Case Shot & Canister 1BA Publication of the Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table

Partners with Manor College and the Civil War Institute

Our 25th Year!!

June 2017 4BVolume 27 5BNumber 6

Editor Patricia Caldwell Contributors Hugh Boyle, Book Nook Editor Rose Boyle Matt Bruce Nancy Caldwell, Artistic Advisor Jerry Carrier Jack DeLong Paula Gidjunis Ed Greenawald Carol Ingald Bernice Kaplan Ann Kauffman Walt Lafty, “Snapshots” Editor Jim Mundy Jane Peters Estes Bob Russo

Larry Vogel Andy Waskie Original Photos Patricia Caldwell (unless otherwise noted)

Officers President Hugh Boyle Vice President Jerry Carrier Treasurer Herb Kaufman Secretary Patricia Caldwell e-mail:HUpabc0808@aol.com U

phone: (215)638-4244 website: HUwww.dvcwrt.orgU

Umailing addresses: 2601 Bonnie Lane Huntingdon Valley PA 19006 3201 Longshore Avenue Philadelphia PA 19149-2025

Capture of Fort Fisher, L. Prang & Co. circa 1887

Our June Meeting

“The Battle of Fort Fisher”

Presenter: Member Paula Gidjunis

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

7:30 pm

6:15 pm for dinner

(all welcome – but reservation needed!)

Radisson Hotel

Route 1 @ Old Lincoln Highway

Trevose, PA

Dinner Menu – Pecan Crusted Chicken. Served with salad,

rolls/butter, iced tea, diet soda, coffee, dessert.

Substitute: Pasta (chef’s selection).

Contact Rose Boyle at roeb501@verizon.net or 215-638-4244 for

dinner reservations by June 15. Dinner Price $26.00

You are responsible for dinners not cancelled

by Monday morning June 19.

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In This Issue

Bernice Kaplan happened on a very interesting member to interview for this month’s Snapshot Preservation News from Paula Gidjunis Larry Vogel recaps an amazing and emotional May meeting In “The Book Nook” Hugh Boyle relates a special Gettysburg visit, and shares a review of an unusual little book deemed a “curious and fascinating story” Debut of a new feature – “From Under Lincoln’s Hat” – authored by whom else but Hugh Boyle Bernice Kaplan discovers Fort Clinch Hugh Boyle chronicles a forgotten incident in the search for John Wilkes Booth Our Summer schedule at the Civil War Institute Larry Vogel gives us another interesting “Rest of the Story” Walt Lafty recently attended a military reunion with an unexpected Civil War twist Matt Bruce shares an exciting little-known anecdote involving a military hero

“Gibraltar of the South”

Fort Fisher was the last

stronghold against the Union

blockade. In late 1864 and

early 1865, the Union

attempted to close the Port of

Wilmington, N.C. for good.

This presentation will discuss

the importance of

Wilmington and Fort Fisher

to the South and the personalities and their actions that

led to the fall of the “Gibraltar of the South”.

I’m sure our own Paula Gidjunis needs no introduction.

Besides serving on the board of the CWRT and chairing

the Preservation Committee, Paula has taught

undergrads at Manor College, and is an instructor at the

Civil War Institute. She is a well-known and respected

member of the local Civil War community, and has

often spoken to schools and historical societies. Paula is

a retired middle school Social Studies teacher and

currently works as a bookkeeper for JPG Photography.

Paula’s interests include, but are not limited to, the

Historical Society of Montgomery County, the 128th

PA

infantry, the USCTs, civilians and women in the Civil

War. She has a B.A. in History/Education, a certificate

in Historical Preservation, an M.B.A. and an M. A. in

History.

Manor Day on May 20th was another success. The presentation was great, the speakers were great, and again the Round Table had a very successful day in book sales. Seminars such as the ones we put on at Manor College are very important to the education about the Civil War. A good question is “Where else can you receive that kind of information from experts at such a low cost?” The answer is easy – “NOWHERE!” Education has been part of the Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table for the entire 25 years of our life. That commitment will never change. The seminars, the Civil War Institute and our monthly presentations are all part of this ongoing educational process. It is so exciting to be part of that process. Now we have expanded that process to education about World War II. So, let’s keep it going, keep it growing and keep coming up with new topics and classes. We are on a good roll, and so, let’s enjoy the ride.

See you at the meeting!

Hugh Boyle

President

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“On the Water in the Civil War”

1 – Who was Lincoln’s choice for Secretary of the Navy? 2 – Who won the first battle of the ironclads? 3 – What was the name of the famous Philadelphia Shipyard?

(Answers in next month’s newsletter!)

ANSWERS TO MAY TRIVIA

1 – Where was the Ironclad C.S.S. Virginia built? – Norfolk Navy Yard 2 – Who led the capture of New Orleans? – David Glasgow Farragut 3 – At what battle was Daniel Webster’s son Col. Fletcher Webster mortally wounded? – 2

nd Bull

Run

Congrats to our May book raffle winners – our

winners this month included a number of our

guests and visitors – Fred Rosso (dinner book),

John Hartner, Paula Gidjunis, and visitors Gerry

Hughes and Jim McLaughlin.

Our Preservation Committee conducted a special

fund-raising raffle that included books, spirits,

and memorabilia. Our winners were Judy Folan,

Pat Rosso, Herb Kaufman, Zack Margolies,

Sheryl Weiner, Dick Simpson, Fred Rosso, and

visitors Neil Ginsburg and Barbara Ginsburg.

Special thanks to Bill and Debbie Holdsworth who

kindly escorted a special guest to our meeting –

Carl DeHaven, WWII veteran and survivor of Iwo

Jima. We were truly honored to have Mr.

DeHaven join us. Read more about this special

guest in Larry Vogel’s recap of our meeting.

Many of our members are aware that Jack and

Dor DeLong are avid Corvette aficionados. Jack

reports on a recent trip with the National

Corvette Museum (NCM) centered on NASCAR in

the Charlotte, NC area. “We were allowed to tour five well known Raceshops, much behind the scenes since we were with the NCM (that does open doors), and two unbelievable private car collections. Best of all, we were allowed on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 miles banked tri-oval for good afternoon of fun held in check by an official pace car, but it got lively.”

