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2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter
Preserving the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and our ancestors who fought to save the Union 1861-65.
Ohio SUVCW COMING EVENTS Jan. 12 - Dept.
Mid - Winter Meeting, Columbus
June 8 - Dept.
Encampment, Columbus
THE BUCKEYE BUGLE
Volume 7, Issue 5
November 2012
Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Leadership-Followership 2
Xenia Orphan's Home 2
Hear The Silent Speak II 3
Pike Co. Graves Restored 3
Lawnfield Reenactment 4
Fayette Co. Last Vet 4
Belmont Co. Last Vet 4
ASUVCW Testimonial 5
Buffington Island 5
Memorial Cannon Project 5
Allatoona Pass Monument 6
Political Correctness 6
Graves Registration 7
CW Books to Read 7
CW150 Themes 7
Battle of Perryville 8
Battle of Perryville X
Non-stop personal market-
ing and selling are key to
attracting and retaining Sons
of Union Veterans of the
Civil War members. All the
technology you can dream of
will not bring in new Brothers
or hold on to existing ones.
Active recruiting will.
Marketing of the SUVCW
requires the physical effort of
people in individual Camps.
It takes all the Brothers in a
Camp, not just the Junior
Vice Commander, to recruit.
Potential candidates for
membership include members
of other fraternal, history, and
service organizations. They
have a sense of community
and ritual and very likely may
be descendents of Civil War
veterans. Such people are an
easy sell because they are
"joiners." Simply approach
and ask them about their Civil
War ancestors. When they tell
you about one or more CW
relatives, "set the hook."
Another great place to reach
potential members are local
Civil War Round Tables.
Many SUVCW Brothers are
members of such groups.
Have them talk about your
Camp and sell it to other
Round Table members. Also,
don't overlook family. Most
Brothers in the Sons have
brothers, sons, grandsons,
nephews and other relatives
who might share interest in
Non-stop marketing, selling "secret weapons" for camp recruiting By Br. Tim Graham, Department Junior Vice Commander
Civil War history. Sign them up
now. Maybe even pay their dues
for now and into the immediate
future. If they are not interested at
first, when it happens, they will
already be Camp Brothers.
Selling means talking to people.
Show enthusiasm for the SUVCW
and your Camp whenever and
wherever the opportunity arises.
Promote our organization at any
event remotely Civil War related.
Is there a Brother in your camp
who is in sales and marketing? If
so, put him in charge of your
marketing or get him to train other
Brothers that have the "gift of gab"
on how to sell our group.
A good place to do selling is at a
table with a promotional display.
National is developing a standard
table display package on a compact
disk that can be used by camps and
adapted with your own local
information. General SUVCW
information is provided. You copy
the words and pictures you like,
supplement them with your own,
and paste all on display boards.
Does your Camp have a canvas
canopy and a Camp banner? Set
them up at Civil War reenactments
and community events. Invite
people to come in out of the sun or
rain. When they are "captured,"
make your SUVCW pitch.
A SUVCW "pitch" gets their
attention and interest. It also gets
them thinking about what they can
do if they join. Keep your pitch
simple. For example, “The SUV
marks and documents graves of
Civil War veterans, main-
tains monuments in their
honor, and remembers their
history.” Once you have a
prospect's attention, tell them
how to join. Go into detail
about what your Camp does
locally, and at the Depart-
ment and National levels.
Explain how their active
participation in the camp will
help with future projects. __________________________________________________________
Tell prospects what
your camp does locally __________________________________________________________
Invite them to your next
meeting. Give them a copy of
The Buckeye Bugle to read
and point out articles in it
concerning your camp and
projects by other camps.
Fundraising is also good to
do at events. After all, there
is an expense to selling.
Keeping Brothers once
they join is also part of
marketing. When a brother
joins, find out what their
interests and skills are. Give
them a job. This creates a
vested interest in your camp
and our organization. Cultiv-
ate personal relationships
among all members. Make
new members welcome. Talk
up The Order among
everyone with interests
similar to yours. Do projects.
Have fun. Committed
Brothers who are an active
part of your camp will
remain on camp rolls.
The Grand Army of the Republic
established the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors'
Orphans' Home in Xenia to provide a place to
live for children who had lost their father in
the American Civil War. For more than a
century, the home provided a home and a
lifestyle for orphans of veterans.
During his second inaugural address in
1864, President Abraham Lincoln challenged
Americans to bind up the wounds of conflict.
Among ways to do so, he urged, was to meet
the post-war needs of veterans, and their
widows and orphans. Plans soon began for
construction of "asylums" as long-term
sanctuaries for disabled soldiers and the
survivors of men killed in combat.
Although Ohio's first federally-funded and
operated post-war home for disabled veterans
opened in Dayton in 1867, money set aside
by the U.S. Government to build orphanages
was spent elsewhere. The veterans them-
selves took charge of establishing sanctuaries
for orphans of soldiers who died from disease
or wounds during the War and afterward.
In 1869, members of the Grand Army of
the Republic throughout Ohio generously
shouldered the challenge and established the
Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home
(OSSOH) in Xenia. Initially, only the sons
and daughters of Civil War soldiers killed in
action or who died from combat wounds or
disabilities were eligible. This later expanded
to embrace children of all U.S. Civil War
veterans and still later offspring of veterans
of any war unable to care for their children.
