT Congress proudly presents a series of Civil War lectures by speakers who were nominated by CWRTs as their 5-Star speakers. These lectures are both entertaining and inspiring.

You must register to attend
To register for a virtual seat, click on a date link below. We will see you in the lecture hall!!

Download INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO USE ZOOM

CLICK THE LINK ON A DATE TO REGISTER FOR THAT EVENT

REACHED SEATING CAPACITY MICHAEL K. SHAFFER - IN MEMORY OF SELF & COMRADES

April 21 @ 1900 EDT JOHN C. FAZIO - THE CONFEDERATE SECRET SERVICE & THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION

APRIL 23 @ 1900 EDT ALEX ROSSINO - SIX DAYS IN SEPTEMBER

APRIL 27 @ 1900 EDT ERIC WITTENBERG - SHERMAN'S CAROLINAS CAMPAIGN

APRIL 29 @ 1900 EDT ED LOWE - LONGSTREET'S EAST TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN

May 5 @ 1900 EDT JAMES KNIGHTS - CANADIANS IN THE CIVIL WAR

May 7 @ 1900 EDT SCOTT MINGUS - FLAMES BEYOND GETTYSBURG

May 11 @ 1900 EDT MICHAEL K. SHAFFER - IN MEMORY OF SELF & COMRADES

May 13 @ 1900 EDT BRUCE MOWDAY - THREE VIEWS OF GETTYSBURG

May 19 @ 1900 EDT JOHN SCALES - DID FORREST MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

May 21 @ 1600 EDT DAVID DIXON - SELF-LIBERATION OR SURVIVAL

May 25 @ 1600 EDT JAN CROON - THE WAR OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

MAY 27 @ 1900 EDT CHERYL RENEE GOOCH - HINSONVILLE'S HEROES

May 28 @ 1900 EDT DAVID DIXON - SELF-LIBERATION OR SURVIVAL

June 2 @ 1900 EDT JOHN SCALES - DID FORREST MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

June 4 @ 1900 EDT JOHN C. FAZIO - FRANCIS & ARABELLA; JOHN & FANNY: LOVE & WAR

WFMZ ~ Photographing Dixie by CWRT board member Frank Whelan

Published on WFMZ.com April 11, 2020
Written by Frank Whelan

https://www.loc.gov/item/2019631470/

https://www.loc.gov/item/2019631470/

Retired Allentown firefighter Ron Ruddell is a man of many interests.

Along with a toy soldier business he operated in Emmaus for many years, he has a passion for Allentown’s streetcars and has written extensively on the subject. Recently, Ruddell has begun to do research on 19th century local photographers.

It was here that he discovered an Allentown-born photographer, Charles Richard Rees (1830-1914), whose pathway in life led him south of the Mason Dixon line to Richmond, Virginia, and to become one of that that city’s leading photographers.

The Civil War is sometimes referred to as the Brothers War because it split families between the blue and the gray. And residents of the same towns found themselves with strong views that were not always shared by the majority in that community, where an accident of birth had placed them.

In the Lehigh Valley, there were many factions within factions. Some supported the war to save the Union but disagreed on the abolition of slavery. Others felt the idea of a war was senseless and to spare deaths "our erroring sisters" should simply be allowed to depart in peace.

Others called this treason to the legacy of the founding fathers and their own grandfathers and great grandfathers who had fought in the Revolution. They felt that traitor Lee and the rebellion should be crashed without mercy.

Allentown roots

Charles Richard Rees did not leave Allentown for Richmond for any political reasons. For he and his brother, Edwin, had been operating a photography business there since the 1850s.

Rees’s family were German immigrants. He was born in Allentown in January 1830. By the 1840s, his family was running a hotel on South Allen Street, later called Seventh Street, according to Ruddell’s research. It was probably one of many places that catered to farmers coming to town to market or to settle a land dispute at the Lehigh County Courthouse.

Ruddell believes that Rees came early to an interest in photography. Created in the late 1830s, it arrived in Allentown by the 1840s. Rees may have been influenced by pioneer Allentown photographer Benjamin Lochman.

