Placing Some of the Dead at Widow Alsop's

     Note: All images can be clicked for larger viewing.

     Certainly, any battlefield photograph that shows the dead in situ has intrigued the public ever since Mathew Brady first displayed images of the dead of Antietam at his New York gallery in October 1862.

     The May 20, 1864 images of Confederate dead on the Susan Alsop farm in Spotsylvania are a prime example, and have been most engrossing. For the twelve years I have lived near the site, and have studied Timothy O'Sullivan's series, I have been hopeful that I could make some solid determination as to where at least some of the images were made. The first obstacle in doing so was the uncertainty as to the precise location of the Alsop farmhouse. National Park Service Historian Noel Harrison and I have pondered this over the years  and together have become fairly comfortable with an approximate location. Only one image in the series had clearly specified that it showed the house and a small barn/stable, nearby. Using the official government map produced in 1867 by Nathanial Michler, I compared the terrain features depicted and found what seems to be the most logical match against a modern topographic map. Working with the Michler map, one has to be aware of the potential for distortions which occur when an individual surveyor's notes are married to a fellow surveyor's set. As an illustration, sometimes a farm field would be included by both men in their individual surveys, and instead of overlapping, the area is mistakenly plotted twice on the compiled map. One area of clear distortion is unfortunately within the sector of the Alsop and neighboring Peyton farms, making a simple overlaying of period and modern maps impossible. Fortunately, once the pattern of the distortion is recognized, one can compensate for the problem and adjust as needed. This has allowed for a reasonable placement of the house upon the modern landscape, one which we will examine later in this post.

     Another image in the series, taken prior to the one above, depicts two of the Confederate dead nearby on the property. The soldier immediately behind the pile of fence rails is clearly the same body as the one on the stretcher as was indicated by William Frassanito in his 1983 book, Grant and Lee, The Virginia Campaigns, 1864-1865.

     A long overlooked yet vital clue as to the relationship of this image and the one of the Alsop house, is seen in the upper right of the horizon line. There, though not in sharp focus, appears to be the west exposure of the Alsop house, along with the surrounding trees that are readily discernible from the full house image.

An enlarged detail of that portion of the photograph shows the

open window at right, and the surrounding trees of the home's western

 face, making this approximately 80 yards to the east of these bodies.

In the detail below, note the window and row of fanlike trees within the

 fence, as well as the larger trees inside the field. The tree on the left edge

 below is the tree at right of center in the above detail.

Below is my hypothetical interpretation of these images placed on the landscape.

The tree line to the north of the property is most likely where the original

 image caption, "Scene at Mrs. Allsop's Pine Forest", was derived. When

viewed in stereo, there appears to be a sunken lane between the fence and

the woods, but I have opted to leave this possible feature out of my drawing.

Based on this hypothesis, here are "then and now" comparisons.

Set One: Looking East From "A"

Set Two: Looking North East From "B"

Over at the F&SNMP's "unofficial" blog Mysteries and Conundrums, Chief Historian John Hennessy has recently weighed in on his interpretation of the Alsop Farm images. You can read that here, at this link.

A satellite image of the area involved as it looked in 2009.

Note: The roads seen in this view are modern driveways with no historical significance,

and have no correlation with the farm lanes I have indicated in my diagram.

BE AWARE: all of this property is privately owned.

Please respect the owner's right to privacy.

Building the Spotsylvania Exhibit Shelter: Mission 66 - A Then & Now Look

In preparation for the fiftieth anniversary of the National Park Service in 1966, the Department of the Interior implemented a ten-year program of enhancement projects designed to improve the visitor experience. The program was dubbed "Mission 66." Among these tasks were the construction of modern interpretive facilities, replacing the rustic Contact Stations of the CCC era. In the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, two new Visitor Centers and three Exhibit Shelters would be constructed to coincide with the anniversaries of the battles they'd interpret. The Chancellorsville Visitor Center was set to open on the first weekend in May, 1963. By July of that year, construction was underway for an exhibit shelter on the Grant Drive entrance to the Spotsylvania unit. By the end of April, 1964, the shelter was nearing completion, in plenty of time for the hundredth anniversary of the Spring Campaign of 1864.

