|
 |
|
|
Home
The Saga Archives Wild Geese Shops Bookstore Classifieds Heritage Key Dates Events WGT Forum Gallery Lands of Exile Living History Resources Bibliography Contact WGT About Us
PROUD SPONSORS OF WGT:
For the latest headlines about "Bloody Sunday" and Northern Ireland, visit Newshound, at Nuzhound.com
VISIT THESE OTHER FINE IRISH SITES:
Tara Hall, Headquarters for 'Fighting 69th' and Irish
Brigade Memorabilia, online at Fighting69th.com.
Irish
Culture and Customs: Traditions, folklore, and more.
|
Civil War historian Brian C. Pohanka, who |
| Sometimes at night I seem to see them, and to hear their voices crying out to me that it must not all be for nothing! When I am gone, too, the lives that they lived, and the dreams that they dreamed, will be gone forever. ... So I wonder sometimes if I have told you enough, if I have done all I can to make you love your country, to make you realize how precious it is.
— The words of aged Revolutionary War veteran Randolph Montague, from Upton Sinclair's Civil War novel, "Theirs Be the Guilt." (1960) |
 |
| Photo by Kevin J. Kennedy Brian Caldwell Pohanka, in his trademark Zouave officer's uniform, 1994 |
Pohanka, a writer and somewhat unconventional historian, died June 15 at age 50 from complications of melanoma, at his home in Alexandria, Va. He was a force for preservation of Civil War history and the heritage of Irish soldiers in that conflict, and will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues, and the many whose lives he touched with his passion for America's military heritage.
Brian was born in Washington on March 20, 1955, and grew up amid the sights, sounds and inspiration of America's five-year Civil War Centennial. He attended Sidwell Friends School, in Washington, and Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pa.
He was the author or co-author of dozens of books and articles, most focused on the Civil War. Among Pohanka's books are "Distant Thunder: A Photographic Essay on the Civil War," "The Civil War: An Aerial Portrait," "Landscapes of the Civil War," and "Don Troiani's Civil War Art." He was co-author of "Mapping the Civil War," "Custer's Field" and "Myles Keogh: An Irish Dragoon in the 7th Cavalry." He authored a monograph published in 1993 by the Irish Brigade Association, titled "James McKay Rorty: From Donegal Town to a Place Called Gettysburg."
Brian, a contributing editor here at WGT since our launch in 1997, was one of the most important parts of our team, especially in our early years. He not only has authored several of the most enduringly popular features on our site, but served as an invaluable adviser and cheerleader. He was frequently standing by, just a phone call away, offering us an otherwise elusive fact or resource about an Irish soldier or Civil War engagement.
He was unflagging in his dedication to the history and preservation of the memories of these Irish immigrants, not wholly explained by Irish ancestry on his mother's side. He found simple ways to impart profound meaning to these soldiers' sacrifices. He said at a Memorial Day service in 1992 at New York's First Calvary Cemetery:
There was a turn-of-the-century American historian and philosopher who once said, 'There is no dream but deed; there is no deed but memory.' Those (buried here) were men of dreams. They dreamed, as James Rorty did, of 'leading in the cause of Ireland,' as he put it. And they dreamed of this country, their adopted land. And gave their lives ... risked and gave their lives, in its defense, in its cause.
Jack Conway was then chairman of the Irish Brigade Association's Graves Committee, which Pohanka served for five years as honorary chairman. Said Conway: "What impressed me about Brian was his enthusiasm for and his wanting to help the (then) fledgling Irish Brigade Association. His knowledge, his sincerity, his vocation as a champion of the common soldier of the American Civil War were an inspiration to the membership. His genuine interest in assisting us in remembering the immigrant Irish soldier was most appreciated and shall not be forgotten."
|
'(Brian's) knowledge, his sincerity, his vocation as a champion of the common soldier of the American Civil War were an inspiration.' – former Irish Brigade Association activist Jack Conway |
Brian was also a much sought-after consultant for film and documentary projects, playing key roles in two Academy Award winning films. He served as an on-set advisor for "Cold Mountain" (2003), training Romanian army soldiers to portray Civil War soldiers. For "Glory" (1989), he raised a company of black recruits to portray soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. He served as a historical advisor to director Ron Maxwell's films "Gettysburg" (1993) and "Gods and Generals" (2003).
