General musings

Jack Dempsey, a fellow barrister from Detroit, has been keeping us posted on Michigan’s efforts to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Jack recently posted a proclamation by the Governor of Michigan forming a committee to plan the state’s commemoration of the sesquicentennial. Today, the Michigan State Senate passed a resolution commemorating the Abraham Lincoln bicentennial. Michigan is keenly aware of the significance of the Civil War, and deserves a vast amount of credit for being proactive in commemorating the sesquicentennial.

My state, Ohio, unfortunately has nothing remotely like it. Sadly, history is given short shrift in this state; when the General Assembly needs to cut funds, the Ohio Historical Society is the first budget they slash. To date, nothing like the commemoration planned by Michigan has been planned or discussed here in Ohio, which is just stunning to me. Consequently, I will be sending the following letter to Governor Ted Strickland tomorrow:

The Honorable Ted Strickland
Governor’s Office
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108

Re: Civil War Sesquicentennial

Dear Governor Strickland:

Although I practice law for a living, I am an award-winning Civil War historian by avocation. In researching and writing fourteen books on the war, I have devoted much of my adult life to the study of the Civil War. I am a native Pennsylvanian, but I have lived in Ohio for more than twenty years, and consider the Buckeye State my home.

In the course of my years of study, I have learned the following facts: War-time Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase were both Ohioans. The State of Ohio raised nearly 320,000 soldiers for the Union army, behind only New York and Pennsylvania, and gave the most men per capita of any state in the union. Among the Union’s leading generals, a disproportionate number of them were Buckeyes: Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan, William S. Rosecrans, and George A. Custer are the first to come to mind, although there are others. Five Ohio-born Civil War officers later served as President of the United States: Grant, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Rutherford B. Hayes. The Fighting McCooks, an Ohio family, were the largest family unit to serve in the Civil War, contributing six Union generals to the cause. Finally, one of the largest all-cavalry battles of the war was fought in Meigs County during John Hunt Morgan’s great Indiana and Ohio raid of 1863.

There were two major Confederate prisoner of war camps in Ohio. One was located on Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie, and the other was located right here in Columbus. More than 2,000 Confederate dead rest in the Camp Chase Cemetery in the Hilltop region of Columbus.

Needless to say, the Civil War was the seminal event in American history. 600,000 Americans died, slavery was eradicated, and the question of the legality of secession and the dominance of the Federal system were settled once and for all. Instead of a loose confederation of states, the Civil War forged this country into the United States of America.

The year 2011 marks the beginning of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, which will last until 2015. A number of states have already formed sesquicentennial committees to commemorate their contributions to the war. Recently, the Governor of Michigan issued this proclamation:

EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 2007-52

OBSERVING THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF THE CIVIL WAR

WHEREAS, Section 1 of Article V of the Michigan Constitution of 1963 vests the executive power of the State of Michigan in the Governor;

WHEREAS, under Section 8 of Article V of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, each principal department of state government is under the supervision of the Governor unless otherwise provided, and the Governor shall transact all necessary business with the officers of government;

WHEREAS, at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, Michigan residents responded enthusiastically to President Abraham Lincoln’s call for troops to put down the Confederate rebellion, eventually sending 90,000 men, and a few women, to the Union Army;

WHEREAS, Michigan sent 50 percent of its military age male population to fight in the Civil War, including specialized regiments of sharpshooters and engineers, and more cavalry per capita than any other northern state;

WHEREAS, at least 68 Michigan men were awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry on the battlefield during the Civil War;

WHEREAS, Michigan mines produced tons of ire ore used to make cannon, iron clad ships, and rails, all of which contributed to the military success of the Union in the Civil War;

WHEREAS, the year 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the beginning of the Civil War;

WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the State of Michigan to provide for appropriate commemorative activities recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Civil War;

WHEREAS, recognizing the sesquicentennial of the Civil War will increase awareness of Michigan’s cultural heritage and assist cultural economic development in this state;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, by virtue of the power and authority vested in the Governor by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and Michigan law, order the following:

I. DEFINITIONS

As used in this Order:

A. “Department of History, Arts, and Libraries” or “Department” means the principal department of state government created by Section 3 of the History, Arts, and Libraries Act, 2001 PA 63, MCL 399.703.

