MORE HEADSTONES MPC BAKERS BIRTHDAY NOTED Volunteer 2015.pdf · Wills, Geo. Washington Oregon Mtd....

Vol. 10 No. 2 February 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War www.suvoregon.org

MORE HEADSTONES FOR MPC BY RANDY FLETCHER, PCC

Portland - Four more new headstones have arrived from the VA and have been installed at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery in east Portland. The new four join five that

were installed in September and there are now nine previ-ously unmarked graves of American veterans that have proper military headstones. The nine veterans include six Union Civil War soldiers, one Confederate, and two Oregon pioneers who served in the Yakima Indian War. The latest headstones were installed courtesy of Brian Koffler and the grounds crew at Waverly Country Club. The

cemetery is next to the country club and Waverly has been very kind in helping to maintain the appearance of the cemetery. Carolyn Arntson leads a hearty band of Oregon based researchers known as The Angels who have been re-sponsible for much of the locating and documenting of the unmarked graves. Members of the Baker Camp (Randy Fletcher, Phil Signor, and Warren Aney) assisted with ob-taining military service documentation and preparing the VA headstone applications. The nine veterans who received new VA headstones are: Batchelder, George F. Co. E, 10th New York Heavy Artillery Boyer, George S.A. Co. A, 206th Pennsylvania Infantry Burns, John F. 91st New York Infantry Jackson, James M. Co. K, 33rd Iowa Infantry Hubler, Noah Oregon Mtd Rangers, Yakima War Lockhart, William A. Co. L, 7th Indiana Cavalry Morgan, Elihu Co. A, 1st Oregon Cavalry Robertson, Lazerus W. Co. F, 45th Arkansas Cavalry, CSA Wills, Geo. Washington Oregon Mtd. Rangers, Yakima War The Baker Camp is working with Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery to set a date for a dedication ceremony later this year.

BAKER’S BIRTHDAY NOTED February 24th will mark the 204th birthday of Edward Dickenson Baker, U.S. Senator from Oregon and the only sitting member of Congress ever to die in battle. Baker was born in London in 1811 and emigrated with his parent to Illinois where he became a lawyer in Springfield and a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln ran for president, Baker relocated to San Francisco and was instrumental in helping Lincoln carry California and Ore-gon in the 1860 election. Oregon political leaders con-vinced Baker to move to Salem and the legislature elected him to the U.S. Senate. Baker, who had served as an officer in the Mexican War, raised and outfitted a regiment of infantry and led them on the field of battle as their colonel. Baker was killed leading his troops at Balls Bluff on October 21, 1861. The Friends of Balls Bluff will hold their annual Ed-ward D. Baker Ban-quet in Leesburg, Virginia on Febru-ary 22nd. This lithograph de-picting Baker’s death was provided by Br. Rick Cook.

Men of the SUVCW Reenlist It’s the time of year to write a check for your member-ship in the Baker Camp. Dues for 2014 are $35. If you are also a member of our uniformed branch, the SVR, please include an additional $3. Please send your check payable to Baker Camp SUVCW to:

Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Stevens 1701 SW Columbia St. #308

Portland, Oregon 97201-2589

Yamhill, Oregon USA Editor Randol B. Fletcher: [email protected] PAGE 2

News from February 1865

SECRET CONFERENCE FAILS In an effort to negotiate an end to the Civil War, Presi-dent Lincoln and Secretary of State held a secret meeting with Confederate officials on the steamboat River Queen off Hampton Roads, Virginia on February 3rd.

The Confederacy was repre-sented by their Vice-President, Alexander Stephens and Asst. Secretary of War John Camp-bell. Although there are no official records of the meeting, first hand accounts report that within five minutes of the open-ing of discussions, President Lincoln made it clear that pres-ervation of the Union was non-negotiable. The U.S. was willing to offer amnesty and provide $400 million in compensation

to former slave holders for emancipation. Campbell was said to favor further negotiations but Confederate Presi-dent Jefferson Davis felt the preservation of the Union was a demand for unconditional surrender and rejected any hope for a negotiated peace. Charleston Falls The city of Charleston, South Carolina was taken by Un-ion forces under Gen. Sherman on February 15th. Con-federate troops under Beauregard had evacuated two days earlier leaving the mayor to surrender the city. Two days later, Columbia burned after falling to Sherman’s command. Oregon Birthday Celebrated February 14th marked the sixth anniversary of statehood for Oregon, the 33rd state to join the Union. The anni-versary was commemorated in Salem and throughout the state. On that sane day, Thomas Con-nor, a United Brethren mission-ary and leader of the 1853 wagon train to the Marysville Settlement, organized a meeting of a number of citizens of Ben-ton County, who met at Maple Grove school house to take into consideration the propriety of trying to build up a high school or an institution of learning of some kind in their midst. That dream eventually takes shape as Philomath College.

2015 Event Schedule

TBD: Dedication of nine new military VA headstones at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery.

April 11, 2015: Saturday, Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Kilpatrick Post GAR Cemetery, Newberg.

Cemetery Work Parties: Locations TBD April 18 June 6 July 18

May 25th: Monday, Memorial Day Ceremony. GAR Plot, Eugene Pioneer Cemetery. 11:00 AM.

November: Oregon Remembrance Day commemorat-ing the Gettysburg Address.

December: Baker Camp banquet and installation of officers.

River View Installs Headstone Portland - An unmarked grave of a Civil War veteran at River View Cemetery now has a new VA issued head-stone. Sgt. Samuel Meservey served in the 11th Wiscon-sin Infantry. The headstone was obtained due to the ef-forts of Br. Randy Fletcher, Findagrave photo volunteer Ellen Notbohm, and descendant Kathy Meservey Hilla. Many thanks to David Noble and Burt Hendrix at River-view who waived their fees and set the headstone. Thanks to them another veteran has the honor he earned.

Confederate John Camp-

bell, a former U.S. Su-

preme Court justice, op-

posed secession and fa-

vored a negotiated peace.

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Vol. 10 No. 3 March 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


PRESIDENT LINCOLN COMES TO LIFE Photo and story by Michael Davis, Statesman-Journal

Salem - More than 100 attendees listened intently Febru-

ary 17th as historical re-enactor Steve Holgate portrayed

President Abraham Lincoln at an event sponsored by the

Salem Exchange Club at Broadway Commons. In addressing the rapt audience, Holgate as Lincoln dis-cussed the personal trials, political challenges and devasta-tion wrought by the Civil War. The audience was asked to imagine that it had transported back to April, 1865, and that their role was to act as journalists covering an oppor-tunity for President Lincoln to discuss the waning days of the war. In a style that was at points folksy, tearful, enraged and sorrowful, Holgate read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the speech given during his second inaugural. In character the skilled re-enactor took questions from the audience. The "Pie with the Presidents" event concluded with a des-sert reception. Members of the Baker Camp and the Sons of Veterans Reserve were on hand to escort and guard President Lincoln.

REMEMBERING THE GAR By Randy Fletcher, PCC

Following the Civil War, many of the veterans wanted a fresh start far from the bloody battlefields they had fought on. Spurred by the Morrill Land Grant Act, thousands headed west. It is esti-mated that more than 10,000 Civil War veterans eventually settled in Ore-gon. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War have documented the fi-nal resting place of over 6,000 Union and Confed-erate veterans buried in Oregon and we learn of more almost every week. Today we honor one of those men. Gardner Lewis Baker of Phillips, Maine joined Company A of the 8th Maine Volunteer In-fantry on August 18, 1861. Nearly two years later, June 15, 1863 he transferred to the 1st U.S. Artillery where he com-pleted his three year term of service at Petersburg on Au-gust 19, 1864. Mr. Baker made his post-war home in As-toria where he made his living as a bailiff in the Clatsop County Circuit Court. He died at the age of 94 and is bur-ied beneath a military headstone at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton.

Men of the SUVCW Reenlist

It’s the time of year to write a check for your member-ship in the Baker Camp. Dues for 2015 are $35. If you are also a member of our uniformed branch, the SVR, please include an additional $3. Please send your check payable to Baker Camp SUVCW to:

Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Stevens 1701 SW Columbia St. #308

Portland, Oregon 97201-2589

Historical re-enactor Steve Holgate brought president Abraham

Lincoln to life at Broadway Commons.

Gardner L. Baker

1841 - 1935

Last Cal l


News from March 1865

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was sworn in for a second term on the steps of the Capitol on March 4th. President Lincoln outlined his

postwar reconstruction plans by talking directly to the southern people. He plans a pragmatic approach with em-phasis on healing the nation. The President concluded his address “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firm-ness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and

for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all na-tions.” With many believing the surrender of the Con-federacy is eminent, the President will have the next four years to reunite the country. Among the many dignitaries and celebrities in atten-dance at the inaugural was prominent southern actor John Wilkes Booth. Custer Crushes Enemy at Waynesboro Two Union cavalry divisions in route from the Shenan-doah Valley to join Gen. Sherman in the Carolinas en-countered and attacked the Confederate Army of the Valley near Waynesboro, Virginia on March 2nd. Leading the Union forces was the “Boy General,” 25 year old George Armstrong Custer. The opposing forces were com-manded by Gen. Jubal Early and his army has been effectively destroyed. Union officers claim the capture of between 1,000 and 1,800 men, 11 to 14 cannon, 150 to 200 wagons, and 16 stands of colors (including a re-captured Union flag). Early’s head-quarters flag was captured by one of Custer’s regimental commanders (see page 3). Is Surrender Eminent? Robert E. Lee sent a message to Gen. Grant on March 2nd asking for a conference to "iron out differences" between the North and the South. The next day Presi-dent Lincoln issued instructions on surrender discus-sions. The President has given Gen. Grant wide-ranging powers on military matters, but reserves all political mat-ters for himself.

2015 Event Schedule


April 11, 2015: Saturday, Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Kilpatrick Post GAR Cemetery, Newberg.





