No Pollution of Cowardice! -South Jersey in the Civil War

This episode is a response to the removal of Interpretive markers regarding the 9 Enslaved individuals at the The President's House Site in Philadelphia. I sit down with Author Ivan F. Ingraham to talk about the red flags that are being raised in the History Community as well as the publics reaction of removal of what is seen as "Unfavorable History" by the Trump Administration at National Parks and Historic sites that will soon spread across the Country. Ivan and I sat down for about an hour to talk about this situation, its potential ripple effect and the mirror of the removal of Confederate Monuments, and the importance of telling every part of American History no matter how ugly and uncomfortable it may make us feel.https://apnews.com/article/slavery-exhibit-removed-philadelphia-trump-executive-order-dd764277133f47ec1173e8dc16703958https://www.npr.org/2026/01/25/nx-s1-5686524/national-park-service-dismantles-slavery-exhibit-in-philadelphiaIvan F. Ingraham is a Retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, serving 24 years including time spent in Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Ivan is an Author, Public Speaker and Living Historian. His book, Once We Pledged Forever: A Novel Of Combat, Marines And The War Within.Ivans Substackhttps://substack.com/@ivanfingraham?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=5cxcn8I plan on having Ivan back on so we can dive deeper into His work, Military Service and our common bond of Civil War History!

Thanks to William Griffing of Spared & Shared for giving me permission to read the letters of Private John Hawn Boon of Company A, 24th New Jersey Volunteers that he worked to transcribe and publish on his site,Boon is from Always Creek, Salem County. He will be just 20 years old when he enlists in the fall of 1862. The 24th wasn't supposed to see the front lines of the War but as circumstances would have it, they would be among the first Union Brigades to attack Maryes heights at Fredericksburg.Boon however, would miss the battle entirely due to what he calls "Lung Fever", probably pneumonia. he writes his brother Edward and sister Sarah but it seems to be in vain as they either don't write him on purpose or perhaps their letters get lost in the Mail, as Boon will note his fear of sending mail home not being delivered,John and the 24th will only serve 9 months during the war, and in by 1870 he is living in Alloway with child and a Wife, he will pass in 1890 at the age of 47. He is buried in Canton Baptist Church with his wife and many members of Company A,https://sparedshared23.com/https://sparedshared23.com/2023/05/26/1863-john-hawn-boon-to-edward-boon/

In this special episode I sat down with Michael "Six Questions" Lentz to talk about his experience with the process of becoming a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. Many of you know Michael from his many appearances on the Addressing Gettysburg Podcast and is a Licensed Guide the Brandy Station Battlefield. I had 6 questions picked out for Mike about the Exam and the conversation goes in many directions. We talk about the written exam, study pointers and of course suggested reading and auto content in what could be the longest episode of No Pollution of Cowardice yet!Mike recently updated me on the progress of the Guide process, and with the Government opening back up, He will have his first attempt at the Oral exam in Early December of this year.to book Michael for a tour of the Brandy Station Battlefield, book a tour through-www.culpeperbattlefieldtours.com

The three day battle of 2nd Manassas would result in a Confederate victory and produce over 21,000 Causalities. This episode is a letter describing the wounding and death of Captain Edward Alexander Acton of the 5th New Jersey Volunteers, written by his Lieutenant, Theodore P. Large with an additional note by Sergeant Charles Gage.

In this special episode I chat with author John Banks to talk about his Book, Blog & Podcast and eventually get around to talk about Private Charles Bacon of the 3rd New Jersey (killed at Crampton's Gap 9-14-62) and how John came across his story for his blog. John has been published Civil War Monitor, Military Images and was a columnist for the late Civil War Times as well as being a professional sports writer for ESPN and the Dallas Morning News. He wrote a book called- A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime : Antietam, Gettysburg and Beyond and is the Co-host of The Antietam & Beyond Podcast that you can find for free on Spotify.Links below!!John Banks Civil War Blog-https://john-banks.blogspot.com/?m=1The Antietam & Beyond Podcast-https://open.spotify.com/show/6UZnqRfhNHKdyR5Rl4pXM5?si=jOM8HBkzTw6RNklYhUrLXgA Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime; Antietam, Gettysburg and Beyond-https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781734627671/a-civil-war-road-trip-of-a-lifetime/

Captain J. Howard Willets writes a letter home shortly after the May 5th battle at Williamsburg, Virginia to his Mother that is published in the June 12th 1862 issue of the West Jersey Pioneer.Search on the Civil War Digital Digests YouTube page for their brand new episode all about Captain than later Colonel Willets and the work done to rebuild his collection now housed at the Rutherford B Hays Presidental Library in Ohio.LINK TO CWDD YOUTUBE:https://youtu.be/D_h4NOmlojU?si=HZIsMvSvTS5ZdeRM

