My friend and fellow student of the 1865 Carolinas Campaign, Col. Wade Sokolosky (U. S. Army), sent me an e-mail from Afghanistan today. Wade’s been in Afghanistan for four months now, and has another eight months to go. He was recently promoted to full colonel from lieutenant colonel, and is career Regular Army. He’s the sort of guy that we Americans owe a great deal to, and I am always conscious of that when I talk to him.

Along with his good friend Maj. Mark Smith (U. S. Army, retired), Wade is one of the two authors of a terrific book titled “No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar”: Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, which Ironclad published several years ago. It’s the only book-length tactical study of the Battle of Averasboro, which was a classic defense in depth in the style of the Battle of Cowpens or the Battle of Guilford Court House.

Despite being deployed to Afghanistan, Wade has managed to put together and launch his own web site for the first time. It can be found here. The site includes lots of useful and interesting information about the Carolinas Campaign and about the Fayetteville Arsenal. I commend both Wade’s book and Wade’s site to you. I’ve added a link to the site.

Great site, Wade. And thanks for your service.

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a full-blown rant about something. This one’s been building all day. However, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Civil War, so be warned when you read it.

An annual event that I dread like the plague happens this Saturday. Like the coming of spring and the fall of the first snow, it happens every year, and every year, I cringe and want to hide.

Saturday is the first Ohio State football game. OSU football is a bizarre and terminal disease for which there is no cure. It afflicts otherwise normal people and turns them into blathering, drooling idiots singing along to “Hang on Sloopy.” This is a city of more than 1.5 million people. It’s a state capital. It’s home to a number of Fortune 100 corporations. We’re in the middle of one of the most important presidential elections of this country’s history. And what’s the lead story on the news?

The Buckeyes play Youngstown State on Saturday. Never mind that YSU is a Division IAA school and that OSU is going to whup them by 50 points. If they only beat them by 48 points, half of the faithful will be complaining that they didn’t score enough points and the other half will be calling for Jim Tressel to be fired. And it only gets worse as the season goes on. As I’ve said here previously, the week of the Michigan game is the height of the lunacy. It reaches a point where I can’t bear to turn on the TV. There could be a catastrophe in another part of the world where tens of thousands of people die, and the Buckeyes’ practice session that day will still be the lead story on the news. It’s insane.

Somebody dropped something off at the title agency down the hall today, and as he was leaving, he called out, “Go Bucks!” He didn’t look happy when nobody responded. My favorite, though, is the “O-H”/”I-O” cheer. Somebody says “O-H” and you’re supposed to respond with “I-O”. It strikes me as kinda like a salute followed by a return salute, and if you don’t do it, you get dirty looks. I categorically refuse to play that game, and I don’t respond. I get some really strange looks, like there’s really something drastically wrong with me, but I (a) despise this ridiculous nonsense and (b) enjoy tweaking them a little bit by refusing to comply like a mindless drone.

One of the guys I used to practice law with actually had the basement of his house finished a couple of years ago to resemble Ohio Stadium. The place is completely scarlet and gray and is filled everywhere with OSU crap.

My favorites are the ones who buy gray cars–often VW New Beetles–and then spend large sums of money to make them look like OSU football helmets. Mind you, these are grown adults acting like children. It’s pathetic.

What is it about this nonsense that makes otherwise intelligent, thoughtful people act like a herd of idiot lemmings and go over the cliff? I just don’t get it. I never will.

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I learned something new today.

Apparently, I have an inimitable pen, whatever that means. 🙂

The Washington Times has a book blog that periodically features Civil War books. The most recent entry had a very favorable review of One Continuous Fight which I will share with you here:

“Lee In Retreat” book out — good read

The Civil War (View Blog)

POSTED July 31 2008 9:55 AM BY MARTHA M. BOLTZ

From the inimitable pen of Eric Wittenberg and friends, author of numerous highly regarded works of history, comes a new book entitled “One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14,1863.”

Even though the title is probably one of the longest in history, the book itself is 510 pages long, illustrated, and zeroes in on the massive planning and implementation of Lee’s retreat. Logistically an ongoing nightmare to move a large army in what was termed relatively unfamiliar and unfriendly territory, in an effort to get to somewhere safe, all the time being still pursued by the enemy.