Cremated Vet Receives Plaque Portland - John Cooper served in the Civil War, later moved to Portland, and died in 1923 at the age of 79. His remains were cremated an later interred in the vault of his nephew Dick Cooper at Wilhelm’s Portland Mau-soleum. Although Mr. Coo-per’s name was on the vault, there was no indica-tion that the remains of a Union man were also interred there. Last fall, Carolyn Arntson and her band of angels began cross checking records of Oregon Civil War veterans against the names of the cremated at the Mausoleum. Due to her efforts, sixty names have been added to the SUVCW graves registration data base. With the help of Br. Randy Fletcher and others, a niche marker was ob-tained from the VA and installed on the Cooper vault by Wilhelm’s. Visitors to the mausoleum will now know that Pvt. John Newman of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery rests in peace there. Mr. Newman’s niche marker is the 129th grave marker obtained by the Baker Camp.

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Custer the

Boy General

CAPTURING THE FLAG Excerpted from HIDDEN HISTORY OF CIVIL WAR OREGON by Randol B. Fletcher

One hundred and fifty years ago, on March 2, 1865, in the heat of battle, through the smoke and stench and sound of gunfire, a colorful movement caught the eye of Hartwell Compson, lieutenant colonel in command of the 8th

New York Cavalry Regiment. Just nineteen when he enlisted as a private, Compson proved himself a talented and respected soldier, rising swiftly through the ranks. Advancing to corporal and then sergeant, he was commissioned second lieutenant on April 15, 1863, and promoted to first lieutenant four months later. In March 1864, Compson was promoted to captain and given command of a cavalry troop. The valiant Compson fought in forty-five major engagements, including Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Cold Harbor. He was wounded twice and had two horses shot from beneath him. Appointed major in December 1864, he assumed command of the 8th New York Cavalry and brevetted to lieutenant colonel on February 28, 1865. A sea-soned veteran at twenty-two years of age, Compson was the youngest regimental commander in a cavalry division commanded by the boy general: George Armstrong Custer. A week later Compson was facing Confederate forces outside Waynesboro, Virginia where Cus-ter split his cavalry brigades into two forces. At two o’clock in the afternoon, Custer ordered

three of his regiments, each man armed with a Spencer repeating rifle, to dismount and attack the enemy flank from a heavily wooded area. In a simultaneous assault, Union artillery opened fire and Custer’s mounted regiments, in-cluding Compson’s New Yorkers, charged the opposite flank and crashed through to the center of the battle line. Compson led his cavalry past Rebel cannon, where his men fought hand to hand with Confederate infantry. The clash of cold steel filled Compson’s ears as sword struck bayonet and musket. It was at that point that movement and color caught Compson’s eye, causing him to stare, at least momentarily, in amazement. What Compson had spotted was the red and white flag of a Confederate Army Headquarters. The enemy com-mander, General Jubal Early, was leading his staff to the front to personally direct the battle. Compson did not hesi-tate: with a bugler at one side and a flag-bearer the other, the colonel spurred his horse and led a charge directly at the Southern officers. Compson zeroed in on the enemy flag. Seizing the flagstaff with one hand, Compson swung the back of his heavy cavalry saber at the enemy color-bearer who refused to relinquish his banner. Suddenly, the battle between four thousand soldiers was reduced to two men: close, personal, desperate and bloody. A final blow from Compson’s sword unhorsed the brave opponent and Compson held the colors. By the end of the day, Comp-son’s regiment alone had taken eight hundred prisoners, five pieces of artillery, 1,500 stands of small arms and eight enemy battle flags. Other Federal regiments captured an additional nine flags. When General Sheridan arrived after the battle, Custer greeted his boss with a typical display of flamboyance. The seventeen captured flags were paraded, streaming in the wind, by Union cavalryman. It was a great spectacle and the sort of thing Custer thoroughly enjoyed. That evening, Compson received the personal compliments of Gen. Sheridan and a battlefield promotion to full colonel. Sheridan assigned Compson to carry dispatches to Washington and deliver the captured flags to the Secretary of War. While in Washington, Bre-vet Colonel Thomas Hartwell Benton Compson was awarded the Congres-sional Medal of Honor for the capture of General Early’s headquarters flag. By the time Compson rejoined his regiment, Lee had surrendered. Col. Compson rode at the head of the 8th New York Cavalry in the Grand Review of the Union Army and mustered out of the army with his regiment on June 27, 1865. Moving often and trying his hand at many trades, Compson served stints as a U.S. marshal and postmaster and worked as a farmer. By 1887, he was teaching on the Klamath Indian Reservation in southern Ore-gon. His war record earned him an appointment as brigadier general of the Oregon National Guard and president of the State Military Board. Leaving Klamath Falls, General Compson relocated to Portland, where he worked as a real estate broker and kept a home at 186 Morrison Street. He developed an active interest in Oregon politics and was mentioned as a possible candidate for governor. The GAR named its St. Johns post in his honor. The general died in Portland on August 31, 1905 at the age of sixty-three and was laid to rest with his Civil War comrades at Portland’s Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery.

Hartwell Compson

The actual flag (shown above) captured

by Compson is in the collection of the

Museum of the Confederacy.

Vol. 10 No. 4 April 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


LEE SURRENDERS TO GRANT

After a last desperate attempt to break the siege at Peters-burg failed, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomat-tox Court House on April 9, 1865. Gen. George Meade is reported to have shouted “It is over!” when learning the surrender was signed but there are still rebel troops in the field although they are not expected to hold out much longer. Confederates in North Carolina surrendered to Gen. Sherman on April 26th.

Baker Camp Sponsors End of the Civil War Ceremony

Newberg - The Baker Camp will host a ceremony com-memorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War on Saturday, April 11th. The event will take place at the Kilpatrick Post GAR Cemetery which is located within the larger Friends Cemetery at 11:00 AM. Shardon Lewis a teacher at Portland’s Grant High School will be the keynote speaker. Military honors provided by Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry of the Sons of Veterans Reserve. The public is invited. See page 4 for details.

PRESIDENT MURDERED! President Abraham Lincoln was shot by a cowardly assas-sin in Washington on Friday, April 14, 1865. The President and the First Lady were attending a play at Ford’s Theater. The wounded President was taken to a house across the street where he passed to the ages at 7:22 the following morning. Vice-President Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th President of the United States later that morning. At the same time the President was shot, a knife wielding attacker broke into the home of Secretary of State William Seward and stabbed Mr. Seward repeatedly before fleeing. The Secretary is badly wounded but still alive. The murderer of the President has been identified as prominent actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. The extent of the conspiracy of which Booth was the ringleader is believed to be extensive and may have been ordered by Jefferson Davis.

News from April 1865

TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY


UNION BLUE By Br. Rick Cook

When I was about 10 years old, my folks took me to Disneyland. At one of the concession stands, they were selling all sorts of hats, including Civil War kepis, blue and gray. I wanted one. My Dad said, go ahead and pick one out. I picked up the Confederate gray and tried it on. My dad asked, are you sure that is the one you want? Dad was from Michigan. His ancestors had honorably served the Union but my mother’s folks were from Ar-kansas and it was her people who raised me. I don’t re-call exactly what my father said but he convinced me the right choice was Union Blue. Not understanding the po-litical implications, making my choice based on love and loyalty, I had first picked the Confederate kepi to honor my mother’s family and heritage. Love and Loyalty, are heartfelt feelings. So many of my mother’s ilk served the Confederacy. I assume for the same reasons I first chose the gray cap at Disney’s Magical Kingdom. As I grew up, I continued to feel love for my southern roots, but as I came to understand the Civil War, my loyalty to any form of the Confederacy waned. It was the Confederacy that fired the first official shots of the war on Fort Sumter. It was the Confederacy who confis-cated materials and property that U.S. tax payers had paid for. Above all, it was the Confederacy that splin-tered a growing nation, causing the deaths of more than three quarters of a million people, in an attempt to con-tinue the practice of rich men holding others in bondage. To those who claim the war was a war of northern aggression, I say, “them damned Yankees would have never been down there, had the South not done so”. About a dozen years ago, I joined the Department of Michigan’s SUVCW Colegrove-Woodruff, Camp 22. They meet in the old GAR Hall in Marshall, the same building where my dad’s great-grandfather, George A. Gibbs attended meetings. Cur-rently, I am a member of Col. Edward D. Baker Camp 6 here in Oregon. I am one who, while loving my south-ern roots, proudly wears the Union Blue. Oh yes, when I came home with the Yankee kepi, I was-n’t sure what my maternal grandpa would say. To my surprise, he looked at it with approval in his eyes. As it turns out, he had been keeping a family secret. His own grandfather, along with several uncles and cousins had joined the Union Army in Arkansas.

2015 Event Schedule

April 11, 2015: Saturday, 11:00 AM. Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Kilpatrick Post GAR Cemetery, Newberg. See page 4 for details.






Available from select Oregon booksellers and online from Powell’s Bookstore and Amazon.com.

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A young Rick Cook with

his first Union kepi.