The facility grew from a rented home with
two children in 1869 to a residential complex
housing 900 boys and girls in 1901.
were divided into groups of thirty-five, and
lodged in cottages under the care of a
"mother." The home conducted church
services, established an accredited school,
provided education in several trades,
included a library, and supplied on-site
medical services. The list of trades taught
included tin and blacksmithing; wood
carving; knitting; dress making; tailoring;
farm, florist, and garden work; butchering
and slaughtering; and telegraphy. The
children also enjoyed extra-curricular
activities such as choir, orchestra, concert
band, military band, drum corps, and
athletics. The home's students even put out
their own newspaper, the Home Weekly.
Children were discharged from the home
upon reaching the age of 16.
In 1978, the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors'
Orphans' Home was renamed the Ohio
Veterans' Children's Home. Support of its
students was a special project of Sherman
Camp 93 and other groups such as the
Officers' Wives Club at Wright-Patterson
AFB. In 1997, the Home ceased operation.
More than 13,500 children had been cared
for and educated there during its 100 plus
years of service.
In 1997, Ohio conveyed the OSSOH
property to Greene County. In 1999,
Legacy Ministries International bought the
property to serve as its Xenia and national
campus. About 10 Christian organizations
now use the site. Many of the original
OSSOH buildings are still in use. Modern
structures added to the complex include a
radio station, retreat center, athletic fields,
and a conference facility.
Chaplain George W. Collier, former
chaplain of Logan County's 34th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry (Zouave) Regiment
and in1870 Chaplain in Chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic, was first to suggest to
fellow veterans the idea of the GAR
establishing an asylum for orphans in Ohio.
Prominent veterans and community leaders
involved with establishing the school
included Lewis B. Gunckel of Dayton - - a
man who had earlier helped establish the
"National Asylum for Disabled Veteran
Soldiers-Central Branch" there - - John C.
Lee, Ohio's lieutenant governor, and Mrs.
Lucy Hayes, wife of Ohio Governor
Rutheford B. Hayes, former commander of
the 23rd OVI and future U.S. president. GAR veterans raised funds for the OSSOH
by visiting churches, schools, private
organizations, and Posts throughout the state.
The home the veterans envisioned and
sponsored was a self-contained community
with a farm, dairy barn, hospital, central
power and heating plant, gymnasium,
banquet hall, chapel, and separate residence
halls for boys and girls. The home operated
on the "family plan" by which the children
Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home lives long, prospers, is reborn
Both leaders and followers determine SUVCW Camp's success By Fred Lynch, Department Commander
Leadership is influencing others.
Followership is seeking or accepting
that influence. Followership is the
mirror image of leadership.
Camp leaders cannot lead unless they
have followers who follow. Both functions
require training and practice to succeed.
Organizational success results more often
from good followership than good
leadership. Actions of followers determine
the success of a leader.
Qualities of Followership Tell the truth. Followers who tell the
truth and leaders who listen, are an
unbeatable combination.
Encourage and accept new ideas.
People who speak or act demonstrate
both leadership and followership.
Use power wisely. Followers have
power. Leaders only think they have
power. Followership is like a build-
ing's basement: although unseen, it supports.
Hold SUVCW Camp, Department, and
National leaders accountable. Leaders
come and go but followers usually stay
long term.
Understand that both respect and dis-
respect are earned. Respect is needed in
order to effect change. Disrespect among
Brothers can condemn a great idea or a
good project to oblivion.
Strive to be a role model. Role models are
people who influence other people.
Recognize that what works once may not
work in another time and place.
Characteristics of Followership Followership supports positive
interaction with leaders. Negative
interactions among leaders and
followers usually cause problems
and yield little good.
Good followers are good supporters.
Share knowledge and help make the
commander and the Camp successful.
Respected followers speak their views at
meetings, but disagree in private. They
also refrain from telling leaders what they
think the boss wants to hear.
Followership includes doing what needs to
be done when it needs to be done. Take
initiative and don't let problems go
unsolved. Good leaders spot problems,
good followers fix them.
Followers should recognize they have
biases. Biases impact every decision made
and can turn good ideas into bad ones.
Followership means being open to new
ideas. Support ideas of others. Provide
constructive criticism not obstructions.
Keep leaders informed. Followers need to
provide facts and relevant information to
decision-makers. Knowing needed
information is a key to making decisions
that are in the organization's best interests. Never stop trying to accomplish good.
Ohio Orphans' Home's main street.
The Buckeye Bugle page 2
of
Sherman Camp Signature Event salutes too long silent Dayton veterans By Br. Fred Lynch, Sherman Camp 93, Dayton
More than 250 visitors listened intently Oct. 7 as
Sherman Camp Brothers gave voice to several of
Dayton's little known veterans of the American
Civil War during Hear the Silent Speak II, a
SUVCW Signature Event. The event, co-
sponsored with the Lincoln Society of Dayton,
was part of Discover Woodland Days at Dayton's
historical Woodland Cemetery. About 600 Civil
War veterans are buried at Woodland. Four "too
long silent" from their ranks were "given voice" by
Camp 93 Brothers.
