It's that special day to be grateful. Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!

While the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by early colonists in the 1600s, it did not become an annual celebration until 1863.

That year, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called on all Americans to give thanks on the last Thursday of November. I'd like to wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Building a firm and stable foundation for a cut-up and relocated Civil War home is taking some time. But these Georgia entrepreneurs are hanging tough

Foundation work in Ball Ground, Ga. (Courtesy the Lusks), house before it was moved (Cobb Landmarks)

Putting back together a Civil War home they sliced into six pieces and transported 25 miles has been a challenge for an entrepreneurial couple in northwest Georgia, but they’re dedicated to the project for the long haul.

For the past few months, crews working for Lee and Brittani Lusk in Ball Ground have been working to set the Robert and Eliza McAfee House on a firm foundation. They need to get all the pieces properly aligned and stabilized before they can restore the interior of the 1840s central hallway cottage.

“It will all be fine, (it is) just difficult right now until we get foundation done,” Brittani Lusk wrote in a recent text message. “Most people don’t do things like this, so we have had to get creative.” The couple first ran into difficulty when they drilled the foundation.

The crew is finishing the piers for the foundation, and the house will rest above a crawlspace, as it did at its longtime location in neighboring Cobb County, said Lusk, adding the foundation work is nearing an end.

The main floor of the home will be higher at the new location, given the crawlspace is near ground level compared to it being dug into the earth at the old. (At left, Civil War Picket photo of sliced McAfee House in Cobb County shortly before it was moved.)

The sturdy home was moved to make room for commercial development -- the Lusks bought the structure for $1 -- but the future use of the Cobb County two acres it sat on is uncertain.

The landowner and RaceTrac had pursued rezoning that would allow for a 24/7 service station and convenience store, but the project was withdrawn this month amid opposition from neighborhoods near Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. RaceTrac can apply again, should it decide to do so.

The McAfee House served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Union Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard and his three cavalry brigades during the Atlanta Campaign

The support blocks will be eventually bricked up (Courtesy Lee and Brittani Lusk)

The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. .

Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta, was the scene of significant combat action and troop movement as Confederates tried to stall Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s relentless campaign on Atlanta, which began in May 1864 in North Georgia.

The large McAfee farm was believed to have been occupied by Confederates, too, during the action around Kennesaw Mountain.

The house had been empty for several years, and preservationists worried it would fall to the wrecking ball, given it had no historic protection. Eventually, the owner donated the house to the nonprofit Cobb Landmarks so it could find someone to move it before a development could be built at the busy intersection.

Stairs emerge from the crawlspace in the old location (Civil War Picket photo)

Cobb Landmarks earlier this year sold the house to the Lusks, who moved the pieces in May to adjoining Cherokee County. They have not announced the future use of the home, which is close to their residence.

Cobb Landmarks said it would have liked for the home to stay in Cobb County, but the Lusks made the best proposal and have a history of fixing up old homes.

Many observers expressed their displeasure at it being moved and the property developed, but are happy the home is being saved rather than razed.

Brittani Lusk said the timbers that hold up the home are very solid.

Tony Stanley studies the remarkable timbers used to the build the home (Picket photo)

A fascinating side note is three 48-foot long beams that run the width of the house as floor joists. Tony Stanley, who moved the home, said he has never seen that before, but he marveled at the size of the pine trees that were needed: the wood is about 12 inches by 12 inches.

Among other Ball Ground properties, the couple own the 1906 Wheeler House, a popular wedding venue; The Elm, business suites situated in an old elementary school (great pun); and an historic home they leased out to a restaurant that has since closed.

The couple say they have done dozens of restorations in the region.

READ MORE HERE:

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An inside look at how Monocacy's new museum has taken shape: Better technology and overlapping stories of soldiers, civilians and the Maryland landscape

The story of Monocacy, the battle and its people, is told in an upstairs museum (NPS photos)

Having weathered delays, a broken air conditioning system and the government shutdown, staff at Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick, Md., are putting the finishing touches on exhibits in the park’s revamped museum.

