Happy 150th Anniversary

Civil War historians and enthusiasts have been waiting for this moment for the last 50 years.  Now a half century removed from the centennial celebration of the American Civil War, we have the rare and special opportunity to commemorate TODAY the opening of this country's most trying conflict.  Today marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of the opening of hostilities at Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C.  You can see a full list of what they are doing by clicking on the link to the Fort Sumter National Monument HERE.   

The Washington Post came out with a great article outlining Fort Sumter and the making of "modern America."  Here is a direct link: Fort Sumter and Modern America.

The Post also has a great section asking its readers what they think the Civil War's greatest impact was.  HERE is the direct link to the site.

This also marks the birthday of the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus.  Happy Birthday, guys (Especially Mr. Bruce Smith- keep up the good work!).  We are all glad to hear that the symposium was a success.

So, instead of reproducing reports outlining the minute by minute  account of the battle (there are several sites out there that will be doing this), we would like to know your thoughts on this very special day in our history and collective memory.  Post your responses here, on our Facebook page, or tweet your thoughts @civilwarnavy.  Start the conversation.  Help keep the celebration alive and thriving these next few years. 

Welcome to the Civil War Sesquicentennial.

-CWN 150

From the Charleston Mercury, 9 April 1861

"Our authorities yesterday evening received notice from Lincoln’s Government, through a special messenger from Washington, that an effort will be made to supply Fort Sumter with provisions and that if this were permitted, no attempt would be made to reinforce it with men! This message comes simultaneously with a fleet, which we understand is now off our bar, waiting for daylight and tide to make the effort threatened.

We have patiently submitted to the insolent military domination of a handful of men in our bay for over three months after the declaration of our independence of the United States. The object of that self humiliation has been to avoid the effusion of blood, while such preparation was made as to render it causeless and useless.

It seems we have been unable, by discretion, forbearance, and preparation, to effect the desired object, and that now the issue of battle is to be forced upon us. The gage is thrown down, and we accept the challenge. We will meet the invader, and the God of Battles must decide the issue between the hostile hirelings of Abolition hate and Northern tyranny, and the people of South Carolina defending their freedom and their homes. We hope such a blow will be struck in behalf of the South, that Sumter and Charleston harbor will be remembered at the North as long as they exist as a people.”

-------------------
At this time, the sloop of war USS Pawnee was dispatched from Hampton Roads to relieve Maj. Robert Anderson's garrison at Fort Sumter.  Leaving Hampton Roads, the ship would get caught in a storm, arriving too late to help the fledgling fort.  Time was running out, or had already run out for the Navy's assistance of the garrison. 

Reproduction of the Charleston Mercury article courtesy of the Daily Observations of the Civil War, a great site detailing the daily events during the sesquicentennial.  The link may be found at:  http://dotcw.com/events-diary-%E2%80%93-april-9-1861/

Youtube Welcome Video

Now that we are just days away from the opening of the official start of the sesquicentennial, I figured it would be poignant to make the first video on the Official CWN 150 Youtube page.  It is just a short video introducing everyone to what the CWN 150 is, what we do, and some events we have coming up (23 April Civil War at Sea Conference especially).  Enjoy. 

The Coming of War

Over the next week, the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial will be posting several feature articles all related to the opening of the Civil War at Fort Sumter.  This is truly a special time in American History.  After half a century of waiting, the next great milestone commemoration is just around the corner.  What will the next four years bring?  Only time will tell.  It is the hope of the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial to keep readers and enthusiasts equally informed and stimulated by all events and activities promoted or created by this commemoration.  Keep coming to the site, as we have much in store for the future.  The latest event, as posted before, will occur on 23 April in Washington, D.C.      

Interested in becoming a true part of the CWN 150?  Post your own thoughts about the Civil War Navy or Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration here on the CWN 150, or tweet your thoughts @civilwarnavy.  Have any ideas or comments on what you would like to see relating to the Civil War Navy?  This is a great time to express that!  It is important to document how the public will choose to treat the 150th anniversary of America's most trying period of its short existence.  After all, if the public interest goes away, there would be no true meaning of commemorating events. 

- CWN 150

U.S. Navy Memorial/NHHC Civil War at Sea Conference Confirmed Speakers

Civil War at Sea Symposium

23 April 2011

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Last week, we posted that The United States Navy Memorial is holding a symposium to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  The Naval History and Heritage Command will co-host the event, highlighting the U.S. Navy’s role in, and contributions to, the outcome of the war.  Here is a list of some of the confirmed speakers for the event. 