Jack waves from driver’s seat of his prized corvette

THANK YOU!

In response to our get well wishes in the May

issue of CS&C, Jim Mundy sent the following

communication:

Hello, Pat! Thanks, as always, for sending me the e-copy of Case Shot and Canister. I always enjoy reading it. When going through this issue I came across a sidebar with the concern and well wishes of the Round Table for my recovery from a heart attack. I was absolutely surprised, and then humbled and thankful to know that all of my colleagues, friends, and acquaintances at Del Val were sending me their best wishes. Please let everyone know (and especially Mr. Boyle who I am sure let the cat out of the bag!) how appreciative I am. I now feel a whole better! We’re all thrilled to hear that Jim is doing well and on the road to recovery!

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JULY 18, 2017

Book Discussion Night

Topic to be Determined

AUGUST 15, 2017

Member Walt Lafty

“Walt Whitman: The Civil

War’s Poet Patriot”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

NOTE CHANGE IN PROGRAM

Member & Author Mike Burkhimer

“Lee, The General: A Defense?

OCTOBER 17, 2017

NOTE CHANGE IN PROGRAM

Member Herb Kaufman

“The Music that Got Us

Through WWII”

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

Annual Awards Evening

Historian/Musician Charlie Zahm

“The Musical History of

the Irish Brigade”

DECEMBER 12, 2017

Annual Holiday Dinner

Austrian Village

FLAG DAY - JUNE 14

REMEMBER TO FLY

“OLD GLORY”

A Few Words from Our May Presenter, Bob Russo

Please permit me a brief moment to extend my sincere THANKS for the opportunity to talk about Arlington National Cemetery at Delaware Valley CWRT last evening. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for me and a great honor to talk about Arlington at this time of year. To have an Iwo Jima veteran in the audience certainly added a sense of importance for me I have sat in Manor classes and in a few DV meetings over the last couple years and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent at both. You folks set a very high bar for quality but you do it with a great sense of camaraderie within the group. That's pretty special and makes you unique. There are some great historians and a lot of knowledge in the Round Table. I sincerely thank you for the great opportunity to speak and I hope the evening was enjoyable for the members.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Member contributions to this newsletter

are always welcome and encouraged.

Please submit book reviews, short articles, informative pieces,

newsy items and opinion pieces to the Editor.

Book reviews and short articles of

600-800 words are especially desired. First-time authors encouraged!!!

Please send as a Word document to

Pabc0808@aol.com

Thank you!

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MEMBERS' SNAPSHOTS by Bernice Kaplan

Our insightful Patrick Corey was born and raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. His four step sisters and 3 step brothers are deceased. Pat attended one year at North Catholic High and then transferred to Cardinal Dougherty High School to be part of their first graduating class in 1959. According to Pat, after graduation he traveled on "Uncle Sam's dime" to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, to California, and then on to Korea during his three year enlistment. Pat has a business degree from Temple University. He served 25 years with the Philadelphia Police Department and 15 years in the financial world working for two credit unions. In addition he has attended many courses involving FBI training, criminal law, public law, and he has been a certified Hunter Trapper Education Officer the past 18 years for the Pennsylvania Game Commission as well as a certified archery instructor for them. Presently "retired", Pat and his wife Delores live in Philadelphia. They have three married adult children and two grandchildren. In the early 1990s Pat became hooked on the Civil War after a friend invited him to attend a presentation on the Irish Brigade at the Bucks County Civil War Round Table in Doylestown. Not long afterwards he met our Hugh Boyle and luckily for us, Pat joined Del Val, which Pat regards very highly. Pat and Delores have traveled to all of the battlefields as well as other Civil War sites on the East Coast. His favorite battlefields are Antietam and Fredericksburg. Andersonville Prison and Chimborazo Hospital in the Richmond National Battlefield Park made a profound impression on Pat. Foreign travels include 4 visits to Ireland. Aside from the above-mentioned activities, Pat is actively involved with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic-based fraternal men's group, having been the past president of the Philadelphia chapter. He is vice president of LOSH (League of Sacred Heart) - Retired Police, Fireman and Prison Guard Association, an active member of American Legion Post 819 in Bustleton, and he participates in two Bible study groups. Pat is keen on genealogy, to say the least. He is the current president of the John McDevitt genealogy group at the Irish Center in Philadelphia as well as a member of the Genealogy Society of Pennsylvania. He is presently assisting a historical research group from London investigating the Cadwalader family in Philadelphia. The Cadwalader tomb, close to Benjamin Franklin, is in Christ Church cemetery. Moreover, Pat is currently researching the 57 Irish immigrant workers who died in August 1832 of cholera at Duffy's Cut in Malvern. This study (the Duffy's Cut Project) is being conducted by Professor William E. Watson and associates at Immaculata University in Malvern. Pat will be pleased how much he was really appreciated during the 2011 Dubliners discussions. Initially, I had misplaced my notes (did find them later), and I couldn't remember what year we had it. In a panic, I contacted Keith, the librarian at NE Regional Library who facilitated the discussions. He sent me an email stating: "I'm afraid I have little memory of the series, aside from Pat being there...and there was a nice attendance. I can't even remember except for Patrick who else was in the room." Kudos to Pat for the impact you made not only in 2011 but always.

It was 86 degrees on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 when a group of about 20 people met at the Northeast Regional Library at 3pm to participate in the first of five weekly discussions of James Joyce's DUBLINERS, a collection of his short stories. Among the members of the group was a tall, white-haired, distinguished looking gentleman. As it turns out, his name was Patrick Corey. During the five sessions, Pat was one of the most active participants in the group. His Irish perspective enabled him to offer astute comments and helped us navigate through the 15 rather complex short stories. I didn't realize that Pat was a Del Val member until half-way through our book sessions when on Tuesday evening August 16, I saw him at the meeting. Since I was a relatively new member at that time I was still unfamiliar with many of our members. What a great coincidence meeting him at the James Joyce book session and then at Del Val!

