September - McHenry County Civil War Round Table

1864
2014
VOLUME NO. 16 ISSUE NO. 9
SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
McHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS
PRESENTATION
MCHENRY COUNTY
CIVIL WAR
ROUND TABLE
DISCUSSION GROUP
LINCOLN’S FAITH
440 WEST JUDD
STREET
By Father
Robert Miller
WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS
ON TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
NOW CELEBRATING
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
AND MCHENRY COUNTY
SINCE IT”S FOUNDING
AT UNION,
McHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS
IN SEPTEMBER OF 1998
6000 NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS
INCLUDING ENLISTMENT
AND
THE ELECTION OF 1864
ON SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
10:00 A.M. TO NOON
______________________________________
MISSION STATEMENT
APRIL 18, 1861
7:30PM TO 9:00PM
Presented By:
Mr. Frank Crawford
PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S FUNERAL CAR
MCCWRT WILL VISIT
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
LINCOLN FUNERAL CAR REPLICA
IN ELGIN ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18 TH
___________________________
__________________________
MCHENRY COUNTY
CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE
HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE
AND FOSTER EDUCATION, DISCUSSION,
AND ANALYSIS OF
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
WE HOPE THROUGH LEARNING
ABOUT THE PAST,
WE WILL BE ABLE TO MORE
COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT AND HAVE
A POSITIVE, BENEFICIAL EFFECT
ON OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
OUR MEMBERS
__________________
Was fought September 21–22, 1864 near Strasburg,
Virginia, and was part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864.
Despite a very strong defensive position, the confederate
forces of Lieutenant General Jubal Early were defeated
by the Union Army of the Shenandoah, which was
commanded by Major General Philip Sheridan.
IS PLANNING A FIELDTRIP
TO
KANKAKEE VALLEY CWRT
Wednesday, September 3, 2014: Presentation
Kankakee Public Library- Third Floor
201 East Merchant Street
Kankakee, Illinois 60901
At 6:30 P.M.
McHENRY COUNTY CWRT
Tuesday September 9, 2014 Presentation
THE
7:30 P.M. TO 9:00 P.M.
Frank Crawford Presenter
MCCWRT DISCUSSION GROUP
AT THE PANERA BREAD COMPANY
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS
Saturday August 23, 2014: Discussion
TOPIC OF DISCUSSION
KENOSHA CIVIL WAR MUSEUM
By Ray Guttendorf
LINCOLN/DAVIS CWRT
Tuesday September 16, 2014: Presentation
The Country House Restaurant
5400 West 127TH. Street
Alsip, Illinois 60803
At 7:00 P.M.
By Michael S. Green
www.kenosha.org/civilwar/index.html
5400 First Avenue
Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140
Presented By Frank Crawford
Friday, September 12, 2014;
Noon – Freedom Hall
CWRT OF CHICAGO
10:00 A.M.
TO
NOON
Friday September 12, 2014: Presentation
Every Fourth Saturday of the Month
LAKE COUNTY CWRT
Thursday, September 11, 2014 Presentation
Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum
164 Hawley Street, Grayslake, IL
At 7:00 P.M.
By Frank Crawford
NORTHERN ILLINOIS CWRT
Friday, September 5, 2014 Presentation
PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION
FOR 2014-2015 FRIDAY MEETINGS
Arlington Heights Historical Museum
Across the street from Arlington Heights Library
110 West Fremont St., Arlington Heights, IL
At 7:30 P.M.
By Frank Varney
FOUNTAINDALE LIBRARY
Wednesday September 10, 2014: Presentation
Fountaindale Public Library
300 West Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440
Saturday, September 20, 2014: Presentation
Fairview Village now called OAK TRACE
200 Village Drive
Downers Grove, IL 60516
At 8:00 P.M.
By Jerry Allen
SOUTH SUBURBAN CWRT
Thursday, September 25, 2014 Presentation
By George Levy
Includes lunch and admission
to Fiery Trial | Register
Summary of speakers and topics:
By Rob Girardi
DECATUR, ILLINOIS CWRT
Saturday September 13, 2014: Symposium
By Dr. James Cornelius, curator of the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
and Museum
By Mr. Steve Acker
By Charlie Knight
SALT CREEK CWRT
Saturday, September 13, 2014;
8:30am-3:30pm | Forum
#0420355407 | $60 ($50 FOM)
FLAGG CREEK
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Tuesday September 16, 2014: Presentation
Pleasant Dale Park District Recreation Center
7425 South Wolf Road
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
At 7:00 P.M.
