Tom,

Great post about Scott's talk. However, the time of when the
Iron Brigade began advancing seems a little odd to me,
particularly when most accounts state the Federal advance
began at first light, which would be between 5.30 and 6.00
am.... South Mountain is the largest geographical block to
the sun in the morning in that area, as you well know.

Very respectfully,
Your humble and obdt. servant,
G. E. (Gerry) Mayers,
Private,
Nelson's Signal Company,
Longstreet's Corps

A Proud American by Birth, Southern by Choice!

"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the
field on which he has nobly laid down his
."     --General Robert Edward Lee

Explore some little known facts of the War of the Rebellion!
The current feature may be found at
http://www.us-civilwar.com/picketline.html
To see earlier articles, kindly go to:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/njrebel

In a message dated 02/07/2003 9:52:11 AM EST, gerry1952@... writes:
<< However, the time of when the Iron Brigade began advancing seems a little
odd to me, particularly when most accounts state the Federal advance
  began at first light, which would be between 5.30 and 6.00 am. >>

Perhaps he meant that they began their hurried assembly into formation at
that time and not necesarily took their first steps towards the south? Scott
noted that when the troops encamped, they had no idea as to their surrounding
geography. The troops were wet but so exhausted that many references comment
on their deep sleep. Their early awakening was initiated by officers who were
notified that Reb batteries were spotted on Nicodemus Hts and they were
in-range.

FYI..for the past 8+ years, I've parked at the Cornfield around 6 AM and
walked along the pike to the North Woods to join the 7 AM anniversary hikes.
I recall that one can see fairly well by 6:30 AM (if there is no fog), so
wouldn't be 5:30 AM in 1862 timekeeping?

Of course we all know that any time references to hours/minutes during battle
are commonly inaccurate.

Tom Shay

In a message dated 01/30/2003 5:28:32 PM EST, clemens@... writes:
<< SHAF is sponsoring a hike to the top of Signal Hill, as we call it, the
site we purchased last year with your money.  the view is tremendous,
  date is set for March 8, 10:00 in Visiror Center parking lot. >>

For those planning to partake in the March 8 hike, there is some background
info at:
http://www.civilwarnews.com/archive/articles/shaf.htm

Does SHAF still have a website?
I get no response from http://www.shafonline.org/
Perhaps we can blame it on all this snow!

Tom Shay

Tom,

The time question aside.   If I may, did Scott touch  on Battery B's
participation in the cornfield action?

David Lutton
Hollidaysburg Pa
----- Original Message -----
From: <rotbaron@...>
To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: [TalkAntietam] Hartwig's talk on Iron Brigade


> In a message dated 02/07/2003 9:52:11 AM EST, gerry1952@... writes:
> << However, the time of when the Iron Brigade began advancing seems a
little
> odd to me, particularly when most accounts state the Federal advance
>  began at first light, which would be between 5.30 and 6.00 am. >>
>
> Perhaps he meant that they began their hurried assembly into formation at
> that time and not necesarily took their first steps towards the south?
Scott
> noted that when the troops encamped, they had no idea as to their
surrounding
> geography. The troops were wet but so exhausted that many references
comment
> on their deep sleep. Their early awakening was initiated by officers who
were
> notified that Reb batteries were spotted on Nicodemus Hts and they were
> in-range.
>
> FYI..for the past 8+ years, I've parked at the Cornfield around 6 AM and
> walked along the pike to the North Woods to join the 7 AM anniversary
hikes.
> I recall that one can see fairly well by 6:30 AM (if there is no fog), so
> wouldn't be 5:30 AM in 1862 timekeeping?
>
> Of course we all know that any time references to hours/minutes during
battle
> are commonly inaccurate.
>
> Tom Shay
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

From today's Hagerstown Herald-Mail...

"Some Riled When Battle Cut From Civil War Movie"

Word that scenes of the Civil War Battle of Antietam have been cut from the
theater version of "Gods and Generals" disappointed some Sharpsburg-area
residents, even though those scenes were filmed in Virginia. "We are not
pleased," said Bob LeBlanc, part owner of the Inn at Antietam in Sharpsburg.
"Antietam was a big part of that mess," he added, referring to the Civil War.
"Isn't that a bummer."

Sandy Henson, who lives about three miles from Sharpsburg, was dipping ice
cream Thursday afternoon at Nutter's Ice Cream, just off the square in
Sharpsburg, which is near the battlefield. Was she disappointed the Antietam
battlefield scenes were cut from the film? "Yeah, really," she said, "I don't
know why they wanted to cut it - I think that was one of the main points" of
the war.

But Wayne Alter Sr., who was eating ice cream at Nutter's, said "I expected
that. It wasn't that significant" to the film. "Gods and Generals" director
Ron Maxwell said Wednesday that Battle of Antietam scenes and others had to
be cut to reduce the length of the movie, which now runs 3 hours and 35
minutes. At one time before editing was completed, the film was 4 hours and
40 minutes long, Maxwell said.

The Antietam battle scenes will appear in the six-hour DVD version of the
film, Maxwell said.  "I'm just surprised to hear it," said Sallie Cornell,
co-owner of the American Deli. "The battle's why the history is there" in
Washington County. "Most men that even watch those type of movies watch it
for the battles," she said.  Betty Snyder, the children's librarian at the
Sharpsburg Library, said her mother, who is now deceased, watched local
filming of the movie from her Red Hill home and "was fascinated by it. It was
a real big deal."

At the Sharpburg Arsenal on Main Street, owner Don Stoops was planning to
offer companion materials to his shop patrons. "We have a lot of stuff
ordered to coincide" with the film's release, he said, but now he doesn't
think he'll have quite the influx of tourists he'd expected.

"I think that our area is definitely gonna miss out on that boom without
Antietam being in," Stoops said. He said the market for Civil War
collectibles will still get a boost, but "we were looking to see Antietam to
be a big part of that film."
"As a Washington Countian I'm very disappointed," said attorney Bruce Poole,
who represented Maxwell when he sought local backing for the film. "But there
was enormous pressure to shorten that movie."

Dennis Frye, a local Civil War expert and an associate producer of the film
said he agonized for weeks over cutting the Antietam scenes.  "I would hope
that local people would be disappointed; that tells me they're very proud of
their local history," Frye said. "I'm extremely disappointed because Antietam
is such a significant battle, but it is not an essential battle in 'Gods and
Generals,' the movie."  That's because the film is not about the war itself,
but about the primary characters. "We cut out entire campaigns that were
directly related to the main characters," Frye added, including Stonewall
Jackson's Valley Campaign, one of the most important in the general's career.


Washington County Commissioners' President Gregory I. Snook said that
although the Battle of Antietam scenes - filmed on farmland between
Lexington, Va., and Staunton, Va. - were out, many of the scenes shot in
Washington County are in.  "I'm not disappointed," Snook said. "In seeing how
the whole film was shot, there was a lot of footage that got cut." But, he
said, "the county's not left out."

