February 2011
Volume 17 Number 6
2010-11 OCCWRT Officers
A. Scott Cauger, President
315 627-0232
ascott.cauger@us.ngrid.com
scauger.occwrt@yahoo.com
Elaine Tucker, Vice President
315 683- 5510
Lisa Bradley, Secretary
315 638-0283
lgbesq@twcny.rr.com
Dave Osborn, Treasurer
315 446-1715
Kathy Ryan, Trustee
315 251-5889
kathleenryan1000@earthlink.net
Mike Carpenter, Trustee
315 420 5299
amandamatt8890@yahoo.com
Pat Stepanek, Newsletter Editor
315 696-5531
pas1865@verizon.net
Meeting Notice
Town of DeWitt
Community Room
148 Sanders Creek Parkway
East Syracuse, New York
150 Years After:
An Assessment of Lincoln’s
First Inaugural Address
with
Dr. Richard F. Somer
Thursday, February 17, 2011
7:00 PM
Meetings are held at 7 PM on the third
Thursday of the month from September
through June and are free and open to
the public.
The Battlefront
Newsletter of the Onondaga County Civil War Round Table organized 1994
February 17, 2011 Meeting
It is fitting that our February meeting should focus on Abraham Lincoln whose
201st birthday was February 12th. During his time in office, Lincoln was not a
national hero. He was criticized by his cabinet, congress, his generals (most
notably McCellan), voters and governors for his handling of the war. Yet
without the benefit of talented speech writers, this self taught man effectively
articulated his vision and molded public attitudes with the inspiring language of
his presidential writings - now part of our literary heritage. His secretaries
wrote, “Nothing would have more amazed him while he lived than to hear
himself called a man of letters.” Nevertheless, he is a man of letters.
Dr. Richard Somer will review the rhetorical challenge Lincoln faced on March
4, 1860 when he delivered his first inaugural address and will assess how
Lincoln used language to meet the needs of that critical moment in our nation’s
history. He will also discuss inaugural addresses in general, going back 150
years, and will compare Lincoln’s first inaugural address with his other
speeches.
Dr. Somer is Professor of Rhetoric and Communication, Emeritus, at Hamilton
College, Clinton, NY, where he taught for twenty-three years. He received his
bachelors and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, and as a native of
Illinois, he has a long-standing familiarity with Abraham Lincoln’s life and
works. While teaching at Hamilton, he took special pleasure in offering an
upper-level course devoted to Lincoln’s speeches. Since retiring he has spoken
to various public and private organizations about Lincoln. Dr. Somer is past
president of the General Butterfield CW Round Table and a yearly attendee at
the Lincoln Forum held each November in Gettysburg. Join us for 150 Years
After: An Assessment of Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address and meet Lincoln,
the writer.
President’s Message
As I said in my January message The New Year is a time to make resolutions. In that
regard, the OCCWRT Executive Counsel (“EC”) has identified six (6) long-term
goals & objectives for the Roundtable over the two-year horizon 2011-2012. See
the separate article in The Battlefront. In addition, the EC has created an
OCCWRT Mission Statement which elucidates the purposes of the OCCWRT as
reflected in Roundtable incorporation documents. This may be the first time an
expanded Roundtable Mission Statement has been done formally. The new Mission
Statement is set forth and discussed in a companion article by Diane Haller (Chair
Special Projects/Fundraising Committee) in this February issue of The
Battlefront.
Directions to the Town of DeWitt Community Room
From 481N take Exit 5W to Kirkville Rd West. Merge onto Kirkville Rd and travel 1.2
miles. Turn right onto Kinne St and travel 0.7 miles. Turn right at Sanders Creek
Parkway and travel 0.2 miles to 148 Sanders Creek Parkway, the site of the East
Syracuse Fire Department and the Town of DeWitt Community Room.
