I just learned about a new Gettysburg book

I just learned about a new Gettysburg book that was written by a person from Western New York. As you may know I was born in Niagara Falls, New York and since I am from that area I love finding materials from writers who hail from the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area. The authors name is James A. Hessler and his book is on an amazing topic that historians have debated for decades.

General Dan Sickles is one of the most colorful and controvisial figures in Civil War history and may be one of the most conttrovisial figures in American History. He was a man who murdered his wifes lover in cold blood and got away with it. He disobayed orders at Gettysburg, abondonded Little Round Top and marched his men into areas still remembered for the ferocity of the fighing that happened there; the Wheatfield, Devils Den, The Slaughter Pen, the Peach Orchard, the Valley of Death.

Here is a copied portion from the publishers webpage:

Sickles at Gettysburg: The Controversial Civil War General Who Committed Murder, Abandoned Little Round Top, and Declared Himself the Hero of Gettysburg, by licensed battlefield guide James Hessler, is the most deeply-researched, full-length biography to appear on this remarkable American icon. And it is long overdue.

No individual who fought at Gettysburg was more controversial, both personally and professionally, than Major General Daniel E. Sickles. By 1863, Sickles was notorious as a disgraced former Congressman who murdered his wife's lover on the streets of Washington and used America's first temporary insanity defense to escape justice. With his political career in ruins, Sickles used his connections with President Lincoln to obtain a prominent command in the Army of the Potomac's Third Corps-despite having no military experience. At Gettysburg, he openly disobeyed orders in one of the most controversial decisions in military history.

Most likely I will wait for this book to enter the market as a paperback because I am not an avid fan of hardcover books. However, I think this one is a keeper and a welcomed addition to my Civil War library. The book comes out on June 29 so check it out on Amazon and order a copy! This one is going to be a great read!

http://www.savasbeatie.com/books/SICKLES_book.htm

Thank god I got one

When I was 8 years old my mother bought me the Golden Book of the Civil War at a local garage sale. I read the book from cover to cover and at that time I was really interested in the presidents, particularly Lincoln and she thought that the book would supplement that interest. Little did she know that it would grant me the lifelong love that I have for the American Civil War.

The book was written by Charles Flato and distributed by Golden Press Publications. Civil War author Bruce Catton wrote the books introduction and its colorful depectitions of battlefields is amazing. In just 216 pages the book sweeps its readers back to the Civil War time period but the best thing about this book is that it is made for young readers. When I was eight this book made the war come alive for me and since it was written during the centennial of the Civil War it is especially memorable. This book is written in style very similar to a textbook. I found it interesting, and it would be especially good for younger readers who are interested in learning more about the Civil War. One of the strengths of the book was the photos as well as many paintings and drawings that came from the period of the Civil War. These give the reader a picture of the scenes of war. Other helpful things found in the book are maps of battlefields with explanations of what took place and in what areas. The book might be a little old and outdated, but it is still very helpful in explaining more of that awful period of American history.

I love this book but the original copy that my mother bought me has been misplaced so I managed to acquire a copy from a online book seller. Thank god that I have a copy to give to my own son or daughter. I can only hope that they love the Civil War as much as their dad does. Thanks mom!

Busy but I got a job

Hello everyone,

Sorry that I have not produced many blogs since June but I finally got my first real gig as a teacher and I have been busy preparing lessons and trying to envision my classroom. More blogs will be produced soon. I want to thank everyone who stood by me all these years including Megan, my parents, and the rest of my family & friends. Thank you.

Fascinating fact about my birthplace and Appommattox

I was recently listening to Civil War Talk Radio hosted by historian Gerry Prokopowicz and I found out a fascinating fact concerning my birthplace (Niagara Falls, NY) and Appommattox Court House. This fact concerns the house of Wilmer McLean where Lee surrendered to U.S. Grant

In 1891, the house changed hands again, going to Captain Myron Dunlap of Niagara Falls, N.Y.

“He was a former Union officer,” said Schroeder, “and one of his plans was to make the site a retirement community for other ex-Union soldiers.”

That gave way to another plan, to dismantle the house and ship it to the World Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893.

“They made drawings and took it apart, brick by brick,” said Schroeder, “but the World’s Fair decided it didn’t want the house - not for $10,000, which was the asking price.”

Then the speculators went bust in the Panic of 1893, and the house where the Civil War ended sat for 50 years as a pile of bricks.

“There were 8,000 or so bricks originally,” said Schroeder, “but people kept carrying them off as souvenirs, and only 5,500 were left when the reconstruction started after World War II.”



Source:

http://www.niagara2008.com/trivia.html



Here is the full article that I googled

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352197543&path=!news!archive


McLean descendants gather at Civil War surrender site
By Darrell Laurant
dlaurant@newsadvance.com
Monday, July 30, 2007


APPOMATTOX - More than 142 years ago, the Civil War came looking for Wilmer McLean.

