News Briefs

News Briefs — July 2018

Originally published July 2018 · p. 12

Vermont Legislature backs GBPA Letterman Preservation Drive GETTYSBURG, Penn.— The Vermont House of Representatives and Senate have formally adopted a resolution (J.R.S. 59) supporting the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association’s effort to preserve what remains of the Camp Letterman hospital site. “We are thrilled, that a state government is backing a large part of our campaign to preserve a very important portion of the remaining undeveloped ground that was vital to the Battle of Gettysburg and the unprecedented effort to treat the thousands of wounded and dying solders after the battle,” said GBPA President Barb Mowery. After the battle, thousands of wounded Confederate and Union troops were gathered from where they were being treated in homes, barns, churches, and other buildings throughout the Gettysburg area into one massive tent hospital named for Dr. Jonathan Letterman, the medical Director of the Army of the Potomac. The responsibility for establishing this first hospital to treat Union and Confederate casualties equally with the best resources available was in the hands of Dr. Henry Janes, a Waterbury, Vt., physician and U.S. Army surgeon. Wounded troops treated at the hospital included those of the Second Vermont Brigade, which had played a role in repelling Pickett’s Charge. Mowery said the GBPA is seeking to preserve 17 acres of Camp Letterman that are part of a planned 191-acre townhouse development by S & A Homes of State College, Penn. “We are not trying to stop the entire project, just preserve the 17 acres that were part of Camp Letterman,” said Mowery. “S & A has been kind enough to meet with us on a few occasions, but there’s been no assurance that the Letterman ground won’t be plowed up and paved for roads and residences.” The resolution from the Vermont Senate and House of Representatives, which received final adoption on May 11, states that “the General Assembly supports the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association‘s effort to preserve the Camp Letterman hospital site and requests that S & A Homes preserve these 17 acres of historic ground.” The Vermont Senate will send a copy of the resolution to S & A headquarters. “This action by Vermont was spurred by Vermont Historian, Howard Coffin, who went above and beyond in working to get this legislation passed,” said Mowery. Others who are very concerned about saving this hallowed and have been writing letters to S & A Homes include people from 35 states, 3 foreign countries, preservation organizations, individual living historians and authors, civil war round tables, civil war organizations, and other living history groups. Established in 1959, the GBPA has a website at www.gbpa.org.

Monocacy National Battlefield Sees Record Visitation FREDERICK, Md.—Monocacy National Battlefield announced a record-breaking increase in visitation during 2017. The park saw more than 100,000 visitors, an increase of nearly 20,000 more than in 2016. “We are excited that more people are coming to park, not only to learn about the battle, but also to explore nature by hiking our trails, kayaking the river, or taking part in a ranger led program,” said park superintendent Chris Stubbs. “We are committed to improving our trail system and building a non-motorized boat launch that will expand access throughout the park while also opening new visitor opportunities.” National parks are vital to the economic health of communities in which they are located. For example, in 2016, the last year for which data are available, visitors to national parks spent over $18.4 billion in their gateway communities. Of that, visitors to Monocacy National Battlefield contributed $7.3 million to the Frederick area. Initially established as a National Military Park in 1934, Monocacy National Battlefield commemorates “The Battle that Saved Washington,” on July 9, 1864. The park consists of six historic properties covering 1,647 acres.

Frank E. Vandiver Award of Merit Presented to David E. Roth At its regular monthly meeting on May 17, 2018, the Houston Civil War Round Table presented David E. Roth with this year’s Frank E. Vandiver Award of Merit.

