I am prompted to write to you in appreciation of the fine program given Tuesday night by Sacramento High School teacher, Larry Tagg, on the “Unpopular Mr Lincoln.” Larry gave a very good presentation, and I’m sure that his book adds much to his insightful look back at President Lincoln before martyrdom. It was a casual program, just what the SDCWRT is all about. We aren’t History teachers, we’re history students.

Recently, Bob Sigafoes, has returned. He’s the guy who got it all started. A look around the meeting shows many faces of people who have been members for many years. The Civil War is the subject, and our group has done a respectful job of respecting the event.

As a member, I want to thank the Board members, because without their commitments the SDCWRT would cease to exist. It would be a loss, and the subject is too important and interesting to not have such a public forum. I kid Dave Tooley, calling him King George, as he nears the number of years as President as FDR, but he does what no one wants to do, and does it well. Without Paul Champlin, things would be a mess. Bill is an excellent program chairman, as well a very funny man, and I can’t imagine the SDCWRT without Al Haun. Carla is indispensable, keeps us connected to the CW community, and Larry, Curtis, and Mikey give so much to the group.

I certainly miss Jordan, but he knew that Father Dennis was ably in charge. Many others help the SDCWRT maintain itself and deserve mention, but to me, Mr Editor, you are “the man”. Dave, great job. I have been there, and putting the newsletter together every week is time consuming, and a major responsibility. From one member, on behalf of all, thanks.

Rich Marcell

From: cwpt@civilwar.org

3 Great New Battlefield Preservation Opportunities

As the nation’s leading Civil War battlefield preservation organization we have remained busy looking for new opportunities to save our historic battlefields throughout the country.

We are excited to announce that we have, not one, but three new opportunities for you to consider:

• Save Tupelo
  
• Save Natural Bridge
  
• Save Parker’s Cross Roads

Parker’s Cross Roads, Tennessee

On December 31, 1862, Nathan Bedford Forrest, after surrounding a smaller Union force near Parker’s Cross Roads is suddenly confronted with a new threat to his rear. “General Forrest, what shall we do? “Charge ‘em both ways!”  Help us add another 4.5 acres to this historic Tennessee battlefield  $2 to $1 match on all donations

Tupelo, Mississippi

At the Tupelo, Mississippi, 14,000 marauding Yankees would face repeated assaults by Forrest’s cavalrymen and Stephen D. Lee’s infantry. With great ferocity each assault was beaten back with heavy casualties… one of them being Nathan Bedford Forrest himself.  Help us save 12 acres of the Second Day battlefield     $2 to $1 match on all donations

Natural Bridge, Florida

March 6, 1865: In a day-long engagement, the Confederates under Major General Samuel Jones repulsed three major attacks by USCT troops near the crossing at Natural Bridge and forced the Union expedition to return to its fleet. Thus, the state capital of Tallahassee was kept out of Union hands. Help us save 55 acres at this Florida Civil War battlefield   Every donated dollar is matched $170 to $1 (that’s no typo)

As always, we are grateful for every dollar you can donate in these difficult times.  More Than 25,000 Acres Save

CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST,  1331 H Street N.W., Suite 1001, Washington D.C. 2005 | phone (202) 367-1861, www.civilwar.org | Change newsletter preferences/unsubscribe

From: lassiefan@comcast.net

I am pleased to announce the release of my new CD – Voices Hushed and Still…a collection of Southern Songs and Rare Gems from the Civil War Period. I was born and raised in Harrisonburg in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and now reside outside of Nashville , TN. I am a member of the UDC Kate Litton Hickman Chapter in Nashville and am a chairman for The Music of the Confederacy for the state of Tennessee.

The Song List includes:

The Homespun Dress

Old Folks at Home/Oh Shenandoah

Somebody’s Darling

Long, Long Ago

The Rebel Soldier

Slumber On, Baby Dear

Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel

Cruel War/Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier

Pray, Maiden Pray!

I’m Going Home to Dixie/Dixie’s Land

Home, Sweet Home

When Upon the Field of Glory

You can hear samples of the songs, download and/or purchase at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/lisameyer

CD can also be purchased directly from me for $14.00 – includes shipping and handling (check or money order made out to me).

