My Last Sesquicentennial Event

Last week marked the Sesquicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination and death. On April 14 I commemorated the anniversary by attending a lecture at Ford's Theatre, visiting the Petersen House where Lincoln died, and touring a special assassination exhibit at the Center for Education and Leadership. Given the immediacy of other forms of social media, I mainly covered the day's events on Twitter and Facebook. I won't repost all of my photographs and comments here, but I'd advise readers to check out my Facebook and Twitter feeds to see what I published in real time.

Life changes a lot in four years, and I had hoped to make it to Appomattox for the 150th. Intervening events, including the recent birth of my daughter, made the trip to Appomattox a near impossibility. However, because I work in downtown DC, I knew that I could at least mark the 150th anniversary of another important milestone of the end of the Civil War years, and I ultimately decided to take a half day of leave on the 14th and spend some time at Ford's Theatre. The 150th of Lincoln's assassination is the last of the Sesquicentennial events that I will personally attend, and it was a fitting, albeit sad, end to four years of commemoration.

The incessant rain on April 14 did not deter visitors, and the line for each timed entry to Ford's Theatre stretched down the block. The number of people in the street only continued to grow as the hour of the assassination approached. Living historians entertained the crowds with their first-person accounts from the day of the assassination. I chatted with a few reenactors from Pennsylvania who represented Independent Battery C, First Pennsylvania Artillery. On the night of the 14th, four artillerymen from the battery helped to carry Lincoln to the Petersen House. Check out this post on Harry's blog for more info.

Waiting outside Ford's Theatre in the rain.

Once we were seated inside the theatre, a costumed interpreter told the story of Lincoln's assassination and death. The speaker really helped to take us back in time and imagine the horror, sadness, and confusion of that night. Her passion for the subject made for a captivating presentation. I've been to Ford's on numerous occasions, but I was moved beyond words to sit below the presidential box on the very day that Lincoln was shot 150 years ago and hear about his life, assassination, and death.

Looking up at the presidential box -- this felt like truly hallowed ground.

Following the tour, we made our way across 10th Street to the Petersen House. I felt a sense of extreme loss while reflecting on all that happened there. Just shy of 150 years before my visit, Lincoln slipped from life lying on a bed in a back room, and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton pronounced, "Now he belongs to the ages."

Upon leaving the Petersen House, I entered the Center for Education and Leadership, where I toured various permanent exhibits on Lincoln's death and the hunt for the assassins. Much to my surprise, I learned that my ticket included admission to the temporary exhibition of Silent Witness: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination. This exhibit, running through May 29, 2015, brings together an incredible collection of objects, including John Wilkes Booth's derringer; Lincoln's top hat, coat, and the contents of his pocket from the night of the assassination; and the blood-stained bunting from the presidential box. Given Lincoln's god-like status in U.S. history, many of these artifacts seemed like holy relics.

What I witnessed on Tuesday afternoon was nothing compared to what came later, as hundreds gathered outside the theatre to mark the exact time of Lincoln's assassination. Some people remained throughout the night to keep a mournful vigil, and by early the next morning, hundreds of onlookers once again crowded 10th Street, this time to mark the exact moment of Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865. (See here for a Washington Post report.) Although I couldn't attend, I kept watch myself by tuning to C-SPAN and reading Facebook and Twitter feeds by a host of organizations and individuals, including friend Craig Swain.

Overall, I was extremely encouraged by the public interest in Lincoln, his assassination, and death, even in jaded and cynical "Washington City"! And I was also happy to see so many friends and family who were interested in observing this 150th anniversary. I suppose that every once in a while, a historic event speaks to so many, including those who normally take only a passing interest in history. I and others like me are sometimes in our own Civil War bubble and tend to forget the wider appeal that America's history can hold. Last week's commemoration proved that some events mean so much to so many that they cannot easily be forgotten or overlooked, no matter how many years have passed.

Guest Blogging on My Office Building

The other day I discovered that my employer, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), was looking for someone to write a post for USTR's blog on our office building and the Civil War.  Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity!  I work in the Winder Building, which served a number of purposes during the Civil War.  (The die-hard enthusiasts among you may have heard of this building before.)  I'd been meaning to do a post on Winder for months now, but there never was a good time to take some pictures due to the giant tarp that has been draped over our building for well over a year. 

I had already done quite a bit of digging on the history of  the Winder Building since starting my job at USTR, and uncovered some interesting historical facts and myths.  However, writing the post for USTR's blog gave me the chance to dig deeper and to work with some really great people, including the preservationist and research librarians for the Executive Office of the President. These individuals provided me with valuable research assistance, which I found useful in separating fact from fiction.  I was particularly excited to examine copies of Washington City directories for 1861-65.  These books functioned like the White Pages, minus the phone numbers.  I was actually able to track down what government offices were located in Winder during the war based on these directories.  And now, without further ado, here is the post as it appears on the USTR website (see here):

Civil War History of the Winder Building

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) occupies the historic Winder Building in downtown Washington, DC. The Winder Building was only thirteen years old when the Civil War erupted in 1861. This year, as the nation begins the commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, USTR would like to share some of the connections our office building has to that tragic conflict.