Lochman is credited with a photo taken of Allentown’s Center Square following a rare fall snowstorm in October, 1862. Taken from a window and apparently in early morning it shows a fine view of Zion’s Reformed Church and a few businesses, among them Lion Hall, a men’s clothing store that eventually evolved into Leh’s Department store.

Rees must have been a quick study because the year 1850 found the enterprising 20-year-old in Cincinnati, Ohio, working as an apprentice to an unknown photographer. The following year, he moved to Richmond with his younger brother Edwin.

The move to Virginia

There was apparently no reason that is known as to why they selected the Virginia state capitol. But things apparently did not work out business wise. The year 1852 finds the brothers in New York, then the photography capital of America. They took over the photo studio of Harrison and Holmes at 289 Broadway. Being novices at the business, they kept on Silas Holmes to teach them the ins and outs of the business.

Rees decided that a little self-promotion was needed, when a fellow named Matthew Brady was among your competition. Billing himself as “Professor Reese,” he claimed to be a European expert in the fine art of artistic photography with his "German Method of picture taking."

Nor were the newspapers overlooked. Rees took out ads promising faster production of photos. All of this was promised at cheaper prices.

Despite pulling out all the stops, nothing seemed to work. Finally, after two years of trying, they decided to return to Richmond, where their business was finally a success.

Rees recorded his real estate value in 1859 as $10,000. It was also a personal success for Rees, who during those years, married Minerva Jane Beitler, a 19-year-old Ohio woman. They lived at Ashland, a small community 15 miles north of Richmond.

Photographing soldiers 

It is not known for certain what the Rees brothers thought about the prospect of the oncoming war. But they clearly made no plans to leave for Allentown. And besides the war was good for business.

Soldiers, officers and enlisted men flocked to their studio to have their pictures taken before a battle. They produced hundreds of photos that were given to loved ones. For many, they were the only thing they had when their men did not return.

The Rees brothers charged $4 in Confederate money for their work, compared to the $1 other studios charged. Officers could easily afford the fee but for regular soldiers it represented several weeks pay. But Ruddell notes, "The Rees studio, nonetheless, produced a sharper image of high quality Ambrotypes."

Another specialty of the Rees’ brothers was the popular "Carde De Visites" (French for visiting card). The process employed a camera with four lenses. The individual’s image could then be printed on one sheet and cut into four business card sizes. Space was allowed at the bottom for a signature. Ruddell notes that these were popular with politicians at election times.

As the war went on, the firm was confronted with its own set of problems. In 1862, brother Edwin was called into military service. And as the Union naval blockade grew in strength, the supply of photographic chemicals from Europe grew scarce.

Even Northern supply firms which might be willing to sell to the South found themselves surrounded by wartime restrictions. As a result, the number of photographs taken by Confederate photographers of non-portraits are scarce.

One by Rees that Ruddell has found is of Libby Prison, used to house Union POWs. It is unique in that it shows a sailing ship loaded with cargo beside it. Ruddell notes that many sources refer to Libby Prison as being a former tobacco warehouse, when in fact it was the former business site of William Libby and Son, Ship Chandlers or suppliers.

Discovering a photo of General Lee

Perhaps the most interesting photo that Ruddell believes was taken by Rees shows General Robert E. Lee on his horse, Traveler, riding through the streets of Petersburg, Virginia. It was taken in 1864 but was not discovered until the 1970s.

Although Rees is not identified on the photo, Ruddell feels that because he was the only photographer with a portable darkroom and with a studio in Petersburg that it was most probably by him. It is rare, notes Ruddell, because there are no known pictures of Lee on his horse that were taken during the war.

Whoever the photographer was, he captured Lee at a difficult and decisive moment for the Confederacy. In his detailed study of that time, “Richmond Redeemed,” the late Dr. Richard J. Sommers of the Army War College points out how Lee was facing both a shrinking army which fought bravely and skillfully but was hopelessly out-manned and outgunned with the Union Army under Grant holding siege to Petersburg, the gateway to the Confederate capital.

When Richmond fell in 1865, Rees’ studio burned with most of the rest of the city. But he had made enough positive prints which were widely sold to be available when Union forces arrived.

