Battlefield preservation

Late last week–before I went to Pittsburgh for the weekend–my publisher, Savas-Beatie, LLC, announced a new preservation initiative:

Book Publisher Savas Beatie and The Civil War Preservation Trust Team up to Raise Funds for Endangered Land
by Sarah Keeney, Marketing Director, Savas Beatie LLC
Thursday, October 10, 2007

For additional information on the Savas Beatie-CWPT donation arrangement, contact Sarah Keeney or visit www.savasbeatie.com.

The predecessor to Ironclad Publishing was called VanBerg Publishing. Unfortunately, VanBerg didn’t make it for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that I ended up having a pretty major falling out with my former business partner from VanBerg. However, one of the cornerstones of our business plan for VanBerg was the donation of 10% of our gross proceeds to battlefield preservation. It was a way for us to give something back while also giving us a great marketing tool. Ted’s now picked up the cudgel and is carrying on with the same concept.

Best wishes to Ted for stepping up to the plate and putting his money where his mouth is.

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I wanted to give a quick thumbs up to a group doing some underappreciated but much needed preservation work, the Hunterstown Preservation Society. The good folks from the HPS face a severe challenge: they are fighting a developer that does not care about the fact that he intends to eradicate a nearly pristine battlefield in the process. Please give these folks your support, both financially and morally, as they need all of the help that they can get to save their beautiful little battlefield.

J. D. had a good post about the efforts of the HPS on his blog today, which I commend to you.

Keep up the good work, folks.

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Centex Homes of Texas gets kudos for its willingness to work with local preservation groups so as to save a battlefield but still get to develop the land surrounding the battlefield. In an unprecedented partnership that should serve as the template for all such efforts, Centex agreed to carve out the Bristoe Station battlefield site in Virginia, and the preservationists agreed not to dispute Centex’s development of the neighboring parcels. It was, as the movie Casablanca ended, the making of a beautiful friendship. I wish that the idiot trying to develop the Hunterstown battlefield would learn something from this example.

The battlefield park is now open. Here’s the newspaper article about it:

Bristoe Station Park Opens
By Jaclyn Pitts, Staff Writer

For more information, call 703-257-5243.

As I said, this should be the formula for all such efforts. This is how to do it right.

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The other day, I received this e-mail from old friend Jim Morgan, who heads the battlefield guide program at the Ball’s Bluff battlefield in Leesburg, Virginia:

I’m delighted to announce that all the new, updated, and corrected historical markers are in.  The original 16 which, even if correct, were weathered and not looking very good, have been replaced with new ones, plus four completely new signs help tell the story even better. 

Jim Morgan

This is fabulous news. Having had Jim’s personal tour of the battlefield, I can tell you that nobody knows more about this important but extremely early battle than does Jim, and that these new markers are a tribute to his dedication.

Take him up on his offer of a tour. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

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Don Caughey did an interesting post on his blog about his favorite Gettysburg cavalry regimental monuments. His favorite seems to be that of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry. I can’t help but wonder whether he missed my favorite.

A Tipton photo of the monument to the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry appears with this post, courtesy of the Virtual Gettysburg web site. The monument features 6 full-scale, exact replicas of the lances carried by the men of the regiment for the first year and a half of the Civil War. The monument itself is made of granite, and has six sides, representing the numeric designation of the regiment. It also features the regiment’s logo, and is quite simple but elegant.

It also has architectural significance.

Born on November 11, 1839, Frank Furness was the son of a prominent Philadelphia clergyman and abolitionist, William Henry Furness. Frank elected to take up the study of architecture, apprenticing in New York under the famed architect Richard Morris Hunt. Instead of doing what most of his peers did, twenty-two year old Frank Furness did not flee to Europe to avoid military service. Instead, he enlisted in Company I of the Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry and was quickly commissioned lieutenant. After a successful stint as a staff officer, on January 11, 1864, he was promoted to captain and assigned to command Company F.

Furness still commanded Company F in June 1864, when two divisions of the Cavalry Corps, now commanded by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, went on an extended raid in the direction of Gordonsville, marching along the route of the Virginia Central Railroad. Departing from the main body of the Army of the Potomac on June 7, Sheridan’s force marched slowly west, arriving at Trevilian Station, in Louisa County, on the night of June 10. A heavy engagement on June 11 was indecisive, and the foes resumed the fighting on the afternoon of June 12.