Speakers include:

v      Keynote speaker Craig Symonds, renowned Civil War historian and author of award-winning books Lincoln and His Admirals and The Civil War at Sea, will kick off the event and give an overview of the Confederate and Union navies.  Symonds is a retired professor and chairman of the history department at the United States Naval Academy.

v      Robert J. Schneller, Jr. has been a historian in the Contemporary History Branch at the Naval Historical Center since 1991. He is the editor of Under the Blue Pennant, or Notes of a Naval Officer, 1863-1865, by John W. Grattan; co-writer of Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War; and author of  A Quest for Glory: A Biography of Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren.

v      Howard J. Fuller is Senior Lecturer of War Studies in the Department of History as well as a Core Member of the History and Governance Research Institute's Conflict Studies Research Group at the University of Wolverhampton. He specializes in Anglo-American 19th-century history, particularly the American Civil War and the British Empire.

v      Andy Jampoler is a retired U.S. Navy Captain.  Jampoler, who served in Vietnam, has an extensive background, including working at the Pentagon and commanding a land-based maritime patrol aircraft squadron, as well as a naval air station.  During the 1970s and 80s, he flew Lockheed P-3 airplanes in search of Soviet submarines. After retiring from the Navy, he worked in the international aerospace industry and then moved on to become a full-time writer.

v      Matthew T. Eng serves as Deputy Educator of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, VA.  Eng is also the Coordinator for the Navy History & Heritage Command's Civil War Sesquicentennial.

v      Gordon Calhoun is the publication editor and command historian for the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  He contributes to the museum’s exhibits including National Emergency: Local Navy Units in The Cold War and One Hundred Years of Silence: The Submarine Force at 100, as well as edits the museum’s quarterly journal of local history The Daybook.

v      William Connery is a seasoned writer in history and culture.  He has authored more than two dozen articles on various aspects of the American Civil War.  Connery, who writes for The Washington Times, served as the executive assistant to the Chairman of The Washington Times from 2006-2009 and as editor covering domestic/worldwide political and social issues for a general-interest monthly magazine.

v      Robert Browning is the Chief Historian for the U.S. Coast Guard.  He is the author of several books include From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War and U.S. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II¸ as well as numerous booklets and more than 50 articles. 

This information is reproduced from the U.S. Navy Memorial Website.  For more information, go to: http://www.navymemorial.org/Events/CivilWaratSea/tabid/142/Default.aspx

"Civil War at Sea" Symposium at the Navy Memorial

In honor of the first year of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, there will be a Civil War Navy Symposium co-hosted by the Navy Memorial and Naval History and Heritage Command at the Navy Memorial's Heritage Center.  The event, which will be highlighted by keynote speaker and acclaimed Civil War historian Craig Symonds, will also show living history demonstrations, displays, and activities for all participants who attend.  

Seating is limited,  so if you plan to attend, please RSVP by emailing mweber@navymemorial.org.   CWN 150 Coordinator Matthew Eng, HRNM Historian and Daybook Editor Gordon Calhoun, and CWN150 Undergraduate Program Coordinator Sarah Adler are scheduled to attend.  Come stop by the HRNM table and pick up a copy of the Special Edition Civil War Daybook if you haven't already.  

The event address is:

701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Day 1 (Ctd.) and Day 2 of the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend

NEWS FROM THE FRONT! (Continued Day 1)

March 5, 2011

1:00 pm:  Attended the second lecture of the day focusing on the efforts of the Blockade during the Civil War.  The 1:00 lecture centered on the role of the "Grey Ghost," CSS Alabama, and its operations throughout its storied history.  Dr. William S. Dudley, former director of the Naval Historical Center (now the Naval History and Heritage Command), was the speaker for the event. After discussing the elements that surround the theories of Union and Confederate strategy and sea power at the start of the war, Dr. Dudley recounted the legendary story of the Alabama and her crew which captured over two dozen ships during her service.



James D. Bulloch (left)

 He recalled the interesting "cloak and dagger" story of James D. Bulloch, chief foreign agent of the Confederacy, and the attempts by a Union network of spies to find info pertaining to any and all ships made in Liverpool for the purpose of commerce raiding.  Charles Francis Adams readily employed spies to shipyards in Liverpool to question (or pose as) workers of the elusive ship "No. 290," originally destined for merchant trading.  Adams being the diplomat and student of law knew such design and construction would result in the breaking of the British Foreign Enlistment Act, which they later paid to the tune of $15.5 million dollars in the years after the war. 

2:10 pm: HRNM Shout out!  Somebody in the audience asked "Will they ever bring up the artifacts from the CSS Florida."  Well, sir, you can always come down and see them for yourself at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum on display! 