Mr. Wittenberg, along with co-authors J. David Petruzzi whose specialty is cavalry actions, and Michael F. Nugent, a relative newcomer to the publishing arena, outlines the problems of cavalry placement and materiel moving, as well as the numerous engagements which the retreating army was forced to stop and fight. The off and on fighting resulted in additional casualties, which added the necessity of burying the dead in the midst of the retreat.

It looks like a promising book of details in a little known aspect of the war.

I never knew that I had an inimitable pen. I like using a fountain pen, but I’m certainly not alone in that. 🙂

Thanks for the very kind words and the laugh, Martha. Both were appreciated very much.

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Last week, I unexpectedly received an e-mail from a fellow named Paul Stokstad. Mr. Stokstad was writing to invite me to join Newspaper Archive.com, his employer. Let me say thank you to Mr. Stokstad for the free membership, which was most unexpected, but gratefully accepted.

I’ve had a chance to noodle about the site a bit and to do a few searches. There are thousands of old newspapers digitized here, meaning that this is an incredibly useful research tool for anyone interested in researching historical newspapers, as I often am. There are lots of really obscure papers here that are not available anywhere else, meaning that I will be able to tap resources that I’ve never accessed previously. I have to admit, though, that I was genuinely shocked that there is not a single Philadelphia newspaper available in the database, which was really surprising. With all of the really obscure papers available, you’d think that the newspapers of a major city would be there, but there’s not a single one available.

The site is user-friendly, and it has a powerful search engine. This is a site where I expect to spend a LOT of time over the coming months, and I commend it to you.

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There are three major corporations that I absolutely despise. I absolutely and categorically refuse to do business with two of them. Unfortunately, I am forced to use the third’s products, whether I want to do so or not. I hate Microsoft because of its crappy software and its monopolistic tendencies. I use its products because I have to, not because I have any desire to do so. I refuse to do business with Starbucks. I don’t drink coffee anyway, but I find their predatory tactics of specifically targeting locally owned business to drive them out of business disgusting.

The third is the Walton empire. Wal-Mart is notorious for forcing its way into communities and killing off local businesses, whether it’s wanted or not. In many instances, it’s not wanted, but it matters not to Wal-Mart. The latest atrocity by Wal-Mart is probably the most unforgivable of all: it wants to build one of its superstores ON the Wilderness battlefield, regardless of the historical significance of the ground, and regardless of what the community might have to say about it. It MUST be stopped.

Here’s an article on this from the last issue of Civil War News, which, coincidentally, was one of the last articles by Deb Fitts:

CWPT Leads Effort To Stop Wal-Mart At The Wilderness
By Deborah Fitts

THE WILDERNESS, Va. Plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the Wilderness battlefield have prompted a coalition of preservation groups to deliver a shot across the mega-store’s bow.

The 145,000-square-foot facility would be sited on a 55-acre tract in Orange County, north of the intersection of routes 3 and 20. The site lies immediately across Route 3 from Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.

In hopes of warning off Wal-Mart, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) has rallied a coalition of groups to send a joint letter citing their opposition to the plan. Trust spokesman Jim Campi said the letter was mailed on the July 4 weekend.

“It’s the opening round,” said Campi of the letter. “It’s to put Wal-Mart and county officials on notice that we’re going to oppose this.”

Campi said of the Supercenter, “This is just going to be a magnet for sprawl.” Besides the Wal-Mart itself, he said there are plans for a large parking area and “two baby box stores” on the site.

The letter, sent to Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott Jr. in Bentonville, Ark., asserts that the store “would pave the way for desecration of the Wilderness with unnecessary commercial growth. Such a large-scale development is inappropriate next to a national park.”

The letter also warned that such major development “would impair the rural nature of the area and would increase traffic dramatically.” In fact, the store would boost pressure to expand Route 20 to four lanes through the Wilderness battlefield, the letter states. “That expansion is unacceptable to this coalition.”

Leading the charge against the Wal-Mart plan are CWPT and the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council. Their “Wilderness Battlefield Coalition” also includes the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Parks Conservation Association, Friends of the Wilderness, and Friends of the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields. Representatives of all six organizations signed the letter.

Campi cited “significant” local opposition as well. Orange County has long indicated a desire to block major development in this area, he said. Although the land was zoned for commercial development back in the 1970s, “quite a few elected officials think that was a mistake.”