The Central New York Sesquicentennial Anniversary
celebration of the Civil War will be kicked off by an
opening ceremony April 1st at OHA headquarters
downtown Syracuse featuring a special OHA Civil War
exhibit. Details regarding the opening ceremony will
be announced soon. The OCCWRT /OHA
Sesquicentennial Steering Committee is making plans
th
for a Central New York 150 Civil War Anniversary
program that will focus on national events, people,
campaigns and battles 1860- 1861 as they relate to
local individuals, events, military units, recruitment
and post-war veteran celebrations. Program events
will revolve around the major themes related to the
“Glorious Cause” aspects of recruitment and early war
preparation in Onondaga County; New York Zoaves
units/Union Army; the West Virginia Mountain
Campaign (Battle of Big Bethel) & Battle of Manassas,
and Colored (& possibly American Indian) volunteers.
The program will consist of three (3) major
components: 1) Features (Civil War speakers and
films); 2) Exhibit: a special OHA Civil War Exhibit
from its extensive Civil War collection that covers all
the above themes (plus much more); and 3) Social
Events (wine and cheese and/or coffees and deserts
receptions). The Sesquicentennial celebration will
feature both local and national speakers (historical
experts all). The program will be anchored by an
expanded OHA Civil War Exhibit starting April 1st that
runs through October 2011.
June will be the “critical mass” for 2011 Central New
York Civil War Anniversary activities. June 8th, 9th and
10th are the tentatively scheduled dates for the main
speakers, film and social events. These dates
correspond with the anniversary of the Battle of Big
Bethel (June 10, 1861) where local County military
units fought and to rare Civil War artifacts in the OHA
collection. Having the main program in early June also
will create synergies with the Peterborough Civil War
weekend (Smithfield Community Association) June 11
and 12th (and dovetails nicely with the 150th anniversary
th
of the Battle of Big Bethel). Finally, the 150 Civil War
Anniversary celebration will be multi-year with events
to be held in 2013, 2014 and 2015 of a more
programmatic nature (revolving around specific
battles involving Central New York units and/or OHA
collection artifacts).
VOLUNTEERS WANTED! OHA and OCCWRT are
looking for 5 or 6 members to volunteer their time to
read diaries of central New York soldiers who fought in
the War of the Rebellion (as it was called at the time) for
a Twitter™ Project starting in April. The Twitter™
Project involves taking selected excerpts of entries
from the diaries and posting those on Twitter™ each
day during the special OHA Civil War Exhibit starting
April 1st through October 2011. If you are interested in
volunteering let me or one of the other officer's know at
the Round Table's February 17th meeting (please bring
an index card with your name & complete contact
information with you). Thank you.
Reminder: the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April
12, 1861 is considered to be the opening engagement of
the American Civil War. The countdown to the 150th
Anniversary on April 12, 2011 is just 54 days away, as
of the date of our next Round Table meeting on
February 17, 2010.
Thank you for your continued participation and interest
in the Round Table.
Kindest Regards, A. Scott Cauger
OCCWRT 2011-2012 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Executive Committee of the Onondaga County
Civil War Round Table (“OCCWRT” or “Round
Table”) last October adopted the following goals and
objectives for 2011-2012. The overriding purposes of
these goals and objectives are to (i) strengthen the
OCCWRT; and (ii) establish criteria by which the
efforts of the OCCWRT Executive Committee to
accomplish (i) can be measured. The goals and
objectives, and the reasons for their adoption, are set
forth below.
1. Increase Membership (Goal 20%)
Anecdotal evidence suggests round table membership
nationwide has been stagnant or dropping across the
country for a number of years. The number of active
round tables still operating has decreased. As a result,
consolidation of round table organizations is growing.
The county structure is still prevalent but is yielding to
larger geographical organizations. There are a number
of reasons for this waning round table membership (too
many to recount here). We have seen this development
locally as well with the round tables in surrounding
counties. The Oswego, Madison and
Norwich/Chenango County Round Tables are defunct.
