The Newsletter of the Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable Vol. XLXVIII No. 4 December 2011 446th Regular Meeting The display of Memorabilia and Show & Tell allows members to share items of special interest and their stories related to their acquisition and historical significance. It is also a time to sit back, relax and munch on a few holidays treats. (members are encouraged to bring holiday cookies or treats) Those scheduled to present are our "usual suspects" group", Gale and Lyn Pewitt, Roger Bohn and Don Sender. Gale will show items found metal detecting, "found in the South from the War of Northern Aggression". He will tell us about his successes and disappointments. Metal detecting is much like fishing, except you are not required to clean your catch. His presentation is entitled "Button, Buckles and Bullets" Lyn will describe finding more roots of her family tree, courtesy of Stonewall Jackson, she will also bring "The Gettysburg Gourd" which is a gourd with a carved map of the Battle of Gettysburg. Over the years they have shared their artifacts and acquisitions along with their entertaining stories. If you wish to participate, just bring your items to the meeting. December also means the election of officers. Those kind hearted volunteers who are willing to serve include: President: Jan Rasmussen; Vice-President: Rob Girardi; Secretary: Rick Zarr; Treasurer: Jean Cairns; Board Members: Gil Mitchell, Chuck Kurtz, Art Foley and Tony Cichantk Since we cannot function without the help of our support staff, Stephen Munier will continue as webmaster extraordinaire, Jenny Warner will continue as newsletter editor and archivist. Len Overcash will continue as Preservation Reporter. Mary Lord will continue as Oak Trace liaison and meeting hostess. Cindy Intravartolo will continue as "long distance historian" and lastly Roger Bohn will continue to create the speaker plaques for each meeting, coordinate the banquet and perform other behind the scene tasks for which we are eternally grateful. As always nominations and volunteers will be accepted prior to the meeting and from the floor. If you are unable to serve, please continue to support us with your attendance. The Outpost DATE: Friday, December 16, 2011 PLACE: Oak Trace, Downers Grove IL 60516 Same Location only name has changed TIME: 8:00 p.m. TOPIC: Memorabilia and Show Tell NOVEMBER MEETING BY JAN RASMUSSEN On Friday November 18, 2011 thirty four members and guests attended the Salt Creek Civil War Round Table's 20th annual auction for Battlefield Preservation at the Glen Ellyn History Center. The attendees were entertained by the quick witted auctioneer team of Jerry Feinstein, Dan McCarthy and Rob Girardi. Their extremely knowledgeable commentary included numerous humorous one-liners that kept the festivities light. Besides items for auction there were tables of books and items for sale including a bargain table of miscellaneous audio and video materials. Sales from the evening totaled $1,094. A special thank you to Weldon Johnson and the Glen Ellyn History for allowing us to meet at the center at no charge. We appreciate their support in this event. Many thanks to Weldon Johnson, Rick Zarr, Roger Bohn, Jan Rasmussen, Rob Girardi and Gil Mitchell for their excellent set-up job. And many thanks also to Jean Cairns assisted by Sharon Maher at check out table. So whether you donated an item or two or purchased a few to take home, your participation in this event is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and Happy Holidays! PRESERVATION REPORT BY LEN OVERCASH SR. A drive along Thompson Lane in west Murfreesboro these days will reveal the new stone entrance to the Stones River National Battlefield. It’s a new entrance to an old story, one that weaves together the fabric of local history, history that we’re proud to call ours and share with the many tourists who visit our community each year. Franklin city leaders will explore whether they can rewrite the conservation easement limiting what can and can’t happen at its Civil War themed park in an effort to collect more money for the city. Whether they’re actually allowed to change that original 2005 agreement remains an unknown. Yet at least one alderman is pushing for a change because of what she says it might mean to the city and some of its unfinished parks’ fortunes' Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has