B. “Michigan Historical Commission” or “Commission” means the commission created under Section 1 of 1913 PA 271, MCL 399.1.

II. STATE ACTION TO RECOGNIZE THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF THE CIVIL WAR

A. The members of the Michigan Historical Commission shall constitute an advisory body within the Department of History, Arts and Libraries, for the purpose of all of the following:

1. Advising the Department and the Governor on matters relating to fostering authenticity and inclusion in Michigan’s observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

2. Encouraging, planning, and developing activities, events, programs, observances, and services appropriate to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

3. Enlisting the support of private citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities in the planning and promotion of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

4. Encouraging private citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities to organize and participate in Civil War Sesquicentennial activities.

5. Encouraging schools and cultural institutions in Michigan to participate in activities recognizing the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

6. Encouraging Michigan’s participation in national and international activities commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and facilitating communications with other states commemorating the Sesquicentennial.

7. Serving as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about Civil War Sesquicentennial plans, events, programs, observances, and services.

8. Researching and promoting the development of cultural, historical, and economic development opportunities relating to the Civil War in connection with the Civil War Sesquicentennial.

9. Reviewing, planning, and recommending strategies to promote and preserve the history of Michigan’s role in the Civil War.

10. Performing other functions related to the observance of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, as requested by the Director of the Department or the Governor.

III. OPERATIONS

A. The activities of the members of the Commission under this Order shall be staffed and assisted by personnel from the Department under the direction and supervision of the Director of the Department, subject to available funding.

B. The Commission may establish advisory workgroups composed of members of the public who are not members of the Commission to assist the members of the Commission in performing duties under this Order. The Commission may adopt, reject, or modify any recommendations proposed by an advisory workgroup.

C. In performing duties under this Order, the Commission may, as appropriate, make inquiries, studies, investigations, hold hearings, and receive comments from the public. The Commission may also consult with outside experts in order to perform its duties, including, but not limited to, experts in the private sector, organized labor, government agencies, and at institutions of higher education.

D. In performing duties under this Order, the Commission may hire or retain contractors, sub-contractors, advisors, consultants, and agents, and may make and enter into contracts necessary or incidental to the exercise of the powers of the Commission and the performance of its duties, as the Director of the Department deems advisable and necessary, in accordance with this Order and the relevant statutes, rules, and procedures of the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Management and Budget.

E. The Commission may accept donations of labor, services, or other things of value from any public or private agency or person related to activities under this Order.

F. Members of the Commission shall refer all legal, legislative, and media contacts related to this Order to the Department.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS

A. All departments, committees, commissioners, or officers of this state, or of any political subdivision of this state, shall give to the Commission or to any member or representative of the Commission, any necessary assistance required by the Commission or any member or representative of the Commission, in the performance of the duties of the Commission so far as is compatible with its, his, or her duties under this Order. Free access shall also be given to any books, records, or documents in its, his, or her custody, relating to matters within the scope of inquiry, study, or review of the Commission under this Order.

B. This Order shall not abate any suit, action, or other proceeding lawfully commenced by, against, or before any entity affected under this Order. Any suit, action, or other proceeding may be maintained by, against, or before the appropriate successor of any entity affected under this Order.

C. The invalidity of any portion of this Order shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the Order, which may be given effect without any invalid portion. Any portion of this Order found invalid by a court or other entity with proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remaining portions of this Order.

D. This Order is effective upon filing.

Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Michigan this 27th day of December, in the year of our Lord, two thousand seven.

__________________________________________
JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM, GOVERNOR

The committee selected to implement this order has already had its first organizational meeting; 2011 is not that far away, and there is obviously a great deal to do to prepare for the sesquicentennial.

