By John Fox

Yes, I ended this headline with multiple question marks. As a longtime member and supporter of the Museum of the Confederacy [MOC] I have many concerns over the merger with The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar [ACWC]. Why has the behind the scenes maneuvering by the leadership at both institutions been conducted in secret? In fact, last July when rumors surfaced that a merger would happen, the MOC/President, Waite Rawls, stated that no merger would take place. Rawls indicated that there would only be additional collaboration on programs. That has turned out to be untrue and the leadership at both places knew that last summer. One reason this great country of ours has such a leadership crisis right now is because leaders from the White House down to the local level have no problem telling a lie as long as it serves their own purposes and allows them to get the end result that they want.

I have questions about the splitting up of the MOC’s vast collection of artifacts and archival material. Apparently, the artifacts [uniforms, flags, weapons etc] will go into a proposed $30 million museum to be built next to the current ACWC site on the James River. The vast archival material [manuscripts, letters, books etc] will be housed at the Virginia Historical Society several miles away. The MOC was founded in 1890 and through the years thousands of Southern families donated memorabilia to the collections. Is the memory and trust of these families going to be “preserved” in this merger? Is the true story of the Confederate soldier and why he fought going to be “preserved” too?

How is the combined collection at the new entity going to be interpreted or “reinterpreted”? Seekers of historical truth are frankly tired of being drowned by the Politically Correct [PC] wave that continues to wash over this country. As a native-born Richmonder, I can testify that certain elements are continually trying to sweep anything Confederate out of the city and into the James River. Is this merger another attempt to do that?

Focus groups will be formed to invent a new name for the combined museum. Does anybody believe that “Confederacy” will remain in the new name? BTW, I am not a fan of focus groups because they are too often used as political cover by people who call themselves leaders.

A huge amount of money has been raised recently by the ACWC. Most non-profits are struggling to raise funds now and I am very curious to see where all the ACWC $$$$ came from. Would the ACWC open its donor list so that the public can see what companies and organizations have written big checks? Is it possible that a left-leaning group hoping to rid Richmond of the Museum of the Confederacy is fronting this merger so that they can influence the “reinterpretation” of the MOC’s massive collection?

I know that most longtime MOC members would like to see these questions answered in a truthful way with no spin.  

By John Fox

I recently visited historic Shepherdstown, West Virginia with my wife and my parents. The town sits high above a picturesque curve on the Potomac River. A modern bridge spans the river just upstream from the stone abutments of a destroyed Civil War era bridge that forced troops from both sides to wade the stream at Boteler’s Ford [Pack Horse Ford]. We had a great lunch at the Bavarian Inn and clearly visible across the river from our table was the red-brick boyhood home of Colonel Henry Kyd Douglas. Douglas worked on the staff of numerous Confederate generals but most famously he served on Stonewall Jackson’s staff and he later wrote I Rode with Stonewall which wasn’t published until 1940, thirty-seven years after his death.

This Panhandle area of West Virginia was part of Virginia until 1863. A group of Unionists, unhappy with the seceded Virginia government at Richmond, decided to secede from the Old Dominion. Though their effort was unconstitutional, the move was supported by President Abraham Lincoln who strangely had decided two years before to launch a war against the Southern states because of their own secession. Political expediency at its finest!

When I began research for my newest book, Stuart’s Finest Hour, which details the cavalry raid that made  Jeb Stuart famous, I discovered that most of the men who came from Company F, 1^st Virginia Cavalry hailed from the area around Shepherdstown. Many of these men accompanied Stuart on the dramatic three day ride that circled the entire Union army east of Richmond in June 1862. Two 1^st Virginia troopers who had a big impact on the success of Stuart’s mission are buried in Shepherdstown’s Elmwood Cemetery.

Captain Redmond Burke was born in Ireland in 1816 which would make him forty-six years old when he served as a scout on Stuart’s mission to recon the right flank of George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Stuart was so happy to have Burke join his staff in December 1861 that he wrote, “Redmond Burke rode up & reported for duty yesterday – we have made a great glorification over him. He had many narrow escapes & has a wonderful set of yarns to tell.” Burke’s scouting abilities proved invaluable, but perhaps the most important skill that the Irish stone cutter brought to the mission was his bridge building skills as he and Corporal William Henry Hagan led a team that resurrected a burned Chickahominy River bridge early on June 14, 1862. Seemingly trapped, Stuart’s 1200 tired and anxious cavalrymen waited to cross the rain-swollen river expecting all the while to hear gunshots from approaching Union cavalry.