Oneida County (Daniel Butterfield) Round Table,
while experiencing resurgence, came close to
voluntary dissolution a couple of years ago. Cortland
County Lt. Col. Andrew J. Grover Roundtable is very
small and not growing
To achieve the Mission and Purpose of this Round
Table, as expressed in the Constitution and By-Laws,
OCCWRT must continue to bring in new members and
to grow. OCCWRT has been somewhat fortunate that its
membership has been relatively stable, but stagnant, for
several recent years. That said, in the two years before I
became President (June 2008 to June 2010) OCCWRT
retained only one (1) new member. The good news is
that between July and December 2010 OCCWRT
picked up five (5) new members. Anyway, with the
aging and population declines in Central New York
OCCWRT must focus on retaining and rebuilding its
membership. No charitable organization which
primarily relies on membership dues can progress or
even sustain itself long-term without on-going
membership goals.
Perhaps for the first time, the OCCWRT Executive
Committee voted to establish a goal of increasing
membership by twenty percent (20%). This is an
increase of approximately eight (8) members from
membership levels circa June 2010 (before the officer
change). At the end of last year, total membership for all
categories was fifty eight (58) or up approximately nine
percent (9%) percent (six months ending December 31,
2010)
.2. Battlefield Preservation
The Executive Council has adopted Battlefield
Preservation as a long-term goal and activity.
Battlefield restoration activities are part of the Round
Table constitutional purposes (Article II Purpose,
“…strive to …provide…preservation…” so as to
“…stimulate and encourage interest in the Civil War.”
The successful Franklin Charge “pilot project” to
preserve a small, but important piece of that battlefield
accomplished its objective and served as an instructive
“dry- run” for other, potentially larger preservation
projects at battlefields where New York regiments
served . OCCWRT is planning to do outreach with other
regional and national preservation groups, like Civil
War Preservation Trust, to participate in other long term
battlefield preservation projects that may be longer in
term, scope and/or financial goals.
3. Mission Statement
The Executive Committee has created an OCCWRT
Mission Statement which elucidates the purposes of the
OCCWRT as reflected in OCCWRT incorporation
documents (Constitution, By-Laws and N.Y. State
filings). This may be the first time one has been done
formally. Previous efforts produced brief summaries or
paraphrasing of the Constitution “Purpose” clause as
seen, for example, at the bottom of the last page of the
January issue of The Battlefront. The new Mission
Statement is set forth and discussed in a companion
article in this February issue of The Battlefront. The
Mission Statement also will be included on the
OCCWRT website, which is in the process of being
developed.
4. Civil War Sesquicentennial Event
The OCCWRT and the Onondaga Historical
th
Association 150 Civil War Anniversary Steering
Committee met for over two (2) hours January 27 to
develop a program celebrating the Sesquicentennial
event. Highlights of the program plans and events are
discussed in a companion article in this February issue
of The Battlefront .
5. OCCWRT Central NY Expansion
The Executive Committee has agreed on the goal of
exploring expanding the geographical footprint of the
Round Table to include other contiguous counties in
Upstate New York. Many of these counties formerly had
round Tables, which have now been dissolved. A quick
glance at a map of upstate New York reveals that the
OCCWRT audience and membership can easily be
drawn from other counties within a 20- to 25 mile radius
of Syracuse. Syracuse is also blessed with being a
transportation hub for rail and highways. Historically a
crossroads (canals, rail and pikes), Syracuse is
conveniently located at the intersection of Interstates 81
& 90 and its airport is the largest in the region. In the
past, publicity and marketing (if any) focused on the
City and its immediate environs (and sometimes not
even the latter). The Public Affairs Committee, headed
by Gerry Allen, is expanding Round Table event notices
to all of Onondaga County as well as adjacent locations
in surrounding counties. Few Civil War enthusiasts and
historians would hesitate driving that distance (20
miles/ 1/2 hour or less) to attend meetings here if they
knew about our organization, great programs &
speakers and convenient meeting venue. Our hope is
that the OCCWRT might be able to expand its
membership and growth by attracting members from
adjacent counties.
