MartinWills Posted 25 September , 2004 Share Posted 25 September , 2004 As well as Cynthia's tea party in Godstone today was also marked by a transatlantic pals meeting. John Hartley and Botts Grey were meeting up to visit some American Civil War sites. Just think, both Pals meetings involved transatlantic visitors and friendships forged by this forum. I look forward to a report from these worthies on the days events in the US. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 28 September , 2004 Share Posted 28 September , 2004 Hello all: This past Saturday, I indeed had the pleasure of getting together with John & Janet Hartley for a day of historical sightseeing. After an early breakfast in Frederick, Maryland, we headed over the South Mountain range to Sharpsburg where we spent the lion's share of the day touring the Antietam Battlefield. After a short trip westward across the upper Potomac River, we lunched in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Returning to Maryland, we then visited Antietam National Cemetery, a particularly poignant moment being when we visited the grave of a 19-year-old sailor killed during the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen. (Although the Cemetery has been closed to burials for decades, an exception was made for this young man who was local to the area, particularly on behalf of his mother, who lives a short distance away.) We then visited a Great War memorial in tiny Funkstown, Maryland, which lost 7 men in action during the War. That night, over a fine dinner, I had a primer in the history of the Manchester Pals Battalions and was presented with a copy of Michael Stedman's book on the subject. I was in great company on Saturday and enjoyed myself immensely. Below is John in Antietam National Cemetery with a gravestone we found of particular interest. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 29 September , 2004 Share Posted 29 September , 2004 Thanks for the report Chris. Your transatlantic get together was mentioned at our transatlantic get together on the same day. Can we direct all questions on the Manchester Pals to you from now on? Wishing you well Kate (& Martin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 30 September , 2004 Share Posted 30 September , 2004 Can we direct all questions on the Manchester Pals to you from now on? Kate: Certainly, as long as "Duh, lemme get back to you" and "Huh?" qualify as acceptable answers! Best regards to you & Martin, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 4 October , 2004 Share Posted 4 October , 2004 I've now recovered from the jet-lag and am happy to be back amongst Forum-folk. Jan and I had a great day and I can only, once again, thank Chris for his generosity towards us. If this was the legendary southern hospitality then we can firmly recommend it. We had toured the Antietam battlefield some years ago, but Chris' explanations brought the event very much home to us - particularly when he delved into his collection to show us original photos of the guys he had just talked about. At dinner, I was therefore completely gobsmacked to be presented with one of the originals, together with a copy of a 1990 magazine which had published Chris' research into the chap. ("Gobsmacked" - orig. northern England. "Smacked in gob (mouth)" = very surprised; astounded; etc). I now have the really difficult task of trying to find a "pride of place" location in the house to display it. There had been other gifts earlier in the day, which had been impressive in their own right. Not least because they would be impossible to acquire in the UK. And because they had a very familiar logo, which it is not my business to mention (he wrote, secretively). (Chris: I hope you don't mind, but the pens are intended for my two young nephews. One has already received his, with the response of "Wow. Is this from your American friend? Really cool!). Before meeting Chris, we had also had the great pleasure in meeting fellow Pal, Vincent Petty, a couple of days before. Vince works as a "costumed interpreter" at the Jamestown Settlement and, for a historian, he makes a great 18th century blacksmith. We didnt get anywhere near long enough to chat - something both Janet and I regret. But it was great to meet to you, Vince. And we remembered to put the handmade nails in our checked luggage for our return flight. So no problems with the Canadian anti-terrorist police. Photos follow in a day or so when I've sorted out other stuff. We've often had threads on the Forum along the lines of of "which WW1 unit would you have joined". I think we need to start a new thread along the lines of "who would you have fought for in the American Civil War?". (for Civil War, substitute War Between The States or War of Northern Aggression, as appropriate). But restrict this to non-US Pals. My response. particularly after meeting the above guys, is that I would hope to fight for my State, whichever it was. But please make me a Virginian. Oh, by the way, the rest of