Comments

• On the announcement Cranford Historical Society to Dedicate Civil War Monument on Memorial Day

  Steve

  5:16 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013

  The monument will be dedicated at Memorial Park at the conclusion of the Memorial Day parade.

  Reply

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  

  Steve

  12:18 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  First let me say that I am a big fan of Joshua Chamberlain. I have an original love letter written by him in late 1864 to his wife Fanny hanging in my home's hallway. (She was not happy with Chamberlain going off to war, and she was not sending him letters, so her "Lawrence" pleads with her to write.)

  However, Chamberlain does tend to get a bit more credit -- or at least sometimes receives accolades at the expense of other individuals and regiments just as praiseworthy -- than is sometimes justified by the facts. And although the Ken Burns series did a great job in renewing interest in the war, as well as portraying the war's arc, at least one book has been written cataloging its many errors (both of commission and omission). Shaara's novel -- while a good read -- also contains many factual errors or divergences. So neither artistic work should be cited as support for Chamberlain's actual performance or importance during the Civil War, which -- in any event -- was well recognized by General Grant when Chamberlain was selected to accept General Gordon's formal surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 12, 1865, exactly four years after the South's firing on Fort Sumter.

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  

  Steve

  12:16 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  First let me say that I am a big fan of Joshua Chamberlain. I have an original love letter written by him in late 1864 to his wife Fanny hanging in my home's hallway. (She was not happy with Chamberlain going off to war, and she was not sending him letters, so her "Lawrence" pleads with her to write.)

  However, Chamberlain does tend to get a bit more credit -- or at least sometimes receives accolades at the expense of other regiments and individuals just as praiseworthy -- than is sometimes justified by the facts. And although the Ken Burns series did a great job in renewing interest in the war, as well as portraying the war's arc, at least one book has been written cataloging its many errors (both of commission and omission). Shaara's novel -- although a good read -- also contains many factual errors. So neither artistic work should be cited as support for Chamberlain's actual performance or importance during the Civil War, which -- in any event -- was well recognized by General Grant when Chamberlain was selected to accept General Gordon's formal surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 12, 1865, exactly four years after the South's firing on Fort Sumter.

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  

  Steve

  12:14 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  First let me say that I am a big fan of Joshua Chamberlain. I have an original love letter written by him in late 1864 to his wife Fanny hanging in my home's hallway. (She was not happy with Chamberlain going off to war, and she was not sending him letters, so her "Lawrence" pleads with her to write.)

  However, Chamberlain does tend to get a bit more credit -- or at least sometimes receives accolades at the expense of other regiments and individuals just as praiseworthy -- than is sometimes justified by the facts. And although the Ken Burns series did a great job in renewing interest in the war, as well as portraying the war's arc, at least one book has been written cataloging its many errors (both of commission and omission). And Shaara's novel -- although a good read -- also contains many factual errors. So neither artistic work should be cited as support for Chamberlain's performance during the Civil War, which -- in any event -- was well recognized by General Grant when Chamberlain was selected to accept General Gordon's formal surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 12, 1865, exactly four years after the South's firing on Fort Sumter.

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  

  Steve

  12:11 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  First let me say that I am a big fan of Joshua Chamberlain. I have an original love letter written by him in late 1864 to his wife Fanny hanging in my home's hallway. (She was not happy with Chamberlain going off to war, and she was not sending him letters, so her "Lawrence" pleads with her to write.)

  However, Chamberlain does tend to get a bit more credit -- or at least sometimes receives accolades at the expense of other regiments and individuals just as praiseworthy -- than is sometimes justified by the facts. And although Ken Burns series did a great job in renewing interest in the war, as well as portraying the war's arc, at least one book has been written cataloging its many errors (both of commission and omission). And Shaara's book -- although a good read -- also contains many factual errors. So neither artistic work should be cited as support for Chamberlain's performance during the Civil War, which -- in any event -- was well recognized by General Grant when Chamberlain was selected to accept General Gordon's formal surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 12, 1865, exactly four years after the South's firing on Fort Sumter.

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  Steve

  11:41 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  For more about the participation of New Jersey's regiments at the battle of Gettysburg, see David Martin's recent guidebook on that subject, published by the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee: http://www.njcivilwar150.org/gburg.htm

  And there are many even more local connections to the battle. For example, First Lieutenant William H Pohlman, who left Rutgers College in 1861 (before graduation) to enlist as a private in the 1st NJ, was mortally wounded on the third day as an officer of the 59th NY in defense of Longstreet's Assault. And right here in Cranford, Corporal Theodore F. Bradley of 411 Orchard Street fought with the 14th Connecticut repulsing the same assault. Bradley died in town in 1922 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery. He is one of about 75 Cranford citizens who fought during the Civil War, on both sides of the conflict.