PORTLAND MEN TRACKED DOWN JOHN WILKES BOOTH

by Br. Randy Fletcher Lincoln Memorial Park is a cemetery located in east Portland on Mt. Scott Boule-vard. Within the cemetery is the grave of Emory Parady who’s distinctive granite monument reads: “Member Co. H, 16th NY Cavalry. One of the twenty-six enlisted men who captured John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.” In April of 1865 tens of thousands of soldiers scoured the countryside for Lin-coln’s killers, but it was a small squad from the 16th New York Cavalry that trapped Booth and co-conspirator David Herold in a tobacco barn near Port Royal, Virginia. Two of the troopers that fateful night would reunite, many years later, in Portland, Oregon. They were the before-mentioned Emory Parady and his saddle mate John Millington. After being trapped in the barn, Herold chose to sur-render before Booth was shot in the neck by one of the cavalry men. Herold was

placed under Millington’s guard while Parady was among the men who witnessed Booth’s last hours after being dragged from the burning barn. The end of the Civil War brought a return to civilian life for the men of the 16th New York Cavalry. Emory Parady received his discharge in May 1865 and headed for home. John Millington had one final duty: twenty members of the 16th New York were present at the July 7, 1865 hanging of David Herold and three co-conspirators of the Lincoln assassi-nation. About a year after the death of Booth and the execution of Herold, the U.S. government paid out $100,000 in reward money to those persons who played a role in the capture of the assassination conspirators. Each of the twenty-six enlisted men of the 16th New York received $1,658.58, the equivalent of ten years of army pay. Millington used $800 of his reward to buy a farm near Chester, New York, but like many Civil War veterans, he soon headed west. By 1875, he and his wife, Phoebe, were farming near Summit Lake, Minne-sota. Parady moved west with his parents and settled near Berlin, Michigan. He married a girl from Ohio, and by 1870, Emory and his bride, Frances, had invested his reward money and owned a farm valued at $1,700. The Paradys grew tired of simple farming life, and by 1880 they had relocated to Nashville Village in Michigan, where Emory worked as a cobbler operating his own shoe business. Parady prospered in Nashville Village, serving as postmaster from 1881 to 1886, a time when post office boxes rented for forty cents per year. He was also elected to a term as village president. Emory and Frances Parady made Michigan their home for thirty years before moving to Oregon. The couple raised two sons, Silas and Albert, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Nellie and Blanche. John Millington also gave up farming to pursue a trade. He became a carpenter and moved his family from Minne-

sota to Sioux City, Iowa. John and Phoebe raised five sons: John Jr., Joseph, James, George and Benjamin. Phoebe died after the turn of the century, and John took his car-pentry skills to Portland, where his sons George and Joseph lived. Parady brought his business to Portland sometime between 1901 and 1908. Portland cen-sus records list Parady as a shoemaker and show daughters Elizabeth and Nellie working in a photography gallery and living with their father and mother. In Oregon, Parady was reunited with his old comrade Millington. Both of the Civil War veterans, now gray and in their sixties, were members of Portland’s Benjamin F. Butler Post 67 of Grand Army of the Republic. Emory Parady died at age eighty at his Portland home on March 14, 1924. Following a three-year battle with cancer, John Millington died on November 11,1914. He was seventy-one. He is buried at the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery in southwest Portland. Unlike Parady’s headstone, Millington’s grave is marked by a sim-ple veteran’s headstone. John Millington in uniform during the Civil War.

Emory Parady in his later

years.

Vol. 10 No. 5 May 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


END OF THE CIVIL WAR COMMEMORATED By Br. Tim O’Neal

Newberg - The day began early for the members of the Baker Camp as the threat of heavy rain loomed over the cere-mony. It was Saturday, April 11th and several of us arrived early to set up cover shelters for the speakers, the Third Bri-gade Band, and anticipated spectators. But, the clouds began to clear away enough to allow the sunshine to filter through the trees as the ceremony began. A fairly large crowd gathered, perhaps thirty or so, to watch as the band played and the SVR honor guard marched onto the GAR circle and posted the colors. The firing detail was detached and formed up some short distance from the GAR monument. During the speeches made by Camp Commander Don Benson, Shardon Lewis, and invocation by DH Shearer the clouds did roll back in briefly and gave all a reminder of the weekends forecast. All in attendance stoutly carried on, the muskets fired and taps was played by Capt. Steve Betschart. Even though we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, our remembrance of those who fought and died or carried on will never end.

Above left: The Colors are presented by Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at the cemetery’s GAR monument. Right: A

Civil War reenactor bows his head as the Baker Camp Chaplain, Rev. D.H. Shearer leads the audience in prayer. Below left: A patri-

otic wreath adorns the GAR monument. Right: Lt. Mark Stevens of the SVR commands the firing detail. Photos by Kathy Jo O’Neal.


News from May 1865

JEFF DAVIS CAPTURED! The fugitive president of the former Confederate State of America was captured May 10th by elements of the 4th

Michigan Cav-alry near Irwin-ville, Georgia. The rumor is that Davis at-tempted to flee in women's clothes. Davis has been im-prisoned at Fortress Mon-roe off the coast of Vir-ginia. He is kept in irons and

allowed no visitors. CSA Vice-President Alexander Stephens was arrested at his estate in Georgia on May 11th. Stephens is imprisoned at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Treason charges are expected to be brought against the two men. On May 29th President Andrew Johnson issued a pardon to most former Confederates but his order excludes top leaders including Davis and Stephens. More Rebels Surrender The last major remaining Confederate army in the field has capitulated to Federal forces. Confederate General Richard Taylor, the son of President Zachary Taylor, surrendered to Gen. Edward Canby at Citronelle, Ala-bama on May 8th. A small rebel force under Gen. Kirby-Smith continues to operate in the west. The Last Casualty What is generally recognized as the final battle of the

Civil War was fought on May 12th and 13th at Palmito

Ranch on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Browns-

ville, Texas. It was the last engagement involving casual-

ties and it took place more than a month after Robert E.

Lee surrendered. The engagement was a Confederate

victory in which the Union troops suffered 4 killed, 12

wounded, and over 100 captured. Private John J. Wil-

liams of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry was the last

fatality during the Battle at Palmito Ranch, making him

likely the final combat death of the war.

2015 Event Schedule


June 20th: Saturday, dedication of nine new military VA headstones at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery. 10:00 AM.

Cemetery Work Parties: Locations TBD June 6 July 18



SUVCW AUXILIARY FORMED By Br. Joseph Stevens

Brothers! The time has come! ASUVCW National has approved the formation of our Auxiliary to Baker Camp! This is a wonderful opportunity for our camp and both of our Orders. Membership is open to our female fam-ily, friends, and acquaintances. The Auxiliary will be known as the Mary Ann Lee Baker Auxiliary No. 6 named in honor of the wife of our camp namesake, Col. Edward D. Baker. For member-ship application and further details please contact us at [email protected]

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Image from Frank Leslie’s Newspaper, New

York, June 3, 1865.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsville,_Texas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsville,_Texas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Williams_(American_Civil_War)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Williams_(American_Civil_War)

Establishment of the Department of the Columbia

Special General Order No. 6 By the authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief if the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Na-tional Constitution and Regulations, and National Poli-cies, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1: The following Camps-at-Large have formally petitioned the Commander-in-Chief for the formation of the Department of the Columbia, to include the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington: Col. Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6 of Oregon Gov. Isaac Stevens Camp No. 1 of Olympia, WA Fort Walla Walla Camp No. 3 of Kennewick, WA Section 2: In accordance with National Regulations, Chapter II, Article I, Section 7, the petition of said Camps is approved and the Department of the Co-lumbia is hereby established and shall be composed of the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Section 3: The Commander-in-Chief acknowledges that since June 15, 2011 the state of Idaho has been part of the Department of Colorado and Wyoming (General Or-der No. 22, Series 2010-2011). With the approval of a super-majority of the elected officers of the Department of Colorado and Wyoming, and for various reasons including historic and geographic, the Commander-in-Chief be-lieves that Idaho would be best served by belonging the Department of the Columbia and hereby transfers Idaho to the new Department. The Department of Colorado and Wyoming is commended for its stewardship of Idaho over the past four years. Section 4: The Department of the Columbia is hereby authorized to hold a Special Department Encampment to complete the organization of the Department, includ-ing the election of Officers, Delegates to the National Encampment, and the adoption of Department By-Laws. The foregoing General Order is proclaimed this 14th day of April in the year of our Lord two thousand fif-teen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirty-ninth, in the City of Gilroy, County of Santa Clara, State of California. Tad D. Campbell, PDC Commander-in-Chief

HEADSTONE EATING TREE

Lewis Platts was a Civil War veteran who served in

Company B of the 9th Michigan Infantry. Sometime after

the war he made his way to Oregon and settled in Yam-

hill County earning his living as a farm hand and day

laborer. When he died in 1907 Mr. Platt was laid to rest

in the GAR section of the Friends Cemetery in New-

berg. In the 108 years since his death, a tree has grown

upon his final resting place and engulfed the marble

military headstone which denotes Platts’ service. Baker

Camp engineers Tim O’Neal and Mark Stevens are at-

tempting to remove and reset the headstone without

damaging stone or tree. Photo by Kathy Jo O’Neal.

SVR News Mark Stevens has been appointed as adjutant of Company B of the 71st Penn-sylvania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Vet-erans Reserve. Con-current with that ap-pointment, Br. Ste-vens has been com-missioned as a Sec-ond Lieutenant in the

SVR. Lt. Stevens is pictured on the left after being pre-sented his commission by Capt. Steve Betschart.

THE LONG TOM REBELLION INSURRECTION IN EUGENE

Excerpted from HIDDEN HISTORY OF CIVIL WAR OREGON by Randol B. Fletcher It was May 6, 1865, when Philip Mulkey took to the streets of Eugene City hollering hurrahs for Jefferson Davis. The country was still mourning President Lincoln, who had been assassinated just three weeks earlier. Davis, his ar-mies defeated, was fleeing for his life in fear of being hanged for treason. Mulkey, a pioneer Gospel preacher, had

crossed the plains by covered wagon, arriving in Oregon from Missouri in 1853. He took a donation land claim west of Eugene, and by all accounts he was a re-spected and law-abiding citizen until his public outburst and arrest at the end of the Civil War. As Reverend Mulkey sat in the Lane County jail, a pro-Union lynch mob decided to take matters into its own hands. In response to the threat of frontier justice, pro-Confederate sympathizers from Mulkey’s home area along the Long Tom River were arming themselves to come to their neighbor’s rescue. Guards were shoved aside as the Union rioters busted down the jail door. Mulkey pulled a hid-den knife from his coat and slashed the first man through the door. The sight of the bloody blade caused the mob to pause just long enough for the Oregon infantry to arrive at the double-quick. The army sur-rounded the jail and dispersed the crowd. Late that night, the soldiers slipped Mulkey down to the river and put him under guard on a steamboat, and he was taken to the stockade at Fort Vancouver. With Mulkey out of town, the Long Tom men had no one to liberate, so they went home. Four days after Mulkey’s arrest, fugitive Jefferson Davis was captured in Georgia, and the Confederate States of America was extinguished. Mulkey spent three months in prison, and when paroled, he filed suit against the government for false arrest and violation of his free speech rights. He sought

$10,000 in compensation. After two years and fourteen court hearings, Mulkey settled for $200. The war over, Mulkey returned to his calling as a circuit-riding minister. It is said that he performed over one hundred weddings in Lane County. Reverend Mulkey was ninety-one when he passed away in 1893. He is buried in Mulkey Cemetery in Eugene. The one out of character episode of Mulkey’s life is now a footnote in Oregon history remembered as the Long Tom Rebellion

Rev. Philip Mulkey was a pioneer

preacher in Lane County.

