The War Without a Name

From Philly.com: The War Without a Name

We don't refer to the Civil War as the "War of 1861" or the Revolutionary War as the "War of 1776." So what's with the War of 1812?

The name is not even a very thorough description of the war's timing. If you count the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought after the peace treaty was signed, the war lasted until early 1815.
The bicentennial of the War of 1812 — which began 200 years ago today — happens to coincide roughly with the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The latter was known by several names before general usage shifted decisively in favor of "Civil War." Southerners favored "War Between the States"; Northerners, "War of the Rebellion." "Civil War" may seem bland in comparison, but at least it makes a clear statement about the nature of the conflict.

The same cannot be said for "War of 1812." It's a lousy label, and we should grasp the opportunity offered by the 200th anniversary of the conflict to adopt a better one.

British challenges to American sovereignty at sea and on the frontier led Congress to declare war on England in June 1812. The United States was completely unprepared, however, and as things went from bad to worse, the label "Mr. Madison's War" became popular, especially in the New England newspapers. The president's humiliation peaked in August 1814, when the British marched into Washington, chased the locals (including Madison and his wife, Dolley) into the countryside, and burned the Capitol and the White House.
Philadelphians were in a panic, afraid that their city would be next. Thousands of volunteers began building a huge defensive earthwork along the Schuylkill. Fortunately, that attack never came.

Naming the war after the president would be an improvement, but it probably won't get much support from the current chief executive, who might be loath to set such a precedent.

My students came up with some good alternatives, including the "Revolutionary War, Take Two," "British-American Imbroglio," and "Anglo-American War for Sovereignty." In the end, they settled on a name that has been suggested before: the "Second War of Independence."

Adopting this name would suggest that the war that began in 1776 was the "First War of Independence." Since Americans like abbreviations, and given the analogy of World Wars I and II, we would then have a WI1 and a WI2, appropriately emphasizing their connectedness.

Macculloch Hall hosts Civil War book author book signing on Sunday, June 24NJ: Macculloch Hall hosts Civil War book author book signing on Sunday, June 24

From New Jersey Hills.com:  Macculloch Hall hosts Civil War book author book signing on Sunday, June 24


S. Thomas Summers to sell and sign copies of his book “Private Herculues McGraw:Poems of the American Civil War” from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday June 24, at the  Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown, in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit “Gone for a Soldier:” Jerseymen in the Civil War.”

Presented in partnership with the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, this exhibit brings together for the first time about two hundred objects from the Civil War from nearly 30 museums, historical societies, and private collections.

In the book, McGraw, shares with his journey through the landscapes of the American Civil War. McGraw, a Confederate soldier and racist, steps into the War in order to assure that slavery will exist long enough for him to purchase a slave with hopes to impress his love, Martha. As McGraw treks through the blood and mire, experiencing both triumph and tragedy, he begins to transform into a man of peace and compassion – a man who no longer sees a black man or a white man; he simply sees a man – a fellow, a brother.

S. Thomas Summers is a teacher of Writing and Literature at Wayne Hills High School in Wayne nd an adjunct writing professor at Passaic County Community College in Wanaque. The author of two chapbooks, Summers's most recent effort, Private Hercules McGraw: Poems of the American Civil War (Anaphora Literary Press 2012) has garnered high praise from historians and poets alike. Currently, Summers is writing a second volume of poetry based on the Civil War. It is titled I am Lieutenant: The Journals of Arthur Kendal Everly.

The New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the American Civil War, a volunteer organization working for increased awareness and recognition of New Jersey’s important role in the Civil War, has been recognized by the New Jersey Governor and both houses of the New Jersey legislature. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. It is located in the heart of Morristown’s National Historic District. The Museum is open to tour the house and view exhibits on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. General Admission: Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 – 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. The last tickets for admission are sold at 3 p.m. School tours, adult/senior tours and rentals may be scheduled by appointment.  For information, call the Museum weekdays at (973) 538-2404 ext 10, visit our website www.maccullochhall.org or find us on Facebook.  Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown, NJ 07960.  Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is a nonprofit educational affiliate of the W. Parsons Todd Foundation.

 

From Scotsman Com: USA: Who is this little girl whose father died in a Civil War battle?

