Reviews

FOCUS ON CAMP LIFE
The Civil War in Spotsylvania County: Confederate Campfires at the Crossroads
Book Review by Erik F. Nelson for The Free Lance-Star Town & County

One-hundred-thousand soldiers were killed or wounded during the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. This number reflects a tragic loss, but the majority of deaths during the Civil War, by a factor of two to one, were not battlefield-related, but the result of disease in camp.

That more soldiers died in camp than in actual fighting or even on campaign, is explained through a variety of contributing conditions. Thousands of farm boys who joined the armies were without immunities to childhood diseases. Other communicable diseases resulted from poor camp sanitation, which had to be learned and enforced. Young men, living outdoors, became weakened by bad food, inadequate shelter, worn-out clothing, and hard duty.

Camp life was a large part of military life and the presence of the two principal eastern armies in and around Fredericksburg from 1862 to 1864 left their mark on the landscape as well as in the written record. The huge Northern army occupied much of Stafford County. Southern units camped in Spotsylvania County, including several places that are now a part of the City of Fredericksburg.

The remnants of camps are still evident in areas of the region that have not yet been fully developed. The best time to see them is in the winter months, when the thick Virginia foliage is down. That time of year, however, also makes it painfully evident how miserable those encampments had to have been.

Michael Aubrecht, a Fredericksburg-area writer and historian, explores this quieter aspect of the Civil War in a new book called “The Civil War in Spotsylvania County: Confederate Campfires at the Crossroads.”

There are several classic studies on the experience of soldiering, such as Bell I. Wiley’s “The Life of Johnny Reb,” but Aubrecht does not try to reprise these types of works. Instead, he focuses on Spotsylvania County and presents various sub-themes, through a wide range of first-person accounts from Confederates who were in this region.

The author includes sections on soldier diet, crime and punishment, disease, the experience of winter quarters and so on. The collection of first-person accounts includes the words of generals, such as commanders like Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, as well as those of private soldiers, who may have been less literate, but were certainly no less descriptive. The format consists of a short introduction for each chapter, followed by a series of primary documents.

The use of primary sources provides a striking immediacy, which in turn, carries potential insight. In the chapter on disease, for instance, a soldier recounts nights in bivouac broken by the persistent coughing and labored breathing of thousands of unhealthy men.

This is not a story of banners and bugles, but rather of the curse of war itself-once described by historian Bruce Catton as “the ugly fever-sickness that came upon young men who ate bad food and went to sleep wet to wake up cold.”

Another chapter notes the relative youth of the Confederate army, which certainly applied to the Northern armies as well. We often see Civil War re-enactors with full beards, some of them quite gray. Large armies, however, are usually comprised of very young men, teenagers in fact, who have little facial hair to grow. Aubrecht’s volume quietly presents these types of realities, always buttressed by his selection of first-person sources.

One section touches on the presence of African-Americans in the Confederate camps. The author includes material showing them to have served as cooks and body servants, but is cautious about claiming that they also served as soldiers, which has become a somewhat controversial subject.

To his credit, Aubrecht does not shy away from presenting what evidence has been used by others to claim that slaves fought in the Confederate army, but equally to his credit, he does not generate unsubstantiated conclusions.

Other chapters examine the famous religious revivals that swept the Confederate camps, the experience of the families of those who were in the army, and the types of letters that soldiers wrote to wives and sweethearts.

Again, Aubrecht picks up the telling details, such as the scarcity of paper upon which to write a letter home or young men describing women, probably very similar to their own mothers, arriving at Fredericksburg to look for dead loved ones.

The History Press has an attractive presentation, although a mixed reputation for what they bring into print. Happily, this volume by Michael Aubrecht is a worthwhile compilation of first-person accounts that can be enjoyed for their own sake or used as a ready reference for other research.

The Confederate encampments that saw so much of this region’s Civil War history wait silently in the woods of Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg for explorers young and old. This book gives them a voice.