PCC Fred Lynch welcomed visitors and repre-
sented Lieut. Howard Forrer, hero of the July 1864
Battle of Decatur, Ga. Brother Al Howey shared
knowledge concerning Colonel Hiram Strong,
gallant commander of Dayton's 93rd OVI killed at
Chickamauga. Brother Brent Davidson spoke
concerning the life-long efforts helping veterans of
Chaplain William Earnshaw who established the
Stones River National Cemetery, was chaplain of
Dayton's National Soldiers Home 1867-1885, and
was National Commander-in-Chief of the GAR
1879-80. Br. Mark Conrad represented Corporal
Alex Fair, and all soldiers who fought and won
the Civil War. Fair was in the 1st OVI and also
served in the 2nd Pioneer Battalion as a combat
engineer building roads and carrying a rifle. As
Conrad explained, Fair also was the brother of
Private George Washington Fair, 93rd Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, the post-war model for the
statue atop Dayton's Civil War monument
downtown and also "The Sentinel" statue at the
Dayton's Dept.-
Chillicothe Camp restores "lost" Pike Co. cemetery, dedicates memorial By Br. Don Martin, Enderlin Camp 73, Chillicothe
Veterans Affairs hospital. Lincoln Society
friend and President Lincoln re-enactor Bob
Koogler read the Emancipation Proclamation
and explained the document's importance.
Br. Al Howey performed concerts of 19th
century "top hits" on a Civil War-era cornet.
Barbara Lynch conducted a guided tour to
graves of 14 heroes and two traitors. The
graves visited included both Major General
Robert Schenck who commanded the rear
guard at First Bull Run and his brother Rear
Admiral James Schenk who commanded
ships in the Federal Blockade Fleet. Also
visited were burial sites of war correspondent
Charles Bickham, and Private Henry
Kissenger who raised funds to build Dayton's
Civil War veterans' monument.
The event opened with a wreath laying
ceremony by President and Mrs. Lincoln re-
enactors Bob and Sarah Koogler and
Sherman Camp Commander Del Steiner in
Woodland's Civil War Section. Br. Lynch
placed GAR flag holders upon graves of
many of Woodland's Civil War veterans.
Cemetery where 73rd OVI soldiers are
buried before Brothers restored it. Memorial team L-R back: Don Martin, John Huffman, Brack Montgomery,
David Medert, Henry Shaw.
L-R front: Ed Montgomery, Jim Houston, and Rick Mitten.
"Lieutenant Forrer" welcomes visitors at right R - L "Corporal Fair," "Colonel Strong," "Chaplain
Earnshaw," and "President & Mrs. Lincoln" stand ready to help community neighbors
"Hear the Silent Speak."
The Buckeye Bugle page 3
Volunteer Infantry. The following soldiers
died at Clarksburg, W. Va.: Company A, Ross
County - William C. Pierce; Co. B, Pike
County - John H. Double, George Haynes,
David R Lee, David D. Mitten, Joseph T
Shade; Co. C, Ross County- Joshua C. Ross;
Co. D, Ross County - Frank H. Watkins, John
W Cottrell, Robert T. McDaniels, Henry
Martin, Thomas Swift; Co. E, Pickaway
County - Andrew Corcoran, Peter Gallagher,
John May; Co. F, Washington County - David
Fish; Co. G, Highland County - Thomas J.
Robinson; Co. H, Athens and Highland
Counties - William P. Cottrell, Henry C.
Creamer, William F. Fetherling; Co. I,
Clermont and Highland Counties - Benjamin
Love, Andrew J. Williams; and, Co. K, Athens
County - Enoch Mansfield, Andrew Williams.
the risk of wounds or death, but few men enlisted
with the realization that they were twice as likely
to die of disease. The Union Army of 2.6 million,
soldiers lost about 110,000 men to battle deaths
and about 250,000 to disease. In his book Call of Conscience, Call of Duty:
Pike County Ohio In The Civil War, Blain
Beekman relates: “A soldier from Pike County
actually had a three times greater chance of dying
from disease. Of the 1,226 Pike Countians known
to have fought in the war, 107 died of illness,
while 35 deaths were combat related. An
additional 92 soldiers were discharged due to
disabilities for illness as opposed to 30 disability
discharges for wounds. Twenty-nine other
soldiers were hospitalized for illness or injury.
One soldier in five was sufficiently ill to require,
at the least, hospitalization. Company B found
one-third of its troops in the hospital. The
remainder worried they would soon catch the
measles. This old cemetery would most likely
have been forgotten if not for the efforts of Ed
Montgomery and his son Brack. Ed, a Vietnam
Veteran, remembered how upset his Father had
been when the Cemetery was vandalized. He
never forgot the site and wanted to remember his
fellow veterans. Brack as a Boy Scout in 1991
completed a project which entailed building a
fence around the site of the old cemetery. The
remains of two broken military headstones were
discovered which contained the names of David
Mitten and John Double, both members of the
73rd OVI, Company B. Two years ago Brack
enlisted the help of Camp 73. Enderlin Camp is
named after Medal of Honor recipient Richard
Enderlin who served in Co. B of the73rd Ohio
On Oct. 6 Sergeant Richard Enderlin Camp 73,
Chillicothe, held memorial services in a field off
Frazier Road in Pebble Township at a location that
was once a cemetery. The farm owned by Ed
Montgomery included a cemetery that had its
headstones vandalized and stolen 60 years ago.
Military headstones for Privates John H. Double
and David D. Mitten of the 73rd Ohio Volunteer
Infantry were replaced and a plaque remembering
the 24 soldiers who died of “measles and camp
fever” was dedicated. Rick Mitten, a descendant
of David Mitten was in attendance.
The 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized
and mustered in on December 30, 1861, under
Colonel Orland Smith at Camp Logan in Chilli-
cothe. Company B of this Regiment was comprised
largely of Pike County men. The Regiment moved
to Clarks-burg, West Virginia, in February, 1862.