Spotsylvania County, meanwhile, right next door, “is trying to keep commercial development east of Chancellorsville.” (And in Appomattox County Wal-Mart is on track for a 26-acre project near the national park.)

The letter states that the battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5-6, 1864, “marked the first clash between legendary Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.” More than 160,000 troops were engaged and nearly 29,000 were casualties.

The battle initiated Grant’s Overland Campaign, “that exhausted both armies and took the Union forces to the gates of Richmond.”

The letter also notes that the park protects 2,773 acres of the Wilderness battlefield. Although the park boundary does not encompass the Wal-Mart site, the land “is within the historic limits of the battlefield.”

Campi said Wal-Mart will need a special use permit in order to go ahead, and that will entail public comment. As of mid-July no dates had been set for a hearing.

Campi said CWPT members will be kept apprised of the Wal-Mart project on the Trust’s Web site, civilwar.org.

The CWPT is leading the way on this. For more information, including steps that you can take to help stop this abomination, click here.

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More than two years ago, I breathlessly announced that I was leaving a law firm where my name was on the door as a named partner to join another law firm. I was very excited about the prospect, as I really thought it was going to be a good opportunity for me. It turned out not to be for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that the law firm has an unworkable compensation plan, and I couldn’t afford to stay there (I’m not alone; two others have left for pretty much the same reason). That was my third attempt at trying to be a partner in a law firm, and all were bad experiences. At the end of March 2007, I went back out on my own. I have been operating as a sole practitioner since that time.

That has had its pluses and minuses. On the plus side, it’s given me the freedom to come and go as I please without anyone to answer to. The down side is that I have had no resources whatsoever available to me. I have no secretary, and no support staff at all. While that’s been okay, it also means that there are distinct limits to what I can accomplish alone. And, there’s also the fact that the types of business clients that really want to attract often have the perception that a lone ranger like me doesn’t have the resources to provide for their needs. Consequently, about the end of the year last year, I came to the conclusion that I had to find a firm to join. Given my prior bad experiences, I figured it would take time and that it would be a challenge. Unfortunately, I was right.

At the same time, the break-in last month was a real wake-up call. I’m still recovering from it, and it’s completely changed how I do things. I now carry my Mac laptop back and forth. I had to install Parallels Desktop on this computer, as well as Windows XP Pro, so I can run my billing and case management software safely; neither program has a Mac version, so I really had no choice. A couple of days after the break-in happened, I had a conversation with one of the owners of the building, and I told him that I firmly believed that the lack of a security light and a security system were the reasons why the break-in occurred, and that if they wanted me to stay in the building, they would have to put in some security. He told me that if that was what it took, he would see that it got done.

To make a long story short, it’s now been 46 days since the break-in, and the smashed window still has not been replaced. I still have a plywood window. No security system has been installed, and I have been advised that no security system will be installed. The owners of the building apparently think that it’s more important to install a new laminate floor that looks like hardwood in the entryway and lobby of the building than it is to protect their nearly million dollar investment, so that clinched it for me. I can’t be in a building where nobody but me cares about things like security, and I likewise can’t imagine staying in a place where the concerns of the tenants are of so little concern. I gave thirty days’ notice on August 1, and I will be moving out of the building the day after Labor Day.

I will be joining an existing law firm in the Columbus suburb of Pickerington in an “of counsel” capacity. That means I will continue to maintain my independence while still having the resources of a law firm behind me. My overhead will actually go down, and I will have secretarial services and a receptionist, things I don’t have at present. And the building has security. I’ve known the owner of the firm for nearly 20 years, and we’ve had a couple of shared clients. He’s a good guy, and I’ve long wanted to practice with him. If all goes well, we will form a partnership. If not, I will continue on as a sole practitioner.

I have a lot to do between now and then to get ready for the move, so my frequency of posting may drop a bit. Please bear with me. I will be back as usual after the move is completed. I hate it when my job interferes with my hobbies, but sometimes, it just cannot be helped. This is one of those instances.

