Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Reunification and the Nation’s 1st Civil War National Battlefield Park

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Sgt. James H. Harris Camp #38, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War jamesogden will sponsor a lecture given by James Ogden, Historian, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Moccasin Bend National Archeological District on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at the Leonardtown Library at 7:00pm.

For more details, please contact Duane Whitlock at yankeewhit@gmail.com

Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Reunification, & the Nation’s First Civil War National Battlefield Park

A quarter century after the Civil War, as the expanding United States prepared to step onto the world stage, veterans of both sides, Union and Confederate, united CountySnapshotsNet_countyImages_Catoosa_Catoosa_1 in a purposeful show of reconciliation and reunification; once divided, now reunited. One of the places where this Gilded Age agenda played out, the first place, was on ground hallowed by some of those very veterans in 1863—Chickamauga and Chattanooga—the battles of one of the most important campaigns of the war, a campaign in which both sides could claim a victory, Chickamauga for the Confederates, Chattanooga for the Union.

Authorized by Congress in 1890 and formally dedicated in 1895 before a crowd on a weekday of 50,000, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was the first such area in our nation and the first of the first five preserved Civil War battlefields (Maryland’s Antietam was second). In his talk this evening, “Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Reunification, & the Nation’s First Civil War Battlefield Park,” Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (and St. Mary’s County native) Historian Jim Ogden will address the veteran-led effort that became a benchmark for early Civil War battlefield commemoration and which continues to serve as a window even now in the Sesquicentennial years into or nation’s trans-formative but tragic internecine struggle.

James H. Ogden, III, Historian
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park & Moccasin Bend

National Archeological District………”for the purpose of preserving and suitably marking for historical and professional military study the fields of some of the most remarkable maneuvers and most brilliant fighting in the war of the rebellion (Aug. 19, 1890, 16 U. S. C. 424)” & “to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of the public the nationally significant archeological and historic resources located on the peninsula known as Moccasin Bend (Feb. 20, 2003, Pub. Law 108-7, 117 STAT. 247, 16 U. S. C. 424c)”

P. O. Box 2128 (postal mailing address) 706-866-9241, ext. 116
3370 LaFayette Road (shipping address only) 423-752-5213, ext. 116
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742 706-866-7981 FAX
james_ogden@nps.gov

Duane G. Whitlock, Past Camp Commander

Sgt. James H. Harris Camp No. 38, SUVCW

yankeewhit@gmail.com

May 7, 2014

Point Lookout State Park 28th Annual Blue and Gray Days

June 7 & 8, 2014

Point Lookout State Park 28thAnnual Blue and Gray Days

Saturday June 7, 2014 (11:00AM – 4:00PM)

Sunday, June 8 2014 (11:00AM-3:00PM)

The Maryland State Park Service, Department of Natural Resources, sponsored by the Friends of Point Lookout, invite you to attend the twenty-eighth Annual Blue and Gray Days Weekend at the original site of Fort Lincoln and Camp Hoffman, prisoner of war camp, at Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, Maryland. There is a service charge to enter Point Lookout State Park.

A Civil War Living History Program Presented by:

The Friends of Point Lookout Located at historic Fort Lincoln Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, Maryland

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

Infantry Drill & Musket Demonstrations

Hammond Hospital & Camp Hoffman (Prisoner Camp) Exhibits

Life in a military garrison, prisoner of war camp and civilian occupation of Point Lookout during the war.

For Further Information Contact Point Lookout State Park at (301) 872-5688

April 9, 2014

May 2014 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

May 13, 2014

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:00pm at the College of Southern Maryland’s Center for Business and Industry, Chaney Enterprise Conference Room BI-113, at 8730 Mitchell Road in LaPlata.

Guest Speaker: Mr. Robert C. Plumb

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table’s last meeting of the season will author Robert C. Plumb discussing his book “ robertplumb Your Brother in Arms: A Union Soldier’s Odyssey“.