There, an epidemic of measles and “camp fever”
ravaged the camp and killed twenty-four soldiers
of the 73rd between Feb. 20 and April 8, 1862.
Civil War soldiers understood that battle brings
The Buckeye Bugle page 4
Belmont Co. Last Veteran William Groves receives Fearing Camp honors By Br. Dan Hinton, Fearing Camp 2, Marietta
Casey 92 honors Corporal Elon Thorton, Fayette County's Last Veteran By Br. Robert Grim, Casey Camp 92, Washington Court House
Radabaugh delivered the invocation. Past SUV
Cmdr.-in-Chief Robert Grim, SVR Commanding
General, was master of ceremonies.
A memorial address dedicating Cpl. Thornton's
SUVCW Last Veteran plaque was given by Past
National CinC Don Darby. The plaque was
unveiled by descendants of Cpl. Thornton with
assistance from Ohio Civil War Governor
Dennison living historian and Past Dept. Cmdr.
Robert Davis.
Floral wreaths were placed by Casey Camp
Commander Robert Troup, Ohio Department
Cmdr. Fred Lynch, and National Deputy
Commander of the SVR Henry Shaw Jr.,
Washington Court House City Manager Joe
Denen placed a wreath on behalf of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
Company C, 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
(SVR) commanded by First. Lieut. Shane
Milburn fired a 21-gun musket salute. Taps was
played by Steve Castrow and Larry Bishop,
members of the Fayette County Honor Guard.
Corporal Elon Thornton served in Co. C, 90th
OVI and later Co. D, 168th OVI. Following the
Civil War, he became a very successful Fayette
Henry Casey Camp 92 on Sept. 29 conducted a
ceremony in Washington Cemetery at the gravesite
of Corporal Elon Thornton recognizing him as the
last Union Civil War veteran of Fayette Co. More
than 50 people, including six descendants of Cpl.
Thornton, attended.
Casey Camp Commander Richard Troup welco-
med guests. Colors were posted by members of the
Sons of Veterans Reserve. Brother William
Co. farmer. He died May 15, 1941 about
one month short of his 97th birthday.
Participating in the plaque dedication
were his great grandson Charlie Andrews
and his great granddaughter Diane
Thornton, as well as grand nieces Mildred
Carson and Beverly Smith Deatley, and
grandnephew George Smith and great-
grandnephew Larry Carson.
Special thanks were extended to Disabled
American Veterans Chapter 89 for
providing funds to pay for the plaque and to
cemetery superintendent Rankin Kirkpatrick
and his staff for setting the plaque in the
ground at the grave site.
When William Wirt Groves died, he was the last
Civil War veteran in Belmont County. On Oct. 13,
more than 100 people attended Gen. Benjamin D.
Fearing Camp 2's ceremony dedicating a granite
plaque honoring Private Groves. Private Groves
served in Company B, 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
He was born Aug. 19, 1843 and joined the unit Aug.
13, 1862 at age 19. He was wounded May 6, 1864
during the Wilderness Campaign. He mustered out at
Washington, D.C. June 25,1865 after seeing action in
the Shenandoah Valley, Petersburg, and elsewhere. He
died on Dec. 28, 1941 at the age of 98 and was buried
in Kirkwood Township’s Salem Cemetery near
Hendrysburgh.
During an interview by his granddaughter, Helen
Murphy Nelson, years before his death, Groves stated,
"I didn't rejoice in that war even though it was
sanctioned by the government. They (the Southern-
ers) were nice people - - just as nice as the Yankees.
There was one difference. They were raised on one
side of the fence and the Yankees on the other."
Descendents of William Groves and several local
High School history students participated in the
traditional SUVCW ceremony. Department Senior
Vice-Commander Jonathan Davis represented the
Department of Ohio. Fearing Camp Commander Dan
Hinton led the ceremonies. Attending and firing the
rifle salute were: Camp Junior Vice Commander Rick
Griffiths, Chaplain Andy Francis, plus Brothers Norm
Pape, Jacob Hinton, Paul Warren, and Charles Miller.
Camp Jr. Vice Commander Rick Griffiths spear-
headed efforts to locate the grave of Private Groves
and to confirm his status as the county's last CW
veteran.
Fearing Camp Brothers, family,
and neighbors honor Belmont
Co. Last Veteran Private
William Groves, 126th OVI.
SUVCW and family representatives after
Last Veteran ceremony for Corporal Elon
Thorton, 90th and 168th OVI.
Lawnfield Signature Event showcases 42nd OVI flag, re-enactment By Br. Pete Hritsko, Garfield Camp, Cleveland
days before he was assassinated.
The Camp Chase Fifes and Drums performed
at the event. One highlight was a flag dedication
ceremony in which Mrs. Kathy Smith, widow of
PCC William Smith, their children, and Garfield
Camp families presented a replica 42nd OVI flag
to the Garfield home and museum. The flag was
received by Pres. Garfield’s great, great
grandson, James Garfield. Re-enactors of the 7th
and 8th OVI provided drill, firing, and battle
demon-strations. Camp 142 Brothers answered
questions concerning the SUVCW and Civil War
soldier and sailor life. Park Guide Scott Longert
estimated 1,700 people attended the weekend
event with 800 touring the Garfield Museum.
(L-R): Robert Waffler, Tim Graham, Jim
Garfield-G-G-Grandson of President Garfield,
SVC Tim Daley, Bob Howe, Burdell Waffler, CC
Pete Hritsko and Mrs. Kathy Smith, widow of
late PCC William Smith with replica 42nd OVI
flag presented at Signature Event.
