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P.O. Box 52, Brighouse, West Yorkshire,

HD6 1JQ, England

The A.C.W.S. NEWSLETTER

2015 Spring Edition

Issue 176Website :- www.acws.co.uk

Appomattox Court House

ACWS is a Member of NAReS

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A.C.W.S. CONTACTSDirectors & Army Commanders

Mr Michael Smart, Chairman

Mrs Helen Needham, Secretary

Mr Ian Morris, Treasurer

Mr Peter Holt, Events

Miss Claire Morris, Membership

Mr Martin Cross, Health & Safety

Mrs Val Holt, Communications

Mr Mike Bussey, Webmaster

Mr Tim Davies, Federal Commander

Mr Glenn Gibson Confederate Commander

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40th ANNIVERSARY CELERATIONS

Dear All,

This year is going to be a Fantastic year for Everyone past and present whohas got the society to its 40th Glorious Year, such a proud and specialmoment for each and every one of the founders, Board of Directors, ArmyCommanders, NCOs', members past and present, guests and also notforgetting the beautiful people who have passed over, every single humanbeing who has been a part has made it possible for each of us still to enjoyour hobby to which I myself am so grateful for as my life would have beenso different (Almost normal). On that note I feel as though it would bedisrespectful to everyone if we ALL didn’t make the effort for the 40th Party,therefore I offered my help and we need your help too......

If anyone has any spare scraps of red, white, or blue material (shirts, bedsheets etc) please bring it to the Sewerby event so decorations can be madefor Avoncroft.

We need any pictures of Members who have passed on for a Memorial board

If anyone can play an instrument that they can play please get in touch

Regiments - I will be in touch with food lists for a "Faith Supper" "JacobsJoin"

Please bring something to put on a table for the Society Raffle (doesn’tmatter how small, everything helps)

If anyone knows of any previous members please invite them for theSaturday Evening (13th June 2015) there is limited family camping or localguest houses and hotels can be easily sought by looking on lastminute.com

If anyone has can offer any help has any skills that can be put to use or hasany ideas please get in touch via email Linz32nd@aol.com, or Facebook

Love ya'llLinda (Reed)Pyrotechnics

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The Project Report

charges will be used andnumber of cannon rounds willbe reduced because of noisecomplaints made to themuseum by local residents. Theskirmishes this year will be inthe windmill field also where oneof the armies will be camping.This event will also be our 40th

birthday party, so please readLinda Reed’s open letter onpage 3 for details. Linda haskindly volunteered to organisethe celebrations so let’s give herall the support we can.Rempstone Steam & CountryShow, Leicestershire is the11th and 12th This is a newvenue for ACWS and the showcovers a large area with plentygoing on, this includes a BeerTent on Friday and SaturdayNight as well as food stalls somewill be open for breakfast..Camping will be from Fridaymorning until Monday noon.Infantry and artillery will be inattendance with two shortskirmishes in the main arenaeach day.July 2015. BershamIronworks near Wrexham inNorth Wales, Sunday 2nd

August 2015. “History Alive”organised by WrexhamMuseum. It is with camping from

The season began with atraining weekend atBruntingthorpe. This was a verygood event spoiled only by theweather. It was such a shamethat the wind became too strongto complete all that we hadplanned and that the campbroke up early on Sunday. Thefeedback from those whoattended was very positivemany said they liked the site andwould go back again perhaps itwill be possible to return therein the future.May I remind you all to read yourwarning orders for events assometimes things change afterthe newsletter has gone out.Avoncroft Museum is the 13th

and 14th June 2015, campingfrom Friday 4pm to Mondaynoon. As last year living historyboth days with two shortskirmishes both days infantryand artillery BUT no ground

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the Saturday 2pm leaving siteSunday after event. They wantliving history and a skirmish,infantry only, and a couple ofcannon to give a firing displayonly. Although this is only aone day event it would begood if as many people aspossible could attend, even ifyou just day trip. If you dointend to Day Trip would youstill bring along an ‘A’ frametent to put up to make a goodcamp.Spetchley Park is the 15th

and 16th of August 2015,camping from Friday 4pm toMonday noon. Living historyboth days with a skirmish eachday with Infantry and Artillery.This will be run much thesame as in previous years andWarning Orders will be issuedwhen I get them..Tatton Old Hall, Cheshire isthe 5th and 6th September2015, camping from Friday4pm to Monday am. As lastyear living history both dayswith 2 skirmishes each daywith infantry and artillery.Viv and I are continuing to tryand get events and arestarting to look at next year.Peter HoltEvents Director

Oh Deer Me!The National Park Service are tointroduce sharpshooters on theManassas Battlefield in Virginiaand the Antietam and MonocacyBattlefields in Maryland over thenext 5 years. The programme willcost $1.8 million. The reason issupposedly that vegetation isbeing destroyed at an excessiveand alarming rate. So why spendall this time and money? Well theanswer is not to deter those whoillegally trespass on the propertyat night , or those who illegallysearch for relics or those that goto sit and contemplate thesacrifices made by so many bravesouls so long ago on those famousbattlefields.

