Pensions and Malice: Still Paying the Price

Has America lost the real legacy of our Civil War? 

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. – Abraham Lincoln


This afternoon, I came across a news article that really caught my eye. Believe it or not, the United States Government is STILL paying two children of Civil War veterans a monthly pension. I made sure I wasn’t losing my mind, read it again, and then one more time. It’s really true.

I knew that the last widow died over 15 years ago, and I guess I thought she was the last living connection to the Civil War. However, as I read that article today, the last words of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address played in my mind – “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations…” – and I realized that my assumption was so very wrong. And this has nothing to do with those two pensions.

Each and every one of us has a living connection to the Civil War in one way or another. Some of us have ancestors who fought on either (or in my case, both) sides of the conflict. Many of us help protect hallowed ground – from standing toe-to-toe with rich money-loving moguls to stop a casino at Gettysburg to sending a $10 check to the CWT to save a 1/8th an acre of the Perryville Battlefield. Others will volunteer for park clean up days. Many, many, more make visiting a Civil War battlefield a portion of their family vacation every year.

However, the American connection to the Civil War doesn’t stop with blood lines or battlefields. Lincoln admonished each and every American to practice the arts of kindness, concern, consideration, and perseverance. He did so because Lincoln understood something that the rest of America had cast aside to fight each other. Lincoln realized that the greatest legacy of the Civil War was not the veterans, or the widows, or even the children across the generations. It was, and still is, the ideas and philosophies that make America a great nation. When the war was over and the malice was placed to the side, our nation grew from the ashes of Civil War to an international superpower that was the envy of the world.

As we mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Americans are still paying a price for our great national conflict, and in more ways than just a couple of pensions. Lincoln’s admonishments have been forgotten and malice is again taking over. Don’t start pointing fingers, as we are all guilty as sin.

Don’t blame one political party or another: both are shameful. Our political systems from the local level to the office of President are as corrupt as I can remember in any generation. Any American who tries to stand up and make sense of the political nonsense is shot down as ignorant or racist. What happened to government of, for, and by the people?

We can’t seem to come together as a nation about anything. It took the tragedy of September 11th to bring about a very short-lived peace in our national government. Now, we can watch CSPAN and witness debates about bills that can’t even make it off the floors of Congress. If Congress will just look down for a second, they will see the Constitution and Bill of Rights being stomped on, along with all those failed bills. Our ancestors would die all over again if they could witness the daily garbage-fest known as Congress in “action” today.

We have Americans camping out in tents to make a point while making no sense at all. They complain about not having jobs, yet I don’t think they will find a position doing anything if they spend all their time occupying a park. Why not occupy your mind and time, and do something useful instead? Hundreds of thousands of elderly Americans need some kind of assistance every day. Children need foster parents. Schools need volunteers. I just don’t get it.

Our children are falling behind a little more every year in subject areas that we use to dominate. Most kids, according to surveys, can’t even tell you who Lincoln was, much less remember anything he said. How in heaven’s name are our children suppose to be productive citizens when they can’t tell you a darn thing about how we have made it this far? And since when was it considered wrong to ask a child to pledge allegiance to their country?

Neighbors depended on neighbors; families went to church on Sunday; children who were fortunate enough to obtain an education cherished it and used their learning to help their community. If you wanted to chat with your neighbor, you walked to their house. Birds tweeted, not people (unless they were being silly). Community actually meant something. Now it’s just a place where your house is. Most of us don’t know our neighbors, and we wouldn’t dare talk to them even if they made the effort.

Why is it wrong for a person to pray? To thank God for a meal? To ask for protection and blessing? Yet, our government wants to force religious medical and educational institutions to provide a morning after pill for those little moments of indiscretion and lack of responsibility. I am a Christian, and my religion taught me the basic tenants of responsibility, among other things. Going to church on Sunday didn’t hurt me at all, although the hard church pews made my rump sore if the preacher was long winded. Maybe once our Congressmen pick the Constitution up off the floor, they will actually read the darn thing. At that point, they will realize that citizens are protected from theological government rule. No one is trying to force you to believe in anything just because the word “God” is used! The Bill of Rights grants freedom “of” religion, not “from” it.

Now, can anyone really ask why it is that people in general seem to care so little for our Civil War heritage? Why it is that battlefields are being paved over in the name of “progress”? If this world as we know it today is progress, give me a horse and a buggy, hoop skirts and corsets, barn raisings and Sunday dinners on the church grounds. Give me the world that Lincoln envisioned…this one isn’t it.