Early in the war, Stuart discovered Hagan’s talent for scrounging needed equipment and food items and appointed him to be in charge of the cavalry staff escort, which ensured that he would always be close. The large hairy man continued to excel and after the June 1862 raid he was promoted to a lieutenant’s position as the staff commissary and then the quartermaster.

The bodies of Burke and Hagan lie near each other next to the Confederate section in Elmwood Cemetery. Burke came home to visit family and was ambushed by Union troops on November 24, 1862. Hagan, who lived in Shepherdstown as a young man, survived the war and was buried here when he died in 1895.

However, the most visited grave along the green-grassed hill of this historic spot is the grave of Colonel Douglas. When the war ended he returned to Shepherdstown only to be arrested for having his photograph taken in his Confederate uniform. This “violation” cost him three months at Fort Delaware military prison. He later practiced law in Winchester, Virginia and then moved his practice to Hagerstown, Maryland where he died of tuberculosis in 1903.

The Elmwood Cemetery is open daily and it sits on the south side of Shepherdstown on Kearneysville Pike [Rt. 480]. 

 

 

Savas Beatie to Sell Angle Valley Press Titles

 

El Dorado Hills, CA, October 17, 2013

 Savas Beatie is pleased to announce that it has finalized an agreement with Angle Valley Press to distribute its titles into non-book trade accounts within the United States and Canada.

 Savas Beatie, a leader in the independent military and general history book publishing industry, has produced many award-winning titles and national book club selections. One of the company’s strong suits has been its ability to open and maintain a vibrant revenue stream outside the general book trade. In addition to bulk specialty sales, the company has been especially successful establishing relationships with state and national park sites, gift shops, museum stores, and other related outlets. This ability has been especially important given the weak general economy and shuttering of Borders, Inc.

 Angle Valley Press of Winchester, Virginia, is an independent craft publisher of unique award-winning books on the Civil War and is well known to students and buffs of the conflict.

 “We have long respected what John Fox does at Angle Valley, and his books are always well-received by the community,” explains Managing Director Theodore P. Savas. “This agreement allows each of us to focus on our strengths. This broadens the title selection Savas Beatie can offer outside the book trade, and John can focus more of his attention on creating additional titles for sale.”

 Angle Valley Press’s publisher, John Fox, is also looking forward to the partnership. “This indeed is a win/win for both of us, and allows me to focus on two exciting new titles we have planned for release soon. I am very pleased to be working with a dynamic and creative company like Savas Beatie.”

About Savas Beatie  

 Savas Beatie LLC is a leading independent military and general history publishing company. The company address is 989 Governor Drive, Suite 102, El Dorado Hills, CA, 95762. For more info please contact Sarah Keeney at 916-941-6896 or visit them on the web at  www.savasbeatie.com

 

About Angle Valley Press

Angle Valley Press is an independent craft publisher of unique award-winning books on the War Between the States. The company address is P.O. Box 4098, Winchester, VA, 22604. For more information please contact John Fox at 540-539-1260 or visit  www.anglevalleypress.com                                                                                                                                                        

Posted by John Fox:

I made my first visit to the North-South Skirmish Association meet on Friday at Fort Shenandoah about ten miles northwest of Winchester. The competitive shooting matches with Civil War era weapons brought teams of reenactors plus history fans from far and wide. The five-day competition attracted some 2,000 competitors and about 10,000 spectators according to a Winchester Star article [10/7/13] by staff writer Matt Armstrong.

The N-SSA has meets twice a year, in May and October. Because of my numerous family, writing and airline commitments I had never attended any of these events until last Friday. Thanks to an invitation from Carole Miller, manager of Winchester’s Old Court House Civil War Museum, I joined her next to sutlers row. A number of folks stopped by to talk about books and the conversation consistently turned toward the absurd Government shutdown. The conservative flavor of the event was thick in the air, like the gunsmoke. A glance across the road at the numerous vendors hawking guns and ammo, plus NRA and various anti-government stickers on vehicles, made me ponder how many undercover ATF agents might be in the crowd. When I mentioned this to Carole Miller she admonished me with a stern look to keep my voice down as she pointed skyward. “The drones might hear you,” she said. This brought on something else to ponder amidst the beautiful warm Shenandoah Valley afternoon.

Government drones and agents aside, at the end of the day I realized how thankful I am that so many citizens still value the history of our great country. Many of them are willing to take time off from work and to travel long distances to celebrate their passion. It was a lot of fun to talk with many of them. Thanks especially go out to Jim, the archaeologist from Atlanta; several other Georgians from Butts County, Georgia; Mike from Botetourt County, VA who was accompanied by his 15-year-old daughter plus the numerous guys I met from Pittsburgh. I will look forward to attending another great N-SSA event again next year.

