2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter

Preserving the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and our ancestors who fought to save the Union 1861-65.

Dates to Note:

October 7 – Central

Regions Association Conference in Westlake, Ohio

November 11 –

Veterans Day

November 15 – Deadline for

submissions to the Winter newsletter

January TBA – Annual

Midwinter Meeting

June TBA – 136th Annual Department

Encampment

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Annual Buffington Island

Memorial 2

Hardin County’s Last

Soldier Ceremony 2

Civil War Living History

Program 3

Ohio Leads Nation in

Recruiting Again 3

Meaning of the G.A.R.

Membership Badge 4

In Memoriam 4

73rd O.V.I. Regiment

Band Schedule 5

Spotlight on Civil War

Memorials 5

Wyandot County Group

Restores Veteran

Grave Markers 6

Meet Your New

Newsletter Editor 6

Ohio House of

Representatives

Resolution 7

Ohio State Senate

Resolution 8

2017 Department Encampment

Introducing New Commander James Crane

Volume 9, Issue 1 Autumn 2017

Above – National CinC Don Martin (from Ohio)

gives the Oath of Office to the new Department Officers at the recent

Encampment.

Below – New Department Commander Crane

receives his Commander’s Badge

from PDC Jim Houston and CinC Martin.

During the most recent Department of Ohio Encampment

held at the Clintonville Women’s Club in Columbus on June

10, the Brothers elected James T. Crane as the most recent

Department Commander to succeed Commander Peter J.

Hritsko, Jr. Other officers elected include Kerry Langdon as

Senior Vice-Commander and Shane Milburn as Junior Vice-

Commander. Several Brothers were appointed to non-elected

posts by the new Commander. For a full list of the

Department Officers and their contact information please

visit the Department website at www.ohiosuv.com.

Much was covered at the 135th Encampment including

discussion of a bill currently in the Ohio Legislature whose

intent is to preserve and protect military and other historic

monuments across the state. This is especially relevant in

light of recent events. In addition each Camp was reminded

that they need to acquire individual 501(c)3 status in order

to comply with recent I.R.S. requirements as there is no

longer a blanket exemption for the SUVCW.

Also a reminder - new members are the lifeblood to any

organization so try to recruit as many new Brothers as

possible this year so we can once again receive the Augustus

P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award for most new recruits in the

nation.

Brother James T. Crane is a current member of the William H. Lytle

Camp and served in numerous Camp offices as well as nearly all of the

major Department offices. He has also served on the SUVCW National

Encampment Site Selection Committee for several years. Shortly after

being installed as the new Department Commander, Crane outlined some

of his goals and desires for the order during the coming year.

One of his wishes was to restart The Buckeye Bugle which had previously

been edited by Brother Fred Lynch. During the Encampment a Brother

stepped forward and volunteered to accept the responsibility of writing,

editing and issuing the newsletter. Commander Crane said: “Brothers, it is

my pleasure to present the rebirth of the Department newsletter. My

thanks to Ronald Marvin, Jr., for stepping up to complete this work.” We

look forward to receiving input from the Brothers and Camps to make this

the best newsletter it can be.

On June 15, the Cadot-Blessing Camp No. 126 and General Benjamin Fearing Camp No. 2 partnered with the Ohio History

Connection, the Portland Community Center, and the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation to present the annual

Buffington Island Commemoration. Senior Vice-Commander Kerry Langdon was in attendance with his wife Wanda, marking her first official action as President of the Department of Ohio

Auxiliary of the SUVCW. The featured speaker was Stephen Sam Hood author of The Rise, Fall and the Resurrection of a

Confederate General and The Lost Papers of Confederate General John Bell Hood.

The annual Buffington Island Memorial Service in Portland, Ohio, honors the men who fought and died during July 1863 in a series of battles between John Hunt Morgan's Confederate

troops and Union forces. Buffington Island was considered the most important battle during Morgan’s Raid. Roughly 3,000 Union and 1,800 Confederate forces fought here during the final

battle of the Civil War to take place in Ohio.