The Reality of Getting that Perfect Battlefield Shot

Between the cars and the people, it's hard to get that perfect shot
at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

I cannot tell you the number of times when, on a battlefield, I have found myself twisting, standing on my tip-toes, climbing up the back of a truck, laying down on the ground…modesty goes out the window in order to get that perfect shot! So, what’s the deal with all this moving around, changing positions, and pretending to be a “Stretch Armstrong”? Nine times out of ten, I am trying to avoid taking pictures of tourists who are taking vacation pictures. It NEVER fails…the moment I get a shot lined up, some inconsiderate, pompous person steps right in the line of my shot. Sometimes, the infiltrator is so far away, they are unaware. I’ve found that those who do that sort of thing close up typically do it on purpose. They are determined to be the next Mathew Brady of modern photography, and since you look like a professional, they stand in front of you to try to see what you are looking at…drives me nuts.

Of course, then comes the fun part. We’ve all seen them… the pages and pages of vacation photos on Flickr or Facebook. We are bombarded with them by friends and family members. They are random shots of just about anything – crooked landscapes, white-out skies, dark-faced monuments that have no recognizable features, family members standing on a cannon or a monument. Those of us that appreciate these places and spend a great deal of time trying to share their story through photography cringe at the sight of some kid riding a cannon like it was a horse!

Then one day, we get that dreaded question…you know, the one that makes you wish you had never picked up a camera…you know it’s coming when you start to hear the bragging…and then you hear this: “What do you think? Are they good?” Those of you who know me can imagine my response. I tend to be incredibly honest. However, until recently, I have not been able to tell someone that there images were horrible. Rather, I would say that I think their photos are exactly what they were intended to be: vacation photos taken to catalog memories. I would normally provide anyone who asked me that question with the same answer: “Oh, those are lovely! I’m sure your family will love them!” When giving that answer, I felt safe. Sure, their family probably would love the memories those images would conjure up. Furthermore, I did think it was lovely that they cherished their visit to a battlefield so much that they would take photos to remember their trip.

It seems to me that, as I have grown with my camera and my abilities to use it have developed, I have started to break away from giving people a false impression. If someone thought enough of me to ask my opinion, they expected the truth in my response. I am not a professional photographer. There are still functions on my Nikon DSLR that I have no clue how to use. I have no formal training, and don’t pretend to know everything about photographing anything. My approach to good photography is very simple: give me a photo that would sell on a postcard, and I will show you a great image.

I also believe that, as a Civil War battlefield photographer, I see these hallowed grounds with a different set of eyes than the casual visitor. I want the image to convey a story without words, just as I see it in that moment when the shutter snaps. Even the best author cannot replicate the raw emotion invoked by a photograph -- a landscape so beautiful, yet once such a field of carnage, that it makes the heart ache with pain for those who witnessed it.

I hope that every person who views my battlefield photography will find themselves left with a curiosity and desire to see these places. Once you have experienced a place like Little Round Top or the Crater, you will never be the same again.

Just as I have “grown up” with my camera, so too has my attitude shifted towards those pesky tourists. So now when someone asks me to evaluate their photography, I tell them the truth. I find positives about their work, encourage their creativity, and tell them to keep on visiting more and more battlefields. When someone steps in front of me, I stop and introduce myself, share my love for history, and make a new friend. I’ve learned that all the images that I have sold over the years doesn’t compare to the value of the kindness and consideration I can give away gratis. I’ve sold more images sharing my business card rather than my frustration.

Sure, I still get frustrated, but I have found ways to work around the people who have made the decision to visit these hallowed grounds. I always find myself hoping that the little boy climbing the cannon or the little girl standing on the monument will one day find a photograph that her dad or mom took of them long ago, and that the memories they made that day will encourage them to make another visit with their kids. Most importantly, those fond memories will lead to an appreciation of that battlefield, which will, in turn, bring about awareness. Hopefully, that awareness will cultivate a desire to help protect these special places.

After all, in the end, it is the desire to protect these hallowed grounds that put a camera in my hand in the first place!

Historic Tredegar - Can This New PPP Really Work?

Near Salem Church
Fredericksburg, VA

Historic Tredegar plans interactive 'Richmond on Fire' 

This morning, I came across this article about the new Civil War Gateway Visitors Center at Historic Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, VA. The article discusses the history-making public-private partnership that has given birth to a new fundraising efforts for an interpretive center and interactive movie theater. The visitor will be immersed in history from the moment they walk through the door.