Amid the blackened ruins Rees reopened for business. His brother quarreled with him and they went their separate ways. Edwin died in 1874. Charles Rees died in 1914 and was buried in Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery. His wife and sons continued to run the studio which finally closed in the Great Depression.

Grenade On Display At Gettysburg NMP Destroyed Out Of Caution

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Grenade On Display At Gettysburg National Military Park Destroyed Out Of Caution

National Parks Traveler
By
NPT Staff on March 13th, 2020

Unsure whether the World War II grenade on display at the Gettysburg National Military Park was live or not, park staff removed the weapon and had it destroyed recently.

The grenade had been on display since March 2018 in an exhibit at the park's museum entitled “Eisenhower’s Leadership from Camp Colt to D-Day.”

The grenade in question was a circa 1944 Mark II Fragmentation Grenade with a M10A3 Fuse. This was a common armament that would have been used by U.S. forces during the D-Day assaults on Omaha and Utah Beaches in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, but was not owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower, according to park staff.

Region 1 - North Atlantic-Appalachian Office of the National Park Service is currently compiling information about historic armaments maintained in park museum collections within Northeast United States units. During that survey, Eisenhower National Historical Site staff identified that the grenade in question could not be conclusively proven to be active or inactive and it was properly disposed of on February 28 by certified technicians at an undisclosed location.

POSTPONED - Pulitzer Author Doris Kearns Goodwin's Presentation at DeSales

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World-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin scheduled Lecture for Monday, April 20, at DeSales University has been POSTPONED due to the virus. DeSales is working on rescheduling - possibly in September.

Goodwin is the author of seven critically-acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including her most recent, Leadership in Turbulent Times, which incorporates her five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. She worked with Steven Spielberg on Lincoln, which was based in part on her award-winning Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. She also recently served as executive producer on Washington, a History Channel miniseries that chronicled George Washington’s journey from soldier to statesman.

Established in 1983, the Furphy Lecture Series is named in memory of Fr. Thomas J. Furphy, OSFS, who distinguished himself as a teacher of “National Problems” during his 38-year career in education. The theme of the series is “National and International Problems.”

Reserve your ticket online

Gettysburg National Military Park plans prescribed fires at Little Round Top and Munshower field in late March or April 2020

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Gettysburg, Pa. – Gettysburg National Military Park is preparing to conduct a prescribed fire in late March or April, weather permitting. The park plans to burn portions of the west slope of Little Round Top (52 acres) and the Munshower field (36 acres) immediately north of Little Round Top. Prescribed fire activity will be completed no later than April 30.

The Park’s overall objectives are to maintain the conditions of the battlefield as experienced by the soldiers who fought here; perpetuate the open space character of the landscape; maintain wildlife habitat; control exotic invasive species; reduce shrub and woody species components; and reduce fuels in wooded areas to reduce fire hazard. The park contains over 1,000 acres of open grassland and prescribed fire is a successful tool in managing invasive plants and promoting native species, especially when used in conjunction with other treatments. Several national parks in Pennsylvania and Civil War battlefields regularly utilize prescribed fire, including Valley Forge National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Monocacy National Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, and Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Field and weather conditions will ultimately determine the exact dates and duration of the operation, as we only conduct prescribed fires under specific parameters to ensure public safety. Vehicle traffic in the area may experience delays due to smoke, but fire operations will be scheduled to minimize impacts. Some visitor facilities, trails, and public roads will be temporarily closed during the prescribed fire.  However, the public will be invited to view the fire from designated areas.

Temporary Road Closures

To ensure the safety of all firefighters and park visitors, multiple roads will be closed to all traffic for the day(s) of the prescribed fires and possibly for multiple days after the fires. These will include:

·       South Confederate Ave.
·       Sykes Ave.
·       Warren Ave.
·       Crawford Ave.
·       Wright Ave.
·       Sedgwick Ave.
·       Wheatfield Rd. will be closed to all vehicles from Ayres Ave. to Taneytown Rd.
·       Additional roads and trails may need to close temporarily if smoke conditions reduce visibility to ensure firefighter and public safety
·       See attached map for more details.