Sincerely, Lisa Meyer

6112 Tuckaleechee Lane

Antioch, TN 37013

(615) 469-4046

www.voiceshushedandstill.com

Subj: New Book from Mariner Publishing

From: books@marinermedia.com

Press Release from Mariner Publishing

‘Long Time Gone‘ Released

Reviewer’s Notes: “During wartime soldiers never know the whole picture. Tracing the surprising parallel lives of childhood friends and kinsmen Elisha Hunt Rhodes of the 2nd R. I. Regiment and James Rhodes Sheldon of the 50th Georgia Regiment amidst the background of the Civil War from beginning to end, Les Rolston has shed new light from primary and secondary sources and added a poignant human touch to history.”

Robert Hunt Rhodes, editor of ALL FOR THE UNION: THE CIVIL WAR DIARY AND LETTERS OF ELISHA HUNT RHODES as featured in the PBS-TV series THE CIVIL WAR by Ken Burns.

A Civil War Story of New England Schoolmates Turned Enemies

Long Time Gone: Neighbors Divided by Civil War by Les Rolston is an epic story of two young Rhode Islanders–boyhood friends from the sleepy seaside village of Pawtuxet–who as teenagers fought in the Civil War on opposite sides. Elisha Hunt Rhodes served with the 2nd Rhode Island while schoolmate James Rhodes Sheldon shouldered a musket in the 50th Georgia. What these two youngsters saw, felt, and suffered through makes for absolutely riveting reading.

“The boyhood friendship of Sheldon and Rhodes reads like a lost chapter out of Mark Twain,” writes Joe Kernan of the Warwick R.I. Beacon. “Rolston has discovered a quintessentially American narrative in the dusty records of Rhode Island history.”

Long Time Gone is written from the soldiers’ point of view. With lightning-fast pacing and mesmerizing details, Rolston places us in the midst of thirty battles and skirmishes-smoke stings the eyes, dirt and chips of wood clip the face, while flames spit from thousands of rifled muskets and cannon.

Long Time Gone may be the first non-fiction book of its kind. General readers, as well as Civil War aficionados, will be drawn to its basic themes. Military buffs will love its detail. What makes this book a must read, however, is Rolston’s ability to see the war from both sides as he captures the soldiers’ vulnerability as well as the endurance of the human spirit in the face of unimaginably cruel circumstances.

Les Rolston was born in 1954 and has studied American history for most of his adult life. His greatest interest is in the lives of ordinary people, who in times of crisis go on to do extraordinary deeds. Mr. Rolston is a frequent contributor to the Providence Journal and his work has appeared in the South Reporter, Civil War Times Illustrated, Our Heritage, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and other publications.

His first book, Lost Soul: A Confederate Soldier In New England (Mariner 2007, second edition), described his efforts to preserve the unmarked grave site of the only Confederate soldier known to be buried in Rhode Island. As a result of this book Rolston gained national attention, telling his story through the Associated Press and television programs. He has received citations from the Rhode Island House of Representatives and a letter of commendation from former United States Senator Claiborne Pell. He was also awarded the Jefferson Davis Medal, the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s highest award.

In 1999, Rolston solved the mystery of the “soldier in the cane field” in Bayou Goula, Louisiana, when he identified Private David Ingraham, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, as being buried in a makeshift grave there. This grave is now marked as a Louisiana Historic site In 2000, after an inquiry by 91-year old Vera Harris, Les located the grave of Marzy Van Howland Lincoln, 11th United States Heavy Artillery (Colored). In a modest ceremony, only months before her own death, Mrs. Harris visited her father’s grave for the first time.

In 2001, Rolston secured a military burial for Harold Brown. Mr. Brown had been machine-gunned to death in a lifeboat eight miles off the coast of Virginia after his cargo ship was sunk by a German U-Boat during the opening days of World War II. After months of negotiations with the United States government, Brown, a merchant marine, was recognized as a war veteran. Acknowledging Rolston’s efforts was United States Senator Jack Reed (D) Rhode Island.

In 2004, Les was instrumental in restoring and preserving the vandalized gravesite of General George Sears Greene, hero of Gettysburg.

In addition to his writings, he serves the City of Warwick, Rhode Island (pop. 85,000) as its Building Inspector. Warwick has three Historic Districts and scores of Colonial era buildings and cemeteries.

Rolston recently completed Home Of The Brave: Selected Short Stories Of Immigrant Medal Of Honor Recipients Of The Civil War.

He is now working on his fourth book, No Place For Christians: The Civil War Imprisonment Of Michael Dougherty. Les lives in Warwick with his wife, Mary, and son, Derek.