I couldn't help but be somewhat skeptical after reading this article. The Gettysburg Foundation is a nightmare definition of the term public-private partnership in the eyes of the public. Lack of transparency, constant leadership changes, and dealings with the park that some have mildly labeled as "shady" have marred the progress of the endeavor. Gettysburg in general seems to be bogged down in continuous controversy and the public-private partnership between the Foundation and the NPS has only exasperated an already tedious situation.

Rather than cast judgment on this new Richmond waterfront endeavor, I decided to dig a little deeper into the details of this PPP.

This project is a true public-private partnership in every sense of the word. By definition, a public-private partnership (PPP) is a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies." Just as the article states, "Three CEOs of Fortune 500 companies will lead the fundraising. In addition to Gottwald, they are John A. Luke Jr., chairman and CEO at MeadWestvaco, and Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and CEO of Dominion Resources Inc." These men are leaders of huge economic engines in our market economy. They understand the risks, costs, and capital needed to make a business successful. Their goal is the greater good of both the Riverfront area and Civil War history. They are willing to put their reputations on the line to save a historic building and a key function of the Confederacy. I believe their intentions are honorable in every way. That Riverfront property would have been an easy development sale with minimal work. Yet, they chose history over development: a rare choice in the pave-it-over age.

The article also states "The campaign announced today has already secured pledges of $6.3 million from board members and riverfront neighbors of the center at Historic Tredegar." This statement is very true. Locals actually want and support this endeavor, including local riverfront businesses who are excited at the prospects of increased visitor traffic. In fact, local support is astounding. Herein lies the major difference between Tredegar PPP and Gettysburg PPP. Local support means everything, as does local opinion. Gettysburg's PPP was sullied by locals who still cry foul to this day regarding every aspect of the plan. Transparency and better communication on the part of the NPS and the Foundation would have made a huge difference in swaying some locals. There are others who see Gettysburg as a nuisance, and their opinion and diatribe will never change.

Tredegar should take a few lessons from the failures and successes of the Gettysburg PPP. While it is true that Gettysburg's PPP has been nothing short of a mess, there is still hope for future PPP's as a means of saving America's historic sites. In fact, it may eventually be our last hope of saving historic buildings not protected within the boundaries of a state or national military/battlefield park. Back in 1993, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission warned us that PPP's were one of the few tools we have left to protect historic sites:

Public/Private Partnerships. Because of the number and extent of battlefield sites, because of the practical limitations in current Federal, state, and local budget policy, because land use regulation responsibilities are state and local responsibilities, and because the great majority of Civil War battlefield land is in private hands, a public/private partnership approach to battlefield preservation is virtually the only credible structure available at this time through which leadership can act.

The battlefield preservation activity cycle of research, field mapping, devising a protection plan, marketing the plan to legislatures and donors to raise funds, and implementing the management of a site according to the plan requires a breadth of expertise that few if any organizations in the nation possess. But many possess parts of what is needed. Government agencies often are focused on process and private groups on product; both are important. Private entities have the ability to respond rapidly to circumstances and stimulate volunteer efforts; public agencies are good at setting policy, conducting impartial research and technical evaluations, and regulating.

To successfully address 384 battlefields, governments must ensure that it is possible for such combinations to come together effectively. Traditional jurisdictional barriers can limit working relationships, but now there is a need for separate public and private agencies to form combinations to accomplish particular objectives, like protecting a battlefield, by engaging only their respective strengths and without being curtailed by their respective bureaucratic conventions and traditions.

If necessary, Congress should consider authorizing a public/private corporate structure that would facilitate these now-separate, but largely complementary, groups to come together as one or more functioning partnership entities to address specific preservation needs or specific sites. (From the 1993 CWSAC Report)

Like many of you, I thank God every day for the Civil War Trust, and their hard-working staff. They do the best they can with the resources they have available. However, we can and must do more.

And please, don't get me wrong. I appreciate the efforts of the NPS at Gettysburg and the Foundation for building a beautiful museum to house the thousands of precious artifacts they have in their possession. Compared to the house they were trying to use a museum, the new Visitors Center is better by leaps and bounds.

So what do you think? What are the odds that the PPP at Tredegar will be far different from the Gettysburg PPP? Was the CWSAC wrong in their assessment of the importance of PPP's? Give me your thoughts...

Welcome!

I would like to welcome everyone to our new blog. Please make yourself at home, and comment/visit as often as you like.

Violet Clark
Owner, Legacy Images