The Outpost The Newsletter of the Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable Vol. XLVI No. 4 December 2008 416th Regular Meeting DATE: 5th December 2008 PLACE: Fairview Village, 200 Village Dr., Downers Grove, Il. TIME: 8:00 PM SPEAKER: Various TOPIC: Memorabilia Display/ Show and Tell As we swing into the holidays, it seems particularly appropriate that we take a step back and share with others those things of special interest and important, (to us), items of value, whether they be of spiritual, esthetic, historic, or monetary nature. The display of memorabilia used to be a regular feature of Salt Creek meetings, but we discovered that it worked better as an occasional fill-in for those sometimes-awkward dates when the concerns of the 21st century tended to intrude a bit too forcefully( i.e. most Decembers). So, a time to sit back, relax, munch a few fine holiday treats-members are encouraged, but not required, to bring-and revel in viewing and/or touching the material remains of the era that we have all striven to study and of which we have sought to preserve the memory. Those scheduled to present and the items they are presenting are: Jerry Feinstein (Enfield Rifle), Roger Bohn (Springfield Model 51), Barney Bucholz (documents from Major Samuel B. Sherer of the 36th Illinois Volunteers), Don Sender (Sharps Rifle), Gale Pewitt (assortment of Civil War “stuff”), and Dan McCarthy ( Civil War photography collection). Anyone else who wishes to participate just bring your items to the meeting! NOVEMBER MEETING BY RICK BENSON The Annual Book Auction for Battlefield Preservation was held at the Glen Ellyn Historical Center on November 7, 2008. Roughly 40 members of the SCCWRT attended, along with a couple of employees of the Center. Prior to the auction, President Jan Rasmussen stated that the current officers and board of the roundtable had agreed to remain for another year. A most sincere “Thank You” goes out from the membership to all these individuals. At the commencement of the auction, Jan announced that a goodly portion of the offerings were donated by Mary O’Donnell, widow of former member Tom O’Donnell. Mary wanted these books to go to “individuals who would appreciate them”. As a way of showing our gratitude, Jan stated that the proceeds raised would be donated to the Civil War Preservation Trust in Tom’s name. We add a most sincere and heartfelt “Thank You” to Mary herself for her thoughtfulness and generosity. The auction itself was primarily conducted by Jerry Feinstein, ably assisted by Kevin Naughton, with Dan McCarthy selecting the items to be offered. There was a preponderance of items on Lincoln and Gettysburg. (Surprise! Surprise!Ed.). However, there were numerous other books also available and no CW subject lacked representation. Kevin’s innumerable appropriate “one-liners” helped move things along most swimmingly. The two employees of the Center got involved and made some purchases, (Thanks, Guys!-Ed.) and I can safely say that I did my part by leaving with several more books than I donated! At around 10:15 the auction had to be terminated as the facility had to close at 10:30. The remaining items were thrown open for whatever anyone was willing to pay. All told, $1,077 was paid, with expenses of $100 dollars for the room, total profit was $977. Special mention goes to several individuals: Cindy Intravartolo made a counted cross stitch picture in a Civil War theme for Rob Girardi, for which she would accept no payment, so Rob donated $100. Since Roger Bohn could not attend, he also donated $ 100. Many Thanks to the SCCWRT and all the individuals who made this evening such a huge success! All who love American History are in your debt! PRESERVATION REPORT BY LEN OVERCASH SR. KY-The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association (PBPA), a non-profit organization charged with preserving and interpreting Kentucky’s largest Civil War battleground, announced that Chris Kolakowski, Executive Director, was stepping down. When asked why he was leaving, Kolakowski cited a desire to return to the Federal Government. “I’ve always looked at myself as a historian first, and this opportunity will enable me to get back to more of a historic- interpretation centered job,” he added. Kolakowski became the PBPA’s Executive Director in November of 2005. Since that time, Perryville has preserved 152 acres of additional battlefield land, hosted the 2006 National Civil War Reenactment and embarked upon a variety of preservation, restoration, and interpretation projects at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site and on Merchant’s Row. In 2007, the PBPA won the Sixth Annual Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award, marking the organization as an elite preservation group in the United States. VA-A 209-acre field in the Shenandoah Valley where one of the fiercest battles of the Civil War was waged, will be preserved under a $3.35 public-private purchase agreement. The deal will create a 575-acre preserve that remains much as it was nearly 150 years ago when the Third Battle of Winchester was fought by tens of thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers. The purchase agreement…will be funded through a partnership among the Shenandoah Battlefields Foundation, the Civil War Preservation Trust, the State of Virginia, and private partners. The sale depends on raising $690,000 in private funds to reach the purchase price. The property, called Middle Field, was part of the Third Winchester battlefield. On Sept. 19, 1864, the Union’s 19th Corps lost 40 per cent of its men, and all of its regimental commanders were either killed or wounded. A fundraising campaign to complete the purchase is expected to be completed in May but, despite the purchase, only a fraction of the core area at Third Winchester has been protected. In the Shenandoah Valley, more than 17,000 acres of core battlefield land remains vulnerable to development. James Lighthizer, President of the Civil war Preservation Trust, said the 209 acres remain virtually untouched today. “This is a stage where a great event occurred,” he said in an interview. “It’s a place where people will come and imagine what happened here. They’re actually walking where these people walked.” Source: Clarksville Civil War Roundtable Newsletter. ALL FOR THE UNION Dr. Craig Symonds will be speaking at the Glen Ellyn Village Hall, 535 Duane St., Glen Ellyn on “Lincoln and His Admirals”. The date is 12/13/08. Time is 2:00-4:00 PM and admission at the door is $3. Call the Glen Ellyn Historical Society with any questions: 630-469-1867. Our own Vice-President, Rob Girardi will be speaking to the Kankakee Roundtable on 12/3/08 on the subject of Leonidas Polk and his violation of Kentucky neutrality in 1861. The location is the Kankakee Public Library, 3rd floor, and the time is 7:00PM Welcome to new member Juanita Payne of Bolingbrook. We all look forward to meeting her! EDITOR’S NOTES The next board meeting will be at the Fairview Village private dining room on 12/2/08 at 7:30 PM. Call Jan at 630830- 7614 with any questions. CALENDAR OF EVENTS January 2, 2009-Rick Benson-Henry Wirz. February 6-Brian Seiter-Canby vs. Sibley March 6-Ron Carlson-The Significance of the Civil War Trans- Mississippi in American History April 3-Charley Banks-Lincoln Funeral Train May 1-Len Overcash-45th Mississippi/ 3rd Battalion June 19-Annual Banquet meeting- Donna Daniels-“The Last Days of Mary Todd Lincoln” September 4-Art Foley-TBA October 2-TBA November 6-Annual Auction for Battlefield Preservation. December 4-TBA THE SALT CREEK CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE www.saltcreekcwrt.org President: Jan Rasmussen Vice-President: Robert Girardi Treasurer: Paula Walker Secretary: Rick Zarr Historian: Cindy Intravartolo Meeting Liaison: Mary Lord Newsletter Editor; Dan McCarthy, macarthaig@aol.com Newsletter Staff: Rick Benson, Rick Zarr, Len Overcash Sr.