In the summer of 1862, George P. McClelland, not to be confused with Gen. George B. McClellan, begins his Civil War odyssey by journeying to Pittsburgh, PA to enlist in the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry. Thus began his story as McClelland was sent to Washington, D.C, then on a march to Antietam, to be followed by encounters in the critical battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna River, Petersburg and Five Forks, where he would be gravely injured.

Throughout it all, young McClelland would write to his family, keeping them abreast of his whereabouts and making them aware of the harrowing experiences he endured in battle. His letters convey his connection to his siblings and his longing fro home, but also reflect the social, cultural and political currents of the war that he was fighting.

Ultimately recovering form his injuries, McClelland would be discharged as a brevet-major in 1865; a common man who performed uncommon service.

Mr. Plumb will read selected letters from “Your Brother in Arms“, which will detail George McClelland’s reaction to the key battles and engagements he was involved in, his opinions of Union commanding generals and some of the trials and tribulations of a front line soldier in the Civil War. A letter from his sister Anne, describing finding her seriously wounded brother in a field yourbrothersinarms hospital near Petersburg, VA will also be discussed.

Your Brother in Arms: A Union Soldier’s Odyssey, published in July 2011 by the University of Missouri Press, is Mr. Plumb’s first book. He has written other published pieces including book reviews for the Newport News, Virginia Daily Press while serving in the US Navy and articles published recently in the Washington Post’s Style, Editorial and Travel sections.

Born and raised in upstate New York, where he received his education from grade school to graduate school, he would serve in the Navy as an officer in the Atlantic Fleet and would command a patrol boat in Vietnam. Upon departing the military, Mr. Plumb held marketing executive positions with General Electric and Fannie Mae. He is a member of the Civil War Trust, the Montgomery County (MD) Civil War Roundtable, the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Society of Civil War Historians. He resides in Potomac, MD with his wife Louise.

March 26, 2014

A Special Invitation

Saturday April 19th, 2014

Round Table member Jonathan Beasley has graciously extended an invitation to all Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table members and their families to his annual Author’s Party, Saturday, April 19th, 2014 at 6PM. In addition to meeting local author’s from this area, we will also have the opportunity to view Jonathan’s collection of Historical Maryland Memorabilia. Jonathan has brought samples of his collection to past meetings and his entire collection will be on display at the Charles County Public Library later this year!

Jonathan has requested that if you are interested in attending, please RSVP with a head count by April 12th, so that he can finalize all of the necessary arrangements. For more information and to RSVP, please email bsunderland@somdcwrt.org. Hope to see you there!

March 26, 2014

Southern Relief Societies

Saturday, March 29, 2014

When Civil War Aid Societies are discussed, the U. S. Sanitary Commission, the Christian Commission and other Northern organizations are mentioned, but what about Southern Aid Societies? Was there such a thing? Join retired USAF Lt. Col Carol Randell on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 4PM at the Surratt House Museum as she enlightens us on Southern civilian efforts.

The Surratt House Museum is located at 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 20735. Admission is FREE, but do plan to arrive early as seating is limited. For more information, please call 301-868-1121 or log onto www.pgparks.com.

March 16, 2014

2014 Park Day

April 5, 2014

Fort Lincoln/Camp Hoffman/Point Lookout State Park is looking for volunteers to assist in 2014 Park Day, April 5, 2014 from 9:30am to 2:00pm. Part of a national campaign at Civil War sites across the nation, volunteers will meet at Point Lookout State PArk, 11175 Point Lookout Road, Scotland MD 20687 at 9:30am for general clean and maintenance at the Civil War facilities. The only tools needed are a good pair of work gloves and a willing spirit! 🙂 Light food and drinks (snacks/desserts) to be provided. After the working hours of this event, costumed interpreters will provide tours of the area and a weapons demonstration for all participants. (Weather Permitting!)

For more details, please contact Bob Crickenberger at 301-872-5688 or by email at crickenberger@comcast.net. See you there!

