association of licensed battlefield guides...
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ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED BATTLEFIELD GUIDESGETTYSBURG, PA
Battlefield DispatchVol. 32 No. 4 • 1915-2015 Centennial of Guiding in Gettysburg National Military Park December 2014
Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides717•337•1709The ALBG was founded in 1916 as
the official organization to represent and promote licensed guiding at Gettysburg.Interested individuals who do not hold guide li-censes may join the ALBG as Associate members by submitting annual dues of $25. Membership includes a subscription to the Battlefield Dispatch and covers the fiscal year July 1– June 30.
OFFICERSPresident ............................... Joe MieczkoeskiVice President ...................... Steve SlaughterSecretary ............................... Fred HawthorneTreasurer ............................... Phil LechakParliamentarian .................... Dave HamacherChaplain ............................... Roy E. Frampton
EXECUTIVE BOARDKurt Anschuetz • Guillermo BoschStuart Dempsey • Denny Forwood
Ted Gajewski • Deb Novotny
ETHICS COUNCILPaul Bauserman • Doug Boden • Bob Gale
ALBG Battlefield Dispatchc/o ALBG, Inc.PO Box 4152
Gettysburg, PA 17325E-mail ........... [email protected] ........... Dave Joswick [email protected]
EDITORIAL STAFFDave Joswick • Phil Lechak
The Battlefield Dispatch is the official com-munication of the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides, published in March, June, September, and December.Material for potential publication should be forwarded to the editor via e-mail or standard mail to the addresses listed above. Submission deadline is the 10th day of the month prior to the publication month. All items published will be credited with byline. Articles without byline are the editor’s work.© 2014 by ALBG, Inc. • All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be used or re-produced without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Photo by John Armstrong
LegaL NoticeThe Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides {ALBG) website and the written newsletter known
as the Battlefield Dispatch are the only official communication vehicles of the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides.
Any officially sanctioned document, publication, class material, class schedule, field presentation sched-ules and communications—public and private—contained in these communication vehicles are copy-righted for the exclusive use of the ALBG and its members. Any unauthorized use of said materials for any reason without the specific written permission of the Executive Council of the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides is strictly prohibited.
“I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton.”
– General Sherman to President Lincoln, December 22, 1864
Engagement -January 16ALBG MEETING
From Presidentthe
Joe Mieczkowski
See PRESIDENT continued on page 2
iN this issue
From the President ........................................... 1Engagement Jan. 16 ALBG Meeting.............. 1From the Vice President .................................. 2Treasurer Report .............................................. 2GNMP Stats ..................................................... 3Gettysburg Casualty Honored in Ohio .......... 3ALBG Spring Seminar .................................... 4Membership Notes ........................................... 5Library Report .................................................. 5GNMP News .................................................... 6History of the OVCWA ................................. 7Nellie Hen the War Chicken ......................... 9Talkin’ Tombstones ....................................... 10More GNMP News ........................................ 11
100 Years of Excellence
The oldest professional guide service in the United States,
the Gettysburg Licensed Guides have been providing quality tours to visitors to since 1915. The Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides is spearheading the effort to mark the 100th anniversary. The ALBG is working with the National Park Service, the Gettysburg Foundation and many com-
munity partners to make this a memorable occasion. We need your ideas and your time to make this a special year. Please get involved by attending our meetings, encouraging non-members to join in and by participating in the many events being planned.
There will be a special program presented on Febru-ary 14 at 1:30 at the Get-tysburg visitor center. The presentation, part of the NPS Winter Lecture Series, is A Peculiar Institution – A Century of Licensed guiding at The Gettysburg National Military Park. The program will be given by LBG Fred Hawthorne. It’s not one you’ll want to miss.
Fitting for our 100th year famed Lincoln Impersonator Jim Getty will be our speaker at the visiting scholar ban-quet at The Dobbin House
Dempsey’s January topic: the Battle of the Bulge
Stuart Dempsey has lived in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania area for over 25 years and has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park since 2004. He has had a deep passion for military history since his childhood. Stuart is a summa cum laude graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University, where he majored in History and Modern Conflict and received the Barrett Prize for best original research project (a study of UN peacekeeping operations in Bosnia). He has written articles for various historical magazines and is complet-ing a book on selected Federal regi-ments at the Battle of Gettysburg. Much of his research focus is on the Army of the Potomac’s 11th Corps, and he regu-larly contributes a video column on that corps for the Get-tysburg Daily website. In addition to his work as a battlefield guide, Stuart teaches military history courses at Harrisburg Area Community College. He is a member of the Company of Military Historians, the As-sociation of Licensed Battle-field Guides, and the Sons of Union Veterans.
Stuart R. Dempsey
2 Battlefield Dispatch
Submitted by Phil Lechak
Through eleven months of our year the ALBG
is in good financial health, however our revenues are down to our anticipated projection. Our 2014 Plan is a Break Even Plan to spend only what we collect in Revenue, as best as is possible, we will strive to meet that commitment – but some commit-ments must be met.
As has been previously reported our revenue is down in two line items: Book Sales and Seminars. Book sales (Print Media) as an industry is down to last year and our Book Sales reflect this recent trend.
