# Pen Set for the American Battlefield Trust



## Tom Smart (Mar 7, 2022)

Several years ago I met the Chief Administrative Officer of the American Battlefield Trust at one of the craft fairs I do. He asked if I could make some presentation pens if he provided the wood. He soon upped it to include cutting boards and I’ve done a few projects for him the last few years. At the end of November he brought me 3 logs he “harvested” from the Gettysburg battlefield. The wood was from trees thinned out on Culp’s Hill and Seminary Ridge. They were not witness trees. The logs had been on the ground a long time and they are in bad shape but the centers are pretty solid. He needed a pen and pencil set for April and more later in the summer.

I finished the writing set this afternoon. This is a Mistral ballpoint pen and .7mm pencil in Rhodium/TI Gold. I am not sure of the wood, I’ll leave that to the experts here (@phinds and @Mr. Peet) but my guess is oak of some flavor.





With an unturned blank.





An end grain picture, unsanded and without a microscope.





One of the logs…

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 1 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 6


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## Mike1950 (Mar 7, 2022)

Very cool project- Good on you my friend

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## Tom Smart (Mar 7, 2022)

I just sent him a picture of this set and he now has a project for a stand to hold a 12 pound cannon ball from the Battle of Franklin in TN.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 7, 2022)

Do you get to keep any of the wood? I'd be interested in a couple of pen blanks of that. Actually went there last year and rode horses across the battlefield. Love me some history.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Tony (Mar 7, 2022)

Great story and beautiful work! I'm a Civil War buff so this is really cool to me!

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Mar 7, 2022)

Beautiful way to save a piece of history!

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Mar 7, 2022)

Handsome pens Tom! Sounds like you have a good thing going with that fellow, quite an honor to make such things.....

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 5


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## Nature Man (Mar 7, 2022)

Outstanding! Preservation of history from a battlefield! Congrats on playing a key role! Chuck

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Mr. Peet (Mar 7, 2022)

Red oak family, I've worked with several on the grounds. They have red, black, scarlet and pin oaks planted in many places. There are another 10 species of lesser common oaks on the properties as landscape and memorial trees.

Northern red oak (_rubra_) and Black oak (_velutina_) are my thoughts in that order.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Jonkou (Mar 7, 2022)

Nice, projects with meaning are the best kind.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Tom Smart (Mar 7, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Do you get to keep any of the wood? I'd be interested in a couple of pen blanks of that. Actually went there last year and rode horses across the battlefield. Love me some history.


I’ve got a bit of a connection to Gettysburg, Eric. Wife and I went to college there. Spent lots of time “studying” on the battlefield. Also had some night time fraternity adventures. It’s a scary place on a moonless night. Have a friend who retired there to become a licensed park guide. He does car guiding. His wife did the horse tours as a licensed guide, but she stopped before last year.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tom Smart (Mar 7, 2022)

Mr. Peet said:


> Red oak family, I've worked with several on the grounds. They have red, black, scarlet and pin oaks planted in many places. There are another 10 species of lesser common oaks on the properties as landscape and memorial trees.
> 
> Northern red oak (_rubra_) and Black oak (_velutina_) are my thoughts in that order.


Mark, thanks. This was from the smallest of the pieces he brought. I’m going to try and get some slices to dry for cutting boards from the others. Possibly different wood. I haven’t opened one. Here is the one I did. Only picture I’ve got right now.





Pen set from this piece.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


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## Steve in VA (Mar 7, 2022)

Awesome job Tom! Having seen your work, I know why he keeps coming back. The cannonball project will be a blast!

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Mr. Peet (Mar 8, 2022)

Tom Smart said:


> Mark, thanks. This was from the smallest of the pieces he brought. I’m going to try and get some slices to dry for cutting boards from the others. Possibly different wood. I haven’t opened one. Here is the one I did. Only picture I’ve got right now.
> 
> View attachment 223857
> 
> ...


There again, lumped as "Red oak", species unknown.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike Hill (Mar 8, 2022)

Tom Smart said:


> I just sent him a picture of this set and he now has a project for a stand to hold a 12 pound cannon ball from the Battle of Franklin in TN.


