August Scout Report

8/9/2019 August Scout Report

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T he Scouts R eportKnoxville Civil War RoundtableP. O. Box 313

Knoxville, Tennessee 37901

KCWRT Website:http://www.discoveret.org/kcwrt/

For Knowledge, Commemoration and Preservation of Our Civil War Heritage

VOLUME XXVI I AUGUST, 2010 NO. 2

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Buffet at 7:00 PMSpeaker at 8:00 PM

Dinner & Speech$15.00 Members$17.00 (Non-members)Speech Only

$3.00 Members$5.00 (Non-members)RESERVATIONS ARE

REQUIRED FOR DINNERAND MUST BE MADE BY11AM, MONDAY, AUGUST 9

CALL(865) 671-9001 (PLEASELEAVE MESSAGE)

MENU:MeatloafRoast Beef w/ GravyGarden SaladMixed SteamedVegetablesWhipped PotatoesRolls, BeveragesAssorted Desserts Location:Bearden Banquet Hall

5804 Kingston Pike

THIS ISSUE

JEB STUART.................1PRES. MESSAGE..........2SPEAKERS....................3JEFFREY WERT..........4CW SIGNS.....................5GOATS...........................6

FARRAGUT..................7

"HE STOOD OUT ON THE GREAT WAR CANVAS: JEB STUART."

Union Major General John Sedgwick said of his old friend in theantebellum army, Jeb Stuart, that Stuart was "the greatest cavalryofficer ever foaled in America." A Virginian, Stuart was unmatched inreconnaissance and the screening of an army. With his "ride" aroundthe Army of the Potomac in June 1862, he became one of theConfederacy's most renowned heroes. Despite his flamboyance, Stuartwas a thorough professional soldier, with his mounted units well-drilledand well-disciplined.

History has judged Stuart, in part, for his controversial role in theGettysburg Campaign. His decision to ride again around theUnion army removed him and three brigades of cavalry from theConfederate movement into Pennsylvania for eight critical days. Buthis failing in that campaign must be weighed against his overallaccomplishments as the finest light cavalry commander of the war.When he was mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern on May 11, 1864,Stuart was only thirty-one years old. He had commanded an infantrycorps at Chancellorsville with distinction and had led his cavalry corpswith superb leadership for three years. He was as his old comrade,Sedgwick, noted, the finest horse soldier of the Civil War.


2/8

PRESIDENTS

MESSAGEAs we try to stay cool during the middle of this hot summer, there are two events I want to tellabout.1) On Saturday, August 7th, the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) will be hosting itsHistory Fair in the downtown area surrounding the ETHS Center on Gay Street from 10 a.m. to5 p.m. I heard that several thousand people showed up last year to enjoy this outdoor event.One of the special attractions is the free admission to the ETHS's Museum of East Tennessee

History. There will also be live music and crafts. Check out ETHS's web site atwww.easttnhistory.org to get more details.

Numerous tables will be set up by various history related organizations. I'm pleased to announcethat our RT will be participating this year for the first time. Member Dot Kelly has been incharge of handling the many details involved from acquiring a space and tent to printing RTinformation to hand out.

2) There will be a huge discount sale of CW books at our regular RT meeting on August 10th. Iwent to Ed Archer's book sale last week and, for the benefit of the RT, he offered me a deal Icouldn't refuse. I came away with about 100 books! There's quite a selection of quality booksthat I need to sort and price. Here is a situation that benefits everyone in that Ed was able to

substantially reduce his inventory, which will allow the membership to purchase books at greatlyreduced prices.

I want everyone to have as much time as possible to peruse these volumes. They will be displayedprior to the start of the meeting in case you would like to arrive early plus they will be kept outfor about ten minutes after the conclusion of the meeting. In addition, I plan to have about a tenminute break between the end of the announcements and the introduction of the speaker so thateveryone will have an opportunity to visit the book table.

Speaking of special events, I don't think it's too early for folks to start thinking about our annual,fall Civil War event at Ft. Dickerson this November 12th--14th. Member Laura Reagan and

others have already put in many hours in preparation of this important KCWRT activity. Thisis not only a way to showcase our unique, authentic CW fort but also to educate the public onKnoxville's CW history.

As you probably know, Jeff Wert is a nationally known speaker and author of several CW books.If you are like me, you probably own several of his books that you would like to bring to theAugust meeting for him to sign. See you then!