Given the fact that Ohio’s contributions to the Civil War dwarf those of Michigan by comparison, isn’t it time for Ohio to do something like this to honor this state’s contributions to the war?

I would be pleased to discuss this with you or your staff, should you wish to do so. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to do so.

Very truly yours,

ERIC J. WITTENBERG CO., L.P.A.

Eric J. Wittenberg

I don’t expect to receive a response, but I hope that the message is at least received and that something is done to commemorate Ohio’s contributions to the Civil War. I will be terribly disappointed if nothing is done, but it would, sadly, be typical of this state.

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Almost a year ago, I noted here that Ira Shaffer, a descendant of perhaps the greatest cavalryman of all, Marshal Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s cavalry chief, had asked me to become a member of the board of trustees of Friends of the Alligator, a group dedicated to raising funds to build a museum to house a replica of Philadelphia’s own U.S.S. Alligator, the U. S. Navy’s first combat submarine, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where the submarine was built. The Gator sank off the Outer Banks in terrible weather in 1862. It predated the C.S.S. Hunley. The difference is that the Hunley has been found, while the Gator has not.

Today, Ted Savas, who is also a member of the board of the Friends, shared some horrible, tragic news with me. From the January 1 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Ira Shaffer, 57, headed charitable group

Mr. Shaffer and his wife met at the Shore and married in 1996. He is also survived by brothers Ronald and Hal.

Ira only recently began the job with Operation Homefront. Just a few months ago, he excitedly told me about the new job in a series of e-mails, and he was very eager to do some good. That was Ira–his prior job was with the Salvation Army. He was a guy who did the right thing.

We had talked about trying to get together for lunch on one of my trips home, and due to my father’s stroke, we hadn’t been able to get it together yet. Now I deeply regret that, as I won’t have the chance.

Ira Shaffer is a loss to the City of Philadelphia, to the community of people at large, and especially to the Civil War community, and I will miss him. Let’s hope that Philadelphia’s finest find the bastard that did this, and that they exact the appropriate measure of justice.

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Susan, Nero, Aurora, and I all join to wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008.

We had 265 posts and 1,737 comments this year, meaning that 2007 was a productive year ’round these parts. Thanks to all who make this site part of your daily ritual.

There will be more rantings to come in the new year……

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I’m a cav guy. That’s no secret. In fact, cavalry operations interest me most of all. I find the evolution of tactics fascinating, and I likewise find the changing role of the cavalry in the Civil War to be one of the most interesting studies of the evolution of military doctrine I’ve yet found.

By 1864, as a consequence of changing technology, weaponry, tactics, and the emergence of competent leadership, cavalry doctrine had changed substantially from where it was at the beginning of the war. By late 1864, large mounted forces began acting as independent commands, almost like a mounted army. Each side featured one such force. Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson’s mounted army tore the guts out of the Deep South in the winter and spring of 1865, establishing the prototype for the modern armored force.

The Confederate force was commanded by Maj. Gen. Sterling Price. Price cobbled together a 12,000 man army in the summer and fall of 1864, mounted the entire force, and set off on a raid into Missouri that was intended to threaten St. Louis. His command included the cavalry forces of J.O. Shelby and John Marmaduke, both pretty good horse soldiers. Unfortunately, Price was no Marshal Murat, and he suffered three major defeats during this campaign, at Pilot Knob, Westport, and Mine Creek. During the latter two actions, Westport and Mine Creek, Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, who had been banished to the West in the spring of 1864 after he testified against George Gordon Meade before the Committee on the Conduct of the War, played an integral role in those Union victories.

During this time in the Eastern Theater, Pleasonton was never known as a battlefield commander, and he certainly was never known as a lead from the front kind of guy. However, when he got to the west, he suddenly became a very effective battlefield commander, and in the engagements at both Westport and Mine Creek, he did extremely well, managing significant battlefield victories over Price’s forces. These actions were clearly Alfred Pleasonton’s finest moments in the Civil War. In fact, the town of Pleasanton, Kansas (misspelling and all) was named for him.