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Susan and I attended the Wings of Victory Air Show, hosted by the Historical Aircraft Squadron, at the Fairfield County Airport in Lancaster, Ohio today. The show featured the F-16 East Coast Demo Team, the actual restored B-17 bomber that was featured in the movie Memphis Belle, a B-25, a P-51 Mustang, the Screamin’ Rebels, which is a group of six restored World War II T-6 trainers, a Korean War-era MiG-17 fighter, and some fun aerobatics and a wing walker (talk about crazy…..).

One of the other highlights was the presence of two of Ohio’s surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen. I had my picture taken with two of them at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends last year, and it was a great thrill for me. Two more were there today, and it was great to meet two men who gave so much and who had such a magnificent record of achievement during World War II as these men had.

I just love this kind of stuff. I’m like a little boy at air shows–wide-eyed, gawking, endlessly fascinated. And, for a small county air show, not bad at all. It wasn’t like the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends that we attended last October, but what could be? It was well-done, and very well-attended. The weather was spectacular, and I’m very glad we went.

Unfortunately, we forgot the good digital camera, so Susan had to work with the 1.3 megapixel camera in her cell phone. Not ideal, but with the gorgeous weather, it worked out okay. Here are the best photos.

I wish I could understand why there were Civil War reenactors, including an artillery piece, present, but there were. And, I must say, they were some of the farbiest reenactors I have ever seen, and I’ve seen my share of farbs in my day. But, at least we have a tie-in to the Civil War. 🙂

This is the Mitchell B-25 bomber, just before it took off to fly home to Urbana, Ohio, where its owner keeps it. The group of warbird enthusiasts there is working on restoring a B-17 to flying condition.

The highlight of the day was a Heritage Flight by a P-51 Mustang and an F-16. It was an incredibly moving thing to see. Here’s a view of it. These two graceful fighter planes represent the best that the U. S. Air Force has to offer, and it’s quite a sight to see them flying together in formation.

Another view of the Heritage Flight. It’s called a heritage flight because it combines fifty years of Air Force history with two of the finest warbirds ever built.

The Screamin’ Rebels in formation.

And again.

The Screamin’ Rebels making a pass over the runway. It was a very impressive thing to see.

I was lucky. My hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania had a fabulous air show that I attended regularly as a boy. I’m quite certain that it’s the reason why I love them so much to this day and why I try not to miss them when I can help it. These old warbirds are beautiful, and it’s great to see that they’re not only still cared for, but that they can still fly and do the things that made them great in the first place.

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J.D, Mike Nugent and I have all agreed to participate in a seminar on the Battle of Monterey Pass being conducted by the Monterey Pass Battlefield Association on November 8, 2008. Other participants include Kent Masterson Brown, Ted Alexander, and John Miller, the authority on all things Emmitsburg in the Civil War. All proceeds of the program go to benefit the MPBA, which is working hard to preserve land and add interpretation to the battlefield at Blue Ridge Summit, which marks the largest engagement fought in Franklin County, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. Please come check it out.

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For the second time, John Maass has decided to pull the plug on his excellent blog, A Student of History, which has long been one of my favorite blogs. I understand the time constraints he faces and will miss the blog. Goodbye and good luck, John.

I’ve deleted the link to his blog, but will gladly restore it once more if John gets back into the game.

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Time for another in my infrequent series of profiles of forgotten cavalrymen….

Andrew Jonathan Alexander was born to a wealthy and influential family in Woodford County, Kentucky on November 21, 1833. He was one of six children; one of his sisters married Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair, the influential Missouri Congressman. His father died in a mill accident on the family estate, and his mother went blind. Opposed to slavery, Mrs. Alexander freed her slaves and settled in St. Louis. Andrew attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and then returned to St. Louis, where he was engaged in business pursuits when war came in the spring of 1861.

He was commissioned in the Regiment of Mounted Rifles as a second lieutenant on July 26, 1861. He was immediately promoted to first lieutenant the same day. The new lieutenant was assigned to serve on the staff of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, where he impressed the general with his efficiency. Alexander was appointed assistant adjutant general, serving first with McClellan, and later with Maj. Gen. George Stoneman.

He received brevets for gallantry for the 1862 Peninsula Campaign for carrying messages from McClellan to and from Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman under fire and for leading various scouting expeditions with the Union cavalry, for performing outstanding scouting and reconnaissance services before and during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, and other engagements, eventually receiving a brevet to brigadier general of volunteers, dated March 13, 1865.

