A Resting Place Retrospective

© H. Scott Heist 12 / splintercottage.com

It’s hard to believe that is has been nearly two weeks since A Resting Place made its world premiere.  What a whirlwind weekend and what a great turn out. The week leading up to the event was spent checking the weather report every few hours to see if the possible rain showers were going to force us in doors.  Not only did it not rain, but the days got warmer and more beautiful as the weekend went along.  As nervous as some might have been that all the venues would make for a complicated weekend, great planning and helpful volunteers made everything possible in the end.

It was difficult for me to appreciate the grandeur of our show because I could only see it from the inside.  But I will say, once the wagon started rolling in for our first night, once I could see the large crowd spread through out the space and could hear the music swell into the sky, that was when I knew this thing that has been so important to me for nearly two years was now important to the whole community of Bethlehem.

We are thrilled to report that there was an estimated attendance of 1500 over the course of the weekend. Every day the cast was met with uproarious applause and appreciation.  Everyone I’ve talked to commented on what a huge success it was, everything from the beautiful wagon to the incredible elephant and the tremendous cast has been praised with delight.

It was an incredibly challenging weekend, and seemed to take on epic proportions.  I think for me it was right around the time I painted make up on about the 50th chorus member on the first night that it really hit me what a marathon I was participating in.  In the end it was all worth it, and it will be a story to share with everyone willing to listen for a lifetime to come.

For hundreds of photos from the weekend of production, please visit our facebook page.  Many thanks to H. Scott Heist for creating such artful documentation of a truly one of a kind event.  And thanks to everyone involved for making A Resting Place a huge success.

© H. Scott Heist 12 / splintercottage.com

To Do Or To Document

As I was on my ninth hour of a fourteen hour day yesterday, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the assignments I’ve been tasked with and how I could possibly give our readers a look into the life of an apprentice.

My day began yesterday at 6:15am.  It began with a phone call from LVPA asking if I could teach.  But I needed to be at one of my other three jobs (in this case McCarthy’s Tearoom) extra early for a special monthly meeting of the Rotary Club that begins at 7:30am.  Once my early guests were settled in, out came the laptop, and up went the internet, as I dug in to my current assignment for Touchstone.  I was to post nine podcasts to the blog ASAP.  I got it done, and by the time I did, my Rotarians have left and I set the Tearoom up for a day of serving solo.

As I continue on with my day I get phone calls about a big Titanic dinner at the Tearoom Saturday night.  I answer questions about the menu and the entertainment, when I find myself telling the inquirers about another exciting event happening in Bethlehem this weekend, this great play called A Resting Place.  I let them know how they could get a full day of Bethlehem in its glory by coming to see the show during the day and finish their night with an evening of Titanic celebrations.

In the final hour two students from LVPA come in for a pot of tea.  One is in A Resting Place with me; the other is another theater major.  After helping them pick out the perfect pot of tea to hit the spot, I can’t help my apprentice hat from coming out to ask the student not already involved in A Resting Place if she was interested in volunteering for front of house this weekend.  Lucky for me, she was excited by the idea and by result I’m that much closer to finding the thirty-six volunteers I need for this upcoming three day extravaganza.

When my day at the tearoom ends, I have two hours until rehearsal begins for the night.  Instead of resting, I head to the construction site where set and elephant are coming together and spend what little time I have left painting the stage floor yellow.  What’s nice is that even though I’m exhausted, I love what I’m doing.  The satisfaction that comes from seeing what a coat of paint can do to quickly transform a space gives me a quite joy I can’t help but appreciate.  That’s when I slip on my documenter’s hat and jump out of the wagon to grab my camera and start taking some shots of my work and all the work going on around me.

Final stretch of the night: rehearsal.  It was an evening to clean up certain moments and cover the logistics of our crazy weekend.  I begin to run the camera, and take footage until the battery finally dies.  I can’t help but think, “I hear you battery, I hear you.” So I put the camera down and use all my energy to stay present.  This is when it hits me, as important as documentation is, and as happy as I am to do it, it can be quite challenging to participate fully while trying to capture in words and visuals what unfolds before me.

I am one person, but my roles for this project include actor, assistant director, blogger, film documenter, volunteer coordinator, researcher, occasionally marketing and administrative assistant, and most recently added, set painter and make-up artist.  This is on top of my other roles as a server and a teacher outside of Touchstone.  Can I get overwhelmed by all these responsibilities? Absolutely.  Am I up for the challenge?  You can count on it.