By Bruce Allerdice
DUPAGE COUNTY
SEMI-ANNUAL
CIVIL WAR SHOW
Saturday September 20, 2014: Civil War Show
Dupage County Fair Grounds
2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton, Illinois 60187
By Mr. Greg Biggs
By Mr. John Lundstrom
Saturday, September 20, 2014;
Noon-4pm
Check out these family-friendly re-enactors in
character as Civil War soldiers.
Ask them about their gear, Civil War battles, and what it
took to be a Civil War soldier. Join us at noon for a 45minute interactive presentation designed for the whole
family or just stop by any time after that to chat.
Admission is free.
.
7th Annual Civil War
Forum – 1864: Hard and
Private James Connors, 43rd New York Infantry
Private John Creed, 23rd Illinois Infantry
Private George G. Moore, 11th West Virginia Infantry
Sergeant Sylvester D. Rhodes, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry
First Lieutenant Edward N. Whittier, 5th Battery Maine
Light Artillery.
A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
OF THE MURDEROUS ACTIVITY
OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH
ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 14, 1865
Richard Stilling, a retired F.B.I. agent and Roundtable
member, spoke to the August meeting of the MCCWRT.
Mr. Stilling investigated the Kennedy assassination in the
1960’s and based on that and his other work, maintains
that Americans love political intrigue and conspiracies.
For the record, he states that Lee Harvey Oswald was
indeed the assassin of the President. However, Richard is
quick to point out that “reality to some is an illusion to him.”
He looks at history through a “different set of glasses.”
First, Mr. Stilling reviewed some of the foreign and
domestic problems confronting the United States in 1865.
A number of countries still had designs on our territory.
Russia was moving down the coast of California. The
Spanish were “causing trouble” in the western territories,
namely Arizona and New Mexico. France was agitating in
Mexico and England, with its base in Canada, still hoped to
stir up trouble along the northern frontier (Canada did not
become independent until 1867). Domestically, problems
included renewed charges of war profiteering and then in
April the massive effort to capture the co-conspirators.
Mr. Stilling wove his story of the assassination around
three features – an empty chair, a man of mystery, and a
simple letter. The empty chair belonged to John Parker,
President Lincoln’s erstwhile guard the night of April 14,
1865 except that he left his post to visit the Star Saloon
next door to Ford’s Theatre. Stilling claims that Booth was
also at Star’s to determine if the “coast was clear.” Did the
two men speak to each other? The man of mystery was
A.C. Richards who was sitting in the 2nd balcony and next
to the Presidential box. As Superintendent of Police he
was a key witness at the trial of the co-conspirators.
Richards claimed that after hearing the shot he ran out into
the lobby to find the guard. Parker was brought up on
various charges including negligence. The simple letter
was written by Mary Todd Lincoln on April 3, 1865 to the
Provost General. In it she requested John Parker by name
despite serious previous allegations against him. Mr.
Stilling claims that she also obtained a deferment for
Parker.
Richard also questions the activities and escape of John
Surratt, who first escaped to Canada. Later, he turned up
with the Papal Guard and was ultimately captured in
Alexandria, Egypt. Brought back to the United States,
Surratt was tried in a civilian court and freed by a hung jury
(military tribunals had been declared unconstitutional in the
case of Ex Parte Milligan). Also, by 1867 the statute of
limitations had run out on some of the serious charges
against Surratt.
Mr. Stilling claims that a “shroud of censorship” descended
on the Lincoln conspiracy case. He says that Booth was
clearly working with the Confederate Secret Service. And,
why did Mary Todd – who had earlier requested Parker by
name – later accuse him of helping to murder her
husband? Our speaker recommended that people read
The Trial, edited by Edward Steers, Jr.
Bob Frenz
CIVIL WAR TIMELINE
OF BATTLES & OTHER EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 29, 1864
BATTLE OF PEEBLES’ FARM
DINWEEDIE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
SEPTEMBER 1864
SEPTEMBER 22-22, 1864
BATTLE OF FISHER’S HILL
SHENANDOA COUNTY, VIRGINIA
.