Unfortunately the ALBG Seminar Revenue was well below our expectation, in fact we had to cancel our Septem-ber Fall Seminar. Following this the Committee distributed a survey to prior participants and to the Associate Membership at large. The response indicated that a three day Seminar, as has been our Fall event history, is no longer what the partici-pants desire. Therefore both our April and September 2015 events will be a Friday evening and all day Saturday event –with no formal banquet.
Again, I remind you that this is YOUR Association. If you have comments, concerns, or suggestions – please do not hesitate to speak with any member of the Executive Com-mittee.
Our 2014 Financial Plan (Revenue and Expense) is on-line in the Member’s Only section of the website. A more detailed Treasurer’s Report is presented at each bimonthly meeting and is included with the Secretary’s minutes of that session.
If any member has any questions concerning ALBG fi-nances, please contact me: [email protected].
This winter marks the beginning of a year filled
with alot of really good, positive, educational, and fun events. Such events can only be successful with the con-tinued support and partici-pation of its members. The Continuing Education Pro-gram of the ALBG is always in need of members who are willing to step up and forward and give a talk or presentation on a Civil War topic of their choosing. It may be on Get-tysburg or other Civil War related events. You may choose to high-light a day, division, brigade, regiment, general, officers or enlisted men, women, civilians, transportation, communi-cation, art, music, or even food! The potential list of subject matter is huge!
From VicePresident
the
Steve Slaughter
PRESIDENT continued from page 1
Restaurant on April 24th. Tickets will be on sale soon. Get yours early.
Mark your calendars now to attend the 100th anniversary banquet being planned at the visitor center on October 17, 2015. You’ll be receiving more details soon. LBG Denny Forwood is providing leadership to this important effort and other centennial events.
LBG Christina Moon and her committee are planning exciting seminars this Spring and Fall. The popular summer evening battlewalk program will be repeated again this year.
Our anniversary logo was designed by Associate Member and newsletter editor Dave Joswick. It looks terrific. You should start seeing it everywhere.
The ALBG is also working to keep important issues in front of decision makers in the NPS and the Gettysburg Foundation. We’ve made it clear that brush clearing is important to improve sight lines. Thanks to the initiative of several battlefield guides, meetings will soon be held to improve the LBG testing process.
2013, the 150th anniversary of the battle, was a ban-ner year in Gettysburg. 2014 was an equally great year with guides and Associate members working closely together to improve the visitor experience. Let’s make 2015 the best year yet; expert interpreters of the battlefield have prepared themselves, so look sharp, maintain a friendly customer focus, and participate in ongoing continuing education programs, such as those offered by the ALBG. If you are not already a member of the ALBG we encourage all guides to become members. Membership is of course open to anyone with an active interest in all that the Association provides.
Please mark your calendars. In 2015 we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of guiding here at Gettysburg and many activities are being planned.
Be sure to bookmark www.gettysburgtourguides.org and like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GettysburgALBG to keep up to date with all the activities going on throughout 2015.
Over a period of time, the ALBG would like to offer the following topics as potential “field presentations” for its members. We’re looking for members who would like to help organize, participate, or lead one or more of the educational topics, or know of someone or group of people who may be willing to help out with these topics:
• Live-fire, shooting demonstrations; muskets, carbines, pistols• A “Cavalry” horse-back tour of the battlefield• Signal Corps demonstrations• Bugles, fifes and drums field music• Medical and surgical deomonstrations
• Drill of the soldier and company• Camp life and food – what the soldiers cooked and ate
Please consider stepping up and out, helping to make 2015 a year filled with educational, fun, and successful events! If you are willing to give a talk following one of the ALBG general meetings, or perhaps would like to lead a “field walk/talk”, at a day and time of your choosing, please contact Steve Slaughter, 301-371-9450; [email protected].
December 2014 3
GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
STATISTICS – NOV. 2013 – OCT. 2014ENTIRE YEAR
Visitor Center CountDoor counter ........................... 1,312,344 ....................... -124,037 ...................... - 8.6%
Car and van tours .................... 17,592 ....................... - 950 ....................... - 5.1%Bus tours ................................. 7,045 ....................... - 601 ....................... - 7.9%Cemetery Walks, etc. ............... 55 ....................... - 167 ....................... - 75.2%
Total tours .............................. 24,692 ........................ - 1,718 ........................ - 6.5%
• The visitor count continues to be below the prior year due to the 150th Anniversary. Compared to 2012,visitor count was up 64,179 or 4.9%.
• The decline in tours was mostly in reported self-bookings, down 21.1%. Foundation tours were down only 3.1%.
In August, LBG Stuart Dempsey and his wife Jean traveledto Limerick, Ohio to dedicate a plaque commemorating
Stuart’s great-great uncle, Sgt. Isaac Willis. Willis was a member of Company G, 73rd Ohio Volunteers, when he was killed in action on the skirmish line in front of West Cem-etery Hill on the morning of July 2, 1863; he was twenty-one years old. His brother-in-law, Pvt. Elisha Leake, was mor-tally wounded that same day. News of the battle must have been chilling in Limerick and neighboring towns in Jackson County: Company G largely consisted of men from the
county, and the unit sustained terrible losses at Gettysburg, where twenty-three of its thirty-six men became casualties.