The Makeup of the Union Blockade: Strategy and Implementation

2:30 pm:  The final presentation of the day was by Dr. Robert Browning, chief historian of the United States Coast Guard.  His presentation, titled "'None can be more vigilant than we are': the Union Blockade During the Civil War," went through what he called the "nuts and bolts" of the blockade, breaking it down from the ships and organization to the tactics used by the U.S. Navy to enforce it.  It is interesting to note how he described the makeup of blockade runners themselves; very informative.  He also identified Wilmington as the most important blockade running port.  It was not the most powerful, but important port, for it "became synonymous with Confederate blockade running during the war." 
Dr. Browning's presentation was insightful and well received by the audience.  Interestingly enough, I found out from Dr. Browning that there was a blockade runner actually named LET HER RIP.  Incredible!  Here it is reproduced here, renamed the USS Wando:

In my opinion, it will always be Let Her Rip. 

6 March 2011 (Day 2): Mariners' Museum, Newport News, VA

11:20 am:  I arrived back at the Mariners' Museum.  Things are pretty quiet right now, but I can see a small group of people once again waiting to get in.  There is a slow and steady drizzle of rain outside, keeping a majority of the living history reenactors at bay for the days events. 

12:00 pm: Guests are beginning to roll in.  I only have about 20 of the Civil War Special Edition Daybooks left, which means we unloaded over 250 of them this weekend!  A lot of people are showing up right from the start.  In the immortal words of Milli Vanilli, "blame it on the rain." 

1:00 pm:  One of the highlights of the entire weekend was seeing Jeff Johnston speak about some interesting developments from the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.  They have all really come a long way since it was discovered back in 1974.


Examples from the LSU Faces Lab



A majority of the presentation focused on the two Monitor sailors (named Monitor #1 and Monitor #2) recovered in 2002 inside the turret.  The process of narrowing down the 4 officers and 12 enlisted men who were lost during the 31 December 1862 is quite the daunting task.  From their research, Jeff detailed how they have narrowed it down to just a few names, a remarkable feat.  This will be further aided by forensic technology, and generous pro bono work from the LSU Faces Laboratory.  They will spearhead efforts to recreate the faces of the two sailors with cutting edge technology.  Geaux Tigers!

The ultimate goal of the project with LSU would be to put a face, and ultimately a name, to the two sailors.  The proposed date for the burial will be on the 150th anniversary of their death at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is of note that this project is also in coordination with the Naval History and Heritage Command.     

It is a sobering thought to realize the potential of finding faces and names to these unidentified skeletal remains.  Unknown for nearly 150 years, both sailors have the potential to finally seek peace.  Jeff commented how we never want to put another "unknown soldier" into the ground.  The lecture was definitely the highlight of the events this weekend.   

All in all, it was a fantastic time.  I look forward to continue to work with Anna and the gang at the Mariners' Museum in the future!

- Matthew T. Eng

Day 1 at the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend

During the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend Event at the Mariners' Museum this weekend, I am keeping a diary of events and observations along the way. - Matthew T. Eng

5 March 2011: Mariners' Museum Newport News, VA (Part 1 of 2)

Early Morning at the Mariners' with Bivouac Tents.  View from my table 

 9:30 am: Everything is set up for the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  There are Civil War Navy Special Edition Daybooks, Blacks in Blue Jackets pamphlets, and HRNM brochures.  Things are pretty quiet right now, but I can see a small line of people at the outside of the building waiting to get in.  Outside, several living history groups are setting up tents and artillery for the day's presentations.  The day should be fairly busy.  I'm at a booth currently next to Hampton historian and author John Quarstein and the Virginia War Museum.  John has a new book out called The Monitor Boys.  It sounds like an interesting read. This weekend might be the first time that anybody has seen the book since its been released.  I also had a chance to talk to Dr. Robert Browning and his wife.  Dr. Browning is the Chief Historian of the U.S. Coast Guard.  He is doing a presentation later this afternoon on the Blockading Squadron during the War.   I'm looking forward to today's events.

 The Norfolk Light Artillery Blues Open Fire

10:30 am:  The artillery demonstrations startled me, but I am getting used to it.  Walking around, I talked to a fellow exhibitor who has an impressive collection of Confederate and Union naval swords, Gerald Roxbury.  Apparently, he used to show displays at the Naval Museum.

10:45 am: A lot of guests i talk to are interested and intrigued with the Special Edition Daybook.  It's only been 45 minutes since the museum opened and I've gone through about 60 of them.  If you haven't read it, you should HERE.  Free to download, or come stop by the Mariners' Museum and pick one up yourself!

11:00 am: I took a little time to go visit the new exhibit outside the Monitor Center titled "Up Pops the Monitor."  It is really neat.  It has quite the "retro" theme to it.  So retro, that Mariners' VP Anna Holloway told me they served Tab and tater tots at the grand opening a few days back.    It explores the popular cultures of the Monitor, focusing on the "name" used to advertise products from books and art to even refrigerators!  Really cool stuff.  I took a couple of pictures from the exhibit.  They even had a running of the film Hearts in Bondage, the 1936 classic about the Battle of Hampton Roads.  Here are some of the photos:

Sinking of the USS Monitor, 1979 by Robert Ewell

Books, Magazines, and Comic Books Portraying the Monitor

Monitor Top Fridge!

