Invitation to participate in the January 5th Zoom Presentation

Hello and a Merry Christmas to you and yours and a Happy and hopefully healthier New Year.

Time again to encourage all to participate in the January 5th Zoom meeting of the CWRT of Eastern PA. Hopefully, I will be able to manage things better this time.

I will be sending out the "invitations" to the 1/5/21 meeting on 12/27/20 and will be requesting a reminder e-mail blast on 1/3/21.If you want to participate in the meeting, please contact me at Duffysocwk@aol.com so I can forward the "invitation" to you.

When you get the "invitation", note that there is a line called "Join Zoom Meeting". On 1/5/21, you can click on that and should be able to get into the meeting. I would suggest that you write down the Meeting ID Number and the Passcode as you will be asked to put these into the prompts that will come up. Also, you will see a page that says "join with video and audio" or "join with audio only" Click on the one you prefer.

Also near the bottom of the "invitation", it will say find local number if you just want to listen in over the phone. There are other numbers listed but these will be from out of the area - choose the one closest to the Lehigh Valley.

Thanks, stay safe and see you on 1/5/21 at 7PM.

Jim Duffy
Duffysocwk@aol.com

Photos from Spangler Farm Presentation on Dec 1st

On December 1st we were enlightened by a presentation on the importance of the Spangler Farm during and after the Battle of Gettysburg. Troops and Equipment were staged and deployed from this large farm, and then the farm became a major military hospital treating over a thousand soldiers in the days during and after the July 1-3 1863 battle.

We thank Ron Kirkwood for his willingness to share his presentation, and encourage you to purchase his book… (Amazon link)

Photos from his presentation (and book) are below

Sudden death of January Speaker Jim Del Giudice

James “Jim” Del Giudice, of Basking Ridge passed away suddenly of natural causes on September 15, 2020 at the age of 62. We send our sympathies and condolences to his wife and family. We will be announcing a replacement speaker when one is secured.

Jim was born in Morristown on February 17, 1958, during the great blizzard of 1958, to the late James and Amalia Del Giudice. He was raised in Morristown with his sister and graduated from Bayley Ellard High School in Madison. Jim was a very vivacious young man who was involved in many high school groups and activities, specifically the theater. After high school, Jim went on to begin his formal education in journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.

Jim had a lifelong fascination with both photography and history. He was a true renaissance man in every sense in that he had many fields of expertise of which he had acquired knowledge to an expert level. Jim was a professional photographer and he had a vast and prolific body of work, specifically photo essays based on historic subjects and landscapes throughout the state of New Jersey. Jim had vast knowledge of Revolutionary War history throughout Morris County. He was adjunct professor of history and photography at Morris County College, and presented his historical subjects to various groups, schools & businesses. He was also a talented writer who published multiple articles and several locally performed plays. Jim most recently developed a livestream-based format for his programs which were gaining great popularity.

Jim was an avid traveler, loved movies, music, the theater, and golf. He was a man that could fix anything and everything, and he loved his family deeply. His sharp sense of humor was appreciated by everyone who knew him. Jim will be deeply missed by all that knew and loved him.

Jim is survived by his wife, Sanja Bacic; his sister, Mary Lou Pinizzotto; one nephew, Paul Pinizzotto; one niece, Kristen O’Shea; a great nephew, Dylan O’ Shea; and many dear friends, colleagues and students of history.

Jim was laid to rest with his parents at St. Vincent’s Cemetery in Madison in a private family gathering. A celebration of Jim’s life for all to attend will be held at a future date. Arrangements are in the care of Madison Memorial Home.

From the Brigade Commander ~ December 2020

Now that COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing and vaccine availability to the masses is still many months away, the likelihood of in-person meetings any time soon seems remote. But not all the news is bad. Just last Monday evening, we bravely marched into the 21st century, with Jim Duffy taking the point, and held our first-ever virtual meeting to hear about the life and times of James Tanner, a disabled Civil War

Of course, a virtual meeting is not the same as having everyone in the same room. But it was still great to be able to see folks again and hear their voices. Our next meeting will take place on December 1st; take a look inside for an outline of the lecture, background information about the speaker, and meeting sign-up instructions. If you’re wary of using internet tools, please remember that you can choose to listen in to the meetings by telephone.