Originally assigned to the staff of Maj. Gen. George Stoneman, he joined Brig. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s staff as assistant adjutant general of the Cavalry Corps when Stoneman took medical leave after the Battle of Chancellorsville. At the end of July, 1863, Stoneman became the first commander of the newly-formed Cavalry Bureau, an organization intended to provide remounts for the Union cavalry forces. Alexander went with him, serving on Stoneman’s staff at the Cavalry Bureau. On September 13, 1863, he was promoted to captain in the 3rd U. S. Cavalry (the successor designation of the Regiment of Mounted Rifles).

When John Buford contracted the typhoid fever that claimed his life, he went to Washington to recuperate, staying in Stoneman’s rented home. On December 16, 1863, the day Buford died, Alexander brought him a long-coveted prize: a major general’s commission. Buford, who was in and out of lucidity as the end drew near, had a lucid moment and said, “Too late. Now I wish I could live.” Alexander helped his fellow Kentuckian sign the commission.

In the spring of 1864, Stoneman was assigned to take command of a division of cavalry attached to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army. When Stoneman left, Alexander stayed on, joining the staff of his successor, Brig. Gen. James Harrison Wilson. Later that spring, Wilson assumed command of the 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, and Alexander went to join Stoneman’s staff once again. He served on Stoneman’s staff with Capt. Myles W. Keogh, a dashing Irish soldier of fortune who had loyally served Brig. Gen. John Buford until the dragoon’s untimely death on December 16, 1863. Alexander and Keogh developed a very close and lasting friendship that lasted until Keogh’s untimely death at the Battle of the Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876 (Keogh and Alexander rest in the same cemetery in Auburn, NY). Alexander married Evelina Throup Martin on Nov. 3, 1864.

When Alexander returned to the army after his wedding, he joined Wilson’s staff as his chief of staff. Wilson, nominally Sherman’s chief of cavalry, was in the process of assembling a 15,000 man all-cavalry army that became a mounted juggernaut that served as the prototype for modern armored cavalry. Alexander performed especially valuable service in rounding up sufficient quality mounts for Wilson’s new army. Wilson urged Alexander’s promotion to full brigadier general of volunteers, but the war ended before that recommendation could be acted upon. However, he was brevetted colonel in the Regular Army by Grant.

On July 28, 1866, he was appointed senior major of the newly-formed 8th U. S. Cavalry and settled with his family at Camp McDowell, Arizona, where he and his wife had their first child, Emily. Commanding the Subdistrict of the Verde, Alexander scouted regularly against Apache Indians with the cooperation of the Pima Indians. He also contended with fights among residents of of nearby settlements.

In 1869, he was reassigned, commanding Camp Toll Gate until February 1870, when he went on leave. He rejoined the regiment in New Mexico. While commanding Fort Bayard in 1871, he was ordered to Fort Garland, Colorado at the direction of Sec. of War Belknap. He took leave in 1872 to tend to his ill wife after she had a miscarriage and then returned to duty in 1872, when he reported back to Fort Garland.

He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Cavalry on March 20, 1879. In 1883, he began suffering serious health problems, including malaria, diabetes, and rheumatism. In 1884, he developed a bad inner ear infection and was retired as a full colonel as being unfit for further duty, effective July 3, 1885. His friends (including Generals Sherman and Stoneman) tried to arrange for him to be appointed deputy commander of the Soldier’s Home in Washington, D. C., but his health was too poor to permit him to perform the duties associated with the job. He spent much of his retirement writing about his war-time experiences and in maintaining a regular correspondence with Wilson, with whom he became close friends.

On May 4, 1887, while on a railroad train with his wife on their way to their home near Auburn, New York, he died suddenly and unexpectedly. He was a mere 54 years old. Alexander was buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, joining his dear friend Keogh there.

Maj. Gen. James Harrison Wilson wrote of him, “Those who had the fortune to know him during the war will readily recall and bear witness to his superb figure, his stately carriage, his bright, flashing blue eyes, his flowing beard as tawny as a lion’s mane, his splendid shoulders, his almost unequalled horsemanship…Standing over six feet in height, he was trim and commanding a figure as it was ever my good fortune to behold.”

Here’s to A. J. Alexander, a forgotten cavalryman who gave good service to his country both during the Civil War and in the years afterward.

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