COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

As a Soldier, engineer, physicist and mathematician, Wilfred
E.   Cutshaw  contributed  a  great  deal to the Confederacy
during the War of Northern Aggression and  to  his  hometown
Richmond  after  the war.  Many of the structures and street
layouts we see today can be attributed to Cutshaw.  The most
notable  of  these  is what we now call the "Old City Hall."
Injured and captured numerous times  during  the  war,  even
loosing  his  right leg, Cutshaw fought to the end and never
lost his loyalty to his state and fellow Virginians.        

Wilfred Emory Cutshaw was  born  in  Harper's  Ferry  on  25
January  1838.   His  father  was  a  tailor and much of the
schooling he received was at home before he entered a  local
private  academy.  He soon entered VMI and graduated in 1858
with his strong points being  in  physics  and  mathematics.
After VMI he taught mathematics and artillery tactics at the
Hampton Military Academy.                                   

Soon the  war  began  and  he  resigned  from  his  teaching
position  to  enter the Confederate army as one of Stonewall
Jackson's engineers.  In 1862 he was elected captain of  his
own  artillery  unit  known as Cutshaw's Battery.  In May of
that year he received his first injury and was caught by the
Yankees  near  Winchester.   He was paroled on the condition
that  he  remain  within  Union   lines.    Violating   this
condition,  Cutshaw  was  imprisoned again and was exchanged
for Yankee prisoners in  May  of  1863.   Deemed  unfit  for
battlefield  duty  by the Confederate government (due to his
injury) he returned to VMI as the commandant.  Later on,  he
rejoined the army as an artillery inspector and was promoted
to major in 1864.  He saw battlefield action at Spotsylvania
Courthouse  and  was  again  wounded, this time in the right
arm.  He was able to continue his command and led  his  unit
through  the  battle  of  Petersburg  in  early 1865.  Right
before the end of the war Cutshaw was promoted to lieutenant
colonel.   He  was  captured again at Sailors Creek where he
received yet another injury.  This time he was not so lucky.
The injuries sustained at the battle caused him to loose his
right leg.                                                  

After the war he returned to VMI to teach his beloved cadets
and  serve  as  assistant  commandant.  In 1873, he said his
final farewells to the Institute and returned  to  Richmond.
Later  that  year  he  became  the  engineer for the city of
Richmond.  Even though  Richmond  was  going  through  tough
times   he  took  charge  and  began  making  all  sorts  of
improvements  to  the  city.   He  took  a  methodical   and
comprehensive  approach  starting with the demolition of the
City Hall.  This building  was  originally  erected  in  the
early  part of the century and after the Capital Disaster in
1870 it was decided that a new  building  was  needed.   The
result  was  what we now call the "Old City Hall." The style
of this beautiful piece of architecture can be attributed to
Cutshaw.   All  of  the  major  buildings erected during his
tenure were in the Italianate style, his favorite.  He  also
oversaw  the  construction of numerous armories in the city.
These included the armories for the First Virginia Regiment,
the  First  Virginia  Volunteers  Battalion and the Richmond
Howitzers Battalion.                                        

Cutshaw believed that public parks should be a major part of
all  cities.   In  Richmond  he reserved land on its western
edge (about 300 acres part of which is  now  Byrd  Park)  to
establish  a  tree nursery to furnish the landscaping of the
city's  streets  and  parks.   In  1875   he   oversaw   the
improvement  of  the Union Hill community.  For this project
he used state of the art technology and engineering  tactics
installing  complete  sewage, water and gas systems, grading
streets for proper drainage, building sidewalks  and  paving
roads.   Afterwards  he  pushed  for  the improvement of the
entire city using Union Hill as an example.                 

The design of the towering Confederate Soldiers and  Sailors
Monument on Libby Hill can also be credited to Col.  Cutshaw.
In 1888 he was selected to be on the design  committee.   He
proposed  a monument based on Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria,
Egypt.  On top of this  pillar  would  stand  a  confederate
soldier.   The  committee  went  with  his  design  and  the
monument was completed in 1894.                             

Cutshaw was very unlucky in married life.   He  didn't  face
tough  divorces  but  his  wives  would  die  soon after the
wedding day.  His first wife, Emma Norfleet,  died  thirteen
days  after  they were married from cholera.  His second and
final wife, Margaret Morton, died within one year  of  their
wedding date.                                               

He served as City Engineer until his death in December, 1907
from kidney disease.  He is buried  in  Hollywood  cemetery.
Today  the  triangular  park bordered by Stuart Avenue, Park
Avenue, and Meadow Street is  named  Cutshaw  Place  in  his
honor.  Cutshaw Avenue is also named in his memory.         