Erik F. Nelson is a founding member of the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust and senior planner for the City of Fredericksburg.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK
Historic Churches of Fredericksburg: Houses of the Holy
Book Review by Jim Schmidt for Civil War Medicine (and Writing)

In his recent book, Historic Churches of Fredericksburg: Houses of the Holy, Michael Aubrecht provides a look at disunion, war, and reconstruction (literally and figuratively) as experienced by Secessionists, Unionists, and African Americans in Fredericksburg, Virginia’s landmark churches during the Civil War era.

Readers of this column will especially enjoy the book due to Michael’s significant attention to the use of the churches as hospitals – indeed the town itself was referred to as “one vast hospital” – and the subsequent damage due to that use.

To document the history of five Fredericksburg churches during the war, Michael drew on an impressive array of sources, including archival material from the individual churches; sources at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park; soldier and civilian journals, letters, and memoirs; and – most interesting – postwar “Court of Claims” documents. The book is handsome and is amptly illustrated with more than eighty photographs and engravings. The narrative is lively, especially when Michael incorporates first-hand accounts.

Each chapter begins with a brief sketch of the church’s origin, a lengthy section on the wartime experience of the church (for the building and parishioners), how the church and community were rebuilt postwar, and the state of the church today. Though the book lacks annotation or an Index, the author’s attribution of material in the book is clear enough that readers will not have difficulty identifying sources from the Bibliography.

Michael Aubrecht lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, near the historic Massaponax Church and just a few miles from the “Stonewall” Jackson Shrine. He is a professional (and award-winning) art director and designer with historical interests in both the Civil War and baseball. Michael is the author of three previous books as well as hundreds of articles as a contributing writer for Baseball-Almanac.com. Frequently the two subjects coincide in both articles and in consulting for reenactments of period games. He was kind enough to answer my questions about Historic Churches of Fredericksburg.

In choosing the churches for the book, Michael selected what he “believed to be the more noteworthy congregations for the book in terms of their experiences during the Civil War,” adding, “I also wanted to strictly cover landmark churches that are still standing today.” That said, he did acknowledge that other denominations and faiths had active communities in Fredericksburg. “There were Catholics who attended St. Mary’s, although they were in the minority at the time. There were also Jewish settlers in Virginia although there were no synagogues in the area,” he told me.

While most Civil War enthusiasts are familiar with the beating that Fredericksburg homes, businesses, and churches took from artillery bombardments (by both sides, Michael points out) during the war, they are probably less familiar with the tremendous scarring of the inside of these houses of worship. “I’m sure anyone who has ever seen photographs of the town would agree that Fredericksburg looked like hell during the Civil War,” Michael told me. “Of course, the interiors of the churches were absolutely devastated from hospital use and some were even commandeered for stables. Most were completely unusable until after the war in 1865.”

As evidence, he quotes Major St. Clair Mulholland of the 116th Pennsylvania, who remembered one post-battle scene, writing, “In the lecture room of the Episcopal Church eight operating tables were in full blast” and “the floor was densely packed with men.” Sunday school teacher at the city’s Presbyterian Church recalled that “Federal forces occupied the building for a hospital. They tore all of the pews out…the church was completely gutted…[they] used most of the pews to mark the graves of the soldiers.” A nurse stationed at Fredericksburg’s United Methodist Church wrote, “they had the pews knocked to pieces; under the backs and seats [they] put a cleat and made little beds.”

After the war, the churches sought to recover the cost of the damages. Indeed, among the most interesting sources that Michael cites in the book are postwar “Court of Claims” inquiries and documents. “Those documents are prized pieces in my reference library,” Michael told me. Churches that were involved in the Battle of Fredericksburg – or any battle for that matter – submitted itemized claims to the court of the United States government, as a petition to recover the cost of damages.

“All of these cases took years to come to fruition and involved a tedious and detailed investigation whereby members of the congregation, as well as unbiased witnesses, testified in order to prevent the commission of insurance fraud,” Michael explained. “The required criteria for granting a claim involved several factors that had to be determined by the panel conducting each investigation.”