"I'm obviously disappointed," Hagerstown Mayor William Breichner said, "but
I'm still just very proud of the fact that they made that movie here. I'm
proud that Hagerstown and Washington County was such a major part of it."
Del. Christopher Shank, who legislative district includes Sharpsburg, was
philosophical.  "Gettysburg," Maxwell's last Civil War epic, evoked the
sanctity of that battlefield, He said. "I think Antietam already holds that
place," he said. "Maybe we don't need a movie for that."  The Hagerstown
premiere for "Gods and Generals is next Tuesday at the Maryland Theatre.

Tom Shay


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 2/7/03 8:05:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,
dunkerch@... writes:
> If I may, did Scott touch  on Battery B's participation in the cornfield
> action?

David,

Indeed, Scott did mention the battery, but nothing beyond the standard
history as told by Sears and other authors. He noted the battery deployed on
a rise near Miller Farm and then Stewart's section was ordered forward to the
next rise (to the astonishment of the gunners, as that spot was amid the
infantry firefight). The forward position is where the guns sit today. As the
Rebs approached the section, they began preparing to limber. Gibbon saw this
and ordered them to continue firing (he realized the Reb would shoot the
horses and their retreat was doomed). Scott recounted their use of
double-canister and Gibbon's adjusting of the gun (alas, no mention of
MOH-winnner Johnny Cook).

I'm sure you await Scott's book with as much eagerness as I do!

Tom Shay




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Friday, February 7, 2003, at 08:37 PM, rotbaron@... wrote:

> From today's Hagerstown Herald-Mail...
>  "Gods and Generals" director Ron Maxwell said Wednesday that Battle of
> Antietam scenes and others had to be cut to reduce the length of the
> movie, which now runs 3 hours and 35 minutes.

Makes about as much sense to me as it would to cut the First Inaugural
Address out of a movie biography of Lincoln.

> The Antietam battle scenes will appear in the six-hour DVD version of
> the film…

Did Maxwell say when the DVD might be available?

> Dennis Frye, a local Civil War expert and an associate producer of the
> film said …"I'm extremely disappointed because Antietam is such a
> significant battle, but it is not an essential battle in 'Gods and
> Generals,' the movie."

Fine.  I'll wait for the DVD.

Tony Turner

Today's Civil War Page of the Washington Times contains an interesting article
on the heretofore unknown citizen who brought food to Graham's Battery at the
Sunken Road and carried-off his wounded--all under a heavy fire of artillery. 
See:

http://www.washtimes.com/civilwar/

"But what good came of it at last?"
      Quoth little Peterkin.
"Why that I cannot tell," said he,
      "But `twas a famous victory."

      -- Robert Southey, "The Battle of Blenheim"


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Believe it or not the show was on HBO and not any of Turner's atations. In
it they bring out some of the reasons why the Antietam scenes were deleted.

G & G is NOT Gettysburg redone. It is being billed as "A TRUE Story of the
Civil War" so it can't have the myths and plain errors which were prevelant
in Gettysburg. G & G focuses on two people and how they and their families
were affected by the war. You can tell who by the star billing. Jeff Daniels
and Stephen Lang. This movie is about Joshua and Fanny Chamberlain and
Thomas and Anna Jackson.

From "The making of.." it seems that there are three major battles depicted,
First Manassas (Jackson), Fredericksburg (Chanberlain) and Chancellorsville
(Jackson). Antietam would be out of the movie stream because Joshua wasn't
there or if he was he didn't do much.

Robert Duvall does get special billing and much of the movie deals with his
character. But then how can anyone make a Civil War Movie without Lee? On
thing he said in ".The making of..." was that he is proud to be playing Lee
and describes him as an honorable man. His line is "Some people North of the
Mason Dixon Line might not like that but I am proud to play him"

The make up is much better, the beards actually look real and Lang looks
enough like Jackson to be his descendent. The scene where Jackson is wounded
is rather forcefull. But the death scene is marred by the set not being a
direct replica of the room where Jackson died.

In case you were wondering, Buster Killrain is back. How they justify a
ficticious character in a true story is to say he represents "the common
soldier. He is the conscience of the film."

If you subscribe to HBO look for this 15 minute program. I would also
reccomend the Soundtrack CD. It comes with a DVD which has Dylan's "Cross
The Green Mountain"  and Mary Fahl's haunting "Going Home" along with some
scenes that are not in the theactrical release. (None of which deal with
Antietam, though).

You can also see the music videos at the Sony Classical web site.

O.G.

Group,

To add some thoughts to Ollie G's kind post, G and G is most
definitely NOT a movie in the lines of Gettysburg.

Let us all hope the general public who may go to see G and G
will be spurred and motivated to look into the Civil War in
all its complexities much as Gettysburg of ten years ago
spurred many others. Let us also hope that G and G will
re-ignite interest in many other Americans much like
Gettysburg (which followed somewhat shortly after Ken Burns'
Civil War series, IIRC), which certainly not only re-ignited
my own interest in the ACW but spurred me on to different
levels of involvement. Today, thanks to the Burns series and
Gettysburg I am a living historian of the Civil War, an
amateur Civil War historian, a writer of a column on a Civil
War website and working on a historical fiction novel based
on the Maryland Campaign of 1862. Not too shabby a result
for a miniseries and a movie!

Finally, I hope G and G will help us to remember and honor
the memories of the common soldiers of the Civil War...for G
and G is as much their story as it is the stories of Lee,
Jackson, Hancock and Chamberlain.

Very respectfully,
Your humble and obdt. servant,
G. E. (Gerry) Mayers,
Private,
Nelson's Signal Company,
Longstreet's Corps

A Proud American by Birth, Southern by Choice!

"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the
field on which he has nobly laid down his
."     --General Robert Edward Lee

Explore some little known facts of the War of the Rebellion!
The current feature may be found at
http://www.us-civilwar.com/picketline.html
To see earlier articles, kindly go to:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/njrebel

Curt,

Thanks for the interesting post on the "Samaritan."  Its the first time I
heard the story.

David Lutton
Hollidaysburg Pa
----- Original Message -----
From: "Curt Johnson" <ccj@...>
To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 12:11 PM
Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam Samaritan


> Today's Civil War Page of the Washington Times contains an interesting
article on the heretofore unknown citizen who brought food to Graham's
Battery at the Sunken Road and carried-off his wounded--all under a heavy
fire of artillery.  See:
>
> http://www.washtimes.com/civilwar/
>
> "But what good came of it at last?"
>      Quoth little Peterkin.
> "Why that I cannot tell," said he,
>      "But `twas a famous victory."
>
>      -- Robert Southey, "The Battle of Blenheim"
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

To Whom It May Concern:
My address is changed.  I am now at "antietam1862@..."
I will check on the website.

David,

I think, IIRC, Mike Priest has it in his book on the battle
as does again, IIRC, TimeLife books installment on
Antietam...and possibly the TimeLife Voices of the Civil War
Antietam volume.

Very respectfully,
Your humble and obdt. servant,
G. E. (Gerry) Mayers,
Private,
Nelson's Signal Company,
Longstreet's Corps

A Proud American by Birth, Southern by Choice!