Although  Col.   Cutshaw  does  not  grace  the pages of the
history books like Lee  and  Jackson,  he  deserves  a  more
prominent  place  in  history  with  so many other forgotten
heroes who gave their all for the  cause.   Devoted  to  his
state,  his  beloved  VMI  and  the city of Richmond, W.  E.
Cutshaw tirelessly endeavored to make life better for  those
around  him.   The next time you drive by "Old City Hall" or
see the great monument on Libby Hill think  of  Cutshaw  and
what  he did for our city and for the Confederate cause.  We
need more people like him today!                            

I relied heavily on the Dictionary  of  Virginia  Biography,
Volume  3  produced  by  the  Library  of  Virginia for this
article.  This is the newest volume  to  be  printed.   Once
completed,  this series will be an invaluable asset to those
seeking information on prominent Virginians.  You will  need
to  be  patient  though if you are looking for someone whose
name starts with a letter at the end of  the  alphabet.   It
has  taken  them  several years to get from the beginning to
the names beginning with "D"!                               

See you at the next meeting!                                
					Taylor

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

At our February  meeting  we  inducted  into  the  Camp  and
welcomed  our  newest  member Howard S.  Donald, Jr.  It was
discovered at our meeting that the ancestor of  one  of  our
visitors served in the same unit as Howard's ancestor.      

We  extend  our  heartiest  congratulations  to  Camp member
Richard Campbell upon his election by the  Virginia  General
Assembly  to  serve  as  a  judge in Richmond's Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court.  He is scheduled to be sworn in in
April.   The  City  is  fortunate to have a man of Richard's
ability, integrity, and character serving as a judge.       

A few years ago Doug Knapp opened his talk to  our  Camp  by
reminding  us  how  fortunate  we  are  to  have Confederate
ancestors.  We are also blessed to be living in an area with
great history, resources, and attractions.  Our history goes
back to 1607 when Jamestown settlers  sailed  up  the  James
River  to  the  fall  line.   At the intersection of 9th and
Marshall Streets is the home of John Marshall, who as  Chief
Justice  of  the  Highest  Federal Court made that branch of
government powerful.  John Marshall High School was in  that
same  block  until  the building was demolished in the early
1960's to be replaced by the John Marshall Courts  building.
Justice  Marshall  was  a second cousin of Thomas Jefferson.
There was no love lost between them.  Aaron  Burr's  treason
trial   was   held  in  Richmond  with  Marshall  presiding.
Jefferson was not happy with Burr's  acquittal.   Marshall's
body  is  buried in Shockoe Cemetery, also the final resting
place of the earthly remains of the  notorious  War  Between
The  States Yankee spy Elizabeth Van Lew.  While speaking of
cemeteries, we have two treasures, Hollywood and Oakwood.   

Richmond achieved  its  everlasting  fame  by  becoming  the
capital  of  the  Confederate States of America early in the
War  Between  the  States.   The  state  capital   building,
designed  by  Thomas  Jefferson, was used by the Confederate
government.  Mark Greenough gave an interesting  talk  about
this  at  a  Longstreet  camp meeting not too long ago.  The
White House  of  the  Confederacy  after  the  departure  of
Jefferson  Davis  had  as  its most prominent Yankee tourist
Abraham Lincoln.  The  State  Capitol  building,  the  White
House,  the  Museum of the Confederacy, and the battlefields
of the Richmond area attract  tourists  from  all  over  the
world.                                                      

On the Boulevard are located the Virginia Historical Society
and  the  headquarters  of  the  United  Daughters  of   the
Confederacy.   Dr.   Charles  Bryan has led the Society into
expanding its reach and its influence.  He has been aided by
the  generous  contributions  of  many  people.  The current
Pocahontas exhibit, which runs through June 24,  is  a  must
see.   Dr.   William  M.   S.   Rasmussen  gave an excellent
gallery talk February 28 in which he pointed  out  that  New
Englanders  opined in the mid 19th century that Captain John
Smith didn't do all  the  things  that  he  claimed  in  his
writings.   Isn't  it  interesting  that  nobody  made  that
assertion for 230 years!                                    

The Historical Society has another interesting gallery  talk
scheduled March 28, when William Marvel will discuss his new
book Mr.   Lincoln  Goes  to  War,  in  which  he  discusses
Lincoln's  missed  opportunities  to avoid the war after his
election and his blunders and unconstitutional acts  in  the
early  stages  of  the  war.  Favorable dust jacket comments
from Peter Carmichael, Nelson Lankford,  George  Rable,  and
Gary Gallagher portend an interesting read and a provocative
talk.   The  Library  of  Virginia  has  this  book  in  its
collection, but it is presently checked out.                