HURRAH FOR JEFF DAVIS! Mulkey’s cheers for the Confederate president re-

sulted in his arrest by the 1st Oregon Infantry.

Mulkey spent three months confined at Fort Vancou-

ver but eventually won a settlement for false imprison-

ment.

Vol. 10 No. 6 June 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


HUNDREDS GATHER AT PIONEER CEMETERY MEMORIAL DAY COMMEMORATION

By Kelly Andersen, KVAL.com

Eugene - Hundreds gathered at the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Eugene for the annual Memorial Day Commemora-tion. This year marks a special Memorial Day anniversary -- 150 years since the end of the Civil War. The cemetery is the resting place of many soldiers, including those who fought in that war. Crowds gathered Monday to remember many fallen veterans, including Louis Renninger, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Civil War. Smoke billowed through the air after a gun salute and the voices of the Shasta Middle School band and choir rang among the graves of fallen soldiers. Many veterans expressed their concern that the public sees Memorial Day as a cele-bration, rather than the day of remembrance they feel it should be."It's a most important day for me,” says Richard DuMond, a Vietnam veteran (1966-1968).”I wish more people would pay more observance to the fact that these people sacrificed in great numbers to make sure that we live a free life." The cemetery dates back to 1872 and is one of the three oldest in Eugene. It spans about 16 acres. There's about 5,000 people buried in the cemetery. 145 of them are from the Civil War.

SVR Provides The Honors By Capt. Steve Betschart, PCC

The Edward D. Baker Camp and Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve, partici-pated in the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Eugene Pioneer Cemetery. Flag bearers were Sergeants Tony Pasillas, PCC and Doug Sebranek. The Firing Detail was led by 1st Lt. Mark Stevens, PCC and included Corporals James Anello, and Timothy O'Neal. Chaplain D.H. Shearer gave the invocation and also read General Logan's Order proclaiming Me-morial Day in 1868. Captain Steve Betschart led the contingent and played Taps. At the end of the regular ceremony Mr. Steven Holgate did a portrayal of Abraham Lincoln's Town Hall which was well received by a crowd of some 300 members of the public.

Chaplain D.H. Shearer reads Gen. John Logan’s 1868 order to

the GAR which led the establishment of the modern Memorial

Day. Photo by Kathy O’Neal.

Smoke bellows from the booming muskets of the Sons of Veterans

Reserve honor guard as the Shasta Middle School band looks on.

Photo by Chevelle Davis.


News from June 1865

TEXAS EMANCIPATION

On June 19, 1865 General Robert S. Granger declares Emancipation Day in Texas, the date when all slaves are officially set free. That day is annually celebrated as Juneteenth in Texas. And across America. Guilty Says Military Tribunal On June 30th, after secret deliberations, the Military Commission trying the Lincoln assassination conspira-tors determines its verdicts and sentences. Four con-spirators, David Herold, Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, and George Atzerodt are sentenced to die. Three Michael O'Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, and Dr. Samuel Mudd are given life terms. One defendant, Edman Spangler, to receives a prison term of six years. Last Confederate General Surrenders Stand Watie, the last rebel general in the field, surren-dered to Federal authorities at Fort Towson in the In-

dian Territory on June 23rd. Gen. Watie, a Ch er o kee , co m-manded guerilla bri-gade of Indian fight-ers.

Surrender of Stand

Watie by Dennis Parker.

Rebel Ruffin Dead by Suicide Edmund Ruffin, the pro-slavery planter who claimed to

have fired the first shot on Fort Sumter, has died by his

own hand. Ruffin, an unrepentant rebel, is said to have

been despondent over the surrender of Robert E. Lee.

On June 18th Ruffin but the muzzle of his rifle in his

mouth and pulled the trigger with a stick. He was 71

years old.

2015 Event Schedule

June 20th: Saturday, Remembering the Forgotten, dedi-cation of nine new military VA headstones at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery. 10:00 AM.

June 27th: Saturday. First encampment of the Depart-ment of Columbia. Portland-Vancouver area, details to be determined.

Cemetery Work Parties: Locations TBD June 6 and July 18



FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK For more great photos of our events, search for us on Facebook under Baker Camp

SUVCW or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/293463206751/

Milwaukie Headstone Dedication Please join the Baker Camp and the Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery Association for a ceremony to dedicate nine new VA headstones recently installed on previously un-marked graves of veterans buried within the cemetery. The ceremony will be on Saturday, June 20th, at 10:00 AM at the cemetery which is adjacent to Waverly Coun-try Club. The nine veterans, some whose graves had gone unmarked for 100 years, include six Union Civil War soldiers, one Confederate veteran, and two Oregon pioneers who fought in the 1855 Yakima War as part of the Oregon Mounted Volunteers. Randy Fletcher, PCC of the Baker Camp assisted with filing the VA headstone application forms. A Band of Angels led by volunteer Carolyn Arntson did the geneal-ogy research to locate next of kin for each of the nine veterans in unmarked graves. Volunteers, including the grounds crew from Waverly Country Club, set the head-stones. The ceremony is free and open to the public. The SVR will be on hand to provide military honors.

CAMP HONORS JROTC CADETS By Br. Steve Betschart, PCC

Salem - On Friday, May 8th, McNary High School JROTC had their annual recognition ceremony. SVR Captain Steve Betschart was on hand to present the Ed-ward D. Baker Camp JROTC Award to Cadet Staff Ser-geant Robert Jeffries. He was awarded the proper medal and ribbon, a certificate and a check for $100 from the Baker Camp. The McNary program has only been around for the past three years but has made great strides in developing leadership, patriotism, and aca-demic excellence. McNary has one of two JROTC pro-grams in the Salem area. The other program is at North Salem High School. McNary has an Air Force program and North Salem has an Army program. On Friday evening, May 29th, the North Salem High School JROTC program celebrated their 30th anniver-sary awards program. Capt. Betschart was there to pre-sent the SUVCW award to Senior Cadet 1st Sergeant Boris Ochoa. Ochoa plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation. The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a Federal program sponsored by the Armed Forces in high schools across the United States and U.S. military bases across the world.

Capt. Steve Betschart presented a medal and a $100 scholarship

to outstanding cadet Robert Jeffries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

VETERANS MONUMENT REDEDICATED AFTER 100 YEARS Coos Bay - Traditional Memorial Day was observed on Saturday, May 30th with a rededication of the Sailors and

Soldiers Monument at Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery. The monument was erected and originally dedicated on May

30, 1915 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Men of the Baker Camp SVR unit were

on hand to provide military honors for the ceremony. Rick Cook, Tim O'Neal and Mark Stevens presented the col-

ors at the monument ceremony and dedicated three new VA headstones recently installed on graves of Union vet-

erans. There are more than 60 Civil War veterans buried in Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery. Ms. Cricket Soules of

Coos Bay spearheaded the centennial renovation of monument.

Lt. Mark Stevens, PCC, speaks at the centennial dedica-

tion of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Marshfield

Cemetery. Photo by Steven Michael

Presenting the Colors are members of Company B, 71st Pennsyl-

vania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve. Left to right

are: Marl Stevens, Rick Cook, and Tim O’Neal.. Photo above and below by Kathy Jo O’Neal, ASUVCW.

https://www.facebook.com/rick.cook.1048

https://www.facebook.com/tim.oneal.5203

https://www.facebook.com/mark.stevens.3950

Vol. 10 No. 7 July 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


~COMMEMORATING THE FORGOTTENCOMMEMORATING THE FORGOTTENCOMMEMORATING THE FORGOTTEN ~

Milwaukie - More than two years of work culminated Saturday, June 20th, at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery when a crowd of nearly two hundred gathered to dedicate the recently installed headstones of nine Oregon veterans who have laid in unmarked graves for 100 years or more. What began as an effort between Carolyn Arntson and Dolly Macklin-Hambright to identify veteran’s graves at the cemetery gained momentum when they contacted Baker Camp brother Randy Fletcher via his activities on the Findagrave website. Soon there was a small army, known as the Angels, combing cemetery records, tracing family trees, tracking down living relatives of the unmarked vets, and obtaining the required VA documentation to request a headstone. The headstones began arriving last fall and with big help from the grounds crew at Waverly Country Club, nine new military headstones now honor the veterans resting beneath them. What began with two people ended with a crowd of two hundred spectators, the Mayor of Milwaukie, assorted dignitar-ies, two dozen Boy Scouts, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, active duty military members, veterans groups, families of the honored veterans, bagpipes, bugles, flags, flowers, Channel 12 News, and a musket salute! Everyone involved, on whatever level, should feel immensely proud of what was accomplished in Milwaukie, Oregon!


News from July 1865

CONSPIRATORS HANG

On July 7, 1865 the surviving lead conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln; Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt were hanged in the Old Arsenal Penitentiary in Washington. Mrs. Surratt is the first woman to be executed by the U.S. Government. General Wright Lost in Shipwreck The steamship Brother Jonathan struck uncharted rocks off Crescent City, California on July 30th and went down with the loss of 244 passengers and crew. There were just 19 survivors. Brother Jonathan had sailed from San Francisco bound for Portland. Among the dead is Gen. George Wright who was enroute to Fort Vancouver to take command of the Army’s Department of the Columbia. Get Ready Oregon Sage advise from newspaperman Horace Greely to Civil War veterans appeared in the July 13th edition of the New York Tribune. Wrote Greely: “Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is dis-gusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country” Tens of thousands of veterans are expected to take advantage of the Home-stead Act and settle on free land in the west. The Wild West On July 21st, in the market square of Springfield, Mis-souri, a Union Army veteran known as Wild Bill Hickok shoots Dave Tutt dead in what is regarded as the first true western showdown. Tutt, a former Confed-erate, was killed over a poker dispute. Hickok was tried and acquitted of murder.