Blogging has been the most difficult role to fulfill by far, and I realize it comes down to the fact that I love to do; in whatever form it takes, action is my friend.  Blogging means that not only must I take action, but I must take time to reflect on the action taken.  This gets harder and harder the more tasks my brain has to wrestle with.  But I will say this; blogging is one of the most important roles I fill.  It is my chance to share this amazing project with the community at large and to save a piece of it for posterity.

If James Peifer can write letters home with bullets whizzing past his head using his knees for a desk, then I can take the time to capture some history while creating the future at the same time.  Tomorrow this marvelous new work will celebrate our community, our culture, and of course, the Civil War.  Two years in the making, and it still feels like it’s going by so fast.

Crunch Time

It’s getting to be about that time.  It’s the time when all the moving parts are coming together, when costumes, set, sound, and purpose unite and we finally get to see what it is we’re making here.  This past Saturday was a big day for A Resting Place.  It was the first (and only) time the cast worked with all the production elements at once.  Yes, it was very (very) windy, yes, it was very sunny, yes, we spent six hours outdoors running through the show adjusting to all these production elements in tandem with all the environmental ones.  And yes, it was great fun and brought us that much closer to opening night.

© H. Scott Heist 12 / splintercottage.com

It’s funny to think that the rehearsal process began just six short weeks ago.  When we started this project, and knew how large it was going to be and how frequently the venues changed from performance to performance, it was difficult to imagine how it would all come together.  We started by rehearsing small pieces in one hour rehearsal blocks.  It was like creating patches that would eventually come together into a quilt.  Little by little, we’d add a prop here, a costume piece there, connect a few scenes, and throw in some music.  Every step of the way made me go, “okay, I see what we’re getting at.”

Well, now I can safely say, “okay, I see what we have.”  I’ve always been mystified by the power of the theatre.  Every time you start a new project, the goals feel unreachable for the first stretch, begin to seem possible by the middle, and then one day, as if by magic, it all just comes together.  It was this trust in theatre itself that helped me to power through these last few weeks, and I have never respected the magic of the theatre as much as I do right now.

One of the crazy things I always consider when I’m thinking about the Civil War Era is that it was a mere four years long.  In four years our country completely transformed itself.  We lost and won so much during that time.  In six weeks we have also transformed ourselves, and won far more than we lost.  Knowing this, it gives me new appreciation for what is possible in a short amount of time.  It is my wish to share this appreciation with others, and remind us all there is always time to build something together.

Reflection on the Research

I’d like to take a minute to reflect personally on the mountain of research I have compiled and posted over the last few weeks.  Before beginning work on this project I never imagined I’d ever take an interest in the particulars of the Civil War.  While I’ve always liked history, I have never enjoyed focusing on the battles fought and blood spilled.  But as I uncovered information layer by layer, person by person, something happened to me, and now, as we begin to tie it all together, I find myself thirsty for new information about a subject that has become near and dear to my heart.

The first spark of love for this subject began by reading Bethlehem Boy.  It was an opportunity to follow one man’s journey.  James Peifer grew up mere blocks away from the house I currently live in, and not only did he write letters with an almost religious fervor, he wrote them with love, hope and intellect.  Each one paints a picture; not only is it a firsthand account of battle, but it is also an artful look at the words that kept their author alive.

I went from reading Peifer’s letters to wading through the massive binder of research collected by my predecessor and friend, Mariel Iezonni.  While all the information helped fill out my understanding of the war, it was always the letters that captivated me most deeply.  And thus began a hunt for more letters.

Combing through the smallest print I’ve ever seen to find the hidden jewels that lay printed in the Moravian newspaper was painstaking and totally with it.  The biggest joy was linking the letters printed in the paper to the other events highlighted on the same day.  It was at this point that the city of Bethlehem itself became tangible and real.  From lists of what was sold at market to write ups on the musical entertainments of the day, I drew color from the black and white text.  One day I even found a short article about Rag Parties and how girls would get together to make rugs out of old rags, complete with prizes for the most impressive creations.  I have rugs in my home that were made during this time period by my great great grandmother, and that little article delighted me because of the direct connection to my personal history.

In the end though, all this research has lead me to more questions than answers.  Peifer’s writing always made me wonder, “If this is what he’s writing home about, what also happened that was too difficult to share with his sister?”  Peifer’s letters are so interesting, but they made me wish for the letters his sister wrote back in return.  What did she have to say?  Every time I finished another day’s worth of local news I was always left wondering what some of the more ambiguous texts were hinting at.  What was not fit to print? What was the whole story?

I may never know the whole story, I may always crave more information, but I am closer than I could have ever imagined to the history that lay quite literally under my feet.  Now, when I walk through Nisky Hill, not only can I appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, but I can walk past the great men who fought for our country and say, “I know you and I thank you.”