The Confederate cavalry, positioned behind strong breastworks marked by a “Bloody Angle”, had a strong defensive position. The Federal cavalry launched seven desperate assaults on the Bloody Angle before a severe counterattack crashed into the Union flank, driving it from the field in confusion. The Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry held the end of the Union line. Positioned among the various outbuildings of the Gentry farm, perched atop a ridge, Furness’s Company F was the endmost company on the Union line. What follows is Furness’s narrative of his deeds that day:

On the afternoon of June 12th, 1864, the Reserve Brigade was engaged dismounted shortly after midday near Trevilian Station, Virginia. The Brigade had been actively been engaged in the battle of Trevilian Station, on the day previous, June 11th, 1864.

With no other damages than this Captain Furness and Captain Mitchell regained the Main Line of Battle.

As before stated the regiment remained holding its position, in spite of shot and shell, for they were vigorously subjected to these annoyances, until long after dark, and it was not until long after dark (through some oversight on the part of the Brigade commander no orders for withdrawal were received by the Officer Commanding the 6th Penna. Cavalry) the men crouching down and carefully holding their sabres and carbines to avoid all rattle, so close was the proximity of the enemy, did the 6th Penna. Cavalry rejoin General Sheridan’s command, finding their remounts and taking up the line of march, continuing the same throughout the remainder of the night and until the afternoon of the next day.”

Furness served out his term of enlistment and was discharged from the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry in the fall of 1864. Returning home to Philadelphia, he resumed his architecture career, designing nearly 650 buildings and becoming one of the highest paid architects of the time. Employing an approach based on the theory that architecture was more than just building, Furness employed a heavy Gothic style that was quite unique. Click here to see some of Furness’s works. In a Victorian Age noted for its aggressive architecture, Furness’s buildings were certainly among the most boisterous and challenging.

Working mostly between 1870 and 1895, his designs include some of Philadelphia’s most prominent structures such as the Philadelphia Zoo Gatehouses, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Merion Cricket Club. [links to the two books on Furness’s works] He co-founded the Philadelphia chapter of the AIA, and is known as the founder of the so-called “Philadelphia School” or architecture. One of his most interesting designs is the handsome monument to the Lancers that graces the battlefield at Gettysburg, and which features full-scale replicas of the lances carried by the men of the regiment for the first year and a half of the war.

In 1899, Furness applied for a Medal of Honor. With the ringing endorsement of Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt and Col. Albert P. Morrow, two veteran cavalry officers, and St. Clair Mulholland, the former commander of the Irish Brigade, Furness was awarded the Medal in September 1899 in recognition of his gallant service at Trevilian Station on June 12, 1864. The citation reads:

On this occasion, a detachment occupying an exposed and isolated outpost having expended its ammunition, Captain Furness, carrying a box of ammunition on his head, ran to the outpost across an open space that was swept by a fierce fire from the enemy. This ammunition together with that carried by another officer who had responded to Captain Furness’s call for volunteers, enabled the detachment to hold its position until nightfall, thus saving the main line from severe loss.

Furness is the only American architect of note to win the Medal of Honor. He was also the only member of the Lancers to win the Medal.

Although he is considered the first “All-American” architect, Furness eventually fell from favor. When he died in 1912, his work was largely forgotten. He was buried in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Furness designed the monument to the Lancers that appears with this post. The monument appears in every published catalogue of Furness’ work. It is the only monument on the Gettysburg battlefield that has architectural significance. It is, therefore, my favorite monument. Too bad it didn’t make your list, Don.

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Old friend Jim Morgan, who heads the battlefield tourguide program at the Ball’s Bluff battlefield in Leesburg, Virginia, passed along some excellent news this morning. As Jim pointed out in his outstanding book on the battle, A Little Short of Boats: The Fights at Ball’s Bluff and Edward’s Ferry, October 21-22, 1861, the interpretive markers on the battlefield contain a lot of inaccuracies. However, due to insufficient funding, the county, which owns and operates the battlefield, has allowed the inaccurate signs to remain in place for far too long.