6. OCCWRT Website
The Executive Committee is in the process of
developing a website of OCCWRT. Gerry Allen, Chair
of the Public Affairs Committee, is in the process of
developing a proto-type website. More information
about the website will be rolled out in future newsletters.
A. Scott Cauger
 Revised Mission Statement
by Diane Haller, Special Project Chair
Recently, the Executive Committee of the OCCWRT adopted a
Mission Statement. There are two reasons for the change. First,
the existing OCCWRT "mission statement" merely reflects the
broad, general purposes of the organization's existence.We
believed it desirable to have a more detailed statement of the
specific types of activities the OCCWRT undertakes in
furtherance of those corporate purposes. Second, we believed that
a Mission Statement is necessary in order to better reflect for
others the current goals and activities of our round table, which
Scott discusses in his President’s Message.
In connection with its consideration of a Mission Statement, the
Executive Committee researched the mission statements of other
civil war organizations, as well as the historical activities
undertaken by the OCCWRT. Our goal was to come up with
concise statements of our round table's mission that would be
easily understood by others, and, in particular, would appear
nicely on a revised OCCWRT website. We believe it important to
make clear to all that the OCCWRT is a visionary, committed and
dynamic group worthy of membership and financial support as it
seeks to pursue its educational and charitable charter.
Thus, the OCCWRT’s stated mission is to:
!. Honor the memory of soldiers North and South who fought in
the Civil War.
2, Encourage interest in the Civil War by providing a forum for
discussion, sponsoring speakers, and hosting regular programs of
an educational nature.
3. S upport battlefield preservation.
4. Coordinate and fund special projects relating to historical
preservation and historical research.
5. S chedule a yearly field trip.
6. Collaborate with other Round Tables to share ideas and
camaraderie, pursue Civil War-related activities of mutual
interest, and achieve a cohesiveness of mission as we pursue our
educational goals.
Meeting Cancellations
Of course, common sense should prevail as to whether you attend
a winter meeting. If a meeting is cancelled, however, you will
find mention of the cancellation on WSYR Radio and YNN TV.
Thank You
Dues have been collected from the following for 2011:
Gerry Allen, Lisa Bradley, Scott Cauger, Mike Carpenter, Marion
Chester, The Conrad Family, Dick Crozier, Gordon Cruickshank,
Dave Cuculich, Darothy DeAngelo, Frank DeGrenier family,
Nancy Edwards, Geoff Gantter (new member), Bill Goodwin,
Beth Greenfield, Diane Haller, Lamont Hahn, Ruth Hotaling,
Marty Joyce, Bill & Cheryl LaManche, R. L. Margiotta, Mike
Mordue, Letty Murray, Steve Nathan, William O’Leary, Edward
Repko, Ed Raus, M. Kent Russell, Kathy Ryan, Kathryn Snell,
Patricia Stepanek, Natalie & Rick Trump, Elaine Tucker, Richard
Walker, Chris Wilcox, and Fred Wyker.
Remember to Bring Your Bottles and Cans
For Recycling
Civil War Sesquicentennial
February 1861
February 1 Texas secedes from the Union, the sixth State to do
so.
February 4 Southern States that have seceded (except Texas)
meet in Montgomery, Alabama, to discuss forming a separate
nation.
February 5 - "Fort Sumter will not be surrendered" came
from various people in the Buchanan Administration in
response to a demand for surrender from South Carolina.
February 8 - The Convention of Seceded States adopts a
provisional constitution forming the Confederate States of
America.
February 9 For President of the Confederate States of
America, the Convention settles on Jefferson Davis. They
select Alexander Stephens, both pro-Union and a friend of
Abraham Lincoln, as vice-president.
