From the Editor

Franklin, Tennessee, stands as one of the great success stories of the battlefield preservation movement. Development had nearly swallowed the battlefield whole, with postage-stamp sized landmarks offering the only hint of the lost history. An infamous pizza hut served as the poster child for Worst Case Scenarios. Nearby, the monument marking the area where Confederate Maj. Gen. Pat Cleburne died seemed to suggest that Cleburne had died in the fight for cheap, convenient pizza.

But the pizza hut came down, as did another nearby pizza shop. So did a strip mall. More green space appeared. Archeology uncovered the position and character of the Federal defensive line. The Carter Cotton Gin’s foundation appeared. Cannons rolled in. Other secrets revealed themselves.

On the east side of the battlefield, a golf course slated for development turned into preserved battlefield, complete with an interpretive trail and signs. Monuments and signage commemorated lost stories of the enslaved.

A fuller story began to blossom.

The battle of Franklin fascinates many of students of the Civil War, particularly because it turned the northward advance of the Confederate Army of Tennessee into a final death ride. That fate—and our ability to see it through hindsight—gives events there a tragic cast. It also (unfortunately) often turns the subsequent battle of Nashville into a historical afterthought.

For me, though, the story of Franklin’s reclamation fascinates me even more. David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust, recently evoked the old spiritual “Amazing Grace” to describe the success there: “It once was lost, but now is found.” One might even be tempted to call the resurrection of the Franklin battlefield a miracle—except it’s not. We all now have a battlefield again because of committed leadership, passionate volunteers, and a heap of financial support, all focused on an unwavering vision.

And, even more exciting, is that the reclamation story is ongoing. It’s still in progress. It’s participatory, too—we can all play a role because there’s more work to do. The battle for the battlefield isn’t over.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit Franklin, I highly recommend it. It’s a beautiful town with plenty to see—and thanks to years of hard work, there’s battlefield to see, too.

— Chris Mackowski, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief

News and Notes

From Sarah Kay Bierle: “May has been a month of leading tours! Two tours at New Market Battlefield around the anniversary and my first all-day bus tour at Franklin Battlefield during American Battlefield Trust's Annual Conference.”

The semester is finishing up for Neil P. Chatelain. Commencement ceremonies for his students at Lone Star College occurred in mid-May, and the high school he teaches at is finishing up now. As far as the Civil War, Neil just published an article titled "The Ungentlemanly Porter-Miller Exchange" in the Spring 2023 issue of Civil War Navy, which had its origins as an ECW blog posted a year ago. Now he is gearing up for a summer of travel, research, and writing.

Doug Crenshaw and Drew Gruber delivered a talk on the Peninsula Campaign at Hanover Court House. Doug also led a tour of the Richmond Battlefields on May 22, with another coming up June 1.

Meg Groeling presented “First Fallen: The Life of Elmer Ellsworth” to the North Bay CWRT in Santa Rosa. “It was lovely,” she says.

The big news for Dwight Hughes is that the ECW 10th Anniversary volume, The Civil War on The Water: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War, finally landed on his doorstep and hopefully on many outlet shelves. It's Dwight's first effort as editor, backed up by Chris Mackowski, containing great navy stories from him and many other ECW authors. 

From Frank Jastrzembski and his work with Shrouded Veterans: “A veteran headstone was placed at Brevet Brigadier General George W. Gowen’s grave. He was killed in action at Petersburg, Virginia, on April 2, 1865, at age 25. A family friend returned his remains to Pennsylvania and they were buried at St. Luke’s Episcopal Churchyard in Germantown. Despite an impressive monument at Petersburg, only a fragment of Gowen’s original headstone marked his grave.” For more, see Frank’s post at ECW.

Chris Kolakowski appeared on the VIP Vanguard: Indo-Pacific podcast about the importance of military history. You can listen here.

From Chris Mackowski: “To quote Sarah Kay Bierle, ‘May has been a month of leading tours!’ In early May, I led a bus tour of Chancellorsville for the Harrisburg and Hershey Civil War Roundtables. In mid-May, I led a pair of tours for the American Battlefield Trust during its conference in Franklin, TN. The first tour, co-led by Matt Atkinson, used landmarks around Franklin and Spring Hill to talk about various Confederate personalities, including John Bell Hood, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Earl Van Dorn, Leonidas Polk, Sam Watkins, and even Richard Ewell. The second tour, led by Joe Ricci, recounted one of the great lost opportunities of the Civil War, the Federal escape at Spring Hill.” (a photo from the tour with Joe is pictured above)

Terry Rensel made a research visit to the Hagen History Center in Erie, PA. He also visited the site of John Brown's tannery from 1825-1835 in Crawford County, PA, as well as the Pithole City, PA. ghost town site near Titusville, PA, where John Wilkes Booth was an oil field speculator in the summer/early fall in 1864. While in Titusville, he also paid his respects at the home of pioneering journalist Ida Tarbell.

Brian Swartz shared a Joshua L. Chamberlain program from his ECW Series book Passing Through the Fire with the Penobscot County RetiredTeachers Association during a May 11 meeting in Brewer, Maine.

Tim Talbott will be presenting about the Battle of New Market Heights at Gettysburg College's Civil War Institute on June 10.

Jon Tracey ventured to Indianapolis and, after a trip to see the living history museum at Conner Prairie, he spoke at the Indianapolis CWRT, which is nearing its 70th anniversary! He spoke on the service of the 27th Indiana Infantry and how one of its veterans wrote about and remembered that service later in life.

New from ECW’s “Engaging the Civil War” Series with Southern Illinois University Press:

Without Concealment, Without Compromise: The Courageous Lives of Black Civil War Surgeons by Jill L. Newmark. Jill is a former curator and exhibition specialist at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. 

Of some twelve thousand Union Civil War surgeons, only fourteen were Black men. This book is the first-ever comprehensive exploration of their lives and service. Jill L. Newmark’s outstanding research uncovers stories hidden for more than 150 years, illuminating the unique experiences of proud, patriotic men who fought racism and discrimination to attend medical school and serve with the U.S. military. Their efforts and actions influenced societal change and forged new pathways for African Americans.

To find out more, or order a copy, visit SIU Press. You can also visit Jill's website at blackcivilwarsurgeons.com.

New from Savas Beatie’s

Emerging Civil War 10th Anniversary Series:

The Civil War on the War: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians of Emerging Civil War, co-edited by Dwight Hughes and Chris Mackowski.

“Nor must Uncle Sam’s web-feet be forgotten,” cautioned Abraham Lincoln. The latest book in the ECW 10th Anniversary Series looks at naval actions on the open seas, along the coast, on the shores, and up and down the rivers. The volume provides a comprehensive overview of naval warfare, arranged roughly chronologically, while also highlighting major actions, key players, and lesser-known tales.

To find out more, or order a copy,

visit Savas Beatie.