  The Cranford Historical Society will be installing a monument to its veterans of the Civil War this Memorial Day. The Society maintains the town's museum located in the longtime residence of Private Henry J. Phillips, one of the first men to answer President Lincoln's initial call for volunteers upon the firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Private Phillips left Manhattan for the seat of war with the famous 7th NY State Militia on April 19, relieving Washington and an anxiously awaiting Lincoln at a time when the president considered the nation's capital under perilous siege.

  Reply

• On the blog post THE STORY OF GETTYSBURG Part Eight: "A New Birth Of Freedom."

  Steve

  11:40 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013

  For more about the participation of New Jersey's regiments at the battle of Gettysburg, see David Martin's recent guidebook on that subject, published by the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee: http://www.njcivilwar150.org/gburg.htm

  And there are many even more local connections to the battle. For example, First Lieutenant William H Pohlman, who left Rutgers College in 1861 (before graduation) to enlist as a private in the 1st NJ, was mortally wounded on the third day as an officer of the 59th NY in defense of Longstreet's Assault. And right here in Cranford, Corporal Theodore F. Bradley of 411 Orchard Street fought with the 14th Connecticut repulsing the same assault. Bradley died in town in 1922 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery. He is one of about 75 Cranford citizens who fought during the Civil War, on both sides of the conflict.

  The Cranford Historical Society will be installing a monument to its veterans of the Civil War this Memorial Day. The Society maintains the town's museum located in the longtime residence of Private Henry J. Phillips, one of the first men to answer President Lincoln's initial call for volunteers upon the firing of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Private Phillips left Manhattan for the seat of war with the famous 7th NY State Militia on April 19, relieving Washington and an anxiously awaiting Lincoln at a time when the president considered the nation's capital under perilous siege.

  Reply

• On the article Museums You've Never Heard Of (But You'll Like)

  Steve

  2:10 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013

  And don't forget to check out Cranford's own Crane-Phillips House museum -- the former home of one of the very first volunteers to come to the aid of the Union and President Lincoln in the first week of the Civil War -- next door to the town's municipal building!

  Reply

• On the article Bicyclist Seriously Hurt in Crash, Cops Say

  Steve

  7:47 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012

  This was posted on Cranford Patch Sunday night by "kls":

  I witnessed this accident and still feel extremely upset over the injuries mr. Batista sustained. I pray that he makes a full recovery. It was a horrible and unfortunate accident. From my innocent bystander view, mr. Mcveigh did not cut the bicyclist off and there was no way he could have seen the bicyclist coming. There was a long line of stopped traffic traveling east. Mr mcveigh was traveling west and made a left into the CVS parking lot. The bicyclist was passing the line of traffic (also going east) on the shoulder. The bicyclist hit mr mcveigh's car after mcveigh had turned into to the parking lot, blowing out the rear window located in the trunk (very back of the car). It was not a SUV. I'm not sure mr mcveigh could have even seen what hit his car as it happened behind his line of vision - the bicyclist hit the very rear of the car. I also don't know how mr mcveigh would have been able to see bicyclist coming in advance as bicyclist was bent over not visible behind a very long line of cars traveling east.

  Reply

• On the article Bicyclist Seriously Hurt in Crash, Cops Say

  Steve

  7:47 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012

  This was posted on Cranford Patch sunday night by "kls":

  I witnessed this accident and still feel extremely upset over the injuries mr. Batista sustained. I pray that he makes a full recovery. It was a horrible and unfortunate accident. From my innocent bystander view, mr. Mcveigh did not cut the bicyclist off and there was no way he could have seen the bicyclist coming. There was a long line of stopped traffic traveling east. Mr mcveigh was traveling west and made a left into the CVS parking lot. The bicyclist was passing the line of traffic (also going east) on the shoulder. The bicyclist hit mr mcveigh's car after mcveigh had turned into to the parking lot, blowing out the rear window located in the trunk (very back of the car). It was not a SUV. I'm not sure mr mcveigh could have even seen what hit his car as it happened behind his line of vision - the bicyclist hit the very rear of the car. I also don't know how mr mcveigh would have been able to see bicyclist coming in advance as bicyclist was bent over not visible behind a very long line of cars traveling east.

  Reply