This September 1963 photograph documents the pouring of the concrete floor and patio of the Spotsylvania Shelter. It was built on a substantial cinder block foundation with brick walls and a heavy steel framework that emulated residential architecture of the day. The roof had four skylights to provide additional ambient light to the open air design.

Approximate same view in February 2011.

 Prior to the installation of wire mesh to the open gable ends of the rafter

system, workers are seen here applying a clear sealer coating to the

natural wood ceiling planks inside the interpretive area.

Over time, the natural wood look was replaced by a heavy coating of

white paint, providing durability and easier maintainance. Note the

 skylight and wire mesh enclosed gable end.

                   On April 28, 1964, the interpretive display panels were being installed.

                       This approximate view of the same corner shows updated panels

and more engaging graphics installed around 2004. There is a continuing

 effort to enhance the visitor experience. Photo taken February 22, 2011.

                   In another April 28, 1964 photograph by NPS historian Ralph Happel,

Peder Kitti and Frank Philips of the Department of the Interior's Branch

of Museums, prepare hardware for the mounting of the interpretive panels.

They were assisted by Freddie Paytes of the F&SNMP maintenance department.

Note the accordian style, gate enclosure for the shelter, rarely if ever, used today.

Approximate same view, February 2011.

The one-hundredth anniversary of the National Park Service will be celebrated in 2016. 

Black and white photographs seen here are from the files of the F&SNMP.

Color photographs copyright 2011 by John F. Cummings III

Earthwork Preservation and Protection: Lessons of the past in consideration of the future.

The Civil War Roundtable of Franklin, Virginia, on November 12, 1957, stand posed directly on the Bloody Angle, at the point where the Union line is conjoined with the Confederate parapet. To the left of the group is NPS historian, Ralph Happel, who had served as their guide at the adjacent contact station, not visible in this image. The view is looking east, along the face of the Salient. Note the large cedar tree looming immediately to their backs at right. This photograph is from the archives of the F&SNMP.

The same spot, fifty-four years later. The Bloody Angle is protected  from most intrusive pedestrian incursions by virtue of this wooden bridge, due to be removed at some point in the very near future. Previous posts on this blog, here, here, and here, have covered the construction of a new bridge futher down the line. Note the stump of the large cedar tree at right middle, immediately to this side of the bridge. The cedar was removed a few years ago to help restore the unobscured vista of the Bloody Angle, to that which the soldiers would have experienced. The cedar tree had been planted in the early days of the park as an ill-conceived landscaping measure, one of the conflicts of "battlefield park" versus "natural park" philosophies.

Sparingly placed, so as to to be themselves non intrusive, signs such as these are designed to instill a discipline within the visitor to be mindful of the resource's delicate condition. Sadly, this does escape the consciousness of many, and on a daily basis a casual observer will witness numerous, shocking examples.

The question for the future must now be, "Will the park visitor dutifully follow the new trail system, or will they feel unflinchingly compelled to veer from the path and walk on the earthworks?" The future will tell.

23rd USCT Re-forming for Sesquicentennial Commemorations in Spotsylvania

Gathering for the organizational meeting of the 23rd USCT

are left to right: Rev. Hashmel Turner, Col. Horace McCaskill Jr. USA, (Ret),

Steward Henderson, Roger Braxton, and John F. Cummings III

Over the past decade there has been some intense interest focused on the Spotsylvania experience of the 23rd United States Colored Troops, a regiment comprised of former slaves, many from the County and surrounding area. Prior to May 15, 1864, USCT's attached to the Army of the Potomac were routinely assigned to non combat roles, primarily guarding supply wagon trains. Organised at Camp Casey, near the modern day site of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, the 23rd was assigned to the 4th Division of the 9th Corps, led by Brigadier General Edward Ferrero, a well known dance instructor in pre-war civilian life.

On the morning of May 15, Confederate cavalry was probing along the back roads far north of the prior week's concentration of fighting. Their goal was to harass Union hospital sites and supply lines, with the intent of liberating as much as they could with minimal casualties. Riding hard along the Catharpin Road towards the Old Plank Road intersection, the southern horsemen came upon the 2nd Ohio Cavalry Regiment who were resting near Piney Branch Church. Panicked and outnumbered, the Ohio troopers took off pell-mell toward the Alrich farm, a good mile and a third away. From there some of the terror stricken Union horsemen proceeded north to alert the closest possible reinforcements. Near the Chancellor House ruins, the 23rd USCT, sprang to the call and proceeding south, encountered the approaching Confederates in what would be their very first exchange of fire with the Army of Northern Virginia. The southerners fell back, suddenly outnumbered, with the 23rd holding the intersection.

