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News in Brief
Civil War Sesquicentennial emphasized
Jefferson group bringing Kentucky history to life
Thanks to a Louisville-based organization, the study of history is making a comeback in Jefferson County and some surrounding areas.
Since 2009, the Jefferson County Kentucky Junior Historical Society has been bringing history to life to a growing number of members.
Dae Lynn Combs, one of the group’s co-sponsors, points out 35 K-through-12 youngsters now are active members of the group that provides monthly speakers, workshops, field trips, service projects and participation in state-wide competition about Kentucky history. Homeschoolers from Jefferson County and surrounding counties – including southern Indiana – learn about Kentucky’s past, history careers and why history is important.
A main service project for this year has been to create a Time Travelers’ program for Kentucky, starting with Civil War sites as an observance of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Also planned for the 2011-12 school year are field trips to Simpsonville Historic Cemetery for a clean-up service project, Red River Gorge Archaeology Day, and Cave Hill Cemetery and National History Day rallies. Workshops are scheduled on how to write a research paper for National History Day, how to create a website, and how to create a documentary.
The Jefferson group won the Chapter Challenge at the 2011 Kentucky History Day Convention, has been named sponsor of the year and Chapter President Kevin Combs II won the Outstanding KJHS Member of the Year award. Combs also was elected District 3 Representative for the KJHS State Board.
Membership ranges from $3-$10 per year with full membership covering membership card, KHD Convention and registration for National History Day Competition.
Fort Duffield anniversary program set for Nov. 11
A special commemoration program featuring two afternoon skirmishes are scheduled Nov. 11 at Fort Duffield, identified as Kentucky’s largest and best-preserved Civil War earthen fort.
The 150th anniversary activity begins with opening ceremonies at noon with a special commemorative program at 1:30 p.m. between skirmishes scheduled at 1 and 3 p.m.
The Union fort at West Point was constructed in 1861 to protect Gen. William Sherman's supply base at the confluence of the Salt and Ohio Rivers.
Edmonds story one of many told by WKU professor
The article in this issue about Emma Edmonds, co-authored by Judy Pierce and Pamela Jukes, is one of many stories about women and the Civil War told by Dr. Pierce at schools, living history and re-enactment events throughout Kentucky.
One of the Commonwealth’s premiere storytellers, Judy has personalized the history of the period, particularly for young people. Dressed in period attire, she has gained a reputation for making history come alive in presentations all across the state. She also has been cited for stories about President Abraham Lincoln and his administration.
A professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at Western Kentucky University, Pierce teaches social studies methods and materials for elementary pre-service teachers. She also teaches graduate-level curriculum classes.
Lippman series included in Georgia display
A two-part series on the common soldier is included in a Civil War exhibit that opened recently at Georgia’s Old Capital Museum.
The articles, which appeared in the April-June and July-Sept. issues of The Kentucky Civil War Bugle, were written by Civil War historian Doug Lippman. The stories profiled what the average soldier was like in both the Union and Confederate armies.
The exhibit, “Tenting tonight on the Old Campground,” opened in October and will be on display in the Old Statehouse on the Georgia Military College campus in Milledgeville. When the exhibit closes July 31, 2012, items will go into a Civil War “Traveling Trunk” – a museum on wheels that will be available to educators in teaching Civil War history in their classrooms.
The rotating gallery features a tent, camp furniture, uniforms, weaponry, food and all the accoutrements used by soldiers. Visitors have the opportunity to taste hardtack, peek inside a soldier’s haversack, feel the weight of a Confederate musket and try on a Confederate uniform.
Not even musicians were safe in Civil War combat
One of the old saloon lines in Western movies was, “Whatever you do, don’t shoot the piano player.”
The Civil War version probably was, “Whatever you do, don’t shoot the musicians.”
However, neither the motion picture nor combat plea necessarily came to fruition.
Some casualty statistics from the Battle of Richmond indicate that buglers, drummers and fifers had their own problems.
Linda Ashley, past president of the Battle of Richmond Association, recently discovered that at the 1862 Battle of Richmond three Union musicians were killed, eight were wounded and seven others had to be relieved of their duties. On the Confederate side, four musicians were wounded.
Fifteen-year-old Johnny Harrington, a Union drummer with the 71st Indiana Infantry, may have been the youngest to be wounded in the Aug. 29-30 battle. Although they survived, six Federals were discharged for disability and one was released because of sunstroke.
Among the disabled was James Watson with the 95th Ohio Infantry. Watson’s disability was that he was “unable to learn music.”
Camp Wildcat event, two museum exhibits scheduled
The Civil War Sesquicentennial has initiated a number of upcoming events and activities.
