News in Brief…
Tennessee history teacher specialist on battlefields, their preservation

Author Randy Bishop, an avid scholar of the War Between the States and an advocate for preservation and restoration of historic battlefields, has written a distinctive book about Kentucky’s Civil War battlefields, a review of which is included in this issue. Bishop has authored similar books on Civil War battlefields in Tennessee and Mississippi and has contributed articles for publications such as the Civil War Courier and Country Discoveries.

 A history teacher at Middleton (Tenn.) High School and an adjunct professor at Jackson State Community College, Bishop is a six-time recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award. He was recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and serves as the president of his local elementary and high-school parent-teacher organization.

Bishop earned a bachelor of science degree in management marketing from Union University and a master’s in education from the University of Memphis. A member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, he also is involved with several preservation groups, including Civil War Preservation Trust, Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association.



Lincoln birthplace seeking living history event

Gary Ferguson, a park guide at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace at Hodgenville, is seeking a re-enactment unit interested in assisting with a living history event at the park.

“I am trying to find out availability in order to put the event together,” Ferguson said. “The event would be a weekend affair, setting up on Friday with demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. The idea is to educate visitors to our park about the life of Civil War soldiers through living history. This would include drill demonstrations, firing demonstration, and daily camp life in general.”

Ferguson said the date would depend upon availability of a unit. August and late September are times under consideration.

The ranger can be contacted at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP, 2995 Lincoln Farm Road, Hodgenville, KY 42748. His phone number is 270-358-3137, Ext. 105 and his e-mail address is Gary_L_Ferguson@nps.gov.

The park became a national facility in 1916 and is dedicated to preservation, commemoration and interpretation of resources associated with the birth and early years of the 16th president.

BORA awards first student service honor

It was Robert E. Lee and a middle school social studies teacher who got Ryan McBride interested in the Civil War.

McBride, the first recipient of the Battle of Richmond Association’s (BORA) Student Service Award, was an eighth-grader at Richmond’s Clark Moores Middle School in 2008 when he was assigned to write a five-page report for a class about the 1860s conflict. He researched the life of legendary Confederate Gen. Lee and, through the urging of his teacher, Sharon Graves, got involved in intensive study about the War Between the States and serving as a student volunteer for a variety of events associated with the 1862 Civil War Battle of Richmond.

Ryan, who graduated this spring from Richmond’s Madison Central High School, never has missed assisting with an event during the past five years at BORA’s Battlefield Park. He has gathered firewood for re-enactor camps, set up tents, handled physical arrangements for a variety of activities, helped manage book fairs and, this spring, served as a set-up man and human ballast for a hot-air balloon presentation.

McBride plans to use the $500 award to buy books for his fall classes at Eastern Kentucky University. He plans to major in business and seek a career in the insurance industry.

His dedication to duty earned him a colonel’s commission three years ago in the BORA Brigade, an honorary organization composed of those who are key supporters of the Civil War association.

McBride’s interests include more than just the Civil War, however. He was a member of his school’s swimming team and the musical theater club and was a student director of the student chorus.

Holt House fund drive passes halfway point

More than $22,000 has been raised toward the $40,000 goal needed to qualify for additional grant money for restoration of the Judge Joseph Holt House at Hardinsburg.

The Friends of the Holt House have until Sept. 22 to reach their goal, which will secure funds required to match grant monies.

The Holt House, home of the nation’s first judge advocate general, was purchased by the Breckinridge County Fiscal Court in 2008 through a $158,000 Kentucky Lincoln Bicentennial Preservation Grant.

Subsequently, grants of $150,000 and $500,000 were received and the 19.5 acres surrounding the mansion have been restored and work will begin soon on the roof, windows and exterior of the structure, built in circa 1850.

Joseph Holt, born in 1807, was a prominent lawyer who served as commissioner of patents (1857), postmaster general (1859) and secretary of war (1860) under President James Buchanan. He achieved national prominence while serving in the administration of President Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him judge advocate general in 1862, a position he held until 1875.

Holt’s most memorable role as JAG came following the assassination of President Lincoln, when Holt presided over the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators including Mary Surratt, the first woman ever hanged by the federal government.

