The Outpost The Newsletter of the Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable Vol. XLV No. 3 November 2007 404th Regular Meeting DATE: 2nd November 2007 PLACE: DuPage Co. Historical Museum 102 Wesley Ave., Wheaton, IL. TIME: 7:30 PM Viewing-8:00 PM Bidding SPEAKER: Dan McCarthy, and a host of others! TOPIC: Annual Book and Memorabilia Auction Consulting the expensive plaque the SCCWRT was foolish enough to present to me last year (You are NOT getting it back guys!), I find this is the latest of God alone knows how many years we have been doing this. Yet the need for it never seems to go away: $13 million dollars for Slaughter Pen farm, $4 million dollars for Fraysers Farm, thousands for a half acre at the Carter House garden, Champion Hill, Gettysburg, Mansfield, Harper’s Ferry, etc., etc., etc. Fortunately, it seems people in many localities are beginning to realize the benefits of preserving their slice of history. Cedar Creek, Unison, Corricks Ford, Bristoe Station, are all recent examples of local people stepping up to the plate to collect their share of all that tourism money which comes without a lot of the annoying side effects. Yet, for as long as we have corporations like those that desecrated Harper’s Ferry a little over a year ago, (HELLO! DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR! DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE! ANYBODY HOME!?-ED.), we shall have to keep doing this. Therefore, I make this appeal: Please! Please! Please! We are in need of anything you have to contribute. Book, Magazine, Painting, Quilt, Bust, Artifact, Half-Eaten Sandwich (long as it’s assembled from hardtack and salt pork of course!) We will be ever so grateful! We will work our hardest to make sure it never darkens your attic again! As further incentive, officers and board members will be supplying holiday treats. Come on out! You may pick up that perfect X-mas gift for someone who has everything! PS-It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my longtime compatriot, Jerry Feinstein, will not be with us this year. He and his lovely wife are taking a well- deserved 57-It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my longtime compatriot, Jerry Feinstein, will not be with us this year. He and his lovely wife are taking a well- deserved 57th anniversary trip to Las Vegas. Congratulations You Lovebirds! OCTOBER MEETING BY CINDY INTRAVARTOLO (Guest Columnist: Jan Rasmussen) On October 5th, 2007, Paula Walker presented “Major General Gouverneur Kemble Warren and the Battle of Five Forks” before 54 members and guests of the Salt Creek Civil War Roundtable. Much has been written about the Battle of Five Forks generally with the same misinformation being recycled, originating from the reports of Generals Sheridan and Grant. There is the Warren Court of Inquiry called to examine the true facts of what happened at Five Forks on the dates of March 31 and April 1, 1865. The records of this court have been available since March of 1882. The 1,600 pages of this account, giving Warren’s side of what happened, have been available for consultation, but most historian’s have relied on Sheridan’s and Grant’s reports. Also on their memoirs, Grant’s in particular. It is these latter that Walker considers particularly prejudicial to Warren’s case. It is her contention that Warren’s removal had been essentially decided upon before the campaign even began, when Grant gave Sheridan authority to remove Warren from command at his discretion. This was highly irregular. Corps Commanders were appointed by the President and could only be removed by him. Of course as events unfolded, Lincoln had no time to act in this case. No formal charges were ever made and the court that was eventually seated came in response to the repeated requests of Gen. Warren after a period of 14 years. Walker suggested that this case of justice delayed (and, in effect, denied) was primarily the work of Grant, as Commanding General and, later, as President. Still later, in his far-famed Memoirs, Grant sought to justify the treatment of Warren. This put the nail in Warren’s coffin as far as future historiography was concerned. However, Sheridan also played his role not only in his illegal action, but also in his account of events. He sought to cover up the fact that his cavalry had been driven in confusion over a distance of several miles by Pickett’s attack of the 31st and that the decisive blow at Five Forks on the 1st had been the attack by Warren and the 5Warren