J. D., Mike Nugent and I like to have the occasional cav fest, as we like to call them. We go and do some very serious battlefield stomping, focusing pretty much exclusively on cavalry actions/battlefields. We study the terrain and the tactics, and we learn as much as we can while we’re on the ground. We’re looking to do a Price’s Raid cav fest some time during 2008. We can fly into Kansas City from Columbus for next to nothing on Skybus, rent a car, and spend several days stomping these battlefields. We’re also going to try to squeeze in a visit to the U. S. Cavalry Museum at Fort Riley, Kansas, a place none of us has visited but all wish to.

It seems to me that a study of Price’s Missouri Raid with a visit to Fort Riley will make for a truly excellent cav fest.

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I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and/or Festivus. Susan and I spent the day as we always do: a movie and dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant. From my perspective, the best thing was having four days in a row off to recharge my desperately drained mental batteries. I really needed the break.

Unfortunately, I spent a fair portion of those four days once again fighting the neo-Confederate wars. I spend a fair amount of time posting on the Armchair General forum boards. I enjoy the interaction with most of the people there, many of whom are extremely knowledgeable. Over the course of the past days, a clown calling himself Thomas Jefferson has been there espousing the Lost Cause and loudly beating his neo-Confederate drum, whether anyone wants to hear it or not.

Never in my life have I ever encountered anyone more enamored of the sound of his own voice than is this clown. He actually has deluded himself that his Lost Cause rants are something novel, and that he’s come up with some new angle on a debate that’s been raging since the end of the Civil War. He won’t listen to reason, he refuses to acknowledge that anyone but him has a point, and he insists on using insulting and offensive language, even when asked to stop. The moderator for the Civil War forum pitched into the fray with me, and we stood side by side trying to hold back the neo-Confederate onslaught.

Unfortunately, he wore us down. We both reached the point where we were worn out by making the same argument ad nauseum for the 58th time. One can only hear the same nonsense spouted persistently and endlessly for so long before you reach a point of throwing up your hands in frustration and saying “enough!” I only have so much time for such stuff, and I finally reached my breaking point with the guy and kind of blew a gasket. I started posting things like “shut up already–nobody wants to hear what you have to say.”

When that didn’t do the trick, I posted this earlier today:

TJ,

Eric

And I am indeed finished with him. However, as Sir Winston said, “We shall not flag nor fail. We shall go on to the end…We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender…”

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Susan, Nero, and Aurora join me in wishing each and every one of you happy holidays. Merry Christmas to all, happy Kwanzaa to those to whom it applies, and to the rest, a joyous Festivus.

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Since this is the holiday season, and giving is better than receiving, I thought I would take a moment to pass along a few holiday gift wishes. They are presented in no particular order.

–To the Civil War Preservation Trust, I wish for you unlimited funds for the continuation of the good work that you do.

–To Jenny Goellnitz, I wish for you a lifetime of Hodge-free robust good health. I have many battlefields yet to show you.

–To Michael Aubrecht, I wish for you the joy of nights of sleep uninterrupted by Jackson’s cries.

–To Duane Siskey, I wish for you a lifetime of joy living on the battlefield in Gettysburg.

–To George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, I wish for you the impeachments that you so richly deserve.

–To Dana Shoaf, I wish for you an unlimited supply of great articles for your magazines.

–To Drew Wagenhoffer, I wish for you a huge supply of great Civil War books for your insightful reviews.

–To Mannie Gentile, I wish for you a full-time ranger position. I can’t think of anyone more worthy.

–To Ted Savas, I wish for you another year of great Civil War books marked by record, unprecedented sales.

–To Al Ovies, I wish for you to have ample time to finish your excellent work on Custer and Merritt, which I believe will be a very significant contribution to the body of knowledge.

