from my aging memory ... with appologies to Shelby Foote - looking at me from my book shelf ... the American Shad also has a place in our Nation's history:
April 1865, with the war sloggin on, Gen Phil Sheridan's Union forces were closing in on Petersburg Va - which was also under siege. Lee stationed Gen George Pickett (yes that Pickett ) near Five Forks Va .... near Petersburg and to protect his right flank and supply lines. Pickett eventually fell back, and Lee sent a rare admonishment to Pickett ... "Dissapointed and saddened in your inability to hold your line, especially after gaining such a good and important ground ".
Pickett was not happy with Lee's message and felt he had secured a safe position ... he heard no shooting or artillery any where near. So Pickett, Fitzhugh Lee and another General accepted a Officers invite to a Shad Bake deep in the Va woods .. promising tasty baked shad, some good brown liquour and good company.
Pickett and the other officers enjoying the Shad Bake .... could not hear Sheridan's attack and the Battle , due to " accoustic Shadows " from the heavy sorounding woods. At the Battle of Five Forks, Sheridan routed Pickett's surprised army, killing / wounding a couple thousand and taking 4,000 prisoners. One week later, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox.
in the old days, Fly Fisherman magazine's last page was always Nick Lyon's
"Seasonable Angler" ... his short stories. I remember one month Nick recounted the story of Pickett's Shad Bake... and a nice story about the American Shad. I hope i can find it in my stack of FFs.
(my appoligies to the monitors --- probably wrong place for this, but i thought our gang might be interested in the history. Thanks for indulging me! )
