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October 2008 CANISTER Newsletter Website Version of Our Monthly Newsletter |
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October 2008 CANISTER Newsletter Website Version of Our Monthly Newsletter |
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CANISTER From The Chattanooga Civil War Round Table www.chattanoogacwrt.org |
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| VOLUME XXV | OCTOBER 21, 2008 | NO. 10 |
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| DATE: | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008 | TIME: 7:00 PM |
| TOPIC: |
“THE PRESIDENT VISITS THE ARMY: JEFF DAVIS AT CHATTANOOGA, OCTOBER, 1863”
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| SPEAKER: | JIM OGDEN, HISTORIAN |
| PLACE: |
HOSPITALITY ROOM, SPORTS & ACTIVITIES CENTER THE McCALLIE SCHOOL, HISTORIC MISSIONARY RIDGE |
| (Directions to the meeting place - Enter the McCallie School campus off of Dodds Avenue opposite the end of Bailey Avenue. Take the main drive into the campus. The Sports & Activities Center is the large building immediately ahead of you and then to your left as you proceed along the main drive. Park in either the lot to your left or the larger one to your right and come into the building's main entrance. There will be signs, but the Hospitality Room is on the right of the hall just beyond the entrance area.) |
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| OCTOBER MEETING |
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"It has pleased Almighty God to reward the valor and endurance of our troops by giving to our
arms a complete victory over the enemy's superior numbers. Homage is due and is rendered
unto Him who giveth not the battle to the strong. Soldiers, after two days of severe battle, preceded by heavy and important outpost affairs, you have stormed the barricades and breastworks of the enemy, and driven before you in confusion and disorder an army largely superior in numbers, and whose constant theme was your demoralization and whose constant boast was your defeat......We drop a soldier's tear upon the grave of the noble men who have fallen by our sides and move forward. Much as been accomplished. More remains to be done before we can enjoy the blessings of peace and freedom." So Braxton Bragg proclaimed to his troops in the heady days following the victory at Chickamauga. But, this public statement and determination and encouragement hid a very important fact. The dissension amongst its leaders that was wracking the Army of Tennessee had only been worsened by the battle in the valley of the River of Death. Bragg and his senior subordinates were at each others throats to an even greater degree and there were new players in the fight. So bad was it, so important was the campaign, that the President of the Confederate States of America felt compelled to leave his sick bed and come to the army to try to resolve the situation. It was not Jefferson Davis' first visit to the army, but it was perhaps his most critical and the ramifications of the visit would help set the stage for what happened about two and six weeks later in the shadow of Lookout Mountain and on the very slopes of Missionary Ridge where we meet. In his talk, "The President Visits the Army: Jeff Davis at Chattanooga, October, 1863," Historian Jim Ogden will look at Davis' visit to the Army of Tennessee and explore its reasons and effects. He'll address how both the officers and men of the army viewed the chief executive's visit and their expectations, real and imagined, and how they saw its outcome. |
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SPECIAL PLACE AT McCALLIE ! ! ! While we're back at McCallie this month, we are in a different building and room than normal. Please take a moment to look at the directions above so you make sure you get to the correct place for the meeting on time. |
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SPEAKER'S FUND SUPPORT OF THE MONTH There are three items this month for the Speaker’s Fund. The first is a copy of Matt Spruill's Storming the Heights: A Guide to the Battle of Chattanooga. The second item is a copy of Assault and Logistics: Union Army Coastal and River Operations, 1861-1865 which includes a chapter on the opening of the "Cracker Line" into Chattanooga 145 years ago this month. The third item is a copy of Avery O. Craven's Civil War in the Making, 1815-1860. The fourth is the Winter, 1999, issue of Columbiad with articles on Grant's drinking, Fitz-John Porter's courts martial, Lee in the Wilderness, and the Confederate artillery plan at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Three of the four items this month were donated to the Round Table to support the Speaker’s Fund. To those donors go our thanks. Proceeds from the Speaker’s Fund go toward bringing speakers in from outside the area. Your support of the Speaker’s Fund is appreciated. |
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STRINGER'S RIDGE PRESERVATION EFFORT Almost certainly, you've seen in the paper or on the news or heard on the radio that The Trust For Public Land (TPL; www.tpl.org, 202 Tremont Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405; 423-265-5229) has put together a deal to purchase and preserve the 92 acre tract of land on Stringer's Ridge that late last year and early this year was being considered for a high-rise condo development. These hill tops are the backdrop to downtown Chattanooga when viewed from downtown northward and are some of the ones occupied by Union soldiers in June of 1862 and August of 1863 in their first direct attacks on the "Gateway to the Deep South." The view from some of them is quite enlightening and instructive. TPL has and is putting together a coalition of community and conservation agencies, activities, groups, and individuals to make the purchase possible. Part of their effort is a grass roots appeal. They would love donations small or large to help show the public support for the project. There will be more information on this effort available at the meeting. |
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JAMES WALKER'S BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA PAINTING Hopefully, you seen in the news media or heard from another source, that the U. S. Army has agreed to loan Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park the original of James Walker's 1864 painting BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA (the skids at the Army being greased thanks to the interest of Vice President Cheney). The fourteen by forty inch painting depicts the fighting on Snodgrass Hill at about 2 PM on September 20, 1863. It is the image of which a portion is used on the cover of the brochure for the National Military Park. While his BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN (also fourteen by forty inches) is probably more famous, largely because of its larger thirteen by thirty foot version painted later, Walker's Chickamauga piece is a valuable document on the Battle of Chickamauga, being painted by Walker after visiting the field in early 1864 with a number of key participants. The painting will be on display in the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center for the next two years so make sure you get in several times to get a look at it in its original form. It is quite impressive. |