Well the reason is that the deerpopulation has grown so rapidly atthese National Parks where publichunting for deer is not permitted.Initially, the deer will be controlledby hunting but hopefully non lethalalternatives including reproductivecontrols may be used if they canbe developed at a cost effectiveprice. The $1.8 million programmewill reduce the deer populationsthat are currently as high as 230animals per square mile down to15 to 20 animals per square mile.

This tentative programme hasbeen heavily criticised by bothanimal rights activists and byordinary hunters who say they

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could do the job both far better andfar cheaper. A final decision has yetto be made. However, in 2013, aJudge rejected a lawsuit by ananimal activist group in favour ofthe National Park Service overdeploying sharpshooters inWashingtons Rock Creek which willreduce the deer population from 70deer per square mile to 20 persquare mile. It was ruled the cullingwould protect plant and animalhabitat. So looks like the buckstops here so be careful when youplan a contemplative moonlightwalk on these famous battlefieldsas you may get more than youbargained for!

Article by Stewart “Goober”Douglas

Source: Americas Civil War Jan2015 Edition.

GENERAL LEE’S HEALTHAT GETTYSBURG

Gen Lee was in good spirits afterthe victory at Chancellorsville (May1863) ably assisted Gen Jackson(Stonewall). However, by the firsttwo days of Gettysburg (1st – 2nd

July 1863), his own doctor andColonel Freemantle (ColdstreamGuards British Army who wasobserving the Confederate army),noted that Gen Lee seemedrestless and agitated and at othertimes sat quietly alone, only rarelysending out orders to his troops.

Could General Lee, have lost thebattle of Gettysburg (1st-3rd July1863), because of a bout ofdysentery? On the evening of the2 July, aides noted that GeneralLee appeared to be suffering fromdiarrhoea, as on several occasionshe went to the rear of his quartersto relieve himself. He walkedshowing signs of weakness and ina lot of pain. Therefore could hisconcentration have been impairedand at times irrational?

Along with the above, take intoconsideration these two majoroccurrences:

Losing his most experienced right-hand man, General Jackson afterthe battle of Chancellorsvillethrough pneumonia, after an armwas amputated.

The eyes and ears of the ANV, thecavalry, going AWOL after the

I’ve always wondered why thingswent disastrously wrong for RobertE Lee, commander of the Army ofNorthern Virginia (ANV) at thebattle of Gettysburg, admittedly hefaced superior enemy numberswho were in a strong defensiveposition. General Longstreet anable staff officer told him from theonset of the battle, that they shoulddisengage the enemy and look forbetter ground to suit their defensivestrategy for the war.

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battle of Brandy station which wentbadly for General J E B Stuart hiscavalry commander.

The Confederate Army fought withdetermination for three days atGettysburg, But with an illconceived (suicidal) charge on thefinal day, the cream of Gen Lee’sarmy were decimated, although thebrave southern boys fought on fornearly another two years.

My feelings are that if General Leewas fully fit during battle ofGettysburg:

Would it have been fought?

Fought, but in a different way?

But after all that’s history!A BIG IF.

Paul DraperPte 1st TennSource - Gettysburg by MarkAiden, Stackpole books.

Lincoln’s $5 Bill

The Things He Carried.  AfterPresident Abraham Lincoln died,on April 15, 1865, his leather walletwas found to contain a $5Confederate bill, imprinted with theimage of Confederate PresidentJefferson Davis. Lincoln may havegotten the bill when he visitedPetersburg and Richmond earlierin the month.

Portsmouth GroveHospital Rhode Island

I had not considered that therewould have been a hospital forwounded Civil War soldiers so farnorth, well away from the fighting,until I chanced upon a referenceto it in a leaflet I picked uprecently, further research broughtme to discovering that LovellGeneral Hospital was a UnitedStates Army hospital inPortsmouth, Rhode Island whichwas active during the AmericanCivil War from 1862 to 1865.On May 19th 1862 the surgeongeneral of the U.S. Armyauthorized Governor of RhodeIsland William Sprague IV to"provide suitable accommodationsfor wounded and sick soldiers".Sprague appointed a commissionwhich selected Portsmouth Grovein the Melville section of the townof Portsmouth as the location forthe hospital.The first patients arrived on July6th 1862. Over the course of the

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war thousands patients werecared for by the hospital.As a number of patients at thehospital were Union soldiersconvicted by court martial andothers were Confederateprisoners of war, it was necessaryto have guards posted at thehospital. In the early months of thehospital's operation security wasprovided by units of the RhodeIsland Militia - first by the ArtilleryCompany of Newport and later bythe First Light Infantry ofProvidence. In December 1862 acompany of volunteers, called theHospital Guards, was raised underthe command of CaptainChristopher Blanding. Soldierswho joined the company had tohave disabilities or injuries whichprecluded them from front lineservice. The company remainedat the hospital until it was closedand was mustered out of serviceon August 25th, 1865.An early superintendent of thehospital was Katherine PrescottWormeley, born in England thedaughter of a Royal Navy admiral,she became a key organizer ofthe United States SanitaryCommission. Wormeley wasinspired by the work of FlorenceNightingale during the CrimeanWar and was highly successful inrecruiting nurses to work at thehospital.The hospital was named LovellGeneral Hospital after Joseph