Cleveland's James A. Garfield Camp 142,
ASUVCW Eliza Garfield Camp 142, Sons of
Veterans Reserve's Ohio Naval Brigade, and the
National Park Service jointly hosted a Civil War
Encampment July 14-15 at Lawnfield, the
President Garfield National Historic Site in
Mentor. This was the second year for the
SUVCW Signature Event.
James Garfield served as an Union Army
Officer 1861-1863 commanding the 42nd Ohio
Volunteer Infantry. He saved part of the Union
forces at the Battle of Chickamauga. In 1863 as
a major general, he left the Army to serve the
first of nine terms in Congress. He was elected
president of the U.S. in 1881 and served 200
To honor U.S. flag:
SUVCW members, Military retirees, and veterans are authori-zed to render the hand salute during the hoisting, lowering, or passing of the U.S. flag.
The hand-salute is also appropriate for veterans and Broth-ers during playing of the National Anthem and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States.
Battle of Buffington Island remembered, Union soldiers honored By Dan Hinton - Department Buffington Island Memorial Committee Representative
The Buckeye Bugle
L-R: Dept. Cmdr Fred Lynch with
2012-13 ASUVCW National President
Jane Graham
The annual commemoration ceremony
honoring the men who fought the Battle of
Buffington Island was held at the
Buffington Island State Memorial Park near
Portland July 21. Sponsored by the Ohio
Department Sons of Union Veterans of the
Civil War, the ceremony was co-hosted by
Cadot-Blessing Camp 126 of Gallipolis and
Gen. Benjamin D. Fearing Camp 2 in
Marietta.
The engagement at Buffington Island was
fought on July 19, 1863 and was the only
significant battle fought on Ohio soil during
the Civil War. Confederate General John
Hunt Morgan and approximately 2,000
Rebel cavalrymen penetrated north across
the Ohio River into Indiana and Ohio in
early July.
The battle along the Ohio River in Meigs
County, Ohio decimated the Confederate
forces and led to the defeat and eventual
capture of Morgan himself at West Point
July 26, 1863. All branches of the Union
military (Navy gunboats, artillery, infantry,
and cavalry) participated in the battle July
19th as did two future presidents of the
United States - - Garfield and McKinley.
fore too sacred to turn into scrap.
Ohio Department Order No. 2 sent to camp
commanders Nov. 20, 2012 launched an initiative
chaired by Br. Shawn Cox of Casey Camp 92 to
document the existence of all GAR Civil War
Memorial Cannons in Ohio that are located in
private and public cemeteries and other public
places. They are war memorials to Civil War
veterans that are to be protected from desecration,
abuse, deterioration, illegal sale, or use other than
to honor veterans.
All memorial cannons are still U.S. Government
property on loan to Grand Army of the Republic
Posts. Although the GAR Posts are gone, the
SUVCW is legal heir to GAR property that was
Department launches effort to safeguard GAR memorial cannons
effort In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered
state and federal departments to "scrap monu-
ments, cannons and other ornamental metal that
was not absolutely indispensable" in support of
World War II needs. On September 28, 1942, the
National Military Home in Dayton announced
twenty-two tons of cannons and field pieces were
going to be scrapped. Dayton's Earnshaw Camp of
the Sons of Union Veterans voted on whether their
eight cannons should join the growing stack of
scrap for the war effort. Members voted unani-
mously not to remove the cannons from where they
were on public display "until the country is
invaded." Although pressured, Brothers defended
the cannons as war veterans memorials and there-
Organization representatives at the 2012 Buffington Island Ceremony
were Ohio Dept. Sr. Vice Cmdr. Jonathan Davis; Cadot-Blessing
Camp Brothers CC Jim Oiler, Chaplain Henry Meyers, Roger
Caldwell, David Carter, Mike Harbour, Dale Lamphier, Bill
McCreedy; General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp 2 Brothers CC Dan
Hinton, PCC Marvin Miracle, Chaplain Andy Francis, Norm Pape,
Charlie Miller, Bruce Fox; William Dennison Camp 1 PDC Bob
Davis and Camp 1 Auxiliary Sandy Prosak; Henry Casey Camp 92
Shawn Cox; Frost Camp 108 Auxiliary Judy Morgan, Betty Cohan
and Earl Cohan; Ohio Department Ladies Auxiliary May Frost; Maj.
Daniel McCook Circle, Ladies of the GAR Jean Hilton; United
Daughters of the Confederacy Jeanne Wray; Buffington Island
Battlefield Preservation Foundation Ed and Carrie Sharp; and, Ohio
Historical Society Karen Hassel, George Kane, and Dave Mowery.
page 5
Ohio Auxiliary SUVCW "Grand Lady" honored as group's National President
Sister Jane Graham, long time outstanding
member and leader within the Auxiliary to the
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in Ohio,
was honored Oct. 13 during a luncheon at the
Alliance Women's Club in Alliance. She is the
ASUVCW's new National President.
A room full of dignitaries and friends attended
the testimonial to honor the "Grand Lady" for her
many efforts and achievements en route to the top
national leadership position. "Sister Jane" joined
the organization in 1973. Mistress of Ceremonies
and keynote speaker for the gathering was
ASUVCW Past National President and current
Department of Ohio President Nancy Greenwalt
Hinton who spoke concerning the new National
President's projects, contributions, interests,
unceasing service, and family.
