Transcripts For CSPAN3 The Civil War 20141101

Speaker, warren perry. From memphis,ly tennessee. He has a graduate degree in medieval literature and from the catholic university. , while women walt whitman and the civil war. Elvis,cowrote office which received the bronze award from forward magazine in 2010. In his 12 years at the National Portrait gallery, he wrote over 200 articles for print and the web. More than 40 on the American Civil War. Here he received one of tims secretary Research Prizes for 2013 for the Smithsonian Congress of scholars. We are very proud of him. He is founder and director of library of perry theater. I would like to introduce amy well, the site manager and she is going to make a few remarks and then well have one come up here. Warr come up here. Thank you. E thank you. I would like to thank you so much for coming out. Creek and belle grove historical park was excited to partner with the smithsonian for this lecture. Thank you for agreeing to speak on this great history. We think it is such a perfect theto be able to marry resources that the smithsonian has with the battlefield. Cedar creek and Belle Grove National Historical park is a small part in the Shenandoah Valley. We are one hour outside of the valley. The park was established in 2002 to share the history and spectrum of history in the Shenandoah Valley. A 1790 Plantation House all the way up to the battle of cedar creek and beyond the modern culture and vibrancy of the valley. We will like to welcome you out to our 100 50th anniversary events. This part of our lecture series happening throughout august through november about various topics on the valley campaign. We will be commemorating the battle specifically on the weekend of october 19th, our anniversary. We encourage you to check out our website and our Facebook Page to the the schedule and follow along on all of the events. As you may know, we have several items outside for information. The National Park service developed the free sentinel guide, it is for the washington of 1864. N invasion we have various materials on the events happening in october and the latest event coming up this weekend is the battle of winchester that we are commemorating this weekend in winchester. We encourage everyone to come out and visit and a special thanks to elizabeth wukj wilke and associate and warren perry for sharing this information in the great resources. Thank you. Hi, good evening. My name is warreb, n. You forlike to thank inviting me to talk about cedar creek and the smithsonian collection. I will like to thank the associates and park Service Staff in virginia for allowing me to speak this evening post a as i conclude my own time at the smithsonian, it was wonderful for me to be able to address this audience and tell everyone how much i have enjoyed this work. I would like to thank a couple of other folks. Frank, who is director of the museum of art. He is a great colleague and friend who invited me in the production of invited many people on the ride of the production of the civil war book. Thejohn barber, one of great civil war historians, who is taken time to enlighten me over the years. Open todoor was always me and i was grateful for that. Michelle delaney made it is to happen and i am thankful to her and my boss at the National Portrait gallery. Linda is the chief archivist of portraits and she put up with me for 12 years. I have always been grateful to her. And ben bloom for being a great partner. On the things smithsonian website and also would like to thank the family of the late marty. He gave me a lot of time and assistance to complete the work i wanted to finish. Years, i havew been too many battlefields and taken a lot of photographs. I have taken my wife, shannon, and my daughter. They have even a lotta National Park hotdogs. Our daughter, jamie lynn, was two weeks ago when we dragged her out of the crib to go to antietam on anniversary of that battle. Also my brother, dr. Patrick perry, i have dragged them out many days after christmas to shiloh and nothing says christmas more than 100 mile jaunt to a battlefield. About thisnt to talk war that we are produced. That so manyork smithsonian individuals participated in and i am honored to have had a part in producing this book. A very small part. I wrote four articles and that was 150 articles. Our photographers and archives and so many people. I want to speak briefly about the going ons after we talk about the book, about 150 years ago included in notes on sherman and the war in the south. Last, i would like to talk about the east and how that experience does held into dovetailed into our discussion of the battle of cedar creek which happened 150 years ago next month. First, this book. Generations of americans are drawn to the history of the civil or. This volume and Site National collection is indicative of the fact that war was more than battle. It was central to the horror and experience. That is not aldo moro was. It was about slavery, certainly, and states rights. That is not all the war was about. It was about family. Men leaving to fight and homes being torn apart by separation and loss. And considering the obvious in the smithsonian collection, the objects which represent the war are as diverse as the experiences of the war. Assembled by 50 scholars and a handful of editors and the support of scores of other staff, photographers, researchers, librarians. Many would argue the American Civil War was the most important event in our nations history and the moment that would take the earliest sign of the declaration of independence. Others would argue the possibilities of such a war found his first