2015 Event Schedule

July 18th: Saturday, Cemetery Work Party. Location to be determined.



FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK For more great photos of our events, search for us on Facebook under Baker Camp

SUVCW or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/293463206751/

Actual newspaper ad from 1865

Gen. Wright

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lesley_J._McNair

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri

SVR Renders the Honors at Milwaukie Headstone Dedication Saturday, June 20th, must be marked as a red-letter day for veteran remembrance and the participation of the Sons of Union Veterans. This was a highly organized and moving ceremony in Milwaukie organized by Carolyn Arntson and Karol Miller. Nine previously unmarked veteran headstones were dedicated with the assistance of the Sons of Veterans Reserve - 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Our Honor Guard consisted of Color Sergeant Mark Hagedorn, Sergeant Doug Sebranek and Corporal Curt Johnson. Riflemen included Sergeant Tony Pasillas, Corpo-ral Tim O'Neal, Corporal Don Benson, and Privates Phil McQueen and Gary Wolfson. The firing detail was led by 1st Lt. Mark Stevens. The overall Honor Guard was led by Captain Steve Betschart who also played To the Colors and Taps. Chaplain DH Shearer provided the invocation and benediction.

In Fraternity, Charity & Loyalty Captain Steve Betschart, PCC

Photos by Kathy Jo O’Neill, Jamie Bosworth, Dolly Macken-Hambright, and others.

The Color Guard and firing detail of Company B, 71st Pennsylvania

Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve at Milwaukie Pioneer

Cemetery.

The muskets of the Sons of Veterans Reserve honor guard

boom to honor our deceased veterans.

Capt. Steve Betschart, backed by the Patriot Guard Riders, plays

Taps to conclude a day of remembrance and commemoration.

A Boy Scout beams as he poses for a group portrait with

the men of the SVR.

No Longer Forgotten The nine veterans who’s previously unmarked graves at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery received new VA headstones:

George F. Batchelder Co. E, 10th New York Heavy Artillery George S.A. Boyer, Co. A, 206th Pennsylvania Infantry John F. Burns, 91st New York Infantry James M. Jackson, Co. K, 33rd Iowa Infantry Noah Hubler, Oregon Mtd Rangers, Yakima War William A. Lockhart, Co. L, 7th Indiana Cavalry Elihu Morgan, Co. A, 1st Oregon Cavalry Lazerus W. Robertson, Co. F, 45th Arkansas Cavalry, CSA Geo. Washington Wills, Oregon Mtd. Rangers, Yakima War

Piper Ogden Kimberley leads in descendants of the nine

veterans who received new VA headstones.

The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War ceremoniously

placed white roses on each grave. Oregon State DUVCW President

Janice Heckethorne is in the center.

Descendants of Confederate Army veteran

Lazerus Robertson admire his new VA

headstone.

Baker Camp brother Courtland Rawson

speaks with one of the many Boy Scouts who

took part in the ceremony.

Scout Troop 259 prepares to raise

the colors.

DEPARTMENT OF THE COLUMBIA ORGANIZED By Steve Betschart, PCC

Vancouver - It is official, Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp is now part of the new Department of the Columbia. SUVCW National Commander-in-Chief Tad Campbell presided over the first Department Encampment which cre-ated the Department of the Columbia from the three at-large camps of the Pacific Northwest. Rod Fleck of Gov. Isaac Stevens Camp in Washington was elected Department Commander. The Baker Camp was well represented with Mark Stevens, PCC as the new Senior Vice Commander, Joseph Stevens as Secretary-Treasurer, and Baker Camp Commander Don Benson as one of the Department Counselors. Other Baker Camp brothers in attendance were Steve Betschart, PCC; Tony Pasillas, PCC; Tim O'Neal; and Mark Hagedorn. The color guard was provided by Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve. One of the decisions made was adoption of By Laws for the Department of the Columbia and also designation of jurisdictional areas for each camp. Gov. Isaac Stevens Camp will cover 19 counties of western Washington, Fort Walla Walla Camp will cover 20 counties of eastern Washington, Col. Edward D. Baker Camp will cover 26 counties of western Oregon, and the proposed General George Wright Camp will eventually cover 10 counties of eastern Oregon and 34 counties of southern and central Idaho as well as the State of Alaska. The Baker Camp voted to donate $200 towards the purchase of a Department flag which will be unfurled for the first time at the 2015 SUVCW National Encampment which will be held in August in Richmond, Virginia. The date for our 2016 Department Encampment was established as April 9, 2016 and per capita dues will be $4.00 for 2016 and $2.00 for the remainder of 2015. Photo by Gretchen Souza

Department of the Columbia

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Vol. 10 No. 8 August 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


GEORGE CURREY-OREGON PIONEER & SOLDIER By Br. Warren Aney

Oregon volunteers continued to serve in the Pacific Northwest for several months after the Civil War’s end. One of the principal leaders during this period was George Byron Currey. Born in Indiana in 1833, George B. Currey was a farmer, lawyer, soldier, and editor. Educated at law in Wabash, he came to Oregon in 1853 and was admitted to the bar. During the Rogue Wars he served as a second lieutenant in the Oregon Mounted Volunteers.

In December 1861 Currey was appointed lieutenant in the First Oregon Volunteer Cavalry. In March 1862 he was promoted to captain and commander of Company E. Capt. Currey became the regiment’s most vigorous field commander. Each summer his company’s es-corts, patrols, and scouts covered thousands of miles in southern Idaho, southeastern Ore-gon, and northern Nevada. He expressed a hearty dislike for the accepted practice keeping troops in garrison during the winter, writing that garrison duty served to “chill the enthusi-asm of troops, sap the foundation of patriotism, and destroy the efficiency of the army.” In March 1865 Currey was promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of the new First Oregon Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to full colonel in June 1865 and in July 1865 he was made commander of the District of Oregon. In August, Col. Currey was put in command of the Department of the Columbia. Under Col. Currey’s command Oregon units were scattered from Fort Steilacoom on Puget Sound to Fort Hall in southeastern Idaho. Under his direction they also established a scat-tering of nine new camps in preparation for winter operations. These camps were located in central and eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. Currey was mustered out in November 1865 and his plans for a winter campaign were only partially carried out. However, in 1866 Lt. Col. (later Maj. Gen.) George Crook adopted

this effective strategy for his campaigns in Idaho and Oregon and, during the 1870s, extended this strategy to the American southwest and the Great Plains. In civilian life, Currey practiced law at Eugene, Salem, and Canyon City, farmed near Lafayette, and was editor of the La Grande Observer. He died in La Grande in 1906 and is buried in Grandview Cemetery. Colonel Warren Aney is historian emeritus of the Oregon National Guard and is a proud mem-

ber of the Baker Camp.

Civil War era military encampment at Fort Hoskins located near Corvallis, Oregon

Col. Currey served in the 1st

Oregon Cavalry and com-

manded the 1st Oregon Vol-

unteer Infantry. Oregon Historical Society Negative

No. 020568

George B. Currey 1833 - 1906

Currey became a prominent Oregon

attorney and newspaper publisher.


News from August 1865

CONFEDERATE SHIP FIGHTS ON On August 2, 1865, the captain and crew of the C.S.S. Shenandoah was still prowling the waters of the Pa-cific in search of U.S. ships when they are informed by a British vessel that the South has lost the Civil War.

The Shenandoah (pictured) was a 230-foot-long craft armed with eight large guns and a crew of 73 sailors. Commanded by Captain James I. Waddell. The Shenandoah targeted American whaling ships in the Pacific Northwest, wreaking havoc in the waters around Alaska. The Rebel ship captured 32 Union vessels, most of which were burned. The damage was estimated at $1.6 million, a staggering figure in such a short period of time. After being informed of the Confederate surren-der, the Shenandoah pulled off another remarkable feat by sailing from the northern Pacific all the way to Liver-pool, England, without stopping at any ports. Arriving on November 6, 1865 Waddell surrendered his ship to British officials. From This Day in History

OUR TROOPS IN THE FIELD

2015 Event Schedule



Angels at it Again! By Br. Randy Fletcher, PCC

The band of angels, the volunteer group behind the marking of nine veteran’s graves at Milwaukie Pioneer Cemetery and the great June dedication ceremony, has taken on another research project. Carolyn Arntson, Karol Miller, and their intrepid band of researchers are combing through records at Clackamas Cemetery look-ing for unmarked vets and photographing existing head-stones and creating Findagrave memorials. The SUVCW graves registration database currently lists 19 Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. We are expecting that the Angels will identify several more through their work.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK For more great photos of our events, search for us on Facebook under Baker Camp SUVCW or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/293463206751/

Remembering the G.A.R. From the Eugene Guard: A Campfire will be given at G.A.R. Hall Saturday evening, Nov. 26, 1904. All old soldiers and their families are requested to turn out and help eat beans and swap lies. ~ Courtesy of Dorothy Brandner

Oregon Civil War veteran John Bleakney poses for a photo-

graph proudly wearing his G.A.R. membership badge. Unidentified Union Army officers are photographed in Virginia

in August 1865. Library of Congress.

