CWT Presents Ronald D. Kirkwood - November 11 at 8:30pm EST

[lelliott19]

CivilWarTalk Presents:
Ronald D. Kirkwood
the author of
Too Much for Human Endurance:
The George Spangler Farm Hospitals
and the Battle of Gettysburg
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at 8:30 pm EST
In A Live Video Presentation
in our ZOOM.US Meeting Room

Free to All - Members & Friends of CivilWarTalk​

Ronald D. Kirkwood is retired after a 40-year career as an editor and writer in newspapers and magazines including USA TODAY, the Baltimore Sun, the Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News, and the York (PA) Daily Record. Ronald edited national magazines for USA TODAY Sports and was NFL editor for USA TODAY Sports Weekly. He has won numerous state, regional, and national awards for his writing and editing and he managed the copy desk in Harrisburg when the newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012.

Mr. Kirkwood is a native of Dowagiac/Sister Lakes, MI, and a graduate of Central Michigan University, where he has returned as guest speaker to journalism classes as part of the school’s Hearst Visiting Professionals series. The first edition of Ronald's book sold out in four months, the second edition is expected to sell out shortly and the book is coming out in paperback in January. Ronald and his wife, Barbara, live in York. They have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren.

​

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Read More / Buy the Book!
​

Too Much for Human Endurance:
The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg

Books - NF - "Too Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg

"Too Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg by Ronald D. Kirkwood ★ Buy This Book on Amazon ★ The bloodstains are gone, but the worn floorboards remain. The doctors, nurses, and patients...

civilwartalk.com

 

[lelliott19]

You guys have been asking about more Civil War medical programs. It's time to register for Ron Kirkwood's presentation on the hospitals at the George Spangler farm after the Battle of Gettysburg.

@kyle.dalton @Tom Elmore @Gettysburg Greg @Gettysburg Guide #154 @pamc153PA @infomanpa @Scott Mingus @rpkennedy @kholland @DaveBrt @Lubliner @Rhea Cole @Seduzal @NH Civil War Gal @Mike Werner @A. Roy @Michael W. @major bill @Paul Yancey @MackCW @alan polk @Ole Miss @MS2623 @16thAL @ucvrelics @uaskme @gentlemanrob @reading48 @bdtex @ErnieMac @7th Mississippi Infantry @War Horse @georgew @Carronade @dgfred @archieclement @NFB22 @19thOhio @farrargirl @Georgia @Dave DuBrucq @Diane123

Time to register for this week's CivilWarTalk Live on Zoom! Please tag others who may be interested.

 

[Dave DuBrucq]

You guys have been asking about more Civil War medical programs. It's time to register for Ron Kirkwood's presentation on the hospitals at the George Spangler farm after the Battle of Gettysburg.

@kyle.dalton @Tom Elmore @Gettysburg Greg @Gettysburg Guide #154 @pamc153PA @infomanpa @Scott Mingus @rpkennedy @kholland @DaveBrt @Lubliner @Rhea Cole @Seduzal @NH Civil War Gal @Mike Werner @A. Roy @Michael W. @major bill @Paul Yancey @MackCW @alan polk @Ole Miss @MS2623 @16thAL @ucvrelics @uaskme @gentlemanrob @reading48 @bdtex @ErnieMac @7th Mississippi Infantry @War Horse @georgew @Carronade @dgfred @archieclement @NFB22 @19thOhio @farrargirl @Georgia @Dave DuBrucq @Diane123

Time to register for this week's CivilWarTalk Live on Zoom! Please tag others who may be interested.

Especially looking forward to this presentation!

 

[lelliott19]

Especially looking forward to this presentation!

Me too Dave! Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday night!

 

[superbron]

Also looking forward to this! See you all Wednesday

 

[gentlemanrob]

I wish I could more to these presentations and I have been missing them but since I have to get up so early in the morning it's hard on me. I will try to make the ones I can in the future. I am glad you'll are doing these presentations I know it takes a lot to do these.

 

[lelliott19]

I wish I could more to these presentations and I have been missing them but since I have to get up so early in the morning it's hard on me. I will try to make the ones I can in the future. I am glad you'll are doing these presentations I know it takes a lot to do these.

Thanks Rob. Looking forward to seeing you back again!

 

[lelliott19]

Also looking forward to this! See you all Wednesday

Looking forward to see everyone shortly!

If you havent already registered, it's not too late! Join us as Mr. Kirkwood discussed his book Too Much for Human Endurance:The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg
See the Live Video Presentation on Zoom!

 

[MS2623]

Thank you Ron for a great presentation. My husband @16thAL and I really enjoyed it.

 

[A. Roy]

This was a great program -- a Gettysburg story that needed to be told!

Roy B.

 

[lelliott19]

Many thanks to Mr. Kirkwood for providing such an engaging and interesting presentation! When we have visited Gettysburg several times in the past, we've been out to the Spangler Farm but I learned so much tonight, I cant wait to go back! I'm going to order the book and wrap it up for Christmas. I'll put a card on it "to me - from Santa."

