York CWRT: May 2008 Archives

Background post: 2008 speaker schedule - York CWRT

The next meeting of the York Civil War Round Table will be Wednesday, June 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the York County Heritage Trust's auditorium (250 E. Market Street in York). The guest speaker will be Mr. Tom Schaefer, a long-time York County historian and local educator. Tom will speak on the topic "The Skirmish at Wrightsville: A Tactical Analysis."

Tom has provided a synopsis of his talk, which dovetails nicely with my upcoming book on the bridge burning from Ironclad Publishing.

Background post: 2008 speaker schedule - York CWRT

The next meeting of the York Civil War Round Table will be Wednesday, June 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the York County Heritage Trust's auditorium (250 E. Market Street in York). The guest speaker will be Mr. Tom Schaefer, a long-time York County historian and local educator. Tom will speak on the topic "The Skirmish at Wrightsville: A Tactical Analysis."

Tom has provided a synopsis of his talk, which dovetails nicely with my upcoming book on the bridge burning from Ironclad Publishing.

Well known Pennsylvania author J. David Petruzzi visited the York CWRT this past Wednesday night and presented one of the most interesting overviews of J.E.B. Stuart's mid-1863 ride around Hooker / Meade's army that I have recently heard. I had helped a little with the original research and data collection for his fine book, Plenty of Blame to Go Around: J.E.B. Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg, but I found a lot more information since its publication, so I decided to write a magazine article on the specific portion of Stuart's ride between the end of the Battle of Hanover and the shelling of Carlisle - that is, the ride from the outskirts of Hanover to Dillsburg through western York County.

That article appeared in the January 2008 issue of The Gettysburg Magazine and is a companion piece to the article I wrote for the July 2007 issue regarding "Jubal Early Takes York." Both issues are widely available from Gettysburg booksellers and gift shops, or can be obtained over the Internet directly from the publisher.

The subject of a talk on May 21, 2008, by noted author J. David Petruzzi -- famed Confederate cavalry general James E. B. "Jeb" Stuart, who was killed less than a year after his controversial ride around the Union army.

As a prelude to J. David Petruzzi's presentation Wednesday night at the monthly meeting of the York Civil War Round Table (7:00 p.m., York County Heritage Trust, 250 East Market Street, York; FREE admission!!!), I offer a couple of anecdotes from famed Confederate cavalier J.E.B. Stuart's torturous ride through western York County, which included a late night trek from the Battle of Hanover northward to Dover.

Of the nearly 10,000 Confederates that traversed York County in late June 1863, Stuart's troopers developed a reputation (well deserved) as the most significant horse thieves in the Rebel army. There are more than 900 damage claims filed after the war by farmers and residents of the county, and at least 600 of these deal directly with the theft of horses or mules by Stuart's passing column. It's hard to imagine how much they may have taken had they been allowed the luxury of staying and resting a few days, like their cavalry counterparts under William H. French and Elijah V. White, who accompanied Jubal A. Early's column into York and did their own fair share of horse trading.

Pennsylvania author J. David Petruzzi is the featured guest speaker for the May meeting of the York CWRT.

From June 30 through the wee morning hours of July 2, elements of J.E.B. Stuart's vaunted, but road-weary and exhausted Confederate cavalry column trudged through western York County. They fought a pitched battle at Hanover, as well as a couple of very minor rear guard skirmishes near Jefferson and Dover. Stuart did not arrive on the Gettysburg battlefield until late on July 2, having fought yet again at Hunterstown.

Historians for 145 years have argued the merits of Stuart's controversial ride around the Union army, one that put him out of touch with the main force of the Army of Northern Virginia for part of the campaign. Some critics blame Stuart for leaving Lee blind while in enemy country; others argue that the move made military sense and circumstances beyond Stuart's (and Lee's) control contributed to the delayed reunion with the infantry.

Brockway, PA author J. D. Petruzzi will present a FREE talk at the York County Civil War Round Table on Wednesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the York County Heritage Trust at 250 East Market Street in downtown York. This promises to be of strong interest to anyone interested in exploring the Civil War history of this region, and a chance to see and hear one of America's leading cavalry experts deliver his personal opinion on Stuart's ride.

Jack was the official mascot of the 102nd Pennsylvania, a volunteer infantry regiment that is now associated with the local York Civil War Round Table.

Soldiers away from home during the Civil War often adopted pets and mascots, including bears, eagles, cats, goats, chickens, and other domesticated animals. The most common pets were, of course, dogs. I cover several of these dog mascots and their combat prowess in my three human interest stories books, and I have been asked to write a book specifically covering animal mascots during the war. Perhaps someday...

The 102nd Pennsylvania is one of two Civil War infantry regiments whose monuments have been “adopted” by the York Civil War Round Table (the other being the 62nd New York). The 102nd had a dog named “Jack” for a regimental mascot. Let's learn a little more about this famed little mascot, whose ultimate fate was an unsolved mystery.