On July 22nd, the Jacob Parrott Camp No. 33 hosted a ceremony

at Kenton’s Grove Cemetery honoring Private John H. Smick, the last surviving Civil War veteran of Hardin County. Nearly fifty persons

attended the event despite the clouds and rain. Brothers from the Parrott Camp were joined by Department of Ohio

officers JVC Shane Milburn, SVC Kerry Landgon, Department and National Secretary/Treasurer Jonathan Davis, President Wanda

Langdon of the Auxiliary SUVCW, Sisters from Elizabeth A. Turner Tent 23 of the DUVCW as well as members of the local community.

The 73rd O.V.I. Regiment Band provided entertainment prior to the event, the Kenton High School JROTC performed Honor Guard duties,

plus Brother Brad Bailey was the featured speaker who talked about the life and military service of Private Smick, who later served as

Hardin County Prosecuting Attorney from 1879 to 1884. John Hare Smick was born in Canton, Ohio on January 29, 1848.

He served with Company C, 2nd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry from February 16, 1865 to September 11, 1865. He later moved to

Ada, Ohio where he operated his father’s sawmill and studied law in his free time. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar Association in 1875

and practiced law until his death on January 27, 1942. At the time of his death he was one of the last members of the G.A.R.’s Colonel

Cantwell Post 91, parent Post of the Parrott Camp.

Page 2

Annual Buffington Island Memorial Ceremony

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Hardin County’s Last Civil War Soldier Ceremony

Senior Vice-Commander Kerry Landon

represented the Department of Ohio

SUVCW at the annual memorial service.

Above – Junior Vice-Commander Shane Milburn placing a wreath on Private

Smick’s grave. Below – The 73rd O.V.I. Regiment Band playing prior to the ceremony.

The William McKinley Camp No. 21 and the Ann Mariah Sterling Butterfield Auxiliary No. 77 participated in a Civil War Living History program at Lancaster, Ohio on July 22, 2017. The event featured an artillery reenactment group live firing a Civil War era cannon, several tents exhibiting period artifacts as well as selling reproduction wares. Brothers and Civil War reenactors were on hand to answer questions from the public about the war and the time period.

Civil War Living History Program

Page 3 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Ohio Leads Nation in Recruiting Again

Above – Recruiting table set up by the Camp and

Ladies’ Auxiliary. Below – Several

reenactors and Brothers observe a live fire

exercise with a civil war era cannon.

During the recent 136th National Encampment in Lansing, Michigan on August 10-13, Commander-in-Chief Donald L. Martin had the honor of bestowing the Augustus P. Davis/Conrad Linder Award to Ohio for the most new recruits during the previous year. Ohio recruited 54 new members under the leadership of our fellow Brother.

At the same meeting it was announced that Brother David Rish from Jacob Parrott Camp No. 33 was the first recipient of the newly renamed David R. Medert Award for the most new recruits during the previous year with 13 Brothers brought in. Brother Rish had received the last five B. F. Stephenson Awards for the most new recruits in the Nation.

The award was originally named for Benjamin Franklin Stephenson, the founder of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was renamed for Brother Medert from the Department of Ohio who was renowned for his recruiting. Reportedly he recruited 75 Brothers in a single year during one of his terms as Department Commander in 1991 and 1992.

Along with Brother Rish, Brother Steve Flickinger from Sherman Camp No. 93 received the National Aide Award for recruiting at least five new members during the previous year.

Just as Ohio was one of the leading states in recruiting volunteers for the Civil War, it is once again leading the way in recruits to honor our ancestors who served during the war.

Above – Brother David Rish, first recipient of the new David R. Medert Award.

Below – Former National Commander-in-Chief and

Department of Ohio Commander David R. Medert

wearing a Civil War uniform.