February 10 - At his plantation home outside Vicksburg,
Jefferson Davis receives the news he is the first President of
the Confederate States of America. He was hoping to be
commander of the military.
February 11 - As President-elect Abraham Lincoln begins his
journey to Washington D. C. from Springfield, Illinois,
President-elect Jefferson Davis journeys from Vicksburg,
Mississippi to Montgomery, Alabama to accept the
Presidency of the Confederate States.
February 13 - The U. S. Electoral College makes Lincoln's win
official.
February 18 - Jefferson Davis is inaugurated "Provisional
President of the Confederate States of America" in
Montgomery, Alabama.
February 18 and 19 - Maryland convenes a secessionist
convention in Baltimore to consider its options. The
convention ends without a declaration of secession.
February 20 - P. G. T. Beauregard resigns from the U. S.
Army.
February 22 and 23 - Under the watchful eyes of Allan
Pinkerton, Abraham Lincoln travels in secrecy to
Washington, D. C. Pinkerton had been worried about the trip
through Baltimore, Maryland, a Southern-leaning city.
February 25 - President-Elect Lincoln meets with both houses
of Congress.
February 25 - The Saratoga, a ship in the U. S. African
Squadron, captures the sloop Express, a slave ship.
by trustee, Mike Carpenter
January Jeopardy Winners
The 2011 winners of Civil War Jeopardy was the team of Elaine
Tucker, Gerry Allen and Mike Carpenter. For their win they
received kudos from the opposing teams and an uncirculated $1
Lincoln golden dollar coin. Congratulations
 With the Stroke of a Pen....
Historians and students of the Civil War would be delighted to learn
of any new event occurring on Lincoln’s last day in the White House,
just before he left for Ford’s theater. D r. Thomas Lowry, a practicing
psychiatrist from Virginia, made just such a discovery in the
National Archives in 1998. His groundbreaking discovery was
hailed by scholars as one of the biggest findings of Lincoln
memorabilia in the 20th century. What he found among hundreds of
untapped Lincoln documents was a pardon signed by Lincoln on
April 14, 1865 for Pvt. Patrick Murphy of California who had been
court-martialed. Murphy had been characterized as “idiotic and
insane”. With Lincoln’s pardon came Murphy’s release from the
military.
The pardon became part of a National Archives exhibit in 1998, and
Dr. Lowry’s book Don’t Shoot That Boy: Abraham Lincoln and
Military Justice , published in 1999 with the story of Pvt. Murphy,
sold well to Civil War readers. Dr. Lowry had become an immediate
Lincon‘expert’. Other books followed such as, Confederate
Heroines: 120 Women Convicted by Union Military Justice, and
Love and Lust: Private and Amorous Letters of the Civil War.
Previously published books such as Tarnished Eagles: The Court
Martial of 50 Union Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels and The
Stories the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in the Civil War were
purchased with renewed interest in Lowry’s findings from the vaults
of the National Archives. Lowry recently collaborated on two more
books with creditable historians William C. Davis and Ed Bearss.
On January 24, 2011, the National Archives
disclosed that Dr. Lowry had altered the date on
the original Murphy pardon from April 14, 1864
Records of the Judge
Advocate General to April 14, 1865 to promote his 1999 book
(Army) National mentioned above. Lowry has confessed to
Archives
changing the date on the pardon. Since the statute of limitations has
lapsed, he will not be criminally prosecuted, but he is barred from the
National Archives. Historians are not worried about Lincoln’s
reputation as a man of compassion. One altered document can’t
change that.
But what of Dr. Lowry’s reputation as an historian? Historian Eric
Wittenberg summed it all up recently when he wrote:
... EVERYTHING that he has done to date is now subject to question. His
reputation is now trash. And rightfully so–he committed criminal acts in the
course of promoting himself. And in doing so, he has harmed the reputations
of all of us who take the telling of history seriously, and who take the
responsibility that goes with it just as seriously.
