Call
to
arms
October 2012
Volume III, Issue 8
The Newsletter of the Brunswick Civil War Round Table
Inside this
Issue
The President’s
Corner
President’s
Message
1
Wally Rueckel
Charen Fink
2
Well, our new program year is off and running in high gear. Tom
O’Donnell and, I along
with your Officers and
Directors, want to thank
you for showing your
support for our Round
Table and being part of a
tremendous success story.
In just over two years we
have grown to over 440
members and one of the
largest, if not the largest,
Round Table in the country.
Our September speaker,
Robert E L Krick's talk
was about the last days of
General JEB Stuart. It was
that and more. Without
notes or slides, and an
audience of 239, he covered the battle that took
JEB’s life, but along the
way Bobby also chronicled the birth of a new
powerful role for the cavalry personified by
JEB. Bobby also introduced us to the emergence
the Union’s cavalry leader
and JEB Stuart’s nemesis,
General Phil Sheridan.
The program really was
about the dramatic
changes that had taken
place in how battles were
fought using the cavalry
as a proactive force and
the to key officers responsible for these changes.
At our October meeting
we will take a look at another side of the war, the
daring exploits and critical support women played
both as soldiers and spies
for both the Union and the
Confederate cause.
Charen Fink, our speaker,
is a director and newsletter co-editor for our
Round Table and a frequent speaker at many
historical societies and
Civil War Round Tables.
You should read the arti-
cle in this newsletter for a
more complete discussion
of her background and
experience. You will be
impressed.
With our large membership we are always looking for volunteers to handle the numerous support
roles from officers/
directors, committee
chairs, set/clean up before
and after the meeting, and
numerous other roles.
Our current hot button
need is someone to take
over the planning and
organizing of our semiannual trips. Mike Powell
has done a wonderful job
over the last two years but
would like to focus his
energies in other Round
Table roles. If you are
interested in taking over
our trip planning please
see Mike, Norm, or myself.
Special Notice 2
150 Years Ago 3
Membership/
Renewal
Form
Last Meeting
Synopsis
3
4
Ladies’ Dept. 5
National
Flags
6
Open For
Discussion
7-8
Co-Editors
Charen Fink
Jim McKee
Mike Powell
O CTOBER 2012
Next Speaker
P AGE 2
Charen Fink TO SPEAK
ABOU T CIVIL WAR WOMEN
Brunswick Civil War Round
Table is especially pleased to announce that its special returning
speaker on October 2nd will be our
own Charen Fink. Her topic is
“Civil War Women at War.”
The importance of women in
the Civil War is often underestimated. From the daring adventures
and the critical support roles they
played to support their armies, to
those who actually became spies
for both the North and the South,
women were big players during
that historic time. The men may
have fought the battles and made
the headlines, but women made
vital contributions affecting the
events and eventual outcome of the
war. Attend the October 2nd meeting and learn of their significance
and even unconventional and behind-the-scenes influence.
Charen Fink, R.N., M.Ed., and
living history interpreter will be
making her presentation in period
dress. She is an avid Civil War
historian and presenter for over 20
years; a volunteer for the National
Park Service; writer for several
Civil War Round Table newsletters, including the BCWRT; has an
impressive list of organization affiliations; and, we must add, she is
a Master Gardener!
The Tuesday, October 2nd
Round Table meeting will be held
at Trinity United Methodist
Church, 209 E. Nash St., Southport, across from the Post Office.
Registration begins at 6:30pm.
Everyone is welcome. The admission fee for guests is $5 which can
be applied toward the $25 annual
membership fee for adults and couples. There is no fee for students.
As a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, most of the dues and fees
collected go toward inviting the
most renowned and knowledgeable
historians covering a variety of
subjects relating to the Civil War
period to both educate and entertain near capacity audiences every
month.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE MEMBERSHIP
After two years in establishing the Brunswick Civil War Round Table, the officers and Board (9 members), and the
advisors (3 members) have recently evaluated this organization. The membership should be made aware that certain changes have been decided on as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Basic membership fees for individuals and couples will remain at $25.00 and will not change prior to January
1, 2013, if then;
Students will be welcomed free of charge effective immediately;
A $5.00 admission fee will be charged all guests, effective September 4, 2012.