"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the
field on which he has nobly laid down his
."     --General Robert Edward Lee

Explore some little known facts of the War of the Rebellion!
The current feature may be found at
http://www.us-civilwar.com/picketline.html
To see earlier articles, kindly go to:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/njrebel


----- Original Message -----
From: "david lutton" <dunkerch@...>
To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: [TalkAntietam] Antietam Samaritan


> Curt,
>
> Thanks for the interesting post on the "Samaritan."  Its
the first time I
> heard the story.
>
> David Lutton
> Hollidaysburg Pa
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Curt Johnson" <ccj@...>
> To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 12:11 PM
> Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam Samaritan
>
>
> > Today's Civil War Page of the Washington Times contains
an interesting
> article on the heretofore unknown citizen who brought food
to Graham's
> Battery at the Sunken Road and carried-off his
wounded--all under a heavy
> fire of artillery.  See:
> >
> > http://www.washtimes.com/civilwar/
> >
> > "But what good came of it at last?"
> >      Quoth little Peterkin.
> > "Why that I cannot tell," said he,
> >      "But `twas a famous victory."
> >
> >      -- Robert Southey, "The Battle of Blenheim"
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

David,
You're welcome.  I knew of the incident from Graham's reports, but I did not
know the details, as provided by Mr. Clem in his excellent article.  The Civil
War Page is a fine feature of the Washington Times.
Curt

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: david lutton
   To: TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 7:32 PM
   Subject: Re: [TalkAntietam] Antietam Samaritan


   Curt,

   Thanks for the interesting post on the "Samaritan."  Its the first time I
   heard the story.

   David Lutton
   Hollidaysburg Pa



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

These trips are always worth MORE than the price of admission

***  7th Annual Civil War Forum Battlefield Tour ***

FREDERICKSBURG and CHANCELLORSVILLE

      with Robert K. Krick
      March 27-30, 2003

Registration includes:
-- 2.5 days of battlefield touring with the preeminent historian and
author, R. K. Krick
-- Evening presentations by Krick, and Fredericksburg historian Frank
O'Reilly
-- An evening, candlelight tour to Guiney Station
-- 3 buffet dinners and 2 lunches
-- reference maps and handouts
    See Full Itinerary below.

There are still a handful of seats available on the bus for the March, 2003
Civil War Forum battlefield tour. We have a block of rooms set aside at the
Wingate Hotel in Fredericksburg (see reservation information below) for
Thursday-Saturday, March 27, 28, & 29 (checking out on Sunday a.m., March
30). For more info on the Civil War Forum, see the very bottom of this
message.

REGISTRATION COST:  $170
Registration will include three (3) buffet dinners (Thursday, Friday,
Saturday), all talks and presentations, a seat on the tour bus for Friday
and Saturday, Saturday night candlelight tour at Guiney Station, and two
nice lunches Friday and Saturday (including one at Bob Krick's favorite
Italian restaurant in town). Also included are maps and other reading
materials related to the tours. As a bonus, Bob Krick will meet any
interested parties on Sunday morning for a presentation at Spotsylvania's
Bloody Angle.

As in past Civil War Forum gatherings, we have secured a top-flight guide
for our battlefield tours, made arrangements for good food and
accommodations, and have lined up some outstanding dinner talks all for a
BARE BONES REGISTRATION FEE. As always, any money left over from
registration and raffles, beyond expenses, will be donated to a battlefield
preservation organization to be named by our guide.

Registration cost does not include your hotel room, or breakfasts.

Send an email to let me know of your plans to attend, then... PLEASE MAIL
YOUR REGISTRATIONS (check made out to Civil War Forum) TO:

      David Woodbury
      P.O. Box 19130
      Stanford, CA 94309

For anyone (guests, family, etc.) not attending the tours who wishes to
attend the evening banquets, meals can be added for $15 (Thursday), $20
(Friday), and $20 (Saturday) -- or $55 for all three evenings. Include this
in the registration check. We can still add people for meals up to about 2
weeks before the event.

HEADQUARTERS:
    Wingate Hotel
    20 Sanford Drive
    Fredericksburg, VA 22406
    (540) 368-8000
    (540) 368-9252 fax

You can visit the hotel website, and view the amenities at:
    www.mywingate.com
Be sure to reserve your rooms now, and be sure to mention you are attending
the Civil War Forum Conference for a room rate of $70 (plus tax).

ITINERARY: [optional Thursday afternoon outing is being arranged]

THURSDAY, March 27 -- Reunion kicks off 6:00 pm
6:00pm to 7:00pm: mingling in the conference room
(BYOB -- hotel will set up soft drinks and mixers)
7:15pm: buffet dinner
[American field greens with balsamic vinaigrette; rosemary roasted chicken
and herbed Au Jus; roasted red bliss potatoes; fresh garden vegetables;
fresh baked rolls and butter; New York style cheesecake; iced tea and
coffee]

DINNER SPEAKER 8:00pm: Frank O'Reilly (subject: Fredericksburg)
Many of you know Frank, a ranger at Fredericksburg, author of multiple
books & articles on the battle, including a brand new tactical study of
Fredericksburg from LSU Press:
"The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock"
http://www.lsu.edu/lsupress/catalog/fall2002/books/OReilly_Fredericksburg.h
tml
(books will be available at the Reunion for purchase and signing)

FRIDAY, March 28: leave hotel at 8:30; return at 4:30
Morning stops: Federal headquarters at Chatham; Falmouth Flats, where
Burnside did NOT cross; upper (main) pontoon crossing; city dock (middle
pontoon site); streets of town, with a half-dozen house yards or church
visits, etc.

Lunch: Renato's Restaurant in Fredericksburg (Italian) -- choose between 2
entrees

Afternoon stops: Sunken Road and Marye's Heights; Lee's Hill; Bernard's
Cabins; Prospect Hill and Hamilton's Crossing.

FRIDAY EVENING:
6:00pm to 7:00pm: mingling in the conference room
(BYOB -- hotel will set up soft drinks and mixers)
7:15pm: buffet dinner
[classic Caesar salad; fresh made lasagna with mozzerella, parmesan,
ricotta and Monterey Jack cheese; fresh market vegetables; fresh baked
rolls and butter; carrot cake with walnuts and Chantilly Cream; iced tea
and coffee]

DINNER SPEAKER, 8:00pm: Robert K. Krick (subject: Chancellorsville)

SATURDAY, March 29
Morning stops: Ely's Ford; Zoan Church; the May 1 battlefield; the last
meeting of Lee and Jackson; Catharine Furnace.

Lunch: Deli sandwiches delivered to us at the Chancellorsville Visitor
Center (choice of roast beef, turkey, ham, or veggie). Includes sandwich,
potato salad, bag of chips, brownie, and bottled water)

Afternoon stops: following Jackson's Flank March; the launching of the
Attack; Jackson's MWIA site; Hazel Grove; Chancellorsville Inn

SATURDAY EVENING --
Schedule to be announced, once we determine exactly when we'll be taking
the bus to Guiney Station. After dinner we'll ride the bus down to Guiney
Station for a candlelight tour re: Stonewall Jackson's death. Frank
O'Reilly (who is stationed there and lives across the grounds) will take
down the barriers and people can crowd right around the bed.

