Michigan Civil War Blog

R.E. Lee and the Detroit River?

Well, something like that. A front-page article in today's Freep connects the famous Lee to a far-less known person (and site) across the River in Windsor. Elizabeth Lee died in 1894; her gravestone just emerged thanks to changes in the landscape, and it notes her marriage to Ludwell Lee, who -- according to his Canadian family's oral history -- was a nephew of Robert E. Lee. Fascinating stuff: Lees in the Freep

Great news today!!

Amazing, but it was revealed today that Michigan has decided to invest millions of dollars in restoring some of its most amazing historic treasures! Historic Fort Wayne along the Detroit River is receiving $50 million to stabilize its failing walls, restore the many individual buildings on its grounds that are in danger of crumbling, open a new visitor center, and make itself available to the public more than a few weekends a year. In addition, the State Fairgrounds has received an infusion of cash and will reopen to the public, along with newly conserved icons like the U.S. Grant House and the Giant Stove. Also, the GAR building in Detroit has been sold to investors who pledge to restore it to its original beauty and put a Civil War museum on the first floor, making available to the public sights including the giant "GAR" up on the top floor that haven't been seen in decades. Similar other stories abound today ...

"Open to the public" -- now that has a nice sound on this April Fools' Day ...

Classics moment

For some reason recently the CI The Man Without a Country came to mind. It was one of several of the more than 160 printed that it was a privilege to own back in the day. Until not long ago the connection between the story and the Civil War was not in the memory bank, perhaps because as years pile on top of one another a lot of memory seems to get squeezed out and falls back into the soil from which it originally sprouted.

It was a nice surprise, then, to find the text of the book (basis for the comic, of course) by Everett Edward Hale online and read the first few lines of the opening chapter and find, after the story begins with the author reading an obituary of one Philip Nolan, this:

"I happened to observe it, because I was stranded at the old Mission-House in Mackinac, waiting for a Lake-Superior steamer which did not choose to come ...."

A Michigan connection to this immortal story?! What was, or is, "the old Mission-House"? Was it a figment of Hale's imagination? According to the State historic sites database, "The Mission House is one of the earliest buildings constructed on Mackinac Island and is associated with the Mission Church, the oldest surviving church structure in Michigan. The building was constructed in 1825 by Martin Heydenburk under the direction of Presbyterian minister William Montague Ferry to board students and families with the Mission Church until 1837. In 1845 Edward A. Franks bought the building and converted it into a hotel ...."

Classic.

What a year!

Recapping the year that just was would take a lot longer space than this blog is meant for -- so here are a few key events related to its purpose:

Two thousand nine began with an announcement by the Governor that financial constraints meant Michigan's Department of History, Arts & Libraries would become no more. At the end of the year, the Michigan Historical Center will soon become a unit of the combined departments of natural resources and environmental quality.

In March, Michigan put on the first Civil War Sesquicentennial event in the Nation at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American history in Detroit. It was phenomenally great.

In the same month, the River Raisin Battlefield National Park was approved by the President after passage by Congress as a small but important part of an omnibus bill. At a planning meeting in December, the NPS was welcomed by the Monroe community and other Michigan historical interests. This rather rare federal investment in Michigan culture could not have come during a more needed time, given the state of the State.

In November, the Michigan Historical Commission approved its final Civil War Sesquicentennial work plan as a result of public input and comment and dialogue during the summer. While still a living document subject to evolution, it will form the basis for what the Commission will do to help make the commemoration an appropriate activity.

On the cusp of 2010, hope springs again as one contemplates the potential of a fresh slate and so much in the works to advance Michigan history. A year from now, let's trust that progress will have been made. And that Michiganders will be able to say, "what a [great] year!"

This has nothing to do...

...with a Michigan connection to the Civil War, unless a stretch is made to the fact that Custer was in the neighborhood, but this is one little story that fascinates. Within the last score of years, a donation wa made to the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park that is touching in so many respects. Check it out: Silent witness

So how came across it? Well...the recent Ken Burns' program on the NPS, coupled with the CWPT fundraising campaign to safeguard land at the Appomattox Station battleground, linked with purchase of the Chris Calkins' book on the battle, all combine to create an obsession with those last couple of days when the Union army, including a significant number of Michigan troops (ah, there's more of a connection!), pursued the ANV to surrender.