This historic encounter has until recently gone unappreciated as a major landmark on the road to the end of slavery in America. However, plans are now in development to commemorate this contest by placing an interpretive marker near the place the Ohio troops were first surprised. The intersection where the 23rd USCT actually fired upon the Confederate Cavalry has been deemed too dangerous to place a safe pulloff area.

In anticipation of the opportunities during the Sesquicentennial to tell the story of the 23rd, I began to talk with friend Steward Henderson about assembling a representative unit as re-enactors. Thus far there has been substantial interest in making such a portrayal available over the next four years. Additional interest has been expressed by the John J. Wright Educational & Cultural Center Museum who will partner with us in our efforts

National Park Service Historian, Eric Mink, has spent numerous hours delving into the service and pension files of Spotsylvania men who had served in the 23rd USCT. His work has been invaluable toward assembling the story of these men's lives. Some of his findings have been posted on another blog, here and here.

National Park Service Historian, Noel Harrison has also written a blog posting here, detailing the location of the skirmish and the encounter that brought it about.

Brigadier General Ferrero is seated at lower left with members of his staff,

near Petersburg, Virginia in the summer of 1864. An armed sentry, possibly a

member of the 23rd, stands at his post to the right of the white officers.



Manassas - Another Project nears completion

Those who know me are aware that I have been working several book projects in tandem. One regarding local photography is close to seven years in the mix. However, in the next few weeks, I anticipate sending another finished manuscript to the publisher, this time focusing on the Manassas Battlefields.

Before moving to Spotsylvania, I lived in Northern Virginia, in Fairfax County, for thirty-nine years. Growing up within ten miles of Manassas/Bull Run, enabled me to nurture my early interest in Civil War history, and I visited the battlefield there countless times, both as a child with my parents and even more frequently as a young adult. There has always been something strangely alluring about the Manassas Battlefield for me, something incorporeal.  Logically, all the battlefields should manifest these same conditions, but with every return trip I make to the "Plains of Manassas", I am reinforced with these strange emotions.

My Manassas project is heavily built on "then & now" comparrison photographs. Oftentimes in doing this comparrison work, one finds the landscape has changed over a century and half to such an extent that true side by side alignment is difficult to impossible, particularly when the subject matter sits within a wooded area.

Last week (February 2), I took the opportunity to revisit one last time before finishing, an area that normally is obscurred by heavy foliage within trees. My goal there was to use a recent snow fall to provide a better ground contrast against the trees and background sky. I was delighted with the results since prior attempts were at other times of the year, and failed to show the terrain features needed for a true "then & now" match up.

The black and white image below is the original wartime photograph taken in March 1862, showing two boys knealing in front of a row of water logged soldier burials. The site is on a small, flat, bottom area in front of the west face of the ridge that Sudley Church sits on. The church can be seen through the trees at upper left. After the Battle of First Bull Run, in July 1861, this area was used for a field hospital, along with the church building. As is typical in such situations, soldiers who did not survive the ordeal were buried hastily in shallow graves nearby. 

Although the church building has been rebuilt since the Civil War, my modern, color photograph demonstrates the surrounding landscape has retained the same characteristics it displayed in 1862, especially the thin trees, albiet now entangled in thorny undergrowth. Fortunately, the property is still owned by the church and one can not anticipate an encroachment to destroy this hallowed ground.

My goal is to have this book in print by July, in time for the 150th Anniversary of First Manassas.

March 1862, by George N. Barnard

February 2011, by John F. Cummings III

Official Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Vodcast

Much of the dramatic footage seen in the above video is compiled from the combined talents of John Hennessy, Chief Historian of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and Media Magic Productions of Lansing, Michigan. The material was shot over several years locally, with many extras culled from the community, to produce three documentary films exhibited and sold at the Battlefield Park, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Virginians Desolate, Virginians Free. John Hennessy wrote the script for the films and provided on-site consultation during the filming and post-production. A fourth film, on the Wilderness and Spotsylvania is in the formative stages.

