Meade and Pemberton eternally together

Thanks for sharing.

I've never been to Laurel Hill. However, I listen to a podcast titled "Twisted Philly." The podcast hosts just raves about Laurel Hill and about the cinema nights held IN the cemetery.

I was surprised that the cemetery has a packed calendar of events ranging from special tours to events for all ages. Sounds like a fun place.:tongue:
 
I'm glad someone sees fit to decorate Pemberton's grave with the Confederate national flag. I never see that in the cemeteries here in my home town (although I do see it elsewhere in Missouri.)
 
But as you can see, the flag was torn off.
Yes, I see what you mean, and that's too bad. Maybe it just wore out! I was probably reacting to the other Stars and Bars photo. In other towns, I occasionally see Battle Flags on Confederate graves, but never the Stars and Bars. Last Memorial Day, there was a US flag on the grave of Col. Bob McCulloch. I'm not sure how he'd have felt about that, but he lived under that flag lots longer than the Confederate flag. And he served in elected office, too. So I guess it was okay.
 
Meade (born 1815), Pemberton (born 1814) and McClellan (born 1826) all knew one another when they were young, before any of them went to West Point.

I would think that there was too much of an age difference between McClellan (as much as 12 years) for him to have had much of an association with Meade and Pemberton.
 
Yes, I see what you mean, and that's too bad. Maybe it just wore out! I was probably reacting to the other Stars and Bars photo.

I am guessing that because Pemberton's grave is shown on tours, people are much more aware of that one than the other obscure veterans that are in a location that is off the beaten trail. I think that the flag was vandalized.
 
...For some reason I'd never seen Meade's headstone before. Given what we know of him and his disinclination towards draping himself in grandeur it made me smile.

Please elaborate on "what we know of Meade and his disinclination towards draping himself in grandeur" -- what do we know about that? And what about this seemingly simple (ungrandiose) Meade stone therefore makes you smile? I apologize ahead if I'm the only one befuddled. Thanks.
 
I am guessing that because Pemberton's grave is shown on tours, people are much more aware of that one than the other obscure veterans that are in a location that is off the beaten trail. I think that the flag was vandalized.
Knowing these details, I agree with you.
 
I would think that there was too much of an age difference between McClellan (as much as 12 years) for him to have had much of an association with Meade and Pemberton.

Yes, he was a lot younger. The story I recall had him as the little kid running around after the big guys at gatherings (their families knew one another).

Pemberton entered West Point in 1833 (Pemberton was 19, McClellan 6-and-a-half) and Meade entered in 1831 (Meade was 15-and-a-half, McClellan 4-and-a-half). Meade, although almost a year-and-a-half younger than Pemberton, was two years ahead of Pemberton at West Point. Cadets did not generally get leave until after their second year then, but it is possible Meade was home on leave in early Summer 1833 before Pemberton headed up to West Point.

OTOH, McClellan was at the University of Pennsylvania studying to be a lawyer in 1840, probably when he was about 13-and-a-half. After 2 years of that he decided he wanted to be a soldier and entered West Point in 1842, when he would have been about 15-and-a-half. They might have made a big impression on him while he was just that little kid to them.

From Pemberton: Defender of Vicksburg by John C. Pemberton (not the same man)
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From Pemberton: Defender of Vicksburg by John C. Pemberton (not the same man)
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This is really fascinating.

Maybe this should be a different thread, and if someone feels that this should be separated into a new thread, just let me know what I need to do.

However, I have actually wondered how much of an influence Andrew Jackson's status as a revered national hero had on the generation who fought the Civil War, especially the leaders on both sides.

Jackson fought the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, he became President in 1829, and he died in 1845. Many of the men weren't born yet when the Battle of New Orleans happened. Still, I wondered about this.

(Also, just as an aside, some of the military officers were related to Jackson's wife Rachel Donelson, including Earl Van Dorn and also the Donelson for whom Fort Donelson was named.)

I find it fascinating the Meade, Pemberton, and McClellan played "Battle of New Orleans" as boys.
 
Please elaborate on "what we know of Meade and his disinclination towards draping himself in grandeur" -- what do we know about that? And what about this seemingly simple (ungrandiose) Meade stone therefore makes you smile? I apologize ahead if I'm the only one befuddled. Thanks.


Oh dear. I'm a little unclear why these comments would arouse challenge. Meade disliked display, that's all. I happened to appreciate his modest headstone.
 
This is really fascinating.

Maybe this should be a different thread, and if someone feels that this should be separated into a new thread, just let me know what I need to do.

However, I have actually wondered how much of an influence Andrew Jackson's status as a revered national hero had on the generation who fought the Civil War, especially the leaders on both sides.

Jackson fought the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, he became President in 1829, and he died in 1845. Many of the men weren't born yet when the Battle of New Orleans happened. Still, I wondered about this.

(Also, just as an aside, some of the military officers were related to Jackson's wife Rachel Donelson, including Earl Van Dorn and also the Donelson for whom Fort Donelson was named.)

I find it fascinating the Meade, Pemberton, and McClellan played "Battle of New Orleans" as boys.
Hello, Forks of the Ohio; a couple of years back I posted a thread here on Jackson: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/andrew-jacksons-contribution-to-the-coming-civil-war.131376/ , largely because of then-new President Donald Trump's newfound interest in and identification with him as someone else who had come to office from outside the then-established political channels. Although I lost interest in continuing it pretty quickly and never really finished, there were a number of replies and you might find looking at it of some interest. I'm currently reading a biography of Grant and it seems his frontiersman father, though an opponent of slavery, was a great admirer of Jackson. Although the generation that fought the Civil War was largely made up of men like Grant who were of the next after Jackson's exploits, they no doubt were influenced by their parents and grandparents who knew them very well, especially those from the South and West.
 
Please elaborate on "what we know of Meade and his disinclination towards draping himself in grandeur" -- what do we know about that? And what about this seemingly simple (ungrandiose) Meade stone therefore makes you smile? I apologize ahead if I'm the only one befuddled. Thanks.
Oh dear. I'm a little unclear why these comments would arouse challenge. Meade disliked display, that's all. I happened to appreciate his modest headstone.
I'm reminded of another Meade-Grant story we've heard here on the forums before concerning the time in early 1864 when Grant first arrived at the army of the Potomac. Supposedly when he rode up to Meade's headquarters he saw hanging outside it the new guidon Meade had chosen to indicate it: a swallowtailed purple one with a big gold eagle sitting within a gold wreath emblazoned on it, remarking something unusually witty (for Grant!) like "Ho - is Imperial Caesar about?"
 
Very interesting. My Great Grandfather fought under Gen Pemberton at Vicksburg. Also interesting is when the battle was not going good there was a rumor that Gen. Pemberton was a Yankee spy, When in fact he was considered a competent leader.
 
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