Category Archives: Uncategorized

Thanks to Don Wilt for finding this collection of photos from the US Army Center for Military History:

Inside The Army’s Spectacular Hidden Treasure Room.

A very interesting article from the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader:

[cryout-pullquote align=”center” textalign=”left” width=”50%”]”On Sept. 30, 1904, the Joe Hooker post of the Grand Army of the Republic dedicated a monument in Sioux Falls consisting of a Civil War soldier statue and a surplus cannon.

“…Many people could recall the statue standing in Lyon Park — there were many pictures of it in people’s personal collections — but nobody knew what happened to the statue. It just seemed to disappear in the mid to late ’60s. It remained a mystery and cause for speculation for decades…”

[/cryout-pullquote]

General Wright addressed the audience from his monument.

On Sunday, March 9, Camp 22 hosted a Living Memorial event at the Old City Cemetery in Sacramento. The event began at 10:00AM at the cemetery gate, where Camp Commander Jon Henry presented a brief history of the cemetery. The Sacramento City Cemetery was founded in 1849 on 10 acres donated by Captain John Sutter. Later, Margaret Crocker donated a further 50 acres, and today the cemetery contains more than 25,000 graves.

The Living Memorial was conducted as a walking tour, stopping at the graves of notable Civil War figures. First on the tour was a “visit” with General George Wright, who was the Commander of the Department of California during the war. A graduate of West Point, General Wright explained that he would have much rather been posted somewhere in the eastern theater, fighting alongside his West Point comrades, but President Lincoln personally requested that Wright take command of the West Coast operations and ensure fortifications and troop readiness in the event the Confederacy attempted to interrupt the supply of gold coming from California. Shortly after the end of the war, General Wright was transferred to a command Oregon. On the way to his new post, he and his wife were both drowned in the wreck of the Brother Jonathan off the far northern coast of California. Also lost in the wreck were a number of ladies of a certain profession. At Sunday’s ceremony, the General grieved over the loss of these “soiled doves.” He was also sorry his wife drowned.

Mrs Norris with her famous flag.

The tour continued with a stop at the grave of Rebecca Hall, who was a nurse for the Union Army. One of her first patients was her own husband, who was part of a Wisconsin regiment. She moved west after the war, and unfortunately died destitute. We know her story today only because her War Department pension document and her Service Medal were found for sale in an antique store. Based on this fortunate find, the Veterans Administration was able to supply a military grave stone for Rebecca, who now rests in the north-east corner of the Cemetery.

Lebbeus Simkins (MOH) was at the helm of the USS Richmond at the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Another famous Sacramento lady was Jane Norris. Shortly after the news of Lee’s surrender reached Sacramento in April of 1865, Mrs. Norris performed a rather daring feat in celebration of the Union victory. in 1865, the California State Capitol was still under construction. While the workers were away on their lunch break, Mrs. Norris covertly entered the construction site, and proceeded to climb the scaffolding to the top of the Capitol dome. She placed a US flag on top of the dome, along with a hand written note signed “A Lady.” It was not until after her death that Mrs. Norris was revealed as the person behind this celebratory act.

There are two Medal of Honor recipients in the Old City Cemetery, one sailor and one soldier. The sailor was Lebbeus Simkins, who was a coxswain at the Battle of Mobile Bay. Made famous by Farragut’s “damn the torpedoes” slogan, Mobile Bay was one of the most important strategic victories for the Union in the entire war. Lebbeus Simkins was at the helm of the USS Richmond, which withstood heavy fire from Confederate ships, shore artillery, and even troops with rifles. Although exposed to the fire, Simkins kept the ship on course throughout, and was decorated for his bravery. He lived for a time in San Diego before moving to Sacramento, where he died in 1884.

Newton Gould (MOH) spoke to the audience from his final resting place.

The second Medal of Honor recipient is Newton Gould, who was with an Illinois regiment at the siege of Vicksburg in 1863. He was part of the all-volunteer group that attempted to assail the Confederate fortifications with ladders. Although he was fortunate to survive the initial assault, he was among the men who were pinned down in a trench just yards from the Confederate line. Under constant fire from the Confederate lines, this cadre of soldiers endured a most horrific day and night until they were able to be extracted. Gould continued to serve after Vicksburg, and was captured and held in the infamous Andersonville prison for six months. Having survived such intense wartime experiences, the pace of life in Sacramento must have been quite suitable.

William McLeod was stationed at Mare Island during the Civil War.

The final tour stop was with William McLeod, a US Marine. McLeod was part of a small force of Marines who guarded the Mare Island naval facilities. This force at Mare Island is notable in USMC history for establishing what became the second-most continuously operational post in USMC history, second only to the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, DC. after the war ended, McLeod stayed in the Sacramento area, where he worked as a barber until his death.

There were about 20 SUVCW members in attendance, including a number of SUVCW officers, such as Commander-in-Chief Ken Freshley, Department Commander Timothy Reese, and Senior Vice-Commander-in-Chief Tad Campbell. The ceremony was planned and directed by the Gen. Wright Camp of the SUVCW, with support from the Sacramento Living History Program and the Old City Cemetery Committee.