In September 1864, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
planned simultaneous attacks against both flanks of Gen.
Robert E. Lee's Confederate army. The eastern attack
would be carried out by the Army of the James under Maj.
Gen. Benjamin Butler against the Confederate works at
Chaffin's Farm. The western attack was to be carried out
by the Union V Corps under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K.
Warren and a cavalry division under Brig. Gen. David .
Gregg with units from the IX Corps and II Corps in support.
Grant had two intentions for Warren. First was to attack
the opposite end of Lee's line to relieve pressure on Fort
Harrison, which Butler's forces had captured and were
Fought September 21–22, 1864, near Strasburg, Virginia,
holding against counterattacks. The second was to take
as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the
advantage of the units Lee had removed from his right to
American Civil War. Despite its strong defensive position,
the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early was defeated retake Fort Harrison. Warren's attack was aimed at the
fortifications guarding the Boydton Plank Road, which was
by the Union Army of the Shenandoah, commanded by
being used to carry supplies into Petersburg from the
Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan.
Confederate railhead at Stony Creek to the south. This line
was being extended to reach the vicinity of the Union flank
Sheridan had almost 30,000 men in the Shenandoah
at Globe Tavern. While the lines were being constructed a
Valley opposing Early, with just under 10,000. Early,
temporary line was held along the Squirrel Level Road. On
following the Third Battle of Winchester took a strong
September 30, the same day Lee was attempting to retake
position. His right rested on the North Branch of the
Fort Harrison, Warren and Gregg began marching along
Shenandoah River. The left flank of his infantry was on
the Poplar Springs Road toward the Squirrel Level line in
Fisher's Hill.
the area of Peebles's Farm and Poplar Springs Church.
Confederate cavalry was expected to hold the ground
Lee had indeed pulled forces from this flank for the
from there to Little North Mountain. Maj. Gen. George
counterattack on Fort Harrison (including the Light Division
Crook advised Sheridan to flank this position. His
under Maj. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox) so Warren was
command was assigned to move along the wooded
marching against Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill's reduced corps.
slopes of the mountain to attack the cavalry.
Around 1 p.m. Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin led the attack
against the Confederates near the Poplar Springs Church.
Crook's attack began about 4 p.m. on September 22,
Griffin quickly captured Fort Archer on the extreme
1864. The infantry attack pushed the Confederate
Confederate flank and the Squirrel Level line broke and
troopers out of their way. Maj. Gen. Stephen Dodson
fled so quickly that prisoners captured were minimal.
Ramseur tried refusing the left flank of his division. Crook
Warren halted the attack to fortify the new position and not
and Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts's division, of Horatio G.
advance too far in front of the IX Corps. The Union attack
Wright's VI Corps struck Ramseur's line, pushing it in.
forced Lee to recall the Light Division from its march
Wright's remaining divisions and XIX Corps broke the
towards Fort Harrison. The IX Corps under Maj. Gen. John
Southern line.
G. Parke moved up on Warren's left but did not make an
effective link with the V Corps flank. Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
The Confederates fell back to Waynesboro, Virginia. Brig.
was preparing to mount a counterattack, which came about
Gen. Alfred Torbert was sent into the Luray Valley with
4:30 and routed the IX Corps and forced one of its
6,000 cavalrymen to force his way through the 1,200
Confederate cavalrymen under Brigadier General Williams brigades to surrender. Warren, who had originally feared a
Wickham. Torbert was then supposed to move through the counterattack, now helped rally the broken IX Corps units
New Market and Luray Gap in Massanutten Mountain and and check Heth's attack and the fighting died down. Heth
come up behind Early and cut-off his retreat at Fisher's Hill. tried another flank attack the following day, which was
repulsed, as was a cavalry attack under Maj. Gen. Wade
Torbert fell back after making a token effort against
Wickham's force at Milford (present day Overall) and Early Hampton. On October 2 the Union position was reinforced
by Brig. Gen. Gershom Mott's division from the II Corps.
escaped.
Four Union Army enlisted men and one officer received the Mott spearheaded a Union attack that day, which was
aimed for the Boydton Plank Road. The attack easily
Medal of Honor in the action at Fisher's Hill.
overran Fort McRae but was checked before it reached the
Boydton Plank Road.