Burial at Fredericksburg, Medal of Honor train ride, Georgia bomb squad, house on the move
Posts
about a Georgia Civil War house moved to another county, a belated funeral in
Fredericksburg and a train ride with living Medal of Honor recipients were big
reader draws in 2025. The top 12 Civil War Picket posts – by Blogger page views
– covered a wide array of topics.
We’ve got a few items in
the works (Nashville's Fort Negley, a fascinating medical kit and a haunting photograph)
and we look forward to rolling out those and more in 2026. Thanks so much for
your continued interest. Please tell a friend or two about us. And Happy New
Year!
We’ll start with a few
honorable mentions and then delve into the top 12.
12.
GETTYSBURG VANDALISM:A man etched initials on a bronze tablet at the
“Castle” monument on Little Round Top,
enraging the public and park officials.– Read more
11.
FINALLY LAID TO REST:Ten years after the discovery of their
partial remains, three Federal soldiers were rendered full
honors when a small casket holding leg, toe, finger and other bones was buried
at the national cemetery in Fredericksburg, Va.– Read more
10.
11TH VIRGINIA FLAG GOES FOR BIG BUCKS:A Confederate battle flag captured during Pickett’s
Charge at Gettysburg sold at auction for $390,000, four years after it surfaced
at a Civil War show in Dalton, Ga. – Read more
9. ARTIFACTS GALORE IN SOUTH CAROLINA:I have been fascinated by the remnants of a wagon wheel believed destroyed on Feb. 19, 1865, when Federal forces sacked the South Carolina capital and dumped captured Confederate ammunition and materiel into the Congaree River.– Read more
8.
RARE USS MONITOR TURRET DRAINING:Conservators were able to access the turret of the USS
Monitor for the first time in more than five years, following the draining of
the 90,000-gallon tank that surrounds the remarkable artifact.– Read more
7. WHEN THE BOMB SQUAD COMES CALLING:“We deal with Civil War ordnance more than other local bomb squads due to Kennesaw Mountain, Cheatham Hill, Pickett’s Mill and other historic sites,” says Cobb County (Ga.) Police Sgt. Joel Cade. – Read more
6. REMEMBERING BRANDY STATION (right) AND MORE:The growing staff at Virginia’s Culpeper Battlefields State Park is learning more about the power and potential of Civil War properties it will manage once they are transferred from the American Battlefield Trust..– Read more
5.
HISTORIC GEORGIA HOME SOLD (Part 1): An Atlanta-area home that was caught in the middle of
Civil War cavalry clashes and briefly served as headquarters for a Union
general was sold for
$1 and stipulations to a couple who will relocate
the residence to a neighboring county.. – Read more
4.
HISTORIC GEORGIA HOME MOVED (Part 2): The relocation of the Robert and Eliza McAfee House
from Cobb County to adjoining Cherokee County cleared the way for consideration
of a possible gas station on the site. Movers had to slice the residence into six pieces before hauling it away. – Read more
3.
CRAFTSMAN HAS A WINDOW TO HISTORY: Robert Schmitt (right) is helping repair windows at the Dawkins House, a
Union, S.C., residence at the center of an interesting chapter in Civil
War history. Union briefly served as the capital of the state after Columbia
fell to Union forces in 1865.–
Read more
2. ENFIELD CONSERVATION SUCCESS?Conservation in Georgia of 20 Enfield rifles has reached a significant milestone, with the first walnut stock emerging from treatment and appearing to be doing well outside a wet environment..– Read more
1.
MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS RELIVE ANDREWS RAID:In September, a dozen Medal of Honor recipients
climbed aboard a train in Kennesaw, Ga., to travel back in time while retracing
the daring escapade of warriors first awarded the nation’s highest military
award for valor. – Read more
Cunningham Farm wall remnants at Brandy Station (Chuck Laudner/American Battlefield Trust)
The growing staff
at Virginia’s Culpeper Battlefields State Park is learning more about the power
and potential of Civil War properties it will manage once they are transferred
from the American Battlefield Trust.