March 12, 2014

April 2014 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

April 8, 2014

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 7:00pm at the College of Southern Maryland’s Center for Business and Industry, Chaney Enterprise Conference Room BI-113, 8730 Mitchell Road, LaPlata, MD.

Guest Speaker: Phillip Greenwalt

In preparation for our field trip on April 26,2014 to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Battlefields, please join the Southern phillipgreenwalt Maryland Civil War Round Table as we welcome our tour guide; Phillip Greenwalt. Mr. Greenwalt will give us an overview of the sites, sounds and events from the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House Battlefields in May 1864, that we will visit in person on the 26th. These battles mark the first encounters with the Army of Northern Virginia by the Army of the Potomac under the command of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Among the areas to be discussed will be the fighting at Saunders Field, the Widow Tapp Field and the Orange Plank Road in the Wilderness and the “Bloody Angle” at Spotsylvania. These two battles set the stage for what would become known as the Overland Campaign and the desperate struggle between Grant, Lee and their armies.

Phillip Greenwalt is currently a historian with the National Park Service at the George Washington National Monument and the Thomas Stone National Historic Site. He began his National Park Service career as a historical interpreter intern at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Mr. Greenwalt holds a bachelor degree in history from Wheeling Jesuit University and a graduate degree in American History from George Mason University.

His first publication, co-authored with Dan Davis, entitled “Bloody Autumn, The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864″, part of the Emerging Civil War Series was published by Savas Beatie LLC in November 2013. Mr. Greenwalt’s second book, also co-authored with Dan Davis, entitled “Hurricane From the Heavens, The Battle of Cold Harbor”, is due out in June 2014. He is also a full-time contributor to the blog, Emerging Civil War (www.emergingcivilwar.com) and has spoken at lecture series and history round tables in numerous states.

Whether you plan on joining us on the bus on April 26th or just want to learn a little more about the first battles of the Overland Campaign as their 150th anniversary approach, plan to come out and hear Phillip Greenwalt.

February 28, 2014

2014 Spring Field Trip Reminder

REMINDER!!!

Early Bird registration for our Spring Trip to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania National Battlefield concludes on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. Cost for the trip, which includes bus, lunch and the guide is $45 for members and $50 for non-members. After the 11th, rates go up to $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Be sure to sign up soon and take advantage of these discounted rates before they disappear!

February 12, 2014

March 2014 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

March 11, 2014

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 7:00pm at the College of Southern Maryland’s Center for Business and Industry, Chaney Enterprise Conference Center Room BI-113, at 8730 Mitchell Road in LaPlata, MD.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Tom Jarvis

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round table is please to welcome back current member, Dr. Tom Jarvis. Dr. Jarvis spoke to the group last March on “The Causes of the Civil War” and is back this year to talk to us in “Why the North Won and the South Lost The Civil War“.

Dr. Thomas Jarvis The usual reason given as to why the North won the Civil War was because of its vast superiority in regard to industrial power, population and financial wealth. Yet despite these overwhelming advantages, the war lasted four long bloody years. The Confederacy survived these years with many victories over Union armies and frequently appeared to be close to wining its independence. The issue of why the North won and the South eventually lost is more complicated than just one side having economic and population advantages over the other. Tonight, Dr. Jarvis will examine the various factors that contributed to the war’s final outcome.

Tom Jarvis taught history as a Professional Instructor as American University in Washington, D.C. and is a member of the adjunct faculty at the College of Southern Maryland. He has developed two specialty courses offered at the college; “The History of American Warfare” and “The United States and Twentieth Century World Affairs”. Tom has a Bachelor of Arts in history form Stony Brook University, a master’s degree from the School of International Service, American University, and a Ph.D. in United States History from American University. He served three years in the U.S. Army, working in the intelligence field with the Army Security Agency. He retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as a Senior Executive.

We look forward to welcoming Tom Jarvis back to the podium for this presentation and to seeing you for an enlightening evening of discussion.