DINNER Saturday evening: [fresh spinach salad with mandarin oranges, walnut
and raspberry vinaigrette; roasted beef tenderloin with Au Jus; garlic
mashed potatoes; fresh green beans with red bell peppers; fresh baked rolls
and butter; double chocolate layer cake; iced tea and coffee]

SUNDAY, March 30: Bob Krick has also offered to meet a group out at the
Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania for a little presentation. Though we'll go
back one day to do Wilderness & Spotsylvania in more depth, this might be
an excellent preview, and maybe the only opportunity to do so with the
now-retired Krick.

[Please inquire about optional Thursday afternoon outing (thus far, a
number of people will be going out to see the site of the death of the
"Gallant Pelham," at Kelley's Ford, with guide Steve Meserve]

-------------------------------

The Civil War Forum on CompuServe is one of the oldest on-line discussion
groups (an on-line Civil War Round Table) in the country, and can be
accessed without cost over the internet. For over 10 years, members ranging
from casual buffs to professional historians have participated in cordial,
moderated discussions in the forum's message boards. Regular live
conferences feature authors and historians discussing their published
works.

To visit the Forum message boards and libraries, go to:
http://forums.compuserve.com/vlforums/default.asp?SRV=CivilWar

There is no cost to participate. You'll be prompted to enter as a visitor
(read only), or, for full access, to create a screen name (or to enter an
existing AOL, CiS, or IM screen name).

In 1997, forum members began gathering each March at a different
battlefield, alternating Eastern and Western Theaters. Past Forum
gatherings have included:

1997  Antietam & Harpers Ferry, with Tom Clemens and Dennis Frye
1998  Chickamauga & Chattanooga, with Jim Ogden and Nat Hughes
1999  Petersburg, with Peter Calkins, Noah Trudeau, Bill Miller, and A.
Wilson Greene
2000  Vicksburg, with Ed Bearss and Michael Ballard
2001  Gettysburg, with LBG Wayne Wachsmuth, and Jeffry Wert
2002  Shiloh, with Stacy Allen, Larry Daniel, and Wiley Sword
2003  Fredericksburg & Chancellorsville, with Bob Krick and Frank O'Reilly

For more information, contact David Woodbury, Civil War Forum
administrator, at woodbury@...




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sorry, for sending the previous message without signing it, sometimes these
buttons have a mind of their own.  Anyway - I have been on everyone of these
trips and they are worth every penny.

Paula


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Paula,
There is one coming up at the end of April about Stonewall
at which Stephen Lang will be one of the presenters. The
announcement/ad for the seminar was in the latest issue of
Civil War Times Illustrated.

Very respectfully,
Your humble and obdt. servant,
G. E. (Gerry) Mayers,
Private,
Nelson's Signal Company,
Longstreet's Corps

A Proud American by Birth, Southern by Choice!

"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the
field on which he has nobly laid down his
."     --General Robert Edward Lee

Explore some little known facts of the War of the Rebellion!
The current feature may be found at
http://www.us-civilwar.com/picketline.html
To see earlier articles, kindly go to:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/njrebel


----- Original Message -----
From: <Pa128th@...>
To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 6:42 PM
Subject: [TalkAntietam] (no subject)


