Gathering of Civil War Eagles

Ties to the Past

2009-06-22T02:30:45.354-07:00

With the Gathering of Civil War Eagles, we have several personas that are portrayed by a variety of people. We have Isaac Trimble portrayed by David Trimble, a collateral descendent of Isaac, we have Basil Duke portrayed by John Duke, a direct descendent of Basil but we have others that have ties to the war. Such is the case with Dennis Cole (General Lewis Armistead) and Ron Cole (General John B. Gordon).

In the past I have been fortunate enough to be with both of them at Fredericksburg where they went to a cemetery to visit a grave of one of their ancestors. During the Gathering of Civil War Eagles we all honor those who gave the highest honor to the cause. On Saturday evening this year the personas represented at the Gathering of Civil War Eagles event took part in a ceremony at the Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Winchester. This was a very moving experience for all who attended. This event is an annual event organized by the Turner Ashby chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. During this event again the Coles were able to honor another ancestor of the war. This time it was their Uncle W.H. Cole who is amongst may fallen Confederates at the Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Winchester.

A GATHERING OF CIVIL WAR EAGLES – 2009

2009-06-16T15:47:12.4109988-07:00

No black powder got burned; no cannon or horses were involved. How can this be a Civil War event? Easy. Just take an incredibly talented and dedicated group of people wearing wool uniforms, blue or gray, or elaborate hoopskirts, who take spectators on a stimulating journey back to the 19^th century, in their sights and in their minds. Stir them up with a Constitutional issue or two, or a spectator’s question critical of battle tactics from 146 years ago, and you have “A Civil War Gathering of Eagles.”

This event, now four years old and counting but that recently completed its third edition at the Old Court House Museum in Winchester, Virginia, is unique among the plethora of War Between the States events being offered. It is billed as a “seminar” because it does not include the pseudo-battles that most “reenactments” offer as their main form of entertainment. Yet, rather than a dry lecture, or series of lectures by 21^st-century historians in suits, the learning at “Gathering” is first-person and interactive – if you have a question for General Lee, or Abraham Lincoln, just ask them - they are there, in front of you, ready and able for any discussion you might desire.

Hosted by the combined forces of “Lee’s Lieutenants” and the “Federal Generals Corps”, totaling to nearly 50 well-honed portrayals of real Civil War personas, “Gathering” once again this year proved itself to be a phenomenon far beyond any other Civil War educational opportunity extant. Debates on the Constitution and states’ rights, eerily similar to those same debates going on in our statehouses today, are carried on with certain knowledge of the Founders’ thoughts and positions on subjects such as the controlling power being sought by the Federal government. We heard these positions staked out by the very people who 145+ years ago laid their lives and fortunes on the line to defend the Union , or stand tall for their home states.

I write this as someone who very much enjoys riding my horse and burning powder in Civil War events. I can say with all candor that the level of scholarship and understanding of the mid-19^th century on display in Winchester exceeded anything I have experienced in my life-long study of the War Between the States. Historian Shelby Foote once said that before one can truly understand the United States in the 21^st century, one must understand the American Civil War. It is through events such as “Gathering” that such understanding can be readily gained. It is, year after year, stimulating, thought-provoking, and even inspiring, when one contemplates the courage and sacrifice of our forebears in thrashing out this gigantic controversy in a trial of fire and blood. As one of my colleagues observed, “they were a different kind of people.”

“Gathering” is the first weekend of June, every year, same place in Winchester , Virginia . Don’t miss it in 2010 – you will not be disappointed.

2009 Event is a Success

2009-06-15T17:38:50.4410807-07:00

The 2009 Gathering of Civil War Eagles is over and it was a very interesting event this year. The afternoon discussion concerning the conduct of the war Saturday was interesting, informative, and sometimes heated between the Union and Confederates. Since the event several e-mails have been received by those attending with appreciation for the event and the conduct of the first person personas. Below are a couple of comments made about the event.