Tax-deductible checks should be made out to BCHS/FHH (Breckinridge County Historical Society/Friends of the Holt House) and mailed to BCHS/FHH, Box 498, Hardinsburg, KY 40144.

Civil War Trust honored again for management

For the third consecutive year, the Civil War Trust has earned a coveted 4-star ranking from Charity Navigator, America’s leading charity evaluator.

Only nine percent of charities assessed by the group earn this consistent level of recognition for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

After evaluating recent financial and other documents, the watchdog group gave the Trust an overall rating of 64.31 on a 70-point scale.

In 2011, the Trust permanently protected 2,042 acres of hallowed ground at 25 battlefields in 12 states.

Currently, efforts are underway to permanently preserve hallowed ground at Mill Springs and Perryville; Bentonville, N.C.; Shiloh, Tenn.; and Cedar Creek, Fredericksburg and Gaines’ Mill, Va.

500-plus attend Sacramento living history event

More than 500 school children from McLean and surrounding counties experienced first-hand what it was like to go back in time as they attended the living history day at the Battle of Sacramento. The 18th annual re-enactment weekend of “Forrest’s First” again attracted huge crowds and re-enactors for the May 18-20 weekend. Additional numbers were not available at press time.

Fort at Boonesborough draws more than 200

Clark County youngsters experienced plenty of sound and smoke as they learned first-hand about the life of a Civil War soldier at the Civil War Fort at Boonesborough’s annual living history event.

More than 200 attended the May 21 program as re-enactors from the 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery fired cannons every hour on the hour.

Youngsters were led through protocol for firing a cannon with each setting a charge and preparing for the actual firing. Winchester Police Chief Kevin Palmer, portraying a Union soldier, demonstrated firing of an era rifle and recruited an army of youngsters for a drilling activity.

Augusta planning commemorative battle Sept. 27-30

Augusta is planning for a re-creation of a Civil War battle that occurred in the Bracken County community 150 years ago.

The Battle of Augusta Civil War Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 27-30 and will attempt to re-create what life was like when the battle was fought Sept. 27, 1862.

The Confederate forces of John Hunt Morgan, led by Col. Basil Duke, approached the Ohio River town on that date and were met by about 100 Home Guards led by Col. Joshua Bradford. The Home Guard troops barricaded themselves in houses along the main road while Federal gunboats opposed the Confederates.

Duke’s men fired on the gunboats and forced them to flee, but the Home Guard maintained their positions, firing on Confederate soldiers when they tried to enter the town.

Duke set fire to many of the houses and the gunfire ensued for about 20 minutes. Twenty-one Confederates and 15 Home Guard were killed and the Home Guard was suppressed, but the battle exhausted Duke’s supplies and prevented him from moving on to Cincinnati.

Living history events featured at Cumberland Gap

“Fortifying the Gap” and “Guns and Gabions” were programs conducted in June commemorating the Civil War at Cumberland Gap.

The programs were among two days of living history events in which visitors saw how gabions – woven baskets – and earthworks were used to defend the area.

Re-enactors created gabions showing how Civil War soldiers used whatever materials they could find when constructing the large cylindrical objects used as barricades and protective barriers. Civil War soldiers used whatever materials they could find when constructing gabions.

At the Gap, re-enactors used kudzu vines, which had the added benefit of helping to rid the park of an unwanted plant species.

The Goodwife Guild provided a glimpse into the traditional woman’s role of the period, cooking for the men stationed at the camp.

Mill Springs receives $90,800 grant

An award of more than $3.8 million in grants has been made to help with land acquisition at six Civil War battlefields, including Mill Springs at Nancy.

Mill Springs will receive $90,800.

Other grant projects include easement purchases at Cross Keys ($181,125), Tom’s Brook ($25,000) and Buckland Mills, Va. ($3,350,060); and fee simple acquisition at South Mountain, Md. ($149,000) and Bentonville, N.C. ($45,325).

The awards were made by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program in June to help states and local communities acquire and preserve threatened Civil War battlefield land outside the boundaries of national park units.