In 1889, Cyrus Willis – brother of Isaac and himself a former corporal in the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry – joined with eighteen other local veterans to establish G.A.R. Post 160 in Limerick. As was common practice, they named the new post after one of their own: the young sergeant who had been killed while skirmishing west of Emmitsburg Road, twenty-six years earlier. About five years later, a simple wood frame structure was constructed as the permanent home of
the Sgt. Isaac Willis Post. In later years, as the ranks of local veterans dwindled, the building was used by the Sons of Union Veterans. For the last one hundred years, it has been the home of the Limerick Grange, whose members celebrated their centennial in conjunction with the dedication of the plaque this summer.
Also attending the event were other descendants of the post’s namesake, some of whom are related to other Company G veterans, including Pvt. Enoch Detty, a name Soldiers’ National Cemetery aficionados might recognize. Willis, Detty, and Leake are all buried in the Ohio section of the cemetery.
Gettysburg casualty honored in Ohio
4 Battlefield Dispatch
The Association of Licensed BattlefieldGuides is pleased to present our 2015
Spring Seminar: The Union Right Flank – The Other High Ground. The annual seminar will commence on Friday evening, April 10th, with a study of period photographs and historic maps of the area the Union Right flank occupies on the second and third days of the Battle of Get-tysburg with LBG Phil Lechak.
Saturday, April 11th, will be a full day of field programs. The morning starts on Benner’s Hill, the Confederate artillery platform, with LBG George Newton. From there, LBG John Archer will lead us over Culp’s Hill and the fighting there on both the 2nd and 3rd days of the battle. Our morning will conclude with George Newton and a tour of the newly cleared Union artillery platform on Power’s Hill.
After a break for lunch, ALBG Associate Member Dean Schultz will lead us to the little visited area of Neill Avenue, often called “Lost Avenue” due to its inaccessibility. We will fol-low the historic road trace to Rock Creek and the area of the historic Dam. Our afternoon will conclude with a visit to the McAllister Saw and Grist Mill sites, a stop on the Un-derground Railroad and a field hospital during and after the battle.
NOTE: This is a walking tour and will include extensive walking over varying terrain. Dress and prepare accordingly.
INCLUDED: Tours/Programs with Licensed Battlefield Guides, Maps & Materials, Transportation, and Lunch.
ALBG spring seminar slated for April 10 &11, 2015
ITINERARYFriday, April 106:30 PM ................................................................................Reception opens at Gettysburg Heritage Center (Wax Museum)
7:00 PM ................................................................................Right Flank Overview: Historic Maps & Photos w/ LBG Phil Lechak
8:30 PM ................................................................................Conclusion of evening’s activities
Saturday, April 11Attendees should be at Wax Museum parking lot by 8:15 AM!!
8:20 AM ...............................................................................Bus departs Heritage Center parking lot.
8:30 AM ...............................................................................Benner’s Hill w/ LBG George Newton
9:15 AM ...............................................................................Bus departs for Culp’s Hill w/ LBG John Archer
10:45 AM .............................................................................Bus departs for Rest Room Break (VC)
11:15 AM .............................................................................Bus departs for Power’s Hill w/ LBG George Newton
12:15 PM ..............................................................................Bus departs for Lunch location
1:15 PM ................................................................................Bus departs for Wolf Hill w/ ASC Member Dean Shultz
4:15 PM ................................................................................Bus departs for McAllister Mill Site w/ ASC Member Dean Shultz
4:45 PM ................................................................................Seminar concludes; Bus returns to Heritage Center parking lot
The cost is $125. Registration ONLINE – the ALBG website is now open at www.gettysburgtourguides.org. Or you can mail a check to: ALBG Seminar, PO Box 4152, Gettysburg, PA 17325-4152. You can call the guide office at 717-337-1709 for more information.
December 2014 5
membership@
gettysburgtourguides.orgSubmitted by
Phil Lechak &
Larry Korcyzk
ALBG MEMBERS. There are currently 213 Associate Members of the ALBG, 21 are Complimentary – mostly other organizations. Those individuals who did not renew their membership by the end of September, were dropped from the Member-ship Rolls. There are 154 Licensed Battlefield Guides of which 124 are Licensed members of the ALBG. Associates members are on all of the ALBG mailing lists and are valued members of the Association community. You are most certainly appreciated for your support of our efforts here on this Sacred Ground.
THE SUMMER PAST. This past summer was a busy time. We held the Tuesday Evening WALKS series each week with many topics and field locations. Unfortunately we had to cancel the September Seminar due to lack of sufficient regis-trations – it was disappointing.
LOGON ID. If any of you still do not have a LOGON ID to the Member’s Only section on the ALBG web-site, I strongly encourage you to apply for one. We have back issues of the Battlefield Dispatch online, Meeting Minutes for ALBG sessions, and a continuing roster of Motions Passed at meetings so that we can all know what our Association is doing.
SPRING SEMINAR. Our April 2015 offering will be The Union Right Flank – The Other High Ground. Details are posted on the ALBG web-site as is the link to register. Itinerary is on page 4.
THE ALBG exists to educate of our members and the public at large as well as to share the memory of those individuals who helped shape our nation. Should you have any com-ments or ideas for the future, please do not hesitate to con-tact Phil Lechak – or anyone else on the Executive Board.