"The whole weekend was a highlight! A Living Historian for a few years, I was accompanied by my gentleman friend, Denis Lyddane, who, like myself, has ancestors that shaped this Nation's history, yes, in the Civil War as well as other wars. Due to this first exposure to such a great passion, he is probably going to join "our time." He mentioned more than once the welcoming, topmost quality of all he met.

We were honored to be amongst a whole "cast" who were historically correct, thoughtful, and insightful. The time allowed for events, the characters, and the buildings were all perfect and DIGNIFIED, for the Living Historians and spectators alike.

Thank you for taking your considerable time to bring to us such a high-quality event. The impromptu conversation with the Presidents, having some cake made by the dear bride, exchanging "attire secrets" with Jackie Milburn, listening to the boots as they strode down the brick-paved street, these are memories that will often be thought of.

I will do my very best to promote this event next year, and the invitation to possibly join you, what an unexpected gift!"

With Sincere Regards,

Miss Karen Lewis

"I want to thank everyone for a most wonderful weekend. As always, I learned a lot.
In my humble opinion, this was the best Eagles event yet."

Kendal Wilson

Battle of Lewisburg Event Organizer

The Constitution

2009-05-19T02:37:10.943-07:00

"Let them use ours. We're not using it."

A few years ago comedian Jay Leno, in discussing America's efforts to create a constitution for Iraq, said, "Let them use ours. We're not using it." As is so often the case in Leno's political jokes, the punch line was based on a sad truth in this country, so while we laughed we also nodded in agreement with the statement he was making.

I just returned from a War Between the States living history and reenactment event in Lewisburg, WV. This event is somewhat unique in that it annually stresses scholarly study of the conflict and its causes and effects, along with the camps, uniforms, battles, and leaders. I was privileged to participate this year as part of a presentation we call "Commonwealth of Virginia, et al. v. The United States", a what-if scenario that poses the question of what would have happened had the middle-tier states of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, after the secession of the seven deep-south cotton states, brought an original proceeding before the United States Supreme Court seeking a declaration of laws of whether secession was, indeed, a legal right reserved to the States under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.

The next day a group of us, including many of my colleagues in the Lee's Lieutenants group (http://www.leeslieutenants.com/), were sitting in camp, and discussing the modern states' rights movement that has in recent months taken on such a head of steam. Many state legislatures have either passed, considered, or are considering, resolutions in various forms requesting/demanding that the Congress and the Federal government comply with the Tenth Amendment. http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2009/02/23/state-sovereignty-resolutions/ .

It struck us as ironic that we, sitting there is our gray wool under a canvas tent fly, were discussing very much the same issues that our counterparts were debating 150 years ago - states' rights vs. an oppressive Federal government. Our forebears were upset over high federal tariffs and other acts of economic oppression being perpetrated by a northern-controlled Congress over the rest of the country. They were tired of seeing hard-earned southern dollars being taken by Federal taxes to fund a bail-out of highly-indebted northern industries and public works projects. Anything sounding familiar here?

I suspect much of the problem the present-day Tenth Amendment resolutions may be facing is fear of somehow losing Federal funding - many state governments would be financially sunk without Federal highway, education, and healthcare dollars. Yet it is in many ways this very addiction to the Federal trough that has resulted in the virtual destruction of the Tenth Amendment, for the Federal government is institutionally very gifted at attaching strings to this money that last far longer than the money itself, or its benefits. This is the very reason several governors have contemplated refusing Federal bailout money, and the fiscal shackles that accompany it.

The Tenth Amendment, of course, states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The Constitution, Article I, Section 8, assigns 18 specific powers to the Federal government. Article I, Section 10, prohibits seven powers to the States. Simple reference to these lists of specifically-enumerated powers will establish, without question, that the Federal government has long since trampled on the Tenth Amendment and left it in the dust.