It’s a long shot nearly a century and a half after the conflict ended, but the Museum of the Confederacy has released two photographs of little girls, both found by the bodies of soldiers killed in the American Civil War, in an attempt to identify them.

The photograph of one girl was found between the bodies of two soldiers – one Union, one Confederate – at Port Royal, Virginia, 150 years ago this June. The other was retrieved from a slain Union soldier’s haversack in 1865 on a Virginia farm field days before five years of fighting which killed 650,000 ended.

Though photography was in its infancy when the war broke out, its use was widespread. Many soldiers carried photographs of loved ones into battle and for the first time, photographic images of war were available – and the Museum of the Confederacy has its own vast collection of images.

But now museum officials are releasing the unidentified images of the two girls, along with six other enigmatic photographs, on the admittedly remote chance someone might recognise a family resemblance or make a connection to a battlefield where they were found.

“We don’t know who they are and the people who picked them up did not know who they were,” said Ann Drury Wellford, curator of 6,000 Civil War images at the Richmond museum that has the largest collection of artefacts of the Confederate states, civilian and military.

Even in its infancy, photography was booming during the American Civil War. Photographers were assigned to Northern divisions and travelling photographers were the early version of photo booths as they visited troops between battles and photographed them.

Bob Zeller, president of the Centre for Civil War Photography, said soldiers carrying photographs of wives, children and other loved ones off to battle was common. Finding a photo on the battlefield without a clear connection to a dead soldier was uncommon and highly evocative.

Unlike modern soldiers, few Civil War troops had the modern-day version of ID tags and few carried other identification.
Each photograph is in a hinged case with a leather or composite exterior.

“We’re very fortunate that we know where they came from and how they were found, and many people who donated them were hopeful a family member would see them and identify them,” Ms Wellford explained.
Private Thomas Timberlake of the 2nd Virginia Infantry found the portrait of the girl with the ringlets and hand-coloured pink cheeks on the battlefield of Port Republic between the bodies of the two dead soldiers.
The photo of the other girl, who had short hair parted down the middle, was found by Private Heartwell Kincaid Adams of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry in the haversack he found on a Union soldier’s body at the battle of High Bridge in Virginia, only days before the war ended.

“I think they’re utterly compelling, especially the little girls,” Ms Wellford said.

Museum officials said, even 150 years later, it remains important to return the photos to families who had a link to the Civil War. The two girls, they said, still evoke powerful emotions.

“You think about these little girls at home and their daddies never return and they don’t know what happened to them,” said Sam Craghead, a spokesman for the museum.

Civil War Re-Enactors, Civil Air Patrol Cadets Help Commission Coast Guard Auxiliary Base

From the Madison County Courier:  Civil War Re-Enactors, Civil Air Patrol Cadets Help Commission Coast Guard Auxiliary Base

(Sylvan Beach, NY – June 4, 2012) Three volleys of musket fire by Civil War re-enactors and a flag raising by Civil Air Patrol cadets highlighted the base commissioning of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 26 in Sylvan Beach on Sunday, June 3.

During the annual commissioning ceremonies that officially opened the Cove Road base for the 2012 boating season, Flotilla Commander Bill Cummings of Utica noted: “For over 50 years Flotilla 26 has answered the call” to serve the boating community of Oneida Lake, offering boating classes, conducting vessel safety checks, patrolling the lake, assisting boaters in distress, and providing search-and-rescue.

Over 50 Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel and special guests attended the ceremonies and a picnic reception.
Several members of the 12th Infantry, a Civil War living history regiment based in Syracuse, escorted the Civil Air Patrol cadets from Utica Cadet Squadron as they presented the colors and hoisted Old Glory along with the Coast Guard flag and several Coast Guard pennants.

Then, First Sgt. Neil MacMillan of Syracuse and Corporal Grant Denis of Ithaca raised their muskets high and fired a volley, with plumes of smoke spewing for several feet. In some 20 seconds they had reloaded the muskets and were set to shoot again. They repeated the process for a third volley. A little later in the ceremonies the Civil War re-enactors were called on again to fire three volleys in tribute to members of the Coast Guard who died in the past year.

In his remarks, Cummings noted that the Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 and today has some 30,000 members nation-wide.