moment with the arrival of the first captured african in jamestown. The civil war was transformative and horrible. While the goal was to keep the union together and eliminating slavery was met, more than 600,000 men were killed and land ravaged. It is impossible, john meacham notes in the foreword,twas time to much importance to the civil war. History is not a fairytale and nothing is inevitable. With cannon fire at fort sumter and ended in the death of president lincoln in 1865. Just as the nation was shackled to the tragedy, so the National Collection of the smithsonian is tied to the war. , director of the institution of History Division of the smithsonian archives, ase in the first chapter storm clouds gathered over washington, d. C. , the smithsonian which was a single building housing smithsonian secretary and his family along with the museum, library, and other facilities experience the first of a divided nation. Questions about his loyalty to the nation. He had Close Friends who favor secessionist including regents who were expelled from the board for confederate sympathies. Had ties toon davis the smithsonian. From 18471851, he was a regent of the institution. The range of attention represented in the sobel war collection is astonishing. It is not just guns and uniforms, though there are many both on display and in storage. Its not limited to photographs and flags. There are signs announcing options and identification badges worn by slaves which signify that an justice. And the injustice. There are political postage stamps on letters to soldiers and letters to those the Soldiers Left behind and there is a horse. However, we would discuss the course later. Horse later from later. First, i would like to talk about the object i am most familiar because i contributed for the volume. The first piece is the National Portrait gallery. Its called the vanity of beast butler. Few men on either side collect re as Benjamin Franklin butler. When he arrived, his reputation was already in place. The administration of the city augmented with everyone already believed which was he was difficult and argumentative. However, qubes also an important he was in importantly same it vain individual and was unskilled at which whose corruption in a new orleans with a keen understanding of the method of bringing a city into order. Butler came to be called beast butler by issuing edicts as general order number 28 which declared him in late of new orleans found to be covertly disrespectful to the occupied union forces would be regarded at how liable to the treated butlers authority with mostly unchallenged. Odds. Placed at president lincoln removed butler from command in 1862. Ing the hiatus, butler selfserving link participated in a biography which was meant inincrease his presence favorable posture. After been reassigned, he failed terribly in the of salt on forces assault on forces and was discharged by president lincoln. This bust of general butler was the work of sculptor edward. Generals vanity and the later he wrote to his wife at fort munro, virginia. And the note, general butler stated do you want to see the . Centernext best thing, dot marble bust. Set up the marble bust. He served as governor of massachusetts and a congressman it lost a bid for presidency. Notes, bothher hated and loved, but let remains a figure immensely amusing and muchmaligned. Heres a great picture of the general. Field andim on the you see his wearing slippers. Oops. I gotta go back. My second contribution to this large collaboration is called the haunted relic of gettysburg. This object is a poignant piece. The confederate victory at gettysburg wouldve changed the course of the swarm. Men in the north were growing tired. Robert bentley firmly believed and robert e lee from believe there were people who could capitulate and bring it to a close. Of course, the victory denied the ability does to disprove that notion. Lee out generaled his counterparts. The Confederate Army was out number at gettysburg and lee f ought against long odds. Hardest retracting his own home. Protecting his own home. Also, Union General made chosen the surroundings of gettysburg it positions and many of the officers made excellent decisions during those three days fighting. Historically, the great battle like ginsburg gettysburg place a burden on war leaders to justify the carnage. Fifth, we died at such a place, some swearing and some crying. Some upon their wives. Some upon the debts they owe us some upon their children. Few that i will in battle to charitably dispose of anything when blood is their argument. The number of lives lost in any of the major engagements is staggering. The descriptions of the troop movements, the engagements and encourage displayed at place like Little Round Top is the largest discourse of the glories of the conflict. Though the antiquated image here is clear enough, this is a mans loved ones was awaiting his call. Again, poignant. This loved photo before and beyond the battlefield. We do not know the fate of the soldier and if he was from the north or south. Our imagination tells us it might be the last object from home he consider before you marched to his end our imagination tell us it signifies that yearning of the woman pictured that yearning and waiting for her husband more presumably who has his last letter as spoke about taking part in a mighty battle in a tiny village called gettysburg. The third piece i have in this book is on the fall of fort fisher. Very germane to the war after. Of 1864eek in october at this summits the last of major fighting in at the deep south and the army seizing control. One of the great names