The Wolle / Butts Correspondence

Little by little I have been highlighting the research for A Resting Place, and today the spotlight is on the Wolle/Butts correspondence.

The whole letters are what is linked above, and quotes from the letters, as well as photos of the real documents follow below.  These letters were so important to our research because it gave us a human perspective from the confederate point of view.  The letters tell a tale of a father who wants the best for his daughter and his family above all else.  I hope our readers enjoy these letters as much as Touchstone has.

Chris Morris, teacher at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, plays Butts in A RESTING PLACE. Photography © h scott heist 12

Reverend Wolle was the headmaster at the Moravian Seminary for Girls.  He corresponded with all the parents of his pupils and was very well respected for be a kind and reasonable man.  The following six letters were written to him by Jason Butts, a man from Georgia who sent his daughter Kittie to be educated at Moravian Seminary right before the war began.

In the last Butts letter he is a prisoner on board of the Fisher-King ship, which is a Northern battleship.  The final letter is from Edward Pierrepont.  He writes to Wolle saying that Butts will be released as soon as Butts declares allegiance to the North, which he does not.  We have no further documents to know what happened next.

12/21/1860 — This is the first letter in a string of 6, from Butts to Wolle.  Butts is from Georgia, and is writing to the headmaster of Moravian Seminary for girls, where his daughter Kitty Butts is attending school.  The bulk of this letter is simply a father arranging for her daughter to travel to New York City for a school trip and to see some family there. Butts only alludes to the war in his post script, where he writes that South Carolina has seceded from the Union.

“The wires have this evening conveyed the news here that South Carolina has seceded, and while I write the bells are

A look at a letter written to Rev. Wolle from Jason Butts over 150 years ago

ringing cannon firing and drums beating.  Considering the dire necessity for this course and this seems a mournful dirge to me than of rejoicing.  Other states will soon follow.”

12/31/1860 — In this letter, Butts reaffirms his faith in Wolle and the Seminary. He assures Wolle that he will continue to send his daughter there, despite Wolle’s seminary being a Northern institution. However, in the rest of the letter, Butts argues for the war from a Southern perspective.

“I regret extremely the determination of my friends to withdraw their children’s friends from school.  Mr. Hines and Mr. Strozier both applied to me to know what I was going to do about my Daughter and I told them that I had places my Daughter at school to be educated and not to learn politics, and urged them both to let the young ladies remain here, and I thought they were satisfied and I felt astonished when I saw that they had sent on for them.”

“Why right here in this interior town of ours, there have been not less than eighteen or twenty of our slaves enticed away.  All lost to the owners except two who after tasting the cup of freedom in the Northern States and in Canada have returned home to their owners of their own free will.”

“The northern mind has educated itself into the belief that slavery is wrong and consequently they hate the slaveholder – this has brought about a corresponding feeling of hatred, intensified, in the minds of the Southern people – Such being the case is it bit better for all parties that the Government should divvy and let each party pursue its own course unmolested by the other.”

How is A RESTING PLACE Different?

This past week I took the time to ask our cast members how A Resting Place is different from other shows they’ve done.  See what they have to say in this short video.

Staying Loose and Taking Shape

Costumer Bill Bauman gets Cathleen O'Malley into costume as Almenia. Photography © H. Scott Heist 12

We are eleven days from opening night.  The cast has spent their nights and weekends together over the last four weeks, and as we get closer and closer to performance, it is exciting to see how this elephant of a project is beginning to come together.  The beauty and challenge of this play rests in its ever changing scenery, while the script stays the same, there will never be two performances alike.

This week we were able to add the new elements of more props, costumes, and music.  A Resting Place is becoming decidedly show like.  It’s wonderful to see the cast begin to see and understand this unique production for what it will be less than two weeks from now.  I look forward to seeing what happens when the elephant and wagon are both finished and we have all the moving parts working together.

In the beginning of rehearsal process, our director, Christopher Shorr, told me what he had learned about the proper way to attach the back wheels to a wagon.  He said that if you attach the back wheels so they are completely secure and set in place, than you run the risk of breaking the wagon in half if the wagon finds a hard turn or a tricky rut.  Whereas if you merely chain the back wheels to the wagon instead, it can handle all kinds of obstacles without ever splintering.  He told me that was how he had come to think of our play.