Lovell, who served as the SurgeonGeneral of the United States Armyfrom 1818 to 1936. The hospitalwas also known as PortsmouthGrove Hospital.The hospital was closed onAugust 25th, 1865. In time, all thebuildings of the hospital wereeither dismantled or removed.There are no remains of thehospital.During the course of the war, over200 patients died at the hospital.Their remains were originallyburied in a cemetery near thehospital but were removed toCypress Hills National Cemeteryin Brooklyn, New York in May1868.In the early 20th Century thehospital site became a coalingstation for the Navy. Prior to WorldWar II the Navy converted fromcoal to oil and the coaling stationwas converted accordingly.The site of the hospital became aPT boat training base duringWorld War II. John F. Kennedywas one of the hundreds of Navyofficers to receive training there.After the Navy greatly reduced itpresence in Rhode Island in the1970s, the site was converted foruse by the boating industry. Majorcommercial enterprises thereinclude Little Harbor Marine, theBend Boat Basin and the MelvilleGrille restaurant. Several formerAmerica's Cup yachts are storedthere during the winter.

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as retention can be much harderthat actual recruitment.The site itself is spaciousallowing for both Armies to trainthroughout the weekend with abusy daily drill schedule plannedby both Major Tim Davies (US)and Major Glen Gibson (CSA).Equally importantly, the weekendallowed for NCOS and Officersto complete all the necessaryShotgun and BlackpowderLicence Inspections,Membership Checks and therequired Health and Safetydocumentation which is neededfor all firers. The Union artilleryalso gave a useful health andsafety guidance for the Infantrywith regard to battlefieldscenarios.

As usual, the busy days weremixed with recreational nights.These included the start of theHorseshoe League which sawthe Tennesseeans beat a mixedUnion team in the final.Unfortunately, the NorthCarolinian Tarheels, this yearsfirm favourites, were socialisingat the time with the hosts of theevent in the Real Ale bar whichthey had kindly arranged. Therewere also musical periodhighlights with an eclectic arrayof instruments around thecampfires including accordians,

The American Civil War Societytravelled to the InternationalLiving History Fair atBruntingthorpe on the weekendof 11 and 12 April run andorganised by Pike and ShotEvents Ltd (PASTE). TheInternational Living History Faircontained many excellent Sutlersand Trade stands from differentperiods and with a discount for allACWS members gave anopportunity to browse. It wasparticularly nice to see the CivilWar Sutlers from Dorset (onlyones left in UK) present who dida brisque trade with variousACWS members. Co-incidentlyPASTE also print and distributethe Skirmish Re-enactmentMagazine and the ACWS had anexcellent 8 page write up in thismonth`s issue. It is hoped thatthe relationship between the 2organisations will develop andeventually lead to future events.This was a training weekendorganised for both the Union andConfederate Armies and was wellattended by both which bodeswell for the 2015 season . It wasparticularly pleasing to see newConfederate recruits from lastyear`s Avoncroft Event turning up

Training Weekend atBruntingthorpe

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violins, washboards, spoons,drums and banjos beingthoroughly enjoyed by all. Sadly,the strong winds presentthroughout the weekendeventually prevailed late on theSunday afternoon and the ACWShad to cancel the finalpyrotechnic display and skirmisharranged for the public.Nevertheless, this was anenjoyable weekend in a superblocation with fine camaraderieand a fine start to the 2015 season.

The ACWS next travel toSewerby, Bridlington on 23/24/25May Bank Holiday weekend andthe theme this season will be the"Road to Appomattox" markingthe 150th Anniversary of the endof the Civil War. This year,  theConfederates will be manning theOrangery and guarding thehouse along with General RobertE Lee and his Officers inattendance. These historicallyimportant events and scenarios,if planned, re-enacted andorganised sensitively and withdue respect, should be bothmoving and emotionalexperiences for all those involvedor interested in the American CivilWar

Stewart (Goober) Douglas 43 NC

Born on the Grest Farm in LibertyCounty, Georgia, on August 6,1848, Susie Baker King Taylorwas raised as an enslavedperson.  Her mother was adomestic servant for the Grestfamily.  At the age of 7, Baker andher brother were sent to live withtheir grandmother in Savannah.Even with the strict laws againstformal education of AfricanAmericans, they both attendedtwo secret schools taught byblack women. Baker soonbecame a skilled reader andwriter.By 1860, having been taughteverything these two blackeducators could offer, Bakerbefriended two white individuals,a girl and boy, who also offered toteach her lessons even thoughthey knew it violated Georgia law