appointed four new members to the Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission, whose purpose is to coordinate the management of the park and the Battlefield Historic District with local jurisdictions. Established by Public Law 101-377 in August 1990, the Advisory Commission is composed of eleven members representing the Borough of Gettysburg and each of the four townships surrounding the park, one member representing Adams County government, one member representing the State Historic Preservation Office, two members who are Adams County residents, and one member with expertise in local historic preservation. All members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The park superintendent, representing the Director of the National Park Service, serves as the eleventh member. A native of Vermont, Eugene Cruickshank has found himself with an unusual hobby since he moved to Georgia from the northeast; he’s now the caretaker of a small plot of Confederate-era graves tucked behind his home. Cruickshank, a retired U.S. Marine who served in Korea and Vietnam, says he found the cemetery on a ridge while clearing thick brush behind his home near Comer, a rural town about 17 miles northeast of Athens. Source: Civil War Interactive Victory at Franklin The Trust Reaches its Fundraising Goal for "Walthall's Advance" Property In September of this year, the Civil War Trust announced a new campaign with the Save the Franklin Battlefield Trust to save 5 acres of the Franklin Battlefield. This field, one of the last undisturbed portions of the battlefield, witnessed some of the most harrowing action of the Civil War. Coming under fire from entrenched Union troops just 750 yards to their front, many of the Confederates who stepped onto this field surely took their last breath here. Now, on the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, I am proud to announce that, thanks to your generosity, we have reached our fundraising goal for this tract. Thanks to you, this section of the battlefield will now be preserved for all the future generations to come. More land to save We have the opportunity to save 285 acres of the Gaines' Mill battlefield -- the very ground that James Longstreet's men charged through on June 27, 1862 in their bloody assault. Victory here will increase the preserved land at Gaines' Mill by 400%! We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal for 141 prime battlefield acres on the Perryville Battlefield. Help us reach our $181,250 goal which in turn will allow us to save land around the Squire Bottom House. Source: Civil War Trust ALL FOR THE UNION Oct. 2011 thru March 20, 2012 Stephen A. Douglas Exhibit Kenosha Civil War Museum www.thecivilwarmuseum.org January 4, 2012 Leslie Goddard will present “Clara Barton” for the Glen Ellyn Kiwanis January 11, 2012 Bruce Allardice will speak on “The 10 Worst CW Generals” Homewood Flossmoor Library UPCOMING CIVIL WAR EVENTS DECEMBER 20. 2011 LINCOLN DAVIS CWRT "Civil War Ghosts" Speaker: Richard Crowe Country House Restaurant Alsip, IL Lincolndavis roundtable@yahoo.com JANUARY 4, 2012 KANKAKEE CWRT "Illinois in the Civil War " Speaker: Robert Girardi Kankakee Public Library, Kankakee, IL JANUARY 6, 2012 NORTHERN ILLINOIS CWRT "Battlefield Medicine: Civil war Compared to World War II: Speaker: Ed Bearss Arlington Hts. Memorial Library 500 N. Dunton www.nicwrt.freehostia.com JANAUARY 13, 2012 CHICAGO CWRT "Chickamauga" Speaker: Parker Hills Holiday Inn Mart Plaza Chicago 350 North Orleans Street Dinner 6:30 p.m. (630) 460-1865 to make reservations chicagocwrtdinner@earthlink.net JANUARY 26, 2012 SOUTH SUBURBAN CWRT "Seeing the Elephant: Re-enacting the Civil War Speaker: Brian Conroy ED & JOES'S PIZZA 17332 South Oak Park Avenue Tinley Park, IL russelltarvid@hotmail.com FUTURE SCCWRT MEETINGS January 20, 2012 Art Foley/ "James Blunt" February 17, 2012 “Mary Chestnut” Speaker: Leslie Goddard March 16, 2012 “Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason Speaker: Dan Van Haften April 20, 2012 “Lincoln Assassination Theory” Speaker: Richard Crowe May 18, 2012 TBA THE SALTCREEK CWRT www.saltcreekcwrt.org President: Jan Rasmussen Vice-President: Rob Girardi Treasurer: Jean Cairns Secretary: Rick Zarr Historian: Cindy Intravartolo Meeting Liason: Mary Lord Newsletter Editor: Jennie Warner Newsletter Staff: Len Overcash Sr, Rick Zarr, Jan Rasmussen Webmaster: Stephen Munier