Dave Roth accepting the Vandiver Award from Jim Godlove. Roth and his late wife, Robin, co-founded, edited, and published Blue & Gray magazine. For more than three decades, the Roth family produced the “go-to” magazine for dedicated Civil War battlefield “trampers.” Each issue focused on a specific engagement or campaign, complemented by detailed maps, contemporary and historical photographs, plus an extensive battlefield tour guide styled the “General’s Tour.” Unfortunately, the magazine ceased publication last year after 198 issues. Midway through the meeting, Jim Godlove, president of HCWRT, presented Roth with a memento of the Vandiver Award, a hand-crafted wooden, engraved trophy in the form of an oversized Minié ball. The acclaimed Civil War historian, Dr. Frank E. Vandiver, was one of the earliest members of HCWRT; each year for the past 36 years, HCWRT has bestowed the Vandiver Award in his honor to recognize outstanding contributions to Civil War scholarship or preservation efforts by an individual or an institution. Lynda Crist, a long-time member of HCWRT and editor of the Jefferson Davis Papers at Rice University, was the first recipient in 1982. Other past winners include Ed Bearss, William C. “Jack” Davis, Frank O’Reilly, Don Troiani, James “Bud” Robertson, Gordon Rhea, James McPherson, and Gary Gallagher. After accepting his award, Roth gave a brief talk entitled: “Behind the Scenes at Blue & Gray Magazine.” Roth explained how his decision to enter historical publishing evolved out of his boyhood interest in the Civil War. Giving up a successful career as an accountant, Roth launched Blue & Gray in 1983. Roth touched on how the magazine evolved over the years and explained the origin of the proud declaration on each of its covers: “For Those Who Still Hear the Guns.” Roth delighted the audience with tales of his interactions with some of the professional historians who wrote articles for his magazine. He was particularly praiseworthy of the late Wiley Sword. Although Blue & Gray ceased publication last year, Roth indicated that he still goes into his office frequently to honor requests from the National Park Service and others for back issues of the magazine. Founded in the mid-1950s to promote an impartial study of the Civil War era, HCWRT meets monthly between September and May at the HESS Club in Houston’s Galleria area. New comers and visitors are especially welcome. A cocktail hour and seated dinner precede the speaking presentation at each meeting. For more information, please visit http://www.houstoncivilwar.com or the Houston Civil War Round Table Facebook page.

Documentary: “Last Raid at Cabin Creek” Steven L. Warren was the first speaker in the Will Rogers Memorial Museum’s 2018 Milam Lecture Series. Warren’s documentary, “Last Raid at Cabin Creek,” was screened in the museum’s Will Rogers Theater in Claremore, Okla., on April 19. The documentary focuses on the last Confederate raid into the Indian Nations and what is now northeastern Oklahoma. Planned by Brig. Gen. Stand Watie and executed by Brig. Gen. Richard Gano, the raid ended in the capture of a 300-wagon Union supply train at Cabin Creek, Cherokee Nation, on Sept. 19, 1864.

In January 1865, the Confederate Congress officially passed a special resolution thanking Watie, Gano, and their respective commands for the Cabin Creek raid. Warren, also the author of The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory (The History Press: 2012), signed copies of his book and spoke about the participation of Will Rogers’ father, Clem, in the Cabin Creek raid. Clem Rogers served as an officer in Stand Watie’s Confederate Indian Brigade. At the end of his presentation, Warren received a special honor blanket from Cherokee Tribal Council Member Keith Austin, Betsy Swimmer, and other descendants of the Joseph L. Martin family for his work in preserving Cherokee history. Warren’s documentary is currently streamed on Amazon and is also available as a DVD. It is a part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The United Daughters of Confederacy awarded Warren the Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal in 2010 for his work on the Battles of Cabin Creek. His book was named as a finalist in the 2013 Oklahoma Book Awards.

Ringgold Cemetery Vandalized A section of Confederate graves in Ringgold’s Nathan Anderson Cemetery, Ringgold, Ga., was vandalized over the night of April 21-22. A Confederate flag was stolen and its flag pole damaged. Two grave stones were broken, others were pushed over, and small stick flags were removed and scattered. While we can have a debate about monuments, desecration of grave sites is never appropriate.

Ed Bearss Designates GBA for Award The Chicago Civil War Round Table 2018 tour chose to cover the opening of the Atlanta Campaign. Ed Bearss and Jim Ogden led the tour. Georgia Battlefields Association (GBA) helped Chicago CWRT plan the tour and addressed the dinner gathering on April 26. Chicago CWRT donates part of the tour profit to preservation and asked Ed to choose recipient organizations. Thanks to Ed and the Chicago CWRT, GBA received $1,000. Published by Georgia Battlefields Association, Inc.