The 150th anniversary of the Battle of Camp Wildcat is scheduled Oct. 15-17 with a school day and re-enactor dinner kickoff on Friday’s opening day. Living History camps, a presentation by President and Mrs. Lincoln and battle re-enactments highlight the weekend. The event is sponsored by the Laurel Home Guard.
“A Star in Each Flag: Conflict in Kentucky,” is an opening event for the Kentucky Library and Museum at Western Kentucky University. The exhibit runs through Jan. 1 at Bowling Green.
The Lexington History Museum will host two exhibits through Jan. 1. “Lexington During the Civil War” and “Lincoln and His Wife’s Hometown” are featured.
“Relics of the Past: the Forgotten Story of Confederate Camp Beauregard” is scheduled through Jan. 1 at Paducah’s Market House Museum.
Four more join Kentucky Civil War Sites Association
Four new organizations have joined the Kentucky Civil War Sites Association.
Lebanon Tourism, the Hart County Historical Society, the Civil War Museum-Western Theater in Bardstown and the Brown-Pusey House-Hardin County History Museum are recent additions.
Kentucky Civil War Sites is a state-wide organization that promotes Civil War events and activities in the Commonwealth. For more information, contact Gilbert Wilson, administrator@millsprings.net.
More than 800 re-enactors swamp Sacramento
The Battle of Sacramento was flooded with re-enactors for its May 20-22 event as nearly 800 participated in the 17th annual re-enactment and weekend activity.
More than 80 different regiments were represented from 14 states, including Kentucky. The participants spent $8,000 for gun powder and purchased 700 bags of ice and 100 bales of straw and hay.
More than 700 school children attended Friday’s opening living history day.
Tebbs Bend unearths prehistoric Native American site
The Tebbs Bend Battlefield Association has received a $35,000 grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program for an archaeology survey.
McBride Preservation Services, Inc. was awarded the contract and has now finished field work for the grant. Dr. Stephen McBride is part of a team that located the site of the Green River Stockade and the Federal Rifle Pit. During the search for the Main Federal position, the team also located a prehistoric Native American site.
Roundtables schedule Christmas event at Berea
The Madison County Civil War Roundtable and the Central Kentucky World War II Roundtable have scheduled a joint Christmas Season Fish Fry for Dec. 16
Members and their families from both groups will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Dinner Bell Restaurant in Berea. The menu includes cod, catfish, shrimp, roast beef, steak fries, corn, cole slaw, rolls/cornbread, pecan pie and beverages for $15.
Those interested should contact Phillip Seyfrit at 859/623-8979 by Dec. 14.
Abby discovers Civil War website has great resources
An eight-year-old student from Chula Vista, Calif., has a suggestion for readers of The Bugle.
Go to www.peoplefinders.com/article-people-places-and-events-of-the-civil-war.aspx. Abby has discovered the site has all sorts of good information about the War Between the States.
A student at Arroyo Vista Charter School, Abby found the site as a member of a Web Surfers group and Civil War unit taught by Cara Chandler, a fourth-grade teacher. Ms. Chandler’s students have been researching the war as part of a program that teaches youngsters how to effectively use the internet for research purposes while avoiding inappropriate and inaccurate content.
The Web Surfers group is open to all students from grades 1-6.
Abby and her classmates found The Bugle during a web search and have added it to their classroom bookmarks.
Virginia had the most battles – 123; Kentucky had 11
Which state experienced the most Civil War battles?
Virginia leads with 123. Tennessee is next at 38 followed by Georgia and Missouri with 27 each.
Louisiana had 23, North Carolina is next with 20, then Arkansas with 17, Mississippi with 16 and West Virginia with 15.
Kentucky and South Carolina wind up the double-figure totals with 11 battles each.
The battles in Kentucky were Barbourville, Wildcat, Cynthiana, Ivy Mountain, Middle Creek, Mill Springs, Munfordville, Paducah, Perryville, Richmond and Rowlett’s Station.
…And, then, there was an unhappy John Bell Hood
 Here are a few factoids about the Civil War in Kentucky.
• Many analysts believe the first Federal victory of the Civil War took place at the Battle of Mill Springs, Jan. 19, 1862.
• Owingsville native and Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood was so displeased with Kentucky’s Civil War neutrality that he proclaimed himself a Texan.
• Madison County’s Kit Carson, as an Indian agent, was troubled with the government’s harsh treatment of Indians before and after the Civil War.
• Confederate President and Christian County native Jefferson Davis had his likeness printed on the first stamp of the Confederacy, a five-cent denomination.
• Perryville, as part of its landscape, has a Bull Run.
• Lexington native and Confederate Gen. John C. Breckinridge was the 14th vice president of the United States and a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln.
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