With the Oneida County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol operating out of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Base, Sheriff Rob Maciol was a special guest, who offered brief remarks and thanked the flotilla “for all your efforts” on behalf of boating safety. Earlier, Sheriff’s Lt. Jim McCarthy told news media that the Coast Guard Auxiliary “is a great asset to the Oneida Lake community and the Sheriff’s Department.”

Other dignitaries included Central New York Division 2 Commander Helen Lou Cummings of Utica, Division Vice Commander John Steinbarge of Baldwinsville, and Sylvan Beach American Legion Post 1153 Commander Guy Berogan. Flotilla 26 Vice Commander Karen Beehm of Hubbardsville offered the invocation and benediction.

Two members of Flotilla 2-14 in Bridgeport — Flotilla Commander Rick Kunz and Bob Shanahan Sr. — served as AuxChefs (auxiliary chefs) for the picnic reception.

The Utica Civil Air Patrol cadet color guard included Cadet 2nd Lt. Tyler Kulesa, Cadet 2nd Lt. Aaron Dostie and Cadet Sr. Airman Aidan Uvanni. They were accompanied by their mentors, Capt. Paul Kulesa and Capt. Patrick Dostie.

Re-enactors MacMillan and Denis were accompanied by 12-year-old Nathan Bowers of East Syracuse, who served as a private, and two women dressed in Civil War era dresses, Peggy Reilly of Syracuse and Lori Bowers of East Syracuse. They represented families who often had accompanied troops when they were garrisoned.

 

Fun. Goes to War and Back in 'Some Nights' Clip (Video)

The Hollywood Reporter: Fun. Goes to War and Back in 'Some Nights' Clip

Theatrical and altogether grandiose in scope, fun.'s new music video for the single "Some Nights" tells the story of two lovers separated by the harsh realities of the Civil War.

The video features scenes of the band performing on a rickety stage interspersed with flashes of beards, muskets and intrigue, a loose storyline that somehow comes to a fitting conclusion by the mini-movie's end.
Following a wordless minute-long introduction that sets up the starry eyed boy and girl, lead singer Nate Ruess takes the song's lyrics "this is it boys / this is war" to their most literal extreme as he stands in front of a backdrop of gunpowder and American flags.

The band, complete with old-timey instruments and well-coiffed hair, stands out in stark contrast to the soldiers running haphazardly across the battlefield, offering fleeting glances at fun. as they dash by with a bigger mission in mind. There may be a war afoot, but fun. is only interested in keeping the troops entertained.
Rounded out with a spoken word interlude and an unexpected moment of heavy autotune as the song comes to crashing conclusion, the video finishes with an uncertain future looming over the protagonists' heads.
"Oh lord I'm still not sure what I stand for," Ruess sings as he and his bandmates attempt to improve morale among the scuffed-up soldiers. In the expressive "Some Nights" video, however, fun. shows that it stands for the same message of exuberant youthfulness that runs rampant in the band's hit, "We Are Young."

 

Teaching kids Civil War history

From Cleveland.com: Teaching kids Civil War history

Scott Longert, 58, is a park guide at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor. He has his master's in American history from Cleveland State University. On Saturday, the museum will host a mini militia for children ages 5-12. Each child will be issued a coat, belt, haversack and wooden toy rifle. Participants must register by calling 440-255-8722. He spoke with PDQ's Michael Heaton.

Do you refer to yourself as a Civil War re-enactor?

No, I don't. I am basically a park guide for the National Park Service. I have training as a black-powder supervisor, which allows me to bring re-enactors to our site and let them fire muskets. We will be doing that July 14-15, by the way, at our annual encampment.

How long have people been re-enacting the Civil War?

Quite some time. I believe it goes back to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

What is it about the Civil War that fascinates people so much?

We fought among ourselves for the only time in our history. It really was brother against brother. We had a war between states, the freeing of slaves and the assassination of a president all within four years' time.

What will you be teaching the kids on Saturday?

Basically how to properly hold their toy rifle without hitting somebody. They will learn it was tough to wear a wool uniform coat in the summer and carry equipment while marching. The kids will be issued a haversack filled with combs, toothbrushes, wallets and candles just like the soldiers carried. It really is a lot of fun to step back in time and learn how to march in formation.

What is the history lesson to be learned from the Civil War?

That cooler heads should prevail. There has to be away to sit down and iron out your differences rather than have hundreds of thousands of soldiers lose their lives.