Several weeks ago our family drove to Prince William County for my son’s travel soccer game. We exited I-66 near Manassas and soon turned onto Brentsville Road near the county sports complex. Just before crossing the tracks of the former Orange & Alexandria Railroad I noticed a Virginia Civil War Trails sign beckoning me to turn left into Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. However, I had to continue on to the soccer field. At halftime of my son’s game I saw my opportunity to go on a battlefield adventure and I am glad that I did.      

I pulled into the small parking lot and picked up a walking trail map out of the nearby box. A nearby historical marker noted the nearby graves of Rebel soldiers [Mississippi & Alabama troops I believe] who had succumbed to disease while manning the lengthy defense lines in 1861 and early 1862. A circular walking trail named “A.P. Hill’s Folly” meanders along the ridge and field just west of the railroad. The brochure notes that the trail is 1.3 miles long and will take about 1.5 hours to complete. A quick math calculation spurred me to begin the hike knowing that I could walk the distance in much less than the allotted time. I also didn’t want to miss the second half of my boy’s soccer game, so hustle I did.

The Battle of Bristoe Station took place on October 14, 1863 [150^th anniversary coming up] when General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, reinvigorated with fresh supplies and troops since the Gettysburg fight in July, went on the offensive and nipped at the heels of General George Meade’s retreating Army of the Potomac. General Ambrose Powell [A.P.] Hill’s Confederate Third Corps led an assault against the Union rear guard commanded by General Gouvernour K. Warren. But Hill’s men walked into an ambush because many of Warren’s 2^nd Corps troops hid behind the screening embankment of the railroad. Unwitting Confederate infantry marched northeastward along the ridge leaving their right flank open.  The brutal enfilade fire mauled two North Carolina brigades from Henry Heth’s division [BG John Cooke & BG W.W. Kirkland].

Hill ordered Major David McIntosh to unlimber an artillery battery on the ridge while Southern reinforcements double-quicked to the scene. Blue-clad troops soon overwhelmed Hill’s infantry and overran the cannons. More than 1,300 Confederates fell dead, wounded or missing even though Federal troops soon continued their withdrawal toward Centreville.

A.P. Hill’s rash decision to launch an attack without a proper reconnaissance and without flankers resulted in harsh words from R.E. Lee. The Confederate army commander snapped, “Bury these poor men and let us say no more about it.”

For More visit The Civil War Trust

For mobile tour app see Prince William County Parks

Post from Civil War author John Fox:

I want to thank the many folks who came to historic Hanover Tavern last Tuesday evening [9/17] for the national release of my newest book.  Stuart’s Finest Hour is the first book ever written that narrates Confederate general Jeb Stuart’s June 1862 cavalry raid that circled the entire Union army just east of Richmond. This expedition is the singular event that made Stuart famous.  

Special guests for the evening included Colonel Jeb Stuart IV and his son John [g-grandson & g-g-grandson]; my wife Nancy and my parents Anne & Jay Fox; Frank Louthan [VMI class 1941]; two of my former Collegiate teachers, Charlie McFall and Bubba Lawson and numerous old and new friends. I spoke in the theater about the dramatic raid for about forty minutes and then answered questions before we needed to abandon the room so the Barksdale troupe could practice for their new play, “Say Goodnight Gracie.” 

Many might ask why Hanover Tavern? Earlier this year, I began to search for the right venue and a well known historian recommended that I talk with Hanover Tavern Foundation director David Deal. David and I met and he gave me a tour of the Tavern’s downstairs Barksdale Theatre and the excellent Pub restaurant. Upstairs he showed me the museum that oozed Hanover County history and many of the artifacts and images traced back to the Civil War. David’s enthusiasm for the past soon revealed the various preservation projects that the Foundation has mounted to restore the mid-1700s wood frame wayside spot to its present day splendor.

I knew that the Tavern had played a part in the 1862 raid because Yankee and Rebel troopers exchanged gunfire in front of the place – the first of numerous dustups between the opposing cavalrymen. Then David asked me a great question. “Have you come across any information about some of Stuart’s men wanting to hang the Tavern keeper?” I replied “no,” relieved because the manuscript was being edited and it was not too late to fit in new information. David told me the story and then gave me the primary source. I tracked it down and it turned out to be spot on so  this great nugget of history made it into the book. 

Months ago, David and I agreed that Hanover Tavern had the perfect 1862 aura to serve as a present-day book launch spot. I am glad that we did because the evening could not have been more perfect! Many thanks to David and his staff! Oh by the way, the Pub’s shrimp and grits the other night were superb!