Currently Ongoing through 2017 – Exhibit: The First Among Equals: MOLLUS, Its Collection and the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. Gettysburg Foundation and Gettysburg National Military Park – This

Exhibit Spotlight features artifacts originally donated in large part by veterans, families and prominent citizens to the PA Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), the nation’s first veterans’ organization, and originally housed in the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. Free and open to the public, the exhibit runs through 2017. For info http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/news/view/341.

June 10, 2017 – Saturday – 11:00 am (parade), 1:00 pm (ceremony) – Separation Day Parade and Headstone Dedication for Member of 3rd USCTs – Mt. Salem United Methodist Church, 140 East 4

th Street, New Castle,

Delaware – Additional events for children. http://newcastlecity.delaware.gov/separation-day/ June 13, 2017 – Tuesday – 7:00 pm – “Philadelphia: The World War I Years” Old York Road Genealogical Society Meeting – Abington Free Library, 1030 Old York Road, Abington, PA. Lower level community room. Speaker Peter Williams, Philadelphia native and author will reprise presentation previously given at WWI Symposium at West Laurel Hill in April. Free and open to the public. Need not be a member of the Society to attend. On-site parking. Fully accessible.

June 16-18, 2017 – Friday through Sunday – Civil War Days in Harrisburg, National Civil War Museum – Community-wide series of events aimed to present and preserve Harrisburg's rich Civil War heritage and history – Begins with 8:30 am (Friday) breakfast with Frederick Douglass. Presentations, tours, living history. Weekend concludes with Sunday afternoon bus tour to Lincoln Cemetery in Penbrook and gravesite rededication. All events are open to the public and many are free. All tickets must be purchased on-line in advance. Full details of all the events of the weekend can be found at http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/event/civil-war-days-in-harrisburg/

June 17, 2017 – Saturday – 1:00 to 3:00 pm – “The Role of the PA Militia in the American Revolution” – David Library of the American Revolution. River Road just north of Washington

Crossing. Quarterly Meeting of the Washington Crossing American Revolution Round Table. Presentation by DelVal member Ed Greenawald. The focus will be on the changing provincial militia forces and the essential duties they provided during the middle years of the Revolution when that war was centered in the middle colonies. June 25, 2017 – Sunday – 1:00 to 4:00 pm – “Vintage Base Ball at Its Best” – Pennypacker Mills – 5 Haldeman Road, Schwenksville, PA. The Philadelphia Athletics vs The Fair Play BBC of Talbot, Maryland. Kids can play Town Ball after the game. Free admission and parking. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Food vendor on site.

September 23-24, 2017 – Saturday & Sunday – Starr Tours with Jane Peters Estes – “Civil War Trails” The War Came by Train” – Itinerary includes B&O Railroad Station Museum (known as the oldest railroad station in America) in Ellicott City, MD, free time in historic Ellicott City for lunch; B&O RR (nicknamed Mr. Lincoln's Railroad because of its importance to the Northern war effort), dinner at the Pratt Street Ale House, overnight accommodations at the Days Inn Baltimore Inner Harbor, guided tour of Baltimore (highlighting its Civil War History) which includes President Street Station, the USS Constellation and Fort McHenry. Tour will be repeated November 4-5, 2017.

By Paula Gidjunis, Preservation Committee Chair

GETTYSBURG CLEANUP Not to be deterred by a 3-day rainout, nine RT members changed their plans and headed out to Gettysburg on May 21st. We spruced our Adopt-A-Position and got it ready for the 2017 season. Thanks to Matt Bruce, Judy Folan, Carol Ingald, John Shivo, Dick Simpson, and Mary Jo, Billy and Tom Donnelly.

THE GEORGE SPANGLER FARM On June 9th the George Spangler Farm Civil War Field Hospital will open to visitors for the season. The 80 acre site at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road in

Gettysburg served as a Union field hospital during the battle. The site is open Friday through Sunday, 10 AM to 3:30 PM. For additional information: http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/138/plan-your-visit

PHILADELPHIA NATIONAL CEMETERY A few months ago I wrote asking folks to write to Gregory Whitney at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery to support the placing of a storyboard honoring the over 1,000 black Civil War soldiers and sailors buried in the Philadelphia National Cemetery. Recently there was an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the work to make this happen. This will provide information on how this project is moving forward. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/A-cemetery-and-its-history-hidden-in-plain-sight.html

ADDENDUN ON AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM I failed to mention in my report last month that it is highly recommended that you purchase time tickets online prior to your visit to the museum. In addition, while non-flash photography is still allowed in the museum, it is no longer permitted in the theater where Washington’s tent resides. Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, students and active military with ID $17, Youth 6-18 $12, 5 and under free. http://www.amrevmuseum.org/visit

A Very Special Presentation with an Extra Special Guest

By Larry Vogel

A very nice crowd showed up for the May Meeting

of the Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table, with

many new faces in the crowd. I am pretty sure

everybody was there to see and hear our

presenter (Del Val Member) Bob Russo speak on

Arlington National Cemetery, a “Garden of Stone”.

Before Bob’s presentation President Hugh Boyle

thanked all who helped or bought a book at last

month’s Neshaminy Reenactment. The Del Val book

sellers broke a record by selling over $1,500

worth of books and other miscellaneous items.

Hugh also introduced a very special guest, Carl

DeHaven (seated

right), a veteran and

survivor of the

Battle of Iwo Jima

during WW2. Carl

was a guest of Bill

Holdsworth (left).

To read more on

both of them and

Iwo Jima…see Case Shot & Canister issues of March and April 2016.

In the March issue there is a photograph of Bill

and Carl (and Steve Wright) at Mount Suribachi

on Iwo Jima, during a recent anniversary visit,

which Steve and Bill talked about at the March

meeting.

At the end of the meeting Carl gave us a surprise,

but that is the rest of the story……at the end of

this article.