Prop mistress Katy Fitzpatrick works on an American flag. Photography © H. Scott Heist 12

A Resting Place has many moving parts, with any number of unknowable and knowable obstacles to overcome from night to night.  Obstacles like never having rehearsed in the venues we will be performing in, not knowing if we can expect rain or shine, having no idea what size house we will be playing to, having to configure the set slightly differently from venue to venue, having our base of operations at the Ice House and needing to transport the cast to and from it in order to get in and out of costumes.

So many factors, so many details.  This is not your average production by any standard.  But by staying loose, going with the flow, and saying yes , we as a cast not only get to be a part of something wholly outside the usual, but we also get to learn a valuable lesson about sticking together when everything around us is changing.  If that’s not the point of commemorating the Civil War while looking toward the future, I don’t know what is.

Cast members Bronwyn Bishop and Victoria Mastellar look on as the elephant, affectionately nicknamed "Betty," takes shape. Photography © H. Scott Heist 12

Microfilm and quotes from 1864 and 1865

This is the final batch of quote from the Moravian Newspaper from the years 1864 and 1865.  As the war wound down there were less accounts in the newspaper of battles and men writing home, but everyone once and a while there was still news from the battlefield.  I personally wonder why there were so few accounts during this time, I can only guess that the news was too difficult to read, and everyone was reaching the end of what they could take.

That being said, some of the most interesting documents I found were during these last years.  The first letter quoted in this series is a great example of that.

1864 and 1865 – Letters

3/10/1864——This is a story of the Virginia 54^th taking pity on the Ohio 3^rd, and how for one night two sides of the war came together to eat and embrace their humanity.  It’s my favorite letter from my research.

“Worn down, famished hearts heavy and haversacks light, they were herded like dumb, driven cattle, to wear out the night.  A Rebel regiment, the 54^th Virginia, being encamped nearby, many of its men came strolling about to see the sorry show of poor supperless Yankees…. And came streaming back with coffee kettles, corn bread, and bacon.”

“Loyal guests and rebel hosts were mingled; our hungry boys ate and were satisfied; and for that one night our common humanity stood acquitted of the heavy charge of total depravity with which it had been blackened.”

“And there is was that horrid war smiled a human smile, and a grateful, gentle light flickered for a moment on the point of the bayonet.  And yet, should the 54^th Virginia return tomorrow with arms in their hands to the Tennessee, the 3^rd Ohio would meet them on the bank, fight them foot to foot, and beat them back with rain so pitiless the river would run red.”

11/17/1864——-The only letter I have found referencing Native Americans.  It is an account of the son of a chief being held prisoner for 17 months, and then died only a month after he was released.  The quote below is the entire write up of the account.

“Sir: The Hon. John Ross, Chief of the loyal Cherokees, who is a refugee from his country, residing in this city, has received by telegraph the painful intelligence of the death of his eldest son, James, who has been seventeen months confined in a rebel prison in Texas, enduring all the hardships and trials which their hatred to his father prompted them to inflict.  He was only released a short time since, at the mouth of the Red River, in time to die, on the 9^th inst., at Barnum’s Hotel, St. Louis, on his was to see his venerable father and two young motherless children, who, with their aunt and several parts of the Cherokee families, composed of women and children, have sought in the distracted state of their country an asylum in Bethlehem, PA.  The Chief, deeply afflicted by the death, seemed to derive some consolation from the fact, as he expressed it, “that his son permitted by Divine Providence to die under the stars and stripes, and not in rebel hands.”  As the Cherokee country is thoroughly infested with Genreal Prince’s rebel forces, he has ordered his remains to be brought, by Adams’ Express, to Bethlehem, Pa., where they will be interred in the Moravian burying ground, under which sod a number of his race sleep.  The Moravians were the first missionaries among the Cherokees, before they were expelled from Georgia in 1835.  I am, sir, yours truly, W.”

8/4/1864—— This letter gives accounts of the 46^th latest battle including most recent casualties.

“The skirmishes were briskly engaged all the day long, and at half past three o’clock ours were driven in pell mell, and before we were in a position to receive an attack they were upon us.”

“Our gallant little General was ever where the fight was fiercest, giving every point his attention with a word of encouragement to everyone.  The Colonel, (Selfridge) “old iron clad,” as he is now called, was fortunate as ever and is untouched.  Major Griffith is all right.  Capt. Stolzenbach, one of the bravest of the brave, who has never missed a battle, was struck in the sword hand whilst dressing his line and cheering his men.  His hand was amputated—he is doing well, and will soon be home.”

“The regiment suffered severely.  Killed 22; wounded 83; missing 9; total 114.”

2/16/1865——The following quotes come from extracts of McCarty’s letter describing the 500 mile and fifty day march from Atlanta to Savannah known as Sherman’s March to the Sea.

