The Outpost THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SALT CREEK CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE VOLUME XLIV No. 3 November 2006 395th Regular Meeting DATE: 17th November 2006 (Note Date!) PLACE: Lisle-Hilton (Note Location!) TIME: 8:00 P.M. SPEAKER: Many and Various TOPIC: “Annual Battlefield Preservation Auction” Ho! Ho! Ho! And Happy Holidays! Yes, it is that time again! Time to contemplate that special period of peace, joy, and goodwill by turning our thoughts to that horrific four -year conflict that began 145 years ago! Time to begin that frantic search for the perfect gift to present to the Civil War afficionado in our lives, (or perhaps something nice for ourselves!) Remember folks, IT’S ALL FOR THE BATTLEFIELDS! Those who have a long time attachment to the SCCWRT may well note that there is something more than a little odd about this proclamation, (besides the editor who pens it!). That something would be the date. Due to scheduling conflicts and other concerns far too tedious to recount in detail here, our usual meeting date has been moved to the 3rd rather than the 1st Friday of the month and, indeed, the month for this particular event has moved from December to November. Board members are still asked to supply festive treats, however. In fact, our board has made a virtue of necessity and has decreed that November will be the date for this event in perpetuity. This serves a second purpose of de-coupling the auction from the regrettable necessity of holding elections. In December, we will therefore be able to fix our entire attention on the vital business of choosing our leaders for the coming year! If you have a sacrificial vict…er, bold leader, in mind, please be sure they will accept the honor, (I’ve found a couple of martinis helps!) and submit their name to any officer or board member. 1 OCTOBER MEETING BY CINDY INTRAVARTOLO On October 6, Bill Hupp presented, “Battles for the Border States: Virtual Tours of the Battles of Wilson’s Creek and Perryville,” before 47 members and guests at the 394th regular meeting of the Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable. This presentation was unique to the roundtable in that it was the first of its kind delivered via the Internet. On August 10, 1861, at Wilson’s Creek, the allegiance of the State of Missouri was determined in a sharp fight that claimed the life of the Union commander, General Nathaniel Lyon. This battle, called the Battle of Oak Hills by Confederate forces, was the first major battle of the Civil War to occur west of the Mississippi. The following year on October 8, 1862 near Perryville, Kentucky, the threat by General Braxton Bragg to take the Bluegrass State out of the Union ended in a bloody, confusing struggle for both sides. Hupp noted that these battles had quite a few similarities. They were both fought in Border States due to Confederate invasion of those areas. They were hard fought battles with inexperienced troops and resulted in fairly heavy casualty rates. They were fought on hot, dry days and the water sources played a part in the battles. There was confusion of uniforms and friendly fire incidents. Both were Confederate tactical victories but Union strategic victories. Both are within a days drive of Chicago and both, according to Hupp, are very pristine and much as they were at the time of the battles. The site of the Wilson’s Creek battlefield is preserved as part of the National Park service, whereas, the Perryville battlefield is managed by the state. For those of us who can’t get enough of visiting battlefields and experiencing the look and feel of the ground, Hupp demonstrated, through the use of the Internet, that it is possible to take a “virtual” tour of the battlefields. Good as a substitute for a real trip, and also as a pre-tour to make actual tours more meaningful, all that is required is a computer and access to the Internet, to transport us to a virtually selected battlefield. The two web sites Hupp used for his presentation included: www.civilwaralbum.com and www.battleofperryville.com. In addition, he recommended two books, Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle by Kenneth Noe and Wilson’s Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It by William Garrett Piston. The Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable extends its fervent thanks to our longtime treasurer, William J. Hupp for opening a whole new way to travel to those places that stimulate our minds, refresh our spirits, and strengthen our legs! Also, for giving us a look at two of the unfairly neglected battlefields of the Civil War. 2 PRESERVATION REPORT BY LEN OVERCASH, SR Preservation Groups Protest Illegal Bulldozing of Battlefield Civil War Preservation Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, and National Trust for Historic Preservation Urge Interior