From the Brigade Commander ~ June 2025

If George Seligman, our Roundtable’s founder, could visit from beyond the grave, I think he’d be proud to see how others have picked up the fallen battle flag, so to speak, and boldly carried on. He’d especially be thrilled to see how the sword of local hero, Capt. Jonathan Taylor, is now serving in a Bethlehem school as the centerpiece of a Civil War artifacts exhibit that many of you made possible.

I sometimes wonder if everyone realizes how big the rabbit we pulled out of our hats really was. Fortunately, kids often have the ability to see and understand things better than we adults. And so, who knows? Maybe one of the students has already been, or will be, inspired by the display—and the tremendous effort it took to make possible—and is standing ready, somewhere in the wings, to jump into action.

Our finances have recovered from the extraordinary effort to procure the Taylor sword. And, at the end of this campaign year, we will once again be able to make a preservation donation and continue our proud, long-standing tradition of fighting to preserve America’s hallowed battlefields. This, too, would not be possible without your support.

We’ll be ending Campaign 47 with our meeting on June 3. How about let’s all save the date and take the opportunity to honor the legacy and leadership of George Seligman and celebrate our collective achievements!

You’ll find dinner signup instructions on page 2 of the June Newsletter

Barry

Join Us in Bethlehem on Sat., May 24, to Honor Civil War Vets

EVENT 1: 
10:00 a.m. start; approximately 45-minute Memorial Day Ceremony
The 153rd Pa. Volunteer Infantry Reenacting Group will host a ceremony to honor members of the original 153rd PVI (and other veterans buried at Nisky Hill Cemetery). This event is free.

Nisky Hill Cemetery is located between Church, Market and Center Streets in Bethlehem. Street parking is available. The entrance to the cemetery is located at the corner of Church and Center Streets. See cemetery map.


EVENT 2:
Clean up area of cemetery in proximity to Civil War veteran graves
Those able to stay on following the Memorial Day ceremony will assist in a cleanup exercise around the area of the Civil War veterans. (Section 9 of the cemetery.)

Activities to include clearing items (debris, moss, grass, leaves, sticks, etc.) from around the base of the grave stones; applying water, followed by a biological cleaner, to the stones; cleaning/painting the nearby cannon and cannon ball grouping. Cannon ball grouping repairs will be made by Roundtable President, Barry Arnold. See the attached document for images of the issues we will be addressing.

Volunteers should dress appropriately for yard work and painting. Most materials will be provided by the Roundtable. We ask only that participants bring along tools such as lawn and/or hand rakes and garden knives, and gloves, if you wish to wear them. (Using a knife to clear growth from around the base of a grave marker is the best way to prevent the stone from inadvertently being damaged. Removing growth by hand is another safe option.)

The biological cleaner, which has been donated a Roundtable member, will be pre-loaded into spray bottles, as will water. The cleaning activity is a safe, easy three-step process:

  1. Clear the base of the stone of loose and/or organic material.

  2. Thoroughly spray the stone with water, and wait five minutes before proceeding.

  3. Spray the entire surface of the stone with D/2 Biological Solution.

That’s it! The cleaner will gradually eat away materials, e.g., lichen, air pollution-staining, that have attached to the stone.

NOTE:
D/2 is safe for skin contact, clothing, and grass and soil. It is the preferred product to use on grave markers, including those in Arlington National Cemetery!

May Meeting Highlights and Photos

James Gindlesperger presented a fascinating look at the history of the Medal of Honor, including six vignettes of the actions which won the medal for combatants at Gettysburg.

Gindlesperger is the author of many books, but concentrated on the entitled The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg.

He spoke of the origins of the medal, and how 3,547 have been awarded since its inception. There have been 19 double recipients, and 7 sets of brothers who won the medal.

1,523 medals were awarded for action during the Civil War , with 72 of those at Gettysburg.

Two sets of father and sons have been awarded the medal : Arthur and Douglas MacArthur; and Theodore Roosevelt Sr and Jr.

Dr Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman to have won the medal - and it was for her actions during the Civil War.

We held our usual monthly book raffle with proceeds going to preservation. Winners are depicted below.

From the Brigade Commander - May 2025

Good news! The CWRT of Eastern PA, Inc. retains its member status among the American Battlefield Trust’s (ABT) Top 300 donors, thanks to people like you and the generosity of other Roundtable members, past and present. We also received a Challenge Coin from the ABT as a token of thanks for our financial support.

More good news! As of April 10th, most, if not all, national battlefield parks, including Gettysburg National Military Park, are once again open to the public.

Our May meeting speaker, James Gindlesperger, will share stories about several of the soldiers who fought at Gettysburg and, later, were recognized for their actions with a Medal of Honor—a then- new military medal that was, and remains today, our nation’s most prestigious commendation. The Medal of Honor is reserved for those who distinguish themselves through gallantry and intrepidity, at the risk of their lives, above and beyond the call of duty.

You’ll find more about our speaker and how to sign up for the pre- lecture dinner in our May Newsletter on page 2. Inside, you’ll also find a brief overview of the Medal of Honor and some of its recipients.

Like today, tariffs were very much on the mind of Americans in the years that led up to the Civil War. You’ll find an overview of reasons and reactions inside, on page 5.

Barry

May 6th Program Details Announced

James Gindlesperger presents The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg  on May 6th

        From July 1 through July 3, 1863 one of the most epic battles ever fought on American soil took place in Gettysburg.  Those three days saw Union General George Meade’s Army of the Potomac repel Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia from Lee’s farthest advance into northern territory.  The battle is considered by most historians as the turning point of the Civil War.