What rank of soldier do you dress as?

When I do, it is always as a private. Everybody wants to be an officer.

What is your favorite battle from the Civil War?

Not very well known, but the Battle of Middle Creek, Ky., where Union Col. James A. Garfield won a victory over a larger Confederate force. It was Garfield's only victory as a commander during the Civil War. A small victory, but it did drive the Confederates out of eastern Kentucky and earn a promotion to brigadier general for the future president.

Do you have a favorite Civil War movie?

"Glory," the film about the 55th Massachusetts, one of the first African-American regiments in the war. Denzel Washington was outstanding as a former slave who lost his life at the attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina.

Have you ever been criticized for glorifying war?

Not that I know of. I try to teach folks about what soldiers and civilians had to endure during that time. It is really about people making tremendous sacrifices for what they believed in.

How can people sign up their children for this event?

Call the James A. Garfield National Historic Site at 440-255-8722 and reserve a spot. We can accommodate up to 25 children per session.

What did soldiers in the Civil War eat?

Definitely not burgers and fries. Generally they had coffee, salt pork, bacon, beans, rice, crackers and whatever they could forage. Many times soldiers went without rations for a day or two. They would find green corn, mix it with flour and bake it. It was like biting into concrete.

If you could go back in time to that period, but you had to stay there, would you do it?

I am very happy in the present. I would miss going to see the Indians play at Progressive Field.

What details in the uniform are the most difficult to make authentic?

The "sutlers," the people who create the uniforms and equipment, do an amazing job. You have to be an expert to spot any flaws. That being said, probably the officer's shoulder boards.

Did they have toilet paper back then?

I was hoping this question would not come up. I am sure there was an early form of it, but the soldiers in the field did without.

If you were going to re-enact another war, which would you choose?

The War of 1812. Not a well-known conflict, but the uniforms and muskets are very cool.  

Civil War photography still reveals details

From Richmond Times Dispatch: Civil War photography still reveals details

Richmond, Va. -- A newly placed howitzer at Seven Pines points toward Richmond and Confederate lines a mile away. Two Union soldiers rest, one stretched out on the ground beside the big gun, the other curled up on an ammunition box. Shovels and pickaxes in the dirt are ready for work to resume. In the background, a brigade marches in line of battle.

If you lived in New York City in the summer of 1862, this is what your Civil War looked like.

Photography had come of age just in time to move up the Peninsula to Richmond with Gen. George McClellan from May to July that year, helping to make the American Civil War the first fully visually documented war in history.

Mathew Brady was the name behind the images, even if James F. Gibson and George Barnard were the men behind the camera at Seven Pines, where that scene was documented near the end of June 150 years ago.

By the end of July, photos by Gibson and Barnard would be among those on display in Brady's gallery at Broadway and 10th Street. A reviewer for the New York Evening Post on July 22, 1862, exulted, "The wonderful series of pictures … are certainly foremost among the triumphs of photographic art. His artists have followed our army from Bull Run to Richmond."

On the outskirts of Richmond, photographers also documented the massing of wagons and cannons pulled by horses at Seven Pines (also known as Fair Oaks) in the weeks after the May 31-June 1 battle.

They showed a balloon ascent by Thaddeus Lowe to spy on Confederate earthworks that still line part of the approach road to Richmond International Airport.

They arranged officers for group portraits that looked as menacing as a picnic snapshot.

They photographed George Custer, fresh from West Point, with former classmate John Washington, then a Confederate who had been captured on the first day of fighting at Seven Pines.

Union troops would remain at Seven Pines until the Seven Days battles at the end of June, giving photographers ample time to practice their art and giving Mike Gorman ample material for a program on photography in the Civil War, hosted Sunday at the Henrico Theater.

Gorman, a ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park, will be showing the photographs of the Peninsula campaign on a movie screen, making them larger than life. He'll be able to point out some of the remarkable details that have been discovered in the past decade, since the Library of Congress and National Archives scanned the negatives of Civil War photographs in their collections and put high-resolution copies online.

The glass-plate negatives were as large as 7 by 9 inches, producing far more detail than more-familiar 35 mm (1.4 inch) film. The smallest negatives, still about twice as large as 35 mm, were used to produce stereoscopic view cards for 3-D stereo viewers.

