McLean Historical Society: Follow-Up on Speaking Engagement

As readers are aware, this past Tuesday I spoke before the McLean Historical Society (MHS) about the Union Army encampments in the McLean area during the first fall and winter of the Civil War.  I am extremely grateful that the MHS invited me to talk about this topic, which has been one of the main focuses of this blog.  All told, around 50 people turned out for the event.  It warmed my heart to see that so many people were interested in learning about the Civil War camps in my part of Northern Virginia.  The audience was not strictly "local" either.  At least one Facebook fan from DC showed up, along with a member of the neighboring Bull Run Civil War Roundtable.

A few people in the crowd were also descendants of families who lived in this area during the mid-19th century.  Dan Smoot's ancestor, Jacob Smoot, owned Salona at the time of the Civil War.  Jacob, a Southern sympathizer, fled Salona with his family and moved to Georgetown.   He was also arrested by Union authorities early in the war.  Gen. "Baldy" Smith used Salona as his divisional headquarters, and the Vermont Brigade encamped on and around the Smoot property.  (The present-day owner of historic Salona was also present).  Doug Mackall is the descendant of William W. Mackall, a Confederate general who lived in the McLean area after the war.  The home of Doug's distant relative, Dr. Richard Mackall, became brigade headquarters for Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock.  The DC area is often viewed as transient, but people like Dan and Doug remind us that some families have deep roots dating back more than 150 years.  Who could have imagined that in 2013 a transplant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would be speaking about local citizens who were so deeply affected by the Civil War in front of their very descendants? 

Detail from 1862 Union Army map showing the area where the divisions of "Baldy" Smith and George McCall established Camps Griffin and Pierpont, respectively.  The Mackall and Smoot properties are plainly visible in the center of the map.

The audience engaged in a lively Q&A session, and I also had time to speak one-on-one with some of the attendees following the main event.  A woman from McLean informed me that just the other day she found three Civil War bullets in her yard!  Others told me about some recent relic discoveries on a large plot of land near my house which apparently confirm the existence of a Union Army campsite.  Another attendee alerted me to a book about the experiences of the Comte de Paris, who served on George B. McClellan's staff.  Entitled Voyage en Amérique 1861-1862 : Un prince français dans la guerre de Sécession (2011), the book devotes considerable attention to the Comte's time in Northern Virginia.  I plan to order a copy soon and see what gems I can uncover.  I'll let readers know in future posts. 

This was my second time speaking before the MHS, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I also walked away with some interesting stories and insights from those who attended.  Thanks to all who came to hear about the camps!

Little Mac, Lincoln, and Military Reviews: Engravings from Frank Leslie's

My hobby of collecting Civil War newspapers has become quite the obsession.  I often search eBay and other online sites for additions to my collection, which focuses heavily on the lesser-known aspects of the war in and around Washington.  The other day I won an auction for an October 5, 1861 edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.  This particular issue contains a multitude of interesting engravings and articles about the time when all was truly quiet along the Potomac.  Two oversized illustrations pertain to military reviews, which were all the rage with the Army of the Potomac in the fall of 1861.


Cover of the Oct. 5, 1861 edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, showing "Brilliant Naval Exploit in Pensacola Harbor--Burning of the Rebel War Schooner Judith on the 14th September."

Berdan's Sharpshooters Take Aim
On September 20, 1861, President Lincoln, accompanied by Secretary of State William H. Seward and the Prince de Joinville of France, rode out to Camp Burnside near Washington to review soldiers under the command of Col. Hiram Berdan.  Known popularly as "Berdan's Sharpshooters," this famed regiment was composed of top marksmen from across the Union.  "At a late hour," Gen. George B. McClellan finally arrived on the field and greeted the President and Secretary of State.  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 326.)  McClellan dismounted and chatted with the Prince and his sons before proceeding to review Berdan's men at target practice.  According to Frank Leslie's:

General McClellan walked down the line of the troops, looking every man in the eye, and afterwards watched with interest the progress of the shooting.  He complimented the men for their skill, and expressed his gratitude to Colonel Berdan at the neatness and excellent discipline that pervaded the camp. . . .  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 326.)

Other dignitaries were in attendance that day, along with "[a] large number of ladies and citizens of Washington."  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 326.)  It is unclear whether this is the same review of Berdan's men where Lincoln fired a rifle "to the great delight of the many soldiers and civilians surrounding."  (Stevens 10.)  The President on that occasion apparently remarked, "Boys, this reminds me of old-time shooting."   (Stevens 10.)  The article in Frank Leslie's makes no mention of the President's participation.

"'Sharpshooting'--Trial of Skill of Berdan's Riflemen, Before General McClellan and Staff, Near Washington, Friday, September 20--From a Sketch by our Special Artist Attached to General McClellan's Command," Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Oct. 5, 1861.  McClellan is presumably the person standing in uniform talking to the men in top hats.

The newsweekly chose to illustrate the event with a two-page spread of McClellan, his staff, and spectators gathered to watch the sharpshooters engage in target practice.  The paper reported that of 240 shots fired at a distance of three-quarters of a mile, "130 hit the target, and nearly all the other shots struck very near it."  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 326.)  Overall, the Frank Leslie's correspondent considered that "[t]he affair was successful, so far as the shooting was concerned, and was highly interesting to the spectators."   (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 326.)  Not to be outdone, the rival Harper's Weekly published a front-page illustration of Berdan's Sharpshooters on the same day.