An office
manager and park ranger (maintenance) were recently hired, said Kim Wells,
spokeswoman at Virginia State Parks, and a law enforcement ranger will be added
soon. Park manager Drew Gruber is leading the group.
The ABT, Friends of Culpeper Battlefields, the Brandy Station Foundation, Friends of Cedar
Mountain Battlefield and other groups have worked for decades to purchase and
interpret a cluster of imperiled
Civil War battlefields in Culpeper County. The sites are Brandy Station, Cedar
Mountain, Kelly’s Ford, Rappahannock Station and Hansbrough's Ridge.
While the state park opened 18 months ago, development is
relatively still in its early stages. The park staff is working from the Friends of
Cedar Mountain Battlefield information center at 9465 General Winder Road, Rapidan (photo below).
“We are
already talking in detail with visitors, tour guides (including Culpeper
Battlefield Tours), friends’ groups, municipal offices and more to assess what
they enjoy about the properties now, their aspirations, the efficacy of
existing programming,” Wells said in a recent email. “One thing is certain.
Culpeper will continue to offer a unique battlefield experience where you can
explore on horseback or paddle between battles.”
The ABT – which will be chief steward of the properties
until 2027 -- plans
to make several additional donations to the
Commonwealth over the next couple years, said Jim Campi, chief policy and
communications officer.
The Culpeper
Battlefields State Park team has not started the master planning process, but
it will be helped by friends groups and the ABT, which oversaw a cultural
landscape report at Brandy Station, site of a mammoth cavalry clash in 1863 that signaled the beginning of
the Gettysburg campaign.
Preliminary results of the Brandy Station report were
unveiled to the public in late June, according to a news article by the
Culpeper Times (InsideNOVA).
A staffer with MIG, a landscape architectural firm, said the
study identified traces of roads, artillery and gun pits, family cemeteries and
archaeological sites -- all of which need further study.
Stone walls marking
the edges of fields and property boundaries on the battlefield were believed to
have been built by enslaved people, according to the speaker. (At right, ABT map of parcels at Brandy Station; click to enlarge). One wall separated the Cunningham and Green farms.
Campi told the Picket this study focused on a
portion of the Brandy Station battlefield, including
St. James Church and Elkwood. A
final version of the report viewed by the Picket cites concerns about
unauthorized relic hunting at the site.
The Picket has reached out multiple times to MIG
for comment and visual images but has not heard back.
The various friends groups are hosting tours and “working on
programs and projects across the breadth of the properties which are slated to
transfer to the Commonwealth,” said Wells. No state employees are currently
handling interpretation.
She said the
new park ranger in charge of maintenance will be developing a stewardship plan
and will work alongside three part-time maintenance rangers to ensure the properties
are well maintained
and cared for.
Interpretation at Brandy Station's Fleetwood Hill sector (American Battlefield Trust)
“While we’ve
been focused on ordering furniture, tools, equipment and more, we’ve found time
to explore the properties owned by the American Battlefield Trust which are set
to transfer to the Commonwealth in the years to come. There is a lot of ground
to cover as we learned about the park’s six Civil War battles, Revolutionary
War history and its Civilian Conservation Corp history, too,” wrote Wells.
The master
planning process will likely begin once all acquired parcels have been
transferred to the state. It will take a few years to complete.
I asked the
spokesperson about which of the sites are vulnerable or need extra protection.
“State Park
Rangers conduct regular assessments of their parks to identify potential vulnerabilities
and to determine whether additional protective measures are needed for
sensitive natural, cultural and historic resources at these sites. Actions are
handled on a case-by-case basis, and the outcomes of such reviews may or may
not be publicly shared. There are no new updates regarding Culpeper
Battlefields State Parks in relation to this matter.”