Susan Baker King Taylor1848 - 1912

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and custom.The Civil War brought Baker herfreedom but not immediately.  OnApril 1, 1862, at age 14, Bakerwas sent back to the country tolive with her mother around thetime federal forces attackednearby Fort Pulaski. When thefort was captured by the UnionArmy, Baker fled with her uncle’sfamily and other AfricanAmericans to Union-occupied St.Simons Island where she claimedher freedom. Since most AfricanAmericans did not have anextensive education, word ofBaker’s knowledge andintelligence spread among theArmy officers on the island.Five days after her arrival, Bakerwas offered books and schoolsupplies by Commodore Louis M.Goldsborough if she agreed toorganize a school for the childrenon St. Simon’s Island. Bakeraccepted the offer and becamethe first black teacher to openlyinstruct African Americanstudents in Georgia.  By day shetaught children and at night sheinstructed adults. Baker met andmarried her first husband,Edward King, a black non-commissioned officer in theUnion Army, while teaching at St.Simon Island.For the next three years, SusieBaker King travelled with herhusband’s regiment, working as a

laundress while teaching blackUnion soldiers how to read andwrite during their off-duty hours.She also served as a nurse,helping camp doctors care forinjured soldiers.In 1866, the Kings returned toSavannah, where sheestablished a school for freedblack children. In that same year,Edward King died in Septemberonly a few months after their firstson was born.By the early 1870s, she moved toBoston where she met hersecond husband, Russell Taylor.With nursing being a passion ofhers, she soon joined and thenbecame president of theWomen’s Relief Corps, whichgave assistance to soldiers andhospitals In 1890, after a trip to care for herdying son, she wrote hermemoirs which she privatelypublished them as a book in 1902as Reminiscences of My Life inCamp with the 33rd US ColoredTroops. Susie Baker King Taylordied in 1912 at the age of sixty-four in Boston.

Sources: Susie King Taylor,Reminiscences of My Life inCamp: An African AmericanWoman’s Civil War Memoir(Athens: University of GeorgiaPress, 2006).

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Come along and

Celebrate

Of the

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR SOCIETY

On

Saturday Night

13th June 2015

At

AVONCROFT

Please see Linda Reed’s Letter on page 3

WANTED!!RAFFLE PRIZES

This coming season, as part of our 40th BirthdayCelebrations, we will be Holding a raffle at every event and

would be grateful for any donations for prizes.

Nice bottles of sipping liquor (for the guys) or boxes of Chocolates (for the ladies) would be very acceptable.

Tickets will be sold on both army campsand on Family Camp.

Claire Morris, Membership Secretary/Marketing will be incharge of prizes or leave them with any

ACWS Board member.

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BRUNTINGTHORPE

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BRUNTINGTHORPE

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We have had a request from Thomas Atkinson, a professionalphotographer, he says'I am a professional photographer and last year I completed a projectwhich looked at the equipment carried by English/British soldiers throughhistory.'This year Thomas has been asked by the US Army to do somethingsimilar beginning with the American War of Independence ending up todate. He is being helped by the Pentagon, who are taking a great interestin this project , but their involvement is with the more up to date stuff.Thomas requires your help with regards to the American Civil War.Recently I helped Thomas with what a Union soldier would have carriedand found that he is very professional in his approach to the project andin all it takes about five hours and he is willing to pay your travellingexpenses.The photograph attached will give you some idea of the kind of thing heis looking for. If you are interested please contact me, Peter Holt, eithervia the webpage or via Val on FB for further details.

WANTED ONE CONFEDERATEINFANTRYMAN.

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A.C.W.S. DRUM CORPS

Hands up those who remember when the drum corps had thismany members?

Let’s get back to those days.

Calling all those (adults as well as children) who would like tolearn to play the drum or indeed the fife.

James Reed is our Drum Major and you can find him on theConfederate camp, so go along and have a chat and see what it

is all about.

Sticks and learning pads will be provided for you to practice with.

Come on kids learn the drum and make some noise.

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What has all this to do with theAmerican Civil War? I hear you ask.So let me enlighten you. Back inthe 1860s Abercromby Square wasa hot bed of the Confederacy.Number 19, which was the buildingwe visited was built and owned byCharles Prioleau, was a richmerchant and trader and the

unofficial banker for theConfederacy in the UK. The housewas built during the Civil War andthis is heavily reflected in theinterior design. Memories of SouthCarolina are evident. In thepediment over the central first floorwindow is the STAR symbol. At thelead of each of the columns of thefront portico are eight starts. Inside,the ceiling of the vestibule isdecorated with the state-tree ofSouth Carolina, the cabbagepalmetto tree, with a protectiveserpent curled around its base.Prioleau styled himself as aSouthern gentleman, but hisbusiness was money, acting as thesole UK resident partner in FraserTrenholm, a shipping and bankingconcern which funded and often

Recently Peter and I were invited toattend a day of lectures at theUniversity of Liverpool, neither of ushad visited the city before and didnot know what to expect. It certainlywas not Abercromby Square.

The square, which is now theproperty of the University ofLiverpool, is built around apleasant, well maintained gardenwhere students were either reading,having a break between theirstudies or just socialising on a warmsunny day. Three sides of thesquare are made up of elegantGeorgian/Victorian terraced houseswhich once housed the well-heeled,Surgeons, judges, bankers, shipowners and ambassadors. Thefourth side once included StCatherine’s church which was badlydamaged in 1941 when the squarewas visited by some unrulyGermans, although not demolisheduntil the 1960’s to build the modernbut not unpleasant building which isthe Sydney Jones Library.

Abercromby Square

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directed Confederate matters inBritain.

