The Camp Griffin Gazette News and Information from the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table

Vol. XXIII No. 1 January 2016

Publicity/Founding Member: Jack Anderson Treasurer: Gail Blake -

jwahist@comcast.net auntis@comcast.net

Program Committee: Peter Sinclair – Peter.R.Sinclair@Dartmouth.Edu ; Gail Blake – auntis@comcast.net ; John Mudge: Durandpress@aol.com;

Newsletter Editor:: Ginny Gage - lewandginny1863@comcast.net - Video Maven : Alan Cheever – URFINE@aol.com

Our Web Site: http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/gmcwrt/index.html

AND DON’T FORGET: WE’RE ON FACEBOOK!

January 2016

“MYTHS ABOUT LEE’S SURRENDER”

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

PATRICK SCHROEDER

AUTHOR/HISTORIAN

BUGBEE SENIOR CENTER

WHITE RIVER JCT., VT

12 Noon – Social Hour 12:30 - Catered Buffet Lunch by Big Fatty’s

1-1:15 – Business Meeting Program and question and answer period to follow

business meeting. Book raffle. Adjournment

For members to attend the meeting, the cost is $2.00 per person, non-members, $5.00 each. If you would like to join us for the buffet, the price will be between $10-$12.00 per person, depending on our head count. For reservations please contact Gail Blake by Friday noon, January 8. 802- 296-2919 or at auntis@comcast.net Meal will be: Soft Rolls w/Butter, Pulled Pork w/ BBQ sauce, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese and Homemade Cookies.

PATRICK SCHROEDER Patrick Schroeder was born January 1, 1968, at Fort Belvoir, VA, was raised in Utica, NY, and attended Stuarts Draft High School in Augusta County, VA. In the spring of 1990,

he graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Historical Park Administration from Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV. He has a M.A. in Civil War History from Virginia Tech. From the summer of 1986-1993, Patrick worked as a seasonal living history interpreter at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. In 1993, he wrote Thirty Myths About Lee’s Surrender, which is currently in its twelfth printing. From 1994–1999, he was employed at Red Hill, the Patrick Henry National Memorial. Patrick has written, edited and/or contributed to more than twenty-five Civil War titles including: More Myths About Lee’s Surrender; The Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox; Recollections and Reminiscences of Old Appomattox; Images of America: Appomattox County; Tar Heels; Sailor’s Creek: General Custis Lee Captured with Controversy; Civil War Soldier Life: In Camp and Battle; A Duryee Zouave; We Came To Fight: A History of the 5th NY Veteran Vol. Inf., Duryee’s Zouaves; Campaigns of the 146th Regiment New York State Volunteers; Pennsylvania Bucktails; The Bloody 85th; The Life of General Ely S. Parker: Least Grand Sachem of the Iroquois and Grant’s Military Secretary; Appomattox County; and With the 11th New York Fire Zouaves: In Camp, Battle and Prison. Patrick resides in Lynchburg, VA, and has worked as an independent researcher, author, historian, and tour guide. He has served as the Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park since 2002. In an effort to protect sites relevant to the Appomattox Campaign, Patrick has set up the “Appomattox Fund” with the Civil War Trust, to save land important to the climatic events of April 1865. On January 8, 1861, federal troops opened fire on Florida state militia troops when they attempted to seize Fort Barrancas, Florida. These shots are the first to be fired in defense of U.S. property.

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2016 List of Speakers

Feb. 13– Steve Allen – “Letters of Jesse Dewey, Co. I, 2nd New Hampshire Regiment.

March 12– Christine Smith – “Womens’ Relief Corps, the official women’s auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, recognized in 1883.

April 12 – Tuesday – Patrick Falci – “A. P. Hill at Gettysburg”

May – Open

June 14– Brian Jordan – Gettysburg College. Will talk about his new book on Union veterans and the unending effects of the war.

Also: Sometime in May or June a visit to St. Gauden’s National Park in Cornish, NH, to visit their special new 12 foot sculpture of the standing Abraham Lincoln. Look for more information next year.