> These trips are always worth MORE than the price of
admission
>
> ***  7th Annual Civil War Forum Battlefield Tour ***
>
> FREDERICKSBURG and CHANCELLORSVILLE
>
>      with Robert K. Krick
>      March 27-30, 2003
>
> Registration includes:
> -- 2.5 days of battlefield touring with the preeminent
historian and
> author, R. K. Krick
> -- Evening presentations by Krick, and Fredericksburg
historian Frank
> O'Reilly
> -- An evening, candlelight tour to Guiney Station
> -- 3 buffet dinners and 2 lunches
> -- reference maps and handouts
>    See Full Itinerary below.
>
> There are still a handful of seats available on the bus
for the March, 2003
> Civil War Forum battlefield tour. We have a block of rooms
set aside at the
> Wingate Hotel in Fredericksburg (see reservation
information below) for
> Thursday-Saturday, March 27, 28, & 29 (checking out on
Sunday a.m., March
> 30). For more info on the Civil War Forum, see the very
bottom of this
> message.
>
> REGISTRATION COST:  $170
> Registration will include three (3) buffet dinners
(Thursday, Friday,
> Saturday), all talks and presentations, a seat on the tour
bus for Friday
> and Saturday, Saturday night candlelight tour at Guiney
Station, and two
> nice lunches Friday and Saturday (including one at Bob
Krick's favorite
> Italian restaurant in town). Also included are maps and
other reading
> materials related to the tours. As a bonus, Bob Krick will
meet any
> interested parties on Sunday morning for a presentation at
Spotsylvania's
> Bloody Angle.
>
> As in past Civil War Forum gatherings, we have secured a
top-flight guide
> for our battlefield tours, made arrangements for good food
and
> accommodations, and have lined up some outstanding dinner
talks all for a
> BARE BONES REGISTRATION FEE. As always, any money left
over from
> registration and raffles, beyond expenses, will be donated
to a battlefield
> preservation organization to be named by our guide.
>
> Registration cost does not include your hotel room, or
breakfasts.
>
> Send an email to let me know of your plans to attend,
then... PLEASE MAIL
> YOUR REGISTRATIONS (check made out to Civil War Forum) TO:
>
>      David Woodbury
>      P.O. Box 19130
>      Stanford, CA 94309
>
> For anyone (guests, family, etc.) not attending the tours
who wishes to
> attend the evening banquets, meals can be added for $15
(Thursday), $20
> (Friday), and $20 (Saturday) -- or $55 for all three
evenings. Include this
> in the registration check. We can still add people for
meals up to about 2
> weeks before the event.
>
> HEADQUARTERS:
>    Wingate Hotel
>    20 Sanford Drive
>    Fredericksburg, VA 22406
>    (540) 368-8000
>    (540) 368-9252 fax
>
> You can visit the hotel website, and view the amenities
at:
>    www.mywingate.com
> Be sure to reserve your rooms now, and be sure to mention
you are attending
> the Civil War Forum Conference for a room rate of $70
(plus tax).
>
> ITINERARY: [optional Thursday afternoon outing is being
arranged]
>
> THURSDAY, March 27 -- Reunion kicks off 6:00 pm
> 6:00pm to 7:00pm: mingling in the conference room
> (BYOB -- hotel will set up soft drinks and mixers)
> 7:15pm: buffet dinner
> [American field greens with balsamic vinaigrette; rosemary
roasted chicken
> and herbed Au Jus; roasted red bliss potatoes; fresh
garden vegetables;
> fresh baked rolls and butter; New York style cheesecake;
iced tea and
> coffee]
>
> DINNER SPEAKER 8:00pm: Frank O'Reilly (subject:
Fredericksburg)
> Many of you know Frank, a ranger at Fredericksburg, author
of multiple
> books & articles on the battle, including a brand new
tactical study of
> Fredericksburg from LSU Press:
> "The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the
Rappahannock"
>
http://www.lsu.edu/lsupress/catalog/fall2002/books/OReilly_F
redericksburg.h
> tml
> (books will be available at the Reunion for purchase and
signing)
>
> FRIDAY, March 28: leave hotel at 8:30; return at 4:30
> Morning stops: Federal headquarters at Chatham; Falmouth
Flats, where
> Burnside did NOT cross; upper (main) pontoon crossing;
city dock (middle
> pontoon site); streets of town, with a half-dozen house
yards or church
> visits, etc.
>
> Lunch: Renato's Restaurant in Fredericksburg (Italian) --
choose between 2
> entrees
>
> Afternoon stops: Sunken Road and Marye's Heights; Lee's
Hill; Bernard's
> Cabins; Prospect Hill and Hamilton's Crossing.
>
> FRIDAY EVENING:
> 6:00pm to 7:00pm: mingling in the conference room
> (BYOB -- hotel will set up soft drinks and mixers)
> 7:15pm: buffet dinner
> [classic Caesar salad; fresh made lasagna with mozzerella,
parmesan,
> ricotta and Monterey Jack cheese; fresh market vegetables;
fresh baked
> rolls and butter; carrot cake with walnuts and Chantilly
Cream; iced tea
> and coffee]
>
> DINNER SPEAKER, 8:00pm: Robert K. Krick (subject:
Chancellorsville)
>
> SATURDAY, March 29
> Morning stops: Ely's Ford; Zoan Church; the May 1
battlefield; the last
> meeting of Lee and Jackson; Catharine Furnace.
>
> Lunch: Deli sandwiches delivered to us at the
Chancellorsville Visitor
> Center (choice of roast beef, turkey, ham, or veggie).
Includes sandwich,
> potato salad, bag of chips, brownie, and bottled water)
>
> Afternoon stops: following Jackson's Flank March; the
launching of the
> Attack; Jackson's MWIA site; Hazel Grove; Chancellorsville
Inn
>
> SATURDAY EVENING --
> Schedule to be announced, once we determine exactly when
we'll be taking
> the bus to Guiney Station. After dinner we'll ride the bus
down to Guiney
> Station for a candlelight tour re: Stonewall Jackson's
death. Frank
> O'Reilly (who is stationed there and lives across the
grounds) will take
> down the barriers and people can crowd right around the
bed.
>
> DINNER Saturday evening: [fresh spinach salad with
mandarin oranges, walnut
> and raspberry vinaigrette; roasted beef tenderloin with Au
Jus; garlic
> mashed potatoes; fresh green beans with red bell peppers;
fresh baked rolls
> and butter; double chocolate layer cake; iced tea and
coffee]
>
> SUNDAY, March 30: Bob Krick has also offered to meet a
group out at the
> Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania for a little presentation.
Though we'll go
> back one day to do Wilderness & Spotsylvania in more
depth, this might be
> an excellent preview, and maybe the only opportunity to do
so with the
> now-retired Krick.
>
> [Please inquire about optional Thursday afternoon outing
(thus far, a
> number of people will be going out to see the site of the
death of the
> "Gallant Pelham," at Kelley's Ford, with guide Steve
Meserve]
>
> -------------------------------
>
> The Civil War Forum on CompuServe is one of the oldest
on-line discussion
> groups (an on-line Civil War Round Table) in the country,
and can be
> accessed without cost over the internet. For over 10
years, members ranging
> from casual buffs to professional historians have
participated in cordial,
> moderated discussions in the forum's message boards.
Regular live
> conferences feature authors and historians discussing
their published
> works.
>
> To visit the Forum message boards and libraries, go to:
>
http://forums.compuserve.com/vlforums/default.asp?SRV=CivilW
ar
>
> There is no cost to participate. You'll be prompted to
enter as a visitor
> (read only), or, for full access, to create a screen name
(or to enter an
> existing AOL, CiS, or IM screen name).
>
> In 1997, forum members began gathering each March at a
different
> battlefield, alternating Eastern and Western Theaters.
Past Forum
> gatherings have included:
>
> 1997  Antietam & Harpers Ferry, with Tom Clemens and
Dennis Frye
> 1998  Chickamauga & Chattanooga, with Jim Ogden and Nat
Hughes
> 1999  Petersburg, with Peter Calkins, Noah Trudeau, Bill
Miller, and A.
> Wilson Greene
> 2000  Vicksburg, with Ed Bearss and Michael Ballard
> 2001  Gettysburg, with LBG Wayne Wachsmuth, and Jeffry
Wert
> 2002  Shiloh, with Stacy Allen, Larry Daniel, and Wiley
Sword
> 2003  Fredericksburg & Chancellorsville, with Bob Krick
and Frank O'Reilly
>
> For more information, contact David Woodbury, Civil War
Forum
> administrator, at woodbury@...
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Does SHAF still have a website?
I get no response from <A
HREF="http://www.shafonline.org/">http://www.shafonline.org/</A>

Tom Shay - who's dues is overdue!



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tom,

I also cannot reach the SHAF website.  I had to use Snail Mail to send my
dues/contribution this year.

David Lutton
Hollidaysburg Pa

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I have received Antietam's "tentative" schedule for 2003.
It is expected to be formally approved and posted by Monday.

Meanwhile, here are the March 2003 events (they are definite) ......

March 15th & 16th (Saturday & Sunday)
Battlefield Hike:The Irish Brigade At Antietam
A Ranger led hike of the Battlefield that will discuss the attack
of the Irish Brigade on the Confederate held, Sunken Road. The
hike will begin at 1 P.M. at the Visitor Center and will conclude
at approximately 3:30 P.M. near the Sunken Road on both days.
The length of the hike is just over 2 miles.

March 23rd (Sunday)
Battlefield Hike-Nicodemus Heights & Confederate Artillery
A Ranger led hike of this rarely visited area of the field that
will focus on the Confederate Artillery during the morning
hours of the battle. The hike will begin and conclude at Tour
Stop 2, North Woods. The program will begin at 1 P.M. and
will conclude at approximately 3:30 P.M.  The length of the
hike is 3 miles.

March 29 Park Day 2003 (Saturday)
Antietam National Battlefield is calling for volunteers to
participate in Park Day, an annual hands-on preservation
event created by the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT).
The purpose of Park Day is to help local communities
maintain and restore their Civil War-related battlefields,
cemeteries, and shrines. Volunteers interested in donating
their time and talents at Antietam National Battlefield are
encouraged to meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00 A.M.
This year's projects will consist of planting trees in the
historic North Woods and planting apple trees in the
historic Piper Orchard.  In exchange for their hard work,
volunteers will receive t-shirts and have an opportunity to
learn about the significance of the sites. For more
information about Park Day 2003 at Antietam National
Battlefield, contact either Debbie Cohen or Ed Wenschhof
at 301-432-6236.

Tom Shay - Cressona, PA


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tom,

Thanks for the post.  The March 23rd hike sounds interesting.