John Spence, who resided atnumber 10, was the unofficialpropagandist for the Confederacy,writing two books which were widelyread, explain why Britain shouldside with the southern states. Othernotable Civil War occupantsincluded Robert Preston, director ofthe engineering firm FawcettPreston, who provided arms andmunitions for both sides in theconflict, including the weaponryused in the blockade runner‘Alabama’ built at Lairds. AlfredChapman chief engineer atFawcetts also lived on the square.Founders and directors of bothCunard and White Star lines livedon the square, and profited fromdealing with both North and South.The family of the MP and futurePrime Minister William Gladstonebased themselves in three houseson the square. The Gladstone’sbusinesses included vastplantations and had interests inboth sugar and slaves despite hislater anti-slavery stance, During theCivil War Gladstone MP spoke outin favour of recognising theConfederacy, much to thedispleasure of the government, andthe approval of his father, brotherand Uncle.

After the Civil War, Charles Prioleauplayed host to Jefferson Davis,when he came to Britain in searchof work. These days the residents

of thisillustrioussquare aremuch moremodest intheircircumstances, beingstudents

studying for degrees anddoctorates in the once grandiosetown houses of the rich, famous; notto mention the infamous.

Glowing wounds. After the Battle ofShiloh in 1862, soldiers reported apeculiar phenomenon: glow-in-the-dark wounds. More than 16,000soldiers from both armies werewounded during the battle, andneither Union nor Confederatemedical personnel were prepared forthe carnage. Soldiers lay in the mudfor two rainy days, and many of themnoticed that their wounds glowed inthe dark. In fact, the injured whosewounds glowed seemed to healbetter than the others. In 2001, twoMaryland teenagers solved themystery (and won a top prize at aninternational science fair).  Thewounded became hypothermic, andtheir lowered body temperaturesmade ideal conditions for abioluminescent bacterium calledPhotorhabdus luminescens, whichinhibits pathogens.

Glow in the Dark

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Mary Custis, was the great granddaughter of Martha Washington and daughter of George Washington Parke Custis. She must have had a happychildhood at the beautiful home she grew up in, Arlington, it was where a young West Pointer, Robert E Lee, whom she had known since childhood, cameto visit in 1827. Mary returned his affections and he offered marriage, which proved to be a very happy one, They married four years later on 20th June1831.When war came, her beautiful home. Arlington, was confiscated, her belongings were swept away. She knew the anxiety that must be endured whosehusbands and sons are in frequent combat and against heavy odds. She watched as Virginia was drained of men, money and resources, we can havesome idea of the privations of the time when we read in one of his letter that General Lee sent her two peaches.After the surrender of the South in April 1865, she wrote the following letter to her cousin, Mrs Edgar Snowden, wife of the editor-owner of the AlexandriaGazette.

clearly extremely betterconstructed that was previouslythought. Despite its corrosion,the vessel has maintained itsstructural integrity and thebuilders of the vessel staggeredthe plates to strengthen the holdas well as carefully connectedthe rings that bound its 40 footlength. There is astonishment atthe detail put in as the finishingas assessed as extremely highquality and all the rivets areperfectly flush.

Theories:

1) The Hunley was struck bychance and a shot broke theglass in one of the Hunley`sportholes allowing water tocascade in as she dived after herattack on the Housatonic.Research to date has statedthere is no evidence.2) The Hunley was struck byanother vessel or hit by bulletsor shells. Research to date hasindicated no such damageincluding holes at this stage.3) The Hunley was swamped orplunged to the sea floor to avoiddetection. Research hasindicated that a latch on theconning tower was found to beimproperly locked which hasadded to the mystery.

Ongoing discoveriesrevealed in mystery of

the Confederatesubmarine, The CSS

Hunley . Part 2This is an update on current worktaking place by researchers andconservators working on theConfederate submarine, theCSS H.L. Hunley in NorthCharleston, South Carolina.Previously, as I stated in my firstarticle, they uncovered newevidence that the submarine wasonly 20 feet away when it ignitedits torpedo that sank the Unionwarship, the USS Housatonic offSouth Carolina in 1864. This wasvital new evidence as to itssinking as it has always beenpresumed that the submarinewas much further away when itsank and that the Confederatecrew ran out of air before theycould return to the shore.

Ongoing work is nowconcentrating on removing thehard concretion from theHunley`s outer casing andresearchers are painstakinglychiseling away at the sand andshell deposits. They are usingparticularly small tools such asdental chisels and smallhammers in their task. What isemerging is that the vessel was

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corrosion. Work has beencompleted on cleaning all of theexterior plates and work is nowfocusing on the cast ironcomponents of the submarine.These include he dive planes,the conning towers and parts ofthe bow and stern. This will along and complicated process asit is difficult to work on.Conservators are particularlyexcited about examining andexploring the connectionbetween the torpedo spar andthe actual hull. Work will beginon deconcretion of the interior in3 months time and hopefully theentire process will be completedby the end of the year. With theslow chipping away of eachpiece of crust, the submarine isreturning to its originalappearance as painted in an1863 painting by Conrad WiseChapman. This is the onlycontemporary material available.No blueprints or designpaperwork has ever beenuncovered as the CSS HLHunley was built in secrecy bythe Confederacy in Mobile,Alabama.