All ALBG members may “piggy-back” along when library books and periodicals are taken for binding/rebinding. We have been using Wert Bookbinding in Grantville,
PA for over twenty years. The most common service rendered is the hard covering of paperback books (picture-covering) which costs about $10.00 per book, and the binding of magazines, which costs about $20.00 per volume. Rebinding of worn out hard covers or the repair of old books is available, with the cost varying depending on the amount of time involved.
If you are interested, or have questions, contact Jim Clouse by phone: 717-334-0825 or e-mail: [email protected]. DEADLINE: Saturday, January 31, 2015. Expect your items to return in about six weeks.
Any licensed guide member of the ALBG may be issued a key for access 24/7 to our office library. Contact Jim Clouse at the above phone or e-mail address.
Many new books have been added during the past year If there is a book you think we should have (either at our office or the branch library in the Visitor Center Guide Room), let me know.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Strong donated the following books:• West Point Register of Graduates • Confederate Invasion of the West Shore 1863• Lincoln’s Speeches and Writings 1832-1858 • The Training of an Army (Camp Curtin)• Touched with Fire, Five Presidents and the Civil War • From Shiloh to San Juan (General Joe Wheeler biography)• Berry Benson’s Civil War • Leadership and Command in the Civil War• A Battle from the Start (Nathan Forrest biography) • Civil War Journal: The Commanders (DVD)
Other books purchased for the library include the following:• Montour County in the Civil War • Gettysburg: The Last Invasion (Guelzo) • Brigades at Gettysburg• A Bohemian Brigade (Civil War Correspondents) • Hospital on Seminary Ridge • Victory rode the Rails• Robert E. Lee in War and Peace • Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination • Stealing Lincoln’s Body• Firestorm at Gettysburg: Civilian Voices • Petersburg Campaign – Volume 1 • Singing the New Nation• The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm • Surgeon in Blue – Jonathan Letterman • Chicago’s Battery Boys• Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War • A Shower of Stars • Barksdale’s Charge• On a Great Battlefield-Murray (NPS and GNMP) • Retreat from Gettysburg • Lee of Virginia (Freeman)• Friends in Peace and War • Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought • War Stories (Greg Coco)• Medical Histories of Union Generals • Medical Histories of Confederate Generals • No Holier Spot of Ground• After Gettysburg (Cavalry Operations) • Arn’t [sic] I a Woman? (Female Slaves) • The Tullahoma Campaign• General Grant and the Rewriting of History • Right Hand of Command (Personal Staffs) • Lincoln’s Forgotten Ally-Holt• Boy General: The Life and Careers of Francis Barlow • The Battle between the Farm Lanes • Writing the Gettysburg Address• Blue and Gray Magazine (extra copy of the Town issue) • Joe Lane of Oregon: Machine Politics and the Sectional Crisis• Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War (on Reconstruction)
Library Report
Submitted by Jim Clouse
Library Report
6 Battlefield Dispatch
GNMPNEWSGNMPNEWSGettysburg’s Battery F, 5th US Artillery Monument returned to its original locationGettysburg National Military Park staff returned the granite Battery F, 5th US Artillery monument to its original location, within the footprint of the old Cyclorama building in Ziegler’s Grove on September 23. The monument was moved from its original location in the early 1960s to make way for the construction of the Cyclorama building. Now that
the demolition of the cyclorama building is complete, funded by the Gettysburg Foundation, the monument has been returned to its original location.
The Gettysburg Foundation is now raising funds for changes to the National Cemetery parking lot which would allow the replanting of missing portions of Ziegler’s Grove, and rehabilitation of the historic terrain of Cemetery Ridge and Ziegler’s Ravine.
The monument represents the 116 men of Battery F, 5th United States Artillery who were led at Gettysburg by First Lieutenant Leonard Martin, a twenty-two year old West Point graduate. They brought six ten-pounder Parrott rifles to the battlefield and belonged to Col. Charles Thompson’s artillery brigade of the 6th Army Corps. On July 3rd, following the repulse of Pickett’s Charge and the two-hour artillery bombardment that preceded it, the battery was ordered to limber up and re-port to the front. Around 4:00 p.m. the battery occupied a position in Ziegler’s Grove on the northern extension of Cemetery Ridge. They remained here as a reserve for the rest of the battle, not engaged and suffering no ca-
sualties. Beginning in 1907 the United States War Department began marking the position of regiments and batteries belonging to the regular army. The granite marker indicating the position of Battery F, 5th US Artillery was placed during this time and is the battery’s only representation on the field.
Eisenhower home decorated for the HolidaysEisenhower National Historic Site is
dressed up for a holiday party and you’re invited. Celebrate this holiday season at the home and farm of Dwight and Mamie Eisen-hower and see the Eisenhower family’s deco-rations on display from December 1 through 31. The celebration includes a holiday recep-tion on Saturday, December 13, with cider and cookies courtesy of Gettysburg Tours, Inc. Beginning December 3, the Eisenhower nativity dioramas, exhibited in the White House during the Eisenhower presidency, will be on display in the lobby of the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visi-tor Center. This display will be on exhibit through December.