Bob then started his presentation asking who has

visited Arlington National Cemetery, and a slew of

hands were raised. Bob then gave us a history of

the land that the cemetery was ultimately built on

and an extensive family tree of George

Washington.

George Washington, the “Father” of our country,

ironically Bob said, was not an actual father to any

of his own biological children. He did, however,

adopt not only his wife Martha’s children, but also

her grandchildren. So it turns out George was

both “father and grandfather” to George

Washington Parke Custis, who was 18 when his

father/grandfather died.

In 1802, with money and land inherited from his

real father, George Washington Parke Custis set

about building a shrine to his grandfather which

took over 18 years to build and ultimately would be

8

called Arlington House. The house sat high on a hill

overlooking the Potomac River and Washington DC.

Custis’ daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis, along

with her husband US Army officer Robert E. Lee,

would end up inheriting the house and property.

Bob Russo shares the history of Arlington

Cemetery

Shortly after Virginia seceded from the union,

Robert E. Lee resigned his commission and went

with his native state Virginia, and less than two

months later General Irvin McDowell occupied

Arlington House and the property.

In spring of 1864, the country was in need of

places to bury the war dead. Quartermaster

Montgomery Meigs, for a variety of reasons,

mostly vindictive, decided to start burying dead

soldiers on Robert E. Lee’s property. The first

burial was William Henry Chrisman on May 13,

1864 even though official authorization to bury

bodies was not granted until June 15, 1864.

As a further indignity, in addition to burying dead

bodies on the property the government used a

portion of the land as a settlement for freed

slaves, giving the name of "Freedmen's Village" to

the land.

In 1874, Robert E. Lee’s grandson, Custis, sued

the government to get the land back. In 1882 the

Supreme Court awarded the estate back to the

Lee family, but by that time there were thousands

of bodies buried on the property, so Custis Lee

sold the property back to the government for

$150,000. In another irony of life, as Secretary

of War at the time, Robert Lincoln, son of

Abraham, presented the check to Custis.

Bob then gave us an extensive list and stories

about the memorials and graves, including but not

limited to boxer Joe Louis, various astronauts, and

President John F. Kennedy and his brothers. It is

Bob’s opinion that the burial place and eternal

flame at JFK’s memorial changed Arlington from a

plain cemetery into a tourist or visitor destination.

Bob also talked extensively about the Tomb of the

Unknown Soldier and the ceremony of the

Changing of the Guard. I have witnessed the

Changing of the Guard myself, and witnessing this

should be on everybody’s bucket list.

Bob then discussed “Section 60” which was very

emotional for him. Section 60 is where new burials

of soldiers occur for military personnel killed since

2001 during the global war on terrorism.

So with over 400,000 graves and many memorials

to discuss, Bob did a great job in just about an

hour telling us about the Garden of Stone.

Carl DeHaven with a very moving performance

And now for the Rest of The Story (oops, wrong

article!), after the presentation, Bill Holdsworth

said that Carl DeHaven wanted to serenade us.

Carl got up and with harmonica in hand proceeded

to play the four theme songs of each service,

Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines. Ever humble

Carl apologized for not knowing the theme song

for the Coast Guard. His performance was great

and a highlight of an already great evening.

The

Book

UNook

By Hugh Boyle, Book Editor

A Trip to Gettysburg

A few weeks ago, my wife and I had a chance to take

our grandchildren to Gettysburg. It was a wonderful weekend, and to say that the kids enjoyed it would be

an understatement. They were involved with

questions and observations. My son and daughter-in-

law were equally excited. It made me remember when I first started to go to Gettysburg and the

eagerness I had to know more about what happened

there. Just like my early days at Gettysburg, my grandchildren and son and daughter-in-law were

eager to know more. There is so much satisfaction to

introduce others to the importance of that battle, to suggest books to read and to sense their enthusiasm

to go out to read and know more. It brings back those

memories of first reading Killer Angels, High Tide at

Gettysburg and many more. So, there can be no end to offering a new generation to the education about

the Civil War. I look forward to more battlefields

with my grandchildren and, of course, introducing them to our greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. The

summer is here – take someone on a trip!

Happy Traveling and Reading!

OUR JULY BOOK DISCUSSION NIGHT SELECTION

Available in various formats and from various publishers – new and

used – at reasonable prices.

Andersonville to Tahiti – The

Dorence Atwater Story By Thomas P. Lowry

Reviewed by Hugh Boyle,

Book Nook Editor

Noted author and historian

Thomas P. Lowry, who

has authored many books

with subjects from Court

Martials to Sex in the

Civil War, has authored a

book, this time with a

different twist. He has

written a curious and

fascinating story of

Dorence Atwater

(pictured below). The

story of Atwater’s journey

through life is one with

twists, turns, and ups and

downs, and goes from the

horrors of the infamous

Andersonville Civil War

prison to the grandeur and

paradise of the island of

Tahiti. Lowry highlights this

neglected life whose special

gift of penmanship brought him fame, then a prison

term, and then becoming the counsel to Tahiti. All

this, and then marrying a Tahitian princess. And he

even made a fortune as a farmer in Tahiti. This is a

story made for Hollywood. If the story was not true

it would have had to be a special novel. The story

goes on after Atwater’s death in 1910. His

Polynesian wife had to fight the U.S. Government

for his pension. Lowry studied and researched

Atwater’s Andersonville days and those wonder

years in Tahiti. Lowry’s book is a short good read.

It is a story of hardship, and yet success. BookSurge Publishing; 2008; 130 pp; retail $14.99;

available online new & used in paperback from

$10.00

10

From Under

Lincoln’s Hat By Hugh Boyle

Abraham Lincoln carried with him a

traveling office. It was with him at all times. A

place to file his papers, keep a record of what he

said and what he had to do, a place where he

could store all this information and papers. It

was on his head – yes, it was his hat – tall and

spacious and at his fingertips whenever needed.

In this new feature in this journal of the

Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table we will

bring you the kind of things he put in that hat.