Other Round Table Meetings and Happenings

Mon., Jan. 4 – Sugar River Civil War Round Table will be meeting the 1st Monday of the month, currently at Mivilles' home at 311 Old Newport Road, Claremont from 7-8:30 PM. We start with a half hour of refreshments and socializing, and then an hour of program. We are trying programs based on "In this month during the Civil War..."; "After Action Reports" given by members about trips, visits, or programs anyone may have taken and cares to share; any pertinent topic a member may wish to prepare and present; and addressing issues of preservation and education. Anyone with similar interests is welcome. Contact Eric at 603-298-7776 or alyankee@myfairpoint.net

May 20 – CWRT of NH – 25th anniversary - FREE performance by "The Hardtacks," a Civil War band who play period music on period instruments.

Gail and I post events that we are aware of on our Facebook page as well as interesting items from time to time. Check it out some time! You don’t need to be a “member” of Facebook in order to view these items, only to post comments to them. FACEBOOK Page: Just go to Facebook Page and type in: Green Mountain Civil War Roundtable.

Notes from our November Meeting

We had 21 people attend our November 2015 meeting.

Laura Ward announced that a new Civil War Ladies Auxiliary has been started in Lebanon, NH. If anyone is

interested, please contact her.

1. To raise dues or not to raise dues – No.

2. We voted to charge members $2.00 each per meeting and non-members $5.00 each per meeting that is not catered. 3. Registration: Nancy Miville suggested that we have an Excel list of our membership at each meeting, and the person "registering" people when they come in will check off their names as having attended. Laura Ward offered to set this up. 4. Question had been asked about whether people can hear our speakers. Jack showed us the microphones that are available for our use. However, Joan Tomasi asked what happened to the microphone we purchased some years back with our funds? No one seems to know for sure. If it can be found, we can keep it at the Bugbee Center to use. 5. In the future, because we are not having "formal" dinners, in the evenings our meeting portion will begin at 6:45 p.m. with our speaker at 7 p.m. On Saturdays our meeting portion will start at 12:45 with our speaker at 1:00. 6. Our January meeting will be catered by Big Fatty's. Gail will be in charge of taking care of the arrangements for that, and Jack will contact Len to let him know that we will be catered that day. 7. There is a microwave available for members' use. 8. Jack indicated that it was a lot of work for someone to be taking care of catering, so it will be on a month to month basis. At this point. only our January meeting is to be catered. 9. When it was brought up about future speakers not having meals included, no decision was made. 10. We discussed creating an annual allotment for speakers and fees but came to no conclusion. We discussed the fact that we should use the treasury to support various civil war causes/projects. 11. We noted the amount in our account at the present time, and decided it was a good amount. 12. Nancy Miville brought up the fact that she didn’t see any publicity in the Valley News for this meeting. Jack is in charge of that, but since we have moved to the Bugbee, he didn't think it was necessary, due to the fact that he did not have any specific information to report. He was waiting for this discussion to occur so he can report what the new protocols would be. Nancy suggested sending a notice to e-Ticker in Claremont. Tom Shanahan suggested a newspaper in Rutland - Sams. Jack asked if anyone else

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would like to take over the publicity, and no one stepped forward. 13. The digital projector works. We had bad luck with it in October, but it is operational 14. Eating and socializing – folks decided this was not an issue. People can eat and then walk around and visit. 15. Jack brought up the fact that Len could make sure that there was extra food leftover from the noon meals they put on at the Center so that we could just warm up that food for our evening meals. No one seemed to like that idea. Nancy Miville , Whitney Maxfield, Susan Cutting, and John Mudge gave Civil War presentations. Raffle winners were Laura Ward, Keith Cutting, Brian Smith, Bob Coburn, and Alice Evans.

TREASURER’S REPORT Gail Blake Treasurers Report: Starting Balance: $2563.57 Expenses: $100.00 donation to Civil War Trust and $20.00 for ad in the Civil War News Balance: $2512.57

SPRING 2016 RT TRIP Gail Blake

“War in West Virginia: The First Campaign & Struggle for Statehood”

I am working with the folks from the Rich Mountain Battlefield in West Virginia on a tour The "First Campaign" of the Civil War which will also include political context on the creation of WV. One of our guides, Hunter Lesser, told me that the weekend of April 28-May 2 is already booked, and the next weekend is Mother’s Day, and we would all prefer to avoid that. How does May 12th-May 16th sound? We never hear too much about about WV, other than Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown, thought it might be fun to visit someplace new and learn a bit more as well. Hunter did suggest that we rent a couple of vans on day two so that we can easily access Camp Allegheny and Cheat Mountain, seldom visited sites and well worth seeing. He said the roads to these places are not really motorcoach worthy and because we love Bob and Premier so much, I think we should definitely take his suggestion under advisement!