Click map to get a closer view of planned state park properties (American Battlefield Trust)
The ABT previously said it and other groups
worked together to stave off much of the commercial development that would take
in battlefield land.
“At various times, pieces of land that we are
now gifting to the Commonwealth of Virginia were slated to become housing
tracts, industrial parks, water retention and management areas — even a Formula
One racetrack,” it says.
People of a certain age (myself included!) remember visiting
battlefields or museums in their youth and gazing in wonder at electric maps, which
had topographic features and blinking lights showing troop movements. It was
all so mesmerizing.
Well, time and newer technology eventually overcame these delightful
displays. Replacement parts and folks who could make repairs became harder to
find.
While many long ago were retired, the upstairs electric map at Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick, Md., operated until the museum closed for
a significant renovation. (Above, Picket video of map in August 2024).
The recently reopened museum about 45 miles west of Baltimore has a high-tech map that tells a wider story and is not prone to breaking down (at least so far).
Derek
Schaerdel (above, NPS photo)) of Troop 1812 in Frederick built a display case and rolling tabletop
for the old electric map. He did this as his Eagle Scout project, the park said
in a recent Facebook post.
Park
officials said they will touch up the map and use it as an orientation piece (more
below). It will no longer be electrified, but it can be wheeled into different areas of the visitor center.
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. Ranger Matt
Borders answered the Picket’s questions about the old and new maps. His emailed
responses have been edited for brevity and order.
Q. How old is this old map? Has it always been on
display till the renovation?
A.The old map was part of the
new museum when the visitor center opened in 2007. There have been times
through the years when it wasn't working until we could find someone to work on
it, which wasn't easy. Lights were changed over to LED, the guts were rewired
or redirected.
We had a retired NASA volunteer work on it at one point and
contracted with another company to give it a bit of an overhaul. For that type
of technology. 18 years is a pretty good run. The new program won't have that
issue. (Map in 2024, Picket photos)
Q. Did it occasionally
"break down" -- lose lights? Will the new presentation eliminate that
kind of thing?
A.The former map was 18 years old and
was feeling its age. While most guests would not have noticed it, there were
parts of the program that had stopped working and were not able to be repaired.
The larger problem (was) the parts for the old map were no longer available,
specifically the specialized light bulbs that the fiber optics used.
Q. What are the
tradeoffs of the "new" map vs. this one?
A. Not only does the new map program
cover more of the overall campaign but includes aspects of the battle that had
not been covered previously, such as the fighting near Jug Bridge north of the
National Park Service property.
The biggest
benefit is that the program is now digital and is not restricted by a physical
map board. The program can be run on other displays, making it more flexible
and less technical for repairs. If a screen stops working, we can have that
looked or replaced, as opposed to changing lighting and timing belts that would
have to occur with the previous map.
Q. Can you please
describe the new map presentation?
A.The digital
map presentation is a push button start and lasts for 10 minutes. It is
narrated with accompanying, music and sound effects. The narration is also
close captioned. (NPS photo, left)
The new
program is closer to a movie than the previous presentation and uses two large
flat screens to present it. This program follows (Confederate) Lt. Gen. Jubal
Early's Army of the Shenandoah District north, through the Shenandoah Valley to
Harpers Ferry and then over the Potomac River into Maryland. Concurrently, the
map program shows the movement of Federal forces, once they are aware of the
threat, reacting to the Confederate incursion from both Baltimore and,
eventually, the Petersburg front.
The program
then zooms into the battlefield itself showing the movements of the troops
across the landscape, as well as the eventual retreat of United States forces
from the field. The program then concludes by showing the Confederate movement
continues toward Washington and the eventual retreat to Virginia.
Q. The post said
rangers will touch up and add to the electric map. What specifically? How will
it be used in the future and where?
A.The map is old and dinged up.
We want to touch up the paint and the terrain features for future use. (It)
will no longer be an electric presentation and instead will be a giant
topographic map of the battlefield that will be utilized for orientation
programs, school visits and the like.