–To Clark B. “Bud” Hall, I hope that this will be the year when you tell me that your Brandy Station manuscript is done and on its way to me for review and comment.

–To Kevin Levin, I wish for you a year of continued success in fighting the good fight against the neo-Confederates of the world. I can’t fight that fight alone.

–To Steve Basic, I wish for you a great year where you finally get to enjoy life for its own sake and not because you’re too busy taking care of someone else.

–To all U. S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, I wish for you safety and a very quick return home.

–To my brothers in arms J. D. Petruzzi and Mike Nugent, I wish for you the gift of multiple printings of One Continuous Fight.

–To the rest of my fellow Civil War bloggers, I wish for you another year of perseverance and satisfaction in knowing that others care enough about what you might have to say to give their time to read your words.

–To Jim Schmidt, I wish for you the joy of seeing your first book in print.

–To my father, I wish for you a few more good years of happiness and health before you leave us.

–To Ted Alexander, I wish for you continued success at losing weight. You’ve already made great progress, and all of your friends are proud of you.

–To Dimitri Rotov, I wish for you the continued gift of insight and commentary and for you to keep the rest of us honest.

–To Stan O’Donnell, I wish for you to learn that you have some familiar new neighbors in the mansion next door.

–To Brian Downey and Harry Smeltzer, I wish for you continued success with your very ambitious projects to bring quality digital history to the Internet.

–To Tonia “Teej” Smith, I wish for you a year without surgery. ‘Nuff said about that.

–To my much loved and long-suffering wife, Susan, I wish for you a year of stability and happiness after a really crappy 2007.

And to everyone else who gives their time and effort to indulging my rantings each day, I wish for you and yours a wonderful holiday season, no matter which holiday you may celebrate, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008.

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Need I say anything more?

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The Civil War Education Association is putting on some nifty programs this year. I’ve already posted about the cavalry tour I’m leading for CWA next June.

Old friend Bruce Venter, who is probably THE authority on the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid, is leading a really interesting tour for the CWEA. 1864 was a leap year, just as 2008 is, meaning that both years had a February 29. The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid began on February 28 and ended on March 1. Bruce is going to be leading a real-time tour of the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid for the CWEA, commencing on the evening of February 28 and ending on the evening of March 1.

Given my interest in the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid, I could not pass up the opportunity to attend this event, so I signed up this morning. The truth is that I’m actually rather looking forward to just being a participant and not having to lead a tour or give a talk. I just get to sit back and enjoy the program.

We have a new airline here in Columbus called Skybus. Skybus specializes in some off-the-beaten path airports, and one of the airports it services is Richmond, Virginia, which is the home base for this program. Skybus is a low cost airline, and I was able to book a round-trip flight to Richmond today for $90.00. When the taxes and fees were added in, the total was $110. The drawback is that there is only one flight per day, and it departs Columbus at 6:00 AM. It arrives in Richmond at 7:15. The program doesn’t begin until 8:00 that evening, so I’m going to have the whole day to kill. I had to rent a car anyway, so I called Bobby Krick today to see whether he might be available to do some battlefield stomping with me, and he is available to do so.

You will recall that earlier this week, I posted about another book idea that I had that will focus on the evolution of cavalry tactics during the latter phases of the Overland Campaign of 1864. I mentioned that I hadn’t seen some of those sites, and that I was going to need to spend some time with Bobby getting the lay of the land. That process will begin in February when I’m in Richmond.

It’s going to be terrific trip. Perhaps some of y’all who find the saga of the Dahlgren Papers interesting might come along, too. If so, see you in Richmond.

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Rene Tyree has an excellent series of posts on his blog that began about a week ago on the causes of the Civil War. Tonight’s installment is part 8 of the series, and it’s really very well done and very insightful. I highly recommend the entire series to you, and wish that Dixie Dawn would take the time to read these posts, as the series constitutes one of the best and most concise analyses of the causes of the war I have yet seen.

Keep up the very good work, Rene.

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