David Lutton
Hollidaysburg Pa
----- Original Message -----
From: <rotbaron@...>
To: <talkantietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 6:44 PM
Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam schedule March 2003


> I have received Antietam's "tentative" schedule for 2003.
> It is expected to be formally approved and posted by Monday.
>
> Meanwhile, here are the March 2003 events (they are definite) ......
>
> March 15th & 16th (Saturday & Sunday)
> Battlefield Hike:The Irish Brigade At Antietam
> A Ranger led hike of the Battlefield that will discuss the attack
> of the Irish Brigade on the Confederate held, Sunken Road. The
> hike will begin at 1 P.M. at the Visitor Center and will conclude
> at approximately 3:30 P.M. near the Sunken Road on both days.
> The length of the hike is just over 2 miles.
>
> March 23rd (Sunday)
> Battlefield Hike-Nicodemus Heights & Confederate Artillery
> A Ranger led hike of this rarely visited area of the field that
> will focus on the Confederate Artillery during the morning
> hours of the battle. The hike will begin and conclude at Tour
> Stop 2, North Woods. The program will begin at 1 P.M. and
> will conclude at approximately 3:30 P.M.  The length of the
> hike is 3 miles.
>
> March 29 Park Day 2003 (Saturday)
> Antietam National Battlefield is calling for volunteers to
> participate in Park Day, an annual hands-on preservation
> event created by the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT).
> The purpose of Park Day is to help local communities
> maintain and restore their Civil War-related battlefields,
> cemeteries, and shrines. Volunteers interested in donating
> their time and talents at Antietam National Battlefield are
> encouraged to meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00 A.M.
> This year's projects will consist of planting trees in the
> historic North Woods and planting apple trees in the
> historic Piper Orchard.  In exchange for their hard work,
> volunteers will receive t-shirts and have an opportunity to
> learn about the significance of the sites. For more
> information about Park Day 2003 at Antietam National
> Battlefield, contact either Debbie Cohen or Ed Wenschhof
> at 301-432-6236.
>
> Tom Shay - Cressona, PA
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Tom,

Will you keep me posted, privately if you wish, about the
developments, etc. from the IB hike?

Hope you and family are enjoying the winter...........
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Very respectfully,
Your humble and obdt. servant,
G. E. (Gerry) Mayers,
Private,
Nelson's Signal Company,
Longstreet's Corps

A Proud American by Birth, Southern by Choice!

"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the
field on which he has nobly laid down his
."     --General Robert Edward Lee

Explore some little known facts of the War of the Rebellion!
The current feature may be found at
http://www.us-civilwar.com/picketline.html
To see earlier articles, kindly go to:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/njrebel


----- Original Message -----
From: <rotbaron@...>
To: <talkantietam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 6:44 PM
Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam schedule March 2003


> I have received Antietam's "tentative" schedule for 2003.
> It is expected to be formally approved and posted by
Monday.
>
> Meanwhile, here are the March 2003 events (they are
definite) ......
>
> March 15th & 16th (Saturday & Sunday)
> Battlefield Hike:The Irish Brigade At Antietam
> A Ranger led hike of the Battlefield that will discuss the
attack
> of the Irish Brigade on the Confederate held, Sunken Road.
The
> hike will begin at 1 P.M. at the Visitor Center and will
conclude
> at approximately 3:30 P.M. near the Sunken Road on both
days.
> The length of the hike is just over 2 miles.
>
> March 23rd (Sunday)
> Battlefield Hike-Nicodemus Heights & Confederate Artillery
> A Ranger led hike of this rarely visited area of the field
that
> will focus on the Confederate Artillery during the morning
> hours of the battle. The hike will begin and conclude at
Tour
> Stop 2, North Woods. The program will begin at 1 P.M. and
> will conclude at approximately 3:30 P.M.  The length of
the
> hike is 3 miles.
>
> March 29 Park Day 2003 (Saturday)
> Antietam National Battlefield is calling for volunteers to
> participate in Park Day, an annual hands-on preservation
> event created by the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT).
> The purpose of Park Day is to help local communities
> maintain and restore their Civil War-related battlefields,
> cemeteries, and shrines. Volunteers interested in donating
> their time and talents at Antietam National Battlefield
are
> encouraged to meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00 A.M.
> This year's projects will consist of planting trees in the
> historic North Woods and planting apple trees in the
> historic Piper Orchard.  In exchange for their hard work,
> volunteers will receive t-shirts and have an opportunity
to
> learn about the significance of the sites. For more
> information about Park Day 2003 at Antietam National
> Battlefield, contact either Debbie Cohen or Ed Wenschhof
> at 301-432-6236.
>
> Tom Shay - Cressona, PA
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

The full schedule for Antietam events is now posted online:

http://www.nps.gov/anti/events03.htm

Tom Shay - Cressona, PA

I just received the SHAF newsletter and it states that the upcoming hike to
the Signal Tower has been canceled.

Tom Shay


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----
From: CivilWar CivilWar
To: CW-AT-SI@...
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:46 AM
Subject: SmithsonianCivil War Studies e-Mail Newsletter


Smithsonian Associates Civil War E-Mail Newsletter
Washington, D. C. April, 2003  Vol. 5 No. 9

Thank you for subscribing to our FREE e-mail newsletter!  Please forward
this newsletter to any students, friends, teachers, or others who are
interested in the American Civil War.  We send out this newsletter about
once per month, and welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions.  Feel
free to contact us at: civilwar@....
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:  CIVIL WAR SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS

These unique Civil War tours and cruises take you to the fields of action.
The country's most eminent historians and authors, including Edwin C. Bearss
and A. Wilson Greene host each event.  Follow the links and reserve today!

THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN
April 23-27, 2003, five days

Tour the Jackson area and then head out to Vicksburg for three days of Civil
War history. Examine the military maneuvers that led to the final success of
the Union Army.
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/042303vicksburg.asp

WILDERNESS TO COLD HARBOR
May 8-11, 2003, 4 days

Retrace the battles that marked the beginning of the end for the Army of
Northern Virginia. Explore Germanna Ford, the Lacy House, the North Anna
River, Cold Harbor Crossroads, and more
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/050803wilderness.asp

THE WESTERN FRONTIER OF THE CIVIL WAR
June 4-9, 2003, 6 days

Visit Westport and Minefield Battlefields and Ft. Scott in Missouri. See
Carthage, General Sweeney's and Wilson Creek Battlefields and more!
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/060403western.asp

STRUGGLE FOR ATLANTA
July 19-25, 2003, 7 days

Follow the Union's advance, beginning with the Battle of Ringgold Gap,
Battle of Resaca, the savage Battle of Allatoona Park, and along the New
Hope-Dallas line. Visit the Kennesaw Civil War Museum.
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/071903atlanta.asp

THE PENNSYLVANIA CAMPAIGN OF 1862
September 24-28, 2003

Visit Fort Monroe, the largest most-encircled masonry fortification in
America. Retrace the battles at Lee's Mill and Dam No. 1, and visit the
Confederate headquarters at Endview Plantation.
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/092403peninsula.asp

MUSIC AND CULTURE IN CIVIL WAR SOUTH
September 26-October 4, 2003, 9 days

Board the steamboat Delta Queen for a journey along the Tennessee and
Cumberland Rivers that witnessed some of the Civil War's most crucial
battles including Shiloh and Chattanooga. Also learn about the region's rich
musical traditions.
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/cruises_us/092603south.asp

CIVIL WAR:  THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN
November 12-16, 2003, 5 days

Join renowned historian Edwin Bearss as he retraces the drama and spectacle
of one of the most important battles in American history!
http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/unitedstates/111203gettysburg.asp

THE LINCOLN GROUP OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Tuesday, April 15

Join the oldest operating Lincoln Group at their next dinner meeting at Ft.
McNair Officers' Club.  Featured speaker, Illinois State Historian Thomas
Schwartz, will talk about Abraham Lincoln and Death Threats.   To attend,
e-mail dennisu@... or go to http://www.lincolngroup.org.


