Battle of Smyrna

For someone who takes pride in his writing, I don't write very much. As you can see from this blog, my last post was in 2017. Since then, Ripken has passed on and I don't travel to Civil War sites as much as I used to. Don't get me wrong: The CW bug is as strong as ever, but I spend more time reading and taking classes about the war then getting out and seeing the battlefields. 

In fact, I'm reading a great book by Daniel Sutherland titled 'A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerillas in the American Civil War.' It details various guerilla actions during the war, including an Atlanta native who formed a company of 'mounted riflemen' early in the war to protect the Georgia 'frontier.' Also, there were the Cherokee Rangers, who could be anywhere in Georgia or bordering counties in North Carolina or Tennessee with five hours' notice. However, the emphasis of all guerilla units was local defense. Georgia's various groups of partisan rangers needed to take care of farms and local affairs just as urgently as protect against Union influences from outside or within. Of the various Georgia groups I've read about so far, my favorite name is the Camden Chasseurs, who roamed the coast north of Florida for enemy small boats. 

As you can guess, I live in the Atlanta area, in a little city named Smyrna, just down the road from Marietta and Kennesaw Mountain. During the Atlanta Campaign, this city saw some action on the 4th of July, both near the Smyrna campground that gave the city its name and Ruff's Mill, a small area on Nickajack Creek. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll give you more details on this small battle that occurred during the Union Army's trek toward Atlanta. See you soon.

The Battle of Olustee

Rip and I visited the Olustee Battlefield as we were driving back from Jacksonville. It was a beautiful day to check out the largest Civil War battle in the state of Florida. The battle occurred on February 20, 1864, and was significant for the large number of U.S. African-American troops, many of whom became casualties in this battle. General Truman A. Seymour described the carnage at Olustee as a 'devilish hard rub,' losing 1,861 men, including troops of the famed 54th Massachusetts, who stabilized the line while Seymour retreated back to Jacksonville. The battlefield includes a one mile trail that gives the history of the battle, and a small unmanned visitor's center with a film.

Walker's Greyhounds

I just bought Walker's Texas Division, C.S.A: Greyhounds of the Trans-Mississippi by Richard Lowe. I couldn't resist. I'll keep you posted!

And check out this great pic of Rip at a full run! He could have outraced Walker's speedy troops!

Smyrna Cemetery

Our home town is Smyrna, GA, so I'm always walking Rip around the historic areas of this small city. One of his favorite places is Smyrna Memorial Cemetery, due to the many squirrels he can chase! It's a nice quiet area in the middle of a congested area.

You'll see that Rip is in front of a CSA soldier's grave with the last name of Hamby. I made a point of seeing this grave today. The news of the last few days, from Charlottesville to Durham, even here in Atlanta, has made me think more and more of Confederate imagery in our public places. This gravestone has been in this cemetery since 1896. The Durham statue of a Confederate soldier was installed in 1924. A statue defaced in Piedmont Park was dedicated in 1911 as a symbol of peace between North and South. I think two things are being forgotten in this current haste to eliminate all symbols of racism and bigotry. First, these are symbols that represent the history of this country, both good and bad. We cannot simply forget what happened in the southern U.S. between 1861 and 1865, as it is clearly still relevant in our current nation. Removing the images of Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, or the common Confederate soldier will not stop police profiling, African-American incarceration, or the mainstream media's depiction of minorities in this country. As Barbara Fields indicated in Ken Burns' Civil War, "the Civil War is still being fought and, regrettably, it can still be lost." All this current stream of emotion serves is to mask the real problems in this country.

This is my second point. Symbols are important, but they are not as important as giving a fellow human being a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, or a friendly ear. Modern America has forgotten the axioms of Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Wallace, and Mahatma Gandhi. There are so many social issues in this country that need to be addressed. Why can't we focus our energies on homelessness, addiction, education, pollution, crime? These are problems that need to be addressed now, and are much larger issues than a statue in a city square that most people don't pay attention to on a daily basis. The actions of the white supremacists in Charlottesville were despicable, and that kind of hate has no place in this country. Anger is not a bad thing, but hate is. The groups that are angry about Confederate imagery should think about the real source of that anger, and focus it accordingly. I believe modern America has a problem with focus because of all of the external stimuli we are bombarded with every day. But, if we can focus our passion for change and keep our eyes on the true prizes, we'll have a great nation to live in. Thanks for letting me ramble!

Old Fort Jackson

Right after Fort McAllister, Rip and I visited Old Fort Jackson, a traditional brick fort. Here are the pics! Also, you'll see we ended the day on the beautiful Savannah waterfront.

Fort McAllister

My first visit for the new site is Fort McAllister. We arrived bright and early, and Rip was ready to go! Word of advice to anyone visiting this wonderful park: Bring your bug spray!