This will assist the rangers with a
visual element they can use when explaining the battlefield landscape and how
the battle progressed, especially when they are not on the battlefield itself.
Matt Borders and Derek Schaerdel with old electric map (NPS photo)
The old statue was moved into village administration building (LHS and Village of LaGrange)
“Sherman,”
the Ohio Civil War statue that was shattered by a big rig and put back together
again, has come in from the cold.
LaGrange village and township employees – using machine and muscle – late last week moved the
granite man from the unheated old fire station to the village’s administration building.
“They rented
a gun safe dolly. They used a lot of muscle, too,” said Jan King, treasurer of
the LaGrange Historical Society. “He is inside where it is temperature controlled.”
The new home
for the statue brings the story full circle for the Picket, which first
reported on the matter in summer 2022 after a tractor trailer driver apparently
fell asleep at the village’s traffic circle. The rig smashed the 1903 memorial into pieces.
The community was determined to make things whole.
Master stone
carver Nicholas Fairplay glued “Sherman” back together and used him as a model
for a replica. Cleveland Quarries rebuilt the monument base below the soldier.
Both were installed on the
rural village’s circle in May 2025.The old “Sherman” was moved around the same
time to the fire station (photo, left), where he stood for seven months before the recent move.
The statue,
which weighs about 1,500 pounds, is now in a hallway close to the historical
society (he’s too big to fit inside the group’s small museum and learning
center). It is being kept for now in a protective wooden frame.
“We will have
to anchor him down,” said King. “There is a possibility he could be pushed
over.”
That would be
especially tragic for the old fellow, having already suffered the indignity of
losing his head (it broke off) when the truck pulverized the original memorial. (Photos below from LaGrange Township)
Local folks
call the statue “Sherman,” but King was quick to quash that moniker during our
phone call.
The correct
name is “the statue” or “the flag bearer,” she said.
So how did
the stone soldier come to be called “Sherman”?
The monument
base carried the names of LaGrange area residents who served
during the war, the names of a few battles and of Union generals Ulysses S.
Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip Sheridan and George Thomas. Sherman
was an Ohioan.
I asked King, whose family has lived in the community
southwest of Cleveland for generations, to describe the old statue, now that he
is on ground level.
The retired seamstress is impressed by the craftsmanship –
the flag’s carved stars, stitch marks on his lapel and the deep-set eyes. “There
is a lot of detail to it.” (Photos above, LaGrange Historical Society)
The society
and village office are in a former school building on Liberty Street. “Sherman”
is next to a trophy case.
The historical society is open on the third Sunday of each month and on special request. There are old records, photos and a buggy inside, all signaling LaGrange’s rural roots. “It used to be an agricultural city but it is getting more away from that,” said King.
A group of
third-graders once stopped by and King was able to show some of them graduation
photos of their grandparents.
New statue at studio in Vermilion and monument installation in LaGrange (Courtesy Cleveland Quarries)
Safety
measures have helped reduce intrusions into the traffic circle, which is at the intersection of routes 301 and 303 (Main
Street).
Villagers used to blow horns and drive around the circle when
they got married; school buses still take victory laps when athletes return
victorious from competitions elsewhere, King added.
Whatever he is called, the replica Union flag bearer is a
fixture in LaGrange and watches over those passing through.
Archaeology team at work on beach (SCIAA), map of wreck sites (U.S. Coast Survey),.wreck of Celt (Library of Congress)
As the Union’s
nautical noose tightened around Charleston, blockade runners daring to bring
vital goods to the Confederacy typically took the shortest route into the harbor,
sailing close to Fort Moultrie on the southwestern tip of Sullivan’s Island.
But first, enterprising
captains likely weighed the risk/reward ratio of using Maffitt’s (or Beach)
Channel to enter or leave the besieged city.