His information and, of course, some of those

Lincoln stories.

This is Abraham Lincoln’s hat as it is displayed

at the National Museum of American History,

and it is the hat he wore on April 14th, 1865, the

night he was assassinated. At six feet four inches

tall, Lincoln towered over most of his

contemporaries. He chose to stand out even more

by wearing high top hats. He acquired this hat

from J. Y. Davis, a Washington hat maker.

Lincoln had the black silk mourning band (see

red arrow) added in remembrance of his son

Willie. No one knows when he obtained the hat,

or how often he wore it, but we do know that it

was important to Abe.

More “From Under Lincoln’s Hat” next

month.

"NOT YOUR TYPICAL ISLAND GETAWAY"

By Bernice Kaplan

While I was reading a recent edition of Metro (newspaper), an article entitled "Not your typical island getaway" caught my eye, mainly because it mentioned St. John, one of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, a place where dear friends of mine frequent every year. At first glance, however, I really didn't seem interested because I have never been to any of the islands mentioned and will probably never visit them. Nevertheless, I decided to continue reading. Lo and behold, the words Civil War came at me like a bolt out of the blue. Before I go on, I should add that the information about the seven islands was provided by Fodor's Travel. In addition to St. John, the other "getaways" listed were Hilton Head Island (South Carolina), Catalina Island (California), St. Padre Island (Texas), Dauphin Island (Alabama), Key West (Florida) and then, drum roll - Amelia Island, located on Florida's northwest coast 30 miles from Jacksonville. Amelia Island is named for Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II. The Princess's greatest legacy is having Amelia Island named for her. The island has a history of Spanish, French, British and American rule. Located in Amelia Island is Fort

Clinch. The United States began construction of the fort in 1847 after the end of the Second Seminole War. A pentagonal brick fort with both inner and

outer walls, it was named in honor of General

Duncan Lamont Clinch (pictured) after his death in 1849. General Clinch fought in the War of 1812 and was a prominent figure in the First and Second Seminole Wars.

When Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, Fort Clinch was far from complete. Captain William H. C. Whiting (pictured), who was the engineering officer in charge of its construction, thought it was "absurd" for the fort to be used for either defense or offense. Nevertheless, it was used. On February 24, 1862, General Robert E. Lee, who was then commanding the costal defenses in Florida and Georgia, ordered the troops and guns withdrawn from the island. Lee needed his troops elsewhere. Its recapture by Federal troops on March 4, 1862 gave the Union control of the adjacent Georgia and Florida coasts. Work continued on the fort throughout the rest of the war, but it was never completed as planned. Guns at Fort Clinch never fired a shot in combat during the Civil War. During the Spanish American War in 1898, the fort was occupied again for a brief time, but it was abandoned until the Civilian Conservation Corps restored it in the 1930s. Fort Clinch became Fort Clinch State Park, but at the outset of World War II it was closed to the public and was used by the military as a communications center.

Today the Fort is open to the public 365 days a year from 9am - 5pm. Since Fort Clinch has never seen battle, the intact brick building is one of the best preserved forts of the Civil War era. Visitors can wander through the many rooms, galleries and grounds of the fort and learn how the soldiers lived and worked each day. Park Staff offer "living history interpretations of the life of a Union

solider, a 1st New York Volunteer Engineer, who garrisoned the fort during the Civil War." On the first Saturday and Sunday of each month, re-enactors portray life inside the fort as it was in 1864, demonstrating skills such as carpentry, masonry, cooking, and blacksmithing. There will be small arms demonstrations and cannon firing as well as interpreting the use of many of the buildings such as the quartermaster, infirmary and jailhouse. For a complete list of schedules and events, visit their website www.floridastateparks.org/park/fort-clinch. There is an additional $2.00/person Fort Entry Fee in addition to the regular park admission. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9am-4:30 pm. The address is Fort Clinch State Park, 2601 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, ph # 904-277-7274. Call or check the website for all fees, directions and other information.

www.floridahouseinn.com

While you are in the area, you

can stop by the beautiful Florida House Inn, built as a boarding house in 1857 by David Yulee, who the neighboring town of Yulee is named after. Yulee was the

first Jewish member of the U.S. Senate. He also served in the

Confederate Congress at the outbreak of the War. Ironically, the Florida House was used to house Union soldiers during the war. U.S. Grant visited and stayed at the inn and his name is on their guest list.

12

Two Ships That Did Not Pass in the Night

By Hugh Boyle After John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham

Lincoln he escaped through the Maryland countryside with accomplice David Herold.

The pair spent several days hiding in the woods until Thomas Jones provided them with a boat to cross the river. A dangerous

trip because the river was patrolled by gun boats and others in an effort to catch them if they attempted to cross. Booth and Herold

did manage to cross the river in safety, but some of those pursuing them were not so fortunate.

Booth and Herold crossing the Potomac

There were two ships involved in the tragic events of April 23-24, 1865, the USS

Massachusetts and the Black Diamond. The Massachusetts was a steam ship built in Boston in 1860. Approximately 400 former

Union prisoners of war were crowded onto the Massachusetts, which was moored in the Potomac River at Alexandria on Sunday, April

23, 1865. The men were heading that evening to Norfolk where they were to be deployed for further military duty in North Carolina.

Onboard the ship were veterans from New York, Maine, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

The Black Diamond was an iron hull steam propeller canal boat (or barge) built in 1842.

Before bring chartered by the Quartermaster Corps during the war, the Black Diamond’s normal duties were transporting coal between

Washington, D.C. and Alexandria. The crew of 20 consisted of men from the Alexandria fire department who had been assigned picket

duty on the Potomac to help search for Booth and Herold.

On this moonless night the Black Diamond was at anchor near St. Clement’s Island (pictured below) in the Potomac, and

somehow wasn’t seen by the Massachusetts. At about 10 o’clock the Massachusetts with

its 400 passengers collided with the Black Diamond and its crew of twenty.

