Artillery Capt. William Hawley was wounded at Monocacy. The New Yorker's conserved kepi and frock coat will be part of revamped park museum in Md.

Capt. Hawley's frock coat and kepi in a 2nd-floor exhibit at Monocacy (NPS photo)

A mended kepi belonging to a New York officer wounded at Monocacy has been returned to the Maryland battlefield ahead of a planned overhaul of its museum.

Capt. William Hawley, Company E, 9^th New York Heavy Artillery, was wounded in the arm on July 9, 1864. His hat and frock coat have been on display at Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick since 2007.

Tracy Evans, acting chief or resource education and visitor services at the park, said Caring for Textiles of Washington, D.C., patched 10 small holes in the kepi's wool and reattached several open seams, including the leather trim.

At Monocacy, outnumbered Federals delayed Confederates bent on taking Washington. Union artillery did a lot to slow the Confederate advance, despite the latter having more guns. Jubal Early did not use the majority of his ordnance because he believed only militia was in his way. (Hawley's unit served as infantry at Monocacy.)

By the time Rebel troops reached the capital’s outskirts, Union reinforcements had arrived. 

Park officials say the revamped museum will tell more of the individual stories of soldiers and others. (Hawley's frock coat at left, NPS photo)

“The currently fiber-optic battle map will become a much larger map in the center of the museum that will be accessible,” Evans said in an email. “Surrounding exhibits will talk about all the people who lived on the farms, and how their stories intersect with the war and the Battle of Monocacy.

“It will also explore information about the campaign, battle, soldiers, post-battlefield hospital, (and) aftermath of the war/memorialization/effect of postwar on the people the war ultimately freed,” the ranger said.

Park officials anticipate the visitor center museum will close for renovation in September and reopen prior to Thanksgiving. 

Collector Richard Abel, in a comment on the park’s Facebook post about the kepi, said the Hawley cap and the coat were purchased from the family via an antique store in Gettysburg, Pa.

“I was always proud of this gift, to return the uniform to where it belongs, the field of battle, & to be viewed by the public,” he said. Abel donated many items, which were first kept at Gambrill Mill when it served as park headquarters.

Evans said Abel’s donations helped make up for a shortage of artifacts at the time. She added officials do not know whether Hawley wore that specific kepi and coat at Monocacy, only that he had them during the war.

Hawley was in his early 40s when he enrolled in Auburn as a lieutenant in the 138^th New York Infantry in August 1862. The unit was designated as the 9^th New York Heavy Artillery a few months later.

9th New York Heavy Artillery at a Washington, D.C., fort (Library of Congress)

The regiment helped defend Washington and participated in the Overland Campaign in Virginia before it fought at Monocacy, both times fighting as infantry. It served until the war’s end, suffering 461 casualties, nearly half from combat.

Hawley, who led a company, was honorably discharged in September 1864. Some newspaper accounts said his arm injury was slight, but it may have been more serious. He apparently applied for a pension in 1880 and died at age 77 in Wolcott, N.Y.,  in 1897, according to findagrave.com.

Evans says Hawley’s coat, featuring red shoulder boards and artillery buttons, is in very good condition. “The conservator created some padding to add to the mannequin to ensure the shoulders did not sag.”

While he was a captain at Monocacy, Hawley's shoulder bars are those for a lieutenant.

The coat was "rested" from the effects of light in spring 2020. "In the new museum, the frock coats will be rotated so that they have some rest from the mannequins and light," Evans said. 

At Monocacy, Union Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace’s troops used his limited artillery and the terrain to their advantage, says park ranger Matt Borders.

“Deployed along the ridge south of the Monocacy River, these cannons had a wonderful field of fire and high ground from which to engage. The scattered deployment of the artillery also gave the impression of more cannons than there actually were or the possibility that the ridge hid more cannons,” he says.

Ranger Evans adds curatorial stuffing to arm of frock coat  (NPS photo)

The cautious Confederates were targeted by an effective 24-pound smoothbore howitzer. Early’s cavalry looked for other crossing options at Worthington Ford on the Monocacy River.

“As Confederate forces got south of the river, more of the Federal artillery was shifted to the left of their line; eventually five of the six rifled artillery pieces were deployed on the rising ground near Thomas Farm to engage Confederate infantry and some of their artillery support,” Borders wrote in an email.