G.A.R. Monument at the Old City Cemetery

In conjunction with the SUVCW Department of California and Pacific annual meetings in Sacramento March 7 – 9, the members of Camp 22 will be presenting a Living Memorial Service on Sunday, March 9, at 10:00 AM at the Old City Cemetery.

Come join us at this historic site for a walk back in time, where you will meet – in person! – six important Civil War figures buried at the Cemetery.

The first stop on the tour will be a visit with General George Wright, the commander of all military forces in in California and the Oregon territories during the Civil War. General Wright and his wife were drowned in the wreck of the Brother Jonathan in 1865.

Next, we will talk with Rebecca Hall, a nurse who tended wounded Union soldiers in several Civil War battles. Then, we will visit Jane Norris, who was famous (infamous?) for a rather daring feat. One night in April of 1865, after hearing the Confederacy had surrendered, Jane surreptitiously climbed to the top of the Capitol dome in Sacramento – which was still under construction! – and raised an American flag. The next morning, the workmen and citizens of Sacramento were amazed to see the stars and stripes flying over the city.

We will then visit two Medal-of-Honor recipients: Lebbeus Simkins and Newton Gould, who will tell you of their wartime deeds that won them the highest award in the US Armed Forces. Last – but certainly not least – on the tour is William McLeod, who was a United States Marine during the war. Capping off the event will be a brief wreath-laying ceremony at the G.A.R. monument.

The walking tour will last about an hour. There is free parking available on the streets around the cemetery.

Greg Tracy

The SUVCW Department of California and the Pacific will be holding their annual Encampment meeting in Sacramento March 7 – 9. One of the events being hosted by Camp 22 is an “After Hours” history tour of Old Sacramento.

The tour will be led by Greg Tracy, a member of the Old Sacramento Living History Program (also a member of Camp 22). Greg is known as one of the best docents in Old Sacramento, and this special topic tour should be extra enjoyable. Greg will be offering insights on Sacramento’s Civil War history, the Gold Rush era, and the unique architectural history of the “raising” of the city to avoid floods.

All SUVCW members and guests are invited to join Greg at 7:00 in front of the Sacramento History Museum (next to the California Railroad Museum).

Here’s an interesting article about some recent discoveries of letters written by Abraham Lincoln.

UPDATE: Also on Friday evening, our own Greg Tracy will be conducting a tour of Old Sacramento. Greg’s tours are both entertaining and highly informative, so be sure not to miss it! The tour will begin at 7:30PM in front of the California History Museum. See you there!

The annual Encampment of the Department of California and the Pacific will be held March 7-9 in Sacramento. This is the annual meeting of all SUVCW Camps in Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington.

Highlights of the Encampment include a private tour of the California State Military Museum, 7:30-9:00 PM on Friday, March 7, and a Living Memorial service at Old City Cemetery, 10:00 AM Sunday, March 9.

The Encampment business meetings will be held at the Hawthorne Suites hotel near downtown Sacramento.

For registration and more information, click here.

The End of an Era

Update: The change-of-command ceremony will take place at Camp 22’s monthly meeting on Feb 5, 6:30PM at Sam’s Hofbrau on Watt Avenue.

Brad Schall (left) speaks at a headstone dedication ceremony

Don Wilt (right) at Stockton Cemetery

For the past several years, Company B of the 8th California Regiment of the Sons of Veterans Reserve has been led by commanding officer Capt. Brad Schall and adjutant 1st Lt. Don Wilt. Under their leadership, Company B has been very active and has grown into one of the largest SVR units in the west.

Brad and Don have been tireless in their devotion to the unit, and are to be commended for their work. They’ve developed multi-level school programs spanning elementary school to college-level, attended numerous re-enactments and living history events. and—above all—they’ve successfully recruited and grown the membership of the Camp and the Company.

David Salyer at GAR Monument

Unfortunately, Brad and Don have decided to step away from their duties, so we now have a new Company B commanding officer: Capt David Salyer. David is a seasoned re-enactor and has the experience and knowledge to continue the success of Company B. He will be assuming command in a brief ceremony at the next Camp 22 meeting, on February 5 at 6:30PM at Sam’s Hofbrau (2500 Watt Avenue, Sacramento).

A reminder courtesy of 1st Lt Don Wilt of Company B:

This coming Saturday, 25 Jan 2014 is our big day at Fort Point.  The Fort opens to visitors at 10:00 AM.  Management has requested that we be setup and ready before the general public is admitted into the Fort.  We have been asked to park in the spaces well away from the Fort so as to allow visitors to park in the adjacent parking lot.  There are only a few Handicap parking placing next to the fort.

Be sure to bring a lunch and something to drink as there is no close by eateries.  Since food is not allowed in the fort, we are expected to eat in our cars.

Company B Commander Brad Schall would like a head count of who will be attending.  Please contact him if you will be attending.

Fort Point National Historic Park

The first 2014 meeting of Camp 22 will be at 6:30PM on January 13, at Sam’s Hofbrau. We will be joined by Sharon Patrician, Old City Cemetery’s Preservationist, who will be presenting the Camp with a G.A.R. grave marker discovered in the cemetery’s artifact collection. Representatives from the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War will also be at the meeting, and we will discuss plans for a joint ceremony to place the G.A.R. marker on an appropriate grave.

Please note the meeting date is a Monday. We will return to our usual Wednesday meetings beginning in February.