I'm very much looking forward to @Ron Kirkwood 's responses to the questions we couldn't get to during the program. Thanks to everyone who was in attendance!

 

[CivilWarTalk]

Chat Transcript for tonight's presentation by @Ron Kirkwood

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00:31:49 David Elmore: Did doctors use any antiseptics by chance during their treatment of wounded soldiers? Such as alcohol, iodine or any botanicals?

00:31:54 Richard Sakols: What was the life for the disabled soldier when he returned home.?

00:32:04 John Butler: where 9 hole golf course was built for D Eisenhout

00:33:00 Gordon Thorsby: After about the 5th of July , what was the flow of wounded like? Not having read the book yet, when were remaining wounded moved to camp Letterman

00:35:09 Bryan Racey: I'm interested if you've run into any information about families that came and got deceased soldiers. I have an ggggUncle that died on 7/3 12th NJ vol and was returned home somehow.....how did that occur

00:38:23 Richard Sakols: I just retired from 40 years as a prosthetist at the Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital outside of Chicago. These services were not available back then. What was the government able to offer these disabled soldiers?

00:41:19 Steve Gates: Where was the rest of the II Corps in relation to the no. 4 hospital?

00:41:47 Richard Sakols: What happened to the hospitals when the other side retreated and these medical personnel and soldier patients that were left behind?

00:45:42 Nate Bickel: Having been to the G. Spangler farm. I know things have changed but ...What was the view from the farm (proper) to the west, in your estimate, in July 1863?

00:49:23 Laura Elliott: Is the granite schoolhouse property part of the GNMP?

00:49:32 Laura Elliott: Or private property?

00:51:27 Steve Gates: I'm having a hard time placing the location of the Granite School Hospital on the current Park Service map and landscape. Can you show us?

00:54:45 Jackie Greer: The schoolhouse foundation is on park service property. It s not marked however. It is across Granite Schoolhouse road from the Horse Artilary Monument.

00:57:50 Nate Bickel: Probably an easy question but relation between the Spanglers of the east and the Spangler farm in the middle part of the battlefield? What happened following the battle?

00:58:44 A. Roy Bredenberg: How did you make the transition from working as a news journalist to writing about Civil War history?

01:06:56 Tina Daniels: How did assistant surgeon William s. moore die?

01:07:24 Laura Elliott: How was Asst Surg Moore mortally wounded? Providing treatment on the field? Or in a hospital?

01:09:49 Jackie Greer: Surgeon Moore recevied a thigh wound from a shell fragment before Pickett's Charge

01:13:05 Bryan Racey: How long did it take to research the book? How long to write?

01:20:43 Tina Daniels: Did you discover new last words of Lewis Armistead "war must stop, men same blood?"

01:21:21 Jeff Jefferson: Thank you Ron, great presentation.

01:22:00 Cindy Coronis: Than you for your presentation. It was excellent! I look forward to reading your book.

01:22:34 Tina Daniels: Anyone who isn't a member, please consider joining Civilwartalk.com. It's free and you will find friends to last a lifetime!

01:23:05 Laura Elliott: Hope everyone will become a member of the CivilwarTalk community!

01:23:32 Tina Daniels: A premium membership costs as little as $12.00 a year and you won't see any pesky ads AND you will support our community and get lots of perks! Join Civilwartalk.com!

01:24:23 Rip Engle: Fantastic job, Ron and thank you and your wife for the in-depth research

01:24:31 Tina Daniels: Has the NPS done any archeology excavations at the Spangler Farm to uncover artifacts or remains?

01:27:26 Steve Gates: Is the Gettysburg Foundation interested in a restoration of the Granite Hospital? Have they been approached?

01:30:02 Tina Daniels: Didn't a lot of soldiers resent the Invalid corps?

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Check out / Buy Kirkwood's book:

Books - NF - "Too Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg

"Too Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg by Ronald D. Kirkwood ★ Buy This Book on Amazon ★ The bloodstains are gone, but the worn floorboards remain. The doctors, nurses, and patients...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Ole Miss]

Excellent program! Laura, you, Tina and Sis did a splendid job in selecting Mr. Kirkland and his topic for the latest ZOOM offering and presentation. He shared some terribly sad but pertinent stories and accounts of the notable and simple soldiers both.

I have enjoyed each of the presentations I have participated in but this may have been my favorite!
Regards
David

 

[19thOhio]

Ron, That was a very engaging presentation last evening. Thanks so much. What stuck a chord with me was the image and story of Augustus Vignos early in the presentation.

If I may, I would like to add a bit more information including an ironic part to his wounding story that put him at the Spangler farm.

Augustus grew up in Louisville (near Canton), Ohio. In September 1861, he enlisted as a musician in the 19th Ohio band. He is in the picture in my thread John Columbus Haines Musician, posted Feb. 1, 2020, post #4 in the Civil War Music forum. In it he is leaning with his right arm on the person to his right.