This week, with his descendants, it was the reverse.

McLean and his family were upstairs in their two-story house when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant signed the agreement that ended the four darkest years in American history. The oft-repeated irony is that McLean, who lived in Manassas, had moved to Appomattox after the first Battle of Bull Run to escape the war.

“He used to say that the war started in his front yard and ended in his parlor,” said Patrick Schroeder, a historian with the Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park.

Four generations of McLean descendants toured the historic park and the restored house on Monday, a first for the family.

According to Charlotte Lageman, McLean’s great-granddaughter, “a family story is that a cannonball came through the chimney and fell into a pot of soup he was cooking in Manassas. That’s when he said, ‘This war is getting too close.’”

Of course, McLean was also a successful businessman, Schroeder pointed out, “and part of his reason for moving to Appomattox was business. He sold supplies to the Confederacy, and Manassas was often behind Union lines.”

The McLean descendants had been planning Monday’s home tour for a while, said Diane Brower, Lageman’s daughter, “but it’s hard to get everybody together at one time.”

Samantha Scott wasn’t all that excited when it finally happened. The great-great-great-great granddaughter of Wilmer, she’s only 5 months old.

“Since she’s been born, I’ve gotten more interested in our family history,” said Dawn Scott of Leesburg, Charlotte Lageman’s granddaughter.

Lageman has been to the McLean house on a number of occasions with Joyce Abbitt, another family member who lives in Appomattox. But it was Dawn Scott’s first time.

“We don’t have any family heirlooms from my great-grandfather,” said Charlotte Lageman. “It’s all here. My mother donated his spurs and some of his family’s baby shoes to the park.”

After the war, McLean and his family moved back to Northern Virginia. The Appomattox house was purchased at auction by John L. Pascoe, then sold to the Ragland family. In 1891, the house changed hands again, going to Captain Myron Dunlap of Niagara Falls, N.Y.

“He was a former Union officer,” said Schroeder, “and one of his plans was to make the site a retirement community for other ex-Union soldiers.”

That gave way to another plan, to dismantle the house and ship it to the World Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893.

“They made drawings and took it apart, brick by brick,” said Schroeder, “but the World’s Fair decided it didn’t want the house - not for $10,000, which was the asking price.”

Then the speculators went bust in the Panic of 1893, and the house where the Civil War ended sat for 50 years as a pile of bricks.

“There were 8,000 or so bricks originally,” said Schroeder, “but people kept carrying them off as souvenirs, and only 5,500 were left when the reconstruction started after World War II.”

The house was opened to the public on April 9, 1949, and officially dedicated in an April 16, 1950, ceremony that included direct descendants of Grant and Lee.

According to Schroeder, the McLean House draws more of the park’s visitors than the restored courthouse.

“That’s what everybody wants to see,” he said.

As for the McLean descendants, Wilmer isn’t the only family member with a high profile. Jeff Lageman, the son of Leon and Charlotte Lageman, was a star football player at the University of Virginia and a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets. He played 10 years in the National Football League and is now a successful businessman and color commentator for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ network.

“He’s the runt of the family,” said Leon Lageman with a smile. “6-foot-7, 290 pounds.”

Wilmer would be proud.

8th New York Heavy Artillery

I am originally from Youngstown, New York and one of my new interests is researching regiments from that area. Don't worry I am still researching the 4th Alabama Infantry but money has cut into my research a bit and I am unable to push the process forward until October comes. However, I wanted to write about the 8th New York Heavy Artillery and their experiences during the Civil War.If you google "Youngstown, New York" you will find that it is located in the far, northwest corner of Niagara County. The city of Niagara Falls is located within the same county. The 8th New York had been recruited in this same area in 1862. The men came from the counties of Genessee, Niagara and Orleans. Originally christened the 129th Regiment of Infantry, the unit was renumbered as the 8th Heavy Artillery after several months of garrison duty in Baltimore, Maryland. The 8th had been in the war for two years but had never heard a shot fired in anger. The combat soldiers referred to these regiments as "band box soldiers" because they lived behind the comforts of fortifications that the weakened southern armies would never attempt to assualt.Unlike the combat regiments who saw their numbers dwindle the 8th had twelve companies of 150 men each.