The Winder Building, from a photo likely taken about five years after the Civil War

The Winder Building, completed in 1848, stood at 75 feet and had 130 rooms. At the time it was the tallest and largest office building in the nation’s capital. The War and Navy Departments leased office space from owner William H. Winder until 1854, when Secretary of War Jefferson Davis bought the Winder Building at the price of $200,000 for the War Department’s use. Davis would later serve as the first and only president of the Confederate States of America.

During the Civil War, the Winder Building – known at the time as “Winder’s Building” – housed several government offices. Occupants included the Navy Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, and the Second Auditor of the Treasury. The Quartermaster General’s Department, under the capable direction of General Montgomery Meigs, led the massive effort to supply the Union Army from offices in the Winder Building. The Army Ordnance Department was also located there, and President Lincoln sometimes stopped by to learn about new weapons being tested by the Union Army. Later in the war, the Bureau of Military Justice, under Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt, moved into the building. When Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, Holt led the investigation and prosecution of the conspirators from the Winder Building. The U.S. Signal Corps also constructed a signal station on the roof of the Winder Building in 1865 that was capable of sending messages by flag to troops in the encampments and fortifications around Washington.

Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs

Washington, D.C. Central Signal Station, Winder Building, April 1865

The war was not kind to the original owner of the Winder Building. At the start of the Civil War, William Winder’s cousin, John H. Winder, resigned as a U.S. Army major, received a commission as a Confederate brigadier general, and was placed in charge of Northern prisoners in Richmond, Virginia. Federal authorities arrested William Winder on suspicion of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. Government. He was held as a prisoner at Ft. Lafayette in New York and Ft. Warren in Boston, until Winder’s lawyers gained his release in 1862 after fourteen months in jail. Winder was never indicted.

Over the years, various myths have grown up around the Civil War history of the Winder Building. Some of these myths were enshrined on the historical marker that was placed on the building in 1950. According to one legend, Lincoln was fond of visiting the Winder Building to read telegraphs carrying war news from the front. However, historic evidence indicates that the Telegraph Office was located in the old War Department building across the street (site of the present-day Eisenhower Executive Office Building), and that the Winder Building did not have any military telegraph wires connected to it. It is also unlikely that Lincoln reviewed military parades from the building’s wrought-iron balcony.

Another frequent myth is that Confederate prisoners were held in the Winder Building and that Lincoln visited them there. There is no proof that such a basement prison existed, although civilian suspects were sometimes questioned in the basement.

Some accounts indicate that four successive generals-in-chief of the Union Army (Winfield Scott, George B. McClellan, Henry W. Halleck, and Ulysses S. Grant) maintained their headquarters in the Winder Building. However, at the time of the Civil War, most generals had offices in a building at the southwest corner of 17th and F Streets, N.W. (present-day location of the FDIC).

The Winder Building occupies a key place in the history of Washington during the Civil War. The clerks and military officers who worked there played an important role in the Union war effort over the course of four long and trying years. USTR is proud to call the Winder Building home.

Weekend Excursion to Mosby's Confederacy: From Paris to Atoka

This past weekend my wife and I took a trip to Virginia hunt country for our second wedding anniversary.  Civil War enthusiasts know this area better as "Mosby's Confederacy."  We stayed in the amazing Ashby Inn in Paris and ate at the top-notch restaurant there.  My wife was so kind as to indulge my interest in the Civil War, and we visited several historical sites, including those in and around Paris.  Not everything was related to the Gray Ghost's exploits.  The area played a role in many other events during the course of the war, and sites are scattered across the towns and farmland of Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.  Given our limited amount of time, however, my wife and I stuck mainly with the Mosby-related sites.

Day 1: Paris and Surroundings

Nestled at the foot of Ashby's Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains along what used to be the Ashby's Gap Turnpike, Paris was a frequent haunt and rendez-vous point for Mosby's Rangers.  Despite the enticements of the small town, the Rangers boarded in isolated farmhouses around Paris, where they could remain undetected between raids.  The area near Paris also saw the passage of General Thomas J. Jackson's Confederate brigade on the way to First Manassas in July 1861, before Jackson won his famous nickname.

Mount Bleak (front side) at Sky Meadows State Park

On Saturday, my wife and I headed down I-66 West and exited towards one of the Ranger's "safe houses," Mount Bleak.  Today, Mount Bleak is part of Sky Meadows State Park, and offers dramatic views of the surrounding mountains and countryside.  At the time of the Civil War, the home was owned by Abner and Mary Settle.  Incidentally, Abner's son pronounced John Brown dead when he was hanged in December 1859 after the raid on Harper's Ferry.  Mount Bleak was a frequent stop of Mosby's men, and several Rangers boarded in the house's attic.  The Rangers also erected a signal station on the high ground around Mount Bleak.