 |
| Photo by Kevin J. Kennedy Liam Murphy, left, and Gerry Regan, right, presenting Brian Pohanka, center, with a drawing of Irish Brigade commander Richard Byrnes. |
Brian's touch was lyrical as well as historical. During a visit to France, he recited the poem "Rouge Bouquet" at the grave of slain 69th New York infantryman and poet Joyce Kilmer, evoking the tragedy of a whole generation of artists and other young men lost in the devastation of "The Great War." He described First Calvary Cemetery, the final resting place of Rorty, Michael Corcoran, Tim O'Meara, Richard Byrnes, and other notable Irishmen sacrificed in the Civil War as "The Valhalla of the Irish Soldier," underscoring both the poetry of his world view and the vast reach of his knowledge.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, Brian directed his passion for history to the support of the widows and children of those New York City firefighters who died then, linking the thousands of firemen who served in New York's colorful Zouave regiments during the Civil War and today's firefighters. With features online exploring those links, along with personal appeals, his Zouave unit raised $8,000 for the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widows' and Children's Fund.
Perhaps in no field, though, was Brian more compelling than in battlefield preservation. He was a founding member of Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, which evolved into Civil War Preservation Trust. The Trust has saved thousands of battlefield acres across the country from development.
| 'Continuing Brian's work will be the best way to celebrate his life.'– Cricket Bauer Pohanka |
He is survived by his wife of six years, Cricket Bauer Pohanka; his father, John Pohanka of Washington; a brother, Geoffrey Pohanka, of Vienna, Va.; and a sister, Susan Pohanka, of Bryn Mawr, Pa.
"Continuing Brian's work will be the best way to celebrate his life, I think," Cricket Bauer Pohanka wrote me in an e-mail. Donations to Civil War Preservation Trust can be made in Brian's name, using a link from the Trust. We urge you to make that contribution now.
"Without memory, we have no deeds," Pohanka reminded onlookers that sun-drenched Memorial Day in 1992, standing over the graves of Irishmen slain during the Civil War. "So remember, and honor these brave men, these brave souls. Thank you."
And so we will, Brian, impelled by your example. Rest in peace, comrade! — Ger
|
Brian C. Pohanka's Remarks at the Civil War Monument, First Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, N.Y., Memorial Day (May 30), 1992
There was a turn-of-the-century American historian and philosopher who once said, "There is no dream but deed; there is no deed but memory." Those (buried here) were men of dreams. They dreamed, as James Rorty did, of "leading in the cause of Ireland," as he put it. And they dreamed of this country, their adopted land. And gave their lives … risked and gave their lives, in its defense, in its cause.
This very ground we stand on today, by this worn and battered memorial, is sacred ground because around this memorial were buried numbers of the fallen. We stand here today on their last resting place. Men like Major William Horgan, who fell at Fredericksburg, and Patrick Clooney, who died at Antietam, and many others rest around this memorial. And as we go and decorate the graves for the next few minutes you'll see the last resting places of James McKay Rorty and Timothy O'Meara, another unsung hero of that war, who risked his life to get the wounded and the defeated away from the disastrous battlefield at Balls Bluff, where troops were literally drowning in the Potomac River. He went back across that river to save his comrades because of those ideals that he valued. He later gave his life in the charge on Missionary Ridge. It is said that General Grant wept over O'Meara's body. And it is men like that and countless others that I don't know of, that probably none of us here know of, who may rest here in unmarked graves, men like the commander of the Irish Brigade, Col. (Richard) Byrnes of the 28th Massachusetts. He rests here in an unmarked grave. There are so many projects that await county associations, historical organizations, people who care. Because we must do what we can to carry that memory of that dream, and those deeds into the future. Because there is no deed but memory. Without memory, we have no deeds. So remember, and honor these brave men, these brave souls. Thank you.
|
This feature was produced by Joe Gannon and Gerry Regan.
Copyright © 2005 by GAR Media LLC. This article may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior permission from the author. Direct questions about permissions to permissions@garmedia.com.
E-mail us for more information about TheWildGeese.com.
 |
| Click to return to The Wild Geese Today's Home Page |
Copyright © 2005, GAR Media.
All rights reserved.