“Colonel Selfridge and his Adjutant came up and told us to move as close to them as possible without exposing ourselves.  I got on a log to take a view of the rebels, when they suddenly opened with grapeshot, but as our men were lying down we escaped without injury.”

“Night having overtaken us we went into camp, and very glad we were, for we were very tired.  Our loss was three men wounded.  10^{th (?)}, came upon the enemy’s camp, four miles from Savannah.  Slight skirmishes  until dark.”

“One man very near me was wounded whilst asleep, by a fragment of a shell.  I heard him groan and at once got up, lit a candle, and found on lifting up his blanket, that the shell had taken off his left arm, and lodged in his side near the heart, and tearing away part of his lung.  He said he must die, but he was willing, for he was a good man.”

“After we were all in line, the news came that the rebels had evacuated, leaving over 300 pieces of artillery in their fortifications.  In our front they left two 60-pounders and one 20-pounder; on our left eight 32-pounders and four 12-pounders besides a quantity of ammunition.”

“On Christmas Day (Sunday) I went to Church, and heard an excellent sermon.  The church was crowded with ladies, children, gentlemen and soldiers, and was beautifully decorated.  My Christmas dinner I enjoyed at Captain Selfridge’s table.  He is on detached service, and has his quarters in the city.  We are again ordered to prepare for an active campaign.”

1864 – Cultural References

1/28/1864——-Lecture by Miss Debois, born a slave, but now free, delivered a speech about her life to a captive audience at Citizens Hall.

“A novel and instructive entertainment was given to a large and very respectful audience on the last Monday evening in Citizens’ Hall, where a colored lady, Miss Oneda Debois, born a slave in Alabama, delivered an admirable lecture, mainly devoted to her early experiences in the house of bondage, and the manners and customs of her adopted country.”

“Certainly her own lady-like demeanor, and the proofs of high mental culture afforded by her lecture are the very best, and indeed to every candid mind an almost irresistible evidence that the poor, despised and down-trodden people to whom she belongs are susceptible of great elevation.  Her able vindication of this people, her proud disdain of the contumely so heaped upon them, her defense of their soldierly qualities, and a well-deserved panegyric pronounced by her upon the famous Haytien revolution, were exceedingly touching and even eloquent.”

“Her lectures, judging from what we have heard, can only subserve the cause of truth, justice, and genuine progress.”

2/18/1864——–The reception of the 46^th Regiment home for a 30 day furlough.

“After having their ranks greatly thinned by sickness and casualties of many a hard fought battle field, have almost unanimously re-enlisted, and thus put the crowning touch upon their glorious achievements.”

“Such conduct merits the highest applause, and we are accordingly glad to record that our citizens, without distinction of party, did themselves honor by according to them a most cordial and enthusiastic reception.  The boys of the 46^th were met at the Depot by a large crowd, not withstanding the lateness of the hour of their arrival – which was after six o’clock in the evening – and escorted them into town in due style, by a procession led off by Marshal C. A. Luckenbach, Esq., and accompanied by a band of martial music.”

“The procession rested in front on Mr. Orville Grinder’s house in Main Street, where Colonel W. E. Doster, late of the 4^th Pennsylvania Calvary addressed the soldiers in behalf of the community, saluting them in eloquent language, expressing the sincere admiration that is felt towards his devoted band, and paying a just tribute of respect to the heroes who have fallen.”

More Microfilm goodies from 1863

Can’t get enough of teeny tiny print and great quotes from local Bethlehem History?  Here are some links to the microfilm containing letters and cultural references from 1863.  And for those of you who care more about the quotes and less about old newspapers, here are some quotes that highlight the contents of the prints linked.

1863 – The Letters

1/15/1863——-Letter begins by hoping that Moravians will continue to visit soldiers at camp.  The letter continues to account the happening at camp, and also asks that the people from home write to their loved ones who are fighting about happy positive things instead of the dark distresses of life at home.

“But there are so many dwellers in tents who do get messages, and they feel so good, it puts the whole camp in better spirits.  Here and there sits one mystified by the silence of home correspondents, who can not appreciate the sense of loneliness and symptoms of ‘nostalgia’ (as the surgeons have it,) which creep over the volunteer when the mail brings him no letter, it makes separation deeply sad.”

“Send on, then, dear friends, letters that will hold up, rather than weigh down, the heart of the soldier who is trying faithfully to do his whole duty.  Don’t lose your faith as to final success.  Grit at home tells upon grit on the field.”

2/19/63 ———Chaplain William Henry Rice updates the people at home about the soldiers’ movements after the Battle at Fredericksburg.