Subsequently it may be necessary to charge guests a higher fee when there is an especially renowned speaker
or when travel arrangements become more expensive.
The RT has the following stated objectives:
1. To promote knowledge and understanding of the complex Civil War Era through programs, travel, and the
Newsletter;
2. To support the development and preservation of Civil War sites. (This group has adopted Fort Anderson as it
primary site.)
Pursued in various ways, some obvious and some less so, these efforts vary as to the monthly cost of speakers,
venues, programs, and publicity. With this in mind, we propose to establish two categories of elective, tax-free
giving which would secure our finances in light of unknown future changes. The proposed categories reflect our
purposes. One category will be for programs and the other for Historic Site preservation.
The membership may be assured that due diligence is given to all RT finances and other affairs.
O CTOBER 2012
News of Note
P AGE 3
BRUNSWICK CIVIL
WAR ROUND TABLE
Membership Application and Renewal
The Brunswick Civil War Round Table usually meets on the first Tuesday of each
month, except during July and August. Most meetings will be held in the Southport
area. Specific locations will be announced in advance, either at meetings, in the newsletter, via email, or on our web site. (brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com)
Annual dues are $25.00 for individuals and couples, students are free of charge. Nonmembers pay $5.00 per visit, which can be applied to membership. Please make
checks payable to: B. C. W. R. T. Payments for renewal memberships should be made
on the anniversary of your initial membership. Forms and checks for membership
or renewal can be given to those at the registration desk, at the meetings, or send to:
BCWRT, P. O. Box 10161, Southport, NC. 28461
NAME(S):________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:_______________________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP:________________________________________________________
PHONE:_______________________CELL:____________________________________
EMAIL:__________________________________________________________________
If you would like to make a donation to help BCWRT in its historical preservation
work or to assure that we continue to get the best speakers possible please complete
boxes below.
Speakers and programs:
Amount $________
Battlefield preservation:
Amount $________
Recognition may be acknowledged in our communications should you wish.
150 YEARS AG O –October 1862
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
October 2– Lincoln visits McClellan at his headquarters near Sharpsburg, MD
October 3-4– Battle of Corinth, MS
October 8– Battle of Perryville (Chaplin Hills), KY
October 9-12– JEB Stuart raids into Pennsylvania
October 11– USS Maratanza damaged by Confederate battery near Cape Fear River (Oak Island?)
October 23– Bragg’s army escapes from Buell’s Federal army in Kentucky.
October 24– Gen. William Rosecrans replaces Gen. Don Carlos Buell as commander in KY & TN.
October 29– Landing Party from USS Ellis (Lt. William Barker Cushing) destroyed large salt works at New
Topsail Inlet.
October 30– Rear Adm. Samuel Du Pont issued a general order which provided that, on capture of foreign
vessels attempting to run the blockade, “the flag of the country to which they belong must be
worn until their cases are adjudicated. The American flag will be carried at the fore to indicate
that they are, for the time, under charge of United States officers.
O CTOBER 2012
Speaker Synopsis
J.E.B. Stuart’s Last Ride
Bobby Krick you are not
only the voice for all things
Civil War in the Richmond
area but also an accomplished
wordsmith. Using nothing but
a two-sided map to guide us,
we, your audience, were
“fascinated” by both your
knowledge base and smooth
delivery detailing JEB’s last
ride. Readers, if you were
there you heard this fascinating
fact: On the hurried trip to
Yellow Tavern, he stopped
to see his wife and two
children.
Without dismounting, a very hungry
JEB ate a vegetable offering. He then leaned down
and kissed Flora both hello
and goodbye ---for the
very last time. He was a
master of reconnaissance
and “invented” cavalry
raids. Ironically, he was
mortally wounded by a
Union private frantically
retreating from an unsuccessful Northern raid. The
man simply aimed at a
very large, very determined
red-bearded mounted Confederate officer about 10-30 yards
away. Stuart’s wound was
mortal and he died the next
day. Lee considered JEB. to be
almost a son and trusted in
both his eyes and ears.
