19982016

VOLUMENO.18ISSUENO.9SEPTEMBER1,2016MCHENRYCOUNTY,ILLINOIS

MCCWRT DISCUSSION GROUP AT THE PANERA BREAD COMPANY 6000NORTHWESTHIGHWAY CRYSTALLAKE,ILLINOIS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 10:00A.M.–NOON

FAMOUS FAMILYS OF THE CIVIL WAR

SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 3 _____________________________

MCCWRT WELCOMES SUZANNE & JIM NICHOLS TO OUR MEMBERSHIP ROSTER

McHENRY COUNTY CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE NOW CELEBRATING EIGHTEEN YEARS SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND MCHENRY COUNTY SINCE IT’S FOUNDING AT UNION, McHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS SEPTEMBER 1998

HOW MANY SOLDIERS FOUGHT

DURING THE CIVIL WAR? At the beginning of the war the Northern states had a combined population of 22 million people. The Southern states had a combined population of about 9 million. This disparity was reflected in the size of the armies in the field. The Union forces outnumbered the Confederates roughly two to one.

UNITED STATES 2,128,948 SOLDIERS

CONFEDERATE STATES 1,082,119 SOLDIERS

MCCWRT PRESENTATION WOODSTOCK PUBLIC LIBRARY 414WESTJUDDSTREETWOODSTOCK,ILLINOIS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 7:00P.M.-9:00P.M. THE

PALMYRA MASSACRE

October 18, 1862 By Frank Crawford Union Colonel John McNeil orders the summary execution of 10 Confederate prisoners of war as retribution for the kidnapping of a pro-Union carpenter named Andrew Allsman. Allsman had gained a reputation for betraying his pro-Confederate neighbors, and his body is never found. Despite criticism for the vindictive massacre of Confederate prisoners, who had no connection to the Allsman abduction, McNeil continues in Union service and is promoted to the honorary rank of brevet major general of volunteers upon retirement

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KANKAKEE VALLEY

CWRT SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 GENEALOGY

AND THE CIVIL WAR

By Mike Cornwell

CHICAGO CWRT

SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 THE

C.S.S. HUNLEY By Steve Quick

SALT CREEK CWRT SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

BLACK HAWK WAR VETERANS

IN THE CIVIL WAR By Jerry Allen

LINCOLN/DAVIS CWRT

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 CIVIL WAR

MYTHS By Ed Bonekemper

SOUTH SUBURBAN CWRT

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 THE LIFE OF

ALONSO HERSFORD CUSHING

By Jim Heinz

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Civil War, soldiers celebrated by decorating their camp Christmas trees with hard-tack and salt-

pork and singing carols decorating their camp Christmas trees with After General William Sherman captured Savannah in December of 1864 their horses up like reindeer by attaching branches to their headgear and delivered food and supplies to hungry families in

Iron Brigade Chaplain:

The Story of Samuel and Catharine Eaton

By James Hibbard ___________________________ PLEASE NOTE!

THE MCCWRT TRIP TO

NEW ORLEANS LA. SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER

HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO FLOODING

______________________ MCCWRT PRESENTATION IN REVIEW August Meeting Presentation Amateurs at War Dave Noe spoke to the August meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Roundtable. His topic for the evening was the Philadelphia Home Guard. Finding a musket stamped “A Wurflein, Philadelphia” sparked Dave’s interest in the subject. This was probably the only city that raised its own force. He researched the records at Philadelphia’s City Hall, the Pennsylvania Historical Society, and also read newspapers from the period. When President Lincoln initially called for troops to suppress the rebellion most of the state militias joined the Federal army. However, the Pennsylvania Legislature authorized a Philadelphia Home Guard of up to 10,000 to protect the city. Dave believes their numbers never actually totaled more than about 6,000. Augustus J. Pleasanton, a Democrat and older brother of Alfred Pleasanton, was placed in charge of the Guard. The men were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

CWRT SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

THE IRON BRIGADE By Lance Herdegen

LAKE COUNTY

CWRT SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

BURNSIDE’S BRIDGE

By Frank Crawford

KENOSHA CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

SECOND FRIDAY LUNCHBOX

LECTURE SERIES FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016

NOON SLAVERY, SECESSION AND THE VOYAGE OF THE LADY ELGIN

By Brian Kangas

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2016, 9:30 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

THE 9TH ANNUAL CIVIL WAR FORUM HEROES TRIED AND

TRUE THE IRON BRIGADE

Registration 8:30am-9:30am, Program Begins 9:30am

Speakers and programs include:

Molding a Legend: The Iron Brigade and the Summer of 1862 Occupation of Fredericksburg,

Presented by Eric Mink

Black Hats Memories of Antietam Presented by Tom Clemens

Four Long Hours

Presented by Lance Herdegen

In my opinion, one of the most famous families of the American Civil War would be the Virginia based Robert E. Lee Family. Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), was the son of Henry Lee III, and probably the most famous member of the Lee family. He served as the Confederate General in Charge during the United States Civil War and was also President of Washington and Lee University, which was named for him and for George Washington. The University also houses Lee Chapel, the burial site of several members of the Lee family, as well as the Lee Family Digital Archive. General Robert E. Lee was married to Mary Anna Randolph Custis, who was a granddaughter of Martha Washington and also was Lee's third cousin once removed through Richard Lee II, fourth cousin through William Randolph, and third cousin through Robert Carter I. R. E. Lee's children included George Washington Custis Lee and William H. Fitzhugh Lee. Other Lee relations who were General Officers during the Civil War were: Fitzhugh Lee (Confederate Army), Samuel Phillips Lee (US Navy); Richard Lucian Page (Confederate Army and Navy); Edwin Gray Lee (Confederate Army),, Richard L. T. Beale (Confederate army), Maurice Thompson (Confederate Army), and William H. Thompson, also a member of the (Confederate Army).

