Battle of
Sharpsburg Camp
#1582
Sons of Confederate Veterans
“The Sharpsburg Sentinel”
Volume 5, Issue 4 March 27, 2010
“Commander’s Message”
Greetings Compatriots,
Its been a busy time since our last gathering with many things going on right now and in the near future.
Our next meeting will again be at the Mumma Farm House at Antietam on April 7th, at 7:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Tom White, who is a Research Associate and Staff Member of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shephard University, which is part of Shephard's Department of History. Mr White's topic for our meeting will be The Battle of Droop Mountain, WV, which occurred on November 6th, 1863. Mr White's credentials are way too extensive for me to try and melt down here, so I will attach his entire bio as a separate document to the newsletter, and will circulate copies of it at the meeting. We are extremely lucky to have him present to us!
Also coming up soon is the Maryland Division Annual meeting in Annapolis, MD on April 10th. Jerry Bayer will be representing us and presenting the Camp Report.
Also on April 10th is a Memorial Ceremony for a Confederate Soldier at the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Chambersburg, PA. Information about where to go and when is below. My son, Ian and I will be attending, and I encourage (ask? Wish? Implore?) as many of you as can make it to support this noble event. Anyone wishing to participate in uniform or in period dress is encouraged to do so.
The ceremony for Col. Benjamin F. Carter is scheduled for noon on Saturday April 10, 2010. It is at the Cedar Grove cemetery. If you are wearing a Confederate Uniform please arrive by about 11:30 as you may be asked to participate in the Honor Guard and/or gun salute.
Also, there will be local and regional media present - this ceremony includes a proclamation from Texas Governor Rick Perry, and speeches made by officials from Texas and descendants of Colonel Carter. Some soil taken from his wife's grave will be placed over his grave, and a taking of soil from his grave to be placed on his wife's grave in Texas.
Below are the directions to get there if you're going North on the 81:
Take Rt US 30 West (Lincoln Way W.) through Chambersburg.
It is one-way through town.
Cross the creek after passing through downtown.
After a short distance, turn right on Franklin Street.
Cross King Street. Look for the entrance on the right.
This is a large cemetery. You'll be looking all day for graves if you do not know the section. Stop off at the Historical Society on King Street. Look up the grave in the Pfluger cemetery books to get the section. The Coyle Public Library, just down from the the Historicial Society on King also has cemetery information. From there, head west on King, cross the creek, turn right onto Franklin at the top of the hill and the cemetery is on the right.
To get a map, use Mapquest and enter as intersection "W. King St. & N. Franklin St." The oval you'll see to the upper right of the star is the center oval in the cemetery. Try cutting and pasting the below link
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Chambersburg&state=PA&address=W+King+St+%26+N+Franklin+St&zipcode=17201&country=US&latitude=39.93967&longitude=-77.66531&geocode=INTERSECTION
The last bit of information I'd like to share is a short blurb from Jubal Early's Autobiography regarding the Confederate move into Maryland in 1862. I will try and add a little bit over the next several months to eventually extract his entire discussion about the Maryland Campaign. The minutes from last month's meeting are at the end of this report.
I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon, and until then, my deepest regards,
Respectfully,
Dale A. Karraker
"No Higher Honor"
FROM JUBAL ERALY"S AUTOBIOGRAPHY:
CHAPTER XV.
MOVEMENT INTO MARYLAND.
ON the 2nd of September our army rested, while the movements of the enemy were being ascertained. Provisions were now very scarce, as the supply in the wagons, with which we had started, was exhausted. The rations obtained by Jackson's command from the enemy's stores, at Manassas, which were confined to what could be brought off in haversacks, were also exhausted, and on this day boiled fresh beef, without salt or bread, was issued to my brigade, which with an ear or two of green corn roasted by a fire, constituted also my own supply of food, at this time. Longstreet's wing of the army was in a worse condition than Jackson's, as it had not participated in the supply found at Manassas.
On the morning of the 3rd, Jackson's wing commenced the march towards the Potomac, and moved to the left over some country roads, crossing the Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad at a station, above Vienna, until we reached the turnpike from Georgetown to Leesburg in Loudoun, and then along this road through Drainesville, until we passed Leesburg on the afternoon of the 4th, and bivouacked near Big Springs, two or three miles from the latter place, at night.
On the 5th we resumed the march and crossed the Potomac at White's Ford, about seven miles above Leesburg, into Maryland. This ford was an obscure one on the road through the farm of Captain Elijah White, and the banks of the river had to be dug down so that our wagons and artillery might cross. On the Maryland side of the river the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal runs along the bank, and the canal had to be bridged over a lock to enable our wagons to pass, as they could not get through the culvert where the road ran. That night we bivouacked near Three Springs in Maryland on the road leading
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towards Frederick City, and after my brigade had lain down I received a message from General Jackson to let my men get green corn for two days, but, I told the staff officer bringing it, that they had already drawn their rations in that article, which was all they had now to eat. I will here say that green Indian corn and boiled beef without salt are better than no food at all by a good deal, but they constitute a very weakening diet for troops on a long march, as they produce diarrhoea.
On the 6th we resumed the march and in the afternoon occupied Frederick City and the Monocacy Junction on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Jackson's division took position near the city, and Hill's and Ewell's near the Junction, which is about three miles from the city in the direction of Washington. Ewell's division covered the railroad and the approaches from the direction of Baltimore, and Hill's those from the direction of Washington. We were now able to get some flour and salt, and our whole army was in a day or two concentrated near the same points.
Minutes from last meeting:
> 7:00 – meeting called to order by Commander Dale Karraker.
> Pledge to American flag; salute to Confederate flag.
> Invocation & opening prayer by Chaplain Toby Law.
> Our attendance was 15 members + 8 guests for a total of 23.
> Three new members were sworn in:
Ian Karraker
Joseph Brodell
Philip D. Perks
In addition, Dale Karraker’s three brothers are also becoming members of our Camp!
> Introduction of our speaker – our own Lawrence Jones. He gave a terrific presentation,
complete with musical accompaniment on the Picketts Mill (GA) Battle, 27 May 1864.
> Recognition of guests.
> Food break – pizza was retrieved by a couple of our devoted Camp wives – thank you!
> Upcoming events include:
Apr. 10: Chambersburg graveside ceremony
Apr. 24: Maryland Division meeting in Annapolis
> Next month’s meeting will include a presentation on “the Battle at Piedmont”.