WE NEED YOUR INFORMATION!! In order to share the great work our Camps are doing and

to promote their upcoming events we need your assistance. Please send your program information with dates to Brother Ken Freshley, PCinC who is serving once again as the Department Signals Officer. The programs will be listed on a calendar on our Department website and be forwarded to Brother Ronald Marvin, Jr. to be included in the revived newsletter. Brother Freshley can be contacted by email at KLFSUVCW@freshleys.net. Thank you in advance for your assistance. We can only promote what we know about.

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Department of Ohio

The Buckeye Bugle is the

unofficial newsletter published quarterly to

inform and educate members of the SUVCW

Department of Ohio.

Photos in this issue courtesy of Harry Haggard,

Ken Freshley, Kerry

Langdon, Ronald Marvin, Jr., ohiosuv.com, and Dan

Robinson.

Items for possible publication should be sent

by email to: curator@wyandothistory.org

Ronald Marvin, Jr. Editor

Meaning of the G.A.R. Membership Badge

Page 4 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

In Memoriam

The following is a list of Brothers who have passed in 2016 and 2017:

Richard H. Calendine (17 June 2016) - Governor William Dennison Camp No. 1

William Fugitt (7 September 2016) – Pvt. Valentine Keller Camp No. 8 Bradford Miter (8 November 2016) – William T. Sherman Camp No. 93

George H. Knell (2 March 2017) – General William McLaughlin Camp No. 12

J. Kenneth Wilson (15 April 2017) – General William H. Lytle Camp No. 10

Boyd B. Weber (18 April 2017) – James A. Garfield Camp No. 142 Ronnie D. Cox (9 June 2017) – Henry Casey Camp No. 92

Ronald I. Marvin, Sr. (5 August 2017) – Jacob Parrott Camp No. 33

To the left is an image of the Series IV membership badge worn by comrades of

the Grand Army of the Republic. The basic design of the badge was introduced in

1869 and was slightly modified over the years. It resembled the early version of

the Medal of Honor causing the Nation’s highest military honor to be redesigned to

avoid confusion. Original versions of the badge were reportedly made of bronze

melted down from enemy cannons captured during the Civil War.

The pendant is a five pointed star and imagery on the badge represents the

basic tenants of the group. The obverse features the Goddess of Liberty in the

center, representing Loyalty, and beside her a soldier and a sailor stand clasping

hands representing Fraternity. Two children are kneeling in front to receive the

benediction and assurance of protection from comrades representing Charity.

On one side of this group is a flag and eagle representing Freedom and the other

side has an ax and bundle of rods representing the Union. The five points of the

pendant feature the emblems of the different arms of service - bugle for Infantry,

cannon for Artillery, muskets for Marines, swords for Cavalry, and an anchor for

Sailors. In the center are the words Grand Army of the Republic 1861-Veterans-

1866 which commemorates the beginning of the Civil War and the founding of the

order the year following the end of the war.

On the reverse is a laurel branch representing Victory, and the National Shield

surrounded by Corps badges, each on an interlocking keystone representing how

they are united to protect the Union. Early clasps featured ribbons with laurel

wreaths designating various offices in the order. The clasp on the Series IV badge

is an eagle with crossed cannons and ammunition, representing Defense. The

clasp and medal are united by the national flag, which is the ribbon of the order.

The medals were only to be presented to members in good standing and were

not to be sold or replicated. They were to be worn only at post meetings, G.A.R.

encampments, or any patriotic ceremony where the members desired to be

recognized as veterans of the Civil War. Today these medals are highly prized

souvenirs of the organization fetching high prices on the open market in direct

contrast to their original intent.

Below: A

solid gold

G.A.R.

badge

presented

to Ulysses

S. Grant on

December

18, 1879.