“The museum is undergoing a soft opening currently …We still have a few pieces to put out and some cosmetic elements to finish in-house,” park ranger Matt Borders said in e-mail to The Civil War Picket on Thursday.

The exhibits are upstairs in the visitor center.

The museum closed late last year for a long-overdue overhaul. Revamped exhibits are telling a wider story than when the old iteration opened in 2007, officials said.

"What is currently up are the big exhibits, the digital program, etc., that were done by the museum exhibit contractors and (look) really nice," Borders said of the new offerings.

The new museum themes include, combat, terror and tedium, care for the wounded and civilian-military interaction.

“Their stories overlap and those relationships are important to the story of Monocacy, and we want to focus on more personal stories,” said Tracy Evans, chief or resource education and visitor services.

Borders said reviews from visitors who have seen the new exhibits since the shutdown ended have been positive. One big change is a new map of the battle and troop movements. It will be projected onto a white surface rather the old physical map that sometimes had broken parts.

At Monocacy on July 9, 1864, outnumbered Federals delayed Confederates bent on taking Washington, D.C. By the time Rebel troops reached the capital’s outskirts, Union reinforcements had arrived. 

The staff shared three photos showing the phases of the work and Borders provided details, told in chronological order.

DECONSTRUCTION

Last December, Monocacy National Battlefield staff, along with staff from the Harpers Ferry Training Center, began the deconstruction of the visitor center museum. The museum space and exhibits were nearly 20 years old, so it was time for an upgrade. The removal of the central island in the museum, which had housed the electronics for the previous museum, opened up the floor plan and will allow guests to move much more freely around the space. We have also opened up the overheard, making the museum space brighter and utilizing the architecture of the building. 

TIME FOR DRYWALLING

While the center of the room was opened, we have also pushed out the walls, particularly on the east side of the building. This additional space will allow the new museum to focus more on the Monocacy Campaign than the previous museum had been. To do this. we will have several themes utilized throughout the museum, looking at not only the soldiers of the American Civil War, but also the civilian stories of the farms and those of the enslaved that worked the farms. 

PAINTED WALLS, READY FOR CARPET

With new paint and very shortly to have new carpets, the museum has really been coming together. One of the big questions we have received throughout this process has been, "Will you still have the electric map?"

Yes, sort of. The fiberoptic map was at the end of its life, so the entire map program has been redone and expanded upon. It will be located in the center of the museum now, to better accommodate guests, especially in large groups and will be on two large display screens to provide easy viewing and closed captioning. 

RaceTrac withdraws its bid, at least for now, to build a 24/7 gas station at an Atlanta-area site where a Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed

The Robert and Eliza McAfee House before its move to Cherokee County (Cobb Landmarks)

RaceTrac on Tuesday withdrew its controversial bid to build a gas station and convenience store on a Civil War site near Atlanta, but the move doesn’t mean the company cannot bring the matter up again.

About 25 opponents of the rezoning in a busy Cobb County neighborhood attended the Board of Commissioners hearing. Without comment on the merits of the case, the board approved 5-0 a motion to allow the matter to be withdrawn without prejudice, which means the company could reapply at a later time.

The move appears to be another setback for RaceTrac, given the Cobb County Planning Commission voted last month to recommend rezoning the former Robert and Eliza McAfee property but added conditions that would not allow gasoline sales.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners has the final say. Should RaceTrac regroup and decide to pursue the rezoning, the earliest the board could hear the matter is February 2026.

Commercial development in area; day care above house site, elementary school to its right

The Civil War Picket reached out to an attorney for RaceTrac and the property owner for comment on Tuesday’s action but has not yet heard back.

The home -- which briefly served as the headquarters for a Union general and was in the middle of cavalry movements and clashes in summer 1864 – this spring was moved to adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction. It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway.