I want to thank those who have re-enlisted for Campaign 43 and/or supported our Campaign 43 preservation efforts through print raffle ticket purchases, cash donations, or both. Like the pandemic, the fight to preserve battlefield acreage and ensure continued operation of institutions dedicated to preserving and interpreting the Civil War rages on. Your continued financial support of the CWRT of Eastern Pa. will also fund continued, enjoyable learning experiences that help us to grow our understanding of the American Civil War.

Fascinating Presentation via Zoom on James Tanner

Our first meeting since the Spring was held via Zoom on Monday November 16th with a presentation by Jim Mundy on the Union soldier James Tanner.

Tanner lost both legs at Second Bull Run and went on to recuperate, learn shorthand, and be called upon to record testimony on the nights of April 14-15, 1865 dealing with the assassination of President Lincoln.

Tanner became an advocate for pensions for Veterans, and later became the unwitting focus of charges of corruption in the Harrison administration.

Mundy’s presentation was fascinating and a wonderful way to begin our Zoom meetings until we can meet in person again.

Below are some of the photos shown by our presenter as well as some screen shots of the participants.

Our next Zoom meeting is December 1st.

NOVEMBER 16 MEETING VIA ZOOM - “The Tanner Manuscript – In the Right Place at the Right Time” presented by James Mundy

NOTE - CHANGE OF DATE AND FORMAT FOR OUR NOVEMBER MEETING.
“The Tanner Manuscript – In the Right Place at the Right Time” presented by James Mundy
THIS WILL BE PRESENTED VIA ZOOM - ACCESS DETAILS HERE
Click here if you are new to Zoom

At the ripe old age of 18, Corporal James Tanner lost both legs below the knees at Second Bull Run. Almost three years later, in the early morning hours of April 15, Tanner would create one of the most compelling documents recording the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Jim Mundy, Director of Education and Programming at the Union League of Philadelphia, will talk about Tanner, his manuscript, and the circumstances of his life that led up to that night, and his life afterwards as a veteran and citizen. James G. Mundy, Jr. is Director of Education & Programming for the Archives of the Union League of Philadelphia.

A native Philadelphian, Jim graduated La Salle University with a BA in History that included a concentration of courses in archival management. He started working at the Union League May 15, 1978 as the Associate Archivist. Between 1979 and 1989, Jim held the positions of Librarian and Archivist/Curator. In 1989 Jim moved into club management, holding several positions including House Manager and Membership Director, before moving back into the history and archival fields. In October 1996 he became the Director of Library & Historical Collections. In 2012, now as part of the Abraham Lincoln Foundation staff, Jim became the Director of Education & Programming. Jim is also the Curator of Art.

In his current position, Jim is responsible for the research and installation of the exhibits in the Heritage Center; the training and scheduling of docents and tours; scheduling the League’s cultural programming; and the management and care of the League’s fine art collection. Jim also serves as the League’s historian.

From the Brigade Commander ~ November 2020

Good news!

Rather than continue to wait for the kind of occupancy guidelines that would allow us to return to our “normal” monthly meeting format, we are moving forward with a “virtual” lecture format, beginning in November.

I know that, for some, the idea of a virtual approach may feel a bit worrisome. But keep reading; I think you’ll like what you see.

We’re going to use a tool called Zoom. Here’s the process:

• You can view the program on your computer or cell phone OR listen in by phone. You choose.

• If you choose the Zoom internet option, you will need to download the FREE Zoom application, which is quick and easy to do.

I can tell you now that we WON’T be meeting on Tuesday, November 3rd. But we expect to confirm a date in the next few days, and we will notify you as soon as all of the details are settled. You will also receive instructions that you can follow to access the broadcast. If you receive your newsletter by the USPS, you will receive this information via the USPS.