That cannonball needs to come back to TN! LOL Have a friend about 20 years older that me and he said he used to play around the area where the redoubts were located at the West end of the Confederate Line in the Battle of Nashville. He said they used to play somethink like Bocce ball with all the cannonball still lying around in the 1930's - no development until a few years later. Did a project on that piece of property (renovation) and did not find a thing. Now, if you need some wood from the BON battlefield I got some hackberry and mulberry probably on par with that oak. There is one oak that is a witness tree a few blocks from me a Shumake Oak that I need to go see if there is any deadfall.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 8, 2022)

Mike Hill said:


> That cannonball needs to come back to TN! LOL Have a friend about 20 years older that me and he said he used to play around the area where the redoubts were located at the West end of the Confederate Line in the Battle of Nashville. He said they used to play somethink like Bocce ball with all the cannonball still lying around in the 1930's - no development until a few years later. Did a project on that piece of property (renovation) and did not find a thing. Now, if you need some wood from the BON battlefield I got some hackberry and mulberry probably on par with that oak. There is one oak that is a witness tree a few blocks from me a Shumake Oak that I need to go see if there is any deadfall.


probably were all gathered up in Metal drives for WWII and melted down.


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## rdabpenman (Mar 8, 2022)

Nicely done.   
Les

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tom Smart (Mar 8, 2022)

Mike Hill said:


> Now, if you need some wood from the BON battlefield I got some hackberry and mulberry probably on par with that oak. There is one oak that is a witness tree a few blocks from me a Shumake Oak that I need to go see if there is any deadfall.


Cool, Mike, let me see what he has in mind. I just might take you up on wood.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 8, 2022)

@Mike Hill 
I'd be interested in a couple of pen blanks too if you're willing to part with them.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Mar 8, 2022)

Great looking set. Great job.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 8, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> @Mike Hill
> I'd be interested in a couple of pen blanks too if you're willing to part with them.


If I'd known that, they've been cutting down 100 year old trees all over to tear down one house and put two on the lot to sell. The BON battlefield wood is not rare. Now witness trees are rare. Need proof? See the following photos.

The first is a hospital camp SW of town probably around what is now Music Row - that's the State Capital on the far left. Not many trees only stumps - the Feds devastated the trees for fuel. The actual battle was far to the right.




This is a shot from around Fort Negley toward Fort Morton (on top of hill on the right), This would be the Union Defensive Lines that were never in the battle or attacked. The Battle would have occured far to the left past that line of trees. The road running right to left between the two forts would be Franklin Pike. Again, not many trees -only stumps. Look closely, in front of the breastworks there appears to be some field fortifications in the form of a palisade. That took a bunch of trees -that and the breastworks.






Another view of Union defensive lines. Probably from Fort Morton to the west. Far away and on the right there appears to be tents - that could be the hospital tent camp listed above. 





My house would be about where the first D in Confederate Forward Line is on the map. The witness tree is on the opposite side of Granny White Pike about where the Confederate Forward Line is. This is a map of the First day of the battle. The second day the Confederates had retreated far to the south along what is now Harding Road. 





This is the witness tree. The Sunnyside Mansion would be slightly to the right and about a 1/2 block away. If the background trees weren't there, you could see it. Granny White Pike is to the left along the trees. The oldest trees we have around, except for that one are approximately 80 to 100 years old or of course younger. To the left of the tree is the Battle of Nashville memorial - moved here from it's original place and restored. It had pretty much been destroyed, vandalized, graffitized and otherwise disrespected for decades. Now, the City did not put any money toward it - a group of interested individuals did.

Reactions: Way Cool 1 | Informative 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 8, 2022)

I don't care about rare, I just like the history. I appreciate it though

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 8, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> I don't care about rare, I just like the history. I appreciate it though



I'll get something together then.

Reactions: Like 1


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## SubVet10 (Mar 14, 2022)

I'm so jealous of the story. Congrats to you for the amazing project

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## William Tanner (Mar 14, 2022)

Enjoyed the story here. I was fortunate to spend a day at Gettysburg in 79 or 80. Great job on the pens and case.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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