The planning commission vote – following spirited discussion -- backed a change to the requested Neighborhood Retail Commercial (NRC) zoning. But it would prohibit fuel sales, drive-throughs and alcohol, tobacco and vape sales at the site.

The McAfee House dated to the 1840s, and the sprawling farm was a fixture in the Noonday Creek area. The property owner wants to sell the remaining two acres to RaceTrac.

The sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move this spring (Civil War Picket photo)

RaceTrac argued a 24/7 store at the busy corner was appropriate and compatible with commercial development nearby. Opponents raised a list of concerns, from traffic congestion and storm water runoff to the possible impact of alcohol sales and gas vapors on a nearby elementary school and day care center.

The planning commission’s stipulations came despite an endorsement of the project by county planning staff and a traffic study that found the large gas station acceptable if measures were taken to mitigate congestion.

John Pederson, the county’s zoning division manager, previously said if the county commission followed the planning commission’s lead, small retail, offices or a restaurant would be permitted. He had no new comment Tuesday.

Although observers were pleased the McAfee House was not destroyed, many decried Cobb County's loss of history with its move to an adjoining county.

The nonprofit Cobb Landmarks, the Bells Ferry Civic Association and the county’s historic preservation staff all recommend an archaeological survey of the site if the rezoning is ultimately approved.

Cobb Landmarks had worked to find someone to move the home, including when a car wash was proposed. The property owner wants to sell the two acres for commercial development. The house lacked historic protection.

The McAfee House served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard and his three brigades during the Atlanta Campaign. (At left, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House / Library of Congress)

After the seizure of Big Shanty (Kennesaw) by Federal forces on June 9, Garrard’s cavalry division was posted on the left flank during operations on the Kennesaw Mountain front. 

The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler.

The McAfee farm was believed to have been occupied by Confederates, too, during the action around Kennesaw Mountain. The house is said to have been used as a field hospital.

Cobb Landmarks earlier this year sold the house for $1 to entrepreneurs Lee and Brittani Lusk, with the main requirement it be moved and restored. The couple moved the sturdy residence to near their home in Ball Ground and have been working on it. It’s future use has not been confirmed.

These Vermont soldiers staved off further defeat at Chancellorsville. The return of a 'lost' painting depicting them is a win-win for Green Mountain State, Texas students

Lyman Orton surrounded by Vermont Civil War Hemlocks (Photo courtesy Mary Admasian)

The story of a 155-year-old Civil War painting and its return to Vermont involves a compelling cast of characters, including a rich Texas oilman, a prominent businessman and an intrepid teacher who discovered the whereabouts of the work.

The canvas depicting soldiers in the Chancellorsville Campaign was produced by Medal of Honor recipient Julian Scott, a 3^rd Vermont Infantry fifer and drummer who took up the brush after the war.

Dubbed “The Fourth Vermont Forming Under Fire,” the painting joins four others made by Scott (below) -- all featuring soldiers from the Green Mountain State – on display in the Cedar Creek Reception Room in the State House in Montpelier. The unveiling occurred Oct. 29.

Remarkably, this is the first time “The Fourth Vermont” has been in the state since shortly after its creation.

Lyman Orton, who heads up The Vermont Country Store and is an avid art collector, purchased the work at auction earlier this year for $110,000. Orton has loaned it to the state for a year. Orton was on hand that day with the Vermont Civil War Hemlocks, a reenactment group.

Vermont historians and others enlisted Orton’s help after Champlain Valley Union High School social studies teacher Tyler Alexander learned the University of Houston was planning to sell the painting to create an endowed scholarship.

The painting’s journey involved several parties, so let’s start from the beginning.

Julian Scott was dedicated to showing valor of soldiers

Scott, a native of Johnson, Vt., received the Medal of Honor for helping to rescue wounded men at Lee’s Mill in Virginia while “under a terrific fire of musketry.” The soldier was just 16 during the April 1862 battle.

Scott was known to make battle and camp sketches during the war. He mustered out in 1863, enrolled in art classes, studied in Europe and became a professional artist upon return. He had a keen eye for detail and dramatic depictions of blue-clad Vermonters.