The Eisenhowers’ specially designed White House Christmas cards are on exhibit, along
with Christmas gift prints of the President’s paintings. One of the original decora-tions from the first family on display is a 1950s handmade Christmas shadow box. Park interpreters will share Eisen-hower family recollections of Christmas in Gettysburg.
The Eisenhowers displayed three Nativity dioramas in the East Room of the White House that were gifts from Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn. The nativity scenes were displayed during the holidays from 1954 through 1960 in the White House. Before leaving the White House, Mrs. Eisenhower gave the dioramas to the Get-tysburg Presbyterian Church where they were displayed until 1994. The dioramas were then donated to Eisen-hower National Historic Site and displayed until 2000. Thanks to a generous dona-tion by the Gettysburg Foun-dation, the newly repaired and conserved dioramas will be exhibited as they were at the Eisenhower White House.
For more information con-tact the Eisenhower National Historic Site at 717- 338-9114 or visit the website at www.nps.gov/eise.
Gettysburg’s winter lecture series begins January 3
The War in 1865 and Beyond
Winter’s cold does not deter Gettysburg National Military Park’s rangers from continuing to study and present programs on the meaning, significance, and
See MORE GNMP NEWS continued on page 11
December 2014 7
That’s the mission statement of a unique group of living historians dedicated to preserving the history and heri-
tage of the American Civil War. The Ohio Valley Civil War Association (OVCWA) honors the men and women who gave “the last full measure” during that time period, and edu-cates present and future generations so those contributions and sacrifices will not be forgotten.
To this end, the OVCWA makes a number of appearanc-es each year to display and demonstrate Civil War technol-ogy and discuss aspects of life in the 1860s. Venues range from the classroom setting to the establishment of period style encampments at historic sites and National Military Parks and battlefields. Through ongoing research and dedica-tion to historical accuracy, the OVCWA has become one of the premier living history groups in the country.
With a current active membership of 40-50 individuals, the Ohio Valley Civil War Association can trace its begin-nings to the recreation of the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment/Company G in 1975. The 35th OVI was selected because many of the founding members were from the same
geographical area in Ohio from which the original regiment was recruited. In the ensuing years, as membership increased, and with many individual members expressing a de-sire to pursue additional historical impressions, the OVCWA was created in 1997 as a parent organi-zation to several com-ponent groups. Today,
among these component groups, are the 35th OVI/Co. G, 1st Ohio Light Artillery/Battery C, Birge’s Western Sharp-shooters, the Civil War Signal Corps/United States Military Telegraph (added in 2000), and the Civil War Women and Sanitary Commission. On occasion the OVCWA also sanc-
tions cavalry and medical impressions at events as well. In addition the OVCWA is closely linked to the premier Civil War color guard/ceremonial group in the country today, the 19th United States Regular Army Infantry Regiment.
ALBG member Bill Fuller usually falls in with the 35th OVI and helps crew the artillery as needed. Aside from drill and firing demonstra-tions, he usually arranges a display of personal effects a Civil War soldier may have carried with him; cof-fee, tobacco, playing cards, eating utensils, writing materials, candles, hygienic items, etc. “The square of hardtack in the display always gener-ates interest,” says Bill. “The display usually engages an audience and then
it’s a matter of expanding into a dialog about the life and experiences of a common soldier during the Civil War.” Bill says the artillery demo is the most popular among spectators. “Artillery means lots of smoke and noise and occasionally the concussion, much to the amusement of the crowd, will set off car alarms,” Bill said.
Fuller finds it rewarding to work with younger visitors to an encampment. “There is always the youngster who turns up wearing his or her Billy Yank or Johnny Reb souvenir cap
obtained on a family vaca-tion and has an interest in the Civil War. Our group has a number of wooden rifle cutouts we term the “Wood-fields” for interactive use and so we’re able involve these kids and give them a glimpse of drill activities.”
Bill grew up in Kokomo, Indiana and currently resides in Sidney, Ohio where he is employed as a mechanical design engineer.
Fuller’s first visit to Get-tysburg was in the mid-1980s and has been returning as frequently as possible ever since. “I think Chamberlain captured the essence of Get-tysburg when he spoke of how future generations would be heart-drawn to come here and see where great deeds were done. Indeed, Gettys-
burg is my favorite place to be with Trostle’s Farm my favor-ite place on the battlefield. For me, nothing else compares to standing at dusk near the 9th Mass. Battery memorial and contemplating those great deeds Chamberlain spoke of.”
“Preserve, Honor, and Educate”Submitted by ALBG member Billl Fuller • Edited by Dave Joswick • Photos courtesy OVCWA unless otherwise noted
OVCWA members (l to r) Betsy Nase-man, Connie Coffman, and Laura Van Fossen tend the cook fire in their portrayal of Women’s roles/Sanitary Commission during the Civil War.
Posing with “Woodfield Rifles”, Pri-vate Bill Fuller of the 35th Ohio Vol-unteer Infantry Regiment visits with a “new recruit”. The “Woodfields” are used to teach drill maneuvers to younger visitors at events.
Private Bill Fuller of the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry discusses a soldier’s personal effects with the public on the grounds of Glendower Mansion, Ohio State historical site, Lebanon, Ohio. See OVCWA continued on page 8
ALBG member and living historian, Bill Fuller.