Temporary Hiking and Horse Trail Closures
·       All hiking and horse trails to the east of Sykes and Sedgwick Avenues will be closed for visitor and animal safety.
·       The horse trail that runs south of United States Ave. from the Trostle farm to the intersection of United States Ave. and Sedgwick Ave. will also be closed.
·       See attached map for more details.

Viewing Area and Parking for News Media and Public
·       For interviews, coverage, and public viewing of the Little Round Top prescribed fire, the designated area will be on Ayres Avenue. Please park along Ayers Avenue only.
·       See attached map for more details.

Learn More

Learn more about our long-range fire management plan and view photo albums and videos of past prescribed fires on our Prescribed Fire web page at https://go.nps.gov/PrescribedFires.

 

American Battlefield Trust and Gettysburg National Military Park join forces for 5-year initiative, benefiting over 1,000 young leaders

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News Release Date: February 19, 2020

Contact: Barbara Sanders, 717-338-4422
Contact: Mary Koik, 202-367-1861 x7231

In his immortal Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln challenged all Americans to advance the ideals of the Declaration of Independence – “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” In the spirit of Lincoln’s most famous speech, Gettysburg National Military Park created the “Great Task” Youth Leadership Program. Geared for at-risk student and youth organizations, from grade levels 7 to 12, the Great Task offers intensive leadership and character-building experiences that go beyond traditional curriculum-based field trips. By utilizing the battlefield as an outdoor classroom, participants are immersed in the stories of leadership, heroism and civic responsibility embodied by those involved in, and affected by, the battle. 

And thanks to a new partnership with the American Battlefield Trust, and the multi-year financial commitment of the Bowe Stewart Foundation, this already successful and award-winning program will be substantially expanded — virtually, geographically and thematically — between 2020 and 2025. Peter Bowe of the Bowe Stewart Foundation commented that “The mission of these two great organizations is so clear, the opportunity so valuable, and their teams so strong, that we are fortunate to partner with them.”

Garry Adelman, the Trust’s Chief Historian explained, “The education goals of the American Battlefield Trust and the National Park Service at Gettysburg are one and the same: to create model programs for the next generation of leaders to learn directly from America’s battlefields. We are proud to join forces to make that happen for an ever-broadening circle of youth.”

Alongside Park and Trust educators and living historians, youth will explore the 7,000-acre battlefield park, and participate in hands-on learning activities that bring the past to life, while illuminating the possibilities of the future. Expansion plans for the partnership include: a virtual component designed for those who cannot physically make it to Gettysburg, but that will also better prepare those who can; the addition of at-risk youth from Baltimore, Maryland, and Chicago, Illinois, among other key cities and regions; classroom and library materials for participating organizations; and the application of this leadership and service model to other American battlefields. 

“A visit to a historic site can be a life-changing event, and history can do much more than instruct; it can inspire! The Great Task offers young people the chance to get into an outdoor learning environment, where they will be immersed in history and civics, while exploring their roles as leaders in their schools, communities and throughout their lives,” explained Barbara Sanders, education specialist for Gettysburg National Military Park, National Park Service. 

Applications for the program will be accepted through April 30 for one or two-day excursions from July through October, customized to match the mission and objectives of each youth organization. Limited travel and accommodation scholarships will be available through the financial support of the American Battlefield Trust and the Bowe Stewart Foundation. To learn more about these opportunities, group leaders and teachers can email the Education Office at Gettysburg National Military Park at e-mail us or visit the American Battlefield Trust at https://www.battlefields.org/great-task .


About the American Battlefield Trust
The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 52,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War — including 1,183 acres at Gettysburg. Learn more at battlefields.org/great-task.

About Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park preserves, protects and interprets for this and future generations the resources associated with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and their commemorations. Learn more at nps.gov/gett.

About The Bowe Stewart Foundation
The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation funds organizations located primarily in Baltimore and Chicago that share the goal of helping individuals improve their lives and their communities. The Foundation’s primary focus is closing the opportunity gap for the working poor by supporting organizations that emphasize education, training, and work experience, creating opportunities for “earned success.” Learn more at Bowestewartfoundation.com.