associated with the union naval success is doing the war is admirable david porter. He was a key player at both new orleans and vicksburg. Later while sherman summers georgia in complete war, a plan was devised by general butler and porter to take fort fisher tonsnding a boat with 215 of powder beyond the fort and let the powder taking it out one mighty explosion. Fort fisher, south of what mcdonough, protected the axis to the ash or where it and was critical to four fisher, protected fort fisher protected the access. It faced the water and made it more difficult to penetrate. A dramatic design was drawn up with that. It felt not only because the powder did not quit the damage which was believed to be capable but also because butler failed to follow up the explosion with a proper of salt proper of salt assault. Butler had fallen out of favoritism and was removed in command at replace by alfred terry. He joined in executing a new attack. It was a deliberate shelling of force with dozens of ships. Men launchederrys an assault. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. It will smuggled into wilmington, North Carolina since the earliest days of the war, is suddenly stopped. One of Robert E Lees chief sources of supplies was eliminated. In this photograph, admirable , it is Porter Alexander gardner image. Porter is on the ship where he planned to the assault on fort fisher. Ensuring the union army that l ees pipeline was severed. The last essay i contributed to this volume is the one which segues into the battle of cedar creek. This work is more than a painting. At the front of the group of mortals is ulysses s. Grant along,he men,who ride numberuldve known that lies it wouldve taken. Mrs. Grant understood that armies would battle and he pushes soldiers into the field. He was a replaceable. This man fights, said lincoln. He was a replaceable. Ceable. As irrepla they are not information but rather keeping a pace of their leader. , one in whichtion we see a classical arrangement where they are level with each other as the figures would be depicted on a pediment. Among the warriors represented, George Armstrong with the golden hair on the far left. He is a lightcolored horse, sherman, on our left. Telling ain, doug doug telling, you see general sheridan. This portrait captured it captured in this tribute were painted from life by a norwegian american artist. Not only is the work of grace encompassing the portrait of no less than 27 jewels but also the scale of the work is grand. I know many of you have probably seen it. This measures 10 feet high by 16 feet wide. The initial sketches of the manner depicted were done in the headquarters field asked the union army gradually forced lees army and to capitulation. With battle. Ar he completed the final oil painting in 1865. Peter hansen bolling consider be his masterpiece. President Abraham Lincoln granted him permission to begin work while he visited the generals after the various stations of duty. Especiallyh fabricated sitespecific curved frame, this work embraces the northeastern spear well of the old building which is now the Donald Reynolds building. The connection of his work to cedar creek can be found and the generals accompanying general grant, not all of them. This is the big picture. Those generals accompanying general grant into his legacy. Two of the critical players, we see sheridan and George Armstrong custer and well talk more about that in a few moments. Right now, i want to move up to cedar creek by look at things going on. Where was the field elsewhere at this time . 1864, the endgame of the civil war was in progress. Williameep south, Tecumseh Sherman would be placed in charge of the army that will sweep through georgia and into the carolinas and well talk about sherman. Shermans record was marginal. Inwas a colonel at board run 1861 bull run in 1861. He had rallied his men. It was noted by his superiors although ultimately his brigade left the field in much the same way as the rest of the union troops that day, which was fling. Fling. His first large command was a colossal failure and many journalists consider him as having lost his mind. He was at shiloh in it is easy to a managed in a difficult 1862. Managed in it is plagued with logistical problems. However, he was one the most trusted men that were continued through the war. Shermans march georgia as subsequent action of total war as he moved up the east coast earned him his final legend in the north. In virginia, grant would meet lee at the wilderness and begin a march that would culminate in a massive siege at petersburg, virginia. In 1864 was the last full year of the war. The army of Northern Virginia had had any victories under its belt. Fredericksburg and chancellorsville where the biggest. Meanwhile, the war machine of the north seemed to be stronger every day. When the army of the potomac at lees Army Combined in the ,ilderness beginning on may 5 only a few miles west of lees great victory, the first time the would face ulysses s. Grant. While the name of the battle would go down in history as the wilderness, it was really the beginning of one along battle that would last a result and lees surrender in 1865. Lees army was imports of live. The battle would continue to exact a great toll on virginia, a state stripped of many of its resources because of three years of war. If the confederacy had any hope, a civil war historian affirms and this use of scarcity, lee was unquestionably the souths prime assets. The union hung his hopes on this leadership. Presently the Main Objective was to reinstate the union and that north look to you mrs. General grant ulysses grant. While