This fact caused animosity between the fighting regiments of the Army of the Potomac and the garrison regiments who hadn't had the joy of hearing a bullet whirl past their heads. As the Army of the Potomac saw their numbers decline on such battlefields as Antietam, Gettysburg and Fredricksburg the 8th was among those who enjoyed the safety of their forts.The 8th not only lived in an environment that was free from musket fire but was also an area of comfort. Most had permanent barracks, their own bakeries and hospitals, some even had machine shops, libraries and livestock herds that provided fresh meat for the men. In many ways the combat soldier lived like a trailer park family and the heavies lived like Paris Hilton. Many of the men wanted to fight and their letters home reflect a sense of duty and desire to battle the Confederacy. One member of the 8th wrote home "It is exceedingly trying to be kept here far from the scene of glorious strife. Every man in this regiment would greet with vociferous cheers an order to move to the front."When U.S. Grant began his spring campaign of 1864 the "play time" ended for many of the green, garrison regiments. He increased the armies numbers by taking the "heavies" out of the forts in Washington and put them in the field. Grant knew that the weakened Confederate armies would pose little threat to the fortified cities of Baltimore and Washington. Among these regiments that was removed from paradise was the 8th New York and the green regiment would prove themselves on the battlefields of Virginia.

By May 1864 the regiment had joined the 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac as infantry. Many of the men were very eager to taste combat and prove themselves as equals to the battle-tested veterans of Grant's army. The men sang as they marched in splendid uniforms that were unstained from gunpowder and blood. One member of the 8th wrote "we were the proudest regiment to every reach the front." The men they were joining forces with were not as joyous and they had some surprises for their new comrades.One these new regiments marched into camp many combat soldiers would say "What division is that?" Others offered nothing but insults and cat calls to the heavies as their new shoes stepped on the blood stained soil of Virginia. In many cases the new regiments were shown wounded men and even a mangled corpse as part of their initiation into the the horrors of war.The 8th was commanded by Colonel Peter Porter and Grant quickly threw his new regiments into the chaos of combat hasten their experience levels. On May 19th at Spotsylvania the regiment was part of the attack force that assaulted the fortified Confederate front. One of the first to fall was John Furner who was shot thru the head and died instantly. A captured Confederate claimed that he shot at Colonel Porter three times but missed. The regiment performed well in its first battle but the pride of the 8th would be severely tested in the next big battle at Cold Harbor. During the battle the Army of the Potomac threw itself against the battle stiffened rebels and it suffered horrendous causalities.

On June 3rd, in the span of just twenty minutes the 8th NY lost over two hundred men. The men showed incredible bravery by attacking a position that many of them knew was impossible to take. As the men sprang from their entrenchments and marched at the double quick the Confederates opened fire sending volley after volley into the Union ranks. The results were appalling and the men began to stagger back from the sheets of southern musketry. The 8th got withing fifty feet of the enemy before Colonel Porter was struck four times and fell dead between the lines. Also killed was Capt. H. H. Sheldon a resident of Niagara Falls. With their Colonel dead on the field the 8th New York fell back to the protection of their earthworks and as they swept back to safety many of the men tripped over their comrades who lay dead or dying. In his battle report Major General John Gibbon praised the men of the 8th stating "The gallant Colonel Porter, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, fell only a few yards from the enemy's works, surrounded by the dead of his regiment, which, although new to the work, fought like veterans."The men felt a special attachment to Colonel Porter who once referred to his men as "the sons of friends and neighbors." This devotion would become the catalist for one of the greatest rescue attempts in American history. Sergeant LeRoy Williams risked life and limb to retrieve Colonel Porter's body during the night. The Oswego, New York native would receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery just thirty four years after the battle. In a series of frontal assaults, the Federals were slaughtered, sustaining approximately 7,000 casualties.At Cold Harbor the 8th New York suffered more than any other regiment on the field. Seven officers and one-hundred seventeen men were killed in action. Nearly 505 men fell before the Confederate guns that day and when it was all said and done 361 men would never rise again. Only the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment would surpass the loss of the 8th within the time span that these green regiments first took the field.

After Cold Harbor, the 8th endured the 10 month siege of Petersburg. After following Lee to Appomattox the war ended for the 8th New York but not before they had placed themselves amongst the best fighting units that the Army of the Potomac ever had. Officially the loss within the ranks of the 8th as staggering. Eleven officers and 199 men were killed in combat during its short service to the Union. Another nine officers and 145 men died as a result of their wounds and 136 men would die of disease. In total, 24 officers, 646 enlisted men of the 8th died as a result of their service.

They are a regiment that is ignored and forgotten by some but they are forever remarkable. A poem written by a member of the 8th named W. H. C. Hosmer best illustrates how gallant and chivalrous these men were. Originally written for Colonel Porter who would no doubt agree with me that these words were meant for the entire regiment:

"Mourn for Niagara's gallant son, Brave Porter who hath died;A crowning victory
was won,And he his country's pride;In triumph over death the grave,Fell first,
and foremost of the brave."

The 8th has some excellent sources and webpages. Here are some that you can look at and I used many of them as I wrote this blog.

http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/artillery/8thArt/8thArtMain.htm

http://www.civilwarhome.com/gibboncoldharbor.htm

New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

Sgt. Williams Medal of Honor bio can be found at:

http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwarmz.html

Roster and more info are here:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyniagar/extras/8thReg.htm

Western NY GenWeb projects are here:http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyniagar/index.html