January 20, 2014

2014 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Spring Field Trip

Wilderness & Spotsylvania Battlefield Tour

Saturday April 26, 2014

9:00AM – 5:00PM

140th New York at the Wilderness

The Tour:

Join us for the 2nd annual Spring Tour presented by The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table. This tour, led by National Park Service historian Phillip Greenwalt, will begin in La Plata (CSM Campus). The cost of the trip (bus, lunch and guide) is $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Save money through early bird registration period (through March 11, 2014) – $45 for members and $55 for non-members.

Participants will board a chartered bus for the trip to the Chancellorsville/Wilderness NPS Visitor’s Center. After a quick stop, the tour will start at the command post of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on the the Wilderness Battlefield and follow through the bloody fighting at Saunders Field, down the park road to the Widow Tapp field and then back up the Orange Plank Road to where Confederate General James “Pete” Longstreet was severely wounded.

From here we will follow the Brock Road, just as the Union and Confederate soldiers would have done on May 7th toward Spotsylvania Court House.

After a delicious box lunch, we will tour the Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield, following the ebb and flow of the combat that erupted around this quiet and quaint Virginia town. Sites include the “Bloody Angle”; the spot where Union Major General John Sedgwick was killed, and retracing part of the route Union Brigadier General Emory Upton utilized to strike the Confederate line, in a prelude to heavier fighting two days later.

During the program, accounts; some well known, others lesser known will be used to explain the horrors of the battlefield, the observations of the soldiers and officers and the overall picture of what war in Virginia in May 1864 was all about.

You will have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, stand in the spots where other generals; including John Sedgwick breathed their last and taken all together will tour a landscape that is considered one of the bloodiest in all of North America. Within 30 miles of Fredericksburg, VA (which encompasses both of the battlefields we will visit) over 100,000 men were killed or wounded. That is approximately 1/7th of al the men killed or wounded in the entire Civil War!

Come join this bus and walking tour of the 2 battles that set the tone for the rest of the Overland Campaign plus was the final nails being hammered into the coffin of the Confederacy by the Northern war machine.

The Background:

On May 5, 1864, Major General George Meade, in command of the dependable Union Army of the Potomac, being overseen by newly minted Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, made contact with Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his vaunted Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Wilderness, west of Fredericksburg, VA.

What ensued was two days of bitter fighting through the clearings, along road traces and even within the tangles and brushes of the second and third growth forests.

With casualties mounting and no progress being made, Grant stepped into a more active role and decided to move the Army of the Potomac around Lee’s right flank toward the strategic town of Spotsylvania Court House. Lee and his army were able to get to Spotsylvania Court House first and dig in. What would ensue was approximately two weeks of fighting, including some of the most savage on May 10 and 12, 1864.

These two battles set the tone for the rest of what history now knows as the Overland Campaign. From May 5th until the armies were ensconced around Petersburg in mid-June, the two antagonists would lock horns in a death struggle across central and Tidewater Virginia.

Historians now agree that the beginning of the end of the war in the Eastern theater, and the start of the collapse of the Confederacy as a whole, began at the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. This is where our battlefield odyssey will commence.

The Guide:

Our trip leader will be Phillip Greenwalt; historian with the National Park Service at the George Washington Birthplace National Monument and the Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Mr. Greenwalt began his NPS career as a historical interpreter intern at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He holds a bachelor degree in history from Wheeling Jesuit University and a graduate degree in American History from George Mason University.

Mr. Greenwalt’s first publication, co-authored with Dan Davis; “Bloody Autumn, The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864“, is part of the Emerging Civil War Series and was published by Savas Beattie LLC in November 2013. His second book, also co-authored with Dan Davis, entitled “Hurricane From the Heavens, The Battle of Cold Harbor” is due out in June 2014. He is also a full time contributor to the blog Emerging Civil War (www.emergingcivilwar.com) and has spoken at lecture series and history round tables in numerous states.

Come join us for a fantastic day on April 26th!