“It was the presence of these cannon that helped hold the Federal flank until 4 p.m., at which point they had used all their long-range ordnance and were compelled to retire. The Federal infantry stayed in line from 4ish to 5 p.m. in large part to make sure their artillery can successfully withdraw from the field."

All the while, Confederate artillery, which had been pushed forward into the very front yard of Best Farm, was firing across the Monocacy River enfilading the Federal line.

"Hawley and his men were some of the troops holding the line as the Federal artillery withdrew and were eating that enfilading fire coming from across the Monocacy River," said Borders.

This fire, along with an infantry attack against that same flank, eventually unhinged the Federal position, forcing it to give way around 5 p.m.“

Battle of Chancellorsville artifacts that were on renamed Navy missile cruiser will now be displayed at Spotsylvania County's museum

Sword, box of artifacts and Civil War saddle for years were on USS Chancellorsville (now USS Robert Smalls)

One year after the U.S. Navy changed the name of a guided-missile cruiser from USS Chancellorsville to USS Robert Smalls, numerous artifacts from the Battle of Chancellorsville that were formerly displayed on the warship have been returned to a Virginia community.

Spotsylvania County officials requested the Navy return items donated years ago by the Friends of the USS Chancellorsville.

“We are grateful artifacts previously displayed aboard the former USS Chancellorsville have found a fitting home at the Spotsylvania County Museum, where they can be shared with our community and visitors for years to come,” said Drew Mullins of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, in a recent press release.

The decision to rename the ship came after the Naming Commission examined more than 750 bases, facilities, buildings and more to see if they commemorated the Confederacy, according to CNN. The commission found the Ticonderoga-class cruiser’s original name honored the major Rebel victory at Chancellorsville.

Civil War sword and scabbard that have been returned by the Navy (Spotsylvania County photo)

The cruiser (CG 62) was commissioned Nov. 4, 1989, and was deployed in March 1991 to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Storm.

The ship's motto was "Press On," a saying of Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson when his men had Yankees on the run. Jackson was fatally shot by his own troops at Chancellorsville.

USNI News, in a 2022 article about the suggested renaming, quoted a Naming Commission leader's comments on the vessel's crest (below), heraldic background and what was said during the commissioning ceremony and before then, when a Navy officer praised the performance of Jackson and Gen. Robert E. Lee at the battle. The inverted wreath on the crest was a reference to Jackson's death.

The ship’s wardroom featured a painting of Lee and Jackson that was removed in 2016, according to USNI News.

“We looked at the entire context and felt as though that this commemorated the Confederacy,” the commissioner said.

So now, the items are back on shore. The Civil War items included in the Navy’s gifting to Spotsylvania County include:

-- A McClellan cavalry saddle

-- Two framed cases of excavated Chancellorsville battle artifacts, including buckles, belt plates, bullets, tools and uniform fasteners. They appears to be items that were used by Confederate and Union soldiers.

-- An Ames Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber presented in 1992 to the ship’s captain.

-- Framed map of Chancellorsville 

-- “Battle of Chancellorsville, Sunday, May 3, 1863” print (original art from “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War,” 1896) 

-- A copy of “The Campaign of Chancellorsville: A Strategic and Tactical Study” by John Bigelow Jr., 1910 Yale University Press

Craig Carroll presented these battle belt plates for ship (Spotsylvania County)

The collection includes several modern items associated with the cruiser.

“Plans are underway for the artifacts to go on display but that date has yet to be determined since we just recently acquired the items,” Michelle McGinnis, director of community engagement and tourism for the county, told the Picket in an email.

It has not yet been determined which items will go on display, she said.

Mullins said the museum will be the “perfect location and will serve to honor not only the ship itself and the crew who served our country while working on board, but also recognizes history while giving us the opportunity to learn from the lessons of our nation’s past.”

The late Lynn Freshour, a 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, was active in organizing the Friends of the USS Chancellorsville, according to officials, and helped foster a relationship between the crew and the Spotsylvania community. (Officials said the group is no longer active).

The Navy League, which also supported the vessel, assisted with the transfer of the items to the county. The Picket has reached out to its local chapter for comment.