ISBN: 978-0-9820172-7-2

Price $34.95

Soft cover, 508 pages

Subj: FW: Stones River National Battlefield hit by tornado

From: janet1860@charter.net, Janet Whaley, Program Chair, Civil War Round Table of San Gabriel Valley

Passing along this information to our fellow CWRT groups.

You have no doubt heard of the tornadoes that hit Middle Tennessee yesterday in the mid-afternoon. What we thought was a single twister turned out to be two of them, one going through the town and the other crossing I-24 right into the core of the Stones River National Battlefield.

I just got off the phone with Park Ranger Jim Lewis who is a good friend of mine and he told me that the twister hit Tour Stop Three, moved through the Round Forest and then hit Tour Stop One and the Hazen Monument and cemetery. He said the trees now look like they would have during the battle – thousands of them shattered and blown down. Other than massive tree damage, the Hazen Monument (the second oldest CW monument in the country, erected during the war, and the oldest still on its original site) and the cemetery stones came through just fine. No cannons of the park were damaged but a caisson was moved and needs to be replaced. Thankfully, none of the park staff was hurt.

Subdivisions around the park have been smashed quite badly. I am told that one tornado was an F2 and it grew to F3 by the time it hit the park itself. A number of reports and pictures came in on the news showing a very large funnel cloud.

Stones River Park will be closed for quite some time as the staff assesses the tree damage and what ones need clearing away. I will keep this list apprised as the Spring and Summer go onward as to the park’s condition. There will be a call for volunteers to help with cleanup at some point.

I think it would be terrific if each of the CWRTs that gets this email would pass the hat at your next meeting to take up a donation for the park to help with its cleanup. The Clarksville CWRT certainly will be doing so. If you are interested in doing so please let me know and I will secure the address to send such donations for you.

Another Middle Tennessee Civil War area also affected by tornadoes was the Tullahoma Campaign. Twisters were reported between Wartrace and Bell Buckle as well as near Tullahoma itself along with near Estill Springs (formerly Allisonia where the railroad and road bridges crossed the Elk River at the time as they still do). I have not heard of damage down there as yet. I led a tour of that area just a couple weeks ago for the CWRT in Columbus, OH and it is one of the most beautiful parts of Tennessee.

A lot of people lost homes and businesses yesterday – and a few lost their lives. Please keep them and their families in your prayers. Please also pass this around to all of your CWRT members so they know of the damage and recovery efforts.

Greg Biggs

Clarksville TN CWRTSubj: View Our New Battlefield Preservation Opportunities

From: cwpt@civilwar.org

3 Great New Battlefield Preservation Opportunities

As the nation’s leading Civil War battlefield preservation organization we have remained busy looking for new opportunities to save our historic battlefields throughout the country. We are excited to announce that we have, not one, but three new opportunities for you to consider:

Save Tupelo

Save Natural Bridge

Save Parker’s

Cross Roads

Parker’s Cross Roads, Tennessee

On December 31, 1862, Nathan Bedford Forrest, after surrounding a smaller Union force near Parker’s Cross Roads is suddenly confronted with a new threat to his rear. “General Forrest, what shall we do? “Charge ‘em both ways!”

Help us add another 4.5 acres to this historic Tennessee battlefield

$2 to $1 match on all donations

Tupelo, Mississippi

At the Tupelo, Mississippi, 14,000 marauding Yankees would face repeated assaults by Forrest’s cavalrymen and Stephen D. Lee’s infantry. With great ferocity each assault was beaten back with heavy casualties… one of them being Nathan Bedford Forrest himself.

Help us save 12 acres of the Second Day battlefield

$2 to $1 match on all donations

Natural Bridge, Florida

March 6, 1865: In a day-long engagement, the Confederates under Major General Samuel Jones repulsed three major attacks by USCT troops near the crossing at Natural Bridge and forced the Union expedition to return to its fleet. Thus, the state capital of Tallahassee was kept out of Union hands.

Help us save 55 acres at this Florida Civil War battlefield

Every donated dollar is matched $170 to $1 (that’s no typo)

As always, we are grateful for every dollar you can donate in these difficult times.

More Than 25,000 Acres Saved

CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST

1331 H Street N.W., Suite 1001, Washington D.C. 2005 | phone (202) 367-1861

www.civilwar.org | Change newsletter preferences/unsubscribe