We are also making good progress in the areas of membership renewals and print raffle revenue:

• Thirty-two percent of members of record (as of this time last year) have renewed for Campaign 43.

• Raffle ticket sales to date total $285.

I want to thank those of you who have made these promising early revenue gains possible. I also want to remind all of you that every month we can’t meet in person, we are losing walk-in fees and book raffle revenues. And, although we are avoiding speaker mileage and hotel room costs, we have needed to spend treasury dollars to purchase a Zoom membership. When we add up Campaign 43 budget numbers and include the cost for the Zoom membership, our anticipated revenue losses will be larger than our expense avoidances. And that means fewer dollars going to preservation efforts. Of course, all this assumes we will need to continue in this mode for the entire campaign. Only time will tell.

These are hard times for small businesses like the CWRT of Eastern Pa., Inc., and your continued support via print raffle ticket purchases and/or donations will make ultimately a difference in how well our nation’s history is preserved. For your convenience, we’ve included a donation form inside this newsletter edition. You can also send in a donation along with a copy of the membership renewal form you’ll also find inside.

Barry Arnold

Photos from Our Conservation Day at Nisky Hill Cemetery on October 17

Our first conservation activity for 2020, was held on October 17, 2020 at Nisky Hill Cemetery in Bethlehem. It had been a long time coming due to COVID 19, so the CWRT was ready to go!

We were to paint cannons and cannon balls; as well as clean up..

When the work was done our own Ed Root was to provide us with a talk on some of the Civil War veterans who are buried there.

We had a great day and a great turnout.

Below are some photos from the day.

October 17 - Nisky Hill Cemetery Preservation Painting

Our first conservation activity is scheduled for October 17, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. We will clean up and paint cannons and cannon balls..

Please bring gloves and a brush. Naturally, you will need a mask, as well, and be assured that we will maintain a safe distance.

As soon as the clean-up is done our own Ed Root will provide us with a talk on some of the Civil War veterans who are buried here. It promises to be a great morning.

At this time, we do not have a rain date scheduled. However, I am requesting that you RSVP me, so that I can have an idea who is coming. Please note,  I will try to contact you if the weather threatens our efforts.

The Cemetery is in Bethlehem near the Public Library.

Follow this link for directions.

From the Brigade Commander - October 2020

From the Brigade Commander

On behalf of the Board of the Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pa., Inc., I’d like to apologize for any disappointment you may be feeling about our need to cancel our September—and now, October—Round Table meetings. Although the Commonwealth has loosened some Covid-19 restrictions, ultimate guidelines regarding conference room occupancy and public meals are set by the hotel’s management. As a short-term solution, we are amid contacting speakers to learn their willingness and ability to present their lecture topics via Zoom, a very easy-to-use internet tool.

We have finalized the selection process for preservation gifts for our 42nd Campaign Year. Last month, I shared news of a $500 gift to the GAR Civil War museum in Philadelphia. Another $1,500 will be sent to the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) to help save a three-acre tract that comprises a portion of West Woods of the Antietam Battlefield—the site of some of the heaviest fighting in the entire Civil War, according to the ABT. Our donation will be matched 1:1, which means we will receive credit for $3,000 of preservation assistance, bringing our total 42nd Campaign Year contribution to $3,500!

While I’m on the subject of Civil War preservation, I’d like to ask that each of you follow in the footsteps of CWRT member, Ed Root. A few months ago, Ed reached out to Representative Susan Wilde to express his concern over proposed legislation regarding the removal of Confederate monuments from our national parks. Our colleague, Wayne Schaeffer, has picked up the baton, as it were, and has shared (see inside) a way for all of us to make a lasting difference. I encourage you all to pitch in and demonstrate to our government leaders that the CWRT of Eastern Pa. is serious about the preservation of Civil War history. Thanks.

Barry