FIRST CALL
Joshua L. Chamberlain
Civil war round table
P.O. Box 1046, Brunswick, ME 04011
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
In this issue:
STEVE BUNKER, our March 12th Speaker
“Union Navy: The Life of a Shellback”
The United States could not
have won the Civil War without an
effective naval force and strategy. New
ships and technology would have been
useless, however, without the contributions of the common sailor.
Steve Bunker
maritime skills that would prove to be
decisive in saving the Union.
Drawn from the poorest and
most disadvantaged of backgrounds,
the common seaman often earned his
reputation. But with the advent of the
war for the Union, the Navy offered
sailors opportunities for riches and glory and New England had a deep well of
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Mini War on the
Great Lakes
By Jay Stencil
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A Chain of
Thunder by Jeff
Schaara
Book Review by
Arthur Banner
3,4
Booth’s
Appearances...
By Mike Bell
Sailors were not the most popular denizens of America's waterfront
towns. The "despised tars" of the Navy
and merchant service, while romanticized in historical lore, were thought of
as disorderly rowdies and drunken
trouble-makers.
Artifacts from Union Navy
Speaker:
Steve Bunker
On Thursday, March 12th, our
speaker, Steve Bunker, will provide an
overview of who "Jack" was, and the
times in which he lived. The talk will be
illustrated with the uniforms, tools and
artifacts of the sailor's life of the 1860s.
4,5
Announcements
/FYI
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Membership Info
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Next meeting info:
Thursday,
7:00 pm
March 12, 2015
Morrell Room
Curtis Memorial
Library, Brunswick
Speaker:
Steve Bunker
Weather
Cancellation:
If you have any Civil War or maritime items that need identification,
feel free to bring them.
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If driving conditions are
dangerous, the meeting
will be cancelled.
Watch Channels 6, 8,
and 13 for a meeting
cancellation.
FIRST CALL
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
Mini War on the Great Lakes, By Jay Stencil
Sources: A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman;
Wikipedia photo of John Yates Beall
to conduct raids at sea as a Privateer. Since he could keep
any prize money, he would receive no direct compensation from the Confederacy.
As the Civil War dragged on with no appreciable
end in sight, Jeff Davis was pursuing every possible angle
to tip the War’s outcome in favor of the South. Confederate efforts incorporated diplomacy and espionage with the
UK and other European countries in order to gain recognition, material support, and thus eventual victory.
Beall had thought of himself as a sea-going version of John Mosby. Unlike Mosby, however, he was soon
captured in late summer 1863 near Hampton Roads and
taken to Fort McKinley in Baltimore, MD as a Confederate
POW.
By May 1864, Beall was exchanged. He then
went to Richmond to present and complete his plans and
to offer his service as a Confederate raider in Canada and
the Great Lakes.
Since Canada, as part of the UK, was somewhat
sympathetic to the South, its border with the US offered
the potential for Confederate clandestine operations and
espionage, as well as refuge for Rebel operatives. But because of the British Neutrality Act, Jeff Davis knew that
diplomatic stakes were high between the Confederacy and
the UK. Any misstep might derail their tenuous relationship.
While on Lake Erie, he and his small crew captured the lake ferry, Philo Parsons, terrorizing the passengers. He also captured and scuttled the ferry, Island
Queen. This seizure was more problematic as there were
Federal Troops on board, and hand-to-hand fighting ensued. Those troops finally surrendered to Beall’s men.
Meanwhile, Beall was courteous to regular passengers and
let them go unmolested. One passenger apparently
offered Beall several thousand dollars in exchange for his
life, but Beall refused by explaining his mission was to harass the Union Forces, not civilians.
The various Confederate
covert schemes involved “Gentleman
Volunteer & Operative” John Yates
Beall (1835-1865). He was working
on a plan that would employ the use
of a warship on Lake Erie to wreak
havoc upon Union shipping and fortifications. His main objective would
be to raid the Federal prison on
Johnson Island off the north coast of
Ohio in order to free Confederate
POW’s. Since Beall had had earlier
experience conducting sea-going
John Yates Beall
raids against Union shipping on the
Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads, he considered himself up to the task. Confederate officials in Richmond concurred.
