Upcoming CCWRT Program
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

Meeting Summary: September 2024 – “Swope Manor: The Grand Inn Located in Downtown Gettysburg”

The September 2024 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable featured a very engaging presentation by Kellie Gormly. Kellie’s presentation, which was based on her book Cease Firing! Life and Death at The Swope Manor, was especially relevant in light of the upcoming field trip to Gettysburg. In the first part of her presentation, Kellie focused on Swope Manor, a large residence that was built prior to the Civil War by a prominent Gettysburg resident named George Swope. Swope’s wealth came from his being the president of the Bank of Gettysburg. The land on which Swope Manor was built was one of the original lots laid out by James Gettys when he founded the town of Gettysburg. Years later an addition was added to Swope Manor to accommodate George Swope’s son, John, and John’s family.

The second part of Kellie’s presentation dealt with a connection between Swope Manor and a Union officer who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. The Union officer was Lieutenant William Pohlman of the 59th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Interestingly, one company of this New York regiment consisted of Ohioans. Pohlman has what is quite likely a unique distinction among Civil War soldiers in that he was born in Borneo. Pohlman’s parents were missionaries there, but some time after Pohlman was born, his mother and three of Pohlman’s siblings died. Pohlman’s father sent the two remaining siblings (Pohlman and his sister) to live with relatives in Albany, New York. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Pohlman enlisted in the Union army out of an extreme sense of duty to his country.

Kellie noted that many of Pohlman’s Civil War letters to his sister and other family members provide a rich source of information about wartime experiences. Kellie read some of these letters, and they are revealing and powerful. For example, one letter written shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run shows Pohlman’s realization that the war was not going to be the quick and mild conflict that many expected, but rather that the war was going to be long and bloody. In another letter Pohlman describes in grim detail the execution of a deserter. Still another letter includes Pohlman’s emotional request to his cousin to become a surrogate sibling to his sister should Pohlman not survive the war.

Pohlman’s connection to Swope Manor resulted from his wounding at the Battle of Gettysburg. On day three, Pohlman’s regiment, which was part of Winfield Scott Hancock’s II Corps, was positioned near the copse of trees during Pickett’s Charge. Pohlman received a shrapnel wound in his left shoulder, but refused to leave the fight. He then was struck in the right wrist by a minie ball that traveled up his arm and produced a severe wound. Amazingly, Pohlman walked to a field hospital, where he was treated. He was later moved to Swope Manor to continue his recovery, which was progressing well. However, infection set in, and Pohlman died two and a half weeks after receiving his wound, which put a tragic end to the heroic life of a young man who willingly served his country out of nothing more than a pure sense of devotion.

Kellie’s superb presentation was an excellent way to begin the 2024-2025 program year. Her presentation also provided inspiration for another location that can be visited during the upcoming field trip to Gettysburg. The Roundtable thanks Kellie for her outstanding presentation.

September 2024 Charger Uploaded

The September 2024 issue of The Charger has been uploaded. It can be accessed by clicking on this link.

Program Schedule for 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 program year is rapidly approaching. Gene Claridge, the president of the Roundtable, has put together an excellent program with a roster of outstanding speakers who will give presentations on a wide range of interesting topics. Gene’s program schedule can be accessed by clicking on this link.

2024 Field Trip – Itinerary and Information for Making a Reservation

The Roundtable’s 2024 field trip is scheduled for September 19-22, 2024 to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A block of rooms has been reserved, and the itinerary includes the cupola of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Lee’s headquarters trail, a group dinner at the Gettysburg Visitor’s Center with access to the Museum and Cyclorama, the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Seminary Ridge Museum, and a number of the historic sites on the battlefield (Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Culp’s Hill, and others). For those who are interested, there will be an opportunity to walk the ground of Pickett’s Charge as well as a Sunday visit to Spangler Farm. Check back for updates. A downloadable PDF, which contains the itinerary and information about making a reservation, can be found by clicking on this link.

Membership Roster and Contact Information

We have worked very hard to improve our membership database and contact information this year, but we know we probably have more work to do. Please be sure to keep us advised of changes in contact information by sending us the information at clecwrt@gmail.com. We monitor that email account on a regular basis, so this would be a big help in making sure we can keep you informed of group activities. If you want to see what has been posted on our Facebook page or Twitter account, you do not have to become a member of the Roundtable. Everyone is welcome to view our Facebook page and Twitter account. These can also be accessed by googling “Cleveland Civil War Roundtable” and either “Facebook” or “Twitter” and clicking on the appropriate link in the search results.