mcclellan and burnside and meade looked good on paper, they fail us take the initiative would require of them. Mcclellan in his early days simply failed to prosecute the war. Brassard lost crucial battle at fredericksburg. Leader, hadh a good failed to follow up on the retreat from gettysburg in 1860 three. Grant, however, came to leave the army after secured victory after victory in the deep south. The most important was the surrender at vicksburg in july 1863 simultaneous to meades victory. They would pitch everything at the enemy. Grant intended to go at a leak from all sides and assigned a primary role, the army wouldve you raised would be raised and hurled across. Grant brought in more than 100,000 men to the battle and delete 60,000. Most of the in a dense forest. Would lose more than 11,000 men and grant would lose 18,000. After the wilderness and Spotsylvania County and subsequent bountiful battle, wons army one victories victories and maintained his army between grant and richmond. Losses hem the sustained were more than he could afford it was getting more and more diff fort lee and the confederacy it was getting more and more difficult for only and the confederacy. He would continue to move maneuver for a few weeks and failing to crush richmond for successfully keeping lee and the field further draining the army of men at supplies. It will be known as grants overland campaign. Grant to further whittled down lees numbers. The above events would reinforce the criticality of the last major event and out wartorn garden of the lands north of winchester, virginia at through the Fertile Valley printed of by thet and of the west alleghenies. In western and sylvania, home to the breadbasket, Robert E Lees army, the Shenandoah Valley would hold what large last battle. An event that will be the final severe installment of combat in a theater of war that has saved many, many episodes. Seen many, many episodes. Why is his area called the breadbasket of the confederacy . Because it can grow it can grow anything. It is a real garden of eden. Many of you have been to the Shenandoah Valley some of you may let out there. We have a couple of our final rangers. It is a splendid area. Wheatlowers and grapes, grapes. [laughter] cattle. Ama. I came in this morning , i spent last night in lexington virginia that i spent the night and right across the hall from the general Thomas Jackson suite and i went around 11 this morning a going around 11 a you cannot stop to buy a soda without running into a historical marker. Ride on the 66 that tonight were spending the night out at a manassas. Every day in Northern Virginia is a battlefield tour, it really is. A, at it as part of a herd in the Shenandoah Valley. The record, Philip Sheridan was not the legible to occupy the valley. This is the photograph of Brigadier General Chester Taylor , retired United States army, whose home you see behind iseral taylor and the llama, regularly occupied before the american regular revolution. They said passage to go with the Union Soldiers went through the area. These troops kindness paved the way for taylors family. Land can grows absolutely anything. And this morning as i was coming up around 11, i saw another heard of llamas and my wife saw them. And my wife saw them and say it is a llama parade. We had to take a picture and show our little girl. I want to revisit for just a moment monument to work day grant and his generals in connection with this to cedar creek can be found. That is the generals. Ccompanying general grant 20 critical layers and the victory can be found in this the indicated two of critical players in the victory can be found in this work indicated. As we are coming from our left and we can do this as i finish up. We have thomas devins, nilpatrick, on playing a role i cedar creek. This image is just chalked full of the union greatness. If you have not seen it, i encourage you to go to the National Photo gallery. It is just a spectacular installation. The battle of cedar creek should not be considered an accident or afterthought. Cedar creek was a combination at caps on event and capstone event. The significance of this moment on october 19, 1864 is often overlooked. To fail to consider one of the 10 seminal moments of the war is to fail to look at what stopped on that day and what follow that day. Is one the latest lease recognized moments lease recognized moments. The greatest victor of this battle let me go through these images. The greatest victor was president lincoln. Lincoln had coming up on him the election. Sheridans victories coupled with his successes in the deep south provided in combat with great news to share with the american electorate. He always commit himself to the preservation buys first task had been to bring it but his first task had been to bring it back through any means necessary. One of link right detractors was lincolns one of detractors was mcclellan. He had to face mcclellan as an opponent in the 1864 president ial election. As with other challenges, lincoln faced off and won. A one weekve from after the conclusion of the war. Many of lincolns writings and speeches were well known and quoted but it is doubtful that anything lincoln can ever say would better some of his thoughts that has set the speech march 1865. I am quoting. With malice to none and charity for all, with firmness in the right and god gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in to wounds. The nations and for his widow and orphan. Among ourselves and with all nations. Alpha and the omega of the American Civil War. General grant wrote in his memoirs the following. General grant, following characterization