(History softens criticism regarding has absence at Gettysburg). Don’t think for one minute, Bobby admonishes us, the
South had no will to fight! He
likens a tangle with Stuart’s
P AGE 4
By Dan Fink
2800 men to be not unlike
“poking at a copperhead.”
Sheridan’s 12,000 infantry
allow him to boastfully say: “If
headquarters would stay out of
it, I can whip Stuart out of his
boots any day I choose!” Mead
relays this to Grant who calls
Sheridan’s bluff. He said: “So
let him start right out and do
it.”
More fascinating facts ap-
counters for the first time in
Civil War history –primitive
but effective land mines. A
swashbuckling George Custer
has his cavalry there – they are
mistaken for a bunch of
“Turtles.” History does not
record his response.
May 12, 1864 ends this fascinating 15 day raid finally
proving the North has a real
cavalry. JEB’s final whispered
pear. Stuart frantically asks
Braxton Bragg to send help
from Richmond. He answers”:
“He would rather not.” Why
are we not surprised? Stuart’s
mass aggressiveness causes his
final battlefield words to be:
“Go back, go back, do your
duty, I’d rather die than be
whipped!” Sheridan DOES
carry this day but knows he
can’t capture and hold Richmond so he heads for a flooded
Chickahominy Creek and en-
words are: “God’s will be
done.” Bobby ends with this
famous Robert E. Lee quote: “I
can hardly think of him without weeping openly.” On that
day, Lee lost his greatest Cavalry Officer. He is buried in
Hollywood Cemetery –Just 31
years old. A huge statue, in
his honor, is placed on Monument Avenue in Richmond.
(By the way, if you were there,
you can identify that veggie.)
O CTOBER 2012
Ladies’ Department By Charen Fink
Women Hairdressers
For the more ornate styles seen
for evening and formal occasions
required the skills of a hairdresser. The 1860’s was the
“decade of the chignon”. Most
styles used false hair and focused
on the back of the head. False hair
pieces came in many shapes and
sizes and required a professional
to apply them.
Some terminology associated with
these hairpieces is:
Rats—long frizetts of curled hair
for the side rolls
Mice—are the small ones above
the rats
Cat—is for the roll laid over the
top of the head
Cataract—is for the chignon at the
back of the head
Men were most often associated
with this profession those ladies,
even without formal training, used
their talents to become professional hairdressers.
Chambermaids in hotels earned extra
money working on hotel guests.
Hours were from 8am to dark.
One man advertised his having
studied diseases of the hair and
has all the curative remedies
available in his possession. This
same person even offered to service the ladies at their residences.
Another gentleman advertised
himself as a Wig Maker. Some
had a Hair-Dressing Saloon for
the ladies, and a Shampooing and
Hair-Cutting Saloon for Children
attached to the store. It only took
two weeks of practice for a good
hairdresser to be considered an
expert. They had to learn complicated style, weaving, and mounting which may take two years to
perfect. Stylists may go daily to
the homes of steady customers for
a charge of $1 to $1.50. In the
saloon the cost was $.50 to $1.50,
$.75 to shampoo with a simple
style. Shampooing was usually
done in the summer for 50 cents.
(Continued next month)
What is Not Proper at a
Reenactment?
I
Zippers and Velcro closures
on ladies’ dresses
I Inappropriate undergarments (underpinnings) and no
support for the garment
I Modern shoes & stocking,
or striped stockings
I Hat instead of a bonnet or
bonnets from another time
period
I Umbrella instead of a parasol which usually are smaller
I Plastics and anything modern
I Women smoking cigarettes
I Women who are loud and
boisterous
Trivia Facts
I
When U.S. Grant asked
Julia Dent’s father permission for her hand in marriage,
her father offered her
younger sister, Ellen, instead.
Ulysses and Julia were married anyway on August, 22
1848.