12:00 pm: Talked to a Civil War Marine who works with the Tidewater Maritime Living History Association.  Along the same lines, there was a guest who apparently donated materials to HRNM fron his time in the 4th Marine Division during WWII.  Interesting stuff.  I think its time that I go for lunch. 

Civil War Navy in the News

Here is some updates and links to information related to the Civil War Navy:

According to associated content on Yahoo News, artifacts from the USS Westfield, a Federal gunboat converted from a civilian ferryboat that ran aground and sank near Galveston Island, has surfaced important artifacts in recent days. Recovery experts for the USS Westfield under the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Navy began in November 2009. Recently, however, new items have surfaced. According to the Yahoo newswire report:

"On Wednesday, January 19, 2011 Galveston County, The Daily News, announced that four cannonballs were recovered from near the resting place of the large cannon. Explosive experts from the Navy and Marine Corps were on hand for any possible necessary disarming of the devices. Other artifacts from the site have been recovered but skeletal remains of the captain and crew members of the USS Westfield are not expected to be found intact after so long a time."

The latest blog post from the Civil War Picket has some great information concerning Columbus, GA and its involvement (i.e. a "military industrial complex") in the Civil War. According to Phil Gast, author of the blog, Columbus ranked only second to Richmond in producing supplies and weapons for the Confederacy. Within their capacity, the city along the Chattahoochee River made gunboats for the Confederate Navy during the war. Columbus, GA is also the current home of the National Civil War Naval Museum.

There is also a great quote included on the Civil War Interactive Newswire. The 24 January quote is from Admiral David Dixon Porter, writing from the Yazoo River in 1863. Writing to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles of his success in capturing 11 Confederate steamers on the way to Vicksburg, he stated that:

"I am guarding the Yazoo River. The front…is heavily fortified. Unless we can get troops in the rear of the city I see no chance of taking it…though we cut off all their supplies.”

If you would like more information on David Dixon Porter, you can read his Naval History of the Civil War HERE for free, courtesy of Google Books.

NC Civil War Symposium: "THE REAL WAR WILL NEVER GET IN THE BOOKS"

The History Department at North Carolina State University invites
proposals for a symposium on the public history of the American Civil
War.

"THE REAL WAR WILL NEVER GET IN THE BOOKS"

The Public History of the American Civil War, a Sesquicentennial
Symposium

March 26, 2011

The approaching 150th anniversary of the American Civil War provides a
unique opportunity to explore the many ways that public and academic
historians can work together to engage general audiences at
battlefields, historic sites, and museums across the country. On
Saturday, March 26, 2011, the History Department at North Carolina State
University will host a symposium to facilitate discussions among Civil
War interpreters, museum curators, and scholars about how to convey
integrated narratives of military, social, and political history. We
invite panels, roundtables, and workshops to consider issues related to
the public interpretation of the Civil War, including but not limited
to:

- Challenging popular narratives of the war
- Attracting diverse audiences
- Exploring interpretive practices at war-related sites
- Preserving Civil War battlefields
- Integrating scholarship and research into the public interpretation
of the war
- Finding a usable past in Civil War history

We anticipate that the symposium will engage the Civil War broadly,
including the causes of the war, civilians and soldiers on the
battlefields and homefronts, irregular and regular war, and emancipation
and Reconstruction.

Interested public historians, curators, site directors, scholars, etc.
should submit 1-2 page proposals for panels, roundtables, and workshops
and CVs for all participants to Susanna Lee (susanna_lee@ncsu.edu) and
David Zonderman (david_zonderman@ncsu.edu) by December 15, 2010.
Decisions on accepted proposals will be made by January 15, 2011.
Invited participants will receive travel and accommodations.

Susanna Lee: 919-513-2215
David Zonderman: 919-513-2222
History Department
North Carolina State University
Fax: 919-515-3886

Black Civil War Military Archives to Hampton University

Historian and author Bennie J. McRae, Jr. has recently donated his archives of materials documenting the experience of African-American men and women during the Civil War to Hampton University, according to the Associated Press.

The archival documents Mr. McRae is donating includes recollections of African-American sailors. McRae is researcher and site manager of Lest We Forget, a website preserving the history, culture, and heritage of important individuals in Black history and American history.

Hopefully Mr. McRae's contribution will spark more historians to open up their documents and historical records during the sesquicentennial years.

For more information, please go to the Virginian-Pilot article here.