of the fight of cedar creek. Sheridan have left washington reached winchester that night. The following morning he joined his command is scarcely guided outoftown when the size man returning and panic and heard heavy fire from the south. The following morning he joined his command is scarcely got out of town when he saw his man returning panic and heard heavy fire from the south. He ordered them to turn back and reminded them they were going the wrong way. His presence superstore confidence they find themselves , thefrightened than hurt men returned back. Many of those who had read 10 miles went back who had rented miles return. When sheridan got to the front, he found getty ann Kuster Holding their ground firmly and caused her holding their ground and custer holding their ground firmly. He seemed disinclined to make another battle. The contest was closed for a time. Our cavalry havent pushed on and gotten to the our cavalry having push on had gotten to the rear of the calvary. [indiscernible] that was general grant. Enter themeant as you road, belle grove. To monument as a memorial ur. Or general stephen ramse that is a nice monument. This one is one of the most 11eresting pieces on route for winchester. It pops right out at you. The entrance to belle grove and farm is a spectacular entrance. It is one of the places where you stop and look at the mountains beyond the beautiful fields it makes you want to sing god bless america. An amazing property. There is a plaque on that monument. That is cedar creek. With jubal earlys defeat what stopped with jubal earlys defeat is a supply chain to the east. From beginning of the war the Shenandoah Valley served. Winchesteraces like considered a model more, winchester changed hands does of times. Without the confederate would beet, lee without bread in a literal sense. Noted, sheridan began and beforehe earth, by having troops destroyed over 1000 bar and is several hundred wishes of wheat. Very hungry hungry place. Hundred and several hundred tons of wheat. , hungryhungry eco people. Battle,rize the wonidan won late and early early. I know there are these scholars who is studying for years and years. If custer had not been there early in the morning and [laughter] but, it is true. ,arly in the day and somehow the union army managed to stay in place. They cannot not really stay in place. Its a huge flight. Later in the afternoon, e to thes troops ros occasion. It was like an epic tale by the way. Dachshund one of the by the way this is what of the battles. By the way, this one of the battles. Politicizeing to this by any means, i really hope that as we continue to look at places like chancellorsville and manassas and this beautiful relatively new part of cedar creek, we are taking into account the advice of people like the National Trust and Civil War Trust. That we are doing the responsible thing with the land and not try to stop development. There are Beautiful Moments of these battlefields. They have got to be protected. From the National Portrait gallery collection, i wanted to have a couple more images. Are int believe these the catalog. Jubal early. A great image of custer. The more you read about custer, the more you go, that i. [laughter] and that guy. Wouldve his stories was reading one of the historians was in the and just roared battle and was not afraid of anything. People not a scholar. He had that gusto and lust for battle. That there is general sheridan, who was a young and at the time of the fight. The horse. Course is [laughter] we are going to do it here you justforecastle so wait. That is winchester. Tonight. For it. Ust wait ready to go to battle. Cap he writes the horse was named ramzi kathy writes the horse was named ramsey. Winchester was preserved and went to the museum in new york for years and years to get the story is the museum burned out and the horse came in to the smithsonian collection in 1922. What of the Great Stories about this horse is the piece of art a piece of poetry that accompanied trip into legacy, those are both the painting and the poem. 1996, the really nice article is within that article there was a nice article in which he talked about reeds wri both theting writing both the poem at painting the painting. He finished painting his self proclaimed legacy in italy. There may be poets who can write oem, but could the same manner paint a better picture . Picture . Int a better here we go. Were going to wrap it up. Msa in dram up from the south and printed to winchestera. To the chieftains door. Telling the battle was on once more sugar 20 miles away. Was on and sheridan 20 miles away. Roar that red sea uncontrolled. Ld. Ing the blood co sheridan, 20 miles away. There is a road for winchester town. A good highway leading down through the flush morning light. Slotto pass as with evil as when eagles fly. Hills roles and fell. Those hoofs,from the dust like smoke from the canons mouth. Traders thee two doing of disaster. Impatient to be where the battle. Every nerve of the charger was strength. Feeds, burning hundreds bernie feet under with furnaceeet, filledh his wild eyes with fire. He is loving the smoke. With sheridan only five miles away. The first of the generals saw the troops and then the retreating troops. What was today . What was done . Hisdwick is that striking spurs. King his he dashed down the line. The site of the master compelled it to pause. The blood charger was black charger was gray. I brought you sheridan all the way for winchester down to save the day. Sheridan. Hurrah for got, the dome of the units the american soldiers with the glorious name. Said, here is it the steed that saved the day. Thank