John has also played a significant role in orchestrating the regional preparations for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. An indefatigable worker, possessed by an indomitable spirit, John personifies the term "multitasking". We can expect many great things over the next four years from John and the entire staff of the F&SNMP.

John Hennessy is seen above, lecturing on the local civilian experience

 during the Civil War, at the 145th Anniversary Re-enactment

 of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2008. Photo by Julie Bell.

A NEW YEAR IS HERE, and the Sesquicentennial too

It has been a few months since I have posted on here. There had been some distractions that took precedence over devoting time to blog, the most pressing of which had been family medical necessity. Just a few days before Christmas, my wife had hip replacement surgery, and I am happy to say she has recovered wonderfully. The Lord has really blessed us. After two and a half years of increasing pain and decreasing mobility, she has come back renewed, and looking forward to once again hiking the battlefields and enjoying our research projects together.

The other major item that consumed my time was the completion of my second book's manuscript and delivering it to the publisher. It is an illustrated history of Spotsylvania County that focuses on the impact of the Civil War, the establishment of the battlefield park, and the continual struggle to preserve significant lands along with the development of a tourism ethic in the County government. The last chapter in the book is devoted to the period of 1999 to 2010, where a mixed bag of preservation victories and placating rhetoric from the Board of Supervisors, defined Spotsylvania County as one of the most endangered battlefield regions in the east. The current release date from the publisher is June 27, 2011. I will keep everyone updated on here as we get closer.

Additionally, I have begun to provide a bi-weekly Civil War column for an on-line news magazine called Fredericksburg Patch. Outside of one deliberate reworking of an early post from this blog, the goal will be to supply fresh material that compliments what I post here. Essentially I have doubled my blog-like workload, but I will go at it with spirit and hope everyone checks in over there and enjoys what the site has to offer the region. I find the Patch to be a refreshing source of local news with the promise of a online community feel.

Now we are into the first year of the Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War, 2011-2015. I am expecting some exciting events and educational opportunities over the next four years in the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania area.

My goal on this blog will continue to be an ongoing source of interesting perspectives of the Civil War and its cultural legacy.

Related Lands: The Florence Stockade - Florence County, South Carolina

In the late summer of 1864, as Union General Sherman was pressing his forces around Atlanta, there was cause for concern that the POW stockade at Andersonville, Georgia could be overrun, allowing the liberation of the Union men held there. In an effort to prevent this, a stockade was prepared in Florence, South Carolina, approximately 90 miles north of Charleston, and it was to there that the able bodied prisoners of Andersonville were to be transferred by train. The first prisoners would arrive in September. In the five months this stockade was in operation, as many as 18,000 Union soldiers were held there. With an initial death rate of 20 to 30 men a day, a total of about 2,800 would perish. Among them were as many as 14 of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey soldiers captured on May 14, 1864 during the fighting on Myer's Hill, near Spotsylvania Courthouse. Accurate death and burial records failed to survive the war, and these men may likely be interred in the 16 burial trenches containing 2,167 "unknowns", at what is now the Florence National Cemetery.

We visited Florence on Monday, October 18, on our journey back to Spotsylvania from a family gathering in Charleston. My special thanks to NPS historian Eric Mink for his last minute trip advice as we traveled up Interstate 95.

                                  

Entrance to the Florence National Cemetery

One of the 32 upright marble headstones that mark sections of the 16 burial trenches.

On the south side of the cemetery, at the end of Stockade Road, is the site of the former prison camp, maintained and interpreted by the Friends of the Florence Stockade, who have a Facebook page currently here. The above photograph shows an informational Gazebo with numerous illustrated panels detailing the history of the site. It is stop # 1 on a 16 stop walking trail.

Map detailing the stockade and surrounding defensive works.

The stockade itself was 23.5 acres, 3 acres smaller than Andersonville.

This view is taken from near the south west corner of the stockade.

The path runs parallel to what was the south wall of the stockade.

This illustration looks from the south wall along the sole water source for the prison, the Pye Branch of Stockade Creek. The drawings were created by James E, Taylor for Ezra Hoyt Ripple's published account of his experiences as a prisoner of war. Drinking water was taken from the northern (far) third of the creek, the middle was used for bathing, and the final third was utilized for the latrine, a wooden, open air facility seen at lower right, running along the creek length. Conditions are said to have been at least equal to and in some estimations, worse than those suffered at Andersonville.