Among SUVCW representatives at the event
were Commander-in-Chief Perley Mellor, Sr
Vice CinC Ken Freshley, Department
Commander Fred Lynch, and Dept. Jr. Vice
Cmdr. Tim Graham. Many Other SUVCW
Brothers were present including Past
Department Commanders Gordon Bury II,
Tom Graham, and James Hinton.
ASUVCW National staff present included
Vice Pres. Diane Mellor and Chief of Staff
Ramona Greenwalt. Many letters of praise and
commendation honoring President Graham
were shared as part of the ceremony.
remaining as of 1956.
Sadly, from time to time, private collectors and
buyers convince local government and cemetery
officials to sell GAR memorial cannons. Whether
they know so or not, local officials and cemetery
staff do not have a legal right to sell memorials
honoring U.S. military veterans. No one does.
The cannons are memorials to veterans and
legally protected by federal and state laws from
sale, disposal as scrap metal, or desecration.
The SUVCW has a duty to protect all GAR
Civil War memorial statues, monuments, and
cannons and to defend and safeguard them as war
memorials honoring veterans. Helping Brothers
know where they are is a major step forward.
Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War
Department of Ohio
The Buckeye Bugle is an
unofficial newsletter published
periodically to inform and educate
members of the SUVCW -
Department of Ohio.
Photos in this issue courtesy of J.
Davis, D. Steiner, B. Lynch, public
sources, and private collections.
Items for possible publication
should be sent by email to:
Fred Lynch, Editor
SUVCW honors Fifth Ohio Cavalry soldiers who fought at Allatoona Pass By Br. Jonathan Davis, Dennison Camp 1, Columbus
"Hold the Fort, "Going Dutch" victims of 21st century political correctness
The Buckeye Bugle page 6
October 5, 148 years since the Oct.
5, 1864 Battle of Allatoona Pass, Ga.,
SUVCW Brothers, ladies, and
American Civil War history lovers
gathered to dedicate a monument
honoring the brave men of the 5th
Ohio Volunteer Cavalry who fought
there in 1864. The ceremony was
sponsored by the SUVCW Department
of Georgia's Elias Moon Camp 2,
Snellville, Ga., Daughters of Union
Veterans of the Civil Amanda Stokes
Detached Tent of Alpharetta, Ga., and
the State of Georgia. The monument is
located in the Allatoona Battlefield
Monument Park, part of Red Top
Mountain State Park. Daniel Hill, Red
Top Mountain State Park Manager,
and Gary Wehner, originator of the
Monument Park Project, delivered
speeches and accepted the monument.
Ohio Department Sr. Vice Cmdr.
Jonathan Davis and a delegation of
Ohio DUVCW ladies placed wreaths
upon the monument during the cere-
mony. Wreaths were also presented by
Moon Camp Commander Mark Hale,
and Stokes Tent First Vice President.
Maribeth Brannen and Secretary
Sharon Sowders. The Ohio monument
honors troopers of the Fifth Ohio
Cavalry stationed at the Allatoona Pass
Eastern redoubt who gallantly repulsed
an attack by the CSA 39th Mississippi
Infantry.
The battle - - part of the Franklin-
Nashville Campaign - - began when
Major General Samuel French's
Confederate division attacked the
small Union garrison of Brigadier
General John Corse protecting the
railroad cut known as Allatoona Pass
and the nearby Union supply depot.
More than one million pounds of
hardtack were among rations stored at
the depot. Although the Confederates
made repeated attacks against the
fortifications and nearly overtook the
Star Fort, the Union troops repulsed
the attackers. Of the 5,301 men who
fought at the battle, 706 Union and 897
Confederate soldiers were killed,
wounded, or missing - - one of the
highest casualty rates in the Civil War.
The Union defenders had been
slowly driven into a small Star
Fort upon the crest of the hill.
Many had fallen, and the fight
seemed hopeless. At this moment
an officer caught sight of a white
signal flag, far away across the
valley, fifteen miles distant, on
the top of top of Kennesaw
Mountain. The signal was answ-
ered and soon the message
was waved from mountain to
mountain: “Hold the fort; I am
coming. W. T. Sherman.”
Cheers went up, every man
renewed his dedication to the
fight under a murderous fire,
which killed or wounded more
than half the men in the fort.
Gen. Corse was wounded,
losing a cheekbone and one
ear. Colonel Tourtelotte took
command, though himself
badly wounded. They held the
fort for three hours until the
advance guard of Sherman’s
army came up, and Rebel
General French was obliged to
retreat. The "hold the fort"
message was in reality a ruse.
However, the hymn by Philip
P. Bliss, Hold the Fort, at
http://library.timelesstruths.or
g/music/Hold_the_Fort/hifi/
was inspired by the battle and
General Sherman’s message.
Today, few, if any Civil
War battle sites contain as
many original landmarks,
earthworks, and undisturbed
physical features as can be
seen at Allatoona Battlefield.
Allatoona Pass in 1864.
According to the Free Dictionary by
Farlex at
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hol
d+the+fort "hold the fort" means: "to
take care of a place while someone
who is usually there is gone, such as
one's home." For example, "I'm going
next door to visit Mrs. Jones. You stay
here and hold the fort."
Traditionally, the phrase "hold the
fort" signals trust to care for someone
or something. There are two compe-
ting claims for its origin. The first is
that during the Battle of Allatoona in
the Civil War, General William
Sherman ordered Union forces to 'hold
the fort' and wait for relief. General
Sherman denied he said this, although
the myth persisted. The second and
most likely source of the quotation is
from a hymn entitled Hold the Fort by
Chicago evangelist Philip P. Bliss who
lived and wrote his hymns and tunes
during the War of the Rebellion.