The  Richmond  Civil  War  Round  Table,  meeting monthly at
Boulevard United Methodist Church, is able  to  attract  top
notch   speakers.   John  Hennessey  of  Fredericksburg  and
Spotsylvania National  Military  Park  made  several  cogent
points  in  his  February  talk.   He  cited Southern writer
Robert Penn Warren who said that the North wrapped itself in
a  treasury  of virtue by proclaiming that The War preserved
the Union and abolished slavery.  The  United  Daughters  of
the   Confederacy   picked  up  the  banner  of  vindicating
Confederate soldiers.  John alluded to the focus on loss  at
battlefields.    In   a  modern  context  he  mentioned  the
influence of the relatives of those killed in the attack  on
the  World  Trade  Center on whatever is done to commemorate
that horrible event.  A person  in  the  audience  mentioned
that  the leading tourist attraction commemorating World War
Two is the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor.  John  reminded
the  group  that the Sons of Confederate Veterans bought the
battleground at Manassas.  This was later turned over to the
National Park Service.  John spoke of the sometimes conflict
between history and memory.  The Round Table's web site  has
a list of speakers for the remainder of the year and monthly
newsletters.                                                

Please don't anyone criticize me for leaving something  out.
It would take several years of Old War Horses to outline all
the virtues of our area.  Let's be grateful for what we have
and  do  our best to keep these institutions, organizations,
and historic sites alive and prospering.                    


				Walter

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING-TUESDAY, March 20, 2007

ROMA'S RESTAURANT
8330 STAPLES MILL RD.
LOCATED IN "THE SHOPS AT STAPLES MILL"
TURN LEFT AT FIRST STOPLIGHT NORTH OF
THE WISTAR SHOPPING CENTER

DINNER - SOCIAL 6:00 PM
MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 PM

MARCH PROGRAM

Our speaker for March will be Donald C.   Hakenson,  who  is
currently the Director for the U.  S.  Armed Services Center
for Unit Records Research.  This is the DoD Executive Agency
for  Post  Traumatic  Stress  Disorder  (PTSD) claims, Agent
Orange inquiries  and  the  daily  maintenance  of  the  DoD
Persian  Gulf  Registry for the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard
and the Marine Corps.  He is a Viet Nam veteran.            

Don is President of the Stuart-Mosby Historical  Society,  a
founder  and a director of the Franconia Museum and with his
partner,  Gregg  Dudding,  conduct   bus   tours   for   the
Stuart-Mosby   Historical   Society   and  other  historical
organizations.  He and Gregg are co-authors of two books  on
John Mosby and his men.                                      

Don  has published "This Forgotten Land: A Tour of Civil War
Sites and Other Historical Landmarks  South  of  Alexandria,
Virginia.   This  book  was  the  recipient  of the 2001 Nan
Netherton Award from the Fairfax County  History  Commission
and covers the Civil War History in Fairfax County.         

Don's web site is www.hakenson.com where you will find other
facts about Don and Gregg.                                  

FEBRUARY PROGRAM

Dr. Robert Kenzer

University  of  Richmond  history  professor,  Dr.    Robert
Kenzer,  told  us  that it was with some trepidation that he
reported  as  instructed  to  the  office  of  the  school's
provost.  He was relieved to be told that the provost wanted
him to undertake a project using a National Leadership Grant
of  the  Institute  of  Museum  and  Library  Services.  The
project turned out to  be  the  digitization  of  the  1,384
issues  of  the  Richmond Daily Dispatch covering the period
from November 1860 through April 1865.  The  University  had
hard  copies  of  the  paper.   The  University  of Richmond
collaborated with Tufts  University's  Perseus  Project  and
with  the  Virginia  Center for Digital History.  One of the
founders of the  Virginia  Center  for  Digital  History  is
University  of Virginia history professor Dr.  Edward Ayers,
who has recently been named President of the  University  of
Richmond.                                                   

The  Richmond  Daily Dispatch was a "penny paper" with 4,000
subscribers and was considered a non-partisan paper.  It had
as  many  readers as the rest of Richmond's papers combined.
The escalating price of the paper during  The  War  gave  an
example  of  the terrible inflation that occurred.  A year's
subscription at the beginning of  the  war  covered  cost  $
4.00.   It  went  to $ 25.00 mid-war and rose to $ 100.00 at
war's end.                                                  

The population of Richmond exploded as the city  became  the
capital  of  the  Confederacy, going from 37,000 to 100,000.
The daily Dispatch, because it was published in the capital,
reached out through the entire Confederacy.                 

Every  page  of  the  paper is on the web site.  They can be
hard to read, so excerpts have been  made  with  plain  text
copy  of  what the paper contains about specific subjects or
persons.  As an example, Dr.  Kenzer  entered  the  name  of
General  Longstreet.   There  were 95 matches in 79 records.
The index includes 500,000 surnames.                        

The web site went online last October 23.  There  have  been
20,000 hits.  A questionnaire on the site reveals that 1,000
visits to the site  came  from  out  of  the  country.   SCV
members are the second largest users of the site.  Forty per
cent of the visits are genealogical researchers.            