That old book musty smell problem

I can find a website devoted to aficionados of the problem [Scent] but not one giving a foolproof way for how to deal with a pre-existing condition. Is there one? 

In re secession

Yesterday's excursion into Law made reminded of another legal issue involving the American Civil War: did the 11 southern states have a constitutional right or power to withdraw from the Union?

This post is not meant to be an authoritative examination of the constitutional issues surrounding the question. The U.S. Supreme Court answered it in 1869 in Texas v White:

"The Union of the States never was a purely artificial and arbitrary relation. It began among the Colonies, and grew out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interests, and geographical relations. It was confirmed and strengthened by the necessities of war, and received definite form and character and sanction from the Articles of Confederation. By these, the Union was solemnly declared to 'be perpetual.' And when these Articles were found to be inadequate to the exigencies of the country, the Constitution was ordained 'to form a more perfect Union.' It is difficult to convey the idea of indissoluble unity more clearly than by these words. What can be indissoluble if a perpetual Union, made more perfect, is not?"

It also contains this ringing statement: "The Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union composed of indestructible States."

I do trust that those who espouse the errant view that secession is permissible under the U.S. Constitution nonetheless agree that it was a bad idea in 1860 and remains so.

In reading a book on the Vicksburg campaign not long ago, a flaw in the Confederate theory was presented. It mentioned how an area of Mississippi seceded from the State rather than secede from the Union. The Confederacy's response? Suppression of this "rebellion." The old "Do as I say, not as I do."

Since one classic argument of lawyers to prove the errancy of their opponents is to show inconsistency in either interpretation or application of a legal doctrine, that sure appears to be open for use here.

At any rate, the question has been settled, more than six hundred thousand lives later.

Rats!

(A favorite expression.) Amazing what you can learn just by having the car radio on during the ride to work. Heard Mr. Smith on WJR this morning do a commercial for a pest extermination company and this caught my ear: they started out by helping the Union Army during the Civil War. Huh?! Requires looking this up, and, sure enough: Rose

Can't recall any other similar pitch during an ad -- even Heinz didn't get started til '69... 

Holy cow!

Critics unfairly say we don't care about history here in the Great Lake State. Bah! Traverse

Incredible news!

Startling news on the Civil War front:

LANSING MI, April 1, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michigan Auditor General announced today the discovery of a long-lost bank account that contains hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to advancing Michigan history.

At a press conference in a packed Capitol rotunda, Auditor General Terence McDervish revealed the existence of the "John E. Munster Michigan History Fund", a bank account opened in 1865 by a never-married Civil War veteran who deposited his wartime pay and dedicated it to Michigan commemorative activities relating to the Union's victory upon his death.

Since Munster's demise was never recorded, the account sat unnoticed for nearly a century and a half in the National Bank of Detroit. With accumulated interest, the value of the fund is now $999M.

"We appreciate NBD coming forward to alert us," McDervish said. "They knew it'd be hard to explain not mentioning the account once it hit the billion-dollar mark. Since we now know about it, and it's pretty big, all is forgiven."

Munster was a sergeant in the 13th Regiment of Michigan Cavalry, most notable for its service during Sherman's March to the Sea in late 1864. Historians surmise a significant portion of the original bank deposits may have derived from "liberating" valuable objects from plantation houses during the campaign and selling them for cash.

"We already sent captured Confederate flags back South years ago," said Department of History Arts & Letters press spokesperson Patrick Clark. "Since we won the War, it's only appropriate that the Munster Fund help underwrite Michigan's commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial over the next decade."

Officials in the Georgia State Government are said to be studying the matter before commenting.

APRIL 23d UPDATE: Apologies to all who read this post and did not catch the attempt at irony, the date of its posting (April 1st), and that certain aspects tried to give it away (eg National Bank of Detroit ceased to exist several years ago), for the tongue was firmly planted in the cheek.