Article by Stewart “Goober”Douglas.

Sources: The Civil War Picket.Jan 15 2015.

4) New research has found thatthe Hunley was only 20 feetaway from her 135 poundtorpedo when it exploded in theside of the Housatonic. The blastmay have sent the Hunley to thebottom where the crew ran out ofair. Research so far has indictedthe vessel appears intact andthat no separation of the wroughtiron plates has been discoveredwhich could have occurred beingso near to the impact.5) The Hunley`s forward conningtower was compromised.Research has revealed thatthere is no evidence of anyproblems or issues with theforward conning tower.

In essence, the conservatorshave discovered nothing majorbut are slowly unveiling thesecrets of the HL Hunley. Theyfeel they are moving forward tofinding new evidence. Work isfocusing on removing theencrusted sediment and oncecomplete will give a fullunderstanding of its constructionand as such its demise. Thesubmarine is immersed everyday after work by theconservators in a bath of toxicsodium hydroxide which helpsloosen the concretion andsediment, remove salt andthereby stop any further

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Confederate SubmarineBase Located.

rusty artefacts. On his discovery hesaid “There is your sub base.......There`s an island out there. Mytheory is if you`re going to have aclandestine sub base, you`ve got toput it out there. Look, there arestructures out there, near what Ifound. It has to be”. He is waiting fora further period of low water to makefurther explorations. The artefactsare currently under 10 feet of water.

It is worth noting that this area hasbeen explored before for the lostConfederate submarine fleet.Famed diver Ralph Wilbanks whofound the CSS Hunley offCharleston, South Carolina in 1995has visited Shreveport twice in thepast 15 years searching for lostConfederate submarines. Inaddition, a team of diver researchersperformed sonar and magnetometerin the area of Cross Bayou andfound parts and remains of a CivilWar gunboat called the Iron Duke.

However, these claims have beenstrongly disputed by historyprofessor at Louisiana Universityand author, Gary Joiner who hasbeen researching the Confederatesubmarines for over 3 decades. Hestates that the artefacts do notbelong to the submarines as theywere tube shaped like the CSSHunley and did not incorporatemetal straps as stiffening ribs whichhave been discovered. Gary Joinerhas discovered substantial evidencethat the lost Confederatesubmarines were built and

A Shreveport historian and urbanarchaeologist named Marty Loschenbelieves he has solved a longforgotten Civil War mystery. Whathappened to 4 Confederatesubmersibles known to be inShreveport, Louisiana during thelast 2 years of the Civil War butwhose whereabouts is still totallyunknown. He recently announcedthat he believes he has found theremnants of a hand-propelled craftin the banks of a branch of CrossBayou about half a mile west ofwhere the Confederate Navy had awell established shipyard.

Cross Bayou`s mouth on Red Riverwas home to the leaky Ironclad theCSS Missouri and a fast picketnamely the Webb. Several monthsago, Marty Loschen and his brotherwere searching the Bayou`s mouthwhen the water levels wereparticularly low. They spend muchof their time exploring the moreremote, forgotten and forbiddingsurrounding areas of Shreveport.They discovered there decades oldrusted ironwork, metal strips andsome oddly formed trees whichwere indicative that they had grownover something curved and longrotted or rusted away. He has in hispossession an 1864 map ofShreveports defences whichindicate that there were some smallbuildings where he discovered the

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subsequently lost and undiscoveredin the Shreveport area. ExistingConfederate and Federal spies bothreported in detail the submarinesdimensions and appearances aswell as plans to lay mines in the RedRiver to prevent a Union invasionthat never came. In all 5Confederate submarines were built.One was lost in transit fromShreveport to the Houston-Galveston area in Texas. Thisevidence is backed up by the latehistorians and authors Eric Brockand Katherine Brash Jeter whoundertook considerable researchinto the Confederate Navy anddiscovered that a number ofmachinists and engineers who builtthe CSS Hunley were resident andworking in Shreveport during the lastyear of the Civil War. Anotherinteresting note is that after the CivilWar, a youth recalled that he hadbeen part of a human chain thatdeposited large amounts ofConfederate material includingsaddles, rifles, munitions, swords,bayonets and other military itemsinto Cross Bayou just before theFederal forces occupied Shreveport.Nothing has ever been recovered.

Gary Joiner believes the long lost 4Confederate submarines built likethe CSS Hunley (but with one ratherthan two turrets) lie somewhere inthe Cross Bayou locality. He thinksthat they will still be in goodcondition beneath the sandy mudwhich is an excellent preservative.He says the USS Cairo was

salvaged from the Yazoo river after8 decades in pretty good condition.It is worth noting that other parts ofLouisiana are not immune fromConfederate submarine history andmythology. In 1878, dredgers wereworking on the Bayou St John andmade a very strange discovery.They recovered a Confederatesubmarine probably built in 1862which was 20 foot long, 3 feet wide,6 feet deep, made of riveted ironand powered by a hand crankedpropeller. Nothing else is knownabout the vessel. It is presumed itwas scuttled by the Confederates inorder to prevent it falling into Federalhands after the US capture of NewOrleans. There is no perioddocumentation and its original nameand other details remain unknown.It was subsequently left on opendisplay at the Spanish Fortamusement park as a curiosity. Itwas also filled with concrete in amisguided and questionable attemptat preservation. Fortunately, it hasnow found a new home and a betterstate of preservation at theLouisiana State Museum. The oldconcrete has now been removed aspart of a major restoration project.Hopefully more history andinformation about all theseConfederate submarines willemerge in the future.