I Many amputated arms and
legs from the Civil War were
sent to medical colleges for
teaching purposes.
I The Average Union soldier
carried about 50 pounds of
equipment and clothing,
which cost the federal government roughly $42 per person in 1861.
I Many underage youths
slipped into military service
on both sides by signing on
as volunteer musicians and
P AGE 5
then later shifting into service
as soldiers.
References
Bauersmith, Anna Worden.
“Enough is Enough”. The Citizens’ Companion, Volume XVIIINo. 5, Jan./Feb.2012, 37-39.
Topping, Elizabeth. “Hairwork:
On the Head and Off”. The Citizens’ Companion, Volume XVIIINo. 7, August/September 2012,
pgs. 15-18.
West Side Publishers, eds. Civil
War, Untold Tales of the Blue and
Gray. West Side Publishers. 2008.
O CTOBER 2012
Open For Discussion
P AGE 6
National flag s of
the civil war
There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies & the stars represent the states. Three stars
were added to “Old Glory” during the war.
1861, Kansas, 34
1863, West Virginia, 35
1864, Nevada, 36
The first official flag of the Confederacy was adopted on
March 4, 1861, the “Stars and Bars” . It appears to have
not had a recorded vote. It appears in many variations
with stars ranging from 7 to 15 stars.
Because of its similarity to the Stars and Stripes, the Stars
and Bars were replaced with the Second National, also
called the Stainless Banner on May 1, 1863.
Because it could be mistaken for a flag of truce, the
Stainless Banner was modified to include a red bar on the
fly on March 4, 1865. This was called the “Blood Stained
Banner”.
Open For Discussion...
The “Glorious Fourth” refers to July 4, 1863. Vicksburg surrenders that day and it is evident
that the Army of the Potomac has defeated the vaunted Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg. Many consider this to be the turning point of the war, but was it? In the Western Theater
it was all but a given that Vicksburg would fall, but in the Eastern Theater what would have
happened if Gettysburg had not occurred. So think back two months to May 2, 1863 and the
wounding of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson at Chancellorsville. If not for his subsequent death
Lee may not have waited another month to advance north nor would he have had to reorganize
his army into three Corps with two questionable commanders. Was the death of “Stonewall”
Jackson the turning point of the Civil War?
Bonus points if anyone can name the only Southern States that
flew the Third Confederate National Flag, “The Blood Stained
Banner.”
O CTOBER 2012
Call To Arms
P AGE 7
THE NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY,
October 2, 2012
The Brunswick Civil War Round Table is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization that
meets on the first Tuesday of each month, except July and August. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held at:
Trinity United Methodist Church
209 E. Nash St.
Southport, NC 28461
Registration is open at 6:30 pm and the program starts at 7:00pm.
2012 BCWRT Officers, Directors, Advisors
Wally Rueckel: President & Director
Mike Powell: Vice President & Director
Marv Hamer: Vice President & Director
Bob Benedict: Treasurer & Director
Norm Praet: Secretary & Director
Tom O’Donnell: Director & Advisor
Charen Fink: Director
Chuck Roedema: Director
Max Williams: Director
Jim McKee: Advisor
Jack Carpenter: Advisor
Robert Clarke: Advisor
Check Us Out on the
Web
The Brunswick Civil War Round Table's website is now up and running. The BCWRT
website can be found under brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com or brunswickcivilwarroundtable.org. All of the information on the website is available to everyone except for the
newsletter - Call to Arms. which is available to members. Your username and password is
required to view the newsletter. Be sure to check out the list of presenters already lined up
for our 2012/2013 year. There is also information on current Round Table sponsored trips
and write-ups on trips already taken. Be sure to check out the Links page for other organizations involved in the Civil War.
Members should have received an email with their login information including username
and password. Everyone's default password is their email address. Junk mail filters will
likely impede the delivery of many of those emails. If you did not receive this e-mail please
check your spam folder first. For the people who did not received the e-mail due to incorrect or no e-mail address provided to the club, please contact Kathy O'Donnell at [email protected].
The website is updated frequently so please keep checking in on us.