His next move was to try and take the Union Gun
Boat, USS Michigan. Unfortunately for Beall, his crew mutinied and backed out of the plan, which had to be
scrubbed. Beall managed to escape capture at that point,
but was later apprehended in early 1865. He was taken to
NY and put on trial by a military court for “spying and piracy”, and was then convicted and executed in February
1865.
Like the infamous St. Albans, VT raid by Confederates operating in Canada, Beall’s caper created not only a
scare for the Union, but also further eroded Confederate
relations with Great Britain, whose government was embarrassed by the event. Although unsuccessful, the “miniwar” on Lake Erie caused the Union valuable time and
money, not to mention manpower to counter the threat.
Had Beall been successful, the course of the war may have
been altered, or at least extended.
At the beginning of the war Beall had been
wounded in his lungs while in the CSA Army (Bolt’s Grays,
Company G, and 2nd VA Infantry) and he could no longer
serve in that capacity. He decided to move to Canada in
1862 to start a business, which did not last. Meanwhile he
became interested in assisting the Confederate Navy regardless of the risk to his health. By September 1863, Navy Secretary, Steven Mallory, first authorized him to operate in U.S. waters, and later in Canada and the Great Lakes
region. This led to his commission (but not command) to
supply his own ships, recruit his own men, so named “The
Confederate Volunteer Coast Guard” (Beall’s Party*), and
*Note: Look for a future article involving Scotsman, Bennet Graham Burley, part of “Beall’s Party”.
By Jay Stencil
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FIRST CALL
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
A Chain of Thunder, by Jeff Shaara
Book Review by Arthur Banner
Bruinsburg and then moves between two Confederate
armies, one led by Johnston and the other by Pemberton.
He defeats the enemy at Jackson, Champion Hill and Big
Black River, all with the intent of protecting his rear as he
prepares to attack Vicksburg Itself. His attacks on Vicksburg fail and he eventually settles on a prolonged siege
which results in the surrender of the city.
In this book Jeff Sharra tells the compelling story
of the Battle of Vicksburg, and its effects on both the
attackers and defenders. Although it is a fascinating read,
there is something unsettling about the notion that the
story might not be entirely true. Shaara designates this
book as a novel, but he is in fact, mistaken. Novels are
based on fabrications, told in such a convincing way, that
the reader comes to believe that the stories are true.
However, Shaara insists that this book is the product of
meticulous research drawn from original sources,
“accounts of the people who were there”. He pleads that
his story is as accurate as he could make it. Thus it is
more appropriate to describe this work as creative nonfiction, a literary form that is factually based but with a
story that is imaginatively told, employing literary techniques, such as backstory and character development.
Such techniques further the plot and clarify the meaning
of the story. Whether this genre allows for manufactured
dialogue remains controversial, but its acceptability requires transparency by the author. Shaara admits to some
manufactured dialogue, but insists that the voices and
points of view are authentic. Not all will feel comfortable
embracing this literary form, and will miss an omniscient
point of view, necessary for comprehending overall strategies. For those not bothered by the tunnel vision of the
characters, one can expect to be rewarded with an intimate portrayal of events, almost as if he were there himself.
Although
we
read the book for the
story, it is the characters
that hold our interest
and actually drive the
plot. Each of the chapters in this book is entitled by the name of an
individual,
some
of
whom are Southerners
and others Northerners.
The first chapter introduces us to Lucy Spence,
a citizen of Vicksburg
who was an actual person, but is unknown to
the reader. Lucy Spence
is developed from the inside out. We know how she
thinks and we care about her. Lucy Spence is the most
important character of the book, the protagonist if you
will. She is the love interest as well. Like Scarlett O’Hara
in Gone with the Wind, her romance is a fantasy. Her lover, who exists mainly in her mind, does not remember her
when she finally confronts him at the end of the book.
She becomes a symbol of the South, its fantasies and its
ultimate confrontation with the reality of history.