Norman Shaw, President


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KCWRT NEWS UPCOMING SPEAKERS 2010

2010August 10th--Jeffry Wert, Historian, author, "He Stood Out on the Great WarCanvas: Jeb Stuart."

September 14---Wiley Sword, Historian, author, Beauregard at Shiloh: Hero or

Villain?

October 12--- Frank OReilly, Historian Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, RobertE. Lee: The Early Years

November 9---Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus NPS, Bleeding Kansas:Road to War

December 14---James H. Ogden, Chief Historian Chickamauga/Chattanooga NMP,Topic TBA

2011January 11---Ron Jones, Commander Longstreet-Zollicoffer Camp, SCV RockIsland: The Andersonville of the North?

February 8---Mike Toomey, Historian LMU, Firm and Determined: The 1861 EastTennessee Unionist Conventions

March 8---Rick Hatcher, Historian NPS, Charleston, Charleston: The War Begins

April 12---TBA

May 10---William G. Piston, Historian, Missouri State University, Battle at WilsonsCreek, MO

June 14---TBA

July 12---Sam Davis Elliott, Author, Gov. Isham G. Harris and Tennessees

Secession


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WELCOME, JEFFRY WERT

Jeffry Wert is a well-known Civil War author, historian,and speaker. With a B.A. and M.A. in History from PennState and Lock Haven University, he has educated us withhis knowledge as seen in his Civil War Times Illustrated

columns The Progress of War and Turning Points, aswell as numerous books. He taps into the unpublishedrecords and diaries as he researches his works. This duediligence pays off as his arguments and views can bebolstered with fact and not just left up to conjecture. He isone of my favorite authors and it does not hurt that he isspeaking on one of my most revered heroes, JEB Stuart.

Werts books are a treasure trove of untapped resourcesand are a must for any Civil War enthusiast. In his firstbook,From Winchester to Cedar Creek: The Shenandoah

Campaign of 1864, Wert not only evaluated theperformance of commanders Sheridan and Early, he gaveus an insight into each man, how their decisions were madeand why. Mosbys Rangers was equally as compelling andcolorful as it gave readers a complete understanding of thepersonalities that made up this elite fighting force.General James Longstreet: The Confederacys Most Controversial Soldier was a masterpiece. Wert breathed life or praise back into a battered reputation, while never glossing over Longstreets record.

With Custer: The Controversial Life of George Armstrong Custer, and Sword of Lincoln, Wert takes on subjeand personalities that have been avoided for decades and fills that void with a keen understanding that only

intensive research provides. His work continuously gives the reader not only expert insight into the subject,the man, the mission, the time, the event...he gives the reader a portal in which to step through and watch allunfold around them. He gives the reader the pathway to crawl into the mind of not only the generals but thecommon soldier, hearing their gripes and grimaces, feeling their unwavering confidence that they could whipthe Confederates any time, any day, if only they had a general worthy of them.

The common soldier was the protagonist as well inA Brotherhood of Valor and Gettysburg: Day Three. Whobetter to tell the world of their triumphs and failures than the men who stood there, sweat rolling down intotheir shoes to mix with the blood they would soon shed. How better to tell the world than with their ownwords, penned to paper, pinned to their pockets.

Tuesday night, Jeffry Wert will give us the insight into JEB Stuart as only Jeffry Wert can. With Cavalrymanof the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart, Wert has put other Stuart authors on notice. No longer canyou give a one -dimensional account of a multi-faceted man. If you wish to examine with minute detail theblemishes, you must also shine a light on the whole man. And you must do this with convincing evidence. Andyou must present this evidence from the hand of the greatest cavalry officer ever foaled in America.

To say I look forward toA Glorious Army: Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia From The SeveDays to Gettysburg, due out in 2011, would be an understatement. Jeffry Wert is my Civil War Kathleen E.Woodiwiss. In other words, if he wrote it, I own it! -Laura E. Reagan Scouts Report Editor

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5/8

Ft. Dickerson Civil War Trails Sign InstalledSubmitted by Dot Kelly

The Civil War Trails crew paid a visit to Knoxville lastMonday, July 19th. The first sign installed on this swingthrough Tennessee was the KCWRTs new Fort Dickersonsign.