the holiday was damn fine as well. Enjoyed the time in Canada (and got a photo of the war memorial in Niagara) John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Petty Posted 4 October , 2004 Share Posted 4 October , 2004 John, It was such a pleasure to have met you and Jan. This was the first time I met someone in person, that I had first talked to on-line. I also hope that you enjoyed your time in Virginia and I am glad that yall made it home safe and sound. And I hope that one day I can visit the UK as well. Now since you want to be a Virginian here are a few lines that you should be able to freely quote -- "We Virginians freely admit we are superior to the citizens of all other state." "To be a Virginian, either by birth, marriage, adoption, or even on one's mother's side, is an introduction to any state in the union, a passport to any foreign country, and a benediction from the almighty God." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 4 October , 2004 Share Posted 4 October , 2004 My response. particularly after meeting the above guys, is that I would hope to fight for my State, whichever it was. But please make me a Virginian. Hello John and welcome back. Its great to hear that you had such a marvellous time over the pond and I certainly look forward to the photos. Although Virginians are mighty fine people, you have to remember that at Antietam it was just 500 Georgians who held the whole union army at Burnside Bridge Great to have you back in one piece Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 5 October , 2004 Share Posted 5 October , 2004 Mr. Hartley lookin' GOOD! Now to Mr. Petty ... I have always been a great fan of the 'Time Team' British TV series - they did a 'special' dig at Jamestown - but there was controversy, never resolved over the site of the original fort. Pictures were produced to show that the 'humps and bumps' found by ground radar could have been just marks left by a 1930s carvnival site. In short, was/is the 'Time Team' input valued/valuable for your site? And were you the guy with the flintlock? Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 5 October , 2004 Share Posted 5 October , 2004 Mr Blackadder - most kind remarks as usual. I will arrange for Chris & Vince to make you an honorary southern gentleman. Vince actually works next door to the original site but may well have some info. When we were at the original site they were excavating the the "other end" of the fort, having discovered it by accident and, also, by having to dig through (and thereby destroy) fortifications from the War Between the States. I'm also a great fan of Time Team (except the actor who plays your TV namesake's servant) but when I asked two members of staff (both of whom had been there for several years) where the dig had taken placed, they was the predicatable response. "Time Team? What's that? British TV program(me)? Here? At Jamestown? Don't think so, sir". There are a few wooden posts where the originally discovered end is, to which I was vaguely waved towards as to where it must have taken place. But surely, I must have made some mistake. Have a nice day, y'all. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 Boring holiday snaps follow as promised. This one of me and Vincent at his workplace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 And the memorial inside the parish church at "Colonial Williamsburg". Herewith a project for Virginian Pals - to identify and report back on the two WW1 casualties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 Me and Chris at Antietam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 The Funkstown Memorial, mentioned by Chris above. A really nice memorial mentioning those who served as well as those who died. In an interesting sign of the the then times, it mentions that one who served was "colored". There's an adjacent "roll of honour" panel with the names of casualties from subsequent conflicts. Well done, the folks from Funkstown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 Re-enactors at Gettysburg. They are "Parker's Battery" from Ohio. They gave a speed display - 3 rounds in 31 seconds. Apparently their best ever time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 The memorial at Niagara. Situated about halfway between Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 And just to prove that this was a real holiday - the view of the Canadian Falls from one very expensive hotel room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 You got time to sleep in a hotel room!!! Great pics John. You lucky so and so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 I thought I would throw in several more pics which may be of interest. Below: John & Janet at the Funkstown, Maryland, WWI War Memorial, which is located on an island in the middle of the street. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 Below is tablet on Memorial listing the 7 Great war dead. I mistakenly stated above that all 7 of the dead were combat casualties, actually, it was 6 of the 7 were combat-related deaths. In Memoriam To Those Of The Funkstown District Who Gave Their Lives In The World War, 1914-1918 John L. Biser, Private Co B 115th Infantry Killed in Action near Verdun October 10, 1918 Rodney E. Dixon, Private Co E 313th Infantry Killed in Action Meuse-Argonne Drive Sept 22, 1918 Herbert A. Ingram, Private Co D 313th Infantry Killed in Action Meuse-Argonne Drive Sept 29, 1918 James B. Newcomer, Sergeant Co B 328th Infantry Killed by Shrapnel at Pont-A-Meuson Sept 18, 1918 Louis Edward Stockslager, Sergeant 333 M.S.T. Unit Died at Camp Lee, Petersburg, VA October 4, 1918 Harry E. Stottlemyer, Private Co B 115th Infantry Killed in Action Meuse-Argonne Drive October 16, 1918 H. Vernon Talbot, Private Co D 313th Infantry Wounded September 27, 1918, at Mont-Faudon Died October 6, 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 6 October , 2004 Share Posted 6 October , 2004 Lastly, the Hartleys on the Confederate side of the Rohrbach Bridge (known to history as Burnside's Bridge), Antietam battlefield. The bridge was built in 1836 at a cost of barely $2,000, by Irish laborers, of native limestone. At the point of the bridge, Antietam Creek is approximately 60 feet wide, the bridge spans 125 feet. It was here that Confederates from Georgia (new scholarship shows the defenders to have been approximately 280-300 in strength, reduced from the 400-500 range once thought), held up Burnside's Union 9th Corps (approximately 13,000 men) for 5 hours, repelling 5 attacks on the bridge. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 7 October , 2004 Share Posted 7 October , 2004 Re-enactors at Gettysburg. They are "Parker's Battery" from Ohio. John.. Not to question you, since you were there, but these uniforms are grey... are you sure they are Parker's Battery from OHIO? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 7 October , 2004 Share Posted 7 October , 2004 Andy: Apologies in advance for interjecting here. Parker's Battery was from Virginia--nicknamed the "Boys Battery" because of its many members in their early-mid teen years. I think John meant the reenacting group portraying the Battery was from Ohio. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Petty Posted 7 October , 2004 Share Posted 7 October , 2004 I am sorry, I do not know of the program "Time Team." And I am pretty sure then that it is not me shooting. And a flintlock? nah we dont use them new self sparking thingies... We use the good ol matchlock musket. On the otherhand, we do have a lot of film crews working on projects at our museum and our wonderful neighbors at the original site and I have ended up in several, no matter how hard I try to stay off film... gggrrrrrrrrr Great photos. About a week after you visited John the wooly hair and the goatee got shaved off for some WW1 living histories taking place this fall As for the two names from Bruton Parish Chruch in Williamsburg. As of yet I have not found any information on Percy Witchley. On the other name -- Samuel H. Hubbard was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant and assigned to the 318th Infantry at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia, December 15, 1917. Mortally wounded in action August 9, 1918 and died October 14, 1918. At the time of Hubbard's wounding the 318th Infantry was training under the British army. He was wounded during the period that the 1st Battalion (Co's A, B, C and D) was attached to the 38th (Welsh) Division (the regiment had previously trained with the 17th Division, which the 38th had relived). The 1st Battalion had only gone into the lines with the 38th Division on the evening of August 8th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 7 October , 2004 Share Posted 7 October , 2004 Guys Just to clarify. I did, indeed, mean the re-enactors were from Ohio. In truth, I hadnt realised, until Andy/Chris' comments, that there was an actual "Parkers Battery". I had assumed it was just a stage name. No offence intended to the good people of Virginia. Or Ohio for that matter. Nice people though. They also had a small group of surgical re-enactors with them (complete with amputations tossed on the ground). Got chatting to one couple who were more interested in what we thought of Prince Charles than of telling us about mid 19th century battlefield medcine. I hope that they were enlightened in the knowledge that we are somewhat less than enchanted at still being "subjects" of the Queen. Chris - you must be glad the camera finally started to work. Vince - Wow. That was a fast bit of research. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 7 October , 2004 Share Posted 7 October , 2004 Old age creeping up on me I think... The Time Team programme with Jamestown was about the settlement in the West Indies. The American 'colonial' programme was about the 'Maryland' settlement. Sorry for the confusion! Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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