and the 5th Corps against the left flank and rear of the Confederate position. It even went as far as the cavalry demanding surrender of a battle flag captured by Warren’s troops. It appears Sheridan had to create the “Warren Incident” to avoid too close a scrutiny on his own performance. Some things had gone wrong? Then Warren was to blame. The SCCWRT gives vociferous Thanks to Paula Walker for her enlightening and perspective- altering presentation. We look forward to the forthcoming book with more than the usual anticipation! PRESERVATION REPORT BY LEN OVERCASH, SR. TX—If a monstrous hurricane’s storm surge and winds don’t wipe out the Southeast Texas coast in the next 100 years or so, rising sea levels will, scientists say. If the seas rise 3 feet as predicted, Sabine Pass, site of Dick Dowling’s historic Civil War standoff, will be submerged. Sabine Lake and Pleasure Island will disappear into the Gulf. The marshes will be overtaken, and Port Arthur and the surrounding refineries and plants will front the Gulf. The sea change also means the 15-foot seawall surrounding Port Arthur wouldn’t hold back storm surges of more than about 12 feet. These are the projections that University of Arizona scientists recently made based on U.S. Geological Survey data. “Whether the rise will happen is not a subject for debate” Lamar University Earth and Space Sciences professor Jim Westgate said. DC—Huge transmission lines could soon skirt Civil War battlegrounds, historic districts, and the Appalachian Trail following a federal order that designates national corridors in two key regions of the United States with fast- growing electricity needs. The corridors are designed to make it easier for utilities to get approval for power lines in areas where the electric grid is congested. They allow the U.S. Energy Department- not states-to be the final arbiter of where the lines are built. Arguing that the US badly needs mew transmission lines to prevent future power shortages and possibly even blackouts, federal officials say newly designated “national interest electric corridors” in the Mid-Atlantic States and the Southwest are a much needed insurance policy. But opponents including the governors of New York and Virginia, state regulators, and others, sat it’s anything but simple. The newly designated corridors hold potential to push power lines through some of the most scenic and historic areas in 11 states. They would also undermine Northeast states’ bid to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by causing them to rely more on cheaper coal-fired power from the Midwest, rather than cleaner but higher cost electric generators fired by natural gas. by natural gas. “I am deeply disappointed in the department’s decision to go forward with this designation,” says Rep. Frank Wolf (R) of Virginia. “It makes no sense and has the potential to destroy neighborhoods and desecrate huge swaths of historically significant land.” Source: Civil War Interactive ALL FOR THE UNION Member Jerry Feinstein is once again conducting a Veteran’s Day memorial service at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago on Nov. 11th. It is 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave. and the time is 10:30 AM. Veterans of all American wars, including our current wars, will be represented. EDITOR’S NOTES A special board meeting will be held at the home of Mary Lord, 200 Village Dr., Apt. 341, Downers Grove, IL. 7:30 PM, 11/13/07. Phone: 630-769-6182 We have a new slate of officers for the coming year! They will be voted upon at the December meeting: President-Jan Rasmussen Vice-President-Rob Girardi Secretary-Rick Zarr Treasurer-Paula Walker Newsletter Editor-Dan McCarthy Webmaster-Stephen Munier Meeting Liaison-Mary Lord Board Members: Cindy Heckler, Gil Mitchel, Chuck Kurtz, Mary Lord, Len Overcash, Sr. CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dec. 7-Roger E. Bohn-Anecdotes and Adventures of the Civil War Blockade January 4-Robert Girardi-General Impressions of the Civil War February 1-Bjorn Skaptason-Shiloh March 7-Eric Girardi-69th New York State Volunteers of the Irish Brigade April 4 –Phil Angelo-Allan Pinkerton May 2-General Book Discussion June 20-Cricket Bauer Pohanka-TBA THE SALT CREEK CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE www.saltcreekcwrt.org President: Rick Zarr Vice-President: Gil Mitchell Treasurer: Brenda Grazis Secretary: Jan Rasmussen Historian: Cindy Intravartolo 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.