73rd O.V.I. Regiment Band

THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 5

Spotlight on Civil War Memorials

Band Schedule

October 1, 2017

ROSS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY CWRT CONCERT

Chillicothe, Ohio

October 14, 2017

OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ENCAMPMENT

Marblehead, Ohio

November 18, 2017

GETTYSBURG PARADE

Gettysburg Pennsylvania

June 23-24, 2018

MIAMISBURG BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Miamisburg, Ohio

For additional information please check out their website at:

http://73rdoviregimentband.weebly.com/

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century residents of

Jackson Township in Allen County decided to honor veterans of the Civil War from the area. They raised funds to erect a sixteen foot tall monument including a six foot tall Soldier at Parade

Rest statue atop a sandstone base which was placed on North High Street in the center of Lafayette, Ohio.

The front of the monument featured a carved G.A.R. badge

and verse from William Cullen Bryant’s poem The Battlefield: Ah! never shall the land forget.

How flowed the life blood of her brave Gushed warm with hope and courage yet.

Upon the soil they fought to save.

The monument and small park surrounding it was formally dedicated on July 4, 1903 and was Dedicated to the Memory of her soldiers of 1861-1865 according to the inscription on the back. It quickly became the focal point of numerous Memorial

Day programs in the village. Over the course of one hundred years the old monument

suffered damage and about 2003 the community raised

approximately $30,000 to restore the monument including cleaning the discolored stone base, replace missing elements of the statue, remove and restore the original cast iron fence, and

install a memorial garden surrounding the base.

View of the restored Civil War Monument

with Soldier at Parade Rest statue dedicated to

local veterans and located in downtown

Lafayette, Ohio.

Meet Your New Department Newsletter Editor

Page 6 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE

Wyandot County Group Restores Veteran Grave Markers

In Wyandot County, a public/private partnership has been formed to restore damaged grave markers of veterans throughout the

approximately 100 township cemeteries scattered across the county. Spearheaded by the Veterans Heritage Foundation, the group is initially focusing on 400 large markers representing veterans of all

wars. Over the last couple of years, former County Commissioner Mike Wheeler has led crews of students and volunteers to clean and straighten leaning government markers. These included the grave

markers of several Civil War veterans. The first marker repaired by the new partnership was that of

Private Reuban Ingman (Company C, 180th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry) who died while on active duty at Louisville, Kentucky on February 8, 1865. His family placed a large stone monument for him

containing three pieces of granite stacked upon each other of which the top spire had toppled off over time. The hillside where the marker sat eroded and needed to be repaired before the stone could be reset.

Once this work was completed the monument was restored to its former glory.

During the most recent Department of Ohio Encampment, Brother Ronald Marvin, Jr. of Jacob Parrott Camp No. 33 offered his services

to help restart the newsletter. He has many years of experience writing articles, editing, and publishing newsletters for various museums he

has worked for. A member of the Camp since 2012, Marvin is currently the Patriotic Instructor Officer and has held numerous offices for the Parrott Camp including Camp Commander, Senior Vice-Commander,

Junior Vice-Commander, Guard, and Scribe/Reporter. A veteran of the United States Army and Operations Desert Shield

& Desert Storm, Marvin annually participates in the Kenton Memorial

Day Parade and Grove Cemetery Services, places flags on veterans’ graves in cemeteries throughout Hardin County as well as hosts a

Veterans Day program at the Wyandot County Museum. Brother Marvin holds a BA from the University of South Dakota in

History and Archaeology and an MA from the University of Nebraska in

Museum Studies. He currently resides in Kenton and has served as the Director/Curator for the Wyandot County Historical Society in

Upper Sandusky since 2011. Marvin has an extensive list of publications and has written several local history articles about Hardin and Wyandot Counties. Currently, he is researching the

locations and histories of the Grand Army of the Republic Posts in Ohio as well as their namesakes.

Above – Side view of Private Reuben Ingman’s

grave marker in Ingman Cemetery following its

restoration.

Above – Brother Ronald Marvin, Jr. standing in front of the Cantwell

Post monument and cannon in Kenton’s

Grove Cemetery. Nearby is the grave of Jacob

Parrott, his Camp’s namesake.

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