One discovery located the devil in the details of an iconic Brady image of Robert E. Lee at his home in Richmond soon after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Graffiti on a brick next to the back door became visible when the photo was greatly enlarged.

Gorman shared that detail in 2006 with Bob Zeller of Trinity, N.C., author of "The Blue and Gray in Black and White" and president of the Center for Civil War Photography. The same year, Gorman had led a Richmond tour for Zeller's photography conference and held up the enlargement while at the site. A man in the back suddenly recognized the word, "devil."

"Sure enough, it said 'devil,' " Gorman said. "You've got this secret hidden in the back of this image that we've all seen a zillion times."

* * * * *

For Sunday's show, Gorman will focus on images from 1862, when the war still seemed imminently winnable.

"They're kind of learning their way," he said of the photographers. "One of the things that struck me is how tentative, how hesitant they are. They have to figure out what is going to sell, what do I want to document. Is it going to be lots of groups of officers or battlefield shots?

"They don't seem to know what to do to make a strong image. They're posing people. They're putting in slaves or former slaves into the picture, clearly to make a political point. No doubt, a lot of the photographers were abolitionists."

For a photo of Custer and his Confederate classmate, for instance, a second image by Gibson showed a black boy sitting in front of them. That image was later engraved in Harper's Weekly with the title "Both Sides and the Cause."

People in New York would have talked about slavery almost as an abstract concept, and these photos made it real, Gorman said.

Within a few weeks at Cumberland in New Kent County, Gibson photographed 23 solemn black people in front of a clapboard building, calling them a group of contrabands.

"This has definitely got a political point," Gorman said of the contrabands photo, because of the humanity and dignity it portrayed in the former slaves liberated by the Union Army. "Look at the faces." Photographers were telling their viewers, " 'The only reason they're free is we're here.' Wow."

For Megan Nelson, a Harvard lecturer who will talk about Civil War photography at Gettysburg this month, one of the reasons the photographs were important was the access they gave civilians to the battles and the experiences soldiers were having in camp.

The American Civil War was the first fully visually documented war in history, after the Crimean War became the first to be photographed, she said.

"(Oliver Wendell) Holmes argued that looking at photographs was an out-of-body experience, that you could actually feel yourself transported to battlefields like Seven Pines by looking at incredibly detailed photographic images of the landscape," she said.

"And the governments on both sides used photographs as propaganda tools and in the case of the Union Army's commissioned photographs of railroad bridges, evidence of army infrastructure that demanded funding."

In comparison with later Civil War photos, the Peninsula campaign images had a certain innocence.

"Not many of the photographers have encountered war yet," Gorman said. "They don't shoot Williamsburg (where Union soldiers caught up with retreating Confederates on May 5). They don't show the graves. Look at these photos (of officers at Yorktown). It's clean. They're sitting at tables. It's civilized. You've got servants back there, a coffee pot. Here's a nobleman from France, Prince de Joinville. They're playing dominos. Does this look like war to you? This is like a vacation. It's camp."

* * * * *

But it wouldn't stay that way. Even at Seven Pines, some action began to creep into the scene. When Barnard put his camera on Union earthworks at the twin houses on Williamsburg Road to show a howitzer pointed at Confederate earthworks a mile away, he was putting himself at risk. The cannon had just arrived June 20, Gorman said.

"For all the cameraman knows, there's an attack massing over there in those woods. It could be Seven Pines Part 2. On June 25, shortly after this photograph was probably made, these troops are going to advance from there toward the lines at the airport and attack them, scaring the bejesus out of the Confederates who are about to shift their troops from there up north to the Chickahominy, so much so that it caused (Confederate President Jefferson) Davis to question whether this is a good idea right now.

"This was the tip of the spear."

During the Peninsula campaign, photographers thought they were documenting "the triumphal final movement of this great volunteer army into Richmond, which didn't happen," Gorman said. Afterward, the war got brutal. The bloodiest single day would come at Antietam on Sept. 17, and from that point on, battlefield images often included views of the dead to show the consequences of war.

"A few months later they're saying, 'Since we're going to be fighting for a while, let's talk about what this is,' " Gorman said. " 'I've seen this. I've been out here and I haven't shown you, and I think you need to see it.' "