Lt. Ian McConnaughey, a spokesman for Naval History and Heritage Command, said the Navy decided to keep a few items from the USS Chancellorsville collection. (As to where the artifacts were displayed on the cruiser, he said possible locations include the wardroom, quarterdeck, a passageway and the captain's office/quarters.)

McConnaughey said among items retained by the Navy are a modern blue and gray battle streamer, several plaques, a mounted 12-pound Napoleon spherical shot (right) and a .58-caliber 1861 Model Springfield rifle-musket.

The renamed cruiser honors Smalls, a South Carolinian (photo above) who escaped slavery by commandeering a Rebel steamship.

At the start of the Civil War, the enslaved Smalls was a pilot on the CSS Planter. On the morning of May 13, 1862, he led a takeover of the ship by its slave crew, sailed past Charleston Harbor's formidable defenses and surrendered the vessel to the Union blockade fleet. His wife and children were among those on board who gained freedom.

Crew of then-USS Chancellorsville with banners from Spotsylvania

Smalls, 23 at the time, was celebrated across the North for his daring ride to freedom and he served as a ship’s pilot for the rest of the conflict. After the war, he returned to his hometown Beaufort and bought his former master’s home.

Following a stint in South Carolina’s Legislature, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served several terms.

The congressman fought against the disenfranchisement of black voters across the South, according to the American Battlefield Trust. He also fought against segregation within the military.

The Spotsylvania County Museum is located at 6159 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, Va. It features 1,800 square feet of exhibits that provide visitors insight into the county’s 300-plus-year history. The area is buffered by land under the control of the American Battlefield. The museum is free to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4.p.m., except major holidays.

Here's how an NPS-led team safely removed three Fort Sumter flags for a long rest. The big question now: Is it too risky to put 2 of them back at the fort?

Opening of Palmetto Guard flag mount (left) and removal of a Fort Sumter flag (NPS photos)

Anne E. Ennes, a conservator for the National Park Service’s Harpers Ferry Center, knows the value of planning before traveling to an historic site. Still, flexibility can be the name of the game once she arrives and handles some of America’s most-treasured artifacts.

Such was the case in mid-September when Ennes and other experts within the agency, working with contractors and professional art movers, painstakingly took three famous Fort Sumter flags off-exhibit for a much-needed rest from damaging light.

They worked with several variables smack dab in the middle of hurricane season. Two of the flags have been on display at the fort in Charleston’s Harbor, and getting them safely off the artificial island was part of a rather complex operation. None of the team members had previously handled the flags – they had been on display for nearly 30 years.

“The objects were immensely iconic and irreplaceable. We wanted this to go well. We had to go over by boat, dependent on weather, dependent on tides,” Ennes told the Picket. “You sweat out hurricane season.”

The gloved team over three days was able to de-install, roll and crate the fragile flags without causing damage.

US storm flag, top, garrison flag, lower left, Palmetto Guard (NPS)

The project got lucky with the weather but Ennes, a textile conservator who works at the center’s Museum Conservation Services, said she is in favor of reproduction flags – rather than the original 33-star storm flag and the Palmetto Guard flag – going back to the fort.

Fiercer hurricanes resulting from climate change, mixed with the challenges of moisture, humidity and storm surge in the Carolinas, make the museum on Fort Sumter a high-risk location for the flags, Ennes says. And a stable environment requires near-infallible air conditioning.

“You don’t want to deal with evacuating precious objects with a storm looming,” she said, adding it’s not her decision to make.

The Picket asked Brett Spaulding, chief of interpretation for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, about the fate of the flags, given risk factors raised by conservators.

“At this time there has not been a decision made as to where the future home of the flags will be,” Spaulding wrote in an email last autumn. “Before they are put back on display, we will take into consideration many of the points that you identified and other considerations.”

Workers prepare to remove garrison flag from flat case (NPS photo)

Spaulding said the flags will remain off display for a minimum of five years.

In a November Facebook post, the park provided a brief update, saying: “Textiles should not be on display for long periods of time due to humidity fluctuations and light damage.”

The storm and Palmetto Guard flags had been on exhibit at the Fort Sumter museum on the island in the harbor. The massive and brittle garrison flag, only a small portion visible, was at the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square in downtown Charleston.