As a result of the collision, the Black Diamond

quickly sank. It has been estimated that some 87 people died in the accident, many bodies washing up on the shore of St. Clement’s

Island. Four of the dead were firemen from the Black Diamond, the remainder were

soldiers from the Massachusetts. On this night both ships were traveling on a

river in the dark, a river filled with ships looking for John Wilkes Booth. In the dead of night these two ships collided, causing the

death of four shipmates from one and 83 from another. A case of collateral damage and a case of innocent lives lost and shattered as a

result of the Lincoln assassination – the Forgotten Tragedy on the Potomac.

The four firemen from the Black Diamond were

buried with honors in Alexandria

[Editor’s Note – for more info on this tragedy - https://boothiebarn.com/2014/07/20/st-

clements-island-and-the-forgotten-tragedy-on-the-potomac]

Civil War Institute Our Civil War Institute at Manor College class format allows a greater variety of choices for students who in the past have found it difficult to attend 3-week or 6-week courses. Semesters now include multiple-week courses, 2-week courses and 1-night seminars. Classes may be taken as part of the certificate program or individually. Completion of four core courses, and any 12 nights of electives (any combination of length) will now be required to receive the certificate. Our core courses have been reduced from six weeks to four weeks each. This will allow a student to earn a certificate after attending 56 hours of instruction (32 hours of core courses plus 24 hours of electives), instead of an average of 72 hours of instruction. Manor College is located at 700 Fox Chase Road in Jenkintown, PA. You may call (215) 884-2218 to register or for an application for the certificate program, or online http://manor.edu/academics/adult-continuing-education/civil-war-institute/ Class hours are 6:30 till 8:30 pm. * Indicates Core Course

** Indicates Elective Course/Seminar SUMMER 2017 The Institute will offer six one-night seminars over the summer, including one WWII-themed. **Defining Moments of the Lincoln Presidency – 2 hrs – Abraham Lincoln once said, “I did not influence events, but I am influenced by them. Those events were special moments that altered the Civil War era. This class will examine those moments and the effect Lincoln's decisions had on the war and the future of America. Instructor: Hugh Boyle Fee: $30 Wednesday, June 14 ** “No Turning Back”: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Grant – 2 hrs – Ulysses S. Grant has been celebrated as a general, underrated as a president, and overstated as a drunkard. This class explores his

early life, seen as years of failure; his war years, when he led the Union to victory; his presidency, whose successes are only now being recognized; and his brilliant memoirs, written as he was dying an agonizing death. Instructor: Jerry Carrier Fee: $30 Monday, June 26 **Desperate Measures: Unusual Incidents and Strange Adventures in the Civil War – 2 hrs – “Strange but true.” This saying was never more relevant than in describing many of the bizarre occurrences of the Civil War. This program presents many of the controversial personalities and strange, unusual incidents that occurred during the war. Instructor: Herb Kaufman Fee: $30 Wednesday, July 12 **Meagher of the Sword – His Fight to Defend Two Flags – 2 hrs – Thomas Francis Meagher lived an eventful life on three continents: in the Young Ireland Movement and the Irish Rebellion of 1848; his trial and exile to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania); and his escape to America, where he fought for both the Union and the Irish cause by recruiting and leading the famed Irish Brigade. His postwar life ended in Montana Territory, where he was secretary and acting governor. Instructor: Walt Lafty Fee: $30 Thursday, July 20 World War II Seminar **Guadalcanal – Starvation Island – 2 hrs – In films, books and songs, the Guadalcanal campaign was recognized for its pivotal role in the War in the Pacific. Known as Operation Watchtower, the campaign was hard fought on land, sea and air. With an emphasis on human interest stories, this class will explore the campaign from the American and Japanese perspectives. Instructor: Steve Wright Fee: $30 Thursday, August 3 **Worst President Ever – 2 hrs – Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, is universally accepted as our greatest president. The man he succeeded – the 15th president, James Buchanan – has been rated by

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historians as our worst. What did Buchanan do or not do to earn such a reputation? We will examine how America’s presidency went from worst to first. Instructor: Hugh Boyle Fee: $30 Wednesday, August 16

John By Any Name by Larry Vogel

John was a Bastard. That is no reflection on his character, but that is simply what they put on your birth certificate in 1840’s Wales if you were born illegitimate. John’s mother was an 18 year old un-wed mother who abandoned him soon after his birth, and his supposed father died soon after. So naturally with the stigma of illegitimacy he started his life on the wrong foot, but that did not stop him from having an interesting career as an American Civil War soldier, then ultimately to become world famous, knighted by the Queen of England and still well-known today for uttering one of the most famous lines in history, but you have to wait as that is THE REST OF THE STORY. John was raised by a grandparent until the grandparent died when John was five. He then was shuffled amongst relatives until he ended up in a workhouse for the poor. Ironically at age ten, John’s mother and sister were also at the workhouse but John did know them until the person who ran the work house told John who they were. There was no happy re-union and most likely, they faded out of John’s life again.

When John was 18 he immigrated to the United States. Later in New Orleans, John saw a wealthy trader and asked for a job. Not only did John get a job but the wealthy trader took him under his wing and may or may not have adopted him, depending on the source. Needless to say John admired the trader and eventually took his first and last name as his own. When the Civil War started John reluctantly joined the Confederate Army joining the 6th Arkansas Infantry. He was in the battle of Shiloh and was captured and sent to Camp Douglas in Illinois. Being born Welsh John was easily recruited and converted to be a “Galvanized Yankee”. He joined the Union Army but left soon after due to sickness. In 1864 he joined the Union Navy and served on several ships. John was possibly the only man to serve in the Confederate Army, the Union Army, and the Union Navy. On board the USS Minnesota he became the ship’s record keeper. This led to his post war career as a journalist. After the Civil War, using his “adoptive” father’s name, Henry Stanley, John had many exciting adventures, and the one we all know about is the search for missing missionary, Dr. Livingstone. This search mission was funded by the New York Herald. When Henry finally found the doctor in present day Tanzania, he said “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.