The plot is actually quite straightforward, but the
events are difficult to follow. The story that Shaara tells is
told through the eyes of the characters and thus the strategies and events are obscured by the fog of war. The
Vicksburg campaign actually begins close to a year before
the book begins. At that time, Farragut attempts to take
the city from the river, but his fleet is subjected to merciless bombardment by the enemies’ guns. He presciently
comes to realize that that Vicksburg can only be defeated
by boots on the ground. It is that strategy that is adopted
by the North and it is those efforts that are described in
this book.
An equally important character is Pemberton, the
general defending Vicksburg. We know the least about
him initially, but the character is fully developed as the
plot ensues. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of the book,
the man who gets no respect. He is uncertain of himself,
but is ever in search of some glory to compensate for the
fact that he was not an authentic Southerner. He never
achieves his goal as the other characters mistrust him and
are convinced that he sold them out.
Grant initiates his strategy by dispatching Colonel
Grierson and his cavalry on a long distance raid between
La Grange, Tennessee, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in an
effort to disrupt the Confederate supply lines. At the
same time, he crosses the Mississippi below Vicksburg at
Continued on Page 4
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FIRST CALL
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
Book Review: A Chain of Thunder (Continued from Page 3)
The major historical figures are poorly developed,
as if the author knows better than to tamper with wellknown historical personalities. On the Southern side,
there is Johnston the Southern antagonist to Grant. He
appears as a no-nonsense individual that rejects the romantic vision of Vicksburg and so urges Pemberton to
abandon it. On the Northern side are Sherman and Grant.
As with Johnson, they are poorly developed and remain
two-dimensional characters. They symbolize the determination of the North to preserve the Union at all costs.
house. “Honor answering honor,” Chamberlain wrote.
The notion of reconciliation and the shared experience
becomes the meaning of the war. The shared experience
is emblemized by the equestrian statue of Lee at Gettysburg. He faces Hancock across the field of battle, a tragedy waiting to happen.
To render history by telling a story is an especially
powerful technique. We remember stories, are affected
and ultimately transformed by them. Instead of digesting
factoids of the battle, our thoughts are focused on how
this battle affected people and what it must have been like
to be there. As far as the characters are concerned, we
like some and dislike others, but we cannot forget them.
We will never regard Vicksburg in the same way again, as
a distant and poorly understood military campaign. We
feel that we were actually at Vicksburg. We have become
transformed and that is the function of effective storytelling.
After all is said and done, the most important
character in the book is Vicksburg itself. The city serves as
a symbol of the defiant South, proud but tragic. Although
the capture of Vicksburg is envisioned to have major strategic consequences, it fails to do so, and its significance is
more symbolic than substantive. The defenders suffer
humiliation and defeat, but are then befriended by the
victors who come to their rescue and save them from starvation. This is a theme that would be played out again at
Fort Hudson, and more importantly at Appomattox Court-
By Arthur Banner
BOOTH’S APPEARANCES BEFORE LINCOLN’S ASSASSINATION, By Mike Bell
The sad events of mid-April 1865 are known
to all. Students of the Lincoln assassination are well
aware of the numerous schemes that John Wilkes
Booth and his confederates had concocted to kidnap
the President and spirit him away to the southern
capitol. And many have seen the photos taken at the
inaugural in March of 1865, and the image of a man
who looks a great deal like Booth standing in the
crowd near the platform.
and involved in the ceremonies that day. A Capitol
policeman was watching and aided French in keeping
the man at bay. The man, with black hair and a black
mustache, had a fierce look in his eye and was insisting that he had every right to be there. Once Lincoln was safely outside, the man was released and he
went on his way. It was John Wilkes Booth.
As Booth plotted to kidnap and then later kill
President Lincoln, he cast a wide net of conspirators
and would-be helpers. He was quite good at leaving
a paper trail to try and connect people to his
schemes. Indeed, the day of the assassination, Booth
left a note for Vice President Johnson that clearly was
an attempt at guilt by association.
There were two instances documented by
historians that make this whole sad affair even more
bizarre.