The battle, and the weeks leading up to it, became known as the Gettysburg Campaign.  That campaign saw 72 men of the Union army earn America’s highest award for gallantry, the Medal of Honor. 

James Gindlesperger’s The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg discusses Medals awarded during the Gettysburg Campaign, beginning with an introduction of the account of the armies as they moved northward, followed by a detailed history of the Medal of Honor, including how it came about, the revisions it underwent over the years, and the numerous controversies that arose from its origination through today.

The main body of the book details the heroic actions of each of the 72 recipients of the Medal, followed by appendices that discuss why so many Medals were awarded for capturing flags of the Confederates, a second appendix detailing the official criteria for earning the Medal, and a third that tabulates the states represented by those who earned the Medal.

The executive director of the Seminary Ridge Museum in Gettysburg has said of The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg, “By compiling what were once divergent stories in a single work, Gindlesperger has provided students of the Gettysburg Campaign with a book that will be a useful accompaniment when studying narratives on the battle and campaign.”

Jim Gindlesperger Bio

James Gindlesperger is a retired Safety Manager from Carnegie Mellon University and an award-winning

author of nine books.  He is from Johnstown, and his books have earned numerous national awards. Two have achieved best-seller status on Amazon, one of which has been on the list since October 2021.  He writes a monthly blog article for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, is a regular correspondent to Johnstown Magazine, is on the National Civil War Round Table Congress’s Recommended 5-Star Speaker

List, and has been a contributing author to the peer-reviewed Gettysburg Magazine.  Jim is a member of the Col. Jacob M. Campbell Camp #14 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and he sits on the Advisory Committee for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.  He has also served as a consultant on a joint project conducted by National Geographic, NASA, Google Earth, and Carnegie Mellon University to map and digitally photograph Civil War sites using high resolution robotic cameras with 360o capability.

 He and his wife Suzanne give lectures and book-signings up and down the east coast, and he has been presented with a citation from the Pennsylvania State Senate for his achievements.  In addition to his two best sellers, his awards include the Batchelder-Coddington Literary Award for best book of 2020 about the Gettysburg Campaign, two George Washington Honor Medals of Excellence from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, a Silver Medal at the 2017 Book of the Year Awards, Bronze Medal at the 2011 Book of the Year Awards, a feature on the Discovery Channel, a nomination for the prestigious Lincoln Prize, and a movie contract from Warner Brothers.

 He will be speaking on his latest book, The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg.

April Meeting Highlights and Photos

David Water gave a fascinating and informative Presentative on the career of Gen. George Custer. He spoke of his meteoric rise through the ranks, and to military stardom, his fights with Jeb Stuart and the rebel cavalry during the Civil War, and the possibility that he saved the day at Gettysburg. Walter acknowledged that Custer's exploits during the Civil War are often overlooked as he is primarily remembered for a tragic day in 1876 at Little Big Horn.

Walter presented a program via Zoom during the pandemic, but it was great to have him in person. He is a member of the Brandywine Valley Civil War Roundtable,  Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Westtown Township Historical Commission, speaks frequently on Civil War topics.  He is the author of "Stars and Bars Over Philadelphia," an alternative history novel based on Stonewall Jackson's real plan to invade the North and win independence for the Confederacy."

As usual we held our monthly book raffle with proceeds going to preservation. Winners are pictured below.

April 1st Topic and Speaker Information Announced

"Come join Gen. George Custer as he rides to Civil War fame in 'Come On, You Wolverines."    Historian and writer, Dave Walter, will present the story of Custer and his meteoric rise through the ranks, and to military stardom, as he fights Jeb Stuart and the rebel cavalry during the Civil War. Custer's exploits during the Civil War are often overlooked as he is primarily remembered for a tragic day in 1876.

 

Bio

David Walter, a member of the Brandywine Valley Civil War Roundtable,  Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Westtown Township Historical Commission, speaks frequently on Civil War topics.  He is the author of "Stars and Bars Over Philadelphia," an alternative history novel based on Stonewall Jackson's real plan to invade the North and win independence for the Confederacy."

From the Brigade Commander ~ April 2025

For people like us, the recent unrest caused by proposed work- force reductions among federal employees, especially National Park Service employees, couldn’t be anything but concerning. That’s because we view battlefields less as places to visit on a nice day and more as living memorials to those who worked, fought and died at these places ... and how what happened at these places has shaped our collective history. Beyond the paused educational programs, diminished maintenance and potential visitor center (and restroom) closures, there is always the threat of collateral damage that can take place when no one is there to watch for trouble.

Although the ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach to reducing operating costs is not new, it’s often unnerving. As you might expect, park employees—some of whom chose their jobs as a way to dedicate their lives in service to their country—have been outspoken about the cycling feelings of anger, sadness and distress these sweeping changes are causing them. Encouragingly, reports claim that some fired employees have since been returned to their jobs and an additional 3,000 seasonal workers have been hired.

As we watch and wait in hope for the ongoing saga to conclude, I can tell you that I now feel renewed respect and gratitude for the public servants who care for our nation’s hallowed battlegrounds. And I’ll remember to express my appreciation to them for the important roles they play in protecting and sharing our nation’s history.

Barry

ALSO - BE SURE THE CHECK OUT THE INFORMATION ON OUR
JUNE FIELD TRIP TO RICHMOND ON p. 5 OF THE APRIL NEWSLETTER.

DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS IS MARCH 25th