Pros: Straighter
shot into the harbor and protected by a string of Confederate batteries along
Sullivan's Island to keep Union blockaders at bay;
Cons: Tricky to
make the passage into the harbor due to a jetty off Fort Moultrie that created
unique currents and counter-currents.
And there was
another downside, says South Carolina underwater archaeologist Jim Spirek.
“100-pdr
Parrott and other shells heading your way if spotted by the Union batteries on
Morris Island after the fall of Battery Wagner.”
Click map to see Main Channel, Battery Wagner and Fort Moultrie area (U.S. Coast Survey)
So it’s no
surprise numerous blockade runners ended up littering the shore or shallow waters.
Some were sunk by enemy fire while others intentionally (or not) ran aground.
While the
whereabouts of many are known, the state wanted to know more about four that
are no longer visible, Spirek told the Civil War Picket. His office this week
announced it used drones to conduct a survey of the “forgotten” wreck sites.
“Because
Sullivan’s Island has been marching steadily southward in the area around Ft.
Moultrie since the construction of the Charleston Harbor jetties, what once was
water for ships to wreck in is now dry land,” said a social media post.
“The remains
of these vessels are now buried deep below the beach and adjacent woodlot. Our
drone was able to fly over the rough coastal terrain with its attached
magnetometer, and detected the magnetic anomalies of two (or three) of the four
historically recorded wrecks. Knowing the precise locations will help to
preserve our knowledge of this part of Charleston’s history for future
generations.”
Archaeologists
believe they have located the “magnetic anomalies” of the Celt and the Beatrice
or Flora (or both). The blockade runner Presto did not show, but is believed to
be buried, like the others, below about 5 feet of sand. (At right, a jetty near Fort Moultrie is highlighted)
“The situation of shipwrecks appearing and then disappearing again is
very typical of this type of sandy shoreline,” Civil
War naval expert Andy Hall told the Picket. “Wrecks come and go
(seemingly) as alternate cycles of erosion and accretion expose and rebury
them."
Spirek, other
archaeologists and historians have studied harbors along the Atlantic Coast and
forces that present opportunities and challenges for shipping.
Charleston Harbor is behind Fort Moultrie fortifications in this NPS photo
I came across
a fascinating article by local historian Nic Butler while researching this post.
Entitled “Navigating the Bar of Charleston Harbor: Gateway to the Atlantic,”
the piece describes shifting sandbars, silting and dangerous currents.
Dredging, skilled captains and beacons countered some of the threats.
“Thanks to the construction of an artificial channel through
two massive stone jetties, South Carolina’s principal port continues to
flourish,” Butler writes.
The federal government got involved in safeguarding
navigation in the first half of the 19th century, when Fort Moultrie
was endangered because of severe erosion. Works on the jetties and dredging
began. Capt. Andrew Bowman of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a jetty and
breakwaters off Fort Moultrie to help stave off erosion.
But the Bowman and North Charleston jetties also had a
negative effect, building up sand around them and reducing the depth of water
ships could work with.
During the Union blockade, multiple ships ran aground
off Sullivan’s Island as they traversed Maffitt's Channel (named for Rebel commerce raider John Newland Maffitt, right).
“Based on
geo-referencing an 1865 nautical chart that marked the location of shipwrecks,
obstructions, etc. in and around the harbor onto the modern landscape, (the
evidence) suggested that four blockade runners were now buried
on the beach,” said Spirek.
These four blockade runners met their doom here
The state’s
Maritime Research Division this fall deployed drones over beach areas near Fort
Moultrie. They were equipped with magnetometers.
Survey looked for Celt, Presto, Beatrice and Flora, mislabeled as Flamingo (SCIAA)
“The
magnetometer detects the earth's ambient magnetic field and we use the tool to
detect fluctuations, or anomalies, in the field caused by ferromagnetic metals,
and in this case, three large iron-hulled blockade runners and one
wooden-hulled,” said Spirek, adding no pieces of wreckage were found. “The Celt was reportedly last seen in the early 1980s.”