The Battle Hampton Roads, March 8th and 9th 1862 as told by an 'Observer' of what would be the most famous Naval battle of the entire Civil War. Making a South Jersey connection wasn'teasy, but with a simple Article and the Headstone of U.S. Navy Sailor, William P. Schellenger, the picture started to come together.William Schellengers military record can be found on Ancestry.com. which is where I found the remarks about the Tattoo on his left arm.https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60368/records/46552Here is the link on find a grave to see his stone!https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72495398/william_p-schellengerBelow is the link to the March 29th, 1862 issue of The West Jersey Pioneer.it will bring you to page 2, the artifice for this episode is first and second column of the page,https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032103/1862-03-29/ed-1/seq-2/

Did you know 1862 was a leap Year? The UNEDITED article for this episode comes from the February 29th issue of The West Jersey Pioneer comes from an anonymous Solider of the 2nd New Jersey Brigade who signs this letter with M.B.Cover art for this episode is taken from the book, Gone For A Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Private Alfred Bellard (5th New Jersey Volunteers)Link to article is here-https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032103/1862-03-01/ed-1/seq-1/

Private Lewis Mickle of Company I, 9th New Jersey Volunteers recounts the battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Which was fought on February 8th, 1862.For the unedited version, as it was published in March of 1862, click the link below-https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032103/1862-03-29/ed-1/seq-1/The definitive history of the 9th New Jersey -The Sharpshooters: A History of The Ninth New Jersey Volunteer Infantry In The Civil War. by Edward G. Longacre can be purchased through its publisher, Nebraska Press through the link below.https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/potomac-books/9781612348070/the-sharpshooters/Go Birds

How does a Battle fought in Tennessee by an Ohio Artillery Battery have a South Jersey connection? The answer is a Massachusetts Lawyer!Listen in as Author Dan Masters and In talk about Captain Warren Parker Edgarton, Battery E, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, his actions at Stones River and his Post-War life in Newfield, New Jersey.In Dans new book, Hell By The Acre, Edgarton in mentioned for his role in the opening part of the of the two day battle. To purchase a copy you can click on the link to the Savas Beatie website below!https://www.savasbeatie.com/hell-by-the-acre-a-narrative-history-of-the-stones-river-campaign-november-1862-january-1863/You can also follow Dans work on his Blog, Dan Masters Civil War Chronicles by clicking on the link below!https://www.savasbeatie.com/hell-by-the-acre-a-narrative-history-of-the-stones-river-campaign-november-1862-january-1863/Stones River National Battlefield wesite-https://www.nps.gov/stri/index.htm

Sylvester Randolph writes to the West Jersey Pioneer about the "Holidays" while in the Army. Christmas Day was spent on the picket line and their feast was a goose boiled, with I would guess some Hardtack and bad cup of coffee, Click the link below to read the letter on the Library of congress' website!https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032103/1862-01-11/ed-1/seq-2/

The list of names read in this episode is a continuation of an episode with the same name from 2023. I was able to find the original news paper digitized on the Library of Congress' website and can be seen in full by clicking the link below!https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032103/1862-12-27/ed-1/seq-2/

Sergeant Sylvester W.F. Randolph, Company F of the 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, writes a letter to the West Jersey Pioneer in September of 1861. In this letter, he writes about the men receiving their new Blue, Federal uniforms as well as brand new Springfield Rifled Muskets. His photo can be found on Archive.org in the book, Historic Days of Cumberland County.He is also mentioned by name in William Styples book, General Philip Kearny: A Very God of War,More of Sylvesters letters were published in the West Jersey Pioneer, which have been put on microfilm and housed in the Lummis Library in Greenwich, New Jersey.

Private Charles Bacons final letter to the West Jersey Pioneer would be written on September 11th 1862 during the opening days of the Maryland Campaign. Bacon would be killed on September 14th at the Battle of Crampton's Gap but this letter would be published after the fact on September 27th in the same issue that would break the news of his death.

Private Charles Ogden of the 17th Illinois, writes his brother Robert back home in Cedarville, New Jersey shortly after the great Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.