“The camp was still there, no change; we left it, admonished of the work before us by the roar of distant cannon, playing the first overture in the Fredericksburg Opera: we returned with the thunders of an hundred guns, the rattling of ten thousands of muskets, the shrill music of countless shells ringing in our ears; our hearts heavy with the terrible realities of our first battle field and that not a victory.

“All got along swimmingly that night, and the daylight when it brought, not the greeting of the home cock of the morn, but of the trumpet notes “fall in” never revealed a muddier and more astounded set of soldiers.  But “fall in” was the word, and if the regiment didn’t fall in, it certainly waded in.”

4/23/1863——- On April 15^th, Hagen wrote home about his visit to the soldiers in Washington.  Washington DC and its surrounding landscapes are described by Hagen in a way that allows the reader to imagine the scenes of war and desolation.

“As we approach Washington, we begin to realize that we were near the seat of war.  Fortifications and soldiery were all around us, and military matters constituted the prominent feature of the scene.  But there was one object full in our view which is ever new and interesting to the traveler, namely the magnificent Capitol.  Despite the cost and circumstance of war, it is fast approaching its completion.”

“While there the tomb of Washington’s mother, in the rear of Fredericksburg, was pointed out to me.  A large white monument marks the sacred spot—but in front of it the rebels have large earthworks, near which one of their brigades was drilling.  Shameful sacrilege! To stand, as it were, on the very grave of her who bore the Father of our Country, and from thence to draw the best blood of our nation’s heart—witness the late fearful carnage on this ground—in order to uphold and perpetuate that monster crime, and “sum of all villainies,” which has entailed upon us this sanguinary war.”

6/4/1863——– On May 28^th, the 46^th writes to the newspaper about their recent battle at Chancellorsville.  This is a very upbeat letter claiming that the soldiers are able to enjoy themselves through the hardships.

“Should and of your readers suppose that our Colonel or other officers live better than we, let them dispel the illusion, for it is no uncommon thing to see our Colonel sitting among a group of his boys, on the ground, and hear his ‘thank you’ as he receives a piece of bacon just done brown.  Don’t imagine, if you please, that such fare and such hardships—as many might term them—grieve the soldier, for never does he laugh or sing louder, and never is he more jolly than when wading through mud and fording streams.  In short he loves to be on the move, and heeds but little the condition of the roads.”

6/11/1863——–This letter is in defense of the Eleventh Corps generally and the 153^rd specifically.  The 153^rd had the reputation for being cowards in battle, but as this letter iterates, the 153^rd fought as bravely as they could in some truly difficult circumstances.

“It had been commanded, till recently, by Franz Sigel.  No sooner was he got rid of, than the command was given to General Howard, an utter stranger to every man in his command.”

“The corps formed the extreme right wing of General Hooker’s army, who, in undertaking the movement, resorted to the bold manoeuvre of dividing his own forces to attack a united adversary”

“Our right wing rested upon nothing – neither a hill nor a defile, not even a wall or fence.  This was wrong; but instead of making up for the weakness of the position by masses of soldiers, the corps, the weakest one in the army, was left without intrenchments, two miles from the center, where Hooker entrenched himself.”

“Yet the troops, instead of being massed in columns, capable of throwing their strength into any direction, and of offering a stubborn resistance to any change, were spun out into a gossamer line, like the poor victim of the guillotine strapped upon his board, leaving but two men at any given point to receive the shock of any mass to be hurled against them.”

7/23/1863——– The following is written by Alex Selfridge to his parents, printed in the Moravian with permission from his parents.  The letter accounts the major happenings of the Battle of Gettysburg, as well as the month that followed.

“One fellow rushed from the rebel line, risked both his own and our fire, scaled the breastworks and jumped in among our boys.  The first thing he did was to distribute his cartridges among the boys them to give it to ‘em.  This happened only a few feet from where my company lay.”

“When the fighting was over we went into the woods and there beheld the horrid ghastly sight of men lying dead, mangled and cut in every conceivable way.  It is only at such times when one can fully realize what a terrible thing war is.”

8/20/1863——-Presentation to Colonel J.L. Selfridge of a medal commending him for his service, given to him by his regiment.  While printed in the Moravian, the following extract from a letter contained in the Pittsburgh Evening Chronicle of August 12th.