Below is a
closer look at each of the four blockade runners. It's important to note that Union forces seized Morris Island in September 1863, allowing them to fire long-range artillery at vessels approaching Charleston
Celt: The steamboat was lost Feb. 14,
1865, when it tried to leave Charleston Harbor. Celt had run ashore near the
breakwater at Fort Moultrie several days before the evacuation of the harbor by
Confederate forces. “Inspection by the Union navy after the Confederate
evacuation found a valuable load of cotton aboard, of which 190 bales were
subsequently recovered and sent north, with the remainder to follow,” says a 2012 report
for the American Battlefield Protection Program.
Hall, in his
Dead Confederates blog, wrote this about the Celt after examining a Library of
Congress photo (above) of its wreckage:
“There’s some interesting detail in the photograph that
hint at the vessel’s origins as a local craft built under the exigencies of
wartime. Celt has two engines that, while partially submerged, appear to be
arranged as in a Western Rivers boat, and the valving shown looks to be almost
identical. Such engines were reliable and simple but not overly efficient. They
also operated under very high pressure compared to most seagoing ships, and so
may have required a more robust set of boilers. Similarly, the paddlewheels are
of very simple construction, with wooden arms and fixed floats (paddle blades).
As with the engines, this is a very basic design, easy to build and maintain,
but not efficient and somewhat coarse by shipbuilding standards of the time.”
Interesting, a second shipwreck appears to be in the photo's background.
Beatrice: This iron screw steamer
was lost on Nov. 27-28, 1864, when it came under heavy Federal fire and
grounded on Drunken Dick Shoal while it was approaching the city. A local
newspaper, the Charleston Mercury, summarized what happened: Bound from Nassau, the Beatrice had
grounded on the beach of Sullivan’s Island during a fog earlier that morning.
The steamer on attempting to enter the harbor was surrounded by Union picket
barges which kept up a constant fire of grape and musketry on the vessel. The
captain and eight of the crew to Battery Rutledge just as Union sailors boarded
the vessel. Thirty of the crew were unaccounted for and thought captured.
Flora: The recent survey suggests the remains
of the Beatrice and Flora might be next to each other (image above of magnetic field at that area, Maritime Research Division). Flora, a sidewheel
steamer, grounded on Oct. 22, 1864. The crew was pursued long before reaching South
Carolina and had to dump its cargo to speed away. Things really became hairy as
it approached Charleston. “Passing the inner picket boats the vessel grounded
in shallow water on the south side of Beach Channel. Stuck fast and impossible
to refloat, the steamer was spotted in the daylight and the Union batteries on
Morris Island began shelling the vessel,” according to Spirek. (Flora was mistakenly called Flamingo by the Union
navy.)
Presto: The Scottish-built sidewheeler struck
the wreckage of the Minho off Fort Moultrie on Feb. 2, 1864. It ran ashore
while trying to enter the harbor. Federal monitors fired up the Presto, and
Confederate batteries answered. By 1 p.m., the mainmast was cut away and the vessel was
in flames. Several shells passed through below the waterline and most likely
damaged machinery and cargo. The wreck was bombarded for a couple of more days
causing the vessel to burn to the waterline. Confederate troops later salvaged
sardines, jellies, fruit and liquor.
“I'm not sure
why we didn’t locate Presto, as I know that it isn’t in the water,” said
Spirek.
At high tide,
most of the Celt would be underwater, but the Beatrice/Flora would still be
dry, officials said. Most of the Celt appears to be buried
in the intertidal zone although the forward end of the wreck would still be
under land rather than submerged at high water,” said Spirek.
Safeguarding, but no excavations planned
Summarizing the latest drone surveys, the archaeologist said the aim was
to determine the presence or absence of the blockade runners.
“Back in 2001
and again in 2009, we had undertaken marine remote-sensing operations to locate
these four and other blockade runners in the water. While
detecting several adjacent to Bowman's Jetty, we did not appear to locate the
four, which gave us the idea that they were now buried under the accreted
beach.”