Having contracted typhoid fever at Shiloh, Vignos went home to recuperate. As Ron mentioned last evening, he enlisted again as captain of Co H of the 107th Ohio and at Gettysburg he was wounded by a cannon ball that shattered the lower right arm at Barlow's hill. His treatment by Rebecca Price and eventual reunion was aptly presented last evening.

He had a difficult time "finding" himself after the war. He tried various jobs such as janitor, night watchman, mowing lawns using a push mower (I wonder how that worked out), invested in a poultry business and was even appointed Canton's postmaster in 1877. In 1901 he was a pallbearer at McKinley's funeral.

In 1887 the veteran who lost his right arm to the surgeon's knife founded his most successful venture, the Novelty Cutlery Company, that specialized in pocket knives. Customers could order a pocket knife with their name or picture on the knife. Pocket knives with McKinley's image on them were popular at that time. The company eventually employed 150 and continued in business until 1948, 22 years after his death in 1926.

 

[Paul Yancey]

Another very interesting and informative presentation. Thanks to all.

 

[Ron Kirkwood]

Thank you Ron for a great presentation. My husband @16thAL and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you so much!

 

[Ron Kirkwood]

Ron, That was a very engaging presentation last evening. Thanks so much. What stuck a chord with me was the image and story of Augustus Vignos early in the presentation.

If I may, I would like to add a bit more information including an ironic part to his wounding story that put him at the Spangler farm.

Augustus grew up in Louisville (near Canton), Ohio. In September 1861, he enlisted as a musician in the 19th Ohio band. He is in the picture in my thread John Columbus Haines Musician, posted Feb. 1, 2020, post #4 in the Civil War Music forum. In it he is leaning with his right arm on the person to his right.

Having contracted typhoid fever at Shiloh, Vignos went home to recuperate. As Ron mentioned last evening, he enlisted again as captain of Co H of the 107th Ohio and at Gettysburg he was wounded by a cannon ball that shattered the lower right arm at Barlow's hill. His treatment by Rebecca Price and eventual reunion was aptly presented last evening.

He had a difficult time "finding" himself after the war. He tried various jobs such as janitor, night watchman, mowing lawns using a push mower (I wonder how that worked out), invested in a poultry business and was even appointed Canton's postmaster in 1877. In 1901 he was a pallbearer at McKinley's funeral.

In 1887 the veteran who lost his right arm to the surgeon's knife founded his most successful venture, the Novelty Cutlery Company, that specialized in pocket knives. Customers could order a pocket knife with their name or picture on the knife. Pocket knives with McKinley's image on them were popular at that time. The company eventually employed 150 and continued in business until 1948, 22 years after his death in 1926.

Great stuff! Thanks!

 

[Ron Kirkwood]

00:57:50 Nate Bickel: Probably an easy question but relation between the Spanglers of the east and the Spangler farm in the middle part of the battlefield? What happened following the battle?

Hi, Nate. Henry Spangler owned the farm on Seminary Ridge where Pickett's division took off on the July 3 charge. He and George were half-brothers. There's a map in the book that shows Armistead's path during the charge, and it's hilly and quite an angle to the end point. George's father also owned two farms that were in the battle, as did George's half-sister, Susannah, who with husband John Herbst owned the farm where Gen. Reynolds was killed. So there's a chapter and map just on the "other" Spanglers. The Christian and Sanitary commissions hung around until close to the end of the year, so the Spanglers would have received plenty of food and goods from them. Lots of farms in Adams County were untouched by the battle and probably helped. Plus, George and Elizabeth Spangler seemed to be a family of means, so with the train running regularly into Gettysburg they were able to begin to rebuild their lives. And they got their farm back up and running again in 1864.

 

[A. Roy]

In 1887 the veteran who lost his right arm to the surgeon's knife founded his most successful venture, the Novelty Cutlery Company, that specialized in pocket knives.

That's a great supplement to Ron's presentation! I'm glad to hear that this fellow was able to pull through and make a success of something.

Roy B.

 

[Ron Kirkwood]

00:51:27 Steve Gates: I'm having a hard time placing the location of the Granite School Hospital on the current Park Service map and landscape. Can you show us?

Steve, find Granite Schoolhouse Lane on the Park Service map and look for where the road makes a bend in about the middle. The school was near and just on the north side of that area. There's a B&L horse artillery monument on the other side of the street of the school's former location. It was an open field between the school site and Powers Hill in 1863, and that's where the men lay. It's all wooded now, and that makes me sad. The Park Service has done such a great job of clearing out modern trees all over the battlefield and even on Powers Hill right above this location, but they haven't done anything here. We need a hospital sign, a couple of markers explaining what happened there, and they could dig up the school foundation for all to see. Also, where was the well for the school? 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the school being torn down, so that seems like a good time to make progress in this area.