HAPPENINGS IN THE CIVIL WAR

April 4, 1865
President Lincoln meets with Union and Confederate figures in Richmond,
Virginia.

April 5, 1839
Robert Smalls, the only black naval captain during the Civil War, is born in
Beaufort, South Carolina.

April 7, 1865
Lincoln wires Grant:  "General Sheridan says, 'If the thing is pressed I
think that Lee will surrender.'  Let the thing be pressed."

April 9, 1865
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union General Ulysses S.
Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War.

April 13, 1861
After 34 hours of bombardment, Fort Sumter is forced to surrender to the
Confederates, opening the Civil War.

April 14, 1865
President Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre, Washington
DC.

April 17, 1861 and 1865
1861:  Virginia adopts ordinance of secession.
1865:  Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to General William
T. Sherman near Durham Station, North Carolina.

April 21, 1865
Train bearing President Lincoln's body leaves Washington en route to
Springfield, Illinois.

Ø Compiled from the Library of Congress Civil War Calendar, Pomegranate
Press.


CIVIL WAR TRIVIA

QUESTION LAST ISSUE: What is a "doggery"?

CORRECT ANSWER:   A  "place of dissipation or idle resort, " a saloon.

When running against Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln used the word in an
1858 letter to a campaign associate.  Lincoln learns that the opposition is
sending outsiders into the district to pad the vote for Douglas.  Lincoln
became suspicious when he observed a group as they "dropped in about the
doggeries" of the town.   In the letter, Lincoln presents a plan to counter
with a tactic of his own.  He wrote, "It would be a great thing, when this
trick is attempted upon us, to have the saddle come up on the other horse...
If we can head off the fraudulent votes we shall carry the day."  They did
not carry the day, but the campaign against Douglas brought Abraham Lincoln
national prominence, setting the stage for his presidential victory in 1860.

CONGRATULATIONS to Joe Woltz of Tulsa, Oklahoma.   Joe came across the
answer when reading to his young son from Huckleberry Finn, the chapter
where they are searching for the king and find him in "little low doggery."

For answering our trivia question, Joe wins the book, Jeb Stuart, The Last
Cavalier, by Burke Davis.

QUESTION THIS ISSUE:  Who was the "Cleopatra of the Confederacy"?

Be the first to submit the correct answer and amaze your friends, win fame,
fortune and/or a Smithsonian gift item.  E-mail your answer to us at:
civilwar@....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL TO THE TSA CW NEWSLETTER:
The Smithsonian Institution During the Civil War
By Kathleen W. Dorman, Associate Editor, Joseph Henry Papers
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives
------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the Civil War erupted in April 1861, the Smithsonian Institution itself
was vulnerable. Located between the Capitol Building and the White House,
the institution was not immune from the forces threatening to turn the city
of Washington into an armed camp.  Both the Smithsonian and Joseph Henry,
its first Secretary, somehow persevered.  "The interruptions and
embarrassments," he wrote, "although frequent, and in some cases perplexing,
have not prevented the continuance of the general operations of the
Institution."  However, were it not for his steadfast leadership, the
institution might have suffered permanent damage.

The Smithsonian Building, physically cut off from the rest of the city by
the Washington Canal, was close to the Potomac River, which divided the
District of Columbia from Virginia and the rebel south.  For its defense the
secretary of war issued the following order:  "The Colonel of Ordnance will
cause to be issued to Professor J. Henry of the Smithsonian Institute twelve
muskets and 240 rounds of ammunition, for the protection of the Institute
against lawless attacks."

Trying to accommodate the sudden influx of soldiers, the government used a
variety of public buildings and proposed that the Smithsonian Building also
be used. Henry suggested that if the Smithsonian had to be used by troops,
it would be "more in accordance with the spirit of the Institution" to use
it as an infirmary.  Fortunately, the building was not used.

Henry had always tried to keep the Smithsonian out of the controversies of
the day and his political opinions private. It is clear, however, that he
abhorred war and favored a peaceful separation over a bloodbath. His
assistant, Spencer Baird, not only did not volunteer for the Union but also
cautioned other young men not to volunteer.  He also, like Henry, clearly
saw the Smithsonian as an institution founded, in the words of James
Smithson's will, "for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men,"
meaning, throughout the world.   He thus expressed a sentiment undoubtedly
shared by Henry:  "Whatever power may control Washington, it is our hope to
be allowed to carry out our sublime mission in the most catholic manner."

Living in the Smithsonian Building, Henry's family couldn't help but be
affected by the many soldiers passing through Washington throughout the war.
In her diary, his oldest daughter wrote of streets filled with soldiers and
the sound of drums. Mary Henry found the flashy New York Zouaves "quite
disorderly since their arrival."  But, she found the nearby Union
encampments "indescribably picturesque."

The Smithsonian soon began to feel the impact of the war on its programs.
One of the first affected was its national network of volunteer weather
observers.  As soon as the war started, observers in the South and West
stopped sending monthly reports.  After the war, one observer in Richmond
sadly informed Henry that when Sheridan's troops occupied his house, his
barometer had been broken and the mercury taken out.  Even in the North
reporting was disrupted as some observers left for military duty and were
unable to find substitutes.  The program was also hurt by government
preemption of the telegraph lines, which telegraph operators used to report
daily weather information for display on a map in the Smithsonian Building
and for publication in the evening paper.  Henry wrote in December of 1861,
"Our system of meteorology has been sadly broken in upon by the war."

The war affected the Smithsonian's pocketbook also.  The institution had
three main sources of income at this time. The first derived from the
principal of Smithson's bequest and amounted to about $31,000 a year.  The
second was $141,000 remaining of the interest the bequest had earned prior
to 1846. The third was an annual congressional appropriation of $4000.
Throughout the war Henry worried whether the government funds would be late
or not paid at all; the currency itself was devaluated; and the
institution's investments in the state bonds of Virginia, Tennessee, and
Georgia stopped yielding interest.  Henry feared that if Congress failed to
appropriate money for the museum, "we shall be obliged to close the doors or
charge an admittance to visitors."  (Fortunately for us all, that precedent
was not set.)