Vol. 10 No. 9 September 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


~Ancestor Profile~

SERVICE & SCANDAL: THE LIFE OF GEORGE W. BOYINGTON By Chaplain D.H. Shearer

Anyone who has visited my campsite at a reenactment has probably seen labels everywhere bearing the name Boyington. Tables, chairs, boxes, field desks, and even music scores all carry his name in one way or another. It’s my way of honor-ing my great-grandfather, George W. Boyington, through whom I claim hereditary membership in the Son of Union

Veterans of the Civil War. This is his story—the good, the bad, and the ugly. He was given the name George Washington Boyington when he was born on March 5, 1848 in Augusta, Maine. When the war broke out the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry re-cruited heavily from the Augusta area and was mustered on June 24, 1861 for three years of service. Boyington was only 13 years old at the time, but set his heart on enlisting in that regiment. He finally joined the regiment in December, 1863. He was still only 15, so he lied about his age. Within months he took part in the Battles of Laurel Hill, the Wilderness, and Spotsyl-vania. He was wounded at the Bloody Angle on May 12, 1864 and captured by Confederate forces. Libby Prison was generally reserved for Union officers, but it also served as a receiving de-pot for enlisted soldiers before being transported to other Confederate prisons. Although Boyington was only a private, he was kept at Libby for seven weeks while he recovered from his wound. (He would later say that he “languished” at Libby). It’s not clear how or why he came to leave Libby Prison. By this time Grant had halted all prisoner exchanges. In any case, by July Boyington was back with the 5th Maine Infantry, which by now was dis-banding having completed their three year commitment. On August 21, 1864, those who wished to remain in the army joined with veterans of the

6th and 7th Maine Infantries to form the 1st Maine Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment. As a part of this new regiment, Boyington saw continued action at Cedar Creek, Petersburg, Saylor’s Creek, and Appomattox. Following Lee’s surren-der on April 9, 1865, the 1st Maine Veterans marched south to Danville on the Virginia-North Carolina border to chase Jefferson Davis and other fleeing Confederate political leaders. They remained in Danville doing provost duty until the regiment was mustered out on June 28, 1865. Because of their service in Danville they missed the Grand Review in Washington, D.C. on May 23-24, 1865. Military life agreed with Boyington. Within six months he enlisted in the 10th U.S. Infantry (regulars), where he was pro-moted to corporal and sent to Fort Pembina in the Dakota Territory (now ND). It was during this time that he met Jet-temina Dahl, a 17 year old teenager from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Mina, as she was called, came from a large extended family of Norwegian immigrants who had settled in and around Fergus Falls. Like most of her family, she was born in Norway, spoke little English, and was thoroughly immersed in Norwegian culture. Despite the fact they came from dif-ferent worlds, the two were married in 1869 after Boyington was discharged from the army. Perhaps Boyington wanted to put down roots and found it difficult. In any case, he chose to reenlist a year later, this time with the 20th U.S. Infantry. He was stationed at Fort Randall in Dakota Territory (now SD), where the army was focusing on Sioux uprisings. He served another five years before leaving the army for the last time, now with the rank of sergeant. In 1875 George W. Boyington finally settled down to family life in Fergus Falls. He and Mina eventually had four daughters. He became a stationary store owner, publisher, shop keeper, and builder of the first brick building in town. It was an immense three story structure in an area still known as “the Boyington Block.”

… continued on Page 3

George Boyington during his

service in the 5th Maine Vol-

unteer Infantry.


GETTYSBURG 2015 In August Br. Tim O’Neal travelled from Oregon to Pennsylvania to participate in the 152nd anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg. Tim posted dozens of pictures to his Facebook page and was kind enough to share some of them with us.

Br. Tim and General Robert E. Lee

The final resting place of the true

heroes of Gettysburg

Oregon Business Founded in 1865 R.M. Wade & Company, founded in Salem during the Civil War, is celebrating their 150th year of supply prod-ucts and machinery to Oregon farmers. The photo be-low shows Union soldiers forming on the street in front of the R.M. Wade building.

2015 Event Schedule



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Rebs form up for the final assault

at Gettysburg

Federal artillery readies to repel the attack

… Service and Scandal - continued from page 1 In addition to his store responsibilities, Boyington be-came Otter Tail County Register of Deeds, a position he held for 11 years. He embraced the Republican Party and served on the City Council. He also organized Co. F. of the 1st Minnesota National Guard and was elected its first captain.

But not everything was as idyllic as it sounds. According to the May 5, 1887 issue of the American Stationer, a legal judgment was rendered against Boyington in the amount of $2,579 (a little over $59,000 in today’s money). The charge against him is not clear, but he had another issue in his life which was also capturing his attention. Because of the cultural and linguistic differences be-tween Boyington and his wife, according to family ac-counts he felt like “an outsider in my own home.” It was during this time that he met another woman. Her name was Augusta Irle (pronounced “earl”), from Star Prairie, Wisconsin. She was nine years younger than Mina. Boyington soon told Mina that she should file for divorce because he had found another woman and that he would no longer support her or their four daughters. In short, he abandoned his family. News of the scandal traveled fast. It made the front page of the March 9, 1887 issue of the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. That same day a similar article appeared on the third page of the Chicago Daily Tribune. Their divorce was finalized and George Boyington’s reputation suffered. George Boyington and Augusta Irle were married in January, 1889, and immediately moved out west to Mon-tesano, Washington Territory, to start a new life. That’s where the story will resume in the next issue of The Union Volunteer.

Collecting the GAR The sesquicentennial of the Civil War has sparked new interest in collecting memorabilia from the war itself and from veterans organizations. At one time, Oregon had over 70 Grand Army of the Republic posts and those Union veterans held annual state encampments from the 1880’s to the 1940’s. Pic-tured here are three pins from Oregon GAR encamp-ments that recently came up for auction on eBay. The USWV on the Eugene button refers to the United Span- ish War Veterans.

Built in 1885 by George Boyington, this building still stands on the

corner of Washington and Court Streets in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Vol. 10 No. 10 October 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


UNION NURSE WHO DIED IN 1911 RECEIVES HEADSTONE Toledo - When Catherine Conklin’s husband joined the Union Army during the Civil War, she was not content to stay at home so she took to the field herself, volunteering as a nurse. The Conklin’s moved to Oregon in 1889 and lived out their life in the Toledo area of coastal Lincoln County. When husband Joseph Conklin passed away in 1898 he received a

Union style military marker from the govern-ment. When Catherine Conklin died in 1911 she was buried with military honors provided by the GAR and the Woman’s Relief Corps; her name appeared in the 1912 GAR Roll of the Dead along with fellow Civil War nurse Clara Barton; but because her service was as an unpaid volun-teer and not as an enrolled member of the Medi-cal Corps, she was not provided with a military headstone. Due to the efforts of Baker Camp brothers Randy Fletcher and Mark Stevens, DUVCW member Marcia Wilson, and Tony Molina of Toledo Cemetery funds were raised to purchase a private monument. The efforts culminated on Thursday, September 17th when a beautiful headstone was placed and dedicated at historic Toledo Cemetery. Information from her obituary indicates that Mrs. Conklin was born Catherine Miller in Mannheim, Germany on October 20, 1838. She was brought to the United States when a small child by her brothers, both of her parents having died. She was married to Hiram Golden when 16 years of age. There were two children born in this marriage, both of whom died while infants. Her first husband died in 1857, and in 1859 she married Joseph S. Conklin in East St. Louis, Illinois. She served two years as a nurse to the Union Army during the Civil War and received honorable mention therefore. With her husband she came to Toledo, in 1889. Her husband died in 1898. Mrs. Conklin died June 25, 1911 in

Linn County. She was survived by a grandson Harry R. Fant and other relatives. Mrs. Conklin was a Christian woman, with a strong character and was loved and re-spected by all. Joseph S. Conklin served as a Sergeant in the 1st Missouri Engineers. His marble military headstone is inscribed J.S. Conklin, Co. A, Missouri Engineers of the West. Catherine Conklin’s custom designed headstone bears a cross with the initials WRC for Woman’s Relief Corps (an auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic) and FCL standing for fraternity, charity, and loyalty. The headstone is the 130th new grave marker placed by or with the assistance of the Baker Camp since 2005.

Lt. Mark Stevens, SVR, was on hand for the place-

ment of a headstone at the grave of Catherine Conk-

lin, a Civil War nurse who died June 25, 1911. He is

standing next to Tony Molina, president of the

Toledo Cemetery Association. The remembrance

ceremony was held Thursday, Sept. 17. (Photo by

Steve Card of the Newport News Times)

Catherine Conklin

1838-1911


A FAMILY TREASURE By Br. Rick Cook

Recently, I was fortunate in acquiring an old family photo album, belonging to my great-great grandparents George and Harriet Gibbs. One tintype of a young sol-dier was labeled George A. Gibbs, age 15. At first glance, I thought it was just a photo of a child but then I noticed he was wearing a sack coat with military buttons. Obviously, his baby face appearance didn’t prevent his enlistment. George first joined the 57th OVI at the age of 13. After being wounded at Shiloh and the discovery of his true age, he was sent home. Still looking like a kid that should be sucking on a lollipop, he was on the quest for another regiment. In 1863, at the age of 15, the 128th OVI accepted him. Looking at his tintype, it doesn’t seem possible enlistment officers would take him in. A few pages further in the album, was another youngster in uniform. Unfortunately the tintype was unidentified. Based on my knowledge of the Gibbs Family, this must be George’s older brother by three years, James A. Gibbs. He joined the 87th OVI shortly after his 17th birthday. After his capture and parole at Harper’s Ferry, James joined the 49th. He was wounded at the battle of Nash-ville, December 16, 1864. James spent the remainder of the war, serving in the 6th Veterans Reserve Corps. I’m sure these boys were trying to follow in the foot-steps of their two older brothers, Addison and William Gibbs. Addison was a Quartermaster Sgt., 144th OVI and William was 2nd Lt., Co. I, 49th OVI, killed leading his company at the Ravine near Pickett’s Mill, Georgia. A total of three photos of my Great-Great- Grandfather, George Ames Gibbs, were in the antique photo album.

These are the only photos of him known to exist. I am truly blessed to have them.

2015 Event Schedule

November 14th: Saturday, Oregon Remembrance Day commemorating the Gettysburg Address. Hubbard Cemetery, time to be announced.

December: Baker Camp banquet and installation of officers. Time and location to be announced.