OFF THE WALL

Another Entry From the “We Can Find a Civil War Connection in

Just About Anything” School of Thought –

Naval-Themed Door Surround in

Center City Philadelphia???? Articles and photos by Carol Ingald

The Center City high-rise at 111-23 North 15th

Street is now a luxury apartment building known as

The Metropolitan. However, it was constructed

during 1926-28 as the Armed Services Division of

the Young Men’s Christian Association. It was an

addition to the YMCA Central Branch facility built

in 1907 (and its 1912 Elkins Memorial Annex

addition) at 1419-27 Arch Street. The tower is

identified on Sanborn Maps as the Navy Central

YMCA Annex. The Navy/Armed Services YMCA

Annex is composed of a pair of towers, consisting

of a 21-story western tower and a 25-story

eastern tower

connected by three

bridge-like wind braces.

The building is

constructed of brick on

a three-story limestone

base, with polychrome

terra cotta tiles from

Philadelphia’s O.W.

Ketchum Terra Cotta

Works on the rooftop

cornices and wind braces.

While the Central YMCA/Elkins Memorial Annex

on Arch Street was a traditional YMCA, the

Navy/Armed Services Annex was designed to

serve as a hotel for servicemen on layovers in

Philadelphia. The double towers maximized the

number of available hotel rooms because of all the

extra windows made possible by this particular

design.

The Navy/Armed Services YMCA Annex was

designed by architect Louis E. Jallade (1876-1957)

of New York City. Jallade designed a number of

Navy YMCA structures along the East Coast. The

Annex building features an elaborate American

Naval History-themed carved limestone door

surround on its North 15th Street entrance. The

door surround features ten medallions, each

containing an image of a famous American Naval

ship. Four medallions depict ships that saw

service during the Revolutionary War, the War of

1812, and/or the War against Tripoli. Two

medallions depict ships that saw service during the

Civil War, two medallions depict ships from the

Spanish American War, and two medallions depict

ships with World War I service. The medallions

are arranged chronologically with the oldest ships

placed at the lowest section of the limestone door

surround and the more recent ships at the top.

The ship medallions are surrounded by exuberant

Art Deco-style foliage, with marine motifs

(including starfish and an octopus) carved in the

lower sections of the limestone door surround.

Arranged along the left side of the limestone door

surround, from bottom to top, are ship medallions

for the USS Bon Homme Richard, the USS

Hornet, the USS Monitor and the Merrimac (aka

the CSS Virginia), the USS Oregon, and the USS

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Sarasota. Along the right side, from bottom to

top, are ship medallions for the USS Constitution,

the USS Enterprise, the USS Kearsarge, the USS

Olympia (which is docked at Penn’s Landing and

open for tours), and the USS West Virginia.

In the center of the limestone door surround

above the main entrance is an octagon-shaped

medallion containing a Navy insignia composed of

an eagle perched on an anchor with a three-

masted man-of-war ship in the background.

In 1983, the Navy/Armed Forces YMCA Annex

was converted into a 126-unit apartment building

by Historic Landmarks for Living and renamed The

Metropolitan. A projecting entrance canopy now

blocks the medallions for the USS Hornet and the

USS Enterprise. A black and white photo taken in

1980 (see previous page) shows the door surround

prior to the installation of the entrance canopy,

with all the ship medallions visible. The building

was listed on the National Register of Historic

Places in 1980 and on the Philadelphia Register of

Historic Places in 1981.

The Central Branch YMCA and its Elkins Memorial

Annex, designed by noted Philadelphia architect

Horace Trumbauer, has been converted for use as

a hotel. It reopened in 2010 as the Le Meridien

Hotel, a 195-room, four-star hotel that is part of

the Starwood. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places as part of the

Broad Street Historic District in 1984.

My thanks to Pat Caldwell for bringing this

interesting Philadelphia building to my attention.

She would notice it while riding past it on her

commute to work and asked me about it. Now we

know!

A Military Reunion Connects to an Unusually Rare Tribute

to Robert E. Lee By Walt Lafty

Recently, I had an opportunity to attend a military reunion of my unit from Vietnam. The event was held in Gettysburg, PA from May 16_19, 2017 and included all men

who served (at any time) in the Combined Intelligence Center Vietnam (CICV) and other affiliate Intelligence units. As someone who served in both CICV and the 45th Military Intelligence Company, it was a great experience after 47 years to catch up with men who I served with and others who served prior to and after my time. The comradery and shared experiences were something I will always remember. We visited the Gettysburg battlefields, the National Cemetery, the Visitors Center/Cyclorama, and the town. What really surprised me was just how many and how knowledgeable some of the men were on the Civil War, or as some of my Southern comrades would say, “The War Between the States”.

One of those history buffs was a man named Bill Wilson from Memphis Tennessee, who served in CICV a year prior to me and was there during the TET Offensive of 1968. With his knowledge of the Civil War, he would be a valuable asset to the Delaware Valley Civil War Roundtable or any Roundtable. I really enjoyed talking history with him and with some of the other men. I learned a lot from Bill and I’m grateful to him for sharing his time and knowledge. Bill is active in the All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee and he was aware of a church in Lexington, Virginia called the R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church, not to be confused with the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University. On his drive from Memphis to Gettysburg, Bill stopped in Lexington to visit this historic Church.