89th Annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale including MILITARY HISTORY

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89th Annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale - March 13-17 in Princeton, NJ- including MILITARY HISTORY

The Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale, a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1931 is the oldest and largest sale of its type in the US, renowned for the number, diversity and quality of its used books. This volunteer-run sale raises scholarship funds for young women attending Bryn Mawr and Wellesley Colleges. The Sale also recycles huge numbers of books and provides a place for bibliophiles to purchase good quality publications at reasonable prices.

Our 89th Annual Sale will be held during the period 13-17 March at Princeton Day School, 650 Great Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. Hours of operation and directions can be found at the following link:  bmandwbooks.com Please note that March 13th is a Preview Day, requiring the purchase of a $25 entrance ticket. Admission on all other days is free. 

We expect to bring more than 90,000 books from across 66 diverse categories to this five-day extravaganza, genres ranging from Art, Archaeology and Architecture through Cooking and Food, History, Economics, Mysteries and Novels, Science Fiction, Music, Politics, Science and Mathematics, works for Children of all ages, all forms of Media and books in more than 30 languages and dialects.

We are very pleased to offer a truly impressive selection of works on MILITARY HISTORY: well over 1,800 hardcover and paperback publications covering virtually every aspect of this topic, including popular and scholarly works on single incidents, protracted campaigns and much broader eras in history, as well as tomes on historical personages as diverse as Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Davis, Lincoln, George I, Mary Queen of Scots, Shaka kaSenzangakhona, Peter The Great, Lenin, Genghis Khan, and Bernardo O'Higgins.

By way of example, we have a broad selection of works on the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War, including books on early American settlements, the development of government, interactions with native peoples, the role of slavery, early agriculture and the rise of trade, religion, industry and manufacturing. We have tomes covering topics ranging from the Genesis of these conflicts through politics, policy, reconstruction, strategy, armaments, tactics, uniforms, food and cooking, tools, logistics, period furniture, and clothing. and many works on military battles, including Lexington, Concord, Quebec and Yorktown. We have books on the battles of First Bull Run, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, The Wilderness, Antietam, the Petersburg Campaign, and Cold Harbor and multiple tomes on the Union and Confederate navies from authors as diverse as Adams, Carrington, Mitchell and Ward to Lincoln, Davis, Swinton, Cozzins, McPherson and Freeman. 

In addition, we have works of certain interest on the American West, native American tribes, the Spanish-American War, the Great War, WW II, Korea, Vietnam and  the Middle East, books on global and regional conflicts from Greco-Roman times, the Dark / Middle Ages, the Crusades and on, through works on weaponry, spycraft, codes and code breakers, the Long March and the history of weapons and armor. Plus, we have just over 7.000 works on British History, Continental History, US History, World History and Historical Fiction.

We invite you to attend and ask that you please let others know about this important opportunity.

Lincoln Lecture at Heritage Museum on Sat Feb 8 at 1pm

Saturday, February 8, 1:00 p.m
Abraham Lincoln Birthday Celebration
Featuring noted Lincoln Scholar Professor Matthew Pinsker
Speaking on “Lincoln's Greatest Moment: Aug 23, 1864”

Leading Lincoln scholar Dr. Matthew Pinsker will explore Abraham Lincoln’s famous 1864 “Blind Memorandum.”

Come celebrate Lincoln’s birthday with a taste of his favorite cake and learn more about one of the most mysterious documents written by Lincoln.

FREE to members; non-members $8 adults, $3 children. 

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut St.
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610 435-1074

“The Ridley/Fox Shooting and Aftermath: An American Tragedy”- Feb 23 at LaMott

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Presentation: “The Ridley/Fox Shooting and Aftermath: An American Tragedy”

Info by USCT.org

Presented by Dr.Thomas Wieckowski: Author, historian, educator

This unfortunate incident at Camp William Penn not only resulted in the death of a local resident, but altered the life of Private Ridley and affected the lives of the Fox family for generations.

This presentation will review current research on the circumstances of the shooting and the devastating impact on Ridley and the extended Fox family of La Mott.

Joe Becton, Antoine Watts and Crystal Kemp, musicians and USCT re-enactors, will bring Civil War era music.

Kerry Bryan in attendance as Lucretia Mott.

Sunday, February 23, 2020
3:00 PM
La Mott Community Center
7420 Sycamore Ave.
La Mott, PA 19027