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HIDDEN HISTORY OF CIVIL WAR OREGON, the award winning book by Br. Randy Fletcher, is available in select Oregon bookstores and online from Powell’s Books and Amazon.com

~Ancestor Profile~

A NEW BEGINNING: THE LIFE OF GEORGE W. BOYINGTON PART 2 By Chaplain D.H. Shearer

Synopsis of Part 1: George Washington Boyington, my great-grandfather, lied about his youthful age and joined the 5th Maine Infan-try in December, 1863. Wounded and captured at Spotsylvania, he languished in Libby Prison for seven weeks. Upon his release, he rejoined his regiment which was later incorporated into the 1st Maine Veteran Volunteer Infantry. Following the war he served in the Regular Army and married a 17 year old Norwegian girl who spoke little English. After becoming a community leader in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, he abandoned his wife and four daughters for another woman. The two were married and moved to Montesano, Washington Territory, to start a new life.

I can’t help but to wonder if the reason George and Augusta Boyington moved to Montesano was to get as far away from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, as they could. Located near the coast of Washington Territory, in 1889 Montesano was a developing community. They would eventually have three children, the second of whom became my maternal grandmother. Boyington jumped into community life with both feet, just as he had done in Fergus Falls. Continuing with the Re-

publican Party, he was soon elected Chehalis County Audi-tor in 1892. (In 1915 the county would later change its name to Grays Harbor). As auditor, Boyington was in-volved in a number of internal improvements such as building roads, bridges, and government buildings. He would hold the position of auditor for six years. Boyington was a “joiner,” affiliating with several fraternal groups. In Montesano he became Commander of James A. Garfield Post #3 of the Grand Army of the Republic. As one of his great-grandsons, I was given his GAR mem-bership badge and a mourning ribbon from that post—a cherished possession. At some point Boyington petitioned to become a freema-son and he became active in Wynooche Lodge #43, A.F.&A.M. Both George and Augusta were also active in the Eastern Star branch of the Masonic fraternity. While in Montesano Boyington joined Silvia Lodge, #38 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Ivanho Lodge #77 of the Knights of Pythias. Again, as his great-grandson, I was given his KP medallion. Was it wanderlust that caused the Boyingtons to leave Montesano for the solitary life of a lighthouse keeper? In 1898 President William McKinley appointed Boyington to become the 2nd Assistant Lighthouse Keeper of the Cape Meares Lighthouse, west of Tillamook. Although the lighthouse itself is only 38 feet tall, it stands on a high

promontory point. It was equipped with a Fresnel lens of the first order, the strongest lens available at the time. Two houses, which no longer stand, were built about 100 yards to the rear of the lighthouse to house the keepers’ families. The Boyingtons lived in the second one. Most of their supplies were transported by means of a ten mile overland route from Tillamook. Heavier items were brought from Tillamook at low tide along the beach and then pulled up the cliff using a pulley system. It was a strenuous life. Two years later George Boyington unexpectedly died of heart failure on December 6, 1900 at the age of 52. Funeral services were held at the Tillamook Methodist Episcopal Church, followed by a procession to Odd Fellows’ cemetery in Tillamook. Graveside services were then conducted by the Masons of Tillamook Lodge, #57. The words on his grave marker have been worn away by the elements over the years and are today vir-tually unreadable. They nevertheless bear witness to his service in Co. H., 5th Maine Infantry.

… continued on Page 4

PAGE 3

Cape Meares Lighthouse near Tillamook about the time that

George Boyington served as Assistant Lighthouse Keeper.

… A New Beginning - continued from page 3 But what happened to Augusta? With the help of the Masons, she was able to find a house in Bay City, OR, where she moved with her three children. Two and a half years later she moved back to the lighthouse when she married the head lighthouse keeper, George Hunt, with whom George Boyington had enjoyed a close friendship. Sadly, Hunt died of … pneumonia exactly four months after the wedding. The funeral rituals were repeated (by both the church and the Masons) and the two friends are today buried side by side in Tillamook. When I was the pastor of the Chris-tian Church in Tillamook I was able to visit their graves many times. It’s an important tie to my past. Because the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment was a fed-eral agency, it took a presidential appointment to acquire a new keeper—often a slow process. Eventually Theo-dore Roosevelt appointed a replacement, but until that

time Augusta Hunt “kept the light burning,” func-tioning as the lighthouse keeper. She later moved to Wheeler, Oregon, where she became postmistress. She eventually moved to Vashon Island, Washing-ton, where she again served as postmistress. She died in 1937 and is buried on Va-shon. Her daughter, my grandmother, was a few months short of her 100th birthday when she died in 1994. She’s buried in Ab-erdeen. I conducted her memorial service.

Roots are important. They give us a sense of identity. Someone has observed that genealogy is “history on a personal scale.” It helps us to understand how we fit into the broader world around us. There are many threads in history, but no single thread stands alone. Each thread is woven together with others into a cloth of various patterns and designs from which our values, traditions, and even our mannerisms grow. If you have-n’t done so, I encourage you to do additional research on your Civil War ancestor. You might learn something new about yourself.



unteer Infantry.

STANDING GUARD

A Civil War soldier at parade rest stands guard over the honored dead buried beneath the GAR memorial at Belle Passi Cemetery near Woodburn, Oregon. The monument honors veterans of the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and the Spanish American War. It was erected by the I.I. Stevens chapter of the WRC in 1911. Courtesy of Br. Tim O’Neal.

Advertisement from a Civil War era newspaper

Vol. 10 No. 11 November 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


PRESIDENT LINCOLN TO SPEAK AT HUBBARD CEMETERY Hubbard - For the tenth consecutive year, Col. Edward D. Baker Camp 6 of the Sons of Union Veterans on the Civil War will sponsor Oregon Remembrance Day which commemorates the Gettysburg Address delivered by President Abraham Lincoln. This year the ceremony will take place Saturday, November 14th at Hubbard Cemetery and will begin at 11:00 AM. The event will feature a recitation of the Gettysburg Address by professional actor and Lincoln impressionist Stephen Holgate. There will be a wreath laying by the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and military honors and a musket salute will be rendered by Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve. Invocation and Benediction by Rev. D.H. Shearer, chaplain of the Baker Camp. Steve Betschart will

play taps on a Civil War era bugle to end the cere-mony. With Remembrance Day the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War remember Lincoln’s words and all the veterans of the Civil War which took the lives of over 620,000 Americans. The event is free and open to the public.

Monument to The Unknown

Dead of the Civil War at

Hubbard Cemetery.

Attention Men of the SVR

By order of Capt. Steven Betschart, all able

bodied men of Company B, 71st Pennsyl-

vania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans

Reserve are to report to the cemetery in

Hubbard, Oregon at 10:00 AM on Saturday,

November 14, 2015 to serve as escorts to

President Lincoln and to render military

honors to the twelve former soldiers of the

Grand Army of the Republic who’s final

resting place is within the cemetery. Clean

uniforms, polished brass, blackened leathers,

and white gloves is the uniform of the day.

The public ceremony begins at 11:00 AM.

Cemetery Directions Hubbard Cemetery does not have a physical address. This map will help for drive

to details. JR Furniture store in Hubbard is used as a landmark (on Hwy 99E just

before your turn).

President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed

by Stephen Holgate, will deliver the

Gettysburg Address.


Call for Camp Officers Nominations are open for the elected officers of the Baker Camp. All positions are elected annually for one year terms and consist of Camp Commander, Senior Vice-Commander, Junior Vice-Commander, and Secre-tary-Treasurer. By camp tradition, our three camp coun-cil positions are filled by our past camp commanders. An organization is only as strong as the individual mem-bers willing to sacrifice and take on leadership roles. If you can make the commitment, there are many experi-enced hands willing to help mentor you. You can read more about the duties of camp officers on the SUVCW website www.suvcw.org/cd-jobs/jobs2.htm To nominate yourself or someone else, notify Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Stevens [email protected] or Camp Commander Don Benson [email protected]

Long Time Brother Bids Adieu to Oregon Brothers, I will be leaving Oregon in early December and moving to North-west Iowa. I will be able to make it to the December meeting if it

is held on the first weekend in De-cember. I would like to be there. So far I am planning on departing in the middle of the following week. I have looked a bit for other camps in Northwest Iowa, Northeast Ne-braska and Southeast South Da-kota. There does not appear to be anything within even a three hour drive of my new location. For this reason I will probably continue my

membership with Baker Camp as a Life Member. I will turn 65 in December and the price will become affordable. There is no better Camp than Baker Camp. It’s just that sim-ple. I have enjoyed working with every one of you. I wish I could take the camp with me. In F, C & L Doug Sebranek

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

For great photos of our events and camp news, search for us on Facebook under Baker Camp SUVCW or at


2015 Event Schedule

November 14th: Saturday, 11:00 AM. Oregon Remem-brance Day commemorating the Gettysburg Address. Hubbard Cemetery. SVR members report at 10:00 AM.

December: Baker Camp banquet and installation of officers. Time and location to be announced.

President Lincoln shares a laugh with Baker Camp brothers

after the 2014 Remembrance Day ceremony.