These flags tell an important story

The three flags are powerful symbols of a nation torn apart and brought back together. Gunfire wasn’t their only enemy: high winds, saltwater spray, humidity and light took a toll. All underwent conservation before they went on display, but that was many years ago.

The flags are among the most famous of the Civil War. The 33-star U.S. garrison flag flew over the fort until it sustained wind damage on April 11, 1861, hours before Rebel artillery effectively began the Civil War. Its smaller and sturdier successor, the storm flag, flew during the 34 hours of the attack.

The garrison flag in Charleston rests in a special case (NPS photo)

Both were removed from the island by Union Maj. Robert Anderson after he surrendered. The storm flag immediately became a patriotic symbol for the remainder of the conflict and raised the status of the Star-Spangled Banner to what we know today.

The garrison and storm flags were issued by the quartermaster in June 1860, nearly a year before the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. The manufacturer of clothes, textiles and flags during that time was the Schuylkill Arsenal in Pennsylvania, said Spaulding. “However, the arsenal hired over 10,000 seamstresses and tailors during the Civil War so, unfortunately, we don't know exactly who made the (two) flags.” 

The Palmetto Guard flag was the first Confederate flag to fly over the fort after the departure of the US Army on April 14, 1861.

As victorious Confederates entered Fort Sumter, John Styles Bird Jr., a private in the South Carolina militia unit known as the Palmetto Guard, placed his unit's flag on the parapet facing Charleston. The fort remained in Confederate hands for the next four years until evacuation in February 1865.

Returned flag flies above the fort on April 14, 1865 (Library of Congress)

Interestingly, Bird received the flag from a Capt. Edward Mills, the spitfire captain of the ship Brig John H. Jones. The flag was flown in New York Harbor in late 1860 by the commercial vessel, which belonged to the Palmetto line of schooners traveling between New York and Charleston.

Tensions were high in the months before South Carolina and other Southern states seceded from the Union.

According to a December 1860 article in The New York Times, Mills “on being politely questioned on the subject of his flag, yesterday, told a gentleman, with more emphasis than civility, that if anybody dared to go on board of his vessel, and attempt to haul it down, "he was a dead man -- a corpse!"

You don't hurry this kind of work

All three of the flags have been kept in climatically controlled cases. They were protected by cellulostic materials to maintain preferred humidity. “You create the environment you want it to be in,” Ennes said. “They were dimly lit. The lighting wasn’t horrible at either place.”

Still, even small amounts of UV light fade and deteriorate textiles.

The NPS team decided to tackle the smaller Palmetto Guard first, before the U.S. storm flag. A large portion of the flag is missing and it was encapsulated years ago to mimic its original footprint. “It is very sheer,” said Ennes.

Some members of the team in front of the storm flag at Fort Sumter (NPS photo)

Experts removed the outer frame and the flag was unstitched from its mount. After a few other tasks, the Palmetto Guard and storm flags were carefully rolled and placed in archival tubes. The crews had to take extra care because there is no elevator at the fort and the crates had to be carried by hand down steps to a waiting boat.

The storm flag was stable but fragile, said Ennes, adding both flags were in fairly good shape but will need new mounts once they are back in public view. “Hopefully, they will go back on display after a long time in dark storage.”

Back on land, the garrison flag lies flat below a huge reproduction flag at the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square. Only a portion of the real flag is visible to visitors.

Conservators found it to be in a very delicate situation. “The threads and yarns are brittle and want to break when moved,” according to Ennes. “It was in worse shape than we imagined.”

“The garrison needs a little treatment before it goes on display. It would need some work at my lab,” she said, adding it can go back in the same case. For now, it is in a 26-foot storage tube.

A view of the mechanism that supports the rolled up garrison flag (NPS photo)

Complicating the picture at the visitor center was the failure of the HVAC system last year. Spaulding told the Picket a new system will go in place, but no firm timetable has been set, he said this week.

Even though no decision has been made on where the flags will be, “Wherever they go on display a working system is required," he said.

Ennes said the flags removal was a successful – the result of working slowly, patiently and carefully. The payoff comes with knowing artifacts will continue to tell a story.

“I am always amazed by the craftsmanship on all the things I work with.”