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8 Battlefield Dispatch
“With my own retirement looming, I’ve been giving seri-ous consideration to relocating in the Gettysburg area with the hope of becoming involved in volunteer and preserva-tion work. Joining the ALBG is a great way to be connected to the area on a higher level as well as continued learning
through participation in the many seminars and programs the ALBG offers. Of course the chance to make some great new friends and acquaintances along the way is also a big plus. The Visiting Scholar Dinner last spring was my first opportunity to directly participate and I look forward to a long and rewarding association.”
The OVCWA is one of only a handful of living history organizations that Gettysburg National Military Park invites back every year. The group made its debut in mid-October 1998 and camped on the battlefield near the Pennsylva-nia Monument. Since that time, only twice have they not encamped at Gettysburg. In 2003 they opted for a trip to Antietam and once the event was cancelled due to heavy rains. Fuller adds, “It’s such an honor to be able to come to Gettysburg each year and that the special working relation-ship the OVCWA has with our host and supervisor, Ranger Tom Holbrook of the National Park Service, goes far in making this event a success each year.”
At this year’s October encamp-ment the OVCWA was presented with the St. Benedict medal for the Park’s Historic Weapons program (one for infantry and another for artillery) for safety at GNMP. St. Benedict is the Patron Saint of all things safe. “The award is based on how many years they’ve been firing weapons at GNMP, how many pro-grams (firings) they have done in the past, complexity of their programs, safety in camp and in the field,” explained Ranger Tom Holbrook.
Prior to the active season, the OVCWA meets each January to review and schedule events, holds artillery and infantry drills in late
March, and schedules maintenance as required to refurbish the artillery and related equipment.
A typical season usually begins in late March/early April and always concludes with the mid-October Gettysburg encampment. Usually there are one or two weekend events scheduled each month for a total of 12-15 events for the season. School educational days are the norm for the early part of the season with weekend events scheduled as the season progresses. There are also events specific to the component groups. For example: the 19th US Regulars, in
the role of color guard, always participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Indianapolis, Indiana and have been accorded the honor of retiring the Colors in the National Cemetery during the Gettysburg event. The 19th US has also participated in memorial services at the Lincoln gravesite in Illinois and at the President James Garfield Home in Ohio.
With the bulk of the OVCWA member-ship residing in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and northern Kentucky, most of their presenta-
tions are also in this area. Travel distance for any member to an event ranges from 100-150 miles. However, as past excursions to Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania indicate, the OVCWA always travels well!
OVCWA continued from page 7
Privates Tom Mitchell and Jason Hawley of Birge’s Western Sharpshooters select a target (photo taken at stones river national battlefield, murfreesboro, tn)
The 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment in action at Sharonville Historical Village, Sharonville, Ohio. OVCWA members (L-R) are Jan Ketron, Rick Spencer, Tim Maddock, Rufus Guy, and Allen Coffman.
OVCWA color guard on the march to retire the colors in the National Cemetery at Get-tysburg on October 18.
See OVCWA continued on page 9
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December 2014 9
Probably the furthest the OVCWA has travelled to at-tend an event was Fort McAllister near Savannah, Georgia. Now designated an historic site and administered by the State of Georgia, Fort McAllister was intended to guard the approaches to Savannah during the Civil War. During his March to the Sea, General William T. Sherman would eventually capture the fort. Fuller adds, “While the Fort McAllister event meant a long drive, the event also afforded the opportunity to escape from a late-season severe Midwestern snow storm and partake of some great seafood at a local Savannah restaurant. We were also given the option and rare experience of sleeping in the fort’s bomb-proof. Unex-pected perks are always a plus.”
Other distant events include the National Battlefield sites at Shiloh and Stones River in Tennessee, Antietam in Maryland, Manassas in Virginia, and Kennesaw Mountain and Chickamauga in Georgia.
In conclusion, Bill explains why he is a reenactor and living historian. “There are a number of reasons why I pursue these endeavors. My own interest in this activity stems from a long interest in military history. As I recall, my first battlefield experience was a visit, at an early age, to York-town with my Dad. At the time I really didn’t understand the significance but I remember thinking the earthworks, gun
OVCWA continued from page 8
emplacements, palisades, and dioramas were really cool.”
“The visit to Yorktown set the hook and put me on track to reading anything and everything I could find on military history. From written material I eventually developed an in-terest in experiencing what books cannot convey; what does it sound like, what it smells like, what does it taste like, etc.
Reenacting affords a small measure of appreciation of what these first person experiences must have been like.”
“Too, I was fortunate to find a group like the Ohio Valley Civil War Associa-tion to share in these experiences. Aside from the impressive personal collections some members have amassed, there is the wealth of personal knowledge these people possess and the common values we all share. Over the years, I’ve come to regard these folks more as family than
just members of a group I happen to belong to. Indeed, it’s a privilege and honor to belong to the OVCWA.”
“Lastly, and perhaps most important of all, is the aspect of giving back. Thinking back to that little kid walking around Yorktown with his Dad, I like to think that perhaps, occasionally at an event, I may have some small measure of positive influence on a young person that will set them down the same trail; perhaps to a future as a professor of his-tory, military officer, or possibly a future Licensed Battlefield Guide. Who knows?”