Henry Lee III (1756–1818), known as "Light Horse Harry," was a Princeton graduate who served with great distinction under General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War, and was the only officer below the rank of General to receive the "Gold Medal," awarded for his leadership at the Battle of Paulus Hook in New Jersey, on 19 August 1779 He was Governor of Virginia from 1791–1794. Among his six children was Robert Edward Lee, later the famed Confederate general during the American Civil War Richard Henry Lee was a delegate to Continental Congress from Virginia and president of that body, 1774, later serving as president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation, and United States Senator from Virginia (1789–1792) under the new United States Constitution. Thomas Ludwell Lee (1730–1778) was a member of the Virginia Delegates and a major editor of George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), a precursor to the United States Declaration of Independence, which was signed by his brothers Richard Henry Lee (1732–1794) and Francis Lightfoot Lee (1734–1797). In the U.S., the Lee family began when Richard Lee I immigrated to Virginia from England and made his fortune in the tobacco Industry. The Lees first gained wider significance with Thomas Lee (1690–1750). He became a member of the House of Burgesses and later went on to found the Ohio Company. Richard Henry Lee, (1732–1794), was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and served as the president of the Continental Congress.

Richard Lee asserted descent from the Lees of Shropshire or Worcester and bore a coat of arms which was confirmed in 1660/1 by John Gibbon.

General W.T. Sherman & Son Willie

General Grant and Family

President Lincoln and Family

Amateurs at War (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2) Besides the locomotive and tender, several cars were designated for dignitaries as the train passed through their states. The actual funeral car was next to last in line and a car for carrying Union officers brought up the rear.

Besides the locomotive and tender, several cars were designated for dignitaries as the train passed through their states. The actual funeral car was next to last in line and a car for carrying Union officers brought up the rear.

The city, however, provided the arms and equipment. About 7,500 weapons were obtained (remember the Wurflein musket). Dave says there was actually an “Old Guard,” made up of older men who stayed in the city, and a “Young Guard” composed of younger men who could deploy elsewhere. In addition, Pennsylvania also created an “Emergency Militia” during Lee’s 2nd invasion of the North (Gettysburg). Dave stated that Pennsylvania could not compete with the bounties being paid by the Federal government. In fact, about 2000 men left the Home Guard to join the regular army. Peak enrollment in the Guard was reached in February, 1862. Neither the Home Guard or Emergency Militia achieved much of a record. They, at first, served as a guard at soldier funerals. Pleasanton did some good mapping which proved invaluable during the Gettysburg campaign. And, the Emergency Militia helped in the defense of Harrisburg during that same campaign. Dave stated that People lit Neither the Home Guard nor the Emergency Militia achieved much of a record. They, at first, served as a guard at soldier funerals. Pleasanton did some good mapping which proved invaluable during the Gettysburg campaign. And, the Emergency Militia helped in the defense of Harrisburg during that same campaign. The Home Guard was first called out during Lee’s earlier invasion of the North during the Antietam campaign. However, they did not take part in any of the battles. Battery B – The Keystone Battery, joined the Federal army just before the Gettysburg campaign, but did not fire a shot in anger. During this latter campaign the Guard was generally outnumbered and again compiled an “undistinguished record.” One wag referred to them as “700 civilians in soldiers’ suits.”

One assignment they were given was to guard a mile long bridge across the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg. They were ordered to hold it or destroy it. They wound up burning the bridge and in the process almost destroyed the entire town of Wrightsville. Ironically, the Confederates helped save the town. Another engagement they were involved in was the skirmish at Sporting Hill on June 30th. Captain Landis had ordered his artillerymen to hitch horses but the men didn’t know how. Lt. Perkins’ artillery came to the rescue of a New York regiment and saved the day by firing a shell into the Eberly House barn and driving the Confederates out . Later, Landis’s men took part in a brief fight at Carlisle, Pa. – the northernmost battle of the Civil War. During that battle, they lost 4 killed and 1 wounded but delayed Jeb Stuart by one, possibly crucial, day. The Guard also took part in the chase after Lee into Maryland. Eventually, remaining members of the Guard became part of the 6th Corps and the Guard eventually ceased to exist. Pleasanton returned to his successful law practice and lived until 1896. Bob Frenz

The American Civil War Was a war fought by the Northern and Southern states in the United States of America from 1861 to 1865. The Union faced secessionists from eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America. Period: April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865 First battle: Battle of Fort Sumter Last battle: Battle of Palmetto Ranch Combatants: United States of America Confederate States of America

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.mchenrycivil war.com DONALD PURN WEB MASTER THE CIVIL WAR REPORTER McHENRY COUNTY CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE NEWSLETTER KEITH FISHER EDITOR