I've always thought George Meade's slouch hat was awesome. We asked experts to weigh in on it and five other iconic Meade items kept at Gettysburg

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.13.33, Slouch hat; Meade photos Library of Congress and National Archives

If I ever get around to writing “Cool Hats of the Civil War,” my top choice (spoiler alert!) will go to Union Maj. Gen. George Meade’s slouch hat, followed closely by those of Ambrose E. Burnside and J.E.B. Stuart.

While the hero of Gettysburg and commander of the Army of Potomac is sadly overshadowed by many in the pantheon of Civil War commanders, Meade and his hat will always stand tall to me.

There are great images of him with that headgear: In front of his tent, seated among a throng of soldiers, or perched on a bench at the famous Grant “Council of War” at Massaponax Church in Virginia.

The Gettysburg Foundation operates Gettysburg National Military Park’s visitor center and museum. It also owns and curates thousands of items, including those of Meade from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia: The slouch hat, a kepi, frock coat, flags, field glasses, sash and swords, among other fascinating items. Meade wore the hat and frock coat at Gettysburg in July 1863.

Kepi-topped Gen. Meade (center) with members of his staff (National Archives)

Meade’s slouch hat certainly was attention-getting.

“I am not sure if Meade had a preferred style of hat but, maybe his preference was more utilitarian; e.g., wearing the slouch hat on active campaign because it kept the sun and rain off of him; whereas wearing the kepi in static locations such as a winter quarters and formal occasions,” says Mike Kwolek, museum exhibition specialist for the foundation.

The general’s hometown was Philadelphia. For more than 70 years after his grandchildren donated them in 1937, Meade’s belongings were housed at the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia. Other items at the museum were donated by former Union officers, members of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). Meade died in 1872 at age 56.

Museum officials had hoped to erect a new building after it closed in 2008, but funding never came through and hundreds of artifacts went to the Gettysburg Foundation. (Paper documents relating to the officers are kept by the Union League of Philadelphia)

Gettysburg’s collection has many sources, including what was at the Philadelphia museum. (Photo at left, Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia; CWMP 86.13.32, Frock Coat)

I spoke with Kwolek – whose duties include designing and executing museum exhibits, collections management and registration – about a half dozen items in the Meade inventory. (I am grateful for his help and patience when I peppered him with myriad follow-up questions)

Here’s a close look at the six artifacts:

MEADE'S FELT SLOUCH HAT

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.13.33, Slouch Hat

Talk about a close call. The general came to Gettysburg with two bullet holes in the hat, from fighting several months before at Fredericksburg, Va.

Army regulations allowed for officers to wear black felt hats. The height of the crown could be a little over 6 inches. The bindings were made of black ribbed silk. It features a bullion hat cord and insignia.

“These examples were similar, yet more elegant than the 1858 Hardee hat; however, many officers went to the private market and purchased black felt hats in a variety of shapes and sizes. The one that Maj. Gen. Meade wore, and housed at the Museum and Visitor Center, is one of those privately purchased hats,” says the foundation.

Meade, seated at far left, at Massaponax Church (Library of Congress)
His slouch hat has a pinched crown (click to enlarge)

The park doesn’t know when Meade got the hat, which he wore with the brim down. Kwolek said this headgear may have been produced in Philadelphia by the hatter William F. Warburton; who, in 1862, held three patents for military caps and hats.

Conservation was performed on the hat in 2012. The bullet holes, above his major general’s insignia, were stabilized during that work, said Kwolek.  

C. Paul Loane, co-author of “US Army Military Headgear, 1812-1872,”.recalls seeing the hat when it was at the museum in Philadelphia.

“It appeared to be the standard black felt headgear with black silk edging around the brim worn by most officers, he said. "His hat cords were all gold as called for in regulations for a general officer."

The hat and coat have been off-exhibit since 2016, following the park’s “Treasures of the Civil War” exhibit.

CHASSEUR-STYLE KEPI

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.13.34, Kepi

Of the Meade-associated items described here, only the wool kepi is currently (February 2024) on display. The exhibit has the words “Old Snapping Turtle,” a nickname given to the commander because of his famous ill temper.

Text below the kepi reads:

“Although often seen in contemporary photographs wearing his favored slouch hat in the field, Meade wore this regulation officer's cap (with gold trim for general officers) for dress and ceremonial occasions." 