The original concept of American government was that the states were sovereign entities from which all governmental power emanated. Contrary to a question I was asked this weekend, which is still stunning in its misconception of American government, the "United States" did NOT pre-date the states themselves. The original 13 states were, of course, English colonies prior to declaring their independence in 1776. The Treaty of Paris, wherein the King of England acceded to our freedom, was made with the 13 sovereign and independent states. And it is clear not only from the Constitution, but from every legal scholar and Supreme Court decision of the antebellum period, that it was understood that any right which might exist in a sovereign state that was not specifically and explicitly assigned to the Federal government was reserved to the states. The Supreme Court said several times that the powers of the Federal government were specific and defined, and the powers of the states were indefinite and need not be listed or defined to exist.

After Mr. Lincoln submitted this issue not to a Court of Law but to the Gods of War, the entire Federal-Constitutional model has progressively been turned on its head. John Randolph Tucker, first Dean of the Washington & Lee College of Law, once compared sovereignty of the states to the light of the sun, and the powers of the Federal government to the reflected light of the moon. Now, we are faced with a Federal government that sees itself as a Divinity that commands total obedience, as if it were the source of all governmental power. This is precisely upside down from any historic concept of a Constitutional republic form of government, which is, in reality, what we are supposed to be.

To paraphrase one of the great lines from the movie "The Patriot", there is little difference in the tyrannical English King of 1776, 3000 miles away, than the tyranny of an omnipresent Federal government that consists of a few hundred tyrants within our own midst. Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence proposed that humans have the right, indeed the duty, to throw off oppressive forms of government and replace them with government that more suits the needs of the people.

I do not propose open revolution or the overthrow of our government. What I do propose is that we, the people, demand that our government play within the rules set for it over 200 years ago. Those rules still do apply, and today make as much, if not more sense than they did to the Founders. Americans were not intended to be oppressed by a tyrannical Federal government. The Federal government has a specific list of powers it is to use for the common good of the entire republic of sovereign states - not to abuse and pound the several states into so much dust under the heavy thumb of Federal taxes and regulation.

This movement must arise from the grass roots, from the people. We must demand that our legislators pass strong Tenth Amendment resolutions. We must support state government officials who refuse to knuckle under to the Federal government. We must elect officials who have not only read the Constitution (any bets on how many have even read it?), but who not only "get it" and comprehend what the American form of government was meant to be, and have the moral courage to slowly but surely return this country to a form of government that is truly "of the people, by the people, and for the people".

Unless we find a way to return to our origins of government, the current problems will only get worse. We will continue to see a Federal government that interferes with literally every facet of our lives. We are told what to eat, who will run our companies, how to spend our money (what little is left after taxes), what kind of car we can drive, and so on. Try to think of one thing in your daily life that is not regulated by the Federal government in one form or another - it is virtually impossible.

Gathering of Eagles 2007

2009-01-14T13:40:25.8777363-07:00

A Gathering of Eagles

I went to a Civil War debate this weekend, and a beautiful thing happened. One moment we were heatedly debating, in first person as our respective historic personas, the legality and constitutionality of secession, and the next moment the event had turned into a patriotic rally inspiring people to read the Constitution, become activists on their own behalf, and know/exercise their rights as free Americans to direct our governments to comply with the law of the land by use of the ballot box.

The event was "A Gathering of Eagles" in Winchester, VA, about which I have written in this space before. Gathered in one spot were an unprecedented collection of very skilled and learned Civil War living historians, portraying Presidents Lincoln and Davis, and a bevy of Union and Confederate generals. The discourse was at such a high level that any professional historian would have rightly been impressed - these were not just a group of overgrown boys dressing up and playing soldier, but serious living historians paying homage to the men and women who brought this country though its most trying time by living out their thoughts, feelings, and personas for the benefit of modern-day students of history.