Secretary to Take Legal Action Against Destructive Developers WASHINGTON, DC-Like all of our National Parks, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park is protected by guidelines set forth by the NPS. To ensure that these national treasures are preserved for the use and enjoyment of all Americans, alterations to National Park lands must be thoroughly vetted through the NPS’s permit process, said National Trust for Historic Preservation President Richard Moe. “In the case of this developer’s proposal to alter land at Harper’s Ferry, the permit review process was already underway and it had found overwhelming public concern about the utilities and the thousands of homes they are designed to facilitate. Rather than abide by that process and honor whatever recommendations the NPS would eventually issue, we are concerned that the developer in this case willfully and knowingly violated the NPS’s permit process. If so, this is a deliberate disregard of the safeguards we have in place that protect our nation’s historic treasures.” The property in question is the recent addition of the 38-acre Perry Orchard Tract to Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park. During the past few years, CWPT, NPCA, and NTHP have worked with local business owners, civil rights leaders, conservationists, history buffs, and elected officials to expand the parks boundary. Following the illegal bulldozing, NPS officials at Harper’s Ferry conducted metal detector surveys of the disturbed area and discovered several historic artifacts, which confirm that the site was of archaeological, as well as, historical significance. “The discovery of these artifacts suggests that additional historic remains likely were destroyed when the contractors removed dirt and debris from the Perry Orchard Tract, “ said Joy Oakes, NPCA Mid-Atlantic Senior Regional Director. “Interior officials must send a clear message that such deliberate, illegal actions will not be tolerated on lands held in trust for all Americans.” “We are very concerned about the terrible precedent this incident may set at other national battlefield parks,” said CWPT President James Lighthizer. “If the Harper’s Ferry violators are not prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law, it will send the message that the NPS will turn a blind eye in the event of similar violations on national park lands throughout the nation.” Americans rightly expect that the Park Service’s unique and irreplaceable historic landscapes will be protected from wanton destruction. NPS officials have stated that they are considering the legal consequences for Jefferson Utilities’ actions, and evaluating options for enforcement and prosecution. The full text of the letter to Secretary Kempthorne is available at http://www.civilwar.org/news/append/HF_K empthorne.pdf. Source: The Civil War Preservation Trust 3 THE VACANT CHAIR From the Washington Post (via Cindy Intravartolo) comes the sad news of the passing of Margie Riddle Bearss, wife of our good friend, NPS Historian Emeritus, Edwin C. Bearss. Besides being Mr. Bearss’ wife of 48 years, she was a historian in her own right having designed and constructed the exhibits at Grand Gulf Military Park and authoring the book, Sherman’s Forgotten Campaign (1987). She also co-authored, with Rebecca Drake, two collections of Champion Hill documents: My Dear Wife (2005) and Darwina’s Diary (2006). To her husband and to her children: Jenny, Sara, Edwin Jr., and Michael, the SCCWRT extends its profoundest sympathies and condolences. ALL FOR THE UNION At the last board meeting, the board approved the following contributions to battlefield preservation: $500 each to Johnson’s Island, Perryville, and Vicksburg in memory of Bill Thomas, Steve Stewart, and Ron Kumnick respectively. Donations will be made at the end of the year, after the auction. EDITOR’S NOTES The next board meeting will be held at the home of Mary Lord, 200 Village Dr. #341 at Fairview Village Apts., Downers Grove. 11/14/06 at 7:30 P.M.. Questions? Call Mary at 630-769-6182. CALENDAR OF EVENTS November 17 (Note Date) Annual Auction for Battlefield Preservation. December 1-Ron Carlson-Gen. Alpheus Starkey Williams January 5-Richard Crowe-Great Ghost Stories of the Civil War February 2-Norman Stephens- Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign March 2-Mary Carol Farber-Women’s Movement during the Civil War. March 30-Gordon Ramsey-TBA The Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable www.saltcreekcwrt.org. President: Rick Zarr Vice-President: Gil Mitchell Treasurer: Bill Hupp Secretary: Jan Rasmussen Historian: Cindy Intravartolo Sgt. At Arms: Ron Kumnick Meeting Liaison: Mary Lord Newsletter Editor: Dan McCarthy, 4358 Lawn Ave., Western Springs, IL,60558. 708-246-7873, macarthaig@aol.com Newsletter Staff: Cindy Intravartolo, Len Overcash Sr., Jan Rasmussen, 4