A Grand Review of Artillery and Cavalry

On September 24, McClellan held yet another review of his army in the making.  Frank Leslie's accorded the event a two-page spread in the October 5 edition.  Once again, the accompanying article portrayed  McClellan as the man of the hour.  This grand review involved over 2,000 troopers from "two full regiments of cavalry, the 5th regular and the Kentucky Volunteers, together with such portions of the Lincoln, Ira Harris and Cameron Guards as had their horses and sabres."  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 327.)  In addition, "there were eight batteries of U.S. Regular Flying Artillery, comprising 48 heavy rifled and howitzer field pieces, with caissons, carriages, horses, riders and gunners, in full quota." (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 327.) 

The artillery and cavalry units were encamped "near the extremities of Seventh and Fourteenth streets" and had to march about three miles to the parade ground, which sat a mile east of the Capitol.  The paper reported that "[t]housands of men, women and children streamed after them" as they made their way through the streets of Washington to the review.  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 327.)  Many dignitaries assembled on the parade ground, including the President, the First Lady, and Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase. 

Finally, "at four o'clock General McClellan, accompanied by his staff -- among whom were the Comte de Paris and Duc du Chartres -- rode upon the ground, and were received with six guns."  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 327.)  The day culminated in McClellan's review of the assembled cavalry and artillery units:

The General rode slowly along the line, and carefully scrutinized the equipment, arms and bearing of the troops.  He then inspected the artillery. . . .  Eight batteries numbering 48 heavy guns, then rode in thunderous line before the young Commander-in-Chief, and elicited his hearty approval.  This closed the review, and by sundown the glorious pageant was over.  (Frank Leslie's, Oct. 5, 1861, 327.)

"Grand Review in Washington of Eight Batteries of Artillery and Three Regiments of Cavalry, by the President, General McClellan, and a Portion of the Cabinet, Tuesday, September 24--From a Sketch by our Special Artist Attached to General McClellan's Command," Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Oct. 5, 1861.  McClellan sits mounted at the center of the engraving.  It is unclear which figure is the President.  The person in the black coat and top hat next to McClellan most resembles Lincoln, although according to the accompanying article, the President was seated in a carriage with his wife and Secretary Chase during the review.  In the engraving, a carriage with two men and a woman is visible to the left.  The bearded individual in the carriage could also be the President.  Perhaps Frank Leslie's should have gotten better engravers!

Harper's Weekly was even more effusive, calling the review "[o]ne of the finest displays of cavalry and artillery ever witnessed upon this continent."  (Harper's Weekly, Oct. 12, 1861, 652.)  The New York Times struck a more reserved, if not critical, tone:

The display was most grand and impressive, but it lacked the spirit and hurrah of a European review. Gen. MCCLELLAN reviews very much as if he were minutely inspecting the equipments of the men. This gives him perhaps a very good knowledge of the material which he has in his hand, but it does little or nothing to arouse martial spirit or to awaken enthusiasm. It brings out no evidence of the dashing recklessness which carries all before it, and which nine times out of ten alone wins battles.  (N.Y. Times, Sept. 25, 1861.)

The Times was on to something.  Although McClellan was a superb organizer and administrator, he certainly lacked the aggressiveness it took to crush the Confederacy.  On the other hand, the Times misread Little Mac's ability to inspire his own men, who ended up admiring McClellan perhaps more than any other commander of the Army of the Potomac.

These engravings and related stories make the war seem like a sideshow compared to the carnage that was to follow over the course of four long years.  The nation, however, was hungry for war news, and the papers were there to report on whatever was happening around the nation's capital at the time.  Surely McClellan didn't mind the publicity.  Reviews offered the chance to stir patriotic feelings and showcase the Union's military might.  And the October events were only a preview for what was to come.  A few months later, on November 20, the general would conduct the grandest review of them all at Bailey's Crossroads. 

Sources

Adam Goodheart, "Killing Jeff Davis," N.Y. Times Disunion Blog, Aug. 6, 2011; Harper's Weekly, Oct. 5, 1861; Harper's Weekly, Oct. 12, 1861; New York Times, Sept. 25, 1861; C.A. Stevens, Berdan's United States Sharpshooters in the Army of the Potomac, 1861-1865 (1892).

Little Mac, Whiskey, and French Royalty: A Play on Words

The other day I purchased an original copy of the New York Illustrated News from September 30, 1861.  I'll have more to say about the edition in a future post, but wanted to share something that I came across when reading through various articles, editorials, and advertisements in the paper.  The blurb brought a little smile to my face.   

In the fall of 1861, a few members of the French nobility-in-exile boarded a steamer for America.  Louis Philippe d'Orleans, the Comte de Paris; his brother Robert, the Duc du Chartres; and their uncle, Francois Ferdinand, the Prince de Joinville arrived in Washington after a stop in New York and toured the Union encampments around the nation's capital.  Gen. George B. McClellan soon offered them positions on his personal staff as aides-de-camp.  The Comte de Paris and Duc du Chartres gladly accepted and were appointed captains in the Regular Army.

Comte de Paris and Duc de Chartres in Union Army uniforms (courtesy of about.com, from Library of Congress)

Under the heading "Bourbon," the Illustrated News ran an item from the New York Times reporting that the Comte de Paris and Duc du Chartres had volunteered their services to the Union army.  The noblemen were from the House of Bourbon, which had ruled France on and off since the sixteenth century.  The paper, with a touch of cheekiness, added:

Some surprise has been expressed at General McClellan for thus allowing Bourbon spirit in the army.  His orders have been very strict against the use of whisky in general.  Sir! the Joinville Bourbon is not "old Bourbon!"

Perhaps the joke may elicit a groan or two from some readers, but I found the play on words amusing, particularly in light of Little Mac's disdain for drinking in the ranks.  This also gives me a good idea for a new whiskey brand.  I mean, after all, we have Burnside Bourbon!

Sources
For more information, see this post on the Civil Warriors blog.