The sign features the folk

art sketch of Knoxvilledrawn by Pvt. HenryDoman as he camped atFt. Dickerson in 1864.The sign also discussesthe fortifications aroundKnoxville and their

designer, Capt. Orlando Poe, Burnsides Chief Engineer.

According to Civil War Trails Executive Director, MitchBowman, there were 150 signs already in the ground in

Tennessee prior to this trip, and 25 more to be installedlast week. The second sign installed that morningdepicted the Battle of Ft. Sanders and was placed atRedeemer Church of Knoxville on the corner of 17th andHighland. The sign used the familiar 1864 GeorgeBernard photo featuring the sentinel atop the fort withthe infamous stumps in front to give the visitor a visionof the area after the battle. (Pictured right-Leslie Fawaz,Mitch Bowman, Executive Director of Civil War Trails,Terry Faulkner of the East Tennessee Civil War Alliance, and Will Copeland.

Civil War Trails plans two or three more visits to Tennessee before the end of the year. Hopefullyother signs will be ready for installation in Knoxville and the sites will be included on next yearsedition of the Tennessee Civil War Trails map. The web site is at www.tnvacation.com

Pictured on right- Fred Brown, News Sentinel; Mike Harris, Parks & Recreation; Tammy Burroughs,Secretary KCWRT; Dot Kelly, Program Chair KCWRT; Ethiel Garlington, Knox Heritage; JoanMarkel Past President, KCWRT; Bob Becker Knoxville Vice Mayor.


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GOATS + FORT DICKERSON = NO KUDZUNO KIDDING!

Whoever came up with the idea of bringing goats to FortDickerson to take care of an ever growing problem, kudzu, mustbe congratulated. This is the best idea since, well, sliced bread.Not only is this beneficial to the goats, it is green, it is

economical, and sheer brilliance.

These pictures of our little hilltop heroes, submitted by DotKelly, were graciously sent by Allison Teeters, ExecutiveDirector of Keep Knoxville Beautiful.

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7/8

A VISIT TO THE NEW FARRAGUT MEMORIAL PLAZA

I was unable to attend the opening of the newFarragut Memorial Plaza and the unveiling ofthe statue of Admiral David G. Farragut whowas born nearby. I recently took a trip down

to see the Admiral. The seven-foot statue,created by a local artist, turned out to be veryimpressive atop its pedestal.

Equally impressive for Civil War buffs are thetwo cannon flanking Farragut. The twoauthentic cannon are on permanent loan fromthe U. S. Naval Historical Center and havestories of their own. A nine-inch Dahlgrenweighing 9,000 lbs and with a range of almosttwo miles, is from the USS Hartford,

Farraguts flagship at Mobile Bay. It wouldhave been present when he did (or did not)utter that famous order: Damn thetorpedoes! Full speed ahead! The secondgun, an eight-inch muzzle-loader, is from theship USS Independence upon which Farragutserved in 1815 as a young man.

Also on the grounds is a Civil War Trails signwith details on the Battle of CampbellsStation. And dont forget the small, but

impressive Farragut Folklife Museum with itsFarragut Collection. All these combine tomake an interesting and informative spot tovisit.---Dot Kelly


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THE SCOUTS REPORT

For Knowledge, Commemoration, and Preservation of Our Civil War Heritage

PRESIDENT:Norman Shaw

1120 Winding Way Dr.Knoxville, TN 37923-6606

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT:

PAST PRESIDENT:Joan Markel

[email protected]

TREASURER:

SECRETARY:Tammy Burroughs

[email protected]

DIR. COMM. ACTIVITIES:

DIR. OF MEMBERSHIP:

Jim Lyle7206 Sheffield DriveKnoxville, TN 37909

865-588-0911

DIR. PROGRAMMING:

Dot [email protected]

DIR. PROMOTIONLarry [email protected]

DIR. PRESERVATION:Brian Burroughs

[email protected]

AT LARGE DIRECTOR:Paul TanguayEric Wayland

NEWSLETTER EDITOR:L. E. [email protected]

The Knoxville Civil WarRoundtable welcomes any person

who has an interest in theAmerican Civil War.New members are always

welcome.For more information, please call865-671-9001. Or check out our

website at:http://www.discoveret.org/kcwrt

Knoxville Civil War RoundtableBox 313Knoxville, TN 37901

Documents

August Scout Report