Our primary guide will be Hunter Lesser, assisted by Rick Wolfe, on days 1 and 2, and Mike Smith on day 3 at Droop Mountain. Still working on the cost.

Please contact me if you would like a list of suggested

reading. Will keep you posted on details as they become available.

WORLD WAR I GROUP Four people have started to meet monthly since this year is the centenary of the start of the war. We will cover topics in chronological order. At the moment, we are meeting on the 4th Monday at 1 pm in the Cafe next to the Coolidge, but this may change. If you want to come or want more information, contact Peter Sinclair [802-584-3280] or David Curtin [802-633-2536].

CIVIL WAR NEWS

As many of you are aware, the last issue of the Civil War News was the January 2016 issue. Kay Jorgensen has decided it was time to retire. It doesn’t seem possible it’s been 30 years since she and her husband, Pete, bought the newspaper. The paper has been purchased by Jack Melton. Melton is a noted photographer and has published several books about artillery and artifacts, and back in April of last year became The Artilleryman magazine’s publisher. According to Kay:

“He will launch a bimonthly 80-page full-color history magazine on heavy stock this spring. Civil War Battles and Commanders Magazine has a unique editorial concept, which has received enthusiastic support from people Jack has shared it with.

In Jack’s words: “Civil War Battles and Commanders will communicate the experience of Civil War combat primarily through visual media. Articles will focus on personal leadership, critical decisions, battlefield conditions, and wartime technology by using high quality photographic images, original artifacts, period maps and documents, first-hand accounts, modern recreations, and scholarly analysis, all combined in distinctive ways unique to this publication.”

Jack will fulfill CWN subscriptions. I hope that the great majority of our subscribers will enjoy being charter subscribers of Civil War Battles and Commanders Magazine. Those who don’t want the magazine will receive requested refunds.”

For those of us who have subscribed to the Civil War News over the years, we will certainly miss receiving the newspaper 11 months out of the year. As I mentioned to Kay, when the newspaper was delivered, Lew and I would each grab a section and start reading!

Hopefully, however, this will mean that she will be able to attend more of our Civil War meetings.

We wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement.

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FROM THE CIVIL WAR TRUST: Thank you for your donation to the Cedar Creek Matching Challenge. Thank you for preserving our nation’s history for future generations, so that it can never be forgotten.

Your wonderful gift of $100.00 is advancing an absolutely critical part of the Civil War Trust’s mission. Saving battlefield land is a very tangible and measurable task. We either save the land or we don’t. And if we do, we can visit the battlefields and walk the very land we have preserved. Thank you for this truly remarkable gift.

A love of history lasts a lifetime and, as you know, can be one of the most rewarding joys in life. And an understanding of your own country’s history and heritage provides a frame of reference and reverence that permeates all that you experience.

The only way we can continue to save important, threatened hallowed ground is through the generous support of concerned, committed and dedicated people like you.

I thank you very, very much.

Sincerely yours, John Lighthizer, Civil War Trust President. Green Mountain Civil War Round Table P.O. Box 982 White River Jct., VT 05001

HAPPY BIRTHDAY To members Bob Coburn, John Mudge, and

Peter Sinclair, and a belated birthday to our founder, Jack Anderson.

From Dan Lindner

Peter and I have recently been contacted by Dan Lindner, a Vermont-based musician and songwriter known as “Bango Dan,” who is trying to put together a campaign to raise funds for a new CD titled The Sleeping Sentinel. I am not familiar with his music, but he evidently has albums out that spread stories of the State of Vermont nationwide. The new CD he is hoping to do will be the story of Groton, Vermont’s Private William Scott. Not totally Civil War music, some songs on the album will deal with the huge explosion that shook Berlin in 1932, the tragic fate of the man who resisted the building of Interstate 89 in 1964, the idyllic nature of growing up in St. Albans in the 1950’s and much more. I’m attaching his “campaign” information for this fundraising project in this newsletter. Perhaps interested members can respond directly to Dan, or we can possibly bring this up at our February RT meeting. Dan’s e-mail address is: - banjodan@pshift.com

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