November 13, 2013
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP
November 13, 2013
Clymer Library, 115 Firehouse Road, Pocono Pines, Pa.
Speaker: Brian Alnutt, Ph.D., “Returning Union Veterans of the Civil War”
Attendance: 62
The November HATT meeting was held at the Clymer Library with 62 attendees. President Rick Bodenschatz called the meeting to order. He asked all veterans to stand and they led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Announcements: On Saturday, November 23 there will a presentation of a roadside marker at the Pocono Lake Cemetery honoring generations buried there. The oldest known buried is a soldier killed in the Civil War.
The third annual Home for the Holidays Concert will be held at the Pocono Lake Methodist Church on Saturday, December 14. Free tickets are available at various times at the Clymer Library. Lillian Ventrelli painted a scene for the cover of the Home for the Holiday’s program. The original was on display at the meeting along with a print. Prints (in various sizes) are available for purchase. Lillian will make a donation to HATT after she covers her expenses.
Speaker: Brian Almutt, Ph.D, an American history professor at Northampton Community College, gave an informative talk on the “Returning Union Veterans of the Civil War.”
About 600,000 Americans died in the Civil War, with about 364,000 from the North. Most of the recruits were volunteers, with the average age being 23 years. Forty percent of the male population at the time fought in the war. The recruits were carpenters, farmers, and textile workers. Some fought for only short durations and others remained in the war for years.
When Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered, against the wishes of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, the North was not prepared for reconstruction and demobilization. The Union troops were moved to nine Southern sites and then were marched to Washington, D.C., for “The Grand Review.”
The Grant and Sherman armies were rivals of a sort, each boasting they were the best. The troops were sent home via primitive trains and river boats, and they were cheered along the way and treated to food.
Many of the veterans had to wait a year or more to collect their pay, averaging $5,000 in today’s money. Each veteran kept his uniform, but had to pay for his rifle if he chose to keep it.
Residents of Monroe County first entered the war in 1861, in spite of the fact that the Quakers in the area were not in favor of war and the Copperheads (Democrats) were inclined to favor the South.
On July 4, 1865, a parade marched through Stroudsburg to honor the veterans. By the fall of 1866 only 11,000 troops were left in service. The returning troops were made to fend for themselves. They received no government aide and so went back to their former jobs.
The Homestead Act offered an opportunity for them to move west and open new territories. There was only a small amount of what we call “post traumatic stress disorder” after the war, and only about 2 percent of the men collected any disability payments.
Soldiers Homes began opening in the 1880s to care for the veterans as they aged. In 1866 “Decoration Day” was first celebrated to honor the Civil War veterans. Today we call it Memorial Day, and honor veterans of all wars.
The confederate soldiers sadly returned home to no cheers or pensions, but the southern states did eventually build Soldiers Homes.
Rick Bodenschatz thanked Dr. Almutt for his presentation and gave him a certificate of appreciation.
Business Meeting: Rick thanked guests for attending the meeting, and encouraged them to become members of HATT. Anyone joining will have membership through 2014.
Rick thanked Frank McDeVitt for his three years of service on the board of directors. Lew Rarig was nominated to replace Frank. Nominations were closed and Lew was elected to the board as a new director.
Treasurer Fred Tim reported that HATT has $36,600 in various accounts. Copies of the complete treasurer’s report were available for review.
A motion was made to approve the minutes and membership voted to accept the report.
Rick stated that our current membership is 197 with 58 being new in 2013. Rick reported that Pat Quigley and Roy Tolley of the Audit Committee did an audit of the HATT financials, and found it to be in order.
Pat suggested using some of the available funds to increase our presence in sharing the history of Tobyhanna Township.
Rick gave the annual president’s report. He said HATT had participated in more than 15 events this year and we had 1,200-1,300 attendees at these events. Four volunteers continue working on developing a computer archival system. A committee is also working on setting up a local history section at Clymer Library.
With no questions or suggestions by the membership, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted:
Jeanne Dyer, HATT Secretary
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