The great lesson of the entire weekend was that the War Between the States was not a simplistic thing as most of our children are taught these days, but rather was a multi-issue economic, political, and social conflict which came to a tragic head in war between strong-willed factions of American society. The lesson was also that many of the same issues, despite being clothed in different factual contexts, continue to this very day in the way American society and government conduct themselves. We learned that as Americans we cannot afford to sit back and let less than 15% of our citizens continue to make the decisions for all of us, but that we need to get off our collective duffs and call our politicians (for there are few, if any, statesmen in this world) to task for their misfeasance and malfeasance in office.

It was indeed an honor and a pleasure to be involved in this event. I have read and studied the War Between the States for most of my natural life, yet my experiences with "Lee's Lieutenants" and most particularly through preparation and presentation of "A Gathering of Eagles" have taken my level of understanding and study far beyond anything I have ever read or been taught in the past. I understand more about the process through which America was forged in forming the Constitution, and steeled through the tragedy of the Civil War, than I had ever thought possible. And yet, my learning continues unabated, which is a very exciting experience for me as I cross into my sixth decade. To continue to learn is to be alive in the most important sense of the word. I am humbly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this group, and to participate in its mission to educate the public about so significant a period on our collective history. God willing, I have no higher ambition than to continue to be a part of this endeavour so long as I am capable of doing so.

Gathering of Eagles 2008

2009-01-14T13:37:45.3580021-07:00

Stirring Hearts and Stimulating Minds at "A Gathering of Eagles"

I was once again honoured to be among the participants at an event this past weekend called "A Civil War Gathering of Eagles" in Winchester, VA at The Old Court House Museum. Our group of personas and Generals from the War Between the States was larger and better than last year's, and the presentations were sterling. Those who missed out on this event truly missed an educational experience that was unparalleled. While our crowds were not large, they were special in their own right - one couple we had met a few weeks before in Stratford came, despite the husband being ONE day out of rotator cuff shoulder surgery. It is for people like these that we especially do what we do.

One absolute highlight for me from the weekend was the Saturday evening performance by Stan Clardy of his one-man play, "Soldiers in Gray" . Mixing in spoken descriptions with soul-stirring musical performances, Clardy tells the story of a young man of the south from his recruitment to "The Cause", through the training and comradeship with other young men of his community, to discovering the horrors of war, to the grinding disappointment of surrender tempered by the joy of returning home to loved ones. The play hits its emotional depth, however, when Clardy transforms first into the aging veteran, and then into his great-grandson discovering the war relics in a musty attic trunk, and connecting with his heritage. The watery substance I was wiping from my face by then was no longer perspiration from the steamy Virginia heat, but tears of love, honor and joy at Mr. Clardy's nonpareil performance.

The other highlight for me was my chance to participate in a never-before portrayed "event," the trial of the case of the Commonwealth of Virginia, et al. v. the United States. In our "what-if" scenario, after the secession of the seven original southern states, four middle-tier states, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, bring an original proceeding under Article III, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution seeking a declaration of rights by the U.S. Supreme Court as to the legality of secession. Mr. David Townsend of Tampa, FL, portrayed Edward Bates, U.S. Attorney General, and I portrayed John Randolph Tucker, Virginia Attorney General, representing the Petitioners. Our Court was led by Randy Bryant of Winchester, VA, who portrayed Chief Justice Roger Taney. Our remaining Justices were all either former Judges, or serving prosecutors. The case was "tried" in the courtroom of the Old Court House Museum, a magnificanet restored 1840's courthouse (photo at left from 2007 event).

Our trial was completely unscripted. Instead, everyone was prepared, the respective attorneys had filed extensive legal briefs, and this was staged as if it were happening in real time. The results were incredible. In a matter of moments from the outset, I felt as if we were engaged in the real thing. Certain physiological responses I experience in a real courtroom were there, particularly the little "shock" I always feel upon receiving a verdict, good or bad. Our Supreme Court exceeded my wildest expectations, providing intensive and well-framed questioning that forced the attorneys to stretch and scramble away from our planned presentations and truly join the historic and intellectual battle over secession.