Although Henry lamented the human losses, he viewed the war as an
opportunity for scientific research.  He foresaw "investigations as to the
strength of materials, the laws of projectiles, the resistance of fluids,
the applications of electricity, light, heat, and chemical action, as well
as of aerostation [ballooning]."  Historian Robert V. Bruce has pointed out,
however, that most of the technology used in the Civil War was invented
before the war and that because the war was not expected to last long,
little research was initiated.  He also concluded that the war actually had
a negative effect on science, by diverting personnel and resources, and on
individual scientists, whose skills or even lives were given to the war
effort.  He mentions particularly the case of George Gordon Meade, best
known as the Union commander at Gettysburg.  Before the war, Meade had been
a captain in the army's Corps of Topographical Engineers in charge of the
Great Lakes Survey.  Henry had cautioned Meade not to become "mere food for
powder."  Meade survived the war but never returned to science.

In early 1861, Henry promoted the work of the balloonist T.S.C. Lowe,
believing he could be "of advantage to the Government in assisting their
reconnaissance of the district and country around Washington."  In mid-June,
Lowe ascended from the site now occupied by the National Air and Space
Museum to prove the feasibility of communicating by telegraph between
balloons and the ground.  With Henry's support, Lowe became head of a
balloon corps that was to provide Union commanders with accurate
information. According to historian Bruce, this was the first successful
military air force in American history.

The height of the Smithsonian Building's highest tower made it a superior
location to test signaling systems.  Surviving manuscripts refer to the
testing of different signaling systems between the Smithsonian and the Coast
Survey office on Capitol Hill, between the Smithsonian and Fort Washington
sixteen miles south of the city, and between the Smithsonian and the U.S.
Soldier's Home, the second highest elevation in Washington.

A famous anecdote relating to signaling appears in Carl Sandburg's biography
of Lincoln.  He writes, "One dark night Lincoln with four other men climbed
up the tower of the Smithsonian Institution.  Toward hills encircling
Washington they flashed signals.  The next day an army officer marched into
Lincoln's office a prisoner, Professor Joseph Henry, secretary and director
of the Smithsonian Institution, the most eminent man of learning in the
employ of the United States Government.  'Mr. President,' said the officer,
'I told you a month ago Professor Henry is a rebel.  Last night at midnight
he flashed red lights from the top of his building, signaling to the Secesh.
I saw them myself.'

Lincoln turned.  'Now you're caught!  What have you to say, Professor Henry,
why sentence of death should not immediately be pronounced upon you?'  Then,
turning to the army officer, Lincoln explained that on the previous evening
he and others had accompanied Henry to the Smithsonian tower and
experimented with new army signals."

Although Henry devoted many hours of unpaid labor to the Union effort, he
was a target of rumors questioning his loyalty.  His opposition to a series
of abolitionist lectures in the Smithsonian Building was one cause.  His
earlier friendship with Jefferson Davis was another.  Davis had been a
regent of the Smithsonian from 1847 to 1851 and proved to be one of Henry's
most consistent supporters and an effective advocate in Congress of the
Smithsonian's interests.

In trying to assert the Smithsonian's international scientific character,
Henry may have seemed less than patriotic. He was criticized for not flying
the United States flag over the Smithsonian Building throughout the war.
His reason was that he wanted the institution to be viewed as independent.
In addition, no Smithsonian employees actually served in the military.
Spencer Baird was eligible but hired a "colored substitute" for three years
at a cost of $278. Solomon Brown wrote Baird in September 1864 that he had
received a draft notice but was "Exempted on the grounds of Physical
disability." Chief Clerk William Jones Rhees and paleontologist Fielding B.
Meek were also drafted but were excused by the examining surgeon.

Henry, somewhat bitterly, made this remark to Baird near the end of the war.
"I know that I shall not be considered as good a patriot as some of your
friends I could name, who, while expressing with one hand in violent
gesticulations their devotion to their country have with the other been
filling their pockets with the spoils of office."

Despite the turmoil of four years of war, the Smithsonian emerged in a
surprisingly strong position. To explain this, we need to look to Joseph
Henry, who never lost sight of what he wanted the Smithsonian to be.  With
his vision of an institution devoted to the support of basic research and
dissemination of its findings throughout the world, he took the
"interruptions and embarrassments" caused by the war and used them to
further realize that vision.  As a result, both the Smithsonian Institution
and the nation became stronger.

******************************************************************
We are indebted to Kathleen Dorman for providing this summary and sharing
her research.  For the complete text and more information and links
associated with the Joseph Henry Papers project go to:
http://www.si.edu/archives/ihd/jhp/index.htm

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Hi folks,

I got some great help from you all a few years back on this question,
but I can't get into my email archives.  Please pick your brains and
help we on this will you?

I had an email correspondant ask the source of the word 'antietam'.  I
remember it being a local Indian word, perhaps describing the
characteristics of the creek it names.

Anybody?

THanks,

Brian

I could be wrong but I believe it means "meandering"
creek.

--- Brian Downey <brdowney@...> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> I got some great help from you all a few years back
> on this question,
> but I can't get into my email archives.  Please pick
> your brains and
> help we on this will you?
>
> I had an email correspondant ask the source of the
> word 'antietam'.  I
> remember it being a local Indian word, perhaps
> describing the
> characteristics of the creek it names.
>
> Anybody?
>
> THanks,
>
> Brian
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>


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I recall the meaning is explained in John Schildt's book. I believe book title
is "Drums on the Antietam"? I have it and can check.

Tom Shay

A few comments on the word Antietam may be found at the following web
site, but it doesn't answer the word source question...

http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PA-QUAKERS/2002-06/1024833515

"There is a stream running through Washington County,
Maryland, from the Pennsylvania line to the Potomac
River, whose name will be famous as long as America
endures, the placid Antietam.

"It has been impossible to trace the meaning of its name,
but tradition says tat it is of Indian origin.  It is probably
the name of an Indian chief, and in early times its musical
syllables were spelled in various ways.  We find it written
"Anteatem," and oftener yet in the rather cannibalistic
form of "Anti-Etem."  It is a beautiful, wide stream,
meandering slowly through a country of great beauty and
interest.  Sycamores lean their dappled trunks across it,
and water willows mark its course with soft masses of
grayish foliage while they hide it from view.  A tangle of
blackberries and wild roses, of papaws and hazel bushes,
of elder and poisonous ivy, fringes its banks.  Its waters
are not sparkling; they often carry a large amount of muddy
matter which gives the stream a thick and turgid appearance,
and after heavy rains it will carry this earthy charge for
days.  But it is peacefully beautiful, and flows through one
of the richest farming lands in America.

- from "The Antietam and its Bridges" by Helen Ashe Hays, 1910

Regards,
	 TRL

Brian Downey wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I got some great help from you all a few years back on this question,
> but I can't get into my email archives.  Please pick your brains and
> help we on this will you?
>
> I had an email correspondant ask the source of the word 'antietam'.  I
> remember it being a local Indian word, perhaps describing the
> characteristics of the creek it names.
>
> Anybody?
>
> THanks,
>
> Brian
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/