Sometime in early 1862, with a shipment of chickens sent to the Army of Northern Virginia for food, a small black
hen miraculously escaped the fate of her fellow feathered friends in camp. She ended up hiding in the General Robert E Lee’s tent under his sleeping cot where she laid an egg.
Upon finding her he decided to keep her as a pet. He would leave the flap of his tent open so she could easily wonder in and out to forage for food. She laid him an egg nearly every day. The cook and everyone in camp knew that that hen was his pet and to not mess with her. Her name was Nellie Hen. Later on after the war she became known as The War Chicken.
The War Chicken somehow managed to survive the car-nage at Gettysburg. When General Lee began to retreat from that battlefield at Gettysburg, the hen was nowhere to be found, so the general and some of his men searched for her. He was not content until she was discovered safely perched in his headquarters wagon.
One evening the general and some other high ranking military men were to have dinner together. Lee’s cook was hard-pressed to come up with a decent meal befitting for the
general’s high rank. The war and its devastating affects made it hard to find the right food to make a decent meal. The cook foolishly caught and butchered Nellie Hen and served her to the general and his friends.
The story goes that it took the general a day or two until he noticed his beloved small black hen was missing. He began asking around about her and found out that his cook butchered and served her to him. The general supposedly got angry and scolded the cook.
Nellie the Hen travelled with the Army of Northern Vir-ginia for over two years, laying an egg for General Lee almost daily to earn her keep. But, to the Confederate casualties, there must be added one more: Nellie Hen.
The Southern diarist, Mary Chesnut, tells us that when a lady teased Robert E. Lee about his ambitions, he “remon-strated—said his tastes were of the simplest. He only wanted a Virginia farm—no end of cream and fresh butter—and fried chicken.”
Source: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/making-sense-of-robert-e-lee-85017563/#uicotURQoxF8yTFo.99
http://emergingcivilwar.com/2012/02/20/war-chicken/
http://bjbobbijo.blogspot.com/2012/07/nellie-hen-war-chicken-beloved-pet-to.html
Nellie Hen – The War ChickenSubmitted by Joe Mieczkowski
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10 Battlefield Dispatch
In this issue we will take a journey up to Bradford County, Pennsylvania to discover the graves of the field officers of
the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry. The county seat of Bradford County is Towanda and in that area we will find all three field officers of the 141st. We will also talk about a few other individuals of interest that are also buried in the Towanda area.
The 141st Pennsylvania was organized in August of 1862. The men were primarily from Bradford, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties. The Colonel at Gettysburg was Henry J. Madill (1828-1899). Madill was privately educated and was admitted to the bar of Bradford County in 1851. When the war broke out, Madill was elected Major of the 6th Penn-sylvania Reserves on June 22, 1861. On August 30, 1862, he was appointed Colonel of the 141st Pennsylvania. Madill would be wounded three times during the war and had six horses shot from under him. The afternoon of July 2, 1863 would find Colonel Madill and the 141st attempting to stop the Confederate tidal wave through the Sherfy Peach Or-chard. The 141st found itself under severe artillery fire from the Confederates resulting in considerable loss in killed and wounded. After fighting Confederates from Joseph Kershaw’s South Carolina Brigade, the 141st was hit by a severe fire from William Barkdale’s Mississippi Brigade.
In his Official Report of the battle, Madill wrote, “I took 200 men into the fight, with 9 officers. Out of that num-ber I lost 145 men and 6 commissioned officers, the largest proportionate loss in the corps in that fight, and I think, in
the army, in this or any other battle. I would especially call attention to Sgt. Major Joseph G. Fell for his good conduct on the field. Corporal Berry, who carried the colors, though wounded three times, refused to give up his colors, and did not yield them until help-lessly stricken down a fourth time. I regret to say that Major Spalding received two severe wounds, one in each leg, and that he was taken prisoner by the enemy. He lost his left leg; it was amputated below the knee by the enemy.”
By the end of the war, Madill would be brevetted Major General “for gallant and meritorious service.” Madill would return home to Towanda after the war to his law practice. Madill was elected Register and Recorder for the County, and represented his community in the Pennsylvania Assem-bly. Today, Madill rests in a small cemetery right outside of Towanda in the small hamlet of Wysox. Surrounded by other Union veterans, Madill’s impressive monument is easily found as soon as you reach the parking lot since his large stone is in the front row.
Not far from Madill’s grave in Wysox in downtown Towanda is Riverside Cemetery. We find the Lieutenant Col-onel of the 141st, Guy H. Watkins (1831-1864). Watkins was born in Towanda and completed his education at a seminary in Lima, New York. Eventually, he entered the law practice of his father and was admitted to the bar on September 9, 1853. Wat-kins was elected district attorney in 1859. Watkins held this posi-tion when he entered the Union Army. Watkins was not at the Battle of Gettysburg because he was shot through the right lung at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863. Lt. Colonel Watkins was left on the field and was captured by the Confeder-ates. Watkins received medical attention from the Confederates and was eventually sent back to the federal lines under a flag of truce.