At the end, the Court recessed to decide the case. In a 7-0 decision, our U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Petitioning states did, indeed, have a right to secede from the Union as one of the many state powers retained when the Constitution was formed. Interestingly, the Court limited its ruling to the four Petitioning states , because, as Mr. Justice Taney explained, these states had shown their respect for the rule of law. In other words, the Court did not give the seven already-seceded states a "free pass" on their actions. I discovered later, to my considerable personal satisfaction, that three of our seven justices, two native New Yorkers and a West Virginian, had entered the proceeding declaring that they absolutely would not support the legality of secession under any circumstances, but they were persuaded by my arguments to the contrary.

I have told my brothers and sisters in this event that their gracious admission of me into their group and the opportunity to participate with them is everything, and more, that I had hoped living history and reenacting would be. This past weekend again confirmed that feeling. I rattled on and on so about the event and related subjects on our way home to Kentucky that I think I completely put Corinne to sleep - at least she passed much of the drive in that well-earned state.

About the Gathering of Civil War Eagles

2009-01-09T10:04:47.703-07:00

The "Gathering of Civil War Eagles" is an educational event brought to life by living historians from across the country. The Civil War personas, discuss the events of the war brought to life through their first person portrayals. Issues discussed during this two and a half day event range from the tactics used to the causes of the War and the occasional heated discussion concerning the legality of secession based on the Constitution and other sources used by our Founding Fathers to establish the "united States of America".

Bring Him Home: Remains of Union Soldier Discovered at Antietam

2008-01-09T11:37:16.361-07:00

The most profoundly emotional moment in the musical "Les Miserables" is when Jean Valjean sings "Bring Him Home". Some of the lyrics:

God on high
Hear my prayer
In my need
You have always been there

He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home

....

Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy

You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live
Bring him home

The musical, of course, is set in the times of the student revolutions that preceded the French Revolution, but that scene came to my mind when I read the story of the discovery of some of the remains of a very young New York soldier near the Corn Field at Antietam National Battlefield Park. The young man had to have been killed on September 17, 1862 in the bloody charges and countercharges in that section of the field. A temporary burial party would likely have placed him in a shallow grave within the next day or so, but somehow he was missed by the later burial details that moved the dead to a permanent national cemetery.

That is, until 146 years later when a visitor to the Battlefield spotted some bone fragments near a groundhog hole, resulting in the NPS doing a more thorough search of the site. The search yielded more bone fragments, some pieces of leather and cloth, coat buttons, a belt buckle, and some other small items. So far, archaelogist and anthropologists have determined that the soldier was likely between 18 and 21 years old, and that while young, he was by September 1862 very likely a veteran in the Army of the Potomac.

Linda Wheeler's blog, "A House Divided" has a beautiful, eloquent post about this young man and his discovery.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/house-divided/2008/12/a_union_soldier_found_buried_a.html#more . Please give it a read - it is very moving, and makes us think, once again, about the ways in which we must honor our war dead, of any era, and do everything we can do to "Bring Them Home."

The political correctness of today often results in everything about the War Between the States being discounted as an ugly period in our history that is glossed over and largely ignored. In addition to the ridiculous refusal to address and understand a critical time in our collective history, it is tragic that so few people will recognize the significance of this discovery. Archaeologically, the value is obvious. But the real importance of this story is that this young man, left for so long in an unmarked, lonesome grave with only generations of groundhogs to tend his resting place, will finally be returned to his place of honor among his comrades.

I think of a father and mother, and perhaps younger siblings, wondering and worrying as news reports slowly trickled north from Maryland of the battle; the anxiety, pain and grief upon reading on casualty lists that their son was either missing, or killed in action; and the aching empty space in their lives of never, during any of their lifetimes, recovering their loved one's body to truly have closure with his heroic death.

It is for these reasons that we must always honor those who have fought, as Americans, for the cause of this country, and honor their families for that payment of the ultimate price for freedom.