Facts and history notwithstanding,
today's political correctness has
claimed the phrase as a victim. To say
"hold the fort" has now been deemed
offensive to Native Americans, that is
at least in the view of U.S. State
Department Chief Diversity Officer
John Robinson in an Oct. 2012 article
he wrote in State Magazine in that was
sent to U.S. State Department
personnel and others and distributed
worldwide. Read about it at:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012
/08/30/state-department-hold-down-
fort-other-common-phrases-could-be-
offensive/
Robinson believes, wrongly, that
"hold the fort" derives from frontier
settlers defending homesteads and
seeking refuge from raging Native
American's in the 19th century.
According to Robinson, "The Ameri-
can phrase is now negative and racist."
He claims, "'To hold down the fort'
originally meant to watch and
protect against the vicious Native
American intruders. In the terri-
tories of the West, Army soldiers
or settlers saw the 'fort' as their
refuge from their perceived
'enemy,' the stereotypical 'savage '
Native American tribes.'"
Robinson also advises American
diplomats another unacceptable
phrase in common use is, "Going
Dutch." Rather than a way to split
a restaurant bill, the top diversity
officer in the U.S. State Depart-
ment views the phrase as a
"negative stereotype portraying
the Dutch as cheap."
"Balderdash" is a 19th century
term meaning NONSENSE accor-
ding to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary. Used in a sentence:
"Much advice from experts is
balderdash best ignored by
intelligent people."
Ohio monument (Top) and monument circle (B).
program.:
Ohio Historical Society suggests 2013 CW150 themes The Ohio Historical Society Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee selected "Ohio's Impact on the War" as their
theme for 2013. The group encourages SUVCW and other organizations to use these themes when they plan their own Civil
War activities for next year.
So You Think You Know Antietam? Stories Behind America’s Bloodiest Day
by James & Suzanne Gindlesperger
John F. Blair Publishers ISBN-13: 978-0-89587-579-2
$19.95 Paperback
The Antietam battlefield near Sharpsburg, Md. is
where on Sept. 17, 1862 occurred the bloodiest
day in American combat history with over
23,000 casualties on both sides. Annually
thousands of tourists go to Antietam who know
little concerning what took place at sites of
interest as they visit the battlefield.
Within Antietam National Battlefield Park are
about 100 statues and memorials. Where they are
located plus information concerning them are the
content of So You Think You Know Antietam?.
The 224 page book contains almost 300 pictures,
maps, GPS location coordinates, and abundant
tidbits of knowledge concerning the battlefield's
monuments. This is a good companion book for
CW150 visitors to Antietam Battlefield.
In Sherman's Path by Jeffrey F. Spieles
Royal Fireworks Press
ISBN-10: 0898248590
$9.95 Paperback
The novel is historical fiction for youth 11-14,
not research for historians. It's a good tool for
history teachers and parents. The author's
objective is to stimulate interest in Civil War
history among middle school youth and to
provide them knowledge in an interesting way.
Of special merit, there's a companion teacher's
manual available.
The main character of the book is Henry, a
teenager who joins the Rebel Army, gets scared
when he "sees the elephant" at the battle of
Allatoona Pass, and deserts. He later works for a
scallywag, loots vacant plantations, and
eventually helps a slave family move along
freedom's road. Henry makes many decisions
that a real youth might have faced in 1864 while
Sherman 's Bummers were marching through
Georgia.
Redemption - The Last Battle of the Civil War
by Nicholas Lemann
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374248559
$24 Hardbound
U.S. Government support of the nation's
liberated, emancipated, and enfranchised
former slaves in Southern States faded in
1875. In 1877, Ohioan and Republican
Rutherford B. Hayes secured support for
his presidency by agreeing to remove from
the South the last federal troops assigned to
enforce Reconstruction programs there.
The book documents how Mississippi’s
Reconstruction governor and Civil War
hero Adelbert Ames sought to make his
state an exception to what was happening
elsewhere in the South. He failed. Pitched
battles and harassment of former slaves and
their families followed. Historians
interested in post-Civil War life in the
South will find this book educational.
The Buckeye Bugle page 7
SUV graves registration website valuable public service Courtesy of SUVCW national graves registration website http://www.suvcwdb.org/home/about.php
The SUVCW National Graves
Registration Project was established
in 1996. Since then, hundreds of
dedicated people from within and
without the SUVCW have devoted
thousands of hours of their time and
energy visiting cemeteries,
recording, verifying, researching and
entering the final resting places of
Civil War veterans. From the
beginning, one thing was missing:
the means for the SUVCW and
general public to search and view
the results on the Internet. As the
number of apparent duplication of
effort and registrations grew, it was
also apparent the general wasting
of people's time was at an
unacceptable level. Knowledge
of what was completed and what
needed additional investigation
wasn't available.
The National Graves Registra-
tion Database is now available to
all. The database was activated
February 22, 2005. This makes
all original registrations available
for viewing by the general
public, as well as allowing for
new registrations to be entered
through an online program.
New graves registrations may
be entered through the "submitter"
area. Updated or additional
information concerning previously
submitted registrations should
continue to be submitted to the
National Graves Registration
Officer.
Submissions by people without
computer access or who prefer not
to use a computer will be accepted
through regular mail. Also, email
submittals may be sent Dept. GRO
Kent Dorr.