An incident at the Stockade, also illustrated by Taylor. Note the similarity to Andersonville's construction and prisoner living conditions.

Related Lands - Andersonville Prison, Macon and Sumter Counties, Georgia

On May 14, 1864, Pvt. Jesse A. Adams of the 10th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was captured by Confederate forces overwhelming his unit during fighting on Myer's Hill, near Spotsylvania Courthouse. The above image features an original photograph of Adams taken shortly after his enlistment, November 14, 1861, by the regimental photographer, J. B. Brown.

Adams was sent nearly 700 miles south to the Andersonville, GA prison camp.

Today, the former prison is now the home of the National Prisoner of War Museum,

administered by the National Park Service.

This is the reconstructed northeast corner of the stockade that contained the prisoners. The view is looking southwest. Towering above the walls are representatives of the guard towers that monitored the prisoner activities inside the compound.

Inside that compound today are a sampling of makeshift shelters that prisoners struggled to maintain inside the 26.5 acre rectangular enclosure. Barracks that had been originally planned to house the prisoners were never built due to shortage of materials and manpower.

A photograph taken on August 17, 1864 from one of the guard towers, looking northwest. The top of the stockade wall is running along the right hand edge of the image. At ground level, just to the left of the stockade, is the infamous "dead line", which if crossed, would mean being shot by the guards above.

Here is the rebuilt "north gate" into the compound on the west wall of the stockade. Its name derives from being on the "north" side of a creek that flowed through the compound. A fellow inmate of Adams wrote of the horrors new prisoners witnessed upon arrival, "Once inside... men exclaimed 'Is this hell?' "

One of the NPS interpretive signs inside the gate.

Looking across the site of the compound from near the southwest corner. The location of the stockade walls and dead line are indicated by white stakes. The location of the rancid creek flowing through the prison runs along the low area between the high ground. It served as a drinking and bathing water source as well as the latrine. Dysentery was rampant. Of the near 45,000 men held here, 12,913 would die from starvation, malnutrition, and disease.

Among the dead was Jesse Adams, who succumbed to pneumonia on August 2, 1864,

 a mere eleven weeks after his capture. His remains rest under the soil of Georgia.

For myself, as a student of the Civil War for now over forty years, my visit to the Andersonville Prison site in 2008 was a profound experience. I have visited many battlefields and had been to the location of POW facilities in Richmond, Virginia, chiefly Belle Isle, where approximately 1,000 prisoners died out of 30,000, and the former location of Libby Prison, but visiting Andersonville changed it all for me. I can't see the war in its entirety in the same light as I did before. It is no longer simply the strategy and tactics of battles or the clash of political ideals. It is no longer "Still Rebels, Still Yankees" as Donald Davidson opined.

Taming The Wilderness - Living History at Ellwood, September 26, 2010

The Spotsylvania County plantation house known as "Ellwood", was the site of an informative living history event on Sunday, September 26. The threat of rain kept some of the planned displays from attending unfortunately, but those that did set up provided a top notch presentation. Hosted by the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, the theme for the day was "Taming the Wilderness: Featuring some of the key trades, skills, and crafts necessary to build a house and provide for a family on the Virginia frontier in the late 1700's."

Built in circa 1790, Ellwood was once the center of a 5,000 - acre estate.

Lively musical performances on Ellwood's front porch.

On the lawn, Melondy Phillips demonstrated the preparation of animal hides.

Here, she discusses the softening of deer skins. Very informative.

A member of the Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild

demonstrates a loom, using cotton threads to make kitchen towels.

"Wenches" Elaine and Robin discuss the contributions of 18th Century Tavern

Life to our modern day language, with idioms such as "mind your P's and Q's",

 "bottoms up!", and "he's not playing with a full deck."

Craig Jacobs, owner of Salvagewrights Ltd., chats in the afternoon shade with

some of his friends who presented information on log hewing, architectural and

decorative details, and antique woodworking tools and their applications.

Here, they are sitting on a partially hand hewn beam, which that morning had

been a standing tree. They are masters at their craft.