you. [laughter] [applause] i had to do it. [laughter] ok. It was very much. Any questions . I have a microphone in the back. Yes, sir. I think i said in the introduction, one might graduate degrees is in medieval literature. What i was reading that form a while back, i just had to do it. It reminds me of the green knight and also has the moments ehat are like paul reveres rid and you can hear the. Clackin sounds] it has a meter around it. What chaucer wrote which is making fun of the epic pieces. Was, i thought is still red with the ran with e. E hors is a nice 19thcentury poem. It is not like now or we go, its not cool enough. It is a very good poem. I really enjoyed it thank you for letting me read that. Real quick question. How did the horse survived 20 miles of fast writing . Riding . It is real funny. There are folks out there they will pick it to death. You know in my car and i have an only severals miles from the holiday inn. [laughter] some citizens and soldiers after it came out, so people were saying, is only 12 miles. Therepeople were saying, are different discussions about it. He did. He survived it. He went on to live practically another generation. Yeah, i guess well have to leave that to equestrian scholars to recreate that 4ou route. I would imagine the answer to my question. Thehe United States, among hundreds, probably thousands of battle sites from the civil war. I wonder how do organizations such as the National Park service or Civil War Trust are in a similar organization, how do they sort it all out . How do they decide which site to preserve in which sites well, you cannot win every battle, bring on the suburbs. A great question. A couple times i have talked to guys at parties and is a hold park service joke where the guy comes in and asks the ranger, all of these battles were fought on National Park service land. [laughter] i have heard that at shiloh in cedar creek and a guy done for just brooks say that. Said that. Y i could take a couple of guesses and im guessing the skill of the fight would be a part of it. If there is an interstate and mcdonalds nearby [laughter] comprehends. I dont know if ill have official, grant suggestions. There have been great studies done on the health of the battlefield and the history of the battlefield. Some great mapping had been done in the 1990s for all of the fields that have not been recorded. As you alluded, there are probably levels of priority at the significance of this site. The National Park service tries to preserve and protect nationally significant areas bottle in thery civil war was nationally significant for the fight for america. But, some are more significant than others or have more indepth history. This also instances where it may be a local community that has a nonprofit or a county government that can do a great job at preserving and protecting. If there are those place in place, the community should definitely be involved in protecting their community history. A mix of many factors of how it comes to the National Park. A great question. I remember years ago going from memphis to nashville and your perceive that exit for lexington. I think its only been since i have lived in washington for the past 15 years and put up the n for partner crossroads Parker Crossroads which the site right off of the i40 corridor outside of jackson, tennessee. I know theres a they effort to bring it into place. Its a National Park what a state run part. Theres community interest. As you guys have so well done. Winchester, virginia, it seems like you should [indiscernible] something amazing happened all and if youommunity run out of civil war sites, you can go find other sites. Place where history happens. I love that question. Yes maam and in sir. Sir. D then i enjoyed your presentation and enjoy the reading of the poem. I am concerned there is so much more to the battle of cedar creek and what led up to it and to jubal early, the confederate general. Two months ago we celebrated here washed the battle of fort stevens. That was jubal early trying to tab washington and noted as early as the park service had a wonderful magazine which tells the whole story from when jubal on waytarted violently of the Shenandoah Valley. Then there was a battle and then c. And a battle for two days. Grant has sent troops. Early went back over to the Shenandoah Valley at the head of throughoutishness september and october. Then we came to the big battle that we cant or i do not know when it was. I do not know. Anyway, you are right. Sheridan was phenomenal. What he did, when he saw the soldiers coming out, i never fully understood the word rallying the troops in this way that he did. He got to them and turned around were stand your ground and a they won. Early was a major general. He was at gettysburg and these major battle will step he was all over the place. I think that peaceful story needs to be told as well set and that piece of the story needs to be told as well. Early spent a lot of the summer getting early right after this battle, he was removed. He was taken down. Lee did not want to do it. Unpopular at that moment because thats battle meant so much there are many parts of this story. This is the first installment of a couple of lectures. It is a good time to do an advertisement for those lectures at the battlefield. Throughout the valley. Our National Park service will have information on that. This is by no means the complete story. What we represent here are some of these nice moments where that battle is with the smithsonian collection and the pieces in this large work, that we just put out. Very good though. Thank you very much. Wellinformed