Stewart “Goober” DouglasSources: John Andrew Prince, The(Shreveport) Times, Wikipedia,various Interner Sources and AtlasObscura.

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The OtherJefferson Davis.

Union General Jefferson Davisshared a name with the Confederatepresident, a circumstance that didn’tcause as much confusion as mightbe expected—with one notableexception. During the Battle ofChickamauga in 1863, as darknessfell on Horseshoe Ridge, membersof the 21st Ohio saw a swarm ofmen approaching but couldn’t tell ifthey were friend or foe. Mostassumed they were Unionreinforcements, but a few fearedthey were Confederates. As thetroops grew closer, one Unionsoldier called out, “What troops areyou?” The collective reply was “JeffDavis’s troops.” The Ohio soldiersrelaxed, believing they meant theUnion general. A few moments later,they were staring down the muzzlesand bayonets of the 7th Florida. TheOhioans surrendered.The Confederates won the battle.

Assassination Attemptin 1863

Lincoln clinging to his steed.Lincoln explained that a gunshothad gone off at the foot of the hill,sending the horse galloping sofast it knocked his hat off. Twosoldiers retrieved Lincoln’s hat,which had a bullet hole rightthrough it. The president askedthe guards to keep the incidentunder wraps: He didn’t want toworry his wife Mary.

Both before and during the CivilWar, Abraham Lincoln pushed tosend freed slaves abroad.The policy, called colonization, hadbeen supported by ThomasJefferson, James Madison,Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay. InAugust 1862, Lincoln brought fiveblack ministers to the White Houseand told them that slavery and thewar had demonstrated that it wouldbe “better for us both, therefore, tobe separated.” He wanted to sendfreed blacks to Central America,even calling for a constitutionalamendment authorizing Congressto pay for colonization. Butprominent abolitionists such asFrederick Douglass and WilliamLloyd Garrison were appalled bythe idea. Lincoln never succeededat gathering support for the policy,and after he signed theEmancipation Proclamation henever mentioned it publicly again.

Late one August evening in 1863,after an exhausting day at theWhite House, Lincoln rode aloneby horse to the Soldiers’ Home,his family’s summer residence. Aprivate at the gate heard a shotring out and, moments later, thehorse galloped into thecompound, with a bareheaded

Lincoln’sColonization

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The Battle of Philippi, fought June3, 1861, in what is now WestVirginia, is known as the "first landbattle of the Civil War" or the "firstinland battle of the Civil War." Aminor affair that lasted less than20 minutes and resulted in nofatalities, it would barely be afootnote of the American Civil Warexcept that it marked the firstinland clash between significantnumbers of troops. It also was animportant step on George B.McClellan’s road to becomingcommander of the Army of thePotomac, the largest Union army.Philippi, a town of less than 500,held little military significance. Thereal prize was Grafton, some 25miles north. There, theParkersburg-Grafton Railroadjoined the Baltimore & Ohio, theonly continuous east-westconnector between the EastCoast and the Ohio River and thestates of the Old Northwest.General Robert E. Lee,commanding all military forces inVirginia, sent Mexican Warveteran Col. George Porterfield toorganize the troops mustering atGrafton and hold the rail lines. Leeunderestimated the level of long-standing resentment in that part ofWestern Virginia toward thegovernment in Richmond,

however, and Porterfield foundonly a handful of troops, withwhatever weapons they hadbrought from home and little or nomilitary training. He eventuallyreceived a few—very few—reinforcements from ShenandoahValley and "about 1,000 rustymuskets," along with 1,500percussion caps meant forshotguns. Unable to holdGrafton—primarily a Uniontown—he withdrew to secession-supporting Philippi.

At the governor’s suggestion,Porterfield burned a few bridgesto slow any movements againsthim from Wheeling in the state’snorthern panhandle. Thatprovided Major General GeorgeB. McClellan, commanding theDepartment of the Ohio, theopportunity he had been waitingfor. Both McClellan andPorterfield had been restrained bytheir superior officers pendingVirginia’s vote on seceding. Withthat issue now decided in favor ofsecession, McClellan sent infantryand artillery across the Ohio Riverto protect the lives and property ofUnion-loyal Virginians, most of