On that March 4th, as President Lincoln
made his way out of the Capitol Building to the East
Front to be sworn in for his second term, there was a
commotion behind the presidential party as it moved
through the area. A man burst through the crowd
and was restrained by Benjamin Brown
French. French was Commissioner of Public Buildings
Booth was friends with a fellow actor named
John Matthews. In mid-March, Matthews was
renting the back bedroom at the Peterson House
Continued on Page 5
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FIRST CALL
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
Adopt-a-Speaker
Booth’s Appearances…(Continued from Page 4)
across from Ford’s Theater. Booth was well known in
this area of the city and even got his mail at Ford’s. He
was seen in the area often. One day, Booth went to see
Matthews at his room and was let in when Matthews
was found to be out. When Matthews returned, he
found Booth waiting in his room, on the bed. A month
later Lincoln would die on this very bed. Booth later
tried to implicate Matthews and left a note that
Matthews later destroyed for fear of being connected to
the dark events of April.
These are just two events that foreshadowed
the night when the direction of the country was
changed.
Sources:
American Brutus, authored by Michael Kauffman and They
have Killed Papa Dead by Anthony Pitch are two recent works
that highlight the drama and complexities of the Lincoln assassination
By Mike Bell
The Board would like to keep annual dues for
membership in the JCCWRT at the current level, while
maintaining our high level of speakers’ presentations.
Please consider becoming a member of the "Adopt-ASpeaker Program”. You will be recognized in our
newsletter, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, let
us know.
Send your contribution to:
Treasurer at Chamberlain CWRT
PO Box 1046
Brunswick, Maine 04011
Or, give a check to the Treasurer, Ken McAfee, at a
meeting.
Below are the categories for your consideration:
General
$50.00
Lieutenant $40.00
Sergeant
$30.00
Corporal
$20.00
Private
$10.00
Other__________
FYI
2014-2015 CWRT OFFICERS
The February 2015 Meeting
was canceled due to a snow storm
President:
OPEN
Vice Pres.:
Mike Bell (624-2619)
Treasurer:
Ken McAfee (829-3251)
Secretary:
Jay Stencil (721-0235)
Board of Trustees:
Treasurer’s Report: Cash on Hand (including CD) as of
3/1/15: $ 3,128.42
Dan Cunningham (729-9520)
Bill Attick (726-4685)
Ron Kozlowski (725-4339)
LEGACIES OF THE CIVIL WAR
Deb Milite (865-6268)
Sponsored by Pejepscot Historical Society
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick
Al Prest (443-2296)
Sally Saunders (523-2433)
8:00 am to 3:30 pm
$30 for PHS members
$35 for non-members
Program Director:
Bill Attick
Public Relations:
Deb Milite
Special Projects:
Ron Kozlowski
Mtg. Stats, Raffle:
Dan Cunningham
Herman Holbrook
Space is limited—call 207-729-6606 to reserve your spot
Newsletter & Website:
CIVIL WAR BOOK CLUB:
Contact: Jay Stencil at 721-0235
5
[email protected]
for more information.
5
Nancy Stencil
Website:
joshuachamberlaincwrt.com
Email:
[email protected]
FIRST CALL
March 2015
Volume XXX, No 7
Membership Dues and Newsletter Information:
Dues are $25.00 per year ($35.00 family). Associate memberships for long-distance members are $15.00.
All membership dues include monthly e-newsletter.
Sign up at monthly meetings or by mail addressed to:
Chamberlain Civil War Round Table
P.O. Box 1046
Brunswick, ME 04011-1046
Please fill out this form and return
Type of Dues:
with your payment to:
New Member______ Renewal Member_______(with newsletter via e-mail)
Chamberlain CWRT
P.O. Box 1046
Brunswick, ME 04011-1046
Individual $25 _____ Family $35 _____ Associate $15_____ Student $15 ____
Battlefield Preservation Fund donation enclosed $________
(Note: CWRT Match to be capped at $120 for the fiscal year)
For CWRT use only___________
Please make check payable to: Chamberlain CWRT. You will be notified when your membership is due for renewal.
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“The Civil War is the crux of our history. You cannot understand any part of our past, from the convening of
the Constitutional Convention, down to this morning, without eventually arriving at the Civil War.”
Bernard de Voto
Joshua L. Chamberlain
Civil War Round Table
P.O. Box 1046
Brunswick, ME 04011-1046
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
joshuachamberlaincwrt.com
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