Cicero once wrote, “Who does not know that the first law of historical
writing is the truth” - sadly, a detail Dr. Lowry forgot.
FYI: An Interesting Irony
P. T. Beauregard holds the record for being superintendent of West Point
for shortest period of time - Jan 23, 1861-Jan 28, 1861. His home state of
Louisiana seceded on Jan. 26th. He resigned and left West Point on Jan 30
without fanfare and boarded a steamer at the West Point wharf for home.
Historians believe he was positioning himself for high military rank in the
new Confederacy. On his way through New York, a large crowd of people
had gathered around the recently arrived steamer, the Star of the West , just
back from her unsucessful January 1861 effort to assist Maj. Anderson at
Fort Sumter. P. T. was invited on board to hear the captain’s graphic
account of what the South Carolinian authorities had given the steamer.
Little did P.T. know that within a few weeks he would direct fire at the
same steamer attempting to again resupply Union troops at Fort Sumter
commanded by Maj. Anderson, Beauregard’s artillery instructor at West
Point. And the Civil War began. BTW, Beauregard filed a claim with the
War Department for his $165 travel and mileage expenses.

Committees of the Onondaga County Civil War Round Table

Special Projects and Fundraising: Diane Haller, Chair 315 656 7059 greenfieldsdh@yahoo.com
Bill & Cheryl LaManch 315 656 2075 cheryl.lamanche@yahoo.com
Lisa Bradley 315 638 0283 lgbesq@twcny.rr.com

Programs: Bill Goodwin, Chair 437-3887

Gerry Allen 315 638 7934 occwrt122@gmail.com

Special Events/Road Trips:: Kathy Ryan, Chair kathleenryan100@earthlink.com

Darothy DeAngelo 315 682 6312
A. Scott Cauger ascott.cauger@us.ngrid.com

Newsletter Contributors: Kathy Ryan 315 251 5889 kathleenryan100@earthlink.com

Mike Carpenter 315 420 5299 amandamatt8890@yahoo.com
A. Scott Cauger ascott.cauger@us.ngrid.com
All OCCWRT Members are Encouraged to Contribute
Public Affairs: Gerry Allen 315 638 7934 occwrt122@gmail.com

Archivist: Darothy DeAngelo 315 682 6312

 Civil War Round Table PO Box 175 Tully, NY 13159-0175
O nondaga County
F Membership Form
Onondaga County Civil War Round Table
2011 New Member/Renewal Form
*Membership dues of the OCCWRT are: Name________________________________
Please Check one of the Following
_____$20.00 a year Address______________________________
_____O.H.A. members $12.00
_____Seniors and Students $16.00 City____________State______ Zip________
_____Family rate (2 or more) $32.00
Telephone_____________________________
Dues may be paid at meetings or sent to:
Onondaga County Civil War Round Table
ATTN: Dave Osborn, Treasurer Please check if you prefer an emailed newsletter
2 Thistlewood Lane and can receive an Acrobat (pdf) file.
Fayetteville, New York 13088
Please find $__________enclosed in form of
Circle One:
Check M.O. Cash E-Mail_______________________________
Date _____________________
* Dues will be pro-rated for new members who join at various times during the fiscal year.
The Onondaga County Civil War Round Table was organized in 1994 and is an incorporated non-profit educational organization. Meetings are held on the third
Thursday of the month from September through June. The OCCWRT’s mission is to honor the memory of soldiers North and South who fought in the Civil War;
to encourage interest in the Civil War by providing a forum for discussion, sponsoring speakers, and hosting regular programs of an educational nature; to support
battlefield preservation; to coordinate and fund special projects relating to historical preservation and historical research; to schedule a yearly field trip; and to
collaborate with other round tables to share ideas and camaraderie, pursue Civil War-related activities of mutual interest, and achieve a cohesiveness of mission as
we pursue our educational goals.