To be sure, the book is not all about battles, bombardments, and amputations. In describing the origins of each church, Michael describes interesting theological differences that led to splits among the denominations before the war. His discussion of the treatment of the city’s population of enslaved African-Americans and how they worshiped is very enlightening. There are also some very moving scenes in the book, such as when Union soldiers worship with civilians of the occupied city.

Even as a Fredericksburg resident, Michael found that he had more to learn about the city’s role in the war. “I was familiar with the political and military aspects of the town and its place in history. However, I didn’t know the points of view from the everyday people,” he told me. “This project actually pushed me to look in places that I had never been. The conflict and division that existed prior to the war – politically, socially, and spiritually – was a real eye opener,” he added.

Michael encourages visitors and tourists to Fredericksburg not to limit their visits to the area battlefields. “The best reason to tour the churches is that there is something of interest for everyone,” he told me. “The walk itself takes you through the beautiful streets of Old Town, the classic architecture and interiors of the buildings are breathtaking, the history is literally everywhere you look, and the people who work and attend these churches are some of the nicest that you could ever hope to meet.”

Jim is the author, editor or contributor to four other books on the American Civil War, including Notre Dame and the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory

THE ANGEL OF MARYE’S HEIGHTS
Documentary Reviews

“This film was a poignant, inspiring portrayal of an unassuming hero.  It made a touching Civil War story leap from the pages of history and come alive.” – Jane Conner, historian and author of Birthstone of the White House and Capitol and Sinners, Saints, & Soldiers in Civil War Stafford.   

“A great Civil War story brilliantly crafted.  The use of animation augmenting the experts was superb.” – Scott Eyestone, Director/Editor, Civil War Fredericksburg: Then & Now DVD 

“A fine debut from filmmakers Clint Ross and Michael Aubrecht telling the remarkable story of American hero Richard Kirkland, with his touching act of humanity at Fredericksburg in an otherwise brutal war.” – Scott C. Boyd, Civil War News 

“The Angel of Marye’s Heights demonstrates the selfless civil acts that individual soldiers made in a vastly uncivil war. The film was superbly done and conveys the truly personal side of those who gave all for what they believed.” – Tom Van Winkle, Director of Communications, Central VA Battlefields Trust 

“The Angel of Marye’s Heights is as timeless as it is timely. As Americans get set to commemorate our country’s Civil War sesquicentennial, the film and the story it tells are a moving reminder of — and a fitting tribute to — the men behind the monuments.” – Mark Coombs, Civil War Preservation Trust

“The Angel of Marye’s Heights was a brilliantly produced documentary film about Richard Kirkland’s selfless heroism in the eye of the storm. Michael Aubrecht and Clint Ross left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of patrons who attended the premiere. This story is one that needs to be shared across the country.” – Chris Williams, freelance writer and critic

“The Angel of Marye’s Heights is not your usual documentary in that it gives you more than the who, what, when, and where of Kirkland’s unparalled act of heroism during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Rather it goes into the real story—the drama of the battle, the moral conundrum of how a man who could kill at one moment and then be an angel of mercy the next, as well as the pathos of a battle that changed little in the outcome of the Civil War. Using excellent commentary and top flight state of the art graphics, the viewer is taken back to that fateful day when the carnage of battle concluded and the moral battle within Kirkland raged. The video also explores his conflict with General Kershaw who ultimately saw the need for Kirkland to fulfill his destiny by giving succor to the wounded and dying Union soldiers who just a short time before had been his enemies but who were now his fellow children of God. One is left to ponder what Oliver Wendell Holmes described as the “incommunicable bond of brotherhood” by all who shared the horrors of combat during the Civil War. Kirkland’s star in the pantheon of Christian saints shines more brightly today as a result of the video and its excellent production team. One is left to ponder the dearth of heroes in contemporary society and to ask where the future Kirkland’s are.” – Kenny Rowlette, Director National Civil War Chaplains Museum, Liberty University