“The medal is made in the shape of a star, (the insignia of the corps,) bearing the following inscription: “Presented to Colonel James L. Selfridge by the officers of the 46th Regiment Penn’a Volunteers, as a token of their high esteem and regard,” and the names of the battles in which the regiment and Colonel have participated as follows: “Winchester, March 23rd, 1862,” “Middletown, May 24th, 1862,” “Winchester, May 25th 1862,” “Cedar Mountain, August 9th, 1862,” “Sulpher Springs, August 27th, 1862,” Rappahannock, August 29th, 1862,” “South Mountain, September 14th, 1862,” “Antietam, September 17th, 1862,” “Chancellorsville, April 30th, May 1st, 2d, 3rd, 1863,” “Gettysburg 1st, 2d, and 3rd of July, 1863.””

1863 – Cultural References

4/16/1863——-Resolution of Respect – this is an agreement between the soldiers of the 153^rd Regiment on how to respect and honor the dead.

“At a meeting held on the 8^th day of April 1863, by Company A, Captian Owen Rice, 153^rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, in Camp near Potomac Creek Bridge, VA, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted.

Whereas, it has pleased Almighty God, to remove from our midst after severe illness, our esteemed comrade, Charles B. Shafer, thereby again bringing forcibly to our minds, that, ‘in the midst of life we are in death,’ therefore –

Resolved, That whilst we mourn the loss of our departed comrade, we bow with humble submission to the will of God; knowing that ‘He doeth all things well.’

Resolved, That in the death of our beloved comrade, we have lost a good soldier, as well as a good companion, and one, who was ever ready when called upon to do his duty.

Resolved, That we must truly and heartily sympathize with the bereaved mother and relatives in this their hour of trial and affliction; and may God in His infinite goodness and mercy, grant unto them ‘that peace of mind which passeth all understanding,’ and give them grace to hear their loss with Christian fortitude.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the mother and relatives of deceased, and that the same be published in the Moravian, Easton, Argus, and the Correspondent and Democrat.”

9/3/1863——–An article of Female Modesty gives a clear idea that women in the Moravian town of Bethlehem were meant to be seen and not heard.  The following quote, shown here in full, makes it clear that self sufficiency and forwardness were great faults in women and should be avoided at all costs.

“Among the faults which disfigure the character of the present day not the least is a practical under valuing of modesty by too many of the young of the female sex.  This evil does not manifest itself in gross forms.  It is not a want of chaste manors; it is not absolute immodesty.  Self-sufficiency and forwardness are its distinguishing features.  It discards humility as an antiquated virtue, and smiles at an unobtrusive deportment as a relic of a former age.  The world progresses, and in some work on female education many young persons seem to have found, or fancy to have discovered, a law of progress with regard to female behavior too.

The family is one of those relations of life in which such a want of modesty may but too often.  Daughters usurp the places of their mothers, not indeed in the kitchen, but fully in the parlor.  They attempt to rule the house.  Restraint is irksome to them, advice is “old fashioned;” retirement is not to be thought of.  To make themselves prominent, to follow their whims and caprice and annicments regardless of others; to be pert and bold and even impudent; all this appears to be looked upon as a matter of course, a prerogative of young misses in the nineteenth century.”

Microfilm from The Moravian 1862 including quotes

One of the most rewarding and time consuming efforts I have made during the research portion of the Civil War Project has been to comb through microfilm of The Moravian newspaper for letters from soldiers and other interesting tidbits.  In this entry I have included links to my best finds from 1862 and are divided between letters and cultural references.

Since the scanned documents can be quite a challenge, even once magnified, I have also included some of my favorite quotes that I discovered along the way.  I hope this entry will help illuminate the history for our readers, and be a cerebral treat for all those nerds out there who get as excited about old newspapers as I do.

1862 – The Letters

6/5/1862—–This letter is about a retreat at Winchester by the 46^th  regiment.

“The men seem to think but little of the clothing they lost, but regret the loss of keepsakes, which cannot be replaced.”

“Segt. H. had command of a gun of Knapp’s Pennsylvania Battery at Front Royal, and after two hours hard fighting was shot in the leg.  The ball was immediately removed, and he again took his post and continued there until compelled to leave, an hour later, by overwhelming numbers.  When he left, the hospital was in flames and rebel guards were stationed around the building to prevent egress.  There seems to be but one feeling, and that of hatred toward these heartless beings.”

10/9/1862——Alex Selfridge recounts his time being held captive by the rebels.

“The room was about 10 by 40, with windows at one end and a partition at the other, making it quite dark in some parts of the room.  It was literally covered with filth, vermin, a horrid stench pervaded the whole, and almost every inch of available space was occupied.  Some of the unfortunate inmates had been confined in it 13 long months.  Two old men were crazed, and lay in their filth in on corner, only stirring when their rations were brought in.”