Here’s the good news passed along by Jim this morning:

The Northern Va Regional Park Authority finally has gotten some money to replace the old, incorrect signs on the battlefield. I’ve given them new, verified text and, by mid-summer, all new signs should be in place. We’re re-doing some of the trails to make them more “user friendly” as well and moving a couple of the signs to more appropriate locations along those trails. Good things happening at Ball’s Bluff.

That’s excellent news indeed, and will make the interpretation of a terrific little battlefield even better.

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I’m an avid supporter of battlefield preservation. I’ve worked extensively with the Civil War Preservation Trust and will always be stout advocate for battlefield preservation causes.

To date, most preservation work has focused on the Civil War, which is understandable. Fortunately, Congress has recognized that battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 are equally threatened and that they face the same pressures and threats that Civil War battlefields face.

There is a House of Representatives (HR) bill (HR160) to appropriate money for a grant program to help State, Local, and Tribal government agencies and non-profit organizations to acquire and preserve Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield land (as currently enjoyed only by Civil War battlefields) , and a companion treasury commemorative coin mint bill to help finance it.

So far, they have both only been introduced on the House side:

Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act: HR 160 and the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefields Commemoration Coin Act: HR 158.

Please consider contacting your Representative and Senators to voice your support. Please encourage your friends, or members of your organizations to do the same.

Also, some of you may be aware of two pieces of federal legislation pertaining to the War of 1812 that are now before Congress.

Bill to create a War of 1812 and Star Spangled Banner Bicentennial Commemoration Commission: House of Representatives (HR) Bill 1389 and Senate Bill (S) 798.

Bill to create a Star Spangled Banner National Historic Train: HR 1388 and S 797.

I’m glad to see these neglected and often overlooked conflicts receive the sort of attention that they deserve. Battlefield land is battlefield land, and it is, as such, sacred ground. Anything that will help to preserve that sacred ground is a good thing.

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We got up early on Sunday morning and drove down to Franklin. We arrived at the Carter House about 9:30, where we met David Fraley, the very accomplished staff historian there. David opened things up early for us, and then took us on a battlefield tour.

I had never seen any of these sites, and I was absolutely flabbergasted by the number of bullet holes and the amount of battle damage to the Carter buildings. David quite correctly pointed out that those five hours of fighting at Franklin were probably THE bloodiest five hours in American history. We saw the damage to the farm office building and to the summer kitchen. David’s telling of the stories of Emerson Opdycke’s men attacking through ankle deep pools of blood and fighting their way through the Carter farm buildings was incredibly compelling and incredibly moving at the same time.

We then went inside the house, and David took us upstairs. Few visitors ever see the upstairs, which is not presently open for tours. He also permitted Susan to take a few pictures inside the house (without the flash), even though they usually don’t allow it. We saw where the blood of the wounded literally ran down the steps like a cascade. He showed us the bed where Tod Carter was born and died, and his brother Moscow’s room. And we went down into the cellar, where 28 civilians rode out the storm while rivulets of blood from wounded poured down on them and hell raged right outside the windows.

From there, we visited the site of the former Pizza Hut, which now boasts a handsome new monument erected by the City of Franklin. That’s my wife Susan on the left, our friends Greg and Karel Lea Biggs, and David Fraley in the hat. The spot where Pat Cleburne fell is right across the street from there, and we saw that spot. The house that occupies that spot will be torn down in a couple of years when the lease expires, and the Carter cotton gin will be reproduced on the spot. I think it’s absolutely amazing that Cleburne made it to within ten feet of the Union before falling to the bullet that claimed his life.

We then went out to Winstead Hill and saw the group of Confederate monuments there. There are monuments to each of the Confederate generals killed as well as a couple of state monuments and one to Nathan Bedford Forrest’s artillery. There is also a 3-D topo map out there that shows the terrain features. Sadly, the entire valley below has been developed, including an ugly new shopping center. Apparently, the developers lied to the city fathers and told them that nothing happened on that ground–it was fought over heavily and turned up a lot of relics when the ground was broken. It’s really sad.