R.E. Lee Memorial Church was established in 1840 as Grace Church, mainly to provide Episcopal services for cadets at the newly established Virginia Military Institute. The first full time rector was William Nelson Pendleton who would later become the artillery chief in the Army of Northern Virginia. Robert E. Lee arrived in Lexington in September 1865, having agreed to be president of Washington College. Lee joined Grace Church and led the Vestry as senior warden until his death at age 63. He had also been instrumental in the construction on the adjacent Washington College campus of a chapel that became Lee Chapel, where Lee and members of his family are buried. On September 28, 1870 a day which would end up his last official duty or public appearance, Lee was at a vestry meeting discussing two important issues. One was how to expand the church building since the congregation had grown so large. The second issue was how to pay the rector. With not enough money in the church treasury to pay the rector, Robert E. Lee pledged that money from his own finances. He then walked home for a late dinner and it was then he fell ill with what is believed to have been a stroke. He lingered at home for two weeks before he died on October 12, 1870. After Lee’s death, Grace Church became Grace Memorial Church and Washington College, a totally separate entity, was re-named Washington and Lee University. In 1883, a larger church building, the current stone Gothic Revival structure at the corner of W. Washington Street and Lee Avenue, began holding services. In 1903, the Vestry re-named the church R.E. Lee Memorial. In recent years, “Episcopal” was added to the name. While many military heroes have their name associated with schools, buildings, bridges, street names, and other honors, it is extremely rare to have a church named after a person. In doing a preliminary search of church names, it appears that there are not many main stream

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religious denominations where a church is named for a person other than Saints or Bishops. Certainly there are some and in the Episcopal Church, there seems to be only a few. So for Robert E. Lee to have a church named after him is truly a rare honor. Realizing that Lee was almost a God figure in the South, and perhaps still is today to many, it is still a huge national tribute. His critics might say he was defending the institution of slavery (even though he was personally against slavery), others criticize some of his failures like the battle of Gettysburg, and yet others might say that he was too focused only on the Army of Northern Virginia and could care less about the other C.S.A. Armies. His supporters might say that he defended States rights or supported his native Virginia, or that in spite of resigning his commission from the U.S. Army in 1861 to join the Confederacy, he supported this country honorably before that via his military experience of 32 years and then did so after the war by encouraging others to move forward. Regardless of those opinions, one way or the other, most critics and supporters alike seem to agree that Robert E. Lee (the man) was one who exemplified duty, loyalty, honor, faithfulness, and religion. If the Episcopal Church had that in mind when they renamed the church in his honor, it would appear to this author to be the biggest tribute to the man, more so than the many statues, buildings and schools which bear his name. [Photos for this article were provided by Walt Lafty.]

“Impossibilities are for the timid”*

By Matt Bruce

In the spring of 1861, with the possibility of a long war taking form, a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy who had been about – he thought – to graduate, was dismissed from the academy based on low grades (He was at the bottom of his class) and his fondness for “pranks.” With the beginning of the war, however, William B. Cushing (pictured – National Archives) was appointed a master’s mate. He presented his case for reinstatement to Navy Secretary Welles, and in light of the needs laid upon the Navy by the war and especially the newly declared blockade, he was reinstated and commissioned. He saw action in the battle of Hampton Roads, and was promoted to Lieutenant in mid-1862. He soon built a reputation for courage and initiative. He served as executive officer of the gunboat Commodore Perry and later as commander of other boats, but more important in light of the tale related here, he was seen as a daring, indeed audacious reconnaissance leader, raider and planner.

Flash ahead to late 1864. With the Federal Navy anxious to recover control of the North Carolina Sounds and shut down the Confederate blockade runners, two Confederate casemate gunboats stood in the way. Cushing had devised a plan to destroy the Confederate ironclad Albemarle which had wreaked havoc on the Union navy – a plan that even he considered a suicide mission. Using a steam picket boat with its spar fitted with its explosive charge and detonator, Cushing

revealed the mission to his crew. His entire crew of seven volunteered for the mission along with thirteen others. Plymouth was eight miles up-river from the sound. Accompanied by a cutter, on the night of October 27-28, Cushing and his men started upstream. The crew of the cutter had the task of preventing an alarm from being given by sentries posted on a small schooner tied up to the wrecked USS Southfield where it still lay, sunk by Albemarle’s ram. But no alarm went up; both of Cushing’s craft slipped by. As they moved on north of Plymouth, toward the dock where the Albemarle lay, however, they came under sentry fire from both Albemarle and the shore, and as they closed on Albemarle, they discovered to their dismay that Albemarle was protected by a boom of logs, too wide to permit the use of the spar. Cushing realized that he had to get inside the barrier. Amid a hail of bullets and grape, and charges from the Confederates – “Who are you?” – Cushing fired one shot from the twelve-pounder aimed the launch squarely at the boom, hoping that the condition of the logs having been in the water for some months would be slippery enough to let his momentum carry the launch over the logs and next to the Albemarle knew that once inside the boom he would not be able to get out. It worked.

An engraving by A. Stachic, published in Naval Battles of America by E. Shippen, depicts the spar

torpedo attack on CSS Albemarle by Cushing and his crew. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

image

Standing in the bow he ordered the spar lowered to carry under the hull, where he released the torpedo to let the 100-pound charge float up against the hull and fired the detonator. The explosion ripped open Albemarle’s hull. At almost the same instant Albemarle got off one shot with her pivot rifle, holing the launch. Now wounded in the left hand, Cushing realized that staying meant dying and called to his men to jump. “. . . Save yourselves”. Only Cushing and one crewman, Seaman Edward Horton, escaped; two of the men were killed and the rest including Second-in-Command, Acting Ensign Thomas Gay, were captured. Cushing hid in the swamp that bordered the river through the next day, then stole a skiff and made it to a Union ship downstream. The destruction of Albemarle left Plymouth open to Union attack. That attack was launched by Commander William Macomb, now senior naval officer in the area, on October 29, and three days later, Plymouth was re-taken. The Carolina sounds were now firmly in control of Union forces and the Navy could turn its attention to matters like Fort Fisher and Wilmington. Cushing was lauded by the President and Congress for his courage, and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Admiral Porter published a general order to be read in all ships, to the effect that. “The spirit shown by this officer is what I wish to see pervading this squadron.” And Cushing did it again at Fort Fisher.

*Reported to be the words of naval Lieutenant William Cushing addressing volunteers for a dangerous mission. [Editor’s Note – Earlier articles regarding Lt. Cushing by Bernice Kaplan can be found in the April 2016 and June 2016 issues of Case Shot & Canister.]

Gettysburg Day at Manor College May 20, 2017

Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table 3201 Longshore Avenue Philadelphia PA 19149-2025