GETTYSBURG BRUSH CUTTING 2016

Gettysburg Brush Cutting Report

 The day dawned with drizzle, but as our thirty-nine intrepid volunteers arrived at the Leister Farm/Meade’s Headquarters site on April 23 the rain stopped and the weather just kept improving. In only 2 and ½ hours we dismantled historically inaccurate fencing on the west side of the Taneytown Road from Meade’s Headquarters all the way to the Hummelbaugh Barn. We trimmed brush away from the stone wall on which that fence was placed for the entire length of that fence line. We also trimmed another hundred yards or so of brush away from an east-west stone and rail fence line. On the east side of the Road we replaced portions of the fence. It was a daunting endeavor and I would have been happy had we completed the task in 3 ½ hours if at all. Park Service Supervisory Facility Operations Specialist Randall Hill stated that we did a wonderful job!

Give the following Round Table troopers a pat on the back and maybe an adult beverage when you next see them; Paul Bartlett, Chuck Cannon, Mike Cavanaugh, Jim Duffy, Jeff Heller, Kim Jacobs, Dick Jacoby, Tony Major, Bob McHugh, Ed Oechsle, Sam Parker and Dr. Gerry Sherwin,

In addition to our members, John Duffy brought 14 scouts from Troop 89 in New Tripoli and Bob McHugh brought 5 Saucon Valley High School students to swell our ranks. Members of the Weaver, Root and Schenkel families rounded out our platoon of workers.

After a short break we headed in bright sunlight to the Cannon Restoration facility on Seminary Ridge where Lucas Flickinger gave us an informative tour. We came away with an enhanced appreciation for the ongoing never ending maintenance and restoration work that the folks at Gettysburg National Park do every day. We really appreciate his taking time from his weekend to give our volunteers a special treat.

Special thanks go to Dick Jacoby who coordinated the fence crews, Bob McHugh who brought ice water to keep us all going, Mike Cavanaugh for traffic duty and Tony Major and Jeff Heller, aka Mathew Brady for making a photographic record of the day.

In addition to helping Gettysburg National Park tell the story of this historic event the most gratifying part of the day was the inclusion of 18 young people in our number. Some folks today are dismissive of our young as lazy with no interest in our common past. We are happy to report that the torch of historic preservation is being passed to some exceptional young people.

Sincerely,

Ed Root.

Karl Lehr: A legacy of honor, commitment, and generosity

Long time Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania member Karl passed away at the age of 93 on February 19, 2009. Karl led a full and distinguished life. Born in Allentown, he was a 1936 graduate of Muhlenberg College. During World War II, Karl held the rank of Technical Sergeant and was a part of history during three major invasions. As a member of the First Signal Detachment on the USS Ancon, flagship for the landing at Omaha Beach, he was at Normandy on June 6, 1944. He had also taken part in the earlier landings at Sicily and Salerno, Italy in 1943. Karl later became Sergeant of the Eiffel Tower Guard and was a staff member of the U.S. Army University in England. Post-war he was a Fulbright teacher in Cologne, Germany in 1957-58 and his teaching career in New Jersey and Illinois spanned 42 years.

Karl joined the Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania about 30 years ago. He immediately became an active member serving on numerous committees. He was also a field trip co-chair and submitted items to our newsletter. Karl was generous in many ways including his time and knowledge. He spoke to our group on the subject of “From Pea Ridge to Atlanta” and became part of a Resource Committee of members who volunteered to speak to outside groups or share knowledge with those who needed assistance in a quest for information. He served on our Board of Directors and as such helped form our Preservation and Restoration Committee in 1983. Round Table records show Karl’s commitment to historic preservation through signed petitions to save the Grove Farm at Antietam and monetary donations to various organizations as threats to our historic sites became known.

Karl may have left us, but his legacy of honor, commitment and generosity remains. His financial legacy to the Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania is the amazing amount of $123,955.31! The Board of Directors and the Preservation and Restoration Committee, led by Jack Minnich, determined to honor Karl in the best possible way and that is to further the cause of historic preservation. Consequently, we have added to Karl’s legacy for a total of $128,000.

That money will be distributed by the Round Table in Karl’s name to the following organizations:

Central Virginia Battlefield Trust
$53,000 to help save 93 acres on the Wilderness Battlefield.

Richmond Battlefield Association
$53,000 to help save 13 acres at Fussell’s Mill and 4 acres at Malvern Hill.

Civil War Preservation Trust
$22,000 to help save 10 acres at Manassas.

These three organizations have a proven track record in successful historic preservation as well as the efficient use of donations. In many cases they have entered into cooperative agreements. They are not competitors, but kindred souls serving a common cause. One result of their success is the ability to obtain matching grants. Because of those matching grants, Karl’s gift to the Round Table has grown to $463,000!!!! We can think of no better way to remember and honor Karl Lehr than to preserve and protect the historic legacy of our nation for future generations.

The Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania, Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1978 dedicated to serving the broad community’s education needs concerning the American Civil War and to historic site preservation. Since its inception and prior to Mr. Lehr’s gift, over $120,000 (not including matching funds) has been raised to support numerous preservation and restoration projects. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the Civil War. Our membership of over 175 consists of students, scholars and “just people” interested in learning more about the Civil War. Dinner meetings are held monthly from September through June in Allentown, PA. and include a speaker on various topics of interest to Civil War/American history enthusiasts.
For more information, contact Jeff Gates at (610) 966-5773 or by email