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From Jennifer CS Brylinski, President and Newsletter Author
Info about the January 17th Movie Night Meeting
Meeting Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Sussex County Community College, Newton, NJ, in the Old Theatre (D-
Building)
MOVIE NIGHT EXCLUSIVE NEW JERSEY FILM PREMIER
“LOST RIVER: LINCOLN’S SECRET WEAPON”
THE UNTOLD STORY OF ANNA ELLA CARROLL
JANUARY 17, 2012, 7:30 PM, IN THE THEATRE (D-BUILDING) AT
THE SUSSEX COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN NEWTON, NJ
Help Us Celebrate the True Life Story of Anna Ella Carroll;
Military Strategist and Adviser to President Abraham Lincoln.
Her Involvement in the Civil War was Kept a Secret . . . Until Now!
More than a century following her death, after being ignored, oppressed, and literally erased from history,
Anna Ella Carroll is finally getting the last word. Come spend an enjoyable and thought provoking evening
watching the New Jersey Film Premier of the movie “Lost River.” Popcorn and soft drinks will be provided.
Carroll was an intriguing and atypical 19th century woman who emerged from the male-dominated realm of
war, politics, and diplomacy. As a key military strategist, Presidential advisor, and “unofficial” member of
Abraham Lincoln’s Cabinet, Carroll was probably the most powerful woman in American during the Civil
War. Biographers note that she could “scheme, connive, and maneuver as well as any man.”
Carroll, who was from Maryland, was a war spy, politician, Unionist writer, pamphleteer, author and legal
expert. She is credited with helping to prevent Maryland’s secession from the Union. President Lincoln sent
her, accompanied by an army officer, to observe and report on the War on the western front. Her reports
resulted in major military strategies that eventually doomed the Confederacy and ended the intervention of
the European nations on the behalf of the South. She is credited with changing the direction of the Civil War
by devising the crucial Tennessee River Plan that laid the groundwork of General Ulysses S. Grant’s
successful campaign against the Confederates that hastened the end of the war. She also presented legal
arguments and opinions as to why Lincoln could issue the Emancipation Proclamation and detailed his war
powers authority. Fearing that Union generals would and soldiers would not follow a plan devised by a
woman civilian, Lincoln and his Cabinet kept Carroll’s authorship a secret.
Evidence exists that Lincoln had intended to honor Carroll after the war with a title and pension equal to that
of a Major General. However, after Lincoln was assassinated, Carroll’s male counterparts conspired to take
credit for her successes and totally erase her from history. Carroll died in 1894, deprived of honor, title,
pension, and acknowledgement for her accomplishments.
Carroll’s role in history has been kept alive by the Friends of Anna Ella Carroll, a small group of citizens
from Maryland on a mission to keep her legacy alive. The Friends, with the support of the Maryland Women’
s Heritage Center in Baltimore, have joined to bring Carroll’s story to light and gain national
acknowledgment of the contributions she made.
Tucson attorney, writer and history buff Bruce Bridegroom spent almost $1 million in 2009 to produce “Lost
River” (www.lostrivermovie.com), a film about Carroll’s life. The film is produced by Joe Dunlap and
directed by Jason Urban. Veteran New York stage actress Tami Sutton portrays Anna Ella Carroll. Fritz
Klein is Abraham Lincoln, a role he has been playing since 1976 in productions seen on the History
Channel and the Discovery Channel.
Over the years there have been many events dedicated to keeping Anna Ella Carroll’s memory alive. The
Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table is proud to be able to help preserve her honor by hosting the
New Jersey Premiere of this movie at the Sussex County Community College in Newton.
The Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table provides educational programs, tours, and fellowship for
individuals interested in the Civil War Era. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information
please call Jennifer at 845-295-2603 during work hours, or check out the Round Table’s website at www.
ryersoncwrt.com
The Upcoming Civil War Round Table Season:
February 21, 2012 – Anthony Waske as General Meade
March 20, 2012 – Chris Mackowski – The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson
April 17, 2012 – John Zinn – Civil War Baseball
May 15, 2012 – Annual Dinner Meeting
Monthly Newsletter Education Corner:
NEW JERSEY AND THE CIVIL WAR
The Civil War divided New Jersey just as it did the nation. As a small state sandwiched between two large
and powerful neighbors, New Jersey had always supported the creation of a strong central government. On
the other hand, many New Jersey citizens did not share the anti-slavery sentiments of the North; they
supported the property rights of slave owners. Subsequently, when southern states began to secede from
the Union to form the Confederacy, New Jersey was left philosophically divided.
In spite of some significant pro-Southern sentiment, New Jersey recruited its quota of regiments in the Civil
War and gave valuable financial aid to the Union. Recruitment took place for the new regiments all over the
State, and on May 21, 1861, the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was mustered into the Union Army at
Camp Olden in Trenton under Major Theodore T.S. Laidley of the United States Regular Army. The 9th
New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Joseph W. Allen at Camp Olden, was the last New Jersey
regiment to leave the State during 1861, but the first committed to battle. Additional regiments were raised
throughout the war, including cavalry and artillery.
No battles took place within New Jersey throughout the course of the Civil War. Nonetheless, over 88,000
soldiers from New Jersey came forward and fought for the Union. In total, 31 regiments were created by
New Jersey soldiers during the war. Over 23,000 of those soldiers served in the Army of the Potomac.
Soldiers from New Jersey fought generally in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. Over 6,000 soldiers
from New Jersey lost their lives in the war. Philip Kearny, an officer from the Mexican-American War, led a
brigade of New Jersey regiments under Brigadier General William B. Franklin. Kearny distinguished
himself as a brilliant officer during the Peninsula Campaign, and was promoted to the position of major
general.
New Jersey was one of the few states to vote for Stephen Douglas instead of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860
presidential election. The people of New Jersey also gave their electoral votes to George McClellan when
he ran for President against Lincoln in the election of 1864, being the only Free State that rejected Lincoln
twice. McClellan later became the governor of New Jersey, from 1878 to 1881.
Many cities like Paterson and Camden grew extremely wealthy throughout the duration of the Civil War.
They produced many necessities, including clothing and war materials like ammunition. These cities
prospered through constant production even after the end of the war. Cities like these became crucial to
the Northern war effort. With the help of New Jersey’s ability to manufacture supplies, the Union was able to
defeat the Confederates and successfully conclude the war and reunite the country.