Watkins returned to the 141st and during one of the attacks on Petersburg on June 19th, 1864, he was shot through the body. Captain Atkinson and Lieutenant Gerould of the 141st carried Watkins to a safe place and while the battle was rag-ing around them, Watkins requested one of the men to read to him the fourteenth chapter of St. John. Captain Atkin-son never left Watkins who lived approximately two hours after being wounded. Watkins remains were brought back to Towanda for burial in Riverside. One who knew Watkins from his early life wrote of him, “He was a true, constant, unselfish friend, an affectionate husband, a kind parent, a du-tiful son, a devoted brother, but high overall, the bravest and noblest of patriots.” Today, Watkins impressive monument is easily found in the middle of the cemetery.
Not far from Watkins grave in Riverside is the grave of Da-vid Wilmot (1814-1868). Wilmot was born in Bethany, New York. He studied law and passed his bar examinations for Pennsylvania in 1839. In 1844 he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Repre-sentatives. He is most known for the Wilmot Proviso, which he presented to Congress in 1846, calling for slav-ery to be prohibited in any territory gained as fruits of the Mexican War. Passed by the House but voted down
Talkin’ Tombstones – Tales of a Civil War Grave HunterSubmitted by Bob Gale • Photos by the author • Contact LBG Jim Roubal ([email protected]) with any questions regarding this article.
See TALKIN’ TOMBSTONES continued on page 11
Grave of Henry J. Madill
Grave of David Wilmot
Grave of Guy H. Watkins
December 2014 11
GNMPNEWSGNMPNEWSM o r e
impact of the battle of Gettysburg and the American Civil War. From January through early March, Gettysburg will offer a series of lectures that touch on many different aspects of the Civil War in 1865, with programs expanding beyond the boundar-ies of the Gettysburg campaign. The consequences of the conflict, presidents and generals, the final battles and profound decisions, the aftermath and reconstruction will be examined.
Programs are held on week-ends in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center at 1:30 PM. The lectures from January 3 to February 22 will be held in one of the theaters and the lectures on February 28, March 1, 7, and 8 will be held in the Ford Education Center. All lectures are free and open to the public.
For a copy of the full Winter Lecture Series schedule go to: www.nps.gov/gett/ or call 717-334-1124 x8023.
Can’t make it to Gettysburg? All Winter Lectures will be filmed and made available on the park’s YouTube page: www.youtube.com/GettysburgNPS.
Lincoln Speech Memorial at GNMP has just been rehabbed
Read about it at: http://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/lincoln-speech-memorial-repairrehabilitation.
NPS winter lecture series to feature battlefield guide
One program in particular has our interest: Saturday, February 14 A Peculiar Institution – A Century of Licensed Guiding at the GNMP featuring LBG Frederick Hawthorne.
October 17, 1915 the Gettysburg National Mili-tary Park began active enforcement of a newly en-acted regulation requiring anyone conducting a tour of the battlefield to be duly licensed. Yet the roots of the uniquely peculiar institution that has become the Licensed Battlefield Guides or LBG’s stretch back to the immediate aftermath of the great battle. What caused the War Department to establish licensing regulations and how has the guide force evolved over the past century?
in the Senate, the proviso was finally passed on June 19, 1862. By then, Wilmot had been out of Congress for a decade. Wilmot was a supporter of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Wilmot completed the term of Simon Cameron in the United States Senate due to Cameron becoming Secretary of War. Wilmot finished his career as a judge in the court of claims before retiring to Towanda where he passed away in 1868.
Though I am not much of a naval person since I do not like the water, there was this interesting stone in Riverside of John Boyle (1838-1905). His stone claims that he
is the last survivor of the Kearsarge. I will let someone else figure out if that is true or not.
Another cemetery in Towanda which is a stone’s throw away from Riverside Cemetery and holds the remains of Major Israel P. Spaulding (1826-1863) of the 141st Pennsylvania is Oak Hill Cemetery. Spaulding was born in Athens, Penn-sylvania, where his father was a prominent farmer. Before the war, Spaulding was a farmer and a partner in the manufacture and sale of lumber. Spaulding mar-ried in 1852 and continued to live on the family home-stead until his enlistment. Spaulding acquitted himself well at Fredericksburg and
TALKIN’ TOMBSTONES continued from page 10
Grave of John Boyle
Chancellorsville. Spaulding wrote on what would become his last letter on the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg, “The enemy are now in my native State and I shall not fail in my duty to the flag we follow nor disgrace the uniform I wear.” During the furious fighting in the Peach Orchard on July 2nd, Major Spauld-ing was struck twice. One ball striking Spaulding in the thigh, and as he was being helped from the field another ball broke his ankle. Spaulding spent the evening of July 2nd on the battlefield among the dead and dying. On July 3rd, he was carried to the rear by the Confederates where a surgeon dressed his wounds. Spaulding’s ankle was badly shattered and had to be amputated below the knee. Eventually, his brother and some friends arrived from Towanda to take care of the Major but he succumbed to his wounds on July 28, 1863. Major Spaulding’s remains were brought home where on August 2, 1863, a large concourse of citizens assembled for the last rites and burial. It appears that Major Spaulding was originally buried in a churchyard in Wysox but was eventually moved at an unknown time to Oak Hill Cemetery. His stone is clearly readable and describes his mortal wounding at Gettysburg. Next time we will be visiting either Maryland or Vermont. I haven’t made up my mind yet.
Grave of Israel P. Spaulding