This project is a Godsend to researchers and  casual  users.
To  provide  more  information  about  wartime Richmond, the
University hopes to digitize city directories and minutes of
meetings of political bodies.                               

The  University  and  Dr.   Kenzer  are  to be commended for
making it easy for people from all over the world  to  learn
more about Richmond's most historic period.                 

The Richmond Daily Dispatch web site is http:
dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr


                                            Walter

2005-2007 CAMP OFFICERS
LONGSTREET CAMP #1247
Commander: Taylor Cowardin                   359-9277
1st. Lt. Cmdr.: William F. Shumadine, III    285-4044
2nd Lt. Cmdr.: Michael Kidd	             270-9651
Adjutant/Treasurer: Walter Tucker            360-7247
Judge Advocate: Richard B. Campbell          278-6488
Quartermaster: R. Preston Nuttall            276-8977
Chaplain: Henry V. Langford                  474-1978

PUBLICATIONS
Webmaster: Gary F. Cowardin                  262-0534
Website: longstreetscv.org                           
War Horse:  David P. George                  200-1311

LONGSTREET'S FIRST CORPS

The following is a cumulative listing of contributors to the
upkeep of “The Old War Horse” for the period September, 2007
through the current month.   As  you  know,  our  cumulative
listing starts in July of each year.                        

Ben Baird
Lloyd Brooks
Brian Cowardin
Clint Cowardin*
Gary Cowardin
Lee Crenshaw
Raymond Crews*
Jerold Evans*
Kitty Faglie*
Richard Faglie*
Pat Hoggard
Louis Heindl
Chris Jewett
John Kane
Roger Kirby
Mike Miller*
Conway Moncure
Joe Moschetti
Preston Nuttall
Rufus Sarvay
Lewis Mills
Waite Rawls
Peyton Roden
Bill Setzer
John Shumadine
Will Schumadine
Harrison Taylor
Walter Tucker
John Vial
Will Wallace
Harold Whitmore
Hugh Williams
Joe Wright

In Memory of Bill Jones-Anonymous
In memory of Tom Lauterbach-Anonymous
In Memory of Chuck Walton-Ben Baird

Legend:                                    
* - Multiple contributions                 
§ - Visitor Donation                       
+ - in memory of Past Cmdr. Tom Lauterbach 

CALENDAR OF VIRGINIA EVENTS

THROUGH APRIL 1 "By the  Sea"  exhibit  of  major  fine  art
photographs,  contemporary  works and historical pieces from
The Mariner's Museum collection at  the  Museum  in  Newport
News.   Plus  "The  Monitor  Revisited,"  original photos by
pinhole photographer Willie Ann Wright.   Daily  10-5.   For
info, (800) 581-7245; www.marinersmuseum.org

THROUGH  MAY  "Many  Thousands Go: African Americans and the
Civil War," new exhibit at Pamplin  Historical  Park  &  The
National  Museum  of  the  Civil War Soldier focusing on the
contributions of black soldiers & civilians on both sides of
the  conflict.   Featuring  original  copy of the Thirteenth
Amendment (through  September,  2006,)  artifacts  from  the
William  A.   Gladstone  black militaria collection owned by
Pamplin and other  collections.   For  info:  1-877-PAMPLIN;
www.pamplinpark.org

THROUGH   SEPTEMBER   "Generations:  The  MacArthur  Family"
exhibit  at  The  MacArthur  Memorial,   MacArthur   Square,
Norfolk.   Displays on General of the Army Douglas MacArthur
from MacArthur clan roots in 14th century Scotland,  to  his
father  who  received  the  Medal of Honor in the Civil War,
other  family  members.   Monday  through  Saturday,   10-5,
Sundays,   11-5.    Free.    For   info:   (757)   441-2965;
www.macarthurmemorial.org

MARCH 31 142nd Anniversary of the Battles of Five Forks  and
Fort  Gregg  at Petersburg National Battlefield.  Ranger and
Living  History  programs.   Free.   For  information,   Ann
Blumenschine, (804) 732-3531, ext.  203; www.nps.gov/pete

MARCH  31 "The Breakthrough Anniversary," Pamplin Historical
Park, Petersburg.  Lantern tour at dawn on the  Breakthrough
Battlefield,  van  tours  to  area  battlefields,  lectures.
Reservations required.  For  information  and  reservations,
877-Pamplin, ext.  605, groups@pamplinpark.org

APRIL  14 "Fort Pillow Massacre?" talk by Brian Steele Mills
on myths and realities of April  12,  1864  Battle  of  Fort
Pillow.   Pamplin  Historical  Park,  Petersburg.  Free with
Park admission.  For information, (804) 861-2408

STONEWALL JACKSON