National Archives, Library of Congress photos of Meade wearing a kepi; click to enlarge

This is the French style of cap that Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan advocated that officers use after his observations during the Crimean War, says Kwolek. Meade’s kepi was made by Wanamaker’s of Philadelphia, his hometown. The company was founded in 1861 and operated at Market and Sixth streets. Meade purchased it in 1862 or 1863.

Loane told the Picket the cap is “a slightly brighter blue than most examples (which flirt with being a midnight/almost black shade) and had a subtle ‘bagginess’ about it we collectors like. Two silver stars of a major general were affixed to the front within a gold embroidered wreath backed with black velvet. Staff officer buttons secured the chin strap and narrow black tape trimmed the sides and top.”

The classic-period kepi went through restoration in 2012, which included cleaning and stabilization.

MAJOR GENERAL FROCK COAT

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.13.32, Frock coat; Meade photo Library of Congress

The maker of this dark blue frock is not known, but Meade is known to have worn it from at least Gettysburg onward. Kwolek wondered whether it was made by Brooks Brothers, which made uniforms for Federal officers. Brooks Brothers. told the Picket in an email it has no existing record of Meade.

The coat conforms to 1861 regulations and bears the rank of major general on its epaulets. For that rank, the coat had two rows of buttons on the breast, nine in each row, extending to the waist. Four buttons were on the back and skirt of the coat, according to the Gettysburg Foundation. The interior chest/torso region of the jacket exhibits quilting with patriotic motifs.

The coat went through extensive cleaning and stabilization 2012. Its condition before treatment exhibited extensive use, according to Kwolek.

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC HEADQUARTERS FLAG

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.2.4, 34‐star Headquarters Flag

This flag has the distinction of the one that flew at Meade’s headquarters at Gettysburg. His descendants provided the provenance for this 34-star silk flag.

Kwolek says Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker may have flown it before Meade took command of the army in late June 1863, just days before Gettysburg.

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC HEADQUARTERS FLAG (May 1864)

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.2.5, Army of the Potomac Headquarters Flag 

This short-lived flag was most likely made by Sisco Brothers of Baltimore, according to the Gettysburg Foundation. It was made of faded soprano silk with a dark blue laurel wreath surrounding a gold eagle with arrows and laurel in its talons.

It has a swallowtail design with silk ties. It was used only in May 1864, in Virginia, and was replaced by a small national flag. According to Kwolek, this reversal might be due to Gen. Grant’s reaction to it, which was recorded by artist Alfred R. Waud: “What’s this! Is Imperial Caesar anywhere about here?”

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC V CORPS FLAG

Courtesy of Gettysburg Foundation, from the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia
CWMP 86.23, 5th Corps flag

Meade commanded the corps for only a month, six months before Gettysburg. The flag conforms to the Army of the Potomac's general order No. 10 that specified flags to be used for corps headquarters as blue swallowtailed, with the number of the corps in red on a white botonee-style cross.

Kwolek believes Maj. Gen. George Sykes may have flown it at Gettysburg when he led V Corps. The flag was probably returned to Meade once the 1864 style of headquarters flags were issued. The flag was donated to what was then the War Library and Museum in 1937 by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Other Pennsylvania venues that highlight Meade

Meade’s legacy is covered at several institutions in Philadelphia, including the Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum & Library. It has an exhibit on the general, including many photos, and another unusual item – the head of Old Baldy, Meade’s war horse.

The National Constitution Center, while it has no Meade items in its permanent collection, does have several on loan from the Gettysburg Foundation for the exhibit “Civil War & Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality.” Those are the general’s sword and scabbard, dress spurs and field glasses with case (shown in photo below among other artifacts).

From the collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia, on loan from Gettysburg Foundation
 and National Constitution Center, photo courtesy NCC

"The sword is a M1839 Topographical Engineers sword used by Meade and supposedly the one where he broke the tip of the blade off while striking a soldier at Fredericksburg,” said Kwolek.

The Union League has multiple papers, orders, photographs and other items related to Meade. Click here and here for examples.

“Our archives and collections are available to the public through research appointments,” Keeley Tulio, archivist and collections manager with the group’s Heritage Center, said in an email.

Meade was awarded The Union League of Philadelphia Silver Medal in 1863 and The Union League of Philadelphia Gold Medal in 1866.