The First UnionVictory

25

whom lived in the mostnorthwestern counties.One regiment of such Virginianshad already formed at Wheeling,under Col. Benjamin Kelley, andanother was being raised there.Using the railroads, Kelley and aportion of the troops sent byMcClellan traveled to Grafton,where they were joined by Ohioand Indiana troops that arrived ontrains from Parkersburg.On the storm-swept night of June2–3, Col. Ebenezer Dumont ofIndiana led 1,400 men, along withtwo cannon of the Cleveland LightArtillery, southeast towardPhilippi. From the northeast,Kelley led another 1,600 rain-soaked men. Dumont was to holdthe Rebels in place with ademonstration from the west whileKelley intersected the BeverlyRoad and swept in from thesoutheast to bag the lot. The planwent awry when Kelley took awrong turn and entered Philippinot far from where Dumont’s menwere.Porterfield was well aware of hisopponents’ plan and had madepreparations for his little army tomove to Beverly higher in themountains the next morning. Bypushing on through the stormynight, Kelley and Dumont caughtthe Confederates sleeping. Someof the defenders made a briefstand while others took to theirheels in the direction of Beverly,

giving the battle the derisivenickname "the Philippi Races."An Indiana regiment of Dumont’scommand stormed across acovered bridge over the TygartRiver into town about the timeKelley’s men swept in from theeast. Riding up the street inpursuit of the fleeingConfederates, Kelley wasseriously wounded by a bullet inthe chest, fired by one ofPorterfield’s men who hadconcealed himself. Kelleysurvived and rose to the rank ofbrigadier general, in command ofthe Department of West Virginia.Dumont would be likewisepromoted but would cut hismilitary career short after beingelected to Congress the followingyear.Though both sides claimed tohave killed several of theiropponents, there were nofatalities in the brief affair. Oneyoung Confederate, J. E. Hanger,was wounded by a cannonballand had to have his legamputated by a Union surgeon.Returning home to theShenandoah Valley, the formerengineering student created theworld’s first realistic, flexibleprosthesis and went on to foundwhat is now Hanger Prostheticsand Orthothics, still the largestsuch company in the world.Porterfield was largelyexonerated by a court-martial

26

Here we are at the beginning ofanother season. It seems to methat the winters grow longer andthe summers shorter.This year also sees ACWS in its40th year. I have not re enactedthat long (I only wish I had) but Ihave enjoyed every minute of it.The good weather and the badweather. Our first trip toAvoncroft was a union trainingweekend which ended with snowon the ground. Who can forgetSilloth in a force nine gale? I

admit to being a bit scared of thewind now. In fact I was lessscared of Hurricane Sandy whichI experienced first hand, than Iwas of Silloth. But enough aboutthe weather, because we allknow 2015 is going to be hot andsunny, starting with Sewerby. Ithas to be, two of our membersare tying the knot there. ACWSwishes Paul and Kerry well intheir life together.Avoncroft is the venue for ourcelebrations and Linda Reed haskindly volunteered to organise itall. She has booked a band toplay For us, but needs help withthe food. This will be a Jacob’sJoin’ supper. Please readLinda’s open letter at thebeginning of the newsletter fordetails.

If you have a memory you wishto share, or a funny story to tell,please send it to me for inclusionin the Birthday Special Newsletterlater in the season. Photos arealso welcome. I know these areprecious things so copy them andsend me the copy not the original.Better still scan and send it viaemail along with a caption ofwhen, where and who or a littlememory story to go with it. Comeon you know you want to.Val HoltEditor.editor@acws.co.uk

inquiry but never held fieldcommand again. McClellan, whowas not present at Philippi butwas in charge of the department,won accolades. Another victorysoon after at Rich Mountainpropelled him into command ofthe Army of the Potomac after theUnion embarrassment at theBattle of First Bull Run (Battle ofFirst Manassas) in easternVirginia on July 21.The covered bridge that Dumont’stroops crossed still stands, amemorial to "the first land battle ofthe Civil War."

Mama’sMutterings

All newsletter correspondence should be sent to: - Val Holt Editor

E-mail address Editor@acws.co.ukor send to

PO Box 52, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 1JQ Web Site: - http://www.acws.co.uk

Copy date for the Next Issue will be 4th July 2014 for the next issue

All advertisement & editorial copy should be sent by the above date

THE EDITOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALL ARTICLESBEFORE PUBLICATION, FOR SPELLING, GRAMMAR, DECENCY OR

LENGTH ARTICLES AND VIEWS PRINTED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARENOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE A.C.W.S LTD.

FIRST AID KITS & DRINKING WATER

Members please to remember to bring personal first aid kits with them toevents, just as you would take on holiday. This should contain plasters,wipes, etc along with any medication you may need and any painkillers,medication for upset stomach if you’ve needed it in the past. The First Aidersare not allowed to give out any medication under any circumstances.

Also last season at a couple of events a few members had upset stomachspossibly from the water, so I would recommend that you boil water drawnfrom the taps onsite and take bottled water with you for putting in yourcanteens and for cold drinks.

So let’s all be careful out there.

Ian Morris

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EVENTS CALENDAR 2015

13th - 14th June Avoncroft Museum, Bromsrove,Worcs B60 4JR

11th - 12th July Rempstone Steam & Country FairLiecs LE12 6ST

2nd August Bersham Iron WorksNear Wrexham N Wales LL14 4HT

15th - 16th August Spetchley ParkWorcs WR 1RS

5th - 6th September Tatton Old HallCheshire WA16 6QN

Watch this space for future events