Br. Doug Sebranek

~A SOLDIER’S LETTER HOME~ Camp Bowen, Benton County, Arkansas

November 11th 1862

My Dear Brother,

I received your very neat letter of 6th Oct. in due season. I am pleased to learn that you can not only write your

own name, but that you can do it very well. Perhaps you did not understand the reason of my question. The fact

was that so long a time had elapsed since you had written to me that I was in doubt not so much that you could

not write but as to whether you had a disposition to write. However your letter has silenced all misgivings on

that subject. You ask how I enjoy camp life. I must answer that I could be better pleased with some other mode

of living, but have no complaint to make. Shall I give you a history of this day as a sample of what we do in

camp? To start at 6 AM was Reveille, which called us up [and] the men into line for Roll Call. 6 ½ O’clock

breakfast, which the men take at their respective mess. We Dr. Miller, Lt. Stewart [and] myself took ours in a

small tent in the rear of my own tent, the table being presided over by a very neat wench whom we call “Jenny”

who by the way is a very good cook. A Darkey named Dick is now engaged sparking her. If you do not under-

stand the meaning of the term Mira will tell you. At 7 OC is surgeons call [and] school of company officers pre-

sided over by the commander of the Regiment. At 8 OC is school of Non-commissioned Officers and it generally

falls to my lot to preside. Guard Mounting takes place also between the hours of 8 [and] 9 OC. From 10 to 11

OC is squad drill [and] from 11 to 12 Co. drill. Dinner call at 12 ¼ OC. At 2 OC Battalion or Brigade drill and

at 5 OC Dress Parade and supper immediately preceding or following Dress Parade. At about 8 PM we have

tattoo Roll Call. I today after dinner took a ride [and] paid the Third Brigade a visit and returned in time for

Brigade Drill. To night the wind whistles from the north [and] blows smoke into my tent until I am almost ready

to cry. We expect to leave this camp in a day or two. I am not informed of the place or direction in which we

shall move. Some of our Indians went our a few days ago in the direction of Tahlaquah [and] Fort Gibson

[and] captured 20,000 #s of secesh flour. [Ed. Note: Tahlaquah and Fort Gibson are in NE Oklahoma, Benton

County is the Northwestern-most county of Arkansas.] Can you tell how many rations that would make estimat-

ing 22 oz to the ration? Also a few days ago Col. Cloud with a detachment of men surprised a party of rebels

numbering about 500 in the Boston Mountains. He took several prisoners and all their wagons [and] train

which he burned for they could not be service to us. So you can see that although we have no large battles, to be

paraded in the papers, we are still doing a little good by driving out the scattering rebels and eating up their

subsistence. The chivalry “butternuts” we call them use of late coming in, in considerable numbers, to take the

oath of allegiance and to prove their loyalty. What makes people call them butternuts you may perhaps inquire-

the reason is they are universally clad in the homespun of the country which is invariably colored with walnut or

butternut bark. We can tell them as far as we can see them by their dress. But already I have written two pages

and a half which is as much as you wrote and you wrote on small paper. I do not generally write more than my

correspondents do, therefore I will close this, and if you desire to have me write you again you will also have to

write. I hope you may be prosperous in your business connections and make a “heap” of money. I made the ink,

compare it with yours [and] if you think it of a superior quality I will send you the recipe for manufacturing. But

I am running on.

Affectionately,

James H Signor, 1st Lieutenant, 10th Kansas Infantry

P.S. I cannot get along without adding a Postscript but you must not consider it any part of the letter. You desire

me to kill two or three rebels for you- shall I bring you their scalps in evidence of having complied with your

request? I became slightly acquainted with a Mrs. McMillen at Wyandott last winter a very amiable lady [and]

a grass widow- a person who remarked that that she talked all her nonsense at parties [and] kept her sensible

talk for home consumption. She remarked that I might call. .

Good Night

James

Submitted by great grandson, Br. Phil Signor: The letter uses words that are unacceptable today. I've not removed them from the

letter because I think people should know how educated folks of the day talked and wrote. It isn't pretty but that is the way it was.

PAGE 3



unteer Infantry.

Newspaper article from the Oregonian, November 4, 1922 courtesy of Christine McDermott. Newton McKee,

1839-1924, is buried in the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery in Portland. McKee served as an enlisted

man in Company K of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned an officer in Company D,

197th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Vol. 10 No. 12 December 2015 The Newsletter of Colonel Edward D. Baker Camp No. 6


WE REMEMBER! Hubbard - Oregon’s November rains held off just long enough for President Abraham Lincoln to deliver his short but most famous speech at Hubbard Cemetery on Saturday November 14th. For the tenth consecutive year, Col. Edward D. Baker Camp 6 of the Sons of Union Veterans on the Civil War spon-sored Remembrance Day which commemorates Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The Third Brigade Band of the Northwest Civil War Coun-cil entertained the small but attentive crowd. Professional actor Stephen Holgate channeled Abraham Lincoln in an outstanding and completely believable portrayal of out 16th President. Military honors and a musket salute were rendered by Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve. In-

vocation and Benediction was provided by Rev. D.H. Shearer, chaplain of the Baker Camp. Capt. Steve Bet-schart, PCC and his Civil War era bugle provided a haunting rendition of Taps to provide a solemn ending to the event. With Remembrance Day the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War remember Lin-coln’s words and all the veter-ans of a Civil War which took the lives of over 620,000 Americans.

Between the tombstones of Hubbard Cemetery, Presi-

dent Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Stephen Holgate,

delivers the Gettysburg Address as Camp Commander

Don Benson looks on.

Above: SVR color bearers Doug Sebranek and Curt

Johnson. Right: Muskets boom as the SVR fires a

three volley salute. Below Rev. D.H. Shearer leads a

prayer with SVR Captain Steve Betschart and the

Third Brigade Band in the background.


Last Call for Camp Officers Nominations are open for the elected officers of the Baker Camp. All positions are elected annually for one year terms and consist of Camp Commander, Senior Vice-Commander, Junior Vice-Commander, and Secre-tary-Treasurer. By camp tradition, our three camp coun-cil positions are filled by our past camp commanders. An organization is only as strong as the individual mem-bers willing to sacrifice and take on leadership roles. If you can make the commitment, there are many experi-enced hands willing to help mentor you. You can read more about the duties of camp officers on the SUVCW website www.suvcw.org/cd-jobs/jobs2.htm To nominate yourself or someone else, notify Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Stevens [email protected] or Camp Commander Don Benson [email protected]

Merry

Christmas

Event Schedule

TBD: Baker Camp banquet and installation of officers. Time and location to be announced.

Remembering the GAR Civil War veteran Leander P. Johnson sat for this portrait proudly wearing a bowler hat and his Grand Army of the Republic medal. Mr. Johnson served the Union in the 1st Missouri Engineers & Mechan-ics. He came to Portland after the war before eventually set-tling in Port Orford where he died in 1912.

One of the few Australians to serve in the Civil War, Tommy Hancock made his way from Down Under to Oregon where he served in Company K of the 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Hancock passed away in 1917 and is buried in Elkton Cemetery.

This wonderful photo-graph comes to us from the Baker County Library. Taken around 1900, the photo subject's are five Civil War veterans who were members of

General Joseph Hooker GAR Post 20 of Baker City. Seated: Charles Fresh, 6th Kansas Cavalry; Edwin T. Beers, 9th Iowa Cavalry; August Meyer, 49th Missouri Infantry. Standing: Loren Byam, 20th Wisconsin Infan-try; Patrick Grogan, 1st U.S. Cavalry. All five men are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK For great photos of our events and camp news, search for us on Facebook under Baker Camp SUVCW or at


IT KEPT ME OUT OF THE REBEL ARMY! Personal Reflections on the War Between the States

Edited by Br. Tom Dietz

Bedford B Brown was born in Orange County North Carolina in 1840. After his father died in 1859, he left North Carolina along with his mother and sisters intending to settle in Missouri. Upon reaching Tennessee however, the family was told of a drought in Missouri, and decided to go to Indiana instead. As Bedford recounted in his 1827 memoir, written three months before his death, “I have always thought that not going to Missouri was providential

for us – IT KEPT ME OUT OF THE REBEL ARMY! We were going to the part of the state that proved to be the worst of the rebel nest.” So the family decided to journey on to Indiana instead and settled near French Lick Springs. In August 1862 “a call came for an additional 300,000 more men to fight for the union, and I was urged by my Uncle Azor to enlist. I asked him to tell me what would become of my mother and sisters? He said that he would see they were taken care of, so I decided to go home and talk to the family. I laid the case before mother and the girls. They hated awfully to see me go, but they thought I had better; and they would try to get along some way. So I went to French Lick Springs the next day.” There he joined the 66th Indi-ana Infantry Regiment. “After enlisting, I went back and reported to mother what I had done. She made no objection to my going, but wondered would I ever come back? I told her that I believed I would. “The regiment went to Camp Noble at New Albany. Just one week to the day after leaving Camp Noble, we got into a fight at Richmond, KY and got badly used up. We had three full regiments there, all new troops. They were all sent out one regiment at a time. Ours was the last one to be ordered out; the others had all been whipped and had gone to the rear by the time we got

licked. They had us surrounded; only a small portion of the regiment got away, most of us were captured. We were marched into the court house yard on Sunday morning. We were kept inside that enclosure until Tuesday noon. During that time we didn’t draw any rations except a small piece of raw bacon. We had left our blankets and knap-sacks in our tents before going into the fight, so we slept on the courthouse floor without blankets or pillows. “Tuesday noon we were lined up and took the oath not to fight them any more until we were duly exchanged. We were then turned loose with passes and told to head for the Ohio River. At the river we found a boat with steam up that took us to Cincinnati, where we were met by General Lew Wallace and ordered to take the train to Indianapolis. Six of us from French Lick decided we wanted to go home instead.” During this unauthorized leave, Bedford mar-ried Sarah Jane Pinnick on September 11, 1862. After 10 days at home, he rejoined his unit in New Albany. “The next spring we took part in Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and then the famous ‘March to the Sea’ that we all sing about. I will not attempt to recite here all the battles and hardships that we had to go through. It was every day march and fight, march and fight until Atlanta was taken. “We started the trip to Savannah in November 1864 and arrived there a few days before Christmas, remaining there about a month. On the trip through the Carolinas, the most interesting part for me was coming through Raleigh. There I met up with some of the boys that I grew up with. I walked the same streets that I walked as a kid.” After the war, Bedford returned home to Indiana, where he and Sarah’s first two children were born. Soon after the family packed up again and settled in Newton County, Missouri, finally completing the journey that had begun back in 1859. They went on to have 7 more children. Soon the family was on the road again, fi-nally settling in Pasadena, California. There Bedford lived out the remainder of his days surrounded by his children, and grandchildren. No record exists of his mem-bership in the Grand Army of the Republic, but this GAR encampment medal was found recently among Brown family documents and photographs.

PAGE 3

Bedford Brown of the 66th Indiana Vol-

unteer Infantry.

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