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DUES ARE DUE It is that time of the year again...............time to pay Round Table dues..............please do at this month's meeting or over the next few weeks by mail. Thank you. |
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SCOUTS REPORTS! Now, talk about a month when there were several WBTS related programs here locally and in the region. First, there was the big re-enactment of the Battle of Chickamauga down in McLemore's Cove. Any of you all who took any of that in and who are present at this month's meeting, please make a report. Then, there were all the programs on the Chickamauga Battlefield. I know some folks made it to at least some of them. If you did, let us hear what you thought. There was also the Andrew Johnson Birth Bicentennial Symposium at Tusculum College. Did anyone attend? Did anyone make it up to "The Battle of Fort Sanders," at the FULL scale reconstruction of the northwest bastion of the fort the first weekend of this month or down to the anniversary of the Battle of Allatoona Pass the same weekend or the special artillery programs on the Chickamauga Battlefield? A couple of folks I know heard Russell S. Bonds, author of Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor, speak on October 6. Did anyone attend the Longstreet Society Seminar this past weekend or the Chattanooga Area Historical Association program at Reflection Riding? You could have certainly gotten a Civil War fix this past month. |
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FUTURE ROUND TABLE MEETINGS November 18, 2008 - To be announced. |
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UP-COMING LOCAL CIVIL WAR EVENTS OF NOTE NEW ENTRIES:
October 27, 2008—groundbreaking for the facilities at the Resaca Battlefield State
Historic Site, Resaca, Georgia, 10 AM, park at Resaca City Hall on U. S. 41 off Exit 320 on I-75 to
be shuttled to the site, arrive in time to allow for shuttle PREVIOUS ENTRIES:
November 7-9, 2008—Battle of Knoxville/Fort Dickerson Living History Weekend,
145th Anniversary Programs; more details later, and from Jim Lyle,
reaganclaura@aol.com
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| For Immediate Release: September 22, 2008 |
Julie A. Oaks |
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Bredesen Awards Grant for Preservation of Battle of Shiloh Battlefield Nashville, Tenn. - Governor Phil Bredesen joined state and local leaders at the Shiloh National Park Monday to award a transportation enhancement grant totaling $1,000,000 for Phase 1 of the Preservation and Interpretation of the Battle of Shiloh in Hardin and McNairy Counties. The grant funds will be used to acquire additional areas of the battlefield at both Shiloh and Fallen Timbers, properties considered to be in the core and study area of the battlefield as defined by the Civil War Sites Advisory Council. “The Battle of Shiloh site is not just an important piece of Tennessee history, it is one of the most significant battlefields in the nation,” said Governor Bredesen. “It is imperative that we preserve these areas and I’m pleased the state can contribute to those efforts.” Representative Randy Rinks stated, “This battlefield draws visitors from around the nation and has a positive impact on the economies of both Hardin and McNairy Counties. This is an important investment in preserving our nation’s history for future generations.” “The preservation of this battlefield will ensure that future visitors will learn about this pivotal point in the Civil War and how this battle had a direct impact on the course of American history,” said Senator John Wilder. The Tennessee Wars Commission, a division of the Tennessee Historical Commission, will oversee the project. “This grant will allow us to acquire and interpret some of the most endangered Civil War battlefield property in Tennessee," said Fred Prouty, Director of Programs for the Tennessee Wars Commission. "We're thrilled to be able to partner as co-applicants with the Civil Wars Preservation Trust and utilize this grant to protect these significant sites for future generations.” The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. “TDOT has funded more than $189 million in transportation related projects through our Enhancement Grant Program,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “This program provides funds to cities, counties and state organizations to fund activities such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping, streetscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects.” The federal grant program was established by Congress in the early 1990’s to fund activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s transportation system. |
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Check the Knoxville Civil War Round Table website for the latest information.]
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www.chattanoogacwrt.org |
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President -- Jim Ogden Vice President -- Ansley Moses |
Treasurer -- Harvey Scarborough Secretary -- Neil Greenwood |
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If you or a friend would like to join the Chattanooga Civil War Round Table, send
your check for dues, made out to Chattanooga Civil War Round Table, to Chattanooga
Civil War round Table, c/o Jim Ogden, 4 Gala Drive, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742.
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Regular Membership $20.00 Senior Citizen (62+) $15.00 |
Family Membership $30.00 Student $15.00 |
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The Round Table dues year is October 1 to September 30. Membership fee for new
members joining after October is pro-rated, being reduced by $1.50 per month for
regular membership, by $2.50 per month for family membership, and $1.00 per month
for Senior Citizens and Students. Members up-dating their dues or rejoining are
expected to pay the full rate. [Note from the webmaster: a chart with the appropriate dues can be found at: Membership Dues. An application can be found at: application] |
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