comments. I am curious. I wonder if you could speak to a comparison between the battle of cedar creek and its significance to the end of the war in terms of shermans march to the sea. There was a difference in scale. I was surprised when i first started learning about the Shenandoah Valley battles that this battle, nobody knows about this. Nobody knows. It was a large battle. Nobody knows that the valley was burned. Some long memories out there. Why we hear agest lot about one and thought about the other . It is an excellent question. This is purely my opinion. I believe it is because that happened distraction was so wide, so long, and it lasted forever. Some say there are many parts of the south that have never recovered from the civil war. Casesure this is not the and i would have to read up on theculture of the valley, shenandoah is such that a couple of growing seasons, it is the garden of eden all over again. It is that prolific. Atlanta,ost a city in and sherman affected so many people for so long. When we look at Flannery Oconnor and william fokker William Faulkner talking about the destruction of the s outh, the literature reaffirms. Hat it was a 100 year disaster if youre African American in the south the Civil Rights Act is signed by lyndon b. Johnson, it was supposed to end the problems that lincoln was supposed to have ended. There are still problems. With respect to sherman versus cedar creek, it was a huge body of land that he went through. It was huge. It was being followed by the press. Tornado wearing blue coats. Cedar creek was not featured in a major film. [laughter] now we are calling hollywood. That it happened. I believe public what hasness over happened, more people know about atlanta and that role. Gone with the wind. I have a question. In my right, did they allow reenactments on that property . Most National Parks dont. That is correct. The National Park service has a policy we do not allow reenactments on National Park service land as a respect for the fallen and the whole words thatd the horrors happened. Cedar creek is a unique part. There in a partnership, National Park service does not own much of the land inside our park boundary. Acres andsses 3000 National Park service has 90 of those acres. A mixed of our land owning key partners. We have five that own land and manage their land and interpret their land. And we have private landowners within the park boundary. Our Park Partners are allowed to do reenactment on the battlefield that they own. Part of our 150th anniversary is a reenactment on the battlefield. That is a unique situation. National parks to not have reenactments. That is the unique situation with us and allows our partners their site as well. Thank you. Yes . Lets one reason that is problematic is that you had private landowners who needed their provisions to get through the winter and the theory a lot of the grain might have reached lees army, but the destruction of private property meant a lot of these farmers starved in the winter. One book i read was called federal atrocities in the 19th century, destroying private food from those who might of the unit, it was considered an atrocity. Is not asrprised it widely known as it was. A crow flying over the valley must bring its own vendor. The other point is we whichorate those events we which guess which we want to commemorate. Mobs seize control of the city, it is not marked at all. There is no park service anywhere in manhattan. Less commendable events in our nations history. Homes did nott, you at lincoln get down damn fool, that did not happen. How they canesting raise a monument. Whole community or moment enshrined. Im trying to think of the most amazing things. The monuments to the nonexistent bloom. You can fall all over dublin, and this is where bloom spent this part of the day. This is to the work of james joyce ulysses. There are monuments of this fictitious character. See some communities do this. They raise monuments to fictitious. There is a monument to dark in the United States we have our own take on this. The monument to mary richards, Mary Tyler Moore in minneapolis st. Paul. Rocky. Monument to [laughter] they took it down . A shame. [laughter] yes . The story of someone who joyce,s this with james he said yes. [laughter] we have entered the postmodern. This is more of an anecdote. My great grandfather at cedar creek with cavalry. E chose to go north year, his son, my grandfather was working for the state of new york and albany. They walked up state street to , and there was a statue. I dont know what sort, of sheridan. The capital guide was saying to the small crowd something about ride. Ans it may not be true. , itrandfather said oh no was true. I was there. [laughter] he was from middle, tennessee . My greatgrandfather. What i see i see. Very good. Gone with the wind, it that the movie theater. Check your newspapers. Thats right. Thank you for coming out. [applause] the civil war airs every saturday at 6 00 and 10 00 eastern time. To watch more visit our website. You are watching american cspan tv all weekend on 3. Kornbluh. Archer peter of backe coauthor channel to cuba. This is 45 minutes. Thank you. Im here to introduce peter met. Luh, whom i have just i have just gotten a copy of his new book, coming out on october 1 on wednesday. I dont think you can buy them here. Your local bookstores will have them, and amazon i presume. Thank you. My name is brenda brody. Ive been on the board since 2005. We cant identify the exact year. That is as close as i can get. The National Security archive, it was the First Organization to be known publicly as nsa. His organization is what i call the good n