More information is available at:
suvcw.org/ftp/GraveRegistrationB
rochure.pdf
Registered grave of
Private David Peters, 1st Ohio Cavalry
Ebenezer M.E. Cemetery Franklin, Ohio
Books help SUVCW Brothers, youth gain Civil War knowledge to share
January - Emancipation
February - Ohio Generals
March - Medal of Honor
April - The Costs of War
May - Ohio Civil War Road Trips
June - United States Colored Troops
July - Ohioans in Battle
August - Ohio's Regiments and Militia
September - Political Leadership
October - Immigrants in the Civil War
November - Why They Fought
December - Supplying the Military
On the evening of October 7, 1862, with battle looming, three Union commanders discussed the dangers of battle. Brig.
Gen. William R. Terrill and Col. George P. Webster commanded brigades in Brig. Gen. James S. Jackson’s division. The
three men determined that if soldiers would look at the doctrine of
probabilities they would realize how slight was the chance of any
particular person being killed and would never be frightened of battle.
Mathematically speaking, they were pretty safe. The following day, the
soldiers of the Union Army of the Ohio and the Confederate Army of
Mississippi would test probability as they clashed outside of Perryville,
Kentucky.
The state had been coveted by both sides since the war began. It
was a slave state that was closely tied geographically to the North. In
addition to its location, its waterways could also prove vital to both sides.
The northern border of Kentucky lies along a long stretch of the Ohio
River and the state’s western end borders the Mississippi. In addition, the
Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers run through Kentucky and into the heart of the South. In the fall of 1861 President Lincoln,
Kentucky born, wrote “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly to lose the whole game.” While the state hadn’t seceded, there was a
great deal of Confederate sympathies. In the summer of 1862, Col. John Hunt Morgan carried out a raid through the state,
receiving much support along the way. He reported that the state was ripe for the taking and it would bring volunteers into the
Southern ranks.
Convinced by Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg agreed to invade Kentucky. What was
to originally be a joint effort changed when Smith took off on his own with his army. Bragg decided his best move was to
follow and help Smith in trying to take the state. In Tennessee, Union Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell learned of the
Confederate movement into Kentucky. Determined to protect Louisville and Cincinnati, Buell pulled his army out of
Nashville and moved north. It was a race to see who could get to Louisville first. Smith struck the first blow, capturing
Richmond and Lexington, gaining a hold on the center of the state. At that point Bragg had to choose between joining
Smith and going on to Louisville and a fight with Buell’s army. He decided to connect with Smith, allowing Buell to reach
Louisville. Having reached his target first, Buell could concentrate on the enemy. His men marched east out of Louisville
towards the enemy. Part of Bragg’s army, under Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee, took a position west of the small town of
Perryville. Part of the reason for this was water. The area had been under a drought for months. Both men and horses
needed water and there wasn’t much around. West of Perryville the Confederates discovered water in Doctor’s Creek.
On the 7th of October, Union forces encountered the Rebel force and drove them back. Discovering the water, the Northern
troops pushed hard to hold the position and the water.
Both commanders at this time were operating under incorrect assumptions of the enemy’s position and intent. Bragg had
a small force at Perryville and was concentrating north of there near Versailles, where he thought the Union army was
massing. Buell believed the entire Confederate army was facing him at Perryville. Bragg’s subordinate General Hardee,
who had written a text on military tactics that was used by both sides, implored Bragg to consolidate his forces. He needed
to send all of his men to either Perryville or Versailles. Either way was all right, so long as he wasn’t splitting his force.
Bragg decided to go to Perryville to take care of what he thought was a small Union force so he could then pull those troops
north to Versailles. The initial Confederate assault came under a crossfire of artillery that tore great holes in the ranks. The
Southerners, however, were able to hold on and mount another charge. They hit the Yankee line hard and drove them back.
The fighting raged as the Union troops struggled to stop the onslaught.
During this time, General Buell was unaware his army was engaged in a major battle. Due to an acoustic shadow, though
he was but a few miles from the fighting, the Union commander could not hear the sounds of battle. Had he known, he
could have engaged Brig. Gen. Thomas T. Crittenden’s corps that sat idle. In the day’s fighting, the mathematics of battle
were thrown out the window. If they believed what they said the night before, Generals Jackson and Terrill and Colonel
Webster fought the battle without fear for they knew that statistically they stood little chance of being harmed. It was not to
be. By the time the fighting ended, all three were dead.
When night fell, a number of Union officers urged Buell to make another attack by moonlight. The commanding general
decided to wait until morning. He still believed he faced Bragg’s entire army. Meanwhile, Bragg finally realized he had faced
all of Buell’s men and that he was lucky to have come through it as well as he did. After consulting with his generals, Bragg
decided to withdraw that night to consolidate his men. After a day of hard fighting that resulted in roughly 7,500 casualties,
neither side gained a real advantage. In the long run, it proved to be advantageous to the North. It was the “High Water Mark”
for the Confederates in the west. Never again would they pose such a threat to the Federal forces. The failure at Perryville
prevented the South from taking Kentucky, continuing north to threaten and possibly attack Ohio, and adding a new state and
its manpower to the Confederacy.
The Buckeye Bugle
page 5
The Buckeye Bugle
Civil War Sesquicentennial Feature - Patriotic Instruction
The Battle of Perryville by Andy Turner - Reprinted by permission, Gatehouse Press - http://www.gatehouse-press.com
page 8 The Buckeye Bugle