Civil War POWs: Clawing for survival

Confederate soldiers at Camp Douglas in Chicago (Library of Congress)

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the peak year of suffering in Civil War prisons. At Andersonville alone, nearly 13,000 men died over 14 months -- an average of more than 30 a day in that span. Overall, 30,000 Union and 26,000 Confederate soldiers died in captivity. Thousands of Civil War POWs clawed for life. When not dreaming of home and freedom, they were obsessed with food, sometimes consuming rats or boiling grass to ward off scurvy. • Article

Sand dunes, or made by soldiers?

A North Carolina amateur historian has discovered what's believed to be a Civil War camp with ties to early Union victories on Hatteras Island that prompted President Abraham Lincoln to dance a jig. "Who built this?" Mel Covey asked of tall, brush-covered mounds along the waterfront. "I know it's not natural." He is convinced they're the remains of Camp Live Oak. • Article

Recalling SS Sultana: Disaster on the river

Overcrowded SS Sultana the day before disaster (Library of Congress)

The SS Sultana, packed with Union soldiers heading home after the end of the Civil War, went down in the Mississippi River north of Memphis, Tenn., after an explosion and raging fire 149 years ago, on April 27, 1865. The staggering loss of 1,800 souls got hardly any attention at the time because the nation was weary of war and mourning the loss of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. In 2012, The Picket did extensive reporting on several angles of the disaster. Here they all are:
• Exhibit recalls largest disaster in U.S. maritime history
• Working model captures every detail of Sultana
• Disaster took lives of those who suffered so much 
• Will Sultana earn more prominent place in history? 

Drum lost in battle has a new home

(Washington County Historical Society)

The journeys of a drum used during the Civil War make for a compelling story. A Georgia drummer boy set it down during fierce fighting at Cold Harbor, Va., to use a gun and lost the instrument. Fifty years later, he read a newspaper letter from a New York resident offering to sell it to the original owner. It later survived a library fire. The drum now has a new home in Sandersville, Ga. • Article and video

B*ATL stays busy with 150th Atlanta events, raising money to fix monuments

As it continues to raise money for the restoration of monuments to two opposing generals, the Battle of Atlanta Commemoration Organization (B*ATL) is preparing for May and July events marking the 150^th anniversary of the pivotal clash in what are now largely residential neighborhoods

B*ATL is a charter member of the Atlanta Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, which has a kickoff event scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. May 3. (Click here for details)

W. Todd Groce, president and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society, will lay out the day’s programming, entitled “Civil War to Civil Rights: Our 150-Year Journey,” at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta. The topic of his talk: "Civil War Atlanta:  Why it Still Matters."

Venues for the day will include the Atlanta Preservation Center and the Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum. Tours include Sweet Auburn, Fort Walker at Grant Park and Oakland Cemetery.

B*ATL is based in East Atlanta, where there will be an afternoon tour of key battle sites and a “Salute to Fallen Heroes” at the statue memorializing Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, a favorite of Union Gen. William T. Sherman.

McPherson was killed when he rode into Confederate lines during the July 22, 1864, Battle of Atlanta. Less than a mile away, Confederate Maj. Gen. William H.T. Walker was knocked out of his saddle by a sniper.

Henry Bryant, chairman of B*ATL, had hoped the restoration work on the Walker and McPherson monuments would have been completed in time for the sesquicentennial events. But it needs about $191,000 and has a good distance to go.

Walker monument

“We have made progress with the fundraising, but it has been slow going,” said Bryant. “We are now about halfway there and have prospects for a large chunk of the remainder.”

“Monument restoration is looking less likely this year, although it could still happen if our big chunk comes in.”

Bryant said the group might do a groundbreaking sometime this year if it nears the goal. B*ATL continues to solicit donations (see end of article).

The monuments, each featuring a centerpiece cannon, went up years after the Civil War.

Time and, in one case, traffic have taken a toll on the memorials. They sit on dislodged or structurally weak foundations. The cannons have some water damage and are rusting in places.

B*ATL each summer puts on events marking the battle and its impact on what are now-thriving communities east of downtown Atlanta.

McPherson memorial

This year’s sesquicentennial edition, set for July 12-20, includes a July 12 gala at East Lake Golf Club, walking, van and cemetery tours on Saturday, July 19, the DoubleQuick 5K race and the 8^th Regiment Band on July 19, a soldiers’ encampment, storytelling, two plays and appearances by authors during the week.

The organization will update its main website soon and is posting updates at its Facebook page. This year’s logo features the McPherson and Walker monuments.

For details on donating for the monument restoration, see the B*ATL website or contact sponsorship@batlevent.org. Donations are tax-deductible and there are gifts for various levels of support. B*ATL is working with Kroger grocery stores’ community rewards program. Register your Kroger card at www.krogercommunityrewards.com by clicking sign in/create your account, follow the prompts to update your information, select the NPO for BATL - 58394.  This will not affect fuel points accumulation, said Bryant.