10/16/1862——- Below is a dedication and presentation of sword to Col. Selfridge from his soldiers.

“We cannot bestow upon you any greater compliment than, that we believe, whether in defense or attack, it will be wielded by an arm and grasped by a hand, as true as the steel of the blade of which it is composed.”

8/14/1862——-Col. Selfridge writes from the Battlefield near Culpepper, Aug. 11.  Selfridge tells his brother of the terrible fight they have just endured.

“We have but 130 left in our regiment.  My horse was killed; he was completely riddled.  The blanket presented to me by Mr. Caleb Yohe and David Luckenbach, saved my life.  It is riddled with balls; my saddle also.  I had a ball through my boot, one through my coat near the shoulder, and one through my hat.  I am much bruised, but no blood was drawn.”

8/16/1862 – Reference to Chaplain William Henry Rice being asked to give words of encouragement at the send off of the newest recruits in Bethlehem.

“Before leaving the ground, however, and at the request of the soldiers, Mr. Wm. Henry Rice, who has volunteered to accompany this band as Chaplain, responded in a few words, returning thanks, and earnestly entreating the effective support and loyal sympathy of all those whom they leave behind, justly remarking that the soldier is robbed of his courage, and will contend in vain upon the battle field, if treason be suffered to lurk unpunished in the rear.  Those sentiments were warmly applauded.”

9/25/1862——-Chaplain William Henry Rice writes home asking for religious reading material and gospel books.

“Give each man a testament.  He will feel the want of it before long.  Men who rarely looked into a bible at home, open its pages at camp.  Of course, on the other hand, many who profess Christ at home neglect His word at camp.  Your ‘Moravian’ package is therefore not at all confined in its good influence to Company C.  It is medicine to the soldiers sick in body.  Depend upon it, many a soul, too, had been refreshed.”

12/25/1862——On this day there were two letters accounting the soldiers’ lives on the march.  The first two quotes are from the letter from the 129^th regiment and the other is from the 46^th regiment.

“We were forced to leave behind, in charge of a Brigade surgeon, more than sixty sick men of our regiment.  This being left behind the regiment, is one of the great trials of a soldiers life.  Another sever trial is to be sick with your regiment; a sick man never feels so much out of place and in the way of others, as in camp or on the march.”

“The Sabbeth day will always be remembered as the day on which we made one of the most ‘exhausting tramps: rapid marching all day rests few and short,’ weather very warm, and road wearisome and rough.  We got to Snickersville at evening and encamped, as we all supposed, for the night.  All at once the order “Fall in” came upon our worn out and astounded men.  We did fall in, and marched.”

“A soldier does not know what is before him.  Whenever he thinks most that he is to remain quiet and have a good time, orders to march are received, and tents struck, knapsacks packed, line formed, arms shouldered, and then comes the command, ‘Right Face—Forward March!’”

1862 – Cultural References

5/8/1862——–This is a write up on a speech given at Citizen Hall by Prof. McCoy about ‘His seething rebuke of secret and open foes of our country, both home and abroad.”

“We are sorry to confess that even our community still harbors some of these secret traitors who, recreant to the duty which they owe to the mother that bore them, and unmindful of shame, not only stand apart, cold-hearted from an active support of their country’s case, but secretly go about whispering their slanders, hatching discontent among the ignorant, and plotting mischief against the laws of the Constitution.”

5/20/1862——-A report on the 46^th after their attack at Winchester, and a reference to a painting called “Camp Scene on the Lehigh.”

“As they were in the recent retreat of Gen. Bank’s army from the valley of Shenandoah, and exposed to the overwhelming attacks of the enemy, the greatest anxiety prevails in our community to obtain intelligence from them.  Up to the time of our going to press, however, the only reliable information we have received, is to the effect that Col. Knipe, after being wounded, was taken prisoner; Lieut. Col. Selfridge, Capt. Luckenbach and Lieut. Horace Jones are safe with the army at Williamsport.  Others, including Lieut. Alex Selfridge, are known to be at Hancock, MD.  There is cause for the apprehension that many are left behind in the power of the enemy.”

8/7/1862———New Enlistments are named on this day on the 7^th of August 1862, as well as a description of their send-off.

“On the night of the late county meeting, a considerable gathering took place at out Citizens’ Hall, and stirring addresses were delivered, which served to deepen in the bosoms of our citizens the conviction that our country at this crisis demands great individual effort, self-sacrifice and devotion in order to rescue it from impending danger.”

“Mr. Wm. Henry Rice, who has been pursuing his theological studies at Yale College, has offered his services as Chaplain of the regiment, and we trust that he may be accepted.”