There are no
plans to conduct excavations of the presumed sites.
“Now that we know
the approximate positions of the two or three wrecks, we want to fly over them
in a single flight to get a nice magnetic record of each one. We'll enter the
information into the State Archaeological Site Files for record-keeping
purposes and then just monitor the sites for any changes, such as erosion that
may uncover portions of the wreck.”
Search area and shifting shoreline (SCIAA-Maritime Research Division)
The conserved socks in Montgomery (Alabama Archives) and an example of the First National Flag (Wikipedia)
It wasn’t
enough for Alabama cavalry trooper Henry Clay Hames to have a simple pair of white
socks to keep his feet warm and dry. Loved ones wanted to be sure he delivered
a message, even if it was normally covered by his boots.
High up on
each sock, below the ribbing, were stitched versions of the first national flag
of the Confederacy, commonly known as the “Stars and Bars.”
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has had the distinctive hosiery
for generations. Hames’ daughter, Mary, donated them after his death in 1917. (At right, before conservation)
But it doesn’t
appear they were ever displayed -- until now.
“I
don’t think past curators saw the significance,” said Ryan Blocker, a curator
in the museum collection of the Alabama Archives.
Blocker
recalls when a comrade sent her a photo asking her to identify the small flags.
The two red bars are vibrant, but the blue canton and white stars are largely
indiscernible.
She recalls thinking, “’Oh God, that is a first national flag. These are patriotic socks made by family and sent to him.’”
It’s unclear who darned the socks or when Hames – who may have been a courier --
received the items. (Photo above and at left from Alabama Archives)
While they reflect defiance, the socks don’t hold a candle to
known examples of socks made for Union soldiers that feature the U.S. flag up
high and Confederate flags on the heel. You know, being trampled. You can see
examples here and here.
The socks -- made of either wool or cotton -- went on display
last month after the Museum of Alabama reopened after months of renovation and
upgrades.
The pair is in a home-front exhibit case in the “Alabama Voices”
gallery, which features numerous Civil War artifacts.
(I will write a post soon
about technology upgrades to the gallery. For now, let me just say visitors can touch what is called a digital label to pore over closeup photos and information about artifacts.)
The agency in early November also opened a new gallery entitled “Alabama
Military Stories," which covers multiple wars.
Blocker said Hames’ socks were recently conserved. “They are
such a fascinating piece.”
Although the blue canton has faded, faint traces survive, she
said. “As
for the stars, it looks like they were embroidered onto the canton area. Some
of them only have a little of the thread left.”
The
curator sent me a photo (right) showing where she tried to pinpoint the remaining
stars, which are in a circle. “Could there have been more stars? Possibly. When
these rotate off display, I hope to have (textiles expcert) Terre Hood
Biederman examine them in person and give us a breakdown of the construction.”
Hames grew up in Troup County, Ga., on the Alabama border.
While he is believed to have enlisted as a private in 1863, I have not learned where that
occurred (perhaps Virginia) or why he joined up with Alabama units.
Hames lived in West Point, Ga., before and after the war. His
first wife, Fannie (or Fanny), and his daughter, Mary, died in 1882, He remarried in 1893
to Sarah “Sallie” Samples and they moved to Montgomery.
He died there in 1917,
age 72, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. (Photo left, courtesy Bham85, Findagrave)
Some records on Hames are puzzling, according to Blocker. His
pension application lists the 9th Mississippi Cavalry but Fold3 and
other records do not show him serving in the regiment.
Records indicate Moses’ Squadron was supposed to join the 9th
Mississippi Cavalry, but the order didn’t come to fruition because of the end
of the Civil War. The soldier was 20 years old.
“It had been carried out
to some extent, I believe, for Hames to have listed the 9th as his company of
service in his pension application,” Blocker said in an email.