Chalres Bacon a member The 3rd New Jersey, Company F "The Cumberland Grays" wrote several letters to The West Jersey Pioneer, a newspaper out of Bridgeton, during his service on the Virginia Peninsula in the spring and early Summer of 1862.The prewar photo of Bacon used for this episode was published in the book Historic Days of Cumberland County and can be found on Archive.orgBack in 2022 Author and Historian Dan Masters wrote an article for his blog composed two of Bacons published letters together for a post that happen to coincide with another Blog post by Author and Historian John Banks about a piece of a recently preserved property near the Crampton's Gap Battlefield in Maryland. I read Bacons letters and note from Dans post about Bacon, almost verbatim, in this episode with Dans blessing of course. Links to Dan and Johns blog and The Antietam And Beyond Podcast.Dan Masters' Civil War Chronicles-https://dan-masters-civil-war.blogspot.com/2022/08/more-in-wind-than-we-bargained-for.html?m=1&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1sFHEhl2TTu-4o5qi0664IfX0MN7EynuQxAZnIDrnV3csQcHtyC_EpJuM_aem_Wwh6mzRMLekIYiLK0b0TFAThe Antietam and Beyond Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/6UZnqRfhNHKdyR5Rl4pXM5?si=JXOrVGRbTmedMJC2EanxyQJohn Banks' Civil War Blog-https://john-banks.blogspot.com/?m=1

Sergeant John Ennis, Company F 5th New Jersey Volunteers recounts the Battle of Williamsburg fought on May 5th 1862.

John Lorence, a member of the 9th New Jersey Volunteers known as "The Muskrats" will be seriously wounded during the Battle of Roanoke Island, February 8th 1862. This poem about Lorence was originally published in Harpers Weekly shortly after the battle.

Allen R. Thompson, author of "In The Shadow of The Round Tops; Longstreets counter march, Johnstons reconnaissance and the enduring Battles for the memory of July 2, 1863" and I discuss a little bit about his new book coming in 2023

A incomplete list of men from the 24th New Jersey Volunteers who were killed or wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg, published in a Bridgeton New Jersey.This list and article reside in the collection of the Lawrence Township Historical Society.

Private Benjamin Borton of the 24th New Jersey Volunteers tells about his experience on December 13th at the Battle of Fredericksburg.his account can be found in the link below.https://civilwartalk.com/threads/union-first-hand-account-of-the-battle-of-fredericksburg.78351/post-557921

Lt. Charles E Troutman of Co. G, 12th New Jersey Volunteers recounts the battle of Gettysburg in the book Camp Sketches and Battlefield Echos, pages 217-221.

In this Halloween episode, I tell a Ghost story about General Philip Kearny; a man known as " The One Armed Devil"credit to Willaim B. Styple for the story

In a letter dated May 18th, 1862- Benjamin Ogden of Cedarville (shown in photo, standing with the beard) , New Jersey write his brother about his experiences during and immediately following the Battle of Williamsburg.

A unnamed member of the 5th New Jersey Volunteers has his account published in a South Jersey Newspaper shortly after the fight at Williamsburg, May 5th 1862.The article resides in the collection of the Lawrence Township Historical Society, and until now has been unavailable to general public.

In a piece published in The West Jersey Pioneer on June 2nd of 1862 and the wounding and death of Heislerville resident, Charles J. Silver. Silver would be among among one of the first to be wounded in his company during the fighting at Williamsburg on May 5th, 1862. The author, marked only as "A" would give description of Silvers experience of being robbed and beaten by a roving band of angry Confederates during the night.Silver would make it back to New Jersey where he would succumb to his wounds on May 28th of 1862. It is unknown where his body was buried.

A letter from Edgar Wilkinson to his sister published in The West Jersey Pioneer, was written just 24 hours before Wilkinson, the 6th New Jersey and the 2nd New Jersey would contest in their most costly battle of the entire war.

Charles Ogden, of Cumberland County serving in the 17th Illinois recounts his experience at the Battle of Shiloh, April 6th & 7th 1862.Ogdens account has not been available to the public since it was printed in a Bridgeton newspaper 160 years ago

a letter written at Falmouth, Virgina shortly after the Irish Brigades infamous St. Patricks Day party of 1863. the Author is only know as D.B.H.

A poem taken from a South Jersey newspaper, airing the feelings of toward southern sympathizer living up north during the War.

Charles Ogden of Cedarville New Jersey, writes home about his experience during the Batlle of Fort Donelson including a Valentines Day refrence..

In this episode, I read a letter home from men in Company H, 7th New Jersey Volunteers in which they describe the contents of a box receive from home.

The reading of an article about Joseph R. Thompson, a member of Company K of the 3rd New Jersey Volunteers " The Cumberland Greys".The original article is housed in the Lawrence Township Historical Society, and the Photo of Thompson is the cover art for this episode can be found in the book, Historic Days of Cumberland County printed in the 1880s is also digitized on Archive.org

In the first ever episode, I talk about William Scatergood Ackley, a man who served through the ranks of the 4th New Jersey company K and grew up almost right where I did in Pittsgrove, New Jersey. His parents are buried less then a half mile from the house i grew up in, so is almost a given to be the first.I hope you enjoy!

For this, the very first installment of "No Pollution of Cowardice -South Jersey in The Civil War"; I'll be reading the very short newspaper clipping printed shortly after the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862 that carries the namesake of this Podcast.