Repairs on Pemberton's Headquarters at Vicksburg finally moving full steam ahead. This is where the general stayed in last months of the siege

Workers are doing a total rebuild of the home's front porch (NPS photos)

After delays due to a redesign and the availability of quality wood, workers have finished the roof and are rebuilding the deteriorated front porch of Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton’s headquarters in Vicksburg, Ms., officials said.

In December, crews finished repairing the roof the Willis-Cowan House, Vicksburg National Military Park recently announced regarding the major rehabilitation project on the dwelling. Porch work is expected to be completed by summer.

Pemberton used the home on Crawford Street as his headquarters from May 23-July 4, 1863, during the Union army’s siege on Vicksburg.

Pemberton – working from a first-floor office -- and his staff tried to manage the desperate situation. But by July 2, it appeared his isolated, famished and exhausted army could withstand no more. That night, they met and decided to negotiate for peace with Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Pemberton sent a letter to Grant on July 3 and the surrender occurred the following day.

The home survived the Civil War, becoming a residence, Catholic school and bed and breakfast over the years. The NPS acquired the property in 2003 and opened it to visitors from 2008 to 2016, when it was closed because of safety concerns. Some observers have commented online about the lengthy closure.

The Picket reached out to the park about the extensive rehabilitation of the building. Superintendent Carrie Mardorf (left) provided these details. Responses have been edited.

Q. Regarding the porch, the park has said it wanted to use salvageable wood when possible. Has that happened? If so, can you generally detail how much is being reused and how? What type of new wood is going up?

A. Yes, salvageable wood was reused to the degree possible. However, during the dismantling of the porch, there was additional deterioration in several of the wood members that was not anticipated. Because if this, it was determined that 100% of the structural members (posts, joists, and rafters), and 70% plus of the balustrade and floor/ceiling planks had to be replaced. The new wood is a mixture of treated lumber for joists and rafters (to prevent future deterioration), and Southern yellow pine for columns and other millwork.

(NPS photo)

Q. Are the white column supports for the porch the ones that were already there?

A. Yes, those components were able to be reused. 

Q. The park had said: (Previous) shortening of the columns caused a flat roof over the west side of the porch to slope in the wrong direction, causing moisture problems. How has that been addressed? Are the new columns going to be longer?

A. New structural columns now rest on a metal column plate, which will not be seen once the trim boards are added. The plate will keep the bottom portion of the columns dry to prevent rot.  The lower portion of the previous structural columns rotted (and thus appeared shorter) because there was no metal plate. The replacement column height will be the original height.

A. Regarding the roof, the project listed this objective: Weathertight structure which will include a new slate roof, a stainless-steel coated metal roof, proper flashing at chimneys and walls, structural modifications throughout, and preservation repairs to wooden elements. Did all of that occur?

A. Yes, all of the work has occurred, and structural modifications were needed. Structural modification included the introduction of structural steel to support the weight of the new roof. Additional repairs are also underway for all the other millwork. The project paused due to the availability of quality structural lumber and the length of time to acquire it. (At right, a historic photo of the facade)

Q. Has the work been constant the past two years, or has it been done in spurts?

A. The project paused in 2022-2023 to redesign the porch to address structural concerns and replace additional wood members that had unforeseen deterioration. The redesign included more metal structural supports and the new plans had to be reviewed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office.  Work resumed in November 2023. 

Q. The estimated price tag for the work two years back was $704,000. Is that current?

A. The project increased by $300,000 to incorporate the structural redesign and additional repairs to the porch. Total project construction cost is now approximately $1.1 million.

Pemberton and the Willis-Cowan house before work began (Library of Congress and NPS)

Q. Any interesting finds so far during the project -- artifacts, architectural and construction details?

A. No, Pemberton's Headquarters served as a private residence from the late 1800s to early 2000s. The building and site have been heavily altered over time by its previous residents. 

Q. What will become of the building? Will it be staffed/reopened to the public? If so, when might that happen?

A. The building will continue to be preserved. The roof and porch project is the first of several needed repairs to address deferred maintenance. Additional phases of work are planned to address interior repairs, exterior windows and doors, upgraded utilities including fire suppression system, and retaining walls. The structure will not be staffed or opened to the public until the phases of work are completed.