After leaving Sky Meadows, we checked into the Ashby Inn and headed out for a walking tour of Paris, which has many fine examples of early- to mid-19th century Virginia architecture.  The Ashby Inn itself was constructed in 1829 and served as a Methodist parsonage in the 1860s.  According to a handout from the inn, General Joseph E. Johnston and Jackson rested on the original porch on their way to First Manassas.  I am uncertain as to the veracity of this story, given that it appears Jackson was alone with his brigade when it entered Paris at two in the morning on July 19, 1861, and Johnston had already gone ahead to Piedmont Station to await the arrival of his entire Army of the Shenandoah.

Ashby Inn and Restaurant on Federal Street

Further along Federal Street sits the home of Dr. Albin Payne. During 1864-65, this dwelling served as a "safe house" for one of Mosby's Rangers, Lewis Thornton Powell.  In January 1865, Powell disappeared, only to team up with John Wilkes Booth.  On April 14, 1865, the night of Lincoln's assassination, Powell, under the assumed name of Payne, attacked Secretary of State William Seward with a knife.  Seward lived, but Lewis Payne was captured and hanged on July 7, 1865. 

Dr. Payne's House on Federal Street

Closer to the inn, we checked out the so-called "Grove of White Oaks."  This area was the scene of political, social, and religious gatherings before the war. Jackson's soldiers camped in the fields among these trees on July 19, 1861 after crossing through Ashby's Gap and entering Paris.

Grove of White Oaks, along State Rt. 701

Turning down Republican Street, my wife and I examined the red-brick "Meeting House," which served as a school and church for both whites and blacks.  During the Civil War, the building was used as a hospital for Union and Confederate Armies.

The "Meeting House," site of hospital for Union and Confederate troops, Republican Street

Day 2: Paris to Atoka

After a restful night's sleep and a delicious breakfast, we left Paris and headed down U.S. 50, known as the "John S. Mosby Highway" in this part of Virginia.  Our first stop was the tiny village of Rectortown, site of a few interesting episodes in Civil War history.  On November 7, 1862, Major General George McClellan, who had established his headquarters at Rectortown, was relieved here of command of the Army of the Potomac and replaced by Major General Ambrose Burnside.  The actual site of the event is not marked, but is commemorated by a Civil War Trails marker.

Rectortown, like everything in this part of Virginia, also has a connection to Mosby.  On November 6, 1864, Mosby had Union prisoners draw lots to determine who would be executed in retaliation for the killing of seven of Mosby's Rangers earlier that year, including six in Front Royal on September 23.  When a drummer boy drew one of the numbered tickets, Mosby allowed him to live and had a substitute selected by another draw.  In all, three of the seven were hanged, the others surviving or escaping.  Mosby wrote to General Philip Sheridan, Union commander in the Shenandoah Valley, and promised that henceforth, Mosby would treat Federal prisoners with "kindness due to their condition" unless Sheridan did otherwise to Confederates who were captured.  Sheridan responded favorably, and there were no repeats of the death lottery.

Prison building in Rectortown along Maidstone Road (note Civil War Trails marker in front)

We made our way down to an old stone building in Rectortown.  During the war, this structure was used to house Union prisoners of war and still has traces of graffiti on the interior.  (Unfortunately, we were unable to enter and look around; probably just as good, considering the poor state of the building.)  I also walked over and checked out the railroad tracks alongside the prison.  Now the Norfolk Southern line, at the time of the Civil War, it was the Manassas Gap Railroad.  In October 1864, Mosby's Rangers disrupted Union plans to rebuild the railroad in an effort to supply General Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley.

Manassas Gap Railroad line, next to old prison in Rectortown

Following the visit to Rectortown, my wife and I drove across a very rough, narrow country road and arrived at Atoka, which was known as Rector's Crossroads during the Civil War.  Here we stopped to look at the Rector House, where on June 10, 1863, the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, known better as Mosby's Rangers, was officially organized.  Around two weeks later, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart received orders here from General Robert E. Lee concerning the cavalry's route in the Gettysburg Campaign.  Stuart's actions in carrying out his order are controversial and the subject of much debate among historians to this day.

The Rector House in Atoka.  Mosby's Rangers was organized in the parlor, at the left front of the house. Note the historical marker to the right.

The Rector House is only open on Saturday's in the summer, so we were unable to view the inside.  My wife and I hopped in the SUV and headed next for Middleburg, capital of horse country.

Up Next: The remaining sites on our tour of Mosby's Confederacy, including Aldie Mill and Mt. Zion Church.