Lewis A. Grant is believed to be at far left, wearing broad hat and holding sword (Vermont State Curator's Office)

State curator David Schutz provided some context.

“His career as a painter took off with an 1869 battle scene, ‘Rear Guard at White Oak Swamp’ which was purchased by the Union League Club of New York City. That in turn led to a commission by the Vermont Legislature for the large painting (‘The First Vermont Brigade at the Battle of Cedar Creek’) and completed four years later, to be hung in the Vermont State House."

The recently acquired painting apparently features the valor of the 4^th Vermont Regiment as it helped counter Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s attempt to wipe out the rest of the Union army as it retreated from the 1863 defeat at Chancellorsville.

The plucky Vermonters protected the 6^th Corps, led by Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, as it fled across the Rappahannock River at Bank’s Ford, Schutz said.

Click to enlarge text and illustrations (Courtesy Vermont State Curator's Office)

An interpretive panel below the painting says First Vermont Brigade – which included the 4^th Infantry – fought a rearguard action and was the last to cross to safety, “as dawn came to the smoky countryside with artillery striking all around.”

The painting, Alexander and others learned, was commissioned by wealthy New York patent attorney and diplomat Edwin Stoughton to honor his nephews, Charles and Edwin Stoughton, both of whom commanded the 4^th Vermont Regiment. The painting seems to feature brevet Maj. Gen. Lewis A. Grant, commander of the First Vermont Brigade, standing on the left with his drawn saber, according to officials.

Vermonters rallied around plan to buy painting

The painting stayed in the Stoughton family into the 20^th century, said Schutz, adding its provenance is unknown until Texas oilman and cattleman Patrick R. Rutherford bought it for his Houston home in 1983.

A University of Houston spokesperson told the Picket the estate of Rutherford, who died in 2020, donated the “Fourth Vermont” to its Department of History. The aim was for it to be displayed for a time in the department’s office before it could be sold to fund history student scholarships.

The school placed it on auction earlier this year.

Enter Alexander, the school teacher and author.

He was looking for suitable image for the cover of his new book, “If I Can Get Home This Fall: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Cause in the Civil War,” based on letters from Dan Mason, a soldier from the state’s Northeast Kingdom.

Alexander became aware of the painting but apparently no one else in Vermont knew where it was, said Schutz, the state curator.

The University of Houston history department gave Alexander permission to use the image, but told him they planned to sell the original work.

“He alerted us -- and we gathered a group of supporters to come up with a plan that would bring the painting to Vermont,” said Schutz.

That group included Vermont historians Howard Coffin and Kevin Graffagnino. There was no time to secure state funds, so Orton came through with the winning bid.

The businessman is the benefactor of the "For the Love of Vermont" art collection.

Auction proceeds will benefit UH history students

The university had commissioned Simpson Galleries of Houston to sell the work.

Online, the painting was entitled “Vermont Division at Battle of Chancellorsville,” but as Coffin points out, there was no Vermont Division. Instead, the First Vermont Brigade comprised the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th Vermont regiments.

Grant (right), the brigade commander, won plaudits for his leadership in the Peninsula Campaign, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Cedar Creek, the Wilderness and Petersburg.

He received the Medal of Honor for “personal gallantry and intrepidity displayed in the management of his brigade at Chancellorsville and in leading it in the assault in which he was wounded” on May 3, 1863.

The University of Houston spokesperson told the Picket gains from auction will be used to create an endowed scholarship, “which means it will benefit students in perpetuity.” The first recipients should receive funds in 2027-28, once the endowment fully vests. 

Prof. Catherine F. Patterson, chair of UH's Department of History, said in a statement: “The University of Houston History Department is pleased that this generous gift will both provide scholarships for our students and return this important painting to Vermont, where it holds ties to the state’s Civil War history.

Scott is best known for his depiction of the Battle of Cedar Creek (NPS photo)