From there, we went to Carnton Plantation. The golf course across the road–which saw fighting since the Confederate right passed right over that ground–was recently purchased by the city, and will now be preserved. We visited the McGavock Confederate Cemetery (which is two acres in size, and is the largest privately-owned Confederate cemetery) and had a good long-distance view of the plantation house where four of the six Confederate generals killed in the battle were laid out on the back porch that you can see in the photograph the next day. Most of the dead in the cemetery were never identified.

The battlefield is very compact, and almost none of it is preserved. It’s a classic example of what happens when city fathers don’t care about the preservation of history; a new library was built on one large open parcel of land right across from the Pizza Hut site, which makes good interpretation largely impossible. It’s really tragic that so much of the battlefield is gone. Folks are finally starting to get the message and trying to promote Civil War tourism, and we saw a number of folks prowling around the McGavock Cemetery.

Sadly, it was now noon, and time to hit the road. I was very happy that I finally got to see this incredibly bloody battlefield after all these years, and I look forward to my next visit. I have to admit that I am a little bit surprised that there are no Union monuments there, particularly considering how lopsided of a Union victory this battle was. There’s not a single Union monument there, which may help to explain why so little of the battlefield has been preserved. The best news is that David Fraley has agreed to a volume on Franklin for Ironclad’s Discovering Civil War America Series, which should be a very valuable tool for battlefield stompers.

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This is especially intriguing news….

According to today’s issue of the Outer Banks Sentinel newspaper, not only has a significant Confederate fort been found, that discovery has apparently finally solved the mystery of where Fort Raleigh was located:

FT. RALEIGH? NEW FIND ON ROANOKE ISLAND CREATES STIR
By Sandy Semans | Sentinel Staff

In the meantime, until further information is available, Ft. Raleigh remains a mystery. Although in the future the NPS may partner with private archaeologists on the project, currently it is a Park Service project.

I believe I met Scott Dawson last May when I spoke to the Outer Banks Civil War Roundtable, which was a very interesting experience.

If Dawson is correct, this is a find of epic proportions. Not only does it answer an important Civil War question, it solves a mystery that has befuddled archaelogists for centuries. Let’s hope that Dawson is correct.

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A gentleman named Ira Shaffer contacted me today and invited me to become a member of the board of trustees of the Friends of the Alligator. Mr. Shaffer has an illustrious ancestor, Marshal Joachim Murat, perhaps the greatest of all cavalrymen. I was very pleased to accept the offer, and thought it might be nice to post some information about the Alligator.

From The Dictionary of American Fighting Ships:

The creation of French inventor, Brutus De Villeroi. Whether a deliberate publicity stunt or not, DeVilleroi succeeded in convincing the Union Navy that he could produce a submersible warship from which a diver could place an explosive charge under an enemy ship. Six months later, in November 1861, he was under contract to build the Union’s first submarine, Alligator.

Specifications: She was said to be about 30′ long and 6′ or 8′ in diameter. “It was made of iron, with the upper part pierced for small circular plates of glass, for light, and in it were several water tight compartments.” It had originally been fitted with sixteen paddles protruding from the sides to be worked by men inside, but on July 3, 1862, she was ordered to Washington Navy Yard to have her folding oars replaced by a propeller which was powered by a hand crank. It was said to be capable of seven knots. “The Alligator was to have been manned by sixteen men, besides one in submarine armor, who was the explorer, and a captain who was to steer the craft. An air pump in the center of the machine, to which were attached two air tubes, attached to floats, was to furnish air to the occupants, the machine being of course air tight. The entrance to it was through a man-hole at one end, which was covered with an iron plate, with leather packing.” She was to have been submerged by the flooding of compartments. The Alligator was also described as a “semi-submarine boat,” 46′ (or 47′) long and 4’6″ in diameter, with a crew of seventeen.

In other words, she was the Union’s version of the Hunley. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is conducting the search for the Alligator, which searsh goes on. NOAA plans to raise her and put her on display just as the Hunley was raised and put on display. NOAA has a very informative web site dedicated to its effort to locate the Alligator.

The Friends of the Alligator intend to construct and house a full-scale working replica of the Alligator as a major Civil War tourism attraction in the greater Philadelphia metro area (where she was built) – as well as to conduct symposia and educational opportunities to the membership. I’m honored to have been asked to assist in bringing a major Civil War attraction to my home town of Philadelphia.

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